SeguinToday.com

Police prep for annual picnic

A sea of bikes will be raffled off at this year's Seguin Police Department Cops N Kids Picnic. Officers Victoria Snow, Gerald Guerrero and Paul Blea show off a few of the 75 bikes that will be given away as prizes during the picnic, which is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Max Starcke Park. See story on page 3. Photo by Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

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Secretary of States encourages area voters to head to the polls

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Secretary of State Hope Andrade is reminding Guadalupe County voters to get out and vote. Andrade and several members of her staff traveled to the Guadalupe County Elections Office Thursday morning to discuss the things her office is doing to promote early voting and to provide information to voters in Texas.

Andrade says this year it’s especially important that her office and elections offices across the state provide information to voters as the Democratic and Republican Primary Elections have been pushed back this year due to redistricting. In fact, early voting for the primaries began the Monday after the Saturday, May 12 General and Special Elections across the state.

To help educate voters, Andrade the SOS office now has a new website, VoteTexas.gov, that provides a count down to the next election day, information on voters' rights, information on what's on the primary ballots and links to the social media tools the SOS website is using to engage the public in the election process.

"The state's committed to making sure that everyone has all the information that they need. We believe that if you have the information that you need, the questions that you have about when, where, how do I vote that you'll go out and vote. So we want to make sure that everyone understands or knows where to get that information," said Andrade. "The most important thing for us is that May 29, which is election day, will be the day after Memorial Day. People will be returning or people will be heading out, end of school, and there's so many things going on. So these two weeks that we've got for early voting, if you go out and vote now, you won't have to worry about that when you come back or when you start off on your summer vacation. I can't think of a better way to honor those that fought for our freedom than by going out and voting this Memorial Day."

Early voting for the Republican and Democratic Primaries is currently underway and will continue until Friday, May 25. To help voters who may work during the week, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Seguin and Schertz Elections Offices. A full list of all early voting locations can be found at the bottom of SeguinToday.com. Sample ballots for both primaries can be found online at tinyurl.com/GuadalupeElections.

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Seven detained by ICE following chase with stolen truck

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Local law enforcement officials had their hands full trying to track down a dozen or so people who fled from a stolen truck following a brief pursuit with a sheriff's deputy Thursday morning.

Lt. Eddie Flores, head of narcotics for the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office, says seven people were detained and held for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement following the incident that started after Deputy Mark Miller noticed that something just wasn't right about a pickup truck traveling down the interstate.

"The 2008 Ford, white, F-150 four-door was traveling eastbound towards Houston in Guadalupe County when the deputy observed the front license plate on the truck to be certain numerics and the rear license plates were different. They were Texas license plates, but they were two different ones. When he activated to get in there and trying to catch up and do a traffic stop, the vehicle exited on the 123 Bypass going south towards Stockdale. As it continued on, the deputy continued to try to catch up with it. The truck went southward right before the overpass past the gas station. It took the field to the right at the railroad tracks and everyone involved inside the vehicle exited or as we call it, jumped out and bailed out the truck," said Flores.

Deputy Miller estimated that a dozen or so people were inside the truck at the time of the chase. Flores says after the truck drove into the field, they scattered into the high brush so the deputy asked for backup and tried to set up a perimeter in the area to try to catch the suspects.

"Once the perimeter was set, officers were on foot trying to see if they could come across these individuals and (there were) even citizens calling the police department and sheriff's office reporting people citings here and there," said Flores. "There was two of them captured I believe by the police department. The deputy identified them as undocumented, illegal, immigrants from Mexico, so we had the dispatcher from the sheriff's office contact the ICE unit out of San Antonio."

Later that day, five additional people were captured by Seguin Police Officers. Flores says one of those suspects has a criminal record for narcotic trafficking and another has been through the court system, deported and then re-entered into the US illegally.

All seven people were turned over to ICE.

Flores says the truck they were riding in was reported stolen out of the Houston area in March.

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KWED Saturday Topic program to feature County Commissioner's race

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Voters in Guadalupe County's Precinct 1 will have some big decisions to make this month as they head to the polls for the Democratic and Republican Primaries. One of the many seats that is up for grabs this May is the one that represents Precinct 1 on the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court. This weekend, KWED's General Manager Darren Dunn will sit down with each of the three candidates who seek that seat during KWED's weekly Saturday topic program. Dunn will discuss the issues facing the county and Precinct 1 with candidates Roger Baenziger, Robin Walker and Greg Seidenberger.

Dunn will also ask each of the three why they are running to be a county commissioner, what they hope to accomplish if they are elected and what makes them the best person for the job.

The program will start at approximately 8:20 on AM 1580 KWED and online at SeguinToday.com. Early voting for the republican primary is underway and will continue through Friday, May 25. A full list of early voting locations can be found online at SeguinToday.com

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Two arrested following high-speed chase

By Jessica Domel

(Redwood) -- What started out as a beer run ended in a high-speed chase and two arrests earlier this week. Lt. Tony Slaughter, head of patrol at the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office, says the incident started around 10:32 p.m. Wednesday evening after two men reportedly stole beer from the Country Store on Redwood Road.

After speaking to the clerk inside the store, Slaughter says Deputy Javier Luna began to patrol the area looking for the vehicle that the two suspects reportedly left the store in.

"That vehicle was described as a grey Chevrolet Impala. He was able to locate the vehicle matching that description on FM 1978. Deputy Luna attempted to stop that vehicle as it traveled on FM 1978. That vehicle quickly accelerated to approximately 100 miles-per-hour in an attempt to evade the deputy," said Slaughter. "The vehicle, as it approached FM 1961, attempted to negotiate the turn and turn onto FM 621, but failed to do so. It ran out approximately 50-yards into an open field where it struck a large dirt mound. At that time, the subjects were apprehended."

