Home Care In Rochelle, TX

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – U.S. Army South hosted the inaugural Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Symposium in downtown San Antonio, Texas on Feb. 22 and 23, 2023.

Representatives from 16 Central and South American and Caribbean partner nations participated in panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and senior leader discussions.

Students from San Antonio area high schools were invited to attend from Sidney Lanier and Canyon Lake, in an effort to set an example of strong female leadership and showcase strides the armed forces have made towards gender equality.

During discussions centered around recruiting and retention of women within the armed forces, U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion San Antonio Commander, Lt. Col. Adriana Ramirez-Scott, spoke on her personal journey and experiences being a woman in today’s Army.

“I found myself in a mortuary affairs unit in my very first assignment which was not at all what I expected, but I made the best of the opportunity and my experience within the unit and their ability and overall professionalism,” said Ramirez-Scott. “It made me realize that you start out as a young adult responsible for nothing, and then suddenly you are responsible for 40 adults and their family members. You realize that you were part of something so much bigger than yourself.”

Speaking of how her leadership role affects her work life balance, Ramirez-Scott strives to set an example for her daughters.

“I want to show my daughters a strong leader and a strong role model,” Ramirez-Scott said. “I want my daughters to know that you can have your cake and eat it too. You can be a leader in the United States Army as well as a mother.”

With each of the countries in attendance at varying levels of gender equality in their militaries, this forum served as a space to exchange ideas and best practices that have worked for each respective nation.

During the panel discussion, Col. Daphne Austin, commander of 410th Contracting Support Brigade, was asked about the current climate and policy changes effecting women in the military.

“We talked about these different policies that are being established to make sure that women have a voice,” Austin said. “Long gone are the days where women have to suffer in silence. Women have a voice and there are various platforms that allow women to be able to speak openly and honestly about the things that they're experiencing.”

Another panel member, Brig. Gen. Daphne Davis, U.S. Army Recruiting Command deputy commanding general of support, gave her perspective on the current status of women in leadership roles.

“When I look forward I look at the possibilities of having more women in leadership roles,” said Davis. “When women are truly integrated into the military the culture improves, and when the culture of the military improves we are stronger together.”

The common theme throughout these discussions was the integration of women and gender equality within the military.

Lt. Gen. Maria Gervais, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Deputy Commanding General-Active Duty, spoke of being the first female in her position and what that means for future generations of female leaders.

“When being the first becomes something of the past and it's just a normal occurrence, that's what we know we've made great improvements,” Gervais said. “In the U.S. Army, women have integrated into our infantry, we're growing our female leaders, women have graduated from the Army Ranger course, and we've had our first master gunner. Now others can see themselves in those positions and that's why it's important that you have the right level of diversity.”

As the students and attendees listened, keynote speaker Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, Army Reserve Command Commanding General, shared stories of the trailblazers before her and how far we have come since.

“To encourage all of you out there and the trailblazers to follow, three million women have served in the US armed forces since the American Revolution in support and in combat roles,” said Daniels. “Women in service have earned their positions by demonstrating their talent, strength, passion, and drive.”

Students and attendees said they were inspired and encouraged by advancements made in gender equality. It was evident women serve a unique and necessary role within the armed forces at all levels.

With the partnership of male counterparts within the military, it will ensure continued success in integration, opening doors for the future generation of women who wish to serve their county. The U.S. strategy on WPS provides the Defense Department with an internationally recognized path to pursuing long-term security and stability while also demonstrating a commitment to dignity, human rights and equality under the law.

“The United States WPS strategy is a whole of government approach that guides our departments in implementing strategies that focus on the effects of armed conflict on women and girls,” said U.S. Army South Command Sergeant Major Ronald Graves. “Symposiums such as this help to build and foster diverse teams of professionals and enable the opportunity for women to serve in leadership positions at all echelons.”

As Jarell Rochelle eases his group of beginner dancers into the next hour of hip-hop instruction, he allows each student to introduce themselves and tell the class why they enrolled in the class.

After getting acquainted with each other and stretching, the dancers bounce into position, echoing Rochelle’s eight counts across the walls.

Rochelle’s touring dance classes span the last seven years, but starting this month, his Xpress VIBE lessons are based in Austin’s Cherrywood Center. While Rochelle, a dance and social justice UT alumnus and former teaching assistant, plans to expand classes to various experience levels, classes currently cater to beginners.

