I remember hearing about roller derby and seeing old footage when I was younger, but apparently it's back with a vengeance; you can even go to Austin these days and see the phenomenon that this movie is based on. Whip It is a little story about a girl outside of Austin who finds her escape from the small town blues in the big hits of roller derby.

AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and 12 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new federal law designed to overhaul the nation’s health care system incrementally over the next decade. Congress narrowly passed H.R. 3590, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, on March 21.

“Run for the Hills” is the theme of the 11th annual 5K “Run/Walk for the Hills” event to be held Saturday, May 1, 2010 in Bulverde, Texas, just north of San Antonio. The event is co-sponsored by the Bulverde/Spring Branch Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bulverde Senior Center. The race location will be at the Bulverde Senior Center, 30280 Cougar Bend in Bulverde. The Bulverde race, with various age categories, will start at 8:00 AM in Bulverde and winds its wa ...

The Alumni Baseball Game is scheduled for Saturday, April 3. The JV will take on the old guys at 1:00 followed by the Home Run Contest. The Panther Varsity team will then take on the Nursing Home Vets at 5:00. This will be the 22nd Alumni Game; the first one was played in 1989.

On March 6, 2010, local musicians gave of their time and talents to help a local organization! Arts From The Heart is a non-profit organization that provides cultural art to the youth of Wimberley at no charge. Local talent was all too eager to help this valuable organization raise funds.

The potluck supper on Sunday, March 28th, at the OBCC, sponsored by Blanco Verde and the Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society, was a rousing success. Justin Duke, an environmental resource specialist, spoke about several native species that are beneficial to bees, butterflies, and birds. All the plants Justin displayed on his PowerPoint presentation were very attractive for landscape purposes as well.

Bulverde businessman Glen Turney, P.E., received the designation of Fellow to the Society of American Military Engineers in Arlington, Virginia, on March 19. Hundreds of military and civilian personnel attended the Investiture and formal dinner where the 2010 Investees to the SAME Academy of Fellows received their charge and recited their pledge to service.

The Kendall County Area Democratic Women (KCADW) will meet at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 8th, at the Holiday Inn Express in Boerne. Guest speakers will include many of the candidates who are up for election in May. Because these races are non-partisan, the KCADW forum is intended to assist the public in getting to know the candidates and their positions on various issues.

(Fredericksburg, TX),– Ricky Neffendorf, Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Gillespie-Kendall-Blanco County says that signup for the 2010 Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment Program (DCP) is under way and will continue until June 1, 2010. Producers can fill out their 2010 DCP contract at any USDA Service Center. Producers can also sign-up online.

The Hill Country Cattlewomen want to announce their 26th Annual Style Show and Luncheon to be held on Tuesday, April 13th at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center in Kerrville. HCCW is a chapter of Texas Cattlewomen and represents 14 counties: Bandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Real, Northern Bexar, and San Saba.

Some people are counting down the IRS tax deadline, but the Hill Country Trail Region is counting down the launch of a brochure. This brochure is the final one of the Heritage Trails based on the 10 scenic driving trails created in 1968 by Governor John Connally and the Texas Department of Transportation. The celebration of this brochure was awarded to Uptown Blanco Arts and Entertainment.

Several local livestock exhibitors spent the past two weeks competing at the annual Houston Livestock Show. Each year, Houston proves to be one of the largest junior livestock shows in the world. This year, eight local youth placed animals in the premium sale, bringing home over $12,000. Leading the way for Blanco was sophomore Alex Gustafson, who placed second with her Southdown market lamb.

Hill Country Community MHMR Center, headquartered in Kerrville and serving 19 counties including Blanco County, has been awarded a $175,000 competitive grant for the provision of Veteran’s Services. Gov. Rick Perry, at the start of the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride Texas, announced the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is awarding $1.75 million in competitive grants for communities to help veterans find access to treatment, expand trauma therapy services a ...

Anyone wishing to vote early for the April 13, 2010, Republican Party Runoff Election may do so starting April 5, 2010. Regular hours for early voting will begin April 5, 2010, and run through April 9, 2010. It will be held in the County Commissioner’s Courtroom, Blanco County Courthouse, 101 E.

