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News (last updated on September 19, 2007) Local crime is a symptom of drug dealing subculture Officials say kids often follow parents into life of crime By Jason Clay Jansky It’s a sad case of drug abuse, sexual assault, family violence, and crime. It’s happening right here in Karnes County and it’s happening every day. What looks like a relatively peaceful county on the surface during the day has its dark underside at night. Centered around drugs, there exists a close community of families tied together in a lifestyle opposite that of the average worker. They claim the night as their territory and they prowl the streets looking for friends, drugs, a good time, and any opportunity to make a quick dollar by stealing what they can. "Over the last five years, I’ve been broken into probably about four times. One time, it was three times in three weeks," recalls Ben Lyssy, owner of Big B Food Store on U.S. 181 in Karnes City. Thieves smashed out windows several times to get into his store, stealing mostly beer and cigarettes. It’s a typical gas station robbery. In Falls City, criminals have even been so bold as to rob the store in broad daylight. (click here to read the whole story) Kenedy city council approves plat for possible development with hotel By Cathy Passmore Many Kenedy residents attended the September 11 city council meeting and council members began by reviewing the selection of an engineering firm to oversee the state grant as discussed at their last meeting. Three firms were in the final selection group for engineering services. The Thonhoff Engineering Firm won the approval of the council. Following that, a representative from the Athletic Booster Club of Kenedy asked the council to declare "Fridays in Kenedy to be Maroon Day." It was stated that "this would provide an all-out effort to rally support for all KISD students involved in extra-curricular activities such as athletic teams and show the spirit and pride of the community for our students." The request was approved. The council then approved the preliminary plat for Kenedy Junction, LTD, by Bakke Development Corporation to develop a five lot subdivision situated within 8.52 acres of the J.W. Looney survey on the East side of Highway 181 North. The project would include a hotel and a small strip center. It was noted that appropriate access from the highway had been included in the plat. (click here to read the whole story) ‘Grease’ is the bad word in Runge By Jason Clay Jansky Grease problems are continuing to cost money and cause headaches for city workers in Runge, the town’s mayor said at their September 11 council meeting. Too many residents are pouring cooking grease down their kitchen sinks, according to discussion. The city has had to use an expensive acid to dissolve the grease buildup on city sewer equipment. "This is really hard on the lift stations. We’re consuming a lot of chemicals to dissolve it," Mayor Homer Lott said. The problem is caused entirely by some residents that are not disposing of their cooking grease properly, he added. (click here to read the whole story) Local residents encouraged to participate in Karnes County Housing Survey Local residents will have an opportunity to shape the future of their community through participation in a Karnes County Housing Survey. Kevin Brown and Stuart Falkin of FPB Land Company are working together to explore ways to bring a new residential development to Kenedy, adjacent to the Industrial Park which is home to the new Wal-Mart Supercenter. The master planned development may include a combination of apartments, single-family homes and commercial space for light industrial businesses such as contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc. Brown and Falkin have recently begun a five-month feasibility period to try to find out if they can make the project a reality. They are working closely with Karnes County economic development staff and other community leaders to assess what the community needs for local housing. Part of that assessment includes a survey which is printed on page A7 of this newspaper. The survey can be filled out, clipped and mailed to The Countywide. Local residents can also complete the survey online by visiting www.thecountywide.com and clicking on "Karnes County Housing Survey." (click here to read the whole story) County officials discuss water resources By Cathy Passmore Protecting and preserving water resources came up again at the September 11 Commissioners Court meeting. Karnes City resident Paul Bordovsky, spokesman for the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District, of which Karnes County is a founding member, brought the court up-to-date. Much of the discussion centered on the process of reverse osmosis of brackish water and the needs of outside water companies like SAWS and BexarMet. Bordovsky referred to two sections of the water code, "The district may not deny a permit based on the fact that the applicant seeks to transfer groundwater outside of the district but may limit a permit issued under this section if conditions are subject to Subsection C," Bordovsky said. He also shared the section that says, "A district shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this section but may not adopt rules expressly prohibiting the export of groundwater." He stated that it is quite clear to a number of the counties involved that the growth of the larger cities will necessitate the implementation of means to gain other water sources. Judge Alger Kendall, Jr. expressed his thanks for the update to county officials agreeing that all should be aware of the increasing need for water expansion projects. (click here to read the whole story) News Archives (click here to see a list of previously published news stories) |
