How to watch Texas high school baseball: Columbia vs Columbia High School will host Sinton High School How to watch Sinton vs. Columbia baseballSinton and Columbia will face off on Saturday, May 3, at 1 p.m. CT. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network The NFHS Network gives you access to live high school sports around the country Follow your favorite team and never miss a game Want to track your alma mater, local team or family member's school throughout the playoffs? NFHS Network has high school baseball streaming live plus on-demand replays and highlights of all the action from thousands of schools across America Watch Columbia vs. Sinton on NFHS Network! All NFHS Network events are available to watch online at NFHS Network and through the NFHS Network Mobile Apps for iOS and Android and TV Apps for ROKU is your neighborhood reporter San Patricio and Aransas County CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — $400,000 dollars in donations has been collected by the United Way of the Coastal Bend. That includes a donation by Steel Dynamics Industry They matched every donation dollar for dollar The donation drive was supposed to end on March 21st but was extended because more neighbors were interested in helping was invited out to the final check presentation We won't be giving away the money but that will be the job of the United Way We are happy to give $200,000 towards the effort the fund is over $400,000,” SDI General Manager Dennis Black said.  A committee in Sinton will provide feedback to the United Way of the Coastal Bend That information will be used to determine how to distribute the $400,000 among the fire victims Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Sinton passed away peacefully on September 9 his brother Roger Sinton and his step son John Douglas He is survived by his wife Carol McKibbin Sinton and her children Jennifer Douglas and Larry Bischoff (Tara) his brother Richard Sinton (Mary) and sister Joan Loendorf (David) He is also survived by several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews graduating from Bayonne High School in 1965 He then studied at the RCA Institute in New York City He decided to leave RCA to enlist in the US Army While with the Army he did a tour in Vietnam and then was stationed in Germany before his honorable discharge After the army he enrolled in Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University) and graduated with a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences and special education He later earned Master's degrees from Montclair State University and Marywood University He spent most of his career at the Hopatcong Borough (NJ) School District In addition he was actively engaged in gardening environmental volunteerism and woodworking He continued his gardening and was soon volunteering with various groups and activities He volunteered with Hospice to visit veterans He served as a mentor for teens as part of the local Mentor Program He was a swim instructor at Reeves Community Center and helped coach the Starfish Swim Team The Starfish would compete in the Special Olympics He particularly enjoyed working with the Starfish swimmers and fellow coaches  There will be a memorial service for Rob at a future date.  Donations can be made to http://www.surryanimalrescue.or/ This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors May 2Data SkriveThere is an intriguing high school clash -- Columbia High School vs How to watch Sinton vs. Columbia baseballSinton and Columbia will hit the diamond on Friday, May 2, at 12 p.m. CT. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network Watch Sinton High School all season long on NFHS Network! Columbia High School baseball scheduleMay 2 vs. Sinton High School: 12 p.m. CT | TBA, TX | NFHS NetworkMay 3 vs. Sinton High School: 1 p.m. CT | TBA, TX | NFHS NetworkWatch Columbia High School all season long on NFHS Network! Team schedules reflect available data from NFHS and may not include every upcoming game is an experienced journalist with a diverse background in reporting Texas — Fires that ravaged parts of Sinton are now being referred to as the Welder Complex Fire The Welder Fire has burned 82 acres and is 75% contained while the Railway Fire has scorched approximately 700 acres and is 65% contained Fire officials are still working to determine the full extent of the damage including how many structures have been lost Crews are expected to begin canvassing neighborhoods today to assess the damage and residents are beginning to return home though many are still waiting to find out whether they have a home to return to Among those forced to evacuate was Spencer Nixon who found refuge at the San Patricio Fairgrounds with his dog Nixon managed to grab his two dogs from his home near Welder Elementary before fleeing the advancing flames "My house is the only one left standing," Nixon said city officials met at Sinton High School to discuss the next steps Mayor Mary Speidel issued a declaration of emergency and is seeking assistance from the governor’s office a former volunteer firefighter from Portland praised the swift response from crews across the region Although the road to recovery will be long Krebs emphasized the resiliency of the community "They have churches helping those who lost homes.. Both fires remain under investigation as authorities continue their damage assessments For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App. Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page SINTON — As many as 17 families lost their homes in extensive wildfires that blazed through the town of Sinton and surrounding areas on Tuesday The number of homes that were significantly damaged is unknown as first responders from across the city and state faced the aftermath of the wildfires on Wednesday morning Brush fires ignited in dry fields and vegetation throughout the regions of South-Central Texas and the southern Plains on Tuesday with the National Weather Service reporting wind gusts of up to 60 mph that caused the fires to spread and burn overnight The Sinton Volunteer Fire Department could not be reached to provide an update on the status of the wildfires on Wednesday San Patricio County officials coordinated a regional disaster response with partners at the city of Sinton and the American Red Cross to open an overnight evacuation center at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds at 219 W American Red Cross volunteers went to Sinton after the city issued an evacuation order because of the homes