Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part examination of the stories that made headlines in 2024 in the Boerne Star.
Fireworks. They opened the month of July and closed down the year on Dec. 31. And there were some fireworks in the news along the way.
JULY
The month began with notification of a fire in the Boerne High School band room days earlier. Damage was confined to the immediate area, and a few instruments. Cause was a lighting equipment box used by a non-denominational church using the auditorium area on Sundays.
The Noble Lark Drive cutthrough in Fair Oaks Ranch remained closed, as council laid out options to consider, with the school year just one month away. Parents were using Noble Lark to cut to Van Raub Elementary for school drop-off and pick-up.
More than 350 runners entered the Boerne 5K Flag Run July 4. The best time of the day was turned in by Jackson White, 21, of Boerne, with a time of 16 minutes.
It seemed there were just as many entrants in the annual Comfort Fourth of July parade. Thousands braved the heat to cheer on the entries before joining in Comfort Park for food, beverage and games.
Free gas? You bet! City Hills Church featured a free gas giveaway July 13, as part of its outreach programs. Hundreds showed up and filled up. More than 1,400 gallons of gas were pumped during the twohour event. Boerne’s Matt Carriker found himself unknowingly thrust into the national spotlight after a gunman who attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, was wearing a “Demolition Ranch” T-shirt, one of Carriker’s brands. Demolition Ranch is a firearms-centered Youtube channel Carriker runs, with 1.2 million followers.
The area received heavy rains July 22-23, breaking a streak of weeks without measurable precipitation. Some gauges read as much as 4.9 inches in a 72-hour period.
Kendall County Commissioners Court agreed to set aside $400,000 for Proposition A, designed to remove hundreds of acres of land from future development. One such purchase approved was for $75,000 to preserve an attractive 150-acre conservation easement.
All eyes are on Canyon Lake Reservoir, as a new Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority rule will institute wholes sales reductions of 15% if the reservoir water level dips below 880 feet, and 31% if lake depth hits the 865-foot mark. Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch are among invested consumers.
Speakers on both sides of creating a hotel occupancy tax (HOT) spoke to county commissioners. Leading the charge is the Comfort Chamber of Commerce, expressing the town’s depressed business climate in the years following the Covid lockdown, which forced many out of business, in the months during and after the lockdown and slow recovery.
Champion High School Principal Beto Hinojosa left the district July 22, bound for a chief administrative position in the Sharyland ISD, his hometown and alma mater. BISD Chief
AUGUST
The month opened with a surprise presentation to former Gov. Rick Perry of a 1992 pickup once owned by his father — and fully restored by students in the Boerne ISD’s vocational education program, specifically its welding shop run by instructor Dorman Vick.
Fair Oaks Ranch has a new police chief after the resignation of its oft-embattled former chief. Chief Todd Smith took the oath of office Aug. 5, succeeding the departing Tim Moring, chief since June 2020.
A Boerne Little League team began a historical performance, qualifying for the international Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, capturing the attention and enthusiasm of the entire Boerne community.
Kendall County Commissioners voted 4-1 to maintain the county’s tax rate of $0.3827 per $100 of property valuation, for the next fiscal year. Keeping the same rate means property owners will see an increase of $184 annually, or $15 per month, due to escalating property values.
A San Antonio man will spend the next 10 years behind bars after pleading guilty to drug possession and evading arrest. Judge Kirsten Cohoon Aug. 8 sentenced Joshua Watson, 28, for his plea to possession of a controlled substance between 4 and 200 grams, a second-degree felony, and evading arrest with a motor vehicle, a third-degree felony.
The Comfort Heritage Foundation held a memorial on Aug. 10, the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of the Nueces, where 28 Hill Country area German settlers were killed while fleeing Confederate troops, who considered the Texas residents as traitors for failing to take up the rebel cause.
The opening of Viola Wilson Elementary School highlighted the Boerne ISD’s first day of school. It is the eighth elementary within the district.
City Council approved a $138 million budget based on a tax rate of $0.4716, a half-cent reduction from the current year’s budget. The average home value increased to $462,836 over the previous year’s $423,525 value. The city realized a 2% increase in taxable values based on the appraisals, meaning homeowners’ tax bills will increase despite the reduced budget and tax rate.
After more than two decades of serving up snow cones on the bank of the Cibolo Creek, The Stand ceased operation Aug. 18 and saw the building moved to a new location at The Dienger in downtown Boerne.
