"Bikini Car Wash Closed Temporarily"

The prigs have won another round, at least temporarily, according to KSAT:

SAN ANTONIO -- A south side car wash with bikini-clad buffers was shut down Friday afternoon as its certificate of occupancy was revoked by the city of San Antonio.

The car wash on the 6000 block of South Flores Street was temporarily closed because of water violations, District 3 City Councilwoman Jennifer Ramos said.

"Typically, car washes have to have a specialized trap to catch the grease and oil that's washed off of cars," said Greg Flores, spokesman for the San Antonio Water System.

If the business owners can rectify the water trap problem, the business will be allowed to re-open, something area residents hope doesn't happen.

...

Ramos said she would work with the business owners to change their business, but she wants the bikinis put away.

They're complaining about bikinis, for Pete's sake. In South Texas. Don't they have anybody else to hassle who truly deserves it? Like taggers?

"Sewage Spill Forces Highway Closure"

As KSAT-12 reports, yuck.

SAN ANTONIO -- A crash involving an 18-wheeler carrying sewage material has closed Highway 90 near Cupples Road.

The eastbound lanes of Highway 90 have been closed to cleanup the road and will be shut down for several hours, according to traffic officials at the scene.

Pee-yew. Be careful driving.

Not so strange in San Antonio

After all those stupid studies that rank the Alamo City high on such lists as sweatiest, stingiest, drunkest, most hate-filled, most allergic, and whatever, it's nice to finally be on a list that might make you feel good about living in San Antonio. That's because we are the second most recession-proof city in the nation.

From Joshua Zumbrun at Forbes, via Yahoo Finance:

Nationally, home prices are falling, unemployment is on the rise and the economy is expected to grow slowly--or even contract--in the first half of the year.

But some cities are doing just fine.

Take Oklahoma City, Okla. With falling unemployment, one of the country's strongest housing markets, and solid growth in agriculture, energy and manufacturing, it looks best positioned among the nation's largest metropolitan areas to ride out the current crisis.

San Antonio is right behind. It also features solid employment figures and affordable home prices that continue to rise. Its industries are growing; it can't hurt that the new AT&T was formed when San Antonio-based SBC Communications swallowed the old AT&T Corp. and BellSouth.

The others holding steady or improving include Austin, Texas; Houston; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas; San Jose, Calif.; Raleigh, N.C.; Salt Lake City; and Seattle.

Actually, it looks like just about anywhere in Texas is a good place to weather whatever recession comes our way. Just sit back, have a Lone Star and some brisket, and keep working.

Ukulele Yalie

Ukulele players are proud of their art.

















That's a little strange, but what's stranger is the Yale connection.
















Both of those stickers were on the same car, making for an odd juxtaposition.

"Man Dies After Argument About Lawnmower"

I kind of wonder whether this incident really had anything to do with a lawnmower. (Story from KSAT-12)

SAN ANTONIO -- An argument over a lawnmower on the city's south side ended fatally.

Police said Miguel Mejia, 18, was shot and killed during the argument.

...

Seven people walked up to a house in the 200 block of Ada Street to confront Mejia about a stolen lawnmower, police said.

"A group came over asking about the whereabouts of a lawnmower, whether it had been stolen or misappropriated. That's when a fight broke out, and somewhere in that fight, the victim got shot," San Antonio police spokesman Joe Rios said.

Why would you need six other people to get your lawnmower back? Unless, of course, you really don't.

"Barrios was shot with an arrow"

If you live in this town, you have most likely heard about the tragic death of local restaurateur Viola Barrios. She started Los Barrios, a popular restaurant on Blanco Road, and then her family opened up another one a bit farther north. She was found dead in her burning home last Thursday, and police arrested her 18-year-old next-door neighbor.

It's all pretty sad, but the strange part is the killer's choice of weapon.

Michelle Mondo and Elizabeth Allen of the Express-News report:

Before setting fire to the bedroom of restaurateur Viola B. Barrios, the 18-year-old neighbor accused in her slaying fired a single arrow into the elderly woman’s head, according to a search warrant affidavit released Wednesday.

The arrow remained lodged in Barrios’ skull and was detected by an X-ray during a postmortem examination, the affidavit said.

The cause of her death, an official with the medical examiner’s office said Wednesday, was a “penetrating injury to the head.”

There's more strangeness with the man who has been arrested, Joe Estrada, but the whole episode is sad. Mrs. Barrios was well-known in this town, and she was even on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay", so she got some national exposure as well. I know her family will miss her, as will many of the friends she made along the way.

And babies make five

A set of identical triplets has been born without outside help in the conception department, which is apparently a bit rare, as Cindy Tumiel of the Express-News reports.

Identical triplet girls were born to a San Antonio couple on Wednesday at Northeast Baptist Hospital.

...

Multiple births occur regularly in this era of fertility drugs and implanted embryos. But identical triplets, born without special medical procedures, are less common.

Congratulations to the parents. I wish them well.

"Creepy Spurs Fan is Back ..."

What's a quick way to get a few minutes of fame? Purchase some season tickets behind the press table in the AT&T Center, then wait until the Spurs get into the playoffs.

[Thanks to Dave at Silver Creek 78250.]

"Downtown Doctor Dies While Working With Patient"

KSAT-12 reports on the death of a beloved doctor.

SAN ANTONIO -- A well-loved doctor passed away Tuesday working as he had many times before -- treating a patient.

Guillermo Marcos was attending to one of the patients in his office near downtown when he suffered a heart attack.

Marcos was known for giving food, medicine, disposable diapers and other items his patients were unable to afford, including medical care. When patients would ask why he didn't move his business to the city's northside, he would respond with his sense of community, one patient said.

Sounds like Marcos was a great guy. It's a little odd that he died while in the act of making someone else better, but it seems he went out of this world doing what he loved most.

I'm sure he will be missed immensely.

"Group Hopes To 'Free Lucky' From San Antonio Zoo"

An animal rights group wants to liberate the only remaining elephant at the San Antonio Zoo.

WOAI reports on Lucky:

The organization 'Voice for Animals' says Lucky the elephant is living an unsafe and solitary life, and that it's just not right.

Lucky has lived at the San Antonio Zoo for 46 years. She's one of the stars of the Africa Live exhibit. Lucky has outlived her other two companions and now animal activists say since elephants are very social animals, it's the perfect time to free her. [emphasis added]

And the strange part? Lucky is an Indian elephant.

Video still from WOAI.

Not moderating comments

I had turned on comment moderation before because I was missing some comments. Then Dave at Silver Creek 78250 pointed out the field that allows for comment notification without requiring moderation. I had missed this field because it is at the bottom of the settings page for comments, but now I see what he meant. So, I activated that, and I have turned off the moderation.

Comment away!

Crowning hobos

The Hobo Festival of Kirby is fast approaching, and the royal court has been selected.












Photo by Jeff B. Flinn

From the Northeast Herald:

Jim Mendes and Betty Vaughn are totally foreign to carrying a bindle stick, riding a railcar or eating “big four” — but come May 2, they’ll be wearing sashes and bearing crowns in honor of those who did.

Mendes and Vaughn will be the first-ever Hobo Festival King and Queen in Kirby, as the city celebrates a slice of history with a parade, games, live entertainment, a carnival, a chili cook-off competition and more.

Many decades ago, the hobo made his presence known in South Texas — riding the rail and finding safe haven wherever possible. The Union Pacific railroad and trestles on Kirby’s outskirts provided just such a safe haven in the 1920s and 1930s. And as such, Kirby became known as “the Hobo Capital of Texas” — a moniker that faded decades ago, but caught the fancy of city officials, who thought it might be worth the city’s efforts to pay homage to a piece of its distant past.

...

