Author: admin

Pirates prevail over Natalia and Jourdanton

Varsity Pirate Diego Reyna sets up for three during Lytle’s dominant win over Natalia. Reyna finished the game with eight points but played incredible defense. Photo by Moose Lopez.

Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Sports editor
The Lytle Pirates had an excellent week on the court, taking down their local rival the Natalia Mustangs, 81-30 and then outlasted Jourdanton in an overtime thriller, 77-75. The Pirates advance to 4-1 in district play, holding firmly onto the second seed.
Vs. Natalia
A rivalry that spans generations, Pirates vs Mustangs always brings a packed house and an entertaining game. However, the Pirates had no interest in making things “interesting”, they came to handle business. After out-scoring Natalia, 28-7 in the first quarter, Lytle never looked back.
“Our defensive pressure was full throttle from everyone who stepped on the court, making it tough on the Mustangs all over the floor,” Head coach Arturo Vela said. 
Vela credited the dominant win to the Pirates executing on both ends of the court. Vela said they came out with strong defensive pressure and knocked down early shots, which helped them take control of the pace. 
“Diego Reyna knocked down a few early three-pointers that got us going, and the pace set by Chase [Guevara], Weston [Jackson], and Seth [Pierce] pushed the tempo and helped us score over 80 points,” Vela said. “The defensive effort from everyone who stepped on the court, especially Lee Mills, Ethan [Elizondo], Jalen Roudriguez and Clayton Jopling, turned the game into a track meet that the Mustangs couldn’t keep up with.”
Available stats:
Scoring: #1 Darius Garcia- 14 pts, #2 Chase Guevara- 21 pts, #3 Weston Jackson- 7 pts, #4 Jalen Rodriguez- 7 pts, #5 Lee Mills- 4 pts, #12 Seth Pierce- 14 pts, #14 Ethan Elizondo- 6 pts, #21 Diego Reyna- 8 pts
Rebounding: #1 Garcia- 3 reb, #2 Guevara- 1 reb, #3 Jackson- 3 reb, #4 Rodriguez- 2 reb, #5 Mills- 3 reb, #12 Pierce- 12 reb (five offensive), #14 Elizondo- 4 reb, #21 Reyna- 8 reb
Assists: #1 Garcia- 1 ast, #2 Guevara- 1 ast, #3 Jackson- 3 ast, #4 Rodriguez- 1 ast, #11 Clayton Jopling- 2 ast, #12 Pierce- 1 ast, #14 Elizondo- 1 ast, #21 Reyna- 1 ast
Steals: #1 Garcia- 4 stl, #2 Guevara- 5 stl, #3 Jackson- 3 stl, #4 Rodriguez- 3 stl, #5 Mills- 3 stl, #11 Jopling- 1 stl, #12 Pierce- 2 stl, #21 Reyna- 3 stl

Vs. Jourdanton
One of the most entertaining games of the season came in the form of the matchup of Lytle and Jourdanton. The whole town seemed to slip away and the only thing that ever existed was the game on Friday night. 
“Although we struggled shooting the ball on Friday, we showed a lot of effort and toughness to stay in the game,” Vela said. “It was a game of runs, and neither team was able to truly separate. Our guys never gave up, continued to defend and stayed committed to the game plan.”
As the game came winding down, Guevara, Pierce and Reyna each…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!

Little Mr. 2026

Brittany Rodriguez and Ruben Ray Contreras welcomed their son, Kaleb Ray Contreras on January 5, 2026 at 8:34 am weighing 6 pounds 7 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long. He is the first baby born in the new year at Medina Regional Hospital. Supplies and goodies were donated by Restore Reproductive Health and the Wesley Nurse for the New Year’s baby.

Viera’s 440-acre subdivision

Medina County Judge Keith Lutz, left, pinpoints County Road 260W in Precinct 1 during a public hearing Monday on a proposal to reduce the speed limit from 60 mph to 30 mph.
On a motion by Precinct 1 Commissioners Jessica Castiglione, seconded by Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the reduced speed limit. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

County commissioners discuss precinct 1 subdivision development

By Anton Riecher
Held on Monday, the first Medina County Commissioners Court hearing for 2026 focused on subdivision development in precinct 1, primarily the 472 acre Viera subdivision located near the intersection of Potranco Road and County Road 381.
By a unanimous vote the commissioners approved a preliminary service and assessment plan governing the next 30 years for the Viera Public Improvement District, a special area created to fund extra infrastructure and amenities such as parks, landscaping and water lines. These improvements are funded through a homeowners association (HOA) rather than by tax dollars.
Approving the service and assessment plan is the first step in levying assessments on the property involved, a spokesman for McCall, Parkhurst & Horton, the county’s special counsel on subdivision matters, noted.
The subdivision, created in February 2025, consists of 1,047 lots of sizes varying from 80 foot wide to 50 foot wide. Prices range from $675,000 for 80-foot-wide lots to $450,000 for 50-foot-wide lots.
The Viera PID includes 114 acres of the planned subdivision with 281 single family homes planned. Construction began in December and is expected to be completed within 12 months.
“This is going to be a beautifully laid out subdivision,” Sittre said.
On a motion by Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre, seconded by Precinct 1 Commissioner Jessica Castiglione, the commissioners voted to approve the assessment plan. Commissioners also voted unanimously to approve a final plat establishing another Precinct 1 development, Woodlands at Medina Hills unit 1B, located on FM 1283.
The court also voted to approve a final plat for a single 12-lot unit of the Legacy Hills subdivision pending final okay by Castiglione who raised concerns about drainage. Approval of two other units was tabled pending action by the city of San Antonio on performance bonds for the development.
In other action, the commissioners approved

Students to bring heifers and ranch colts for sale Jan. 23rd

These are some of the many heifers that will be for sale.

