Jesse and Mary Stratton announce the birth of their son, Joshua Adam. Joshua was born August 16, 2009, weighing 7.7 lbs and 20 1/2" long. Maternal grandparents are James and Victoria Unger of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Paternal grandparents are Gary and Jody Stratton of Blanco, Texas.

Blanco Lions Club has a new can collection location - Dollar General. Please recycle your cans and as a bonus, give back to your community! Every can recycled is a donation benefiting the Blanco Lions Club, and in turn benefits the community! Go Green! So sack ‘em up and drop ‘em off at any one of the Lions boxes.

On August 14, 2009 Jon Seewald of Blanco had a blow out on his vehicle on his way home early Friday morning. After flipping his vehicle several times, he attempted to get out and walk home, however, due to head injuries he became confused and got lost in the woods for over twelve hours before his family and friends who set up a search team to find him.

“Are you Jasper McClellan’s son?” “Si, Senor,” I would reply. “Please honor us by having supper with us tonight!” So it went in town after Mexican town. It seemed that my father was known in nearly every village, town, and city in Mexico as he purchased more than 300 properties and supervised the construction of 30 churches and as many schools.

Cats periodically arrive on the porch of our farm house near Blanco. Some are strays who have wandered away from home. Others have been dumped along the highway by callous owners who no longer wanted them. And many are feral, wild and virtually untameable. I have a soft spot in my heart for any cat that shows up, especially those who are lost or have been thrown away by their owners.

I was thinking to myself, “Not another movie about age switching or going back in time”, but 17 Again has a little different take on this old tale. Instead, it's about a married man with teenage children who thinks he could have had it all when he was 17. When Mike (Matthew Perry/Zac Efron) was 17, he had an opportunity for a basketball scholarship and right before the game begins, while the college scouts are watching, his girlfriend informs him that she is expecting a baby.

AUSTIN —The Texas Workforce Commission reported Aug. 21 that Texas added 37,900 new non-agricultural jobs in July. But, 941,000 able Texas residents were listed as unemployed in July. In June, 899,800 people were listed as unemployed, so even with the reported gain, that is a net loss of jobs over the month of July.

August 27, 2009 •Blanco State Park – Toddler Time in the Park: Early exposure to and good experiences in nature are key to a child's future relationship and stewardship of our natural resources. This class is a relaxed and inviting experience for parents and toddlers, ages 1-3, to enjoy nature together.

Livestock producers are currently facing unprecedented drought situations and forced to make tough decisions concerning their livestock, that is, unless you are one of those few who were around and in the ranching business during the drought of the 1950s. Meteorologists are reporting current drought situations as comparable to the “Big One,” that being, “The Time It Never Rained” by Elmer Kelton – referring to that legendary drought I can always remember my father and grandfather talk ...

Patients at Hill Country Memorial Hospital can be comforted knowing that as of July their medications are verified by computer before they are administered—as part of the Bedside Medication Verification (BMV) system. The San Antonio Express-News reported in the August 10 edition, in a story called, “Dead by Mistake,” that the “Institute of Medicine recommended 10 years ago that hospitals take a number of steps that would prevent mistakes.” The story goes on to say, “Progress has bee ...

Stonewall—Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park invites the public to attend a free movie screening of Thunderball, a 1965 action adventure movie starring Sean Connery as James Bond, on Saturday August 29 at 9 pm. The movie will be projected onto an 18 by 25 foot outdoor screen that includes a professional sound system.

On Friday, August 21, Interim Police Chief Carl Bragg and Mayor Tina Gourley presented Certificates of Appreciation to local businesses that have been generous with donations, which will go towards training schools for the Blanco Police Department. The certificates were presented to Dennis Moore of Dennis Moore Trucking, Liz Marek of Gem of the Hills, and James Sloan of Super S on behalf of the Blanco Police Department and the City of Blanco to show their appreciation for the contributions th ...

