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DEVINE–Seven patients were left alone this past Thursday, April 24 after frustrated caregivers simply walked off, the Sheriff said. The boarding home formerly known as Cruz Boarding Home is located on CR 664 outside Devine. To make matters more complicated, no one claims to own the facility.

“It’s a big mess,” said Sheriff Randy Brown, who said he, as well as Pat Bourcier with Allegiance EMS, and many others spent nearly the whole day at the facility trying to get all of the residents transported to a safe place.

“We didn’t clear the scene until 3 AM,” Sheriff Brown said.
A majority of those patients were…LOGIN TO CONTINUE READING at www.devinenewsmembers.com.

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Leaders note that they are seeing too many people come through the court system who get arrested on misdemeanor charges, and then get released 15 days later on a PR bond, without getting their mental health neeeds addressed. Medina County Court-at-Law Judge Mark Cashion presides over a conference of area mental health experts conducted April 24 in Hondo to discuss how to bridge that gap. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
Mental health experts serving Medina County gathered April 24 to discuss ways to improve the county’s behavioral health care system, particularly gaining access to much needed resources in cases involving criminal prosecution.
Janna Heilig, criminal court coordinator, defined the purpose of the meeting in Hondo as helping to focus, listen and learn.
“Medina County acknowledges the importance of mental health,” Heilig said. “It impacts us in one way or another, and it’s through open conversation and shared understanding we help build resources and navigate our way on mental health for our community.”
Conducted in the upstairs courtroom of the Medina County courthouse annex, she said the space set aside for this meeting was not about judgment, but about support.
“There are valuable mental health resources available to our citizens through our local (Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities centers) who are here with us today,” Heilig said.
Medina County Court-at-Law Judge Mark Cashion noted that, in particular, gaps in the mental health system become most apparent when dealing with incarcerated individuals.
“I guess the biggest frustration for me is we get them arrested and, in my case, because they are misdemeanors, usually 15 days later we PR (personal recognizance) them because it’s a criminal trespass or some non-violent crime,” he said.
He’d like to see them get the help they need.
Leading the local contingent of mental health workers on hand was Landon Sturdivant, deputy chief executive officer with the Hill Country MHDD, based in Kerrville.
“We are a unit of the state government,” he said. “We contract with the state of Texas, the health and human services commission, to serve as the local mental health authority for a 19-county area, which is a large swath of southwest Texas.”
Among its many services, Hill Country MHDD operates a 24-hour, seven days a week mental health crisis hotline. Through that hotline and its walk-in clinic, Hill Country MHDD “assists individuals in gaining access to crisis assessment to better determine what their needs are, if that person is requiring a level of care beyond what can be addressed on an outpatient basis,” Sturdivant said.
The agency does contract with a number of psychiatric hospitals in San Antonio, he said.
“We work very closely with our impatient partners in facilitating those admissions,” Sturdivant said. “We do have some resources to help pay for those admissions for persons who do not have insurance coverage or the ability to pay for themselves.”
He also noted that Hill Country MHDD partners closely with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office in providing mental health services to prisoners.
“As Judge Cashion was speaking of, too many times we see too many people who may be in a mental health crisis and they end up in jail on some misdemeanor charge or something like that,” Sturdivant said.
The sooner health workers can intervene in such a crisis, a person can avoid suffering in jail and working their way through the very expensive judicial system, he said. Sometimes that system becomes a “revolving door” for troubled individuals, ending with them not receiving the services or support needed.
Public defender Kani Kennell said her office has applied for a grant that would fund five mental health case workers to help the affected jail population find services when arrested or placement when released.
She described it as a means to prevent the cycle “from repeating over and over and over again.”
“If somebody’s charged with a felony and they’re found incompetent to stand trial they’re often waiting more than a year in the Medina County jail in order to get a placement in the state hospital,” Kennell said. “They’ve already been determined to have a profound mental health issue.”
Then, after hopefully regaining competency after a stay in the state hospital, the defendant has to come back to jail in order to deal with the charges, she said.
“We have to get to them quickly before they lose competency again,” Kennell said.
In response, Sturdivant announced that his agency has secured funding through a grant to embed a qualified mental health professional in the Medina County jail. The grant also included hiring personnel to manage pre- and post-release planning for continuing mental health care in the hope of reducing recidivism.
The issue is slated for further discussion during the May 5 session of the Medina County Commissioners Court in order to address the necessary interlocal agreements required.
Medina County Sheriff’s Office mental health Deputy Antonio Aguilar made reference to a recent court case in which a defendant needed medications but said he was not taking them because he could not afford the cost.
“I assured the attorney in court that is not an issue,” he said. “If the state hospital has said they are going to take these medications then they are going to get them.”
Aguilar said state hospital officials have assured him that resources exist to allow the county to recoup the cost of the necessary medications.
“We are working with them to try to have a better relationship, to try to get these things smoothed out,” he said.
Kennell said that making defendants pay for their own medications is a big issue with her clients. With only limited funds available, given the choice between purchasing commissary items they enjoy and the medications they need, the inmates make poor choices.
“A lot of times our clients who need like an anti-psychotic or something like that don’t make good, rational decisions,” Kennell said. “They’re not willing to pay out of their money in order to get that medication.”
On mental health issues outside the courtroom, Kristem Rumley with the Department of Veterans Affairs said that Medina County lacks a mental health resource specifically for veterans. She serves as community engagement and partnership coordinator for suicide prevention for 17 Texas counties, including Medina.
“That’s a huge gap,” Rumley said. “People don’t want to drive to San Antonio for these services.”
Research shows that veterans, particularly rural veterans, not engaged with the Veteran’s Administration or local health care stand at an increased risk for suicide, she said.
In conclusion, Judge Cashion said he plans to continue pushing for meetings such as the April 24th gathering to exchange ideas on how the community can improve on mental health issues.
“We’re making some progress but we’re making slow progress,” he said.
County Judge Keith Lutz said he shared the concern expressed by others at the meeting about the stigma attached to the topic of mental health.
“For me, when the community shows up and asks these questions it’s important,” Lutz said.

