Your county government at work -- getting re-elected

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

The signs for his Republican opponent, Susan Pamerleau, didn't register with County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson.

Neither did the white SUV outfitted with more of her signs parked near the valet station on Ivy Lane.

And Republican Justice Marialyn Barnard, who's running this fall to keep her seat on the 4th Court of Appeals, was useless as a clue. She was strolling up the walk to retired healthcare executive Bill Rasco's house in Terrell Hills, just ahead of Adkisson.

Now, Barnard isn't a person — and those aren't signs — you'd expect to see outside a fundraiser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White.

Unless you're Tommy Adkisson.

Yes — Tuesday evening, the three-term commissioner strode into his rival's first fundraiser, thinking it was an event for White.

(from Greg Jefferson at the Express-News)

And guess what? No one noticed right away! No one!

Well, almost no one.

GOP activist Carol Van De Walle said that when Adkisson stepped onto the covered front porch and planted himself in front of the table with guests' nametags, nobody but her seemed to notice.

Really, who expects the opponent to show up at your candidate's fundraiser?

“He was looking down at the little box with all the nametags,” said Van De Walle, who went to high school with Adkisson.

She stepped up to her old classmate and said: “Tommy, you're not going to find your nametag.”

It then dawned on him that he was in the wrong place. But before scurrying away, he hugged Van De Walle.

Sorry, that's just too funny! And Adkisson isn't even my County Commissioner! Really, doesn't he have any handlers?

Banning worm digging

Alan at Blogonomicon found what is apparently the best place in San Antonio to dig for worms. It's so good, in fact, it's banned!

Hitchcock knew how dangerous they were.

You just never know when -- or why -- someone might try to break into your house.

Police say the unidentified woman woke the family living in the 8400 block of Magdalena Run by banging on the front door, ringing the doorbell and yelling that birds were inside her home. However, the family had no idea who this woman was.

Police say the woman used a brick to force her way inside and broke the glass in the door. She reached through and opened the door from the inside and got into the home. The man tried to get her to stop but she kept advancing toward him. Police say he hit her in the head with a metal piece of a hydraulic pedal. She was unresponsive when officers arrived.

(from WOAI-TV)

The woman was taken to the hospital, but there's no word of her condition. If she lives, she's lucky.

Seeing a nightmare come true

I hope no one goes through what this poor woman had to experience.

SAN ANTONIO - A phone call Thursday morning lead police to a body and a suspected killer.

Thirty-eight-year-old Luis Alfonso Gonzalez was arrested by San Antonio Police for murder.

...

SAPD was first tipped off about the murder by Gonzalez's wife, who phoned police when her husband came home covered in blood and claiming that he had killed a [wo]man.

(from KENS-5)

There might be more to this story, but right now my heart goes out to that man's wife.

On this day, 42 years ago ...

... a person in San Antonio died in a monorail accident.

I don't think you will ever hear of such a thing again.

(Read San Antonio Remembers to find out details.)

Someone who needs to be taught how to think more

Did you think no one would notice your freakin' huge bus!??

SAN ANTONIO -- News 4 WOAI has obtained an update on a school bus driver who drove through a rail road crossing to beat a train.

A viewer used a cell phone to capture video of the incident, which happened about a about a week and a half ago on Basse Road, just west of US-281. We learned the driver is from the school right down the street, the School of Excellence.

(from WOAI-TV)

Supposedly the driver was disciplined, but the story doesn't say in what "excellent" way that was.

Taking political slacktivism to a new low

What if they held an election, and no one came?

Here's "what if":

SAN ANTONIO -- It's an uncontroversial issue; there is no tax hike, no bond at stake, no highly contested seat, all reasons why Southside ISD has had less than 1% of it[s] voters cast a ballot in its election.

The district needs voter approval to move $0.13 of the tax rate of $1.3689 from going into the Interest and Sinking Fund and into the Maintenance and Operations budget. The district estimates the simple readjustment will provide an additional $2.6 million for schools.

The problem is that with just a few days left until the election (Saturday, September 18) less than 100 people have voted. Southside ISD has almost 10,000 voters and has spent more than $23,000 to hold the election.

(from KENS-5)

See, the problem is, no one has been listening to P. Puff Diddy Daddy, nor have they been taking him seriously. They just don't think they will die if they don't vote.

Rooting for the home team

"El Grande," a major drug cartel figure, was captured by the Mexican military.

MEXICO CITY — Mexican special forces marines captured Sergio Villarreal Barragan, allegedly a top member of the embattled Beltran Leyva cartel who appears on a list of the country's most-wanted fugitives, in a raid Sunday in the central state of Puebla, the government said.

Villarreal, known as "El Grande," did not put up any resistance when he was arrested along with two accomplices as they left a residence in Puebla city, according to government security spokesman Alejandro Poire. The raid involved 30 Navy marines, five vehicles and a helicopter.

(from MSNBC.com)

So, why is a lowly blog about strange things in San Antonio pointing this story out to you, since it took place in Mexico? Because of the fashion displayed by the fugitive.





Go Spurs Go, way down in Mexico!

Grand theft strings

If you wanted a violin, and you didn't want to pay for it, would you think it would be worth it to use armed robbery? One guy in town did recently.

A student on his way to school Tuesday morning was robbed of his violin and case, police said.

The incident triggered a brief lockdown at Clark High School where the student attends. He told officers a man approached him in the 5100 block of De Zavala, showed a handgun stuck in his pocket, and demanded the instrument.

Police later arrested Johnny Villarreal, 20. He faces two felony charges: aggravated robbery and unlawful use of a handgun in a school zone, along with a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.

(from the Express-News)

Man, somebody sure was jonesing for a hit of concerto.

Spider monkey!

In North Bexar County! Watch out!

Stephen Tello, president of Primarily Primates, said the “ruddy black” monkey, named W.C. Fields, escaped last Tuesday when strong winds from Tropical Storm Hermine pulled open the creature's wire enclosure.

An 87-year-old nearby resident fed the fugitive some watermelon in his garage at one point, but it wasn't a good idea, Tello added.

“Now he's associating open garages with places to go get food,” he said.

Plus, watermelon is not good for a monkey's tummy and “I wouldn't want him to have diarrhea all over people's houses,” Tello added.

(from the Express-News)

I hope they catch that monkey! Believe me, no one wants diarrhea from W.C. Fields all over their house.

