July to December Year-End Recap of Yorktown News-Review

July

• The City of Yorktown undertook a $4.9 million wastewater project. The existing system was so old that it would no longer satisfy the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, city officials said.

• The DeWitt County 4-H Livestock Judging Team of Jackie Finney, Percy Torrez, Wyatt Luddeke, and Nathan Oakes returned last Thursday night from their competition at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland as double champions.

• The Yorktown City Council ordered concrete barriers be installed at the intersection of West and Fourth Streets to safeguard pavement that trucks continually damage, city officials said.

• The city of Yorktown paused its clearing of dilapidated structures at 30 properties, having reached its budget limit, Mayor Bill Baker said. Several people who have been unhoused by the recent clearing of structures started camping outdoors. The city said such people need to seek help from social services and family.

• Yorktown Elementary School (YES) hosted its annual Camp ROAR (Reaching Outstanding Academic Results), offering a dynamic and enriching four-week summer program for incoming 1st through 5th grade students.

• Yorktown Secondary Campus (YSC) welcomed incoming 6th through 8th grade students, to its annual STEM Camp, a four-week summer enrichment program focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

• Junior firefighters, ages 14-17, attended the West Virginia University Junior Firefighter Camp. Three teens from the Nordheim Volunteer Fire Department were among the attendees.

• Duane Liptak, a former pilot and special operations officer in the US Marines, spoke with children at the Boys & Girls Club leadership.

• Yorktown Elementary School achieved the designation of a Healthy South Texas Recognized School through the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Activities like Walk Across Texas and container gardens with food prepared from it contributed to the designation.

• A statewide effort to place Colonel William Travis’s letter from the Alamo placed on courthouse property throughout the state of Texas came to fruition in DeWitt County. The Texas Historical Commission, which must approve any changes to historical sites, approved the addition of the granite monument in front of the courthouse flag pole.

• At UCA Cheer Camp, the YHS Varsity Cheerleaders brought home 1st place in the camp routine, 2nd place in game day, and Wally the Wildcat earned the title of Mascot Camp Champion. The junior high team earned Most Improved, 3rd place in the camp routine, and 3rd in game day. The entire program was awarded Spirit Sticks throughout the week and brought home the St.

Jude Spirit Stick — awarded to the program with the most letters written to St. Jude. Three of the cheerleaders and the mascot made All American.

• Yorktown’s Girl Scout Troop 9405 placed green bows on trees in the city park on Sunday, honoring the victims of Camp Mystic from the recent floods. The girls also made cards to be mailed along with gift cards to Kerrville Pets Alive to join in their efforts to reunite lost pets with their owners.

• To keep students safer throughout the day, the YISD administration has announced a new parking permit system that aims to streamline parking for students.

• The DeWitt County Historical Museum temporarily closed to undergo repairs. During this process, original siding and windows will be preserved and placed back into the building. “The House Where History Lives” was expected to re-open at the end of October.

August

• The Yorktown Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2025 Back-to-School Bash in the Yorktown City Park. Booths were set up with free school supplies, including backpacks, and there were games and snacks.

• 4-H Healthy South Texas Youth Ambassadors visited Holy Cross Catholic Church’s Giving Garden as a service project in Yorktown.

• A public hearing on DeWitt County disaster experiences was held at the Anne Friar Thomas Homemaking Building in the wake of the Hill County floods.

• DeWitt County Commissioners Court passed a resolution opposing any efforts by the Texas Legislature to limit local governments from hiring legislative consultants and lobbyists.

• Volunteers of all ages turned out to beautify school campuses for the first “Work with Wildcats Day.” From spreading sand or mulching to grass trimming or planting, workers got busy sprucing entries, playgrounds and sports fields.

• The Kitty Kat volleyball team came under new leadership with the hiring of Head Coach Patti Zenner by Yorktown ISD, whose coaching abilities were praised.

• The Victoria-Crossroads Chapter of the Independent Cattlemen warned ranchers about the threat of screwworm infestation returning to Texas.

• DeWitt County first responders faced five emergences over a two-hour period, according to the DeWitt County Emergency Management and Floodplain Administration.

