Jesus is Resurrected in Santa Rita, But Only Under Very Special Conditions
SAN ANGELO, TX Tuesday’s San Angelo City Council meeting had some surprising twists and turns as the body considered the right of Lifepoint Baptist Church (LBC) to rent its otherwise underutilized gymnasium to a commercial gymnastics training company called the Texas Tumbleweeds. The council threaded a camel through the eye of a needle and said the church’s commercial gymnastics ministry can stay, but only under very special conditions.
The issue demonstrated the tension between municipal zoning laws and the First Amendment and the freedom of religion. LBC was seeking a renewal of a special use exemption to rent its gym to an operational business even though the property is located on a lot that is zoned for residential use. A few nearby Santa Rita residents had sued the City, the church, and Texas Tumbleweeds over the original exemption granted in August 2019. During the present year’s renewal p
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SAN ANGELO Deep down, Herbert (H.R.) Wardlaw wants you to know he s genuinely a good person. The fact his lawsuit is against a group of children is beside the point. I have nothing against them, Wardlaw said during an interview with the Standard-Times. Wardlaw says he s battling to preserve the character of Santa Rita, one of San Angelo s oldest and most affluent neighborhoods.
In October 2019, Wardlaw joined with fellow residents to sue Texas Tumbleweeds Gymnastics, Lifepoint Baptist Church, and the City of San Angelo after it approved a special-use permit allowing the children s gymnastics organization to set up a commercial business at 802 Kenwood Drive, deep inside Santa Rita s posh, quiet community.
Out of 5,986 ballots cast, Gunter took the lion-share with 4,434 votes (74%). I want to thank the citizens of San Angelo for getting out and voting, Gunter said from her election watch party at Miss Hattie s Restaurant. I am so proud to have the opportunity to lead the city and work hard for the citizens.
On Saturday, May 1, 2021, Gunter defeated two other challengers: Dietrick Tillis and Silvara Lawson.
Lawson would have been the second female to hold the office. Tillis was the city s first Black mayoral candidate, according to a spokesperson with San Angelo s local chapter of the NAACP.
Tillis finished in second place with 1,224 votes (20.5%). Lawson came in a distant third with 328 votes (5.5%). She could not reached for comment on Saturday. The results are not considered final until canvassed.
UPDATE: Unofficial Final Election Results
SAN ANGELO, TX (Refresh this page for the latest election results) It is Election Day in San Angelo! The polls for the May 1 Election close at 7 p.m. and below are the results as we get them. The first results will be released by the County Elections Office sometime after 7 p.m. Usually, the early and mail-in voting results are released before the Election Day totals.
This election will decide who the Mayor of San Angelo will be for the next four years. Incumbent Mayor Brenda Gunter faced two challengers in real estate agent Silvara Lawson and health care administrator Dietrick Tillis. Lawson proposed an open dialog with citizens to solve problems, akin to a crowd-sourcing leadership style. Tillis wanted the City of San Angelo to become involved in providing opportunities outside normal city functions, like fostering an after school STEM program for children.