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.

DHS OAP Aces The Test, Advances to Area

Jerel Beaty
Staff writer
The Devine High School Theater cast and crew of This is a Test earned advancement out of the District 27-4A One Act Play Contest, securing a spot at the upcoming Area competition alongside fellow advancing schools Floresville and Carrizo Springs.
Area competition will be held on March 24 at approximately 5:00 p.m. at Navarro High School. Tickets for the event are $7, and community members are encouraged to come out and support the students as they continue their postseason run.
The advancement marks a special milestone for director Jose Guardiola, who is in just his second full year serving as a One Act Play director at Devine High School. Guardiola spent his first two years with the program as an assistant learning the ropes under former director Mrs. Patricia Tiatano before stepping into the lead role, making this advancement an exciting moment in his young directing career.
The achievement is also particularly meaningful for the program’s seniors. Many of them began their high school theater journey during Guardiola’s early years with the program, and…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 Hospice Thrift Store donates $5,000 to A-T Children’s Project

Devine Hospice Thrift Store donated $5,000 to the A-T Children’s Project this week. A-T is a neurological disease impacting children. Although it is a rare disease, there are more children in Texas battling A-T than any other state, including one sweet little girl right here in our community. The team at Devine Hospice is truly amazing, donating over $409,000 to support our community in the past two years! And they do it all with the generous donations of gently used clothing and household items from our community.
The donation was presented as part of an upcoming A-T Children’s Project fundraiser to be held at Devine Acres Farm on April 18th. The event, Audrey Jane’s Light, will feature live music and lots of family fun. Tickets or sponsorship forms are online at www.atcp.org/audrey
The thrift store accepts DONATIONS on Mondays from 8am to 1pm and on Wednesdays from 8am to 2pm. They are open for SHOPPING on Wednesday and Fridays from 10am to 2pm. Volunteers are always needed, and you can inquire at the store at any of those times.

Three local races go to runoffs; Sittre to face Arroyo for Medina County Commissioner

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
Two local races will end up in a runoff in May, including Koch v Sanchez who are vying for the JP 3 spot, and Everett v Bermea who are running for County Clerk. Republican County Commissioner Larry Sittre will also face opposition in the upcoming election from opponent Eli Arroyo, who ran on the democratic ticket.

LOCAL RACES
The local County Clerk race in Medina County was a close one, with each of the candidates taking close to a third of the votes cast. Cindy Modgling Everett leads with 36.2% of the vote, with Kimberly Bermea taking 32.82% of the vote, and Jessica Walden garnering 30.98% of the vote. This race will result in a runoff.
In the Medina County Pct. 2 Commissioner race, incumbent Larry Sittre won the primary, garnering over 63% of the Republican vote with (1,193 votes) compared to his opponent John Garza who captured a little over 36% of the vote with 693 votes in the Republican Primaries.
Sittre will now face Democratic Candidate Eli Arroyo who garnered 829 votes in the primaries.
In the Justice of the Peace Pct 2 race, Bill Tschirhart, Jr. earned 79.7% of the vote with 1,508 votes, to his opponent Michael Barr’s 20.3% (384 votes).
In the Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 race, there will be a runoff. Teresa Koch led the primaries with 45.64% of the vote (659 votes), followed by Micheal Sanchez with 32.34% (467 votes). The third candidate Lainey Franklin garnered a little over 22% with…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!

PD investigating 15-18 shots fired at apartments

LYTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE – SHOTS FIRED INVESTIGATION (Aggravated Assault w/Deadly Weapon)
On March 5, 2026, at approximately 11:00 PM, officers with the Lytle Police Department responded to reports of multiple gunshots in the 14900 block of Main Street (Pecan Grove Apts.). Officers quickly arrived on scene, secured the area, and began an investigation.


Preliminary findings indicate that approximately 15 to 18 rounds were fired from two separate firearms during the incident. Investigators have determined that no one was hit during the shooting and that the shooting was a targeted event, with no indication of an ongoing threat to the general public at this time.
During the course of the investigation, one suspect has been identified and taken into custody in connection with the shooting. Detectives continue to actively investigate the incident and are working to identify two additional suspects believed to be involved.