As deputies searched the Impala, Slaughter says they found beer, cocaine and marijuana. As a result, Slaughter says Christopher Tristan, 30 of Prairie Lea, is being charged with manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance between four grams and 200 grams, tampering and fabricating with physical evidence, evading arrest and possession of marijuana under two ounces.

Gary Barabas, 24 of Luling, was charged with public intoxication and issued a citation for a misdemeanor on the scene.

Slaughter says no injuries were reported following the pursuit and subsequent crash.

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Ducks to invade waterway of Walnut Springs Park; Navarro Education Foundation prepares for annual Duck Fest

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Thousands of ducks will be quacking to the finish line during this weekend's annual Navarro Education Foundation Duck Fest. The foundation will be returning to Walnut Springs Park for its annual rubber duck race slated for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the downtown creek.

NEF President Kim Mueller says as of Thursday afternoon, 4,500 ducks had already been adopted for the event. According to Mueller, individuals whose ducks are one of the first 30 ducks to float across the finish line will take home some great prizes - including a $1,000 gas card.

"All the ducks are numbered. When you buy a duck, you get assigned a certain number, so it's a great thing. We've just had so much fun doing this over the years, and we just hope we have a great number of people to come out and participate. It's five dollars a duck, and we have packages. We have 'Very Important Duck' packages that are $200, and we have a 'Golden Duck' that you get 100 ducks in a race if you buy that package, and it's for $500," said Mueller.

Mueller says all proceeds raised will help fund the education foundation, which supports teacher grants for innovative and classroom tools that otherwise can not be afforded through the regular school budget. She says in addition to the duck race, families are invited out for a couple of hours of games, music and refreshments.

"It should just be fun day. We have a lot of new games lined up. Katie Clark has been working hard on some new games that are free for the kids. That will all begin at 11 a.m. Project graduation is going to be providing some snacks there so the festivities will begin at 11 a.m. The Navarro Jazz Band will be entertaining us at that time, and we're just looking forward to a great day," said Mueller.

Ducks can be adopted for $5 each. Ducks are available at each Navarro ISD campus and will be available at the Duck Fest event beginning at 11 a.m. The rubber duck race begins at noon Saturday. The event is free and open to the public.

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Veterans Festival, carnival continues at American Legion

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Armed Forces week is not going unnoticed in Seguin this year. In an effort to observe the commitments of the various armed forces in the United States, the local American Legion is hosting its first-ever Veterans Festival. The festival continues Friday through Sunday in the American Legion Hall parking lot located at 618 E. Kingsbury St.

Chaplain Bob Grafe says the event includes a large carnival, food booths and live entertainment.

"It's going to be a family atmosphere with lots of fun, lots of rides for kids of all different ages. It used to be that you had a parade and a fly over and maybe picnics and all of that, and we said, ‘You know, hey, let's not lose this tradition.’ It's for all of the branches of service - Air Force, Navy, Army, Marines and Coast Guard - a celebration of their service to this country for which we are forever grateful," said Grafe.

Grafe says various community groups and veterans organizations are also taking part in the community celebration.

"The GI Forum (Manuel Castilla) is coming in. They have a neat food booth that they will be offering - sausage on a stick, corn on a stick, sno cones, lots of different drinks. The Disabled American Veterans are coming in. They will be offering fajitas and beans and some other things. The Kiwanis Club are going to have hamburgers and hot dogs good traditional food. We've got the Sons of the American Legion bringing in some I guess what you call slab ice cream," said Grafe.

Grounds will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday. All carnival rides for military personnel on Friday will be buy-one-get-one-free. A free dance will also be held inside the legion hall. A special ceremony welcoming wounded warriors and the community will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday followed by the opening of the carnival grounds at noon. A dance is also being planned that night. Tickets are $6 pre-sale or $8 at the door.

The carnival continues on Sunday at 1 p.m. Armband specials will be available that day. Cost for unlimited rides is $15 per person.

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Kids invited to annual Cops and Kids Picnic

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Seventy-five kids will be riding home on a shiny new bike this weekend. The bikes are the featured prizes during this year's annual Seguin Police Department Cops N Kids Picnic at Max Starcke Park.

DARE Officer Hope Vasquez says the department is again preparing for thousands of kids on Saturday. She says along with the raffling off of bikes, kids will be treated to a free lunch, DJ music and plenty of games.

"The first thing that they'll do when we start at 11 o'clock, they are going to go get measured by height, and the dispatchers are in charge of raffling the tickets. The child will get measured. They will be told to go to a different colored table. Once they go there, they will get a raffle ticket, and they will also get their hand stamped so they can go get a free meal. After the free meal, they can go get their drink and after their drink they can go sit down and enjoy their food. Then, of course, they can either go and continue playing games that we have, take a hayride or face-painting and all these other things that we have available for them," said Vasquez.

Vasquez says this mark's the ninth year that the department has hosted the event. She says it's an important gathering for both the officers and the kids.

"It's basically to interact with the children of our community. A lot of the children in the community are not aware of who we are, specifically the individual officers, and this is an opportunity to interact with the officers. It's also to let them know that we are here to be their friend because God forbid if they get lost or they need our help, we want them to come up to us without them being afraid to talk to us and to let us know that they need help. We are here to serve them as well. We are here to serve them as well. We are here to protect and serve the community and they are included in that community," said Vasquez.

Vasquez says the community should be thanked in advance for their continued support of the event. A special thank you is being extended this year to corporate donors which include HEB, Coca-Cola, Handy Andy and Wal-Mart. The annual Cops N Kids Picnic will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Starcke Park Large Pavilion. All games and food are free for kids 12 and under.

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Memorial to recognize deceased firefighters, auxiliary members

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- The men and women who helped to write the history of the Seguin Fire/EMS Department will be remembered this weekend as the Seguin Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary hosts its annual Memorial Service. The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Seguin Municipal Court Building.

