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Warm stretch ahead for Kerr County with no rain in the forecast
Kerr County residents can expect a significant warming trend that will push temperatures well above seasonal averages .
The Lead’s stories
Economic summit Thursday to feature flood recovery panel, AI keynote
The summit runs from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with coffee and a hot lunch provided.
Pot O’Hot, economic summit highlight busy week in Kerr County
Trailhead Beer Garden hosts Pot O’Hot on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., bringing together hot soup, cold beer and live music.
Symphony of the Hills brings Prokofiev, Mussorgsky to Cailloux Theater Thursday
Dorokhova, a Russian-born pianist who won the Audience Favorite Award at the Gurwitz International Piano Competition, will perform Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto. She describes the work as a showcase of the composer’s full range.
Pot O’Hot Fest returns Saturday with 300 tickets, 25 soup makers and a simple rule: if it’s in a bowl, it counts
The festival runs noon to 8 p.m. with live music throughout the day from Simon Flory, Jonivan Jones and Matthew Payne. Even attendees without a soup-tasting ticket are welcome to come out, listen to music and, as Walther put it, “watch people eat soup.”
Kerrville to skip election for second straight year as all races go uncontested
The move marks an unprecedented period for the city, after decades of sometimes contentious, frequently competitive races. The City Council will likely approve the cancellation of the election next week.
Candidate profile: Tom Jones, Kerr County Judge
Jones was candid about the county’s difficult financial outlook, describing the upcoming budget cycle as “rough.”
Candidate profile: Guy “Bubba” Walters, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 4
“I missed serving,” Walters said. “I wanted to continue serving, but I wanted to help in a different way. I didn’t want to get back into public education.”
Candidate profile: Randy Murphy, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Murphy is running on a platform of fiscal reform, specifically advocating for “zero-based budgeting,” where expenses must be justified from scratch rather than carried over from previous years.
Candidate profile: Wayne Uecker, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 1
Uecker described himself as a collaborator who plans to utilize his experience as a self-employed business owner to manage county affairs.
Candidate profile: Brenda Hughes, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 1
Hughes cited her work on the City Council, specifically regarding the new Public Safety Complex and equipping police with better tools, as her primary qualification for the commissioner position.
Candidate profile: Devan Burns, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4
Burns has lived in the area for nearly 18 years, residing in Mountain Home for the last decade. Her professional background includes experience as a paralegal and in human resources.
Candidate profile: Sylvia Foraker, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4
Sylvia Foraker, a retired “Master Jailer” with 30 years of law enforcement experience, is running for Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4, bringing a management philosophy of “fair but firm” treatment grounded in the belief that inmates are “human beings” often caught on a bad day.
Candidate profile: Taylor Robertson, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3
Robertson describes himself as a “nerd” for case law and history. He is a trained hostage negotiator and holds certifications in forensic and investigative sciences from Texas A&M.
Candidate profile: Robert “Hunter” Moose, County Court at Law Judge
Moose expressed strong support for the new mental health specialty court, saying he wants to continue its work helping people in crisis. He remains active in the community by coaching Mock Trial and Teen Court.
Candidate profile: Deborah Perry, County Court at Law Judge
Perry identified two major issues in the current court administration. First, she said cases are stalling for extended periods, creating real-world consequences for citizens.
Arts and Culture
Schreiner’s PopCon brings free weekend of gaming, cosplay and pop culture to campus
The event runs Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the CCAC on the Schreiner campus. Admission is free. Organizers encourage attendees to RSVP at schreiner.edu.
Award-winning Austin burlesque troupe brings show to Lazy Days Canteen Saturday
The Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue performs Saturday at 8 p.m. at Lazy Days Canteen at Roddy Tree.
Pot O’Hot, economic summit highlight busy week in Kerr County
Trailhead Beer Garden hosts Pot O’Hot on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., bringing together hot soup, cold beer and live music.
The Lead Live Podcast
The Lead Live Podcast: Monday, Feb. 23, 2026 Episode
Kerr County is set to receive a significant boost to its infrastructure after securing a $14.7 million grant for “middle mile” broadband expansion, according to a recent broadcast summary of The Lead Live. The funding was one of several key local developments highlighted on the Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, episode of the show hosted by Louis Amestoy.
The Lead Live Podcast: Friday, Feb. 20, 2026
The Pot O’ Hot Festival, a soup-tasting competition, is scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Trailhead Beer Garden at Schreiner University. Walther noted the event is capped at 25 soup makers and is on pace to sell out its 300 tasting tickets.
The Lead Live Podcast: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026
Parks and Recreation Director Jay Brimhall reported that Guadalupe Park is undergoing a complete refresh, which includes fixing handrails damaged during the July flood.
