At Devine First United Methodist Church’s True North VBS, kids will be on the ultimate Alaskan adventure where Northern Lights glow over majestic mountains and racing rivers. As kids trek through the tundra, they’ll explore how easy it is to lose sight of what’s true in our world today. Pointing them towards Jesus, True North VBS shows them that Jesus is a faithful friend we can always trust. He’s our True North!
Kinder thru 5th Grade are invited to join us June 16 thru June 20 from 8:30am – 11:50am at 212 W. Benton Avenue, Devine, TX, 78016.
Contact us at (830) 663-3185 or fumcdevine@sbcglobal.net
Author: admin
Shoeless Joe and Baseball History
“Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.”
George Will
Historical news from the baseball world erupted recently. Two players, Pete Rose and “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, among others, were reinstated by Major League Baseball. Both had received lifetime bans from the MLB. It makes these two sports legends eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pondering Pete and Joe this week, I realized some may not know the stories behind this story. Let me tell you about Joe…
The iconic baseball movie Field of Dreams stars Kevin Costner as an Iowa farmer, who at the prompting of a mysterious voice, builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield. As a result, ghosts of former baseball greats show up to play. The first player to emerge from the corn is “Shoeless Joe” Jackson.
Jackson was born in Pickens County, South Carolina on July 16, 1887, the son of a sharecropper. One of eight children, he went to work at the age of seven in a textile mill to help support his family. As a result, he didn’t attend school and never learned to read or write. But he could play baseball.
He acquired the nickname “Shoeless Joe” while he was playing semi-pro ball in the South Carolina mill leagues. In one game, wearing a new set of spikes that gave him blisters, he removed them and played in his stockings. After hitting a triple and sliding into third base, a loud-mouthed opposing fan shouted, “You shoeless son of a gun, you!” A reporter for the Greenville newspaper heard it and wrote about “Shoeless Joe” Jackson. The name stuck. Joe hated the nickname and throughout his life bought lots of shoes in an effort to prove he was not shoeless.
Joe was a natural ball player and is considered one of the best to ever play the game. His .356 lifetime career batting average is still the fourth highest in MLB history. Recognizing his genius, baseball legend Babe Ruth said that he modeled his swing after Joe. After two partial seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908-1909, Joe played his first full season in the majors with the Cleveland Naps, batting .408 (still one of the highest batting averages ever recorded for a rookie). In 1915, Joe was traded to the Chicago White Sox. Two years later they won the World Series, with his help.
Despite his amazing career, Jackson is best known for his role in the Black Sox Scandal, where members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox conspired to fix the World Series, losing on purpose to the Cincinnati Reds. Eight White Sox players, including Jackson, were indicted and charged with conspiring to defraud the public and accepting payment from gamblers to throw the games. The jury in their 1921 trial found the players not guilty, but baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis still banned the players from the game for life because of their alleged involvement.
The ban from baseball crushed Joe. He was never the same. Although he admitted to accepting some payment, he maintained that he had not taken any on-field actions to jeopardize the games and had “tried to win all the time.” During the series in question, Joe hit a record of 12 base hits that set a Series record not broken until 1964. He also led both teams with a .375 batting average for the Series.
Broken-hearted without baseball, Joe spent the last years of his life running a liquor store on Pendleton Street in Greenville, South Carolina. There is a story that Joe’s friend Ty Cobb came in to the store to see him one day. After Joe acted like he didn’t know who he was, Ty Cobb asked, “Don’t you know me, Joe?” Joe responded, “Sure, I know you, Ty, but I wasn’t sure you wanted to know me. A lot of them don’t.”
As he aged, Joe struggled with heart trouble. At the age of 64, on December 5, 1951, “Shoeless Joe” Jackson died of a heart attack. He was buried at Woodland Memorial Park in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina. Fans still love him. You can always find baseballs left at his grave.
I hope they have baseball in heaven…
© 2025 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com
Governor Abbott Signs Oilfield Theft Protection, Pro-Growth Legislation Into Law
MIDLAND — Governor Greg Abbott today signed into law key legislation to protect Texas’ oil and gas industry and promote economic growth across West Texas, including Senate Bill 494, Senate Bill 529, Senate Bill 1806, House Bill 48, and the Beacon Budget Appropriation, during a bill signing ceremony at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.
