News Flash

Archery added to Winter Games of Texas as registration opens

PHOTO #1: Archery will be played at STX Archery & Outdoors during the 2023 TAAF Winter Games of Texas. Photo contributed by STX Archery & Outdoors.

PHOTO #2: Adaptive basketball will be played at the Victoria East High School gym during the 2023 TA...

Christmas on the Square returns in partnership with artisan market

PHOTO #1: The H-E-B Christmas Tree is lit up during Christmas on the Square in 2021.

PHOTO #2: Children will be able to enjoy winter-themed inflatables, foam snow and other activities during Christmas on the Square on Dec. 2 in downtown Victoria.

PHOTO #3: ...

Victoria’s police chief to begin new role in Carrollton

Roberto Arredondo Jr., Victoria’s police chief, will be leaving the City of Victoria to begin a new job as police chief for the City of Carrollton.   

Arredondo joined the City of Victoria Police Department Nov. 30, 2020, and hi...

Maintenance technician earns wastewater treatment certification

Wastewater treatment plant maintenance technician Caleb Wehmeyer recently earned his wastewater treatment Class C license from the TCEQ. The Class C license is an occupational license certifying that an individual has the necessary training and experience...

City of Victoria Public Notification for Wastewater Discharge

The City of Victoria’s water supply was not affected when increased rainfall caused stormwater to overflow from the City’s wastewater collection system Nov. 26 because the wastewater collection system is not connected to the water dist...

Victoria Public Library’s gingerbread house workshop returns

PHOTO #1: Children will be able to decorate gingerbread houses made of graham crackers and milk cartons at the Victoria Public Library’s gingerbread house workshop Dec. 10 at the Victoria Community Center annex.

PHOTO #2: The Victoria Police Depa...

Keep Victoria Beautiful, Habitat for Humanity partner to beautify homes

PHOTO #1: Tommy Darwin, a volunteer with Keep Victoria Beautiful, paints a home in Silver City on Nov. 12 as part of the new Brush Up program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

Giving residents a beautiful place to call home is a goal of both Keep V...

City planning manager earns floodplain manager certification

City of Victoria Planning Manager Celeste Menchaca recently earned her Certified Floodplain Manager designation from the Texas Floodplain Management Association. The CFM designation is a nationally recognized certification of professional compete...

Keep Victoria Beautiful hosts first volunteer appreciation event

PHOTO 1: Keep Victoria Beautiful staff and board of directors pose Nov. 17 at the Victoria Community Center following KVB’s first volunteer appreciation event.

PHOTO 2: The Victoria East Baseball team was recognized Nov. 17 as a recipient of Keep...

Riverside Park to close during youth hunt

PHOTO #1: Cautionary signs will be placed around the perimeter of Riverside Park during a youth hunt Nov. 21-22.

PHOTO #2: This map shows the area of Riverside Park that will be closed during a youth hunt Nov. 21-22. Barricades, warning signs and red cauti...

City Council to consider dog park construction contract

The City Council will consider whether to approve a construction contract for the new dog park in Riverside Park at its Nov. 15 meeting.

If the contract with By Grace Floors & Construction is approved, construction will begin within a month. The projec...

First responders to play charity basketball game

The Victoria Fire Department and the Victoria Police Department have partnered with National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1221 (U.S. Postal Service) to play a charity basketball game benefiting the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent and Victoria To...

City Communications takes home top statewide honor, other awards

PHOTO #1: City of Victoria Communications & Public Affairs team members, from left, Director Ashley Strevel and Videographer George Partida pose for a photo with awards the department won at the Texas Association of Telecommunications Officers and Adv...

Victoria Police Department to host Blue Santa toy drive at Target

PHOTO: The Victoria Police Department’s Blue Santa collects toys for Region 3 Early Childhood Intervention and Toys for Tots in 2021 at Target.      

The Victoria Police Department is hosting its third annual Target toy...

Quality Inn & Suites earns City beautification award

Keep Victoria Beautiful staff and Quality Inn & Suites management and family pose for a photo Nov. 2 at Quality Inn & Suites, 5401 Houston Highway. Quality Inn & Suites received KVB’s business beautification award for the month of No...

City partners with Bad News Chairs to expand adaptive sports opportunities

PHOTO #1: From left, Bad News Chairs founder Danny Camacho and Parks & Recreation coordinator Alex Aguero pose for a photo with the footballs and hula hoops that were used for an adaptive Punt Pass Kick competition Oct. 22 outside the Challenged Athle...

