Cuero, TX – January 2025 – Cuero City Council-Member-at-Large, William Bill Matthys who also serves as Mayor Pro Tem, has announced that he will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming May 2025 term.
Matthys, who has served on the City Council for seventeen years, has been a dedicated public servant and a strong advocate for the community. During his tenure, Matthys has been instrumental in various initiatives. His leadership and commitment to the residents of Cuero have left a lasting impact on the city.
Matthys expressed his gratitude to the community for their support over the years and said that serving as a Councilman has been one of the greatest honors of his lifetime.
The filing period for candidates interested in running for the Council-Member-At-Large for May 3, 2025, begins Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Candidate Packets are available in the City Secretary’s Office no later than the first day of the filing period.
AlphaLyfe Nutrition is excited to announce the addition of delicious coffee drinks to their menu! Get ready to indulge in these irresistible new offerings:
City Council Candidate Packet
Council Places 1, 4, and (2) At Large will appear on that ballot. The links below are from the 2025 Candidate Packet.
The filing period for the May 3, 2025, General Election begins Wednesday, January 15, 2025. All necessary forms will be linked on this page, and printed Candidate Packets will be available in the City Secretary’s Office no later than the first day of the filing period.
To appear on the ballot, qualified persons must submit the following to the City Secretary’s Office (212 E. Main, Cuero, TX 77954) no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 14, 2025:
The Redemption Story being held this weekend reflects on the events that took place on January 18, 2023, when a single-engine Piper PA-46 plane carrying five members of the Harvest Church, based out of the Memphis suburb of Germantown, Tennessee, went down and crashed in an open field south of the Yoakum airport. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of four church members, with the only survivor, Lead Pastor Kennon Vaughan, sustaining injuries that required his hospitalization.
The Redemption Story: A Weekend of Uplifting Music and Worship
The victims of this heartbreaking accident were Bill Garner, the church’s Executive Vice President; Steve Tucker, a church elder; and Tyler Patterson and Tyler Springer. These individuals were beloved members of Harvest Church, and their loss left a profound impact on their community.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Lead Pastor Kennon Vaughan has shown remarkable resilience and strength. Despite his injuries, he continues to lead and inspire the Harvest Church community.
Uplifting Music and Worship
In honor of those lost and to celebrate the spirit of hope and renewal, Harvest Church is hosting “The Redemption Story,” an event filled with uplifting music, worship, and a powerful message from Dr. Kennon Vaughan, the sole survivor of the plane crash. This revival event promises to be a significant and inspiring occasion.
Event Schedule:
Saturday, January 18:
– Pre-Event Activities (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM): Enjoy family activities and entertainment by Jellie Holcomb.
– Main Event (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM): Worship by Harvest Memphis.
Sunday, January 19:
– Pre-Event Activities (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM): Enjoy family activities and entertainment by Aaron Watson.
– Main Event (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM): Worship by Harvest Memphis.
Location: 37 County Road 462, Yoakum, TX 77995
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets to enjoy the event comfortably. The family activities include a kid’s fun zone with a bounce house, inflatables, face painting, and more.
Mark your calendars for this incredible weekend of faith, music, and community. We look forward to seeing you there!
The Fall Clean-Up event held from October 21st to October 26th, 2024, was a resounding success, bringing together community efforts to significantly impact the environment positively. The event saw extensive participation and resulted in impressive outcomes, demonstrating the community’s commitment to sustainability.
The efforts didn’t stop there. The clean-up resulted in substantial environmental benefits, with significant savings in tree preservation, landfill space, energy, and electricity.
Environmental Impact:
– Tree Preservation: Recycling cardboard saves 17 trees per ton.
– Landfill Space: One ton of cardboard saves over 9 cubic yards of landfill space (equivalent to 3 metal dumpsters). The event saved over 1,197 cubic yards of landfill space, equivalent to 400 dumpsters.
– Energy Savings from Aluminum Cans: Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours. With approximately 32 cans making a pound, the community saved 9,600 days of 24-hour TV running time.
