It has been an exciting February for the members of the Hill Country Spurs 4-H horse judging teams. On February 14, the teams competed in San Antonio at the SALE/district 10 competition. Senior member Kendra Smith finished 4th overall out of 579 senior judgers and 1st in district and was awarded a $10,000 scholarship.

Thanks to women in Blanco County, low-income women along the Mexican border are about to change their lives. Willie Berman is a United Methodist missionary on the Mexican side of the border in the Valley, and one of his projects is teaching women to sew...not only to make clothes for their families, but to make products to sell, raising their family incomes.

Have you always wanted to make a difference in your community, but didn’t know where to start? All around Texas, women are finding that a crown can serve as a “megaphone” to promote a cause or issue. The International Pageant System recognizes women of all ages for their accomplishments, and their desire to make a difference in their communities.

Jonathan Waller, 2004 Blanco High School graduate and 2008 Texas Christian University graduate, worked as a scribe for “PhysAssist” until July 2012. He is now attending St. George University in Grenada, in a dual-degree program to get his Masters in Public Health and MD.

Miguel and Erica Ruiz of Blanco are proud to announce the arrival of their twin boys Carmelo and Santiago. The boys were born at Cedar Park Regional Medical Center on January 7, 2013. Carmelo was born at 9:32am weighing 5lbs 14oz and was 18 ½ inches long and Santiago was born at 9:33am weighing 6lbs 3oz, and was 18 ½ inches long.

The Vauses enjoy the Blanco County News on Anna Maria Island, Florida.

Members of the Blanco FFA Chapter spent this past weekend exhibiting livestock at the Hill Country District Jr. Livestock Show in Kerrville. The annual Hill District show is one of the largest livestock shows in the state with more than 5,000 livestock entries each year. Leading the way for the local exhibitors was Blanco Jr.

Announcing the birth of our new little princess. Ash Makinzi Ackerson was born January 16, 2013, at 10:35am. She weighed 7 lbs 2 oz and was 19.7 inches long. Parents are Gary (2008 graduate of Blanco High School) and Tamra Ackerson. Grandparents are Shane and Julie Purvis of Blanco, Linda Ebberson of Greeley, Colorado, and Kevin Ebberson of Laramie, Wyoming.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville has released the names of the students who made the President’s List, Dean’s List and Honor Roll for the fall 2012 semester. Derek J. Tesch was named to the Dean’s List. To make the Dean’s List, a student must earn a grade point average of 3.65 on all work attempted for the semester with a minimum of 13 semester hours completed.

Prior to the Christmas holiday break, the Blanco FFA Chapter held the 16th Annual Chapter FFA Show at the high school agricultural science building. Almost 200 animals competed in four divisions at this year’s show. Friday began with the lamb show where Jr. FFA member Dalton Savanich exhibited the Grand Champion lamb with his Champion Medium Wool.

14-year-old Sarah Bohls shot her first whitetail deer, an 8-pointer, on the Rio Vista Ranch located on Althaus Ranch Road just northwest of Johnson City, Texas.

Brenna Wallace shot this 8 point buck at the Klepac Ranch in Cotulla on January 6. The management hunt was donated to the Young Life fundraiser by the Klepacs. She is pictured with her mom Peggy, Leighton and Jimmy Klepac.

Toni with her first deer, harvested on the Daniels Ranch with her dad, Pat Daniels, on January 5, 2013.

This bobcat was shot by Kelly Eiland at his deer lease off of Crabapple Road on Sunday.

Blanco resident Kendall Myers and her “first kill” buck. The buck was killed on December 26, 2012, on the Crum Ranch in Cherokee and was officially gross scored at 162 2/8.