My Front Page

What’s happening @ Driscoll Public Library this Summer?

Devine – This summer’s activities and entertainment kicked off Wednesday, June 4th with a salute to our Community Helpers beginning at 1:00 pm. Our special guests were from Devine Police Department, Medina County Sheriff’s Department, Devine Volunteer Fire Department, Natalia Fire Department’s Sparky the Fire Dog, Texas Department of Public Safety; ESD #4 EMT’s, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Game Warden. There was an opportunity to visit with each department and to learn about their jobs and they brought vehicles for the kids to see.

READING CHALLENGE
The Summer Reading Challenge is kicked off this June. See separate article.

CLUBS:
Art Club meetings will be Monday, June 23rd and Monday, July 28th, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The Club is open to participants 7+ years old (adults are welcome). All supplies are provided by the library simply show up, get creative and have fun. We begin taking reservations the Monday prior to the meetings. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the circulation desk at the library.
Crafting after Hours meetings will be Thursday, June 12th and July 10th from 6 pm – 8 pm (the library will not be open at this time). This is an after-hours event open to those 18-year-old and up. The June meeting participants will be making Glass Etchings. July participants will be learning how to transfer photos to wood plaques. All supplies provided by the library. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the circulation desk at the library. 
Mr. J’s Tabletop Role Playing Game – Join our game master, Mr. J, as you dive into an epic story built by YOU—through creative character building and easy-to-learn rules. Whether you’re a seasoned player or brand new to RPGs, this is your chance to explore a world of imagination and fun! Meetings are Tuesday, June 17th and July 15th from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Open to those entering the 5th grade and up. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the circulation desk at the library. 
Mr. J’s Theatre Craft Workshop – a hands-on event where creativity takes center stage!
Join us for an afternoon of imagination and fun as we dive into the world of theatre arts.
Each session will spotlight a different theatre craft—perfect for young creators who love to design, build, and express themselves! Meetings will be Tuesdays, June 10th; June 24th; July 8th; and July 22nd from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. This is open to students entering 3rd grade and up. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the circulation desk at the library.  
Lego Club meetings will be Monday, June 9th and Monday July 14th, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm. The Club is open to children 5+ years old. Parent or caregiver supervision is required. We provide the Legos you provide the imagination. We begin taking reservation the Monday prior to the meetings. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the circulation desk at the library.
Preschool story time continues through the summer weekly on Tuesdays @ 10:30 am. Story time is open to children aged 1 yr to 5 yrs old. Each week participants are read a story and instructed in a craft or activity. Reservations required. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the circulation desk at the library.
Teen Club meetings will be Monday, June 16th and Monday, July 21st, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The June meeting the participants will be provided all supplies to create their own Candy Terrarium. The July meeting will be an Oreo Taste Testing and Judging. We begin taking reservation the Monday prior to the meetings. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call the circulation desk at the library.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Afternoon @ the Movies summer schedule: June 11th –Kung Fu Panda (PG-94 min); June 25th – Super Mario Bros. Movie (PG-92 min); July 2nd – Mufasa: the Lion King (PG-2 hrs); July 9th – Moana 2 (PG-100 min); July 16th – Dog Man (PG-90 min). Doors will open at 12:30 pm show time will be 1:00 pm. Attendees are welcome to bring a blanket and pillow to enjoy the movie. All youth will be provided a snack and drink courtesy of HEB Helping Here. Capacity limit for movie events is 225.
Our first entertainer for the summer will be the ever popular and admired magician/comedian Spikey Mikey on Wednesday, June 18th at 2:00 pm (please the note the time change). His previous visits to the library have kept everyone laughing and amazed by his magic. Spikey Mikey provides a funny, interactive program that encourages kids to read by showing how valuable reading can be, both for fun and for careers later in life. Doors for this event will open at 1:30 pm and admittance is on a first come basis. There is a capacity limit of 200 for this event. NO RESERVATIONS WILL BE TAKEN SEATING WILL BE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SEAT BASIS.
Texas A&M Chemistry Road Show featuring Dr. Pennington – Monday, July 7th at 1:00 pm. The presentation promises to be more than just a magic show. The presenter is a professor of chemistry having fun, and explaining along the way what we’re seeing. There will also be a fair amount of audience participation. This is Dr. Pennington’s 3rd visit to the library and he is always very entertaining. There is a capacity limit of 225 for this event. NO RESERVATIONS WILL BE TAKEN SEATING WILL BE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SEAT BASIS.
Mini Golf @ the library. On Wednesday, July 23rd the Driscoll Public Library will be transformed into a mini golf course for the second year in a row. The first hour (1:00 pm – 2:00 pm) of this event will be reserved for area Day Cares and groups larger than 15 (RESERVATIONS REQUIRED). All others are invited to drop by to play a round of golf anytime between 2 pm – 4 pm. The course, which will be set up by a professional mini golf company and library volunteers, will wind through the stacks of the library. We hope everyone will take advantage of this opportunity to see the library in a new way as they play the course. Participants will receive a small prize after completing the course.
The staff at the Driscoll Public Library is excited to be offering a full summer of programs and entertainment for our community again and are looking for to a successful year. All library programs are free.
For a calendar of all events taking place at the library stop at the circulation desk in the library. We are located at 202 E. Hondo Ave in Devine. For information on any of our events follow us on Facebook at @ Driscoll-Public-Library-Devine. For further information and program reservations call 830-663-2993, Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm.

