News Flash

City creates review process for housing developers seeking formal support

As part of the City of Victoria’s efforts to expand budget-friendly housing options, developers who plan to apply for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ competitive Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program may request ...

Planning administrator earns nationwide planning certification

City of Victoria Metropolitan Planning Organization Administrator Maggie Bergeron recently earned her American Institute of Certified Planners certification. To earn this nationally recognized certification, a candidate must have a relevant combination of...

Rainfall across region ends drought conditions in Victoria

PHOTO: The Guadalupe River has been flowing at or above its normal level for 14 consecutive days.

The City of Victoria is no longer under drought conditions as defined by its drought contingency plan after recent rainfall upstream caused the Guadalupe Rive...

Municipal Court to host outreach dockets to help residents resolve cases

PHOTO: The City of Victoria Municipal Court has been hosting outreach dockets at local nonprofits for the past year. Shown at a May 2022 docket at Mid-Coast Family Services, from left, are Municipal Court Administrator Tiffany Totah, Assistant City Attorn...

City seeks volunteers for Queen City neighborhood cleanup

PHOTO #1: Volunteers prepare for a cleanup hosted by Keep Victoria Beautiful in March 2022 in the Silver City neighborhood.

The City of Victoria Environmental Services and Keep Victoria Beautiful are seeking volunteers for a cleanup in the west part of the...

City offers help with down payments, closing costs

As part of the City’s efforts to expand access to housing, Development Services is offering assistance with down payments and closing costs for qualifying first-time homebuyers.

The assistance is funded through the federal Community Development B...

Victoria Police Department’s K9 Hummer has received donation of body armor

Press release from Vested Interest in K9s

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

City hosts visiting athletes for 1st weekend of 2023 TAAF Winter Games

The Corpus Christi Rimz won first place in the wheelchair basketball tournament hosted Jan. 14-15 at Victoria East High School as part of the first weekend of the 2023 TAAF Winter Games of Texas. About 1,000 amateur athletes from across Texas and around t...

City ends boil-water notice

PHOTO: Public Works crews work to excavate the hole and replace the damaged 20-inch pipe and tee Jan. 15 following a water main break at Airline and Ben Jordan.

The City of Victoria is no longer asking residents to boil their water after test results confi...

City boil-water notice remains in effect, street remains closed for next week

PHOTO #1: Public Works crews work to excavate the hole and replace the damaged 20” pipe and tee Jan. 15 following a water main break at Airline and Ben Jordan.

PHOTO #2: This map shows the boundary between the north and south pressure planes in V...

City of Victoria hosts opening ceremony for TAAF Winter Games

The City of Victoria kicked off the 2023 TAAF Winter Games of Texas during a Jan. 12 ceremony at the Victoria ISD Aquatics Center. The first weekend of the TAAF Winter Games will be played Jan. 13-16 at sports facilities around Victoria. The City partnere...

TAAF Winter Games of Texas kicks off this weekend

PHOTO #1: Cornhole will be played Jan. 13-15 at the Victoria Community Center during the TAAF Winter Games of Texas.

PHOTO #2: Wheelchair basketball will be played Jan. 14-15 at Victoria East High School during the TAAF Winter Games of Texas.

PHOTO #3: Arch...

Civilian Police Academy now accepting applications

PHOTO #1: Senior Police Officer Lee Peters gives a demonstration of a traffic stop during the 2022 Civilian Police Academy.

The Victoria Police Department Community Engagement Unit is now accepting applications for the Civilian Police Academy. 

Wha...

City of Victoria’s police and fire departments to host Lunch and Learn

PHOTO: Victoria Police Department Officer John Turner speaks during a Lunch and Learn event in 2022 at the Victoria Community Center.

The City of Victoria’s police and fire departments will host a monthly “Lunch and Learn” eve...

Victoria Fire Department’s first civilian cadets train to earn certifications

PHOTO #1: The Victoria Fire Department’s new civilian cadets pose for a photo on their first day of training with the Victoria Fire Department’s in-house Fire Academy on Jan. 9 at the Victoria Fire Training Facility.

PHOTO #2: Fire Trai...

