People who don't seem to think like the rest of us

There are some sadly strange people out there, and they live among us. [Both stories from WOAI-TV]

"Dog Left Stuck In Air Vent"

He was stuck in an air vent reportedly for a week or more before a Good Samaritan called the city pound to report the problem.

Animal Care Services responded and rescued the dog. Apparently, the people who lived in the house knew he was in the vent but refused get him out or ask for help.

"Mom Accused of Trying To Sell Young Daughters For Sex"

Earlier this week, federal agents picked up 25-year-old Jennifer Richards and her boyfriend Sean Block.

Federal court documents say an informant tipped off the F.B.I. after getting a text message from Block that said his girlfriend had a 5-year-old she wanted to sell. After some phone calls, federal agents say Richards sent pictures of both daughters to the informant.

----

"Missing Monkey On Sign Repossessed, Not Stolen"

Remember, even artificial monkeys can be respossessed.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- It turns out there was no monkey business behind a missing signature piece of art at a north side restaurant.

San Antonio police said Thursday that a monkey missing from the sign at Frida's Mexican & Latin Cuisine in the 3000 block of Thousand Oaks Drive was not stolen after all.

Police said the monkey was repossessed.

Pay your bills. Even sign makers will take their stuff back.

"Universal City Man Selling Space On Body"

Strange, dumb, or just a plea for attention?

You decide.

From KSAT-12:

UNIVERSAL CITY, Texas -- An area man has placed an online auction to work as an advertiser of sorts.

Adam Ellsworth, 24, has placed a listing on eBay offering his body for somebody to choose a tattoo for his body [sic].

...

Ellsworth said he didn't tell his wife until after he posted the ad, and that the winning bidder's choice would stay on his body for at least two years.

I wonder what his wife thinks of her husband now..

Two-legged dog?

Or chupacabra?

You decide.

"Las Mariposas Closed For Good, Says Property Owner"

Goodbye, butterfly.

SAN ANTONIO -- Talk of a controversial west side restaurant's reopening have been greatly exaggerated, said the property owner where Las Mariposas once operated.

Benjamin Leal said a restaurant will occupy the building at the intersection of Trinity and Guadalupe when it reopens on Sept. 1, but it won't be the Mexican restaurant mired in seductive memories.

Leal said the owner of the cafe, Miriam Luna, is working on another project, but that it wouldn't be Las Mariposas in its previous location. Leal said he is still trying to meet the city's requirements to get his certificate of occupancy returned.

...

"It's going to be a family restaurant," he said. "That's what I want."

Lourdes Galvan must be happy.

ODDNESS: Previous owners of this place have been named as Fernando de Leon and Marion Luna. Though I can see how Miriam can be mistaken as Marion, where did Benjamin Leal come in to all this? And who's Fernando?

UPDATED: Oops. Looking back, I now see that I made a mistake on the previous post linked under "ODDNESS". Fernando de Leon apparently works for the City of San Antonio's Development Services Department. Benjamin Leal seems to own the building. and Miriam Luna is the one that leased the space and opened the restaurant with waitresses that danced sexily and got Councilwoman Galvan all worked up.

Whew! I hope I've got everything straight now.

Agreeing on how the Alamo should be portrayed?

KSAT-12 reports on a plan to merge the City of San Antonio's three police departments. Originally separate city departments, now the Park Police and Airport Police will fall under the SAPD umbrella.

SAN ANTONIO -- A proposed compromise between three police organizations is being hailed as win-win by many people in all three departments.

The compromise, part of an amendment expected to be voted on Wednesday by both Park and Airport police, would allow for the departments to operate and exist on their own as separate divisions under the San Antonio Police Department and Chief Bill McManus.

This is not strange. In fact, it's probably a pretty good move to consolidate the forces, and the president of the Park Police officers' association likes the job security this plan offers. What is strange is the fact that the three police departments just couldn't seem to agree on what the Alamo -- that quintessential symbol of San Antonio -- should look like on their patches.

Look at this graphic from KSAT that shows all three of the patches.

As you can see, we have three police patches that are essentially similar in design (purposely so, I would imagine) but with different representations of the Alamo. That's weird, and I can't imagine why a graphic designer (assuming there was only one) would go to so much trouble to make the patches look so similar but with such varying looks to the central image. Especially one as documented and as photographed as the Alamo! Maybe another good thing that comes out of this merger will be a consistent police patch.

For the record, here is what the Alamo really looks like.

Giving thanks for glass

The other day, I noticed a strange smudge on one of my windows.

I thought I could tell what it was, and, viewing it from another angle, I confirmed my suspicion.

There was even a tell-tale clue on the glass.

Do you know what it is yet?

Here's some help. (Please pardon my amateurish photo manipulation.)

Yep. That's the imprint of a dove crash. That bird hit the window so hard it left one of its feathers behind (marked by the arrow below).

Thank God for glass. If all of our windows were open, can you imagine how many birds would be flying around in our houses right now?!

Mayoral candidates for 2009 II

Diane Cibrian wants to be mayor, perhaps because she has been "humbled and proud to be a part of city government." The mayor's seat is a prominent position. She should get used to uncomfortable questions from the media, such as those posed by Jaime Castillo at the Express-News:

In a little more than a year in office, City Councilwoman Diane Cibrian has earned a reputation as an aggressive and energetic advocate who seeks, not shrinks from, the media spotlight.

Since last Friday, however, the District 8 representative and mayoral hopeful has uncharacteristically refused to answer one direct question:

Shortly after being elected in a 2007 runoff, did she take a trip to Cancún, Mexico, and stay for free in the condominium of local real estate investor Hugo Gutierrez Jr.?

“You've crossed the line into my personal life,” she said in the only on-the-record portion of a more than hour-long meeting Friday. “I'm not answering that question. I'm done with this issue.”

A briefer telephone interview Monday was more of the same. “It is what it is. You're going to write whatever you want. I'm done with this issue.”

Whether or not a city councilwoman stayed in Gutierrez's condo in one of Mexico's hottest tourist destinations is, of course, a smell-test issue, especially if you consider that Gutierrez, at the time of the supposed trip, was fighting to keep the city from applying its tree ordinance to a property he owned in northwest Bexar County.

During the legal battle, which Gutierrez won, Councilwoman Cibrian on at least one occasion discussed the development, called West Pointe, with the city attorney's office.

She also appeared on the Trey Ware show on KTSA this morning to talk about this issue, and she did not sound very mayoral.

Chupacabra?

Or coyote?


You decide.


