News Flash

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...

Victoria Police Department to host “Midnight” Basketball

PHOTO: Officer Zach Vela plays basketball with Victoria’s youth. 

The Victoria Police Department is partnering with the Victoria College men’s basketball team to host its first “Midnight Basketball,” a free mini basketball camp, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Oct...

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...

Victoria Police Department to host Coffee with a Cop

PHOTO: Members of the Victoria Police Department gather with community members to enjoy coffee and breakfast for National Coffee with a Cop Day in 2021.

The Victoria Police Department has partnered with The Box Coffee Bar and Sweet Fountainz Bakery to host...

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 to host National Night Out block party

PHOTO: Children play in foam during the Victoria Fire Department’s 150^th anniversary celebration in 2021.

Residents will have an opportunity to celebrate and meet local first responders at the Victoria Fire Department’s first National N...

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...

Guadalupe Regional Flood Planning Group to host community meeting

PHOTO: A vehicle drives down a flooded roadway in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey.

Residents will have a chance to learn more about the Guadalupe Regional Flood Planning Group’s new flood risk reduction plan during an upcoming public meeting.

The Guad...

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...

NOTICE OF ADOPTED 2022 TAX RATE

CITY OF VICTORIA ADOPTED A TAX RATE THAT WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE. THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY 2.22% PERCENT AND WILL RAISE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A $100,000 HO...

Sonic on Navarro Street earns City beautification award

Keep Victoria Beautiful staff and Sonic employees and management pose for a photo Sept. 7 at Sonic Drive-In, 3004 N. Navarro St. Sonic received KVB’s business beautification award for the month of September. The award is given monthly to recogni...

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...

Library cards provide access to thousands of books, other resources

PHOTO: A Victoria Public Library card can be used to check out books, audiobooks, electronic devices and many other materials.

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, and the Victoria Public Library is encouraging residents to sign up for library...

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 announces 2 beautification grant recipients

PHOTO #1: Leaders with Victoria Christian Assistance Ministry and Keep Victoria Beautiful pose for a photo at Victoria Christian Assistance Ministry, 108 N. Liberty St.

PHOTO #2: Leaders with the University of Houston-Victoria and Keep Victoria Beautiful p...

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...

9 downtown crosswalks to be painted next week

PHOTO #1: A design for crosswalk art on Constitution Street in downtown Victoria.

PHOTO #2: A design for crosswalk art on Forrest Street in downtown Victoria.

PHOTO #3: Nine crosswalks will be painted downtown during nightly street closures.

Flowers, theater...

Municipal Court administrator earns national certification

City of Victoria Municipal Court Administrator Tiffany Totah recently earned her Certified Court Executive certification from the nationwide Institute for Court Management. To earn this designation, an individual must first earn the ICM&rsquo...

Victoria Police Department to kick off National Night Out

PHOTO #1: Officer Adam Banda walks through the foam pit during the National Night Out Kick-Off Party in 2021.

PHOTO #2: Children dance during the National Night Out Kick-Off Party in 2021.

The Victoria Police Department’s Community Engagement Unit...

Keep Victoria Beautiful to host citywide Fall Sweep

PHOTO #1: Volunteers with the City of Victoria pose for a photo during the 2021 Fall Sweep.

PHOTO #2: Volunteers with the Victoria East High School baseball team pose for a photo during the 2021 Fall Sweep.

PHOTO #3: Volunteers with St. Joseph High School p...

City to allocate funding for child safety programs

PHOTO: Flyers at the Victoria Police Department building feature information about school bus safety, family violence prevention and other subjects related to child safety.

Local nonprofit representatives who are interested in receiving funds for child saf...

Victoria Police Department to host Advanced K9 Medical Training

PHOTO: Shown from left are K-9 Nero, Senior Police Officer Oscar Garcia and Senior Police Officer Jake Garza.

The Victoria Police Department has partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to provide a free Advanced K-9 Med...

Municipal Court adds email encryption to protect residents’ information

PHOTO #1: This image shows an email from the City of Victoria that was sent using the new Zix secure email system.

PHOTO #2: Residents who receive emails from the Zix secure email system will be prompted to create an account with a password to view their e...

M4 Restaurant and Hospitality Group earns City beautification award

Keep Victoria Beautiful staff and M4 Restaurant and Hospitality Group employees and management pose for a photo Aug. 2 at Chick-fil-A headquarters, 108 E. Constitution St. M4 Restaurant and Hospitality Group, which owns and operates Chick-fil-A in Victori...

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...