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“I’m for the person who lost touch of their gifts and passion,” Rochelle said. “(I don’t) mind that I’ll get first-timers or people who lost their way to their play and innocence. I want to be that breath of fresh air.”

Fellow UT alumnus Joseph Mayang met him during Rochelle’s time as a teaching assistant for an introductory hip-hop class that Mayang registered for impulsively as an undergraduate student.

“His approach is philosophical, mixed with passionate teaching,” Mayang said. “He focuses on allowing each and every single one of his students to express how they move through dance.”

Rochelle also extends his energy in mommy-and-me classes, motivating mothers to channel choreography into a bonding opportunity. Rochelle’s 5-year-old daughter, Addelynn, who he calls his “little partner,” dances alongside her father in various classes.

Despite earning the titles of father to Addelynn and husband to Madeline Rochelle, he never acted as Madeline’s boyfriend. The pair met at Rochelle’s workshop shortly after his “So You Think You Can Dance” run in 2012. Rochelle said he pulled her from the crowd for a dance during the lesson, developing an impenetrable friendship that led directly to marriage.

“I pulled her in and dipped her back — it was not planned at all,” Rochelle said. “It just felt like we were moving toward each other.”

Basketball also shines as one of Rochelle’s loves. He likened his dance battle with street dancer Mr. Wiggles at Freestyle Session, an annual b-boy competition, to then-no-name player Allen Iverson crossing Michael Jordan on the court in 1997.

“It was like when you see a gold aura over somebody,” Rochelle said. “It’s like, ‘How did this moment happen?’ But I can’t think too much or I’ll miss it.”

Although moments like his video with Mr. Wiggles amassing almost 150,000 views speaks to his talent, his teaching encouraged dancers like marketing junior Gabriel Ochoa to connect with their bodies. Ochoa said Rochelle’s instruction eased him out of the awkwardness of finding his rhythm.

“He uplifts everyone,” Ochoa said. “He always has a great energy. It’s infectious to the point where it allows you to be comfortable within your own body.”

Harmony between the mind and body, Rochelle said, not only improves dance skills but aids in conquering life’s twists and turns.

“We experience the most friction when we don’t know our rhythm,” Rochelle said. “Dance gives you a beat, so as long as you can catch that beat, you’re good. When I think about how dance and life correlate, it’s finding that intrinsic movement inside of you and trusting that to the umpteenth degree.”

Join Rochelle for classes here:

Depth isn't easy to come by in the six-man football ranks, so the Rochelle High School Hornets know they need to take advantage of it while they can.

Coming off a 4-6 overall finish and a 2-2 mark in District 16-1A Division II last season, the Hornets have five returning starters back on both sides of the ball.

"When it's all said and done, I think we'll have 12 varsity-level kids that we can rotate in and out every other play, and it'd be no big deal," Rochelle head coach John Cherry said.

With just three seniors among the 29 players, the Hornets are built for the future, but they also have a sense of urgency.

"As of right now, I think we've got the right amount of youth and the right amount of upperclassmen," Cherry said. "We've got a pretty big junior class. We do only have three seniors, but they're all very skilled and can kind of do a lot of things.

"In six-man, that's half your field, so you're putting three of the six out there being seniors. I think we're in a pretty good spot. We've got a junior class that's pretty talented, and we actually had four freshmen make the varsity team. They're fast learners and they're very talented."

Cherry really liked what he saw from the Hornets in last week's scrimmage against Veribest and Nueces Canyon.

"We played three different spread backs, and we just subbed them every play," the Hornets coach said. "My man under center is a true freshman (Merek Howell). He's a young kid and I think he's going to be good.

"At running back, we have one senior, one junior and one freshman, and we cycled them every play, and I feel like the results didn't change much with who was in there."

Cherry has good reason to be optimistic.

"I think we'll have a group of kids who will be pretty talented," the Rochelle coach said. "I think our physicality level is going to be up from the last two years. And, again, we've got some freshmen who are probably going to start and get significant playing time.

"So far, in this first scrimmage, they showed they were up to the task. I think we have 12 varsity-level kids on both sides of the ball. That'll keep kids fresh. Last year, by the time we got to district we had six varsity-level kids. Every single kid was playing both ways."

