🌱 Riverside Park Slowly Re-Opens + Billion Dollar Project A No Go

Hello again, everybody! I'm back with your fresh copy of the Victoria Patch newsletter. Let's get this weekend started off right with a quick guide to everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: A t-storm around in the p.m.. High: 85 Low: 69.
• Sunday: A thundershower in spots. High: 82 Low: 66.

Business owners and marketers in Victoria: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories in Victoria today:

1. As the Guadalupe River in Riverside Park gradually returns to its normal level, the City of Victoria Parks & Recreation has reopened specific areas, including Red River Street, Bluff Street, the RV Park, and McCright Drive between the Memorial Rose Garden and Riverside Golf Course. As of right now, May 20 park staff will keep monitoring the river level and will reopen the remaining sections when it is deemed safe. Residents are advised not to enter barricaded areas for their safety. (City of Victoria Gov)
2. Southern Rock Energy and Prairie Energy have decided that Victoria County is no longer an attractive site for their multi-billion dollar refinery project due to insufficient support and incentives. They are now focusing on locations outside of Texas, specifically in Oklahoma. Despite the setback, the Victoria Economic Development Corporation is still actively pursuing the project and hopes to reach an agreement with the energy companies to bring the refinery to Victoria County, offering the largest incentive the County has ever made. (Crossroads Today)
3. On Wednesday afternoon, 45-year-old Rudy Valdez was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. A Victoria County jury found him guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child on May 17. The evidence presented during the trial showed that Valdez had sexually abused a young child in Victoria over a period of more than two years starting in 2016. The victim, now 18 years old, testified at the trial, along with three other young women who shared similar experiences with Valdez. (Crossroads Today)

Today and tomorrow in Victoria:

Saturday, May 20:

• Farmers Market At 2805 N. Navarro (9:00 AM)
• Buddy Vargas At 5D Tavern (8:00 PM)

Sunday, May 21:

• Faith Family Day At Riverside Park (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Beginning on May 22, construction work will take place on sections of Spring Creek Drive between Main Street and Country Club Drive for two to three weeks. This initial work is in preparation for a more extensive reconstruction project scheduled for this summer. Residents are advised to exercise caution while driving in the work areas, and motorists can consider alternate routes to avoid potential delays. (City of Victoria Gov)
• The Victoria City Council approved a grant application that would improve sidewalks downtown during their meeting on May 16. They also made updates to the current Capital Improvement Plan. (Victoria Gov via Facebook)
• Calling all seasoned and beginner bird watchers — Join Victoria Parks and Recreation today, May 20, at 9:00 a.m. for Bird Watching Club! Bird Watching will be led by Terri Kinder and participants will need to register beforehand. (Victoria Parks and Recreation via Facebook)

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you all soon for another update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.