Devine ISD is hosting their annual trustee election on Saturday, May 3, 2025. Early voting started on Tuesday, April 22 at central office.
There are four candidates seeking the two At-Large positions. The two candidates who get the most votes will win the positions which are for a three year term.
Candidates include Chris Davis (incumbent) and Renee Frieda (incumbent), Candace Esparza, and Robert Travis Hildt. Frieda (incumbent), Candace Esparza, and Robert Travis Hildt.
Carl Brown, District 2 is unopposed.
All registered voters living in the Devine ISD school district boundaries may vote for the 2 positions from the 4 candidates.
Early Voting dates and hours are: April 22-25 plus April 28-29, all at the DISD Central Office from 8 am to 5 pm daily.
Election day voting is from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on Sat. May 3 at the central office as well, 605 W Hondo Ave, Devine.

Candidate Q&A will be published soon.

Castroville Animal Control has notified the public about a dead bat found on Thursday 4/17/25 inside of a residence at the Country Villa Apartments in Castroville, Tx. The bat was picked up by Animal Services of Castroville and submitted for testing and came back positive for Rabies.  Another post on social media noted that a raccoon displaying symptoms of rabies was also captured in the City of Castroville recently. We have reached out about this incident but have not heard back on whether or not rabies was confirmed in the raccoon also.

According to a social media post by Castroville Animal Control:

We would like to take this time to remind the public to take the necessary steps to reduce possible transmission of Rabies.

In general, if you find an injured, sick, or dead bat, do not touch it. If you need assistance, contact your local animal control agency or local health department.

Bat bites are not always visible.

Continue reading “Bat with rabies found inside Castroville residence”

The Devine Wesleyan Fellowship would like to thank the citizens of Devine and surrounding communities for their participation and generous giving at our recent fundraiser for Mission Devine. Thanks to your support we are able to present a check for $4000 along with $395 which was put in the donation jar.
We would like to thank all the local businesses for their support by purchasing meals.

We would also like to recognize Mark Kidd for his contribution for buying the brisket and a special thank you to Get Some! Bar-b-que for donating the potato salad. It was wonderful. Be sure to go by and check them out. HEB also contributed a gift card to help us purchase several needed items.
There is still time to contribute to Mission Devine, check out their website. Also, a reminder that all applications must be submitted by April 30.
Thank you again for supporting Mission Devine.

Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez, 83 and 76 of Devine, are so grateful to be among the senior citizens that Meals on Wheels is still able to serve. Having both had strokes, and Mr. Sanchez being legally blind, they said program has been a huge help as they shared their story with us this Tuesday.

