By Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

02-20-26

Wednesday afternoon, February 18th, a tractor trailer hauling produce was spotted along FM1049 about 3 miles north of Knippa as workers inspected and secured what appeared to be a trailer hauling heads of cabbage.

The spill appeared minor. A few days prior to this incident, a man was seen picking up some cauliflower dropped along FM1049 in the Knippa area.

Sometimes produce spills off of trucks coming from the fields. At times it could be just a few onions, bell peppers, cabbage or other produce. A few years ago, the Uvalde Hesperian’s editor was a few miles north of Knippa on FM1049 and a truck hauling bell peppers dropped several boxes on the highway.

After stopping to help the driver pick up the load, the Hesperian editor was rewarded with a big box of bell peppers.

Sometimes farmers will open a gate to their fields to glean from a pile of small onions too deemed too small for the market. While it is not advisable to assume an open gate to a field is an invitation to forage for fresh veggies, word does get around locally if you know who is in the know. Word of mouth sometimes equals food in mouth!

Not exactly a traditional farmer’s market but living in a farming area sometimes pays off.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

02-20-26

More information was received by the Uvalde Hesperian on the Monday morning February 16th accident involving a SPXINC tractor trailer and a Union Pacific train which occurred in Knippa.

Immediately following the accident, the Hesperian reached out to SPX, Union Pacific and Texas DPS for information on the incident.

  On the same day of the accident, the Hesperian received the following statement from Union Pacific: “At 9 a.m. CST today, a Union Pacific train collided with the backend of a semi trailer truck on the tracks in Knippa, Texas. Neither the train crew nor the driver of the truck was injured. The incident occurred near the intersection of E. Main St and FM1049. The Texas Highway Patrol responded,” Robynn Tysver Mgr. II Communications of Union Pacific Railroad said.

Also on Monday February 16th, SPXINC General Manager Mario C. Garcia responded to the Hesperian and said, “I appreciate the pictures and looks like traffic held us up and driver could not move forward anymore.”

  Texas Department of Public Safety Staff Sergeant Rene Cordova sent the following report on the accident to the Uvalde Hesperian earlier today, Friday, February 20th.

‘Synopsis: On February 16th, 2026, at approximately 8:45 am, a train collided with a truck-tractor towing a semi-trailer in Knippa, Texas.

  The truck-tractor trailer combo was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of US Highway 90 on FM 1049. The rear of the semi-trailer was on the railroad tracks as the truck-tractor was stopped. As the truck-tractor trailer combo was stopped waiting for a safe opportunity to attempt a right turn onto US 90, a train began approaching from the west.

  Due to the semi-trailer being on the railroad tracks and unable to travel forward, the train struck the semi-trailer in the right rear, causing the semi-trailer to strike a railroad crossing arm, knocking it down. After the collision, the train came to a stop on the railroad tracks and the truck-tractor trailer combo came to rest in the outside lane of the westbound lanes of US 90.’

Since the accident, Union Pacific railroad employees have been seen this week replacing the signal located at the crossing where the accident occurred. 

By Michael Robinson/Uvalde Hesperian

01-14-25

Image source: LinkedIn

  Knippa’s had a streetlight located on Main Street near the town’s post office that once shined some light but was shut off according to Uvalde County Officials.  

  AEP External Affairs manager Jimmy Ernest stated Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell reached out to him in 2025 to try to get it reconnected. Earnest said after the matter was researched, they found the County was not paying for the light. It was a Lion’s Club chapter that may not exist anymore.

Earnest, who spoke on the matter at the County Commissioners’ meeting, recommended the County add 15 new lights to Knippa. 

Earnest stated the electricity cost for the 15 lights would be less than $200 per month.

Commissioner Roy Kothman said, “I think it’s a safety issue for Knippa  (It is) a small price for the County to pay. ” Kothmann went on to say the area near the Uvalde Farmer’s Coop gas pumps along Highway 90 are a dangerous spot

  Uvalde County Auditor Alice Chapman jumped into the conversation and said her office handles the connections, “My problem is I don’t have the money.,” Uvalde County Auditor Alice Chapman said.

 Kothmann said the AEP will be providing the lights and changing the existing lights with LED’s

 Chapman had mentioned the county was paying $400 per month for trash cleanup in Knippa but since Keep Knippa Beautiful. a non–profit citizen service organization has been helping pick up the town’s trash, the county could likely free up some money for the lights there. 

