Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Patty Santos Santiago Esparza HELOTES the Helotes community is welcoming folks from across the community for its 60th annual Cornyval Festival The event at the Helotes Festival Grounds is from Thursday to Sunday It will include a community parade on Saturday you can expect to experience the PRCA Rodeo the president of the Helotes Festival Association said it is the first time Cornyval overlaps with Fiesta He says they’re looking forward to the Fiesta crowds coming over to their community to experience their celebration The event is a fundraiser for 50 area nonprofits and also raises funds for high school students they’re bringing in a bunch of new attractions More than 75 food vendors will be there, along with other merchandise vendors. One booth is expected to go through over 50 cases of corn during the event. Click here for the schedule of events every day Copyright 2025 by KSAT - All rights reserved Santiago Esparza is a photojournalist at KSAT 12 Email Newsletters KSAT RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us KSAT Internships Careers at KSAT Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Andrea K. Moreno This month brings an array of festivities to the San Antonio area inviting locals and visitors to celebrate culture offering plenty of exciting events to look forward to including the Battle of Flowers Parade and the Fiesta Flambeau Parade on May 3 >> Guide to street closures, parking for Fiesta 2025 in downtown San Antonio If you can’t celebrate the Fiesta fun, KSAT will provide live coverage of the parades on Saturday, May 3. Click here to learn how you can watch the festivities from your phone San Antonians can attend the Tacos and Tequila Festival at Retama Park on May 10 or savor exquisite wines at Wine Fest at the Tower of the Americas on May 17 If you plan to attend any events, submit your photos and videos to KSAT Connect Take a look at the wonderful things you can do in May: She graduated from Texas State University with an electronic media degree and a minor in psychology where she held several positions at The Ranger Sign up for TPR Today Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning The Million Gallon March was held on Sunday in Helotes to protest a proposed Lennar Homes subdivision in Northwest Bexar County that participants said would impact the waters of Helotes Creek and the Edwards Aquifer More than 200 people attended the rally and march which aimed to build awareness and support of a contested case hearing before the state later this month The planned Lennar Subdivision would pump around a million gallons of treated wastewater per day into Helotes Creek “We have to be responsible about development," said Grey Forest Mayor Paul Garro "and we have to be very aware and innovative when we develop on a sensitive area where we get our water from.” Grey Forest resident Tuff Hale said he hoped the rally will send a message: “To preserve Not everything has to be taken for a dollar “There is a saying in Texas that ‘whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting,’" San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said at the rally "This is why this fight is worth the time for every resident in this area to get involved in.” Lennar plans to build 2,900 homes on 1100 acres just off Scenic Loop Road in northwest Bexar County SAN ANTONIO - San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Randy Neumann chair of the Steering Committee of the Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance walk together along the creek Both are concerned for the future of a lifeline for a community "What we need to make sure is that all the communities that depend on this life-giving water that we've depended on for thousands of years make their voices heard become aware of this issue," Nirenberg said And San Antonio is one of those communities A study by the Southwest Research Institute says treated wastewater could significantly degrade the quality of the water recharging the Edwards Aquifer "What we're talking about is the headwaters of what is the primary source of drinking water for millions of people including the entire city of San Antonio," Nirenberg said The big question is will the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality "It basically for the judges to determine did the TCEQ follow their own rules in recommending this discharge permit," Neumann said And this could just be one step in the process "And we are going to take this as far as we need to," Neumann said Mayor Nirenberg said they also have the Edwards Aquifer protection program that has for the last 25 years purchased property to protect the watershed They might look at it as a tool to combat the issue "We're simply saying come to the table let's work out a fair solution but the solution is not to dump wastewater into our drinking supply," Nirenberg said We will keep you up to date as the case develops Popular San Antonio bakery Laika Cheesecake & Espresso now serves its pint-sized sweets in the Alamo City suburb of Helotes. The mighty mini-chain recently opened