An increase in Hays County SWAT activity over the past four years prompted the agency to obtain grant funding for night vision goggles. Lt. Joe Faulkner, commander of the Hays County SWAT team, said roughly 95 percent of SWAT’s operations take place in low-light or no light conditions. Faulkner said...

After almost three years, Hays County has finally received federal funding for disaster recovery from a pair of devastating flood events in 2015. The county was given approximately $11.6 million for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Funds. The U.S. Department of Housing and ...

Speed was determined to be the primary cause of a fatal single-vehicle rollover wreck that took place Saturday morning along FM 1626 at Oakwood Drive. The incident was the first of two separate fatal crashes that occurred within a 12-hour time span on FM 1626 near Buda. Jonathan McDonnell Baker, 45,...

A Hays County Grand Jury Thursday indicted a man accused of shooting and killing San Marcos Police officer Kenneth Copeland in December 2017 for capital murder, according to a press release. Stewart Thomas Mettz, 58, of San Marcos, was indicted on capital murder, which is punishable by death or life...

Hays County is ramping up efforts for flu shot awareness after the first flu-related death in Hays County was reported Feb. 6. According to officials, the victim was described as an elderly Wimberley man who died as a result of complications from the virus. “This year’s flu season has been one of th...

One person was killed Saturday after a single-vehicle rollover wreck occurred on FM 1626 at Oakwood Drive near Buda. Jonathan Baker, 45, of Kyle, was identified as the victim in the wreck, said Scott Cary, Hays County Pct. 5 Justice of the Peace. According to authorities, a 2017 Nissan Maxima was tr...

A former Hays County Commissioner vying for the county judge seat is starting to pull away from opponents when it comes to political spending and contributions. Will Conley, an uncontested Republican candidate in the race for county judge, collected $125,801 in campaign contributions from July-Decem...

A Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for construction of Hays County’s jail renovation and public safety building was accepted after issues with the project being over budget in 2017.  The Hays County Commissioners Court Jan. 30 approved a new GMP of $103,726,403, along with a $2.4 million contingency f...

Keeping residents and officials prepared in the event of future natural disasters was the premise behind Hays County Commissioners’ approval of an update to its Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). The plan, which was approved by a 4-0 vote Jan. 16, will also help the county obtain federal grants in the ev...

It’s not uncommon for Javier and Joanna Gonzalez to wake up at the crack of dawn to perform routine checks on their livestock. As the owners of Blue Earth Farm, situated on 10-plus acres near Buda, Javier’s and Joanna’s morning routine goes a long way toward preparing for the selling season. In toda...