Top News Stories – Page 18

64 years later, he loves her even more…

Showing everyone how to really dance are 88-yr-old Chub Hutto and his beautiful bride, 84-year-old Pris. Walking isn’t as easy as it once was for Mr. Hutto, but you should have seen Mrs. Hutto’s smile when he took her out on the dance floor during the benefit dance for Hill Country flood victims this past Sunday.
The couple has been married for 64 years…When asked if he loves her as much as the day he met her, he said “No, I love her even more.”
The event was hosted by 7A Graff Ranch in Hondo and featured a great line up of talented local artists including Jamie Lin Wilson, Weston Ripps, Dudley Ilse, Briana Adams, Garrett Talamantes, Selestial Alcoser, Jeremy Richards, Jordan Guana, Mario Olivo, Justin Gallegos, Solis Brothers, and Chuck Wimer.

Meet Paul

Paul can be a little shy when he first meets someone new, but is talkative once he is comfortable with you.
Paul will be a great addition to a family as he can bring them love and joy, as he likes to make jokes making people laugh with him.
Paul enjoys spending his summers participating in programs at the Boys and Girls Club. He is currently in his church’s youth group and is looking forward to going on a summer retreat with the church.
He loves to go to school and enjoys learning. His current favorite subject is science … for his other favorites, it’s the color green and playing video games. Paul currently plays the PS4 but also enjoys computer games like Fortnite and Roblox.
Paul loves to go to church on Sunday and enjoys eating pizza and McDonald’s, however he is willing to try new foods to expand his pallet
Paul will benefit from a two-parent home with the upport system he deservees.
If you think you could be a forever family for Paul or another Texas child, please call 1-800-233-3405 or visit www.adoptchildren.org where you can find online public information meetings, and learn foster/adoptioncg.
Check out www.heartgallerystx.org to see South Texas children waiting for their forever famlies along with portraits and personal stories they wish to share.

Fun-draiser, live music, family fun @ Graff 7A Ranch Sunday, July 27

Proceeds of this benefit will go the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, serving 10 Central Texas counties: Bandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Mason, Real and Uvalde.

Join the fun this Sunday, July 27 from 1-6pm, Rain or shine at Graff 7A Ranch. It’s located at 911 US Highway 90 E in Hondo.

Enjoy live music by Jamie Lin Wilson, Weston Ripps, Dudley Ilse, Briana Adams, Garrett Talamantes, Jeremy Richards, Jordan Guana, Mario Olivo, Justin Gallegos, Solis Brothers, and Chuck Wimer.
Other Entertainment includes World-renowned trick roper, Doug Whitaker, performing throughout the day.
The G-Bar-G Cantina will be open with drinks and treats for sale. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and freshly popped Kettle Corn. We allow outside food and drinks on the premises for this event, but no alcohol, please.
Family-friendly Activities:
Twin barrel train, Zippity Doo-Dah (zipline), Tres Toboggans (mega slide), Expression Swings and Construction Zone.
Adults $20 — Children 12 and under $10 — Age 2 and under free
Tickets at: www.simpletix.com/e/2025-flood-benefit-tickets-226479

Youth Sports registration open in Devine

Flag Football and Volleyball, sign up by Aug 4

The 2025 Devine Youth Sports Association’s Flag Football and Volleyball registration is now open. In addition, DYFL youth Tackle Football registration is also ongoing.
DYS Flag Football is offered from Kinder-6th grade. Volleyball is offered for 1st through 6th graders. Register by August 4.
The seasons start in September and more info can be found at the registration link below:
https://leagues.bluesombrero.com/devineyouthsports

Tackle Football Sign ups July 27 & Aug. 3
Two Divisions-JRs (3rd & 4th graders) & SRs (5th & 6th graders). Football signups will be held: Sunday, July 27th and Sunday, August 3rd from 11am-3pm @ 717 Tuttle Dr. Devine, Tx..
Registration fee is $100.00 & a copy of Birth Certificate is required when registering. If questions, contact Jack Zimmerle 210.215.4944.

Finance expert predicts Devine tax collections at $1.45 million

By Anton Riecher
City of Devine ad valorem tax collection for fiscal year 2024-2025 is projected at $1.45 million, up significantly from the $1.27 million collected the previous year, a municipal finance expert reported to the city council at its July 15 budget workshop.
Christine Green delivered a general overview in the council’s first budget workshop for the upcoming fiscal year.
“As far as your ad valorem collections I do know that property tax values throughout the state have been increasing a little bit, but it really stayed pretty flat for most cities I work at,” Green said.
In Texas, municipalities collect ad valorem property taxes, which are based on the value of real and personal property, to fund local services streets, police and fire.
Current property tax collection as of May 2025 has already exceeded projections by about $112,000, Green said.…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!

ESD1 proposes to take over operations for Devine fire and ambulance services

By Anton Riecher
A proposal that Castroville-based Medina County Emergency Services District No. 1 assume responsibility for fire protection in Devine following financial impropriety at the local VFD was presented to the local ESD2 board at its July 15 meeting here.
Unlike its takeover of firefighting in Hondo last year, ESD1 Fire Chief Clint Cooke said volunteers would continue to be the essential mainstay of local firefighting but under administrative structures revised to emphasize greater communication with the community.
“There are ways to accomplish that and honor the history of the Devine Volunteer Fire Department while still cleaning up the business side,” he said.
Earlier this month, Cooke also made a presentation to the ESD4 board on extending ESD1 ambulance operations to Devine and Natalia as an alternative to the current contract with commercial provider Allegiance Mobile Health.

Video coverage of the meeting is posted on the Devine News YouTube channel.

