By Anton Riecher
A representative for the accounting firm handling the 2024-2025 outside audit of Medina County finances praised officials for exceeding the recommended fund reserve to protect against unexpected economic emergencies such as the 2020 COVID pandemic.
John Manning with Waco-based Pattillo, Brown & Hill told county commissioners at their Monday meeting that the county collected nearly $1.3 million more in revenue than the amount budgeted. Also, the county spent less than the budgeted amount.
“So, really, all in all, the reserves of the county are really good,” Manning said. “The budgetary controls are really good.”
According to the Government Finance Officers Association, government entities should hold enough in reserve to fund operations for up to three and half months. Medina County has enough for seven and a half months ($16.3M), exceeding that standard reserve, Manning said.
The reserve fund balance for 2024-2025 just cleared a $16 million threshold, making it a very good year for the county, he said. Medina County, has nearly $35 million in total assests.
Manning’s accounting firm categorized the audit as “unmodified,” the highest level of assurance that the company can offer.
“It means that we did not need to modify our opinion for anything the county was doing incorrectly,” Manning said.
The bulk of the county’s cash holding is held in investment pools such as TexPool, serving more than 2,750 communities as the largest and oldest local government investment pool in the state. Auditors are able to get independent confirmation for those balances, Manning said.
Likewise, confirmation of money collected in ad valorem taxes comes straight from state tax system, he said.
“It’s very easy to look at what was levied, what was paid and what was left,” Manning said. “There’s just not a lot of risk there on the balance sheet.”
In other business, the commissioners voted unanimously 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!
My Front Page
Lyssy lands parts in TV series, music video, and more coming soon
By Kayleen Holder
Editor, The Devine News
We are excited to share that hometown girl Carrie Lyssy, of Devine, is featured in a music video by fast-rising country star Ella Langley. This role is just the latest of several projects Lyssy has been featured in, beginning with the TV show 1923, a popular television series starring Harrison Ford.
She said stepping onto the movie set of 1923 was “a moment I’ll never forget.”
“Standing there, surrounded by lights, cameras, and the sheer scale of the production, I was already in awe. And then Harrison Ford walked onto set. That feeling hit all at once…In that moment, everything shifted. I realized I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was stepping into something new. I was hooked. From that point on, I made a…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!
Audrey Jane’s Light …Country Music Fest next Saturday April 18
Everybunny’s invited to come out and support this sweet girl in her battle. Above is Audrey Capps and her little brother Kenneth.
Join us for Audrey Jane’s Light Country Music Fest at the Devine Acres Farm on April 18, 2026 for a day of family fun and music! There will be lots of farm attractions, dinner, a silent auction, gun drawings, dancing, drinks, music and more! This event is a fundraiser to help find a cure for 8-year-old Audrey Capps, of Devine, and other children with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T).
This day of family fun will begin at 4 p.m. with a meet and greet with Paw Patrol and the Power Rangers! Children are encouraged to wear their costumes if they’d like. There will also be jumping pads, playgrounds, a silent auction and chicken fajita plates for sale from 5-8 p.m.
Live music will start at 6 p.m. featuring Chesney Friesenhahn, followed by Weston Ripps at 7 p.m. and close with Jeremy Richards Band at 8 p.m. until midnight.
A-T is a rare…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!
Crawfish boil & Cookoff, live music at Cookin’ for a Claus fundraiser event April 10-11
The event is being hosted in conjunction with the Love Mercy Charitable Fund first annual fundraiser called “Cookin’ for a Claus” which is hosting a barbeque cookoff on Friday evening and a crawfish boil sale on Saturday. Saturday event starts at 9:00 am with a vendor market.
The crawfish boil sale starts at noon until sold out. Live music starts at 12 noon Saturday featuring Keith Lutz at 12 noon, Matt Hawk at 2pm, DJ Reece all day, and from 8-12 midnight the Jeremy Richards Band.
A $5.00 donation gets you in to all events, Friday and Saturday…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!
