Highway memorial honors hero

Two signs constructed by the Texas Department of Transportation have designated a seven-mile stretch of Highway 173 as Master Sergeant Rodney Lee Buentello Memorial Highway.

MSGT Buentello, who spent 20 years as a Marine before retiring, died after saving two teenagers from drowning in the Medina River on June 8, 2016.

The first sign sits just past Bandera City Park in front of Tractor Supply, the second seven miles down the road toward Hondo.

Bandera Pro Rodeo spearheaded the sign project and raised necessary funds through a public GoFundMe campaign.

“The support of the Bandera Community was overwhelming and with the help of the Commissioners’ Court, the Bandera City Council and the essential work of our State Representative, Andrew Murr, the bill necessary to make the dedication was unanimously passed and signed,” said Bandera Pro Rodeo President Janna Lindig.

An official gathering commemorating the dedication will be announced at a later date.