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Texas lands in the middle of a national outdoor ranking — and the math explains why
The Lone Star State finished 23rd of 50, undone less by its scenery than by a scoring formula that rewards small states and penalizes big ones.
The Lead’s stories
Kroc Center fan drive aims to collect 80 box fans for Arbor View residents
The Salvation Army Kroc Center is collecting new box fans this week for residents of Arbor View Nursing Home, aiming to gather 80 fans to help keep Kerrville seniors cool through the summer.
Screwworm tightens around Kerr County as state quarantines three counties to the south
The Texas Animal Health Commission drew a new infested zone over parts of Bandera, Medina and Uvalde counties Wednesday, leaving Kerr County — already under its own quarantine since June 9 — nearly ringed by detections.
Rose Gonzales named principal of Hal Peterson Middle School
Gonzales has held several roles in Kerrville ISD over her career, including teacher, counselor and administrator. A Tivy High School graduate, she earned a master’s in guidance and school counseling from Angelo State University in 2015 and a master’s in educational leadership from the same university in 2023.
Volunteers replant the Guadalupe as Kerrville nears the flood’s one-year mark
The Kerr County River Foundation’s Adopt-A-River program reports some 1,500 volunteer hours and thousands of new plantings, while the Community Foundation details $82 million in regional recovery grants.
Camp Mystic files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection
Chapter 11 filing by the Hunt camp and three affiliated Eastland entities halts litigation by victims’ families as the one-year anniversary of the July 4 disaster nears.
UGRA’s RiverHub dashboard goes live as first six flood sirens pass testing
The premise is simple: one place for information that used to live in a half-dozen places. “One of the things that was difficult with finding data in Kerr County was that it was scattered across seven, eight different web pages, different agencies,” Bushnoe said. “So we’ve taken all that data and brought it into one.”
Kerr County’s elementary STAAR scores span a wide gap, with sharp swings inside Kerrville ISD
Hunt School led every campus in both subjects, though its grades of roughly 20 students make year-to-year movement unreliable. Ingram Elementary, far larger at about 265 students tested, was the most consistent strong performer, posting 68% in math, up two points, against the statewide grades 3-5 average of about 47%.
Flood-warning forums anchor the week, with ‘Frozen’ close behind
“Frozen Jr.” takes the Cailloux stage for three performances, opening Friday at 7:30 p.m., with a second evening show Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m.
The Kerr County Lead honors 25 women and three groups at inaugural Women of Distinction celebration
The Kerr County Lead’s first-ever Women of Distinction Awards, a two-and-a-half-hour celebration of the women — and groups of women — who nominators said have shaped Kerr County, especially in the long recovery since the July 4, 2025 flood.
Take 5 Oil Change planned for former gas station site on Junction Highway
State filings put the project at an estimated $850,000, with construction set to begin Aug. 3 and finish by Dec. 28. The work is privately funded, on private land for private use.
Heat advisory for Kerr County Thursday as heat index nears 111
The heat is building ahead of the advisory. Kerrville will see a high near 96 today with a heat index as high as 104 under sunny skies, followed by an overnight low around 76.
Free Juneteenth celebration pairs blues and innovation Friday at Heritage Center
The Juneteenth Innovation Celebration runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission, including entry to the center’s exhibits, is free.
Kerrville to explain Elm Creek Pipeline, a drought water-supply plan, at Wednesday meeting
The city will take questions on a project that would return highly treated reclaimed water to the Guadalupe River upstream of Kerrville’s drinking-water intake during severe droughts.
Kerr County judge declares local disaster over New World screwworm threat
The declaration took effect immediately and will remain in place for seven days, after which it will go before the Kerr County Commissioners Court at its regular open meeting Monday, June 22, for consideration of an extension.
The Lead’s Special Report
The monster in the canyon: What the storm actually was — and what was never asked
Nine months after the flood, federal meteorologists tell the full story. In 15 hours of legislative testimony this week, none of it came up.