Don and Irma Dunford….on living “the American Dream”
By Kayleen Holder
Editor, The Devine News
Five years…10 years…15 years…25 years…
30 years…40..50…60…65 years…
On a dance floor filled with married couples, surrounded by candlelight, the announcer called for couples to leave the dance floor as he called out the number of years they’ve been married. Toward the end, only 2 couples remained, their eyes filled with joyful tears as they recalled the last 65 years.
Don and Irma Dunford, of Devine, were 16 and 15 years old when they met, and it wasn’t long before they knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. They got married during Holy Week in 1961. This week, they sat down with us to share their whole story–from their humble beginnings, to the life and legacy that they have built over the past 65 years of marriage, one of the largest businesses in our area which is one of the biggest community supporters, Chaparral Ford.
“I think the thing that I like most about us–her and I– is we are basically proof that the American Dream really exists,” Dunford said. “We started with zero and we’ve done really, really well over the past 65 years.”
He later added, “I want younger folks to realize, they can do anything in their life that they want…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!
Last minute redesign necessary for courthouse renovation grant app
By Anton Riecher
The discovery in February of 1939 federal Works Progress Administration drawings of the Medina County Courthouse forced a rapid redesign of plans to renovate the historic building to meet a March grant application deadline, a spokesperson for the general contractor reported to county commissioners Monday.
Walter Wills, a project director for McKinstry Construction, licensed general contractor for the renovation, said the redesign was accomplished within a narrow two and a half week window for the Texas Historical Commission grant application.
“We’re excited about the update and we’re excited about the direction we…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!
HEADED TO STATE!!
The Devine FFA Applied Ag Engineering Team placed third out of 18 teams at Area contest. We had Quay Ortiz get first in their lay out. Brady Loeffler placed 6th Overall and Quay Ortiz got 11th Overall!! The team consists of Quay Ortiz, Brady Loeffler, Gage Allen, Marisa Sosa, Zachary Ortiz, and Alvin Mann. State contest will be held at Huntsville, Tx April 10th.
Warhorses … talk about the good ol’ days
Bigfoot Visits Ohio
A guy like me is hard to find.” -Bigfoot
I have family in Ohio. The last time I visited there the scariest thing I saw, besides a Pileated woodpecker the size of a housecat, was a feral family shaving their back hair before breakfast in a Bob Evans restaurant parking lot. Ohio is a fun place. And it seems that recently for some residents there, the volume of excitement has been turned way up. Apparently, Bigfoot has come to visit.
For those who don’t often ponder strange and mysterious happenings in the world and need a Bigfoot refresher, these particular cryptids are unverified creatures, sometimes referred to as Sasquatch, said to inhabit the fields and forests of North America and beyond.
Bigfoot is most often described as a large, muscular, bipedal human or ape-like creature covered in black, dark brown, or dark reddish hair, standing between six and nine feet in height. Bigfoot is often said to emit a foul dead animal or skunk-like odor. Allegedly authentic footprint casts have been made showing feet as large as 24 inches long and eight inches wide, hence the name Bigfoot.
Many indigenous cultures across North America have shared stories of mysterious giant hair-covered wild men. And as early as the 16th century, European explorers in the New World related tales of giant hairy beings prowling the forests. These stories and reported sightings continue today, most recently in Ohio.
Last month there were eight reported sightings across northeastern Ohio within just four days. All described black-haired or brown-haired creatures walking upright with long arms making “grunting” noises and looking for trouble.
The first sighting occurred near Mantua, a small village in northern Portage County near the Cuyahoga River, 25 miles northeast of Akron. An unidentified researcher for the MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) described seeing a nine-foot-tall male creature. He was hiking when he spotted the critter standing about 120 yards away. It appeared to know he was there. The man paused, and then calmly retreated back to his car to change his pants.
The next day, Mantua resident Dylan Obney reported seeing an eight-foot-tall brown creature about 11 p.m. While hiking a trail near the edge of the woods Obney heard heavy un-human like footsteps and deep vibrating grunts. He originally thought he was hearing a deer or another person walking. But he said the steps were slow, spaced out, and much heavier than a human would make. Obney noticed movement minutes later. About 50 yards from where he was standing, a tall figure stepped out from between two trees. He described the brute as seven to eight feet tall, with long arms dangling low at its sides, covered with dark brown hair. Obney said the creature walked upright and seemed aware of his presence.