Oh, but they want it to be a chupacabra so bad, as KSAT-12 reports:

DeWITT COUNTY, Texas -- The legend of the chupacabra gained new life over the weekend as two DeWitt County sheriff's deputies spotted what they said they believe is the mythical creature.

Friday, Cpl. Brandon Riedel was training a new deputy when he said they saw the animal running down a dirt path along fence lines.

"You need to record something like this because it's not everyday you find something that looks like this running around out in the middle of the county," he said.

The short-legged, hairless animal has a long snout that looks like a coyote, but Riedel said he isn't convinced.

Of course he isn't. A coyote is commonplace. A chupacabra gets you television time.

"Embattled Poteet Mayor Wants To Stay In Office"

Poor, poor, poor Poteet. That town's mayor -- convicted of a sex crime -- just won't go away, as KSAT-12 reports.

SAN ANTONIO -- The mayor of this South Texas town remains defiant after his registration as a sex offender prompted city and county officials to call for his dismissal.

Rene Pena, the district attorney of Atascosa County, has asked a judge to remove Lino Donato from office claiming the mayor's sex offender registration has hindered his performance.

Donato pleaded guilty in October 2007 to charges of indecency with a child. Since that time, Donato has been unable to attend City Council meetings because Poteet's city hall is within 1,000 feet of where children can assemble.

Donato said the criticism is unfounded and his status has not affected his job.

"I got telephones, I got my city administrator. I got department heads. I know what's going on from here," Donato said. "The city is in better shape than it's ever been."

Somehow, I think the citizens of Poteet might disagree.

[Previously discussed here and here.]

"Confessed Killer Claims He Was Possessed By Demons"

Watch out who you worship.

WOAI reports:

Police said 29-year-old Kethan Beschorner told them he killed 44-year-old Michelle Lague. Beschorner said he blacked out before the July 4th murder, and that it should have never happened. Investigators said Lague's throat was slashed, and she was left on her bed.

Lague was a potential witness in the upcoming trial of a murder suspect in the 2005 slayings of two people at the popular Tacoland Restaurant. Police said her murder is not connected to that case.

Instead, investigators said Beschorner told them he was a devil worshiper and that he [was] possessed by demons the night Lague was murdered.

"Man Charged With Driving Fake Cop Car"

The Blues Brothers notwithstanding, buying a used car that looks like a cop car might not be a good idea. You could get in a little trouble.

KSAT-12 reports on the fake cop car:

SAN ANTONIO -- When a Bexar County sheriff's deputy noticed a non-descript police car driving down the highway, something wasn't right.

It looked like a police car, it had a unit number and was a Ford Crown Victoria, said Deputy Bill Lohrke, but the driver wasn't a peace officer.

"He wasn't trying to stop any cars, but he was just driving down the roadway and has police all over his vehicle," he said.

The driver claimed his boss purchased the vehicle at an auction and was using it at a hotel for security, but driving the car on the highway is against the law, and the driver was charged with two crimes, Lohrke said.

The charges are "false identification of a peace officer and misrepresentation of property." I'm no lawyer, but I'm not sure if these charges are going to stick. As far as I know, there's nothing wrong with having an unconventional looking car. Is there?

Setting out a comment policy

When I started this blog my intention was to just point out weird, odd, and curious things that happened in San Antonio. It started as a hobby, but it has gained a decent readership, and I thank you all for taking the time to stop by.

With the increased amount of readers have come more comments. I have a few regular commenters (thank you Alan, Dave, Kels, the good people at San Antonio Daily Photo, Keith, and others!), and there are many more that stop by to comment once or twice. That's great. I like a lively comments section. And so far I have not laid out a comments policy because I never saw the need to. But recent comments on some older posts have prompted me to come up with one.

I generally prefer dialogue, but when people begin flinging their emotions onto the keyboard they sometimes post language that (I hope) they would regret if they had to say it in person. I don't like to delete comments, but I will if I feel they detract from a conversation rather than add to it.

So, to keep deletions to a minimum, I ask all visitors who wish to comment to follow these simple house rules.

1. NO ALL CAPS. This results in an automatic deletion, no matter what your point is. I don't mind occassional capitalization of words or phrases for emphasis, but I can't abide an entire entry written in capital letters. This is still the Internet equivalent of yelling. Please don't yell. The "Caps Lock" key turns off as easily as it turns on.

2. No spam. I don't mind someone going a little off topic, but if you are here to shamefully promote an unrelated good or service in a way that smacks of spamming, I just might delete your comment.

3. No baseless accusations. Sometimes people involved in the stories mentioned on this blog pop into the comments section to present their viewpoint. I don't mind this so much. In fact, such comments could provide an insight not touched on by the local media. (For a good example of this, check out the comments section on this post about a girl selling her plasma for gas money.) But you should not use this blog to accuse anyone of immoral or criminal activity. If you think someone broke the law, take it up with the police. If you want media coverage, call the television stations. If you think I'm being unfair, start your own blog. Just don't bring it here.

4. No personal attacks or threats. Argue a point of view without verbally abusing the person you're talking about or to.

5. Go easy on the profanity. I'm no prude. A few well-placed swear words can add great amounts of emphasis, and you're not going to offend me with these. But don't cuss just for the sake of cussing.

There. I hope I've laid out these rules in a reasonable way, and I hope I don't scare people away from adding to the conversation here. I like to hear different sides of a story, and I welcome comments. But let's try to be civil.

Take your son to work day

Taking a child to work is not strange, but it might be if you work for the police department and your office is a crime scene. It would be even more out of the ordinary if you were the police chief of a large city.

Ken Rodriguez of the Express-News talks about it.

With lights from patrol cars and EMS units flashing, Police Chief Bill McManus arrived with his 6-year-old son and slipped under the crime scene tape. No one suggests the chief's son contaminated evidence, but officers expressed serious concern about the legal ramifications.

“How are we supposed to explain that at trial?” one officer asked.

Added a second officer: “If I were a savvy defense attorney I would certainly bring it up. ‘Chief, what were you doing with your son at the crime scene? Why were you allowing him to go into the inner perimeter?'”

The answer to the first question: McManus says he was off-duty with his son when paged about a fatality in an officer-involved chase. With his wife unavailable, McManus took his son to the scene.

The answer to the second: The chief says it was too hot to leave his son in the car, and too hot to leave him standing outside the tape.

I've always been a bit suspicious about McManus.

He was charged with reverse racial discrimination in Ohio (he lost that suit). He wants to tax our drinks. He wants unopened beer cans to count as opened ones.

