Thursday News Rundown (8-28-2014)

By Veronika Kondratieva
News Reporter

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has authorized a new degree program at Texas State in order to address the needs of an aging population.

The Master of Science in Dementia and Aging Studies will teach individuals the improved techniques in caring for the aging and treating Alzheimer’s, as well as train them to improve the quality of life for those stricken with this disease. The master’s degree will be offered through the Texas State’s Department of Sociology and will be available through traditional and online channels beginning this fall.

Texas State Tubes planned a river cleanup event this weekend, independent of Endless Entertainment’s Floatfest. What was expected to be about 1,200 people has now doubled due to a viral hashtag on social media. More than 1,000 tickets have been pre-sold and inventors of the hashtag have promoted the event to thousands more. Even though Texas State Tubes is only equipped to supply parking and tubes for about 1,200 customers, San Marcos Police have no plans to increase staffing over the weekend.

The Hays and Caldwell Sheriff offices have announced a “zero tolerance” policy on parking violations that will take effect this Labor Day weekend. Beginning Friday through Monday vehicles parked inside the marked “No Parking” areas of 266 County Road and the Blanco River crossing will be towed. The “zero tolerance” initiative is enforced in order to prevent potentially dangerous traffic-related issues.

The 200 block of North LBJ Drive between Hopkins and Hutchison will open for traffic and parking on Friday after months of construction. While the 300 block remains under construction until November, construction crews have installed water and waste water lines, as well as underground electric and telecommunications lines.

The Kyle City Council will be holding a runoff election Saturday to fill the vacated seat of Chad Benninghoff, who stepped down in May. Shane Arabie, chair of both Kyle’s Planning and Zoning Commission and Texas State’s engineering and technology department, is up against home builder administrator Laurie Luttrell in the runoff. The three locations open for voting will be City Hall at 100 West Center St., Wallace Middle School at 1500 West Center St. and Chapa Middle School at 3311 Dacy Lane. These locations will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.