“The craziest part was the sound it made, a deep grunt that echoed through the woods before it stepped back behind the trees and disappeared after that,” he said.
Two more intense sightings were reported to the Sheriff’s Department the next day in Garrettsville, Ohio. Jacob Taylor and his friend (who asked to remain anonymous) recounted their encounter while hiking Headwaters Trail. Just before noon, Taylor and his friend noticed movement in the trees approximately 30 feet ahead of them. Suddenly, they saw a giant figure covered in black hair standing and watching them. The duo froze and looked on in awe. They said the monster had broad shoulders and unusually long arms. It walked upright on two legs, and must have been heavy, because the ground shook slightly as it passed between the trees.
“We also noticed a strong, musky smell in the air. It turned its head toward us, let out a deep, grunt-like noise, and then quickly stepped back into the trees. We were both pretty shaken up and didn’t approach the area any closer. It all happened so quick,” Taylor’s companion said.
Garrettsville is in Portage County. Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski said they’d received reports from ten individuals in the area who had sighted the creature. Many reported smelling a musty odor before the animal scampered back into the woods.
Another incident occurred around 6 p.m. in the evening near the town of Windham. An elderly lady looking out her living room window saw something unusual running from the woods onto her neighbor’s property. She described a creature about six feet tall, completely brown, and moving with long strides.
“I know what I saw, but I don’t know what I saw,” the woman said.
Another encounter was reported the next day in Newton Township. In an emotional interview a man recounted that he’d let his German Shepherd out at 4 a.m. The dog immediately started “freaking out” and lunged towards some trees. In the commotion, the man described seeing a very large 9–10-foot shadow crashing away through the woods. When the man finally brought his dog inside, it was scared and shaking.
With all of these recent reported sightings in Ohio, Bigfoot enthusiasts have been flocking to the state. If you are so inclined and find yourself in the woods with a Bigfoot in sight, please grab your phone and take a picture. We would all love to see it…
Miller selected as EMS Division Chief of Medina County Fire/EMS
April 2, 2026–Press Release by Medina County Fire/EMS — Please join us in welcoming Vaughan Miller to Medina County Fire/EMS as our Division Chief of EMS
Chief Miller brings an exceptional depth of experience across the full spectrum of emergency medicine, leadership, and system development—exactly what a growing, ground-up organization and the community we serve need. With nearly three decades in prehospital medicine and critical care, Chief Miller has served as a flight nurse and paramedic, ICU/CCU registered nurse and preceptor, operations lieutenant, field supervisor, logistics manager, and tactical medic in some of the most progressive EMS systems in Texas.
Chief Miller holds an Associates and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He is a Registered Nurse, Texas Licensed Paramedic, and also holds a Texas Peace Officer Certification.
His advanced certifications reflect his commitment to clinical excellence, including:
Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)
Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)
Board-Certified Cardiovascular Registered Nurse (CVRN-BC)
ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC, TPATC, TCAR, and S.T.A.B.L.E. Provider
Chief Miller’s background uniquely bridges street-level EMS, hospital critical care, aviation medicine, logistics, and executive operations. He has led complex initiatives such as managing large-scale disaster logistics, and contributing to the implementation of the nation’s first prehospital whole blood administration program.
Just as importantly, Chief Miller is a proven educator and mentor, serving as a preceptor and instructor while fostering a culture of accountability, professionalism, and high performance.
As Division Chief of EMS, Chief Miller will oversee all EMS clinical operations for the department, guiding protocol development, quality improvement, and training. His experience ensures that Medina County Fire/EMS will grow with strong clinical governance, evidence-based medicine, operational efficiency, and a relentless focus on patient outcomes.
Welcome to Medina County Fire/EMS, Chief Miller. We are excited to have you leading the future of EMS for our organization and the citizens we proudly serve.