“Today is a defining moment for the Permian Basin, the future of this region, and the future of Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “We are bringing the full weight of the law to crack down on oil theft in the Permian Basin to protect the critical role energy development plays in fueling our economy. I’m also signing an item to fund an historic $123 million investment in The Beacon, a pivotal economic development project for Midland-Odessa.”
View the Governor’s full bill signing ceremony here.
Organized criminals and cartels have increasingly targeted oil pipelines and storage tanks, stealing millions of dollars from communities in the Permian Basin. Through Senate Bill 494, Senate Bill 1806, and House Bill 48, Texas will combat petroleum product theft and protect the energy industry – the lifeblood of the state economy.
Texas is investing in the future of the Permian Basin as it takes steps to improve collaboration among the energy industry and community partners to advance economic development opportunities throughout the region. Through a $123 million appropriation, The Beacon project will extend and enhance access to quality healthcare and education while also providing residential and retail space for the region’s growing population.
The Governor was joined by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, Senator Kevin Sparks, Representative Tom Craddick, Representative Brooks Landgraf, Midland Mayor Lori Blong, and other state and local officials and energy leaders.
Senate Bill 494 (Sparks/Landgraf) establishes a petroleum product theft task force.
Senate Bill 529 (Sparks/Craddick) alters the tax code for the City of Midland to divert certain collected tax revenue for economic development projects.
Senate Bill 1806 (Sparks/Craddick) provides the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with additional tools to combat oil and gas theft.
House Bill 48 (Darby/Sparks) creates an organized oilfield theft prevention unit within DPS to protect oilfield assets, support the energy industry, safeguard economic stability, and enhance public safety.
Beacon Budget Appropriation was appropriated by the Texas Legislature to the Texas Facilities Commission to support Beacon Healthcare in extending healthcare, research, residential, and retails spaces in the region.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Adds Three Properties to Public Hunting Offerings
AUSTIN — With the addition of three new properties, Texas’ 2025-26 hunting season will offer more public hunting opportunities through Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Public Hunting Program.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorized 2025-26 hunting season dates for public hunting lands and Texas State Parks that will offer 140 different public hunts in 52 State Park and State Natural Areas, totaling more than 521,000 acres of publicly accessible land.
“We are so excited to be able to continue to grow the public hunting opportunities within state parks and natural areas every year, including on some of the newest park properties,” said Greg Creacy, Texas State Parks Natural Resources program director. “The number of hunted parks has increased from 45 to 52 in the past five years. The addition of some of our newest sites, including the recent acquisitions at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Post Oak Ridge State Park, gives hunters a special opportunity to help the department with land management on these unique properties.”
The newest additions of acreage added to the public hunting program in Texas State Parks include 1,650 acres at Dinosaur Valley State Park, 1,400 acres at Ray Roberts Lake State Park– Isle du Bois Unit, 3,100 acres at Post Oak Ridge State Park, 3,100 acres at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and 1,000 acres at Government Canyon State Natural Area.
TPWD’s Public Hunting Program includes more than a million acres located throughout Texas. Access to these lands is provided by two types of permits: the $48 Annual Public Hunting (APH) Permit, available beginning Aug. 15, which allows full privileges including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and other recreational uses and the Texas Public Hunt Drawing program, which issues permits for drawn hunts on both public and private lands throughout Texas.
Applications will be accepted beginning July 1 and hunters can apply for more than 60 high-quality hunt categories.
For more information about the Public Hunting Program, including an interactive map of all available public hunting lands and a how to video, visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/. The webpage also has information about daily permit hunts and mentored hunting workshops.
Executive session…Lytle secures deal for future water needs for city
By Anton Riecher
Following a executive session, the Lytle City Council approved an agreement with the Nueces River Authority for the purchase of future water needs for the city. Travis Pruski, chief operating officer with NRA, said the sale is part of a project to provide nearly 40 million gallons to small water districts south of San Antonio.
“This is extremely important to us and to the region,” Pruski said. “We call it internally our South Texas moonshot.”
Other communities expected to be included in the project include Castroville, Hondo and Jourdanton, he said…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!
Lytle approves development agreement for hyperscaler project
By Anton Riecher
At a May 28 special meeting, the Lytle City Council voted unanimously to approve a development agreement with Rowan Digital Infrastructure as the latest step in the planned construction of a $500 million large scale build-to-suit data center slated to bring nearly 600 construction jobs to the community this summer.
