"School Bus Driver Accused Of Pinching Girl's Nose"

Hmm. I wonder what damages this man will claim.

SAN ANTONIO -- The father of a 7-year-old girl is threatening to sue a Judson Independent School District bus driver for allegedly pinching his daughter's nose.

Anastasia Mireles, who attends Coronado Village Elementary School, said that the bus driver pinched her after the children in the bus got rowdy. ...

An investigation into the incident continues and Judson officials will decide if further action is needed, although the driver will probably not be terminated, Hoffman said.

But Benjamin Mireles said the driver has no business driving a school bus and plans to file assault charges.

Assault? For a pinch on the nose? Assuming the incident did happen, I can't help but feel that Mr. Mireles is overreacting. A reprimand might be in order for the bus driver, depending on the circumstances (which I admittedly do not know the details of), but I think a lawsuit is a bit strong right out of the gate.

"Kinky Starts College Tour with Support from Jesse Ventura"

OK, this is really strange in San Antonio.

Kinky Friedman, making no apologies for recent racially charged remarks, began a three-day college tour [at the the University of Texas at San Antonio] Monday with Jesse Ventura, the former Minnesota governor whose surprise victory in 1998 is serving as the template for Friedman's independent populist run for Texas governor. ...

The independent Friedman faces Republican Gov. Rick Perry, Democrat Chris Bell, independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Libertarian James Werner in the Nov. 7 election.

Ventura is accompanying him on planned stops this week in San Marcos, Houston and College Station.

Ventura, wearing his long beard in a single braid and a SEAL Team cap, railed about Republicans and Democrats preferring a small turnout like the 29 percent voter turnout in the last Texas governor's race and urged the students to vote for Friedman and boost the overall voter count.

If you get a chance, check out this story on video [You can find video here. Look for the piece titled "Friedman, Ventura Court Young SA Voters", because they don't make it easy to link directly to it --ed.]. Ventura has really let himself go, and he looks like crap. I liked his bald look while governor, but the crazy braids he has now are pitiful.

UPDATE: I'm not a big fan of John Branch, the editorial cartoonist for the Express-News, but he did capture Ventura's nutty look quite well in this cartoon.

"West Side ice cream truck also allegedly stocked drugs"

We all scream for it. Except one ice cream truck one the West Side seemed to be drawing an older crowd.

Lomi Kriel at the Express-News has the story:

Wednesday, Edgewood Independent School District police arrested a 49-year-old ice cream vendor and accused him of selling cocaine, marijuana and Xanax through his van window.

"I haven't seen something this bold," Police Chief Charlie M. Peña Jr. said. "Right out of the truck, like you buy ice cream." ...

Most of his customers were regulars, Peña said, and, "at this point, it looks like their ages were between junior high and high school."

A system of codes was used by customers to indicate they were to be trusted, Peña said, and referrals for new customers were accepted.

One scoop of snow, one scoop of grass, and don't forget the sprinkles.

In other news, customers keep coming into restaurants

"Tourists Keep Coming To SA"

"Four girls with cameras ..."

Here is a nice blog called San Antonio Daily Photo. There's nothing strange about it. It's just four girls posting pictures of the Alamo City. I only draw your attention to it because I like it.

Strange way to get free gas

If your car is about to run out of gas, and you have no money to pay for fuel, what should you do? Beg? Assault the clerk?

Or do both?

From the Express-News:

According to police the woman walked inside the store and said she needed free gasoline because she had no money and her car was about to run of gas.

When the clerk refused to give her free gas the woman pulled out a hammer and whacked him on the head. The suspect then grabbed $2 worth of rolled up coins.

The clerk called police and was taken to the hospital.

Police caught up with the woman stranded in her car in 4800 block of Military Drive.

Two dollars doesn't buy much gas these days.

Car crashes into house

OK, it's actually an apartment building, but the car still ended up in a dwelling.

From KSAT:

SAN ANTONIO -- While reportedly avoiding a dog in the road, a woman, 34, swerved into a pedestrian then crashed through a fence and into a building.

The crash happened early Sunday morning on the city’s north side on the 1900 block of Larkspur Drive.

Police said the 35-year-old man who was hit suffered serious injuries and was brought to University Hospital. He was walking his dog around 4:30 a.m. when he was hit.

No one was killed, thankfully, but that was some crash.