City’s Main Street Program offers downtown building improvements grant

PHOTO #1: The interior of 213 S. Main St. is being remodeled in preparation for reopening as 5D Tavern.

PHOTO #2: The interior of 117 S. Main St., which was once a general store, is being converted into an apartment building.

Qualified occupants of downtown...

“Yule Love Shopping Victoria!” promotion returns in mobile format

The City’s Convention & Visitors Bureau is launching a mobile version of the “Yule Love Shopping Victoria!” promotion, which aims to familiarize shoppers with local businesses in Victoria. 

“The great thing about this promotion is that no purc...

City Parks & Recreation, Texas Wildlife Association to host youth hunt

PHOTO #1: A doe roams Riverside Park. The deer population in Riverside Park has been steadily increasing for years, which puts the deer at high risk for diseases, decreases the amount of food available for wildlife and poses an increased traffic hazard.

The...

Victoria Fire Department launches new in-house Fire Academy

The Victoria Fire Department is now hiring civilian cadets to earn their firefighter and EMT certifications while being employed full-time with the City of Victoria. 

The civilian cadets will attend the Victoria Fire Department’s in-hous...

City seeks volunteers for TAAF Winter Games

PHOTO #1: Pickleball will be played at the Victoria ISD District Event Center during the 2023 TAAF Winter Games.

PHOTO #2: Disc golf will be played at Riverside Park during the 2023 TAAF Winter Games.

PHOTO #3: A swimming competition will be held at the Vic...

Communications hosts Citizens Academy alumni luncheon

PHOTO #1: Communications & Public Affairs Director Ashley Strevel calls on a resident during the Citizens Academy alumni luncheon Oct. 21 at the O’Connor-Proctor building.

PHOTO #2: Former Citizens Academy participants eat lunch and listen to a present...

City, Realtex host ribbon-cutting at Enchanted Gardens

Officials with the City of Victoria and Realtex Development Corporation, along with other officials, prepare for a ribbon-cutting as part of a public ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Enchanted Gardens Apartments at 4601 N. Ben Jordan St. The ap...

City Council to consider design contract for public safety headquarters

PHOTO: An undeveloped tract at Main Street and Airline Road was chosen as the site of the new public safety headquarters based on its central location, citywide growth projections and compatibility of nearby development.

The City Council will consider whet...

City, Realtex Development Corporation invite residents to Enchanted Gardens

From Realtex Development Corporation

PHOTO #1: Enchanted Gardens, 4601 N. Ben Jordan St., is a new apartment complex priced for working individuals and families.

The City of Victoria’s Victoria Housing Finance Corporation, in partnership with Real...

Victoria Fire Department honors winners of poster contest

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Fire Department recently hosted a countywide fire prevention poster contest at local schools in observance of National Fire Prevention Week. The contest was sponsored in part by Victoria Fire & Safety, Citgo Petroleum Corporatio...

City seeks volunteers for tourism advisory board

PHOTO: A display stand at the Explore Victoria office holds brochures and magazines with information about things to do in Victoria and the surrounding areas. 

The City of Victoria is seeking four volunteers to serve on the tourism advisory board,...

Action agenda update shows progress on 2035 Comprehensive Plan goals

PHOTO #1: The City of Victoria partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation on the recently completed Green Ribbon Program beautification project on Loop 463.

PHOTO #2: The City of Victoria broke ground on the Riverside Park duck pond restoration ...

City of Victoria highlights VPL Jams performance in video feature

PHOTO: Local singer-songwriter Jacob Kyle gives a performance at the Victoria Public Library as part of the VPL Jams music series.

The City of Victoria Communications & Public Affairs recently produced a video feature of a performance by local singer-s...

Application period opens for 2023 Citizens Academy

PHOTO #1: Communications Director Ashley Strevel holds the microphone for Citizens Academy participant Amanda Boyd to ask a question during the 2022 Citizens Academy.

PHOTO #2: City Manager Jesús A. Garza teaches participants about the City&...

City remains in Stage III of drought contingency plan

PHOTO: The Guadalupe River is in a state of low flow due to a long period of low rainfall upstream.

The City of Victoria is reminding residents to conserve water while Victoria is in Stage III of its drought contingency plan.

At the Oct. 3 City Council Meet...

City of Victoria, Flow Paddle Co host Riverside Row

PHOTO: The City of Victoria and Flow Paddle Co hosted the Riverside Row on Sept. 24 in Riverside Park. Shown from left are third-place winner Daniel Lozado; first-place winner Joe Luna; Ashley Magee, Flow Paddle Co; Sports Tourism Manager Michelle Myers; ...

