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Following a long summer of marching practice, the San Marcos High School band got a cooling off in August, when the San Marcos Fire Department made a surprise visit to Rattler Stadium and turned on their fire hoses. Daily Record Photo by Denise Cathey

Looking back at the year that was

Year in Review
Sunday, December 30, 2018

A contentious midterm election with record-breaking voter turnout, a high-profile intoxication manslaughter trial, protests at Texas State and a deadly apartment fire that drew national attention were just some of the big local stories in 2018.

We hope you enjoy the trip down memory lane.

January

In January, icy weather caused the city to shut down for a day. County and city offices were shuttered, SMCISD and Texas State University canceled classes, a city council meeting was postponed and both outlet malls closed. The Southside Community Center opened its shelter, as it does on nights when the temperatures dip below freezing. Meanwhile, San Marcos police responded to 44 vehicle accidents in eight hours — more than 18 of which were on the interstate.

The cold weather also led to electricity use records for the state and the city. Early numbers from ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, showed that the state’s new record winter peak demand is 65,731 MW. In San Marcos, utility customers set a new all-time electric system peak of 127,386 kW.

At the end of their melee practice in Veterans Park in February, Viking Invasion members raise their weapons as they chant “Jomsborg! Jomsborg!” before breaking for the day. Daily Record photo by Denise Cathey

February

February saw the indictment of the man accused of fatally shooting SMPD Officer Kenneth Copeland. Stewart Thomas Mettz, 51, was indicted for capital murder for Copeland’s death, which occurred when Copeland and other officers were serving an arrest warrant for domestic violence at Mattz’s residence. Authorities say Mettz opened fire on the officers on Dec. 4, 2017. Copeland, who was wearing a protective vest, was hit several times. He was rushed to Central Texas Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Mettz eventually surrendered peacefully.

Prominent businessman, philanthropist and car collector Dick Burdick died in February. Burdick started Thermon Manufacturing in his garage in Houston in 1954. The company now has offices around the world, with hundreds of employees in San Marcos alone. Burdick was also known for his work with the Rotary Club, support for the Boy Scouts of America and his Classic Car Museum.

Also in February, he San Marcos school district decided to locate its new central office to the Mendez Elementary School campus. The district’s previous central office location, on South LBJ Drive, was abandoned due to mold and other air quality issues and has since been demolished. SMCISD has been renting space at a business park on Mill Street to accommodate its administration.

March

In March, Texas State University developed new rules for Greek organizations after the death of a fraternity pledge led the university to suspend fraternity and sorority activities on campus. Vice President for Student Affairs Joanne Smith created recommendations for the reinstatement of Greek organizations on campus. The Fraternity and Sorority Recommitment and Reinstatement Program required Greek organizations to follow strategies and practices meant to “develop a positive Greek culture at Texas State.”

Shana Lee Elliott’s intoxication manslaughter trial also took place in March. Jurors heard testimony from numerous witnesses, listened to 911 calls and watched body camera footage in Judge Jack Robison’s District Courtroom. The former Texas State University student pleaded guilty to two counts of intoxication manslaughter and one of intoxication assault stemming from the crash on Aug. 2, 2016 in which Fabien Guerrero-Moreno was killed. His wife Kristian Guerrero, who was five months pregnant, was severely injured, and the baby died soon after. Elliott was sentenced to seven years each for the two counts of intoxication manslaughter and 10 years of probation for intoxication assault for injuries Kristian Guerrero received. Eventually, Robison decided that Elliott would serve her two terms consecutively. The judge also decided that Elliott’s probation will run concurrent with her jail time, and if Elliott is released from prison before her probation period expires, she will have to return to jail once a year on the anniversary of the offense.

Also in March, the Daily Record welcomed Lance Winter aboard as publisher. Winter worked for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for almost two decades where he managed two successful community newspapers, the Mansfield News-Mirror and the Weatherford Star-Telegram.

