PHOTO ID (left – right): SWTX President Dr. Hector Gonzales, SWTX Board Member Victor Lopez, Dimmit County Judge Martha Ponce, SWTX Board of Trustees President Dr. Harry Watkins, La Salle County Judge Leodoro Martinez III, SWTX Board Member Maria Elena Lara, SWTX Board of Trustees Secretary, Tony Moreno, SWTX Board Member Anita Shackelford

Press release from Southwest Texas College

05-26-26

  (Uvalde, Texas) Southwest Texas College’s Board of Trustees took a historic step this week by accepting the institution’s first-ever annexation petitions from both La Salle and Dimmit Counties, making it the first time two counties have simultaneously sought to join the college district.

  “This proposal is about people, neighbors, and shared opportunity. Dimmit and La Salle counties are strong, hardworking communities with deep roots and a clear vision for their future,” said SWTX President Hector Gonzales. “At Southwest Texas College, we believe every resident—whether a recent high school graduate, a working adult, or someone seeking a fresh start—deserves access to affordable, high-quality education close to home.”

Strong Community Support

  Both counties surpassed the rigorous requirement of obtaining signatures from at least five percent of registered voters. La Salle County Judge Leodoro Martinez III led the petition effort for La Salle County, which has a population of 6,664 and is headquartered in Cotulla. Dimmit County, with approximately 8,615 residents and its county seat in Carrizo Springs, also demonstrated strong support for joining the SWTX district, with support from county judge Martha Ponce, Carrizo Springs ISD Superintendent Rose Pearson and the city of Carrizo Springs.

  “By coming together as one district, we can expand opportunities in high-demand fields that directly support our local workforce — programs like welding, construction science, HVAC, commercial truck driving, and powerline technology,” said SWTX President Hector Gonzales. “These are careers that keep our infrastructure running, support local industry, and provide families with good-paying, sustainable livelihoods.”

Hearings and Election

  Following the board’s unanimous approval to accept both petitions, public hearings have been scheduled under Section 130.065 of the Texas Education Code. La Salle County residents will have their hearing on July 7 at 6 p.m. at the La Salle County Courthouse in Cotulla, while Dimmit County’s hearing is set for July 9 at 6 p.m. at the Dimmit County Courthouse. Following the hearings and publication of formal annexation plans, the matter is expected to go before voters in the November general election.

Educational Impact

  Southwest Texas College currently serves students across 11 counties in Southwest Texas through campuses in Uvalde, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Crystal City, Hondo and Pearsall. The potential addition of La Salle and Dimmit Counties would expand access to technical, workforce training, degree opportunities and educational resources for thousands of additional residents in neighboring communities.

  “Our goal is to listen, partner, and invest in Dimmit and La Salle counties so that education becomes a true engine of growth, workforce development, and community pride — helping ensure that local talent can learn, work, and succeed right here at home,” Gonzales said.

About Southwest Texas College
  Southwest Texas College is a regional, “open door” institution serving an 11-county area that stretches from the Texas Hill Country to the US-Mexican border. Since 1946 SWTX has provided accessible, affordable, high-quality education that prepares students to successfully transfer to senior colleges and universities; enter the job market; pursue their professional and personal goals; and contribute to the economic growth of the region. The college’s mission is to enrich lives and advance growth through the education of our diverse communities.

  To learn more about SWTX, visit swtxc.edu. For more information on this story, contact Ismael Martinez, SWTX Social Media/Public Relations Specialist at 830-591-2942 or imartinez@swtxc.edu.

Press Release by Southwest Texas College

  PHOTO ID: Mia Castro of Uvalde at one of the five ceremonies, which were held at the Uvalde County Fairplex Arena on May 8 and 9.

