Car crashes into horses

Wow. This probably hurt (from KSAT-12):

SAN ANTONIO -- A sport utility vehicle struck and killed two horses Tuesday night in southwest Bexar County.

The SUV was headed south on Wheeler Road when it hit the horses near Pearsall Road, sheriff's officials said.

The driver was transported to Methodist Hospital with minor injuries.

I'm surprised the driver wasn't hurt worse. Two horses. That's a lot of stopping power.

"'Tribe' sells citizenship for $400"

Are you here in this country illegally? Would you like to get a fast track to U.S. citizenship? Do you think membership in a local Indian tribe will help you?

Think again.

From Anastasia Ustinova of the Express-News:

When pastor Victor Ramirez told Antonio Rodriguez that a tribal membership could help him receive U.S. citizenship, Rodriguez thought the $400 fee was worth the deal.

“I would have much more rights as a U.S. citizen,” said Rodriguez, who hurt his back working at a fruit warehouse in Edinburg and was hoping to receive Medicaid benefits.

But the offer was too good to be true.

Texas officials say thousands of immigrants such as Rodriguez have been scammed by the Kaweah Indian Nation, whose tribal status is not recognized by the federal government.

...

On Monday, Attorney General Greg Abbot filed a lawsuit against the tribe's leader, Malcolm “Grand Chief Thunderbird IV” Webber of Wichita, Kan., pastor Ramirez of Edinburg and Ralph Tipton of San Antonio, who serves as the group's “ambassador” to Texas.

The lawsuit states the three have “grossly exaggerated the legal effect of membership in their so-called tribe.”

Welcome to America, where grifters don't care about your legal status. Besides, Chief Thunderbird? Shouldn't that have raised a few red flags? I guess "The American Classic" is unknown south of the border. Perhaps it's a good thing Malcolm Webber didn't go by Presidente.

Remember: 2

Just a little odd, in an amusing way.

Car crashes into house

Once more. Yet again.

From the Express-News:

Around 4:30 p.m., Ernest Rojas, 56, said he was walking with his teenage son about a block from their home in the 100 block of Southolme when he saw the Mustang go off I-35, over a grassy median and the access road, and into the side of his father-in-law's home.

"I've never seen something like that before," Rojas said, surveying the damage to the property.

I have, just not as it actually happened.

You can't fight city hall

Well, I guess you can, but sometimes you don't get anywhere. Except maybe into a closet. When there's no one there.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Police said a man attacked a security guard and forced his way inside city hall Friday night.

During the struggle, 57-year-old Jay Swob took Riojas' gun and aimed it at the security guard, according to police. Police said the clip had luckily fallen from the pistol during the melee, rendering the weapon useless.

...

"Officers searched the building with a K-9 unit and located the male on the second floor inside the city clerk's office inside a closet," said Lt. Matthew Podwika, of the San Antonio police.

Officers said when they got close to the closet Swob began shouting, "The hostages don't have to die" and "Don't make me kill the hostages."

No hostages were found in the empty building and Swob was taken into custody, said police.

The security guard is going to be OK.

"Car Explodes, Sets House On Fire"

This is something you probably wouldn't expect to happen at your house (from KSAT-12).

Maria Schweikert said she was in her garage getting ready to leave her home at 9:30 a.m. in the 300 block of Zephyr when she heard an explosion underneath her vehicle.

"The car exploded," Schweikert said.

Thinking her garage was on fire, Schweikert tried to back her car out, but then she realized it was her car that was on fire.

Schweikert ran inside to call for help, but the telephones weren't working, all the while flames were spreading inside her home.

She made it out OK, though her house was burned. Sounds like she was pretty lucky overall.

Advocating a revolution

He may not have won the mayor's race, but R.G. Griffing apparently plans to take power the old-fashioned way -- revolution.

From his Web site:

SAL Calls For Gentle Overthrow Of Government

NonViolent, Of Course?

RG Griffing, Editor/Publisher San Antonio Lightning Newspaper

Are you suckers, rubes and hicks fed up yet?

I am.

* * *

I love the Constitution and I adore America.

But I abhor what is happening to our governance, our ways of life, and I blame YOU for allowing this to happen.

Well, I may have some culpability as well. I admit it.

But no more.

Revolution is healthy, in some instances.

Remember, this is the guy who "sold 'ZonaPair Invisible Underwear' and parcels of land on Mars." So, should we take seriously his call for "NonViolent" revolution? Of Course?

"Man Holds Up Store With Plastic Gun"

If you got tired of your wife, what would you do? Divorce her? Take a vacation by yourself? Get counseling?

This guy decided it would be better to go back to the slammer, so he got himself arrested (from KSAT-12).

SAN ANTONIO -- A robbery suspect told police he would rather go back to jail than go back home to his wife after he held up an Academy store with a fake gun Tuesday on the city's Northwest Side, police said.

Officers arrested 31-year-old Danny Herrera on accusations that he held up the sports store on Northwest Loop 410 with a plastic gun.

According to a police report, Herrera told detectives that he was tired of his wife and he wanted to go back to jail.

Three squares a day, a place to sleep, no rent----and no wife. I guess that works out well for Danny Herrera.

Secret price at the Tower

Psst, if you want to ride to the top of the Tower of the Americas, don't forget to ask for the secret, cheaper price.

WOAI-TV reports:

A secret question could save you money at the Tower of the Americas. ...

The posted price at the ticket counter, to go up to the observation deck is $10.95, that includes a theater production.

If you know what to ask for, and just want to see the observation deck, you can get one for $5.

A Landry's spokesperson said, "People should just know to ask for the cheaper ticket."

Now, you know.

I wonder if they have secret prices on the menu, too.

"Primarily Primates Sues To Get 7 Chimps Back"

As reported on KSAT-12's Web site, Primarily Primates -- an animal sanctuary near San Antonio -- is trying to get back some chimpanzees it lost to another sanctuary in Louisiana over some complaints about living conditions. You can read the article to get the whole story, but I found the name of the spokeswoman for an animal group apt, which makes it a little strange.

"We believe we hold title to them," said Priscilla Feral of Friends of Animals, an animal advocacy group that is merging with Primarily Primates. "Their designated place of retirement was Primarily Primates." [emphasis added]

An advocate for animals named Feral. Classic.

"Short chase ends after car hits tree"

Some robbers flee police, hit another vehicle, crash into a tree, and run away on foot. Police set up a perimeter, and they catch the robbers. What business was so tempting that these guys just couldn't resist robbing it and putting themselves, law enforcement, and citizens in danger?

The snow cone business.

From the Express-News:

A north patrol officer spotted four people apparently trying to rob a sno-cone stand on Nacogdoches Road.

I know it gets hot around here, and I'm sure the snow cone business is good, but would there really be enough loot at one of those stands to split four ways?

"Four arrested after call for help"

Just remember, if you have warrants out for your arrest, it might not do you any good to call the police for a minor disturbance.

From the Express-News:

The mother called police around 7 p.m. saying one of her sons suffers from bipolar disorder and was acting erratically, Sgt. Mark Hubbard said. The man had outstanding warrants, Hubbard said, and when the two officers at the scene attempted to arrest him, the man’s two brothers tried to fight the officers, Hubbard said.

The mother also had outstanding warrants and was arrested at the scene.

And they're all cooling off now, I suppose.

Cars crashed into house

A home in San Antonio has the sad distinction of being hit by cars four different times. Wet streets may have something to do with it, but neighbors think the street design is faulty, and they want it fixed so the residents can live in peace. So, the city is going to do a traffic study to see if anything can be done about it.

The KSAT-TV Defenders look into the matter at this video link.

Thunderbird?

What is the strange creature flying around San Antonio?