Police identified a motorcyclist killed on Interstate 10 near Ranger Creek Road on Aug. 21. John D. Vanzant, 49, died when a dually pickup rearended the biker. Charges were not expected to be filed.
Thousands crowded along the Hill Country Mile and Main Plaza to welcome the Boerne Little League team home from its wildly successful Little League World Series competition. The team finished second in the nation and fourth in the world in the competition.
TxDOT announced a September meeting for public review of a plan to widen FM 3351 from I-10 to Desperado Way, a three-mile stretch of roadway. FM 3351 would be widened from a two-lane undivided roadway to a six-lane divided roadway.
A new Kendall County fair queen was crowned Aug. 29. Kaydence Cazares chosen from among five contestants vying for the honor.
The month ended on a tragic note as 79-year-old Vera Smith died in the Aug. 31 collapse of a section of bleacher seating at the Kendall County Fair. The city said Kendall County Fair Association failed to secure permits necessary before constructing the new bleacher seating area.
See REVIEW, page 3 SEPTEMBER
County commissioners Sept. 9 adopted a resolution supporting a proposed TxDOT Highway 46 improvement project with $1 million in its 2024-25 budget earmarked for funding for the Herff and Esser Road intersection improvement project. Estimates are close to $15 million to improve the oft-congested roadway.
A San Antonio Police Department team dethroned the defending “Tug the Truck” event champions in Sept. 7’s fourth annual Tug The Truck competition, as participating teams strained to pull a 30,000-pound fire truck across a finish line 40 feet away.
Boerne residents turned out en masse Sept. 11 to welcome Jason Tabansky home after his gold medal- winning performance in the 2024 Paralympic Games in France. Tabansky won the W1 archery competition over No. 1-ranked Han Guifei of China in the gold medal match.
County commissioners Sept. 13 were briefed on a Boerne City Council vote to approve a change in the Unified Development Code concerning the platting process for ETJ property. The UDC change says the county shall have exclusive authority to administer its regulations related to plats, subdivision construction plans and subdivisions of land” for property in Boerne’s ETJ.
Gov. Greg Abbott helped turn a shovel of dirt at the St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School of Boerne groundbreaking ceremony for its $24 million PreK-to-eighth grade school, expected to open doors in September 2025.
Fair Oaks Ranch City Council signed on with Frontier Waste Solutions as its new trash disposal firm after their contract with Republic Services expired Sept. 30.
The annual Comfort Arts Festival, featuring more than 40 artists from the surrounding area, drew hundreds to High Street, where artists were set up on High Street and the general downtown vicinity, with their works hung on shelves, racks and tent frames all up and down the festival path.
The Boerne ISD school board voted Sept. 17 to raise bus driver pay. The raise means starting drivers will earn $19, up from the $16 rate. BISD driver pay had been the lowest in the area, compared to Comfort ISD’s $25.95 per hour, Blanco ISD’s $21, Comal ISD’s $16.24, and Bandera ISD’s $17.
Kendall County commissioners gave unanimous approval Sept. 23 to exploring the logistics of constructing a weigh station along Interstate 10, a measure to help preserve roads, combat drug trade and human trafficking, and produce additional revenue for the county.
More than 300 people crowded into The Bevy Hotel ballroom to enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of hors d’oeuvres, wines, adult liquid samplings and the fashion show during the annual Boerne Retailers Style Show and Shopping event.
More than 7,000 Boerne residential and commercial water and gas meters will be swapped out beginning next month. The city contracted with Envocore-RTS Water Solutions to replace 5,200 water meters and 2,000 gas modules beginning Oct. 1 in a project that would take 8-12 months to complete.
The month closed with the seventh annual Boerne Bierfest at the Agri-Cultural Museum and Arts Center grounds. Dozens of brewers and artists shared their crafts with the thousands who turned out for the Sept. 28 bierfest, the primary fundraiser for the Hill Country Council for the Arts organization.
OCTOBER
The first issue in October told of the Sept. 26 guilty verdict of Gareth Goode, 47, a former owner of a Fair Oaks Ranch music school accused of multiple counts of sexual misconduct involving a child received a 40-year-prison sentence in state district court. He will serve two 20-year terms for two indecency with a child charges, to be served concurrently, and another 20-year term for a sexual assault charge, to be served consecutively.
