Celebrating 126 Years of Serving the communities of Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot, and Moore in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties
Keep up with what’s going on in Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot and Moore areas in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties.
By Kayleen Holder
Editor
Every kid loves to see the airplanes flying by, and it looks like they may be seeing a lot more of them soon. The military has selected most of Medina County and parts of Uvalde, Frio, and Bandera Counties as a prime area to conduct “low-altitude” flight training with a floor of 500 feet above ground level.
Continue reading “Military eyes airspace over Medina County for simulated combat training”
GET INSTANT DIGITAL ACCESS at www.devinenewsmembers.com to keep up with important city, county, school, and other news!
You can get FULL DIGITAL ACCESS INSTANTLY by signing up for a subscription, and you’ll also begin getting the print edition mailed to your home weekly.
You can read the full story as early as midnight Tuesday if you are a member.
By Anton Riecher
A specialized forensic audit to uncover any further misconduct in Devine Volunteer Fire Department finances during resigned fire chief Greg Atkinson’s administration was unanimously approved by the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 2 board of commissioners at a March 5, 2025 special meeting.
Urged by Sheriff Randy Brown and the Medina County Commissioners Court, the audit is estimated to cost a minimum of $20,000 for each of the three years slated for investigation. A decision is pending on whether that cost should be passed on to Devine VFD by withholding future ESD funding.
Continue reading “Forensic audit approved to study Devine VFD’s troubled finances”
Board President Robert Pequeno explained the command structure will continue with interim positions until the board can initiate a hiring and review process with qualifications.
To ensure uninterrupted service to our community, former assistant chief Jessica Martinez has stepped up into the role of Interim Fire Chief, and Capt. Scott DeLucia is now serving as assistant chief with Lt. Bryan Hill assuming DeLucia’s former duties as captain.
Amidst all of the turmoil, Devine VFD fire crews never skipped a beat, responding in times of crisis such as last week when several fires broke out, complicated by 45+ MPH winds.
In action Monday evening, the Devine Volunteer Fire Department’s volunteer association board voted unanimously to formally remove resigned fire chief Greg Atkinson from the department roll call in the wake of recent criminal allegations and his resignation.
The motion to remove Atkinson’s name was put forward by board member Barry Haywood and seconded by Henry Salas.
“Motion passes,” said board president Robert Pequeno, finalizing the vote. “ Dropped from roll call.”
A misdemeanor count of official oppression by sexual harassment was filed against Atkinson by the Medina County Criminal Attorney in late February 2025. The action came in the wake of the arrest of DVFD office administrator and suspect Heather Schultz in December 2024 on a charge of tampering with evidence related to more than $76,000 in missing funds.
Atkinson officially resigned only one day before the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 2 board of commissioners voted March 5 to authorize forensic audits of Devine VFD’s finances for the past three fiscal years.
As is standard on any board agenda, Pequeno called for the names of any Devine VFD members to be dropped from the roll call. Interim Fire Chief Jessica Martinez responded with Atkinson’s name.
“As of right now the only one getting dropped from roll call would be Gregory Atkinson,” Martinez said.
As opposed to the contentious March 5 ESD2 board meeting, the Devine VFD board meeting was relatively
In action Monday evening, the Devine Volunteer Fire Department’s volunteer association board voted unanimously to formally remove resigned fire chief Greg Atkinson from the department roll call in the wake of recent criminal allegations and his resignation.
The motion to remove Atkinson’s name was put forward by board member Barry Haywood and seconded by Henry Salas.
“Motion passes,” said board president Robert Pequeno, finalizing the vote. “ Dropped from roll call.”
A misdemeanor count of official oppression by sexual harassment was filed against Atkinson by the Medina County Criminal Attorney in late February 2025. The action came in the wake of the arrest of DVFD office administrator and suspect Heather Schultz in December 2024 on a charge of tampering with evidence related to more than $76,000 in missing funds.
Atkinson officially resigned only one day before the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 2 board of commissioners voted March 5 to authorize forensic audits of Devine VFD’s finances for the past three fiscal years.
As is standard on any board agenda, Pequeno called for the names of any Devine VFD members to be dropped from the roll call. Interim Fire Chief Jessica Martinez responded with Atkinson’s name.
“As of right now the only one getting dropped from roll call would be Gregory Atkinson,” Martinez said.
As opposed to the contentious March 5 ESD2 board meeting, the Devine VFD board meeting was relatively CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com
Subscribers can read the full article as early as MIDNIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT.
By Anton Riecher
A public hearing on potential tax abatements regarding the $500 million Project Cinco data center proposal will be included on the agenda for the March 24 Lytle City Council meeting, City Administrator Zachary Meadows has announced.
