Category: Top News Stories

By Anton Riecher
More than $5 million in upgrades to State Highway 132 from Watson Road to Colonial Parkway is under consideration as part of a massive Texas Department of Transportation rural highway improvement project scheduled over the next four years.
Details of the proposed Rural Transportation Improvement Program (Rural Tip) covering 13 counties in TxDOT’s San Antonio District including Medina were presented during the Jan. 26 Medina County Commissioners Court meeting in Hondo.
“These are projects you can expect to go to contract in the near future,” TxDOT representative Clayton Ripps told commissioners.
The Rural TIP is a federally required document that prioritizes projects for funding, acting as a budget list for districts to address immediate community needs in rural areas. TxDot is accepting public comments on the proposed project list through April 10.
Slated to begin in February 2029, the State Highway 132 project includes mill and inlay, base repair and pavement markings from FM 471 to FM 463. The proposed price tag for the project is $5.041 million.
Of the 20 projects included in the proposal, five will immediately impact the immediate Devine-Lytle region. One of those projects, seal coating and pavement markings for FM 471 from FM 2790 to State Highway 132, will begin work this October. Estimated cost for that project is $484,326.
The next two projects on the local list will not begin work until October 2027. Both involve work on Interstate 35.
The first…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!

By Kathleen Calame
Publisher, The Devine News
The City of Devine suffered a 12 inch water main break approximately 20 feet deep in the early morning hours around 11:30 pm Saturday night, January 31, 2026 which left the Ingram Water Tower empty and homes without water for about 15 hours in the golf course/Colonial Oaks area. Heavy equipment and contractors had to be called in to help since the break was so deep.
The break was on CR 664 at the…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!

The 2026 Medina County Junior Livestock Show wass proudly dedicated to Mr. Charles F. Brown, a true inspiration to our youth and agricultural community. Charles’s Christian values are admired by all who know him, and his deep love for agriculture and farming is evident through his children and grandchildren, continuing a legacy that will inspire generations to come. Family members were present as Charlie Brown was presented with a plaque for his many years of service to the Medina County Junior Livestock Show. Pictured from left to right: Cannon, Cody holding Crewe, Charlee, Tiffany, Chad, Charlie Brown, Vanessa holding Rikki, Chuck, Kyle, Kylie, Rossie, Oakley, and James holding Keaton.

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!

Devine FCCLA attended the Region V Leadership Conference held on January 29 through 31, 2026, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Fourteen teams attended to learn more about leadership and compete in STAR events. Those competing were…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!

VFW Post 3966 is having a BBQ plate fundraiser on Saturday, February 7, 2026. The plates will have BBQ Chicken, Kiolbassa Sausage, beans, rice and all the trimmings. The plates will cost $10 each and will be available for pickup at the VFW from 11:00 AM until 2:00PM. Tickets are available from VFW Post members or plates can be picked up on Saturday, February 7, 2026.Please come out Saturday to support our local VFW Post.

Above, Andres Terrazas shows with Natalia FFA.

Thomas Steffens was one of many local kiddos competing at the MCJL Show.

Christian Contreras competing for Sr Showmanship at the Medina County Jr. Livestock Show.

A tragic fire Monday night, January 19, sadly claimed the life of Zorida Lozano, of Devine. Her husband was able to get out of the burning trailer, but she was not. Calls for help came in around 11 pm for the fire located at 1118 CR 669, a few miles from Devine.
Firefighters from Natalia, Devine, Lytle, Hondo and LaCoste responded, but there was little they could do as the home was already fully involved.
“It’s just a tragedy. Every inch of that place had fire rolling out of it,” said Natalia VFD Assistant Chief Russell Johnson. “It was a small…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!

By Anton Riecher
By a 4-0 vote, the Devine City Council approved the second phase of a continuing project to rehabilitate the long unused L.C. Martin water well to provide quality water and increased pressure to southwest Devine.
On a motion by District 3 Alderman Jeff Miller, seconded by District 1 Alderman Ray Gonzales, the council approved spending $31,716 to install a new motor and repair neglected pump equipment to bring the well back on line.
“I think it would be great progress for that side of town,” Public Works Director Pete Sanchez told the council.
The council previously approved $37,000 for treating and cleaning the well to see if it could be put back into use, City Administrator David Jordan said.
“That was phase one,” he said. “This is phase two. Equipment that was on site was kept outside and needs to be rehabilitated and repaired. This is the approval to be able to drop the pump back down inside the well.”
Sean Marlowe, president of Advanced Water Well Technology, said rebuilding the…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!

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, the Medina County District Attorney’s Office secured guilty verdicts in the 454th District Court against Raymundo Ruiz Jr. on five counts of Sexual Assault of a Child and one count of Indecency with a Child by Sexual Contact (Cause No. 23-04-14694- CR), as well as one count of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 14 Years of Age (Cause No. 25-03-15559-CR). The cases were tried together, and a jury assessed punishment at 36 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for the Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child charge.
As ordered by Judge Donna Rayes, that sentence will run concurrently with the additional sentences totaling 28 years on the remaining charges.
Two survivors came forward and courageously testified in open court. In addition to sexual violence, acts of physical abuse and emotional abuse were detailed; the children described unsafe and degrading living conditions, threats, and physical harm they would endure if they did not comply with the Ruiz’s demands for sex. The children were also made to perform daily strenuous labor, including…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!