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Texas political notebook: Talarico back on the trail, Paxton’s Dubai problem and a Senate race that keeps tightening
Republican nominee Ken Paxton’s campaign demanded “proof of life,” launched a tip line for Talarico sightings and promoted missing-person posters.
The Lead’s stories
Missed an emergency alert call? Kerr County’s new system will let you call back and hear it
The county still uses CodeRed for emergency notifications, but Leitha said CodeRed will be phased out in February, and the county is using the time until then to transition to Everbridge.
GOP threatens to sue to block Walther from taking Pct. 2 seat
Walther said party Chairwoman Helen Herd called him Saturday and offered not to sue if he publicly dropped out and removed his campaign signs. He refused.
5 things we learned from the nearly 12-hour Camp Mystic bankruptcy hearing
The judge ruled on when the wrongful-death lawsuits can resume and took the fight over who will control the case under advisement.
League of Women Voters program to focus on working elections
The League of Women Voters of Hill Country Texas will hear about what it takes to work an election at its meeting Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Riverside Nature Center.
Flood loan deadline nears for nonprofits; 0% loans still available for local businesses
Kerr County nonprofits damaged in this summer’s flooding have until Nov. 2 to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans, while a separate program is offering 0% loans to small businesses in Kerr County and Comfort.
Two River Trail segments reopen Friday as flood recovery continues
The city called the reopening another step in its ongoing recovery from the July 16 flood. It credited volunteers who helped assess damage, clear debris, address hazards and restore access where conditions allow.
Riverside Nature Center’s fall native plant sale moved to Oct. 10
The sale runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the nature center, 150 Francisco Lemos St. Members of Riverside Nature Center, the Kerrville Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas and the Hill Country Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists get early access starting at 9 a.m.
Former USAA chief actuary to speak at Schreiner’s Labatt lecture
The lecture will be in the Schreiner University Ballrooms on the second floor of the Cailloux Campus Activity Center.
KPUB residential bills to rise about $10 a month starting Nov. 1
The KPUB Board of Trustees approved the utility’s fiscal 2027 budget last week, which includes the rate changes.
P&Z approves first Town Creek plat in nine minutes, no objections to development
That four-member quorum stood in contrast to this summer, when the commission couldn’t muster enough members to act on the project’s preliminary plat. Under state law, that plat was approved automatically.
Kerrville winemaker’s Grenache named a 2026 Texas Vintners Cup winner
Judges described it as savory and distinctive. Rivenburgh said he is now testing how Grenache performs in the Hill Country, using fruit from the 2026 vintage.
Chamber seeks nominations for annual awards; deadline Oct. 12
“The Annual Awards Banquet is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the people and businesses who help make Kerrville a special place to live, work and do business,” said Mindy Wendele, the chamber’s CEO.
Rain chances fade this weekend, with sunshine and warmer days ahead
A Flood Watch remains in effect until 7 p.m. Friday for much of the region. Rain chances drop over the weekend and end early next week, according to the National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio.
DA Wilke moves to step aside from Camp Mystic investigation as Eastlands challenge warrants
Six members of the Eastland family are asking a judge to block investigators from reviewing data seized under the Rangers’ search warrants.
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/
The Lead’s Special Sections
Arts and Culture
Spies, sleuths, rockabilly and a stadium full of Mountaineers: Your Kerr County week, Oct. 12-18
Playhouse 2000’s P2K Youth Theater is staging two comedies back to back in the VK Garage Theater, with performers ages 8 to 18.
Doyle Community Center fills October calendar, seeks donations and volunteers
The Doyle Community Center has a senior lunch, a game night and Bible study sessions on its October calendar. It is also asking for donations and volunteers as it continues to serve families affected by the July floods.
Riverside Nature Center’s fall native plant sale moved to Oct. 10
The sale runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the nature center, 150 Francisco Lemos St. Members of Riverside Nature Center, the Kerrville Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas and the Hill Country Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists get early access starting at 9 a.m.
Photo galleries
Photo gallery: KPUB’s 2026 Public Power Week Bucket Truck Rides
Drawn by the bucket trucks, which lift KPUB workers more than 20 feet into the air, visitors enjoyed complimentary hot dogs and drinks.
Photo gallery: Symphony of the Hills makes 2026-2027 season debut
Guest vocalists Brandon Morales and Bronwyn White drew standing ovations Thursday night as the Symphony of the Hills opened its 2026-27 season at the Cailloux Theater.