Vaughn said she is looking forward to reigning over the weekend. “It’s going to be fun. We’ve been told we’re just supposed to mill around after the parade, meeting people. I’m going to check everything out; I’ll be at the senior center booth, where we’ll have a bake sale and sell cakes, slices of cake.”

Sounds like a grand time is in store for all.

Parking for two

Drunk driving makes her MADD ...















... but apparently hogging two parking spaces doesn't bother her.

Mayoral candidates for 2009

Remember Diane Cibrian, the rookie councilwoman whose claim to fame so far is shooting down a planned strip club?

Now, as KSAT-12 reports, she wants to be our mayor.

Diane Cibrian, councilwoman for District 8, said Wednesday she was exploring a candidacy for mayor, which will be an open seat in the 2009 city election.

"I really believe that we need to continue the economic prosperity of the city of San Antonio, and I have been humbled and proud to be a part of city government, led by our mayor Phil Hardberger, who has worked hard, and we have moved this city forward," she said.

That's just what we need, her style of "economic prosperity."

Remodeling

Seen on the road:
















Perhaps an advertisement for services.




















220... 221, whatever it takes.


UPDATE: In all fairness, I drove by the place today (April 23) and the tape was off the D. I assume they were cementing the letter in place and now the epoxy is set. Either way, it looks less strange, now.

Seymour Perkins update

Looks like Seymour Perkins will keep his house for a while longer, according to KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Both sides in a man's fight to prevent the city from demolishing his home can claim a small victory after a judge's ruling Monday.

Judge Andy Mireles ruled Monday morning that while Seymour Perkins' case did not merit a new trial, the city will not be able to tear down Perkins' eastside home until his attorneys can appeal Monday's ruling.

Mireles denied the motion asking for a new trial, but ordered the demolition stayed until Perkins' attorneys complete their appeals.

Who wants to wager on whether or not that house will actually come down? I'm starting to think it won't until after Perkins has passed on.

Unconventional abodes

Remember all the fuss about Seymour Perkins, the man whose home is a haven for crime and whose neighbors want it torn down? Well, Dave from Silver Creek 78250 reports on a home in his area that his neighbors wanted torn down. Nothing too odd there, but, as Dave reports, the method of construction was somewhat unconventional.

Some folks attempted to build a house in the neighborhood and stopped before it was complete. Hood rats made their way into the empty dwelling and commenced to tag things up, smoke the chronic and pork one another without regard for paying taxes or meeting the minimal requirements of the deed restrictions of our HOA. Following a year of bureaucracy, it was on the owners to tear down the house. We learned that the owners had built a cement frickin' house, roof included. WTF? I get cement floors and cement walls, but cement ceilings and roofs?

Haw! That's strange.

Oh, Dave has pictures, too.

Talking wild about the wild cats

What's stranger than people confusing bobcats and mountain lions?

The San Antonio Lightning's take on the situation.

It sounds very much like a late night monster movie.

An unknown animal is spotted by security personnel as it roams an abandoned Air Force base. [Brooks AFB hasn't been abandoned; it's been redeveloped as Brooks City-Base, and it is thriving.]

Security immediately sends out a warning.

A mystery has begun! [Not really. It's evidently a cat of some kind.]

John Carpenter or Stephen King can to [sic] take over from here.

...

It is not unusual for wild animals to be spotted in South Texas, particularly with the growing urban sprawl that encroaches on natural habitats.

Alligators, bears, and sundry big cats [!] have caused a stir in San Antonio and nearby areas during the past few years.

...

Meanwhile, the Brooks City Base "Beast" remains at large, and unidentified.

It is, indeed, a mystery. [I bet it's a cat.]

Persons with knowledge of this critter are asked to contact The Lightning.

It's probably--oh, never mind.


UPDATE: OK, I will give it to the Lightning. As strange as the above blockquote is, apparently the Web site has uncovered what I speculated: it was a house cat.

Fred L May III, Chief Executive Officer at Brooks Development Authority Security Office now admits that video of an 'unknown" animal actually does exist, despite denials from his office earlier this week.

An alert was sent by way of email claiming the animal was a mountain lion.(See stories below.)

According to May vast "amounts of money" have been spent investigating the unknown animal sighted at the former San Antonio Air Force Base. He wouldn't say how much.

A second email was sent that same day, claiming the beast was 'unknown." Now May is threatening legal and governmental action against the Lightning and its sources, for the release of new, leaked information, posted directly below, which claims the animal was actually a large house cat.

Meow.

Spotting wild cats

If you are down near Brooks City-Base, watch out for bobcats. Or cougars.

WOAI reports:

Those living or working near Brooks City Base may want to keep a sharp eye out for a dangerous four-legged visitor.

Officials told News 4 they believe a bobcat or possibly a mountain lion has been seen near the base. The animal was spotted Saturday near Challenger Drive.

C'mon. Whoever saw it can't tell the difference between a bobcat (16-30 pounds) and a mountain lion (115-160 pounds)? It might have been a house cat, given that wide range of possibilities.

Avoiding liability

Over in Guadalupe County, officials are painting their fire hydrants black to avoid lawsuits, showing just one more example of unintended consequences resulting from government action.

KSAT reports:

[Texas] House Bill 1717 states than if a fire hydrant doesn't provide an adequate flow of water -- at least 250 gallons per minute -- it must be painted black or covered with a similar-colored sack.

"We're painting them black and we're painting them black to come in compliance with the law," said Pat Allen, general manager of the [Green Valley Special Utility District ].

Allen said all of the hydrants will eventually be painted black to avoid any liability problems, which is upsetting to emergency personnel.

"If you paint them all black, they they all look like they're bad," Emergency Management Coordinator Dan Kinsey said. "So you can't determine which is a good hydrant and which is a bad hydrant.

Sounds like they're in the same boat they would have been if they had just left them all red.

"Man Accused of Using Dirty Syringe To Rob 14-Year-Old Girl"

It's a shame they have to offend in the first place, but, if they must, I suppose it's a good thing when they are clumsy and not too bright so the police can catch them right away.

From WOAI-TV:

Investigators say Juan A. Mendez approached a 14-year-old girl on Hildebrand Road with a knife and dirty syringe. The girl claims Mendez threatened to stab her if she didn't give him her purse.

The girl ran to a nearby apartment complex for help after turning over her handbag, which contained $40.

Police say Mendez ran off and tried to scale a tall fence. But the accused robber's pants got stuck on the sharp posts at the top of the fence and trapped him hanging upside down.

He was easy pickings after that.

Getting your mail

Remember when that United States Postal Service truck crashed on its way to San Antonio a couple of weeks ago? I had wondered at the time whether any of that mail was meant for me and was all burnt up now.

Well, Dave at Silver Creek 78250 had some mail on that truck. And it was meant for him, and the Post Office got it through! It's a little crispy and smoky, but the mail finally came.

Check his post for a story and a picture.

Car crashes; home involved

One more meeting of the automobile class and the domicile class.

From KSAT-12:

KIRBY, Texas -- A northeast side woman was left homeless after an alleged drunken driver slammed into her house Sunday night.

...

Police said that a drunken 21-year-old took a joyride in his parents' car and slammed it into her house. The car went right through her son's bed, but luckily he was not harmed because he was watching television at the time.

Moderating comments

I have turned comment moderation on.

It isn't because of anything inappropriate, it's simply because I discovered that people were commenting on older posts. I don't check all of the old posts on a regular basis, so I was missing some of the comments people were leaving, and I wanted to get a chance to read some of those and possibly respond. With moderation, I will now get notified when someone stops by and says something.

Thanks for all the comments.

Shaking the ground

If you are a local reader, you have probably already heard, but we had ourselves a little earthquake down south of San Antonio.