At 12:56 a.m. on July 4, 2025, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Austin sent a message through its professional communications platform: “Some cell mergers about to take place in central Kerr County. This will be an area to watch for potential flash flooding.”
Eighteen minutes later, a flash flood warning went out to cell phones across the Hunt area — the ninth such warning issued for the Guadalupe River corridor since 2020. The previous eight had all expired without a mass casualty event.
By 4:03 a.m., NWS had upgraded that warning to a Flash Flood Emergency — the most urgent alert the agency can issue. Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator Dub Thomas was home sick that night. Whether anyone else in Kerr County’s emergency structure was actively monitoring professional NWS channels during those critical hours remains unknown. Read more: https://kerrcountylead.com/the-monster-in-the-canyon-what-the-storm-actually-was-and-what-was-never-asked/
Arts and Culture
Nearly 50 young performers bring ‘Frozen Jr.’ to the Cailloux stage this weekend
Playhouse 2000’s Youth Summer Musical Theater Camp closes four weeks of work with Disney’s “Frozen Jr.” at the Cailloux Theater, with shows Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m.
Playhouse 2000 youth campers stage Disney’s ‘Frozen Jr.’ this weekend
The cast earned their roles through open auditions in May and spent June rehearsing the production. Playhouse 2000 Director of Youth Programming Emily Olson directs, with choreography by Cynthia Frias and music direction by Alexis Korbe, assisted by Meg Traverso.
Flood-warning forums anchor the week, with ‘Frozen’ close behind
“Frozen Jr.” takes the Cailloux stage for three performances, opening Friday at 7:30 p.m., with a second evening show Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m.
2026 Kerrville Folk Festival
Photo gallery: The 2026 Kerrville Folk Festival
Our mega gallery from the 20 acts we photographed at the 2026 Kerrville Folk Festival.
Sunday, June 7: Full Circle to the Festival’s End
The festival’s final evening brings together intimate folk traditions, innovative genre-defying sounds and arena-ready heartland rock.
Career Milestones and Musical Evolution highlight the final Saturday at Quiet Valley Ranch
The evening honors veteran artistry while embracing fresh voices exploring the boundaries of traditional forms.
A night of gene-defying music on final Friday of Folk Festival
The evening moves from intimate songwriter craft through indie-rock sensibilities to the high-energy punk-country fusion that defines modern Americana’s edge.
Photo gallery: Andy Frasco and The U.N. on the second Saturday of Kerrville Folk Festival
The Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter took to the stage at 10 p.m. and was nonstop for an hour, including a crowd surfing moment and dancing with a little girl who wandered onto the stage.
Photo gallery: The Eastpointers close out the second Friday of Kerrville Folk Festival
The Canadian and Celtic-inspired duo the Eastsiders took to the stage Friday night and immediately brought the crowd to their feet.
Photo gallery: Brandy Clark brings Kerrville Folk Festival audience to its feet
During a well-received set, Brandy Clark singled out the Kerrverts at the Kerrville Folk Festival on Friday night.
Photo gallery: Chasity Brown at the Kerrville Folk Festival
Brown was the second act on Friday night during the second weekend of the Kerrville Folk Festival. She pulls from blues, gospel and Americana and a voice that tends to command a room.
Photo galleries
Photo gallery: The 2026 BluesFest at the Doyle Community Center
The BluesFest keeps growing and the music keeps heating up at the Doyle Community Center.
Photo gallery: The 2026 Women of Distinction
The Kerr County Lead’s first-ever Women of Distinction Awards, a two-and-a-half-hour celebration of the women — and groups of women — who nominators said have shaped Kerr County, especially in the long recovery since the July 4, 2025 flood.
Photo gallery: The 2026 Kerrville Folk Festival
Our mega gallery from the 20 acts we photographed at the 2026 Kerrville Folk Festival.
Photo gallery: Night to Unite shows the past, present and future of Cailloux Theater
The performing arts group hosted Night to Unite, which showcased the center’s past, present and future.