that were in path of the wildfires They worked at the evacuation center to provide cots hygiene “comfort kits,” food and technical support executive director of the Coastal Bend Chapter of the American Red Cross About four people stayed in the evacuation center on Tuesday night with two people accessing services there on Wednesday She said the evacuation center will stay open through Thursday or later if necessary Firefighters continued to extinguish the fires in “hot zones” on Wednesday morning though the Sinton Police Department confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that evacuees could return to their homes and residences Certain areas were still restricted for only patrol officers and authorized personnel to go in and monitor hot spots or work on power lines Neither Sinton Mayor Mary Speidel nor San Patricio County Judge David Krebs could be reached for comment on Wednesday The city of Sinton initially ordered residents to shelter in place on Tuesday and told some residents to evacuate to the San Patricio County Civic Center for shelter specially trained American Red Cross volunteers began conducting assessments to determine the number of homes that were destroyed or severely damaged The American Red Cross will collaborate with the Texas Department of Emergency Management to share data so that it can begin opening cases to identify property owners determine their needs and connect them with options for financial assistance if they qualify “Financial assistance isn’t going to make them whole noting that the assistance could pay for a down payment on a rental property Sinton homeowners walked through the town on Wednesday to survey the damage caused by the fires One lifelong resident of Sinton shared a personal story with the Caller-Times about how he lost the home that he owned for 30 years in the fire was not living in it when the fire happened He was in Corpus Christi getting his truck fixed when his daughter called at about 3 p.m to tell him that there was smoke coming toward the house “The next thing I heard was that my house burned down over there,” Martinez said The fires destroyed some homes in the neighborhood while sparing others “My side of the neighborhood got hit pretty badly,” he said and my daughter lived here for another five and then I was renting it out to a person who’d just barely moved in “Thank God that everybody was still at school It was pretty good that nobody was there,” he said One man’s home was spared from destruction though the fires burned up to the fence line of his home Her father told the Caller-Times that he did not receive an evacuation notice but smelled smoke when he was inside his house on Tuesday who was in the neighborhood and told him to walk out of the back of the house Gomez said he managed to find a hole in his neighbor’s fence through which he could escape and he fell and crawled for a little while his daughter was on the phone with him encouraging him not to give up and to head for the railroad tracks behind his house Michelle Gomez saw a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper on her father's street and told the trooper where the man was The trooper found him and took him down to the street the city of Corpus Christi has organized a donation collection initiative to assist families with food according to a news release issued Wednesday afternoon Each of the six city libraries has a donation bin where contributions can be made during regular business hours The city suggested people donate the following items: The city of Taft announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon that it is setting up a donation collection station at the City Hall building to gather essential supplies for Sinton residents canned goods and other items will be collected through next Friday and the city will donate supplies as contributions continue to come in The United Way of the Coastal Bend also announced it is collecting donations for residents affected by the fires in Sinton and other local areas People can donate to the Fire Disaster Relief Fund by visiting uwcb.org/relief. While law enforcement agencies worked to control the fires in Sinton the Corpus Christi Fire Department and regional emergency response partners responded to brush fires all over the city on Tuesday and Wednesday Corpus Christi Fire Department crews battled a brush fire that started Wednesday morning on Safe Steel Drive near Oso Creek Park and had made “pretty good headway” toward extinguishing the fire by early afternoon drought conditions and relative low humidity spurred the fires particularly in areas with thick brush and grass “The weather is basically a perfect storm for these fires,” he said “They’re moving fast because it’s windy and the winds shift.” He said that the Fire Department had increased its response threshold ensuring there are enough staff to manage as many brush trucks as possible and rotating crews to keep them fresh as they respond to the fires as well as working side by side with the National Weather Service to assess weather threats The Corpus Christi Fire Department has agreements with Annaville Fire Department Flour Bluff Fire Department and other fire organizations in the area to respond to fires How quickly the department can put out fires depends on several factors from wind conditions and terrain to available resources Belyeu said the causes of the wildfires are undetermined but have not been identified as intentional and that brush fires are more of a challenge to investigate because they move quickly firefighters had extinguished all the fires except the one on Safety Steel Drive Staff photographer Angela Piazza contributed to this story More: Corpus Christi firefighters return from battling California wildfires Texas — Lorraine Campbell lost everything in Tuesday's Sinton fires Her home was one of 17 destroyed on East Welder Street My front house just has the front steps and back steps All my cars are burnt up to where you can see the transmission,” Campbell said Her community has stepped up in Lorraine’s time of need "I went and got clothes; she even brought me a kennel for the dog People have been letting me know where I need to go,” Campbell said Local churches and businesses are accepting donations from the public Confidence Auto Group out of Beeville gave away hundreds of plates of food to victims of the fires and first responders and delivered food to the elderly and homeless said the outpouring of donations has been amazing "There are some churches and other private organizations My information