From KENS-TV:

Strange sightings of a huge flying creature have been reported as recently as six months ago. Is it a monster or myth?

Guadalupe Cantu III was busy working his newspaper route, but he says the big news of that day 10 years ago flew right over his car. He says he's seen what most have not — an unidentified flying object, one that still scares him.

"We were afraid that it would come at us. So we stayed in the car till it passed this way," witness Guadalupe Cantu III said. "This thing's all feathers, all black. Much bigger than me. It looked at us. It had very stooped-up shoulders." The beast has been spotted from the Rio Grande Valley to the mountains of New Mexico.

Could it be a thunderbird? A condor? Or something else?

Chupacabra!

It's back! From KENS-TV, the mysterious creature some like to call a chupacabra! (video)

Reports of blue, hairless creatures roaming the countryside from Elmendorf to Cuero. Ranchers talking of livestock being drained of blood.

Put the two together, and it sounds like the legend of the chupacabra. One rancher says she has the evidence to back it up.

"After six kittens had been lost to something around the place, I made up my mind we needed to do something to find out what it was that was taking it," said Phylis Canion, a rancher in Cuero.

...

The name chupacabra translated from Spanish means goat-sucker, for the creature's habit of sucking the blood of livestock.

Canion said her neighbors have reported goats drained of their blood.

"Is (a chupacabra) what it is? We don't know what it is, but that's what we'll call it!" Canion said.

But others call it something else.

"(There's) no chupacabra," said John Young, a mammologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Young said the animal is a sickly gray fox with a typical case of parasites.

"When mange goes untreated, it causes this type of reaction. They start to itch, lose all their hair, there's this blue-gray coloration. And the animal usually dies from it," Young said.

What do you think? Watch the video to see the head in the freezer. Read more here. Then decide.

"Woman: Men Made Me Help Rob Store"

Some thieves decided to rob a store, but they evidently didn't have a getaway vehicle. So they carjacked one. And a chauffeur, too.

From KSAT-TV:

SAN ANTONIO -- A woman claims that two men held her at knifepoint and forced her to help them rob a store on Monday afternoon.

The woman said she was filling her vehicle up with gas in the 500 block of South Smith when two men snuck into her sport utility vehicle.

When she went back to the vehicle, the men surprised her and demanded she drive them to rob a store.

...

The victim said she was forced to wait in the car while one of the men robbed the store.

The woman said she dropped the men off at Travis Park after the robbery.

The police arrested two suspects. I'm glad the woman's fine, but that must have been just a bit stressful for her.

"Driver Killed After Hitting Head on Pole"

When you were a kid, did the driver of the school bus ever tell you to keep your arms inside the window so you wouldn't get them torn off by a pole or a sign? Seems like the same advice applies to heads, too.

From WOAI-TV:

A man is dead, after hitting a guard rail with his truck and skidding several feet. Police say he had his head out the window and hit it against a light pole, killing him instantly.

It appears he had been drinking.

Turning away volunteers in Universal City

If you ran a suburb of San Antonio, and you had trouble recruiting volunteers for your animal shelter, would you dump the ones you had?

You might, if they are young enough.

From The Herald:

A collective moan could be heard by the volunteers as [Universal City Manager Ken] Taylor once again pointed out that he felt as though there would be some disappointment on the part of the junior volunteers. Referencing child labor statutes borrowed from the legal advice of the city attorney, Taylor made it painfully clear for the junior volunteers in attendance that their days of volunteering at the city’s animal shelter without the supervision of a parent or guardian were over.

Many of the disgruntled volunteers exiting the council chambers were confused as to the late-night shift in direction of the mayor and council. Although city leaders spoke on behalf of reinstating the junior volunteers, reflected on the city’s inability to properly staff its current animal shelter without the aid of the volunteers, and even voiced an opinion regarding the possibility of turning over the reigns [sic] of the city’s animal shelter to the Homes for the Homeless organization, the volunteers left the meeting with no action taken toward reinstating the program, which accounted for more than 6,300 volunteer hours — about 122 hours per week — at the shelter from the program’s start in November 2005 through December 2006.

I am not a lawyer, so I don't know -- but, does volunteer activity really count as labor, especially child labor? And, these seem to be teens we are talking about. Does that make a difference?

Fashion in Southtown

This is strange in San Antonio.

Photo by Edward A. Ornelas of the Express-News. Slideshow here.

"Police arrest KSAT reporter, boyfriend"

Television reporter gone wild (from KENS-TV):

A local television reporter and her boyfriend are out on bond after they were arrested on assault charges.

According to police, KSAT reporter Gina Galaviz and her boyfriend, 46-year-old Ronald Aguillen, were at a bar when she grabbed him by the shirt collar, scratched him, and bit his hand when he didn't want to leave.

According to investigators, Galaviz, 43, left Aguillen at the bar and later went to pick him up at a friend's house. Witnesses told police, the pair got into a fight shortly after she arrived.

This isn't the first time Galaviz has had a little domestic trouble (from WOAI-TV):

Back in 2004, Galaviz claimed that then Councilman [and boyfriend] Ron Segovia pointed a gun at her after she threw a hamburger at him. That case was eventually dropped.

If I remember correctly, Segovia said he didn't point the gun at her, but he did admit to throwing an apple at her.

Such adults.

UPDATE: KSAT-12 has let her go (from Jeanne Jakle at the Express-News):

KSAT-TV has fired police reporter Gina Galaviz a week after she was charged with assault following a fight with her boyfriend.

"Gina is no longer employed at KSAT 12," station spokesman David Cuccio said Wednesday in an e-mail.

The wetness approaches a record

Given that this time of year is usually pretty dry for San Antonio -- and we often have drought conditions -- this, as reported by WOAI-TV, is definitely strange:

With 9.07" of rain so far, this is our 2nd wettest July. We are almost 8 inches above normal. We can't seem to get a break from the soaking rain.

More slow moving thundershower expected today with most of South Texas under a Flash Flood Watch. Another low that formed over Texas will continue triggering the downpours. This activity is much heavier that the " normal " shower we get this time of year.

...

The Edwards Aquifer is on a record pace. Water level is now almost 695.0 ft. with our all time record high at 703. We could see that record tied by some time next week.

To make matters worse, computer forecast indicate a tropical low developing along the Texas coast by Thursday bringing significant tropical rain to the upper Texas Coast!

Just what we need. More rain.

For the record, our average rainfall per year in the Alamo City is 30.3 inches. This year, to date, we have had 35.15 inches. And July ain't even over yet.

"Possible bomb called a false alarm"

It would be odd enough to find what appears to be a bomb on the roof of a car. (from Bryan Chu of the Express-News)

The owner of a white truck tried to leave his home for work and noticed a strange device strapped to the roof of his vehicle. Members of the San Antonio Police department bomb squad unit arrived at the scene to find what they initially described as two bottles with wiring and filled with an unknown liquid.

The bomb turned out to be a fake. But, what's really strange is the man's behavior after the police investigated.

Police have been unable to speak to the owner of the car after he made the initial call. Witnesses say he returned to his house and is not responding there, after having padlocked and chained the fence in front of the home.

I wonder if charges will be filed in this case.

"Local Man Finds Stick Of Dynamite"

If you found a stick of dynamite on the ground, would you pick it up? This guy did (from KSAT-TV):

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- It's not everyday that you find a stick of dynamite lying around in San Antonio and it's not everyday that you pick it up to inspect it -- but a local man did just that.

Police said that at about noon a passerby spotted a stick of dynamite on the city's northeast side.

They said he then took it to the fire station in the 2500 block of Nacogdoches Street to diffuse and dispose of it

Not surprisingly, the authorities do not recommend you pick up explosives that are laying around. They would rather you just call it in.

