Category: Top News Stories

By Anton Riecher
During the special session of the Devine City Council regarding issuance of certificates of obligation for infrastructure improvements, Jack McLiney of SAMCO Marketing Capital, financial consultants to the city, explained that the financing could be done with no impact to the city tax rate.
“What we have here before us today is the notice of intention resolution,” McLiney said. “This is not a commitment to borrow money. It is merely the first legal step in the process of a bond sale.”
One lift station near the golf course included in the improvements was described as on “life support,” while another was…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 Kayleen Holder
Editor
Craftsman Collision Center is kicking off with a huge Grand Opening party this Saturday from 10 til 1 pm in downtown Devine. They are located at 512 E. Hondo Avenue. They will be giving away lots of great stuff for adults and kiddos too, so bring the family out! They will also have DJ Reggie Pena there to get the party started.
FREE FOOD & DRINKS….
You can find FREE BBQ Sliders from Get Some BBQ (first 125 free), snow cones from Addy Snowcone (first 150 free), and Bobby Contreras’ famous lemonade (first 50 free)
DRAWINGS
They will be giving away 13 great prizes. Simply check in at the front desk to show that you liked or followed their Facebook page, to get 2 tickets to put in the drawing. Among the many prizes are a large TV, ice chest, detail kit, and Milwaukee tools!
ENTERTAINMENT
They will doing a public walk through at 11:30. DJ Reggie will be there from the time things kick off til it winds down. They will also have some cool hot rods to look at while you are there!
See their weekly ad for details and specials throughout the next few months.

Prestenbachs pursue stem cell treatment for baby Everett

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
Roughly 300 million people across the globe are battling a rare disease, and about half of them are children. Battling a rare disease brings with it a unique set of challenges, as families are left to research and seek out off-label treatments–many times internationally. Such is the case for this South Texas family pursuing a stem cell treatment for their son Everett, 2 years old, who is living with a rare genetic disorder as well as spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
The rare genetic disorder that baby Everett has is so rare that it doesn’t even have a name per say.
“It’s a chromosome abnormality,” said his mother Sarah Prestenbach. “Deletion of 5, and duplication of chromosome 7.”
Everett is one of only two known cases of…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 City of Lytle invites residents and visitors to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the USA at their annual 4th of July Fireworks Display at the John Lott Park on Saturday, July 4 starting at 6:00 p.m. It’s a FREE event, a community tradition filled with patriotism, family fun, and a spectacular evening show lighting up the South Texas sky.
Food will be available via multiple food trucks. Music via a DJ will lead into a night-time spectacular. Helpful tips for attendees: Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Arrive early for the best viewing spots. Stay hydrated and dress for warm weather. No glass bottles allowed.

By Anton Riecher
A new ambulance substation in Natalia is coming closer and closer to reality as the Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board of commissioners voted 3-to-0 at its June 24 meeting to approve borrowing $700,000 on a 10-year note to finance the project.
The vote followed shortly after groundbreaking ceremonies featuring the board and the Natalia City Council held at the proposed construction site.
Board president Steve Smith said the prefabricated building itself has already been ordered with delivery expected in the next six-to-eight weeks.
“Our target is”…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!