By Kayleen Holder
Here in Medina County, we take care of our neighbors. Since 1977, volunteers have stepped up and delivered meals and a warm smile to homebound, elderly, and/or disabled residents in our community. This is made possible through a beautiful program called Meals on Wheels, which serves only our Senior Citizens. Unfortunately, the program has lost a large part of their sponsored funding, and as of this March, they have had to cease service to sixty senior citizens.
The program serves seniors who range from 60 all the way to105 years old–and an average of 76 years old.
“Due to losing some of our funding, we had to cut service to 60 seniors,” said Meals on Wheels Director Sharayah Gonzales. “All of our clients are elderly, homebound and/or disabled, so it was really tough having to make those cuts.”
Those 60 people were previously sponsored by ACCOG. With no other source of funding secured so far, the crew at Meals on Wheels were simply left with no other choice. Approximately 235 senior citizens had signed up to receive the delivery of frozen meals this past year, but now many of them are back on the waiting list among others who were already on that list.
“We now have approximately 100 people on the waiting list,” Gonzales said.
Thanks to a donation by the Red Cross and a generous citizen, they are able to deliver a few bags of shelf-stable meal items to those who are most in need, whil they are on the waiting list. ONE WAY YOU CAN HELP is by donating invidual -size food such as tuna w/ cracker sets, individual size oatmeal cups, or individual size soup cans that are ready to eat or microwave-ready or nutritious snacks like peanut butter crackers. You can take these to the Medina County Annex across from Tractor Supply or to The Devine News on Mondays & Tuesdays.
However, monetary donations and sponsorships are needed to get Meals on Wheels back in full swing.
“In the meantime, when we have an extra goodie bag, or extra food, we take it to the ones that need it most and let them know we are still thinking about them,” said one of the Meals on Wheels volunteers.
We had an opportunity to tag along on a couple of Meals on Wheels deliveries this week and talked with seniors about what the program means to them.
At the first stop we visited with Vietnam Veteran Glen Stewart, 79 of Devine.
“Meals on Wheels is a great program. The food is good and the employees and volunteers are courteous and polite. Living alone, it sure is appreciated. It saves me a lot of cooking, and I’m not a good cook. I lost my wife in December of 2023.”
Next we spoke with Mr. Albert Sanchez, 83, and his wife Oralia Sanchez, 76, of Devine, who have been receiving meals on wheels for about two years.
“We are both diabetic so we have to really watch what we eat,” Mrs. Sanchez said, so appreciative of the healthy meals which are prepared by dieticians. “I’m also not supposed to be driving much.”
Married 57 years, they held hands as they shared their story with us. “My husband and I both had a stroke, and he is legally blind, so I hold on to him and he holds on me!” Mrs. Sanchez said with a smile shortly after getting a delivery of meals. “We are grateful to have each other, and Meals on Wheels helps us a lot.”
“It’s a blessing,” Mr. Sanchez added. “It really is.”
The Medina County Meals on Wheels program was once funded by Medina County through its Nutrition Program. In 2015, it became a non-profit and began seeking funding from other organizations.
The funding cuts came without much warning said Client Coordinator Barbara Losack, who really hopes they can manage to get at least half of the clients on the waiting list, who are in the most need, back on the routes soon.
Until then, citizens are welcome to donate shelf-stable individual size items to help fill the gaps. These extra meals will be given to some of those in the most need who were cut from the routes when ACCOG reduced local funding from covering 110 people to 50.
How does Meals on Wheels work? Each volunteer takes on a “route” around one of the local communities such as Devine, Lytle, or Natalia, etc. once a week. They are always in need of more volunteers and now in great need of funding as well.
Volunteer Myra Waters, of Devine, said Meals on Wheels is near and dear to her heart. She has really enjoyed her time volunteering on one of the Devine routes where she usually takes meals to 15 elderly homebound or disabled residents–a route that’s now been cut to 4.
“So many of these people are in very hard circumstances, and they are just so grateful to get these little meals and glad to see someone’s face,” said Myra Waters, who volunteers on one of the routes around Devine. “It is a really good program, and I know the directors are doing everything they can.”
Jack Howard has been volunteering for about 9 years now, and he also shared a little about his experience hoping to encourage others to join in.
“I deliver about 11 sets of meals out in the country each week,” Howard said. “People really need the help, and they are all senior citizens that we are serving.”
Howard points out that along with donations, the program can always use more volunteers, and even back-up volunteers for when someone is out. And it’s a very rewarding program to be a part of.