that I'm getting is that they're full and they don't want any additional donations right now They are well taken care of,” Speidel said the City of Sinton is focused on the road to recovery we are emphasizing the monetary contributions through the First State Bank of Odem for people to do there If you go to our website information or our Facebook page That will give you all the information on how to do it,” Speidel said For additional instructions contact First State Bank at 361-364-2651 The American Red Cross is out surveying the damage to determine just how much help Sinton’s fire victims will need Veronica "Ronnie" Flores-Herrera is the Real-Time Desk Manager for KRIS 6 News The Emmy-nominated journalist has been covering news in the Coastal Bend since 1997 Tx — Fire investigators have determined what sparked Tuesday's fires that ripped through Sinton San Patricio County Emergency Management Coordinator and Sinton Fire Marshal Scott Marion told KRIS 6 News Thursday morning that a downed power line from the electrical grid started the Welder fire which eventually destroyed 17 homes and damaged 20 others Marion also said they believe somebody going down a feeder road and possibly flicking a cigarette out the window caused the Railway fire near Steel Dynamics According to Texas A&M Forest Service's latest report displaced residents are staying at the San Patricio County Civic Center at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds at 219 West Fifth Street It will remain open through Friday at 5 p.m KRIS 6 is compiling a list of donation stations supporting those affected by the fires in Sinton Calallen Football is hosting a donation station for Sinton Donors are asked to bring these items to The Dome before 4 pm on Friday United Way of the Coastal Bend - United Way of the Coastal Bend established a Fire Disaster Relief Fund to raise donations for residents affected by fires in Sinton and surrounding areas The fund will help support relief efforts and local nonprofit agencies providing direct services to those needing assistance "We want to do all we can to support residents affected by the wildfires," United Way of the Coastal Bend President and CEO Stephanie Jordan said "They will need the community’s help in the weeks and months ahead as they recover from their losses." 100% of the donations received will go toward response and relief efforts in the Coastal Bend. Those who wish to donate to United Way of the Coastal Bend’s Fire Disaster Relief Fund, click here Church Unlimited Portland and Rockport Fulton are joining forces to provide relief and support for those affected Both locations will serve as community donation hubs accepting essential items to aid families in need Church Unlimited invites the community to contribute much-needed supplies Church Unlimited Portland – 1860 Billy G Webb Drive Church Unlimited Rockport Fulton – 902 Main St Corpus Christi City Libraries - According to a press release from the city of Corpus Christi's Office of Emergency Management each of the city libraries will have a donation bin set out to gather supplies for victims of the San Patricio County area fires Items can be placed during regular business hours with the city encouraging the donation of supplies like - McCall Street) - Their clothing closet is also open from 9-12 today for families who need help FBC Sinton Children's Ministry (320 W Borden Street) - Accepting donations today from 9 a.m Ranchero's Bar & Grill- Rancheros (404 N Vineyard St) - Offering free breakfast and dinner to all evacuees Sassy Kat Boutique (15122 Northwest Boulevard) — On Wednesday morning Sassy Kat Boutique announced on its Facebook page that it would be collecting clothing for families who lost their homes in yesterday's fires They will be accepting donations from 10 a.m First Baptist Church Sinton - (320 W Borden St) - If you would like to donate drop-off locations include: First Baptist Church from 9 a.m For those who need food: Sacred Heart Church Food Pantry 11 a.m Monetary donations can be made at the First Odem State Bank in Sinton Fire victims can contact the American Red Cross located at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds for assistance Texas — Families who lost their home to last week’s fires continue the journey of recovery The next step for some now is to move into the Garden Inn Hotel temporarily “Move in day is Saturday and I cannot really answer for how long we’re going to be staying here,” Melissa Wall said.  The Garden Inn has opened its doors to victims of the Sinton fires.  KRIS 6 Neighborhood News Reporter Victoria Balderrama interviewed Melissa Wall and her dad Tom Sheffield just one day after the fire destroyed their home on East Welder Street.  She had gotten burned real bad on her back,” Wall said.  Sheffield is now being moved to a Rehabilitation Center.  “It’s just one of those devastating things but I’m just so thankful that everyone made it Especially my wife,” Sheffield said.  the rest of family is getting the help they need Thanks to Jenny with The Garden Inn for coming out and opening her hospitality to see so hopefully we can get back on our feet,” Sheffield said.  The Garden Inn will be home to the nine members of the Sheffield family affected by the fires They won’t have to pay rent for the first week.  “Hopefully we’ll rebuild in the future and start over again,” Sheffield said.  The Wall family will be moving in on Saturday Texas — It's been over a month since fires devastated this community Those affected are now focused on rebuilding it was a different view from the outside," said Clement Sanchez Neighborhood News Reporter Victoria Balderrama was with Clemente Sanchez on March 10 when he showed Victoria the damage inside his home. “I still get a little depressed when I come into my neighborhood but I’m seeing we’re making a lot of progress on our house,” Sanchez said.  Like many other neighbors affected by the fires As we previously reported United Way of the Coastal Bend collected $400,000 with the help of Steel Dynamics Industry “There is a committee in Sinton that is sending a questionnaire to all the residents affected by the fires and once they get that needs assessment we’ll be able to determine how we’re distributing the money,” United Way of the Coastal Bend President & CEO “Extra money does help us out a lot because we had no insurance," Sanchez said "What they’re doing to help us is just unbelievable." there’s now more resources available for fire victims.  