04-12-26

  Commentary by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

  Hearing the news of Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell passing on Friday of this past week, a part of my world stopped for a moment — like the day it was announced that Rush Limbaugh had died. I saw the Facebook post by Gat Mitchell saying his dad had passed earlier that morning at 9:25 a.m.

  I realized one of the pillars of Uvalde County was gone.

  When my wife Julie and I moved to Uvalde County almost twenty years ago, Bill Mitchell wasn’t someone I immediately got to know. Having worked in print advertising sales, I wasn’t yet orbiting Judge William “Bill” Mitchell. Yet even living just outside the city of Uvalde, working in town, and being a member of the Rotary Club of Uvalde, I met him and heard him speak as a guest at our club meetings and at Uvalde Area Chamber of Commerce banquets.

  Years later that changed when I started the Uvalde Hesperian over four years ago. Taking on the mission of reporting local news, I regularly attended Uvalde County Commissioners Court meetings, with Mitchell presiding. Those meetings were held Mondays at 10 a.m., twice a month, in the third-floor courtroom of the Uvalde County Courthouse.

  Locally in any Texas county, a county judge holds the most powerful political office someone can have.

Looking back, I’ve likely written hundreds of news articles about Bill Mitchell. Personally, I didn’t agree with all of his decisions as County Judge.

  But I can say this without hesitation: Bill Mitchell loved Uvalde. When I had a news question, I could stop by his office at the courthouse and see him. He always returned my calls and texts. On a few occasions he’d text me, “This is Bill Mitchell. Do you have a couple of minutes to come by the courthouse today?”

  When I saw his name pop up in a text, I felt like a junior-high kid called to the principal’s office. I’d wonder, “What did I do or write that got the County Judge’s attention?” But as soon as I stepped into his corner office, that anxiousness disappeared. Judge Mitchell usually just had a point or perspective on a news item he wanted to share. The meetings quickly turned into cordial, back-and-forth conversations. 

  In the aftermath of the May 24th Robb School tragedy, Mitchell was one of the first people I interviewed on camera.

  He signed a proclamation designating a particular day as official STEM Day ahead of one of the four educational expos I organized at the El Progreso Memorial Library.

Person to person, he wasn’t the often-intimidating figure sitting on the county commissioner’s dais. We’d always share a laugh at the end and a warm handshake.

  Many people may not know that Bill Mitchell started and ran his own local newspaper for a year or two back in the 1970s right here in Uvalde.

  Mitchell was always dressed to the nines. He probably knew John T. Molloy’s Dress for Success by heart.

  Bill Mitchell had huge supporters and detractors. He was a controversial figure for sure — an enigma to me as well. His political savvy was unparalleled. Politically, he was a formidable force.

 I found Mitchell to be neither a saint nor a villain, but a complicated man who wasn’t afraid to lead our county through many huge challenges. He was quick to celebrate with us when something good happened, and he stood with the people in the dark times.

Rest in peace, Bill.

by Michael Robinson| Uvalde Hesperian

Photo used with permission.

04-07-26

During the overnight hours of Sunday, April 5th and Monday, April 6th roughly around Midnight, two residents, both living within a half mile of a location about 7 miles North along Highway 55, reported hearing multiple explosions. One of the residents independently stated that several explosions occurred.

Both spoke with by the Uvalde Hesperian and shared their respective independent accounts which verified hearing up to 5 explosions. Both residents wished to remain anonymous.

The Uvalde Hesperian reached out to Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco for a statement early this morning about 9 AM but has not received a response.

The Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department shared the following post on its Facebook Page:

by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

04-02-26

 The Uvalde Hesperian reached out to Interim Uvalde County Judge Jerry Bates via email asking the following question:

It was reported recently that you have made the decision to not replace John Yeackle as Uvalde County Commissioner as he is currently running in the U.C. Republican Party run-off for Uvalde County Judge.

My news question to you is: Have you consulted with Uvalde County Attorney John Dodson on the legality of this decision and if so, is he on record approving your decision?”

Bates responded to the question and issued the following statement:

“Contact was made with the County Attorney John Dodson before decision was made.  County Attorney Dodson responded as follows; Commissioner Yeackle is considered a holdover official until either a replacement appointment is made by the County Judge or until his successor has been duly qualified.    There is no mandatory duty on the Judge to appoint a successor.  As a holdover he is required to continue his duties as a commissioner with pay.”

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

03-24-26

   If you’ve ever driven in a rural part of Texas and stopped at an old gas station back in the day and asked the manager on duty for directions to a location and have been told. “go straight for two miles and turn left at the intersection where the old dance hall used to be,” this little story might be a good segway into a topic that has a real basis in reality here in Uvalde County. 

  The Uvalde Hesperian recently spoke with Uvalde County Commissioner Roy Kothmann after the Monday, March 23rd, Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting. Hesperian asked, when has the Uvalde County road map been officially updated. He stated the last time a group was appointed to review all county roads was maybe 26 years ago and they designate roads based on input from citizens.

Why it matters:

  While Kothmann went on to say the county isn’t actively paving new county roads, over time existing county roads become shorter as sections of public roadway are abandoned by the county and turned over to private property owners who petition the County to abandon parts or all of a county road. 

   This happens when a landowner buys land on both sides of an existing county road and effectively surrounds the public road with land owned by one private owner. 

  Such an occurrence was made official at Monday’s Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting where the court voted to abandon one entire county road and a portion of another. 

