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.

Making headway on Devine VFD fraud audits

City Administrator David Jordan, left, and Mayor Butch Cook preside during the Dec. 16 Devine City Council meeting. Photo by Anton Riecher.

By Anton Riecher
The Medina County Emergency Services District No. 2 board of commissioners received an update during its Dec. 17 meeting on progress in audit work to trace funds missing in an embezzlement scandal that brought major changes to local emergency response management during the past year.
ESD2 bookkeeper Nancy Pepper also reported progress by accountant Karl Goering of Armstrong, Vaughn & Associates in providing a further breakdown on nearly $11,000 in misappropriation in the year 2022-23, which includes a lot of Amazon purchases, at least $500, noted in an ongoing fraud investigation involving the Devine Volunteer Fire Department. $10,500 was in payroll, for a total of $11,000.
An audit by…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!

Increasing water and sewer rates is “never a fun decision to make but it is the right decision for the city,” McLiney said.

Students recreate the Nativity Scene

Students at St. Joseph Catholic Church put on a beautiful Nativity play this past week. They are Kassandra Fajardo (Mary), Christopher Tapia (Joseph), Slade Whitley (Prophet), Inn Keepers Mason Cordova, Isaias Mendez, Jayden Palacios, Shepherds- TJ Buvinghausen, Ivan Iglesias, Jacob Casias, Kings- Marcus Gomez, Weston Leal, Carter Stewart, Angels- Jacklyn Guajardo, Lainey Cordova, Sam Steubing, Sophia Palacios, Jackson Weeks, Donkeys- Millie Null, Aaron Aguilar, Sheep Laura Steubing, Cows- Penny Null, Anthony Aguilar, Extras- Reese and Riley Haass, Stage Hands- Andi Haass, Quay Ortiz, Zach Ortiz, Natalia Gutierrez, and Emma Martinez, Narrator Bianca Villanueva. Photo by Adrian Reyes.

I’ll be home for Christmas…

I’ll be home for Christmas…

After 40 long days away, Pvt 2 Elijah Amir Gomez of Devine, arrived home this Saturday for a 2 week holiday block leave from Army Basic Training. As you can tell, his mom Sopheila Zori is so grateful to have her soldier home.
Pvt Gomez, a 2024 Devine HS graduate, is serving in the Army National Guard -stationed at Fort Leonardwood, MO as he undergoes Basic Training. Pvt Gomez said he is proud to “serve and defend the nation that provided my family with the opportunities and freedoms they didn’t have before.”
Proud parents are Michael Gomez and Soheila Zori, of Devine.
Special thank you and Merry Christmas to Pvt Gomez, and all of the men and women serving in the Armed Forces, and their families, who have made so many great sacrifices for us all.

Positive results reported for Devine water well restoration

By Anton Riecher
What one Devine city council member referred to as a “$32,000 gamble” to restore the city’s long dormant L.C. Martin water well to operation has apparently paid off.
Chuck Jones with Converse-based Advanced Water Well told the council at its Dec. 16 meeting that the company has completed the rehabilitation project and is now waiting to install either a new or repaired submersible pump.
“We did our typical running a brush down it and jetting out all the fill as well as we acidized the well to recede all the iron bacteria in the formation,” Jones said.
The council voted…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 wins UIL Academic Competition 12th year in a row

By Melody Riou
UIL Academics is a wonderful program for students to be involved in.  Academic competition for younger students has been around since 1913, with the under age ten categories beginning in 1921.
The program of academic competition for elementary, middle school and junior high officially became “A+ Academics” in 2008. A+ Academics includes 20 different events for grades 2-8. These events span the curriculum – they are designed to complement and expand upon what students learn in the classroom, both through learning specific subject knowledge, and through learning skills that are valuable in many disciplines. Approximately 3,000 Texas schools participate in A+ Academics, competing in more than 300 district meets each year.
On December 5th, our UIL students competed in Floresville for our annual UIL competition.  Our kids competed against other students from Floresville, Pearsall, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde and Somerset.  Devine won the UIL meet for the 12th year in a row. We are so proud of each and every team member.

Devine’s Wreaths Across America Ceremony

Rey Alvarado, at right, with VFW Post 3966, presents Jordan Davis, retired Army sergeant first class, with a ceremonial wreath. one of many placed on veteran graves Sunday during the National Wreaths Across America Day ceremonies Sunday at Devine Evergreen and St. Joseph Catholic cemeteries in Devine. (Photo by Anton Riecher) 

Gary K. Saathoff of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3966, left, and Martha Wall of the Devine Current Events Club preside over National Wreaths Across America ceremonies in Devine Sunday.  (Photo by Anton Riecher) 

Devine Livestock Booster Dinner & Dance Jan. 10th

The Devine Livestock Booster Dinner & Dance will be held January 10 from 6pm-Midnight. The event will be held at The Devine Golf Course. You can get 2 tickets for the dinner and dance for $125 total. Jerry DeLeon and the Southbound Band will be providing the live music for the evening. For dinner, the club will be serving fajita plates with rice and beans.
There will be a silent auction and ticket auction going on as well as a Card Deck Drawing for guns. The highlight of the silent auction will a guitar signed by George Strait himself!
You can buy a pair of tickets from any 4-H kid or from Sam Barber at 830-741-0300.

Come out and bid to buy heifers and ranch colts Jan. 23rd

Anyone is welcome to come out and check out some great heifers and ranch yearling colts who have been raised by local 4-H students. More like a traditional auction, bidders will go home with the animals they win from these events and support a great cause at the same time. Here are the details on these two auctions:
Commercial Heiefer Sale:
The sale will be held January 23 at 5pm. Local kiddos will have about 116 head of cattle which will be split into pens of 2-3 animals. Bidders will bid per head, but they will be sold as a lot of 2 or 3 (depending on how many are in that pen).
There will be various breeds. You can register and bid online as well. Or you can just walk up and register the day of. You can view the cattle that will be for sale online.
Colt Sale:
This sale will also be January 23rd and will kick off at 2 pm. Local kiddos expect to bring about 19 yearling ranch colts to the sale. These colts will be around 2 years old, and students will have started on ground work and saddling, but not all will be ridden down. You can register and bid online as well. Or you can just walk up and register the day of.

ESD4 votes to terminate contract for proposed site, buy land in Natalia to build EMS station on

Natalia Alderman Darin Frazier addresses the ESD 4 board Friday on the long promised ambulance station in Natalia. Photo by Anton Riecher.

By Anton Riecher
The Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board of commissioners voted Friday to exercise its option to terminate an April 2024 contract with the city of Natalia to build an ambulance station on property next to the Natalia firehouse.
Board president Steve Smith said the board remains committed to building in Natalia but prefers to own the site outright rather than on loan from the city of Natalia.
“What the contract says is the property is basically loaned to use,” Smith said. “If we or the city decided not to provide EMS anymore then they get the property back and we have to move the building.”
What the ESD4 board wants…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!