02-23-26

By Michael Robinson| Uvalde Hesperian

Top Photo: Diana Olvedo-Karau; Uvalde Hesperian File Photo

Diana Olvedo-Karua spoke to the Uvalde County elected officials where she addressed issues that she claimed might not be illegal but are, in her opinion, unethical.

Karau addressed the county court during citizens’ comments portion of this morning’s meeting.

“A few years ago, County Commissioner Mariano Pargas moved from Precinct 2 to Precinct 1 and the argument from Judge Mitchell was that he already been elected and he’d finish out his term,” Karau said,

She added that a few more years passed, and the court decided, during required redistricting, the court decided to gerrymander, a little nook out of the east side of Uvalde so that Commissioner Pargas could continue to be in Precinct 2.

“Then a few years more…County Attorney John Dodson no longer lives in Uvalde County, but there’s loopholes, and he continues to be in that position though he no longer lives in this community and is not adequately serving the residents of Uvalde County,” she said.

Additionally, she pointed out that Uvalde County Commissioner John Yeackle filed to run for Uvalde County Judge in November 2025, the same month, Uvalde County Judge William “Bill” Mitchell was suspended. “There was no judge to fill that seat, she said.”

“This court has always argued that if someone is running for an election, it gives them an unfair advantage to remain on the court.” she said.

Karau went on to say Interim Judge Jerry Bates has the ability to appoint someone to fill the Precent 1 seat on the Uvalde County Commissioner’s Court held by Yeackle.

by Michael Robinson |Uvalde Hesperian

Top Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

02-22-26

  Many elected officials as well as local government entities and law enforcement officials and other agencies often post their respective “press releases” directly to their respective Facebook pages.

  Occasionally one of these will contact the Uvalde Hesperian and ask if their “press release” could be copied and pasted and run as an article on the Uvalde Hesperian news website?  As the publisher of the Uvalde Hesperian, the answer with some rare exceptions, will generally be “No”.

  Some government officials and politicians find it easier to bypass both traditional and digital news media and just share on their Facebook pages.

  While this is an option, for sure, Facebook is a for-profit quasi-government platform and a “press release” or “news release” becomes a newsletter article for followers or fans.

  The Uvalde Hesperian and other serious news outlets strive to publish original news content or news releases specifically for the press. You will see some of the latter published on the Uvalde Hesperian.

  If something is published on Facebook first, then every other news outlet is an afterthought. 

  As for individuals who contact the Uvalde Hesperian and say, ” I published something really good on my Facebook page, can you run it? Again, with a few exceptions, the answer is “No.”

  While in the past, The Hesperian has published complete content from Facebook, it will not anymore.

  Social media has made actual news reporting outlets work much harder to generate authentic news and also as a place for actual press releases meant for the press and the general public rather than affinity groups that follow said political and/or government entities.

  While Facebook pages do reach a lot of people, “news” shared only on specific Facebook pages, such news does not reach a wide audience.

  Many news reporting outlets view political/government or agency Facebook posts as a prompt to dig deeper and ask hard questions and expand the topic adding more information.

The public has access to more information than ever before, but curated news directly published to Facebook, X, or TikTok by government agencies and officials is news published with an official filter. 

It is and has always been the calling of news reporting outlets to dig deeper and ask, “What is really going on here?”

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.

February 11th, 2026

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  Texas Hill Country River Region Executive Director Kristi Gerdes presented the organization’s quarterly report Monday, February 9th and stated that 19-Mile Crossing located on Highway 55 continues to accumulate lots of trash. Gerdes stated the garbage includes old furniture and other household trash.

See Link to Video Here.

  Gerdes stated the organization and the county are looking into placing additional dumpsters to address the trash situation. 

  The THCRR is a Uvalde County Hotel Occupancy Tax collector and the organization uses the tax monies it collects to promote the Texas Hill Country and also funds River Cleanup efforts for the Frio River and the Nueces River.

  In a previous news report on 19-Mile Crossing, it was learned from THCRR officials that studies have indicated local county residents are the ones most likely to visit 19-Mile Crossing rather than out of town visitors.

THCRR reports 4X amount of money spent on cleaning up 19-Mile Crossing than the Frio River

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

02-06-26

An internal email from Uvalde CISD Chief of Communications and Human Capital Officer Anne Marie Espinoza which was sent to the District’s teachers and staff regarding the news of Superintendent Ashley Chohlis’ planned departure was leaked appearing on various Facebook pages earlier today.

In the email sent to the District’s Teachers and Staff,  Chohlis says, “I am writing to formally announce my resignation as Superintendent of Uvalde CISD effective April 7, 2026.