 This happened in 2025 with another county road. In both instances, a private gate is placed over the once public road creating a dead-end not reflected on the official Uvalde County map. Additionally, Google maps and other maps may not get the memo either and show a road on map that appears to be one or two miles in length when in reality the road dead-ends much sooner,

 With parcels of land being bought and sold over the years, county road sections that are abandoned continue to create a greater level of inaccuracy with road maps.

03-23-26

By Michael Robinson

  The Uvalde County Commissioners Court meets two times a month on the second and fourth Monday of the month. At this morning’s meeting, the chair reserved for the Uvalde County Attorney was empty. At the meeting two weeks ago, the Uvalde County Attorney’s chair was empty.

When was the last time John Dodson was present?

Where’s Waldo? Where’s John Dodson?

by Michael Robinson| Uvalde Hesperian

Top image credit: Google Map

03-22-26

A landowner is requesting Uvalde County abandon a portion of CR379 and CR380 in its entirety.  Marshall S. McCrea, Ill and Castle Rock Ranch, LP claim to own private property on both sides of these two public roads and currently has a fence over CR 379 which connects to CR380. Also included in the agenda packet is a picture of a sign posted near the entrance of CR 329. The property and two county roads up for consideration are located between 3-5 miles southeast of Utopia.

The item is Number 7 on Monday’s March 23rd Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting scheduled for 10AM in the 3rd floor Uvalde County Uvalde County Courtroom.

In the motion submitted to Uvalde County, is says, “Over 15 years ago McCrea followed the statutory process to abandon County Road 379 and County Road 380 just east of where they connect in Uvalde County as shown on Exhibit ·B”. The County records still show that such abandonment is not represented on County maps. McCrea owns the real property on both sides of the portion of County Road 379 and County Road 380 further described in Exhibit “A”. McCrea is once again requesting the County to abandon Country Road 79 and County Road 380 at McCrea property line.

McCrea erected a gate located on the McCrea property line and has been locked for over 15 years. By this Motion, McCrea asks the Commissioners’ Court to abandon the portion of County Road 379 described in Exhibit “A” and abandon County Road 380 in its entirety, described in Exhibit “A” attached hereto.

Also, the motion states, “Uvalde County records indicate that County Road 3 79 and County Road 380 both “dead end” and do not connect with any other existing County maintained road. ”

Uvalde Hesperian questions: According to the motion included in the Uvalde County agenda packet pertaining to this item, it states the owner stated a statutory process to abandon CR 379 and 380 and the property owners placed a gate over the county road. While the county maintains the roads as county property for 15 years, the public has not had access to the county roads beyond the gate. Why hasn’t the county acted sooner?

What is the total combined length of two county roads that the property owner wants the County to abandon? What is the valuation of the roadway to be abandoned?

A rainy afternoon couldn’t dampen the energy in downtown Sabinal on March 7, as the grand opening celebration for Rustic Charm by The Ranch Wife brought together local businesses, musicians, and community members. During a live broadcast from the event, Robert Miguel of Uvalde Radio welcomed a surprise guest to the microphone—Sabinal native and rising musician Kay O’Neill.

A Hometown Musician on the Rise

Balancing Music and College

New Music on the Way

Supporting a New Local Business

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

Thursday, March 12th, 2026

    On December 7th, a $756,348.69  Uvalde County awarded to DKM Enterprises LLC a contract to build seven low-water crossings on tributaries of the Leona River.

CR 428 is one of the seven low water crossings that is included. In order to construct the low water crossing, it was stated by Uvalde County Appraisal District Grant Writer Carl Esser that temporary access to adjacent private property be acquired.

  At the Monday, March 9th, Uvalde County Commissioners Court meeting, agenda item #13 was approved by Uvalde County which is a contractual agreement for temporary access of a strip of privately owned land referred to as Williams Ranch (5W), a Series of J & C Williams Investments LLC.

   County Road 428 located in the Deer Valley area north of Uvalde, CR 428 is one of the Leona low water crossings awarded to DKM Enterprises in December 2025. DKM will begin work within the next few months. According to County Commissioner Ronald “Ronnie” Garza, there are a number of residents who use that road as well as school buses.

  The County approved the terms of the contract for temporary access which will cost the county $500 a week for a maximum of five weeks. 

  According to Uvalde County Grant Writer Carl Esser, who presented the agenda item to the Court he said, “It will require a temporary bypass road (484 linear feet in length) to allow both incoming and outgoing traffic.” 

  Other considerations include a strand fence and a 14-foot gate on the north side of the bypass road to be installed by a private contractor. Esser stated a quote from Kimball fabricating to build the fence is estimated at $3,800.  According to Esser, the fencing is needed to keep livestock from venturing onto the Wright County Road.

  He went on to say limestone base will be laid down for the bypass road and at the end of the day, the limestone base material will be retained by the private property owner.

 Carl Esser responded to a public records request submitted to Uvalde County by the Uvalde Hesperian with additional details bypass roadway including the width of the road as well as the amount of Limestone base to be used and its cost:

Breakdown of Costs for Temporary Access Agreement

1. $500/week for maximum of 5 weeks                       $2,500.00
2. Fence and Gate Cost estimate:                                    $3,500.00
3. Temporary bypass road cost of materials:
4. Total estimated cost of materials                               $1,834.00

       Total costs for Temporary Access Agreement           $7,834.00