Photo gallery: Blessing of the Animals
This is the second year that the two churches have joined together to host the event, which drew more than 50 dogs, cats, a pair of mini horses and a snake for blessings.
Photo gallery: Kerr Arts and Cultural Center celebrates twin shows
The artist group known as the Magnificent Seven debuted its final show together at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026.
Photo gallery: KPSF Trivia Night
The Kerrville Public Schools Foundation held its annual trivia event at Inn of the Hills on Oct. 3, 2026 to raise funds for programs within the Kerrville Independent School District.
Photo gallery: Schreiner football posts 31-28 win over Southwestern
Schreiner University trailed by seven three separate times Saturday night against Southwestern (Texas) and answered every time in a non-conference game that Southwestern controlled for long stretches on the scoreboard — and still lost, 31-28, at Antler Stadium.
Photo gallery: Flags of Honor at River Star Park
Five hundred American flags stood in formation at Kerrville River Star Arts Park on Saturday as veterans, first responders and flood survivors gathered for the Kerrville Flags of Honor ceremony, the culmination of a week of 9/11 25th-anniversary memorial events across Kerr County.
Photo gallery: K-STAR’s annual car show
K-STAR, a nonprofit aimed at protecting at-risk children, held its annual fundraising car show at the Hill Country Youth Event Center on Sept. 12, 2026.
Photo gallery: Bark in the Park
The city of Kerrville Parks and Recreation Department, with the support of Kerrville Pets Alive and Freeman-Fritts Animal Shelter, hosted its first Bark in the Park event on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026.
Photo gallery: Schreiner football makes its historic return
The Schreiner University football program made its historic return on Saturday night at Antler Stadium.
Sports
Schreiner holds off Howard Payne 3-2 in a finish marked by four late cards
Howard Payne out-shot Schreiner 20-14 on the night, but Schreiner goalkeeper Mason Miller turned away 12 of 14 shots on goal to preserve the result.
Schreiner falls 1-0 to Howard Payne in match shortened to 73 minutes
Schreiner lost 1-0 to Howard Payne on Saturday in an American Southwest Conference match at Mountaineer Soccer Field.
Schreiner blows 2-0 lead, falls to Howard Payne in five sets
The Mountaineers had the match in hand and let it get away three times. They led the third set 9-3 and lost 25-21.
Schreiner, McMurry play to scoreless tie despite 14 Mountaineer shots
Schreiner outshot McMurry 14-9 for the match, including a 7-2 advantage in the first half.
Hendrix rallies past Schreiner 49-42 after Mountaineers’ fast start
Jake Blice threw for 448 yards and five touchdowns, Westin Bruce caught three of them, and Hendrix scored touchdowns on six straight possessions to beat Schreiner 49-42 on Saturday night before a homecoming crowd of 2,050 at Antler Stadium.
Schreiner University Sports Pages
Obituaries
Diane Killeen: Jan. 29, 1953-Oct. 5, 2026
She was highly involved with the Kerrville VFW Women’s Auxiliary. She received the award of La Femme of the Year to Cabane 1055 in recognition of her outstanding service. She devoted a lot of her time and energy to fundraising and feeding the veterans and their families and friends.
Gail Gross: July 15, 1942-Oct. 6, 2026
She and her family moved to Kerrville in 1984, purchasing Braswell Printing Company with her husband, Chuck. In addition to helping run the company, she also taught at several local parochial schools.
Bill Hall: June 24, 1944-Oct. 9, 2026
Bill pursued education and training as a radiology technician at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, TX. He later specialized as a cardiac catheterization technician and worked at the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City until his retirement in 2001.
Jack Simon Harris: Oct. 20, 1940-Oct. 4, 2026
He loved to broaden his knowledge through books and was a voracious reader. Jack was an outstanding cook who loved to share home cooked meals with friends and family. He was an avid collector of guns, knives, and Corvettes.
Karol Ann Potter: Jan. 4, 1951-Oct. 6, 2026
In addition to running their business, Karol’s #1 hobby was shooting skeet, and she became a world-ranked skeet shooter in her 50s.
Community voices
Wayne Uecker: So, God made a small-town Texas business owner
In this Paul Harvey-inspired piece, Kerrville resident Wayne Uecker praises the small business owners of Kerr County.
Editorial: A year later, the hardest comment to hear
So when “nobody told us” gets said out loud, a year on, it lands as a heavy sigh for everyone who has spent that year telling. The nonprofits that stood up relief funds within the week. The case managers. The volunteers.
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.
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.