"Man Thrusts Hand Through Window To Stab Another"

When attempting to rattle the nerves of someone inside an abode, perhaps it would be better to stand away from the window.

From WOAI-TV:

A glass window was not enough to shield a man from being stabbed.

San Antonio Police say the whole thing started when a man began banging on the door and window of an apartment on Gardendale on the northwest side Friday morning.

Investigators believe that's when a man inside that apartment grabbed a knife and thrust it through the window, striking the other guy in the chest.

I guess he pushed his point a bit too far.

"Police Uniforms Stolen From Trailer"

Oops. (from KSAT-TV)

SAN ANTONIO -- Police said Wednesday that dozens of law enforcement uniforms and thousands of dollars in police equipment were stolen from inside a trailer.

Officers said someone broke the pad lock on the trailer and took 40 sets of police uniforms and a SWAT shield in the 15000 block of Knoll Circle.

There are some brazen crooks here in the Alamo City.

"New Name & Other Changes at the Snake Farm"

That old snake farm on IH-35 is getting a facelift, as WOAI-TV reports:

The iconic snake farm along Interstate 35 will be undergoing a huge facelift. The 40-year-old New Braunfels roadside attraction is now under new ownership.

The first change you'll see is its new name: Animal World and Snake Farm. The new owners want everyone to know it's really a zoo of sorts with some 500 species of animals besides the snakes.

They still have snakes, and that's what they will probably always be remembered for.

"Man wielding screwdriver on the loose"

This story from the Express-News has all kinds of strange written on it.

A man in his late 20s to early 30s, wielding a large screwdriver and stealing cars, is still at large, police confirmed Sunday at about 6 p.m.

At about 3 p.m. police received a call that a man had tried to carjack two people in a parking lot at the intersection of Sussex Avenue and Pleasanton Road. The man, driving a white truck missing one tire, was weaving erratically through traffic on Pleasanton Road before he crashed into the curb on the right side of Sussex Avenue.

One man who was in a neighboring parking lot thought the suspect was hurt and came to render aid, but the suspect threatened the man with the screwdriver and demanded he get out of the car. The man fought off his attacker, and another man who had seen the truck dragging the tireless front wheel, stopped to help the man.

The screwdriver man got away after stealing another car. He is described as being "in his late 20s to early 30s and bleeding." Watch out for him, and watch out if you see him.

UPDATE: They caught him.

"Mountain Lion Sighting Report Closes 3rd City Park"

As if the alligators weren't bad enough, now it seems we have to watch out for cougars, too. At least on the North Side.

From KSAT-TV:

SAN ANTONIO -- Eisenhower Park was closed Thursday after another reported sighting of a mountain lion, San Antonio Parks and Recreation officials said Thursday.

The latest sighting occurred Wednesday afternoon at the park in the 19000 block of Northwest Military Drive, officials said.

Friedrich Wilderness Park and Crownridge Canyon Natural Area remain closed after a contractor working on some private property near Crownridge reported an encounter with a mountain lion July 3.

Official[s] said they believe more than one mountain lion was spotted because the parks are on opposite sides of Interstate 10.

Watch out for the big kitties when you go to the park.

Car crashes into house

Apartments, really, but they are still where people live. And a car crashed into them.

From KSAT-TV:

SAN ANTONIO -- An officer arrested two men who crashed into an apartment on the city's West Side during a police chase on Thursday, police said.

The pursuit started after 2 p.m. near the intersection of 38th and Highway 90 when they spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen, police said.

When the vehicle reached the intersection of Colorado and Durango streets, the driver lost control and hit an apartment and a fence, according to investigators.

The Dog Blog

If you were the main contributor to a blog dedicated to dogs, what would be the best name to have?

Of course, it would be Julie Ruff.

"Diner features Elvis look-alike"

Elvis impersonators--or the very existence of them--are not strange. But this one held off on his dreams until his father died.

From the Express-News:

In homage to the King of Rock 'N' Roll, Juan Manuel Quintanilla adopted Elvis Presley's fashion style several years ago. It's a style that his father, Antonio Quintanilla, forbade him from wearing when he was alive. He honored his father's wishes and dressed like an average guy. But after his father died, Quintanilla slipped on the garb of the man whose cool music thrilled him as a teen.

No longer does he reach for an average pair of jeans or a T-shirt. Indeed, every day he wakes up and clothes himself in Elvis-inspired costumes.

...

Though he dresses out of the ordinary, Quintanilla seems to have reached the highest stage of self-actualization, said Elizabeth Stanczak, executive director of health and counseling services at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Self-actualization is at the top of noted behavioral psychologist Abraham Maslow's list of essential needs. Others include physical, safety, social and esteem needs.

"He's basically living out something denied as a young person but giving back to the community in an uncontroversial way," Stanczak said. "How much better can life get that strangers smile because of what you're wearing."

As long as he's happy.

"Trapped In An Air Duct, Accused Thief Moans for Help"

A man tried to break into a convenience store through the ventilation system, and the police caught him. But they had to rescue him first.

WOAI-TV reports:

"The owner of the store got here and heard some noises coming from the roof," said Sgt. [Lawrence] Walters [of the San Antonio Police Department]. "There is an air conditioning vent up there and he somehow forced it over and climbed down head first in the vent and got stuck inside at the very bottom. It's a very strong vent. It's all made out of metal at the bottom and I guess he wasn't able to push through that."

Investigators aren't sure how long the wannabe crook had been hanging around, but police needed help to get him out, since they couldn't just pull him out by his feet.

"They tried that and he was stuck," said Sgt. Walters. "He just would not come out from the top, so they had to cut out the vent to get him out from the bottom."

The man must have been stuck in there for a long time, because when the police got there he was so miserable he couldn't even tell them his name.

"No, no we still don't have a name all we have is moans," said Sgt. Walters.

"All we have is moans." Classic. I hope the thief thinks twice before trying a life of crime again.

"Alligator Shot, Killed On South Side"

More gators are popping up on the South Side. This one didn't make it, though.

From KSAT-TV:

Several motorists driving near Loop 410 and Moursund saw the alligator before Nathan Garcia decided to take some video of the reptile.

"It was in the middle of the road," Garcia said. "I got out to take a video with my phone and it started hissing, so I jumped back in the truck, and that's when more cops started showing up."

Police officers managed to move the alligator off the road and then called the game warden, who killed the reptile across the street from an apartment complex in the 10000 block of Moursund Boulevard.

This may be the same alligator that gave the police a hard time back in April (it's the same area), but it may be another one. I'll have to start keeping a sharper eye out for big lizards the next time I'm down that way.

Saving the planet, one smelly batch at a time.

Biodiesel may be biodegradable, nontoxic, and better for the environment than regular diesel, but it's a food product. And, if you get involved in the industry, you might just have to get used to smelling like the back of a restaurant's kitchen.

Consider the case of Jason Rose's Alamo Biodiesel (from the Express-News):

From those first small batches made in the fall of 2005, Rose has gone commercial, launching Alamo Biodiesel Inc. in a small warehouse just west of downtown at 523 Perez St., where the company is making about 800 gallons of biodiesel a day.

...

In the company's warehouse and office, production tanks exude what Rose calls "a faint tang of vegetable oil," but after a few minutes it permeates nostrils and clothes. The carpet in the office is slightly sticky, and operations manager Raul Sanchez says he goes home smelling like French fries.

A slightly sticky carpet in the office. Nice.

"Couple Accused of Using Date Line to Rob Callers"

Be careful if you are setting up dates for yourself over the telephone.

From WOAI-TV:

Mark Guy, also known as Robert Cooper, was charged with aggravated robbery. Police said he and his accomplice, Diana Brown, used a phone line to set up a sex date with a man.