Medina Co.fatality rate is among 10 worst in the state

By Anton Riecher
In business this June, Medina County Commissioners voted to authorize the submission of an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation for the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” grant program to develop a comprehensive safety action plan for the county.
Mark Miller, public infrastructure leader with Westwood Professional Services, said the application, due at the end of June, is for an 80-20 matching grant, meaning that for every dollar provided by the county, the DOT will match with $4.
Among the three main criteria for the grant is fatality rate, Miller said. Medina County currently ranks at nearly 40 driving fatalities per 1,000 residents, rated among the ten worst counties in Texas, Miller said.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All program, established in 2022 under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, has nearly…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 VFD promotes Martinez to Chief

The Devine Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department board made the decision not to go out for applicants for Fire Chief after all. They instead announced the promotion of 32 year old Jessica Massey- Martinez as the new full time Fire Chief, and she took her oath of office during the June 9, 2025 business meeting.
Previously, the board had vowed multiple times at MCESD#2 Board meetings to get as many of the highest qualified applicants as possible to interview after the fiascos last year with financial fraud, investigations, and audits.
Jessica came to Devine a year and a half ago in October 2023 when she was hired by Chief Greg Atkinson to be his Assistant Chief. She was promoted to Interim Chief after the resignation of Chief Atkinson following investigations.
The decision came right after the six member Board of Directors of Devine Fire went down to just four members due to the resignations of board members Barry Haywood with health issues, and Sgt at Arms Phyllis Martin, who was asked…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!

Grand Openingfor Natalia Memorial Funeral Home and Cremations

The Natalia Municipal Development District would like to invite you to the grand opening of Natalia Memorial Funeral Home and Cremations.  The new business is now open and is under new management and meet Funeral Directors are Corrina Soto and Justin Sanders.  
The big celebration is coming up on June 21. See details in this the advertisement in this week’s paper.

Young girl in Devine bitten by snake

By Kayleen Holder
Editor
A 9-year-old Devine girl was bitten by a rattlesnake this past Friday, June 6th around 3 in the afternoon. Her family reports that she nearly lost her hand due to the severe swelling it caused, but she is okay now, and while they wish to remain anonymous, they wanted to remind others that it is that time of year to watch out for snakes on the move. We also spoke to the local wildlife biologist on some practical things that deter and or attract snakes.
The child was reportedly outside in the back yard, even with several dogs around, when she was struck on the hand without any rattling or warning.
“She was picking up sticks to make a ‘nest’ for her toy dragons when it happened,”…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!