Warrior’s Weekend Field of Honor earns City beautification award

Keep Victoria Beautiful board members and Warrior’s Weekend volunteers and leadership pose for a photo Jan. 3 at the Warrior’s Weekend Field of Honor at Parkway Church, 4802 N. John Stockbauer Drive. The Warrior’s Weekend Fie...

Juvenile case manager provides support, accountability for young defendants

PHOTO #1: Juveniles who are completing community service through the City of Victoria Municipal Court have the option of attending a class taught by Mid-Coast Family Services’ Youth Prevention Department once per month. The classes count toward ...

Victoria Police Department Deputy Chief Mark Jameson named interim chief

Deputy Chief Mark Jameson will serve as the interim police chief for the Victoria Police Department while the City seeks a permanent replacement for Chief Roberto Arredondo.

The City announced in November that Arredondo was leaving the City to begin a new ...

Juvenile case manager completes higher education

City of Victoria Municipal Court Juvenile Case Manager Elizabeth Montes recently earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston-Victoria. Students who graduate from this program have a profound psychological understand...

Mayor’s Youth Council meets for civic involvement

PHOTO: The Mayor’s Youth Council hosted its last meeting of the semester Dec. 13 meeting at UHV Northwest Center. The group is made up of local high school students.

The Mayor’s Youth Council hosted its last meeting of the fall semester...

Victoria Police Department’s K9 Lark has received donation of body armor

Press release from Vested Interest in K9s

PHOTO: The Victoria Police Department’s K9 Lark wears a protective vest donated by Vested Interest in K9s.

Victoria Police Department’s K9 Lark has received a bullet and stab protective vest than...

City lifts Stage II drought restrictions, returns to Stage One

The City is lifting all mandatory restrictions on water usage because recent rainfall along the Guadalupe River has caused the river to rise to an acceptable level.

The City lifted Stage III drought restrictions and re-entered Stage II earlier this month a...

First responders, postal workers play basketball; local charities win

On Sunday, Dec. 4, members of the Victoria Fire Department and Victoria Police Department joined forces to play in a charity basketball game at the Faith Academy gym against employees of the United States Postal Service. Community members came out to supp...

City and partners break ground on dog park within Riverside Park

PHOTO #1: From left, Councilman Duane Crocker, City Manager Jesús A. Garza, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Laurie Eder, Councilman Rafael DeLaGarza, Councilman Mark Loffgren, Victoria Sales Tax Development Corporation President Russell Dem...

City lifts Stage III drought restrictions, returns to Stage II

The City of Victoria is lifting some of its drought restrictions, but residents must continue to conserve water by limiting some types of nonessential water usage to the cooler times of day.

The City had entered Stage III of its drought contingency plan in...

Award winners announced for Christmas Parade of Lights

PHOTO #1: First Baptist Church won the award for Most Creative during the Christmas Parade of Lights on Dec. 3 in downtown Victoria.

PHOTO #2: Floresville Peanut Festival won the award for Best Use of Lights during the Christmas Parade of Lights on Dec. 3 ...

City to break ground on Riverside Park dog park

PHOTO #1: The new dog park within Riverside Park will include exercise equipment, a walking trail and separate fenced areas for large and small dogs.

PHOTO #2: This map shows the location where the new dog park will be built in Riverside Park.

PHOTO #3: Dis...

City of Victoria hires Convention & Visitors Bureau assistant director

The new assistant director of the City of Victoria Convention & Visitors Bureau knows firsthand that residents often aren’t aware of the interesting attractions right in their backyards.

As the former executive director of the Children&rs...

Municipal Court partners with Nazareth Academy to host mock trial

PHOTO #1: From right, Municipal Court Judge Vanessa Heinold, Senior Police Officer Emily Erickson and Sgt. William Bernard visit Mrs. Terri Covington’s eighth-grade social studies class at Nazareth Academy on Oct. 27 to help the students prepare...

City hosts ribbon-cutting for Ted B. Reed Park play structure

PHOTO #1: City officials and local children cut a ceremonial ribbon Dec. 2 to mark the opening of the new Ted B. Reed Park play structure

PHOTO #2: Children play on the new play structure at Ted B. Reed Park on Dec. 2.

City officials, Parks & Recreation...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 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 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...

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...

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...

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...

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...