"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.

"Bexar County Inmate Mistakingly Freed, Recaptured"

Oops. (From KSAT-12)

SAN ANTONIO -- For the second time in less than a year, officials at the Bexar County jail mistakenly released an inmate not scheduled to be freed -- but police have since recaptured the convicted sex offender.

Lance Kevin Yeoman, 33, was released Wednesday, according to jail officials, but it wasn't until Thursday afternoon that jail officials realized their mistake.

Yeoman was found Friday at his girlfriend's father's home in Universal City, jail officials said. Investigators have not released any additional details of his capture.

And regarding the place where he was found: Sometimes the criminals make it easy for the cops, even if they are set free by mistake.

Awaiting the floating banana

Remember the giant-floating-banana-over-Texas project? It's scheduled to take place this summer (August is the target launch month).

I can't wait!

Oh, and don't forget to check out the official floating banana Web site.

Hannibal Lecter?

KSAT-12 reports on a convicted killer that started ranting in a courtroom. That's interesting enough, but what's weird is the mask that the judge made the man wear before allowing him to continue.

Here's a screen capture from KSAT's Web site:

Really, what use is that mask? Is it to prevent the prisoner from spitting? From seeing? Something else? If anyone knows, I'm truly curious.

"Woman Catches Herself on Fire in Car"

The following is a public service announcement: Don't light up after gassing up.

From WOAI:

A woman caught herself on fire Wednesday night, after lighting a cigarette in her car.

Police say the woman had just finished putting gas in her car near FM 78 on the east side. She took off, lit a cigarette and then caught on fire. The woman lost control of her car and crashed into a bale of hay, which also caught on fire.

I hope she recovers from her burns.

"Black Fire Hydrants Have Counties Seeing Red"

Here's a follow-up from KSAT-12 on the Green Valley Special Utility District's decision to paint all of its fire hydrants black (previously mentioned here):

SAN ANTONIO -- A new state law is prompting different interpretations as well as a possible lawsuit against one local water utility.

House Bill 1717 mandates utilities distinguish between fire hydrants that can discharge 250 gallons of water per minute by painting underperforming hydrants black.

The Green Valley Special Utility District, which covers parts of Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties, has decided to paint all of its hydrants black.

...

An attorney for Guadalupe County said the utility is not abiding by the intent of the law to avoid being held liable for problems with the system.

"It's very disturbing that now all of a sudden, they're saying whoops," attorney Elizabeth Murray-Kolb said. "In case of malfunctions, we'll just go ahead and not let you use any of our fire hydrants."

Murray-Kolb said many of the utility's hydrants are capable of producing more than four times the required state allotment.

Guadalupe County commissioners agreed to join any lawsuit filed against the utility Tuesday afternoon, and the cities of Cibolo and Schertz are expected to meet Tuesday evening to discuss their involvement.

Sounds like Green Valley is going to have its hands full very soon.

"Councilwoman Targeting Car Washes"

I think San Antonio City Council in its current make-up is going to end up making things bad for a lot of businesses in this town simply because they don't like the display of boobs.

First, Diane Cibrian wanted to change the city code to regulate all restaurants just because she couldn't stomach a strip club opening in her district. And now, as KSAT-12 reports, Jennifer Ramos wants to regulate all car washes just because one in her district is staffed by girls in bikinis.

SAN ANTONIO -- Criticism was vocal after a car wash staffed by bikini-clad women opened on the city's south side in early May, and it's prompted that district's councilwoman to push for tighter regulations on car wash facilities.

District 3 Councilwoman Jennifer Ramos said businesses like the Bikini Car Wash that opened in her district don't belong near schools, churches and neighborhoods.

"There's a place and area for these types of car washes," she said. "What I'm looking at is trying to put specifications, so that when a business or property owner goes in to get a zoning request, they'll need to get one for car washes."

...

Ramos said she's not specifically targeting the Bikini Car Wash [yeah, right --ed.], but she said that if her proposal were passed, it would regulate all types of car washes in San Antonio.

Now, can she just do something about taggers? Please?

Waiting

Who knew ninjas rode the bus in San Antonio?




















Sorry for the quality of the picture. I saw this guy while at a red light, and I had just enough time to pull out my camera and snap one quick shot before traffic starting moving again. But, for what it's worth, there it is.

Keeping it in the family

WOAI reports on a family enterprise:

Bexar County investigators said they showed up at the house on Durette Drive hoping to find a fugitive wanted on drug and robbery charges. Instead, the deputies found marijuana, cocaine, and assault rifles inside the home.

...

A man, his girlfriend, and his mother were arrested after the raid.

Family reunions must be fun.

"Judge Cancels Hearing Because Of Gas Prices"

I know gasoline prices are high, but this is a little ridiculous.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- A judge canceled a Monday hearing in a lawsuit over Texas' primary and caucus system used to distribute delegates, in part because gas is so expensive.