The future of the Kuhlmann King Historical Complex seems in doubt after discussions reached a deadend in an effort to preserve the building and its historical artifacts. The city sold the former city hall building at 402 E. Blanco Road in August 2023 to Kendall County, thereby separating access to the museum from the Public Works Building next door to the old courthouse.
Kendall County Sheriff’s Office deputies Oct. 6 arrested a Stafford, Texas, robbery suspect on Sunday after spiking tires on a tractor trailer that caused him to lose control and plow into a storage facility on the north side of Boerne.
The Boerne Fire Department will gain six new firefighters early in 2025, thanks to a near-$2 million SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) federal grant. The department expects to use the additional manpower to staff its second fire station, due to open in March 2026.
Law enforcement and a search-and-rescue team gathered Oct. 11 near a wooded area off I-10 in a search for a San Antonio woman missing since Oct. 6. A command post was set up on grounds behind The Towers of Boerne strip mall at 1595 S. Main St. Speculation surrounded the disappearance of Suzanne Simpson, 51, a realtor and Olmos Park resident. Her husband, Brad Simpson, 53, has since been charged with her murder. Her body still has not been found.
County commissioners approved a move toward the establishment of an agreement with Kerr County to strengthen its opposition to the creation of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the Comfort area. The action came as the commission approved a resolution requesting the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality deny all permits for BESS facilities proposed in the county.
Chapter 391 of the Texas Local Government Code authorizes any combination of two counties or municipalities to establish a committee to interact with state agencies in defending the health, safety and welfare of its citizens.
A Waring man, Troy Lynn Thomas, 63, was convicted by a Kendall County jury of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact. On Oct. 3, the jury sentenced him to confinement for life and 20 years, George Strait took the stage, gourmet food lined seven serving areas, drinks flowed, tales of rounds of golf were told and wallets flew open. The annual Vaqueros Del Mar Golf Tournament went off without a hitch at Tapatio Springs Hill Country Resort this week, raising more than $1.2 million for the Troops First Foundation.
A Boerne motorist accused of texting while high on drugs received a 50-year sentence in connection with a September 2023 head-on collision that killed a 60-year-old woman.
Christopher Darrin Marshall, 39, pleaded guilty Oct. 11 to a charge of intoxication manslaughter and was sentenced by 451st District Court Judge Kirsten Cohoon.
The Boerne ISD board voted Oct. 21 to open negotiations for the purchase of a 70-acre tract of land adjacent to I-10 south of Boerne. District officials declined to identify the specific location of the tract, and did not release information concerning the asking price for the property.
The annual Boerne Cemetery Walk Oct. 26 offered attendees a chance to step back in time and connect with the town’s rich history. Visitors took a tour through the cemetery, where actors portrayed prominent figures from Boerne’s past, bringing their stories to life.
The month closed on a sad, tragic note: Three members of a Pipe Creek family were killed Oct. 29 in a head-on collision on State Highway 46 about 5 miles west of Boerne. Roger Louis Waid, 50, Patricia Ann Waid, 53, and their daughter, Blake Lynn Waid, 14, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford F-250 that crossed a double-yellow line on a sharp curve was later identified as Carl Sidney Galm, 58, of Bandera.
NOVEMBER
Early voting turnout in Kendall County for the Nov. 5 general election was in line to break previous turnout totals. Through Oct. 31 voting, 60.9% of Kendall County’s 38,959 registered voters cast ballots in-person or submitted ballots by mail.
A 53-year-old woman faces two counts of vehicular manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for her role in a Nov. 5 double fatality on I-10, just south of Fair Oaks Parkway.
The woman’s gray Hyundai Genesis G80 plowed into two vehicles that were parked on the shoulder, where three men were securing a red Ford to a tow dolly. Fabian Pedraza Rebollar, 38, and Rufino Pedraza Rebollar, 46, both died in the crash.
Fair Oaks Ranch City Councilwoman Chesley Muenchow resigned from her Place 6 position. Mayor Greg Maxton announced Muenchow’s resignation at the close of council’s Nov. 7 meeting. Muenchow, a council member since 2021, mentioned a recent move from the city as well as health issues with a relative as catalysts for her departure.
A Fredericksburg man charged with sexually assaulting a minor could spend up to 26 years in prison after accepting a plea deal. Patrick Conger, 33, received two 13-year prison sentences on charges of sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Both offenses are second- degree felonies with a range of two to 20 years. Prosecutors said the offenses occurred in 2018 but were not reported until December 2022 because of a delayed outcry.
