A Floresville man has been sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay ,000 in restitution to 18 victims for receipt of child pornography. According to Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons, Nathan Corey Van Zandt, 47, used file-sharing software to find and download video and image files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On March 24, 2024, ICE Homeland Security Investigations seized Van Zandt’s cell phone, which contained more than 6,000 images of child sexual abuse material. A seized laptop revealed more than 9,000...

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A former Wilson County Sheriff’s Office deputy faces charges of driving while intoxicated and unlawful carrying of a weapon. Rolando A. Garza had been under an administrative misconduct investigation prior to his arrest, confirmed Wilson County Sheriff Jim Stewart. Stewart could not confirm specifics of the investigation. Garza was arrested Dec. 24. He was allegedly determined to be under the influence of alcohol while driving, according to Stewart. His employment with the sheriff’s office was terminated the day before, the sheriff advised. The investigation is ongoing, and no further information was available as of press time Feb. 2. [email protected]

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The following defendants were among those listed on recent dockets for the 81st District Court in Wilson County: •Joseph M. Castillo, 43, of Floresville pleaded nolo contendere (no contest) Jan. 21 to a charge of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, after allegedly striking a child under the age of 14 with his hand and belt in May 2020. He was sentenced to four years of deferred adjudication community supervision and ordered to pay court costs and fees. •Deborah C. Gonzales, 60, of Floresville pleaded nolo contendere (no contest) Jan. 21 to a charge of publishing or threatening...

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Area law-enforcement agencies have reported the following recent activity: Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested and charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. Wilson County Sheriff’s Office •Jan. 19, Cleofas J. Castillo Jr., 41, of Floresville and Jonathan R. Montoya, 35, of Poth were arrested by deputies who conducted a traffic stop for an expired registration in front of a retail business in the 300 block of 10th Street (U.S. 181) in Floresville. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 93 grams of suspected methamphetamine, and marijuana. Castillo was charged with possession...

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A former China Grove city secretary was arrested Jan. 27 on three felony charges. Arrest warrants from Bexar County charge Melinda Sauceda, 40, of Sutherland Springs with: •Forgery of a government or national instrument, money, or security — a third-degree felony •Tampering with a government record — a state jail felony •Theft of property valued between ,500 and ,000 — a third-degree felony. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a ,000 fine. The arrest followed investigation by Texas Health & Human Services (THHS) Commission Office of the Inspector General and the Texas...

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The Polish Heritage Center is accepting applications for the Bishop John W. Yanta Academic Scholarship and the Polish Heritage Center Academic Scholarship. Students who have connection to the Polish immigrants of Texas and have recently been accepted to or are actively enrolled at a Texas university or college are eligible. Deadline for applications is Thursday, Feb. 26. For information and applications, go to polishheritagecentertx.org.

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The story is told about a man who had his wife take the wheel of their motor home while he went to the back for a nap. He awoke to see his wife getting something out of the refrigerator while the motor home was still moving. “Who’s driving?” he exclaimed. “Oh, don’t worry. I put it on autopilot,” she replied, just as they crashed. What’s worse is when we put our life on cruise control and step away from the driver’s seat. We’re accountable for every action and word. We cannot blame others or circumstances for our choices. One of...

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Gather with the La Vernia Historical Association Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. and learn about local history. The evening will include “History Highlights” featuring “Historical Valentines” — photos of couples with a La Vernia connection who’ve been married for 50 or more years. Community members are encouraged to take photos of their “Historical Valentines” to add to the La Vernia Heritage Museum’s permanent collection. Photos also can be emailed to the historical association at [email protected]; please include: •Names of the couple (including maiden name) •Wedding date •Your name, mailing address, and phone number •Statement — “For LVHA use only.”...

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Calling all art and design enthusiasts! The Children’s Alliance of South Texas is holding a T-shirt design contest. Participants are encouraged to make a cool T-shirt design using 1-2 colors for Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month in April. The contest winner will receive a free T-shirt with their design on it. Entries must be submitted in JPEG format by Feb. 20, to [email protected].

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