Once inside their apartment on Vance Jackson, the victim said Brown took him to a bedroom. The victim said Guy then walked in with a knife and forced him to give up his keys and his wallet. According to court documents, the couple stole nearly $400 from the victim.

Perhaps it's best to meet in public.

"Man might have been wounded by his own knife"

I suppose that if you're going to pull a knife on somebody, you'd better keep a tight grip on it.

From KENS-TV:

A man badly injured in a knife fight early Wednesday morning might have been the one who initially pulled the weapon, police say.

...

The argument turned violent when a Hispanic male in his late 20's pulled a knife and started swinging. But his intended victim grabbed the knife, investigators said.

The Hispanic male was stabbed multiple times. Officers said the wounds exposed the man's internal organs.

According to police, the man with the knife left the scene. ...

After paramedics stabilized the victim, the man was taken to University Hospital in critical condition.

Police believe the man who left the scene may have been injured as well. They are monitoring local hospitals for a cutting victim described as a white male.

The case is being investigated as an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. But police don't know which man could face that charge.

Odd.

Slamming San Antonio, getting slammed back

I don't want to get into an Austin/San Antonio flame war. I just want to point out the reactions to a newbie Austinite who decided to insult San Antonio ("This guy is an idiot", from Roy Bragg's blog at mysa.com).

A sampling:

Discounting the headline that's a cliché and an arrogance that comes from being young and uninformed, he's just not a very good writer. I wish him well in his career selling jeans at the mall.

There's much more in the comments. Watch out when you slam the Alamo City. A lot of people like this place.

"Suspect Wanted In Molotov Cocktail Attack"

To me, this doesn't look like the typical thrower of Molotov cocktails (from KSAT-TV).















Somehow, I picture one looking more like this.

The Dada Picnic

Coming this Sunday, June 24 in San Pedro Springs Park, it's the Dada Picnic.

Here's the event description from the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau (I couldn't do a direct link; just go to the site and search the Calendar of Events for things going on June 24, 2007):

Picnickers will have a brown-bag ’’absurd sandwich’’ exchange. Sandwiches include; Open-faced pickles and sauerkraut on rye, peanuts, grape nuts and Nutella on tortillas and a Cookie Fluffinutter. They will then delve into meaningful readings from the San Antonio Yellow Pages. Audience members may be asked to participate at any time. Water will be served to anyone who brings a vessel. For information call 210/882-8094.

Sounds like fun.

"Woman talks about Satan, attacks woman with samurai sword"

If you are homeless, beware women brandishing swords.

From KENS-TV:

According to investigators, [Tracy] Foreman broke into a residence in the 400 block of Hartline Drive just before midnight.

A man who lives in the home was awoken when he heard noise inside.

Foreman stole a samurai sword with a bone handle and a crystal skull with red eyes, according to a police report.

"She was talking gibberish about the devil," the man told police.

...

According to investigators, Foreman was still making Satan references when she attacked a homeless woman sitting with her boyfriend at a Valero Cornerstore in the 2500 block of Austin Highway.

In between utterances about the dark one, she also went through the man's refrigerator. She was eventually caught by police, and the woman she attacked suffered a treatable gash only.

Foreman needs help, and she's dangerous. I hope she gets the treatment she needs.

Preferably in a place where all the swords are locked up.

San Antonio is 5th in the nation!

In the sweat department, that is.

I know, it's all just a publicity piece from the "Sweat Experts at Old Spice", but what I find strange about this ranking is that Dallas is listed as number 3 on Old Spice's list (two spaces above San Antonio) and that Houston is number 12. Being really sweaty is not something to be proud of by itself, but the reality of South Texas is that it gets HOT when spring and summer roll around. And we have high humidity.

That means sweat. Dallas may get muggy for awhile during the summer, but my experience has been that San Antonio and Houston have many more days of sweltering temperatures than our North Texas cousins. So, I wouldn't have blinked an eye if San Antonio or Houston were either 3 or 5 and Dallas was 12. But, I am a bit surprised that Dallas ranks the highest out of the Texas cities.

Perhaps the "sweat experts" need to work on their methodology. Texans are depending on them.

"City forces residents out of 'unsafe' apartments on North Side"

Have you ever lived in a crappy apartment?

Have you ever lived in one so bad the city cuts off all services to you to force you out? That's what happened to some residents on the North Side.

From the Express-News:

The city of San Antonio cut off the power Thursday to dozens of residents in a North Side apartment complex.

Officials said the One Eleven Dot Apartments, in the 100 block of Dot Drive, are unsafe and unlivable, but many residents said this is the first time they've heard of it.

Residents said if it wasn't the bugs, it was the rats, and if not the rats, it's the city saying the building was a death trap.

...

The apartments received 75 code violations in June alone. Many of the violations dealt with the condition of the homes themselves, including life-threatening gas leaks, carbon monoxide leaks and exposed wires.

Sounds like the landlord has a lot to answer for.

"Man Shot in Rear End at Apartment Complex"

Ouch. This guy won't be sitting down for a while.

From WOAI-TV:

Witnesses at the apartment complex on the 7200 block of Marbach say two men were standing on a balcony. They say they heard gunshots, then saw one of the men run off.

Witnesses say the other man had been shot in the rear.

I wonder what they were arguing about.

Unstrange in San Antonio

This is not strange. In fact, it's pretty cool. I'm talking about the Texas Folklife Festival, which is going on this weekend.

If you are interested in learning about the many cultures that make up Texas, then stop by the Institute of Texan Cultures. Dress cool, and wear comfortable shoes.

"Man Carjacked After Picking Up Woman for Date"

Before going out on a date, it might be a good idea to get to know the girl a little bit.

From WOAI-TV:

A man goes out with a woman, but winds up in the hospital after getting carjacked.

Investigators say the victim was most likely set up by that woman, who he picked up on the east side off New Braunfels Ave late Wednesday night.

The couple started fighting in his SUV, and when he pulled over she yelled for another man who ran up and started beating up the victim and stole his automobile.

They caught the carjacker, and the man who was jumped will probably be fine. But, I bet he screens his dates a little better from now on.

"Former Frio official arrested on embezzlement charge"

When you pay your taxes, you would expect the tax collector to actually turn over the proceeds to the governing authorities, wouldn't you?

Wouldn't you?

From Jeorge Zarazua of the Express-News:

A former Frio County tax assessor collector is free on bond this morning after being arrested Monday on a felony theft charge, alleging he pocketed more than $250,000 in taxpayer money for personal use.

Hector Michael Cantu, 40, was arrested after a grand jury returned an indictment against him on the theft charge, said Frio County Sheriff Lionel Treviño.

...

Authorities said Cantu used his authority while in office to steal the funds and then manipulate the records so that others wouldn’t become aware of the missing money.

And, the part that should keep taxpayers on their toes:

Cantu now works with the City of Pearsall in its finance department.

Watch out, Pearsall.

"Man says homebuilder responsible for fallen tree"

Here's something from the damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't department.

From KENS-TV:

Sunday night's big windstorm smashed a few trees — and raised a few legal questions.

...

"Just a thud, really, was all it was," Lorenzo Carmona said.

Carmona and his family didn't think the noise was much last night, until they came out and saw their cars crushed.

The homes in this neighborhood were built in the last few years around tall, 80-year-old cedar elms, and Carmona is convinced that building the homes essentially killed the trees and made them vulnerable.

He said he asked the homebuilder, Pulte Homes, to tear this tree down two months ago. Pulte refused and said it was Carmona's problem, but Carmona said other neighbors did get Pulte to tear down their vulnerable trees.

Usually homebuilders are chastised when they raze trees to make room for homes. In this case, the builder is being criticized for leaving trees in place. It's important to note that high winds were reported in the area the night before, high enough to topple trees.