From KSAT-12:

According to [United States Geological Survey]'s Web site, the quake struck 45 miles southeast of San Antonio in Falls City around 4:51 a.m.

A few hours later, the tremor was the talk of the town in the small Karnes County community.

"It shook for a little while," said James Pawelek, a Falls City resident.

"I was awake and thought that my wife was kicking the mattress," said Fred Gawlik, a resident.

Residents from as far south as Kenedy and as far north as the north side of San Antonio reported feeling the earthquake, USGS said.

The epicenter was at a depth of about 3.1 miles and an earthquake of this type can typically can be felt as far as 60 miles from where it happened, USGS said.

Earthquakes happen from time to time in Texas, but they are rare enough to be unusual. For the record, I felt nothing.

Kissing pigs

The Northwest Weekly reports on an annual event that involves pigs and lips.

An annual rite of spring at Village Parkway Christian School, pig-kissing fever sweeps over the campus like a virus, infecting teachers and students alike.

Every year, a teacher at the school, selected on the basis of her class’ successful fundraising for a chosen charity, very happily puckers up for a pig. Dubbed the “Pig Queen,” the chosen candidate performs his or her sworn smackaroo at the end of a half-hour ceremony in which most of the students – and even some parents - participate with pageantry, pomp and pig-themed poetry. The fifth/sixth-grade teacher Robin Schmidt opened the ceremonies swathed in regal robes, and the ensuing procession included royal pages bearing the queen’s crown and bouquet on pink-piggy pillows and a cadre of youthful subjects brandishing sparkling pig-topped scepters.

Post-crowning, sitting upon her regal throne before her loyal subjects (many of them in handmade pig-face paper crowns, this year’s pig queen, Pre-K teacher Gay Duncan, was in the pink – sporting a fuchsia-feather boa, a straw hat topped by a plush-velvet crown with a straw-hat brim and rubber boots to complement the farm theme of the ceremony.

I wonder if the royal banquet was held here.

Three-wheeled cars return

Remember the ZAP cars, environmentally friendly electric cars with just three wheels and such a beautiful appearance? The Northeast Herald reports that they are making an appearance at the Live Oak Civic Center this weekend, April 4 and 5.

LIVE OAK — There’s more to “green” than Al Gore, and this weekend’s “Go Green ExpoWorkshop Cinema” sets out to prove it.

Ever driven a ZAP (zero air pollution) car or truck? Wonder about the feasibility of rainwater collection? Why is the U.S. military looking into aspects of “going green?”

These answers and more will be available Friday and Saturday at the Live Oak Civic Center, as Green enthusiasts, curious onlookers and Metrocom residents tiring of $3-plus – and possibly soon-to-be $4 – gas prices take a deeper look at energy-conscious and energy-saving methods of construction, transportation and conservation. Admission is free to the public.

In case you forgot what the cars look like, here you go:

Photo from the Herald.

Church and basketball

The Final Four is in town, and, to give a little local flavor to the news reporting, WOAI talks about a local church that has been doing basketball for almost one hundred years.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church founded San Antonio's first church basketball team back in 1911.

A man by the name of Arthur Muir was the coach. In 1956, the church added stained glass windows honoring Muir's devotion to the church and his team.

St. Mark's is downtown on Pecan Street. Here's a picture from WOAI of some of that stained glass.

WOAI original photo

"Local Democratic Leaders Want To Eliminate Caucuses"

Heh heh heh.

Before this election cycle, no one paid much attention to Texas during the primaries. This was because, by the time we got to vote, the presidential candidates were pretty much locked away, and not very many people went to the polls because our votes didn't matter much. Therefore, apparently not very many people knew how screwed up the primary process was, either.

Well, this year, with the close race between Obama and Clinton, Texas Democrats did go to the polls, and they did find out how screwed up things were. Now, they seem ready to scrap the whole process, as KSAT-12 reports:

SAN ANTONIO -- Local Democratic party leaders are saying the state election process should be changed after mass confusion plagued caucuses over the weekend.

"We were unprepared for the tsunami of Democrats," said Carla Vela, Bexar County's Democratic party chairwoman. "My personal opinion; get rid of the Texas Two-Step, it's just too confusing for the people."

Texas' system of choosing a candidate for the primary election involves both a general election immediately followed by a caucus system which continues through multiple steps until the state convention. Saturday's process was the for the district's delegates.

Heh heh. "Mass confusion" and a "tsunami of Democrats." That's just Texas politics for ya.

"City Demands Stinky House Cleanup"

Oh, this is disgusting.

From WOAI:

San Antonio police went to arrest a wanted felon and stumbled across a major health hazard.

Police said the smell was almost unbearable as they approached the home on Hopeton on the Northwest Side.

Pictures show a house filled with feces from four large dogs and the man living inside.

That's right, the man was contributing his own piles of poop to go with the dogs' piles. Check out the slideshow for the full effect, and be glad it's not in Smell-O-Vision.

Taking education very, very seriously

I understand wanting the best for the children, but the guy in this story from Roger Croteau of the Express-News should probably relax a bit more.

NEW BRAUNFELS -- A middle school principal threatened to kill a group of science teachers if their students did not improve their standardized test scores, according to a complaint filed with the New Braunfels Police Department.

Anita White, who taught at New Braunfels Middle School for 18 years before being transferred this month to the district's Learning Center, said Principal John Burks made the threat in a Jan. 21 meeting with eighth-grade science teachers.

She said Burks was angry that scores on benchmark tests were not better, and the scores on the upcoming Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests must show improvement.

"He said if the TAKS scores were not as expected he would kill the teachers," White said. "He said 'I will kill you all and kill myself.' He finished the meeting that way and we were in shock. Obviously, we talked about it among ourselves. He just threatened our lives. After he threatened to kill us, he said, 'You don't know how ruthless I can be.'

"We walked out of the meeting just totally dumbfounded because it was not a joke," White said.

...

"It sounds like a case of TAKS tyranny taken to the extreme," said Joe Bean a spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association, who said teachers and administrators are often punished for disappointing test performance.

For some reason, I now think that the phrase "TAKS tyranny" gets used a lot more often than I ever would have thought before reading this story.

"Chase Ends When SUV Hits Child's Bedroom"

It's fortunate that the child was not hurt (and they say the gunshot victim will be OK, too), but once again a vehicle has rammed a home.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A 2-year-old girl slept through the conclusion of a police chase that neared its end with a car crashing through her bedroom.

Isabela Cabrera was asleep in her bedroom at the front room of her family's home on the 4100 block of Goshen Pass on the city's northwest side when a SUV, driven by a man police said shot a restaurant manager in an earlier robbery, crashed through the home.

Cabrera was not hurt as the vehicle came to rest about two feet from her bed, said her parents.

That's enough to give any parent the willies.

Seymour Perkins loses

Seymour Perkins has lost, and his house will be torn down.

From WOAI:

The city is moving forward with plans to tear down a controversial house on the east side. A judge has ruled crews can demolish Seymour Perkin’s home, which police say is a haven for drug addicts and prostitutes.

Previous stuff here.

UPDATE: Perkins gets another reprieve: "Even as a bulldozer was prepared to raze the home at the corner of Nevada and East Hackberry roads, the attorney for homeowner Seymour Perkins stood in front of the construction vehicle as he sought a halt to the city's actions."

He gets time to prepare an appeal.

"City to Start Returning Stray Cats to Your Neighborhood"

Got stray cats? (Not these kind.) Don't bother turning them in to the city. They'll just give 'em back.

From WOAI:

The city is making a major change to meet its goal of having a “no-kill” shelter by 2012. In less than a week, Animal Care Services (ACS) will no longer accept trapped cats.

ACS receives close to 200 cats a month that either have to be killed or adopted out. Starting in April, the cats will be spayed or neutered, and then returned to where they came from.

