Recent action by the Kenedy school board has left many local people wondering why four of the trustees voted in a way that effectively ended the employment of the school district’s business manager.

During the February 12 meeting, Trustees Frank Nieto, Velma Garza and Tony Mejia voted against renewing Janet Lott’s contract and Trustee Leo Valerio abstained from the vote. Trustees Dwain Groff, Ed Monson and Carl Lundquist voted in favor. With a vote of 3-3-1, the motion failed to pass meaning that when her contract expires on June 30, Lott will no longer be working as Kenedy ISD’s business manager.

Superintendent Richard Irizarry recommended the renewal of Lott’s contract prior to the vote.

The vote took place after no discussion on the matter.

By Jason Clay Jansky

There aren’t many businesses in South Texas that hang around long enough to celebrate their 100th birthday. After all, having started up shop that long ago means a business had to survive the great depression and other historical hardships.

Falls City National Bank not only survived the hardships of 100 years, they’ve remained mostly owned by the same family all that time.

It all started with, not a bank, but a general store in Falls City in the early 1900s. Maria Schulz, her sons, and sons-in-law ran the Schulz Mercantile, providing area residents with items to meet their basic needs.

Kenedy police executed a search warrant at suspected burglar Ansony Martinez’s Kenedy residence recently and recovered several items they say ties him to many more burglaries around town.

The largest items of value recovered were the tools that had went missing from the old Rialto Theatre building some time late last year. The owners of the theatre had been renovating the building when they arrived one day to find their tools gone.

Other items also were found that tie Martinez to the January 2 burglary of the Kenedy Baptist Church and the January 26 burglary of Phelps Family Dentistry, according to Kenedy Police Chief Duane DuBose.