Dumpster diving as a diversion

Hm. This is odd (source: Express-News).

San Marcos police have ruled out foul play in a case in which a man's body was found Saturday afternoon in an apartment complex trash bin.

"He apparently had a history of crawling into the Dumpster to search for things," said Sgt. Penny Dunn.

What a strange hobby.

Car crashes into house

Beware the flying, house-destroying cars.

From WOAI-TV:

According to neighbors, the Ford Mustang was speeding down the street when it suddenly jumped a curb. It came between some trees, flipped over and went straight into the house.

"I went outside and opened up the door," Lopez told News 4 WOAI. "I said, what is that? I said, oh man. There's a car in my backyard."

Lopez says no one inside the house was hurt, but they have a huge mess to clean up.

The car's occupants were injured and taken to the hospital. Perhaps now they will slow down in the neighborhoods.

"Man Arrested for Urinating on Major Road"

I guess, for some people, if you've got to go then police be damned!

From WOAI-TV:

[Police] had to use pepper spray to arrest a man who was urinating along Military Drive. The unidentified man was on the median of Southeast Military when they tried to get him to stop.

But police say he pulled a knife out and started swinging it at the officers.

On the median. Not on the side or in the ditch. And that's a very busy road, too.

I wonder if he had been drinking.

"Texas market analyst is tied to 29 deaths in Sierra Leone"

Military junta members from Africa, mass executions, human rights investigations -- all discussed in an immigration case in San Antonio.

From Guillermo Contreras at the Express-News:

A government witness testified Wednesday that an Austin market analyst was involved in the mass killings of 29 people who planned to overthrow the leadership he helped establish in his native Sierra Leone in 1992.

The heavily disputed account of Joseph Gayah, a former bodyguard for Sierra Leon[e]'s head of state from 1992 to 1996, could be the critical factor in whether a San Antonio immigration judge decides whether Samuel "Sam" Kambo should be deported.

Kambo, 38, is in custody in San Antonio, fighting attempts by U.S. immigration authorities to boot him from this country based on allegations that he was involved in extrajudicial killings in December 1992.

Sounds like an interesting case.

UPDATE: So glad we had this time together ...

The childhood home of Carol Burnett, which was in danger of being razed, may in fact be saved.

From WOAI-TV:

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A group led by former US housing secretary Henry Cisneros has committed to raise enough money to save the San Antonio childhood home of comedienne Carol Burnett.

American Sunrise is a nonprofit housing and education program. It says it'll raise the 75-thousand to 100-thousand dollars needed to move the century-old house from its current location on San Antonio's West Side.

A barbecue restaurant wants to use the home's lot parking.

That's good. I hope they raise enough money to save it, and I hope it is kept in good shape.

"Man stabbed with pitchfork while trying to stop fight"

If you have been drinking, and you get in an argument with a relative about who was born first (!), you might want to leave the farm implements alone.

From the Express-News:

All three men were drinking in their mobile home in the 1200 block of Paseo Derecho around 10 p.m. Sunday, when the two cousins began arguing over who was older.

One of the cousins grabbed a pitchfork, and when the uncle stepped between his nephews, he was stabbed in the arm. The uncle was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

That'll teach him to break up a fight between cuzzins.

"Thieves Target a Church's Money Maker"

If you are a thief, but still think God might exist, wouldn't this be a quick way to get on His bad side?

From WOAI-TV:

Thieves stole a trailer from a pastor's backyard, and inside that trailer were thousands of dollars worth of gospel CD's the church members had planned to sell to raise money for the church.

The biblical music was meant to inspire. It was the third CD made by the church, Mensajores Del Gran Rey. 150 CDs of that album and $12,000 worth of instruments are gone.

Where would the thieves think they could fence those CDs?

"Couple Says Motorist Littered Kittens"

It's pretty nasty what happened to the kittens in this story from KSAT-TV (they were thrown out of a moving car), but I found the choice of words used by the headline writer to be poor. I don't know if the writer was trying to be cute by playing on the multiple meanings of "litter", but, given the nature of the offender's conduct, this probably wouldn't be a good story on which to demonstrate linguistic prowess.

A fat cat and a fat bird

Boteros at the San Antonio Central Library, courtesy of San Antonio Daily Photo.

If you've never been to the Central Library, it's really a neat building. A couple of the contributors to San Antonio Daily Photo work at the library, and some of their posts feature different shots of the edifice and its surroundings. There's no shortage of photo-worthy views around there.

"Inflatable gyms worth $25,000 stolen from party supply store"

If you suddenly see your neighbors having bounce castle (or "moonwalk") parties for their kids every day, don't feel bad if you think something might be amiss.

From KENS-TV:

On Monday, nine moonwalks worth $25,000 were stolen from a party supply store on the city's West Side.

Richard Cambero is not jumping for joy. A sign reading, "Never mind the dog ... beware of owner!" with a picture of a gun wasn't enough to scare off bandits who bounced into his business and made off with nine moonwalks.

"We only have one left right now," Cambero said. That one was rented out at the time of the theft.

Now, he has to break the news to his little customers.

"When they stole the jumpers, I wasn't happy," one little boy said.

Aww, that's sad.

"Police say teens responsible for damaging sewer lines"

The Express-News reports on some persistent vandals.

Amid the stench, San Antonio Water System employees work to replace a stretch of sewage pipe. On Friday, vandals unbolted the manhole and stuffed stumps, large rocks and even a mangled car door into the system.

"The sewage was just spewing out and just flowing down into Salado Creek. Just gallons and gallons of it," neighbor Tania Walshe said.

...

Retaliation seems to be a theme. SAWS workers say a tree stump pulled out of the pipeway on Sunday was found back in the hole Monday.

If these kids keep doing this, sooner or later they will be caught. And I don't think the neighbors will be feeling too kindly toward them.

"Man nabbed in scam aimed at businesses to fund fake parties"

Always be careful whenever anyone asks you to contribute money. Scam artists have no compunction about playing your emotions against you.

From Jeorge Zarazua at the Express-News:

A 62-year-old Corpus Christi man was arrested Friday after an Atascosa County business reported it was scammed into sponsoring birthday parties for children who didn't exist.

Kenneth De Long is being held without bond at the Atascosa County Jail on a parole violation warrant for a previous drug-related conviction.

The man would pretend to be a rich, generous benefactor who was helping needy children, and he would con businesses into sponsoring fake parties. Someone complained to the sheriff's department about this guy, and he was caught because he happened to launch his spiel within earshot of a deputy.

De Long was arrested when [chief deputy David] Soward overheard him introduce himself to the manager of a Pleasanton café, offering to reserve a large space there for a birthday party.

"Once I heard him introduce himself, I recognized the name," Soward said. "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time."

A search of De Long's silver 1993 Toyota minivan revealed a receipt book of businesses he would receive money from for the "Foster Kids Birthday Party" fund.

Be careful who you give money to.

"Thieves Leave Behind Major Clue"

Do thieves use cash anymore?

From WOAI-TV:

Surveillance video released Friday shows the two men pulling up to a gas station in a stolen jeep from earlier in the week. It's the same jeep police say the men used during a high speed chase through Wilson County, before ditching the SUV.

Those men got away, but Floresville police found the video because the men left their gas receipt in the jeep.

They were obviously in a hurry, or they might have remembered to take the receipt with them.

Pitching for the hometeam

San Diego may have a bunch of Padres, but the San Antonio Missions have a ringer on their team: Archbishop Gomez.

The Express-News has the story:

Catholic archbishops are seldom seen throwing out the first pitch at a professional baseball game — but San Antonio Archbishop José Gomez is an exception.