05-20-26                                                                                                                                                             5/20/26

(Uvalde, Texas) Southwest Texas College (SWTX) marked its 79th commencement with ceremonies in Uvalde on May 8 and 9, celebrating graduates from dual credit, liberal arts, and applied sciences programs. According to SWTX Registrar Steve Martinez, 1,126 of the 1,363 graduates took part in the spring 2026 ceremonies, joined by family, faculty, and staff in recognition of the achievement. LIST OF GRADUATES

  Ceremony highlights

  The ceremonies featured remarks centered on perseverance, preparation and opportunity, with Vice President of Academic Affairs April Ruhmann telling graduates their success was “the beginning” of new accomplishments. Families, faculty, staff and school district partners were thanked for helping students reach graduation day. PHOTOS

  Academic honors

  The ceremonies recognized graduates earning honors such as summa cum laude, magna cum laude and Phi Theta Kappa distinction. College leaders also noted the role of dual credit and early college partnerships in helping students earn college credit while still in high school.

 Program details

  The commencement schedule included two dual credit early college high school ceremonies, a liberal arts ceremony and two applied sciences ceremonies. Officials from Southwest Texas College, including board members and administrators, participated in the ceremonies and conferred degrees and diplomas. The ceremonies were streamed on the college’s official YouTube channel.

  Graduates can purchase their photos by using the link below.

GRADUATION PHOTOS

About Southwest Texas College
Southwest Texas College is a regional, “open door” institution serving an 11-county area that stretches from the Texas Hill Country to the US-Mexican border. Since 1946 SWTX has provided accessible, affordable, high-quality education that prepares students to successfully transfer to senior colleges and universities; enter the job market; pursue their professional and personal goals; and contribute to the economic growth of the region. The college’s mission is to enrich lives and advance growth through the education of our diverse communities.

   To learn more about SWTX, visit swtxc.edu. For more information on this story, contact Ismael Martinez, SWTX Social Media/Public Relations Specialist at 830-591-2942 or imartinez@swtxc.edu.

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

05-20-26

With Memorial Day weekend just a few days away marking the start of the summer travel season, local gasoline prices have skyrocketed to over $4 per gallon at most stations around Uvalde.

According to Gasbuddy.com report on gasoline prices right now in Uvalde, the cheapest price per gallon of Regular Unleaded can be found at Stripes located on West Main Street at $3.82 per gallon with Murphy USA, Partners Food Mart and Tex Best posting the highest price per gallon at $4.19 per gallon for Regular Unleaded.

According to  AAA Fuel Prices today’s National Gas Price average is reported at  $4.53 per gallon for Regular Unleaded compared to the Uvalde County average price registering at $4.00 per gallon.

“The national average is up 45.2 cents from a month ago and is $1.33 per gallon higher than a year ago,” a report by Gasbuddy.com’s blog said.

Gasbuddy.com also reported the following, “Oil markets continued their upward march over the past week as geopolitical tensions and uncertainty surrounding U.S.-Iran negotiations kept traders focused on the growing risk of supply disruptions. While hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough had briefly pressured prices lower in prior weeks, optimism faded as talks appeared to stall again, reinforcing concerns that tensions could persist or escalate further. Continued unease surrounding shipping flows and export infrastructure has helped rebuild a sizable geopolitical risk premium into crude prices.”

Press release from the City of Uvalde

Top Picture by Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

05-17-26

By Michael Robinson | Uvalde Hesperian

05-13-26

On Tuesday May 12th, 2026, the Uvalde Hesperian published an article about the City’s February 24th official announcement on the sale of City owned land to Amazon.

  Just to clear something up — the story was never about keeping the deal confidential during negotiations. That part is normal, and NDAs make sense while they’re still trying to close the deal.

  What the article focused on was the public announcement after the City Council voted to approve the sale on Feb. 24.

At that point, Amazon dictated a very short scripted statement for the mayor to read, told the city to direct all questions to their PR team, and even reminded everyone about the NDA for public records.

  Residents basically got short  vague sentence and nothing else on jobs, timeline, traffic, or any other impacts.

