Over the last few months, you may have come across The Kerr County Lead's content, and we want to share with you some of the things you may have missed.
First off, about us!
With our launch in 2021, the Kerr County Lead has focused on quality journalism when it comes to the issues that matter most to the residents in the Texas Hill Country. Our emphasis is on growth and development, business and events that help drive our cultural offerings. Louis Amestoy, a veteran journalist and former managing editor of The Kerrville Daily Times, is the editor and publisher of The Lead.
Who backs The Lead?
The Lead is part of a program sponsored by Meta — Facebook's parent company — called Bulletin. The aim is to develop a platform for local writers and others to deliver their content through email and other avenues. While Meta is a financial supporter, they have provided a platform for local writers to monetize their content through subscriptions easily.
What's the cost?
We have three plans — free, $5.99 per month and $54.99 per year. We still offer plenty of content for free, but you're guaranteed delivery of our five-day-per-week email newsletter at 6 a.m. to your inbox. We are also developing other premium content offerings. Here's how easy it is to upgrade your subscription:
- $5.99 per month — cancel anytime
- $54.99 per year.
- So, upgrade your subscription here: https://kerrcountylead.com/subscribe
That’s right for the price of a double mocha latte, you can get news, features, photos and video delivered to your inbox five days a week — for a month. It’s the best news deal in Kerr County. And don’t forget we’re getting more in the works and your subscription helps fund our ambitions to be the biggest and best regional news provider.
- So, upgrade your subscription here: https://kerrcountylead.com/subscribe
Consider our competitors charge three times as much — that’s right you can save more than $140 per year by subscribing to The Lead.
Isn't there a slant?
Everyone has a bias, and we'd like to think that if you're right-leaning, you may find us not to your liking, and if you're left-leaning, you'll probably have a similar feeling to your friends on the right. That's because we believe in objectivity, civility and a good conversation. If that's not for you, other outlets might support your defined point of view.
What about this show, The Lead Live?
We're glad you asked. Our signature offering is our five-days per week morning webcast called The Lead Live, which runs from 9-10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Since we started The Lead on Aug. 9, we've had more than 160 shows and more than 300 guests. Those hour-long shows are broadcast on The Lead's Facebook channel and then published as podcasts available on Apple, Anchor.fm and Spotify. The show ranges from hard news analysis to fun discussions about events. We broadcast live from Pint and Plow.
Here are just some of the stories we've covered in the last few weeks:
- Demographic shifts in Kerr County: The U.S. Census Bureau released data on Thursday that provides a deeper dive into how Kerr County, along with the rest of the nation, grew between 2016 and 2020. The American Community Survey — a key tool for demographers — was released with better analysis from the 2022 Census. In Kerr County, the takeaways weren't surprising — a slight rise in population, income gain, and significant increases in housing costs. The survey showed labor participation was up slightly over five years, but less than 2%. How much the coronavirus pandemic subverted that number is unclear, according to the Census.
- Ditching daylight savings seems like a good idea, until . . . Polling on daylight savings time found that 71% of Americans approved making later sunsets a permanent thing. However, what does that look like for Kerrville and Kerr County? In November, December, January and parts of February, sunrises wouldn't be until 8:15 a.m. or later. In January, sunrise would be at 8:30 a.m. — that means kids starting school in the dark.
- Fundraising is the key in mayoral race: In the race to be Kerrville's next mayor, Judy Eychner has built a campaign finance war chest more than 10 times the size of rival Brent Bates. Eychner, currently representing Place 3 on the City Council, is looking to succeed Bill Blackburn as mayor, and she's raised more than $8,000 from 28 donors. The fundraising has allowed Eychner to spend more than $4,000 on her campaign.
- If you leave early, you may miss the really big news: When half the audience departed from the Kerrville Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, they skipped hearing about one of the most substantial development projects in the city's history. While most of the audience focused on short-term rentals and a 36-acre, 366-unit apartment complex just south of Riverhill Boulevard, what they missed was the revelation that a massive housing development covering more than 500 acres was the real meat of Thursday night's nearly three-hour meeting. The scale of the proposed project is not defined; that will come at the May 12 planning and zoning meeting, but by unanimously approving a more than 130-acre annexation of three parcels wedged between Comanche Trace and the Kerrville-Schreiner Park, just south of Bandera Highway.
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