Evan Lewis
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Kenneth Vaydak, 60, pauses while talking about Thursday night's fire that destroyed a small trailer at his mother, Helen Batson's property on Coletoville Road. Vaydak, who is visiting from Tennessee, said he had been out back near the trailer only moments before the fire broke out and that the trailer was nearly immediately engulfed. Vaydak's brother Charles Vaydak 63, stayed in the trailer that burned. No injuries were reported.

Calhoun forward Po Lo, celebrates scoring the Sandcrabs first goal against Victoria East during the District 30-5A opener at Memorial Stadium. The Sandcrabs won 2-1.

Pre-K4 student Sarah Gonzalez, 5, is handed a cup of yogurt covered berries at Nazareth Academy's Super Tryday Friday. The Berry Nice Bites were made for the event by the third grade.

David Holford, leave a client's after talking with them about their immigration case. Holford says he is the only full-time practicing immigration attorney in the Crossroads.

Ben Peeler, 22, the oldest son of Jason Peeler, walks through a 50-acre muddy stretch of contaminated soil on his family's ranch outside Christine, south of San Antonio. The Peelers say runoff from the San Miguel Electric Coop power plant is poisoning their land.

Jason Peeler, 51, a fourth-generation rancher, pauses for a moment and looks at one of the mine pits on his land while explaining why he believes a lignite fired power plant operated by San Miguel Electric Cooperative is poisoning the soil and ground water.

A 100-foot mound of lignite ash from the San Miguel Electric Coop power plant is piled near an active mine on the Peeler ranch near Christine, south of San Antonio.

Felix Lopez and Johnny Hernandez carry demoed material to the dumpster as they and others volunteer labor to the Victoria Housing Authority through the Victoria County United Way. Ten volunteers from Caterpillar and Dow Chemicals made up Friday's crew. The housing authority is remodeling a three building 12 unit complex on North Street that was condemned after being damaged during Hurricane Harvey.

Elizabeth Espinosa, 45, listens to her son Gabriel Espinosa, 12, say they try to stay dry during the dedication for the first 10 homes in the Hope Meadows housing edition in Bloomington. The low-income housing is part of Victoria County Long-Term Recovery Group. Espinosa and her three children will be moving into house number four.

Montana Rodriguez, 6, looks back as her mother calls out while the family walks to the city bus stop. Cecilia Espindola's car stopped working about two months ago. Since then she and her children have been relying on others for rides or using the city's bus service.

Montana Rodriguez, 6, looks at her mother Cecilia Espindola, 30, after Espindola separated Montana and her twin brother Texas for arguing. Espindola's has car stopped working about two months ago. Since then she and her children have been relying on family for rides or using the city's bus service.

Cecilia Espindola, 30, tries to find a ride home after dropping her kids off at daycare. The single mother of three has been relying on family for rides or using the city's bus service. That Thursday round trip bus ride to get the children to daycare took over 3 three hours.

Joey Rodriguez, 52, climbs into his mod lite class dirt track car following the funeral for Jason David Zarbock at Memorial Park Cemetery. Zarbock 44, was an avid racer and owned of Zarbock Automotive at the corner of Airline Road and Navarro Street. Jason had a 30-year race career and raced in the street stock class at Shady Oaks raceway in Goliad and Texana Raceway in Edna. Zarbock died March 2 after suffering a heart attack. The 2019 dirt track season opens March 30th at Texana.

Local dirt track racer Casey Simons, foreground, jokes with fellow competitors Joey Rodriguez, Erica Zarbock, Mike Horelka and Abby Horelka following the funeral for Jason David Zarbock at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Jon Matus, 30, of Schulenburg and his father Allen salvage what they can from Jon's vacation home in Seadrift after a tornado destroyed the small house on Denver Street. The EF 1 tornado set down in the Seadrift area about 1:40 a.m. Thursday.

The remains of U.S. Army Master Sgt. Charlie Mares in his dress blues were viewable per normal army burial procedure. Family and friends were able to pay their respects for Mares who died in 1950 during the Korean War. The U.S. Government recently identified remains of the fallen soldier. The visitation was held Thursday at Smith Funeral home Chapel in Flatonia.