As an unintended consequence, I think people will be trapping stray cats less, and possibly killing them more. Well, at least the shelter will be "no-kill."

Honoring hobos

Did you know that Kirby, a suburb of San Antonio, was once known as the "Hobo Capital of Texas?"

I didn't, but it apparently was. And the Kirbyites seem to be proud of the label, proud enough to hold a Hobo Festival.

The Northeast Herald explains:

Organizer Larry Wolfe said the idea came to pass when Councilman Mike Grant did some research and found out Kirby was once known as “Hobo Capital of Texas” due to a large number of “hobos” gathering under the railway bridge just outside of town.

While the moniker faded decades ago, many in the city thought it might be worth the city’s efforts to pay homage to a piece of its distant past.

“We thought it would be nice, nostalgic, something to give our park committee some way to raise funds, so we developed a theme for it,” Wolfe said.

The city is attempting to contract with a carnival for the three-day period, he said. “Right now, starting out we’re going to have an auction, a chili cook-off, a parade on Saturday, a talent contest, and we’re working on getting a second stage for bands for our younger groups,” he said.

Ah, nostalgia for under-the-bridge-dwelling hobos. I guess we all have something we can be proud of.

Oh, by the way, the festival will be held May 2-4 at Kirby City Park.

Hooters truck

I know, I know, I know -- I have to start taking my camera with me more often when I venture out. Today would have been a perfect Strange in San Antonio moment.

Here's what I saw: a pick-up truck with the side of the bed plastered with Hooters bumper stickers.

I can understand a vehicle used for advertising (I've seen those cars with ad wraps driving the road), but this was no professional job. It looked like some guy just got hold of some stickers from Hooters and decided to put them all over the side of his truck. It was kind of funny-looking, and definitely strange.

And I didn't have my camera with me.

Oh well, I hope my description has been clear enough so you can imagine what I saw. And, if you are out and about, and you happen to see the truck I was talking about (and you have your camera handy), see if you can snap a few pictures.

"Just ash with rain? Not so fast"

The mud rain we got on Tuesday might have been good for car washes and annoying to the average Joe, but it seems to be generating some fun for scientists.

From Graeme Zielinski of the Express-News:

"This is very enjoyable," said Joel Gilbert, a University of Texas at El Paso geological sciences coordinator who was reviewing satellite images of Tuesday's weather to explain the event and who is researching a similar outbreak of "milky rain" in southern Arizona in January.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Thursday put out its initial account of Tuesday's event as caused by a "complex mix" of pollutants, citing smoke from Mexico and Central America, localized plumes of dust in Texas and Mexico and wildfires in South Texas aggravated by the strong winds.

This came as part of an unusual juxtaposition in which the wind-blown dust came before the rain instead of after it, said Robert Blaha, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in New Braunfels (who was not the source of the initial ash description.)

Forrest Mims III, a science consultant and a freelance columnist for the Express-News, took a sample of the stuff from his window and put it under the microscope, forwarding some of his findings to TCEQ.

"There's one black spore and there are three possible soot particles and everything else is dirt, dust, sand. I would say that it's probably less than 1 percent smoke, and that's being generous," he said.

Joe Baskin, the weather service meteorologist who initially thought that what blew over here was mostly smoke since that's what it looked like in photos, said another look indicated that it likely was dust. (The weather service isn't responsible for investigating the stuff once it leaves clouds.)

David Gay, acting director of the Illinois-based National Atmospheric Deposition Program, said his government-funded network of researchers had five sample sites in South Texas and would be able to review initial findings as early as next week.

Sounds like a good day to be a researcher.

"Sewage Spills Out At Medical Center Strip Mall"

Blech!

(from KSAT-12):

Clogged pipes are the likely reason raw sewage began spilling into businesses at the shopping center on the 7200 block of Wurzbach Road in the Medical Center, some tenants said. They've complained about the smell before, but something caused sewage backup and forced some of the businesses to close.

"The odor is quite horrendous, and it feels like it's unsanitary to go shopping in these stores," shopper Sandra Cantu said.

To say the least.

A person who should probably have thought things out more

If you work as an accountant for a company, it might not be a good idea to ride around in limousines.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Investigators seized most of the belongings Tuesday of a woman accused of embezzling millions from the company where she worked.

Yami Harper worked as an account specialist for Valley Building Specialists and authorities said she embezzles [sic] about $2.5 million from the company over the past six years.

"This is following a 7-month investigation of misappropriation of an employ," said Susan Reed, Bexar County's district attorney. "She was writing checks to individuals who had no business having checks written to them."

Neighbors said they had suspicions of their own, saying they often saw Harper being picked up and dropped off by a limo and taking frequent trips to Trinidad.

That's a lot of embezzling.

"Bomb Scare Forces Alamo Plaza Evacuation"

It's not too often that the area in front of the Alamo is devoid of people during the middle of the day, but a bomb scare will do it.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A bomb scare prompted police to evacuate Alamo Plaza briefly Monday afternoon, but the suspicious backpack turned out to be nothing dangerous.

After evacuating the plaza and taking other precautions, members of the SAPD Bomb Squad x-rayed the package that showed no explosive materials, but decided to detonate the package to be safe.

Apparently, the package contained just books and clothes. Could be there's a student somewhere in this town that must start over now.

"Alcoholic Drinks May Cost Dime More"

This seems like a rather pointless endeavor. Unless, of course, your point is to find one more new tax for the city.

From KSAT-12:

A collaborative effort between three San Antonio groups could cost alcoholic beverage consumers some extra pocket change one drink at a time as the San Antonio Police Department, along with the city of San Antonio and Metro Health, is working on an initiative intended to battle alcohol abuse and drunken driving in the Alamo City.

The initiative proposes a ten-cent fee on every alcoholic beverage purchased and consumed as well as increased legal penalties and tougher state enforcement level.

Any bets on where this money will end up being spent?

"Donkeys Gallop Along Neighborhood Streets"

Truly strange in San Antonio.

From WOAI:

Two donkeys ran free in a southeast side neighborhood on Saturday afternoon.

The two donkeys escaped from a near by [sic] farm around Red Haven and South W.W. White road on Saturday.

Neighbors and local wrangles [sic] worked for more than two hours to capture the animals. The donkeys kept darting through fields and even across people's front lawns.

Chickens -- not so strange.

Donkeys -- a bit stranger.

Wait a minute, are the Democratic primaries still going on?

Teaching you ...

... how to use a door.




















In all fairness, the door seems to have some kind of automatic function for people in wheelchairs, and apparently it can be activated by simply pulling on the door.





















But, still, the little blue sign is a bit surprising in its obviousness.

"Man Stabbed In Buttocks, Day Gets Worse"

There's nothing like family to ruin your day.

From KSAT-12:

Police responded to a call at Glen Crest Road and Interstate 10 where a car transporting a man stabbed multiple times in his buttocks and lower body had run out of gas.

The driver transporting the victim was the man who attacked him, police said.

"What we were told is they were in the house painting and somehow, a fight broke out," SAPD spokesman David Scepanski said. "At one point, the stepfather produced a weapon and then, of course, stabbed the stepson four to five times in the buttocks and one in the lower extremities."

Never bring knives to painting parties. It seems to turn out bad.

"Lytle-Area Strip Club Shut Down"

Well, The Cabaret Dance Club in Lytle has closed down.

KSAT-12 has the story.

The Cabaret strip club was shutdown [sic] by the Medina County Sheriff's office and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission after two strippers were arrested for public lewdness and a club bouncer was arrested for having an outstanding warrant.

Three customers were arrested for various charges, including one for possession of a prohibited weapon and two others on drug charges.