– Electricity from Used Motor Oil: Recycling 2 gallons of used motor oil can generate enough electricity to power an average household for almost 24 hours. The clean-up event saved 24-hour days of electricity for 14.5 months.
These results underscore the importance of community involvement in environmental initiatives and highlight the significant positive impact that concerted clean-up efforts can have.
The community is encouraged to continue supporting and participating in such events to ensure a cleaner, greener future for everyone.
For more information and future clean-up events, please contact the Cuero Environmental Services Department.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging three Russian nationals for their involvement in operating the cryptocurrency websites. Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko and Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik are in custody and were charged by a federal grand jury. The third defendant, Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov was also charged but remains at large.
“According to the indictment, the defendants operated cryptocurrency websites that served as safe havens for laundering criminally derived funds, including the proceeds of ransomware and wire fraud,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. The defendants made it easier for state-sponsored hacking groups and other cybercriminals to profit from offenses that jeopardized both public safety and national security. The indictment and arrests follow an earlier takedown of the defendants’ criminal infrastructure and demonstrate the value of our international partnerships in countering the global threat from cybercrime.”
“Blender.io and Sinbad.io were allegedly used by criminals across the world to launder funds stolen from victims of ransomware, virtual currency thefts, and other crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Last year, with the assistance of our international partners, we successfully dismantled Sinbad.io,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office.According to court documents and publicly available information, Blender.io and Sinbad.io were cryptocurrency mixers that allowed their users, for a fee, to send cryptocurrency to designated recipients in a manner designed to hide the source of the cryptocurrency. Blender.io and Sinbad.io were available for use by the public via the internet and used by criminals looking to distance themselves from the fact that their funds came from cryptocurrency thefts, ransomware attacks, and other crimes.
Blender.io operated from approximately 2018 to 2022. The service was advertised on a popular internet forum as having a “No Logs Policy” and deleting any traces of user transactions. Additionally, in the advertisement, Blender was described as not requiring users to sign up, register, or “provide any kind of detail except the receiving address!” The advertisement asserted that, “[a]s there are no personal details asked for, there’s no way your identity is compromised, or can be linked back to, because as far as blender.io goes they don’t know who you are.” After Blender.io shut down, Sinbad.io began operating a few months later. Like Blender.io, Sinbad.io provided users with Bitcoin concealment services. And, on November 27, 2023, Sinbad.io was taken down through law enforcement action.
Both Blender.io and Sinbad.io have been sanctioned by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). On May 6, 2022, OFAC sanctioned Blender.io, citing its use by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to launder stolen virtual currency. OFAC’s public sanctions announcement also explained that Blender.io laundered funds for multiple ransomware groups. On Nov. 29, 2023, OFAC sanctioned Sinbad.io, publicly citing its use by a DPRK state-sponsored hacking group and cybercriminals to obfuscate transactions linked to other criminal offenses.
Trial Attorney Ethan Cantor of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, who is a member of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maxwell Coll for the Central District of California provided significant assistance.
Chip Roy just called out his fellow Republicans for their astonishing hypocrisy. He stated, “Since we maintained the majority on November 5, 2024, you’ve already added $5 trillion to the debt!” When will we stop misleading and pretending to be accountable to the American people
Chip Roy is a Republican congressman who serves on the House Judiciary, Rules, and Budget Committees. He has a background in law, politics, and finance. He is on his third term in Congress representing Texas’s 21st Congressional District which includes South Austin, North San Antonio, and the Texas Hill Country.
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) and Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI-1) announced the bipartisan reintroduction of the TRUST in Congress Act to ban Members of Congress and their families from engaging in insider trading.
“The American people should have faith that Congress is at work for the good of the country, not for their own bank accounts. For years I have been working to address the problem of stock trading in Congress, first introducing the bipartisan TRUST in Congress Act with Rep. Abigail Spanberger back in 2020,” said Representative Roy. “Now that Abigail has retired, I am proud to reintroduce this critical and bipartisan legislation alongside my friend Rep. Magaziner (D-RI). We have a long road ahead to address this Congress, but we can and should fix the problem during this term. We have the will and the mandate of the American people to do this. Let’s deliver.”
The Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act would require Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependents to place certain investment assets into a qualified blind trust while serving in office. That way, Representatives and Senators cannot leverage their power as public servants to line their pockets.
“Trust in Congress is at an all-time low, but we can strengthen the integrity of our government by ensuring Members of Congress are serving their constituents and not their stock portfolios,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “I am proud to introduce this bipartisan, commonsense bill with Representative Chip Roy to ban Members of Congress — and their families — from trading individual stocks, so that we can hold Washington accountable to the people it serves.”
The bipartisan TRUST in Congress Act has been endorsed by many key advocacy and government accountability organizations, including the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), National Taxpayers Union, Public Citizen, Protect Democracy, Government Accountability Project, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, Issue One, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and Americans for Prosperity.
Specifically, the TRUST in Congress Act would:
Require all Members of Congress, and their spouses and dependent children, to put certain investment assets into a qualified blind trust within 180 days after the enactment of this legislation. New Members of Congress, and their spouses and dependent children, would be required to place covered investments into a qualified blind trust within 90 days of assuming office. Affected individuals can remove assets from the blind trust 180 days after the Member leaves Congress.
Require all Members to either 1) certify to the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate that they have established a blind trust to include covered investments or 2) certify to the Clerk or the Secretary that they do not own any covered investments. The status of these certifications would be made publicly available by the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate.
Define covered investments as the following: a security, commodity, future, or any comparable economic interest acquired through synthetic means such as the use of a derivative.
Clarify that the following do not qualify as covered investments for the purpose of this bill: a widely held investment fund (such as a mutual fund) or a U.S. Treasury bill, note, or bond. These investments would not have to be placed in a blind trust.
This bipartisan bill was co-led by Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI-2), and cosponsored by Reps. Alma Adams (NC-12), Don Beyer (VA-8), Greg Casar (TX-35), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5). Angie Craig (MN-2), Elijah Crane (AZ-2), Jason Crow (CO-6), Sharice Davids (KS-3), Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Golden (ME-2), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Jared Huffman (CA-2), Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), William Keating (MA-9), Young Kim (CA-40), Greg Landsman (OH-1), Michael Lawler (NY-17), Teresa Fernandez (NM-3), Mike Levin (CA-49), Nancy Mace (SC-1), Betty McCollum (MN-4), Frank Mrvan (IN-1), Gregory Murphy (NC-3), Jerrod Nadler (NY-12), Joe Neguse (CO-2), Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Marie Glusenkamp Perez (WA-3), Scott Perry (PA-10), Brittany Pettersen (CO-7), Mark Pocan (WI-2), Andrea Salinas (OR-6), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Greg Stanton (AZ-4), Hayley Stevens (MI-11), Dina Titus (NV-11), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Gabe Vasquez (NM-2), and Nikema Williams (GA-5).
Cuero, TX – January 13, 2025 – During the recent City Council meeting, Mayor Emil Garza presented a proclamation to Sean Mooney, Principal of St. Michael’s Catholic School, in recognition of Catholic Schools Week. This honor highlights the significant contributions of Catholic education to our community and celebrates the dedication of educators, students, and families at St. Michael’s Catholic School.
A moment of pride for St. Michael’s as they are acknowledged for their commitment to excellence in education and community values!
The Justice Department issued a report today on the Tulsa Race Massacre. The report documents the department’s findings, made during its review and evaluation of the Tulsa Race Massacre, undertaken pursuant to the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act. The Civil Rights Division previously announced it was undertaking this review during a Cold Case Convening held on Sept. 30, 2024.