While ESD1 could potentially operate local ambulance service alone, Cooke said …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 school board approves work on tennis courts, softball fields

By Anton Riecher
The Devine school board voted unanimously Monday to approve the construction of district tennis courts and renovation of the softball field.
On a motion by Carl Brown, seconded by Henry Moreno, the board voted 7-0 to contract with Cuerro-based Weaver and Jacobs Construction for the $542,507 softball field renovation. The project includes a $100,000 contingency fund.
The project includes new fencing and enlarging the backstop from 16 feet to 20 feet high.
On the tennis court project, the board voted 7-0 to contract with Austin-based Hellis Construction, previously responsible for the district’s track renovation. The motion by Brown was seconded by Chris Davis.
District Superintendent Todd Grandjean said the tennis court project will begin August 4 with completion scheduled for mid-November. The contingency allowance for the project is $200,000.
Grandjean said the two bids under consideration were so close in price that scheduling became the prime factor in his recommendation.
The board also voted to approve the purchase of a new 77 passenger school bus utilizing a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality grant authorizing the replacement of a pre-2007 diesel fuel school bus. Cost of the purchase is not to exceed $155,000.
“One of the things this has helped us do is put our kids in safer, more reliable transportation for about half the cost,” Grandjean said.
On a motion by Brown, seconded by Moreno, the purchase was approved on a 7-0 board vote. The bus will be the last purchased on the TCEQ grant.
In his administrative report, Grandjean said the district principals are back at work in preparation for the new school year.
“As leaders, they are spending these early day reviewing data from previous years and finalizing master schedules, coordinating professional development and insuring that the facilities are ready for the kids and the teachers,” Grandjean said.
Construction crews are busy jackhammering the approaches to the high school in preparation for traffic control improvements, he said. Permits were signed Monday with the Texas Department of Transportation for the installation of new culverts.
Unfortunately, cosmetology labs will not be completed in time for the new school year, Grandjean said.
“We were hoping that they would be open the first day of school, but the mill work on the cabinets and storage areas will not be delivered until Sept. 10,” he said. Cosmetology classrooms will be ready for use.
At the middle school, new wall have gone up along the rear of the building. However, new dressing rooms for the campus are behind schedule.
For at least the first seven days of the new school year girls will have to dress in the science labs while boys will use the teaching suite, Grandjean said.
At the elementary campus, a new concrete slab is scheduled to be poured Wednesday with structural steel slated to arrive next week, he said.

Lytle council tables action on closing portion of public street to provide parking

By Anton Riecher
Action to close a portion of Davis Street to provide parking for a local sports bar was tabled by the Lytle City Council Monday pending further negotiations with the bar owners.
Meanwhile, the bar, 702 Tejas, was granted a temporary waiver to the city noise ordinance to accommodate live entertainment planned for Aug. 30 ending at midnight.
The bar recently lost access to much of the local parking when a nearby doughnut shop chose to fence its property, City Administrator Zachary Meadows. The small portion of Davis Street under consideration is unusual in that it is divided by a tree in the right-of-way.
Asked for his opinion by Mayor Pro Tem David Emery, Police Chief Richard Priest said that the tree limits much of the access the street provides for emergency response vehicles.
“I’m not normally in favor of cities getting rid of roads but if there ever was a case for it this would probably be it,” Priest said.
With Mayor Ruben Gonzalez and District 2 Alderman Richard Hughes absent, the quorum of three opted to postpone any final decision on the sale pending an appraisal paid for by the bar owners.
With regard to the ordinance waiver, Meadows said the action is similar to requests made by various local organizations for special occasions.
Leaders spend 50 minutes in Executive Session on water issue
Following more than 50 minutes in closed executive session, the council voted 3-0 to authorize Meadows to enter into negotiations with the Edwards Aquifer Authority to reach a settlement in some undisclosed dispute. He is also authorized to negotiate the possible purchase of additional water rights.
The council also reviewed several points with regard to a…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!

Alijah hopes for a family “who will love him forever”

Alijah is a very energetic 10-year-old who likes to constantly be engaged in something whether it is drawing, coloring, or playing with his toys.
When it comes to school, he enjoys learning and likes homework time, and is proud of what he has learned.
He really likes school, as it gives him a chance to interact with his peers and participate in sports, especially basketball and football.
As to his future education, Alijah is still young and does not have any specific career goals at the moment, but knows he wants to attend college. Currently, he likes to make YouTube videos as a hobby.
Alijah likes dogs and wishes that one day he can own a dog of his own. He really likes listening to music and playing his maracas along to the tunes. When asked about favorite meals, he says its Church’s Chicken.
For his future forever family – Alijah says he would like to be adopted by a two parent household, with a mom and dad “who will love him forever”.
If you think you could be a forever family for Alijah 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. 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.

Benefit at Cora’s to help Texas Flood Victims

by Joseph Ramon
Intern
This Thursday July 17 at 6 p.m. Cora’s 471 Grill will be hosting an evening of live music and great food to support the victims of the Texas floods in Kerr County. The event is hosted by singer/songwriter, Houston Marchman, who will be performing alongside Jamie Lin Wilson, Keith Lutz, and Selestial Alcoser. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds go to Texas flood victims.
“It’s a horrendous thing that we watched happen up there and I have a lot of friends that are living in and around you know the area all the way to Kerrville and it’s a really serious tragedy and so you feel a little helpless,” said Marchman.. “I talked to Chuck, he and his wife own Cora’s 471 grill and in this small way we can give back a little bit and so it’s you know we’re neighbors and we need to help.”
This is not Marchman’s first attempt at…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!