Terry Mayfield, secretary of the ladies auxiliary, says the ceremony will include a service, a few musical selections and the Seguin Fire Department’s Honor Guard.

"We've done this ever since I can remember. We honor the deceased firemen and the ladies auxiliary. We have a cross and a flower is placed on the cross for each person that is deceased, and the names will be read. They also go to the State Firemen's and Fire Marshal's Convention in Houston, and their names will also be read there and a flower will be placed on the cross in memory of the deceased," said Mayfield. "This is just something the fire department does every year to honor their deceased firemen and the auxiliary members."

The municipal court building is located on State Highway 46 south of West Court Street.

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DI raffle ticket deadline approaches

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Could you use an Apple iPad or how about a chance at hosting the Trading Post on Seguin Radio KWED? These and other top prizes are on the long list of raffle prizes benefiting the Seguin ISD Destination Imagination teams that are all headed to Global Competition next week in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The raffle, which also includes a two-week stay in Port Aransas, a 40-inch TV, a Playstation 3, a casserole a month for six months and a two-hour guided fishing trip, will be drawn Sunday night at Walnut Springs Park.

Pam Krippner, co-coordinator for the Seguin DI program, says the raffle is the group's last big effort to raise the funds and help send the problem solving teams to Tennessee.

"On May 20th, it will be the culmination of our recent fundraiser. Last year, we began a Seguin DI Booster Club headed up by Teresa Van Booven, and that is to offset the sizable contribution that the Seguin ISD makes to support this program. It is truly a wonderful program. Over the years, it was Odyessy of the Mind (and) now it's DI. Seguin has a long history, this long legacy, of being tremendously successful, and this year, five teams are going and it does become a great expense," said Krippner.

In addition to several top prizes, a list of over 30 other prizes and gift certificates will also be raffled off. Tickets are one for $10, five for $40 or 12 for $100. Tickets can be purchased from any DI student or at radio station KWED and the Seguin Daily News. The drawing will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday at Walnut Springs Park located just behind the Guadalupe County Justice Center.

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Seguin Dog Park to celebrate one-year anniversary

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- There will be plenty of celebrating for both dogs and people alike at the Seguin Dog Park this weekend. The dog park’s board of directors is hosting a birthday party for people and their pets from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the dog park’s grand opening.

Pam Burris, president of the dog park’s board, says there will be puppy piñatas with treats for dogs, free Frisbees, bandanas and other treats as well as refreshments for people.

Burris says everyone is invited to the birthday party and dog adoption event. She says the dog park board and the Animal Rescue Foundation try to host dog adoption events at least once a month at the dog park to try to keep the euthanization rate at the Seguin Animal Shelter as low as possible.

The Seguin Dog Park is located on the west side of Max Starcke Park.

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Two arrested following high-speed chase

By Jessica Domel

(Redwood) -- What started out as a beer run ended in a high-speed chase and two arrests. 

Lt. Tony Slaughter, head of patrol at the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office, says the incident started around 10:32 p.m. Wednesday evening after two men reportedly stole beer from the Country Store on Redwood Road.

After speaking to the clerk inside the store, Slaughter says Deputy Javier Luna began to patrol the area looking for the vehicle that the two suspects reportedly left the store in.

"That vehicle was described as a grey Chevrolet Impala. He was able to locate the vehicle matching that description on FM 1978. Deputy Luna attempted to stop that vehicle as it traveled on FM 1978. That vehicle quickly accelerated to approximately 100 miles-per-hour in an attempt to evade the deputy," said Slaughter. "The vehicle, as it approached FM 1961, attempted to negotiate the turn and turn onto FM 621, but failed to do so. It ran out approximately 50-yards into an open field where it struck a large dirt mound. At that time, the subjects were apprehended."

As deputies searched the Impala, Slaughter says they found beer, cocaine and marijuana. As a result, Slaughter says Christopher Tristan, 30 of Prairie Lea, is being charged with manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance between four grams and 200 grams, tampering and fabricating with physical evidence, evading arrest and possession of marijuana under two ounces.

Gary Barabas, 24 of Luling, was charged with public intoxication and issued a citation for a misdemeanor on the scene.

Slaughter says no injuries were reported following the pursuit and subsequent crash.

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Four day Veterans Festival to host carnival rides, food booths

This Ferris wheel is one of over a dozen large carnival rides that will be in operation tonight for the first-ever Veterans Festival in the American Legion Hall parking lot. The four day celebration begins tonight and runs through Sunday at the legion hall at 618 E. Kingsbury St.  

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Seguin is gearing up for a four-day salute to the country's armed forces. The first-ever Veterans Festival, complete with carnival rides, food booths and a dance, will begin tonight in the parking lot of the American Legion Hall on East Kingsbury Street.

Bob Grafe, chaplain for the American Legion, says the Veterans Festival is in observance of Armed Forces Week. Grafe says May 12-19 marks the celebration for all branches of the military as declared by President Harry Truman in 1949. Grafe says it was important for the American Legion to host an event that would help resurrect enthusiasm for the national observance.

Despite this week's rain, crews worked throughout the last couple of days setting up the large carnival in the American Legion Hall parking lot. Grafe says with a host of various other veterans groups, several food booths and games will all be part of the celebration.

"We got all the carnival rides in the world that you would want. In fact, the same amusement ride company does the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. They do the Folklife Festival. They do the Poteet Strawberry Festival. It's a reliable company. You will like the rides - very safe and very nice. It's a little deceiving when you drive by the American Legion and think how are you going to get the I think about 15 major carnival rides in there. What you don't see from the road is that our property goes quite a ways back, and we have it all paved. It’s all parking in the back. Somebody asked me a question about parking. We've done surveys on this on the adjoining streets. For those few days on the public streets, you will be able to park literally hundreds of cars within a very short walk to the entrance to the carnival/festival," said Grafe.

