Commissioners OK $21M budget Frio County is expected to generate nearly $2 million more in revenue than last year’s budget despite keeping its tax rate at the same level as 2019. In a unanimous 5-0 vote of all commissioners on September 14, the tax rate of 0.5968 per $100 of assessed value was kept at…

Pearsall reopens sports complex, city parks BREYANA SEGURA Chief Staff Writer Nearly seven months after locking the gates and fencing off local parks due to the coronavirus pandemic, the city of Pearsall has announced it will reopen facilities on Wednesday, October 7. “The city will follow CDC guidelines and the governor’s latest executive orders to…

Cotulla’s potential as a tourist destination and center for new economic growth became the focus of attention in a special seminar presented this month in the AB Alexander Convention Center. Held with Cotulla Main Street board members and other civic leaders in attendance, the September 9 event was presided over by guest speaker Dr. Edward…

Cotulla ISD reopens campuses for second six-week grading period… Students at Cotulla ISD were able to return to their campuses for the first time since Spring Break on Monday, September 21, after administrators concurred that parents in La Salle County could be given the option of sending their children back into the classroom. At his…

A former Frio County Sheriff’s Office captain was indicted by a grand jury late last month for theft and abuse of official capacity after an investigation by the Texas Rangers. According to records filed at the district clerk’s office, former Captain Joel Arellano was simultaneously receiving pay from two different entities. The investigation revealed that…

After a month of ‘hybrid’ schooling… A little over a month ago, students and teachers at Dilley ISD dived headlong into the unknown, beginning a school year half in and half out of the traditional classroom, and their new superintendent believes the plan has worked well so far. When school districts in South Texas assessed…

Rescinding motion on $15/hr hires… Pearsall city councilors voted unanimously to rescind a prior controversial decision that would raise the base salary of city employees and unbalance the 2021 municipal budget. Councilor Roland Segovia had proposed in an August meeting to increase starting pay for all new city hires to $15 an hour and for…

Promoting drive-through testing service Pearsall-area residents lined up in the City Hall parking lot Friday morning, September 4, to take COVID-19 tests that were administered free of charge by the Center of Advanced Wellness of San Antonio. The testing session was arranged at short notice in a collaboration between the company and City Hall, where…