by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

11-26-24

At a public hearing following Uvalde County’s acceptance into the State of Texas Countywide Polling Program, Diana Olvedo-Karua spoke critically about the Uvalde County Elections Office failure to adequately inform registered voters of the change of two polling locations and how the Countywide Polling Program works.

“I was very surprised and very disappointed that the (polling) locations were announced right before the election,” Karau said.

Uvalde County Election Administrator Melissa Jones said, “There is a swath of people that made it to the Civic Center (to vote).”

Jones said that on election day, some of of the precinct polling locations within the County only had votes in the single digits

Rhonda Vigil blasted the Court calling the Countywide Polling Program illegal as it reveals how voters vote.

“Under the Constitution, this countywide voting is illegal at the State and Federal level,” Vigil said

She continued saying that many voters had no clue where to go and that the community does not know about Countywide voting.

Vigil continued making the claim that a non-citizen with a green card was allowed to vote with an ID.

Judge Mitchell informed Vigil she was then speaking off topic and her public speaking time was revoked. Vigil defiantly kept speaking saying, “This is my court.” Mitchell then summoned the court bailiff to remove Vigil from the Courtroom but Vigil sat down before the officer could approach her.

Jones countered Vigil’s claim citing the the non-citizen in question was provided a provisional ballot and that when the ballot board reviewed the provisional ballots, the non-citizens vote was rejected.

Uvalde County Commissioner John Yeackle disagreed with Karau and Vigil.”Countywide voting worked out perfectly. Where ever you showed up, you could vote,” he said.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Photo by Robinson

The Uvalde County Commissioners Court is scheduled to have its next meeting on Monday, March 11th, 2024 at 10:00AM on the third floor Commissioner’s Courtroom at the Uvalde County Courthouse. The Public is welcome to attend the meeting. A livestream video is available on YouTube on the Uvalde County Judge YouTube account.

Among the agenda items slated for Monday’s meeting include the following:

3. Consider and act upon Texas Hill Country River Region annual report and proposed budget
4. Consider and act upon accepting petition of Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department to create an emergency services district
5. Consider and act upon order authorizing sale of fireworks for San Jacinto Day

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian ; Photos by Robinson

Monday, January 22nd, 2023

 Robb School victim’s family members packed the Uvalde County Commissioners Courtroom this morning along with several television news stations and news outlets with video cameras lined up near the back of the third floor courtroom at the Uvalde County Courthouse. Several family members quoted Commissioner Mariano Pargas’ earlier words to the families where he asked they wait until the investigation and the final report on the Robb School Tragedy is released. 

  Pargas, who was the focus for many who spoke out demanding the County stop paying him to serve as a County Commissioner, was absent from today’s proceedings. Jessie Rizo and other blasted other elected Uvalde County law enforcement officials for seeking re-election in the upcoming primary elections. 

 A video news report will be published soon by the Uvalde Hesperian.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Livestream can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/@uvaldecountyjudge9535/streams

Agenda items include considering and acting on a preliminary plat of the “Haby X-ing” Subdivision, Border Region Radio Project Grant; TDA 2024 Home Delivered Meal Program; presentation of CDV Knippa Fire Truck and Park improvement grant and CFC Knippa waterline and Street improvement grant.

 Mariano Parga was absent from the first meeting of the Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court Monday November 16th after winning his reelection bid for his seat on Tuesday, November 8th.

  The following meeting of the Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court  saw a packed courtroom filled with media and family members of the Robb 21 Victims. Despite Pargas’ absence from the Commissioners Court meeting that morning, the several members of the public who spoke at the meeting delivered blistering criticism during the public comments portion of the meeting. Pargas was acting police chief of the City of Uvalde Police Department during the May 24th Robb School Massacre. Several who spoke called for Pargas to step down from his position on the Court. Upon new information about Pargas actions on May 24th, the Uvalde City Mayor Don McLaughlin vowed to terminate Lt. Pargas from the City’s police department by the end of the week. Yet before Mayor McLaughlin and the City Council could consider and act on Saturday, November 19th on Pargas’ termination, Mariano Pargas instead resigned from the Department.

  Pargas isn’t the only elected official surrounded by controversy from the Robb School Massacre. In an exclusive report by CNN on December 7th, it revealed that Nolasco had critical information about the school shooter that was not shared.  Even Prior to this news report of Nolasco, CNN Reporter  Shimon Prokupecz confronted Nolasco just before the start of last month’s November Commissioners Court meeting with a tense moment of questions where Nolasco appeared stoic as TV cameras and reporters surrounded the County Sheriff. 

  The Uvalde Hesperian has learned through social media posts, many of those critical of Pargas are likely to be present at this morning’s 10 am Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting. Whether Pargas and Nolasco will be present at today’s meeting remains to be seen.

The Uvalde County Commissioners Court considered several agenda items pertaining to the Robb School Massacre which occurred on Tuesday, May 24th, 2022. 

  Those items included a request by 38th District Attorney Christina Busbee to place an agenda item for the commissioner’s court to consider and act upon contact with Ecumenical Center for Education, Counseling and Health as a sub-grantee of the  Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant for the Uvalde Resiliency Center. 