Soldiers in the Wounded Warriors Program have all been invited to take part in the celebration in Seguin on Saturday which is the official Armed Forces Day holiday. Grafe says wounded warriors and their families will all be treated to a special luncheon and will get to enjoy the carnival rides for free.

Grounds today open at 6 p.m. Carnival armbands for unlimited rides will be available for $15 a person. Grounds will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday. All carnival rides for military personnel on Friday will be buy one get one free. A free dance will also be held inside the legion hall. A special ceremony welcoming wounded warriors and the community will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The carnival grounds open at noon. A dance will also be held that night. Tickets are $6 pre-sale or $8 at the door. The carnival will continue on Sunday at 1 p.m. Armband specials will also be available that day. Cost for unlimited rides will be $15 per person.

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Castillo selected by Democratic Party for county judge's race

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Well into his first few days as the Guadalupe County Democratic Party's nomination for the County Judge's seat in November, Paul Castillo says he’s ready to hit the campaign trail.

Castillo says he was both surprised and excited to receive the nomination from the Democratic Party.

"Opportunity knocks, and of course, my degree is in political science. All my life I've been working in this field - especially in my adult life of course. An opportunity like this comes around once in a while, and that's what I'm trained for. That's what I do. I think people have seen me in the planning commission and other committees and involved in the community," said Castillo. "I feel that I could do a very good job for the people."

If elected as the county’s top administrator, Castillo says there are several things that he’d like to accomplish.

"I would love accountability in all the departments and actually in the agenda that the county carries. I definitely will be open to the suggestions of the people and follow hopefully their good sense as to what needs to be done around the county. I definitely think that being available for the people is very important," said Castillo.

Serving the community is important to Castillo. He says he’d like the people of Guadalupe County to look past their party’s affiliation and consider what’s best for the county as a whole.

"Of course this is a Democrat and Republican thing, and that's what it's getting to be, but actually in November, I hope that people will vote for the person and what they want to do and forget about party politics. It's unfortunate that the county is a political thing or actually is controlled by political parties," said Castillo. "I've always felt, in my research and everything, that the county judge should not be a political thing. It should be more like an administrative function like the city manager and things like that. I think the county judge came into being back in the early days when the country was being formed, but I think we're past that."

Phillip Bennett, chair of the Guadalupe County Democratic Party, says Castillo was selected because the party's executive committee felt he is the best person to represent the party on the Democratic ticket.

"Paul has been an active member of the community. He's served on the planning commission. We think he has impeccable credentials and will be doing a great job as the county job," said Bennett.

Castillo faces the Republican Party’s selection, Larry Jones, in the November General Election.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties of Guadalupe County were tasked with the selection of a candidate to appear on ballots in November following the resignation of former County Judge Mike Wiggins.

Due to the timing of Wiggins’ resignation, candidates could not apply to run for their respective party’s nod in the primaries.

The person who garners the most votes in the November General Election will serve out the remainder of Wiggins’ term in office.

Interim County Judge Charles Willmann will serve as the county’s top administrator until the new county judge is selected by the voters and sworn into office.

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Council approves agreement for shopping center access roads

By Darren Dunn

(Seguin) -- The city of Seguin, New Quest Properties and the Texas Department of Transportation are still moving forward with plans to rework the access roads at State Highway 46 and Interstate 10.

New Quest wants to build a retail shopping center near that location, but the access roads need to be extended and the exit and entrance ramps need to be reversed on westbound I-10.

It's going to cost $5 million to do the work.

The city and the Seguin Economic Development Corporation will share half of those costs, and the developer, New Quest, will put up the remaining $2.5 million.

New Quest is also creating a municipal utility district (MUD) to generate tax revenue from the project to help cover other infrastructure improvements. New Quest will also pay back the public money being invested in the project.

City Attorney Andy Quittner says the resolution approved Tuesday evening spells out the agreement between the city and New Quest, including more guarantees that the city would be paid even if the property is later sold to another company.

"Basically what it says is that the MUD district will keep the obligations under this disagreement even if the property sells or something else happens. They will not allow the MUD to be dissolved without first paying everybody back," said Quittner.

The council also approved a resolution authorizing its deal with the Texas Department of Transportation which will handle the access road project even though the funding will come from the city, the SEDC and the developer.

New Quest has commercial developments all over the state, including the Town Center at Creekside shopping complex in New Braunfels. It wants to develop a similar retail space in Seguin.

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Congrats Grads!

The class of 2012 officially walked the stage and received their diplomas from Texas Lutheran University at Spring Commencement Saturday evening. Karen Norman, alumna and former chair of the Board of Regents, delivered the commencement address. Norman was also presented with TLU's highest honor - the Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, for her many years of dedication and service to the university. Photos by Adam Sweeney.

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SHS seniors to recognize heroes during Celebration of Excellence

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Seguin High School seniors will prove tonight that in order to be a hero, you don't have to wear a cape nor do you need to know how to scale the side of a building.

The Seguin Education Foundation, in partnership with the Seguin High School Student Council, will be hosting its annual Celebration of Excellence recognition banquet.

According to Katie Edwards, the administrator of the Seguin Education Foundation, says the banquet honors distinguished students and educators in the Seguin ISD.

"The students are asked to pick someone who has inspired them and has helped them down their educational path. This can be someone that they have previously had as a teacher in the Seguin ISD and that does not currently work for the district or someone currently in Seguin ISD. These people can also be mentors that work with them outside of the school district. Our selection criteria is just that they have or currently work for the Seguin ISD," said Edwards.

To also help honor the students, the banquet will also recognize the hard work and dedication of the top graduating seniors.

"This is going to be our fifth year of working with the Seguin High School Student Council. Previously it was a smaller event so with the participants of the Seguin Education Foundation. We are able to make this a wonderful night and an experience for the top 10 percent of the graduating class," said Edwards.

