Category: Top News Stories

Keep up with what’s going on in Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot and Moore areas in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties.

Devine’s Wreaths Across America Ceremony

Rey Alvarado, at right, with VFW Post 3966, presents Jordan Davis, retired Army sergeant first class, with a ceremonial wreath. one of many placed on veteran graves Sunday during the National Wreaths Across America Day ceremonies Sunday at Devine Evergreen and St. Joseph Catholic cemeteries in Devine. (Photo by Anton Riecher) 

Gary K. Saathoff of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3966, left, and Martha Wall of the Devine Current Events Club preside over National Wreaths Across America ceremonies in Devine Sunday.  (Photo by Anton Riecher) 

Devine Livestock Booster Dinner & Dance Jan. 10th

The Devine Livestock Booster Dinner & Dance will be held January 10 from 6pm-Midnight. The event will be held at The Devine Golf Course. You can get 2 tickets for the dinner and dance for $125 total. Jerry DeLeon and the Southbound Band will be providing the live music for the evening. For dinner, the club will be serving fajita plates with rice and beans.
There will be a silent auction and ticket auction going on as well as a Card Deck Drawing for guns. The highlight of the silent auction will a guitar signed by George Strait himself!
You can buy a pair of tickets from any 4-H kid or from Sam Barber at 830-741-0300.

Come out and bid to buy heifers and ranch colts Jan. 23rd

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.

ESD4 votes to terminate contract for proposed site, buy land in Natalia to build EMS station on

Natalia Alderman Darin Frazier addresses the ESD 4 board Friday on the long promised ambulance station in Natalia. Photo by Anton Riecher.

By Anton Riecher
The Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board of commissioners voted Friday to exercise its option to terminate an April 2024 contract with the city of Natalia to build an ambulance station on property next to the Natalia firehouse.
Board president Steve Smith said the board remains committed to building in Natalia but prefers to own the site outright rather than on loan from the city of Natalia.
“What the contract says is the property is basically loaned to use,” Smith said. “If we or the city decided not to provide EMS anymore then they get the property back and we have to move the building.”
What the ESD4 board wants…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!

Meet Serenity loves baking, karate, and art

Serenity is a very active, sweet, nurturing, and social ten-year-old who enjoys playing outdoors.  Some of her favorite pastimes are swimming or riding her bike with friends.
 One new activity on her list of things to do, is she has recently begun karate lessons and is learning additional levels of discipline, she is looking forward to one day obtaining her black belt in karate.
 Serentiy is currently into listening to K-Pop, watching anime such as Sailor Moon, and enjoys spending time with her caretaker and engaging in family activities such as going to church, going out to eat, or a shopping trip.
 Serenity loves eating and creating sweets, as she has recently begun to learn how to bake cookies & cakes, to share creations with her friends.
 Some fun facts about Serenity
 She loves reading and art.
Is currently taking karate lessons
Loves to go swimming
Going to church on Sundays
 Serenity is still young and is not sure what she wants to do career-wise, but she knows she wants to attend college, as education is very important to her.
 But she is sure about Christmas being her favorite time of the year, as she loves the feeling of being around loved ones and enjoys the holiday treats, with the ultimate gift of a forever family.
 
Serenity is wanting a family with many siblings, younger or older, and one with many pets, but most importantly forever love.  
 If you think you could be Serenity’s forever family or another Texas child, please call 1-800-233-3405 for more information or visit www.adoptchildren.org where you can find a schedule of online public information meetings, and learn about the foster/adoption program.
You can also view the www.heartgallerystx.org website, where South Texas children have their portraits along with individual personal stories they wish to share, with their future forever family.

Reopening and guest appearance by Santa @ the Library Friday

Press Release–The Driscoll Public Library is delighted to announce that, after several weeks of dedicated work by library staff and the City of Devine Public Works crew, the library will officially reopen its doors to the public on Friday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m.
During the first few days, staff will be busy catching up on patron needs and preparing for the holiday season—but the real celebration begins on Friday, December 12th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The community is invited to join library staff, the Devine Police Department, and fellow city employees as we commemorate the grand reopening of the newly renovated library.
Guests can enjoy complimentary cookies and hot cocoa courtesy of the City of Devine—perfect for warming up while exploring everything the refreshed library has to offer. The Devine Police Department will also be welcoming a very special visitor: Santa Claus himself! Families will have the opportunity to take photos with Santa, check whether they’ve made the “nice list,” and share their holiday wish lists.
This festive celebration is the perfect chance to tour the updated space, reconnect with your community, and help us usher in a bright new chapter for the Driscoll Public Library.
Please join us as we celebrate the season, our community—and the joy of reading—together!

Lytle businessmen URGE council to KEEP city BANKING investments LOCAL

By Anton Riecher
Officers with Lytle State Bank expressed concern that the decision to move more than $7 million in city deposits into a public funds investment pool will negatively impact the local economy.
Bank vice chairman Franklin S. Wanjura told the Lytle City Council Monday that deposits from the city “are like gasoline for an engine that makes the city grown.”
“I really would appreciate council action directing the (city administrator) to direct this money back into our community so there’s more things we can do,” Wanjura said.
City Administrator Zachary Meadows told the council that he would be happy to explore options offered by the bank if so directed by the council.
TexPool, overseen by the state comptroller, is the largest public funds investment pool in the state, created for local governments to combine their funds for safer, higher-yielding investments. The pool provides investment services to more than 2,750 communities across the state.
Deciding where to invest city funds is…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!

Come help at National WAA Ceremonies this Saturday, December 13

DEVINE EVENT–This past Saturday, Devine’s Current Events Club members, their families, and other volunteers completed the final task for the upcoming December 13th National Wreaths Across America Ceremony here in Devine. US flags were placed beside yellow yard stakes to identify veterans for this Saturday’s Wreath-Laying ceremony. This pair of markers, the yellow stake and the US flag, makes clear for team leaders and volunteers which gravestones identify US veterans who are to receive a wreath…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!

Christmas Hayride & Santa this Saturday, Dec. 13 in Lytle

Lytle’s Annual Christmas Hayride is this Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Lytle Community Center. The first run is set to pull out at 6 PM, so get there early! Trailers will start loading at 5:30 p.m.
There are a few changes for this year. Santa’s Playhouse will be at the Community Center; there will be numerous activities for the kids, and Santa will be there, too! The Mayor pulled some major strings because it’s a busy time of the year and Santa is in high demand. Admission is $1.00 or one canned good.
Change in route
We also changed the route slightly. So, we will be turning off N. Prairie at Houston St. and then heading to Blume Drive. So, this will cut out N. Prairie from the Primary School to FM 2790 N., and from FM 2790 N. to C.R. 681 by the High School. I’m sure the map will be easier to understand than my words. Here is a link to the map https://www.lytletx.org/DocumentCenter/View/3413/2025-Hayride-Map?bidId=
Event is sponsored by City of Lytle and Patriot Automotive. Lytle Community Center is located at 19031 Priest Blvd., Lytle, Tx.78052. Any questions call 830-709-3692.