Victoria Fire Department swears in new employees

PHOTO: From left, Paramedic Crew Leader Ben Swanner, Firefighter/EMT Braeden Schmidt and Firefighter/EMT Derrick Montes are sworn into the Victoria Fire Department on Sept. 16 by administrative assistant Debbie Breeden during a ceremony at the Victoria Co...

Victoria Police Department’s K9 Hummer to get donation of body armor

Press release from Vested Interest in K9s

PHOTO: K9 Lark

Victoria Police Department’s K9 Hummer will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.  K9 H...

Keep Victoria Beautiful hosts citywide Fall Sweep

PHOTO: Volunteers with the SCOPE Respiratory Therapy group showcase their work picking up waste during the 2022 Fall Sweep.

Nearly 400 student groups, local businesses, congregations and others took part Saturday in cleaning up their community as part of K...

Parks & Recreation to replace play structure at Ted B. Reed Park

PHOTO: This conceptual rendering provided by Fun Abounds shows the new play structure that will be installed at Ted B. Reed Park.

The City is preparing to replace the play structure at Ted B. Reed Park with a more modern structure that will be easier to ma...

City of Victoria hires new assistant city attorney

Adam West was recently hired as the assistant city attorney for the City of Victoria. In this role, he will serve as a primary legal representative for City departments, board and commissions under the direction of the city attorney. Prior to his current ...

Victoria Fire Department encourages residents to “plan your escape”

PHOTO: The Victoria Fire Department hosts a poster contest each year in honor of Fire Prevention Week.

The Victoria Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week^&n...

City’s compost facility repurposes tree limbs, yard waste

PHOTO #1: Environmental Services Director Darryl Lesak stands next to a finished pile of compost at the City’s compost facility. The facility sells compost in bulk or by the bag.

If you’re a gardener, the tree limbs and yard waste you l...

Victoria Public Library provides voter registration assistance

Residents who still haven’t registered to vote can do so at a convenient location they might not expect: the Victoria Public Library.

The library, like all public libraries in Texas, is a voter registration agency. Residents can visit the front d...

Victoria Fire Department receives donation of educational materials

PHOTO: The Victoria Fire Department received a donation of educational materials from the Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission. Shown with some of the donated materials, from left, are Assistant Chief/Fire Marshal Daron Lewis and Fire Inspector/In...

Victoria Public Library advisory board updates collection development policy

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Public Library Board conducts a meeting Sept. 13 in the library’s Bronte Room.

The Victoria Public Library advisory board on Sept. 13 adopted an updated collection development policy that affirms the Victoria Public Library...

Explore Victoria Texas earns statewide awards for promoting Victoria

PHOTO: Explore Victoria Texas earned two Texas Destination Excellence Awards in the Website Design & Effectiveness and Video, Story & Podcast categories during the Texas Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus annual conference Aug. 29-Sep...

1st resident receives new home under federal program

PHOTO: Employees and leadership with the City of Victoria, Grantworks and RM Quality Construction pose for a photo Sept. 9 with a Victoria resident who received a new home through the federally funded HOME Investment Partnerships Program after her home wa...

Victoria Police Department officer earns drug recognition certification

PHOTO #1: Victoria Police Deputy Chief Chuck Young, left, and Chief Robert Arredondo and Deputy Chief Mark Jameson, right, present Officer Trenton Ballard with a commendation bar Aug. 30 recognizing his completion of the Texas Drug Recognition Expert Prog...

Victoria Police Department’s K9 Lark to get donation of body armor

Press release from Vested Interest in K9s

PHOTO #1: Victoria Police Department Senior Police Officer Joseph Smith and his K9 partner, Lark

PHOTO #2: K9 Lark

Victoria Police Department’s K9 Lark will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks ...

City breaks ground on duck pond

PHOTO #1: This conceptual rendering shows the new design for the Riverside Park duck pond.

PHOTO #2: The City of Victoria hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Riverside Park duck pond construction Sept. 12. Shown from left are City Manager Jes&ua...

Registration will open soon for Christmas Parade of Lights

PHOTO #1: Children wave to parade attendees during the Christmas Parade of Lights in 2021.

PHOTO #2: Santa Claus greets parade attendees during the Christmas Parade of Lights in 2021.

Although winter weather is still far away, residents should mark their ca...

Victoria Fire Department announces new fire marshal

PHOTO #1: Fire Marshal Daron Lewis, left, poses for a photo with Fire Chief Fox during a meet-and-greet Sept. 1.

PHOTO #2: Fire Marshal Daron Lewis

Fire Marshal Daron Lewis was recently selected to serve as the City of Victoria Fire Department’s next Fire M...