The invitation-only event will be held today beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Seguin-Guadalupe County Coliseum.

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Keil completes final City Council meeting as District 7 rep

By Darren Dunn

(Seguin) -- District 7 Seguin City Councilman Don Keil said his good-byes Tuesday evening at his final meeting as a member of the council.

Keil effectively resigned his seat earlier this year when he announced early that he was running for mayor during the November General Election.

Keil will step aside and his seat will now be filled by Donna Dodgen who was newly-elected to the post on Saturday.

"First, I wanted to congratulate Donna Dodgen on her victory. She will soon be filling this seat, and I think you folks will be very pleased at how good a job she will do. She is a good, smart, energetic person, and I think she will do the city well in this position. So congratulations Donna," said Keil.

Keil is the only candidate so far to announce his intentions to run for mayor.

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Ceremony to honor current, fallen officers

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Law enforcement officials who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to their respective communities will be honored and remembered at the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office Friday morning.

Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke says the community is invited to attend the free memorial ceremony.

"We're going to be asking the public to once again come out and honor the law enforcement officers along the detention officers for a job well done. We will read off the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice," said Zwicke.

Zwicke says the memorial is a get-together to show that the sheriff's office cares about what goes on in the county, the state and in the nation.

"We support the brotherhood of law enforcement," said Zwicke.

The sheriff's office hosts the memorial each year during National Law Enforcement Week, which is this week. Last week was National Correctional Officer Week. Tuesday morning, the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court signed two proclamations recognizing the importance of both weeks. Zwicke says it's important that law enforcement officials and correctional officers be recognized for the jobs they do each and every day to ensure the safety of the community.

"(We host this) to honor those who made that sacrifice and to remember them for the sacrifices that they made for our state and for our nation along with recognizing those who continue to serve that do a great job of serving the public and protecting the public. So I feel it's important that we honor these folks every year," said Zwicke.

The Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office Memorial Ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Friday at the sheriff's office on Guadalupe Street north of interstate 10.

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Willborn campaigns for county attorney’s seat

Dave Willborn 

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- Local attorney Dave Willborn is asking for his party’s nomination to become the next Guadalupe County Attorney. Willborn, the former drug interdiction prosecutor for the 25th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, faces current First Assistant County Attorney in the May 29 Republican Primary for the seat.

There is no democratic challenger, so the winner of the Republican Primary will essentially be named as the next county attorney.

As part of our ongoing election coverage, Seguin Radio KWED and the Seguin Daily News recently sat down with both Willborn and Etlinger and asked each of them the same three questions regarding their campaigns.

Etlinger’s responses were featured Wednesday. Willborn’s responses are as follows:

Why are you running for the county attorney's seat?

"I’ve been practicing law in and around Guadalupe County for the last 10 years, and I’ve noticed a pretty significant downward trend in the county attorney’s office. For the past decade or so, the dismissal rates have gone way out of control mixed with that the fact that the conviction rates have plummeted pretty low as well. Right now we’re among the worst counties in Texas in the dismissal and the conviction rates. When I look at the budget at the county attorney’s office and compare it to the dismissal rates, it makes me realize the public interest isn’t being served right now. I’ve been living in Seguin for several years now. This is my home. I decided rather than sit around and complain about the dismissal rates and the low conviction rates being where they are, I needed to step up to the plate and try to make it a better place,” said Willborn.

If elected to the office, what do you hope to accomplish?

“I’d like to more efficiently and effectively prosecute the misdemeanors in the county. Right now I think there’s a lot of taxpayer money being wasted. Since most of the cases in the county attorney’s office get dismissed, that means either cases are being filed that shouldn’t be filed or cases are being dismissed that shouldn’t be dismissed. I’m guessing it’s probably a combination of the two. That turns into several hundred thousand dollars of waste of taxpayer money, and that’s just not the money from the county attorney’s budget, but that’s courts, that’s from the clerks and a lot of money also goes to the court-appointed attorneys. I guess the first thing I’d want to do is to reduce a lot of that spending by putting in a better intake system. At that point, I think if the intake is done better, I think there will be a lot less waste in the office. The other thing I’d like to do probably is try to start sharing some resources at least with the district attorney’s office. I know that there’s some redundancy, and with that redundancy becomes just a waste of taxpayer money as well. So if there’s attrition in either my office or the district attorney’s office, what I’d like to do is start sharing those resources some to see if we can’t save the taxpayers a little bit more on that side,” said Willborn.

What makes you the best man for the job?

“I’m pretty successful litigator, and I have been for the last 11 years. I’ve been trying cases all around the Guadalupe County area including in Guadalupe County for the last 10 years both as a prosecutor and as a private practitioner. I’d be willing to be that I’ve probably tried more cases in the past decade than the current county attorney or my opponent combined. What I want to do is try cases alongside the assistant county attorneys not just delegate that responsibility but actually be in the trenches with them trying those cases. I figure if the county is going to pay me to be an attorney, I need to do everything that an attorney does including try those cases. I think for those reasons the sheriff endorsed me. I think that’s why I got his endorsement because he saw my work ethic. He also saw my ability in the courtrooms when I was in the DA’s office for those years. I’ve gotten a lot of law enforcement support, and I’m guessing that those reasons are the same for them. I was a small business owner for several years. I had over 20 employees. I ran a successful law practice for the past 10 years. I did two years at the DA’s office, and I was pretty proud of my success rate there. What I intend to do is bring all of those experiences into the county attorney’s office because I know what it’s going to take to get that office whipped into shape,” said Willborn.

Early voting for the Democratic and Republican Primaries is currently underway and will continue through Friday, May 25. A full list of early voting locations can be found online at SeguinToday.com.

