Celebrating 126 Years of Serving the communities of Devine, Natalia, Lytle, Bigfoot, and Moore in Medina, Frio, and Atascosa Counties
Local Fisherman Thomas Ventimiglia Jr (20), recently reeled in a 73-inch 250+ pound Roughtail Stringray down in Matagorda Bay.
The Ray took 1 hour and 30 minutes to reel in and took 5 people to help to land and surface it. It was caught on Blue Crab on a Penn Battle 3 5000 reel with an 8-foot battle rod.
By Kayleen Holder- We still need several more businesses and churches to come on board. So far signed up to display Heart Gallery photos in January, we have: Charlie’s Daughter On the Green Restaurant, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Mag’s Place, The Devine News, Alamo Truck, Napa, Chayito’s, and ???? Please let us know if you can display 2 or 3 or maybe even 5 or 6 of the 30 photos featuring children who are in complete care of the state of Texas, and need adoptive homes. Being featured in a heart gallery increases their chances of being adopted by 60% according to statistics!!!!
We also want to say a Huge THANK YOU to all of the churches, businesses, and organizations for who have been displaying photos this past December! Y’all are the best!!! See page 3 for more info if you want to help with this important effort!
This beautiful home is one of many lighting up the City of Lytle during the big Christmas parade last Saturday.
Grandson Robbie Brown was honored to place a wreath on his grandpa Robert Bee Browns grave at the WAA ceremony He enjoyed taking some photos as well
On Dec. 14 in the Evergreen Cemetery, the Current Events Club worked with Medina County to honor veterans.
People from around Devine gathered to honor America’s veterans, with wreaths laid down on service members’ graves.
Gary Saathoff, a veteran and member of VFW Post 3966 gave a brief history of the Wreaths Across America, an organization that began in 1992 when the owner of a Maine wreath company donated extra wreaths to be placed on graves in the older sections of Arlington National Cemetery.
This simple way to honor troops gained national attention in 2005 when a photo of the beautiful wreaths on the marble headstones began circulating the internet. Since that point, Wreaths Across America has been a national organization, encouraging Americans to remember the sacrifices of those who were so willing to sacrifice everything for their country.
Now, for the past three years, citizens of the Devine area have gathered to carry on this tradition.
Our Arabians and Devine NHS students helped out at Wreaths Across America
Placing a wreath on her great grandpa’s grave a WW1 Navy Veteran is Kyrie DuBose one of the many DHS student helping out at the Wreaths Across America Ceremony last Saturday in Devine
The One Act Play Cast and Crew all did a great job!
On Saturday, December 14 the Devine Middle School One Act Play cast and crew performed “The Great Pandemonium” by Pat Cook in Carrizo Springs for the District One Act Play contest competition. They brought home first place for the second year in a row, as well as a slew of other acting and crew awards.
Best Actor- Nolan Beaty
Honorable Mention Cast- Isabella Duron and Annie Dugosh
All Star Cast- Dakota Nighswander, Madelynn Mitchell, Cole Maxwell, and Griffin Blouin
Best Crew Member- Riley Hennessy
Best Tech Crew
By Anton Riecher
Medina County Emergency Services District No. 4 board commissioner Jerry Beck urged fellow board members to consider granting a homestead exemption to MCESD4 residents over age 65 during the board’s Dec. 11 regular meeting.
“In all reality it’s not really that big a deal,” Beck said. “It’s a gesture.”
Homestead exemptions reduce a home’s appraised value and, as a result, reduce property taxes. In Texas, any taxing entity may offer a local optional exemption of at least $3,000 for taxpayers either disabled or over age 65.
Beck, who joined the ESD4 board in October, compared it to the action taken by the Medina County Commissioners Court to freeze property tax appraisals for residents over 65. Beck formerly served as the Precinct 4 county commissioners.
The exemption can be granted directly by the governing body or approved by a vote of the taxpayers, Beck said. Given the cost of conducting an election and the near certainty that such a proposition would pass, the more economical route would be action by the board.
MCESD4 consists of 4,567 homesteads over which 1,936 belong to people age 65…
Read the full story at www.devinenewsmembers.com
In just a few short days, we are so happy to report that there have been mutliple families who have reached out to possibly adopt some of the children featured in the Heart Galleries around Devine, Natalia, and Lytle. If you would like to host a few Heart Gallery photos this JANUARY (which increases a child’s chances of adoption by 60% according to statistics), please reach out to The Devine News and let us know!
Also let us know if you would like to volunteer and help with this effort, moving the displays to different locations next month. Ask for Kayleen at The Devine News 830-665-2211 or come by and see us on Monday.
Local businesses, churches, organizations have made a huge impact already!
By Kayleen Holder
Huge THANK YOU to all of these churches, local businesses, and organizations for displaying photos of kiddos in the South Texas Heart Gallery for December! Y’all are the best!!! Already, we have seen a huge impact, with at least two local families starting the adoption process!
Please let me know if you are interested in displaying some of these photos of kids for adoption this January at your business!
Heart Gallery photos of children waiting for adoption are displayed at the following locations this December:
Brown Dodge
Chaparral Ford
Brown Chevy
Devine VFW
St John Bosco Catholic Church
First Baptist of Natalia
Black Creek Baptist Church
Lytle Methodist Church
City of Devine
Devine PD
Devine ISD Special Education Office
and to anyone else who wants to join in on this awesome effort to help kids find the loving homes that they deserve!!
Continue reading “Heart Gallery traveling around Devine, Lytle and Natalia…”
By Kayleen Holder
Editor
A simple definition of engineering is “the application of science and math to solve problems,” and that’s exactly what this group of bright, young engineers are doing, putting that definition into action.
Devine High School engineering students only stopped to take a quick photo while brainstorming ideas in class last Friday as they made plans on the best way to build a prosthetic leg for Pongo, a golden retriever who recently lost a leg.
Within just a few minutes, this team of up and coming leaders were already discussing ideas for inventing a better and more flexible prosthetic limb as opposed to what’s on the market already… creating something “that’s never been done before.”
This project may be starting small, with one lucky dog, but imagine the impact a development like this could have for others who rely on a prosthetic limb. Approximately 1.7 million people in the United States use a prosthetic limb.
As I watched this session, and listened to their ideas, I found the compassion and ambition of these young students to be very inspiring. They each contributed different thoughts and angles to consider.
An initiative by the U.S. Department of Education states “In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it’s more important than ever…
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Continue reading “Students brainstorm ideas for prosthetic limbs,starting with “Pongo””