LaDonna Gohlke, 77 prays with her husband Marcus and others during the National Day of Prayer ceremony held at De Leon Plaza. The Gohlke’s said they have been attending the annual event held on the first Thursday in May for many years. Marcus Gohlke pastors the First Baptist Church in Tivoli.

Chris Buzek, 30, examines pollinated corn as he talks about the area's drought conditions. Buzek a third generation farmer works over 2500 archers in the family operation. Chris is optimistic about the rest of the growing season. "We need one rain get this started again" Buzek said. This season Billy Buzek Farms is growing corn, cotton and grain sorghum.

Kingston Arkadie-Anderson, 2, plays on the slip and slide during the Southside Block Party. Neighborhood activists and Victoria city officials collaborated to organize the street party Friday afternoon in the traditionally lower income Under the Hill neighborhood.

Cynthia Robinson helps Nyla Allen, 2, and Emmaurion Harris, 4, release balloons at the conclusion of a prayer vigil honoring the life and accomplishments of Aretha Franklin. Thursday evening event was organized by the Old Landmark Committee and was held at Deleon Plaza.

Brown pelicans and seagull perch on the piers of an old dock in Indianola. The seaside fishing community was established in the 1840's it was once the Calhoun County Seat and was a major Texas port before several hurricanes destroyed the town. Several of the historic homes of Victoria once were in Indianola and were disassembled and moved by ox cart to Victoria after a hurricane in 1886.

Victoria East take the field before squaring off against crosstown rival Victoria West at Memorial Stadium in Victoria.

Bloomington Superintendent Mark Anglin, Lead Teacher Carole Grogan and high school Principal Linda Moore divvy up observation assignments before they go into the classrooms to monitor classrooms. Anglin has implemented a teaching review program where campus administrators and teachers meet regularly to ensure that district learning goals are being met and how to improve teaching practices.

Courtney Krause, University of St. Thomas Houston shields herself from the rain as she and others in top pairing during the second day of play in the UHV Fall Classic at The Club at Colony Creek. Play was suspended Tuesday due to inclement weather and then ultimately called before the round could be finished. Monday's scores stand as the final.

Annali Trevino, 8, and her classmates read to themselves in the dark by flashlight, as part of National Young Readers Week. Amy Algeria's third-grade class had a different reading themed activity each day that week. The annual awareness event is held the second full week in November.

Stephen Diebel, owner of Diebel Cattle Company, opens a pen to move cattle after vaccines were administer to a group of two year-old heifers Thursday Nov. 29, 2018 Healthy cattle only have to be handled by Diebel and his staff four times a year.

Bloomington_Fire_IP_011218_ Firefighters from Victoria Fire Department and several area volunteer department extinguish the last of a fire that burn a home to the ground Thursday in Bloomington. Some of the family was home at the time of the fire but everyone was able to exit the house without injury. The wood frame home was fully engulfed when fire crews arrived. Several of the fire companies were delayed by a train crossing Texas Highway 185/S Shepley St.

Posadas_IP_122017_ Alejandra Gonzalez 6 listens as the song of Las Posadas is performed Tuesday night. The ceremony hosted by Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Victoria reenacts the journey of Joseph and Mary as they looked for a place for Mary to have the baby Jesus.

Refugio_Co_AA_020418_ A photo of Maria Alaniz and then Texas Gov. Rick Perry is displayed in Alaniz's home Thursday. Alaniz,'s house was heavily damaged during Hurricane Harvey. The back portion of the structure has shifted since the storm. Causing walls to crack and rooms to begin separating from each other. Alaniz doesn't have any family in the area. Friends and neighbors have stepped up to lend support filling that gap for the disabled 72 year-old that lives alone. something that Alaniz says she doesn't know what she would do without the generosity of others.

Steeple_AA_122117_ Crews with Clegg Industry and South Texas Crane are seen in the reflexion of a puddle installing the new steeple at First Lutheran Church in Victoria Wednesday. Fabrication of the steeple took Clegg Industries about 500 man hours and two months to complete. It stands 24' tall and is approximately 7' in diameter.