GOOD MORNING
It's the last day of November! Is it just us, or has the month flown by? It looks like we're headed for some enjoyable days through next week, continuing our recent trend of dry yet pleasant weather — no rain in the forecast for a bit.
GIVING TUESDAY
Today is a day for giving back to some of those nonprofits that need our help. Of course, one of our most frequent guests is the good folks at Kerrville Pets Alive. They're always on the lookout for ways to help those with their animals, put animals in forever homes and be a good steward in our community. https://kerrvillepetsalive.org
However, it's a good reminder that the work being done by many nonprofits and churches in Kerr County is essential to our quality of life. For more information on how to give back try starting at the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country: https://www.communityfoundation.net/
AND A WORD ABOUT SUBSCRIBING TO THE LEAD
If you're receiving this in your inbox, please consider subscribing for a year — just $54.99. We are thrilled with the number of subscribers we've had in the first three months of The Lead, but we are hopeful you will consider bolstering your support in the days and weeks to come. We also have a $5.99 per month plan. Would you please join in supporting quality independent journalism: https://kerrcountylead.com/subscribe
WE'VE GOT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS FOR JUST $15
Photography is a big part of the Kerr County Lead, and we're offering this special calendar/planner as a way of supporting our work — not to mention it makes a great Christmas gift.
The photos are all from The Lead's editor Louis Amestoy, with a focus on the beauty of Kerr County. This effort would not have been possible without the support of the Amestoy family, Herring Printing, Joe Herring Jr., and the critically important eye of Kerri Wilt.
If you would like to purchase one of our calendars, they are just $15. Here's the link: https://the-kerr-county-lead.square.site/product/calendar/2?cs=true&cst=custom
Here are some samples from the calendar.
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THE CDC SAYS, GET YOUR BOOSTER
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said everyone 18 and older should get a booster of Moderna or Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines. The directive came out in the afternoon.
Dr. Jeremy Faust, a Harvard emergency medicine physician and writer, posted that the decision aims to limit severe illness in those with underlying health conditions.
"The evidence presented to the FDA and CDC made it clear that the risk of infection and therefore severe disease among fully vaccinated people over 65 is lower after a booster dose of Pfizer's vaccine. What's unclear is how long that protection lasts," Faust wrote. "So far, data published in the New England Journal of Medicine from Israel are available to the public for just the first 25 days after a booster. In my communications with the research team who published that study, I have been told that the rates of breakthrough infection among the boosted have held steady up to 35 days."
The CDC said it recommends:
- People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
- People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
- People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
- People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
You can read more of Faust's analysis here: https://insidemedicine.bulletin.com/4985699421444566
FAUST WILL BE A GUEST ON THE LEAD LIVE
Coming Friday, Dr. Jeremy Faust will be a guest on The Lead Live starting at 9 a.m. Faust is a board-certified emergency medicine physician at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Faust's writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, Scientific American, and frequently in Slate. His research publications have appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the British Medical Journal, and many others. He was the founding editor of Brief19, a daily report by physicians on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic.
ON TODAY'S SHOW
Financial advisors Gilbert Paiz and Andrew Gay will be our guests on today's episode of The Lead Live at 9 a.m. Gay and Paiz operate Texas Hill Country Advisors, and they are sponsors of The Lead Live. However, we're going to talk to them about some of their financial literacy work.
ON THE AGENDA FOR SATURDAY
We wanted to give you a sneak peek at all of the stuff happening on Saturday. So, here you go:
Hill Country Swap Meet
Hill Country Youth Event Center
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Enjoy the antiques, collectibles, new and used books, tools, furniture, household items, sporting goods, etc. Concessions available. There's free parking, and the event is always pet-friendly.
Run Home For The Holidays 5K Run
Louise Hays Park, Kerrville
4 p.m.
Get the family together and dress up as Santa, Elves, Whoville characters, or another Christmas character for an enjoyable way to help celebrate the holidays. This is not a timed race. https://www.kerrvilletx.gov/1750/Running-Home-for-the-Holidays-5K
Hill Country Chorale
Kerrville Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
4 p.m.
This will be a holiday concert for the ages with the Hill Country Chorale to make you in the mood for Christmas. Admission is $15 and supports the Chorale's work.
"Snow" on the Island
Tranquility Island, Louise Hays Park, Kerrville
6-8:30 p.m.
Mark your calendars now, as the Parks and Recreation Department will be bringing "snow" to the Island every Saturday in December! Celebrate the holiday season with friends and family on Tranquility Island in Louise Hays Park.
Live music by Collector's Edition
The Hunt Store
6 p.m.
Enjoy the sounds of Collector's Edition in Hunt.
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE
The city of Kerrville's public safety building bond will meet at 4 p.m. today at the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library, with one thing to discuss — space. Not in launching Jeff Bezos into space, but how much room they need for a new public safety building.
A study commissioned by the city and released in November of 2019 found the city required 48,000 square feet to house the police department, municipal court, fire administration and an emergency operations center. The city had also selected three plans based on ease of purchase and proximity to existing city property. All three of those had severe problems with accomodating the room needed. Two of the sites could only accommodate parts of the city's needs.
In late October, the committee started assessing needs for a general obligation bond after a citizens committee stopped the City Council's efforts to acquire land and begin construction using certificates of obligation. By issuing debt through the COs, the City Council wouldn't need voter approval, but it also appears the city may have underestimated the costs.
The 10-member committee cast a unanimous Nov. 15 vote that the city needs a new facility. Today's meeting will focus on the size of the proposed building, according to committee chairman John Harrison.
Once that is determined, the committee will have to determine how much this will cost. However, Harrison clarifies that site selection is not part of the committee's charge from the City Council. The city's 2019 needs assessment identified a site near the existing police station, another near the current municipal court along McFarland Street and a third location along Paschel Street, across the street from Doyle School Community Center.
The city kept the 2019 study under wrap, arguing it could not be released to the public because it involved sensitive real estate transactions. However, the Texas Attorney General's Office overruled the city earlier this month and ordered the document released.
The surprise for those on the committee is there is no location picked to build the facility. In turn, that lack of site has hampered the city's efforts to present a plan.
There's also the matter of timing — as in its bad timing all around. With Kerr County posed to ask voters for as much as $60 million, a public safety general obligation bond from the city of Kerrville could be $30 million or more. The city's previous study, which didn't include land purchases, placed the price tag between $18-23 million — and that was before the coronavirus pandemic.
The No. 1 issue for the committee is not selecting a site but determining the needs for the building, Harrison said. Whether or not the City Council can find a way to place the bond on the ballot for the May municipal election or the November general election remains to be seen. Harrison argues that it is not the committee's effort to determine the timing of any election.
However, it's clear voters could be asked to approve more than $80 million in debt to pay for facilities in Kerrville and Kerr County in 2022.
SO THAT'S WHAT D1 LOOKS LIKE
Abilene Christian held Schreiner scoreless for nearly 10 minutes on Monday in an 88-47 rout of the visiting Mountaineers. The Wildcats, who play in the Division I Western Athletic Conference, rolled out to a 48-18 first-half lead. Jalen Nedd led the Mountaineers with nine points. It was Schreiner's worst offensive performance of the season — shooting just 30% from the field, including missing all six 3-point attempts.
