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“Caitlin’s Christmas Lights” Competition 2025

It’s time to light up our community and be sure to enter the Christmas light contest held each year in loving memory of the late Caitlin Jaworowski, to help other families now battling cancer.  The entry fee is simply a donation, and anyone can enter, with the grand prize winner getting a $250 gift card!!!!

The deadline to enter is December 20, and please make sure your lights are on the evenings of December 21-22nd as the family will be coming around for judging.

PRIZES

The 1st prize winner will receive $250 donated by Country Gals, and the 2nd prize winner will receive $150 donated by 2 Bar Ag Services, plus, several other small awards will be given for separate categories.  

DONATE

If you don’t want to enter the contest, please remember we are a non-profit organization operating year-round, so your donations are what will help us help others who are dealing with cancer.  

ENTER LIGHTS CONTEST

Sign up in person at Country Gal’s Market located at 109 W. Benton Ave, Devine, TX 78016 or call Justin Jaworowski 210-275-9025.

About us:

We are a 501c non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for individuals and families dealing with cancer. Our goal is to help alleviate some financial burdens, allowing them to focus on their health, family and healing.  

Justin Jaworowski states, “When my wife Caitlin was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago, our community, family and friends came together in this very same way to help us. I created this non-profit organization to honor her and her fight with cancer.  The support of local community can really help take some of the burden off and this is our goal here at Caitlin’s Christmas Lights.”  

Our lights contest is our primary fundraiser.   Entry is a minimum of $10 to enter your light display.  

Get ready to meet the cutest sibling group from age 1 to 14

Hoping for a home togeteher, against all odds…

Here’s a little bit about us! This sweet family of 6 would love nothing more than to be together. Some sources state that sibling groups of four have only a 45% chance of being adopted together, and that number drops to only a 1% chance with a group of 6 siblings or more.
This sweet family is one of the many sibling groups in care of the state of Texas, who are hoping and waiting to find their forever home, together, against all odds.
Victor enjoys being in ROTC at school, playing sports like football, basketball, and soccer. He is currently attending high school and has thought of college, although he still doesn’t have a specific career path selected at the moment, he loves participating in ROTC and getting to wear his uniform.
Victor enjoys swimming and practicing sports when he is with his friends. Victor also likes watching sports and movies at home during his free time.
Claudia is a very outgoing 12-year-old girl who likes being around her peers … At school she is in the band and plays the clarinet. Claudia already has an idea of a post college career; she would like to be a Border Patrol Agent, after obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice.
In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching TV, and art.
Maria (11) is a loving and caring pre – teen who is very attached to her siblings. At school, it’s a tie for favorite subjects – between math and reading. And in sports … its volleyball and basketball. Maria is interested in going to college but is not yet sure what course of study she would like to follow – but what she does know is education is the key to her future.
In her spare time, she enjoys all kinds of action, and suspense movies, along with cartoons. Maria likes listening to music and dancing during her free time.
Hugo is a 10-year-old energetic and optimistic young boy who likes to spend time with his siblings and friends.
Hugo has great social skills and likes making new friends everywhere he goes, he has also been complimented as being very helpful and likes doing chores around the home.
Hugo enjoys going to school on a daily basis and has excellent attendance record.
When it’s fun and relax time, Hugo likes going to the movies, going out to parks for a game of baseball, basketball, soccer, or football.
Hugo likes going to the boys and girls club when possible, as he enjoys taking part in the various activities the center hosts.
Hageo (6) enjoys playing with kids his age at school and his siblings at home. He, like his brother has great social skills and likes making new friends everywhere he goes. Hageo is very helpful and likes doing chores around the home.
Hageo also enjoys going out to parks to play around with other kids, as he has fun playing any of the major sports … he also has a creative side where he has developed a talent for drawing and coloring, also with some fancy footwork as a dancer.
Hageo has expressed wanting for a family that is active and likes to travel.
The youngest is Infant Ramos who enjoys playing with cars and action figures toys, as he is also very good at sharing his toys with his peers. If his future family has pets, that would be ideal as he enjoys being around animals.
Infant Ramos is currently attending daycare, where they say he is very good at taking an afternoon nap and eating.
All six siblings agree on the same things, … to all be adopted together, by a mother and father who will love them all as their own.
If you think you could be a forever family for this readymade family of six, or another Texas child, please call 1-800-233-3405 for more information or visit www.adoptchildren.org where you can find a schedule of online public information meetings, and learn about the foster/adoption program.

You can also view the www.heartgallerystx.org website, where South Texas children have their portraits along with individual personal stories they wish to share, with their future forever family.