McManus wants a "broken" six-pack in a driver's possession to be considered an open container. He said he'd like a state law that would allow officers to cite a driver if any of the six containers in a six-pack were not present.

And he proposes strange policies that actually seem to weaken an officer's ability to respond.

Officers should refrain from shooting at moving vehicles unless a person in the vehicle is immediately threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle itself.

Now, with this incident, I think I might be on to something when I question his judgment. Did he really need to be that close to the scene without waiting for someone to pick up his son first, especially since he said he was at the scene for only twenty minutes? What is anyone doing exposing a six-year-old kid to dead bodies and crime, especially a police chief?

Strange behavior.

Thoughts?

"Neighbors Angry at CPS Energy's Plans"

Here's a classic example of NIMBYism, which is not so strange in and of itself. But I find it odd to see the extremes people will claim to go to just to avoid certain developments near their property, as WOAI reports:

CPS Energy has plans to build an energy substation on land right behind a local neighborhood. But homeowners in the area told News 4 they're furious about those plans.

Dozens of neighbors on the west side say they were kept in the dark about the plans. They say CPS Energy kept that vital information from them when they were buying homes. Many added they wouldn't have even bought their houses if they had known CPS Energy's plans.

...

CPS Energy says the substation needs to be moved because it's in a flood plain and that could cause power outages if the area flooded.

But people in the area say power outages have not been a problem. One homeowner even added that he'd rather be in the dark for days than deal with the substation. [emphasis added]

So, people need a basic utility, but some of them don't want the infrastructure anywhere near them. And they claim they would rather do without the basic utility simply to have a decent view around their house -- in a big city. That may make sense to some people, but it seems strange to me.

"Boobie Rock, Landowner In Legal Fight"

Here's the latest on the Boobie Rock soap opera, from KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- The potential owners of a strip club forced to alter its proposed location because of deed restrictions are fighting with the landowners to recoup some of their losses.

An ownership group originally planned to open Boobie Rock near the intersection of Huebner Road along the access road of Interstate 10, but their plans were rebuffed when deed restrictions on the property prevented the operation of a gentlemen's club -- a fact the ownership group said was not relayed to them by the landowners as they drew up the agreement.

The owners of the strip club said they have spent more than $200,000 to get their business running and are countersuing the landowner, who filed suit seeking rent payments.

What this story fails to mention is that this whole thing was brought on by the priggish theatrics of Diane Cibrian, councilwoman for San Antonio's District 8. She deserves the credit and the blame for this legal fight.

If you are thinking of opening any new business in this town that is even remotely sexy, watch out for City Council. They'll take you down.

"Teens Crash Car Into House During High Speed Chase"

WOAI reports on another chapter in the vehicle-domicile conflicts:

Three teenagers are facing aggravated robbery charges, accused of carjacking a man on the North Side and leading officers on a chase that lasted nearly 40 minutes.

Officers said the teens stole a Toyota Prius from a man on the 100 block of Sage Bluff Circle, near Blanco and Loop 1604 around 1:00 a.m. Thursday.

Minutes later, police noticed the Prius speeding down Loop 1604, and they began chasing the suspects. At one point, the pursuit reached speeds of over 100 miles an hour.

...

Finally, the teen driving the Prius lost control and slammed into a house on Skila Street, in southwest Bexar County. Officers said the three teens took off running, but they were quickly caught and arrested.

The good piece of news is that no one was hurt in this skirmish.

"Man Converts SUV To Run On Electricity"

An old Jeep running like a golf cart?

KSAT-12 reports:

SAN ANTONIO -- Nick Viera had a $10,000 budget, a 1988 Jeep Cherokee and the Internet to set out on an ambitious project.

Viera, an electrical engineering student, wanted to convert his sport utility vehicle to an electrical vehicle.

He ripped out the gasoline engine, the transmission, the radiator and replaced them with electric motors, controllers, chargers switches and 20 golf cart lead batteries.

...

Viera said he feels a lot safer in his SUV now that it doesn't run on gasoline and likes the fact that his converted vehicle has no greasy parts and are built to last.

"Most of the components in an EV are designed for a very long service life," he said. "The motors, for example, can actually last a 100 years."

Oh yeah? Prove it.

"Las Mariposas Seeks To Reopen"

Good luck to them.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- The owner of a controversial west side restaurant claims city officials are making excuses in not allowing his restaurant to reopen following their forced closure three weeks ago.

Las Mariposas, on the corner of Guadalupe and Trinity streets, has been closed after city officials revoked its certificate of occupancy because outdoor signage violated city codes.

The owner said city officials told him his restaurant is still not ready to open even after he made the initial repairs.

...

City officials said the eatery doesn't have enough parking, which is why they've revoked the owner's request twice already. [emphases added]

C'mon, how many hole-in-the-wall eateries actually have enough parking? Go to any popular neighborhood joint and you'll find cars parked throughout the neighborhood. This smacks of municipal bullying.

Although I do find it odd that in this story the owner of the restaurant is named as Fernando de Leon while in a previous story the owner was a woman named Marion Luna.

Strange, all around.

UPDATED, August 15, 2008: I made a mistake. Apparently Ferndando de Leon works for the city. The actual owner of the building seems to be a Benjamin Leal, and Miriam Luna leased the place and opened the restaurant.

"City Group Considering Plastic Shopping Bag Ban"

Ban plastic bags?

KSAT reports:

The city has formed an environmental policy citizens' committee to look into the possiblity of banning plastic bags, said District 7 Councilman Justin Rodriguez.

"You go by any creek or Woodlawn Lake (and) you see them in there," he said. "They fly all over the place."

Many local stores already carry reusable bags, and some researchers estimated the taxpayer money spent on landfills and litter abatement adds up to about 20 cents per plastic bag used.

So what are dog owners supposed to use to pick up their pets' poops? Reusable bags?

Cars keep crashing into houses

And one woman is tired of it.

WOAI reports:

An accused drunk driver jumps a curb, loses control, and slams into two houses, leaving a big mess for the people sleeping inside.

A woman who lives in one of those home told News 4, this isn't the first time an accident like this has happened, and she's had enough.

The crash happened along a stretch of East Southcross on the southeast side.

Ida Stubblefield said she got the rude awakening around 2 a.m. Saturday morning.

...

There has [sic] been four accidents like this one in the past two years. Three ended up in Stubblefield's front yard.

"After the third time it happened, I thought it was time to go" she said.

Stubblefield and her neighbor spent Saturday moving in to new apartments that are nowhere near that dangerous curve on East Southcross.