The hearing will also address the development agreement for the project, “spelling out various matters including annexation of the property” by the city, Meadow said during a council session Monday.
Mayor Ruben Gonzalez said the public hearing is “an opportunity for an open ended conversation” about the project follows the March 3 opening house conducted by Rowan Digital Infrastructure, developer of the project.
In an email to The News this week, the data center developer clarified that while power line upgrades won’t be needed in Phase 1, they will be needed in future phases. They also clarified that the estimated water usage is “based on current designs” in an effort to be completely transparent.
Continue reading “Lytle slates March 24 for data center public hearing on tax abatements”
Mission Devine bbq plate fundraiser March 29
Devine Wesleyan Fellowship is pleased to announce another fundraiser for Mission Devine. We will be serving bar-b-que plates which consist of brisket, sausage, potato salad, beans and a drink for $15. Serving will begin at 11:00 and continue until 2:00 unless sold out.
There will also be a bake sale to help our Youth program.
Most people are aware of the great work that Mission Devine has done in our community. They work with veterans, disabled and low income families to improve their lives by fixing their homes. They have replaced roofs, remodeled bathrooms, fixed plumbing, cleaned yards and painted homes. With rising costs we all know they can use our help with raising funds so they can continue with this community mission. Mission Devine take place this summer from June 2-6 th. Volunteers can go to missiondevine.com to sign up.
HEB has already contributed to help us fund this plate sale as part of their community outreach Also contributing to this event is Mark Kidd of State Farm Insurance. His contribution will allow us to make a larger donation to Mission Devine. Mark has been a great supporter of Mission Devine and we thank him for his generosity.. Please be shop with them as a way to say thank you for helping us.
So mark your calendars for March 29th and show your support for Mission Devine. Thank you for your generosity.
Burger in a Bag fundraiser
Get a burger in a bag on Saturday, March 22 at the back side of Devine First United Methodist Church located at 212 W Benton Avenue. They will be $10 for burger, chips, cookies, and a soda. It will be 11am-3pm.
Friendship Art Club
Do you enjoy painting/drawing? Come paint/draw with us at the Friendship Art Club. We meet every Tuesday from 9:30am until Noon at the Church of Christ located at the 15340 Main Street Lytle, TX. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, or email us at friendshipartclub@gmail.com. Please call Mary Ann Buckheit on 443-466-6600, for additional information.
Natalia Bluebonnet Festival & parade on March 29th
The 2025 Natalia Bluebonnet Festival will be held March 29, 2025 in downtown Natalia. The festival grounds open at 9 am. We are still accepting parade registrations through March 19, 2025. Please visit nataliabluebonnetfestival.com to complete parade registration online. Make sure to include the length of your entry, and a short description for the announcer to read. For questions on the parade please contact Brenda Fernandez at (210) 744-2204. For questions on the festival concerning vendors, sponsorships, donations or general questions please visit the website, facebook page, or call Amy Edge at (210) 213-1990.
This year AC Amusements out of San Antonio will be providing carnival style entertainment with a select variety of rides, inflatables, games and concessions.
We have a great lineup this year for our parade to include the Kountry Kurl Salon float out of Comfort, the Cornyval Royal Court, and the Laredo Trail Riders and more!
Remember the parade starts at 11 am., but parade attendees will start lining the sidewalks right after breakfast! The road closes at 9:30 a.m., and judging starts at 10 am. so get a spot early! The parade route starts at Love’s and meanders past the Little League Field before turning left on Main Street past the festival grounds, ending as it reaches Aubrey Street.
There will be a variety of activities for everyone at the festival, plus plenty of food and non-food vendors. Take part in our Silent Auction and our 50/50 raffle. For more information stop by the Soda/Water booth. To see a sampling of our highlighted vendors head over to the Natalia Bluebonnet Festival’s OFFICIAL Facebook Page.
Festival guests are encouraged to take advantage of our food and beverage vendors, though all things beer related are BYOB this year. NO GLASS BOTTLES PERMITTED. The Natalia Veteran’s Memorial Library and City of Natalia are sponsoring the soda/water booth, with all proceeds benefiting the Natalia Veteran’s Memorial Library.
Please feel free to bring a chair and canopy for shade.
This year’s festival is fortunate to be sponsored by many great community leaders and businesses. A few include Friendly Glenn’s, Medina Electric, City of Natalia and more! Thanks to all our sponsors for helping make the festival a success! *For a complete list of this year’s sponsors please visit our website at nataliabluebonnetfestival.com or check out our OFFICIAL page at Natalia Bluebonnet Festival.