Senior linebacker Dylan Mendez has never been this excited heading into a season before.

"We're very hungry," Mendez said. "We've been talking about this since peewee years, about how great we would be with this (young) group coming up and how well rounded the juniors are and how everybody is flexible and can play different positions. I think this is our year."

Rochelle is scheduled to open the season on the road against Stephenville Faith on Aug. 27.

The rest of the nondistrict schedule includes contests against Abilene TLCA, Paint Rock, Medina, Lometa and Gustine.

"I think the biggest test on there is Lometa," Cherry said. "They're big, they're fast and they're physical. They're Division I and they're very good at what they do. They've got a longtime coach there, and I think that'll be a huge test for us."

Medina and Gustine both pulled off upsets against Rochelle last year.

"I think in both of those games, we're kind of looking at a little revenge on them and just trying to prove ourselves a little bit," Cherry said. "I think our nondistrict schedule sets us up to be competitive and gets us ready for district."

Naturally, nine-time state champion Richland Springs, which lost in the state championship game last year, is a heavy favorite to win district again.

Texas Football picks Cherokee to finish second, followed by Rochelle, Mullin and Lohn.

Richland Springs is ranked No. 2 in the state, while Cherokee is No. 18.

Rochelle lost 45-40 to Cherokee last season in a game for the second and final playoff spot. The Hornets weren't competitive, however, in a 47-0 loss to Richland Springs.

"I think we can compete with about anyone," said Cherry, who is a former Richland Springs assistant. "Richland's a clear-cut favorite until someone knocks them off the top. They haven't lost a district game in a very long time. To say that top spot is someone else's, I think someone has to prove that first.

"Cherokee last year was picked to beat us by 45 and we made it a one-touchdown game, and we had the ball when time ran out. So I think we can compete with anyone."

As great of a team as Richland Springs is every year, the Hornets aren't conceding defeat when they open district play on the road against the Coyotes on Oct. 8.

"We've got to get over the mental block I think more than anything, but I think our capabilities are there this year," Cherry said.

Mendez nods his head in agreement.

"All of our pieces are finally coming together," the senior said. "You just have so many people with better attitudes than what they had last year."

The Rochelle fans are ready to get their popcorn out.

"Oh, they're real excited," Mendez said. "Everybody's texting me, asking how practice is going and when are the games. So I think there's a lot more hype around this season than there was last year for sure."

Rochelle Hornets

District: 16-1A Division II

Head coach: John Cherry (24-10; 12-9 at Rochelle)

Last year’s record: 4-6; 2-2 in district

Last district title/playoff appearance: 2015/2019

Enrollment: 42

Stadium: Hornet Pride Stadium

Returning lettermen: 15

Returning off./def. starters: 5/5

Base offense: Gun

Base defense: 4-2

Team strength: Depth, numbers

Team weakness: Only 3 seniors out of 29 players

Players to watch

SB Josh Barron (5-9, 155), C Sean Estes (6-1, 205), WR Levi Skees (6-3, 200), NG Dylan Mendez (5-9, 180), G Dylan Rimer (6-4, 190), RB Jason Cox (6-1, 160), DB Tony Soto (5-9, 155), DE Kelton Williams (5-6, 155), QB Merek Howell (6-0, 140), DE Justin Lopez (5-8, 160)

2021 schedule

Aug. 27 at Stephenville Faith

Sept. 3 Abilene TLCA

Sept. 10 Paint Rock

Sept. 24 at Lometa

Oct. 1 Gustine

Oct. 8 at Richland Springs*

Oct. 15 Lohn*

Oct. 29 at Cherokee*

Nov. 5 Mullin*

2020 results

Brookesmith L 68-70

Lohn W 54-6

Charles Bryce is a journalist covering sports in West Texas. Send him a news tip at [email protected]. Consider supporting West Texas journalism with a subscription to GoSanAngelo.com.

Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton beat his Democratic opponent, Rochelle Garza, winning a third term as the state's chief legal officer, according to results from the Secretary of State.

Why it matters: The attorney general's office doesn't oversee elections in Texas, but it’s in charge of defending and enforcing the state’s election laws and of bringing lawsuits, like cases that allege voter fraud.

The big picture: Paxton is a loyal Trump ally who tried to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in four states where President Biden won.

