Appraisal Notices for tax year 2013 are on their way to property owners



If your property value increased in the last year by $1,000 or more, you will soon receive an appraisal notice from the Atascosa County Appraisal District. The appraisal district began mailing appraisal notices on April 23, 2013. Your city, county, school district and other local taxing units will use the appraisal district’s value to set your 2013 property taxes. Under […]

Texas Politics

Abbott wants Legislature to adopt court redistricting maps

The Texas Legislature’s 2013 session has been surprisingly calm to date, featuring signs of an art feared lost, called “bipartisanship.” It’s partly because there are 40 freshmen in the Texas House of Representatives — the largest freshman class since 1973. They seem determined to avoid the hostile partisan warfare of their predecessors in the previous several years. But helping allow […]

The Way I See It

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

The explosion tragedy of the fertilizer plant in West, Texas has affected many families, friends, students and citizens. Coming off the bombings in Boston, it leaves many wondering what would happen if a similar situation occurred locally. What happened in that small Texas community could happen anywhere in Atascosa County. How we prepare and react can be done in advance. […]

Solutions

What now?

This week’s planned topic is being preempted by two cowards, the brothers Tsarnaev. Four dead, well five but that last one means little to me, and nearly two hundred wounded. I’ll pray for the older brother’s soul but be relieved at his death. Most of my prayers and wishes go to the families of the slain, wounded, and for all […]

Parade was a success thanks to all



On behalf of the Parade committee, I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone that attended the Annual Strawberry Festival Parade on Saturday April 13th, 2013. We had a rare occurrence that morning, as we did not get one sprinkling of rain. The weather was gorgeous and this year it didn’t “rain on our parade” not even a […]

State Capital Highlights

Disaster recovery, investigation proceed

A n explosion on April 24 at a fertilizer storage and distribution company in the city of West left at least 14 people dead and an estimated 200 injured. Counted among the dead were 10 volunteer firefighters who were called to the scene to extinguish a fire discovered there. As they fought the fire, an explosion powerful enough to knock […]

Writer’s Roost

Snipe really do exist – hunted with guns, not bags

Honestly now, how many of us as youngsters have been bamboozled by “evil” teenaged boys into night snipe hunting with a burlap bag (known as a “tow-sack” in my growingup years)? Well, you can remain embarrassed and silent, but I’ll readily ‘fess up all these years later to being duped into that midnight adventure when I was11 or 12. Tweren’t […]

On the Edge of Common Sense

A Bull Ballet

Uncle Joe was makin’ his rounds this spring checking the horses and cows to make sure everything had water. When he got to the bull lot, one of his prize young Charolais bulls had managed to crawl through one of the round bale feeders and was lying down happily chewing his cud. Uncle thought over how to extricate his bull, […]

Taste of Texas Food Show sets record sales



BERRY BEST OF SHOW BEST OF SHOW

Food Show entries almost doubled for 2013




With entries almost doubling from last year, the Taste of Texas Food Show held during the 66th annual Strawberry Festival was definitely one for the books. The yearly competition drew 207 entries – up from last year’s 128. Total amount raised in the auction was $5l,300. The top four places in each age group and category are auctioned to raise […]