Photo gallery: Andy Frasco and The U.N. on the second Saturday of Kerrville Folk Festival
The Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter took to the stage at 10 p.m. and was nonstop for an hour, including a crowd surfing moment and dancing with a little girl who wandered onto the stage.
Sports
Pat Holmes, AFL All-Star who later called Kerrville home, dies at 85
Durable as well as decorated, he started every game of his first five seasons and never missed a game in seven years with the Oilers, appearing in all 98 and starting 96.
Commentary: How a trip to Ingram helped bond, unite the San Antonio Spurs to greatness
That trip was initiated by Spurs ownership and management, but it was executed by head coach Mitch Johnson, who made trips to Kerr County in the days immediately after the flood. Johnson saw the devastation firsthand through his volunteer efforts; he connected with the community, especially Ingram Tom Moore football coach and athletic director Tate DeMasco.
Tivy product Rhodes nearly steals one for Oklahoma State in Tuscaloosa regional opener
He worked the final 6⅓ innings, striking out six and allowing three runs on four hits — a workmanlike effort that kept Oklahoma State within striking distance until the final out.
Two Tivy grads are in college baseball’s postseason this week
Coleson Abel, a senior right-hander at UT Tyler, and Aiden Cline, a sophomore pitcher at Kansas, represent the Hill Country on opposite ends of the college baseball landscape as their respective teams chase national championships.
Schreiner University looking for its next football PA announcer
The university is searching for a public address announcer to help set the tone on game days, and no prior PA experience is required. The job calls for strong communication skills and comfort in front of a microphone.
Obituaries
Colleen Rhoads: Nov. 11, 1934-June 22, 2026
The friendships she formed through that organization lasted a lifetime and she cherished the many memories made with her friends.
Ivan Renteria: Sept. 16, 1984-June 18, 2026
Beyond the uniform, Ivan was a man of deep devotion to his family. He loved nothing more than spending his off-duty hours with his two boys, cooking out, and spending time with his family and friends.
Paula Gonzales Trevino: Jan. 15, 1926-June 20, 2026
Always had the best sweet tea and pot of beans. She worked many years at Mooney before enjoying a long career at James Avery.
Charles Hueber: Nov. 29, 1977-June 8, 2026
Charles dedicated his life to education, public service, and community leadership. He earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University and later completed his Doctorate of Education from Texas A&M University–Commerce.
Johnna Dee Butler: Aug. 21, 1956-June 17, 2026
She worked for and retired from the Texas Department of Transportation. She enjoyed collecting antiques and creating seasonal displays at her home.
Community voices
Commentary: How a trip to Ingram helped bond, unite the San Antonio Spurs to greatness
That trip was initiated by Spurs ownership and management, but it was executed by head coach Mitch Johnson, who made trips to Kerr County in the days immediately after the flood. Johnson saw the devastation firsthand through his volunteer efforts; he connected with the community, especially Ingram Tom Moore football coach and athletic director Tate DeMasco.
They came for Brenda Hughes. Here’s what they used — and what the truth is.
This has been an extraordinary campaign. Not because of anything Hughes has done, but because of what has been done to her.
Op-ed: It’s time to get involved in your party, reminders for voting
And do not think your vote doesn’t matter! If you voted in the Primary, it is incumbent upon you to have your voice heard. If you did not vote in EITHER primary, you can vote in the Republican primary runoff.
The Lead’s Editorial: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE DOWNRIGHT UGLY
The good works of the Hill Country Charity Ball is highlighted, but it’s all downhill from there.
Recent photos by The Kerr County Lead.
The Mission of The Kerr County Lead
Covering community news in the heart of the Hill Country.
Founded in 2021, The Kerr County Lead aims to provide high-quality journalism for Kerrville, Texas and the surrounding communities of the splendid Texas Hill Country. In the coming years, Texas faces exponential growth and the challenges of managing land, resources and water. At the same time, the Hill Country offers a robust quality of life and culture. With this mission, The Lead focuses its work on the stories that matter most to the readers in Kerr County.