Worst getaway ever

From WOAI:

Two men ripped off a gas station at loop 410 and Roosevelt early Saturday, police told News 4 WOAI. After leaving the scene, both suspects bailed out of their getaway car. The driver was caught shortly after, but the other suspect led officers to an apartment where he was found hiding in a baby bed, next to a baby.

I suppose its less obvious than hiding in your own bed.

"Poisoned Dead Pigeons Mar Texas Festival"

OK, this didn't take place in San Antonio. It happened on the border of Texas and Arkansas. But it's so strange, I felt I had to include it anyway.

TEXARKANA, Texas -- The organizers of Texarkana's annual festival never counted on dead pigeons dropping from the sky.

In the midst of one of the Texas town's most anticipated events, authorities had to scoop up birds that were nose-diving onto the pavement and dying on downtown sidewalks.

A bank president said the pigeons fell victim to a pest control effort, eating poisoned corn that was put on the bank's roof after bird droppings fell on a customer.

That's so weird, I'm amused and revulsed at the same time. And, the situation brings to mind Les Nessman's turkeys.

"JP Gets Into Scuffle With Police"

Justices of the peace shouldn't be throwing their weight around in a police office. Especially after they've run afoul of the law before.

From KSAT:

SAN ANTONIO -- Bexar County Justice of the Peace Pct. 4 Albert McKnight got into a scuffle with a San Antonio Police Department detective Thursday.

One of McKnight's relatives was being questioned at police headquarters about an alleged kidnapping, when police said, Mcknight tried to stop the questioning and sparked a confrontation. ...

McKnight has had run-ins with police before.

Two years ago, he was charged with exposing himself to an undercover Park Police officer.

He was found guilty on a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and was fined.

Strange JP.

Car crashes into house

But, I have no proof.

Dang.

Last night (September 5, 2006), the 10:00 p.m. broadcast news of either KSAT-TV or WOAI-TV aired video of another car crash that involved a house. The problem is, I was flipping back and forth between the two newscasts and can't remember which station actually had the video. And, I can't seem to find the video on either of the two Web sites so that I can link to it.

Until I do link the story (if I can), I hope you will accept my word that I did see a report of a car crash into a house.

"Man Killed In Unusual Accident"

After a night of drinking, it's best to get a ride home. Or else you might put your car in reverse, think it's in drive, and rocket off across a field.

That seems to be what happened in this story from KSAT:

Authorities said a 66-year-old man was killed in this accident. His body was lying in a nearby field.

Witnesses told police the man was leaving a bar from across the street. It seemed he sped off in reverse through the field, hit what appeared to have been a pole which pulled his door off, and, according to police, fell out of the truck.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are still investigating.

Just another odd mayor's race

The race for mayor in San Antonio is heating up, even though the election isn't for quite a while. The incumbent, Phil Hardberger, will most likely win another term handily as there is no credible opposition. So far, it's just him and Patrick McCurdy, who plans to do a lot of praying for our city.

But there is another person who has just declared that he is running for mayor. This man's name is R.G. Griffing, and he likes to be a thorn in the sides of local governments, politicians, and news organizations by running his own bloggy newsite called San Antonio Lightning Newspaper. He is a bit of firebrand, and he barely minces his words.

Here is the preamble to his declaration of candidacy:

You people make me sick!

Yes, you!

You are hicks and rubes and suckers. You lay down for every tax increase that comes your way. Every stupid political idea.

I sometimes doubt your intelligence.

You are a politician's dream.

Easy marks.

A carnival worker's delight.

Nothing but beasts of burden.

Sometimes you are oxen. Sometimes simply sheep.

You people make me sick!

Ouch. Kinda makes you want to vote for him, doesn't it? But he is apparently quite serious about seeking office.

I can say this to you, without fear of offense, because I, too, am a hick and a rube and a sucker. I, too, am a lay down. I, too, have fallen for stupid ideas. ...

But no more, at least for me. Enough is enough. Time to stand up.

For that reason, I have filed the necessary paperwork to run for Mayor.

He doesn't have a chance against Hardberger, but I will give him credit for being passionate and motivated.

"Parents Accused of Burglary While Leaving Kids Home Alone"

Jeez.

Police say the couple left their young kids home alone while they broke into a new home under construction on the northwest side.

Wow. Go to the link and watch the video of the WOAI story to see just how strange it is.

Car crashes into house

It's happened again, an automobile accident involving a house. Lomi Kriel of the Express-News reports:

Sylvia Guitron planned on remodeling her kitchen sometime. Just not quite this way.