Someone who gave it a lot of thought, but not enough

Sometimes the bad guys just don't think their capers all the way through.

A suspect using a front-end loader hauled away a bank's automated teller machine, but police said the man ran away when an officer spotted him.

The man drove up to the ATM at the Capital One bank at Ingram and Hwy. 151 on what police said was a possibly stolen front-end loader.

Investigators said the man smashed down the structure holding the ATM, scooped the machine into the tractor's bucket and started to drive away.

But officers then showed up at the bank. They said they saw the man driving the front-end loader and the ATM out of the parking lot.

Police said their officers followed the man as he drove the loader into a weed-covered field. But the man's escape attempt fizzled when the loader got stuck in mud.

(from KSAT-12)

The burglar got away, but I have a feeling he will get caught for this, or some other, crime before too long.

Taking up more space in your garage

When the City of San Antonio went to a two-bin system of waste disposal (blue for recyclables one day a week, brown for everything else on another day of the week), I thought it was a pretty good idea. The system is not too complicated, so no one can really argue that they don't want to participate because it is difficult to understand, and the bins are pretty large and can accommodate a lot of stuff.

And so far, it seems to be working out nicely.

So far.

Now the City wants to take that success and add to it and complicate it until it turns into a freakin' mess. Get ready for food bins!

SAN ANTONIO -- Officials with the city's Solid Waste Management Department said the department plans on adding a third collection bin for organic waste.

In addition to brown trash bins and blue recycling bins, residents would have a green bin, specifically for green waste.

"On your collection day for your blue recycle day, you'll have your green cart, as well as an option for your yard waste program," said David McCary, director of Solid Waste Management.

...

McCary said the green bins would be for green waste, such as leaves, grass, fruits and vegetable, but the exact rules may take some getting used to.

"I think there's a ... learning curve to this and I think that as that curve moves forward, it's gong to be impressive for people to know, 'Yes, I can put shredded paper in the bin,'" said McCary.

(from KSAT-12)

I wonder how all these extra bins will look when people start storing them on the sides of the houses because there ain't no more room in the garages. Homeowner associations are going to love this one.

But wait, there's an out!

Residents that don't want an organics bin won't need one, if they are already composting at home. In those cases, the bin [] would be optional.

No problem then, because I certainly compost at home. Don't you?

Oh, wait. Is composting allowed in the deeds and restrictions?

Tropical Storm Hermine!

Just blew through. I hope every one's OK. I haven't checked it closely yet, but the level of my rain gauge as I see it from my back kitchen window looks to be at least three inches.

Stay dry.

Pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails

Can you think of a better way to keep somebody safe?

Investigators say a 17-year-old girl admitted to planting pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails at a Northwest side home, because she wanted to protect her friend.

Temera Renee Sparks is charged as an adult with crimes, including arson and conspiracy to commit arson. Investigators say she admitted to planting a pipe bomb on the target's car last Monday and security cameras caught her in the act. That explosive failed to detonate, however, but neighbors were evacuated from their homes for hours. Affidavits detail how she was trying to protect her friend, who is the intended victim's daughter.

She also admitted to throwing Molotov cocktails at the home in mid-July and trying to set the home on fire with a pipe bomb.

(from WOAI-TV)

The target's ex-wife is supposedly involved, too. Sounds like there is a lot more interesting information to come out regarding this case.

Lost hope

Sabra tells you about it, and shows you a picture, too.

SUV crashes into house

Car, house, person. No fences were involved, though.

The accident happened around 8:30 p.m. near Walzem Road and New World. Police said the driver of a Lincoln Navigator came around a corner too fast and hit the house and a car that was in the driveway at the home.

A man sitting on the front porch was hit by the SUV. He was taken to Northeast Baptist Hospital with leg injuries but is expected to be all right.

(from WOAI-TV)

And that driver? Got to be the worst navigator on Walzem Road.

"Frustrated Crime Victim Puts Billboard On Front Yard"

A man takes a bite out of crime -- with a sign.

Over the past eight months, [Juan Monsivais] said thieves in the overnight hours have pried open the toolbox in the back of his pickup parked in his driveway, making off with the necessary tools of his trade, time and time again.

Fed up, Monsivais proclaimed his predicament in a big way. After the last break-in on Monday, he yanked out a sheet of plywood, grabbed a spray paint can and scrawled "Fourth time this year somebody broke in my truck!!!"

Even then, Monsivais wanted a hammer to finish the job. Instead, he said he told his son, "Bring a rock or something because they stole the hammer."

(from KSAT-12)



That's a lovely sign. But isn't this just asking for more break-ins? After all, now all of the KSAT viewers know that you park your tools out in the driveway.

He said though potential thieves may see the sign as an invitation, he's not willing to risk his life or the lives of his family over a few tools.

Oh. Oh, I see. OK. Then why did you let the cameras onto your property?

Just wondering.

"12 year old dared by friends dies in accident"

This is not a good game to play.

A dare turns deadly for a 12-year-old girl on the city's west side Friday night. Police say Casandra Perez and a group of teens were daring each other to run across the Loop 410 access road outside Skateland West at 11:30 p.m. She and a friend were running across the road and the friend made it safely across. However, police say the friend turned around in time to see Casandra get hit by a car exiting the freeway.

She was taken to University Hospital where she died from her injuries.

(from WOAI-TV)

It's like playing Russian Roulette with traffic.

Clever ad campaign?

Or crazed movie fan?











You decide.

Old San Antonio map, the main thing

Here it is, by popular demand and in response to this post, your new city map of old San Antonio, from sometime between 1923 and 1933.




Take your time to look it over, but be warned -- this is a big file. In fact, I think this is the biggest graphic file I have ever assembled. It may take some time to load for you. If you have problems, pop into the comments and let me know. I might make another post with the individual pieces I scanned in.

Some things to look for:
-- The original city limits, which are remarkably geometrical.
-- Other military installations near Kelly Field.
-- The neighborhoods now displaced by Hemisfair Park, the Convention Center, and the Alamodome.
-- What the land the zoo is on used to be called.
-- What St. Anthony High School used to be.
-- Any other point of interest that catches your eye.

Happy perusing.

Feed microtoxins swine udder

Yep. That's probably the strangest search string that ever led somebody to this blog.




What's yours?

Old San Antonio map

Here's your new city map, from sometime in the past.




If I remember correctly, we found this in some of my grandfather's things after he died, and I kept it as a historical document. I hadn't seen it in a while, not until I cleaned out a little-used drawer this weekend and found it.

