Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney
Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney
Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney
Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney
Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney
Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney
Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney

Sen. Drew Springer visits Olney

Texas Sen. Drew Springer made his final visit to Young County on Oct. 15, speaking to constituents at the Olney Heritage Museum as he prepares to retire from office in January.

The Museum, which has hosted Sen. Springer for several town hall-style meetings over his 12-year legislative career, held a meet-and-greet where local officials and citizens gathered to wish him well and reminisce.

D.J. Meschkat, vice president of the Perry Foundation, which owns the Museum, opened the event with a prayer.

Justin Piegat, president of the Perry Foundation, and Olney Mayor Rue Rogers welcomed Sen. Springer, R-Muenster, to the community with short speeches to the crowd of about 60 people, including County Judge Win Graham, Texas Rep. David Spiller, Olney Hamilton Hospital Board Chairman Dale Lovett.

Mr. Piegat reviewed the Foundation’s participation in the community this year, including the construction of a new city swimming pool, the continued operations of the House of Mercy and The Refuge Christian Community Center.

He reminded the community that the Foundation has scholarships available for Olney High School seniors and urged local organizations that need funding to apply.

“We want to give all the praise to God, none of this would be possible without Him,” Mr. Piegat concluded.

Mayor Rogers expressed his appreciation for Sen. Springer’s attention to Olney over the years.

“I just want to say thank you for being a champion for Olney and for representing us at the state level for so many years. You have done a fantastic job,” Mayor Rogers said.

Rodney and Kristy Nantz, directors of The Refuge, presented Sen. Springer with homemade sourdough bread, and Olney High School sophomore Colby Johnson, son of Dr. Jeremy Johnson and his wife Trina, gifted the senator with organic honey from his beehives. His sister, Caly, presented Sen. Springer’s aides, Melanie Berry and Deon Starnes with honey as well.

Preston Crow, director of House of Mercy Enterprises, presented Sen. Springer with banana nut loaves baked at the House of Mercy, as well as a commemorative coin stamped with the Lion of Judah and a crucifix, that was meant “to remind him to be courageous like Joshua was.”

Sen. Springer told attendees that he had been inspired when he ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 2011 by the work of The Refuge and the House of Mercy. “It’s really one of those things that inspired me when I originally ran - it was wanting to keep our rural Christian values,” he said. “And make sure somebody was defending them and supporting them in Austin. We need to continue to help people and I think we’ve done an awful lot of that.” He discussed his legislative initiatives, including creating new paths to jobs for people who do not want or need to attend college, providing funding for rural education, expanding broadband networks to rural areas, funding for rural mental health initiatives and raising pay rates for rural law enforcement agencies.

“Nobody has all the answers,” he said of his many meetings over the years with Young County officials at the Museum to discuss ways to meet rural needs. “So it is that collaborative effort of sharing ideas.”

Sen. Springer said he has been working with Republican Senate nominee Brent Hagenbuch whom he believes will be his successor for Senate District 30.

“I’ve told him, ‘Look, I’ll help you. I’ll work with you, I’ll endorse you, under one condition, and that is you don’t ever forget about rural Texas,” Sen. Springer said.