its fourth area location at 11881 Bandera Rd., according to an Instagram post If only the Golden Girls were alive to see it Laika Cheesecake/ Facebook The most recent Yelp review was posted on March 15 Poujol posted a statement the restaurant is “temporarily closed,” although the platform does not list a date McLaughlin and McChesney have not revealed a timeline for its replacement San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Sunday toured the area of Helotes Creek that could be affected by a large development planned in northwest Bexar County Members of the Scenic Loop - Helotes Creek Alliance and Grey Forest Mayor Paul Garro gave Nirenberg a tour of the area where a planned Lennar subdivision could dump a million gallons a day of treated wastewater into Helotes Creek Lennar plans to build around 3,000 homes on 1,100 acres of the Guajolote Ranch off Scenic Loop Road near Babcock Nirenberg reflected on what he saw after the tour while standing on a scenic overlook at Madla Park in Helotes “What struck me seeing it firsthand is just how many hundreds of years of history and families have been the guardians of San Antonio’s water security," said Nirenberg "But it's why this fight for Guajolote Ranch and the purity of the water that goes into Helotes Creek is so important for millions of residents who depend on the Edwards Aquifer.” The Guajolote subdivision would be required to build its own Class-A water treatment plant According to the Scenic Loop - Helotes Alliance a study by the Southwest Research Institute funded through the city of San Antonio’s Edwards Aquifer Protection Plan found that any type of wastewater system releasing treated effluent in the Helotes Creek watershed could “significantly degrade the watershed and the quality of water recharging the Edwards Aquifer.” The Helotes Creek watershed directly recharges the Trinity Glen Rose Aquifer the primary water source in the immediate area It sits atop the contributing zone leading to the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer the principal source of drinking water for about 2 million people across the region Up to 15% of the entire recharge of the Edwards Aquifer comes from that watershed Nirenberg's visit comes in advance of a contested case hearing on a wastewater permit for the project The City of Grey Forest and landowner Ann Toepperwein were granted the contested case hearing before the State Office of Administrative Hearings The SOAH is expected to send its decision to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for consideration by late May The hearings will be be streamed live beginning on Tuesday morning Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Nate Kotisso Texas – The Helotes Cornyval Festival is preparing to celebrate a landmark anniversary when it begins on Thursday This year’s festival will mark 60 years of food honors the area’s heritage and celebrates traditional corn harvests (The name Helotes is derived from the Spanish word “elote,” or corn on the cob.) According to a news release a plentiful and important farming crop in northwest Bexar County Officials estimate 100,000 people are expected to attend the four-day festival which includes three PRCA Rodeo performances on Festival Grounds at 12210 Leslie Road Here is everything you need to know about Cornyval 2025: and the price depends on the day you plan to attend May 4 - Gates open at noon (No PRCA Rodeo is scheduled on Sunday.) This year marks the 38th anniversary of the PRCA rodeo at Cornyval Cody Sosebee will be the rodeo clown each night there will also be an H-E-B Kids Zone with activities and games For more information on the festival, click here More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter Nate Kotisso joined KSAT as a digital journalist in 2024 He previously worked as a newspaper reporter in the Rio Grande Valley for more than two years and spent nearly three years as a digital producer at the CBS station in Oklahoma City Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News John Paul Barajas Adam B. Higgins Alexis Montalbo Texas – The Kaizen Para-Karate 2025 Cowabunga Cup hosted by the Elite Edge Training Dojo and supported by the nonprofit Kaizen Edge Foundation aims to raise funds to provide scholarships and equipment for disabled students on Saturday at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church in Helotes is more than just a showcase of martial arts It’s an opportunity for participants to develop life skills such as mental attitude courtesy and social interaction in addition to their self-defense training “This is about connecting with the students’ bodies and teaching them to control their emotions,” said Karate Instructor Michael Hanson “Once they realize they can control their bodies they can start to control a lot of their emotions The tournament features competitors like Carter Johnson a young karate competitor who has already earned a gold medal Johnson says his favorite part of practice is working with the instructors and learning self-defense “Were you proud when you won gold?” asked KSAT reporter John Paul Barajas and