The United States Small Business Administration provides direct funded low-interest rate loans to homeowners renters and businesses affected by disaster.  They work with victims to make the loan affordable  “Out of the 25 homesx we already had 15 applications processed 5 of which have already been approved for 1.1 million dollars,” SBA PIO Small Business Administration will be at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds until April.16 To apply online, click here. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance you can dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services The deadline to return physical damage applications is May 19 The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec How to make sense of America’s turbulent times I tried on period costumes: togas for the death of the Roman Republic tri-colored cockades for the French Revolution grey military caps for the Insurrection of the Confederacy I remembered my graduate school training in Russian history and Vladimir Lenin’s grotesquely unreadable but deeply influential treatise entitled “State and Revolution.”  Lenin wrote it in 1917 while banished from Russia The book contains his ruminations on how communists could successfully take power in Russia when tsarist Russia collapsed at the end of World War I Lenin slipped back into Russia on a sealed train The Bolshevik Revolution began that same year and succeeded through luck a disorganized opposition and economic distress State and Revolution became the communist handbook on how to seize government power Lenin argued that the Communist Party had to create the social and political conditions to ensure permanent governance they had to use the tools of the existing provisional democratic government to overthrow that government and assume everlasting power through an authoritarian centralized “vanguard” that understood the needs of the chosen portion of the population This was to be a class struggle led by a small group who ultimately learned to control the levers of power from political and military bureaucracies down to the very music that musicians were allowed to compose died in 1924; Stalin followed with precise logistics tactics such as the purge of suspect bureaucrats and their replacement with “commissars,” inexperienced loyalists who forced adherence to the party line in every corner of society “Project 2025” is the State and Revolution of our time president of the Heritage Foundation and various others have written the Lenin-style treatise for our era understand politics as Lenin did — a class struggle the Mumpers have turned communism on its head reserving power for the few instead of the many who don’t understand their own best interests Project 2025 carefully assessed the state of 21st-century America and brilliantly analyzed how to use the tools of democracy to overthrow it We see it chronicled everyday by some of the press and authors like Heather Cox Richardson (a former UMass history professor) in her “Letters From an American.” Mumpers attack everything from the judiciary down to suspect DEI wording and the kind of music allowed at Kennedy Center Trump made a Stalinesque move to fire the inspectors general and replace them with commissars we find it impossible to see where the whirlpool will spit us out We don’t know what we’ll look like in two or three years and it’s hugely frustrating to face deep uncertainty without knowing how or where to respond to the horrors surrounding us The Mump Party succeeded in attacking the heart of our society and body politic before we had a hint of how to resist We will need Abraham Lincoln’s ferocity and intelligence to win this desperate battle for America Let Timothy Snyder guide us with his “Twenty Lessons for Fighting Tyranny.” We only have months to organize and resist I hope to see you all out in the streets this spring you agree with our use of cookies to personalize your experience measure ads and monitor how our site works to improve it for our users is your Calallen and Northwest Corpus Christi Neighborhood Reporter fires in Sinton have caused somber and worry for those who are nearby in places such as Calallen “I wasn’t sure what to think," Courtesy Barber Studio Cosmetologist Jessica Mueller said knowing that I have family in Sinton and the fires were very close.” Over 175 acres of land were affected by the fires and numerous residents lost everything they had which led some business owners to consider lending a hand “How can I help?," Sassy Kat Boutique Owner Kathy Mitchell said Courtesy Barber Studio and the Sassy Kat Boutique both made posts on Facebook neighbors stopped by to both places dropping of clothing bedding an other essentials that those affected may need We had a lady from Orange Grove and Robstown come to donate Coastal Bend neighbors have to stick together during hard times like this “We should all care for one another and help our community," Mueller said Both of these businesses will continue to help donate as much as they can until this issue is extinguished A full list of businesses can be found here. "We’re coming together for you and we’re praying for you all." there's a Corpus Christi man known for cooking for countless fundraisers and community events he's stepping up to help the Sinton fire victims Pete Trevino is getting his barbecue pit "Big Bertha" ready for duty They'll both be in Sinton to feed families and first responders Trevino told KRIS 6 News that some friends he has in Sinton reached out to him asked if he could help them out Trevino plans to fire up Big Bertha around 5 a.m Trevino and Big Bertha will be set up at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 906 East Sinton St For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App. Texas — The Garden Inn is a temporary home and a safe haven for families who lost everything in the Sinton fires Like nine-year old Evonne Moore who’s starting over filling her new room with all the things she loves "There's a lot of art in here and these are my pickles I just got them yesterday and they're already half-eaten,” Moore said.  Neighborhood News Reporter Victoria Balderrama was with the Moore family a week ago as the entire family made plans to move in. "It's going to be me and my daughter; it's going to be her dad My son and my father,” Melissa Wall said.  Aspreviously reported "They told me I had third-degree burns on my arms,” Sheffield said. She sustained burns on her arms "I don't want another fire like that again,” Sheffield said.  Sheffield said she's focused on healing her physical and emotional wounds and scars Sheffield feels better being surrounded by family "I don't know how long we'll be staying here it all depends,” Sheffield said.  