Basic Adoption Requirements
The prospective foster/adoptive parents may be single or married and must:
be at least 21 years of age, financially stable, and responsible mature adults
complete an application (staff will assist you if you prefer)
share information regarding their background and lifestyle
provide relative and non-relative references
show proof of marriage and/or divorce (if applicable)
agree to a home study which includes visits with all household members
allow staff to complete a criminal history background check and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household
attend free training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children

Future Land Use Map for Lytleto be discussed Dec 1 and Dec 8

Notice Is Hereby Given To Hear Comments And Testimony Concerning The Following:
AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; SPECIFICALLY, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
Zoning meeting Dec. 1
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Lytle will hold a public hearing regarding this request to provide all interested parties with the right to appear and request information on:
Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Lytle City Hall, 14916 Main Street
Lytle, TX 78052.

Public Hearing Dec. 8
The City Council of the City of Lytle will hold a public hearing regarding this request to provide all interested parties with the right to appear and request information on:

Date: Monday, December 8, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Lytle City Hall, 14916 Main Street…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Fire dominates one-third of Devine emergency response in first month

By Anton Riecher
Out of 48 emergency responses logged during the initial month of Medina County Emergency Services District No. 1 assuming management of fire protection in Devine, 33 percent were fire related, ESD1 battalion chief David Powers reported to the local ESD2 board Nov. 18.
Stating that the fire portion of the run statistics was “pretty high,” Powers said that other than several building fires, the rest of the fire runs were for grass and brush fires.
The other 67 percent of emergency response calls logged were EMS related, Powers said.
Three of the 48 responses logged were mutual aid assistance to nearby Natalia “to help them out a little bit,” he said.
Average response from time called to arrival was eight minutes, Powers said.
He reported that the ESD1 board of commissioners signed the interlocal agreement to take charge of local management at its Nov. 12 meeting in Castroville.
Since taking charge…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

A whole new crew!

A whole new crew and administration is now providing our community with fire (in Devine) and EMS services (in Devine/Natalia). Pictured above are just a few of the new paramedics who went through orientation in October. As you see the crews around town, be sure to say hi as they are excited to be part of the community.

Latest audit reveals new details regarding VFD fraud allegation

ESD board members listen Abigail Beadle and Jerry Stevens listen to the results and options moving forward.

By Anton Riecher
An audit of the Devine Volunteer Fire Department finances for the fiscal year 2022-2023 uncovered new details in the fraudulent misappropriation of more than $76,000 over a two-year period, resulting in the VFD office administrator being criminally charged last December.
Karl Goering, a certified public accountant with Armstrong, Vaughan & Associates, referred to the fraud involved as being “very straight forward.”
“They were mainly just paying themselves outside the contract,” Goering said. “The bookkeeper was paying herself outside the contract in addition to what she was supposed to be paid.”
The audit, one of two ordered by Medina County Emergency Services District 2, was presented to the ESD2 board of commissioners during their monthly meeting Nov. 18.
Complete video coverage is posted on The Devine News’ YouTube channel.
Matt Bowers, representing the Devine VFD board of directors, notified the ESD2 board that a resolution to transfer control of the VFD operations to the ESD lacks only one signature to become official.
“Because there are issues that need to be addressed and we don’t appear to be able to, we have drafted a resolution of necessity and transfer that would basically give (ESD2) control of the board so that you guys can implement the new bylaws needed to accept and appoint the new board,” Bowers said.
The VFD action comes in…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Devine council considers imposing liens on buildings/unkept property

By Anton Riecher
Action to tighten restrictions against buildings and other unkept properties by imposing liens against the owners was discussed during the Nov. 18 Devine City Council regular meeting.
Mayor Butch Cook said the city is trying “super, super hard” to clean up areas of the city in need of attention.
“We have a few very egregious properties in our town that have been that way for a long time,” Cook said. “Some of them are owned by people who don’t live here so they couldn’t care less about the appearance of that property.”
Despite being repeatedly notified and cited about the condition of their property, the problem continues to persist, Cook said.
He proposed moving forward with enforcement of an ordinance on the city books since 2021 that permits placing liens on the offending property as a means to bill the owners for clean up if and when the property ever sells.
Cook admitted that the major drawback to the proposal is the owners can still continue to ignore demands for immediate upkeep on their property regardless of legal action. However, the time has come for taking action that “has some teeth in it.”
District 3 Alderman Jeff Miller agreed with taking stronger action, noting that aside from concerns for public safety, the failure to maintain these properties could potentially depress local property values.
“At some point the safety and protection of everybody else becomes the most important issue,” Miller said.
District 5…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com. You will get instant access to our full E-edition, and begin getting the newspaper delivered to your home next week for $36 a year in Medina County. Support important local city, county, and school news like this!