I don't know what year this map is from. There is no copyright date, but it is from a time when telephone numbers were still just a letter and five numerals, and from sometime before the mid-1950s when the interstate system was dreamed up. (IH-35 was just a segment of the new "Hi-Way to Mexico City.")




I haven't decided yet if I want to scan the whole thing or not, but I did scan the panel that shows what the downtown area looked like back then. It's interesting to look at to see what has changed and what, remarkably, has stayed the same.




And here is where we get the best clue as to when this map was printed. Take a look at the bottom of the downtown map where St. Mary's Street and Navarro Street converge, just above the "F" marker. It's a little hard to read, but there are lines indicating the path of mass transit routes, and right at the intersection with Nueva Street there is written "Roosevelt Bus," "Hot Wells Bus," "Hot Wells Car," and "Brooks Field Bus."

Hot Wells Car and Bus. That means this map is from a time when San Antonio still had the old rail streetcars running as well as buses. And, according to this article written by Paula Allen at the Express-News, this is between 1923 and 1933 when the Public Service Company ran both modes prior to scrapping the streetcars in favor of an all-bus system.

So, there you are, your New City Map, possibly from the early 20th Century.

I wouldn't rely on it, though, if you need to get somewhere.

Truck crashes into home

And it takes out two fences along the way!

The crash happened just before 10 p.m. on Friday night.

According to the police report, a truck was traveling southbound on Bynum Avenue when it changed lanes at an unsafe speed and lost control.

The report also said that the truck went over the median, through two chain link fences and through the house.

Dolores Solis and her family were sitting in the front room when they heard the crash in their home.

"It was pretty loud, said Solis. "I mean it shook the entire house, all the way to the living room."

(from KSAT-12)

No one was hurt, but there is some bonus strangeness, specifically this description:

"A truck-size tire flew through the window and it landed in the middle of the floor of her bedroom," said Solis. "Had she'd been there she could have been struck by the tire or the glass."

A truck-size tire? We already know the offending vehicle was a truck, so any tire on it could be assumed to be the right size for a truck. That is, unless you own this:


(source)


Or maybe she meant the tire itself was a big as a truck, maybe like this?


(source)

It's hard to tell. What do you think?


P.S.: Holy crap! A tire flew off the truck when it crashed in to the house? Dang, that's some impact!

Finding religion

There are many churches in downtown San Antonio. Sometimes you have to look a little harder to find them.

Did you know?

In downtown San Antonio, there is an old observatory.




Really. It's back there, on top of that old building, which sits next to the Municipal Auditorium.





I've noticed that thing for many years, but I have no idea who owns it or what its history is. I doubt it's used anymore, because I don't think you could get a decent look at the stars in the middle of the central business district, but it's still cool to look at from the street.

Anybody else out there know anything about this old landmark?

An inmate who thought a lot

Well, I could think of better ways to make a point, but he certainly got somebody's attention!

SAN ANTONIO -- The federal courthouse Downtown was partially evacuated after a letter containing some suspicious white powder was discovered there.

The letter was discovered around 11:00 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in the 600 block of East Durango. According to a San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson, two Hazardous Materials units and three response teams were called to the scene to check out the powder. News 4 WOAI was told the basement area of the courthouse was placed on lockdown while crews worked to determine if the powder was dangerous.

According to a HazMat team at the scene, the letter contained food products and talcum powder and was sent by an inmate at the Connelly Unit who, apparently, wants the quality of the food at the prison unit to be tested.

(from WOAI-TV)

His sentence may be tested, too. And it could be found to stand a few more years.

A cyclist who should have thought a little more

A confluence of wrongs led up to this incident.

A bicyclist is recovering after he rode around railroad crossing arms on the East Side and crashed into a train Friday night.

Levi Smith, 47, reportedly had been drinking around 11:15 p.m., when he maneuvered around the closed crossing in the 400 block of Burnet Street, just east of U.S. 281, San Antonio police said.

An incident report states Smith was riding the wrong way on Burnet Street and wasn't wearing a helmet when he crashed into the eastbound Union Pacific train.

(from the Express-News)

Bonus strangeness:

Raquel Espinoza-Williams, a spokeswoman for the railroad, said a snow plow in the front of the locomotive struck Smith. The impact caused him to be flung off the tracks, which may have saved his life, she said. [emphasis added]

A snowplow? In the summer? In Texas? Any train enthusiasts out there know if it is standard practice or not for the railroads to leave plows on locomotives throughout the year? If so, Mr. Smith sure is lucky that piece of equipment was in place.

Someone who should have thought a lot more

If you ever decide to get a tattoo on your neck, perhaps you shouldn't take on a life of crime. Or, if you've decided to begin a criminal career, perhaps you shouldn't get a tattoo on your neck. Where it can be seen. And identified.

SAN ANTONIO -- A man wanted for robbing a shoe store is in jail Friday morning after police track him down by the tattoo on his neck.

Police say 28-year-old Jesus Delgado robbed the Payless Shoesource on S.W. Military near Pleasanton Road on Monday. ....

Investigators tell News 4 WOAI they were able to identify Delgado after the witnesses described a tattoo of a woman’s name on his neck.

(from WOAI-TV)

On second thought, don't get that neck tattoo at all. I'm pretty sure you'll regret it somewhere down the line.

Bonus strangeness: He robbed a Payless. WTF?! Shouldn't you be going after stores that require their customers to pay more?

ADDED: Um, how come no one mentioned his other tattoo?

Car crashes into day care

OK, autos, you may have a beef with our domiciles and fences, but let's leave the children out of it. M'kay?

A North Side day care center is temporarily closed after an SUV crashed through one of its walls Wednesday morning.

Laura Castillo, 24, was dropping off her two children at Educare Child Care in the 3800 block of West Avenue and careened into an empty classroom when her brakes failed, said San Antonio police.

Neither Castillo nor her two children, ages 6 and 8, were injured in the crash, which occurred around 10 a.m. No one inside the building was either, officials said.

(from the Express-News)




Photographer: Eva Ruth Moravec, emoravec@express-news.net

Looking like a fool

... with your pants on the ground.

Really, guys. Isn't it about time to retire the saggy pants look?