Can't say as I blame her for moving. But I still wonder, what did her house ever do to the cars?

The Dignowity Hill Pushcart Derby

Pushcarts are all the rage in an East Side neighborhood, as Elaine Ayo from the Express-News reports.

The theatrics and trash talk will take over Dignowity Park at 700 Nolan St. from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. [Saturday, July 26] for the fourth annual derby, an event that has helped define a new chapter in the historic East Side neighborhood.

“It just goes to show there’s a demand for cool events, but it is going to take doing crazy stuff like the pushcart derby,” said event founder and organizer Cruz Ortiz, who added the neighborhood’s houses are “are so beautiful but so neglected.”

An artist and activist, Ortiz and his family moved to Dignowity Hill about five years ago and wanted to help clean up the neighborhood instead of besides [sic] constantly calling the police and code compliance departments. He described the project as “art activism,” a way to bring the neighborhood together and raise awareness of the East Side and its development.

...

As the event has grown to at least 12 teams competing and hundreds of spectators expected, its structure has been changed to a head-to-head format to allow for more races and more room on the racecourse, said Mary Cantu, derby manager.

The term pushcart is used loosely, organizers said, and past entries have included a shopping cart, a giant chicken piñata and a couch with wheels.

Roll on!

"Woman Stabs Sleeping Husband, Blames Attitude Toward Affair"

Wow, some people really hold a grudge, don't they?

KSAT-12 reports on this strange case of a woman who just couldn't let her husband's bad feelings go unchallenged. About her affair.

SAN ANTONIO -- Angry over an extramarital affair 30 years ago, police said a 78-year-old woman stabbed her 79-year-old husband while he slept early Tuesday on the city's southeast side.

But police said it wasn't the husband, Marvin Meyer, who had the extramarital affair. It was his wife, Mary Meyer, who admitted to detectives that she didn't like the fact that her husband resented her because of her affair.

Mary Meyer also claimed that her husband was trying to steal her inheritance money, police said.

Marvin Meyer was stabbed three times in the neck inside the couple's mobile home in the 3500 Block of Goliad Road. He was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in stable condition.

It seems odd that someone would harbor ill feelings this long and then suddenly act on them. I wonder if this tidbit has anything to do with the reason why the woman snapped.

The neighbors also told KSAT News that Mary Meyer may have been on some new medication and that may be the reason she attacked her husband.

Anyone smell a lawsuit?

Car almost crashes into house

This was a close one, as KSAT-12 reports, but can the vehicle really be blamed with shenanigans going on like this?

SAN ANTONIO -- A driver and a passenger got into a fight in a moving sport utility vehicle early Monday before the vehicle rolled into the front yard of a home on the city's West Side.

Police said a woman gave a man a ride around 4 a.m., when the two got into an argument.

"He wanted her to drive him some place. She refused to do so, stating she wasn't a taxi service," said Capt. Chris Andersen of the San Antonio Police Department.

Moments later, the man pulled out a gun and shot the woman in the face, Andersen said. When the man threatened to shoot the woman again, she pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the leg. She then lost control of the vehicle and rolled it into the front yard of a home in the 2900 block of Buena Vista.

The woman is in stable condition. The man ran, but he was caught later.

Getting my mail!

Back in April, Dave at Silver Creek 78250 reported on some mail he had received that was a little toasty. It seems a United States Postal Truck had crashed on its way to San Antonio and had burned. They tried to save as many pieces of mail that they could, and Dave had gotten some a couple of weeks later. See his original post for how the mail looked. [Here's my original post linking to his.]

At the time, I commented on Dave's post with this:

Hah! I remember that USPS truck crash, and I wondered at the time if any of my mail had been on board. It's good to see the Post Office trying to make sure you get your mail, even if it is a little damaged.

Well, it turns out some of my mail was indeed on that truck. And it finally got here today! Here is a picture of my burnt Social Security statement.

A little damaged, but still useful. Thanks Mr. Mailman.

"Psychic Says New Airport In City's Future"

I truly wonder sometimes what motivates our local news media.

Look what KSAT-12 is reporting now:

San Antonio is seeing it’s [sic] share of tough economic times this summer. AT&T is moving it’s [sic again] headquarters to Dallas. The highly touted savior of the southside, Toyota, will shuttle [I think they mean "shutter". --ed.] production until late fall. And two airlines have said goodbye to the San Antonio International Airport.

The changes, along with rising gas and grocery prices, has [sic] many worried, and wondering, when will things turn around?

It’s a question we posed to psychic Sean Harribance, who quickly zeroed in on issues surrounding the airport.

“I was meditating last night on the future and I saw a second airport here .. for cargo and international trips”, says Harribance, who sees San Antonio’s future dependent on moving people and cargo. He sees our current airport as problematic for the city, with it’s [sic!] limited size and ability to service international flights quickly. He predicts we will have a second airport, located 30 to 45 minutes away from where the airport is now.

Huh. Well, any new airport that may get built will need city approval somewhere along the way. So, what does the psychic say about the city's role?

Our mayor and city council all get the thumbs up from Harribance, who says “Most politicians do deals and contracts and they cheat .. I would say we have an honest city council and mayor”.

OK, now I know he's not really a psychic. That trusting view of our current city council is a dead giveaway. That, and his vision of the future:

Still, San Antonio will see crime increase this fall, and the city raising taxes next year and in 2010. Outside the city limits, he sees large tanks used for storage, possibly water storage [possibly not; it's hard to tell --ed.]. And in 10 years or so, “all of downtown is going to have casinos and slot machines”, Harribance tells us.

There you go. San Antonio as the next Vegas. Now you can prepare for the future.

I wonder how much Harribance had to do with the generation of this story. And I wonder what the staff members at KSAT have been drinking lately.

Peace and love and good happiness stuff

If you think there might be an outside chance you could be wanted for murder, you might want to rethink your decision to put on that shirt with a peace sign on it. You know, in case they actually catch you. While you're wearing that shirt. And there are news cameras around.
















KSAT-12 reports on the peace-sign-wearing suspect.

SAN ANTONIO -- A 36-year-old man was charged with murder early Friday in the slaying of his younger brother.
Israel Mora made an appearance around 3 a.m. before a magistrate, where he was formally charged.
Police said that Mora wrestled a gun away from his sibling, Miguel Mora, 22, and then shot him in the head, neck, leg and chest.

Baring most of it

What would you think if your newly hired carpenter showed up to work on your house wearing only a bikini bathing suit? That normally doesn't happen, but that's just what 52-year-old Gary Duncan does.

