Local Matters



School ratings from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) were released Aug. 15, 2019. Something new happened this year. Instead of headlines screaming the failing grades of school districts, articles started popping up on broadcasts, in newspapers and on social media about the failure of the STAAR testing. It brought to mind the famous quote from the 1976 Academy Award winner […]

Atascosa County Judge’s Report



I drive to work every day (almost) on Ernst Road. It has been in bad repair for a long time. Commissioner Perez just shut it down and completely redid it. It is so much better. Sadly, I saw a thread on Facebook recently criticizing the work. There were comments about how “it was done so badly that the potholes will […]

Mayor’s Message – Pleasanton



Greetings from the Mayor’s office: As August and the hot weather continues, water usage in Pleasanton is at an all time high. A lot of the water use during this time of the year is for watering yards. I would ask if you are on a schedule to water your yard that you do so either overnight or early in […]

ACSO: It’s the Law



A new law that will take effect September 1 will make the possession of knuckles, also known as brass knuckles, legal in Texas after over 45 years of being prohibited. The law regarding brass knuckles can be found in Section 46.05 of the Texas Penal Code. It currently makes knuckles as well as other weapons listed in this section, a […]

Flores appointed to Texas Education Commission



“I thank Governor Greg Abbott for the opportunity to serve Texas on the Education Commission of the States. It is a privilege to serve the people of Texas in this capacity,” said Senator Pete Flores. Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Senator Peter “Pete” Flores and Representative Daniel “Dan” Huberty to the Education Commission of the States for terms to expire […]

Mayor’s Message – Poteet



There was quite a bit of activity this past week. I attended a meeting with a local internet provider to discuss future franchise/user fees. I attended a department head meeting to discuss the current status of each department and next steps going forward on future projects. I met with County Judge Bob Hurley, County Commissioner Stuart Knowlton and Judge Bill […]

TEA releases ratings

State Capital Highlights

The Texas Education Agency on Aug. 9 released preliminary financial accountability ratings for more than 1,100 school districts and charters across the state. According to the agency, 87 percent earned the highest preliminary rating possible for 2018-2019. A school district or openenrollment charter is assigned one of four possible letter grades — A, B, C or F — and a […]

Birthdays, swords and Scottish accents



Birthdays are magical and sobering. There’s nothing quite like having people celebrate your arrival on this beautiful, blue planet by showering you with gifts and copious amounts of cake. There’s also nothing quite like being reminded that you are one year closer to your departure from everything and everyone you have come to love. The ancients taught us to number […]

Historically Speaking

Back to School Flashback: Tale of Two Re-purposed Schools

As early schoolhouses go, in the Texas landscape as in many other parts of the country, they ranged from one-room cabins to full campuses; and, their fate was no different from any other building. More often than not, needs changed their function. In Atascosa County, the Old Rock Schoolhouse in Pleasanton and the Leming School in Leming are two examples […]

N is for News



Exciting news is developing in Texas right now. Everyone I know gets nervous when being pulled over by law enforcement— even me, and I’m married to a law enforcement officer. Imagine how much scarier it would be for a driver with Autism, Aspergers, or other conditions that impact your ability to communicate. Thanks to Jennifer Allen and her son, Samuel, […]