November 26th, 2025

by Michael Robinson

Hundreds gathered at tables Wednesday Morning, November 25th at the SSgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center for the annual Luv Ya Uvalde Thanksgiving meal. Doors opened at 10 AM but the serving of food started at 11:30PM for those at the Civic Center.

Volunteers prepared to-go boxes 1st to be delivered to home-bound recipients. Several public officials as well as candidates running for election/re-election volunteered at the event pouring drinks and helping serve food.

While a hungry crowd waited, drawings for door prizes were announced throughout the morning.

 

06-18-25

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

 For those who are looking for a little Jurassic perk today, the Dinosaur George exhibitis Free today at the Ssgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center. The exhibits consisting of various types of dinosaur skulls, bones and other ancient remains are displayed in a way to engage readers and not readers alike. George Blasing who goes by George is the owner of Dinosaur George touring exhibit. 

  Blasing was seen greeting parents with several kids and it was apparent that he lights up when he talks about dinosaurs.

 According to the Dinosaur George Website, it says, “”Blasing is a self-taught paleontologist and animal behaviorist with more than 40 years of study and research. Blasing is a  public speaker, author, and television host and writer who has performed live to over 4 million people and has lectured in over 4000 museums, schools and public events. He is the writer, co-creator and host of  JURASSIC FIGHT CLUB on the History Channel.”

 Blasing told the Hesperian he started working in a corporate office job and he quickly grew tired of the office environment and has a zeal for searching for dinosaur fossils. He said he would arrange flights over parts of Utah and other states in the southwest, looking for geological features of the land that could indicate the area would be a prime place to find dinosaur fossils. Once he found  who owned the land, he would ask permission to access the land and look for dinosaur remains. Most times, the landowners were interested in what he was doing and wanting to come along.

Some of the dinosaur skulls and bones were found in Texas and each exhibit has picturegraphic symbols such as the state flag the artifacts were found and a leaf symbol if the animal was a herbivore or a steak symbol if it ate meat.

Those attending the event can pick up hand-out sheets as an extra learning resource. 

There are some items for sale on display such as shark teeth and fossils that people can purchase. Blasing said he tries to have items that are affordable for everyone’s budget. 

He said the Dinosaur George touring exhibit might be the only museum type exhibit many children ever get to go to due to the cost of travel and admission fees. 

by Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

October 14th, 2024

Top Photo Left to Right: Uvalde City Manager Vince DiPiazza, Mayor Pro-Tem Everardo “Lalo” Zamora, 2nd Lieutenant Shaun Roach and Sergeant First Class Benjamin “Ben” Galluppi 

 Service men and women of the North Carolina National Guard answered a call to mobilize. 

According to Sergeant First Class Benjamin “Ben” Galluppi of the North Carolina National Guard,  their platoon arrived in Uvalde in September of 2023. He said part of their goal was to help the community heal.

“The hardest part of deployment is going to a place you have no family. Here we have the opportunity to get to know the people. I want people to be able to trust people again,” Galluppi said.

He continued saying, “Every single person in this room has made a difference to somebody.”

 During their stay in Uvalde, they performed over 1200 volunteer hours of Community Service work including food distribution and playground builds.  On Wednesday, October 2nd, the North Carolina National Guard platoon members joined Uvalde County City officials and members of the Tomas Valle American Legion Post 479 and community members gathered for a farewell dinner held at the Ssgt. Wille de Leon Civic Center for presentations and an exchange of keepsake souvenirs from Uvalde and North Carolina.

 Uvalde Mayor Pro-Tem Everardo “Lalo” Zamora joined City Manager Vince DiPiazza in presented 2nd Lieutenant Shaun Roach and Sergeant First Class Benjamin “Ben” Galluppi with the Making a Difference Award which included a plaque with the Key to the City for their service to Uvalde. According to Zamora this was the first Key to the City ever presented by the City.

 Local Retired U.S. Navy veteran Dolly Schultz and Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith worked closely with the North Carolina Platoon during their stay in Uvalde. 

“These young men and women have been instrumental in so many projects throughout the community, they immersed themselves wholeheartedly and became one of us. They will be greatly missed,” Schultz said.

 According to one of the North Carolina National Guard members, while Texas barbecued brisket was certainly a new favorite for many of them, he still preferred the North Carolina barbecue sauce.

 by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

After requests presented by Ssgt. Wille de Leon Civic Center Manager Gloria Resma to limit or eliminate all political signage, the Council voted to limit candidates to two 24 inch X 18 inch signs and one larger 4 foot X 8 foot sign on Civic Center Property.

As part of the approved motion, the larger 4 Ft. X 8 Ft. signs must be either secured by wooden stakes or mounted on a sled. Metal t-posts are prohibited.