"The people have spoken," Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown said. "It is not who we are here in Medina County, it's not what we want in Medina County and we are going to work to get something in the books to keep this from happening again.["]

Sounds like they were just waiting for someone in this club to screw up so they could shut it down. Prigs. I wonder if they will start watching all clubs and bars with the same scrutiny.

"Judge Refuses To Recuse Self After DWI Charge"

How often does this situation occur?

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Days after he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, a Bexar County judge has refused to recuse himself while his case is pending.

Judge Raymond Angelini was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of drunken driving, and Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed filed a motion to have Angelini recused from hearing criminal cases.

A judge ruled Angelini would not have to fully recuse himself from his caseload, but that he could not hear any alcohol-related cases nor any cases involving the officers in his DWI case.

I can see how such situations would be awkward.

"Man Stuck in Tree"

It must have been a slow day for fires.

From WOAI:

Neighbors said the 83 year-old man had been climbing in his trees to trim them all week. They said they were concerned that something could happen to him.

Those neighbors' suspicion[s] unfortunately came true. They were forced to call for help on Saturday afternoon after a couple people noticed him dangling from a tree in his backyard.

Six fire crews responded to help get the elderly man down man [sic].

Wouldn't one ladder truck have been quite enough?

"Huge Stone Oak Grass Fire"

Well, it was a grass fire, but I don't know if ten acres warrants the word "huge."

(From WOAI)

Strange at the medical center

This is posted as a service to the community, gently reminding you to clean out your car.

[Thanks to Silver Creek 78250]

WOAI Trouble Shooters ask, "Could Corn Tortillas Be Causing Cancer?"

And I think the answer, judging from the Trouble Shooters story, is, who knows?

For nearly two years now, the News 4 Trouble Shooters have been investigating why people living near the former Kelly Air Force Base are dying of liver cancer at a rate twice as high as other parts of Texas. Trouble Shooter Jaie Avila tells us why health officials are now studying whether a very popular food here in South Texas could be responsible.

...

Many people living in the area are convinced their health problems are the result of the TCE, which was found to have seeped into groundwater. The plume of contaminated water was first mapped out in 1999 and stretched underneath 22,000 homes across the south and southwest sides of town. The area was even dubbed the "Toxic Triangle."

In the last few years, the plume has shrunk because the air force is slowly cleaning it up.

However, a number of studies have failed to connect TCE exposure, to the cancer cases. [Director of the Health Department Dr. Fernando] Guerra told us, "For the most part, we did not find an association in the study that we did, which is reassuring."

So now, the health department is going in a different direction. Texas A&M and Texas Tech researchers are now studying whether corn, like you'd find in corn tortillas, could be causing the liver cancer.

Dr. Kirby Donnelly, who is heading up the study from A&M's end, said it's not as silly as it sounds, when he sat down with Jaie Avila recently.

Avila asked, "You've got this TCE underground in the ground water, and yet you guys are studying corn tortillas."

Dr. Donnelly answered, "Yes, and I'm sympathetic to that frustration. I know on the surface it sounds like, 'Oh, you're coming here and we've got this environmental problem. We know the trichloriethelene's in the ground water. We know that these chlorinated solvents are getting into our households and you're looking at tortillas, and everybody eats tortillas, but not every doesn't get liver cancer.' Well, the issue, the more important issue is, the people who get liver cancer are likely getting liver cancer because of a number of things. Not just their environment. Not just their nutrition. Not just their genes."

...

You are probably wondering, if corn tortillas are to blame, why don't more of us who eat them get liver cancer? Not just people living near Kelly? Well, researchers tell us they think there may be a combination of factors, unique to that area, contributing to the cancer rate, such as the pollution, genetics, and perhaps, corn tortillas.

Now, I'm not a doctor, nor am I a university researcher, but if I had to take a wild shot at investigating possible causes of cancer in a specific area and the list of possible problems were contaminated groundwater, pollution, genetics, or corn tortillas, I might try to definitively rule out the first three before spending money to study enchiladas and chalupas.

Just sayin' --

"Are Corn Tortillas Causing Cancer?"

Mercy. Is it still sweeps month? "Hundreds of San Antonians who lived near Kelly mysteriously died of cancer. News 4 Investigation uncovers a possible cause, Wednesday at 10pm."

I admit, the corn tortilla headline did catch my eye.

"Groups Protest At News 4"

Kudos to WOAI for reporting their own bad news.

Community advocates and members of a Hispanic labor organization protested at News 4 Monday.

Members of a nationwide labor union called Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAC) are accusing News 4 management of discrimination.

They say because David Cruz is no longer the co-anchor on News 4's 5 p.m. broadcast, the station is ignoring more than half of San Antonio's population, which is Hispanic.

"We want to make sure that you start hiring some Hispanic professionals, and to respect their dignity and their worth, and the work that they're doing at WOAI," said Jaime Martinez, President of L.C.L.A.C.

I wonder what Mr. Martinez thinks of other WOAI news team members, such as Kristina De Leon, Jaie Avila, Maclovio Perez, Demond Fernandez, and Jacqueline Ortiz.

"Three People Pinned Between a Truck and Van"

WOAI reports on an accident involving cars and plumbing. The event was held by the San Antonio Water System to give out low-flow toilets.

Three men are in the hospital, after being pinned between a truck and a van. It happened on Saturday afternoon at the old Albertsons on Highway 151 and Potranco.

After the impact, people were digging through boxes of toilets to get down to one of the SAWS workers who was screaming in pain.

...

The three men were loading the toilet into a red truck when a white van slammed into them.

...

The driver of the white van was still in shock when we spoke to him, but he said he thinks the van simply malfunctioned.

"It has to be the accelerator, (it) got stuck," said the driver of the van. "I don't know how, I was just really surprised."

The SAWS workers were hurt, but nothing seems to be life-threatening.

Death threat spam

Wow, the spammers are really getting scary.

From WOAI:

The subject line of "Be More Careful" was enough to get one woman's attention. The rest of the letter was even more disturbing.

"Right then and there, I was real scared," she told us.

The woman asked to not be identified, but she showed us e-mails sent to her with death threats.

"Now, do you want to live or die as someone has paid us to kill you," she read from the e-mail. "Get back to me now, if you are ready to pay some fees to spare your life."

The letters said people were monitoring her every move and ordered her to reply to "Death Dealers RIP."

...

The woman contacted the police and an officer told her the e-mail most likely is a scam. The FBI tells us they are familiar with the e-mails and take them seriously.

Always, always delete e-mails if you don't recognize the sender. Spammers are a scourge, and we should all beware. If there truly is a person that is sending out fake death threats to get scared people to cough up some money, that person has crossed the line from slimy marketing to outright extortion.

Bruce Bowen - Flashdancer

Follow the link if you've ever wanted to see a San Antonio Spur dance like a maniac.

[Hat tip: WOAI]

UPDATE: Link is no longer good. The NBA shut it down.

Car crashes into home

Well, this hasn't been reported in a while. (from KSAT)

SAN ANTONIO -- A pickup crashed into a home Tuesday morning on the East Side of San Antonio.

A man was traveling westbound on East Houston at 7 a.m. when it hit a curb and then crashed into a front bedroom of a home in the 4200 block of Roark, police said.

No one in the home was hurt.

I initally chose to highlight these instances of vehicular destruction because they seemed to happen quite often in San Antonio, and it was the frequency of the events that I found strange. And then, I got to thinking about it again, and I came to the conclusion that, no matter how often or how seldom it happens, a car actually crashing into a house is still strange. I'm still gonna highlight them.

"ACS Makes Largest Animal Seizure in SA History"

Holy cow! How can one person possibly keep track of 111 dogs!

From WOAI:

It's being called the largest animal seizure in the history of San Antonio.

