Category: Events

By Anton Riecher
Action to increase the amount per home in water rights that new subdivision developers must contribute was unanimously approved by the Lytle City Council Monday.
City Administrator Zachary Meadows recommended the increase from a third of an acre-foot in water to a complete acre-foot per each new home.
“Looking at our requirements in comparison to other communities and water districts around us most of those districts are requiring developers to bring a much high ratio per living unit equivalent,” Meadows said. “For each home built they have to bring X amount of water rights.”
Requiring less per home puts Lytle at a distinct disadvantage when the Edwards Aquifer Authority imposes steep water restrictions of up to 40 percent in the wake of recent drought conditions, he said.
“What we are looking to do with this particular ordinance is make it a one-to-one scenario so that when a developer comes in they need to bring one acre-foot of water rights per living unit equivalent,” Meadows said.
The increase would not apply to any existing agreements already negotiated with developers.
“We can’t retroactively change any of that,” Meadows said.
Mayor Ruben Gonzalez said the increase would give the city “a more fair adjustment” to the amount developers would bring to the city.
The action was approved on a motion by Precinct 4 Alderman Michael Rodriguez, seconded by Precinct 3 Alderman David Emery.
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Marlin Farms Fiber Mill and Yarn Store, located at 1180 TX-132 in Natalia held its Grand Opening on January 31, 2026 with a Ribbon Cutting, hosted by President Cynthia Sultenfuss of the Devine Chamber of Commerce.
Tours of the farm and the history and process of yarn making from the shearing of the sheep, cording the wool, cleaning and processing the wool into thread and then yarn, to the final stages of dying the yarns were explained in detail.
You can take your own mohair or wool for processing or buy their wool and wool blends, as well as other lotions and soaps and items in their store. It is a great place to take the kids to see the animals and learn how the process of yarn making is done.

The Texas Counseling Association has awarded Lytle Primary School the highest level of recognition for school counseling programs in the state. The school received the CREST (Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas) Award during ceremonies in Fort Worth on Feb. 1, 2026. Less than one percent of campuses receive this award for outstanding counseling programs. It serves as a tool for continuous growth and advocacy.
Special recognition goes to Martha Perez, Lytle ISD LPC-A Counselor, for her efforts to help earn the award. Ms. Perez, Superintendent Dr. Dustin Breithaupt, and Primary School Principal Shavan Galindo were in Fort Worth to receive the award at the 21st Annual Professional School Counselor Conference.
The CREST Award signifies Lytle Primary School’s demonstrated commitment to using the school guidance and counseling program to improve students’ lives and achievement in academic, career, and social domains.
“Thank you for your commitment to excellence in school counseling! CREST honors the programs you lead and the lasting impact you make on students, families, and communities” said Monya Crow, President of the Texas School Counselor Association.
Photo Attached: (L-R) Primary School Principal Shavan Galindo, Lytle ISD LPC-A Counselor Martha Perez, and Superintendent Dr. Dustin Breithaupt receive the CREST Award during the 21st Annual Professional School Counselor Conference in Fort Worth on Feb. 1, 2026.

(Hondo, Texas) – 1/12/2026 – For South Texas families who navigate the challenges of food insecurity, Medina Electric Cooperative is stepping up to help ensure its neighbors don’t go hungry. In December, the cooperative donated $7,500 to two primary food banks serving the cooperative’s service area; providing vital support during the peak of holiday season.
The donation was strategically divided based on the specific counties served by each organization within the Medina EC footprint:
San Antonio Food Bank: $5,472.52
Counties served by Medina EC and San Antonio Food Bank: Atascosa, Edwards, Frio, LaSalle, Medina, Real, Uvalde and Zavala counties
South Texas Food Bank: $2,027.48
Counties served by Medina EC and South Texas Food Bank: Dimmit, Jim Hogg, Kinney, Starr, Webb and Zapata counties
The timing of these funds was critical. Following the suspension of certain SNAP benefits, local food banks saw a significant surge in demand. These donations helped bridge the gap, ensuring the most vulnerable members of the community had access to nutritious meals during the winter months.
“Our commitment to the communities we serve goes beyond providing reliable power,” said Trey Grebe, CEO at Medina EC. “When we saw the increased pressure on our local food banks, we knew we had to act. These organizations are lifelines for many of our members, and we are proud to support their mission.”
Celebrating National Canned Food Month: February Food Drive
Medina EC’s support doesn’t end with a check. To honor National Canned Food Month and restock shelves after the busy holiday period, the cooperative will host a community-wide food drive in February for the third year in a row.
The ongoing commitment has seen incredible results; in just the last two years, Medina EC employees and members have donated approximately 2,600 pounds of food.
Members and residents are encouraged to help reach new heights this year by dropping off nonperishable food times at any Medina EC office location throughout the month of February. All donations collected will be distributed to the San Antonio and South Texas Food Banks to continue the fight against food insecurity in South Texas.