The Stonewall Heritage Society will be conducting a search for quilts made prior to 1950 on Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Peach Country RV Park’s Recreation Hall in Stonewall. The park is located at 14781 US Hwy. 290 E., Stonewall, Texas. $50 will be awarded to the oldest and best-preserved quilt found during this search. Look for your old family quilts in your drawers, attics, trunks, cedar chests, or barns and bring them to the Recreation Hall ...

I am going to share the foods that go into a Passover Seder but am happy to report that I was able to attend a Shabbat Service at Temple Beth El in San Antonio. It’s a beautiful temple, belongs to the Reform movement of Judaism, and the people there seemed warm and reflected the beauty of the Jewish religion that I’ve come to love. Now the elements of a Passover Seder: The Seder Plate - on which the elements of food are placed as we remember the Israelite exile from ...

During this time of year, as we think about what Christ went through for us, we try to imagine how He must have felt, and how He suffered for us to have the chance to receive Him and thereby gain entrance into heaven; or spurn Him through disbelief, and end up in hell.

The Messiah is called the "Lamb of God" throughout the Bible's New Testament. This may seem a peculiar label to those who aren't familiar with biblical idioms, but to those who know their Bible, it is a cherished title for the beloved Messiah, Jesus Christ. Prophetic pictures and references to the coming Lamb of God are scattered throughout the Bible's Old Testament.

Galatians 4:16 says, “Have I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” Perhaps you’re wondering why I started out this article with the above Scripture. Well, I’ll tell you why: because when you tread on the ground I’m about to tread on, a lot of people get down right upset with you.

The apostle Peter list a few of the righteous judgments of God in order to emphasize the fact that a judgment of God was coming on those who refuse His authority (II Peter 2:1-11). In so doing he speaks of God not sparing even the angels when they sinned, and not sparing the ancient world (speaking of Noah's day) but bringing upon them a flood of destruction.

On September 8, 1939, Arturo C. Romero was born in Bishop, Texas, to the late Inocente and Maria Corona Romero. He had three brothers and four sisters all starting their lives in Hamlin, Texas. He would tell of times he worked from Corpus Christi, north to Abilene, trying to make the best of life and always ready for a new adventure.

Charles Dewayne “Stormy” Waggoner, 55, passed away March 26, 2010. He passed away at the Central Texas Medical Center, San Marcos, where he had recently retired as lab manager. He graduated from Blanco High School in 1972 and was a graduate of SWT College in San Marcos. He lived in many places with his family while growing up. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dewayne and Ilene (Byars) Waggoner and a sister, Donna.

Sometimes our celebrations of notable occurrences provide for us a holiday without our fully realizing the significance of the reason for the celebration. This is true of Easter. Too often we celebrate the holiday rather than the deep significance of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I feel sorry for those who call the supreme miracle of the Resurrection a subjective experience of the disciples rather than an actual historical event.

BASEBALL By Jason Marek The Panther Varsity baseball team began district play this past week with a solid performance against the Randolph Ro-hawks in San Antonio. Blanco scored early and often and used a ten-run fourth inning to put away the Ro-hawks by the score of 22 to 1. In their eleventh victory of the season, the Panthers collected eighteen hits while committing just one error on defense.

The JV softball team battled to a 10-10 tie with Harper. Hayley Fishbeck and Mishelle Calzoncit pitched for the Panthers, Justine Cooley batted strong, smacking a double and a triple. Monica Flores hit two singles and Echoe Burkhart added a single. Susannah Campbell ripped a double with a RBI. The Panthers rallied in the fourth inning, scoring three runs to tie the game. The Junior Varsity also posted a strong win over the Comfort Deer JV, 9-3.

The Blanco Panther Junior Varsity baseball team spent this past weekend dominating three opponents en route to winning the Annual Panther JV Baseball Tournament. The Panthers totaled over 30 hits in three games, while scoring 36 runs to claim the championship trophy. In the first game of the tournament, Blanco took down the visiting Harper Longhorns 15 to 4.

Spring Fever has hit most of the folks I talk with. It has been a perfect Texas spring. You never know from one day till the next what to expect. Did you ever see so many weeds? The thistles, oxalis, and Henbit are doing double duty. To take care of the weeds, we are mowing at the lowest setting on the mower.