Other temporary residents at the Garden Inn will be moving in Some plan to stay up to three months.  Texas — It's been over a week since Sinton was devastated with fires who lost her Hamilton Street home to the fires "Even though it's still standing it is going to be a total loss because of the damage of the outside and people don't realize the smoke and the soot and with the winds blowing so hard it just permeated the house,” Funke said she's one of several people navigating through a loss like this "I know the Red Cross was here to help and helping people who lost everything and still needed things They even helped me because there are those immediate things you need,” Funke said As the city works to help those in need with donations and temporary housing we felt it was something we needed to do,” Steel Dynamics General Manager Dennis Black said Steel Dynamics and United Way of the Coastal Bend have joined forces to provide some relief All month-long Steel Dynamics will match every donation dollar for dollar All the money raised will go towards the fire disaster relief fund "We've never had a company say in a disaster situation we're going to match what everyone donated It's a big responsibility,” United Way of the Coastal Bend President & CEO Stephanie Jordan said they've managed to raise more than $70,000 It's thanks to the help of other organizations and good people donating from their own pockets Steel Dynamics told KRIS 6 they're happy to help "It's kind of repaying the favor a little bit we want to provide for the families who work here Black calls Sinton home because these aren't just their neighbors they're family Donations will be accepted until March 21.  Visit https://www.uwcb.org/relief to donate now Texas — Neighbors in the Sinton community affected by the fires have returned to ashes But there are those who were relieved to find their homes untouched It was like a freight train,” Sinton resident Tom Sheffield said Sheffield and his family are still in shock after they returned to their home Wednesday Just the clothes on our back,” Melissa Wall said They're now focusing on the road to recovery "My mom right now is in the hospital because she got burned bad but we need a lot of prayers that she'll make it,” Wall said Neighborhood News reporter Victoria Balderrama spoke with Calvin Baker on North Russ Street Baker had been evacuated from his home and did not know what he would return to  Drone footage from above Calvin’s house shows the land around his property is completely scorched I believe in the power of prayer,” Baker said  The American Red Cross is camped out at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds to help those affected by the fires Executive Director Angelina Garcia confirmed that 17 homes were lost to the fires they'll be coming into these neighborhoods to assess the damage to continue supporting families who lost everything To help the Sheffield family, click here SINTON — Sinton went to work early behind its defense and the offense followed suit in a convincing 42-12 win against Alice on Friday at Pirate Stadium The Pirates used a 28-point second half surge and held the Coyotes scoreless in the final two quarters to secure the team's largest margin of victory this season "You have to have a goal and you have to practice with intention," Sinton coach Michael Troutman said "Every year is a new team and you have to find that mixture and it comes to playing Sinton Pirate football More: Miller football garners valuable lesson in tussle with state-ranked DeSoto Running back Derek Garcia and quarterback Triston Handson accounted for five of the team's six touchdowns and combined for 357 yards of offense Garcia scored on touchdown runs of 43 and 8 yards Jonah James and Jacoby James each recorded interceptions on defense with Jacoby James recording a touchdown catch from Handson including a touchdown throw to Sean Hughes to give Sinton the lead for good Mykha Green scored the team's final points on a 51-yard run "I believe that defense wins championships," Troutman said and we made some adjustments going into the second half When you have a unit working together for one goal I'm very proud of the defense for stepping up in the second half." Sinton began the year with high expectations after advancing to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 last season The Pirates added another accolade in 2024 after improving to 3-0 for the first time since 2017 The Pirates’ third consecutive win — defeating Beeville Port Lavaca Calhoun and Alice — featured their best offensive performance of the season The Pirates finished with more than 300 rushing yards fueled by Garcia's 218 yards on the ground and Handson who completed 11 of 13 passes for 157 yards "We trust in our defense fully and they do a great job," Handson said "We started off slow in the first half but came out in the second half and exploded The Pirates are currently in the midst of one of the strongest non-district schedules in the Coastal Bend with a trip to Gregory-Portland scheduled for next week and state-ranked Miller on Sept Alice fell to 1-2 after suffering back-to-back losses but head coach JR Castellano knows with a young team comes learning curves The Coyotes will go back to the drawing board with another non-district matchup against La Joya next week Alice's two scores came on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Lucian Cruz and a 4-yard score by Damian Alviar "It was a tale of two halves," Castellano said "I thought we played the best we could in the first half but hats off to Sinton We have to get in better condition and become better tacklers and better blockers." Texas — Some Sinton fire victims received much-needed help from pitmaster Pete Trevino and several volunteers On Friday, March 7, Trevino took his barbecue pit "Big Bertha" to a church in Sinton and several volunteers joined him for a barbecue benefit to help families who lost everything during the wildfires that began sweeping through the area on March 3 Trevino posted on Facebook that his team raised more than $7,069 during that benefit He told KRIS 6 News that raising that amount of money in such a short time was amazing Some people came from as far away as San Antonio to donate money and see Big Bertha The mayor bought some plates and the city manager donated some money," Trevino said "We ran out of food and people were still dropping off money." gathered a list of victims who lost their homes in