A San Antonio police officer was following his instincts when he spotted a young man coming out of some shrubbery at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. It just seemed suspicious.
Police say when they began to approach, the man took off running and at the same time dropped a bag of marijuana.
In the foot-chase that followed, the suspect cleared several fences even after the officer yelled at him to stop.
According to the report, the officer was able to grab hold of the suspect, but then the suspect started punching at him.
In an effort to control the suspect, the officer used pepper spray on him, but it seemed to have little or no effect.
Finally, in the 1200 block of East Carson, near Fort Sam, the officer again made a grab at the suspect. He brought out his tactical baton, and hit the suspect several times on his arms and 'non-vital areas'. This too was met with continued efforts to escape.
But this time the suspect's shorts, that were now wrapped around his ankles, bungle[d] his attempts, and the suspect fell head first onto the pavement.

(from KENS-5)

Can't get away if you can't run.

Oh, and the suspect had left a one-year-old child unattended in his apartment. With a hot iron in reach. And pot traces everywhere.

Parent of the year material.

Peeing under pressure

Sabra caught this one.

Officers responding to a disturbance call [at the Bum Steer bar] at about 2:30 a.m. reported that the driver of a gray Ford Mustang fired several shots at them. A short chase ensued, police said.

The driver fled after crashing his vehicle near Gladnell Avenue and East Amber Street, the report states.

Police mistook a shirtless passerby — covered in sweat and unsteady on his feet — for the shooter after he was spotted lumbering down the street, punching mailboxes near the scene of the crash.

The man was surrounded by officers, their guns drawn, as he urinated on a bush. He was taken into custody for public intoxication.

(from the Express-News)

Man, talk about stage fright!

The only thing that would have made this story more strange would be if the driver of the Mustang had crashed into a house. Or at least a fence.

Getting back to basics

I've heard of natural childbirth, but this is a bit much.

SAN ANTONIO -- Trenton David Dietrich is about 2 days old. He was due on Sunday, but early Thursday morning, he decided he was ready to come into this world -- on the front lawn.

He came so fast, his mother, Hildie Dietrich, said she didn't even have time to make it to the hospital.

"By the time I got downstairs and out to the car, she was laying on the ground saying, 'Call 911,'" the baby's father, David Dietrich, said.

On the grass in the Dietrichs' front yard is where Trenton was born.

(from KSAT-12)

Bonus strangeness: What the parents decided to give the kid as a nickname.

She said she and her husband are hoping this grand entrance means big things for the little guy.

"He was born a little star. We call him 'Slider' because he slid into home base," Hildie Dietrich said.

Let's hope no one confuses him with a little hamburger.

"Proposed 2011 City Budget Includes $12 Mil. In Cuts"

Now, this really is strange in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO -- City Manager Sheryl Sculley laid out her plan for a balanced budget in 2011 to the City Council Thursday morning, which included eliminating 202 staff positions.

The proposed $2.36 billion budget features $12 million in cuts, which are in response to declining sales and property tax revenues, and would set aside $15 million to help balance the budget in 2012, which Sculley anticipates will be another down year economically for San Antonio.

(from KSAT-12)

What a shocker! A governmental entity actually cutting spending in response to hard times while also planning for the financial future. Granted, the cuts and the set asides amount to only 1.144% of the entire budget, but at least they're not talking about raising taxes to make up for the shortfall.

Sculley gets a point from me for this one.

Urban safari

Seen in downtown San Antonio, the elusive round-hoofed hardhead segwaybeast. They often travel in packs, though they are rarely aggressive and tend to shy away from other urban fauna.



If you see one -- or even a group -- watch them carefully, but don't get too close. They may become agitated if blocked from their normal tourist routes.

Overusing "green"

It's official. The concept of "green" now means absolutely nothing. Or it means everything, depending on your view.

In Terrell Hills the legal speed limit is actually 30 miles per hour. But residents want to slow drivers down with plenty of visual reminders. They have put up an astonishing number of signs asking drivers to slow down to 20 miles per hour.

The signs started showing up in yards after a group of neighbors started a new program called the 20 Green Project.

The whole point is to make the area a safer environment for children, walkers, runners, cyclists, and animals by asking drivers to voluntarily slow down.

The program started in May with just a handful of signs, but within just 60days it reached a total of 400 signs.

Supporters say they knew they couldn't legally change the speed limit to 20 miles per hour and feel this was their best alternative.

The Terrell Hills police chief says the city is in support of the idea.

(from KENS-5)

From this, can you tell what the "green" in these crazy signs actually means?

Does "green" mean money? No, this is a volunteer effort, and no one seems to be making any money (except for the sign maker).

Does "green" mean better for the environment? I don't think so, because environmental benefits are mentioned nowhere in the article.

Does "green" mean safe? That seems to be the gist of what these neighbors are doing, but they don't give any reasons why they think the color green should be particularly associated with safety. Green does not mean "slow down" in any context that I am aware of. In fact, it means go in every town that has a traffic light, and that specifically means "step on the gas, buddy; you're holding up traffic."

It boggles the mind. This project seems very ill-conceived, and I can't really understand why any police department would support this effort.

How to look inviting

I wonder if Dave has eaten here.

Taming the monster

I know duct tape is versatile, but who knew it could contain The Blob?

Best local headline of the day

"%*#@$!: Dam street closed in Olmos Park"

Yes, the street leading to Olmos Dam -- the dam street -- is closed.

Those of you who travel Olmos Drive will have to find a different route for the next few days.

Crews are getting ready to start repairs on the Olmost Dam bridge.

Gettin' western on the Northeast Side

I've heard of arguments leading to gunfire, but it usually doesn't involve almost a dozen people. In a dispute over a cell phone.

Witnesses in the Glens neighborhood said the incident started with an argument between two people that escalated to a fight involving more than a dozen.

Herman Williams told KENS 5 his friend, the alleged shooter, had no other option but to open fire on the crowd. He said there were nearly a dozen men with guns at his door threatening to hurt him.

Two people were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds.

Williams said it all began as an argument over a cell phone, an insult directed towards a girlfriend, and a threat.

(from KENS-5)

Doesn't it always, though?

Staying in touch with that side

OK, if some dude is comfortable enough with his masculinity that he doesn't mind wearing a pink shirt in public, I can respect that. I can even respect it if he wants to make it a half-shirt, and that it bears Tony Romo's number.

But I cannot tolerate his screaming like such a little girl.



(Photo taken by Veronica Zaragovia, KENS-5, from a KENS slideshow featuring fans at the Cowboys camp in the Alamodome)

"Federal agents raid 2 northwest-side homes seeking contraband "

Hmm. I smell something big coming down the pike.

