St. Mark’s Slashing Staff, Services in Effort to Stay Open
In the darkest day in the 17-year history of the La Grange hospital, almost half of St. Mark’s Medical Center employees were informed Monday that their jobs were being eliminated. In all, 64 of the 144 employees of the hospital are being let go (including 58 full time and six part-time employees) as the hospital transitions from full services to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH), effective Saturday Feb. 18 in the face of financial difficulties.
Animal Shelter Update
As of Feb. 10, total intake for the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter is 162: 110 dogs and 52 cats in need. As of Feb. 10, the shelter has 60 animals in care: 49 dogs/11 cats. This number includes animals in the facility, in foster care for medical, waiting on available space, or awaiting transport to rescue partner.
CARTS Seeks Community Input for New Transportation Development Plan
The Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) is working on a Transportation Development Plan (TDP) to identify solutions for improved transportation access in rural communities in its nine-county District that includes Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Travis, and Williamson counties.
Private Applicators Training March 3
A private applicators license is required by the state, in order to purchase restricted use pesticides. In order to obtain a license, it is mandatory to attend a pesticide applicator training and pass a 100-question test. This course will teach participants proper procedures for applying pesticides. This is the training only. Testing procedures will be explained during the training. A pesticide applicator training has been scheduled for Friday March 3.
Preschoolers Grow, Share Their Produce With AMEN Pantry
The First Light Campus of St. James Episcopal Preschool recently took a field trip to AMEN Food Pantry and left behind something valuable – produce. The preschoolers have been growing vegetables in a raised garden since school began in September as part of a volunteer and community program pioneered by Director Anna Hegar. The children learn gardening skills with the help of volunteer Shannon Ezer, who comes once per week to share her talents and grow young minds—and veggies. Since the harvest was plentiful, the students and staff decided to share with their neighbors, and took produce and non-perishable donations to AMEN Food Pantry, where they got to tour the facility and learn what a food pantry does. Pictured are the staff and students at First Light Campus with AMEN Food Pantry Staff.
