City, county preparing for April’s total solar eclipse

City and county officials provided information about the comprehensive planning effort underway ahead of next month's total solar eclipse during a community meeting held Thursday evening, March 7. Whitney Operations Director Billy Pribble told those gathered that planning has been underway for months at the county and city levels. He pointed out that the city … Continue reading City, county preparing for April’s total solar eclipse

Barnes wins sheriff’s race, other local offices decided

Local residents went to the polls Tuesday, March 5, to cast ballots in Republican and Democratic primary elections. With most local Republican candidates uncontested in November’s general election, several decisions about who will hold office next year were made at the county level. In one of the most watched races locally, Hunter Barnes won the … Continue reading Barnes wins sheriff’s race, other local offices decided

Aquilla ISD calls May bond election

The Aquilla Independent School District (AISD) Board of Trustees voted unanimously in February to place a $12 million bond issue on the Saturday, May 4 ballot, consisting of two separate propositions involving instructional and athletic upgrades. Voters will be able to support one or both propositions. District officials reported that the facilities planning process involved … Continue reading Aquilla ISD calls May bond election

Uncontested party chairmen left off some Hill Co. ballots

The Hill County Elections Commission met in a special session Monday afternoon, March 4, to discuss an issue with uncontested party chairs not being listed on initial ballots distributed to voters of both primaries. Ballots provided to voters at the beginning of early voting and for those voting by mail did not include the names … Continue reading Uncontested party chairmen left off some Hill Co. ballots

Whitney sales tax revenue up for March, year to date

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week that he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts $980.9 million in local sales tax allocations for March, 2.2% less than in March 2023. The City of Whitney's March sales tax revenue totaled $71,076.54, up 12.87% from last March. For the first three months of … Continue reading Whitney sales tax revenue up for March, year to date

Commissioners accept grant funds

The Hill County Commissioners Court accepted its portion of state grant funds set aside to help law enforcement agencies attract and retain employees during a regular meeting held Tuesday, February 27. The court accepted $350,000 in rural law enforcement grant funds made possible by Senate Bill 22 last year. The legislation set aside $330 million … Continue reading Commissioners accept grant funds

SO says most issues fixed after recent jail inspection

The Hill County jail was listed as non-compliant by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) last week after a recent inspection. Chief Deputy Scott Robinson said last week that the majority of issues found during the inspection have been corrected. According to TCJS documents, five minimum standards were violated in the most recent inspection. … Continue reading SO says most issues fixed after recent jail inspection

State Park day passes for eclipse available March 8

Texas State Park day pass reservations for April 8 will open at 8 a.m. Friday, March 8. Those hoping to view the total eclipse from a state park location can call the Texas State Parks Reservations Center at 512-389-8900 or visit tpwd.texas.gov/stateparks/reservations for all parks except Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. Reservations for Enchanted Rock … Continue reading State Park day passes for eclipse available March 8

City to host meeting on solar eclipse

The City of Whitney will host its second public meeting on the April 8 total solar eclipse Thursday, March 7, at 7 p.m. The city especially encourages business owners and managers to attend this meeting to discuss strategies for the expected influx of visitors April 5-April 8. The meeting will be held in the Lake … Continue reading City to host meeting on solar eclipse

German students win at state competition

Pictured are members of the Whitney High School German Club's Upper Level Puppet Show team, which took first place at the Texas State German Contest. Pictured (l-r) are: Syvana Hill (Kasper), Fabio Garcia (Seppl), William Shelton (der Teufel), Dariana Contreras (die arme Gretel) and Linsey Bledsoe (die Waldfee). Whitney High School (WHS) German students traveled … Continue reading German students win at state competition