  According to the Equal Justice USA website, “The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on October 12, 1984, establishing the Crime Victims’ Fund. Millions of dollars are deposited annually into the fund from criminal fines, penalties, forfeited bail bonds, and special assessments collected by the federal government. Crime Victims Fund dollars don’t come from taxpayers. They come from people or corporations convicted of federal crimes.”

  According to a statement provided to the court, the Ecumenical Center is the only nationally accredited center in Texas 

THE ECUMENICAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION, COUNSELING AND HEALTH would under the terms of the contract with Uvalde County would provide the following services:

”  As a Subcontractor in the Uvalde Together Resiliency Center, Victim Assistance Mass Casualty Response, Grant# 4577301, under the Office of the Texas Governor, Sub-Contractor will provide services as outlined below:

Services for Uvalde community members, to include evidence-based treatment modalities offered by culturally competent professional staff. Acceptable counseling formats include, but are not limited to, individual, group, family, trauma, grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, couple, and play therapy, except as otherwise provided here. Psychological testing, psychiatric evaluations, biofeedback, and telehealth services may also be provided. Counseling will utilize evidence-based modalities and techniques and will be faith-sensitive according to the clients’ beliefs and expectations. The number of sessions provided shall be determined by the treating professional and be dependent on the diagnosis, client progress, and treatment modality used, but sessions shall occur a minimum of once per month for each client.

Client eligibility must be verified by one of several means: Texas driver’s license showing address in Uvalde County, utility bill, or school record. Eligibility documentation will be kept in the client’s chart. Sub­Contractor owns the client’s record and will ensure the client intake paperwork and session documentation meets all the requirements of federal and state laws as well as Client’s standards.”

  Dr. John Holcomb who survived the November 5th, 2017 Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church massacre, spoke to the commissioners about the Ecumenical Center providing much needed counseling and support for him following the death of his wife Crystal at that church massacre. 

   Nicole Cody spoke on behalf of the St. Jude Ranch for Children  (SJRC-Texas ) about the new Community-Based Care approach adopted by the Texas State Legislature.  According to Cole, Texas legislators have changed the previous statewide approach to foster care to the community based care model. Under the new system children in the state foster care system would be kept within local regions of Texas as designated by the Texas Department of Families and Protective Services.  Funding for the new system changed from 100% state funding to 60% state funding / 40% through fundraising. 

  Cole stated under the new system, foster care would rely more on the community with children in foster care being placed closer to home.  “There are 3 foster homes in Uvalde County.” Cole said. 

   We need more foster homes in our area.” She said. 

   Cole explained that “The Long” located in Val Verde Texas was awarded a contract through the State Legislature and SJRC-Texas will switch from being a state based form to community-based.

  Cole went on to say she was asking the County for a place where safe visits for children could take place. 

  According to the SJRC-Texas website it states: ” SJRC Texas, formerly known as St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, cares for children and families who have been affected by trauma, abuse and neglect, and have been removed from their homes by the Department of Family and Protective Services. We are their safe haven and offer help and hope to begin the journey of healing. Our Mission is to offer healing and hope to children and families affected by abuse, abandonment or neglect. Our Vision is that abused and neglected children will be empowered to grow up to be happy, productive and caring adults.”

                                                                             Department of Families and Protective Services website provides the following overview of Community-Based Care:

  “Community-Based Care (CBC) is a new way to provide services than traditional foster care because it gives local communities the flexibility to draw on local strengths and resources and find innovative ways to meet the unique and individual needs of children and their families. CBC includes many of the services that Child Protective Services (CPS) normally provides. This includes foster care, case management, kinship, and reunification services.

A single contractor in each designated geographic area creates a network of services, foster homes, and other living arrangements and, when ready, provides case management for each child as well. CPS works with each contractor (Single Source Continuum Contractor or SSCC) to carefully manage the transition from traditional foster care to community care so that children are not affected negatively:”

   Uvalde County Fairplex Director Wendy Speer announced to the Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court the county was awarded a Walmart Community Grant totalling $4,500. 

   According to information about the Walmart Community Grants program on the Walmart.org website, it states: 

  “Our local community grants are awarded through an open application process and provide funding directly from Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities to local organizations in the U.S.”

   Additionally, the website  states “The Local Community grants range from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $5,000 and Eligible nonprofit organizations must operate on the local level (or be an affiliate/chapter of a larger organization that operates locally) and directly benefit the service area of the facility from which they are requesting funding.”

  Those organizations eligible to receive the Walmart Community Grant can be “a recognized government entity: state, county or city agency, including law enforcement or fire departments, that are requesting funds exclusively for public purposes and CyberGrants FrontDoor verified.: according to the Walmart Community Grant website.”

  According to Speer, the $4,500 awarded. $2000 came from the Walmart store based in Uvalde with additional $500 amounts from Walmart stores located in Del Rio, Hondo, Laredo, and the Bob Bullock and Highway 83 South Walmart stores.