Karisa King at the Express-News has the story.

Gary Duncan hides almost nothing about himself. Quite literally.

Most days, his modesty amounts to little more than a nylon and Lycra man-bikini stretched across his nether region.

For several years now, whether working at a job site as a master carpenter, cycling through downtown or grabbing lunch at a sandwich shop, this is how Duncan faces the world. More recently, he has become a human landmark at the city's First Friday art shows, where he rides through the crowds and passes out carnations that match the color of his bikini.

And here's the slide show, because you know you want to look.

"High Water Bill Shocks SAWS User"

Wow, this is an eye-opener.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A local woman is at odds with a utility company over a bill she received stating she used more than five times the standard household average for residential users.

Connie Sepulveda said her bill from the San Antonio Water System normally hovers around $65 per month, but her May bill showed her household used more than 60,000 gallons of water. What's strange, she said, is her June bill was normal, but her July bill jumped another 20,000 gallons, resulting in a bill of nearly $700.

Check your bills closely.

A promo gone wrong

Or right, depending on what your point of view is.

KSAT-12 reports:

SAN ANTONIO -- A promotional campaign for an upcoming movie prompted the evacuation of one local television station and some anxious moments across the city.

San Antonio police, along with the fire department and the bomb squad, were called to KENS-TV at 5400 Fredericksburg Road Tuesday morning after a viral marketing campaign item was delivered to the station to promote "The Dark Knight." The building was evacuated for a brief time as bomb squad officials investigated the cake's contents.

...

The cake, also delivered to KSAT 12, was delivered in a white box and had a cell phone charger coming out the bottom of a cake with a hollow center. Attached to the cable was a cell phone inside a plastic bag that contained promotional materials for the upcoming film.

...

The fire department's arson bureau opted not to file charges in the case, but suggested to Santikos [Theaters] officials they re-think further promotional campaigns.

Yeah, the fire department doesn't like to make unnecessary calls.

"Car Crashes Into House During Shooting"

OK, this one may not be the car's fault.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A car crashed into a home during a shooting Sunday afternoon on the city's east side.

Police said a Chevrolet Caprice was traveling west on Martin Luther King Drive at 4 p.m. when someone in another car came up behind it and opened fire.

The Chevrolet crashed into the side of a home at the intersection of Wheatley and MLK Drive, police said.

Only minor injuries were involved.

"S.A. Man Builds Motorbikes"

WOAI reports on a wonderful new invention that can save you lots of money at the gas pump.

One San Antonio man is fighting high gas prices with motorized bicycles.

Mark Morales, a UTSA graduate, started a company called Spike's Motorbikes.

He says the bikes weigh about 40 pounds each. To start one, you pop the clutch and the motor kicks on. The bikes can go up to 30 mile per hour and get 100 miles per gallon.

"It's a good thing for anybody on a tight budget," said Morales.

What a great idea! I wonder why no one has thought of this before!

Oh, wait ...

Strutting the alley

If you've ever been strolling down Navarro Street in downtown San Antonio, you might have stumbled upon Peacock Alley.

















And the name might have conjured up images of an iridescent bird, a beautiful fowl courting his mate with a pretentious display of plumage.



















And then you might have actually looked down Peacock Alley.




















Oh well, I guess one name's as good as another for alleys.

"Business As Usual For Popular Downtown Restaurant Following Fire"

This is a bit odd.

From WOAI-TV:

The owner of a popular Downtown Mexican Restaurant [sic] doesn't plan to let his customers miss a meal, despite an early morning fire.

The flames at the Piedras Negras de Noche restaurant lit up the sky around 2:30 a.m. Friday. The restaurant, which is located on Laredo street, has been around for nearly 30 years.

...

"We had to force entry into the building. Uh, the fire had advanced up to the second and third floor. Uh, it was pretty deep seeded by the time firefighters arrived on the scene," said District Fire Chief Neil Ague.

The fire was caused by an electrical short and is being ruled accidental.

Despite the fire, it was business as usual for the front restaurant, which serves breakfast.

How can a restaurant open for business after a major fire with damages in the hundreds of thousands of dollars? Would the health department really think this was a good idea?

On the other hand, I think the waitresses were fully clothed, so they don't have to worry about the city shutting them down.

Stylin' on the bus

I've seen these bikes around, but I think this is the first time I've seen one on the front of a bus.

Chupacabra lady is back!

And she's selling more than ever!

Remember Phylis Canion, the lady who killed a mangy coyote and wants it to be a chupacabra really bad? Now she has convinced KSAT-12 to do some advertising for her!

CUERO, Texas -- Phyllis Canion and her family used to joke about the legendary creature chupacabra.

Little did they know that one day the mythical creature would inspire Canion to start a business in Cuero, southeast of San Antonio.

Nearly 10,000 people across the United States and 21 countries own T-shirts with the image of the coyote-type animal printed on them that were manufactured by Canion.

"We ... make them inexpensive because I want everybody who can, to have one," said Canion. "And help to show that the chupacabra is from the area of Cuero."

If she really wanted everybody to own a shirt, she could just give them away.

Just an idea.

Rabies in town

A case of rabies has been reported in Leon Valley. Watch out!

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Pet owners in the San Antonio suburb are being warned to keep a close eye on their animals and watch for strange behavior after animal control officials found a rabid skunk.

The rabies scare began Thursday when a resident called Animal Control officials to report a skunk that was acting strange.

"We went to observe and noticed it was paralyzed and biting on itself," Animal Control officer Kendall Webster said. "We gathered it up and took it in for testing for rabies, and we found out yesterday it came back positive."

Just to remind you: If you ever see a wild animal acting strange, leave it alone. And then call Animal Control. It's not worth it to have to get a rabies treatment.

"Police Call Woman's Death Suspicious"

This is a strange crime scene.

WOAI-TV reports:

Officers were called to a home near the intersection of Brook Hollow and Oakshire, on the far north side, for a possible overdose. But police aren't sure if that's really how the woman really died.

Police say it all started when the woman's husband ran to his next door neighbor's home. The man was bleeding, and claimed his wife had overdosed.

Police say the neighbor ran inside and called 911. But when he went back outside, the woman's husband was gone. The neighbor then went next door, that's where he found Brenda Miller, 27, dead inside.

Police say she didn't have any apparent wounds on her body, but the scene inside was suspicious. Miller was found in the living room, but it had been flooded with a water hose. There was blood all over the house. Police say it looked like there had been a struggle.