The leader of South Texas' estimated 800,000 Catholics put on a San Antonio Missions cap and jersey and tossed out the first pitch Tuesday night for the third year in a row at the Missions' game against the Corpus Christi Hooks at Nelson Wolff Stadium on "Catholic Night."

...

"I like to let people know that I'm a person just like them and I like to be close to them," Gomez said as he waited to be ushered onto the field.

"This is not exactly ministry, but it helps for people to see that I'm approachable and like to have fun."

Photographer Tom Reel caught the opening pitch:

"Teenage Father Admits Biting Baby"

Some people just aren't ready to be parents.

From KSAT-TV:

Anthony Miranda told KSAT 12 News that the incident happened at his daughter's great-grandmother's house three weeks ago.

Miranda said he and his baby, Salyne, were in a bedroom, where he bit her upper back repeatedly.

...

Miranda told police and KSAT 12 News that he bit his child because he was angry and frustrated with the baby's 15-year-old mother. He also blames physical and mental problems.

"Mom Beats Intuder with High Heel"

Sometimes crime just doesn't pay, as this story from WOAI-TV illustrates:

The mother of four who did not want her identity revealed said she came home to find a man waiting inside. She accidentally left the wash room door unlocked, and the man got in, the mother said. She saw him in her bedroom.

“I had no time for fear,” she said. “I thought, ‘My kids are in this house, so no you're not in my house.’"

“I just grabbed my high heel and beat him,” she said. The mother hit the intruder until police arrived.

Good for her. The man was actually taken to the hospital for his injuries.

New Braunfels councilman recalled over beer rules

Remember the New Braunfels City councilman who was facing a backlash from area outfitters because he wanted to limit alcoholic beverages consumed by people partying on the local rivers? He has been recalled.

From the Express-News:

NEW BRAUNFELS — Voters turned District 6 Councilman Ken Valentine out of office Saturday in a successful recall effort spurred largely by anger over Valentine's advocacy of strict new rules for tourists floating on the Comal and Guadalupe rivers.

...

Valentine was the council's leading proponent of controversial rules aimed at taming the rowdy, drunken behavior that has bothered riverfront residents for years.

He helped persuade a majority of the council to ban Jell-O shots and beer bongs, adopt one of the country's strictest noise ordinances and prohibit alcohol in riverfront parks.

But the measure that caused the biggest backlash limited the size of coolers allowed on the rivers.

Recall proponents said Valentine was preoccupied with river issues and did not pay enough attention to other city problems. They also criticized his style on the council as too confrontational.

New Braunfels gets a lot of visitors. I guess enough people in the town didn't want to see those visitors go elsewhere that they thought it would be better to turn out one of their council representatives. But, Valentine could still run for the seat in the fall, and he might do so. It would be interesting to see if he could get elected again.

Half a tree

This half-tree is on Cincinnati Street near Fredericksburg Road.

"Buzzard Concerns Delay Plans For 'Body Farm'"

In the United States, there are only two body farms, places where forensic students can study how human bodies decompose. Texas State University in San Marcos (between Austin and San Antonio), wants to build a third body farm, but there was a problem with their first choice of location.

Buzzards.

As KSAT-TV reports, those buzzards (which would be attracted to seemingly easy meals) would pose a risk to nearby flight paths.

Texas State's proposed 17-acre site was on Texas Highway 21 near the San Marcos Municipal Airport. But after meeting with the airport's commission Tuesday, the university quashed the plan out of concerns that buzzards would pose a risk to pilots.

"While the increased risk might be very small, it cannot be completely eliminated, and we cannot go forward with the Highway 21 site," Texas State provost Perry Moore said.

The body farm is on hold for now, I guess until they can come up with another site.

Tony Parker not getting any?

So far I haven't found a major news outlet that has picked this up, but, according to Josh Hart, Eva Longoria is withholding the goods from Tony Parker until after the NBA playoffs.

Eva told late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel last week that she and Tony have agreed to put a ban on sex while Tony's San Antonio Spurs team are in the NBA playoffs in America. She said: "Luckily, we're getting married after the playoffs and then we need to consummate the marriage. I scheduled it that way."

The sexy Latina and soon to be real life Desperate Housewife is set to tie the knot with Tony on the 7th July in Paris. She added: "We picked that date because it's the only weekend we're both off."

And, I bet they both get off that whole weekend as well. [rimshot]

"Group offers hugs to SA"

In this slideshow from KSAT-TV, you can see some concerned citizens offering free hugs to people in San Antonio.

Carle Meier, one of the hugger volunteers, said the hug handouts are part of a world-wide campaign for world peace.

That's nice. But it's pretty darn easy to do here, or any other Western nation. I wonder if any of the hugger volunteers made it to Darfur. Or Iraq. Or Sri Lanka. Or Somalia.

Car crashes into house

OK, it's not a car. It's a great big truck! And it hit some apartments!

From KSAT-TV:

Police said the driver was asleep in the tractor-trailer rig when the parked vehicle rolled down a hill and crashed into the Escalante Apartments at 1440 West Bitters Road.

The impact caused the big rig to spill about 100 gallons of diesel fuel.

The driver was apparently sleeping off some drink when the accident happened. It's a good thing he had the presence of mind to take a nap instead of driving, but it still ended badly for him.

"Sonic Manager, Car Hop Arrested In Drug Raid"

Uh, yeah, I'll have some extra salt with that order, wink-wink. (from KSAT-TV)

SAN ANTONIO -- Police charged a Sonic drive-in manager and a car hop waitress with serving up orders of cocaine to customers.

Police said an anonymous tip led them to manager Jesus Ledesman, who they accused of running the drug ring with some of his employees on Zarzamorra Road.

Car hop Francisca Riojas is accused of delivering the drug orders.

Sgt. Joe Rios, San Antonio police spokesman, said narcotics were found stashed in roller skates and a tool box.

And, even stranger, this isn't the first time an employee at this fast-food joint has been arrested for selling drugs at work. Perhaps the remaining workers will learn from this incident.

"Sewage is leaking onto school's grounds"

Yuck. (from the Express-News)

Elementary students at Bracken Christian School will not be allowed to use the bathrooms inside their school building starting Monday, after a Comal County inspection found the septic system is failing and untreated sewage is pooling on school grounds.

School officials said the septic field is far from any areas used by children on the 20-acre grounds and they will have 10 portable toilets outside the school by Monday.

"I'm meeting with a septic tank installer right now," School Administrator Craig Walker said Friday. "We have three weeks left in our school year and we hope to have the problem fixed in two weeks. Hopefully the children will look at it as a fun experience."

Hey, it could be a field trip! Why go visit the local sewage treatment plant when you have one on school grounds?

About that floating chihuahua ...

Regarding that chihuahua that was floated above the crowd at the Pooch Parade during Fiesta: Cathy Rosenthal, an animal blogger at the Express-News, took exception to the treatment of the dog. She said:

I am sure I would have been called a party pooper for saying something, but I would have had to say something to the owners of the floating chihuahua. Whose entertainment is this for? Certainly not the dog who would have preferred, I am sure, to have been carried or pushed in a stroller along the parade route.

And some commenters on her post agreed. Interestingly enough, the owner of the dog weighed in on the situation, and she said:

WOW--- some people have nothing better to do than sit around and judge others whom they don't know at all about. I am the owner of the CHIHUAHUA you speak of. Myra was very relaxed and I was at her side at all times... I would never do anything to hurt my dog and I resent the fact that you think I would. The harness was specially made to fit and support her entire body. She was tethered to my body and I had complete control of her the whole time. Myra loves people and enjoys attention, she was not scared nor was she in danger at anytime! As a matter of fact at one point I looked over at her and she had her eyes closed. Your entitled to your opinion but it is untrue and unfounded! I suggest you keep your premonitions limited to facts and/or limited to situations involving your own family. thank you!

