News

The Texas Department of Public Safety is scrapping its proposal for a $1.2 billion state-of-theart active-shooter training facility, aiming instead at a much lower target of $381.5 million to update its current campus with housing and renovated buildings, DPS Director Steve McCraw said this week.

The San Marcos CISD Board of Trustees met on Feb. 6 in a specially called meeting to hear from its Facilities Committee regarding preliminary recommendations for changes and improvements to several of the district’s campuses.

The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University has received approximately $2.5 million in federal appropriations in support of the Climate Change Impact on Water Initiative.

One day, Alexandria Robertson’s carefully crafted life suddenly started falling apart.

The Calaboose African American History Museum will present African Storytelling by Elizabeth Kahura on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. at the Cephas House.

Farmers Market preps for sunny days ahead

The road to get here has been long and treacherous, but last Tuesday, Hays County Judge Ruben Beccera and the majority of commissioners court approved a 10% income increase for Hays County employees making under $100,000. The 4-to-1 vote took place after nearly eight months of discussion and planning. In June of 2022, the commissioners court approved a salary study contract with Management Advisory Group International, LLC to determine a fair and fiscally responsible way to implement raises. The study was expected to be completed by September of 2022 in order to provide relief for those still struggling with the rippling effects of COVID-19 and the onset of high inflation. However, the plan has still not been completed, something that frustrated commissioners on the dais.

Award-winning poet and author Jane Wong will hold a reading and book signing Friday, Feb. 17, at Texas State University’s Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center.

The Walkers’ Gallery started 2023 with an unprecedented two astonishing exhibits. Activity Center attendees expressed their appreciation —“I feel like I am in a real museum,” one said. The quality of work was undeniable.

Annual Eddie Durham Jazz Celebration held at Texas State University

The Texas power grid passed another test recently, when a winter storm covered much of the state in a sheet of ice. Although there were significant power outages, some of which lasted a while, they were largely due to ice on lines and trees breaking lines and similar issues. We also had enough power to deal with the even more brutal cold in late December.

In October, I took over as president of the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce. This chamber has a long history and track record of success in the business community. With approximately 500 members, the San Marcos Chamber serves as the “voice of business” and works on programs and events to help grow local businesses.