Make sure to post your 2025 bluebonnet pictures on our FB page, before and after the festival plus don’t forget to add #nataliabluebonnetfestival
MC Republican Women meet 3rd Tuesdays
Medina County Republican Women meet every 3rd Tuesday of the month from 6-7pm. Call 409-277-9094 for location and guest speaker.
Rummage Sale March 15 in Food Pantry parking lot
The Devine Food Pantry is having a Rummage Sale on Saturday, March 15th, 2025 in the Pantry’s Parking Lot. We hope to have things setup and ready by about 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning.
The donations have been coming in and we will have a wide variety of items. About 1:00 p.m. we will start packing the leftovers up – could be a good time to get an even better bargain.
VFW Bingo on Thursdays
Post 3966 Bingo will switch back to Thursday nights on March 6, 2025. This past fall Bingo was changed to Wednesday nights so as not to conflict with High School and Middle School sports. This did not seem to help attendance, so, starting March 6th, Bingo will again be every Thursday. The last Wednesday Bingo will be on February 26. Bingo is held at 211 West College Ave. starting at 7:00 pm. Doors open at 5:00pm. Food, snacks and beverages are available.
Country Music Fest at Devine Acres for Audrey Jane Capps
Devine Acres Farm will host a huge Country Music Fest this year, and it’s all for a great cause! On the stage Saturday, April 5 will be Jamie Lin Wilson, Small Town Habit, Jeremy Richards, and Keith Lutz.
There will be plenty of fun for the whole family! Devine Acres Farm attractions will be open for the kids, the singing princesses will be there for a meet and greet, and there will be plenty of dancing. There will also be a huge Silent Auction fundraiser, food/drinks, and more!
ABOUT THE FUNDRAISER
The Audrey Jane’s Light fundraiser and Country Music Fest will benefit Audrey Jane Capps and the A-T Children’s Project. Audrey is battling a rare neurological disease called Ataxia telangiectasia, and her family is in a race against time to find the cure for this awful disease that affects more kids in Texas than any other state.
Audrey is the daughter of Josh and Brittany Capps and granddaughter of Ken and Debi Capps and Thomas and Kathleen Calame.
Because there is very little funding for research of rare diseases, families like the Capps and Calames and grassroots organizations like the A-T Children’s Project band together to fund crucial research. According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), 1 in 10 Americans are affected by a rare disease. That is between 25-30 million Americans.
If you would like to be a sponsor of this event contact Kayleen Holder at The Devine News 830-665-2211, or sign up online atcp.org/audrey. Sponsorships are tax deductible, and will go to helping the A-T Children’s Project find a cure for A-T.
Bagwell to headline Lytle Music Festival
The Lytle Music Festival 2025 is set for Friday and Saturday evenings March 21 & 22 in the John Lott Municipal Park in Lytle, Texas featuring six artists.
The event is free. There will be food trucks and vendors.
Music will start at 6:30 pm on Friday and at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Friday evening will feature at 6:30 p.m. Bidi Bidi Banda opening up for a 8:30 p.m. show by Mario Flores.
Saturday evening music will start at 5:00 p.m. with Texas Double Shot, followed by 6:30 Weston Ripps. At 8:00 p.m. the Chuck Wimer Band will perform.
Bri Bagwell will headline the night taking the stage at 9:30 p.m.
By Anton Riecher
Lytle and area residents seeking information about the massive Project Cinco data center project expected to begin construction this year crowded into Lytle High School Monday evening to meet with company officials in an “open house” setting.
Mayor Ruben Gonzalez said the community got the answers to its concerns.
Login to read this week’s E-edition at www.Devinenewsmembers.com
Become a member to INSTANT full online access and start getting the paper delivered to your home every week too!
At the age of 81 he is hanging up his whistle. Stroud has worked an estimated 6,000+ games in his career, running about 4 miles per varsity game, “which means Lewis ran the distance around the earth– 24,901 miles– on a basketball court,” said Butch Cook, presenting a plaque. We caught up with Stroud and picked his brain about how to stay so active and healthy. Here’s what he had to say…
By Kayleen Holder
He wakes up at 6 am every morning, and he takes his coffee black. More than likely, you’ve never seen Lewis Stroud frown, and that’s no accident! Whether you know him as coach, teacher, co-worker, or referee, Mr. Stroud is a friend to all, and for him, “being positive” is the only way to be. At 81 years old, he continues to get up and “go to work” each day– long after he retired–spreading encouragement and appreciation to everyone he meets, every chance he gets.
Continue reading “How does he do it?…Lewis Stroud,81 years young”
Check out this week’s E-edition! Get INSTANT digital access when you sign up to become a member at www.devinenewsmembers.com
