The Lead Live Podcast: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026

The Heart of the Hills Heritage Center announced a partnership with the Harry Ransom Center and the Texas Cultural Emergency Response Alliance to build a specific archive documenting the July 4, 2025, flood, according to updates provided on the Feb. 10, 2026, episode of The Lead Live.

Executive Director Angela Kennedy revealed the goal is to preserve photos, oral histories, and physical items to create an accurate record of the disaster. Katherine Boyette of the Community Art Project noted that conservators from Washington, D.C., and Austin came in to teach volunteers how to properly clean and preserve flood-damaged items.

Kennedy also announced a delay in the Heritage Center museum’s opening. A freeze prevented a necessary elevator inspection, pushing the grand opening for members to May 8 and the public open house to May 9.

In local commerce, Doug Hetzler of Gibson’s Discount Center shared details on two upcoming events:

• Valentine’s Cornhole Tournament: Scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, at 1:00 PM. Couples must spend at least $15 in the store to enter, and the winner takes all the purchased items.
• Kerr 250 Car Show: The event plans to feature exactly 250 American cars, lined up in chronological order by model year, to create a “walking history museum.”

Real estate agent Janelle Peralt of JP Properties reported the market is shifting, despite recent good weather bringing out buyers. She noted “jaw-dropping” price reductions in the five-figure range for some properties and said that post-flood, drainage issues became a major factor in showings.

In county politics, the Commissioners Court punted the decision on hiring a fire marshal to Feb. 23. Louis Amestoy, a host of The Lead Live, also reported that a motion for a fee waiver, requested by GOP Chair Helen Herd for a convention at the Youth Event Center, failed for lack of a second.