The Lead Live Podcast: April 1, 2025 episode

The Lead Live featured a variety of community topics on its April 1, 2025, episode, ranging from child welfare to local business and real estate.

Amy Harding from Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) discussed National Child Abuse Awareness Month. She explained CASA volunteers receive 35 hours of training to advocate for children in foster care and aim to keep children within an hour of their original residence, preferably with family when safe. Harding cited statistics that one in four adults have experienced three or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and noted 20% of the Texas prison population comes from the foster care system. She urged community involvement and announced an open house on April 23.

Doug Hetzler of Gibson’s Discount Center and Nathan Jones of ACE Handyman introduced Jones’ new business serving Kerrville and Fredericksburg. Jones described ACE Handyman as a professional franchise offering more than 1,162 services with background and drug checks for employees. He emphasized the convenience of hiring a trustworthy handyman who buys supplies locally at Gibson’s. Jones mentioned a one-year warranty and announced ACE Handyman would be at Gibson’s on Friday, April 4.

Julie Davis of the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau provided an update on local events, mentioning 71 events that week. She highlighted various exhibits, including the American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit at Schreiner University, and noted the arrival of several car and motorcycle clubs. Davis also reported strong bookings for local properties for the upcoming weekend.

Janelle Peralt of JP Properties TX gave insights into the local real estate market. She reported high activity with properties coming on the market and strong buyer interest, particularly from first-time homebuyers. Peralt discussed commercial real estate terms, specifically “triple net” (NNN) leases, and offered a cautious outlook on the market.

The hosts also discussed the Netflix show “Adolescence,” an AI analysis of local economic data indicating positive momentum, the potential impact of upcoming tariffs on the Texas economy, and federal employee layoffs. Doug Hetzler humorously described cheap racing with an old Mazda Miata.