Newspaper/Media 
Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Bazzano faces adult prosecution for a drive-by shooting that hospitalized a 15-year-old, but his parents say schools and law enforcement ignored their repeated pleas for help and he should have faced consequences long before it got to this point. “There is not help in this town for kids like Nicholas,” Cassandra Bazzano, his step-mother, said. “He made these […]
Arredondo wanted $1.1 million to resign after tragedy
New records released Oct. 1 show former school police chief Pete Arredondo requested a $1,104,000 settlement from Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District to resign after the Robb Elementary School shooting. The district has long denied any payout beyond administrative leave and days owed. Arredondo’s lawyer sent the settlement terms on July 25, 2022, days after then-superintendent Hal Harrell announced he […]
UCISD revives HR department with ‘human capital officer’
Amid ongoing payroll and staffing concerns, Uvalde’s school district promoted communications director Anne Marie Espinoza to a new hybrid human resources role with an $8,000 pay bump. Espinoza’s new title is chief of communications and human capital officer, and she’s been on the job since Aug. 25. Alongside managing emergency communications and serving as the district’s media contact, she now […]
Best of Uvalde County reveal coming Nov. 23
Readers have spoken — loud and clear — in the Best of Uvalde County competition, and the results will be announced in a special magazine scheduled for publication Nov. 23 in the Leader-News. The magazine will include the top three vote getters in each category. Between Aug. 29 and Sept. 19, almost 1,200 people cast 44,972 votes for 311 entries […]
White takes office as elections administrator
Christine White, the second person to ever hold the position, officially took office as Uvalde County elections administrator Oct. 1. Uvalde County Judge Bill Mitchell swore her in at 10 a.m. in the third-floor commissioners courtroom, with more than 20 family members, friends and elected officials in attendance. “Thank you for putting your trust in me. I look forward to […]
Patricia A. McFarland
Patricia Aleen Hudson McFarland, 90, of Sabinal died on Sept. 27, 2025, at her residence. A memorial service is pending with Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary, and a complete obituary will appear in a future edition of the newspaper.
Wells wins Sabinal High’s homecoming queen crown
FREE SabinalSabinal High School crowned its 2025 homecoming queen, Mackinzie Danielle Wells, Sept. 26 during the Yellowjackets’ 58–20 win over Somerset Academy. Wells, daughter of Ricia Wells and Travis Wells, received her crown from 2024 homecoming queen Eilee Cavasos. Senior Richard Jones, number 9 on the Yellowjackets football team, escorted Wells. Her teachers describe Wells as a leader in and out […]
Richard G. Weber
Richard Galen Weber, 77, of Uvalde died on Sept. 27, 2025, at Christus Santa Rosa in San Antonio. Visitation is set from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary. A funeral service will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 11, also at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary, and interment will follow at Sabinal Cemetery. There will be a reception at Sandy […]
Governor presents Purple Heart to Cantu
Remember When?10 years ago Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 Governor presents Purple Heart to Cantu – Governor Greg Abbott recently presented the Texas Purple Heart to four members of the United States military, including Uvalde native Sgt. Michael Cantu. The presentation took place at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Cantu, along with Specialist James Burkett, Private First Class Jose […]
Mary M. Berry
Sept. 8, 1938 – Sept. 26, 2025 On the morning of Sept. 26, 2025, Mary Berry of Uvalde, Texas, at the age of 87, passed peacefully into the loving arms of her Heavenly Father after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Vattman, Texas, on Sept. 8, 1938, she was the third oldest of 10 children and raised in a […]
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