The Lead March 24, 2022: Beep, Beep! It's a red-flag kind of day in Kerr County

Good morning, Kerr County!

The air temperature will be pleasant, but the lack of humidity concerns forecasters. Today, we will see red-flag warnings across the Texas Hill Country, including here in Kerr County . Burn bans are in effect across the county, and we could see more red-flag warnings in the days ahead. By the way, we're headed for even warmer temperatures into the weekend. It also looks like we will finish the month with less than average rainfall. Fun times.

Today on The Lead Live!

Delayne Sigerman returns to host our Thursday episode of The Lead Live. She will welcome the Master Gardners, and we'll discuss some of their projects in the months ahead. The show starts at 9 a.m.

If you missed our previous episode of The Lead Live

We post our shows on Anchor.fm and Spotify. So, if you can't watch live or need a companion during a long road trip, download our shows and listen on your drive. Anchor.fm Spotify

In case you missed it

On Wednesday, Kerrville attorney Greg A. Richards interviewed Cypress Roofing owner Albert Martinez about his entrepreneurial journey. At 34, Martinez has grown his business to about 10 employees and has other ambitions. Richards' podcast, The Bald Truth, is twice monthly on The Lead.

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Today's newsletter is sponsored by

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Things to do today

Book discussion — Kerr Regional History Center, 425 Water St. Noon. Information: 830-258-1274 Details: The book discussed is "Monday, Monday" by Elizabeth Crook.
Live music with Micah French — Cailloux Theater, 7 p.m. Information: https://www.caillouxperformingarts.com The details: Singer, Songwriter, worship leader and GMA Dove Award Winner Micah Tyler is on tour with special guest Austin French. Micah has three number one radio hits to his name and was the 2012 Gospel Music Association "Male Vocalist of the Year." Austin released his debut album "Wide Open" in 2018, and was honored with the "New Artist of the Year" Dove nomination. He's been seen on "Good Morning America" and "the Voice." Together, Micah and Austin promise an evening of amazing inspiration.
Game night at Arcadia Live — Arcadia Live, 5-8 p.m. Information: https://www.facebook.com/arcadialivekerrville The details: Bring your friends and family and join us for games and beverages at the Arcadia Live!
Trivia night at The Boat — The Boat Oyster Bar and Grill, 9 p.m. Information: 830-896-3354. The details: Come and join The Boat for trivia night. Prizes, drink specials and Schreiner Alumni "Professor Sparky" to host. Bring your team.

But here's our best bet for today

"Art of the Plains" — Museum of Western Art, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information: https://www.museumofwesternart.com The details: This artistic celebration features realistic and representational artworks in traditional media depicting the American Great Plains region, including its landscape, wildlife, people, and way of life in historical or modern times. Read about our take on the show here: 6 works at Kerrville's Museum of Western Art that are a must-see — today

Donations this week

On Wednesday, Kerrville Pets Alive donated a microchip reader to the Ingram Police Department. The device will help find microchips on missing pets, allowing the police department to reunite lost pets with owners if Kerr County Animal Services can't get there in time.

The estate of L.D. Brinkman gave the city a massive statue the late businessman had commissioned in 1987. On Tuesday, the Kerrville City Council accepted the donation of the bronze entitled "Thanks for the Rain" by Cowboy artist Joe Beeler. The statue is approximately 9-feet wide, 10-feet long and more than 7-feet tall. Kerrville City Manager E.A. Hoppe said the city would like to incorporate the figure at the Heart of the Hills Heritage Center, which should begin renovations in the coming months. The piece is currently at the soon-to-be-auctioned hillside L.D. Brinkman estate.

The state of public assistance

We have often heard tales about incentivizing people not to work through unemployment and welfare, but that's not necessarily the case in Kerr County — according to the latest data from the U.S. Census.

From 2016-2020, Kerr County residents receiving public assistance rose from 1.1% to 1.4%. The mean cash value of those benefits? How about $4,714.

Now, that doesn't mean that there are other means of supplemental income, but the data shows something more challenging about the workforce — retirement. To reiterate our earlier reporting on this, the number of people over the age of 65 continued to rise, while those in the 45-55 demographic declined.

The Census placed Kerr County's unemployment rate at 4.3% — and that was a 2020 number during the pandemic. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, Kerr County's unemployment rate is fallen to 4% in January.

Mark your calendars for this event

What started as a simple bible study has morphed into a broader service organization that wants to provide aid to those who need it most.

Sisters in Service started when Jennifer Natale wanted to connect with other Kerr County women with bible studies, but now it's readying for its biggest fundraiser next month.

On April 9, the organization will host its "Sip and Serve" event at Tucker Hall on the St. Episcopal Church's campus from 1-3 p.m. According to Natale and Leslie Robertson, there will be shopping, an auction, and plenty of chances to sip something tasty, who are organizing the gathering.

Like so many organizations, Sisters in Service had its course shaped by the coronavirus pandemic.

"With COVID we started doing an online Zoom call," Natale said. "Then after hearing that the nursing home facilities were shutting down, our group began discussing how we could lift this the resident's spirits and so from there, we delivered 800 plus word search books with Bible verses, pens, and scripture cards, personal little notes to them and just to lift their spirits and let them know that we were thinking of em."

To learn more about Sisters in Service: https://www.sistersinservicekerrville.org/

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