“The Tulsa Race Massacre stands out as a civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity, racist hostility and its utter annihilation of a thriving Black community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “In 1921, white Tulsans murdered hundreds of residents of Greenwood, burned their homes and churches, looted their belongings, and locked the survivors in internment camps. Until this day, the Justice Department has not spoken publicly about this race massacre or officially accounted for the horrific events that transpired in Tulsa. This report breaks that silence by rigorous examination and a full accounting of one of the darkest episodes of our nation’s past. This report lays bare new information and shows that the massacre was the result not of uncontrolled mob violence, but of a coordinated, military-style attack on Greenwood. Now, more than 100 years later, there is no living perpetrator for the Justice Department to prosecute. But the historical reckoning for the massacre continues. This report reflects our commitment to the pursuit of justice and truth, even in the face of insurmountable obstacles. We issue this report with recognition of the courageous survivors who continue to share their testimonies, acknowledgement of those who tragically lost their lives and appreciation for other impacted individuals and advocates who collectively push for us to never forget this tragic chapter of America’s history.”
The report documenting the department’s findings on the Tulsa Race Massacre, examines events that occurred between on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when white Tulsans mounted a concerted effort to destroy a vibrant Black community, remembered today as Black Wall Street. During the massacre, hundreds of Black residents were murdered, their businesses and homes burned to the ground and their money and personal property stolen. Survivors were left without resources or recourse. In the aftermath, the City of Tulsa resisted offers of meaningful help to the victims and utterly failed to provide necessary aid or assistance, and efforts to seek justice through the courts foundered.
Despite the gravity of the department’s findings, it is clear that no avenue of prosecution now exists for crimes that occurred during the massacre — the youngest potential defendants would today be more than 115 years old, and the relevant statutes of limitations expired decades ago. Nevertheless, as the federal government’s first thorough reckoning with this devastating event, our review officially acknowledges, illuminates and preserves for history the horrible ordeals of the massacre’s victims. As antilynching advocate Ida B. Wells said, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
As antilynching advocate Ida B. Wells said, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
This report aims to do just that.
The Nature of the Review
A team of career lawyers and investigators from the Emmett Till Cold Case Unit of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division conducted the review. Members of the unit spoke with survivors and with descendants of survivors, examined firsthand accounts of the massacre given by individuals who are now deceased, studied primary source materials, spoke to scholars of the massacre and reviewed legal pleadings, books, and scholarly articles relating to the massacre. The team produced a thorough, 123-page, sourced report.
Factual Findings
The review revealed that, on the night of May 31, 1921, a violent attack by as many as 10,000 white Tulsans destroyed Greenwood, a uniquely prosperous Black community. The attack was so systematic and coordinated that it transcended mere mob violence. The review found that the trigger for the violence of the Tulsa Race Massacre was the kind of unfounded condemnation that, at the time, was commonly employed to justify unspeakable treatment of Black men; a white man alleged that a Black man, 19-year-old Dick Rowland, assaulted a white woman who operated an elevator he used. After Rowland’s arrest, a local newspaper then sensationalized the story and, soon, a mob of white Tulsans gathered outside the courthouse, demanding a lynching.
The local sheriff called on Black men from Greenwood, many recently returned from service during World War I, to come to the courthouse to prevent a lynching. The white mob saw this effort to protect Rowland as an unacceptable challenge to the social order. The mob grew. A confrontation broke out, and when someone fired a shot, horrific violence erupted. The Tulsa police deputized hundreds of white residents, many of whom — immediately before being awarded a badge — had been drinking and agitating for Rowland’s murder. Law enforcement officers helped organize these special deputies — as well as other white Tulsans — into the forces that would eventually ravage the Greenwood community.
This American National Red Cross photo shows the ruins of homes following the Tulsa race massacre. Library Of Congress
Violence was initially unorganized and opportunistic. But at daybreak on June 1, a whistle blew, and the violence and arsons that had been chaotic became systematic. White Tulsans, many of whom had recently drilled together as the “Home Guard,” formed to replace members of the National Guard who had gone overseas during the Great War, became organized and efficient in their destruction. They looted, burned and destroyed 35 city blocks while Greenwood’s residents tried desperately to defend their homes. As the fires consumed Greenwood, many Black families fled for their lives, leaving behind their homes and valuable items. White residents chased them across and beyond the city, taking into custody men, women, children, the elderly and the infirm, and looting the homes they left behind. The destruction of the district was total. The survivors were left with little to nothing.
