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.

Lytle extends ETJ to include proposed data center project

By Anton Riecher
The Lytle City Council voted Monday to extend the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to include the site for a proposed $2.1 billion data center campus that developers hope to eventually have annexed into the city.
City Administrator Zachary Meadows said the developers, Colorado-based Rowan Digital Infrastructure, want to pursue a development agreement with the city that would include tax abatements for the project.
“The only way to do that is to either be in the ETJ or in the city of Lytle,” Meadows said.
Located on a 440-acre site bordering county roads 683 to the east and 6712 on the west, Project Cinco is described as a “hyperscaler” project – a large scale built-to-suit data center that provides cloud computing, networking and data storage services to millions of users.
In December Medina County commissioners approved an…

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Patrick DuBose and Steve Smith take seats on EMS board- MCESD4 Potter and Morales terms expire

Patrick DuBose and Steve Smith, the newest members selected to join the Medina County Emergency Services District 4 Board of Commissioners, received the oath of office from County Judge Keith Lutz during the Jan. 8 ESD4 board meeting in Devine. (Photos by Anton Riecher)

Tax break for ESD4 seniors tabled pending future review

By Anton Riecher
A proposed homestead exemption for Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 residents over age 65 was tabled by the governing board of commissioners Jan. 8 pending further information on the potential financial impact of such a tax freeze.
Jerry Beck, appointed to the board by county commissioners in December, pushed forward a motion to support the tax break for elderly and disabled residents he proposed at the last board meeting. However, the motion died for lack of a second.
“In my opinion the across-the-board exemption helps those people and makes us (the ESD) more conservative,” Beck said. “It makes us more aware of what we are spending our money on.”
The board also voted to support further research into response call volume throughout the district as a basis for a final…

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Soccer star Mahammed Abu to assist with FREE clinics Jan. 25

Professional Soccer player Mahammed Abu is coming to Devine to help with a free soccer clinic January 25 (from 12 to 2 p.m) and a workshop 26 (from 2 to 3:30). The clinics are free to anyone who wants to play or coach in the newly founded Major League Soccer club in Devine.
The free clinics will be hosted at the practice field beside Devine High School. But the new league is looking for a permanent place to build a nice soccer field.
To get the club started up and run year-round, Carmona is still looking for the right place to build a field.
“All I need is a green space,” said Pablo Carmona, who also runs Anywhere Anytime Plumbing in Devine.
“We are willing to plant the grass, put up the goals, mow and maintain the…

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Happy 101st Birthday to WWII Veteran George A. Schroeders Jr.

WWII Veteran Mr. George Schroeders Jr will be celebrating this 101st birthday this Friday, January 17, 2025 in his home here in Devine, shown here enjoying a hamburger and telling stories.

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
WWII veteran Mr. George A. Schroeders Jr., of Devine, Texas was born in San Antonio on January 17, 1924. He will celebrate his 101st birthday this Friday, January 17th, 2025. Devine and the surrounding communities are invited to send him Happy Birthday cards to make this milestone extra special. This local veteran would enjoy getting as many cards as we can send him! Please mail cards to Mr. Schroeders at 402 Wilson in Devine, TX 78016.
Mr. Schroeders joined the…

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STRD to the rescue..comes to Devine to help

Most of the brush and trash from the Winter Service projects done locally were transported back to Devine First UMC where it was picked up by South Texas Refuse Disposal Inc. (STRD). Thank you to Freddie Cuellar and Blake Caesar with STRD for making this happen! Thank you also to the college students from the Texas A&M Wesley Foundation for your generous time and hard work in Devine! “We like helping, especially churches,” said Cuellar.

Medina commissioners approve$1.9 million loan from general fund

By Anton Riecher
In what amounts to an annual tradition, Medina County commissioners voted Monday to borrow up to $1.980 million from the county general fund to pay upcoming debt obligations that will eventually be covered by tax collection.
County Auditor Eduardo Lopez said he did not anticipate needing to use the entire amount authorized by the commissioners.
“We haven’t collected enough from the tax office yet, so what we do every year is borrow from the general fund,” Lopez said. “As soon as we receive revenue from the tax office we pay back the general fund.”
The borrowed funds will be used to make payment on a certificate of obligation, plus two tax anticipation notes (TANs). A TAN is a short-term debt security issued by government to fund project secured by future tax revenue.
Lopez said he anticipates receiving the December 2024 tax report from Medina County Tax Assessor-Collector Melissa Lutz within the next few days.
On a motion by Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre, seconded by Precinct 1 Commissioner Jessica Castiglione, the commissioners approved borrowing the funds by a 3-0 vote. Precinct 3 Commissioner David Lynch was absent from the meeting due to illness.
The monthly auditors report presented by first assistant county auditor Jennifer Konegni showed a cash balance of…

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Devine PD investigates possible homicide

Medina County dispatch received a call for a welfare check for a Devine resident on Sunday, January 12 around 11:14 pm. Devine PD responded to the residence in the 1300 block of Windy Knoll in Devine where they sadly found 78-year-old Lloyd Fowler deceased.

“The man had a single gun shot wound,” said Lieutenant Chris Andrews. “Any questionable death is investigated as a homicide. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.”

Devine PD added that “the anonymous caller refused to identify their names upon first contact with dispatch.”

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$2.1 Billion “hyperscaler”

While the exact location is unknown to us. The 440-acre property under development has two water wells owned by the company. Data centers use large amounts of water to operate cooling systems needed to protect sensitive equipment. Although two water wells exist on site, Rowan is working with East Medina County Special Utility District and the City of Lytle to provide water and sewer service.
Negotiations also call for the site to maintain 40 full-time jobs at 120 percent of the county’s average wage which is $32,091 according to the latest Census.

Build-to-suit data center gets $17 million tax break

By Anton Riecher
Medina County commissioners have unanimously approved an 80 percent property tax break covering the initial 10 years of Project Cinco, a proposed $2.1 billion data center campus west of Lytle that developers hope to have annexed into the city.
County Judge Keith Lutz extended warm greetings to officials with Colorado-based Rowan Digital Infrastructure following the Dec. 30 vote to designate the project a reinvestment zone under chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code.
“Welcome officially to Medina County,” Lutz said.
Aaron Henry, Rowan’s director of economic development, said the company intends to request annexation by the city of Lytle upon completion of first phase construction at the site. The final decision will rest with city officials.
“If that doesn’t happen we will still follow the city of Lytle ordinances so we are governed by a project standpoint and do have oversight from the city of Lytle, no matter what happens, annexation or not,” he said.
Henry said the company plans to partner with the county and city in an “open house” presentation to the community in January, most likely at the Lytle Community Center, to share information about the project.
“We do it with little…

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