Keep Victoria Beautiful, Master Naturalists restore butterfly garden

PHOTO #1: Keep Victoria Beautiful partnered with the Texas Master Naturalist - Mid-Coast Chapter to restore the butterfly garden at The Texas Zoo.

PHOTO #2: From left, Master Naturalists Debbi Roskey and Marilyn Stewart clear overgrowth in the butterfly ga...

Keep Victoria Beautiful receives grant for river cleanup

PHOTO: Discarded trash is strewn along the Guadalupe River on Aug. 21. Photo contributed by Ashley Magee.

Keep Victoria Beautiful’s upcoming Fall Sweep will cover both land and water with help from a grant program aimed at keeping waterways clean...

City enters Stage III of drought contingency plan

Residents must take additional steps to conserve water as the City enters Stage III of its drought contingency plan.

In spite of recent rainfall, Victoria and nearby communities are still experiencing below-average rainfall for this time of year. The Guada...

Victoria Town Center lands Boot Barn, Burlington Coat Factory

The developer of Victoria Town Center, the new shopping center adjacent to Home Depot, has announced its first two tenants.

Boot Barn will open at Victoria Town Center by the end of the year, and Burlington Coat Factory will open early next year.

“We have t...

Developer announces new apartment complex for seniors

PHOTO #1: This illustration provided by FishPond Development LLC shows a future FishPond apartment complex in Alice, Texas. FishPond is planning to build a similar three-story complex in Victoria.

PHOTO #2: This map shows the future location of FishPond at...

City Council proposes lower property tax rate

PHOTO #1: A Chain Electric Company crew member installs an LED street light on Navarro Street on July 6 as part of Phase One of the City’s citywide lighting project. Phase Two is part of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2023.

PHOTO #2: The pro...

City Council to consider duck pond construction contract

PHOTO #1: This concept photo from a 2020 presentation to City Council shows what the duck pond might look like with a new wall around the edge to prevent erosion.

PHOTO #2: This preliminary design for the Riverside Park duck pond was approved by the City C...

Library receives funding to design outdoor space improvements

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Public Library collaborated with Free Art Victoria to host a window-painting event for teens on April 21. The library is exploring the possibility of remodeling its outdoor space.

PHOTO #2: This conceptual rendering...

Council OKs purchase of land for public safety headquarters

PHOTO #1: An undeveloped tract at Main Street and Airline Road was chosen as the site of a new public safety headquarters based on its central location, space needs, citywide growth projections and compatibility of nearby development.

PHOTO #2: This map, t...

Citywide lighting project brightens Victoria’s southside

PHOTO: The City installed LED lights at Queen City Park and Pine Street Park last year.

More than 100 bright new LED lights are shining on Victoria’s southside, and there will be many more where those came from.

The City on June 20 began the first phase of ...

Riverside Golf Course lands American Junior Golf Association tournament

PHOTO: A young golfer watches his shot at Riverside Golf Course in 2017.

The City of Victoria has secured a three-year contract to host an American Junior Golf Association invitational tournament, the Victoria Texas Preview, at Riverside Golf Course.

The fi...

City of Victoria, UHV break ground on Ben Wilson improvement project

PHOTO #1: The University of Houston-Victoria hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Ben Wilson Corridor Improvement Project on June 3. Shown from left are City Manager Jesús A. Garza, City Councilmember Josephine Soliz, Councilman Rafael DeLaGarza, UH...

AT&T to bring its high-speed fiber internet service to Victoria

AT&T has begun the process of installing a state-of-the-art fiber optic network that will provide Victoria residents with another option for ultrafast and reliable high-speed internet.

“One of the goals of the Victoria Broadband Commission ha...

Victoria Fire Department’s Station One temporarily relocates

The Victoria Fire Department has temporarily moved out of Victoria Fire Station One, 606 E. Goodwin Ave., for renovations.

The renovations are expected to be complete in nine to 12 months.

Response crews have been relocated within the district to City of Vi...

New infill housing program seeks to turn abandoned lots into home sites

Faced with high housing costs and run-down vacant lots, the City of Victoria is proposing to kill two birds with one stone: Why not fill the lots with houses?

The City is partnering with the Victoria Housing Finance Corporation to create an infill housing ...

Council approves first phase of citywide lighting project

PHOTO #1: The City installed LED lights at Queen City Park and Pine Street Park last year.

The City Council at its March 1 meeting approved the first phase of a project that will replace all 4,052 of Victoria’s amber-colored high-pressure sodium (HPS) ligh...