you can learn steps for self-defense.” The event will also provide resources for families and friends of people with disabilities Organizations serving disabled people will also be present to offer support and guidance Remington Transitional Care of San Antonio John Paul Barajas is a reporter at KSAT 12 he worked at KRGV 5 in the Rio Grande Valley He has a degree from the University of Houston spend time on the water and check out good eats and drinks Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Zaria Oates Ricardo Moreno Guajolote Ranch is the name of a developer’s plan for 2,900 homes in northwest Bexar County the developer would need to put a wastewater plant in the area and the homes that would follow could also pose a risk to the community’s drinking water The Florida-based company’s plan involves building thousands of homes and a wastewater plant Neighbors in and around Helotes said the plan would dump about one million gallons of treated sewage into the Helotes Creek Watershed daily “The various household chemicals that would wash into the stream we’re very concerned about,” northwest Bexar County neighbor Steve Lee said The Helotes Creek Watershed is in the recharge zone for two dominant aquifers, the Trinity Glen Rose Aquifer and the Edwards Aquifer Millions of people get drinking water from these two Lee is one of the people who gets the drinking water for his property from a well in the Trinity Glen Rose Aquifer His property has been in his family for 160 years “And directly underneath us is the Trinity Glen Rose Aquifer which is the primary source of drinking water for this whole area.” The Helotes Creek Watershed’s contribution to the Edwards Aquifer provides more than 50 percent of the San Antonio Water System’s water supply The possibility of contamination of so many residents' drinking water even brought Mayor Ron Nirenberg to the site it’s millions of people that depend on this part of the hill country to protect their water,” Nirenberg said The Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance neighborhood group committee had its meeting with Nirenberg just days before a hearing was set to begin on whether the developer should be granted the wastewater permit “The SOAH (State Office of Administrative Hearings) that body is expected to send its decision to TCEQ for consideration by late May,” Lee said The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality can either accept or reject the proposal; after that “Common sense dictates that we shouldn’t be putting that development on the headwaters of what is one of the most sensitive parts of our watershed,” Nirenberg said Lee also mentioned the likelihood of traffic in the area becoming a problem since nearly 3,000 new homes could be added to the neighborhood Neighbors who showed Nirenberg the impact told KSAT the developers involved have not communicated with them at all This is a potentially uphill battle for the community near where this build could begin The walk-through with the mayor took place on a Sunday afternoon KSAT reached out to Lennar Corporation on Sunday and will follow up with Lennar for a comment on Monday UPDATE: The Bexar County Sheriff's Office confirms that Carlos Vergara has been found safe ******************************************************** SAN ANTONIO - Authorities are searching for a teenager who went missing on Monday The Bexar County Sheriff's Office is looking for Carlos Javier Vergara III who was reported missing out of Comal County Witnesses say he was last seen walking in the direction of Helotes and then later walking north on the southbound lanes of Highway 16 towards State Highway 211 Sheriff's Office officials said Carlos' vehicle was later found along a wooded area near State Highway 211 and Highway 16 weighs 130 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes He was last seen wearing a white or grey t-shirt and black jeans call the Bexar County Sheriff's Office at (210) 335-6000 dumping treated sewage water into the Helotes Creek The “Million Gallon March” will happen Sunday at The View at Helotes Creek at 15248 Scenic Loop Road The proposed wastewater treatment plant for the Guajolote Ranch development would dump one million gallons of treated wastewater a day “It’s definitely going to impact from water quality to way of life how we manage our land with our game,” said Lynette Toepperwein Munson who lives less than a mile from the proposed Guajolote Ranch neighborhood Homeowners who live near the proposed site for the Guajolote Ranch development get their drinking water from private wells the treated wastewater could contaminate their wells and drinking water “So any contaminants that leach into the soil will impact my well,” said Toepperwein Munson Toepperwein Munson has been living on the same property in Grey Forrest for over 50 years now The idea of drinking and showering in treated sewage water the proposed wastewater treatment plant wouldn’t just affect Toepperwein Munson and her neighbors “Any kind of wastewater treated to whatever degree going into Helotes Creek is just going to go directly into the Edwards