The League of United Latin American Citizens of Texas, the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and others sued the state of Texas and the Texas Democratic Party earlier this month, contending the complicated system used in the March 4 primary election unfairly diluted Latino votes.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery cited high gas prices in his order canceling the hearing, which he issued Friday.

"Moreover, numerous gallons of $4.00 a gallon gasoline would be expended for a significant number of persons to appear with the result being an oral presentation of the already written arguments," Biery wrote.

The judge said he expects the plaintiffs in the case to respond in writing to a filing from the defendants.

I'm no lawyer, but this sounds a little fishy. Can a judge cancel hearings just because he thinks people shouldn't be driving? Why does he care so much about the economic impact of fuel costs and not the pollution that would be generated, which would happen no matter what the gas prices are? Why not require them to ride the bus? Or why not just do all hearings through correspondence? After all, gas prices aren't likely to go down anytime soon.

This seems like an odd decision.

Recycling hate

Someone put this on my windshield today.
















Normally I would toss such anti-Catholic, world-conspiracy nonsense into the nearest trash can where it belongs, but then something on the masthead caught my eye.
















Yep, that crap is recycled. A conspiracy tract from 2003 is still being circulated as news today. I found that a little strange.

"Homeowners Complaining About Apparent 'Act Of God'"

Well, this is a bummer, and weird since it affected so many units at once.

From KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- Residents of a northwest side subdivision have been without air conditioning for days after a lightning storm apparently damaged nearly 30 units.

Homeowners in the Silver Oaks subdivision are looking at costly repair bills even though their units are under warranty.

"At first, I thought it was just myself," resident Maryann Cortez said. "Then I found out it was the neighbor, then across the street and so on."

Repairmen from Airtron, the company that installed the units, told neighbors the problem was with a burned-out motor -- which would normally be covered by the manufacturer's warranty -- but Carrier officials told Airton since the units were damaged by a power surge as a result of lightning, it was an "act of God."

"It's not covered under the warranty," Airtron representative Mike Duerler said. "It would be the same as if a storm blew a tree over into your unit or something like that. It's actually damage; it's not a defective part."

Oh, the joys of homeownership.

"Bikini Car Wash Reopens"

KSAT-12 reports that the prigs have suffered a setback.

SAN ANTONIO -- One week after it was closed for code violations, the Bikini Car Wash reopened for business Friday.

The car wash, which is located at the intersection of South Flores and Southcross, had been open for only four days before city officials found problems with the drainage and ordered it closed.

But the owner, Ricardo Arsate, said that he made all the necessary improvements and the city reissued his certificate of occupancy.

Now, can we focus on taggers?

"Motorists Selling Blood For Gas"

Nope. I'm not buying this story from KSAT-12:

SAN ANTONIO -- As gas prices continue to soar, San Antonians continue to look for affordable ways to afford to keep their cars on the road. Some have found a temporary solution to get some quick cash and fill up their tanks.

Eighteen-year-old Jessica Busby is just one of a growing number of people that are donating some of their blood’s plasma for gas money.

Busby said she was “totally strapped for cash” and needed to find a way to keep her gas tank full.

...

Twice a week, Busby rides her bicycle to the Biomat USA Plasma Center just north of downtown San Antonio. She gets paid $40 for each donation. Busby said it was the only solution she could think of to keep her car on the road.

Busby said she goes through “a never-ending vicious cycle of donating, and donating and donating.”

Busby said she will continue going to the plasma center “until I get a better job.”

This sounds like a manufactured story to me. I think "eighteen-year-old Jessica Busby" might have donated plasma once or twice for money, but I really doubt she's caught in a "never-ending vicious cycle of donating, and donating and donating." Besides, she obviously has a bicycle. Why doesn't she just use that to get around and save on some gas money?

And, one interview with a plasma donor does not a "growing number of people" make.

No photos!

At the corner of Quincy Street and North Flores Street, there is a building with an odd painted message on it.

















The message, proudly displayed in UT burnt orange, says:

UT
HOOK
EM
HORNS

A Picasso
or
Art in the Hood!
[stray graffito]
No Photos Allowed! ©
















I guess I broke the rules.

"Handcuffed Man Escapes From Police"

Well, I can understand the motivation of a handcuffed man trying to escape from police, but I'm not sure I understand why a passing motorist would think it was a good idea to pick up a handcuffed man.

KSAT-12 reports:

After the man was handcuffed and placed in a patrol car, he banged his head on the cage in the cruiser, causing a big gash on his head, said Sgt. Jim Prendergast of the San Antonio Police Department.

When an officer opened the door of the cruiser outside the Brady Green Clinic, the man took off running, police said.

The handcuffed man then began flagging down passing vehicles until someone picked him up, police said.

The man was dropped off at a home in the 1000 block of West Poplar, where he was found trying to hide in a shed behind a home.

Odd.

"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?