I spent today processing photo albums for the month of May after getting the newspaper out. There’s plenty of Outlaw photojournalism to be enjoyed here, so I’ll get right to the links in the Bandera.net Gallery.

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Quicklinks: Graduation ceremonies for Bandera High School, Medina High School, Utopia High School.

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From the Bandera.net Gallery:

Bandera Lady Bulldogs softball vs. Ingleside Mustangs – May 8, 2010

Transformer Blow Out near Mansion in Bandera – May 8, 2010

Fox Family Living Center Ribbon Cutting – May 13, 2010

Medina One Act Play presents Dancing at Lughnasa – May 20, 2010

County Judge Richard Evans signs Boating Safety, Older Americans Month Proclamations – May 24-25, 2010

Bandera High School Graduation Ceremony – May 28, 2010

Utopia High School Graduation Ceremony – May 29, 2010

CCRA Memorial Day PRCA Rodeo at Mansfield Park – May 30, 2010

Medina High School Graduation Ceremony – June 4, 2010

After a great response to last week’s Bandera County online news roundup, I’m happy to carry on this weekly feature on Bandera.net.

If you would like to see more of this content on Bandera.net, drop me a line on Facebook, leave a comment on this post, e-mail me at James@team-outlaw.net, or call/text me at 830-688-1564 and let me know!

Bandera County Top Stories

Leading off this week with the Bandera All Classes Reunion coming this Saturday, June 12, 8:30 p.m. at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar. I got to preview headline singer and Bandera boy Charlie Montague’s debut CD when I interviewed Byron Boyd this week for the Bulletin, and it should be one heck of a show. Read my story for the Bulletin online, then visit the Facebook event page to see who all will be there (340 confirmed guests so far, including myself).

I’m sad to report former Bandera High School softball coach John Qualls has died, as reported in the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune. Facebook lit up this week with kind words and tributes to whom many called their most influential coach. Services will be held Friday in Mount Pleasant. Coach Qualls was always good to us newspaper folk, and even had me come out and take photos of his softball girls at batting practice so he could better show them how to improve their game.

Headline news this week from BanderaBulletin.com included Bandera grad to rock class reunion, Escaped prisoner captured (found hiding under his bed!), Bandera votes itself a Film Friendly Community, Grand juries take no action on sheriff, and the controversial No speech for senior class president.

In sports, the Bulletin had pieces on the Utopia girls taking fifth at the state golf tourney, a recap of the Pitch, hit and run competition, and an update from Bandera ISD Athletic Director Larry Prince on summer camps for athletes.

Other Bandera County Clips from across the Web

Videos

Nothing new courtesy of YouTube, but if you haven’t seen them already, check out the very nice, professional ResortsandLodges.com video promoting the Twin Elm Guest Ranch, which is hosting rodeos every Friday night at 8 p.m. I was born and raised in Tarpley, so driving past the dusty rodeos at the Twin Elm arena is a memory that goes back to my childhood.

Travel Texas did a great video on Bandera and Wimberley back in October 2009, featuring pickin’ by “honkey-tonker” Arkey Blue, OST’s John Wayne Room, and trick ropin’ by Kevin Fitzpatrick. Those of us who have lived here all our lives take for granted the world-famous menagerie of personalities we host here in the Cowboy Capital.

Photos

Veronica from Orlando tweeted her photo of the old haunted Silver Spur Dance Hall

Lakehills and San Antonio photographer Robert Hillis tweeted this photo of a summer night on Medina Lake. You can view Robert’s great photography at Memories of Your Lifetime Photography.

Entertainment & Events

Art and Lisa, Bandera County singers nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year by the Texas Music Awards this year, announced on Facebook that they will be performing tonight (Thursday) at Blue Gene’s at 8 p.m.

You can always stay ahead of Bandera County events by keeping an eye on the Bandera Convention & Visitor’s Bureau events page. Subscribe to their newsletter as well for monthly previews of what events are coming up in the county. They recently redesigned their entire web site for the first time in as long as I’ve been visiting them online, and the Western styling is great. Visit their home page for links to their Facebook and Twitter accounts as well.

Facebook & Twitter

Speaking of which…

Hill Country Travel Center posted on Facebook about Bandera as a good destination for Father’s Day fun.

Bandera Electric Coop. tweeted about their 2010 scholarship winners. Bandera County recipients included Karley Griffin and Sean Scott from Bandera High School, Mary Rizzi from Medina High School and Christopher Vanderveer of Tarpley from Utopia High School. Two college students from Bandera, Ashley Jennings at UT-Austin and Juraluck “Best” Songsangkhan at A&M-College Station, also received scholarships.

