The HCN Weekly: Recent Episodes
Hill Country News
A podcast from the Hill Country News, covering Cedar Park, Leander, Jonestown, Lago Vista, along with portions of Round Rock and Austin, Texas.
The HCN Weekly for May 13, 2021: Editor Richard Stone joins the podcast to talk about Cedar Park and Leander getting back to the business of governing after an election, the impact of increased partisanship on local and state government, and the upcoming end of the Texas legislative session.
Sports Editor Zach Smith looks at high school baseball and softball playoffs, results from the state track and field meet and state golf tournament, the start of the Round Rock Express season, and Austin FC's trouble on the road at Sporting Kansas City last weekend. Plus... NASCAR is coming to Austin and so is the US Women's National Team, which will officially open Q2 Stadium in June.
The HCN Weekly for May 6, 2021: This week senior reporter Josh Moniz joins us to talk about local election results, as Leander voters elected a new mayor and a slate of candidates including former Cedar Park Council Member Dorian Chavez and his wife lost their bids for seats on the Cedar Park council in a landslide.
A number of Leander ISD parents held their students out last week to protest some optional high school book club reading choices, and sports editor Zach Smith joins us to talk area high school baseball and softball playoffs, the upcoming state track and field meet, Austin FC's big road win in Minnesota, and we also take some time to discuss a bill before the state legislature that could allow home schooled students to participate in UIL sports an other extra curricular activities alongside public school students.
The HCN Weekly for April 29, 2021: This week, we recap a surprising trend in early voting turnout and talk about a couple of the higher profile local races with editor Richard Stone.
In other local news, a standoff involving the SWAT team ended peacefully and Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell says the county has held its last COVID-19 related press conference.
Sports Editor Zach Smith joins the podcast to talk about the No. 1 ranked high school softball team in the nation - the Leander Lions - and other softball teams entering the playoffs, the upcoming high school baseball playoffs, the Round Rock Express, Texas Stars, and Austin FC's first-ever win on the road in Colorado as well as their upcoming match against Minnesota.
The HCN Weekly for April 22, 2021: Early voting is underway and we dig into early voting trends, candidate surveys and what the candidates have to say about the issues with Editor Richard Stone before covering more local and state news. Sports Editor Zach Smith joins to talk about Vandegrift's girls soccer state championship appearance, high school baseball and softball, the Round Rock Express and Austin FC.
The HCN Weekly for April 15, 2021: The local election edition. This week, we dive into the local races, take a look at the money in local city council races, and review a series of city charter amendments before Cedar Park voters. We also cover a few updates from the state legislature, area sports, and more.
The HCN Weekly for April 8, 2021. In this episode we cover:
Local News
- WilCo ranked 2nd healthiest county in Texas (story link)
- County lowers bar to small business grant program (story link)
- Wilco Sheriff's investigating road rage shootout on 1431 outside Round Rock (story link)
- Affidavit: Son accused of murdering Leander Police dispatcher mother suffered from mental health challenges (story link). To donate to the GoFundMe fundraising campaign for the family of slain Leander PD dispatcher Rowena Speight, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/rowena-speight-memorial-fund.
- Purple pipe: Leander plans to explore reclaimed water options (story link)
- Local agencies partner with WilCo to help with rent (story link)
- Former Wilco Sheriff Chody, former general counsel Nassour face addition charges in Travis County related the Javier Amber case (story link)
- It will take more than a pandemic to stop Tim League and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: “I’m going to fight like hell” (from the Texas Tribune, listen to the podcast episode here)
Other News
- Watchdog group accuses Texas Sen. Cruz of using campaign funds to market his book (story link)
- First day of STAAR testing canceled for thousands of students experiencing technical issues across Texas (story link)
- Congress allocated $19 billion in federal stimulus money to Texas public education, but schools have yet to see an extra dime (story link)
- Gov. Greg Abbott bans state agencies and state-funded organizations from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination (story link)
- Study: Moderna vaccine still highly effective after 6 months (story link)
Opinion & Editorial
- Corporations aren’t buying what GOP is selling (link)
- Could you pass a citizenship test? Most Americans can’t (
The HCN Weekly for April 1, 2021. The HCN Weekly is a podcast from the Hill Country News, where you can hear our top local news and sports stories, find out what news and other stories are trending this week on hillcountrynews.com, and get up to date on current events for Cedar Park, Leander, the Leander Independent School District.