SAN ANTONIO - Federal agents raided two homes on the northwest side Tuesday, collecting more than a dozen boxes of evidence but making no arrests.

For more than seven hours, with every window blind closed, federal agents searched a home in the quiet Colonies North neighborhood off of Prince George Road. The other home raided was just blocks away on Callaghan Road.

The agents from the Customs Division of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with a San Antonio SWAT team, were looking for contraband but would not specify what type.

(from KENS-5)

Still here

I'm still around, and still very busy. And I might be so for the next few days or so. Until I can come back full force, please enjoy this odd graffiti discovered by Dave at Silver Creek 78250

Getting busy

I've got a lot of stuff happening these days. Blogging may be light for awhile.

Squandering tax funds

This has got to be the biggest waste of taxpayer money in quite some time.

SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio is hoping to shed its image as one of the fattest cities in America by implementing new health and fitness programs.

The San Antonio Metro Health District is spearheading the multimillion dollar campaign that uses stimulus money granted by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Prevention and Wellness Initiative.

"Over 40 cities got the grant," said Maggie Thompson, of the city's Health District. "San Antonio has been called a fat city for quite a while and we have received quite a bit of stimulus money to overcome that image and actually change the health of the city."

(from KSAT-12)

Really? Federal stimulus money is being spent in San Antonio so we can feel better about ourselves, so we don't have to live with the shame of being labeled one of the "fattest" cities?

REALLY?

First of all, let's think about the propriety of using of federal stimulus money to make all of us in San Antonio feel better about our image! Stimulus money is supposed to stimulate the national economy to get us out of a recession.

Let's repeat that: STIMULUS MONEY IS SUPPOSED TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY! Not to make us feel good!

If the mayor truly wants to make San Antonio a fitter city, then make it a priority of City Council. Don't take federal money to make it that way. Let's do it ourselves without sucking from the federal government with borrowed money.

And now, let's think about that "fattest city" label. That's a ranking that is thrown out there every year by Men's Fitness magazine to get media attention and sell magazines, and the way they score each city is really not an indication of how individual people pursue their activities. In fact, some of the measurements make little sense at all.

Here are the scores the magazine gave San Antonio in 2009

Fitness Centers & Sport Stores: C
Nutrition: F+
Sports Participation: D+
TV Viewing: F+
Overweight/Sedentary: D
Junk Food: B+
Air Quality: F+
Geography: C-
Commute: C+
Parks & Open Space: F
City Rec Facilities: F+
Access to Healthcare: B
Motivation: C-
Mayor & City Initiatives: C-
State Obesity Initiatives: B

So, the people at Men's Fitness counted the number of fitness centers and sports stores, and a higher number means fitter people, I suppose. But is that necessarily true? I can think of any number of ways to get exercise and fresh air without having to spend money to go to a fitness center.

Then they measure nutrition. What nutrition are they measuring? Are they simply saying the prevalence of Mexican food in this town makes everybody fat? That sure is an insult to sensible people who can eat Mexican food and still work out to stay fit.

Then, sports participation. I didn't find how this was measured on the Men's Fitness website, but, really, does someone automatically become fat if they don't participate in organized sports? Again, there are many other ways to stay fit.

And then the old stereotype, TV viewing makes you a couch potato and therefore fat. Maybe in some cases, but are you really going to use Nielsen ratings to judge a whole city?

Overweight/sedentary [I assume they mean "lifestyle"] -- OK, this is a good measurement. Medical people actually track this stuff, and this may be a good indication as to a city's overall health. I'll give them this one.

Junk food -- Availability? Kinds available? Definition of what exactly is "junk food"? How often people eat it? This is a throwaway category. It means nothing.

Air quality -- WTF? Air pollution means you're fat? Even so, we have some bad pollution days in the summer, but the worst ones are actually when farmers in Mexico burn their fields each May and the smoke blows up across Texas! We have no control over this pollution, so why should we be called a "fattest city" because of it? This is a useless category.

Geography -- Again, WTF? "You built your city in the wrong spot, so we think you're fat." Sheesh.

Commute -- Maybe. I might give them this one. More walking and more bicycling generally means a fitter population, so I'm not really going to argue with this measurement.

Parks and open space and city rec facilities -- But I am going to argue with this one. The mere presence of parks and city facilities doesn't make one fitter. Usage of parks and open space might, but overall acreage doesn't.

Access to healthcare -- I actually agree with this measurement. The more someone goes to a doctor, the more likely they are to take care of themselves and remain as fit as possible. No problem here.

Motivation -- Big problem here. How the hell do you measure motivation?

Mayor, city, state initiatives -- Well, at least mayor Joaquín Castro is working on this one.

And, of course, there's a whole other list of condescending ways Men's Fitness piles on San Antonio for not doing things the way other cities do. Again, these are all mostly pointless.

San Antonio residents are 80 percent less likely than average to participate in yoga/tai chi. Compared to other cities, San Antonio is the 1st least popular place in our survey for these activities.

San Antonio residents are 85 percent less likely than average to participate in gymnastics, the lowest rate in our survey.

San Antonio residents rank near the bottom in cardio kickboxing, with a participation rate that's 80 percent below average for cities in our survey - the lowest participation rate of all cities we surveyed.

BFD.

We may have more fat people than other cities, but so what? Staying fit is a personal choice, for the most part, and I don't have a problem with the mayor trying to encourage his constituents to get more fit. What I do have a problem with is the use of federal tax dollars to promote the mayor's agenda as part of the national effort to stimulate the economy.

And I think the Men's Fitness rating is bogus.


Bonus strangeness: The concept of an "F+" rating.

Car crashes into storage

Poor truck. It doesn't know the difference between a house and storage building.

Police were contacted by a representative from "LoJack" around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, who said a vehicle had been stolen from the Downtown area. Police launched their "Eagle" helicopter and were able to locate and follow the truck to a convenience store at West Martin and Northwest 24th Street on the West Side.

As he started to get out of the truck, the suspect spotted officers approaching and jumped back into the truck and sped off. As he took off, the truck hit a police car. As the suspect was driving on Martin Street near General McMullen, he crashed the truck into a storage facility.

(from WOAI-TV)

All the other house-hating cars are ashamed of that truck. It even missed that choice, ripe fence.