Aquifer and affect all of the City of San Antonio,” said Phillips In November, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ruled the City of Grey Forest can fight the permit for the wastewater plant proposed by Florida-based Lennar homebuilders TCEQ will then decide whether or not to issue a permit they have a master plan for the community and if they get the permit to discharge wastewater they will proceed with building that community,” said Phillips Grey Forrest homeowners and city leaders say that’s why they’re hosting the “Million Gallon March” on Sunday to bring awareness and stop the proposed neighborhood from moving forward A hearing is set for May 6 on a temporary restraining order to keep secret the details of a settlement the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District negotiated with Lennar Homes proposed wastewater operator for the controversial Guajolote Ranch development in northwest Bexar County The agreement was negotiated without the knowledge of Mayor Ron Nirenberg The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance filed a request to make the information public If the state district court rules to sustain the order on May 6 a trial on a permanent injunction would be set for Oct 27 — well after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is expected to decide on the permit by late summer “We were outraged that Metro Health abdicated its responsibility to protect the health safety and welfare of water users throughout this region – and then chair of the steering committee of nonprofit Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance in a news release they imperiled water quality for 1.7 million residents of San Antonio and multiple counties that depend upon the Edwards Aquifer and in so doing forfeited the city of San Antonio’s right to standing in the case.” Lennar Homes did not respond to TPR's request for comment Metro Health did not respond to a similar request for comment During an appearance on TPR's "The Source," City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Adriana Rocha Garcia who toured the Guajolote Ranch area on April 6 “When the city council doesn’t know something Immediately when we came back from the tour I asked why Metro Health had not released that information She added: "And I learned in the process that it was actually one of the SAWS attorneys that is working the case with Metro Health directly With something especially as critical as water — and literally the lifeblood of our community is water — we absolutely have to be aware about it before any further decisions are taken.” The 2900 home subdivision is planned on about 1,100 acres west of Scenic Loop and Babcock Roads Its water treatment plant would discharge up to 1 million gallons of treated wastewater into Helotes Creek Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Halee Powers Texas – A Northside Independent School District bus was involved in a crash in Helotes according to an official with the district NISD confirmed no students were on the bus at the time of the crash It is unknown if the driver of that vehicle was injured or not The driver was taken to the hospital to be checked out but is expected to be OK Halee Powers is a KSAT producer primarily focused on digital newscasts and events Hundreds of people joined the “Million Gallon March” on Sunday to protest the proposed Guajolote Ranch neighborhood just north of Grey Forest Plans for the neighborhood include a wastewater treatment plant that people fear could contaminate drinking water for thousands Florida based Lennar wants to build close to 3,000 homes on the property and a wastewater plant to treat raw sewage “We wanted to evaluate what would happen if you had different facilities come in discharging wastewater from a high-density development,” said Ronald Green who is a Groundwater Hydrologist that worked for the Southwest Research Institute when the organization conducted a study on Helotes Creek “The affluent is going to get underground very quickly a matter of days and it’s going to arrive at wells within a day easily that are very close to the property,” said Green The proposed wastewater treatment plan for Guajolote Ranch would dump on average 1,000,000 gallons of treated sewage water into the Helotes Creek Helotes Creek does feed into the Edwards Aquifer and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said that wastewater treatment plant could be jeopardizing the quality of drinking water for thousands of people in San Antonio “This is a critically important issue for everyone in this region whether you live directly on the Helotes Creek area Mayor Ron Nirenberg said thousands of people would be put at risk of getting sick and we happen to be the largest population that would be impacted,” said Mayor Nirenberg So what types of chemicals could be out into Helotes Creek Green said the plant would be self-monitoring so the state wouldn’t regularly test the quality of the water The rally comes after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality ruled the City of Grey Forest could fight the permit for the wastewater plant and then decide whether to issue a permit for the wastewater treatment plant We did reach out to Lennar for comment but have not heard back We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Richard (Ricky) Wayne Reddout, a true believer in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, heard the words, “Welcome home thy good and faithful servant” on January 25, 2025. Ricky was a loving husband, devoted dad, Pa, son, brother and... