Dilley Oral Histories: When Celso Threatened to Jump off the Water Tower

Celso San Miguel
The former Dilley volunteer firefighter, Celestino “Celso” San Miguel, received one dollar for every monthly meeting he attended, despite his unorthodox firefighting methods.

Born April 1955, Celestino “Celso” San Miguel’s reputation started as a young man who could extinguish house fires with only his coat, but his legend was solidified when he threatened to jump from Dilley’s water tower, only to tell the local probation officer… Continue reading “Dilley Oral Histories: When Celso Threatened to Jump off the Water Tower”

ELECTION COUNTDOWN: 5 WEEKS
March 28th, 2017 Dilley City Council Meeting Roundup

The city council avoids voting on hot issue items such as the new city council room and the $800,000 loan.

With the election looming, city council approves non-controversial items such as renewing the little league playing field agreement and pay raises for the police department.

Councilwoman Esther Davalos hit with surprise remodel permit fee.

Mayor Mary Ann Obregon addresses the coverage of the March 14th meeting…

Dilley City Council March 28, 2017
Dilley City Council March 28, 2017

Continue reading “ELECTION COUNTDOWN: 5 WEEKS
March 28th, 2017 Dilley City Council Meeting Roundup”

ELECTION COUNTDOWN 
Someone Forgot to Put a City Council Meeting Room in the 
new $4 Million City Hall/ 
Convention Center

MARCH 14th Dilley City Council Meeting Roundup:

Someone forgets to build a city council meeting room in the nearly complete $4 million city hall convention center.

A mayoral candidate accuses city council of political retribution.

The city administrator advises Dilley that they need a loan that may amount to “bonded indebtedness.”

4th of July festivities were scaled back.

All in one meeting. Less than two months from Election Day. Continue reading “ELECTION COUNTDOWN 
Someone Forgot to Put a City Council Meeting Room in the 
new $4 Million City Hall/ 
Convention Center”

District Attorney
Audrey Gossett Louis
Visits Dilley City Council Meeting – March 14, 2017

Fresh on the heels of a victory in an election in which she defeated a twelve year incumbent, District Attorney Audrey Gossett-Louis of the 81st Judicial District addressed and attended Dilley’s March 14, 2017 city council meeting, where she outlined the duties and goals of her office.

District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis addresses residents of Dilley at their city council meeting.
District Attorney Audrey Gossett Louis addresses residents of Dilley at their city council meeting.

District Attorney Audrey Gossett-Louis stood in front of the residents of Dilley, TX- a crowd that included city contractors, a city council challenger and two challengers for the mayoral office.

“I am your new District Attorney,” she said. “I am here for the community of Dilley. We cover five counties.  We handle all of the felonies for five counties: Frio, LaSalle, Atascosa, Wilson, and Karnes. We handle all felony crimes in our district and crimes that are committed by public officials. Continue reading “District Attorney
Audrey Gossett Louis
Visits Dilley City Council Meeting – March 14, 2017″

Frio Sheriff’s Office Weekend Bust yields 3 arrests, drugs, cash, weapons

 

On the night of March 3rd, the Frio County Sheriff’s Office led a multi-agency drug bust, assisted by the United States Border Patrol and the Pearsall Police Department.

Frio County Sheriff's Deputy leads a suspect away in handcuffs.
Frio County Sheriff’s Deputy leads a suspect away in handcuffs.

As the task force approached the house located on a dark county road outside Dilley, the team of officers watched in disbelief as two vehicles pulled up to the driveway. The residence, long suspected of drug activity, just received a few unlucky customers. Continue reading “Frio Sheriff’s Office Weekend Bust yields 3 arrests, drugs, cash, weapons”

Dilley Hires New Police Chief

Dilley Police Department
Dilley Police Department, December 2016

Sergeant Jerry Reyna from the Frio County Sheriff’s Department will take over the Dilley police department in less than two weeks.

The city of Dilley interviewed four police chief applicants on the evening of December 20th, 2016 and unanimously voted to hire Sergeant Jerry Reyna of the Frio County Sheriff’s Department. Reyna will replace Sheriff-elect Albert DeLeon who takes office at the county at midnight January 1st, 2017. Continue reading “Dilley Hires New Police Chief”

81st District Attorney Interviews – 2016

 

This family has agreed to disagree in the race for 81st District Attorney.
This family has agreed to disagree in the race for 81st District Attorney.

 

In an effort to fill a gap in local reporting of the 81st District Attorney election, I sat down for conversations with both candidates. This race takes on a personal dimension: Audrey Gossett-Louis, the challenger, worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the incumbent René Peña. On the day she announced her candidacy, she was fired. I had the opportunity to speak to both candidates about that.

Both are established attorneys, so it was not my goal to debate, but to provoke enough discussion to color their approaches and platforms. Continue reading “81st District Attorney Interviews – 2016”

Derby’s Water Problem

“If you left your dog without water, you would get reported for animal cruelty.” Sylvia San Miguel, Derby resident.

Frio County people and South Texas friends, can we find a way to help our Derby family out?

They’ve had intermittent water for a week with no end in sight-  a years long recurring problem. The residents have reached out for help only to be ignored or avoided. Anyone have any contacts at the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality, the Texas Water Development Board, or someone with ideas on how to motivate Dario Guerra, owner of Derby Ing Utility?

A source close to utility reported that the Utility has no plans to provide water to Derby on weekends, and has been sporadically filling the tank that does not last the residents a full day. The source of the temporary water? A well in the city of Dilley. It is unclear if the city council knows about this, but the rate payers have definitely not been informed.

-written by José Asunción

10/25/16