Eric from Los Angeles got stuck in Bandera, according to his Facebook, and walked into one of our local saloons to find cowboys playing poker and watching So You Think You Can Dance. One of his friends quipped, “I’m not even sure you could get a country song out of that.”

Bandera real estate agent Larry Wood and photographer Stephanie Hill of Calamity Jane Photography are regular tweeters. Visit their profiles for fresh Bandera County tweets.

Reported by The Outlaw

If you’re a friend on Facebook, you were the first to see my photos from last week’s violent wind and lightning storm; saw my photo from a motorcycle wreck on Hwy. 16 N and participated in a lively discussion about helmet laws; read about the Express-News’ annual Reader’s Choice special, with link to their awesome online best of the best map, and talked about the best food around Bandera County; and were one of the first to hear about the sad passing of former Bandera softball coach John Qualls.

If you follow me on Twitter @BanderaOutlaw, you heard about the drunk cowboy thrown out of the Medina High School graduation ceremony; discussed how to scorpion-proof your home; stayed ahead of Tuesday’s weather; heard about the Freedom Rally in Hondo; and got my recommendation for good eats in Hondo, highlighting the Hermann Sons Steak House (their Mexican chicken fried steak is unique and delicious).

For all the latest Bandera County buzz, catch up with me on Facebook, Twitter @BanderaOutlaw, here on the home of the Bandera County Outlaw at Bandera.net, or weekly in the Bandera Bulletin newspaper.

If you have news to share, drop me a e-mail, hit me up on Facebook, or call/text me at 830-688-1564. If you’d like to comment on this week’s news, feel free to speak your mind below or over on Facebook.

I’ve considered adding a feature to Bandera.net linking out to Bandera County news and featured finds from across the Internet. In keeping my ear to the ground as a community journalist, I’m always finding interesting tidbits here and there on the web – I figure other locals may find them worth a visit as well.

If you would like to see more of this content on Bandera.net, drop me a line on Facebook, leave a comment on this post, e-mail me at James@team-outlaw.net, or call/text me at 830-688-1564 and let me know!

Bandera County Top Stories

Probe of Bandera sheriff’s office continues – Express-News writer Zeke MacCormack reports Sheriff Weldon Tucker ‘dodged questions’ yesterday about whether or not he took a county boat out for a fishing trip. Reader comments below the story, equally pointed.

Headlines from BanderaBulletin.com include: Horse and rider killed in car crash, Bandera mom appears on Dr. Oz Show, Iraq veteran commits suicide. Managing Editor Jessica Hawley-Jerome wrote the car crash and Iraq veteran stories, and I wrote the Bandera mom story – the subject of which is my own wife! (Click here to view Jacklen Taylor’s segment on the Dr. Oz Show, about the 7:30 minute mark)

Tootie Pie Company, formerly of and originated in Medina, TX, was featured on WOAI’s San Antonio Living last week. Video after the link.

Other Bandera County Clips from across the Web

In The News

Bandera native Jack M. Hunter was featured in the Palestine Herald for his artist reception to be held at The Museum for East Texas Culture. He was born in Bandera in 1930.

The National Weather Service held a gathering at the Bandera EMS training room last week in search of Bandera County weather spotters, reported by KSAT12.

Videos

Welcome to Utopia – Utopia, TX is shown much love via YouTube by New York writer Karen Valby, who did a great piece for Entertainment Weekly in 2006 and since turned her experience there into a book, Welcome to Utopia: Notes from a Small Town. I remember reading the EW article when it came out, but I didn’t know a book was forthcoming. I’ll definitely order a copy from Amazon so I can see what a New Yorker picked up studying Buffalo country, just past the west end of Bandera County. I’m excited by the prospect of turning her experience here into a feature story for the paper.

YouTuber ML66B posted his video of Jake Hooker and The Outsiders performing Green Snakes on the Ceiling at Arkey Blue’s Silver Dollar Saloon in Bandera, TX.

YouTuber medicmaw1 posted this video from Bandera County Relay For Life featuring music composed by Bandera High School choir director Catherine Holmes, performed by the Bandera High School Jazz Choir, as well as photography and video by Monica Wilson, Spencer Smith and Bill Lamb.

