Get ready to meet the cutest sibling group from age 1 to 14

Hoping for a home togeteher, against all odds…

Here’s a little bit about us! This sweet family of 6 would love nothing more than to be together. Some sources state that sibling groups of four have only a 45% chance of being adopted together, and that number drops to only a 1% chance with a group of 6 siblings or more.
This sweet family is one of the many sibling groups in care of the state of Texas, who are hoping and waiting to find their forever home, together, against all odds.
Victor enjoys being in ROTC at school, playing sports like football, basketball, and soccer. He is currently attending high school and has thought of college, although he still doesn’t have a specific career path selected at the moment, he loves participating in ROTC and getting to wear his uniform.
Victor enjoys swimming and practicing sports when he is with his friends. Victor also likes watching sports and movies at home during his free time.
Claudia is a very outgoing 12-year-old girl who likes being around her peers … At school she is in the band and plays the clarinet. Claudia already has an idea of a post college career; she would like to be a Border Patrol Agent, after obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice.
In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, watching TV, and art.
Maria (11) is a loving and caring pre – teen who is very attached to her siblings. At school, it’s a tie for favorite subjects – between math and reading. And in sports … its volleyball and basketball. Maria is interested in going to college but is not yet sure what course of study she would like to follow – but what she does know is education is the key to her future.
In her spare time, she enjoys all kinds of action, and suspense movies, along with cartoons. Maria likes listening to music and dancing during her free time.
Hugo is a 10-year-old energetic and optimistic young boy who likes to spend time with his siblings and friends.
Hugo has great social skills and likes making new friends everywhere he goes, he has also been complimented as being very helpful and likes doing chores around the home.
Hugo enjoys going to school on a daily basis and has excellent attendance record.
When it’s fun and relax time, Hugo likes going to the movies, going out to parks for a game of baseball, basketball, soccer, or football.
Hugo likes going to the boys and girls club when possible, as he enjoys taking part in the various activities the center hosts.
Hageo (6) enjoys playing with kids his age at school and his siblings at home. He, like his brother has great social skills and likes making new friends everywhere he goes. Hageo is very helpful and likes doing chores around the home.
Hageo also enjoys going out to parks to play around with other kids, as he has fun playing any of the major sports … he also has a creative side where he has developed a talent for drawing and coloring, also with some fancy footwork as a dancer.
Hageo has expressed wanting for a family that is active and likes to travel.
The youngest is Infant Ramos who enjoys playing with cars and action figures toys, as he is also very good at sharing his toys with his peers. If his future family has pets, that would be ideal as he enjoys being around animals.
Infant Ramos is currently attending daycare, where they say he is very good at taking an afternoon nap and eating.
All six siblings agree on the same things, … to all be adopted together, by a mother and father who will love them all as their own.
If you think you could be a forever family for this readymade family of six, 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 to learn about issues of abused and neglected children

Future Land Use Map for Lytleto be discussed Dec 1 and Dec 8

Notice Is Hereby Given To Hear Comments And Testimony Concerning The Following:
AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; SPECIFICALLY, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
Zoning meeting Dec. 1
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Lytle will hold a public hearing regarding this request to provide all interested parties with the right to appear and request information on:
Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Lytle City Hall, 14916 Main Street
Lytle, TX 78052.

Public Hearing Dec. 8
The City Council of the City of Lytle will hold a public hearing regarding this request to provide all interested parties with the right to appear and request information on:

Date: Monday, December 8, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Lytle City Hall, 14916 Main Street…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!

Fire dominates one-third of Devine emergency response in first month

By Anton Riecher
Out of 48 emergency responses logged during the initial month of Medina County Emergency Services District No. 1 assuming management of fire protection in Devine, 33 percent were fire related, ESD1 battalion chief David Powers reported to the local ESD2 board Nov. 18.
Stating that the fire portion of the run statistics was “pretty high,” Powers said that other than several building fires, the rest of the fire runs were for grass and brush fires.
The other 67 percent of emergency response calls logged were EMS related, Powers said.
Three of the 48 responses logged were mutual aid assistance to nearby Natalia “to help them out a little bit,” he said.
Average response from time called to arrival was eight minutes, Powers said.
He reported that the ESD1 board of commissioners signed the interlocal agreement to take charge of local management at its Nov. 12 meeting in Castroville.
Since taking charge…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!

A whole new crew!

A whole new crew and administration is now providing our community with fire (in Devine) and EMS services (in Devine/Natalia). Pictured above are just a few of the new paramedics who went through orientation in October. As you see the crews around town, be sure to say hi as they are excited to be part of the community.

Latest audit reveals new details regarding VFD fraud allegation

ESD board members listen Abigail Beadle and Jerry Stevens listen to the results and options moving forward.