Law enforcement officers (both from the Tulsa Police and the National Guard) disarmed Black residents, confiscated their weapons and detained many in makeshift camps under armed guard. In addition, there are credible reports that at least some law enforcement officers did more than arrest and detain Black men; some participated in murder, arson and looting. After the devastation, city officials promised to help Greenwood rebuild, but the government of Tulsa not only failed to do so, it put up obstacles to residential reconstruction. White local leaders rejected outside aid, claiming they could handle the recovery, but then provided little to no financial support. Instead, claiming the area was best suited for industrial use, they imposed harsh new fire codes that priced residents out of the area.
Mount Zion Baptist Church burns during the Tulsa race massacre. Library Of Congress
Legal Findings
The department’s report concludes that, had today’s more robust civil rights laws been in effect in 1921, federal prosecutors could have pursued hate crime charges against the massacre’s perpetrators, including both public officials and private citizens. In addition, if modern interpretations of civil rights laws were in effect in 1921, police officers, public officials and any who acted in concert with such persons could have been prosecuted for willfully violating the civil rights of massacre victims. Many of these legal avenues, however, were not available in 1921. The few avenues for federal prosecution that were available in 1921 were not pursued.
Now, the statute of limitations has expired for all federal civil rights offenses. Moreover, the team could find no living perpetrators, and prosecution under any law (federal or state) would almost certainly be foreclosed by the Constitution’s Confrontation Clause, which requires the government to provide live witnesses who can be cross examined by the accused. Such witnesses would need to have sufficient knowledge to prove a particular defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Shanties like this one were some of the first homes to be built during reconstruction after the Tulsa race massacre. The small house was in deep contrast to the homes that had stood before the attack. Library Of Congress
The report recognizes that some may find the department’s inability to prosecute a painful or dissatisfying outcome. However, the review recognizes and documents the horrible events that occurred as well as the trauma and loss suffered by the residents of Greenwood. While legal and practical limitations prevent the perpetrators of the crimes committed in 1921 from being held criminally accountable in a court of law, the historical reckoning continues. Legal limitations may have stymied the pursuit of justice, but work continues to ensure that future generations understand the scale and significance of this atrocity.
Following issuance of the report, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will convene with members of the Greenwood District, survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Tulsa civil rights community and other stakeholders.
A house in the Greenwood District located at 356 North Greenwood Avenue owned by Samuel & Lucy Mackley. The picture was taken before the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The house was destroyed during the massacre.
For further information please contact the Office of Public Affairs. If you have information about a civil rights cold case, meaning a hate crime or other civil rights offense that resulted in death and that occurred on or before Dec. 31, 1980, please contact the Civil Rights Division’s Cold Case Unit at Coldcase.Civilrights@usdoj.gov.
Yoakum, TX – January 2025 – The Yoakum Independent School District proudly announces that Luis Richardson has been named a member of the 2025 ATSSB All-State Band. Luis earned first place in the entire 3A Area tryouts on French Horn, securing his spot among Texas’s top high school musicians.
The competition was fierce, with over 10,000 high school band students from across Texas auditioning in twenty-two different regions for a place in their respective all-region bands. From these auditions, the top chairs advanced to one of the five area tryouts held this past weekend across the state. Only 286 students were ultimately selected for all-state honors.
Luis’s achievement is a testament to his hard work and dedication. He will join the other talented musicians in rehearsals for the ATSSB All-State Bands in San Antonio, Texas, from February 12-15, 2025. The culmination of their efforts will be showcased in a concert on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in the Lila Cockrell Theatre of the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in downtown San Antonio.
The entire Yoakum ISD community is beaming with pride for Luis Richardson’s outstanding accomplishment. His success is a shining example of the talent and commitment present in Yoakum schools.
Congratulations, Luis, on representing Yoakum ISD with distinction.