Enjoy the barbecue, the oil museum, the lavender farm and, of course, the Watermelon Thump
By Harlye Bonorden
The scent of sweet watermelon and smoky barbecue floats in the air of Luling, mixed with the subtle but unmistakable “smell of money” – oil – which gave the town a rich heritage and is still pumping in the region.
Things to do in the Lee County seat
By Alyssa Meinke
The heart of Giddings, home of the high school Buffaloes sports teams, is at the intersection of busy U.S. highways 290 and 77 in Lee County. The town is 55 miles east of Austin and 107 miles west of Houston. It was founded in 1871, after brothers J.D. and DeWitt Giddings financed the Houston & Texas Central Railway, which transported cotton from Houston to Dallas and fueled an economic engine for the region. Giddings was incorporated in 1913, with 2,000 residents, and a 1980s oil boom brought growth.
In area high schools, job and technical courses are growing alongside the demand for specially trained workers. Visits to classrooms at five Bluebonnet-area schools show the range of possibilities.
By Sidni Carruthers
Most weeks, teachers and staff at Del Valle High School can pick a day to skip the cafeteria burgers and dine at Cardinal Cafe.
This fierce sea creature’s skeleton, spotted a century ago by students, returns to limited public display this year.
By Denise Gamino
Elon Musk and the Tesla Gigafactory may be the biggest recent sensations in eastern Travis County near the Colorado River, but about 66 million years ago, a truly jaw-dropping phenomenon roamed that area.
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative has received a Platinum Safety Partner award from Texas Mutual Insurance Company. Safety and serving its members with reliable electric service are top priorities for Bluebonnet. Texas Mutual is a workers’ compensation company, and the award recognizes its policyholders that practice top-quality workplace safety. Only 200 of Texas Mutual’s more than 74,000 policyholders are recognized with the distinction annually. The award is given to those that excel at protecting workers and providing safety resources.
Portables can be helpful in a power outage, but users should practice caution
Portable generators may be a godsend during a prolonged electrical outage, but they can be dangerous and owners should be extremely careful while operating one. A portable generator typically runs on gasoline, although some use diesel or propane. Portables are by far the most frequently used type of generator, and can cost from about $400 up to $2,500. Many are purchased at large home-improvement stores.
All across the Bluebonnet service area are remarkable examples of partnerships with our best friends
Stories by Clayton Stromberger -- Photos by Sarah Beal
Many millennia ago, somewhere in Asia, a gray wolf — hungry, curious, wary — cautiously inched its way toward a human campfire. Eye contact was made, perhaps a scrap of food was tossed over. In an ancient world where survival was elemental, a new partnership was forged.
Projects of all sizes crisscrossing the Bluebonnet service area are planned in the coming years to smooth the flow of traffic
Story by Melissa Segrest l Photos by Kelly West
POP QUIZ. Which is worse?
A: Being trapped in traffic, creeping ever so slowly, because the road you’re on wasn’t built to handle the weekday rush-hour crush.
B: Being trapped in traffic, still creeping slowly, because the road you’re on is under construction for a few years so that overpasses, lanes, wider shoulders and medians can be added.
Solar power, battery storage and EVs were the talk of the day
By Sidni Carruthers
The morning started off overcast and chilly, but that did not deter almost 100 Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative members from attending the co-op’s 2022 Energy Expo on Oct. 22. It was Bluebonnet’s seventh renewable energy event for members.