Let us give thanks

My week was fairly busy, and since the Auxiliary will be sponsoring a “Bake Sale” in just a few weeks, after we finished our monthly meeting, a group of us got together and put together some Christmas cups with hot cocoa mix, a peppermint spoon, and a small bag of mini-marshmallows in Christmas type gift bags and closed them with a bow. Then, two of the ladies poured a package of gravy mixture into pint jars while several of us measured the spice mixtures into containers, which were then added to the jars, and while that was being done, the pasta and tortilla chips were being measured to complete the ingredients for a batch of “Tortilla Soup in a Jar”. They sold well enough several years ago, that we had to fill more jars! It’s fun, companion ship and work all in one!
Wednesday, my workday was busy as people have begun shopping for Christmas gifts and we have a nice assortment in our gift shop. After the Bake Sale, whatever doesn’t sell, of the soup mix and the hot cocoa cups, will be placed in our gift shop. It amazes me how quickly some things sell. We had several little ornaments that were made of felt and had stitching around the edges that I purchased and used for little gifts for my Pokeno group. I loved them because they looked handmade, and the ladies seemed to like them as well. As usual, my son is hosting Thanksgiving for our family and friends, so I will be with them. I know that two or three families won’t be able to be there, one grandson is at sea, and his family lives off, another grandson and his family also live off and won’t be able to share with us. We will miss them and pray that they may have a wonderful day.
Let us give thanks…for our families; for our friends, for our schools and their teachers; for our churches and synagogues, where we can worship freely; for our service men and women who are fighting to keep our country a free place; for the fact that we live in a country that is still free; and last, but by no means least, that we have lived to see another Thanksgiving! For the families among us who have members missing from the holiday table this year, we pray that they have the strength and courage to make it through these coming holidays, with perhaps a little lessening of the pain in their hearts. Just as HE is the “reason for the season”, at Christmas, THANKS is the first word in the name of this feast we are celebrating.
Now, as I promised here is an easy dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner. Last week, I mixed up the Pineapple Angel Food Cake and baked it…it came out of the pan just fine, but stuck to the plate and in moving it, got messed up. As my daughter told me years ago when that happened, “When God gives you a lemon, you make lemonade”. Here’s my version of the lemonade. Note: I cheated a bit; my cherries were already chopped, probably in a food processor to be used for something else.
Ingredients:
2 packages of instant vanilla pudding, milk to make pudding, (make the pudding)
1 large container of thawed whipped topping,
1 jar (10 oz) of cherries (There are about + – 30 cherries in a jar. Save about 10 to use later.
Using a large serving bowl, break/tear 1/2 of the cake into pieces and place in the bowl, finely chop a small bottle of well drained maraschino cherries and sprinkle about 1/3 on top of cake, cover cake with 1 box of mixed pudding, cover with ½ of the whipped topping, repeat using the other 1/2 of the cake, the second box of pudding and the remaining whipped topping. For decoration, cut about eight cherries into halves and place on top of whipped topping in a decorative pattern.
May all of you have as great as possible Thanksgiving, hopefully with family and/or friends.

Lytle names 2025 Citizenship Award winners

By Anton Riecher
Three individuals to be honored with the upcoming Lytle’s Annual Citizenship Awards for 2025 were named Monday during the Lytle City Council meeting.
Announced by District 4 Alderman Michael Rodriguez, the three honorees named include Joshua Walker, Pam McCall Wanjura and Jesse Camarillo.
The Annual Citizenship Awards Committee (ACAC) is responsible for recognizing individuals, businesses, and organizations that demonstrate outstanding service and contributions to the community. The committee reviews nominations, selects recipients, and helps coordinate the presentation of awards at public events, promoting civic pride and encouraging community involvement.
Walker is being recognized as honorable mention for an individual from outside the Lytle city limits. Wanjura is named in the adult category over age 19. Camarillo will receive the lifetime achievement award for 10 years or more of demonstrated cumulative service to the community.
Rodriguez said he wanted to particularly recognize the annual citizenship award committee for their work this year.
“They always step up,” he said.
The presentation of the award is scheduled for the next Lytle City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8
In other business, the council voted unanimously to appoint Jourdanton Justice of the Peace Orlando Carrasco to serve as Lytle’s associate municipal court judge effective immediately. Mayor Ruben Gonzalez explained that Carrasco serves as “plan B” in the event that Municipal Judge Gerry Elias proves unavailable.
Carrasco’s location in the Atascosa County seat makes his appointment convenient in the event papers must be served, City Administrator Zachary Meadows said.