And, all I have to add is, Wow. All this over a little dog. I don't think this balloon incident qualifies as cruelty to an animal. If it does, then we should take exception to Rosenthal's desire to confine a dog to a stroller. That would be even crueller, I would think.

C.C. the Alamo Cat

Keeping watch over the shrine of Texas liberty, and protecting it from rodents and insects -- it's C.C. the Alamo Cat.

Car crashes into house

This time, the wreck has a tragic result.

From WOAI-TV:

Authorities say they first spotted the silver Dodge truck driving erratically in Alamo Heights around 3:15 a.m. They say the truck refused to pull over for police, but instead sped away. According to officers, several people inside the truck were seen throwing items out of the windows.

The truck finally crashed into a house on Elmhurst near North New Braunfels, in Terrell Hills. Police found a man's body lying outside the vehicle. They believe he was the driver.

"Gator Stops Traffic"

It seems alligators are showing up more and more around San Antonio.

From KSAT-TV:

SAN ANTONIO -- An 8-foot alligator created quite a challenge for San Antonio police when it showed up Sunday at Loop 410 on the city's South Side.

The large gator stood its ground against police when they tried to move it off the roadway with some poles.

The reptile became aggressive, hissed at the officers and even chomped down on the bumper of a police cruiser.

I swear, gators didn't used to be so common around here. Houston, yeah; but not here. Now they seem to be popping up in all kinds of places around the city.

Maybe it's global warming.

UPDATE: USAToday picked up on the excitement ("Illegally parked alligator snarls Texas traffic"):

"I don't remember any of this in the academy," police Officer Albert Silva said of the traffic jam early Sunday. "As far as I know, there's no procedure on this other than: 'Don't get bit."'

Sounds like good advice to me.

A chihuahua held aloft by balloons

This is part of the Express-News slideshow featuring the Pooch Parade, among other Fiesta celebrations.

"Panties Stolen During Store Robbery"

Well, I hear they do have great merchandise.

News 4 WOAI’s Erik Runge found out that several dozen panties were stolen from the Victoria’s Secret in the Alamo Quarry Shopping Center. The thief also took bottles of perfume.

And, the really strange thing is:

This is the second time the Victoria’s Secret location in the Quarry has been robbed in the last six months. A woman with a gun robbed it back in December.

Like I said, good merchandise.

Just another odd mayor's race VI

The Express-News has a voter's guide for the upcoming elections in San Antonio. Though there are a lot of candidates out there for all the council seats (28 in all), and there's a lot of information in this guide, it's the mayor's race that seems to have the most characters. Phil Hardberger, the incumbent, will most likely get re-elected, but it's fun to take a quick look at the other people vying for his job.

Here are the mayoral candidates, and a brief line from the E-N voter's guide to give you a taste of what we have to choose from in the Alamo City.

R.G. Griffing - "He also sold 'ZonaPair Invisible Underwear' and parcels of land on Mars."

Phil Hardberger - "He came out of retirement in 2005 to run for mayor, ultimately defeating two sitting council members and a handful of other candidates."

Michael Idrogo - "On his campaign Web site, he identifies himself - without further detail - as a 'veteran of foreign wars' and one-time naval commander."

Patrick McCurdy - "Patrick McCurdy, owner of Joseph's Storehouse bakery and restaurant, says he believes God called him to run for mayor 'to lead San Antonio to prayer.'"

Julie Iris Oldham - "Oldham is a frequent mayoral candidate."

Eiginio Rodriguez - "Councilwoman Patti Radle appointed him to the city's Zoning Commission in 2005, but council members initially blocked the appointment, questioning whether he would operate fairly."

Rhett Smith - "Smith ran against U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith in 2004, capturing 35 percent of the vote."

That's a lot to choose from, and I'm sure they've got a lot of promises to give. But, I'm thinking of saving my vote for the one that will promise to keep the elevators running at the Tower of the Americas.

Cornyation 2007

Billed as the raunchiest, cheapest event of Fiesta San Antonio.

I've never seen the Cornyation, but, from what I hear, that seems to be a good description of the event.

"Lightning Strike Destroys Church"

This is a little sad, but also a little strange.

From WOAI-TV:

Firefighters believe a bolt of lightning sparked a two-alarm fire at a South Side church overnight.

The flames erupted around 3:00 a.m. at Iglesia el Jordan off Loop 410 near Zarzamora.

"Medal Mania"

One aspect of Fiesta that is always popular is the wearing of quirky and colorful medals. The Express-News has an extensive line-up of current medals here.

"Women charged with animal cruelty, neglect"

I'm not sure what to think of this story from the Express-News:

Sunday morning, police responded to a home and business in the 2900 block of West Commerce on a report of an injured rooster being kept in a cage with no water or food.

...

As they got closer to the home, police said they found a pigeon with its heart cut out, and other cages holding chickens, hens, pigeons and turtles.

Police said [Diana Patricia] Martinez then came out to explain the injured rooster, telling police the bird got into a fight with another animal.

However, officers said, as they entered the home, they found evidence that Martinez sacrifices animals for religious purposes, and then eats them. In fact, police said the woman was dissecting a chicken when they responded to the call.

Hm. I know chickens taste good, and you often have to cut them up to cook them. I wonder what the evidence is that the animals were specifically for religious purposes.

UPDATE: Well, I guess the evidence is clear when the person says so. (also from the Express-News):

"This is Santeria," said Diana Patricia Martinez, who along with shop co-owner Lee Nelly Morales was arrested and charged with animal cruelty Sunday morning after officers entered their home. "It's a religion."

"Plus, we eat them," she later added in an interview Monday.

That just about settles that question.

"Man beaten in early-morning carjacking"

Here's a good idea: don't pick up people late at night, even if you think you know them. And especially if you have been drinking.

From the Express-News:

Police said the victim had just dropped off a friend when he saw two men he thought he knew on Custer at about 2 a.m. Monday.

The victim offered the men a ride, but when they got in, he realized he didn't know them.

They beat up the guy and stole his car. I hope he recovers, but he's lucky something worse didn't happen to him.

"Hardberger signs pact on greenhouse gases"

The mayor wants San Antonio to cut its emissions, as the Express-News reports:

Several years ago, Phil Hardberger the pilot used to fly his plane over San Antonio and marvel at the 30-mile clear visibility. On Saturday, Phil Hardberger the mayor blamed increasing air pollution for cutting that distance to about 5 miles now.

"As a personal pilot, I have seen this with my own eyes — how our air has gotten dirtier and dirtier. ... [sic] You really don't know how bad it is till you're up there and look down and you see this yellow cloud," he said. "It's what we used to associate with Los Angeles."

To show he's serious about climate protection, Hardberger on Saturday became the 465th mayor in the country to sign a document committing him to work to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in San Antonio. ...

Hardberger cited the resolution and several other city initiatives, saying San Antonio is getting serious about going green.

Last week, the city replaced 21 of its fleet cars with hybrid vehicles, bringing to 86 its total number of such environmentally friendly vehicles, he said.

Do personal planes come in hybrids, too?

One of these things is not like the other

On this page in the Southside Reporter, the editors haved grouped a few religious articles with some religious advertising. That makes a certain amount of sense, thematically. But, the editors apparently didn't have enough filler for the page, so it seems they dropped in whatever they had at hand.

That happened to be Lexus sales figures for March.





















I guess this isn't that strange, from a certain point of view.

The Holly Golightly Croquet Club ...

... knockin' balls around on the lawn. (slideshow here)

Slide number 3 is quite humorous.

"Woman walking dog finds severed human foot"

Odd.

