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The Test is Over as Curtain Closes on DHS OAP

Nolan Beaty (left) earned an honorable mention All-star cast nod while Maverick Beaty (right) was tabbed All-star cast.

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
Devine High School One Act Play performed at Area for the first time since the 2016-2017 school year, entertaining hundreds of audience spectators along the way. Their run to Regional came to an end on April 7 in New Braunfels as they were not selected to move on to the next round.
Under the guidance of second-year Director Jose Guardiola, the cast and crew of The Test never rested on the success of past performances. Instead, new ideas onstage mixed with alterations by backstage light and sound technicians made each presentation an experience that stood on its own merit.
Award Worthy
From the stage to behind the scenes and all the way to the tech booth, Devine’s presentation of The Test was phenomenal without a doubt thanks in large part to the heart and effort put forth by all members of this particular team.
Judges individually…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!

Jessica Ballesteros won the Crew Award.

Jacelyn Delaney was named to the honorable mention All-star cast.

Medina County earns clean audit, reserve fund stands at $16.3 Million

By Anton Riecher
A representative for the accounting firm handling the 2024-2025 outside audit of Medina County finances praised officials for exceeding the recommended fund reserve to protect against unexpected economic emergencies such as the 2020 COVID pandemic.
John Manning with Waco-based Pattillo, Brown & Hill told county commissioners at their Monday meeting that the county collected nearly $1.3 million more in revenue than the amount budgeted. Also, the county spent less than the budgeted amount.
“So, really, all in all, the reserves of the county are really good,” Manning said. “The budgetary controls are really good.”
According to the Government Finance Officers Association, government entities should hold enough in reserve to fund operations for up to three and half months. Medina County has enough for seven and a half months ($16.3M), exceeding that standard reserve, Manning said.
The reserve fund balance for 2024-2025 just cleared a $16 million threshold, making it a very good year for the county, he said. Medina County, has nearly $35 million in total assests.
Manning’s accounting firm categorized the audit as “unmodified,” the highest level of assurance that the company can offer.
“It means that we did not need to modify our opinion for anything the county was doing incorrectly,” Manning said.
The bulk of the county’s cash holding is held in investment pools such as TexPool, serving more than 2,750 communities as the largest and oldest local government investment pool in the state. Auditors are able to get independent confirmation for those balances, Manning said.
Likewise, confirmation of money collected in ad valorem taxes comes straight from state tax system, he said.
“It’s very easy to look at what was levied, what was paid and what was left,” Manning said. “There’s just not a lot of risk there on the balance sheet.”
In other business, the commissioners voted unanimously to…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!

Lyssy lands parts in TV series, music video, and more coming soon

By Kayleen Holder
Editor, The Devine News
We are excited to share that hometown girl Carrie Lyssy, of Devine, is featured in a music video by fast-rising country star Ella Langley. This role is just the latest of several projects Lyssy has been featured in, beginning with the TV show 1923, a popular television series starring Harrison Ford.
She said stepping onto the movie set of 1923 was “a moment I’ll never forget.”
“Standing there, surrounded by lights, cameras, and the sheer scale of the production, I was already in awe. And then Harrison Ford walked onto set. That feeling hit all at once…In that moment, everything shifted. I realized I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was stepping into something new. I was hooked. From that point on, I made a…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!

Audrey Jane’s Light …Country Music Fest next Saturday April 18

Everybunny’s invited to come out and support this sweet girl in her battle. Above is Audrey Capps and her little brother Kenneth.

Join us for Audrey Jane’s Light Country Music Fest at the Devine Acres Farm on April 18, 2026 for a day of family fun and music! There will be lots of farm attractions, dinner, a silent auction, gun drawings, dancing, drinks, music and more! This event is a fundraiser to help find a cure for 8-year-old Audrey Capps, of Devine, and other children with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T).
This day of family fun will begin at 4 p.m. with a meet and greet with Paw Patrol and the Power Rangers! Children are encouraged to wear their costumes if they’d like. There will also be jumping pads, playgrounds, a silent auction and chicken fajita plates for sale from 5-8 p.m.
Live music will start at 6 p.m. featuring Chesney Friesenhahn, followed by Weston Ripps at 7 p.m. and close with Jeremy Richards Band at 8 p.m. until midnight.
A-T is a rare…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!

Crawfish boil & Cookoff, live music at Cookin’ for a Claus fundraiser event April 10-11

The event is being hosted in conjunction with the Love Mercy Charitable Fund first annual fundraiser called “Cookin’ for a Claus” which is hosting a barbeque cookoff on Friday evening and a crawfish boil sale on Saturday. Saturday event starts at 9:00 am with a vendor market.
The crawfish boil sale starts at noon until sold out. Live music starts at 12 noon Saturday featuring Keith Lutz at 12 noon, Matt Hawk at 2pm, DJ Reece all day, and from 8-12 midnight the Jeremy Richards Band.
A $5.00 donation gets you in to all events, Friday and Saturday…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!

Don and Irma Dunford….on living “the American Dream”

By Kayleen Holder
Editor, The Devine News

Five years…10 years…15 years…25 years…
30 years…40..50…60…65 years…

On a dance floor filled with married couples, surrounded by candlelight, the announcer called for couples to leave the dance floor as he called out the number of years they’ve been married. Toward the end, only 2 couples remained, their eyes filled with joyful tears as they recalled the last 65 years.
Don and Irma Dunford, of Devine, were 16 and 15 years old when they met, and it wasn’t long before they knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. They got married during Holy Week in 1961. This week, they sat down with us to share their whole story–from their humble beginnings, to the life and legacy that they have built over the past 65 years of marriage, one of the largest businesses in our area which is one of the biggest community supporters, Chaparral Ford.
“I think the thing that I like most about us–her and I– is we are basically proof that the American Dream really exists,” Dunford said. “We started with zero and we’ve done really, really well over the past 65 years.”
He later added, “I want younger folks to realize, they can do anything in their life that they want…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!

Last minute redesign necessary for courthouse renovation grant app

By Anton Riecher
The discovery in February of 1939 federal Works Progress Administration drawings of the Medina County Courthouse forced a rapid redesign of plans to renovate the historic building to meet a March grant application deadline, a spokesperson for the general contractor reported to county commissioners Monday.
Walter Wills, a project director for McKinstry Construction, licensed general contractor for the renovation, said the redesign was accomplished within a narrow two and a half week window for the Texas Historical Commission grant application.
“We’re excited about the update and we’re excited about the direction we…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!

HEADED TO STATE!!

The Devine FFA Applied Ag Engineering Team placed third out of 18 teams at Area contest. We had Quay Ortiz get first in their lay out. Brady Loeffler placed 6th Overall and Quay Ortiz got 11th Overall!! The team consists of Quay Ortiz, Brady Loeffler, Gage Allen, Marisa Sosa, Zachary Ortiz, and Alvin Mann. State contest will be held at Huntsville, Tx April 10th.

Warhorses … talk about the good ol’ days

Old Warhorses, representing classes 1964, 1966 and 1962, got together and talked about the good ol’ days. Pictured are (l to r ) Tommy Wiesinger, Frank Dodson, Bo Maxwell, Larry Haass, Lewis Stroud, Terry Tilley, Kenny Williams and Ronnie Rackley.