The husband came back, but it's not clear what, if anything, the police have done with him yet.

Screwing with the Beetle

I saw this old Volkswagen today. Besides the dull paint job, something about this car caught my eye.
















It was the unique details that had been added on the hood and along the sides. They prompted me take a closer look.















And then my suspicions about these details were confirmed. They were screws.
















And not just screws, but a mix of standard and Phillips-head varieties.

Ah, uniqueness, thy name is Beetle.

Independence Day

I hope your celebrations this day are safe.

R.I.P. Dan Cook

Nothing strange here. Just noting the passing of legendary sportscaster Dan Cook, as reported by the Express-News.

Dan Cook, a San Antonio legend whose career as a sports columnist and broadcaster spanned more than a half-century, died Thursday after a long illness. He was 81.

Insightful, humorous, colorful and brutally honest, Cook spent 57 years in the newspaper business — 51 of those at the San Antonio Express-News — interviewing sports’ greatest legends, from Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey to Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Tom Landry.

...

In addition to print journalism, Cook worked as a sportscaster at KENS-TV for 44 years, from 1956-2000. It was there in 1978 that Cook uttered the famous phrase, “The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings,” which is listed in Bartlett’s “Familiar Quotations.” He later said he first used the phrase in a column about two years before.

Requiescat in pace, Cook.

UPDATE: You know, after watching some old video of Dan Cook, it amazes me how much his style of speaking is similar to Hank Hill's. I wonder if Mike Judge found any inspiration there, or if it is just a Texas coincidence.

People who should think a little more

OK, folks, babies are not pets. Remember that.

From WOAI-TV:

A baby left all alone in an apartment is now with her father. That little girl was found by maintenance workers in The Broadstone on Medical apartment complex on the northwest side.

Those maintenance workers called police and EMS after they found the girl alone. Paramedics say the 9-month-old was perfectly fine. Police couldn't reach her mother for several hours. They were able to get a hold of the baby's father, who does not have custody of her.

...

Police allowed the father to take the baby for the night. They're now trying to find the mother and investigate why the little girl was left by herself.

I wonder if the father will now get custody.

"Helotes Fireworks Enforcement Upsetting Police, Customers"

Helotes officials are being jerks about fireworks.

From KSAT-12:

Since 2007, a stretch of Highway 16 past the city limit markers was annexed into the Helotes city limits, but the fireworks vendors currently set up off the roadway are outside the city limits. The highway prevents people who purchased fireworks legally from transporting them outside the city limits, and Helotes police have been cracking down.

"The fireworks stand (previous to 2007) would tell people to turn left and go outside our city," Helotes Police Chief Morton Ault said. "They're (going to) get a ticket as soon as they pull onto the street." [emphasis added]

Really, do the cops have to be so literal on the law? Even people who purchase the fireworks legally and are taking them away from town are being ticketed. That's stupid, and it's not going to make Helotes seem dear to too many people.

Money!

Sometimes, I'm just not in the right place at the right time!

From KSAT-12:

Police said about $100,000 in cash was tossed from a vehicle about 3:15 p.m. near North Star Mall by San Pedro Avenue on Loop 410, and people were stopping their cars on the highway to pick up the loose cash.

Drug enforcement agents, along with San Antonio police, were working on a sting of a suspected drug dealer, according to San Antonio police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino, when the driver took off, starting a chase. When the driver neared the entrance to Loop 410 from the access road near North Star Mall, somebody inside the vehicle threw a box containing cash outside the window.

The chase was immediately called off by a SAPD sergeant for safety reasons, Trevino said, but undercover DEA agents continued to follow the driver, who struck two vehicles near the intersection of Broadway and Wetmore roads. The driver left the vehicle and was immediately arrested by DEA agents, Trevino said. Nobody was injured in the two collisions, Trevino said.

If you were one of the lucky ones that snagged some cash, watch out. That money apparently was used in the sting and is marked. It would probably be better if you turned it in.

"Teacher Claims Racism, Discrimination At St. Philip's"

This is odd.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- An instructor at St. Philip's College is making claims of racism and discrimination after he said he was called offensive names and campus administrators have failed to act.

Rayford Richardson said when he was approached to teach one of the automotive classes at the college, he was happy to accept since he runs his own auto repair business and restores old vehicles as a hobby.

Richardson said the racist remarks from fellow instructors came quickly and often, including a remark made to him by another instructor in front of Richardson's students.

"I've had one of the directors of the Diesel department say I will never fit in because of the "good old boys" system at the main campus," he said.

This is strange because the man is black, St. Philip's College is a historically black college, and the campus is on the East Side of San Antonio, which is known for its African-American heritage.

I think there's a lot more to this story.

Two cars crash into house

More vehicle on domicile violence on the West Side. A car swerved to miss another car, hit a third in the driveway, and then ended up hitting the house.

From WOAI-TV:

Be careful out there.

UPDATE: I had embedded the video from WOAI in this post, but the video played by itself and kept looping. That annoyed me, so I just made the text above into a link to WOAI's media center. The script for the relevant video is below, with strategic spaces added to make it display as normal text.

< language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://woai.img.cdn.dayport.com/dayportcore/dpm/DayPortPlayers.js">< /script>< language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">DayPortPlayer.newPlayer({articleID:"562389",bannerAdConDefID:"5",videoAdObjectID:"4",videoAdConDefID:"2",playVideoAds:"true",autoPlay:"true",accPos:"CCTVI.VIDEO.LOCAL",accSite:"WOAI",rootCategory:"0",playerInstanceID:"27574A89-06D1-CD92-4444-22719C5099EC",domain:"video.woai.com"});< /script>

Bull riding in front of the Alamo

Argh! How could I not know this was going on? How cool and bizarre at the same time.

From the The Downtown Blog at the Express-News:

I didn't know what to expect when I heard the Houston Street Fair & Market would host bull riding in front of the Alamo.

I have to say, that was a lot of fun.

The biggest obstacle Saturday was the heat. But nobody seemed to mind from my vantage point on the bleachers during the 2 p.m. session.

Organizers handed out fans. There were plenty of places to grab drinks. There were people everywhere.

My only criticism was that organizers should have opened the viewing area even more. The gaps in between and around the bleachers were clogged with people. At least everyone was extremely polite.

Check out the cool pictures at the link. Here's one:

The Unity Straw?

Is there anyone else out there who thinks this is a scam?

[Found in the June 23, 2008 issue of the Express-News]

Take the "sip of change"!

"Mother Shot Son, Police Say"

Some families need to work on their conflict management.