Municipal Court earns state award for impaired driving prevention

PHOTO #1: Municipal Court Judge Vanessa Heinold, right, assists with a field sobriety demonstration at Nazareth Academy in 2021. Students attempted to perform different tasks while wearing impairment goggles to learn about the dangers of impaired driving....

Victoria Police Department swears in new officer

Antonio Acosta is sworn in by City Secretary April Hilbrich as a new Victoria Police Department officer during a ceremony July 27 at City Council chambers, 107 W. Juan Linn St. Acosta must now complete a 20-week field training program alongside senior off...

Victoria Police Department dubs youth camp ‘Camp Keimryn’

PHOTO: Officer Keimryn Lee was sworn in as an honorary Victoria Police Department officer on March 31. Officer Keimryn passed away July 12.

The Victoria Police Department’s annual youth summer camp is being renamed “Camp Keimryn&rdq...

Beyond storytime: Library offers variety of adult events

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Public Library hosted a Star Wars sip-and-paint event May 5. View more photos from the event

PHOTO #2: Residents share poetry during the “Poetry at the Plaza” reading that was hosted by the Victoria Publi...

Public Works announces promotion, certifications

City of Victoria Public Works employee Austin Anderson was recently promoted to distribution and collection manager. In this role, he will oversee the operation, maintenance and planning of the City’s water distribution and wastewater collection...

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...

Crime analyst earns statewide recognition

Victoria Police Department Crime Analyst Erin Gabrysch received honorable mentions for the Texas Law Enforcement Analyst Network’s Member of the Year and Analytical Product Award recognitions. The Member of the Year designation recognizes crime analysts w...

Victoria Main Street Program earns Main Street America accredited status

PHOTO #1: This still image from a Victoria Main Street Program promotional video shows “Wake,” an art installation by Houston artist Mel Chin hosted by the Five Points Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Victoria.

PHOTO #2: Local art...

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...

City of Victoria becomes certified car seat fitting station

Caregivers who want to make sure their children are buckled up properly can sign up for a free child safety inspection with the City of Victoria’s trained child passenger safety technicians.

To schedule an inspection, visit www.victoriatx.gov/car...

Keep Victoria Beautiful receives $1,500 from LyondellBasell

PHOTO: LyondellBasell leadership presented a $1,500 check to Keep Victoria Beautiful on June 23 at City Hall.

Keep Victoria Beautiful received a $1,500 donation from LyondellBasell to be used for beautification grants.

“We are thankful for Lyondel...

City’s fire department earns American Heart Association recognition

PHOTO: A cardiac monitor and electrocardiogram (EKG) defibrillator are displayed at Victoria Fire Department Station Two, 2708 Miori Lane. This equipment is used by firefighter/EMTs to provide first aid to patients with heart attack symptoms.

The City of V...

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 ...

City seeks input on spending CDBG funds for community programs

PHOTO: The City’s proposed 2022 annual action plan includes $95,000 in CDBG funding for the Victoria Housing Authority to weatherize and paint an apartment complex.

Residents can review the City’s proposed 2022 annual action plan and pr...

Hotel occupancy tax fund applications open Friday

PHOTO: Events and programs that bring overnight visitors to Victoria—including arts, historical and sporting events—are eligible for hotel occupancy tax funds.

Local organizations that help to bring tourism to Victoria can apply for hot...

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...

Assistant City Manager Darrek Ferrell earns professional development designation

Victoria Assistant City Manager Darrek Ferrell recently earned his Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association. He is one of about 1,400 local government management professionals worldwide who are cu...

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...

City promotes water conservation due to low rainfall upstream

The City of Victoria is asking residents to conserve water as the Guadalupe River falls below its normal level for this time of year due to low rainfall upstream.

Residents can help the City conserve water by following these tips:

• Do not over-water your law...

Keep Victoria Beautiful launches beautification grant program

PHOTO: Santa Rita Market received the Keep Victoria Beautiful Business Beautification Award for May. KVB officials plan to help even more property owners beautify their spaces with a new grant program.

Keep Victoria Beautiful is partnering with private don...

Victoria Public Library seeks input on strategic plan

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Public Library collaborated with Free Art Victoria to host a window-painting event for teens on April 21.

When the Victoria Public Library first opened in the 1970s, libraries were mainly warehouses for books.

Since then, the scope of...

Parks & Recreation ready to take on mosquitoes with updated program

April showers don’t just bring May flowers; they also bring mosquitoes. Fortunately, the City of Victoria Parks & Recreation is ready to take on the pesky insects with its new integrated mosquito management program.

The program includes updat...

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...