Resma also asked that parking in front of the Civic Center be limited to only Civic Center staff but it did not appear the City Council took action on that request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture Credit: J. Anson Bills

Wednesday, June 19th, 2024

  Police were on the scene near the entrance of Memorial Park along the 300 Block of East Main Street Wednesday Morning about 10:30 AM where a woman was arrested. According to a witness report.
a rifle may have been involved.

Thursday, June 20th, 2024

  About 11:15 on Thursday Morning, Uvalde Police were reported to be in pursuit of a suspect near the Ssgt. Wille de Leon Civic Center. During a pursuit, the fleeing suspect allegedly threw a handgun away.  According to reports on the local police scanner, police were looking for the discarded weapon.

T  he Uvalde Hesperian is busy working on gathering more information on these two stories.

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Top Photo: L to R: Otto Arnim, Lisa Arnim, Karen McLaughlin, Paul “Wayne” Moss Jr. and Robert A. Moss.

 As of 9:30 AM, 27 voters came to vote at the Ssgt. Willie de Leon Civic Center to cast their respective ballots in either the Democratic or Republican Primary elections. As of 11:30 AM, the number of voters was recorded at 115.

The front lawn in front of the Civic Center was filled with political signs and some volunteers were seen holding candidates’ signs on the sidewalk parallel to East Main Street in front of the Civic Center.

Several candidates had pop-up tents and tables in the western parking lot where they and family members and supporters waited to talk to any interested voters.

Voters have to choose between voting  in the Republican Primary or Democratic Primary but not both.  Many local races including the Uvalde County Sheriffs Race, Uvalde County Constable Races, County Commissioners Races  and the County Attorney race are all on the Republican Primary Ballot only as no Democratic candidates are running.

Voters who traditionally vote Democratic may be surprised to find their ballots do not have many local races on them. By the time the General Election rolls around in November 2024 , many if not all of these races will have been decided during the Primary elections.

 

 

Press Release from Uvalde Memorial Hospital

Picture credit: https://www.mindycorporon.com/

 UVALDE, TX – Millions of Americans’ lives are impacted daily by mental health conditions.  Mental illness does not discriminate by age, race, religion, or socio-economic status.  It affects many people in communities across the globe, and communities must work together to create well-being and resilience and educate people regarding mental illness.  An educated community is a healthy community.

  Well-being and resilience are essential in preventing the onset of mental health problems and potentially lessening the severity of existing mental health problems.  Well-being and resilience are vital to developing efficient problem-solving skills, building and maintaining interpersonal relationships, and realistic goal setting, greatly enhancing an individual’s ability to perform and contribute meaningfully in daily life.  Resilience, which is directly related to well-being, is about coping with and adapting to new situations.  Having a sense of resilience and positive well-being enables a person to approach others and situations with confidence and optimism, which is especially important for people, given the enormous changes that occur after traumatic events.  

 To create well-being and resiliency and to educate the community on the importance of mental health issues, Uvalde Memorial Hospital’s Crossroads Behavioral Health program is hosting  The event will bring together mental health professionals, caregivers, parents, friends, and community members affected by mental or behavioral health.  This is an opportunity to explore the truth, discuss the reality, and move towards a healthier future as a community.  

The event will feature keynote speaker Mindy Corporon, Co-founder of Workplace Healing LLC and innovator of the Human Recovery Plan Software Platform.  Mindy was the CEO of a successful wealth management firm when tragedy struck.  Her father and oldest son were murdered by a white supremacist intent on killing Jews.  Her life purpose changed from guiding people financially to creating space for them to learn how to cope with grief and trauma to find joy again.  Mindy’s search for healing and resiliency has allowed her to emerge as a passionate advocate dedicated to advancing mental health awareness.  She is the author of “Healing a Shattered Soul” and presents at conferences worldwide.

The event will also feature breakout sessions on trauma in children and teens, understanding anger, faith-based healing, and building mental wellness in adolescents.  Professionals in each field will present on the topics and allow additional time for questions and answers in each session.

For more information on Healthy Minds Matter, contact Susan Rios at (830) 278- 6251 extension 1037.

For more information on local mental health services, contact Crossroads Behavioral Health at (830) 278- 8144.  An initial assessment is free, and all treatment is strictly confidential.

###

Uvalde Memorial Hospital
Founded in 1949, Uvalde Memorial Hospital is a critical access hospital that provides healthcare services for residents of Uvalde, Zavala, Kinney, Real, and Edwards Counties. Uvalde Memorial offers a wealth of medical services including: 24-hour emergency care, advanced radiology services including CT scanning and MRIs, outpatient lab, rehabilitation services including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, surgical services, patient education, and more. 

For additional information, please visit www.umhtx.org.

Uvalde Medical and Surgical Associates

Founded in 2008, Uvalde Medical and Surgical Associates is a physician group practice made up of a variety of specialty physicians. Physicians in the practice specialize in areas such as orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, general surgery, breast surgery, and cardiology. For additional information, please visit www.umhtx.org.