Around 6 p.m. Wednesday, as she ironed a shirt to wear that night, a white Ford Explorer slammed into her kitchen, knocking a hole in her plumbing, demolishing her oven and washing machine, and smashing the flowered china she inherited from her mother, who passed away last Christmas. ...

Gina Rodriguez, 25, and Sandy Jimenez, 21, were popping over to H-E-B when Jimenez swerved to avoid an oncoming car flying around the corner at Imperial Boulevard and Allendale Drive. Jimenez overcorrected, slamming into the kitchen — passing between a wide tree and a parked van.

"Everything happened so fast," Rodriguez said. "The next thing we knew we were in the lady's house."

Strange, strange.

"Arrests of 5 more ex-firefighters expected"

Didn't they have enough to do, or did they need a hobby?

The Express-News reports the story:

With one former volunteer firefighter already charged with arson, Bexar County fire marshal's officials revealed Thursday that they expect to arrest five more volunteer firefighters suspected of setting brush fires in South Texas that injured one person.

Investigators said five former firefighters from the Poteet and Primrose volunteer fire departments should be arrested in the next few weeks and charged with arson felonies.

The firefighters are suspected of arson in more than 20 fires in Atascosa and Bexar counties that burned hundreds of acres of brush. Those brush fires also damaged several barns and sheds, fire officials said Thursday. In one case, the firefighters are suspected of lighting an uninhabited house on fire, according to fire marshal spokesman Ted Manganello, who characterized the home as "well-damaged." [emphases added]

That's just sad. In my book, firefighters are true heroes, for the most part. They dart into burning buildings to save human life, battle blazes in crappy weather, and perform high-water rescues when necessary.

But, "for the most part" is an important qualifier. Bonehead firefighters that intentionally set blazes that put other people in danger (like what is being alleged in the story mentioned above), are no heroes. They are boneheads at best, and villains most likely.

And they deserve contempt.

"Crook Steals ATM, Drags it for Miles"

Rather bold, I would say.

From WOAI:

According to officers, someone used a pick-up truck to pull a Bank of America ATM machine out of a parking lot on Blanco and Huebner overnight.

The machine was dragged to the 9100 block of Abe Lincoln, where it was abandoned. Police were able to follow marks on the road to locate the ATM.

The intersection of Blanco Road and Huebner is here, and Abe Lincoln is here. That's a long way to drag a big, heavy machine like that (through busy commercial areas and heavily-traveled streets), and it was probably showering sparks into the night the whole way. I wonder that no one saw the strange sight and reported it to the police.

San Antonio is twelfth-drunkest city

Don't know exactly how strange this is, but San Antonio has been ranked by Forbes as the twelfth-drunkest city in the nation.

To do the study, Forbes ranked each city in five areas: state laws, number of drinkers, number of heavy drinkers, number of binge drinkers and alcoholism. ...

Forbes pointed out some surprising results. Some stereotypically "partying" cities didn't rank high on the list. Las Vegas came in at only No. 14; New Orleans, home to Bourbon Street and Mardi Gras, only ranked in 24th place. And a town known for spring-break revelers, Miami, was only No. 33 on a list of 35 cities.

Hoist that margarita, tip that cerveza; we're drunker than Las Vegas!

Worst customer -- ever

A family of six people suffered a home invasion. Three men forced their way int0 Charles Legnon's apartment, threatened the man and his wife with a shotgun, locked the children in a bathroom, and stole cash and jewelry before leaving. Thankfully, the Legnons were not hurt, though they were shaken up a bit. But the strange part is that Legnon knew one of his assailants -- because he did some work for him, as KSAT reports:

Legnon told police that he recognized one of the men as a customer who wasn't happy with a transmission he had fixed for him.

Wow. Most disgruntled customers will complain, call the Better Business Bureau, or just tell friends to steer clear the offending enterprise. This guy is bold and angry enough to actually rip off the man who did auto repairs for him.

But, however, apparently not smart enough to wear a mask.

No arrests have been made. Yet.

"Fuentes keeping her secrets"

Brian Chasnoff at the Express-News talks about Naomi Fuentes's reaction when he went to talk to her:

When I dropped by the Bexar County Jail annex to chat with Fuentes, currently imprisoned on charges of credit card abuse and misapplication of fiduciary property, she jerked away from the glass, jabbed an unfriendly finger at me and vigorously shook her head.

Translation: Forget please. Go now.