Thursday, July 22, 2021
The Old First Baptist Church of San Marcos a significant part of the Dunbar Historic District and local landmark that was constructed in 1908 recently received a $10,000 grant from the Fondren Fund for Texas of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The church received its status as a local landmark in 2018. During that same year, the church was granted $150,000 after winning the Partners in Preservation online contest. The recent grant will be used to come up with a preservation plan for the historic building.
“We’re [Preservation Texas] focusing on African American historic resources and you know, have been aware of the church here in San Marcos for some time and we’re following up on the status of the 2018 grant that was awarded,” said Evan Thompson, executive director of Preservation Texas.
 Star file photo
The Hays County Commissioners Court voted on a resolution in support of the preservation of the Dunbar Home Economics Building and the restoration of the Naomi Cephas Wade House during its July 13 meeting.
Both buildings are a part of San Marcos Dunbar Historic District, a historically Black area in the city.
The Dunbar Home Economics Building is the only surviving property after a fire in 1986 that wiped out nearby buildings. It s also the only present-day African American school building in Hays County. The Naomi Cephas Wade House was facing demolition if not approved for restoration.
After the support demonstrated by Hays County citizens, calling the buildings historical and cultural treasures, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and the commissioners explained why it was important to stand behind the decision.
Commissioners Court preserves historic Hays County buildings universitystar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from universitystar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Monday, July 12, 2021
Hays County will need to take further action on its multi-year improvement grant application it submitted to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission to fund its public defender services effort.
The Hays County Commissioners Court will discuss taking action on the application submitted to TIDC during Tuesday’s meeting after funding was not awarded to the county.
In April, the commissioners court unanimously voted in favor of pursuing funding for a three pronged criminal justice reform approach: a Pretrial Services Department, Public Defender Office and a Managed Assigned Counsel program.
The pretrial services department should enhance current systems aimed at fairness and due process, cost effectiveness, while also providing opportunities for review of cases prior to initial appearance and early case resolution opportunities, if deemed appropriate.