 In the end, the County Commissioner’s voted to approve the new lighting for Knippa. 

In a phone conversation with Kothmann, he told the Hesperian that money for the lights would be found or tied to another budgeted item.

10-13-25
By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

A new non-profit civic group just recently formed that hopes to do a clean sweep of the small community of Knippa and keep the town looking beautiful and trash free.

The group is called Keep Knippa Beautiful and volunteers from the group mobilized last Saturday morning, October 10th on Avenue C located between the Knippa Volunteer Fire Department Station and the Uvalde County Farmer’s Coop.

Several Uvalde County officials were on hand for the cleanup effort, overseeing the many trucks and trailers filled with household trash as well as scrap metal and old furniture, appliances, and a variety of junk items.  A large tractor with the shovel was used to scoop up trash and junk as well as assist the many hands removing items from the bed of pickup trucks and trailers into two large collection bins.

Last weekend, the county held a similar clean-up event in Sabinal where residents there had a chance to get rid of trash and junk at no cost.

The following is posted on the group’s Facebook Page:
“To empower residents to take pride in our town by engaging in various initiatives to facilitate cleanliness, beautification, and community involvement”

By Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

Top Picture by Robinson

06-12-25

A line of severe thunderstorms that moved through the Uvalde County area late on Tuesday evening though early Wednesday morning resulting in extended power outages in Sabinal and Knippa. Uvalde County Emergency Management Coordinator Forrest Anderson said straight line winds between 60-80 miles an hour snapped electrical poles located on 187 South near Sabinal. Residents of Sabinal and Knippa lost power late Tuesday night and AEP did not have power restored until Wednesday evening after 5 PM.

Anderson also reported that the strong winds resulted in downed tree limbs causing some road closures with many having been addressed.

He went on to say there are still a few locations without power.

The Uvalde Hesperian observed electrical crews along Highway 90 between Uvalde and Knippa this morning working on power transmission lines.

01-29-25

Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

The Uvalde Hesperian obtained the Uvalde County Jail media booking report for Sunday, January 26th and on the report, a person by the name of David Reyes, 46 years old, of Knippa was arrested and charged with Abuse of a Corpse Without Legal Authority and booked into the Uvalde County Jail the same day as Luis Ortiz Jr., 19 years old, of Uvalde who was charged with Murder and Abuse of A Corpse Without Legal Authority,

The Uvalde County Sheriff’ Office announced on Friday that a body was found Friday, January 24th under the Frio River Bridge on Highway 9o in Knippa. The UCSO and the Texas Rangers conducted an investigation at the bridge location that Friday afternoon which continued into the evening,

The following day, on Saturday, January 25th, the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office set up a command post at a small trailer park just north of Knippa on Highway 1049. The UCSP was accompanied by Texas DPS Officer a trailer park just north of Knippa on FM 1049.

Officials have not been released the identity of the person whose body was found.

The Zavala County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook Page that it assisted in the arrest and investigation of this case, The Uvalde Hesperian called the ZCSO on Tuesday morning, January 28th asking what part the department played and left contact information for the Zavala County Sheriff but has not received a call or email response back yet.

What is also still not been made public is the condition of the body found and what the likely cause of death was attributed to.

01-28-28

Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

Top Photo by Robinson

At the Monday, January 27th Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting, Uvalde County Road Administrator Dee Kirkpatrick stated in his report to Commissioners a large pile of construction debris was found dumped near the Frio River Crossing on County Road 101 just north of Knippa.

It was suggested the area be patrolled by the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Department deputies on a regular basis.

When Kirkpatrick was asked by the Uvalde Hesperian for more details after the court adjourned, he said the construction debris dumped consisted of scrap wood and interior construction materials and had already been cleaned up. The Uvalde Hesperian visited the location earlier today and found a few scraps of wood where the illegally dumped material may have been.

01-26-25

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

The Uvalde County Commissioners Court is slated to meet on Monday, January 27, 2025, starting at 10 AM.  Commissioners Court will be held in the County Courtroom located on the first floor of the Courthouse

On the agenda, the Court will hear a report on the 2025 Budget for the Texas Hill Country River Region. 

Commissioners will also act upon reviewing a report on the Knippa Fire Truck and Park Improvement Projects as well as Knippa water lines and street improvement project.

See full agenda below:

See full agenda below: