Corridor Weekly News Recap for the week of April 4

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

San Marcos Corridor News is back to bring you the Corridor Weekly News Recap, videos covering the biggest stories in Hays County every week. I’m Jirah Simpson, let’s dive into the news for the week of April 4th from the Innovation Corridor. 

Part of the Wimberley Valley was blanketed in smoke Thursday evening as emergency crews worked to contain a large grass fire near FM 2325 and Jacobs Well Elementary School which began around 5 p.m. 

The fire, which is likely man made, was around 50 to 60 acres, spread quickly and came close to Jacobs Well Elementary School and two homes. All are safe at this time, and residents in the immediate area were evacuated. 

On April 6, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. the Seguin Police Department apprehended two suspects related to the shooting which occurred Monday April 4, 2022.

Seguin Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division were able to identify 21-year-old Sahra Vega and 21-year-old Christanio Soto as occupants in the vehicle used in the shooting that injured an 18-year-old male from Seguin and fatally wounded 18-year-old Maekalyn Ann Marie Smith.

Seguin Police Department is working with multiple law enforcement agencies in the search for 20-year-old Draven Rene Reyes of Seguin, who was discovered to be the shooter. Reyes has an active arrest warrant for Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

Anyone with information on the location of Reyes is encouraged to call the Seguin Police Department.

On April 6, the Texas State University Police Department (UPD) received a report of an assault and hate crime that occurred on March 31.

The victim reported she was walking on Bobcat Trail, when she was approached by an unknown male who attempted to remove her hijab while making derogatory statements related to his perceived notion of the victim’s religious and national origin status.

The suspect was described as a white male, with medium brown hair and a high and tight haircut, in his early-to-mid 20’s, no facial hair, had tattoos and piercings. 

The San Marcos Activity Center will reopen from late April to early May after sustaining damages from flooding. The Activity Center closed after a 3-inch poly pipe disconnected from its coupler in October of 2021. 

The incident caused several inches of water to cover the ground inside the facility and created months of renovation and various challenges.

The 37th Annual Great Texas River Clean Up was held on March 5, 2022. Approximately 625 volunteers picked up trash and debris in and along the Upper San Marcos River to Stokes Park and the river’s tributaries. In total, 6,865 pounds of trash, 1,380 pounds of recycling, 17 passenger tires and two truck tires were collected. 

The Dripping Springs Southwest Connection Study has been developing a route and completing preliminary engineering for a future roadway in the region. The road would be constructed from the intersection of RM 150 and RM 12 to extend around the southwest side of Dripping Springs and connect to US 290.

The study aims to plan ahead so that Hays County can continue to improve transportation, safety, connectivity, and mobility and provide more options for travelers. The county will be hosting an Open House to receive community feedback on the updated route.

According to the latest figures, Hispanics in Texas are getting vaccinated at a higher rate than white non-Hispanics and blacks. According to the latest numbers from the Center for Disease Control and the Texas Department of Health Only 65% of hispanics in the state have been vaccinated. 

Texas State university has partnered with Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) to conduct research over the barriers to the vaccine, determine the target population intentions, and create a data-driven vaccination information campaign to implement in rural Texas in hopes of curbing COVID-19 related deaths in the Hispanic community. 

On March 11, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) decided that two Texas species do not warrant endangered status: the Blanco Blind Salamander and Rio Grande Cooter.

The Blanco Blind Salamander is a very rare and local species, which inhabits a small region of the Blanco River in Hays County. The species is so rare that it is only known from one collected specimen.

The rarity of the species, according to the FWS, raises questions concerning the existence of the species.

The San Marcos Art Commissions has announced that they are in search of qualified artists who can uniquely place their art and sculptures in Ramon Lucio Park near the mixed-use path and Cheatham Street. 

The budget for this project is $70,000 and includes all costs associated with the project.

The Hays County Local Health Department has reported a low COVID-19 transmission rate, with zero fatalities and 127 active cases reported in this week’s update.

Thank you for tuning in to the Corridor News Weekly Recap, sponsored by La Cima.

Please follow us on Facebook or Twitter and subscribe to our daily newsletter to always stay updated on local news. More information on these stories and other news and events happening around Hays County can be found at SMcorridorNews.com.