Driver arrested after collision with train

The driver of this vehicle was arrested and charged with a DWI after the collision with a train in the area of 18th Street and Avenue U in Hondo last week on Friday, June 6. The 28-year-old driver was arrested and will face charges of Driving While Intoxicated.
“The vehicle hit the train which was already crossing,” said Hondo Police Chief Justin Soza. “It hit car number 10.”
The driver and 3 adult passengers were treated on scene, and thankfully there were no serious injuries reported.
“How the train didn’t take the vehicle with it further down the tracks, I don’t know,” Chief Soza adds.
The train was traveling around 20 MPH at the time the vehicle collided with it, according to the PD.
Every three hours in the United States a person or vehicle is hit by a train, often with fatal results according to Operation Lifesaver, a national non-profit rail safety organization.
Here are a few more…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!

Lytle council reviews local water restrictions in place

Catherine Vaughn, new president of the Greater Lytle Area Chamber of Commerce, delivered an update on chamber activities to the Lytle City Council during a regular session meeting Monday.

By Anton Riecher
Meeting in regular session Monday, the Lytle City Council discussed the need to remind residents of the different restrictions that take effect at the various levels of water restriction invoked by the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
Meadows said the issue was brought home recently when EAA rescinded Stage 5 water restrictions only days after putting them in place.
“Since we are having this kind of back and forth we just wanted to again bring forth those measures that we have provided, making sure we are speaking about them and being transparent about the items listed,” he said.
For example, residential swimming pools require a permit from the city. At Stage 5, a request made to permit a swimming pool is automatically rejected, Meadows said. However, at Stage 4, a residential pool is allowed to operate but water must come from a source separate from the city water system, i.e., a private well.
After more than a year at Stage 4 in Lytle, city residents sometimes tend to…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!

County approves flood control study negotiations

The Medina County Commissioners Court voted to proclaim June Elder Abuse Awareness Month. County Judge Keith Lutz said that such abuse affected more than 125,850 older adults and people with disabilities in Texas in 2024. On hand for the presentation were members of the local APS office. (Photo by Anton Riecher)

By Anton Riecher
On two important fronts – flood control and drinking water – the Uvalde-based Nueces River Authority is gaining greater significance to residents of Medina County.
On June 2, the Medina County Commissioners Court voted 3-0 allow County Judge Keith Lutz to negotiate terms for a future interlocal agreement with NRA governing the county’s participation in a Nueces River basin study to update floodplain maps, to be conducted by the Texas Water Development Board.
According to Travis Pruski, NRA chief operating officer, one of the biggest issues with state floodplain planning is the lack of maps and outdated data.
“We applied for a grant through the TWDB flood infrastructure funds to help update county maps throughout (Nueces Flood Planning Region 13),” Pruski told commissioners. The grant would also cover studying early warning systems, high hazard dam assessment and low water crossings.
NRA did receive…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!

Diminishing debt rate favorable to future borrowing, financial advisor says

By Anton Riecher
Financial conditions advantageous to borrowing in support of future capital improvement projects without impacting the county ad valorem tax rate were discussed during the Medina County Commissioners Court meeting June 2.
Mark McLiney, senior managing director of SAMCO Capital Markets, said the current ad valorem tax rate for the county supports $2.652 million in total debt. That debt is expected to drop to $2.378 million next year.
“There is an opportunity to borrow without impacting the tax rate if you have capital improvement projects or equipment that you need to move forward with,” McLiney said.
McLiney serves as a financial advisor to more than 130 clients including cities, schools, community colleges, special districts and counties, including Medina County. SAMCO specializes in public finance, acting as an underwriter and trader of municipal bonds.
A conversation with…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!

Natalia Veteran’s Memorial Library Book Sale June 14th

The Natalia Veteran’s Memorial Library will be holding a Book Sale, with books, used homeschool curriculum and other resources for sale on Saturday, June 14th from 10 am to 2 pm at the library located at 501 3rd Street, Natalia. Please bring an HEB/Walmart plastic shopping bag to fill as we have limited on hand, and fill a bag for $5 a bag. We also have a selection of vintage books available for individual purchase. Attendees should park in the parking lot on the right side of the library and not along the roadway. Donations are also accepted and are tax deductible. For more information please check out the library’s Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you all!