GOOD MORNING!

We are powering our way through the week — a short one for us here at The Lead (more on that later).

We've got a terrific show today on The Lead Live! The show starts at 9 a.m. Kellie Early and Kari Potter will be joining us to discuss what the Republican Women of Kerr County are working on — it's a lot. Kristin Lusher will join us to discuss the Kerrville Chalk Festival this weekend.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

Today is National Farmers Day, and that means don't forget to visit the Kerrville Farmer's Market on Fridays next to the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library.

HELP US GROW

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ON TO THE NEWS

Abbott makes another mandate against mandates

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates — under any circumstance. In a release from the state, Abbott said no entity in Texas could compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination by any individual, including an employee or consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," Abbott said.

Abbott also placed the item on the agenda for the third special legislative session. The reaction, of course, was swift across social media.

Twitter See @EricBoehlert's post on Twitter. twitter.com/EricBoehlert

Twitter See @JoaquinCastrotx's post on Twitter. twitter.com/JoaquinCastrotx

BRAGGARDS GOT A BRAG

It was an interesting day for Abbott on Twitter by celebrating an ambiguous report about California vs. Texas economic outcomes, where he highlighted the positives but ignored the criticisms. He also celebrated the falling COVID-19 rates and hospitalizations but never mentioned that the death toll has been immense.

Twitter See @GregAbbott_TX's post on Twitter. twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX

And the death toll item — is just wrong. Monday was a holiday for many, and the reporting was down as a result.

THE LAST DAY OF THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL WAS SPECTACULAR

Even with a smaller audience (thanks to COVID-19), the Kerrville Folk Festival delivered a remarkable series of performances that culminated with an eclectic finale on Monday night.

"It's a reminder of something that we all value in a community, and it's almost like we didn't know that we were missing it," said Kathleen Hudson, a professor at Schreiner University who has written about music extensively. "And all of a sudden, we're sitting here all together. It's a reminder of what community is."

Read more of our coverage from the event: https://kerrcountylead.com/873085916911819

KERRVILLE CITY COUNCIL

The Kerrville City Council meets tonight, and the agenda is light. Here's a summary:

• The meeting starts with a workshop at 4 p.m. at Arcadia Live, 717 Water St.
• The workshop will focus on Mayor Bill Blackburn's task force on public health in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The main meeting is at 6 p.m., with an update on how Texas cities will receive money for a settlement involving opioids.

Now, the City Council has called a special meeting for 9 a.m. for the annual review of City Manager E.A. Hoppe, who hasn't been on the job for a year. That meeting will be an executive session event.

TIVY'S OFFENSIVE BREAKOUT

Not only did Tivy snap a seven-game losing streak last week with a 50-43 win against Lockhart, but the Antlers also broke a 17-game streak where they failed to score 50 points or more. If there's one thing you can say about coach David Jones' Tivy career — the Antlers can score.

Jones has been the coach since 2012, and the Antlers have scored 50 points or more 35 times. The Antlers are 34-1 in those games. The last time Tivy scored 50 points or more was on Nov. 15, 2019, in a 56-33 playoffs win against East View.

As we noted previously, Tivy had a tough non-district schedule, facing teams with a 21-8 record. All five opponents are .500 or better and Dripping Springs is undefeated.

On paper, the Antlers look like they will face a tough road in their final four games against teams that have combined for a 17-7 record. However, keep this in mind, this week's opponent — Boerne Champion, played a 10-22 non-district schedule. So, the playoffs are still very much in the picture for the Antlers.

AND FINALLY

We will be on a bit of a hiatus while we take a family vacation. We will resume The Lead Live on Oct. 20. We will still be updating the site throughout the next week. If you have questions, email us at louis.amestoy@kerrcountylead.com