The Lead Live week in review, March 17-21, 2025

March 17, 2025 (Monday): The hosts talked about Mr. Armando Marquez, a World War II veteran, and previewed a series of editorials starting with cuts to the National Park Service. Future editorial topics like free speech and education were mentioned. The city’s street maintenance plans were announced. Weekend activities like car shows and live music were recapped. Updates on sports and recreation, including pickleball, basketball, the water park, and a golf tournament for Kroc Academy, were shared. Kathleen Hudson shared her insights and her teaching philosophy, as well as her decision to retire from teaching due to AI concerns. The narrative aspect of science was also touched upon. Andrew Gay from Texas Country Advisors provided a financial market update. Leslie Jones detailed numerous upcoming events in the area. The hosts and guests concluded by sharing what they had learned.

March 18, 2025 (Tuesday): The show centered on the Kerrville Economic Improvement Corp.’s  support for Habitat for Humanity, abortion-related arrests in Houston, and President Trump’s plan to release JFK assassination files. Upcoming events, including a motorcycle rally, were listed. A scheduling conflict between two music events was noted. The Arcadia Live wedding expo was mentioned, and Jodie Tilman shared her wedding planning experience. Travel plans were briefly discussed. The show touched on retail and “Made in America” products, outdoor activities, and sales on scrubs. Advertisements for Napa Auto Parts and Arcadia Live were read. Wedding planning and potential issues were discussed. Mortgage rates and the trend of out-of-state movers were discussed with Julie Davis. The hosts briefly mentioned the Easter egg hunt and the relationship between real estate agents and mortgage professionals. A discussion about abandoned wellheads and the EPA ensued. Julie Davis expressed concerns about the economy, particularly egg prices. The hosts talked about the movie “Young Guns” and a potential sequel, as well as the romanticization of historical figures. Julie Davis shared her takeaways from the show. Upcoming guests were announced.

March 19, 2025 (Wednesday): Andrew Gay from Texas Hill Country Advisors gave a financial market update, focusing on the Fed meeting and the summary of economic projections, particularly the GDP number. He explained the market’s focus on economic slowdown concerns over inflation. The hosts then discussed news about Social Security office closures and staff cuts and their potential economic impact. Andrew shared his plans and confirmed his in-person return on Friday. Libbie Horton from Arcadia announced upcoming events, including an Eagles tribute band. Becky Etzler from Riverside Nature Center discussed a NED Talk on women in natural history. The hosts joked about a man presenting on Women’s History Month. Horton continued promoting Arcadia’s wedding and events expo. Guests from the Quail Valley Drive neighborhood recounted a recent house fire and the community’s response, highlighting Colton Townsend’s heroism.

March 20, 2025 (Thursday): On Thursday’s episode of The Lead Live, Erin Burrows and Emily Phillips, guests from Comanche Trace, joined the show to discuss Comanche Trace happenings. Aaron mentioned an upcoming tour of homes in November.

Next, Emily Phillips, representing the Guadalupe River Center, discussed an upcoming party on April 6 to celebrate the acquisition of land for the new river center. The event will be a community-wide celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. at the site, and will feature a kid zone, food trucks, a farmers market, local businesses, a DJ and raffles. The Guadalupe River Center aims to create a “Town Lake” environment in downtown Kerrville. Leslie Jones from the Convention and Visitors Bureau highlighted the river’s significance as a destination for Kerrville.

Julie Behren, the finance director for the City of Kerrville, then joined the show to discuss city finances and the budget. She brought the budget book titled “Beyond Tomorrow” from the previous year as an example. Julie explained the complexities of managing the city’s budget and the focus on sustainability for the upcoming year. She emphasized that managing a city budget is similar to managing personal finances but on a larger scale. Julie also highlighted the efforts towards transparency in presenting the budget to the public. She discussed some of the unique financial challenges the city has faced recently, such as a petition for debt issuance and water revenue bonds, as well as the development of two new tax increment reinvestment zones. Julie addressed the common misconception surrounding taxes and emphasized that the finance department operates based on facts and data. She lauded the city’s leadership and staff.

During the conversation, Clifton Fifir previewed a song he wrote about the City of Kerrville titled “Beyond Tomorrow,” which touches on water, streets, public safety and quality of life.

In the concluding remarks, Leslie Jones highlighted the value of the city finance department. Clifton Fifir complimented Julie on making the complicated city finances understandable. Julie Behren mentioned the upcoming 75th anniversary of Louise Hays Park. Louis Amestoy reflected on his engagement with the Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center. Amy Goodyear mentioned that Julie would be at a travel show the next day and previewed upcoming guests. The hosts also mentioned the American Revolution exhibit at Schreiner University and Clifton’s performance.

March 21, 2025 (Friday): The show began with acknowledgments and a mention of Louise Vermillion. Katie Thompson and Wynita Walther from Arcadia discussed their upcoming wedding and events expo. Amy Goodyear from Playhouse 2000 talked about the play “Lost in Yonkers”. News included discussions on marijuana and President Trump’s education plans. The hosts highlighted the renovated VK Garage Theater. Amy Goodyear and Jeff Jeffers, who plays Uncle Louie in “Lost in Yonkers”, discussed the play and Neil Simon, noting its humor and depth. Jeff shared his positive experience with Playhouse 2000 and his acting background,The conversation shifted to the Arcadia wedding and events expo, with Katie Thompson detailing the event. Stacy’s upcoming return to Arcadia was mentioned. The hosts reminisced about past Playhouse 2000 productions. News updates included a Heathrow airport power outage and a downturn in the Dow Jones. Tesla’s stock decline was noted. A potential town hall topic on AI usage was raised. World Down Syndrome Awareness Day was acknowledged, Brittany and Cali Lehman from the Special Opportunity Center joined the show, discussing upcoming events.