• DeWitt County Sheriff’s Department Captain Santos Calderon, Jr. says he just wants “people to feel safe where they live,” in explaining a motive that has kept him working in law enforcement for 46 years-plus.

September

•The owners of Yorktown Memorial Hospital who conduct paranormal tours of the historical building say they are baffled by the City of Yorktown’s recent decision to halt their operation after six years of operation without incident. The city declared the 1950s building unsafe for occupancy.

• The DeWitt County Commissioners Court held a special meeting to revisit and repeat action

taken a week earlier because that meeting was not posted on the county website.

• The City of Yorktown made improvements to the Yorktown City Park that included adding jelly bean mulch to the playground area in addition to tidying up the lawn and other greenery.

• The DeWitt County Commissioners Court issued a 90day burn ban for the county’s unincorporated areas due to dry conditions.

• The DeWitt Commissioners Court approved a proposal from Lightedge Solutions, LLC for offsite back up of data, to minimize the potential for loss from the possibility of a ransomware attack.

• Celebrity Turkey Ruby Begonia got a big send off from De-Witt County residents as she prepared to travel to Worthington, Minn. for the Turkey Gallop. Ruby lost to the other state’s bird.

• Families from near and far gathered to celebrate the annual Holy Cross Church Feast in Yorktown. The event was held on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a significant date in the Catholic Church worldwide.

• Plow Day, a demonstration of traditional farm equipment, went on in Yorktown despite dry conditions that made it difficult for the tractors to dig into the hardened earth.

• Agriculture teacher Emmalee Alatorre’s Yorktown High School Advanced Floral Design class created a Mega Mum for Homecoming. The mum was 14 feet long this year. The goal was to make it look like a realistic homecoming mum. The mum will hang in the high school. It was the second year for the tradition.

• The nonprofit Texas Ramp Project celebrated 40 years of delivering free wheelchair ramps to over 30,000 recipients across the state, and it asked for volunteers for the work in DeWitt County.

October

• The DeWitt County Commissioners Court approved a $3.2 million budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and a tax rate of 0.38576 to fund it.

• Yorktown High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) hosted the annual See You at the Pole celebration. The event is a global, student- led prayer event that takes place every year.

• The 67th Annual Yorktown Western Days Festival was announced for Oct. 17– 19, to bring together friends, families, and neighbors for three full days of live music, classic festival attractions, and fun-filled activities for all ages.

• The American Heart Association recognized Cureo Regional Hospital with two honors related to its emergency care department’s quality of service. The awards were Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Award and Get With the Gudelines — Stroke Gold Plus Award.

• With a whoop and a “run Ruby run,” the Cuero 53rd annual Turkeyfest was scheduled for Oct. 10.

• Yorktown resident Aaron Lee Sellers, 37, died from a stabbing wound in the front yard of a residence in the 600 block of Kraege St., according to a press release from the De-Witt County Sheriff’s Office.

• A paranormal pre-Halloween investigation of the allegedly haunted Yorktown Memorial Hospital was scheduled in apparent defiance of city officials who officially banned all tours at the vacant building in late August.

• Six Yorktown churches announced they were hosting a community Thanksgiving gathering for all residents of the city and surrounding communities at Gruenau Hall in November.

• The 67th Western Days kicked off with the opening of the carnival, where you could hear the laughter of the families, and the smell of carnival food. From there, the party never stopped. There was the opening of the Historical Museum followed by the Wildcat Pep rally.

Saturday was full of fun with a grand parade and live music. Gunfighters put on a performance for all to remember.

• “A Journey with the Shroud of Turin” was scheduled to be featured by Yorktown Holy Cross Church Nov. 8-9.

• DeWitt County Publishing announced Cuero native Kayla Lynn Shaffer was being promoted to general manager of the Yorktown News-Review and The Cuero Record.

• Yorktown residents enjoyed a Halloween celebration in downtown.

November

• Local food bank officials in DeWitt County expressed concerns about the suspension of food assistance payments during the shutdown of the federal government overwhelming the local, state and national food bank system.