SrA Nathan Escobar and his mother, Rosita Uballe McKenzie, met at Camp Victory, Iraq, to have lunch. Nathan served with the K-9 division assisting the Army units that went into Sadr City last summer. Nathan has completed two tours in Iraq and recently completed his service of six years with the Air Force. Nathan has returned home to Houston, Texas, to attend Lone Star College to pursue his career of becoming a U.S.

Acclaimed Texas/New York artist Connie Jordan offers her “Business in Art” Seminar this Saturday, August 29 from 11:00am to 2:00pm at the Miller Creek RV Resort reception hall (south of Johnson City at Hwy 281 and Hwy 290 intersection). "RePaint Your Life: Create a Life in Art", the book Connie wrote, is the basis for the information for this presentation.

I awoke to a beautiful spring morning in Northern Iowa that “Shabbaton” weekend hosted by the Iowa City Hillel and the Jewish people in Postville, Iowa. I wanted to attend services in Postville; it was a necessity even though many of the women stayed home with their children and enjoyed the restful day. But the previous night, my gracious hosts provided us with a lovely Shabbat dinner under the serene light of Shabbat candles and Hebrew prayers ushering in the sacred space of Shabbat.

A father was putting his four year old to bed. As he was leaving the boy began to cry. The father tried to encourage him by reassuring him of the presence of God. The little boy said, "I want somebody with skin on." The apostle Paul stated concerning Christ that, "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form..."

I love the Lord. He is so good to me, and His mercy endureth forever! Hallelujah! Amen. I could fill this whole page with all the wonderful ways He has blessed me. He has blessed me, my husband, our homes, land, children, grandchildren, parents, and siblings. His love and blessings extend beyond family, into our jobs, animals, plants, trees, birds & bees!

If we want to understand the Bible books of Gospel of John, Colossians, Acts, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 & 2 & 3 John we must first understand the context in which they were written and to whom they were written. It is true, “The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same.” Oprah and the New Age Spirituality are as old as “dirt.” That is to say, this “Oprah” phenomenon was alive and well as the New Testament was being written.

Sheila Mercer, a Kindergarten teacher at Blanco Elementary, was the recipient of the A+ Education Foundation, Education Grant Program. This year marks the 60th anniversary for the A+ Federal Credit Union and was a monumental year for grants awarded. There were $66,000 in grants awarded to 66 recipients. These funds cover the cost of programs and training to improve the classroom experience for students in Central Texas. This year’s 66 winning submissions included projects such as a robotics l ...

PEC Press Release - Pedernales Electric is again joining other electric cooperatives across the country in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Tour program. For its 2010 Youth Tour Contest, PEC is asking area high school students to write an essay considering renewable, green energy and its possible impact on Pedernales Electric and the state of Texas.

When Blanco County schools opened for classes on Monday, the pessimists feared it lit a short fuse on an epidemic of swine flu. The optimists say the flu bomb won't explode until November. Both sides agree, though, the worldwide pandemic is coming back this fall, and school students are the prime target for the virus. So far, teenagers have been hit hardest.

We are entering the busiest time of year. Beginning in September, there will be much to do. Leaves... it’s that time of year again to begin saving leaves. We will have an abundance this year. It is too dry and many trees and shrubs have already started to shed their leaves.

Wuest family relatives gathered last Wednesday to visit with former Blanco resident, now of Arkansas, Billie Jean Beck Kutzer; the fiesta was hosted by C.A. Rust III at his home. Sparking conversation were Billie Jean’s collection of heirloom Kutzer and Wuest family recipes, as well as her previewing of her novel Having Coffee With Jesus.

Birthday Party August 29, 1969 Billie Jean Beck was honored with a 42 party on her 13th birthday, given by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Beck. Nine guests were presented to share her beautiful heart shaped birthday cake. Prizes in the 42 games were won by Lola Brodbeck, Alvie Weeaks, Duanna Hensley, Ruby Lee Smith, and Frances Johnson. Blanco to scrimmage August 28, 1980 Blanco High School varsity in a preseason scrimmage Friday at the Blanco school stadium. The scrimmage will begin at 6:30 p.m.