By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

01-14-26

On November 25th, 2025 the publisher of the Uvalde Hesperian, Michael Robinson submitted a public records request to the City of Uvalde for the following: building permits applied for and granted to Speer Ag, LLC. located at 3333 East Main Street, Uvalde, Texas 78801 from 2024 to the present.

On Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025, an email was received from the City of Uvalde Director of Planning and Development Susan Anderson. In the email, Anderson said, “This project began in 2021 with a Commercial Meter Loop permit. No additional work was done until 2024. At that time the project manager and owner claimed that the building was outside of city limits. Apparently, at some point everyone was under the impression that the city limits were within 200 feet of the road. We did not require other permits due to that misunderstanding. However, our city inspectors inspected the pre-foundation work before the slab was poured and the interior of the building after it was erected as well as connections to City water. We waived the fees for plumbing permits because we are unable to provide sewer service in that location.

  This project was not handled in the manner I would prefer, but it has helped us to tighten up our permit process.”

  On January 9th, 2025, another email was received from Anderson with an attached official timeline for the building’s timeline for the project as well as the electrical permit.

“We have taken measures to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” Anderson said.

On Thursday, January 15th, 2025, a statement from Cline Speer of Speer Ag was received by the Uvalde Hesperian:

January 15, 2026
Mr. Robinson,
In response to your Open Information Request with the City of Uvalde pertaining to building permits for 3333 East Main St, we feel there are several inaccuracies in what that the City Provided.
The summary you received has dates and timelines that are mostly accurate. There are several other notations not pertaining to permits which are not. There was confusion with the city officials from the beginning as to which parts of the property were in the City Limits. Our contractor took all steps to comply with all City Codes and at their direction. There were even delays lasting weeks waiting on decisions from the city. This project took almost 18 months to complete. City officials have records and documentation of inspections and pictures of all phases of the project. This project was constructed to all codes, with all new material and modern building practices, to enhance the presence in Uvalde. This project was primarily built with local contractors and materials, which was a main goal of ours from the start.
Speer Ag comes from a family of 5 generations raised in Uvalde, we have always been committed to serving the Uvalde community and Agriculture Community in surrounding counties. This new storefront now supplies building supplies, housewares, plumbing, retail meat sales, livestock and pet feed, lawn and garden, and many more items. We are committed to ensuring this business will continue to grow and make Uvalde proud. This facility is proud to employee over 20 workers and give back to many local organizations.
Sincerely,
Cline Speer

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.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Picture by Robinson

01-10-25 

Are more deer moving into the City’s residential areas? If so? Why?

While driving along East Garden Street in Uvalde earlier today, I happened to spot a handsome buck with a decent rack of antlers standing near a house.  Having seen deer recently in other residential areas within the City, it prompted me to ask if the city’s deer population is on the rise?

Within the past few months, I have seen at least one dead deer on the bar ditch of U.S Highway 90 East and heard reports of vehicular accidents involving deer crossing Highway 90 East.

Possible causes might be the deer are looking for water and food and/or perhaps their natural habit areas just outside of town are disappearing due to land clearing and/or development.

See related article from the San Antonio Express News:

Deer, coyotes and caracaras stir San Antonio neighborhoods amid heat and drought

01-09-25

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  A couple of residents of the Uvalde Estates took to a community Facebook group recently to complain about smoke coming from burning brush at a property owned by Ligocky Farms. 

  An anonymous participant wrote, “The brush burning is irritating our sinuses/allergies so much! My kids and I can’t even play outside comfortably. They’re so congested and have watery eyes just from being outside for 30 minutes. Its even hard for them to breathe! Anyone else like this?”

  While Uvalde County Commissioners enacted a burn ban on November 10th, 2025, Uvalde County Administrative Assistant Helly Moncada informed the Uvalde Hesperian that Ligocky Farms was granted a burn permit by the County for Wednesday, Jan 7th through Friday, January 9th, 2026.

 The Uvalde Hesperian drove to the location just off U.SD Highway 83 South earlier today and saw a large pile of burning brush with two bulldozers near the burn which appeared to be in the process of clearing the property of brush. 

January 6th, 2026

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  Kinney County residents showed up en masse at Monday night’s, January 5th meeting of the Kinney County Water Conservation District’s Board meeting in Brackettville, Residents from Brackettville and Kinney County filled the building with about a dozen standing outside of the front door as the meeting commenced. 