A game of tag erupted in April, when students from Wonderland School celebrated their success at raising $724 for the  American Heart Association with a visit to Bobcat Stadium. Here, the effort is on to tackle Bobcat James Sherman. Daily Record photo by Denise Cathey

April

In April, a failed attempt to impeach Texas State University Student Body President Conor Clegg turned into a sit-in at the LBJ Student Center. A joint meeting of the Texas State Student Body House and Senate on Wednesday failed to meet quorum when almost half of the student senators did not show up. When Student Body Vice President Jackie Merritt announced that the body did not have the two-thirds quorum needed for an impeachment, the crowd began chanting, “Shame, shame.” Eventually the sit-in participants’ demands were met — including Clegg’s impeachment — but several students were arrested for actions related to the protest.

Meanwhile, after years of workshops and meetings and countless hours of review, the San Marcos City Council approved Code SMTX, the city’s new land development code. Mayor John Thomaides praised the council, previous council members, residents who served on the comprehensive plan committee and the Code SMTX think tank, and city staff for their work over nearly four years of the code’s development.

Also in April, San Marcos lost one of its unique voices: Bill Cunningham, who died on April 19. Cunningham was mourned by family and friends, including the Millennials he was so often in the company of — at Wake the Dead coffeehouse, in downtown San Marcos, at the public library and behind the scenes of local politics and history. He was a man who had seen both sides — writing about students at then Southwest Texas State University who protested the War in Vietnam (and later losing his job as editor of the student newspaper over it) — and going on to serve as a regent of the Texas State University System.

April also saw the indictment of 20-year-old Austin Rice in relation to the death of fraternity pledge Matthew Ellis. The indictment alleges that Rice provided alcohol to Ellis, who was 20 years old at the time of his death. The offense is a Class A Misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

This year Children’s Park broke in the entirely new playscape with an official grand opening in May. Sisters Catherine and Briana Rivas enjoyed one of the new tandem swings during the celebration. Daily Record photo by Denise Cathey

May

In May, SMCISD at-large trustees Anne Halsey and John McGlothlin won re-election to their seats on the school board. The two incumbents faced challenger James Mc-Cutcheon in a three-way race for two spots on the board. The final count gave McGlothlin 968 votes, or 42.8 percent; Halsey 1,067 votes, or 47.1 percent; and McCutcheon 228 votes, or 10 percent. A total of 2,263 votes were cast.

Also in May, Gary Job Corps formally came under the management of ResCare Inc. Formerly, the center was managed by Management Training Corporation (MTC).

A mumps outbreak on the Texas State campus that occurred in May was the first such outbreak in the county in years. Several students had confirmed cases.

Tragedy struck in May when former San Marcos resident Lamont Edward Lipka was found shot to death in Belize, and 25-year-old Gary Job Corps student Quinton Raheem Pleasant drowned in the San Marcos River during an outing with friends. The month ended with an official response to another tragedy: the Santa Fe school shooting. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stopped in San Marcos to unveil his 40-point school safety plan. His plan will provide $120 million in funding to help schools implement many of the strategies laid out in the plan at no cost to the schools.

June

June brought with it two favorite local events: the Texas Water Safari and the annual Juneteenth celebration. June also saw San Marcos’ roller derby team, the Merciless Mermaids, compete in their first bout and come home with a win.

The month also brought tragedy, as a Kyle man was killed in a hit-and-run accident and three people were killed in a wreck near Wimberley.

Also in June, the Mystic Canyon development got its first vote of approval. The Planning and Zoning Commission gave the nod to a zoning change request for 56 acres adjacent to Castle Forest and other existing neighborhoods to accommodate the project. The land is undeveloped greenspace over the environmentally-sensitive Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, and residents of adjacent neighborhoods have voiced numerous concerns about the development.

July

In July, the biggest news story of the month — and the year — broke when a fire took the lives of five residents of the Iconic Village apartment complex. The inferno displaced more than 200 people and left numerous people injured. A slew of lawsuits have been filed in district court in Travis County regarding the fire.