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Richard (Ricky) Wayne Reddout created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories © 2025 Mission Park Funeral Chapels & Cemeteries Made with love by funeralOne TX - While some people are holding their families close this holiday season plenty of others are left wishing they still had that chance One family is remembering their loved one on their first Christmas without him because he's part of me," Jill McCloskey said A piece of her heart now lives in heaven after losing her twin brother "I've been like -- in four months just just trying to handle it and hold it down," she explained "There'd be days I'd just say: 'God and unexpected fight with pancreatic cancer She said his days were numbered from the day of the diagnosis adding they were together every day in between "I did everything I could to help him," she shared "I got to spend the last four months of his life with him their family is near the end of their first holiday stretch without him "Jack was thinking he was going to have years to live," she said I was hoping that he would be able to be here for Christmas." She shared pictures of the 65-year-old throughout his life — telling stories and reminiscing over their childhood She said nothing hurts more than losing the person she shared an indescribable connection with she'll honor him the best way she knows how "He would want me to continue on the way I normally live and not be so sad," she said tearfully she's clinging tightly to her family and wishing she got the goodbye she always imagined they'd say I want my brother to go with me," she explained when I go -- that we're together." If you're missing someone this holiday season and needing someone to talk to about navigating holiday grief with: the national alliance on mental illness (NAMI) has a Bexar Warm line to get you started Their team is available seven days a week from 8 a.m This is TPR's roundup of the latest headlines and news developments It provides a summary of the stories TPR is following Today's weather: It will be cloudy through mid-morning then gradually clear for a sunny high near 81 Border companies scramble to move goods ahead of tariffs Today is expected to be a chaotic day at Texas trade ports with Mexico as they brace for President Trump's tariffs on Mexico to take effect on Tuesday Large companies have been preparing for this for months stocking up warehouses with supplies to buy time 25% tariffs will be applied to all imports from Mexico Retaliatory tariffs from Mexico are on the way The port of Laredo — the busiest of the country's trade ports — averages more than 20,000 truck crossings per day carrying goods like automotive and computer parts and produce Many more truck crossings are expected up until the moment the tariffs kick in Greg Abbott laid out his legislative priorities for lawmakers this year in his State of the State address on Sunday For the first 60 days of the legislative session lawmakers can only send bills related to the seven emergency items Among them was creating a school voucher-like program Abbott also wants lawmakers to raise teacher pay and expand career training Abbott also called on legislators to reduce property taxes invest billions in the state’s water infrastructure and create a Cyber Command center at the University of Texas at San Antonio Local teacher speaks out against vouchers A teacher from Northside ISD took part in the Democratic response to Gov an elementary school teacher who runs a K-5 STEM lab said in a videotaped response that vouchers would force cuts and layoffs at public schools "Private school vouchers are not for most families They're for wealthy families who already send their kids to private schools," she said we're left with fewer resources for the public schools our kids depend on." The Texas Senate passed its voucher bill The full chamber could vote on it in the coming days Helotes residents protest Guajolote Ranch development More than 200 people attended the so-called Million Gallon March Sunday to protest a planned subdivision that would impact the waters of Helotes Creek and the Edwards Aquifer The planned Lennar Subdivision — which would build around 2,900 homes off Scenic Loop Rd — would pump around a million gallons of treated wastewater per day into Helotes Creek Attendees aimed to bring awareness to the issue and send a message to developers A contested case hearing before the state on the subdivision is scheduled for later this month SAISD to provide results of repurposing survey San Antonio ISD is holding two virtual meetings on Tuesday to share the results of a survey about how closed schools