Sofi Zeman


Latest Articles:

Uvalde school renews teacher, staff contracts

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s board extended several professional contracts for the 2024-25 year during their April 15 meeting. The following people were renewed for next year. Uvalde High School Teachers who were approved to stay on at Uvalde High School for the coming school year include: Marisa Aguire, Elliot Ahlschlager, Claude Atwood, Anika Barbosa, Norma Barbosa, Rhiannan Bates, Anthony... READ MORE >

Ale prepares to bear No. 21 in 2024 season

Abraham Ale, a rising senior at Uvalde High School, recognizes the weight of the responsibility he’s taking on by becoming the third Coyote to wear the #21 jersey, now designated in honor of the victims of the May 24, 2022, mass shooting at Robb Elementary. “You’re carrying all those angels,” he told the Leader-News. Come next season, the 17-year-old running... READ MORE >

Crosses launch Rise 4U non profit

Brett and Nikki Cross, guardians of the late Uziyah Garcia, announced April 2 that they would be officially launching Rise 4U, a non-profit organization dedicated to gun violence awareness. Uziyah was among the 21 people that died as a result of the May 24, 2022, Robb Elementary shooting. The Cross family has advocated for stricter gun laws and a federal... READ MORE >

Franco confronts trauma, forgiveness through art

Afternoon rides through town remind Amy Franco of the beauty that exists in complicated times. From her passenger-seat view, she watches her heartbreak and confusion melt into something more curious, more creative and colorful. The world paints itself out on the page in weaving strokes. Sprawling live oak and mesquite littering the Hill Country leap and lay in ever-changing shades... READ MORE >

Family holding crawfish boil fundraiser after house fire

A Uvalde family will host a crawfish boil and dance next weekend to fundraise for family members who lost their home in an April 12 house fire. The dinner fundraiser is scheduled 12-6 p.m. on May 26 at the Willie De Leon Civic Center. Entry is $20 per person. People may pay $40 for an all-you-can-eat deal or $10 per... READ MORE >

Lives Robbed dedicates teaching award to Reyes

Lives Robbed on April 30 announced its inception of an annual award recognizing former Robb Elementary teacher Arnulfo Reyes’s dedication to his students. The group presented the Mr. Arnulfo “Arnie” Reyes Award in its inaugural year to Reyes himself and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD’s Kevin Strang during Teacher Appreciation Week, observed May 6-10, according to Lives Robbed. It accepted nominations for the... READ MORE >

UCISD getting $10M from feds, low-cost health care

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District learned earlier this week that it will receive $10 million in federal appropriations to spend on school security, Superintendent Ashley Chohlis told the board on May 13. Starting next school year, the district is also getting a traveling on-campus health physician so students can receive treatment at school if needed, she said. The updates came... READ MORE >

Gonzales, Rizo sit for lengthy, heated first UCISD meeting

Uvalde’s two newest school board candidates’ first meeting ran five hours long and got heated at times. The board swore in new trustees Jaclyn Gonzales and Jesse Rizo and  incumbent elect Cal Lambert, canvassed official vote totals and reorganized its leadership roles during its May 13 monthly meeting. Gonzales was the top vote-getter with 904 votes; Rizo followed with 787;... READ MORE >

Arson cases remain unsolved

Two Uvalde County arson cases from last year remained unsolved as of last week. In both cases, which resulted in fires in Uvalde’s and Sabinal’s downtowns, law enforcement has not filed charges against or arrested anyone. The Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office determined within the first week of its investigation that someone intentionally set the first fire, which happened Aug. 9... READ MORE >

Family holding crawfish boil fundraiser after house fire

A Uvalde family will host a crawfish boil and dance later this month to fundraise for family members who lost their home in an April 12 house fire. The dinner fundraiser is scheduled 12-6 p.m. on May 26 at the Willie De Leon Civic Center. Entry is $20 per person. People may pay $40 for an all-you-can-eat deal or $10... READ MORE >