From KSAT-TV:

SAN ANTONIO -- A mother shot her son at a home early Friday on the city's northeast side, police said.

Martha Sam, in her 50s, and her son, in his 30s, got into an argument when she refused to make him a pizza at their home in the 300 block of Cresham at 2 a.m.

Sam told police her son became angry and they started arguing, and he pushed her down.

Fearing for her life, Sam grabbed a pistol and shot her son in the abdomen.

I bet there's a lot more to this story than just a pizza.

"Mariposa's Cafe Closed By City"

The San Antonio City Council prigs seem to be using city resources to hassle entrepreneurial efforts.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A controversial restaurant once known for its scantily-clad waitresses had its doors closed by the city Thursday.

Mariposa's Cafe, located at the intersection of Guadalupe and South Trinity streets, had its certificate of occupancy revoked for installing three new signs without the proper permits, according to city officials. One of the new signs sits on a pole in the middle of a handicapped parking spot.

City officials said they believe the signs have been removed, but the offending poles are still in place. The city will withhold the eatery's certificate until owners become compliant.

Previously touched on here.

"Cadets Stumble Upon Rape At Woodlawn Park"

This is unusual. And fortunate.

From WOAI:

Several cadets training for the Bexar County Sheriff's Department got some true on-the-job training as they watched their instructors take down a man they say was raping a woman.

The rescue happened at Woodlawn Lake Park, just West of [d]owntown Wednesday morning.

Deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff's Department had just arrived with their cadets for training when they heard screams coming from the men's restroom.

"We had a female that was screaming," explained Bexar C[o]unty Training Instructor Joseph Canales. "She was totally nude, so we ran to investigate and upon arrival, she was fighting with a male."

The instructors took him down, giving the cadets some real-life training. And then the news crew confronted the man, who obviously forgets that you should never talk to the media while in handcuffs.

News 4's Kristina De Leon: "Were you raping that woman?"

Suspect: "No, ma'am. I tried to, uh, I went inside and trying to take a...use the restroom, and she came out screaming."

However, deputies believe the blood stains created when the woman hit her head on the rock wall and her cries for help tell a different story.

Yeah, the authorities aren't believing him so easily. By the way, nice Spurs shirt, dude.

Aborting the banana project

Aww, this is disappointing.

From 1200 WOAI:

Canadian artist Cesar Saez got plenty of publicity last year when he announced plans to build a giant, helium-filled, banana and launch it Mexico, so it could float over the skies of Texas.

...

The launch date was expected to be in August, but according to his web site, geostationarybananaovertexas.com, the campaign has been closed in failure.

Saez got about $100,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, but that's not close to the $1.5 [million] he said he needed to get the 300-yard dirigible off the country. The grassroots campaign pulled in about $12,000.

And I was so looking forward to it.

Leaving dad on the roof

The family that steals together stays together. Or goes to jail together.

From KENS-5:

A man, his two sons and a nephew were caught trying to break into a convenience store on Castroville Road early this morning, when the father got stuck in an air conditioning unit on the roof, according to police.

A neighbor called for help and firefighters rescued the man. Police arrested all four on attempted burglary charges.

The video is here.

Inventing boogeymen

OK, is WOAI-TV just trying to scare us now? It's not ratings month, is it? Or is there another motive?

Look at this brilliant reporting:

With local gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, going to the Texas coast a for [sic] summer trip is even more attractive. But there's something in the water you need to know about before you go.

Sea lice are akin to the jellyfish and are about the size of ground pepper. They're fairly common in the Gulf of Mexico, but not in numbers that can make people sick. [emphasis added]

Then, four paragraphs later:

Carleigh and Layne apparently ran into a cloud of floating sea lice that stung them countless times, leaving them with an awful rash and feeling very sick. [emphasis added]

Ridiculous. Someone's lying, or whoever is responsible for this copy cannot see basic contradictions in the written word. This sounds like a story manufactured to make people nervous about going to the beach.

Oh, then they close with this:

So, what can you do to prevent sea lice from stinging you and your family? A product called Safe Sea Lotion protects against ocean stingers like jellyfish or sea lice. The lotion isn't available in most stores, but can be ordered on the internet for about $15 a bottle.

Now I get it. WOAI even has a convenient link to Safe Sea's Web site.

I wonder how much that link cost.

Dodging death

Wow, this was close. We almost had a full-blown tragedy on our hands.

From Brian Chasnoff of the Express-News:

Fire officials evacuated more than 200 people from a downtown hotel early Sunday after sickened guests led to the discovery of a carbon monoxide leak.

Two guests — a 45-year-old woman and her toddler daughter — were hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning but had recovered by sunrise, Fire Department spokeswoman Deborah Foster said.

Paramedics were called to the Hotel Mimosa Riverwalk in the 500 block of South St. Mary's Street around 12:30 a.m. for a report of a sick person. The female guest was complaining of nausea and a headache; a carbon monoxide monitor applied to her and the toddler tested positive.

“It was found that they had pretty high levels of carbon monoxide in their systems,” Foster said.

Fire officials evacuated the guests — 178 adults and 28 children — to the lobby of a hotel across the street. About 33 families were moved to alternate lodgings for the night, Foster said. The rest returned to their rooms later.

...

Eric Wilson, 42, a hotel guest who'd been evacuated, said paramedics told him the leak was connected to “a boiler problem.”

A resident of Tampa, Wilson had traveled to San Antonio with his 15-year-old daughter to attend an Air Force graduation. He stood outside the hotel after sunrise on Sunday, smoking a cigarette and mulling the misadventure.

“If (the leak) had continued without anybody noticing, how bad could it have gotten? Nobody knows,” Wilson said. “If somebody hadn't gotten sick, carbon monoxide is going to kill you.”

Wilson's right. This could have been a lot worse. I'm glad the guests are OK, though.

Van crashes into art school

And now, after much waiting, the next instance of a vehicle assault on a building.


From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A minivan crashed into the side of a downtown building Friday.

The female driver told police that she lost control of the vehicle after the steering wheel malfunctioned and hit the side of the Southwest School of Art & Craft at 1201 Navarro St.

The driver and two children who were buckled in the back of the van are OK.

Glad to see everyone came out OK, including the art school.

"Man Attacked With Hammer"

Drinking and tools apparently don't mix.

From WOAI-TV:

Witnesses said they saw two men drinking together off East Baylor Street around 2 a.m. The witnesses told police the men began to argue and one of them hit the other in the head with a hammer. The attacker then took off running.

