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Enjoying their Easter egg hunt are second graders: Darian Franco, A’Marie Luna , Sky Reyes, Ava Reyes, Eden Zavala, Reverdy Kerbow, Dwayne Juarez, Michael Escobar, Taegan Benavidez, Harper Ramirez, Alizae Gonzales, Addy Mendez, Armando Estrada, Spencer Sorrells, Guillermo Jimenez,Destiny Rivera, Benicia Viera, Jace Garcia and Amily Ramirez along with the Easter Bunny and Mrs Hernandez.

As the weather warms up and people begin spending more time in their yards, parks and forests, more people will have the opportunity to encounter insects, some of which can bite or sting.However, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts say before you blame a flying insect or a poisonous plant for a skin ailment, you may need to consider another culprit – “stinging” caterpillars.“Spring foliage can bring on an abundance of caterpillars, a few of whom carry irritating or even venomous hairs that ‘sting’,” said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension statewide integrated pest management specialist for schools, Dallas.“We have fact sheets available for schools this time of year, and we want to make sure parents are aware that there are stinging caterpillars in Texas, what they look like, and how to avoid them,” she said. Stinging caterpillar species include the buck moth caterpillar, spiny oak slug caterpillar, hickory tussock moth caterpillar, saddleback caterpillar and io moth caterpillar.Perhaps the most painful caterpillar in Texas is the southern flannel moth caterpillar, also known as the asp or puss caterpillar. An encounter with a puss caterpillar is very painful and may even require a trip to the hospital, according to AgriLife Extension experts.What stinging caterpillars look like Hurley said that just about every species of stinging caterpillar has now been spotted in Texas.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Caddel-Smith Chapter, held their annual memorial meeting along with a regular business meeting followed by a luncheon, April 14, in the McNeely room of the 1st State Bank in Uvalde. Twenty-one members and one guest were present. Registrar, Roberta Himebrook announced that our Chapter has qualified for the 10% Increase of Membership award this year. She has just mailed in Suzette Bellows’ application for membership to our Registrar General. Diann Strout, our new associate member, was welcomed into our Chapter, also. President, Billie Nast, who is CRT Sponsor, reported that we had two more applications approved for our John Blanton II Chapter. They are Breanna and Jacob Postert, of Corpus Christi, grandchildren of Brenda Postert, a member of the Caddel-Smith Chapter of DRT. We will soon be mailing in applications for two more grandchildren of Brenda Postert, Jack and Sam Postert of Bandera.