New World Screwworm (NWS) is a parasitic fly that poses a serious threat to livestock, exotic livestock, fowl, and exotic fowl in Texas. NWS flies lay eggs in wounds or soft tissues of live warm-blooded animals; the larvae hatch and burrow into living tissue, leading to the painful condition NWS myiasis. As the infestation worsens and the wounds become larger, it can cause serious injury, secondary infection, and can be fatal if not treated.
NWS is recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture as a foreign animal disease that has poses a threat to U.S. agriculture, wildlife, public health, and the economy.
On January 29, 2026, Governor Greg Abbott issued a statewide disaster proclamation for all counties in Texas due to the threat NWS poses to the state’s livestock industry, economy, and the potential for widespread and severe property damage for Texas. Governor Abbot has renewed the proclamation each month since.
On June 5, 2026, Governor Greg Abbott issued a new statewide disaster proclamation for all Texas Counties in response to a detection of NWS in Texas.
The Texas Animal Health Commission (the “Commission”) is authorized under Chapter 161, Texas Agriculture Code, to establish movement restrictions against all or a portion of a state in which an animal disease exists to protect livestock, exotic livestock, domestic fowl, and exotic fowl in this state from the disease.
As specified in…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 City of Devine is having a Budget Workshop at 6pm on Monday, July 6th at the Devine Community Center. After that, they are also having a Special Meeting at 7 pm that evening to:
-Consider and act upon approving appointing Terry Page as the Data Center Consultant for the City of Devine.
On his resume, it states Page presently works as the Principal Program Manager for Microsoft. Among the accomplishments listed on his resume, it states that Page is currently leading a $450M, 48MW build on a 120 acre site in Castroville. He also led early works on the 200 acre greenfield campus in Medina County.
He is closing a 28.8MW build on a 22 acre site in San Antonio. He led a $1.2Billion SAT Data Center campus development across 180 acres including 5 hyperscaler buildings among many other developments.
Also on the agenda is to consider and act upon a resolution authorizing and approving publication and posting of notice of intention to issue the city’s certificates of obligations and other matters in connection there with.

By Matthew “Moose” Lopez, Sports Editor
He’s back! Retired postman Oscar Del Toro of Natalia has once again completed the historic Pony Express trip. An impressive feat that dates back to the early colonization of the western frontier in the 1800’s.
The Pony Express was an attempt to expedite the postal system and saw mail carriers travel more than 1,800 miles in ten days on horseback in order to deliver letters at a rate not yet seen in the budding civilization of the United States. Today, the tradition is kept alive and performed every June in order to preserve the rich history of the old west and to 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 STORIES OF 3 TEXAS BOYS WHO RECIEVED THE MEDAL OF HONOR

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society documents the stories of 65 Texans who received the highest military honor for their bravery and service to the United States of America and everything it stands for. These 65 Texans received the Medal of Honor. This week we wanted to share the stories of the three Texas boys who are still with us, who are part of this courageous group. Read about more of the 65 Medal of Honor recipients at https://www.cmohs.org/

DWIGHT W. BIRDWELL
(BORN IN AMARILLO,TX)
• MILITARY SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. ARMY
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE: JANUARY 31, 1968
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION PLACE: TAN SON NHUT AIR BASE, VIETNAM

HIS STORY….
Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with C Troop, 3d Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division in the Republic of Vietnam on 31 January, 1968. On this date, C Troop was ordered to move south to help repel an enemy attack on Tan Son Nhut Airbase. As the C Troop column of tanks and armored personnel carriers approached the west gate of Tan Son Nhut Airbase, it came under intense enemy fire from a building to its right. Unbeknown to C Troop, it had driven directly into an enemy force consisting of three battalions. The column tried to push through the initial attack but the lead tank, crippled by a rocket-propelled grenade explosion, was blocking the way forward. C Troop immediately came under heavy enemy fire from both sides of the road. Specialist Five Birdwell, upon seeing that his tank commander was wounded by enemy fire, immediately went to his aid. Under intense enemy fire, he lowered the injured tank commander to the ground, and moved him to safety. Specialist Five Birdwell then, with complete disregard for his own safety, mounted the tank and assumed the tank commander’s position. Standing in the tank commander’s hatch with the upper half of his body exposed to heavy enemy fire, Specialist Five Birdwell used the tank’s .50 caliber machine gun and 90mm main gun to suppress the enemy attack. With the ammunition for the 90mm main gun exhausted, he continued to fire the .50 caliber machine gun until it overheated. At this point, Specialist Five Birdwell, rather than abandoning his position, continued to engage the enemy with his M-16 rifle, sometimes exposing his entire body to enemy fire in order to engage the enemy from a better vantage point. When a U.S. helicopter crashed nearby, Specialist Five Birdwell, under withering enemy fire, dismounted and moved to the helicopter where he retrieved two M-60 machine guns and ammunition. After giving one M-60 and ammunition to a fellow soldier, he remounted his tank and used the other M-60 to again engage the enemy. Specialist Five Birdwell continued to engage the enemy with complete disregard for his own safety until the M-60 he was firing was hit by enemy fire. Specialist Five Birdwell, now wounded in the face, neck, chest, and arms, dismounted the tank but refused to be medically evacuated. Instead, Specialist Five Birdwell, under enemy fire, rallied fellow soldiers to advance toward the front of the armored column where they set up a defensive position by a large tree. From this position, he and the other soldiers engaged the enemy with M-16 fire and grenades. As the enemy fire lessened, Specialist Five Birdwell gathered ammunition from disabled vehicles and helped wounded soldiers move to safer positions. His leadership and tenacity under fire inspired the other C Troop soldiers to continue fighting against the superior enemy force, and directly contributed to the enemy’s ultimate defeat. Specialist Five Birdwell’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

