Category: Health & Lifestyles

(09/09/2025)– It is with great pleasure that Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) congratulates the following students on being named to the Summer 2025 President’s List. The summer terms run from May to August.
Norma Lopez of Devine, Oscar Ramirez-Hurtado of Hondo, Leo DeFelippis of Mico, and Wanda Jackson and Kayla Vasquez of Castroville.

(09/09/2025)– Peyton Ross of Mico (78056) has been named to Southern New Hampshire University’s Summer 2025 Dean’s List. The summer terms run from May to August.

A while back Bo and Wendy Maxwell approached me about doing a painting for them. They wanted this painting to depict old/time Devine as Bo would imagine it in the 1800s. His vision was the young town nestled down in the valley with the train passing through. He wanted bluebonnets, oak trees, a horseman, a road runner and a rattlesnake, (which I almost refused to do), a house and barn, children playing in the lane, a farmhouse and cattle in the distance, and, of course, the hill country on the horizon. I can do that. But wait. This is no ordinary painting on canvas. This is going to be a mural painted on the Maxwell‘s dining room wall! This is going to be a 14 feet wide and 5 feet tall mural painted on site! Well, this is a new venture, but of course I can do it! 
So, when the time came around in February of this year, I gathered up my materials – paint, turpentine, brushes, acrylic paint for the base and headed to Devine. For the next six weeks, I showed up two or three times a week for a 3 to 4 hour afternoon painting session. 
It didn’t take long for Bo and Wendy to learn that I loved Big Red and chips, especially Cheetos. So, every time I showed up, they brought out the refreshments. 
Day One, with the scaffolding in place, I climbed up so I could reach the ceiling! The wall was painted dark maroon, a 14’ wide and 8’ tall maroon wall. Bo had planned to put up a rustic wooden siding along the bottom 3’, so he had taped it off. Remaining was the 14’ X 5’ wall that I had to prime with acrylic to neutralize the maroon! 
The scenario of me on the scaffolding lasted for weeks. But, eventually I painted my way down to ground level! 
On occasion Bo would make suggestions. It’s always good to have a fresh set of eyes. But the coolest thing about this project is how special Wendy and Bo Maxwell treated me and that, regardless of whether it’s true or not, they think the painting is wonderful. I recently asked Wendy if they were tired of looking at it yet. She assured me that they still enjoy it, and I certainly hope so because it’s there for posterity.

McKinney, TX — After Governor Greg Abbott and Brooke Rollins’ press conference on the growing threat of the New World Screwworm, Republican Agriculture Commissioner candidate Nate Sheets released the following statement:
“The New World Screwworm is not just another ag issue—it’s an existential threat to our cattle industry, our rural economy, and the price of beef for Texas families,” said Sheets. “Every day of delay risks billions in losses, permanent damage to ranching operations, and devastation for small producers. Texas needs an Agriculture Commissioner who will act the moment a threat emerges—not weeks or months later after political pressure mounts.”
The New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite once eradicated in the U.S., was detected in early July just 370 miles from Texas. Experts warn it could spread rapidly if not stopped, putting every livestock sector at risk and driving up grocery prices nationwide.
Today’s plan from Abbott and Rollins included five major steps:
Building a $750 million domestic sterile fly production facility in Edinburg to triple output and end reliance on Panama and Mexico for supply.
Investing $100 million in new technologies like novel traps, lures, and modular fly units to accelerate response.
Expanding border surveillance by increasing mounted patrol “tick riders” and the USDA Beagle Brigade.
Unprecedented coordination with Mexico to halt animal movement in infected zones and improve surveillance south of the border.
Cross-agency federal action with FDA, USDA, DOE, and EPA to fast-track treatments and innovations.
“I applaud Governor Abbott and Brooke Rollins for taking swift action on this critical threat and look forward to working with them as Texas’ next Agriculture Commissioner to keep our herds safe and our cattle industry strong,” Sheets said.

Franklin Wanjura, Jr. and Pam Wanjura accept a donation check from Randy Garcia, President of Lytle State Bank for the 1st Annual Wreaths Across America ceremony for the Lytle Community. The ceremony will be held at all 3 of the Lytle Cemeteries: Lytle Community Cemetery, Masonic Cemetery and the Concepcion Cemetery.
“Franklin and I have helped with the Devine Wreaths Across America program for the last few years, and wanted to do this for our community. So together with other volunteers, we are working to cover the 210 wreaths that are needed for the 3 cemeteries,” stated Pam Wanjura. “We started back in January of this year going through records and talking to family members to find out if anyone had served that is buried in the three local cemeteries. It has taken a lot of time and patience.”
The wreaths are $17.00 each and the Ceremony is slated for December 13, 2025 at 11:00 am.
If you would like to donate to the Wreaths Across America, the Lytle group will be at Lytle State Bank on Friday, August 15th, or you can contact Efrain Vasquez at sergeantmajorpain88@gmail.com or Pam Wanjura at pamwan@sbcglobal.net.
Please make checks payable to: Wreaths Across America; ID TXLTCC, P.O. Box 249, Columbia Falls, ME 04623.

(Washington, D.C., July 9, 2025) – Yesterday, Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) reported a new case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz in Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid, on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border. This new northward detection comes approximately two months after northern detections were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of our ports to Mexican cattle, bison, and horses on May 11, 2025.
While USDA announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison, and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025, this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7-September 15. Therefore, in order to protect American livestock and our nation’s food supply, Secretary Rollins has ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately.
“The United States has promised to be vigilant — and after detecting this new NWS case, we are pausing the planned port reopening’s to further quarantine and target this deadly pest in Mexico. We must see additional progress combatting NWS in Veracruz and other nearby Mexican states in order to reopen livestock ports along the Southern border,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “Thanks to the aggressive monitoring by USDA staff in the U.S. and in Mexico, we have been able to take quick and decisive action to respond to the spread of this deadly pest.”
To ensure the protection of U.S. livestock herds, USDA is holding Mexico accountable by ensuring proactive measures are being taken to maintain a NWS free barrier. This is maintained with stringent animal movement controls, surveillance, trapping, and following the proven science to push the NWS barrier south in phases as quickly as possible.
In June, Secretary Rollins launched a Bold Plan to combat New World Screwworm by protecting our border at all costs, increasing eradication efforts in Mexico, and increasing readiness. USDA also announced the groundbreaking of a sterile fly dispersal facility in South Texas. This facility will provide a critical contingency capability to disperse sterile flies should a NWS detection be made in the southern United States. Simultaneously, USDA is moving forward with the design process to build a domestic sterile fly production facility to ensure it has the resources to push NWS back to the Darien Gap. USDA is working on these efforts in lockstep with border states – Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas – as it will take a coordinated approach with federal, state, and local partners to keep this pest at bay and out of the U.S.
USDA will continue to have personnel perform site visits throughout Mexico to ensure the Mexican government has adequate protocols and surveillance in place to combat this pest effectively and efficiently.