the Sinton wildfires earlier this month the families who had insurance turned down the donation We want to be sure the people who need the help or won't be able to recover as soon as we can Many families were emotional and grateful when they received the donations It was hard to hold back emotions when you're talking to somebody who's lost everything," Trevino said "Many said they were going to use the money to buy clothes and personal hygiene items Some were going to use the money to travel to move in with family members." Trevino said the fire victims who received money orders were extremely grateful "A lot of people who got the money displayed a lot of love for the people who helped especially those who stepped up from Corpus Christi and showed their love for those in Sinton," Trevino said Texas — The Sinton neighborhood was on edge as Mayor Mary Speidel issued a disaster declaration stating that the fires caused and continue to cause damage to structures and homes KRIS 6 News neighborhood News Reporter Victoria Balderrama was there Tuesday afternoon as wildland fire ripped through these neighborhoods George Enriquez was one of the many neighbors evacuated from his home.  and three houses caught on fire where we live at ours is still standing,” Enriquez said.  neighbors tell KRIS 6 that at least four homes burned down Spencer Nixon- Rattlingourd was at home when he smelled smoke It was hard to see,” Nixon- Rattlingourd said.  Spencer got his two dogs and his mom out of the danger zone They decided to take shelter at the evacuation center I’m relaxing and reeling from the aftereffects and I’m grateful,” Nixon- Rattlingourd said.  Others had to join Spencer at the Civic Center as they waited for new information "I'm just going to chill here at the center keep an eye on my dogs and wait until we can go back home The National Weather Service also issued a "shelter in place" for the entire county of San Patricio urging neighbors to avoid going outside until the shelter in place was rescinded so the San Patricio County Civic Center at the fairgrounds is the Neighborhood News reporter for San Patricio County alongside Victoria Balderama Texas — As the Sinton community continues to recover from the devastating fires that tore through the area local leaders and neighbors are working together to pick up the pieces “The immediate needs have been taken care of,” Mayor Mary Speidel told KRIS 6 “Now it’s a long-term recovery process involving insurance companies and other resources with the Red Cross playing a major role.” She praised the resilience of the Sinton community and the support received from neighboring towns calling the response “overwhelmingly appreciated.” Speidel also addressed concerns over misinformation and emphasized that official updates will only be shared through the city’s social media and website the houses of his neighbors were destroyed they have received an outpouring of support from friends “The response of people coming to help me with my house has been overwhelming,” said Sanchez “I am blessed to have so many people helping the Sanchez family has suffered another setback when their home was burglarized “How can someone come into someone’s house and break into it after everything we’ve been through?” Sanchez said Expressing his connection to the Sinton community A GoFundMe pagehas been set up by Sanchez’s grandson to assist in the rebuilding process as well as recovering the losses from the burglary Mayor Speidel encouraged residents looking to help other neighbors as well to visit the city’s website and social media pages for guidance and updates on volunteer efforts The city also hosted a special emergency city council meeting to extend the city’s disaster declaration until March 18 which Speidel described as a "precautionary measure." have joined the efforts to help residents displaced by the recent fires According to a Facebook post from the Sinton Chamber of Commerce Sinton residents who have lost their homes or have been evacuated due to ongoing fire danger now have the option for affordable temporary housing at The Garden Inn there are four rooms available at the Garden Inn with fire residents being offered one week of free rent short term occupants can stay for $250 a week or at a discounted rate of $800 a month Additional discounts and room availability would go on a case-by-case basis For those interested in taking advantage of temporary housing contact The Garden Inn on social media or stop by for assistance the City of Sinton is focusing on helping residents come together and recover Neighborhood News reporter Victoria Balderrama has been following those families affected by Tuesday’s fires and now more people are asking how they can help Pete Trevino is known throughout the Coastal Bend for his good deeds and his BBQ pit, affectionately called "Big Bertha" it's one of those things that you just act on,” Trevino said Trevino and Big Bertha have barbecued for many fundraisers and community events helping Sinton neighbors during this hard time was especially important to him It was a no-brainer when I got the call to bring Big Bertha over here,” Trevino said "Big Bertha" doesn't go unnoticed in a tight-knit community like Sinton chicken and sausage were sizzling while family and friends were serving up plates to benefit Sinton fire victims "I live in Odem now but I'm originally from here,” Hinojosa said "You see a lot of people that you know who are affected A lot of people who came to the benefit told KRIS 6 News that Sinton is a special place where everyone knows everyone "I know somebody that lives on Ross Avenue Aranda said those families left with nothing can at least rely on their neighbors “We have a church that's called New Beginnings Families can go there to get clothes that they need or anything like that,” Aranda said Local businesses and churches are taking donations but the Mayor of Sinton is asking for monetary donations Ashley McHugh has been around the game of basketball nearly all her life Long before she was named head coach of the Sinton girls basketball team McHugh was on the court scoring baskets as a guard for the maroon and white who was born and raised in Sinton and graduated from Sinton in 2011 after playing on varsity for four seasons is in her first season leading the program to what has been its best campaign in 30 years 14 secured the Lady Pirates' ticket to the third round of the UIL playoffs for the first time since 1995 "It's been a really fun season," McHugh said "The girls have really bought into what I've brought to