A spokeswoman from Animal Care Services told News 4 investigators got a tip that a woman was housing a large number of animals at a home on the Southwest
Side.

During a raid, more than a hundred dogs were found inside the home on Covel Road. All but 13 of the dogs were living inside the house and in extremely unsanitary conditions. Some of them, investigators said, were living in their own waste.

Clearly a case of animal hoarding. Poor woman. And poor dogs.

"Dancing No Longer On Restaurant Menu"

Well, it looks like the busybodies won one. All you waiters and waitresses, watch out, especially if you work in District 5.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Waitresses at a Mexican restaurant on the city's West Side will no longer dance while serving customers, District 5 Councilwoman Lourdes Galvan said Wednesday.

Galvan said that the city and the owner of Mariposas Cafe reached a compromise after residents complained and protested about the provocative dancing going on in the eatery.

...

While the waitresses will not be dancing, they will be allowed to keep their outfits, Galvan said.

Marion Luna, the restaurant's owner, said that she respects the wishes of the community and asks that residents respect her business.

Luna said that her waitresses did nothing wrong and she was trying to create a niche in the competitive restaurant industry.

Hooray for Luna's entrepreneurial spirit. Boo on Galvan's priggishness.

"La Mariposa, Neighbors Reach Compromise"

KSAT-12 reports that City Councilwoman Lourdes Galvan has come to the rescue, brokering a truce between La Mariposa, the "Mexican Hooters", and the neighbors.

The owner of La Mariposa and members of the Avenida Guadalupe Neighborhood Association were met by District 5 City Councilwoman Lourdes Galvan, and compromises were agreed upon, according to a press release from Galvan.

Details of the agreement are expected to be announced Wednesday.

Thank heaven for politicians.

"Clinton Coming To SA"

This is absolutely strange in San Antonio (from KSAT-12):

With the Democratic Party nomination for president likely to be affected by Texas' March 4 primary, the remaining candidates are beginning to make the Lone Star state a priority.

...

Clinton is expected to speak at a campaign rally beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the grounds of St. Mary's University.

Clinton and Obama have tentatively agreed to a debate on Feb. 28 in Houston.

This is strange not just in San Antonio, but pretty much all of Texas. Since the presidential primaries in this state happen in March, the candidates for each party are pretty much locked down by the time we get to vote. As a result, the primaries in Texas mean little or nothing, and the candidates usually forsake the Lone Star State in their campaigns. With such close races this year, especially on the Democratic side, the candidates are suddenly paying attention to us.

I don't know if you like their attention or not, but it is unusual.

"La Mariposa Draws Protestors"

Oh Lord. Isn't there anything else better to do?

From KSAT-12:

A small group of protestors assembled across the street from La Mariposa, located at the intersection of Guadalupe and Trinity streets.

The reason? Waitresses at the tiny eatery dance suggestively for customers as they serve food, but with no nudity, the restaurant does not fall under the realm of the city's sexually oriented business codes.

"I know you have it guised as a cafe, but do [sic] ahead and place a sign out there on what it really is," one protestor said. "It shouldn't be out in this area near schools. Move it out in an area where there is a business district." [emphasis added]

What's next? A code of conduct for all waitresses in all restaurants in the city?

"Neighborhood Finds Unique Way To Send City A Message"

I understand being upset if your neighborhood needs sidewalks; San Antonio has a serious shortage of safe places for pedestrians, and I wish there were more sidewalks everywhere. But is this really any way to protest?

WOAI reports:

A message spray painted on a fence on the Northwest Side is getting plenty of attention. The question is -- will it help?

People living near Old Tezel and New Gilbeau are fed up. They feel like something's missing in their neighborhood. So, at least one of them decided to try something a little different to get their message out.

The 'tagged' message is pretty clear, "Old Tezel Road Needs A Sidewalk."

"I think that we've seen a lot of accidents taking place because there is no curb there," explained concerned resident Judith de Santiago. "We see cars swerving into the fences as you're driving."

Geez. What sense does it make to uglify your own neighborhood because you are mad at how slow the wheels at city hall turn?

No sidewalk? Well, put up grafitti on your own fence.

No trash pick-up? Hmm, maybe we can burn a few tires.

Need a streetlight? How about breaking a few windows.

Oh, well. At least it's not my neighborhood.

UPDATE: And, at least they're not in the U.N.

More people angry at a strip club

This time the business is in Lytle.

Lytle?

KSAT-12 says "yes":

LYTLE, Texas -- About 20 miles southwest of San Antonio, residents of this small town are coming together to protest a new business opened to capitalize on the purient interests of Atascosa County.

The Cabaret Dance Club has opened just outside the city limits, which has prompted some in the commuity to protest the establishment, even if it falls outside the legal reach of the city limits.

Lytle currently has an ordinance against sexually oriented businesses, but the new club is located outside the city boundary, leaving protestors upset about the services and people associated with the business, but with little legal recourse.

Hmm, I wonder if any San Antonio City Council members are from Lytle, where -- at just under 2,400 residents -- everybody probably knows your name. Even the strippers.

UPDATE: Dave at Silver Creek 78250 -- ever handy with the camera -- has taken a picture of The Cabaret Dance Club, and you can see it at this post on his adventure southwest of San Antonio. You will not believe how incredibly small and unassuming this place is. It's little! Man, you get a few customers in there with just a couple of dancers and you run the risk of going over the fire marshal's occupancy limit! The best way for the protesters to shut this place down is to just all show up at the same time and demand a drink!

"Residents Upset At La Mariposa Customers"

It's been called the Mexican Hooters. It's a restaurant where the waitresses serve up a little dance with the food. And it's a good thing it's not in Diane Cibrian's council district.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Following a KSAT 12 News report about a new west side restaurant, some people are up in arms over what they said is more than just food.

La Mariposa, located at the intersection of Guadalupe and Trinity streets, is fast becoming known as a well-liked place to eat – namely for its provocatively dancing waitresses.

...

District 5 City Councilwoman Lourdes Galvan said she has received numerous complaints about the restaurant, but she said there was not much she can do if there’s nothing illegal happening in the restaurant.

"Unless we can find probable cause that is causing something illegal in there other than that, I don't believe we can do anything about it," she said.

La Mariposa means "the butterfly." I guess it's a good thing they didn't name the restaurant after some obscure island in the Caribbean.

San Antonio is burning

Loads of plants grew over the summer. Drought has dried them. Winds have been blowing. Prime fire conditions for South Central Texas.

From WOAI in the past two days:

"Grass Fire On West Side Comes Right Up To Doors of Homes"

A grass fire on the West Side came right up to the doors of nearby homes.

The fire started in the 7700 block of Medina Base Road, near Loop 410. Seven fire units were dispatched to fight the fire.

"Residents Grabbed Hoses to Fight Back Grass Fire on South Side"

The fire broke out near Highway 16 and IH-35 around 4:15 p.m.

The fire spread into the backyards of several houses in the area. Some residents grabbed garden hoses and started spraying the flames in an attempt to save their homes.

"After Such A Rainy Summer, Why Is It So Dry?"

We had such a wet summer, why are we having such a hazardous fire season?

The overall weather pattern has really turned completely around during the past year. Last year started with the wettest six month period ever in San Antonio. That was followed by the second driest 6-month period ever, and it's still dry.

...

To give you an idea, last November the Geronimo Village went on one brush fire, as it got drier in December that jumped to 56. Just last month in January, they went on 85 brush fires.

"La Salle County Prepares For More Fires"

Fires have burned more than 30,000 acres in La Salle County.

That's about 47 square miles. To put that into perspective, it's an area larger than all of Bexar County.

"Barn At Rodeo Catches Fire"

Firefighters battled a fire at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Monday afternoon.

