City on brink of charter violation
Audit finds administrative faults Pearsall councilors learned this month that an audit of the city’s books for 2018-19 reveals three flaws. The announcement was made by Robert Carter, representing independent auditing firm, Leal & Carter, PC. One of the three findings was the apparent absence of any procedures for the reconciliation of utility accounts. Carter…
Read MoreProperty crime doubled in a month, chief says
“We are catching these guys, taking them to jail…” Pearsall Police Chief Peter Salinas is warning the community of a recent spike in burglaries plaguing the city. In a presentation to councilors on Tuesday, February 11, Salinas noted property crime had nearly doubled from December 2019 to January 2020. The department responded to 17 property…
Read MoreCandidates line up for Pearsall council seats
ONLY TWO SEATS HAVE CHALLENGERS The filing period for the May elections for the Pearsall City Council came to a close Friday night with two of the four seats on the ballot being contested. Incumbent Councilors Julian Hernandez and Sonia Hernandez will not face a challenger in the May election. JJ Rivera will face former…
Read MoreLovers’ quarrel led to crash, police say
“Picking her little brother off the floorboard…” A Pearsall man who allegedly physically assaulted his girlfriend while behind the wheel of a vehicle and then crashed the truck into a guardrail found himself behind bars on Sunday, February 9. The man, identified as 24-year-old Deion Salazar, was allegedly upset after he discovered his girlfriend had…
Read MoreCouncil hires LNV for street improvement project
After much debate, Pearsall city councilors have voted unanimously to hire LNV Engineering for the preparation and specifications of an upcoming street project. Councilors expressed their concern with awarding the contract to the engineering firm after claims of neglect by LNV. “We pay them a lot of money,” Councilor Davina Rodriguez said. “What I see…
Read MorePearsall PD welcomes new officers
The Pearsall police department swore in two new police officers and two municipal animal code enforcement officers (M-ACE) last week. Officers Jon Torres and Juan Garcia have joined the police force, filling two vacancies in the department. Torres is a Pearsall native who graduated high school in 2016. After graduation, he earned his peace officer…
Read MoreUS Border Patrol arrests former Dilley police chief
FONSECA FACES CHARGE RELATED TO TRANSPORTING UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS Former interim Dilley Police Chief Rausel Fonseca remains behind bars this week on a criminal complaint charge for the alleged transportation of illegal immigrants. The arrest, made by US Border Patrol agents on Friday, February 7, alleges the former chief was transporting undocumented individuals. Reports indicate Fonseca…
Read MoreDowntown chase driver still in custody
A week after leading police on a high-speed chase through downtown Pearsall, Moises Espinoza remains behind bars on a slew of charges. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers attempted to effect a traffic stop on the white sedan Espinoza was driving last Monday when the man began his attempt to flee police. The chase began…
Read MoreGoodbye, surcharges? City re-evaluates utility rates
Pearsall residents could soon see some relief in their municipal utility bill following a council decision to revisit the current rate structure. It was during the 2016-17 fiscal budget that the former administration assed the fees in an effort to address a $1.2 million dollar shortfall. “The fee was assessed in 2016 to cover the…
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