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Flood watch covers Kerr County from tonight through Tuesday evening
The watch takes effect at 7 p.m. Sunday and runs through Tuesday evening. It covers 33 counties stretching from the Hill Country to the Rio Grande and the coastal plains, including Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie, Kendall, Real and Edwards.
The Lead’s stories
Kerrville woman, 75, arrested after armed standoff with Hill Country SWAT team
Jenny Sprott was arrested shortly after midnight following a standoff that began when KPD officers responded at 11:29 p.m. Friday to a residence in the 1600 block of Quinlan Creek Road on a report of a domestic disturbance involving violence.
Camp Mystic arbitration battle plays out over morning of legal argument in Austin
The hearing before Judge Maya Guerra Gamble in Austin featured competing arguments on whether Camp Mystic and its co-defendants have already forfeited their right to demand arbitration — and whether the arbitration agreements are legally enforceable to begin with.
Kerrville Pets Alive! to host weekend adoption event with reduced fees
The nonprofit will cover half of adoption fees for the event. Fees include spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations and a microchip.
Abbott directs PUC, ERCOT to shield residential ratepayers from data center grid costs
Abbott framed the directives around Texas’ economic growth, saying the state’s success has made it a magnet for data center development — growth that he said requires oversight to ensure everyday Texans are not burdened with infrastructure costs driven by that expansion.
TAHC quarantines Kerr County under New World screwworm order following Gillespie detection
TAHC Executive Director Lewis R. Dinges, D.V.M., signed the order June 9, designating portions of Gillespie, Kerr, and Kimble counties as Infested Zone 03 and imposing immediate restrictions on the movement of warm-blooded animals out of the zone.
Flags of Hope: Hunt Art Therapist Leads Community Healing Following 2025 Flood
The “Guadalupe River Flags of Hope and Reverence,” invites the public to a workshop from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at the Heart of the Hills Heritage Center.
Doyle Community Center packs June with events, from bingo to Blues Fest
The Doyle Community Center has a full slate of June programming, ranging from a young professionals mixer and senior bingo to a free energy-saving fair and the return of its annual Blues Fest.
The narrative was that state resources were in Kerr County before the flood, but no one asked how many
Documents obtained by The Kerr County Lead after more than a month of requests to the Texas Division of Emergency Management show that the state’s committed water-rescue presence in Kerr County, as the flood bore down, was a single six-person squad — staged in Kerrville, roughly 20 miles east of Hunt.
Kerrville’s new rules effectively block data centers, battery storage without an outright ban
“So we don’t want them but we have to be proactive in the way that we say we don’t want them,” Harris said.
A primer on development in Texas, the builders hold most of the cards to build what they want … but
Most of the heat around a big housing project comes from a simple mismatch: people assume the city holds powers it doesn’t, and don’t use the power it does. The clearest way to see what’s real is to walk it from both sides.
Four churches help open $1 Kroc water park to all Kerr County residents
The arrangement also fills a gap created by the temporary closure of the city’s Olympic Pool, which is undergoing scheduled renovations. With that pool offline, the Kroc Center has become the community’s main public swimming option for the summer.
Abbott declares disaster in Zavala and Uvalde counties as screwworm reaches Texas
The declaration directs all available state resources to the response and prioritizes them for the two South Texas counties. Abbott also said he is making state personnel — including staff from Texas’ university systems — available to speed the movement of sterile flies into the state and to accelerate construction of a federal sterile screwworm production facility in Edinburg.
More wet weather in the forecast for the weekend
Tonight looks wetter. Showers and storms become likely before 1 a.m., with a 60% chance of rain and totals between a tenth and a quarter of an inch possible — again, higher under any stronger storms.
Screwworm returns to Texas as Kerrville’s revamped federal lab opens for the fight
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday confirmed the detection of a New World screwworm in a calf in Zavala County, the first case in the United States and the first in Texas since the pest began pushing north out of Central America in 2023.
Texas airports rank among most stressful for families with kids, national study finds
A report by iSharing, a family location-tracking app, examined 30 major U.S. airports across nine factors and assigned each a composite stress score from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating worse conditions for families traveling with children.
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
Doyle Blues Fest anchors a busy Juneteenth and Father’s Day weekend
It’s a week with something for nearly everyone — a freedom story, an evening of honors, a Father’s Day breakfast, and a whole lot of music in between. The full calendar follows below.
Flags of Hope: Hunt Art Therapist Leads Community Healing Following 2025 Flood
The “Guadalupe River Flags of Hope and Reverence,” invites the public to a workshop from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at the Heart of the Hills Heritage Center.
Doyle Community Center packs June with events, from bingo to Blues Fest
The Doyle Community Center has a full slate of June programming, ranging from a young professionals mixer and senior bingo to a free energy-saving fair and the return of its annual Blues Fest.
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 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.
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.
Sports
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.
Schreiner softball split doubleheader against visiting McMurry
Mendoza (7-8) was at her sharpest through the evening’s second game, holding the War Hawks to five hits and issuing just one walk. Her 88-pitch complete-game effort — 64 of which found the strike zone — gave the Mountaineers (12-24, 9-17 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) their first win of the series.
Obituaries
Patricia Stone: June 1, 1930-June 1, 2026
She may not have been born in Texas, but she got here as fast as she could. She admired the “strong, independent, Texas woman” lore and anyone who knows her knows that she adopted it well
Dolores Rodriguez: June 9, 2026
Ms. Dolores was born in Stanton, TX, when she visited her mother in the 1940’s, she decided to call the Hill Country her home.
Bonnie Whitley: Oct. 1, 1931-June 7, 2026
She loved being independent and driving her Jeep Compass all over town until a stroke changed her journey.
Wendell Gary Herring: April 29, 1938-June 9, 2026
Wendell held an unwavering faith in God and loved hunting, fishing and spending time with his family.
Wayne Parker: Oct. 7, 1942-June 6, 2026
He loved his college years and could tell stories for hours of some of the antics pulled during those two years.
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.