JOSE RODELA
(BORN IN COPRUS CHRISTI,TX)
• MILITARY SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. ARMY
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 1969
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION PLACE: PHUOC LONG PROVINCE, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

HIS STORY…
Sergeant First Class Jose Rodela distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the company commander, Detachment B-36, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces during combat operations against an armed enemy in Phuoc Long Province, Republic of Vietnam on September 1, 1969. That afternoon, Sergeant First Class Rodela’s battalion came under an intense barrage of mortar, rocket, and machine gun fire. Ignoring the withering enemy fire, Sergeant First Class Rodela immediately began placing his men into defensive positions to prevent the enemy from overrunning the entire battalion. Repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, Sergeant First Class Rodela moved from position to position, providing suppressing fire and assisting wounded, and was himself wounded in the back and head by a B-40 rocket while recovering a wounded comrade. Alone, Sergeant First Class Rodela assaulted and knocked out the B-40 rocket position before successfully returning to the battalion’s perimeter. Sergeant First Class Rodela’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.

FREDERICK EDGAR FERGUSON
(BORN IN PILOT POINT, TX)
• MILITARY SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. ARMY
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE: JANUARY 31, 1968
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION PLACE: HUE, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. CWO Ferguson, commander of a resupply helicopter monitoring an emergency call from wounded passengers and crewmen of a downed helicopter under heavy attack within the enemy-controlled city of Hue, unhesitatingly volunteered to attempt evacuation. Despite warnings from all aircraft to stay clear of the area due to heavy antiaircraft fire, CWO Ferguson began a low-level flight at maximum airspeed along the Perfume River toward the tiny, isolated South Vietnamese Army compound in which the crash survivors had taken refuge. Coolly and skillfully maintaining his course in the face of intense, short-range fire from enemy-occupied buildings and boats, he displayed superior flying skill and tenacity of purpose by landing his aircraft in an extremely confined area in a blinding dust cloud under heavy mortar and small-arms fire. Although the helicopter was severely damaged by mortar fragments during the loading of the wounded, CWO Ferguson disregarded the damage and, taking off through the continuing hail of mortar fire, he flew his crippled aircraft on the return route through the rain of fire that he had experienced earlier and safely returned his wounded passengers to friendly control. CWO Ferguson’s extraordinary determination saved the lives of five of his comrades. His actions are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself and the U.S. Army.

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
Mando Gonzalez and Silo Calame Jaquez competed in a National event at Lazy E Arena against people from all over the world. The pair competed in the team roping event, also known as “heading and heeling.” Two mounted riders work in tandem to catch a steer. The “header” ropes the steer’s head or horns to lead it towards the “heeler” who then lassos the hind legs to immobilize it. The objective is to secure the steer in the fastest time possible.
“What a week!” said mom Meghan Gonzalez. “When we were told the boys made Nationals, we didn’t realize it was a worldwide competition. Six different countries, and the top four teams from 47 of the U.S. states…Very, VERY proud of the boys for making the short go! We didn’t have the finish we were hoping for but are still incredibly proud of them ranking 18th in the WORLD for JH rodeo.”
The boys won their Region, then won State and now placed in the top 20 of the world!
“Can’t wait to see where the future takes them!” mom adds.
Proud parents are Armando and Meghan Gonzalez (Silo Calame Jaquez is the son of the late Jose Jaquez-Calame.)
Proud grandparents are: Foard and Debbie Houston, David Calame, Marsha and Patrick Bourcier, Grandparents: Victor and Rosie Gonzalez from Laredo, and great grandmother Patricia Ann West of Devine.