could be put to new uses District officials say more than 9,300 people completed the survey over the last three months SAISD plans to solicit proposals from nonprofits and other organizations who wish to use the buildings a few at a time. A facilities repurposing panel is analyzing potential uses for 20 empty schools Tuesday’s meetings will be held online at noon and again at 5 p.m. Click here to register Tejano Conjunto Festival launches art contest A poster competition is underway to capture the essence of this spring's 43rd annual Tejano Conjunto Festival. Contest organizers say there is a wide variety of images that could be used to interpret conjunto music and culture The winning artwork will be used to promote the festival on posters and t-shirts Find more details on the contest here The San Antonio Spurs are finalizing a trade to land a scoring sidekick to Victor Wembanyama The Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls have agreed to a three-team trade involving a number of players, according to ESPN The Spurs would acquire from the Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox The Kings would acquire Bulls star Zach Lavine the Spurs' Zach Collins and Tre Jones will be headed to Chicago The Texas Newsroom's Blaise Gainey contributed to this report Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Mason Hickok BEXAR COUNTY Texas – A resident living in far northwest Bexar County reportedly saw a “large long-tailed cat” in a greenbelt near their home according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office The sighting was reported near the 10400 block of Foxen Way a neighborhood off Highway 16 north of Helotes Deputies searched the area near the home but did not locate the suspected cat “We urge residents in the area to remain vigilant and exercise caution near this area consider keeping them inside during this time and supervise children when playing outdoors,” the post reads they are asked not to approach the animal and instead call the sheriff’s office Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved Mason Hickok is a digital journalist at KSAT He graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a communication degree and a minor in film studies He also spent two years working at The Paisano The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has not received any information confirming the report of a “large cat” in Helotes "Reports of various wild cat species are frequently submitted with images or video but are most commonly determined to be domestic cats," said Lerrin Johnson The Bexar County Sheriff's Department searched the area around the alleged spotting reported by a woman this week on Facebook and found nothing residents were encouraged to look out for small household pets there has never been a confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in Helotes The closest was at Government Canyon State Natural Area in 2013 TPWD asked them to submit it to the local biologist for verification Texas has several native cat species. More information about them can be found here Responsible precautions allow people and wildlife to safely co-exist within Texas cities. Additional resources for homeowners are here Some people speculated it may have been a jaguarundi "The last confirmed sighting of a jaguarundi in Texas was in 1986 in Brownsville "The jaguarundi is believed to be extirpated from the wild in Texas but does still exist in Mexico." SAN ANTONIO - The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality started hearing arguments against a proposed wastewater treatment plant in far northwest Bexar County on Tuesday TCEQ will decide whether or not to issue a permit for the wastewater treatment plant that would treat raw sewage for the proposed Guajolote Ranch neighborhood just outside of Grey Forest Florida-based Lennar wants to build 2,900 homes on Guajolote Ranch undeveloped land just outside of Cross Mountain and Grey Forest Neighbors said the neighborhood and wastewater plant could contaminate the Edwards Aquifer and drinking water for the entire area “We would be looking at somebody’s back yard or back yard would be touching their back yard and they plan on putting 29 hundred homes on that ranch,” said Michael Schick whose property is directly next to where Lennar wants to build the Guajolote Ranch neighborhood is the wastewater treatment plant proposed to treat the neighborhood’s raw sewage it’s going to be just south of here and they’re going to pump a million gallons and they said up to two million gallons a day down Helotes Creek which is the creek that runs right here Plans for the proposed wastewater treatment plant indicate that treated sewage would be dumped behind Schick and Buriss’s existing neighborhood They told us they’re not just worried about their drinking water they’re worried for the drinking water of thousands of people in San Antonio.” “It’s going to create problems for not just us our drinking water but for San Antonio in general It will get into the Edwards Aquifer,” said Burris Helotes Creek feeds into the Edwards Aquifer both Schick and Burris