Mugging for the camera

There's a new publication in town. And it's chock full of mugshots for your viewing pleasure.

Behind Bars is a biweekly newspaper packed with mugshots from Bexar County. The publication is now in 38 stores across San Antonio and it's online at www.behindbarsusa.com.

The publishers say it's a public service that has already helped capture two wanted men. It also has a section for missing children and resources for people who are down and out due to an arrest.

(from KENS-5)

Check it out for yourself. Here's a sample.

"New S.A. coalition is saying 'no' to changes in city smoking law"

This is a bit weird. All across the nation local, regional, and state governments have been strengthening smoking laws and restricting smoking where ever they can get away with it. But I don't think I have ever heard of anyone resisting such laws because of a racial angle.

But, then again, this is San Antonio. Our issues with race and culture tend to play out differently than in other parts of this great country.

Some smoke in this crowd. Some do not. But all share the same thoughts on this Independence Day holiday: that government needs to butt out when it comes to tinkering with the current smoking ordinance.

The “Save Our Jobs” Alliance says they have come together to support the existing San Antonio smoking ban ordinance. And they include not just bar and restaurant owners, but the local NAACP and LULAC [League of United Latin American Citizens].

“We’re not saying that it’s not bad for you. What we’re saying is that we need a choice,” said Traci Hunter with the NAACP.

...

The local NAACP and LULAC say minority bars and restaurants on the east, west and south sides of town will be hit especially hard in the pocketbooks.

(from KENS-5)

There you have it. In the Alamo City, tough smoking laws will hurt Hispanic and black business owners more. LULAC says so. How much you wanna bet City Council actually listens to them and does something like restricting smoking for the North Side businesses only?

Car crashes into house

OK, it's an apartment, not a house. But an apartment is still a home, and cars do not belong there!

SAN ANTONIO -- A woman crashed her car into another woman's North Side apartment.

The accident happened around 9:00 a.m. Sunday at the Churchill Park Apartments. Police said the woman drove her car through the intersection of Patricia and Parliament and then crashed into the living room of the apartment.

(from WOAI-TV)

Independence Day

Have a safe holiday.

"Pro Soccer Could Come To SA"

Or not.

There is also the question of a venue. [The Spurs' Leo] Gomez said they will try to work with one of the local school districts.

"Ultimately there is a high school district in this area that is going to need to either build a new high school stadium or redevelop its old high school stadium," Gomez said.

Gomez also said there will be no team if there is no venue.

"It's got to be done the right way at the right time," he said.

(from KSAT-12)

Just think: When is the right time for soccer?

"Police: Mother Suffocates Infant Daughter"

Remember Silver Starr Hernandez, the woman who was part of a mob that killed a Kerr County man for his home and property a couple of years ago? It turns out she's got more problems than we thought.

Police and paramedics responded to a home in the 6000 block of Blanco Road on June 14 and found 11-month-old Faith Escamilla unresponsive, an arrest warrant affidavit stated.

Police said the child's mother, Silver Starr Hernandez, 25, told officers she had put the baby down for a nap on the floor of her bedroom and later returned and found the baby had stopped breathing.

The affidavit stated an autopsy performed on the child at the Bexar County Medical Examiner's office revealed signs of trauma on the baby's nose and mouth.

Police said during questioning, Hernandez admitted she had suffocated the child by holding her nose and mouth closed for an extended period of time, the affidavit stated.

Hernandez was one of 16 people indicted in 2008 in the death of Allan Kowalski, 52. Kerr County sheriff's investigators found Kowalski buried in the back yard of his home with a gunshot wound to the head.

(from KSAT-12)

Silver Starr Hernandez pled guilty to a lesser crime as part of the Kowalski case and got probation. With this charge, she could get the needle, if convicted.

Mildly disturbing headline of the day

"Snake Farm prepares its slithering residents for Alex"

Lucky Alex.


Oh. Oh wait ----

Castro on Colbert!

At last! State representative Joaquin Castro finally gets the national media exposure he deserves!

SAN ANTONIO -- It was a battle of wit and wisdom.

The wisdom of Mayor Julian Castro was tested by the wit of Stephen Colbert. The mayor took the stage as a guest on the Colbert Report. The show aired Tuesday night on the Comedy Network.

(from WOAI-TV)

Car crashes into house

It's simply not good enough to take out fences and homes! Now the dastardly automobiles are after our pets!

Armando Jimenez and his wife, Maricela, were out of their house Tuesday morning and that could have saved their lives. At 11 a.m., a teen heading was heading [sic] westbound on Guilbeau Road when a truck turned eastbound out of a shopping center right in his path. The teen swerved to avoid the truck but over corrected, going into oncoming traffic, then smashing through Jimenez's fence, past a small pool and crashing into the living room of the home at the corner of Guilbeau and Dawnwood on the city's Northwest side.

...

No one was home at the time of the crash, except for Ruffo, the family dog and he usually sleeps at the back wall of the living room, where the truck came through. Ruffo was the only thing the homeowners were concerned about when they showed up after the crash.

"I was more worried about my dog than anything else," said a relieved Jimenez. "He's fine...."

(from KSAT-12)

Bonus strangeness: Someone who names their dog "Ruffo".

"$170K worth of fireworks stolen in Bexar County "

Be wary of that homemade fireworks stand on the side of the road. Those boom-booms just might be a little hot.

"It's extremely frustrating, you're trying to survive in this heat, setting everything up, and to have a setback like this. It is extremely frustrating," said E.J. Cheney with Boom! Fireworks.

His business reported two burglaries within the last month to Bexar County authorities. Cheney said more than three truckloads of fireworks were stolen on the city's south side of town, from locked shipping containers. The theft cost the firework stand $170,000 dollars.

(from KENS-5)

So, you ask, what might a homemade fireworks stand look like? Well, if it were on the beach, it might look like this:




Just sayin', be wary.

Gettin' western in downtown

You know those horse-and-carriage combos that clop-clop through downtown to the delight of tourists and others taken in by such romantic sights? Turns out they're driven by some pretty tough sorts of people.

SAN ANTONIO -- A man riding a motorcycle downtown Friday night landed in the hospital after spooking a carriage driver's horse.

According to Officer Matthew Porter, the motorcycle's rider pulled up alongside the horse and carriage a little after 1:00 a.m., at the intersection of East Martin and Navarro Streets and revved his engine. This startled the horse and infuriated the carriage driver, who Porter said began screaming at the rider.

