Camp Wood, TX

UTOPIA, Texas - Three months before a teenager opened fire on fourth-graders in Uvalde, school administrators in Utopia, a 45-minute drive north, called a lockdown. A man who had been pulled over and arrested suddenly escaped police custody and tore through campus. In the dark, quiet classrooms, one teacher handed out lollipops to keep students quiet. Older students piled desks in front of a classroom door. Another teacher told the children not to flush the toilet, fearing it would make too much noise.

PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!

If your plants wilt the moment the afternoon sun hits them, help them survive the heat better with these tips. Mulching your plants helps them beat the heat. A mulch layer can slow soil warming and decrease moisture loss. The breakdown of the mulch increases the organic matter content of the soil, too, helping it retain even more moisture. This helps your plants stay hydrated.

Volunteers with the Devil’s Sinkhole Society are holding two free guided nature walks on Saturday, May 14. The first begins at 10 a.m. and the second begins at 1 p.m. Participants will meet at the Rocksprings Visitors Center, 101 N. Sweeten St., located on the town square. They will...

Happy Place Animal Rescue launched a new website to bring attention and support to the countless animals that lack love and hope in their lives. Happy Place Animal Rescue is a nonprofit organization based in Leakey that rescues and rehabilitates animals. Animals that are neglected, abandoned, and hungry need a...

Several Uvalde-based teams were among the 66 who competed in the Freedom Fest 2022 barbecue cook-off, and Los Slow Cookers of Uvalde won the championship prize. Team Chupacabra, Jackie and Tim Milligan, won reserve champion honors at the event, held March 4-5 at the Frio Country Resort in Concan. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Uvalde Morale Welfare and Rec, a volunteer group organized by local U.S. Border Patrol agents. The organization annually awards numerous youth scholarships.

If you’re a seasoned Texas Hill Country traveler, and feel as though you’ve already done every trip under the (sweltering and sweaty) Texas sun: look no further than Frio River Private Access. The 450-acre Big Tree Ranch sits along a secluded stretch of the Frio River, a picturesque site that’s been in Douglas McClean’s family since 1959, and comes with plenty of room for social distancing.

The Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department responded to two fires last week where homes were destroyed, one near Concan and one in La Pryor. No humans were injured in the fires, but several pets reportedly lost their lives. On Wednesday, UVFD Chief Mario Rangel said he and seven other firefighters responded...

Erma’s Beauty Shop has been a mainstay in the Utopia community for the past 31 years. Erma Schaefer Starr and Rosella Motz have operated the iconic small-town shop to keep all the ladies looking sharp with hair trimmed up and curled. The standing appointments of the older ladies were...

VANDERPOOL — Texas generally does not enjoy the stunning widespread fall foliage transformation seen in other parts of the country, with one big exception — Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool, located about an hour-and-a-half northwest of San Antonio. Orange, red and yellow maple leaves scattered across boulders and...

Should you find yourself in a tiny town called Utopia, Texas, do yourself a favor and book (well in advance!) a dining experience at The Laurel Tree. Located deep within Texas Hill Country River Region is The Laurel Tree restaurant, where chef and owner Laurel Waters serves upscale French-inspired cuisine within an impressive 450-year-old oak tree.

VANDERPOOL — Texas generally does not enjoy the stunning widespread fall foliage transformation seen in other parts of the country, with one big exception — Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool, located about an hour-and-a-half northwest of San Antonio. Orange, red and yellow maple leaves scattered across boulders and...

The beauty and peacefulness of the Concan, Texas area never ceases to amaze us. Just over a three-hour drive from Austin, this area offers a gorgeous natural setting for hiking in the scenic Hill Country terrain, camping, stargazing, bird watching, and of course enjoying a swim, tube ride or paddle down the clear waters of the Frio River.

You may think that running around in one’s underwear wildly flailing about with a pink butterfly net in the bedroom might seem a bit odd, but for me, it’s just another day. My family has lived here in the Leakey area going on 18 years now. Before that we lived...

ROCKSPRINGS— Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area is commemorating 50 years as a National Natural Landmark with a festival, and special bat and stargazing programs at the park. The celebration will run from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Friday Oct. 1 and continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday Oct. 2. Programming will vary each day but will end with an evening bat show. The bat shows will begin at 7 p.m. every evening.

ROCKSPRINGS— Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area is commemorating 50 years as a National Natural Landmark with a festival, and special bat and stargazing programs at the park. The celebration will run from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Oct. 1 and continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 2. Programming will vary each day but will end with an evening bat show. The bat shows will begin at 7 p.m. every evening.