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Community invited to learn outdoor recreational skills

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Not knowing how to kayak or mountain bike are no longer excuses for individuals to stay indoors this summer.

Dane Boyle, the community wellness center director for Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, says a new community effort has been launched this week to help teens and adults learn and explore skills that will challenge them to various recreational activities such as rock climbing, archery, canoeing, ropes and geo caching.

"The hospital GRMC and the Wellness Center have teamed up with our Seguin Outdoor Learning Center to educate people on how to use the great outdoors for physical activity to teach people to have an opportunity for movement. Although we obviously have a fitness center with all the modern equipment, not everybody has access to that. We do want you to know that whether you are in Seguin, New Braunfels, Austin or perhaps you go to Nashville, Tennessee, there are areas in places where you can do physical activity whether it canoeing or kayaking or bike riding. We hope to use and team with the outdoor learning center as a training ground to educate people how to do it properly and safely so they can do these experiences for a lifetime," said Boyle.

Boyle says tonight will be day two for the program. He says a few spaces still remain for those who want to challenge themselves and learn something new.

"Sometimes, it is our job in fitness or recreation to get you out of your comfort zone just a little bit, but we are all coaches by nature, and we are there to support you, encourage you, let you know things that you have done well, and it's a relatively safe and controlled environment so that you will never fail. You will only have success, and we are going to set you up for opportunity for success. It's a learning experience, and you know it takes time to be very good at it, but we hope we spark a fire so that perhaps you'll just take maybe one of the activities that we do and again you continue to do that forever and ever and share it with your friends and your family," said Boyle.

The Outdoor Experience program which runs through June 21 will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Cost for Wellness Center members is $149 and $199 for non-members. Payments may be split if needed. To participate call 830-401-7676.

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Former elected official selected as Republican nominee for county judge seat

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- A decade after serving as the Guadalupe County Treasurer, Larry Jones is officially hitting the campaign trail for Guadalupe County Judge. Jones was officially selected Monday night as the Republican nominee for the county judge seat during the November General Election.

Jones tells the Seguin Daily News that he is honored that the Republican Executive Committee has decided to place him on the Nov. 6 ballot.

"I'd like to say that we had 15 very, very qualified applicants of which I was one of them. I'm so honored, and actually humbled, that the executive committee voted that of all those qualified candidates that I was the most qualified to face the Democrat in November. Again, it's an awesome responsibility, but we will be campaigning very hard, and I want to make the Republican party proud of me," said Jones.

Following the resignation of Guadalupe County Judge Mike Wiggins in April, both the Republican and Democratic parties were left with the responsibility of selecting a nominee for the General Election. The job was assumed after it was too late for any candidates to file and be a part of this month's Primary Election. Guadalupe County Republican Chair Jan Koehne says after accepting resumes from interested parties and conducting a number of interviews over the last couple of weeks, the executive committee is confident in its top choice.

"When November comes and this election is over, we wanted to give them a judge that he could walk in that office day one and start working. I think that was the advantage that Larry had over the other applicants. We were one vote from having a tie between Larry Jones and Gary Inmon, so those were the two top people in the interviews. The ones that were most informed about the county government was Larry of course because he worked as treasurer for so many years for the county and knew a lot of about county government and Charles Ruppert. He came very prepared and knew every aspect of the county judge job and the budget and how much money comes in and where it goes. They were both very impressive with their knowledge of the county judge job. It was a tough process. It took us five hours last night (Monday) to complete it. We were determined that we were going to stay there until we got our job done," said Koehne.

Jones served as the county treasurer for Guadalupe County from 1986 to 2002. Despite his failed bid for the county judge’s seat in 2002, Jones says he is ready to return to political office.

"I've been involved in the Republican party, and I've always wanted to serve and continued to serve. I did serve as 16 years as county treasurer. I thought I was retired, but as you know, the circumstances that came up in the last few months made me rethink that retirement. I thought that the experience and the skills that I have met the current situation that we had. I just think with the short time for a learning curve that I was the most qualified to step in and follow now Judge Willmann who I served with back in 1988-1992," said Jones.

Since his time away from office, Jones says he has remained active in the Republican party and is ready to launch his campaign.

"I will be out meeting with community leaders and voters and in full campaign mode. It's going to be a tough election. It's November. I think Paul Castillo was picked for the Democrat, a very worthy opponent, and I will be campaigning, meeting people and getting reacquainted with a lot of the issues," said Jones.

Jones will face Democratic nominee Paul Castillo during the November General Election. Castillo, a local contractor, was also appointed to the ballot this week in a similar selection process conducted by the Democratic party's executive committee.

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Police: Man tried to lure young girl into his car

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- The Seguin Police Department is asking local parents to be on the look out for a suspicious man who reportedly tried to entice a young girl into his car Tuesday morning. Captain Maureen Watson says the incident involving the 12-year-old girl reportedly occurred around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 400 block of West Court Street.

"We were contacted by the Sixth Saegert Center located off of Court Street. A student had reported to them that while walking in the 400 block of West Court Street, an adult male who was sitting in a black four-door vehicle called her over to him with the lure of money. She was very alert and very clever. She just immediately ran from the area and contacted the administrators at the school. They immediately called us.

She continued, "The subject is described as a thin, Hispanic male with dark, spiked hair, and the vehicle may possibly be a Dodge Stratus that has chrome or silver rims. The girl had reported that she had seen the same vehicle circling the area about a month prior. So we're concerned. We're not sure what his intents were, but obviously we're very concerned. The school has been very proactive also," said Watson.

According to Sean Hoffmann, spokesman for the Seguin ISD, a letter was sent home with students Tuesday evening notifying parents of the incident.

Watson says right now, the PD would like anyone with information to contact the police department at 830-379-2123. She says she'd also like parents to talk with their children about dealing with strangers.