By Anton Riecher
An audit of the Devine Volunteer Fire Department finances for the fiscal year 2022-2023 uncovered new details in the fraudulent misappropriation of more than $76,000 over a two-year period, resulting in the VFD office administrator being criminally charged last December.
Karl Goering, a certified public accountant with Armstrong, Vaughan & Associates, referred to the fraud involved as being “very straight forward.”
“They were mainly just paying themselves outside the contract,” Goering said. “The bookkeeper was paying herself outside the contract in addition to what she was supposed to be paid.”
The audit, one of two ordered by Medina County Emergency Services District 2, was presented to the ESD2 board of commissioners during their monthly meeting Nov. 18.
Complete video coverage is posted on The Devine News’ YouTube channel.
Matt Bowers, representing the Devine VFD board of directors, notified the ESD2 board that a resolution to transfer control of the VFD operations to the ESD lacks only one signature to become official.
“Because there are issues that need to be addressed and we don’t appear to be able to, we have drafted a resolution of necessity and transfer that would basically give (ESD2) control of the board so that you guys can implement the new bylaws needed to accept and appoint the new board,” Bowers said.
The VFD action comes 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!

Devine council considers imposing liens on buildings/unkept property

By Anton Riecher
Action to tighten restrictions against buildings and other unkept properties by imposing liens against the owners was discussed during the Nov. 18 Devine City Council regular meeting.
Mayor Butch Cook said the city is trying “super, super hard” to clean up areas of the city in need of attention.
“We have a few very egregious properties in our town that have been that way for a long time,” Cook said. “Some of them are owned by people who don’t live here so they couldn’t care less about the appearance of that property.”
Despite being repeatedly notified and cited about the condition of their property, the problem continues to persist, Cook said.
He proposed moving forward with enforcement of an ordinance on the city books since 2021 that permits placing liens on the offending property as a means to bill the owners for clean up if and when the property ever sells.
Cook admitted that the major drawback to the proposal is the owners can still continue to ignore demands for immediate upkeep on their property regardless of legal action. However, the time has come for taking action that “has some teeth in it.”
District 3 Alderman Jeff Miller agreed with taking stronger action, noting that aside from concerns for public safety, the failure to maintain these properties could potentially depress local property values.
“At some point the safety and protection of everybody else becomes the most important issue,” Miller said.
District 5…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!

Future Land Use Map for Lytle to be discussed Dec 1 and Dec 8

Notice Is Hereby Given To Hear Comments And Testimony Concerning The Following:
AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; SPECIFICALLY, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.

Zoning meeting Dec. 1
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Lytle will hold a public hearing regarding this request to provide all interested parties with the right to appear and request information on:
Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Lytle City Hall, 14916 Main Street
Lytle, TX 78052.

Public Hearing Dec. 8
The City Council of the City of Lytle will hold a public hearing regarding this request to provide all interested parties with the right to appear and request information on:
Date: Monday, December 8, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Lytle City Hall, 14916 Main Street
Lytle.
For Additional Information Regarding These Public Hearings, Please Contact the City Administrator, Zachary Meadows at (830) 709-3692 Ext. 1031.

Offices up for Election in Medina County next year

Deadline Dec. 8th

The following Medina County elected offices are up for election in the March 3, 2026 primary and the general election in November 2026.

-Medina County Judge
-Medina County Court at Law Judge
-District Clerk
-County Clerk
-County Treasurer
-County Surveyor
-County Commissioner (Precincts 2 and 4)
-Justices of the Peace

Anyone interested in signing up to run for those positions should know the sign up starts on Saturday, November 8, 2025 and ends on December 8, 2025 at 6:00pm. 
The fees associated with each position can be found on the Texas Secretary of State’s website. 
Please contact your party chair or go onto your party’s website for more information.

County votes to oppose massive new power line cutting across here

Ruben Gonzalez-, chief of the Medina County Veterans Services office, addressed the county commissioners Monday, giving an annual update on veterans’ services. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
Medina County commissioners unanimously voted Monday in favor of a resolution opposing construction of the record-setting Howard-Solstice electrical transmission line along a proposed route cutting across the county.
The resolution states that “various residents in the county have voiced significant concerns about the potential negative impacts” of the proposed transmission line, including decrease in property values and potential environmental harm from electromagnetic field radiation.
A public hearing on the proposed transmission line topped the Sept. 8 commissioners court session with opposition voiced by local landowners dominating the discussion.
On a motion by Precinct 2 Commissioner Larry Sittre, seconded by Precinct 4 Commissioner Danny Lawler, the action was taken with relatively little additional discussion.
Texas Public…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!

Needle found inside candy from trick-or-treating or parade here

Devine PD has not received any other reports of candy that has been tampered with, but they are actively encouraging parents to please carefully check any candy you got trick or treating or from the parade.

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
The Carranza family recently filed a report with Devine PD after one of their children bit into a chocolate candy with a sewing needle inside of it. The family said the candy either came from their trick-or-treating trip in Devine, where the family went to homes mostly around the Devine Golf Course area, or possibly from the parade as those two piles of candy had been combined.
According to Devine PD, the incident was reported on November 15 when a child opened the candy.
“My 8-year-old daughter opened up her candy and took a bite she said she felt something hard as soon as she bit down,” said the child’s mother Destiny Carranza. “She came to us and immediately made us aware. She pulled out the needle from the candy bar and we took it from her.”
According to Devine PD…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!