BUDA — After years of dreaming of owning their own festival, Chad and Bethany Kocian are launching Railcar Revival in Buda on Nov. 9. The couple, originally from LaGrange, Texas, and Kentucky, have owned HighBridge Events, an event logistics company, for nearly 15 years. Now, living in Austin, they ...

SAN MARCOS — Republican candidate Anthony Hipolito is Hays County’s newest sheriff after receiving more than 52% of the votes during the Nov. 5 election. Previously, he received 15,435 votes in the March primary, where he qualified for November’s ballot, along with Democrat candidate Alex Villalobos...

The city of Buda hosted its annual Booda Halloween event on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Buda City Park. The event featured trick-or-treating with local businesses and nonprofits, games, a costume contest, story time and food trucks. Following the festivities, "Hotel Transylvania" was shown at the park. Pi...

KYLE — On Oct. 21, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees discussed potential elementary school zoning maps in preparation for the opening of Ramage Elementary School in fall 2025. According to chief communication officer Tim Savoy, this is the first time that the board will act as a committee when monitor...

Johnson High School junior Ava Schlotterbeck was selected to participate in NASA’s Texas High School Aerospace Scholars program earlier this semester. She is the first from Hays CISD to be selected for the program. Schlotterbeck, who discovered the program while researching for internships and schol...

The Texas Legislature has declared the month of October as Czech Heritage Month in Texas. Beginning in the late 1840s, Czech settlers came in growing numbers to the Lone Star State and have made sacrifices to Texas; Czechs are known for their love of democracy, work ethic and have established standa...

BUDA — Two months ago, Mujalin Phaunprasert took a leap of faith and moved to Austin to start Thai Q, an authentic Thai food truck. Phaunprasert has loved cooking since she was young, but more importantly, she has always enjoyed sharing food with others. For 20 years, she resided in Florida, where s...

CANDIDATES FOR HAYS COUNTY SHERIFF Anthony Hipolito (R) What is the number one crime-related issue that needs an immediate plan of action from the next sheriff? In Hays County, the pressing crime-related issue that demands immediate attention from the next Sheriff is the rise in property crime. Rece...

AUSTIN — According to a news release, the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District (BSEACD) announced on Oct. 3 that Stage III declaration restrictions will take effect on Nov. 1. This comes after the Lovelady monitor well, one of two drought stage determinants for the district, reached ...

BUDA — Jeffrey Olaes, an eighth grader at McCormick Middle School, is now ranked number one in Korean martial arts forms in North American Sport Karate Association — the largest sanctioning association for open sport karate. Starting at age four, the now-14-year-old began taekwondo at the Hays Commu...