"I do reiterate that it's just a report at this time, but again it's of concern. So parents, tell your children exactly what to do this very smart young lady did. Immediately leave. Immediately contact somebody in authority at the school, there's the police department, an adult they know. Report incident immediately. Just have children be aware about strangers, about not speaking with strangers, about not getting into cars or anybody they don't know," said Watson. "Remind children that unless the child's been advised to go with somebody, even if it is somebody they know, not to get into vehicles without their parents permission. Be aware. Be vigilant."

Anonymous tips regarding the incident may also be made to the Guadalupe County Crime Stoppers Hotline at 830-303-TIPS.

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Navarro Education Foundation gears up for annual Duck Fest

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- One lucky duck will be bringing home the top prize to its adopted family during this year's Navarro Education Foundation Duck Fest. A limited amount of ducks are still available for adoption for this year's annual fundraiser. Five thousand rubber ducks will again be dumped into the flowing waters of Walnut Springs Park for this weekend's rubber duck race fundraiser.

NEF President Kim Mueller says the owners of the first 30 ducks to make their way across the finish line will be awarded various top prizes.

"We have actually a $1,000 gift card as a prize. We also have a $500 gift card. We have a two-person year-long membership to the Wellness Center. Resolute Health donated that this year, so that's a fabulous prize," said Mueller. "We've got at least 30 prizes for the first 30 ducks that come in. Miscellaneous restaurants have made donations, and I think it's probably the best prize list we've had in several years. I'm really excited about the prize list."

Mueller says in addition to the race, families are invited out for a couple of hours of live entertainment and plenty of food and games. In hopes of ensuring that all ducks are adopted, the foundation will also be inviting families to a special warm-up party this evening.

"We're going to have a warm-up party as we usually do (today) at 5:30 p.m. at the Grain Bin, and we'll have form then where people can adopt ducks. We're going to be giving some souvenir ducks away and other items so that should be a lot of fun. So there is still several opportunities to still buy ducks," said Mueller.

The warm-up party will be held until 7 p.m. today. Those wishing to adopt a rubber duck for the race are asked to stop by any of the Navarro ISD campuses. Ducks are $5 each. They can also purchase any remaining ducks the morning of the race. Duck Fest 2012 will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The race will begin at noon at Walnut Springs Park located in downtown Seguin.

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Four day Veterans Festival to host carnival rides, food booths

By Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Seguin is gearing up for a four-day salute to the country's armed forces. The first-ever Veterans Festival, complete with carnival rides, food booths and a dance, will begin Thursday in the parking lot of the American Legion Hall on East Kingsbury Street.

Bob Grafe, chaplain for the American Legion, says the Veterans Festival is in observance of Armed Forces Week. Grafe says May 12-19 marks the celebration for all branches of the military as declared by President Harry Truman in 1949. Grafe says it was important for the American Legion to host an event that would help resurrect enthusiasm for the national observance.

Despite Tuesday's rain, crews worked throughout the day setting up the large carnival in the American Legion Hall parking lot. Grafe says with a host of various other veterans groups, several food booths and games will all be part of the celebration.

"We got all the carnival rides in the world that you would want. In fact, the same amusement ride company does the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. They do the Folklife Festival. They do the Poteet Strawberry Festival. It's a reliable company. You will like the rides - very safe and very nice. It's a little deceiving when you drive by the American Legion and think how are you going to get the I think about 15 major carnival rides in there. What you don't see from the road is that our property goes quite a ways back, and we have it all paved. It’s all parking in the back. Somebody asked me a question about parking. We've done surveys on this on the adjoining streets. For those few days on the public streets, you will be able to park literally hundreds of cars within a very short walk to the entrance to the carnival/festival," said Grafe.

Soldiers in the Wounded Warriors Program have all been invited to take part in the celebration in Seguin on Saturday which is the official Armed Forces Day holiday. Grafe says wounded warriors and their families will all be treated to a special luncheon and will get to enjoy the carnival rides for free.

Grounds on Thursday open at 6 p.m. Carnival armbands for unlimited rides will be available for $15 a person. Grounds will be open from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday. All carnival rides for military personnel on Friday will be buy one get one free. A free dance will also be held inside the legion hall. A special ceremony welcoming wounded warriors and the community will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The carnival grounds open at noon. A dance will also be held that night. Tickets are $6 pre-sale or $8 at the door. The carnival will continue on Sunday at 1 p.m. Armband specials will also be available that day. Cost for unlimited rides will be $15 per person.

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Etlinger sets sights on County Attorney's seat

Bob Etlinger  

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- After over a decade of service to Guadalupe County, First Assistant County Attorney Bob Etlinger is now seeking the Republican Party's nomination for the County Attorney's seat.

Seguin Radio KWED and the Seguin Daily News' election coverage continues today with a look at the race for the county attorney's seat. Etlinger and former Assistant District Attorney David Willborn are both vying for votes to replace current County Attorney Elizabeth Murray-Kolb who is not seeking re-election.

The Seguin Daily News recently sat down with both Etlinger and Willborn and asked both men the same three questions regarding their campaigns.

Etlinger's responses are as follows:

Why are you running for the county attorney's seat?

"I have been the assistant county attorney now for over 11 years. There is no aspect of the operations of the county attorney's office that I am not aware of. In addition, I have been a prosecutor for nearly half of my 33 years as an attorney. We are a law firm. When a person is voting for a representative, the most important thing they need to know is that person's philosophy. Whether they've ever been in Congress is not nearly as important. When it comes to running a law firm, particularly a prosecution law firm, then experience in doing that job is extremely important. In addition, my connection to the community goes back with the family to the 1800s. I think it's also important when you have local officials that your officials are people from your community, have grown up in your community and know the community," said Etlinger.

If elected to the county attorney's position, what kind of things do you hope to accomplish?

