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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently repcorted between July 4-6, 402 game wardens contacted 10,034 vessels, issued 1,326 citations, and 1,794 warnings for various boating safety violations.

Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate state emergency response resources ahead of flash flooding threats from severe storms moving across the state.

On July 11, Bandera County Commissioners approved a total of $362,701 in block grants to various County organizations for 2024-2025, $26,999 less than the total requested from the 15 recipients.

The Bandera County Republican Party met on July 11 at the BEC Community Room to conduct its monthly business meeting.

Howdy to All!

A calm, stoic man, Samuel Jordan Bell, who admittedly preferred nature over people, passed away on June 20, 2024 at his home in Bandera, Texas. Born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi in 1931 to Lucille and Samuel Otto Bell, as a youngster and teen, Sam could be found most days behind a mule and a plow on the family farm, where they grew primarily tomatoes and cabbage. His early life was like that of many rural, farm, youth in the 1930s— full of a lot of hard work and exhaustion. He didn’t care too much about formal schooling and preferred to be outside learning from nature. After 8th grade, he and formal school parted ways and he worked fulltime on the farm. (If you have ever read the book by Jimmy Carter called “An Hour Before Daylight” about his life growing up in Plains, Georgia during the same period, it describes a lot of my dad’s early life. He said the only difference was that the Carters had a lot more money than the Bells did.)

Anita F. Smoot, born in

The City Council approved a water-rate increase, discussed employee pay hikes and scheduled a November election during its July 9 meeting.

Students in Bandera County now have yearround access to free mental health care through a state program that offers telehealth counseling to Texas school districts.

Senior dogs at A Doggie 4 You in Pipe Creek are set for brighter futures thanks to a grant from The Grey Muzzle Organization.

For some folks, the first time they heard about Project 2025 was last week, when Donald Trump announced that he had no idea what it was or who wrote it, except to think it had some ridiculous ideas and he wanted nothing to do with it, though he wished the writers well (!).

After President Joe Biden’s string of political liabilities – most visibly captured at the last presidential debate – the Democratic elite are scrambling to determine whether to lock in behind Biden and force the American people to accept it, or shuttle him aside.

Right now, in at least the two counties around me, people widely believe women are being sex-trafficked out of busy parking lots in broad daylight with drugs being sprinkled on everything from $20 bills to green tomatoes lying on the ground in a parking lot median.

The Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists invites the public to a special presentation on the Texas Waters Specialist program.

Editor’s note – Readers are reminded that an arrest is not an indication of guilt. People are presumed innocent after an arrest until convicted.

Youth from Bandera County 4-H were among the participants in the Texas 4-H Congress, held at the State Capitol July 14-17. T he event provided a unique, hands-on legislative experience for 4-H members in grades 9 through 12, simulating the roles of legislators, lobbyists, and press corps.

The Democratic Club of Bandera met Saturday, July 13, at the Silver Sage Dining Room to hold their monthly meeting and view the documentary “Bad Faith.”

The Bandera County Chamber of Commerce recently announced the inaugural Bandera County Queen Pageant, set to take place Sept 14.