By Sahar Chmais   Limiting campaign contributions for state officials and state candidates is the goal set by State Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood). House Bill 121, introduced by Zwiener, proposes to limit contributions to $5,000 per election, per individual, and $10,000 per election, per political ...

By Brittany Anderson   Two House Bills were filed by Rep. Erin Zwiener (D-Driftwood) to provide grants for local infrastructure and ensure resilience in the face of future severe weather events.  In response to February’s harsh winter storm, Uri, Zwiener filed House Bills 236 and 242 on July 12, whi...

By Sahar Chmais Hays County is seeing an uptick in active COVID-19 cases and an increase in hospitalization due to the virus. Since June 14, active infection rates in Hays County have varied between 120 to 199 active cases, recorded every two days. After the July 10 weekend, that number spiked to 27...

By Sahar Chmais HAYS COUNTY - Residents struggling to make ends meet could receive some relief with rental and utility assistance. The application process will begin July 12. The COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Program (ERA) is a federal fund that will assist with back rent, utility payments and late ...

By Megan Wehring   Nothing sounds cooler than lying by a river or swimming pool in the Texas summer heat.   But before soaking up the sun, there are some precautions that people should take to protect their skin.   “We are getting into the warmer months,” said Dr. Erica Stevens of Baylor Scott & Whi...

By Sahar Chmais Approximately $262 million in emergency funds have been assigned to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) for July, in an ongoing response to the pandemic. “As the pandemic continues to impact Texas families,” said T...

This past week the Hays Free Press and News-Dispatch offered our online readers a readers poll to get their opinion about teaching Critical Race Theory in public schools.   According to Education Week Magazine , “Critical Race Theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core id...

By Sahar Chmais The Hays County League of Women Voters elected its first Black and Latina officers. Teressa Carbajal Ravet is the organization’s new president and first Latina woman to serve. Alongside Carbajal Ravet, the first Black president-elect is Mary Earls. “It’s an honor to lead this respect...

By Sahar Chmais It was a fight between two aquifer districts, but in the end House Bill 3405, passed in 2015, meant that a permit allowing pumpage of more than 289 million gallons of water had to be granted. A lawsuit filed by Trinity Edwards Spring Protection Association (TESPA) in early 2020 comba...

According to Education Week magazine, “Critical Race Theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that racism is a social construct, and that it is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies." Do...