Don’t miss this video from Medina Lake last weekend of a 17 year old fellow, who cannot swim, diving into the water with a life jacket and proceeding to freak out. I never learned to swim, and I guarantee, I’d have been flailing like Vishnu in a fly-swatting contest.

Photos

KENS5 YouNews user mercysmith submitted this photo of an “historic tree gone with the wind” in Bandera, blown over during the Wednesday evening storm that violently blasted across Texas with gusts up to 60mph.

Photographer and tweeter jshelton754 shared this gorgeous sunset photo of Medina Lake after Wednesday’s storm passed.

Tweeter StockC of Dallas, TX shared this photo of the soda fountain at the Bandera General Store.

Dean Hamby was featured with his low-fence axis taken near Medina, TX, with beams of 33″ and 32.5″ – shared in the Trophy Room on AllAboutExotics.com‘s Facebook profile.

San Antonio journalist-turned-PR account executive Natalie Tejeda was spotted floating Medina Lake last weekend.

Austin tweeter Barbara Jansen shared this photo of Wednesday’s stormy skies over Utopia, TX.

Entertainment & Events

11th Street Cowboy Bar of Bandera was given an anonymous five-star review on Where.com, highlighting the venue as a great bar, dance hall, and “must-visit on steak night.” The bar’s weekly Wednesday Night Steak Night event has been featured in media across the country.

Texas musician Josh Peek tweeted about upcoming shows in Pipe Creek, TX, and Utopia, TX.

Facebook & Twitter

Local pastor Ed Sullivan tweets this week about the storm blowing out a slew of electronic equipment at church.

Mico tweeter Brian Huffman shows some #FollowFriday love on Twitter to myself and KSAT reporter Jennifer Dodd. Thanks Brian!

#FF love for @Esquiremag keeping us men sharp in intellect and fashion, and @BigRedinTejas for his unyielding social and sports commentary.

Via their Facebook, the Bandera Convention & Visitor’s Bureau shares that tonight, the first Friday of the month, Fat Boyz at Bandera Village is hosting their monthly car lovers gathering. Also, Twin Elm and BR Lightning Ranch are turning up the action with their weekly summer rodeos every Friday.

Reported By The Outlaw

If you’ve friended me on Facebook, you learned about Bandera Class of 2010 graduate David Kassai releasing his first single on iTunes – Until The Music Dies; you saw live photo updates from Bandera City Council and Bandera County Water Board; my own storm photo from Wednesday as well as live reactions from Bandera County folks to the big storm; my photo updates from the 2010 CCRA Memorial Day Rodeo; and you got to read and participate in a lively discussion about teen drinking and consequences (NSFW – language).

If you follow me on Twitter @BanderaOutlaw, you got a play-by-play of the big storm that hit Wednesday, with updates from here at the Bulletin office and off the police scanner, from fellow Bandera County Facebookers and Tweeters, as well as retweets of the San Antonio broadcast and print journalists covering the storm; also, you saw a live top-story brief from Bandera City Council, and updates from Utopia High School and Bandera High School graduation ceremonies.

For all the latest Bandera County buzz, catch up with me on Facebook, Twitter @BanderaOutlaw, here on the home of the Bandera County Outlaw at Bandera.net, or weekly in the Bandera Bulletin newspaper.

If you have news to share, drop me a e-mail, hit me up on Facebook, or call/text me at 830-688-1564. If you’d like to comment on this week’s news, feel free to speak your mind below or over on Facebook.

Update: You can find the BHS graduation ceremony photos online in the Bandera.net Gallery.

Good morning, mates!

Bandera High School graduation 2010 is only a few days away, so here’s some updated info regarding the photos Outlaw will be doing at the ceremony:

Q: What photos will I get with my order?

A: On your order form, photos listed as “Individual” are images of the graduate receiving their diploma as they cross the stage. The standard group photo in the package is the full class photo, but in the a la carte area, you can also purchase K-12 and Honor Grads group photos.

Q: Do I have to buy a package to buy a la carte images?

A: Yes – your shipping fee is wrapped into the package price and to keep the price on a la carte images down, there is no shipping fee built into their cost.

Q: Can I bring you my order instead of mailing it?

A: Yes, you can drop off your order and payment at my office at the Bandera Bulletin newspaper at 1110 Main Street, Bandera. You can leave it with anyone here and it will end up on my desk.

Q: Can I bring you my order at graduation?

A: Interestingly, not this year. UTSA has changed their rules regarding vendors, and we cannot accept any money at the graduation ceremony. You’re welcome to mail your order in or bring it by the Bulletin.

