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US DEPARTMENT OF STATE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Travel warning Bureau cautions citizens heading to Mexico By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
The U.S. Department of State-Bureau of Consular Affairs renewed its travel warning to Mexico on Monday saying organized criminal groups posed a security threat in certain places in Mexico. “U.S. citizens have been the victims of violent crimes, such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery by organized criminal groups in various Mexican states,” the warning reads. In the warning, authorities mentioned the state of Tamaulipas. “Defer all non-essential travel to the state of Tamaulipas,” states the warning. “Throughout the state, violent crime, including homicide, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault, pose significant safety
Criminal groups posed a security threat in certain places. risks. State and municipal law enforcement capacity is limited to nonexistent in many parts of Tamaulipas.” State Department officials said armed confrontations can occur between rival criminal groups or Mexican authorities in all parts of the region at any given time of the day. The travel warning comes amid confrontations reported in the Nuevo Laredo and Nueva Ciudad Guerrero area in northern Tamaulipas, where violent criminal activity occurs more frequently, reports state.
Shootings Tamaulipas
authorities
said the most recent shooting occurred at about 1:50 a.m. Tuesday along kilometer marker 127 of the Nuevo Laredo-Nueva Ciudad Guerrero highway. Mexican troops came across gunmen in three parked vehicles. Gunfire sparked and a chase ensued for about 2 miles. Two armed men believed to be in their 30s died in the confrontation, authorities said. Reports state the assailants wore camouflage clothing, military boots, green tactical helmets, among other tactical equipment. Soldiers later discovered one of the suspect vehicles, a GMC Sierra, burned. In the vehicle’s bed, soldiers discovered two as-
sault rifles, a .50 caliber Barrett, a bulletproof vest, a helmet, ammo, magazines, caltrops and food. Another shooting occurred in Nuevo Laredo on Monday. A firefight sparked at about 3 a.m. when Mexican soldiers and federal police officers encountered gunmen aboard a four-door gold Isuzu by Carretera Aeropuerto and Bulevar Universidad. Shots rang out killing one male suspect who was believed to in his 20s. Tamaulipas authorities did not identify him. Reports state the driver sped away but rolled over after he lost control of the vehicle. Other suspects fled. Authorities seized an assault rifle, ammo, a radio and three cell phones, among other items, according to reports. Another recent firefight
JOAQUIN “EL CHAPO” GUZMAN
See TRAVEL PAGE 11A
Photo by Isaac Brekken | AP file
Trump launched his offensive Friday morning, unveiling a commercial that portrays Ted Cruz as weak on illegal immigration.
Feud intensifies Cruz, Trump trade first attack ads as rivalry grows to a new level By PATRICK SVITEK TEXAS TRIBUNE
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are trading their first attack ads in the GOP presidential race as their rivalry reaches a new level of intensity. The billionaire launched
his offensive Friday morning, unveiling a commercial that portrays the U.S. senator from Texas as weak on illegal immigration. Cruz returned fire later in the morning with a spot of his own go-
See FEUD PAGE 11A
LAREDO, TEXAS
WBCA RETURNS
Photo by Eduardo Verdugo | AP
Mexican marines captured Guzman on Jan. 8, six months after he tunneled out of a top-security Mexican prison.
Drug lord extradition to accelerate Mexican president urges attorney general to meet demand soon ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said Friday he’s ordering officials to accelerate the extradition of recaptured drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the United States. Mexico had balked at extraditing Guzman after he was captured in 2014, but his escape from a topsecurity prison in July apparently changed officials’ minds. Pena Nieto said he’d told his Attorney General’s office to “achieve the extradition of this highly dangerous delinquent as
soon as possible.” He made the comments during a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Mexican marines captured Guzman on Jan. 8, six months after he tunneled out of a top-security Mexican prison — his escape from a maximum security lockup. The Sinaloa Cartel chief is wanted on multiple charges in both Mexico and the U.S. Officials have already said they plan now to extradite Guzman, but have said the process could take a year or more of legal wrangling.