Also in July, 20 people were indicted and 12 arrested in connection with what San Marcos police called a “major crime ring” involved in stealing, transporting, storing and selling stolen goods across the state. Some sales were for cash; others were for methamphetamine. Among the items recovered in the investigation were jewelry, tires, firearms, electronics and construction equipment. Three of the suspects were arrested in San Marcos.

The city also experienced its worst power outage since Hurricane Harvey in July, when about 3,000 residents lost power for more than eight hours.

Bubbles burst, but the fun remains. So it was in August during the annual Bubble Fest sponsored by Main Street. Children had fun with bubbles both big and small on the lawn of the historic Hays County Courthouse. Daily Record photo by Denise Cathey

August

In August, police sought information about a man who was found shot dead in the parking lot of the Park North Condos on Aquarena Springs Drive. Matthew Jacob Rodriguez Jr., 27, was identified as the victim. The incident was thought to be the city’s first homicide in 2018 (though the five Iconic Village deaths were later ruled homicides as well).

August also brought the SMCISD’s first letter-grade rating on the state’s new A-F scale. SMCISD earned a C overall, with a score of 72 out of 100. According to the state, districts earn C ratings “for acceptable performance when they serve many students well, but there are still many other students who need more support to succeed academically.”

Also in August, the Aquarena Springs overpass opened, and the city held a ribbon cutting for the medians on Craddock Avenue.

September

In September, San Marcos welcomed the 43rd Annual Hispanic Business Convention of Texas to the Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel and Conference Center. The threeday conference, hosted by the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, included a trade show, an awards dinner and breakout sessions on business-related topics.

Also in September, three Hays County constables petitioned the county for salary increases. The commissioners court denied the pay increases, but at a grievance hearing the salary grievance committee voted unanimously to give all constables a salary of $74,000 for Fiscal Year 2019.

Texas State University announced plans in September to repair Spring Lake Dam and open up the adjacent swimming hole for recreation once more. The university owns the dam and has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other agencies to acquire support for the repairs and approval of a plan that will minimize harm to the endangered species that live near — and even inside — the structure.

September also brought two annual parades to the streets of downtown San Marcos: the Pride Parade and the Mermaid Promenade.

October

In October, pipeline company Kinder Morgan announced the construction of a 42-inch natural gas pipeline that would cross Hays County. The $2 billion pipeline is planned to run from Waha, which is an oilfield in the Midland area, to Katy. Of the 430 miles of pipeline, about 32 is planned to cross through Hays County.

Also in October, as San Marcos marked the 20th anniversary of the 1998 flood, the Llano River swelled beyond its banks, leading to evacuations in the Hill Country and the destruction of a bridge in Kingsland.

October also brought a decision by the Hays County Commissioners Court to approve a resolution supporting the creation of a plan to reach a 90 percent live outcome rate at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter. Animal advocate Sharri Boyett pointed out to commissioners that the San Marcos shelter serves the entire county. She called on residents to volunteer, adopt and help the animals of Hays County and the shelter as it moves toward no-kill status.

Toward the end of October, record-breaking early voter turnout for the Nov. 6 midterm election led to a change in poll availability on the Texas State University campus. During an emergency meeting prompted by the threat of a lawsuit, the Hays County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to open three early voting locations in the county for additional days: the Live Oak Clinic/Health Department on Broadway Street in San Marcos, the Belterra Welcome Center in Austin in Precinct 4, and the LBJ Student Center on the Texas State campus. In addition, voting precincts 330 and 334, which previously shared an Election Day polling location at Crockett Elementary, were split, and 334’s Election Day polling place was the LBJ Student Center. The Texas Civil Rights Project made demands on behalf of two Texas State students, MOVE Texas Action Fund and the League of Women Voters of Hays County to reopen the campus early voting location and add an Election Day voting site on campus in order to avoid a lawsuit.