That’s the part a lot of people in Uvalde are wondering about

By Michael Robinson: Uvalde Hesperian

The Uvalde Hesperian submitted a revised public records request to the City of Uvalde on March 24th asking for all city emails pertaining to the Amazon land deal pending with City within 5 days of the announcement on February 24th, 2026

05-12-26

UVALDE — When the City of Uvalde prepared to vote on selling 12.7 acres near the airport to Amazon.com Services LLC in February 2026, Uvalde City Manager Joe A. Cárdenas reached out to the company with a heads-up.

In an email dated Feb. 17, 2026, Cárdenas told Amazon representatives that council members would face lots of questions from local media once the deal became public.

“Our local media will be asking a million questions about you all coming to Uvalde,” he wrote. “Any plans on making a public (joint) announcement?”

Amazon’s response was clear: keep the public record minimal.

On February 18th, Jessica Breaux, Amazon’s senior manager of economic development, replied.

“Hi Joe-
Yes, I am tracking the Council action needed in next week’s meeting. For the Council meeting, our preference would be to share as little detail as possible and our PR team suggests something like, “We are working with Amazon to develop a new facility to support customer delivery in Uvalde. The company will share additional details about their plans when they can. For any immediate questions, please reach out to amazon-Rr@amazon.com.” Any inquiries to that email address will go straight to our PR team so they can manage any questions until we’re able to complete the land transaction. ”

City of Uvalde Mayor Hector Luevano announced the deal after the council reconvened from executive session at the Tuesday, February 24th Uvalde City Council Meeting,

In an email sent to the City on Feb. 18, Breaux, Amazon’s senior manager of economic development, replied that the company had “no objection” to the council’s proposed resolution language. She added:

The resolution itself was stripped-down and procedural. It authorized the sale of “12.6983 acres on Howard Langford Drive to Amazon.com Services LLC in accordance with the terms of the Purchase and Sale Contract” and gave Mayor Hector Luevano authority to sign the deed and closing documents. No mention of jobs, investment amounts, or project details was included.

The emails, obtained through a public-records request and labeled “Responsive Info – Amazon_Redacted 1.pdf,” show the city moving quickly to close the $552,745.91 land sale. Lawyers exchanged multiple drafts of the purchase-and-sale agreement, slip-sheeted signature pages, and coordinated title-policy wording so the city could avoid asking the mayor to re-sign.

Amazon internally referred to the project as “Project Chase.” The company also reminded city officials of nondisclosure agreement provisions concerning public-records requests and asked to be notified of any FOIA inquiries.

City officials accommodated the request without apparent pushback. The council was scheduled to consider the resolution in open session the week of Feb. 24–27, 2026.

On February 25th, the Uvalde Hesperian emailed Amazon.com asking the following questions:

Dear Amazon PR Team,

I’m Michael Robinson, the publisher of the Uvalde Hesperian, a local
media company covering the recent Uvalde City Council vote to sell 12.68
acres on Howard Langford Drive for your proposed delivery facility near
Garner Field Airport.

The announcement has generated real excitement here, but residents
want more than headlines—especially around jobs, timeline, and impacts.

1. How many positions will this station create (full-time, part-time,
seasonal)? Any breakdown by role?
2. When do you expect construction to begin, and when will it be
operational?
3. How much of the facility’s operations will use robotics or AI—and
will that reduce human staffing over time?
4. What made this site ideal—land cost, incentives, highway access? Were
there tax breaks or grants?
5. Has Amazon completed traffic, noise, or environmental studies? What’s
the plan for truck volume and air quality?
6. Is this a standalone hub, or could it expand (e.g., drone operations,
air cargo)?

Later that same day, the Uvalde Hesperian received the following statement from Daniel Martin, Amazon Spokesperson: ““We’re exploring the development of a new facility to support faster customer delivery in Uvalde. Additional steps remain but we appreciate the great working relationship we have with local officials and will share more information as it becomes available.”