said they fear the treated sewage could feed toxins into the aquifer and thousands of people in San Antonio could be put at risk and it comes right to our water faucets,” said Schick If TCEQ decides to grant the permit for the wastewater treatment plant Burris said his family would have no choice but to leave their home “It would have a significant impact on our health we would actually have to move out of this area We just couldn’t be this close to that kind of sewage,” said Burris Show Breaking News BarCloseLocal News Myra Arthur Valerie Gomez That’s what Jenn Nottingham said when asked how she became a history expert in her neighborhood We took a driving tour of the most notable who has lived in this neighborhood most of her life the Historical Committee chairman for the Scenic Loop Helotes Creek Alliance The path to those spots was partly a drive along the two lanes of Scenic Loop but mostly along old dirt and gravel ranch trails “An interesting tidbit is that the largest dinosaurs known to man lived in this area,” Neumann said “So we’re very fortunate that we have that piece of history as well as the Indian history and then the later 19th The Coahuiltecan tribe lived in the area before settlers moved in “There were this small group of people that braved it in the early days that people started sort of coming in,” Neumann said Some of the geographical features of the neighborhood date much further back The story of how the Blue Hole came to be goes back to the Miocene Era “My house is sitting right up here,” he said “Right underneath my living room is a cave called Blue Hole Cave number one At the bottom of the mountain and those caves sits a swimming hole called the Blue Hole the side wall of the mountain blew out and the water table emptied down the side of the mountain and dug the hole,” Neumann said That hole filled with water from the local creeks and became a swimming hole for locals “It has become a cultural spot on the Helotes Creek,” Neumann said One of the first developers in the neighborhood was E.N But his creation wasn’t just for people who lived in the area Requa established the Scenic Loop Playground on 320 acres to serve as a rural getaway for people to camp and enjoy the natural landscape “It was originally just for families to go and camp for the weekend and that kind of thing,” Nottingham said A family that would later earn fame in South Texas also owned ranch land nearby: The Madla Family would grow up to serve in the Texas Senate and fight for access to education Madla’s efforts ultimately resulted in the creation of Texas A&M University-San Antonio Madla’s family also saw value in making their scenic property accessible to others The family created the Madla Ranch Campground Requa eventually sold off much of his land as residential property Down yet another gravel road off Scenic Loop Road Neumann pulled his car into the grass and walked our crew toward a creek Of all the creeks in the area that are marked on a map “What we’re looking at here is a collapsed karst feature,” he said “It is absolutely spectacular when the water is running because you have the waterfalls that double cascade over this into this pond.” It’s a natural swimming hole that sits across from the Grey Forest Community Center There are posted signs warning “no lifeguard on duty,” and other acknowledgements that this swimming hole is not your traditional summer spot Stone bathhouses that were once used in their prime have now deteriorated and Neumann and Nottingham say locals still swim here The day we saw the swimming spot the water was dark and murky “If we had a gully washer we could get that out Ranches once owned by colorful characters who rose to fame in the Helotes and San Antonio areas pepper this neighborhood William Krempkau was one of those characters “He went up the trail with cattle at the age of 16 and made enough money to buy this ranch,” Neumann said “He was actually a very big piece of the old Freighters Association here in San Antonio.” While Krempkau owned land in the neighborhood The remnants of his ranch house still stand on privately owned property in the neighborhood where legend has it Krempkau did a lot of entertaining “He was apparently big on frying chicken,” Neumann said “He would have big chicken dinners out here and game dinners such ranches have been handed down through families for generations parts of the neighborhood were incorporated into the City of Grey Forest “Because we didn’t want San Antonio to take us,” Nottingham said In 2009, Preservation Texas named the Scenic Loop-Boerne Stage Corridor as one of the most endangered historic places in the state “We wanted to make this a historic district,” Nottingham said “We had cataloged all the houses in Grey Forest so much construction had been done on those houses that they didn’t qualify anymore.” While Nottingham and Neumann are the go-to historians in the neighborhood they say they are always making discoveries You just keep peeling and peeling and peeling.” This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you 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