“Obviously we’ve been working really closely for the last few months on multiple phases of the development that’s going to occur for the data center,” said City Administrator Zachary Meadows. “This is the next step, an actual development agreement laying out certain terms.”
The agreement lays out a schedule for annexation of the 440-acre project site located in the city’s extra territorial jurisdiction near the Coal Mine neighborhood. ETJ refers to an area surrounding the city’s corporate limits where it has powers related to land development and annexation, but not full municipal services.
According to Meadows, the agreement would impose a “carbon copy” of Lytle’s zoning regulations for industrial districts on the project. The agreement also…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!
Help send care packages to local soldier and their squadron
by Kayleen Holder
Editor
Ashley Juarez, of Natalia, sent out the following message, and we thought the community might like to join in on this special mission to show our Armed Forces a little love and appreciation for doing what they do.
“As many of you know, my niece Reagan is serving our country, and she’s currently attached to a squadron where some of the airmen have been deployed for over 10 months without receiving a single care package. Can you imagine? They’re really missing those small comforts and snacks from home that we all take for granted,” Juarez said. “As an auntie, my heart aches knowing these young men and women—that…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!
Local boy develops new Coffee brand with his team at Texas A&M
There’s a new coffee in town! Hometown boy and college student, Kias Simmons 23, traveled the world studying coffee with his team from Texas A&M. He learned everything about it from how it is grown to how it is brewed. Simmons soon fell in love with the art of creating the perfect cup of coffee, and now this young entrepreneur and two co-owners are preparing to launch their very own brand!
Kias Simmons and co-owner Kerry Simmons both came down to the news office last week to let us taste the new coffee first-hand, and the whole office was quickly filled with it’s sweet, toasty aroma.
The coffee–a Kenyan Double AA grade Batian Arabica from Western Kenya– is picked during harvest time by hand. It is then sorted, washed, and cleaned of defects before it is roasted at a solid medium roasting level and packaged. It is what is known…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!
Mission Devine crews building ramps, filling hearts
Unity begets Community
Matthew “Moose” Lopez
Staff writer
It’s 101 degrees outside, a typical day in south Texas. The air is dry and the heat is unrelenting, but every Mission Devine volunteer wore bright smiles that rivaled the sun.
Starting with just $500 and two projects in 2005, Mission Devine has blossomed into a conglomerate of local churches that banded together to take on projects of all kinds around south Texas. The projects look to provide assistance to the elderly, veterans and those who are impoverished
Board member, Donna Trott, says Mission Devine reviews applications, surveys the potential project, and is given a cost estimate before the board decides whether to proceed with the project.
“We do a lot of bathrooms where people can’t step into the tub anymore; they need a shower that they can walk into,” Trott said.“We’ve done a lot of roofs….[and] We do a lot of ramps.”
Trott emphasized the collective effort it takes to not just perform these acts of service, but to do it on a consistent and sustainable basis.
“Because we have this ministerial alliance and all the pastors and priests and everybody works together, the whole church…will work together,” Tott said. “So we’ve got to give a lot of credit to our pastors and priests and ministers and brothers who push it and want to see our christian community come together as a whole rather than all these separate congregations.” .
Volunteer Gail Duffer embraces the unity spurred on by Mission Devine and says she is “blessed” to participate every year…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!
Clarification on last week’s MCAD article
Medina Central Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Johnette Dixon wishes to clarify reporting by the Devine News in last week’s article.
She clarified–“My board was not willing to form the conduit so we withdrew from financing with TXN Bank,” Dixon stated.
Board president Cynthia Malone summarized the situation as follows:
“The conduit entity we talked about in the past that Government Capital has offered as an option – and they would charge the one and a half (percent) or $1,800 financing fee to establish – we had notified TXN Bank that we would not be willing to use the conduit organization and that our attorney had provided us the legal advice that we did not need the conduit organization….”
In addition to the article, the Devine News posed video coverage of the May 21 MCAD board meeting on its YouTube channel. The board took no formal action on the issue during the meeting, choosing instead to gather more information in preparation for a special meeting planned for May 27.
At that meeting, the board decided to seek financing from a private individual according to Dixon who sent us an update this Tuesday.