  Several signed up to speak during public comments, with some speaking very passionately about the board’s possible actions tonight on the aquifer management changes. The Board is asking for recommendations from the District’s hydrologist on possible action tonight.

  The issue is complicated but during public comments, several speakers are concerned with the drying up of Los Moras Springs. One or two landowners have stated their wells are going dry. A few accused the board of possibly voting on personal ambitions and not representing the people in the county.

  One board member stated the state is in a Stage 5 drought. At stake are private property rights, available water for the population, and the health of wildlife.

  According to the District’s hydrologist, the main issue is defining the optimal future conditions of the aquifer.

Option 1: Non-relevance for joint planning purposes. According to Vince the board’s hydrologist, Uvalde is considering this.

Option 2: We develop an approach that aligns with the DFC or District Flow Control or Desired Future Conditions.

   “If we don’t act, the GMA decides for us,” one board member said.

Option 3: we come up with a new DFC with the new MAG.

   “We don’t have a lot of time,” Vince said, referring to option 3.

Option 4: “Hail Mary, “one board member said.

  The district is close to hitting a deadline to update its Groundwater Management Plan.

   “We don’t have a lot of time,” Vince said, referring to option 3.

    The district is close to hitting a deadline to update its Groundwater Management Plan.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

01-01-26

If you are reading this, you made it to 2026: a new year!

It is customary for many at the beginning of each new year to think about positive changes one can make on this day forward. Like the cliche says, “This is the first day of the rest of your life.”

Today, I’m going to share my New Year’s Resolution, or better called a New Year’s anthem which is: the Pursuit of Peace.

Taking back the peace in your life by putting a solid end to rage fueled content that is dumped into water in each of our life’s aquarium’s which we swim in and draw oxygen from. Each day, there is someone or something that is waiting to red-glass you, dumping cortisol, the fight or flight stress hormone into your bloodstream, making it hard to sleep, relax, lose weight and enjoy living. It is dopamine’s evil brother. 

Aside from sex, there is a huge economy that is built on keeping you torqued off. Why? Because it gets your attention and gets you buying stuff. Social media is filled with rage bait content and YouTube has tons of channels that show videos of the proverbial Karen’s causing chaos. (Sorry to people actually named Karen)

  I confess that I have my own addiction to watching videos where people flip out and lose their cool.  If you’re going to get screwed over, get it on video isn’t bad advice but like Cookie Crisp Cereal, I don’t have to make it my steady diet of watching this type of content.

Did you know that the English language has over 200 words describing some form of anger? From being peeved to being full on enraged, English has some word for it. Why? Because society from the Government, Media, Music, to headline news to social media is filled with it. Imagine if sex related and anger filled content were removed from social media, it would be gutted, we’d all be left with cute cat videos which wouldn’t be a bad thing!

 So how does one live a more peaceful life? Start by actively studying peace and intentionally surround yourself with peaceful content and say no to rage bait content and music and media that is driven by anger. 

 For example, make it a practice to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus.

“If you want to be peaceful. study peace,” Motivational speaker Jim Rohn said.

 Learn how to breathe. Take a big breath in and out. Fill your lungs with fresh oxygen each morning and throughout the day,

A major life truth I found is this: What you surround yourself with affects you.

  Deep clean your social media content: Start unsubscribing, unfollowing and unblocking from Facebook, Tik-Tok and Instagram channels that are built on rage and resentment. Stop sharing this content and start liking and subscribing to peaceful and uplifting content. Start following positive and encouraging content. Peace begins with you. Train your eyes to see the instigators, agitators and agent provocateurs in your life. Call them out and cut them out.

  As for news, stop subscribing from new sources that lead with the bleed, and follow new sources that offer objective and well thought out and balanced reporting. 

As for politics, stop letting the president, governor or some politician live in your head rent free.

Seek more dialogue and less debate. 

If you feel you need to act, do so calmly and deliberately without the emotional anger. Fight the good fight but be at peace doing so,

  As for the drama-mamas and anxiety filled people in your life. Set boundaries with people that push your buttons and draw you into their circuses of chaos and anger. Instead start changing your social circle and include more peaceful and loving people. 

  If you intentionally start doing these things, I have a sneaking suspicion your other goals will start becoming more attainable. You’ll find you’ll need less alcohol or comfort food.

Meet Mr. Glad in 2026

Life Changed when I met Mr. Glad by Dr, Gene Kim