• The DeWitt County Commissioners Court declared the county a disaster area because of dry conditions and the dangers of wildfire.

• The 63rd Annual DeWitt County Pecan Show and Pecan Bake Show was scheduled to be held at the Friar Ag Center in the Cuero City Park Nov. 24-25.

• Cody Allen Eggemeyer was sentenced to a total of 95 years in prison in connection with a 2023 shooting by 135th District Court Judge Kemper Stephen Williams Nov. 7.

• Volunteers from DeWitt County helped unload 12,600 pounds of food to be distributed to the citizens of DeWitt County Nov. 7.

• A remembrance of DeWitt Colony’s settlement 200 years ago was celebrated in a free performance by Tejas Pioneers musicians at Cuero Intermediate Cafeteria.

• Voter turnout in DeWitt County amounted to 16.6% of registered voters, which was more than the estimated statewide rate of nearly 15% in the Nov. 4 Texas Constitutional Amendment Election.

• The DeWitt County Commissioners Court voted to extend the burn ban for unincorporated areas of the county when the 90-day ban approved in August expires.

• City officials, the owners of Yorktown Memorial Hospital and the public weighed in on what should be done with the old hospital building at a public hearing Monday, Nov. 17. The City Council voted to delay in condemnation proceedings on the 1950s building.

• The Yorktown FFA Chapter traveled to Blinn College-Schulenburg recently to compete in the Horizon District Leadership Development Events (LDEs), earning several top placements and advancing two events to the upcoming Area XI contest.

• The Yorktown News-View donated $1,000 to the Cuero High School Booster Club.

• Sparks from a tractor shedder led to two acres burning in the 7400 block of Friar Road Nov. 10.

• The Yorktown Senior Center saw its final day of operation on FNov. 14, after limited funds and ongoing budget cuts forced the program to shut down.

• Yorktown Western Days Association’s Cowboy Claus program announced it would be bringing Christmas joy to children under 15 who might not otherwise receive gifts this holiday season

• Yorktown High School students performed in the DeWitt County Historical Commission’s production of “Lives Remembered,” a re-enactment of the founding of Green DeWttt County in the Cuero ISD Cafeteria.

• Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued an alert to Texas horsemen of an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) reported by Texas veterinarians after the World Championship Barrel Racing Finals in the Waco area.

December

• The Yorktown Varsity Cheerleaders will make history this year when they compete at the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando in 2026 — a firsttime achievement for the school’s cheer program.

• Yorktown Chamber of Commerce held its second annual Fall Fest at City Park Sunday afternoon, Nov. 24. Kids enjoyed activities, and there was an outdoor screening of “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” at the conclusion.

• Yorktown Volunteer Fire Department firefighters Trace Alvarez, Troy Alvarez, Jerry Alvarez, Daniel Villarreal and Javier Reza saved five puppies from a house fire.

• The Dewitt County Commissioners Court approved the installation of no truck signs along Old Yoakum Road, Christian Road, and Edgar Leesville Road off U.S. Highway 77, between Cuero and Yoakum.

• A skyline holiday garland stretched across the street in Yorktown thanks to local donations and the work of AEP Texas installing it. Local folks say it is reminiscent of one from years ago, bringing back fond memories.

• The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, partnering with a coalition of energy industry companies has announced the launch of two new STEM Center programs at Yorktown Junior High School and Falls City Elementary in the Eagle Ford region.

• Girl Scout Troop 9405 decorated the Christmas tree at the Yorktown Public Library, as well as enjoyed the wonderful Christmas displays and lights in our Yorktown City Park.

• A resolution to the conflict between the owners of Yorktown Memorial Hospital and city officials who threatened to condemn the closed 1950s-era building was in sight after a private meeting with city officials, according to one of the owners.

• Underprivileged children were scheduled be remembered this Christmas by Deputy Santa and Cowboy Claus in Yorktown, Nordheim and the rest of County.

• The DeWitt County Commissioners Court banned aerial fireworks.

• STX archery company named six new youth archers and gave them $250 sign-on bonuses.