Good morning, Kerr County!
Today should be pleasant, but buckle up kids; it’s about to get cold. For some of you who like layers and layers of clothing, you’re probably relishing this week’s expected frigidity — we, however, are firmly opposed.
And with that, here’s what you can expect starting this Wednesday, courtesy of the National Weather Service
- Hard freezes are expected area-wide Thursday night into Friday morning and again
- Friday night into Saturday morning.
- Overnight lows near or below freezing will also continue through the weekend and into early next week.
- Strong north winds will also result in bitterly cold wind chill values Thursday and Friday mornings, ranging from single digits to the teens.
- Precipitation will begin on Wednesday ahead of the cold front and continue into overnight and on Thursday morning.
- As temperatures drop behind the front, there is the potential for a mix of freezing rain and sleet Thursday morning across portions of the Edwards Plateau and Hill Country.
- Confidence is increasing of a wintry mix and icing impacts occurring Thursday morning across the Hill Country.
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On today’s The Lead Live
We’ve got a strong slate of shows this week, and today’s show features Steve Schulte and Stacie Leporati joining us to discuss February events at Arcadia Live. On Wednesday, Jennyth Peterson, who led the opposition to the annexation of a 16-acre parcel into Kerrville, will visit to discuss how neighbors of a proposed housing development could continue to oppose the project. We will also be joined by Renaissance Fair glassblower Mark Haller.
A new offering from The Lead
One of the questions we get a lot is about purchasing photos that appear here on The Lead. So, we've opened a new site to make that possible. The offerings are small at the moment, but we'll be adding some of our best work in the coming days. Check it out here: https://thekerrcountyleadphotography.zenfoliosite.com/home
COVID-19 omicron variant may be finally waning — a tad
Peterson Regional Medical Center said hospitalizations had dropped to 34 people on Monday — still high, but better than last week’s census of 41 patients. Five of those patients were in intensive care.
Peterson said just 58 people tested positive through its system and its positivity was 22% — well below the state’s rate of about 30%. The Texas Department of State Health Services placed the number at more than 160 people — it’s unclear if Peterson’s numbers are included in the state tally.
Peterson officials told The Lead that no patient at Peterson had died from COVID-19 during January. However, at least 16 Kerr County residents died from COVID since Jan. 1.
Kerrville-area anti-vaxxers death is chronicled by site tracking anti-vaxxers
Shari Snyder has made a name for herself by protesting COVID-19 restrictions and telling the Kerrville Independent School District Board of Trustees that they could face the death penalty for not following the “Nuremberg Code,” but her husband died after a long and well-documented struggle with COVID-19.
Todd Snyder apparently died in December after desperate attempts to save his life, including the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) — a procedure that requires the removal of a patient’s blood. Shari Snyder’s posts drew the attention of those a website called “SorryAntiVaxxer,” which chronicles all severe COVID-19 cases or deaths of the most ardent anti-vaxxers. The site provides screenshots of Shari Snyder’s posts, including up-close photographs of the ECMO treatments, but she repeatedly pleaded for treatments that doctors recommended against, including ivermectin and some sort of light therapy.
Shari Snyder has spoken at many public meetings, usually railing against COVID-19 and election integrity. The Kerrville Police Department asked her to leave Tivy High School during a vaccination clinic.
A public safety issue crops up at Farmers Market
A vendor’s tent stake ruptured a natural gas line on Friday at the Kerrville Farmers Market, which is on the Schreiner/Schellhase Mansion grounds adjacent to the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library. Atmos Energy repaired the gas line, but it shut down Water Street for several hours.
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kerrvillefarmersmarket
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Woah! That sure was a close one and Thankfully, most of you missed it.
After a very shallow gas line (6” shallow) wa… |
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However, the unknown is why was a gas line only buried 6 inches from the surface when the best practice is 18-24 inches. We’re waiting for a response from Atmos. Fortunately, the Farmers Market organizers were able to call 9-1-1 and get the area cleared.
Hill Country MHDD earns a major accreditation
The Hill Country Mental Health and Development Disabilities Centers, which provides care and services for 19 counties, earned accreditation as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.
In a news release, MHDD said the certification provides access to care by assuring that programs and services are:
- Person-centered with the strengths and the needs of the child, family, or adult determining the types of services and supports provided.
- Culturally and linguistically sensitive with agencies, programs, and services that reflect the cultural, racial, ethnic, and linguistic differences of the populations they serve.
- Delivered in a flexible manner, where possible, to meet the needs of each child, family, or adult close to their community.
The accreditation process took more than a year as MHDD worked through the requirements from the state of Texas and other national organizations.
“I am very excited about this model of care,” said Dr. Ashlee Miller, HCMHDDC’s Director of Behavioral Health Services, “not only will we have greater flexibility and incentives to deliver holistic, coordinated care, but this model allows providers more freedom to deliver services that the individual or family in services deems most valuable. Our goal is to make sure each person that wants to receive our services, gets their needs identified right away and we take immediate action towards their path of recovery.”