The intrigue: Paxton is facing securities fraud charges in a seven-year-old Collin County case and he's the subject of an FBI investigation after his former top deputies accused him of abuse of office.

Catch up quick: In September, Paxton allegedly fled his home to avoid being served with a subpoena in a lawsuit related to abortion rights funding, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.

What's next: Buoyed by his victory, Paxton will likely continue to push for work on voter fraud cases, fanning the flames of conspiracy theorists who believe that election fraud is deciding elections despite ample evidence to the contrary.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – U.S. Army South hosted the inaugural Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Symposium in downtown San Antonio, Texas on Feb. 22 and 23, 2023.

Representatives from 16 Central and South American and Caribbean partner nations participated in panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and senior leader discussions.

Students from San Antonio area high schools were invited to attend from Sidney Lanier and Canyon Lake, in an effort to set an example of strong female leadership and showcase strides the armed forces have made towards gender equality.

During discussions centered around recruiting and retention of women within the armed forces, U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion San Antonio Commander, Lt. Col. Adriana Ramirez-Scott, spoke on her personal journey and experiences being a woman in today’s Army.

“I found myself in a mortuary affairs unit in my very first assignment which was not at all what I expected, but I made the best of the opportunity and my experience within the unit and their ability and overall professionalism,” said Ramirez-Scott. “It made me realize that you start out as a young adult responsible for nothing, and then suddenly you are responsible for 40 adults and their family members. You realize that you were part of something so much bigger than yourself.”

Speaking of how her leadership role affects her work life balance, Ramirez-Scott strives to set an example for her daughters.

“I want to show my daughters a strong leader and a strong role model,” Ramirez-Scott said. “I want my daughters to know that you can have your cake and eat it too. You can be a leader in the United States Army as well as a mother.”

With each of the countries in attendance at varying levels of gender equality in their militaries, this forum served as a space to exchange ideas and best practices that have worked for each respective nation.

During the panel discussion, Col. Daphne Austin, commander of 410th Contracting Support Brigade, was asked about the current climate and policy changes effecting women in the military.

“We talked about these different policies that are being established to make sure that women have a voice,” Austin said. “Long gone are the days where women have to suffer in silence. Women have a voice and there are various platforms that allow women to be able to speak openly and honestly about the things that they're experiencing.”

Another panel member, Brig. Gen. Daphne Davis, U.S. Army Recruiting Command deputy commanding general of support, gave her perspective on the current status of women in leadership roles.

“When I look forward I look at the possibilities of having more women in leadership roles,” said Davis. “When women are truly integrated into the military the culture improves, and when the culture of the military improves we are stronger together.”

The common theme throughout these discussions was the integration of women and gender equality within the military.

Lt. Gen. Maria Gervais, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Deputy Commanding General-Active Duty, spoke of being the first female in her position and what that means for future generations of female leaders.

“When being the first becomes something of the past and it's just a normal occurrence, that's what we know we've made great improvements,” Gervais said. “In the U.S. Army, women have integrated into our infantry, we're growing our female leaders, women have graduated from the Army Ranger course, and we've had our first master gunner. Now others can see themselves in those positions and that's why it's important that you have the right level of diversity.”

As the students and attendees listened, keynote speaker Lt. Gen. Jody Daniels, Army Reserve Command Commanding General, shared stories of the trailblazers before her and how far we have come since.

“To encourage all of you out there and the trailblazers to follow, three million women have served in the US armed forces since the American Revolution in support and in combat roles,” said Daniels. “Women in service have earned their positions by demonstrating their talent, strength, passion, and drive.”

Students and attendees said they were inspired and encouraged by advancements made in gender equality. It was evident women serve a unique and necessary role within the armed forces at all levels.

With the partnership of male counterparts within the military, it will ensure continued success in integration, opening doors for the future generation of women who wish to serve their county. The U.S. strategy on WPS provides the Defense Department with an internationally recognized path to pursuing long-term security and stability while also demonstrating a commitment to dignity, human rights and equality under the law.

“The United States WPS strategy is a whole of government approach that guides our departments in implementing strategies that focus on the effects of armed conflict on women and girls,” said U.S. Army South Command Sergeant Major Ronald Graves. “Symposiums such as this help to build and foster diverse teams of professionals and enable the opportunity for women to serve in leadership positions at all echelons.”