"I think that given the dramatic increase in the population of Guadalupe County, we will have to really try to monitor what we do as prosecutors, as law enforcement, to keep our crime rates - not allow them to get any higher, continue the methods that we have used in dealing with the population that we deal with because there's absolutely no comparison between people who have committed felonies, who have, in essence, crossed the Grand Canyon into another world, versus the people that we deal with a lot of which are first time offenders and so forth. I also would like to very much work more and more with our youth and with our schools in trying to impress upon our kids just how quickly and easily it is possible to get in trouble and see if there's things that we can do to make inroads there to get the word across so to speak. When I was growing up, the TV shows were 'Lassie,' 'Father Knows Best' and 'My Three Sons.' Now these kids have got 'Family Guy,' 'South Park,' and the last kind of shows that provide any kind of guidance on behavior. So those are the types of things we're having to deal with because these kids are being exposed to so many things that I never was exposed to growing up," said Etlinger.

What makes you the best person for the job?

"As I stated on the Saturday Morning Topic, if you have to have a surgical procedure, and you have a choice between a doctor who's performed that procedure many times and over many years versus someone who has either never done it at all or just a couple of times, our logical choice is to pick the person who has done that procedure many times. Again, we are a law firm. We are not a representative office. The choice is similar if you're looking for a lawyer. You want the one that has the most experience particularly in the area of prosecution because we have so much power as prosecutors, and when you don't have the years under the belt and have seen so many different things, decisions can be made that are regretted later. You have the power to destroy lives in our office, and you have the power to help them out. We try to do what we can because of the fact that we do deal with a lot of first time offenders. I will say that this concept that we're soft on crime is nonsense. When we need to be tough, we are. There are some people that could care less about trying to be fixed. We deal with them accordingly," said Etlinger.

Willborn's responses to the same three questions will be featured in the Thursday edition of the Seguin Daily News, online at SeguinToday.com and on the air on AM 1580 KWED.

Early voting is currently underway. A full list of voting locations can be found online at SeguinToday.com. Election Day for the Republican and Democratic Primaries is Tuesday, May 29.

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Suspects break into, damage Juan Seguin School

Approximately nine windows were broken at Juan Seguin Elementary School Saturday evening. Seguin Police say the vandals used the windows to gain entry into the building and cause further damage. The incident is under investigation. Courtesy photo. 

By Jessica Domel

(Seguin) -- A piece of Seguin’s history was damaged by vandals over the weekend. Officials at the Seguin Police Department say Juan Seguin School, which recently received a marker from the Texas Historical Commission, was broken into Saturday evening causing approximately $5,000 in damages to Seguin ISD property.

Sgt. Mike McCann from the Seguin Police Department says the crime was brought to the police department’s attention by a resident who saw that the lights were flicking on and off inside the school Saturday evening and called the police department. He says thanks to that caller, the police department was able to get to the school and begin the investigation into the burglary.

Sean Hoffmann, public information officer for the Seguin ISD, says after the police department received the call, SISD officials were able to head out to the school and begin assessing the damage.

"Saturday night, we received word that Juan Seguin was being vandalized or there was criminal activity going inside the buildings. Seguin PD responded as well as Seguin ISD, and in doing so, and in reviewing the damage over the weekend, we've found that two portable buildings were heavily vandalized. The windows were broken, and the vandals had made entry through the windows. There were materials strewn throughout the building. There was a fire that had been set in a toilet, and additional windows in those portable buildings were broken," said Hoffmann.

Several windows were also broken in the administrative and classroom wings, according to Hoffmann. He says there was also a considerable amount of damage to the inside of the cafetorium.

"A window was broken. The actors had gone in and literally tore ceiling tiles off the ceiling and had thrown items everywhere, broke lighting fixtures and just really made a terrible mess inside," said Hoffmann. "We're hoping that anybody with any information is going to call the Guadalupe County Crime Stoppers at 830-303-8477 to report that information so we can get whoever did this off the streets."

According to McCann, the suspects also knocked over a soda vending machine inside the school. He also encourages anyone with information about the break-in to call the police department at 379-2123 or Crime Stoppers at 303-TIPS.

"It's their neighborhoods. They know them better than we do, and they know what's normal and what's not. So please call us so we can look in the right direction," said McCann.

Tips may also be made anonymously online at GuadalupeCountyCrimeStoppers.org. Tips that lead to an arrest or indictment are eligible for a cash reward.

Juan Seguin School, located on Dolle Avenue just west of the Seguin Police Department, is currently for sale by the Seguin ISD. The building was most recently used as a Pre-K campus, and was closed after the Pre-K program for the Seguin ISD was moved to the Ball Early Childhood Center.

Juan Seguin was originally built as a segregated campus specifically for Mexican-American students in the community. The school was awarded a marker from the Texas Historical Commission in late April thanks to the work of the Preserve Juan Seguin Committee, which has worked for years to keep the school alive in the hearts and minds of the community.

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Early Voting Locations for the May 29th Republican and Democratic Primaries

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Seguin Elections Office (215 S. Milam St., Seguin)

Monday, May 14 through Friday, May 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 19 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 20 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday, May 21 through Friday, May 25 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Schertz Elections Office (1101 Elbel Road, Schertz)

Monday, May 14 through Friday, May 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 19 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 20 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday, May 21 through Friday, May 25 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

St. Joseph's Mission (5093 Redwood Rd., San Marcos)

Monday, May 14 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday, May 21 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Kingsbury United Methodist Church (7035 FM 2438, Kingsbury)

Tuesday, May 15 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 19 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 22 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Forest Hills Church (8251 FM 1117, Seguin)

Wednesday, May 16 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, May 23 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Renew Church (2240 FM 725, New Braunfels)

Thursday, May 17 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 19 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 24 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

New Berlin Community Center (8815 FM 775, New Berlin)

Friday, May 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, May 25 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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