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Incumbents Randy Franke, Nelda Sertuche and Danette Respondek were all returned to their seats on the Yorktown ISD school board following the school board election on Saturday, May 6. Jody Hall was also elected, filling all four positions on the board.

Franke, Sertuche and Respondek faced challengers Hall, Tony Longoria and Mark Niemeier in their bids to return to the board. Trustee Mark Weisch will did not seek re-election.

Franke received a total of 402 election day votes and 500 votes cast during early voting for a total of 902. Sertuche received 282 election day votes and 470 early votes for a total of 752. Hall had 299 election day votes and 430 early votes for a total of 729. Respondek netted 322 election day votes and 378 early votes for a total of 700.

Longoria drew 242 election day votes, 358 early votes and had a total of 600. Niemeier had 124 election day votes and 158 early votes, for a total of 282.

Preliminary estimates indicate DeWitt County is looking at its third consecutive year of over $1 billion reduction of appraised taxable values.

At Monday’s DeWitt County Commissioners Court meeting, Judge Daryl Fowler read an estimate of taxable values prepared by DeWitt County Appraisal District.

The report indicated total taxable values for the current fiscal year may only total $3.4 billion. That would be drop of about $2 billion from totals at this time last year.

The primary reason for the lower values can be seen in mineral (oil and gas) values. The report suggests the estimated mineral values to be $2.2 billion. That would compare to last year’s total of $3.9 billion and the 2015 total of $5.1 billion.

These estimated taxable values will not be finalized until early August. Once approved, they will be used to determine tax rates by the taxing entities throughout DeWitt County.

Dr. Thomas Tunstall has been to Cuero a half-dozen times over the past six years. From his first visit he has preached diversification.

He is the senior research director for the Institute for Economic Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

He was here Friday, May 5 as the monthly speaker for Cuero Development Corporation. The meeting was held at Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum.

In those early visits, the price of oil coming out of the Eagle Ford Shale was over $100 a barrel. DeWitt County was one of the top oil producers in Texas.

Dr. Tunstall encouraged cities and counties in the shale play to use their new found revenue to develop growth outside the oil industry. Some did and some didn’t.

One of his favorite quotes is from Mark Twain, “History does not repeat itself but it does rhyme.”

In 2010 the economic impact of the EFS in its 15 primary counties was about $2.9 billion. By 2013 it had topped $70 billion.

CISD Fellowship of Christian Athletes summer camp fundraiser 

Cuero High School’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is preparing for summer camp. To help support the student-athletes who will attend, they are having a golf fundraiser June 2 at Riverside Golf Course in Victoria, starting at 8:30 a.m.

“This is going to be our second year that the [Cuero] FCA is taking kids to camp,” FCA coordinator Wes Condra said. “We’re a ministry that seeks to grow high school athletes and middle school athletes in their relationship with Jesus Christ using the platform of sports. We teach them about how to compete for an audience of One.”

The camp provides an opportunity for kids to get out of Cuero and to experience things that they would not have an opportunity to experience.

A substitute teacher at Cuero High School is under investigation for improper relationships with five (current or former) students according to Cuero Police Department.

Information from that investigation was presented to DeWitt County Grand Jury Monday, May 8. Five separate indictments are sought. The charges are considered second degree felonies and could result in prison sentences from two to 20 years.

Police Chief Jay Lewis said the investigation was initiated by school officials and that information was presented to the police in April.

The 22-year-old teacher’s last day in the classroom was April 28. The alleged victims ranged in age from 17 to 19 years old.

Police also issued a criminal trespass notice to the suspect on April 28 that she was no longer allowed on any CISD property or event.

The Yorktown Little League receives a $20,000 Power Up grant to make improvements at the Little League baseball field.

After going into executive session to consult with an attorney twice at the board meeting on Monday, August 24, Yorktown ISD board of trustees voted 4-3 for a reduction in force due to program change. They then voted 4-3 for determining the Curriculum Director and Assistant Principal positions, currently held by Sylvia Hernandez and David Lynn, as the employment areas affected by the program change reduction in force.

Board president Debbie Kneese and trustees Mark Weischwill, Todd Metting, Randy Franke, DeNeice Sinast, Nelda Sertuche and Danette Respondek were present for the meeting, as well as YISD Superintendent Chad Gee. Approximately 25 guests -- school staff and community members -- were also present.

Approximately 100 people, some from Victoria, San Antonio, and Houston, gathered Sunday, April 23, to dedicate a historical marker at the Lockhart Community Cemetery 4 miles north of Cuero off U.S. Highway 183 on Lockhart Cemetery Road. Mrs. Thomasina Jarmon, oldest community descendant, unveiled the marker. Mrs. Linda Knight Burkley gave a brief history of the effort to preserve the cemetery. George McNary, III read the inscription on the marker. Doyle Cruz was master of ceremonies and led in singing the national anthem and saying pledges to the US and Texas flags. John A. Coleman gave the invocation. Victoria East High School Junior ROTC presented the colors.

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Kerstin Mayhall, a sophomore at Cuero High School, has been a student athletic trainer for the past two years. Her passion for helping others has led to her receive a scholarship from Houston Methodist Hospital for a summer student trainer program.

Summer camps are offered throughout the state at schools such as Texas State, Texas A&M-College Station, Texas A&M-Kingsville, University of Texas-Austin and TCU.

“They’re only about three or four days long,” CHS head athletic trainer Chris Warren said. “They learn about care and prevention of athletic injuries, emergency procedures. They go over things like taping. They’ll have different activities throughout the day. The one at Texas State in San Marcos they go float the river on campus. They show them around the university and let them see everything. It’s geared toward learning, and they try to make it fun for them.”

Law enforcement agencies from around South Texas were called into action Wednesday, April 26, shortly after midnight, during a manhunt south of Cuero.

A man involved in a domestic dispute had threatened a family member and then ran on foot into a wooded area along Golly Road between FM 236 and Meyersville.

DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office, DPS, Parks and Wildlife Game Warden and search dogs from Stevenson Unit were involved in the search throughout most of the night.

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