After calming his horse, the driver continued his argument with the motorcyclist and the confrontation turned physical. At that point, Porter said, the driver pulled a knife and slashed the other man across the stomach.

(from KSAT-12)

It seems you shouldn't mess with a man's horse. At least not one driving a carriage in downtown San Antonio.

"S.A. resolution gives thumbs down on Arizona immigration law "

Big whoop.

What's going on in Arizona is San Antonio's business. That's what eight City Council members said with their vote.

In a public hearing that lasted four hours, 45 residents spoke out. Most of them supported Mayor Julian Castro's idea to say what is happening in Arizona is unacceptable for the Lone Star State.

...

Despite three negative votes from council members Reed Williams, John Clamp and Elisa Chan, the City of San Antonio sent a bold message.

"We needed to make a statement now instead of waiting and being behind the curve later," said Castro.

(from KENS-5)

Now, City Council, now that you have gotten that out of your system, can you do a little to fix some real problems here in San Antonio, Texas?

Car slams into apartment building

Wow. This guy was really haulin' something.

Donna Jones said that she and her grandson woke up to a startling noise.

"I just heard a loud bang when I was asleep in my bed," Jones said.

Christian Phillip Hemmi, 23, who police said was driving the car, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drunken driving, police said.

"He was still stumbling when he was talking to the cops," said Amber Stevens, an apartment resident.

Officers said Hemmi went through a stop sign, clipped a sport utility vehicle in the parking lot and hit a central air unit before crashing and landing sideways into the complex's leasing office.

The crash left a huge gaping hole in the building and plenty of damage in the office, police said.

(from KSAT-12)

The only thing not hit was a fence!

Finding buried treasure in San Antonio

It happened, once. Eighty-eight years ago. It's reported that way in San Antonio Remembers.

1922
A pot of gold was unearthed on the site of the new park at Main Ave. and Romana St. today. Workmen reported the gold was in $5, $10 and $20 pieces but gave no estimate of the total find.

No word on any nearby rainbows. Or leprechauns.

"Disguised Robbers Attack Woman"

It's a little strange when home invaders try to get you to open the door by posing as pizza delivery guys, but it gets downright weird when those guys turn out to be such wimps.

The 50-year-old woman answered the knock around 1:20 p.m. in the 14900 block of Burning Creek after she saw two men standing at the door, one of whom was holding pizza boxes, police said.

Investigators said the man holding the boxes asked the woman if she ordered pizza. When the woman said no, the men tried to force their way inside.

"This is kind of unique for this one. I haven't seen this method of operation yet," said Sgt. Daniel Alonzo with the San Antonio Police Department's Robbery Task Force Unit.

According to Alonzo, the woman used the door to block the men from getting inside the home. During the struggle, one of the men pulled out a Taser gun and fired it at the victim but it missed.

Police said the woman eventually overpowered the two younger men, both of whom are believed to be in their 20s, and managed to close the door. [emphasis added]

(from KSAT-12)

Bottom line: If you didn't order pizza, don't answer the door, especially if you see more than one delivery guy.

"Man Claims to be Navy Seal and threatens to Kill Deputy"

Somehow, I don't think this will actually work in getting you out of a speeding ticket. Or arrested.

Gregory Gomez was pulled over on Marbach near Ellison, after a deputy caught him going 111 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone. Once he finally stopped, the deputy said Gomez got angry and said, "You don't know who you're (expletive) with. I'm a Navy Seal. When you (expletive) with the best, you die like the rest." Then Gomez threatened to cut his head off. [His own? --ed.]

Gomez was arrested for retaliation and reckless driving but has since bonded out of jail. News 4 WOAI tried contacting him Friday, but no one was home.

(from WOAI-TV)

Oh, he was probably in the house, but no one's been home for a while.

Gettin' western on San Pedro

Now this is something you don't see every day -- in the middle of the day -- on San Pedro Avenue.

San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus said San Antonio SWAT and crisis negotiators were called to a home in the 400 block of Odell Street, where Rudy Villarreal had barricaded himself inside.

Officers with a special unit that handles stolen vehicles recognized Villarreal earlier Thursday afternoon and pulled him over in the 4200 block of San Pedro Avenue, police said.

While an officer was handcuffing Villarreal, who had just gotten sprayed with Mace, he got away and managed to get a gun and shot at the officer, McManus said. The officer returned fire and wounded Villarreal, who ran to a nearby neighborhood with one handcuff dangling. The officer was not injured.

Two other people were in the car, including the man's mother, police said. Both people were taken into custody, McManus said.

Police canvassed the neighborhood and made contact with a woman living at the home on Odell Street, who told them she had not seen Villarreal. However, McManus said Villarreal was, in fact, in the home and the woman declined to tell police that, fearing he would harm her children.

When Villarreal went to take a shower, McManus said, the woman and her two children fled the home, allowing a SWAT team and crisis negotiators to surround the home.McManus said Villarreal demanded $10, a pair of jeans and a soda, which were given to him.

McManus said Villarreal then gave up and surrendered himself to police, who arrested him without incident.

(from KSAT-12)

You're on the run from the cops----and you decide to take a shower? In a stranger's house? With the people still at home? With one handcuff still dangling?

And all you demand is a pair of jeans and a soda?

I bet this is a day Villarreal never forgets.

Taking care of the inmates

The Bexar County Sheriff's Department has an embarrassment on its hands -- one of its own deputies has been selling drugs to guests in the pokey. At least the higher-ups took the tip they received seriously and did a little investigating. Now they have arrested their man, and now they know not to trust anyone's lunch.

[Bexar County Sheriff Amadeo] Ortiz said investigators set [Deputy Robert] Falcon up with simulated heroin, which he says Falcon had intended to deliver to the jail.

Although Falcon was caught with simulated drugs on Friday, Ortiz said they have information that he has done this before with real heroin and that he would bring it in, concealed under a Styrofoam container.

"He acted like he was bringing his lunch with him. He had a lunch bag, some tacos and some refried beans, and the drugs were taped to the Styrofoam cup," said Ortiz.

(from KSAT-12)

I don't know ---- do you think he could have deflected suspicion if he had just said someone must have switched out his sal-limon? (While shrugging a lot.) Do you think?

Fuzzying up the radical past

Have you ever been to the Build-A-Bear Workshop? It's an interesting place. You can make your own teddy bear (or other cute, cuddly animal), and you can dress it up a number of different ways to suit your tastes and your wallet.