Top photo credit: GROK AI

By: Stan Popovich

05-12-25

Do you struggle with being alone? Persistent loneliness can heighten depressive symptoms, amplify anxiety in social situations, and reinforce negative thoughts about self-worth and belonging. However there are ways to deal with being alone.

Here are some ways on how you can overcome loneliness in your life.

1. Find enjoyable activities: Joining a hobby or group activity you like can be a fun way to spend your time. Doing something you enjoy while being around others can help lift your mood and give you a chance to meet new people.
2. Spend time with a pet: Animals can be wonderful companions. You might volunteer at a local shelter or consider adopting a pet. Spending time with an animal you love can help reduce feelings of loneliness and bring comfort.
3. Help others: There are many people who could benefit from your time and talents. Assisting others can give you a sense of pride and accomplishment and help you to not focus on your loneliness. You can also meet people with similar interests.
4. Take things slowly: It might feel overwhelming to start opening up to people. You don’t need to rush into anything. To start small, try and make conversations with people in your day-to-day life. Go at your own pace when developing friendships with others.
5. Do some personal reflection: Connecting with your higher power, reflecting on your values, or finding sources of personal meaning can help reduce loneliness and ease the fear of the future.
6. Stay active: Sitting and doing nothing will not make things any better whether it is dealing with the fear of being alone or something else. Take it one day at a time and make the effort to be active with others in your community.
7. Create a routine: Create a daily or weekly schedule that includes activities you enjoy, as well as tasks that need to be done. Manage your social interactions by going to the same places at the same time. You might start to recognize people in these places, which may lead to forming connections.
8. Focus on quality relationships: Building a few meaningful relationships can be more rewarding than having a large, superficial network. Find a few people that have similar interests and spend time getting to know them.
9. Connect with others: Reach out to friends and family through phone calls, texts, or video chats. You can re-engage with old friends or acquaintances. It’s important to share your feelings and be open to your need for connections. While online connections can be helpful, be mindful of spending too much time on social media and prioritize real-life interactions.
10. Remember others experience loneliness: Everyone experiences loneliness at some point. Focus on your life and don’t compare yourself to others. Continue to seek friendships with other people. There are all kinds of people in various circumstances who are also lonely.
11. Reframing loneliness: View loneliness as an opportunity for growth. Use your time to explore your values, interests, and goals. Spend time in nature, listen to music, or read a book. Sharing your emotions with someone you trust can help you feel less alone and more understood.

BIOGRAPHY
Stan is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear” which covers 200+ techniques that can drastically improve your mental health. For more information, please visit Stan’s website at http://www.managingfear.com

Press release from Lonestar Liberty PAC

05-12-26

  DALLAS— Lone Star Liberty PAC today announced the launch of a statewide early vote runoff tour with Special Guest Attorney General Ken Paxton as Texans begin casting ballots in the Republican runoff election.

The one-week grassroots tour will feature seven rallies across Texas alongside additional press events and coalition stops that will be announced throughout the week. The tour is designed to energize conservative voters, drive early vote turnout, and reinforce Paxton’s standing as the proven conservative fighter in the race.

  Throughout the week, Lone Star Liberty PAC will rally supporters across major Republican strongholds while highlighting General Paxton’s record of fighting the Biden administration, defending Texas’ border security efforts, protecting constitutional freedoms, and taking on the political establishment on behalf of grassroots conservatives.

  “Texans are ready to send a clear message that the conservative movement in this state still belongs to the grassroots — not the Austin and Washington establishment,” said a spokesperson for Lone Star Liberty PAC. “Ken Paxton has spent his career fighting for the people of Texas, defending our conservative values, and delivering results when it matters most. This tour is about turning out voters and finishing strong.”

  The runoff early vote tour will include the following rally in San Antonio:

San Antonio Rally

Thursday, May 21
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

The Angry Elephant