The Lead Live Podcast: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 episode
The episode opened with breaking news that Center Point ISD had canceled all classes that morning due to a lack of running water at the school. This unforeseen issue allowed Center Point teacher and local yoga instructor Sara Cotton to join the broadcast as a last-minute guest.
The Lead Live Podcast: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 episode
Leah Westra of the Hill Country Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse joined the show to discuss the “Rest and Reset” event, a free, two-hour session for 8th- through 12th-grade students on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Kroc Center.
Photo galleries
Photo gallery: The Leading Ladies of Broadway
The Leading Ladies of Broadway took to the Cailloux Theater stage on Sunday afternoon for a memorable performance of some of Broadway’s greatest hits
Photo gallery: Run for Riverside 5k
The event, which serves as a primary fundraiser for the Riverside Nature Center, featured a course that wound through the scenic areas surrounding Francisco Lemos Street.
Photo gallery: Wilder Blue at Arcadia Live
Playing to a near capacity crowd, the Americana band “The Wilder Blue” rocked, rolled and serenaded the audience at the Arcadia Live on Friday night.
Photo gallery: Schreiner basketball earns a weekend split against St. Thomas, Colorado College
Schreiner University salvaged a weekend split at Stephens Family Arena, rebounding from a Friday loss to conference-leading St. Thomas with a convincing 88-68 victory over Colorado College on Sunday.
Photo gallery: Opening week of Schreiner softball
Schreiner University’s softball team struggled to find consistency in its season-opening week, finishing 2-4 after three home doubleheaders.
Sports
Kerr County runners compete in Austin Marathon weekend
In the marathon, Hugo Castorena of Kerrville posted the fastest local time at 3:17:57, placing 296th overall among 5,155 runners. The 23-year-old averaged 7:33 per mile.
Schreiner splits doubleheader at Concordia Texas; falls in 13-inning finale
Mountaineers take the middle game, 8-2, then lose heartbreaker in extras to go 1-2 in SCAC series
Concordia sweeps Saturday doubleheader to claim series from Schreiner
The Schreiner University softball team dropped both ends of a Saturday doubleheader to Concordia University Texas, 13-4 and 6-4
Narrow loss to Texas Lutheran, dims Schreiner’s shot at SCAC tourney
Schreiner held a 41-36 rebounding advantage and committed only nine turnovers, but TLU’s superior shooting efficiency proved to be the difference in the five-point defeat before an attendance of 215 at Stephens Family Arena.
Texas Lutheran scores early, often to rout Schreiner women
The Bulldogs led 46-27 at halftime and pushed the advantage to 21 points after three quarters, holding Schreiner to 10 points in the second period.
Obituaries
Asa Hickman Jewell: July 25, 1940-Feb. 22, 2026
While stationed there in San Antonio he met Donna Staffeld. She became the love of his life; and they were married June 16, 1979.
Louetta Jane Maples: Nov. 12, 1955-Feb. 13, 2026
At the heart of Louetta’s life were her children and grandchildren, whom she loved deeply in her own unique, loyal, and enduring way.
Barbara Ann Wilson: Jan. 16, 1960-Feb. 23, 2026
She loved traveling with her family, the Texas Longhorns, quiet times on her porch, and her dogs.
Donald Mosel: May 12, 1957-Feb. 13, 2026
In his free time, he enjoyed deer hunting and spending hours watching football and basketball, simple pleasures that brought him happiness throughout the years.
Mary Pauline Weber: Oct. 4, 1937-Feb. 19, 2026
She completed basic training in San Antonio, Texas, and served at Fort Hood. During her military service, she completed specialized training as an X-ray Technician, a skill that would guide her professional path for many years.
Community voices
The Lead’s Editorial: Political group continues to mislead the public
Don’t let activists who consistently misrepresent local government finances tell you how to vote.
The Lead’s Editorial: Vela, Longenbaugh deserve the chance to serve this county
Both candidates bring essential experience to positions that require deep institutional knowledge and operational expertise.
The Lead’s Editorial: Four years of Rich Paces’ chaos is enough
For four years, Kerr County taxpayers have funded Paces’ personal crusade against facts, expertise, and democratic accountability.
The Lead’s Editorial: Three candidates peddle false narratives about Kerr County finances
Candidates Jack Stewart, who is running for county judge, and Precinct 1 candidates Clayson Lambert and George Baroody—a persistent Kerrville City Council gadfly and former councilmember who routinely accuses the city of baseless illegality—seemed bent on depicting the county budget as wasteful and that county residents are overtaxed by the county.
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.