The Purple Heart Project honored nine Purple Heart recipients and one Gold Star Family Nov. 9 during the project’s fifth annual gala at The Kendall Inn. More than 250 people turned out to celebrate those being honored.
Boerne City Council Nov. 12 tabled action on approving new water rates for its residential and commercial customers. Instead of applying a 7% increase across the board for residential water, the city proposed a 4% increase for users consuming less than 25,000 gallons a month and 35% and 45% hikes for people using in excess of 25,000, including 26 homeowners in the 50,000 to 100,000-gallon category, and two “super users,” consuming 100,000 gallons or more monthly.
The Boerne ISD board of trustees voted Nov. 18 to increase hourly employee compensation by $1.25 per hour and to give a onetime retention incentive of $300 to all employees.
The raises and incentive are designed to help the district stave off additional losses, following 54 resignations since July.
A fox recently found deceased in Boerne has tested positive for rabies, city officials confirmed Nov. 14. The animal was located near Cibolo Crossing, an area with previous reports of a fox behaving unusually.
Das Festival of Kendall organizers recently announced a move to a new location in 2025 — back to Main Plaza. A rebirth of the gone-dormant Burges Fest, Das Festival brought German tradition back to life on its usual calendar spot, Father’s Day.
Boerne’s Hill County Mile was decked out in its finest holiday décor for Dickens On Main, the first weekend of the city’s holiday season that drew thousands to shops, signing and snow on Main Street.
See REVIEW, page 5 DECEMBER
An ExcellED Montessori Preschool teacher was arrested and charged with assaulting three 2-year-old children. Alfredo Xavier Marmolejo, 29, was taken into custody on warrants charging him with three counts of injury to a child.
Only 100-200 tickets remain available for Dec. 12’s “The Four Phantoms” show, the final Boerne Performing Arts production as the group’s 12-year run comes to a close. BPA President Rick Pfaff addressed a letter to its membership, cited a sluggish economy, high inflation, lagging ticket sales and lingering effects of the pandemic for its demise.
The Boerne Public Facility Corp. unanimously approved allocating up to $50,000 to fund a feasibility study for a potential downtown parking garage. The feasibility of a parking garage, on Rosewood Avenue near the Kendall County Courthouse, will evaluate parking functionality, construction costs, efficiency and the project’s financial sustainability.
A planned 200-plus home development received a thumbs down from the Boerne Planning and Zoning Commission, which denied a homebuilder’s request for a zoning change to allow for higher density construction.
The commission’s 6-0 vote denied D.R. Horton’s request for rezoning of The Birch at Spencer Ranch property. The entire 71.12-acre parcel was annexed into the city this past summer.
Boerne ISD work crews removed hallway doors leading to restrooms at Champion High School in an effort to cut down on vaping incidents. All stall doors inside the restrooms were left in place.
An appellate court upheld the intoxication manslaughter conviction of Kendall Batchelor, who killed a Boerne resident in a head-on collision two years ago. Both the 2022 conviction of Batchelor, 25, and her 20-year maximum prison sentence were affirmed by the 7th Court of Appeals.
Batchelor, the daughter of auto dealer Ken Batchelor, was driving while intoxicated on June 2, 2022, when her vehicle collided head-on with a car driven by David Belter, 48. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A holiday school performance turned tragic Dec. 19 when a car smashed into a black metal fence, pinning a teacher and young children underneath, injuring five youngsters and killing the school employee.
Officials spoke from the scene outside ExcellEd Montessori Plus at 27521 I-10 West, where dozens of emergency vehicles swarmed the area surrounding the multi-building campus.
Boerne City Council approved a $167,941 contract for the installation of an EV charging station at the rear of the parking lot behind the Boerne Visitors Center, accessible off Lohmann Street. Officials expect the station to be ready for use by summer 2025.
More than 250 families made the most of their trip to Blue Santa at the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office. The Dec. 21 pickup was the culmination of months of organization as families drove through the sheriff’s office drive and parking lot, receiving bags of gifts donated by generous Boerne residents and businesses.
Fair Oaks Ranch will cancel its February 2025 election after only one resident, Jonathan Swarek, filed to run as a candidate to replace Chesley Muenchow, who resigned from the council Place 6 seat in early November.
The year went out with a bang as fireworks sales and use, except for aerial fireworks with sticks, fins and missiles.
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