The flames broke out around 3:00 p.m. on the roof of a horse barn.

Firefighters have been busy lately.

"Man Robbed Store Of Cash, Tamales"

Well, I guess robbers get hungry, too. And this is San Antonio. And the tamales were Delicious.

KSAT-12 has the story:

The suspect allegedly walked into the Delicious Tamales restaurant on the 3500 block of South Presa Street, pulled out a gun and demanded cash from a store employee.

Police said the man took an undetermined amount of cash along with a dozen tamales before locking the employee in an oven.

The oven was not turned on, according to investigators, who said police arrested the suspect in the 100 block of Arlington Court with evidence linking him to the crime.

I wonder what that evidence was. Husks?

And the next question is, If they were "delicious" tamales, why take only a dozen?

Chupacabra!

Now with new test results!

Remember Phylis Canion, the ranchwoman who wanted her dead, mangy coyote to be a chupacabra, so much so that she wasn't happy with a local college's DNA results and swore to get more tests done?

Well, she did. And the results are back. And the creature is not just a coyote. In fact, it's also part Mexican wolf! Booga booga!

From KENS-5:

Its DNA has been flown across the continent as Cuero residents search for a final answer about their mysterious, blood-sucking beast.

The much-anticipated results are back from experts at the University of California at Davis.

...

Results from the University of California at Davis show the animal is in fact a mutt: on the mother's side it is part coyote.

"On the paternal side, it had Mexican wolf in it," said Canion.

Scientists from the University of California at Davis say they can't tell when the Mexican wolf heritage made its way into the gene pool.

Canion's still not happy. She wants more tests to be done.

The Cuero rancher said she expects further testing to find out where all the hair has gone and why the animal, she says, seems to crave just blood from its victims.

And she REALLY wants it to be a chupacabra. Why, you might ask?

T-shirt sales of the chupacabra are still going strong, with more than 16,000 sold already.

There's even been legal action to keep some knock-offs from being sold on eBay where they were going for three times the price.

That's why.

Boobie Rock shot down

Well, it looks like the Boobie Rock case won't go to trial after all, as KSAT-12 reports:

SAN ANTONIO -- A Bexar County judge ruled late Friday afternoon that will prevent a controversial strip club from opening on the city’s north side.

The judge upheld a covenant preventing adult-oriented businesses – such as Boobie Rock – from opening at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Huebner Road.

District 8 City Councilwoman Diane Cibrian announced the judge’s decision to enforce deed restrictions placed on the property in 1995 and 1996.

The Boobie Rock lawyers may appeal.

By the way, the real Booby Rock is an island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Here it is, according to Google Maps.

"Mountains Of Mountain Cedar!"

Oh, God! 18,400 is no longer the highest!

WOAI reports:

Today's Mountain Cedar count is 21,300 (heavy). That's the highest it's been so far.

Pollen chokes the air. Heaven help us allergy sufferers.

That's "Little," to you

The poor woman in this KSAT-12 report is understandably shaken up, but I don't think what she said is what she meant.

SAN ANTONIO -- On Tuesday, Judy Alva said she was taken aback by a highway hazard, except this was not one she was prepared for.

“One minute I had a windshield, the next second it was gone,” she said.

...

She said a large chunk of concrete fell on her vehicle as she drove through an underpass at Loop 410 and Highway 281 near the airport.

“I didn’t know what to think,” she said. “I felt a little like chicken noodle, I guess.”

I think she meant this. Or maybe she meant soup. Who knows?

"Fate Of Boobie Rock Going To Jury Trial"

Next chapter in the Boobie Rock story: the case goes to trial February 11. Stay tuned.

(KSAT-12 angle here.)

"Man Uses Baby Death Story to Get Drug Money"

A Seguin man gets his drug money the really old-fashioned way: he begs for it.

From WOAI:

Police say Fidencio Magallanes, Jr. went door-to-door asking for money to pay for an infant's funeral. Officers arrested the 26-year-old after getting a call from the funeral home's director.

Police say he wanted the money to buy drugs. He's been charged with a probation violation. It's unknown if any additional charges will be filed.

I don't know if panhandling door-to-door is a crime, but it's not very far removed from the people who knock on your door and try to sell you subscriptions you don't want. Really. I've been hit up by guys who have practically begged me to buy magazines from them. OK, actually I mean literally begged me.

At least the infant funeral angle is a new one.

"Mother and Daughter Sentenced in Alleged Sex Slave Ring Case"

Who knew pimping could be a family business?

From WOAI:

Two women accused of forcing other women into prostitution were sentenced this week.

Isabel Consuelo Ochoa and her daughter, Consuelo Pilar Ochoa, pled guilty to bringing teens from Nuevo Laredo to work as prostitutes in the San Antonio area.

According to News Radio 1200 WOAI, Isabel Ochoa, was released with time served, and was placed on probation. Her daughter, Consuelo Ochoa, received a year and a half sentence, plus another three years for drug possession.

Wow.

People who should think a little more ...

... so as not to be so conspicuous.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A robber escaped with an unspecified amount of money from a store on the city’s northwest side Wednesday evening while using an unorthodox weapon of choice.

Police said a man walked into a store on the 440 block of DeZavala Road and threatened the employee with a hockey stick. [What's hockey? --ed. I'm not sure. Maybe it's something they do up north.]

While police are searching for the robber, the employee told KSAT 12 News he recognized the person who allegedly threatened him as a regular customer. [emphases added]

"Mountain Cedar Highest Ever"

Ugh.

Today's Mountain Cedar count is 18,400 (heavy). That's astronomically high.

Because our rainfall is less than normal, the cedar tree is absorbing ground water at an alarming rate, which in turn produces more pollen. With every front that blows through, the winds pick up the pollen and spreads like a wildfire. A 2nd wave of cold air is expected tonight and will also carry more pollen.

Feh.

"Naomi Fuentes Pleads No Contest"

Remember Naomi Fuentes, the woman who abandoned her family and skipped town because she stole some money from her employer and was about to be caught? She has chosen not to fight the charges against her.

KSAT-12 reports:

SAN ANTONIO -- Naomi Fuentes, a mother of two whose mysterious disappearance touched off a massive search and who was accused of stealing thousands of dollars from her employer, pleaded no contest Tuesday to charges of misapplication of funds.

A judge then ordered a presentencing investigation and scheduled formal sentencing for March 10. Fuentes faces a minimum punishment of probation and a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

...

During Fuentes' disappearance, it was revealed that her employer, Cox Radio reported thousands of dollars missing. Fuentes has since paid $62,000 back to the company, Rodriguez said.

That's no small chunk o' change.

"3 Dump Truck Drivers Injured"

KSAT reports on an odd chain of events:

Police said a dump truck belonging to Williams Brothers Construction pulled over to the shoulder of the eastbound lanes of Highway 151 near Potranco road after it had stalled.

A second dump truck driver pulled over to check out what was wrong and was standing outside the stalled-out truck when a third dump truck crashed into the stalled vehicle, police said.

...

The impact sent the second driver onto the grassy shoulder, police said. The driver of the third truck had to be cut out of the wreckage. The victims were transported to Wilford Hall Medical Center.

Watch out for those dump trucks.

"Fate Of "Boobie Rock" Strip Club On Hold"

A Boobie Rock update from WOAI:

The fate of a San Antonio strip club is on hold -- again.

'Boobie Rock' was supposed to open near I-10 and Huebner last year. But a covenant between that land owner and the building next door to the club stopped that opening and the dispute ended up in court.

So, what's next for the defense and the plaintiff in this now infamous strip club saga?

Both sides had very strong arguments Thursday and could not come to an agreement. Now, the judge in the case will have to consider all of the information and try to come to a decision.

...