November

November’s mid-term election and local elections had some unexpected results as voting patterns in Hays County turned a little further away from “purple” and toward “blue.” Democrat Ruben Becerra defeated Republican Will Conley for the county judge position. Democratic challenger Elaine Hanson Cardenas defeated incumbent County Clerk Liz Q. Gonzalez by about 5,000 votes — 40,607

(53.28 percent) to 35,602 (46.72 percent). Democrat Erin Zwiener beat her Republican opponent, Ken Strange, in the race for the District 45 seat in the Texas House of Representatives. In San Marcos municipal elections, council member Melissa Derrick retained her Place 6 seat, former council member Jane Hughson defeated incumbent John Thomaides for the mayor’s seat, and two other city races — for Places 4 and 5 — required runoff elections.

Also in November, more than 170 animals were seized from a residence in Buda and turned over to the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter. The Hays County Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace court held an administrative hearing on Nov. 8 and determined that the animals — 161 cats and 15 dogs – taken from defendant Melissa Caffey’s residence had been treated cruelly. Animal control officers from the Hays County Sheriff’s Department, responding to a service call about inhumane conditions, went to a residence in the 200 block of Towhee Drive in Buda on Nov. 1 and found the animals in “various health states,” the sheriff’s department said in a press release, declining to answer additional media questions.

A Hays County inmate died at the Limestone County Detention Center in November. Manuel Aguado, 20, was being housed for Hays County in the Limestone County facility while awaiting trial on a second-degree felony robbery charge for two robberies that netted a total of $7. The Texas Rangers were called in to investigate Aguado’s death, in accordance with the newly implemented Sandra Bland Act.

November also saw a flurry of good news for the historic First Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Drive. The church won a $150,000 restoration grant in a competition held by Partners in Preservation. Mayor Jane Hughson, in her first full week in the role, issued a proclamation designating the church a “Landmark of Hope,” and a day later, the San Marcos City Council passed an ordinance granting the church local historic landmark status.

December

In December, officials held a press conference and announced that the Iconic Village fire — the deadliest in the city’s history — was intentionally set. “That means this is a criminal investigation now,” said Fred Milanowski, ATF special agent in charge. Also in December, the five deaths resulting from the fire were deemed homicide.

In Martindale, the city council passed a long-awaited can ban that will affect recreation on the river within the Martindale city limits. The ordinance prohibits all disposable containers on the San Marcos River.

Tragedy struck in Martindale in December, when Alisin and Mark Genfan’s truck was swept off the road by a flooding Morrison Creek. The couple were driving to a tree lighting ceremony in downtown Martindale but never arrived. Caldwell Sheriff ’s spokesman Lt. William Miller said their white Nissan pickup was found half submerged in the creek the next morning.

Two people were arrested in December and charged in connection with the seizure of more than 170 animals from a residence in Buda. Melissa Caffey, 47, was charged with two counts of child endangerment and 10 of animal cruelty. Thomas Caffey, 49, was charged with two counts of child endangerment.

On a lighter note, the city of San Marcos cut the ribbon on the first home rebuilt in the city with funds from the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program. Carmen Martinez’s home flooded twice in 2015, but her new home is elevated — something that she said will help her sleep at night without worrying. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded San Marcos a total of almost $34 million in funding after the Memorial Day Weekend and October floods of 2015.

Also in December, businessman and philanthropist Bruce Ingram passed away. Ingram founded Ingram Readymix in 1957. He and his wife Gloria donated heavily to Texas State University, including millions toward the establishment of Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall — the new home for science and engineering on campus. The couple also in recent years donated $1.1 million to the Central Texas Medical Center Foundation.

December also brought the San Marcos City Council runoff election that ended with the seating of the most diverse city council in San Marcos’ history. Mark Rockeymoore defeated Shane Scott in the race for the unexpired Place 4 term on council, and Jocabed “Joca” Marquez defeated Rick Henderson in the race for Place 5. The council is now female-majority and has one Hispanic, one Indigenous and one African-American member.

Also in December, the San Marcos council committed to supporting the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter’s drive to achieve “no-kill” status. Council approved an ordinance to “develop an implementation plan to achieve and sustain 90 percent or higher live outcomes for dogs and cats at the San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter.” The deadline for presenting a plan to council is June 28, 2019.

San Marcos Record

(512) 392-2458
P.O. Box 1109, San Marcos, TX 78666