Upon learning the news about Chohlis’ resignation, the Uvalde Hesperian sent an email to Espinoza asking the following question

Shortly before noon today, the Uvalde Hesperian received the following Uvalde CISD press release from Espinoza along with a statement saying that parents had also been notified.

Superintendent Ashley Chohlis Announces Resignation

For Immediate Release

Uvalde, TX – Superintendent Ashley Chohlis has announced her resignation from Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD), effective April 7, 2026. After careful consideration, Superintendent Chohlis has decided to pursue new professional opportunities, marking the end of her tenure with UCISD.

During her time as Superintendent, Ashley Chohlis has been instrumental in leading the district toward significant achievements. Under her leadership, UCISD has seen a remarkable improvement in its financial stability, with the district’s fund balance now healthier. Academically, the district has progressed with the introduction of high-quality instructional materials and robust professional development programs for educators. The focus on data-driven instruction has set the trajectory to ensure that the academic needs of all learners are met effectively.

Superintendent Chohlis has also fostered strong community relations, strengthening partnerships that have expanded resources, including food distributions and a no-cost clinic. These initiatives have strengthened the bond between the district and the families it serves. Furthermore, improvements in data collection, analysis, reporting, and action planning have fostered an environment for student learning and growth.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the students, staff, and community of Uvalde,” said Chohlis. “None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the unwavering support and partnership of the brave individuals who bought into the mission for whom I am tremendously thankful. As I prepare to transition from this role, I remain hopeful for the district’s bright future and continued success.”

The district will initiate a search for a new Superintendent to continue the trajectory of excellence established under Ms. Chohlis’ leadership.

Respectfully,

Anne Marie Espinoza

Chief of Communications and Human Capital Officer

01-31-26

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Picture credit: Tony Gonzales for Congress: Direct mail piece received 01-31-26

  If you live in Uvalde County and plan on heading to your mailbox today or tomorrow, you will likely find slick card bulk mailers from either Tony Gonzales for Congress or Brandon Herrera for Congress.

In a mailer received by the Uvalde Hesperian from Tony Gonzales for Congress, the headline reads: “Fact Check= Brandon Herrera”

“From North Carolina, NOT Texas”; “Only registered to vote in Texas in late 2024″; NEVER SERVED in the military, just likes to dress up and pretend”; “Jokes about VETERAN’S SUICIDE”; and “Wants to do away with the VA”

According to research by the Uvalde Hesperian, The Brandon Herrera quote referenced by the Tony Gonzales for Congress mailer was from Herrera’s Podcast, the Unsubscribe Podcast.

In a YouTube video response video short, Herrera claims the quote, he claimed to have made the comment while ” at a “table full of veterans.” making a joke about a joke he was not making referring to it as “dark humor”.

As far as the photos with Brandon Herrera shown in military uniform with medals, there are no actual pictures or instances found where Herrera dressed up in military uniform with medals but rather sources say those pictures are photoshopped memes.

  A political ad campaign mailer from Brandon Herrera for Congress also was received on January 31st, 2026 by the Uvalde Hesperian.

The mailer reads: ” Tony Gonzales brought 85,000 UNVETTED AFGHAN MUSLIMS in the United States…And Americans paid the price.”

The mailer also lists the source material for the claims:

“The Trump intel office reveals DC terror suspect wasn’t vetted to enter the U.S., New York Post, November 28th, 2025“

“Tony Gonzales interview, KFOX14/CBS4 San Antonio, August 19th, 2021”

“U.S. House Roll Call Vote 218, on HR3985, July 22, 2021”

The U.S. House Roll Call Votes 219 on HR2985 or Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act of 2021 or the Allies Act of 2021 came just before the U.S. forces withdrawal from Afghanistan:

 According to a press release from U.S. Congressman Jason Crow from Colorado it states:

“The Afghan SIV Program was created in 2009 to provide safety for Afghan interpreters, contractors, and security personnel who worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan. The application process has been plagued by delays since the program was established and faces severe backlogs, with wait times routinely stretching for years. Since the Biden Administration announced its plans to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, Crow has called on the Administration to expedite this visa process, as Afghan SIV applicants and their families are increasingly under threat by the Taliban.

The ALLIES Act would increase the Afghan SIV cap by an additional 8,000 visas and remove burdensome application requirements that slow down the application process without impacting national security.”

According to a CBS News report it states,” Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, the 20-year-old West Virginia National Guard member who was shot and killed in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., is being remembered by former coworkers as energetic, funny and quick to laugh. “

“Beckstrom was one of two members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot in an ambush-style attack in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. The second victim, Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, underwent surgery on Wednesday and remains in critical condition. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is believed to have acted alone.”

In a related CBS News report, it states that the suspected shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwa had worked for the CIA in Afghanistan as a member of a partner force in Kandahar that ended in 2021 following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.