I'm not big into bears myself, but I did like the generic patriotic military bear some employee had dressed up as a display example.





Too bad it was placed next to the 1960s revolutionary socialist bear.





I'm surprised the star on the beret flash isn't red, or yellow on a red background. But I guess that's all the employees had to work with.

Eschewing color photography

St. Hedwig is a small town just east of San Antonio. (By "small" I mean population-wise; the land area is actually quite large.) It's pretty much a farming community, and not much goes on out there, but sometimes crime does happen.

Last night, a domestic squabble ended in the death of one man. Here's the KSAT-12 version of the story:

According to the Bexar County Sheriff's Department, deputies were dispatched to the home 32-year-old Cameron Wilburn and his girlfriend shared Monday evening for a disturbance. But when they got there, department spokesman Lt. Martin Molina said, Wilburn was already gone.

Molina said four hours later, they got another call from Wilburn's neighbor, who told dispatchers he had shot and killed his neighbor.

Molina said Wilburn's girlfriend went to the house of her neighbor, 43-year-old John Vollmer, shortly before 11 p.m., fearing Wilburn would return home. While she and Vollmer were talking, Molina said, Wilburn showed up at the house with a handgun. Wilburn's girlfriend went inside her neighbor's home with her two kids, while the two men struggled over the gun.

Wilburn ended up getting shot, and he died. So far, nothing really strange. Until you watch the video of the story. There, KSAT uses what looks like a booking photo of Wilburn. And the photo itself looks bizarre because it has the appearance of an antique, sepia-toned picture from the late 19th Century.



I don't know what police department took this picture, if it is indeed a booking photo, but it's weird that they didn't use full-color. Perhaps someone at the police station was playing around with photo-editing software and saved the wrong version, resulting in a sepia master instead of color. Or perhaps they were fiddling with the camera controls and couldn't figure out how to get back to color when the next booking came in. Or maybe KSAT made the mistake themselves when capturing the photo for use in the video.

I don't know. Do any of these seem plausible to you?

"Baby reportedly thrown from SUV"

Do you think we are not getting the whole story here?

Around 11:30 p.m., police were called to the intersection of S.W. 30th and Cordelia streets, where witnesses found the injured [1-year-old] boy.

The witnesses told police they saw a woman in her late teens driving a white SUV stop in the middle of the road.

“They noticed that the female turned around, reached for the rear passenger door, and an unknown object was thrown out of the vehicle,” Porter said.

They were curious, Porter said, and discovered the unresponsive boy. Moments later, the baby began to cry, and the witnesses called 911.

The SUV was seen driving around the area with the back door ajar and a child seat hanging out of the vehicle, according to police. Witnesses near the intersection of S.W. 30th and Randall Avenue told police the woman said that someone had stolen her child before she threw herself onto the pavement, authorities said.

While paramedics were treating the boy, the SUV returned, and officials asked the woman why it took her several moments to return to her injured child.

“She couldn't account for the time and couldn't explain why paramedics arrived before she did,” Porter said, adding the woman's story changed several times.

She and a man in his late teens, who was also in the SUV, gave varying accounts of what caused the child's injury, including claims that the boy was known to get out of his safety seat and had opened the door himself, according to police.

The SUV was found at the man's home in the 400 block of Randall, and although he claimed to have never seen a safety seat, one was found discarded about 20 feet away from the SUV.

(from the Express-News)

I've had two 1-year-old children. Neither one could do a lot by themselves, much less get out of a car seat. But, I suppose your experience could be different.

Car crashes into home

Oh, you know I had to post this one.

A luxury car lost control and crashed into a home on San Antonio's north side Friday morning.

The crash reportedly happened because the driver was trying to avoid a chihuahua in the roadway.

The crash happened at about 9:30 a.m. Friday in the 16500 block of Blanco Key, near the intersection of Classen Road and Knoll Creek Drive. [emphasis added]

(from KENS-5)





Now the mutts are involved in the bitter feud between the homes and the autos. Could this be a sign of the end times?

Feeling out of touch

Someone----please, anyone----tell my why this is news----in San Antonio!??

PLANO, Texas -- "Gossip Girl" actor Chace Crawford was arrested Friday morning on a possession of marijuana charge, police said.

According to the arrest report, Crawford was in Plano, Texas, when he was arrested early Thursday morning on a charge of possession of marijuana.

The address corresponding to the location listed on the arrest report is occupied by Ringo's Pub.

(from KSAT-12)

Who the hell is Chace Crawford? What the hell is "Gossip Girl"? Why does "Plano" look like "piano" with an "l"? And why do they have to drag Ringo's Pub into this sordid mess?

Really, KSAT? Nothing else was going on?

A man who should think. More often.

So you go to creep out your ex-girlfriend, and she calls the cops on you. What entirely appropriate action should you carry out to make your situation better? Well, how about calling her from jail to threaten her?

An arrest warrant affidavit states [Lamar Montiel] West's ex-girlfriend awoke to find him in her back yard in the 12600 block of Wilderness Trail last week. She called police, who found him in a nearby parking lot and arrested him for criminal trespass.

While he was in a holding cell at the city magistrate's office, West allegedly made threatening calls to the woman, she told police. According to the affidavit, the woman again called Live Oak police, who witnessed West's calls for themselves while they were taking her report.

He was calling her cell phone, the affidavit states, “and made threats to kill her if she did not drop the charges.”

(from the Express-News)

And the police will dutifully write down what they witness, as it happens, and that will help your case by ---- oh, wait ---- Never mind. Maybe you should put the phone down and call a lawyer instead.

(hat tip to The Pistolero)

Car crashes into house

This time, it's in Kirby, and another car is brought into the fray.

A car smashed into a house on Sunrise Bend near Binz-Engleman and Foster Road. Police say a driver had a seizure, ran a stop sign, hit a car, and then that car also smashed into the house. Luckily, no one was hurt.

(from WOAI-TV)

Providing fair warning

Looks like it's working out to be a pretty good deterrent.

No matter what Charles Earnhardt tried, nothing seemed to work. In the past six months his shop has been burglarized nearly 20 times.

So, with a little sense of humor, Earnhardt sent out a serious message which he posted in front of his shop: "Attention thieves -- I sleep here 4 out of 7 days with my shotgun. You guess which one."

Since putting up the sign a month ago Earnhardt Automotive has not been burglarized once.

(from KENS-5)