“Meals on Wheels is really a worthwhile program. For me, volunteering takes about 3-4 hours once a week,” Howard said. “I think the ancient wisdom is: To surround yourself with intelligent people with good hearts–and that’s Meals on Wheels! It’s a great group of folks.”
Samantha Bryant says she looks forward to her Wednesday routes every week.
“My seniors are like family to me,” Bryant said. “It’s good company for them, and for me. We both get something out of it.”
She points out that Meals on Wheels volunteers are delivering more than just food.
“We might be the only person they see that week,” Bryant noted. “A lot of them have some family, but many don’t live nearby. I started volunteering after my dad passed away, and I really look forward to my route each Wednesday.”
She’s been volunteering over ten years, and has surely changed a lot of lives along the way.
“And my seniors have changed my life too,” Bryant said in reply.
If you are interested in helping with this effort, please contact Sharayah Gonzales or Barbara Losack at the office 830-741-6160. The office is open Monday-Thursday from 8am-1pm. Or you can email mealsandmore@medinaseniorcenter.org
You can also reach out to route coordinator Josh Wolfe on his cell at 830-931-5556. The program does accept donations of food from businesses. HEB commonly donates items from their bakery, which is much appreciated, for example.
Monetary Donations can also be mailed to PO Box 904, Hondo, TX 78861. NOTE: If you would like to donate specifically to the Meals on Wheels Program note that. They are also fundraising to make updates to their Senior Center in Hondo where they hope to eventually be able to prepare meals for the MOW routes themselves, but that is a separate fundraiser (see separate article).
The costs to sponsor these meals for a senior citizen for a week is $40. The cost to sponsor meals for a senior for 1 month is $174.00. Update on Hondo Senior Center
The building that served as one of the hubs of the Meals on Wheels program was hit hard by the 2021 snow storms, and after asbestos was discovered in the building, they could no longer operate there. The senior center was fortunate to be chosen as a recipient of a $526K grant through USDA with Congressman Gonzales’ help. However, that grant can only be used for the building–not for buying meals and delivering to Meals on Wheels clients.
It also took a while to secure a property that meets the requirements of the grant. Meals on Wheels Program Director Sharayah Gonzales said they are working toward opening up their new Senior Center in Hondo as soon as they can. The new senior center will be a place where seniors can come in and socialize and have a meal on-site as well. It will also once again serve as a hub for programs like Meals on Wheels.
“In phase three of the building plan, we hope to install a commercial kitchen with a goal of being able to cook our own meals again,” Gonzales said. “That’s the goal, to be able to deliver hot meals to our homebound residents like we used to do.”
There is a separate fundraising account set up for those wanting to contribute toward the new Hondo Senior Center.
Read about the possibility of re-opening the Devine Center on page 7.
Anyone interested in helping re-open Senior Center in Devine?
By Kayleen Holder
At some point, once they get past the hurdles of their current financial needs, Meals on Wheels Director Sharayah Gonzales said she would love to see Devine’s Senior Center re-opened. Volunteers and staff are already stretched thin, but we thought it worth mentioning in case anyone is interested in helping make this hope a reality once again.
Gonzales noted there is a lot that goes into re- opening a congregate senior center, and at the top of the list of needs would be consistent volunteers. Staff and current volunteers are spread thin already wearing multiple hats, and they would love to collaborate with anyone who would like to volunteer or help make this happen.
The room which was once Devine’s Senior Center is located inside the Pct 4 annex in Devine across from Tractor Supply. Once a vibrant and fun place for seniors to gather and socialize, the center was shut down during the pandemic and has been mostly vacant ever since. However, it does provide a place to refrigerate and store some of the supplies and Meals on Wheels food, and it is still the place where volunteers meet and load up for their local delivery routes each week. It is also used by the county for voting when the time comes.
One advocate said there would often be between 15-20 senior citizens utilizing Devine’s Senior Center when it was open and there are still people calling asking when it will re-open.
“The Devine Senior Center was a really great place. They would get together and do puzzles and visit. At one point we had some of the puzzles they completed hanging up on the walls.”
If you are interested in helping with this effort, please contact Sharayah Gonzales or Barbara Losack at the office 830-741-6160. The office is open Monday-Thursday from 8am-1pm. Or you can email mealsandmore@medinaseniorcenter.org
You can also reach out to route coordinator Josh Wolfe on his cell at 830-931-5556.