them It's also rewarding because when these girls were in seventh grade it was my first year with Sinton ISD coaching at the middle school It's pretty cool to see them grow and progress graduated from McMurry University in 2016 where she played college basketball and earned her masters degree from UIW shortly after McHugh officially jumped into the coaching world as a middle school basketball and softball coach She went on to become an assistant coach in high school under former girls basketball coach Kaitlyn Laudig and was also an assistant under Audra Troutman in softball The opportunity to become head coach of the girls varsity team came when McHugh's husband David McHugh who is the co-offensive coordinator at Ingleside had an opportunity to coach at another program Ashley McHugh was ready to leave Sinton to support her husband but instead "David was offered a football position so we were going to move," Ashley McHugh said I heard coach Laudig was leaving and when I told David about it I let him know I was going to stay by him and go where his dreams are he told them he wasn't going to take the position "He told me he knew how much this program and these girls meant to me He told me I was going to take this position and that's kind of how everything fell into place We decided we were going to stay and ride it out David McHugh said it was a tough conversation when he told the football program (Seguin) he wasn't coming "It was something I couldn't let her pass up," David McHugh said but when she told me coach (Michael Troutman) offered her the (girls basketball) job Making an impactMcHugh and the Pirates hit the ground running at the start of the season in November Sinton started the year 7-6 before going on a 10-game winning streak in December Fast forward to January and the Pirates concluded the season in second place to clinch a playoff spot out of District 30-4A Sinton (25-10) went on to defeat Wharton in the bi-district round before the program's historic victory against Zapata in round two they play hard and they play for their community," McHugh said "They know Sinton girls basketball has never really been the hot topic It's been volleyball-oriented around Sinton America so they have seen that they have made a name for themselves in girls basketball It's pushed them even more to be better every game." More: Coastal Bend girls high school basketball playoff schedules and scores Senior Krista Reagan said knowing McHugh since middle school has helped with the transition of having a new coach who signed to play volleyball at Arlington Baptist recently surpassed 500 rebounds for her high school career "We do a lot of one-on-one drills and shoot a lot of free throws I think it's been a smooth transition because we know her I was coached by her and my teammates were coached by her McHugh comes from a family of several Coastal Bend coaches and players who have impacted the area during their tenures who is the offensive coordinator at Crowley who is the former athletic director and head football coach at Ingleside who coached at King and is the current superintendent at Orange Grove McHugh's cousin Tiffany played for Sinton in 1995 when the Pirates last went to the regional semifinals "The Hesseltine bloodline is a sport bloodline," McHugh said "It's rewarding and it's really cool to see how it's all come through the bloodline here." Sinton guard Chicken Luis said the team's historic season has helped lay the foundation for the future of the program This year's team has multiple underclassmen returning next season "Coach McHugh has been coaching me since seventh grade so we have a bond and most of the team has a bond with her," Luis said McHugh admitted she was nervous when she took the head coaching job but has since found balance with the group of players she inherited McHugh said seeing the players grow from middle schoolers to high school athletes has made the transition special "These girls have made it so easy and it goes back to us growing together," McHugh said "They were little babies when they started playing and I was just starting my coaching career We have grown together and it's made the transition that much easier for me." Sinton Independent School District really scored with the addition of their newest extracurricular sport - soccer the Sinton School Board approved adding a high school boys and girls soccer team for the 2025 - 2026 school year Sinton Soccer Club President Kelly Self saidthis has been a long time coming sinton neighbors had been asking for a soccer team to be added It wasn't until 3 years ago when the board really got together to make a plan The Sinton Soccer Club started out with 13 kids in the fall of 2023 Now there are 68 students playing and split into 7 teams "We're just so excited to be able to have a district that supports our kids in doing what they love," self said Over 35 students were in attendance at Monday's meeting A 71-year-old man died after striking a tractor-trailer with his vehicle on U.S according to the Texas Department of Public Safety 77 southbound exit ramp near mile marker 644 just outside of Sinton Troopers determined a 2019 Kenworth T680 towing a 2016 Wabash trailer was stopped on the shoulder of the exit ramp A 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Ronald Morgenroth Morgenroth drove onto the improved shoulder and struck the rear of the stopped trailer Morgenroth suffered significant injuries in the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene by Justice of the Peace Leslie DeAses The crash remains under investigation by troopers from the Sinton Highway Patrol Office San Antonio police officer dies amid investigation by Rockport police for invasive video Stage 3 drought restrictions are in effect in Corpus Christi. Here's what you should know. Texas — After the final whistle blew on Sinton’s 2023 season family and friends exited the stands in Van Ormy Texas and met the team on the field for somber hugs and what the team described as heartbreak Sinton had lost to Wimberley in the state quarterfinal it’s something that’s been on all of our minds wanting to play them again,” senior Rhyzaya Rodriguez Sinton were district champs and rolling through the playoffs when they ran into Wimberley The Texans beat Sinton 38-13 and shut the pirates out in the second half Quarterback Tristan Handson threw for a touchdown and ran one in You know it’s hard losing," senior Nate Mutchler "Definitely as a junior coming into the next year it still weighs a lot on you and we kind of just take every day a lot differently