Regional News

The New Year brings improvements and other changes to Medicare. Here’s a brief rundown of what to expect in 2012. •Original Medicare covers more preventive services. Screenings for cardiovascular disease and obesity have been added to the preventive services available at no out-of-pocket cost to people with Medicare. The new benefit covers one doctor visit each year to determine the best way for you to ward off cardiovascular disease.

Pedernales Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors recognized at its Dec. 19 meeting five PEC-area organizations that were awarded grants through the Community Development Partnership Program. The organizations received a combined total of $90,882 in grants from the Lower Colorado River Authority. The CDPP was created in 1995 after the Texas legislature authorized a provision for the development of economic and community development programs, grants and in-kind services through the L ...

STONEWALL, TX - December 22nd, the 99th anniversary of Lady Bird Johnson’s birth, is the first day the general public will tour the entire ground floor of the famous Texas White House. The ranch house, which served Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ambassadors, and Heads-of-State, gained fame during the 1960’s when President and Mrs.

An employer in Blanco County has been awarded Texas Mutual Insurance Company’s top honor for workplace safety. Texas Mutual, the state’s leading provider of workers’ compensation, recognized this company for its prevention of losses connected with workers’ compensation claims. The honoree is Pedernales Electric Cooperative—serves more meters than any other electric distribution cooperative in the country, providing safe and reliable electric service to all or pa ...

This holiday season, you have an opportunity to give a gift that will bring joy to friends and family, and at the same time, help the Texas economy. The secret is to GO TEXAN when you go shopping. With more than 2,000 Lone Star State businesses offering everything from Texas-made snacks and boots to native nursery plants and home décor, GO TEXAN is the one-stop shop for everyone on your list.

Thanks to two generous donors, Hill Country Memorial (HCM) now has state-of-the-art stereotactic breast biopsy equipment available at the hospital. Funding the $154,000 purchase is the Diane Graves Owen Foundation and the Perry and Ruby Stevens Charitable Foundation. Stereotactic breast biopsy is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure performed with local anesthesia and requires only a small skin nick.

Texas Tech University (TTU) at Fredericksburg will again host the Human Resource Management Certificate program at the Hill Country University Center (HCUC) with classes beginning in February. The center is located at 2818 E. US Hwy. 290, Fredericksburg. The deadline for applying for this program is Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

Economic News Week: November 7, 2011 The Dow Jones Industrial average fell 61.23 points, or 0.5 percent and ended at 11,983.24 for the week this past Friday. Our nation’s unemployment report remains on shaky ground. However, it did drop slightly to 9.00% in October, down from 9.1% just the month before.

The Hill Country has already experienced its first cold front of the season! With temperatures in the low 30’s, the American Red Cross Winter Heater Program begins November 1st, supplying local residents with space heaters to stay warm during the upcoming months. Last year, the chapter distributed one hundred seven (107) heaters to local families.

Red Cross tips help make it safe and less scary. KERRVILLE, TX, October 25, 2011 — As ghosts and vampires get ready to roam the streets, the American Red Cross has tips to make this a frightfully safe Halloween. Costume Safety Whether a child wants to be a princess, a monster or a superhero for Halloween, parents can help keep it safe by: Adding reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags. Using flame-resistant costumes. Using fac ...