The Express-News reports:

Medina County authorities hope that DNA from a severed human foot found beside County Road 151 on April 9 will help them identify from whom it came.

Sheriff Randy Brown said a woman walking her dog in a wooded area near the Holiday Village subdivision located the decomposed foot, which was submitted to the Bexar County medical examiner's office for testing.

"Substitute Charged With Terroristic Threat"

After the Virginia Tech murders, school officials are taking threats very seriously. Especially if they come from one of their own.

KSAT-TV reports:

SAN ANTONIO -- Police charged a former Northside ISD substitute teacher with making terroristic threats after they said he threatened to shoot several district employees Tuesday.

Police said they arrested Thomas Kincaid, 60, at his home after he threatened to shoot employees at the Northside human resources building on Grissom and employees at the administration building on Evers Road.

Pascual Gonzales, Northside ISD spokesman, said that after Monday's massacre on the Virginia Tech campus, they did not want to take any chances.

That's good, but I would have hoped that they weren't taking any chances before the Virginia Tech massacre as well.

UPDATE: The guy says he was just blowing off steam.

A Pipe Creek man arrested Tuesday on a terrorist threat charge admitted talking about shooting employees at Northside Independent School District, where he worked as a substitute teacher, but claimed he just was venting and had no intention of harming anyone, Bandera County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Scott Sharp said Wednesday.

I can think of better ways to vent.

El Rey Fido

From the Express-News:

Kyle, a West Highland terrier, was crowned the fifth El Rey Fido on Saturday at the Humane Society/SPCA of Bexar County on Fredericksburg Road. He and his royal court will be ambassadors for the society at the Pooch Parade, the King William Fair parade and other events during Fiesta and throughout the year.

It's Fiesta time.

UPDATE: Coronation photos here.

"Helotes Horse Dies, Injures Rider"

This is a bit odd.

SAN ANTONIO -- A horse injured a man after it fell on him while he was riding it on Sunday in Helotes, Texas, authorities said.

EMS arrived at a home to find the man trapped underneath his horse that had died, authorities said.

The story from KSAT-TV isn't entirely clear on what happened. But, judging from the headline, it seems that the horse just keeled over while out on a ride, falling on top of the rider in the process.

I'm not a horse buff, so I'm not sure if it is unusual for one to suddenly die while exercising. Do horses have heart attacks? If so, are they common enough to pose a danger to riders?

Car crashes into house

OK, so it's actually a truck, and the building is the Express-News building downtown, but it's still a little weird.

From KSAT-TV:

SAN ANTONIO -- A man led police on a high-speed chase before crashing his pickup truck into a San Antonio Express-News building Friday.

Police pulled the man over near Jones and Austin streets, where the man got out of his pickup truck and ran, police said.

The man then got back into his vehicle and drove off, leading police on a chase, which ended in a crash several blocks later at Broadway and McCullough, police said.

I guess he thought that, after running a bit, the police would forget what his truck looked like.

Trying to curb the growth

San Antonio is a growing city, and, according to Express-News columinst Carlos Guerra, it's growing too fast. In fact, he wants outsiders to stay away.

Fellow San Antonians, the time has come to move to curb San Antonio's explosive population growth. I'm not a native, mind you, but I love San Antonio as if I were, and it is a love born during my childhood, when my family's periodic trips here brought me close to the many magnificent trees this city once had, its architecture and the friendly people.

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Alarmed by the destruction now visited by the rapid migration to our city — almost all of from legal aliens from the United States — I am forming the Lesser San Antonio Chamber of Commerce to counter the mindless growth long advocated by another organization of vacuous boosters that I will not dignify by naming.

As the self-appointed executive vice president for communications of Lesser San Antonio, I am also asking that you send me true stories — or halfway believable lies — that we can spread about our city to discourage people from moving here.

Guerra's column sounds a bit tongue-in-cheek, but not by much. I think he truly wishes that not one more person would move to this city, one that he admits he is not a native of.

I disagree with him. Cities change over the years, whether they grow or shrink, and I would rather see more people wanting to move to my town than to see a wave of natives fleeing it. Monitoring and controlling the growth of the city is a good idea, but making outsiders hate it isn't. We don't need to be scaring anybody away from San Antonio.

"Fiesta float destroyed by vandals"

Aww, this is just uncool.

From WOAI-TV:

After seven months of hard work, the Image Dance Co.'s Fiesta float was destroyed by vandals.

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"We walked into our storage facility and this float was beyond damaged. It was demolished," dance instructor Michelle Angulo said. "It was shocking. We had seven props and four of them were demolished and flattened ... [this ellipsis in original] The whole back end of our float and the structure inside, totally demolished."

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"Our main thing is to safety [sic], to make sure it's safe for the children," Angulo said.

Won't someone please think of the children?

"Mom Places Ad on MySpace: Kidnap Son for $500"

What's stranger than a woman looking for someone to kidnap her son using MySpace? The people who are willing to do it for as little as $500.

From WOAI-TV:

The mother of a 2-year-old boy was locked up Monday because of an online advertisement. Bexar County Sheriff's deputies say she paid strangers to kidnap the boy from the boy's father Saturday night.

Deputies say the boy's mom posted the kidnapping ad online on her MySpace page. She was willing to pay $500 to get the job done.

That ain't a lot of dough, but a man and a woman answered her ad, kidnapped the boy, and accepted the money as payment. For that small amount of money, the two kidnappers have been arrested, as have the boy's mother and her aunt. The boy is now back with his dad, who is seeking to get custody of the other child he has with the woman.

A chilly Easter

It's San Antonio. It's the night before Easter. And it's 35° F.

That's strange.

"Does Campaign Catch Phrase Cross The Line?"

If you were running for the city council of a small Texas town, and if your name was Schindler, would you ask people to put you on their "list"?

From WOAI-TV:

Billy Schindler is running is a councilman in Converse and is up for re-election. His campaign signs ask voters to add him to your list, a reference to 1993 movie title "Schindler's List." The movie documents the life of Osker Schindler, a Nazi who helped save more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust.

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"I went through many years of people who had a hard time pronouncing my name and spelling it until the movie. Now I go into places, and I tell them what my name is, and I get the reference back from them 'oh, Schindler's list.' "

Would you vote for him?

Protesting his garbage

John Posey is a man who says he doesn't generate garbage, so he shouldn't have to pay the City of San Antonio for garbage pickup. The city says he can't opt out of the trash program; it is a municipal service that everyone gets charged for, including him.

The story is presented by the KSAT-TV Defenders.

I'm not sure I believe this guy produces absolutely no garbage. For one thing, he claims to not take the newspaper, but he proudly shows off by balancing a sheet of newsprint on his chin, which means he obviously has some kind of reading material somewhere. (What does he do after his trick, ask his guests to take the newspaper home with them?) For another, he surely must buy at least the bare minimum of personal toiletries (soap, toothpaste, the like). These things come in packaging, and, unless he's eating the boxes they come in, he has trash that needs disposing.

So, I don't know what Posey is trying to accomplish by protesting his garbage service. It seems like a personal publicity stunt to me. What's next, a refusal of sewer service?

"Man killed after running in front of train naked"

This is a bit strange (from the Express-News).

According to police, Brian Benavides stripped his clothes off around 1 a.m. and ran onto train tracks at 10th and Austin streets.

The conductor saw him and tried to stop the train, but it was too late.

At this point, it seems that authorities are not sure whether this was an accident or a suicide.

It's almost that time of year!

Fiesta is this month! Click here to get a list of some sanctioned Fiesta events (there's even a parade for dogs).

What fun in San Antonio!

Pillow fighting comes to San Antonio

And, it's for ladies only.

KSAT-TV has a bit here.