The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the Lytle Police Department.
📞 830-709-0277
📧 lytlepolice@lytletx.org

Meet creative, 15-year-old Izabelle

Meet 15-year-old Izabelle, who is starting the new year with the dream of becoming part of her Forever Family.
Izabelle is a sweet and imaginative young girl who enjoys engaging in arts and crafts. Her creativity comes through especially when she spends time on her original coloring artwork.
Izabelle enjoys spending time at home, but when there is a chance for an outing, it’s a trip to the movies, followed by eating at McDonald’s, where her favorite item to order is Chicken McNuggets.
Some Fun Facts about Isabelle: She is learning to speak Spanish, she is a fan of pets, she enjoys arts & crafts, and she likes to help in the kitchen and learn about cooking.
With a strong love for animals, she likes spending time with pets, and they like her as she has a gentle and calm demeanor with them. She would like her future Forever Family to know she would like her family to have a pet of any kind she could help care for.
If you think you could be a forever family for Izabelle 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.

Basic Adoption Requirements
The prospective foster/adoptive parents may be single or married and must:
be at least 21 years of age, financially stable, and responsible mature adults
complete an application (staff will assist you if you prefer)
share information regarding their background and lifestyle
provide relative and non-relative references
show proof of marriage and/or divorce (if applicable)
agree to a home study which includes visits with all household members
allow staff to complete a criminal history background check and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household
attend free training

Medina County top lawman devises “Brown Box” for improved school security

To date, four prototypes of the Brown Box has been built. At least two companies – one based in Dallas and the other in Houston – are pursuing the rights to build and sell it commercially, Brown said. However, Brown has repeatedly stated that his preference is to pursue federal grant money or even donations to make the device available.

By Anton Riecher
At 2 a.m., the morning following the most deadly school shooting in Texas history, Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown was still awake and thinking about all that had happened.
“I remember the clock chiming in my house after coming home from Uvalde,” Brown said. “I thought ‘What can we do?’ because we always have to be proactive. If we’re not proactive, then we’ve lost.”
What he thought about was a tool box, a readily available yet secure storage container designed to give law enforcement immediate access to the weapons and defensive equipment needed to protect those threatened by an active shooter in their midst.
A prototype of just such a tool box is currently undergoing testing at the James W. Danner Sr. training center annex in Hondo with the cooperation of County Judge Keith Lutz. Brown also made a presentation on the project Feb. 24 during the Natalia school board meeting.
The project has been dubbed “The Brown Box.”
A video shown…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!

KB index puts Medina County in “extreme potential for fire” emergency mgr. warns

By Anton Riecher
A burn ban for Medina County in effect since Dec. 1 has been extended an additional 90 days beginning Feb. 28 by county commissioners on the recommendation of Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Chadwick.
Using the Keetch-Bryam drought index as a fire risk barometer, Medina County ranks 704 out of a possible 800 as of Feb. 23, placing the county in “a really extreme potential for fire,” Chadwick said.
On a motion by Precinct 3 Commissioner David Lynch, seconded by Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre, the Medina County Commissioners…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!

Lytle council allows private firm to test water process locally

Lytle ISD Superintendent Dustin Breithaupt, foreground left, topped the agenda at the Feb. 23 Lytle City Council, thanking Police Chief Richard Priest, center, and his department for their quick action when nearly 40 students left campus in a recent walk-out protest akin to many seen across the state. Priest said his immediate concern was that “those situations can dynamically change so quickly based on who’s driving by and what mood they’re in.” Fortunately, the protest remained peaceful. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
Permission for a Wyoming-based company to use city owned property adjoining the Lytle wastewater treatment plant as the location for a pilot program to extract and condense humidity from the atmosphere as a sustainable water source was granted by the Lytle City Council at its Feb. 23 meeting.
City Administrator Zachary Meadows said the project proposed by 109 Capital Partners LLP calls for construction of a special facility to test its evaporation process technology in the United States.
“Tonight, we are presented with a license agreement for your consideration between 109 Capital Partners and the city of Lytle for the construction and operation of an atmospheric water tower,” Meadows said.
These systems typically extract humidity from the air and condense the resulting moisture into potable water as an alternative to drilling wells in rural regions. The agreement…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!

Medina County okays “largest, most expansive” PID bond thus far

Medina County Precinct 3 Commissioner David Lynch, left, County Judge Keith Lutz, center, and Precinct 3 Commissioner Larry Sittre at the Feb. 23 Commissioners Court meeting in Hondo. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
In four separate unanimous votes during its Feb. 23 meeting the Medina County Commissioners Court approved establishing assessment revenue to support the first public improvement district for the 472-acre Viera subdivision.
The newly established PID will cover the cost of roadway improvements, drainage and landscaping for a 114-area of the new subdivision, said R.J. Rios with McCall, Parkhurst and Horton, special counsel to the county for subdivision development.
“If everything goes to plan with public improvements, Public Improvement Area No. 1 will be completed and then deed to the county in the fourth quarter of 2026,” Rios said.
A PID is a defined, geographically designated area established by a city or county under state law to fund…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!