Q: Can I mail in or bring in my order after graduation?

A: Yes, we accept graduation order forms for at least a month after graduation. The only way you pay more is if you wait and buy your images from the Bandera.net galleries individually.

Q: Do you photograph every graduate, regardless of whether or not they have submitted an order?

A: Yes, we photograph everyone. You can view photos from the ceremony online at Bandera.net afterward.

Q: What do I do if I have multiple graduates?

A: You can use a single form and just make additional notes as necessary, or make a copy of your form and submit two orders – the prices are all the same.

Q: Do you handle the advertising for the graduation special section for the Bulletin?

A: I do not – you can e-mail Christina at Christina@banderabulletin.com or call her at 830-796-3718 for information.

Q: What if I have more questions?

A: You can comment on this blog post, e-mail me at James@outlawphotography.net, or call/text me at 830-688-1564. Thank you so much for supporting The Outlaw!

The images I get from the mock accidents held at Bandera High School are always disturbingly realistic. I’ve covered spot news, which often means fires and wrecks, for 11 years in Bandera County. The photos I get from these mock accidents, held at the school in front of an assemblage of all BHS students, don’t differ much from my usual coverage of a wreck.

At an actual wreck, I am usually further back, staying out of the way of fire, EMS, and law enforcement doing their jobs. And being as the Bulletin is a small community paper, we also don’t shoot victims or anything particularly graphic. So these images are a bit closer, and definitely more vivid, than the types of images I make at an actual wreck scene.

Hopefully this exercise today, which shut down Old San Antonio Hwy. in front of the school, will give students pause and reason to slow down, pay attention, and stay sharp on the roads, especially leading up to prom.

You can find my full set of images from today’s mock accident in the Bandera.net Gallery:

Mock Accident at Bandera High School – May 11, 2010

Bandera County Relay For Life 2010 marked another great year for a purposeful and fun-filled event last night and this morning, May 1-2. The Bandera High School stadium was filled with teams of walkers who kept moving forward from 7 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday.

You can find the large copy of my panorama image from this year’s event at this link. Just right-click and Save As to download. You’re welcome to share it freely.

If you would like a copy of the full-size image, which reaches over four feet wide, just drop me an e-mail.

You can view my nighttime panorama of the luminaria ceremony from the 2009 Relay For Life in this Bandera.net post.

I’ll post a full album of my images from this year’s Relay early this week.

Here’s a nice mix of images from Bandera County at the end of March. The Medina Lady Cats had a great game against Sabinal on March 30. The Boys & Girls Club hosted a Bandera County Chamber of Commerce Mixer with lots of activities for kids and families. And last but not least, the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District and friends at the Extension Office hosted their annual Home & Landscape Show at the Mansfield Park Showbarn.

You can find all of my photos from these events in the Bandera.net Gallery:

Medina Lady Cats softball vs. Sabinal – March 30, 2010

Bandera Boys & Girls Club Chamber of Commerce Mixer – March 25, 2010

Home and Landscape Show at Mansfield Park Show Barn – March 20, 2010

Donkey basketball is always a hoot of a fundraiser, and this one was well attended at Bandera High School to benefit Project Graduation. It’s great to see the combination of community leaders, school faculty, and students all on equally unstable and humbling grounds.

The image of Bandera Police Chief Jim Eigner sailing off his steed made the front page of the newspaper. I wrote up a variety of humorous cutlines featuring colorful synonyms for “donkey,” but the hierarchy proclaimed they weren’t fit to print!

You can find the complete album chock full of donkey basketball goodness in the Bandera.net Gallery:

Donkey Basketball Bandera Project Graduation Fundraiser – March 8, 2010

From what little I got to see during their practice, the BHS One Act Play troupe has a great play to perform this year.

The full album of photos can be found in the Bandera.net Gallery:

Bandera High School One Act Play Practice – March 5, 2010

Finally enjoying some down time and catching up no my photo processing for Bandera.net.

Find below links to the last Medina Bobcats basketball game of the 2010 season (a hard-fought 64-60 loss to Yorktown) and the Chamber Awards Gala out at 11th Street.

More albums from March coming up this weekend!

You can find full albums of photos from these events in the Bandera.net Photo Gallery:

Medina Bobcats basketball playoffs vs. Yorktown Wildcats – March 1, 2010

Bandera County Chamber of Commerce Awards Gala at 11th Street Cowboy Bar – Feb. 27, 2010