Police said they know who they're looking for, but have not made an arrest.

Maybe they're just waiting for him to come home.

"SUV Crashes Into Construction Zone"

The crash isn't very strange, but the getaway is.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A sport utility vehicle crashed into a construction zone on the city's north side early Wednesday.

Police said a man was speeding on Highway 281 North near Jones Maltsberger at 1 a.m. when he crossed into a lane blocked off by barrels and crashed into a parked dump truck.

The driver took off and left his passenger behind, police said.

Assuming the vehicle belonged to the driver: Why would you run off? Even if drunkenness came into play, surely one would realize that the police would then have your car that has your license plate on it that is registered to your name and address. It would just be a matter of time until they knocked on your door, so why make it worse by running away?

Assuming the vehicle did not belong to the driver: Do you really think your friend is not going to turn you in, especially since you left him injured on the side of the road?

"Police seeking man with missing earlobe"

Look out for the man wearing earmuffs in summer.

From the Express-News:

Police on Tuesday said they are searching for a man whose right earlobe was bitten off by a woman he is accused of raping nearly three months ago.

I wonder why it took three months to release this detail.

History in the sidewalk

Alan at Blogonomicon shows off a picture of a piece of history imprinted into the sidewalk many decades ago on Florida Street, and he talks about more.

I guess these were little bits from or about people who lived there or had lived there. In a couple of places they had also somehow managed to screen some grayscale photos directly onto the concrete. One of them was a photo of someone "presiding over the soda counter" at one of the old Pig Stand restaurants in 1938.

Absolutely cool stuff!

Picking up the sword

In Leon Valley, a suburb of San Antonio, the City Council voted to develop a system of trails in one of the few undeveloped portions of town, but "not before getting an earful from neighborhood residents who don’t want a welcome mat to the public in their backyards." [from the Northwest Weekly]

The citizens are concerned about criminal elements having easy access to their properties, but two of the councilmen assured the residents that they would protect them. And they used a phrase you might not expect in a modern confrontation between citizens and elected officials.

Councilmen Art Reyna and Jack Dean vowed to “pick up the sword” on the trail should residents’ fears become realized.

Actually, I kind of like that imagery. I only wish it were literal. Who can resist the thought of councilmen girding for battle and patroling the trails with medieval weaponry to keep the ruffians at bay?

"Police Capture Courthouse Escapee"

When looking for escapees, look under the baby.

From KSAT-12:

Robert Reece, 24, was in court on a family violence warrant when he rushed out of the courtroom, still handcuffed, Bexar County sheriff's officials said.

"The guy with cuffs ran right out the front door," witness Marcus Washington said. "With his cuffs like this, he grabs his baby and covers his cuffs up and walks right out the exit door."

Authorities said Reece obtained keys to his girlfriend's car and was able to elude capture at the courthouse.

"One of our detectives that works auto theft saw him and saw the handcuffs and tried to stop him, but he was able to get away," Deputy Sheriff Ino Badillo said.

After locating Reece at his apartment, he didn't immediately surrender, police said.
"It was obvious he was there because the girls were hindering, not letting officers... go on in," SAPD Sgt. Brian Custard said. "He poked his head up the window and yelled, 'I ain't going back.'"

Reece escaped to the roof of the apartment, but a circling police helicopter spotted him immediately, fording Reece to sit on the roof.

He eventually gave up.

"Three stabbed with martial arts weapon"

Does anyone know what this woman used in her slash attack?

From KENS-5:

The incident happened just before midnight at Spanky's located in the 5100 block of Randolph Boulevard.

According to police, an argument between the men began inside the bar. Then, the wife of one of the men involved in the argument, pulled out a martial arts star, started swinging and chased the men outside.

The two of men [sic] were stabbed and transported to a local hospital. The other man was treated at the scene.

Sounds like a shuriken, but I thought those things were mainly for throwing and distracting. I didn't think they were meant to do any large-scale damage on their own.

"Black Fire Hydrant Plan Gets Red Light"

Well, I hope this works out for them.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- County and utility officials have worked out a color-coding system that is expected to ease confusion about working fire hydrants in municipalities to the northeast of San Antonio.

Previously, the Green Valley Special Utility District had ordered all of its hydrants painted black in compliance with a state law requiring low-pressure hydrants be painted. The district claimed its reasoning in painting all of its hydrants was that it couldn't insure all hydrants would have sufficient pressure at all times.

Now, the board said it will paint the hydrants red and work on a color-coding system to specify a hydrant's pressure.

Mentioned previously here and here.

"Chihuahuas run for racing glory"

Who can resist racing chihuahuas?

From Eva Ruth Moravec at the Express-News:

SEGUIN — Conditions were perfect at the racetrack here Saturday. The aroma of roasted chicken legs and carne guisada tacos teased the racers' nostrils, and owners encouraged them to run.

Yet run they did not.

The majority of the 26 Chihuahuas that participated in the Seguin-Guadalupe County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's fourth annual Chihuahua races never left the starting gate; other Chihuahuas ran halfway across the track, then retreated.

But one proud pooch, Daisy, took her heat and the championship title of the fastest Chihuahua around — despite her post-maternity figure. Last year, she received an honorable mention.

“She's much lazier this year because she had puppies,” said Seguin resident Rachel Olivares before Daisy dazzled spectators.

Of course, my personal favorite is the floating chihuahua of Fiesta.

Doing nothing at all, and doing it in a big way

Out near Seguin, it seems some kids were getting into trouble by smashing up a bunch of mailboxes. That's not very unusual out in rural Texas, but I did get a kick out how one resident described the offenders' actions.

From KSAT-12:

More than 50 mailboxes across the county and about 15 inside Seguin were smashed or run over, much to the chagrin of the mailbox owners, and some residents believe teenagers with nothing to do are the culprits.

"I think the kids need to be structured out here, resident Bruce Trahan said. "When they get out of school, it just seems like they have nothing to do and they do it."

Mr. Trahan has a way with words.

People who should probably think a little more

Sending your daughter on an errand is not necessarily a bad thing, but you should consider where you are sending her.

From WOAI:

A young girl was hit by a car while crossing a busy street. She's expected to be okay, but her mother is now in jail for what happened.

...

Sheriff's deputies tell News 4 the 9-year-old and her little sister were trying to cross FM 78 because their mom wanted them to drop something off at a Money Box check cashing store across the street.

Investigators say the girl just walked out into the street. They said the mom had stayed at home with younger kids.

When the mother got to the scene she was arrested and charged with endangering children.

The mother should also think about doing her own banking.