s temperatures start to drop and we head towards a nice cool, fall vibe our summer and fall perennials will start to go dormant for the winter months, leaving some bare spots in our landscapes. The good news is that there are several winter-hardy annuals that can carry over color until spring 2018 b...

tarting with her life savings of five thousand dollars, her grown son and nine employees called “consultants,” Mary Kay Ash opened her first cosmetics store in Dallas on Sept. 13, 1963. Don’t bother looking for the birthplace of the famous cosmetics queen on any map or even in the Texas Almanac.   T...

eaders, many of you follow KissMe, Our Great White Hunter With Red Spots. In fact, some of you found his FaceBook Page (KissMe@KissMeClown) The past two weeks, KissMe got pulled from his self-appointed job of keeping our backyard free of squirrels and lizards and such. KissMe went on bed rest and me...

Mermaid Parade and Aqua Festival This   second annual event will be held in downtown San Marcos on Sept. 16. The parade will take place downtown from 10 a.m. to noon, and will feature floats, music,   pictures with mermaids and more. After the parade comes the Mermaid Festival, held at San Marcos Pl...

A $5 million dollar natatorium was approved by Hays CISD trustees during their Aug 31 meeting as a response to the continued growth and popularity of Hays’ school swimming programs. The decision, made on a 4-2 vote with one abstention, allows the district to move forward on an agreement with YMCA of...

(photo by Jim Cullen) Hemphill Elementary Tuesday opened its doors as the school held the first Grandparents Day event in the district this year. During the event, grandparents of Hays CISD students were allowed to visit. Visitors included one great-grandmother, as well as several moms. Hemphill’s p...

common thread runs from house to house throughout Mountain City. Our hearts and prayers go out for those so severely impacted by Harvey.  Most of us know someone whose home flooded. Over and over, I hear Texans among us saying how proud they are to be a Texan. “We are Texas.” Patricia Porterfield on...

n the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Sweeny residents John and Brittney Nichols and their children arrived in Buda before a voluntary evacuation notice was issued Aug. 30. “We didn’t want to be stuck there with the kids,” John said. While the Nichols family is trying to enjoy their time in...

hen a drinking buddy tried to throw him out in the street in his birthday suit on the night of Sep. 6, 1868, hot-tempered Billy Thompson plugged the prankster and headed for the hills. A famous gunfighter with a reputation matched only by John Wesley Hardin and Bill Longley, Ben Thompson was a walki...

mid the constant buzz of fans and the gush of propane igniting in the air, Josh Sneed walked the field at Lake Kyle Park Saturday, assessing the scene in front of him. All around the greenery were balloons starting to take shape. Large nylon structures rose high into the sky as revelers looked on in...