Sergio Loya, Calvert City Manager
DWI Arrest Clouds Final Time of Calvert City Administrator Loya’s Tenure
Dennis Phillips publisher@robconews.com Robertson County News CALVERT — Just days after formally announcing his resignation from the City of Calvert, City Administrator Sergio Loya was arrested in Montgomery County on a charge of driving while intoxicated, creating new uncertainty surrounding the final weeks of his tenure with the city. According to Montgomery County jail records, Loya was booked May 14, 2026, on a charge of driving while intoxicated. Jail records listed his bond at $600. The arrest reportedly occurred at 13663 FM 1488, and the case was assigned to County Court at Law No. 4. The arrest came only three days after Loya publicly addressed the Calvert City Council during its May 11 meeting and formally announced his resignation from the city administrator position. During that meeting, Loya told the council and audience that differences in vision for the future of Calvert led to his decision to step away from the position. He described himself as a pro-growth and pro-economic development administrator focused on expanding opportunities and improving the quality of life for residents. Loya stated his employment contract required a 30-day notice and indicated July 10 would likely serve as his final day with the city. He also warned council members that replacing a city administrator could take four to five months and suggested the city consider using an executive search firm to assist in the hiring process. During his public remarks to the council, Loya acknowledged that he originally intended to discuss the matter during executive session before deciding to address the issue publicly before a packed council chamber. “I’m not the type of City Administrator for the town. I’m about moving forward, the quality of life and the standard of living. You have spoken, I’m not the City Administrator for you,” Loya told the council. “The city does not run by itself. I don’t want to die here,” he added during his remarks. The arrest now raises additional questions about whether the Calvert City Council could choose to end Loya’s employment before his proposed July departure date. The council is scheduled to meet Wednesday, May 27, and the issue could potentially become part of council discussions as officials determine how to move forward during the transition period. However, previous public statements from city leadership suggest the council may allow Loya to continue serving until his resignation becomes effective. Mayor James Evans has previously expressed support for the principle of innocence until proven guilty regarding criminal accusations and city personnel matters. Based on those earlier comments, it appears likely the city may permit Loya to remain in his position while the legal process unfolds and while the city searches for a replacement administrator. No formal action regarding Loya’s employment status had been publicly announced as of Sunday evening. The timing of the arrest places additional attention on an already tense political environment inside Calvert city government, where disagreements over economic development, growth strategies and the city’s direction have increasingly surfaced during recent public meetings. If the city elects to allow Loya to remain through July 11, the council will likely continue evaluating interim leadership plans while beginning the search for a permanent replacement. If the council decides otherwise, officials could move more quickly to appoint temporary administrative leadership until a new city administrator is hired.
Camp Hearne featured in new German POW documentary
Roy McCoy roy@robconews.com Robertson County News HEARNE — A new documentary on German prisoners of war held in the United States during World War II includes a familiar piece of Robertson County history: Camp Hearne. The film, “Hitler’s Emissaries: German POWs in the United States,” is listed as a 227-minute documentary produced and directed by James Willis. The documentary looks at the story of about 379,000 German POWs who were brought to the United States during World War II, along with the challenges of housing, guarding and managing prisoners across the country while many American service members were overseas. Camp Hearne, located north of Hearne on Highway 485 West, was one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps in Texas. The site held more than 4,800 German POWs from 1943 to 1945 and was part of a much larger wartime system that brought prisoners to communities across the United States. The Camp Hearne Historic Site notes that Hearne was selected because of its flat land, distance from the coast, railroad access, sparse population and need for farm labor. Today, the site includes foundations from the former camp, remnants of prisoner-built features such as garden fountains and a theater area, and an exhibit focused on the daily life of the camp’s mostly German prisoners. The documentary’s connection to Hearne comes in part through Dr. Michael Waters, a Texas A&M anthropology professor whose research helped bring renewed attention to the camp. Waters and his students uncovered more than 1,400 artifacts at the site, and his work helped support the preservation of Camp Hearne’s history and the development of the visitor center. Waters told The Battalion he was interviewed for the documentary about Camp Hearne and the broader story of German POWs in the United States from about 1943 to 1945. His research included archaeological work at the site, visits to the National Archives and accounts from former prisoners and local residents who remembered the camp’s operation. The film also explores the tensions inside the POW system, including divisions between devoted Nazis, anti-Nazis and other German prisoners. That part of the story has a local connection as well, as Texas A&M’s account of Camp Hearne notes there was a struggle between Nazi and anti-Nazi elements at the camp, including a murder in December 1943. For Hearne, the documentary gives a local historic site a place in a much larger national story — one that reaches from small Texas communities to the broader wartime decisions made by the United States during World War II. The film is available for purchase on Blu-ray at hredocumentary.com.
Hancock Wins Pct. 2 Commissioner Race, Secures Seat
Dennis Phillips publisher@robconews.com Robertson County News HEARNE — Rodney Hancock won the Republican runoff election Tuesday for Robertson County Commissioner Precinct 2, securing the seat due to the absence of a Democratic challenger in the November general election. Unofficial election results posted Tuesday night showed Hancock defeating Wallace M. Johnson in the Republican runoff. With no Democrat filing for the office, Hancock’s victory effectively makes him the next Precinct 2 commissioner once the election process is officially completed. The runoff followed a crowded Republican primary election in March that included Hancock, Johnson, James E. Shear and David R. Stratta. No candidate received the majority needed to win outright in the primary, forcing the top two vote-getters into a runoff election. The Precinct 2 commissioner position is one of four seats on the Robertson County Commissioners Court and carries responsibility for county roads, infrastructure projects, budgeting and other county operations within the precinct. Tuesday’s race became one of the more closely watched local contests this election cycle, drawing attention from voters across the precinct as issues such as road conditions, infrastructure improvements, growth and county spending remained key campaign topics. In Robertson County, many county-level races are ultimately decided during the Republican primary process because several offices do not draw Democratic opposition in the general election. That trend continued in the Precinct 2 commissioner race this year. Election totals released Tuesday night remain unofficial until canvassed and certified by Robertson County election officials in the coming days. Hancock is now positioned to join the Robertson County Commissioners Court and will serve alongside the county judge and fellow commissioners in overseeing county government operations and future county planning efforts.
New marker dedicated at Suggs Cemetery
Roy McCoy roy@robconews.com Robertson County News HEARNE — A piece of Robertson County history was restored Saturday as members of the Robertson County Historical Commission joined the Suggs Cemetery Association for the dedication of a replacement historical marker at Suggs Cemetery. The new marker replaces the original one, which was stolen several years ago. For those who gathered at the cemetery, the dedication was about more than simply putting a marker back in place. It was a chance to honor the families buried there, thank the volunteers who continue to care for the grounds and recognize the history tied to the Black Jack community. Suggs Cemetery, located east of Hearne, has long served families in the area. Its history is tied to Calvin A. Suggs, who came to Texas from Georgia with his family in the late 1860s and purchased land in the community in 1868. Over time, the cemetery became an important burial ground for local families, with graves dating back to the 1880s. Those attending Saturday’s dedication praised the condition of the cemetery and the work done to keep it maintained. The grounds showed the care and pride of the Suggs Cemetery Association, whose members have continued working to preserve the site even after the loss of the original marker. The dedication served as a reminder that local history is not only found in books or museums, but also in the quiet places where families, neighbors and communities remember those who came before them. With the new marker now in place, Suggs Cemetery’s story will remain visible for future generations, standing as a tribute to the people buried there and to those still working to protect their memory.