Briana Balderrama and Angeliana Rendon- Zapata, Devine FCCLA members, are aiming to increase the number of people in our community and surrounding areas who read during their leisure time, because many people are unaware of the mental and physical benefits that come along with reading.
To get their project started, on November  1, 2025, they participated in Devine’s fall parade and festival by throwing over 500 pieces of candy with their information, an insert of a children’s book character, and a quote, “Help us lead the community with the power of pages!” Next, on November 10, 2025, they visited the elementary school library and read/performed Eric Litwin’s Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons as a puppet show to a first-grade and a kindergarten class. To let the 43 students have some fun with the activity, they had the children create their own brown paper bag puppet to take home.
You can follow the girls’ social media platform, the_powerofpages, which currently has 129 followers.

Devine Juniors, Rolando Garcia and Jaden Rodriguez, are on a mission this year to teach others about their STAR event, ‘5% Mentality’. The goal of this project is to introduce the concept at Devine High School to help students build discipline and stay motivated. Rodriguez stated, “Many people abandon their goals due to procrastination, a lack of discipline, or the belief that their dreams are impossible.” The 5% Mentality helps students overcome procrastination by focusing on small, achievable daily actions that contribute to long-term success.
To keep other high school students motivated, the team started to deliver weekly motivational announcements to reinforce consistency and daily improvement. They began these in November and will continue them throughout the year during the campus morning announcements. The duo created inspirational messages to attach to the candy they threw from the Devine FCCLA float during the fall parade. They created posters to post around the high school campus so that those participating in the 5% Mentality can be reminded to keep working toward their goals. In January, the boys presented to middle school classes to help younger students start setting goals now and create the mindset to achieve them at a younger age.
Garcia and Rodriguez plan to create post-surveys for the participants to measure their progress on their goals. They are also planning to create a digital resource hub for students to track their 5% progress to keep them motivated to keep going.

Devine High School FCCLA members Brooke Dubose and Camila Sierra are educating our community on proper personal hygiene practices, including handwashing, oral care, and skincare, to reduce illness and promote overall wellness.
On November 13 and 18, 2025, the duo visited Devine Middle School to present to the P.E. students and Coach Beaty’s Health and Wellness classes about the importance of social and personal hygiene. After the presentations, they played Jeopardy and handed out 50 goodie bags to students who answered their questions correctly. The team also created 300 QR codes and received 500 hand sanitizers to distribute at all the events held.
Their project ‘Stay Fresh, Stay Confident’ has 100 followers on Instagram and has reached nearly 250 people so far.

HARTS (Huajilla Area Retired Teachers and Staff) will meet Monday, January 26, at 10 am at Sammy’s Restaurant in Castroville. 2025 Volunteer Hours are due; Member Memorial and Special Program.
Please check Facebook or contact your caller for details on menu options.

By Anton Riecher
With a full quorum of five commissioners seated for the first time in many months, the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board of commissioners conferred on establishing goals for the coming year during its Jan. 14 meeting.
In the new board’s first major action, Brenda Butler, named as the new board secretary, was asked by board president Steve Smith to develop recommendations for an overall plan for better outreach to the public to communicate ESD4 activities.
“Each time, good or bad, something comes in from the field, we need to be able to get that out and communicate it right away and make sure (the public) understands what is going on,” Smith said. “If we screw something up, then we say ‘Hey, we messed this up, here is where we are at.’”
Butler, appointed to fill a temporary term last year, was named by the county commissioners to a full two-year term on the board. Joining her as new board members are Patrick Bourcier, a previous board member, and Debbie Randall, a former member of the Devine City Council.
Each board member was polled on what position they felt best suited to fill. Smith said he would like to continue for another term as board president.
“There are some things I’d like to get done over the next year that I don’t think I can do in another role,” Smith said.
In the end, each board member won appointment to the position they listed as their first choice. Bourcier said he felt he could contribute best in the vice president position.
“I’ve been involved in the ESD side of this since pretty much the beginning,” he said. “After reviewing the financial report I’ve got to tell you I was excited and happy. I’ve never seen a better set of financial reports.”
A financial report presented by board treasurer Patrick DuBose showed the ESD holding $1.027 million in funds, including $372,744 in money market accounts, $236,223 in operating funds, $126,280 in savings and $340,000 earned from property tax.
Sales tax…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!