With Monday being Martin Luther King Day, the judge said he will not reconvene until Tuesday. We'll then find out if Boobie Rock will be built, will close before it opens, or whether the dispute will go on to a trial by jury.

Stay tuned.

Bringing people here

Alan at Blogonomicon and Dave at Silver Creek 78250 have both done posts about odd search requests that people have typed in that pointed to their blogs (Examples: Blogonomicon, Silver Creek 78250), and that got me to thinking: How strange can a search request get that directs people to a blog that promises strangeness?

Well, here are a few recent search strings that pulled up posts on this blog. Judge for yourself.

Is it legal to carry my bow and aroows in public Texas? -- Result.
Dangers in the San Antonio River -- Result.
Man in dress picture -- Result.
What are the causes of raw sewage? (C'mon, I think we all know the real answer) -- Result.

True stuff.

Lucha Libre

Masked wrestling in San Antonio -- it's Lucha Libre!

Vincent Davis's Express-News article here. Delcia Lopez's photos here.

"EMT Trainer Connected to Accident Victim"

OK, this is odd.

From WOAI:

Another strange twist in the case of a woman left for dead after a car accident: a connection between the victim, Erica Smith, and the EMT trainer on call.

...

Paramedics called Geof Smith for help. During the phone call, he learned someone in the other car was asking for him. The driver, Sabrina Shaner, is his Goddaughter.

Smith's wife Cori told News 4 they have known two people involved in the accident, Sabrina Shaner and Erica Smith, their whole lives. Geof Smith picked Sabrina Shaner up when she was released from jail after a DWI charge.

"This was a terrible chain of events. The tragedy that started that morning has had a snowball effect. That continues to become more and more negative," said Cori Smith.

A strange and profoundly sad situation for all invovled.

[Covered previously here.]

"Councilwoman wants change in definition of restaurants"

Councilwoman Diane Cibrian just can't leave well enough alone. Not only is she making things difficult for a new strip club -- which is a perfectly legal enterprise, by the way -- she wants to make it difficult for anyone to open a restaurant in the future.

From KENS-5:

Councilwoman Diane Cibrian is proposing changes to the [Unified Development Code]. She wants to make sure adult[] clubs, like the Boobie Rock, aren’t serving more than just food.

“Just because you provide food, doesn’t mean you’re a restaurant,” Cibrian said.

...

Cibrian wants to define how the city classifies restaurants. It’s a definition that currently doesn’t exist.

“So if it’s a not a restaurant, it’ll move to a night club. When they apply for night club zoning, they’re going to have to get a special use permit, so that at least we have notification,” she said.

Granted, I don't know a whole lot about the zoning process, but I predict that, if Cibrian is successful, such a change will affect more than just new strip clubs. It will also affect any entrepreneur that attempts to open any establishment that serves food. Cibrian certainly doesn't appear to be pro-business in this case, something the voters in District 8 might want to keep in mind come next election.

"Mother Jailed For Alleged Retaliation Against Teenager"

KSAT-12 tells of a woman who doesn't want you to mess with her kids, even to the point of denying them.

Monica Gonzales, 37, is in the Bexar County Jail Thursday evening after Bexar County sheriff’s officials said she allegedly retaliated after a 14-year-old boy shoved her 12-year-old son.

...

Investigators allege Gonzales, along with her three sons, drove up to the 14-year-old and blocked his escape. Once cornered by Gonzales, deputies said, her 21-year-old son, Jose Gonzales Torres Jr., attacked the 14-year-old with a baseball bat.

...

The victim was able to escape and called deputies, but when confronted, Gonzales refused to implicate her eldest son, even denying she had one, investigators said.

“Because of her lack of cooperation at the scene, we could not identify the other male,” [sheriff’s investigator Aaron] Vonmuldau said. “When we finally got him identified, he's already on the run."

That's one mean mama.

More Mexican candy recalled

More candy from Mexico is being recalled due to concerns over lead. For the third time!

From KSAT-12:

AUSTIN, Texas -- Another Mexican candy is being recalled due to elevated levels of lead that could cause health problems.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said a San Antonio company voluntarily recalled a third candy imported from Mexico.

Villa-Mex Imports recalled Miguelito Azucar Salada Enchilada Acidulada.

The candy is a reddish powder in a clear cellophane packet with blue lettering.

...

Villa-Mex earlier voluntarily recalled Barrilito and Tarritos.

It's almost as if lead was a seasoning. Villa-Mex needs to put forth some serious public relations efforts.

"Country Scientist: Winds may have forged old link between Japan, Texas"

Forrest M. Mims III writes in the San Antonio Express-News about an ancient link between Texas and Japan.

Each spring, powerful wind storms sweep across China and Japan. The storms carry dust from the Gobi desert over the Pacific Ocean and sometimes all the way to Texas.

These wind storms may explain why one of the world's rarest mushrooms is found in only two locations on opposite sides of the globe. In the distant past an ancient windstorm may have blown spores from the rare mushrooms to Texas.

The mushroom is known to botanists as Chorioactis geaster. In Texas it's known as the devil's cigar because of its appearance when it emerges from the soil and the smoke-like cloud of spores it emits. I prefer its newer name, the Texas star.

...

Chorioactis geaster is very rare in Texas and even rarer in Japan, where it is designated as "critically endangered."

In Texas, it is found growing from cedar elm stumps and roots along creeks between Arlington and Guadalupe County.

In Japan, it grows from the mossy stumps or trunks of decaying oaks on steep, heavily wooded slopes along a few streams on the island of Kyushu.

A little strange, but also pretty cool.

Tooting their own horns

WOAI reports on a home invasion, and in the process seems to suggest that the criminals had a musical bent. [emphases added]

Three masked men kick down the door of a home on the east side. The family inside was held at gunpoint, robbed of their money, identification and even their car.

The woman who was asleep inside that home shared her story with News 4.

The woman, who wished to remain unidentified, said she was scared for her life. The mother of four said she was sound asleep Friday night when three men, all dressed in all black, kicked in her door.

"They put us on the floor with blankets on top," said the woman. "They took my babies in the back and [told] them to lay down on the floor too,'" she continued.

The woman said the masked {men} demanded money and drugs. But the woman told the buglers she didn't have any drugs.

"They said you're lying you're lying and I said no, the only money I have is in my purse," explained the woman.

The buglers took her purse along with her IDs, Social Security card and her truck.

Here's a helpful link for the writer/editor.

Seymour Perkins reprieved

Seymour Perkins, outsider artist par excellence, has gotten a temporary restraining order that keeps the City of San Antonio from tearing down his home.

WOAI reports:

The city wants to tear it down, but a judge has ruled the house - that is known to attract drugs and prostitutes - will remain standing for now.

The house is on Hackberry. Neighbors call it a "haven for crime." But Seymor Perkins, 78, say[s] it's his art school, his home, and he's fighting to save it.

The city was supposed to tear the house down last week. Neighbors said they are frustrated it's still standing.

"The idea was finally something's being done to clean up the neighborhood," said Reverend Otis Mitchell of the Mt. Zion Church.

Neighbors supported the city's plan to get rid of the folk artist's house, where police say prostitutes and drug addicts gather.

His house's stay of execution is for two weeks.

Smoke on the water -- or lack thereof

Tourists on the San Antonio River Walk? Sure.

Restaurants? You bet.

Water? Not while it's being cleaned.

Smoke? I guess.

From WOAI:

Call it a “smoke out” along the River Walk for the next few days! Go down to the River Walk during the day this week and you’ll find a bunch of smoke being pumped up through the exposed pipes in the dried riverbed.

With the river drained for its annual cleaning, the San Antonio Water System is checking to make sure they know exactly what's going into the river and where it's coming from. So they just blow smoke into the pipes and look for where it comes out.

At least the river isn't on fire.