after a loss like that.” Sinton gets their rematch and in the 4A-DII state quarterfinals once again Sinton (13-0) and Wimberley (11-2) have been on a crash course since the playoff bracket was drawn Sinton comes in as district champs and have coasted through the playoffs they’re undefeated and learning from last year’s heartbreak but it just hits a little bit different this week We have goals we want to get to and this week is another step towards that,” Mutchler said It’ll be tough again as the Pirates go up against third-year starting quarterback Cody Stoever He tormented the Pirates last year and this season has accumulated over 3,500 yards and 53 touchdowns through the air and on the ground “Last year’s loss we turn that into a lesson and we’re looking forward to coming and doing better," said Rodriguez at Harlandale Memorial Stadium in San Antonio Highlights can be seen on Friday Night Fever after the game For more Friday Night Fever updates, click here, or follow our Facebook page. Sinton wasted no time offensively in its Class 4A Division II regional final rematch against Wimberley by grabbing an early lead in the first quarter The Pirates even mounted a fourth quarter comeback by recovering two onside kicks to pull within three in the final minute answered by building a three-score advantage in the first half and converted on a key touchdown in the fourth quarter to survive a 36-33 thriller on Friday at Harlandale Memorial Stadium More: Miller football falls in shootout to Boerne in explosive regional final Stoever led Wimberley's offesnsive attack by scoring on touchdown runs of 9 including a 94-yard touchdown pass to Nolan Waida in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory Wimberley led by as many as 17 points before the Pirates' second half surge which was making its second consecutive trip to the state quarterfinals outscored the Texans 21-7 in the final two quarters behind quarterback Triston Handson who accounted for all five of Sinton's touchdowns The Pirates' 21-point fourth quarter featured two rushing touchdowns by Handson and a 9-yard touchdown pass from Handson to Jacoby James Sean Hughes also recorded two touchdown receptions from Handson in the first half on throws of 28 and 16 yards The Texans advanced to the state semifinals to play La Vega Sinton suffers its only loss of the 2024 season and first since last season's defeat to Wimberley to finish the year 13-1 Sinton Police have issued a shelter in place until 8 p.m The new evacuation point has been moved to 219 W 5th Street the San Patricio County Fairgrounds & Event Center Several agencies are responding to multiple fires in Sinton says that all residents in the city are being evacuated They are being asked to go to the Sinton Community Center at 1301 E Multiple structures have burned and more are currently burning Both the Sinton High School and Elementary were evacuated Students that were still at those schools were taken to the middle school where families could pick them up SINTON — Sinton's ability to finish games strong has played a vital role in the team's undefeated start to the 2024 season 4 Pirates trailed early against Calallen on Friday but saved their best performance for the second half to capture a 27-13 win at Pirate Stadium The Wildcats took a 10-6 lead into halftime before Sinton outscored Calallen 21-3 in the final two quarters Sinton turned to its running game in the second half behind quarterback Triston Handson it's always about us," Sinton football coach Michael Troutman said That's what we did going into the second half We made the adjustments and executed a game plan We stayed together and played hard-nosed football The message was to be more physical than them." Garcia led Sinton with 14 carries for 133 yards and one touchdown Green added four carries for 102 yards and a score and Jonah James recorded one interception on defense Handson ran the ball 16 times for 87 yards and a touchdown and completed six passes for 67 yards and one touchdown Jacoby James caught four passes for 57 yards and one score The Pirates will enter their bye week undefeated with a 6-0 record for the first time since the 2016 season Sinton opens District 15-4A Division II play on Oct "We have an open week next week and it's much needed," Troutman said "We have to go back to the basics and fix some things that maybe we've overlooked the season really starts with district and we have goals in district We have to come together and fine-tune what we're doing." More: Carroll running back Robert Muhammad turning the corner after breakout performance in Week 5 More: High school football: A new team takes over top spot in Corpus Christi power rankings The Pirates were already coming off a statement win against Miller on Sept and the momentum carried into Friday's matchup against Calallen Jacoby James opened the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown catch from Handson to give the Pirates the early lead who gave Sinton the lead for good with a 22-yard touchdown run Garcia found a hole and ran for 51-yard for another touchdown run in the fourth quarter and Green added a 22-yard score for the Pirates final touchdown of the game "We've played quality opponents this preseason," Troutman said "We knew it was going to be hard but it's part of the process to get the result we're aiming for We have goals in district and in the playoffs It made us tougher and all that goes with playing quality opponents." Calallen has proven it can play with some of the top teams in the state and showed why again after keeping the Pirates in check for most of the first half The Wildcats grabbed their only lead on a Carlos Rosales nine-yard touchdown run after a key 27-yard field goal by Ian Perez Perez made it a one-score game with another 27-yard field i goal n the fourth quarter before Sinton pulled away with the Green touchdown Calallen quarterback Sebastian Dennis led the Wildcats with seven complete passes for 82 yards and ran the ball 18 times for 66 yards "I thought we played really hard," Calallen football coach Charlie Reeve said "I think the difference in the first half was we executed better We had some guys go down and we have to get in better shape I'm proud of the way our kids fought and I thought we played hard We didn't execute really well in the second half It will be a good learning tool for us to get better." Sinton will return home to face Cuero in the District 15-4A Division II opener for both teams on Oct 18; Calallen opens District 16-4A Division I play against Valley View on Oct