Anyone is welcome to come out and check out some great heifers and ranch yearling colts who have been raised by local 4-H students. More like a traditional auction, bidders will go home with the animals they win from these events and support a great cause at the same time. Here are the details on these two auctions:
Commercial Heiefer Sale:
The sale will be held January 23 at 5pm. Local kiddos will have about 116 head of cattle which will be split into pens of 2-3 animals. Bidders will bid per head, but they will be sold as a lot of 2 or 3 (depending on how many are in that pen).
There will be various breeds. You can register and bid online as well. Or you can just walk up and register the day of. You can view the cattle that will be for sale online.
Colt Sale:
This sale will also be January 23rd and will kick off at 2 pm. Local kiddos expect to bring about 19 yearling ranch colts to the sale. These colts will be around 2 years old, and students will have started on ground work and saddling, but not all will be ridden down. You can register and bid online as well. Or you can just walk up and register the day of.

Local businessman, Robert Brown, passes away at age of 70

Robert David Brown passed away on January 7, 2026, at the age of 70.
Robert was born in San Antonio, Texas, on October 26, 1955, to Robert (Bob) Brown and Ruth Hernandez Brown.
He moved to Devine at age 10 after his father, Mr. Brown Sr., had the opportunity to open a Chevrolet dealership in town. It was then that Robert discovered his first passion—the auto industry.
He began with humble beginnings at the dealership; his first assignment was washing cars for years.
Robert graduated from Devine High School, Class of ’74, and went on to college with all his Beatles albums—music being another of his passions.
He attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating in the Class of ’78 with a degree in Business Administration.
One of his proudest memories from this time was driving from Austin to Devine almost every weekend to sell cars and continue learning about the auto industry.
Along his college journey was his high school sweetheart, Connie, whom he married on July 8, 1978. They shared…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 man sentenced to 80 years in prison

By Medina County District Attorney’s Office:
The Medina County Criminal District Attorney’s Office concluded its year with guilty verdicts on all charges against Don William Dubose following a jury trial in the 454th Judicial District Court, presided over by Judge Daniel J. Kindred.
Jury selection in the case began on December 8, 2025. After hearing the evidence and testimony presented, the jury found Dubose guilty on all counts, including:

  • Count One: Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of Six
  • Count Two: Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of Six
  • Count Three: Indecency with a Child
    Following the jury’s verdict, Judge Daniel J. Kindred assessed punishment at:
  • 35 years’ imprisonment for Count One
  • 35 years’ imprisonment for Count Two
  • 10 years’ imprisonment for Count Three
    The Court ordered that all sentences run consecutively. Dubose will be required to complete the first 35-year sentence before the sentence in Count Two begins to run, followed by the sentence for Count Three.
    The case was prosecuted by…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!

Community meeting Jan. 22

to feature Medina River watershed project, restoring health of land and vegetation

The Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, invites stakeholders to a public meeting on implementation of the Medina River Below Diversion Lake Watershed Protection Plan, WPP, on Jan. 22 in Castroville.
The meeting will be from 1-3 p.m. at the Braden Keller Community Center, 1410 Amelia St.
Light refreshments will be provided.
“This meeting will highlight progress on the Riparian Restoration Demonstration Project in Castroville Regional Park, an important component of implementing the WPP,” said Mary Michael Zahed, TWRI program specialist, San Antonio. “Restoring degraded vegetated areas along the river, known as riparian zones, is one of our priorities.”
Meeting highlights-Local residents, landowners, city and county officials, nonprofit partners, and all interested individuals are encouraged to attend.
The agenda will feature a guest presentation by Clay Thompson, director of conservation and stewardship, Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, on how the alliance supports the WPP through land conservation, community engagement and education.
Stakeholders will also be invited to participate in the design of a Medina River WPP logo.
“Our progress depends on collaboration,” Zahed said. “Every voice at the table helps strengthen the watershed protection plan and ensures we move forward with strategies that benefit both the river and the people who rely on it.”
Watershed basics-A common question is what a watershed is, Zahed said. A watershed is an area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific waterbody. All bodies of water have a watershed, and every person lives in a watershed.
Residents in the region can visit medina.twri.tamu.edu and use the watershed boundary map to find out if they live in the Medina River Below Diversion Lake Watershed. Even if they live outside the boundary, anyone interested in supporting the health and water quality of the Medina River is considered a stakeholder and is welcome to participate.
Funding for this effort is provided through a federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, administered by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.
TWRI is a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that brings together expertise from across The Texas A&M University System.
For more information, contact Zahed at mary.lipfordzahed@ag.tamu.edu or 979-314-8092.

14 STATEBOUND!!!

This past Saturday, our Natalia BPA students competed against 4A, 5A, and 6A schools at the BPA Regional Competition—and we are proud to share that 14 students are advancing to the State Competition in Dallas this March!
-RJ De La O, Joshua Jalomo, and Danica Torrez – 1st Place, Visual Design Team
-Jerusalem Alvarado and Brianna Garcia – 2nd Place, Visual Design Team
-Mia Herrera and Camilia Mujica – 1st Place, Podcast Production Team
-Bridgett Lowman – 1st Place, Prepared Speech
-Juan Montes – 1st Place, JAVA Programming
-Christopher Tapia – 2nd Place, JAVA Programming
-Kenzlie Jarreau – 1st Place, Fundamental Accounting
-Roberto Garcia – 1st Place, Business Law & Ethics
-Savannah Ramirez – 2nd Place, Business Law & Ethics
-Christian Garcia – 5th Place, Business Law & Ethics
Additionally, Ariana Garcia, Phoenix Garza, Dante Lopez, and Jordan Reyna placed 4th in Visual Design Team, earning recognition as State Alternates.