Photo by Victor Strife | The Zapata Times file
In this file photo, Suzanna Victoria Alexander shows off her shoes to the crowd at the 2014 Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade. This year, the annual celebration will boast 28 events in 33 days.
Celebration will boast 28 events in 33 days THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Washington’s Birthday Celebration is back and promises a celebration like no other right on your front step. This year, the annual celebration will boast 28 events in 33 days, including, a New Orleans-style street party with a mixture of Mexican spice, elaborate pageants that feature glittering Colonial gowns and intricate Native American dresses, a fiery jalapeño eating contest, and daredevil pilots engaging in death-defying
aerial acrobats. Celebrating its 119th year, the WBCA offers enthusiasts a dazzling mix of the colorful, the magical, the boisterous, the historical and the always entertaining. Among its unique blend of multicultural traditions that bring forth an amazing and patriotic bash, the yearly celebration is assured to bring excitement to just about anyone. Other events include an eye-opening fireworks display, lively parades, nights of wine and tequila tasting, a carnival that offers
exhilarating rides, a historical and theatrical George Washington performance, and much more. As one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the United States, with close to half a million people in attendance each year, the Washington’s Birthday Celebration continues to excite, delight and create vivid memories along the way. Though the first president may not have set foot in Laredo, his patriotic spirit definitely lives deep in the heart of South Tex-
as. The award winning festival recognized annually by the Texas Festivals and Events Association, the International Festival and Events Association, as well as the American Bus Association, consistently remains one of the top events in the United States. The celebration began Jan. 21 and ends Feb. 22, 2016.
EVENT LIST See WBCA PAGE 11A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Saturday, January 23
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Leaders: Influencing STEM Futures” educational administration leadership conference at the TAMIU Student Center Ballroom. School administrators, teacher leaders and educational administration students are invited to attend the second annual event. United ISD Zumba Master Class event. Registration at 9 a.m. at the United 9th Grade Campus gym, 8800 McPherson Road. Zumba class to be held from 10 a.m. to noon and will be taught by elite Zumba instructors from the city. Fee is $20 and includes a goody bag and Tshirt. All proceeds to benefit United ISD students with scholarships to college. For more information call, 956-473-6201 or visit www.uisd.net. Holy Redeemer 8th annual fundraiser dance at the Laredo Civic Center from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. with music by Calle 8. Please call Amparo Ugarte at 286-0862 for more information. Intermediate computer class at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Learn to create an account on Twitter, how to tweet and how to follow. Basic computer proficiency is required. Mouse practice and keyboard confidence class at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 2-3 p.m. Learn to use the mouse and perfect your typing skills. No prior computer experience is required. Open language lab class at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 4-5 p.m. Learn a language by using the Mango Online Language Learning System. Choose from more than 70 languages. Library card preferred.
Today is Saturday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2016. There are 343 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 23, 1516, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who with his late queen consort, Isabella of Castile, sponsored the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492, died in Madrigalejo, Spain. On this date: In 1944, Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (”The Scream”) died near Oslo at age 80. In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In 1960, the U.S. Navy-operated bathyscaphe (BATH’-ihskahf) Trieste carried two men to the deepest known point in the Pacific Ocean, reaching a depth of more than 35,000 feet. In 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified as South Dakota became the 38th state to endorse it. In 1968, North Korea seized the Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, charging its crew with being on a spying mission. (The crew was released 11 months later.) In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced an accord had been reached to end the Vietnam War, and would be formally signed four days later in Paris. In 1989, surrealist artist Salvador Dali died in his native Figueres, Spain, at age 84. In 1995, the Supreme Court, in McKennon vs. Nashville Banner Publishing Co., ruled that companies accused of firing employees illegally could not escape liability by later finding a lawful reason to justify the dismissal. Ten years ago: Ford Motor Co. said it would cut up to 30,000 jobs and idle 14 facilities in North America by 2012. Five years ago: Allies and adversaries of President Hugo Chavez took to the streets of Caracas by the thousands, staging rival demonstrations to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of Venezuela’s democracy. One year ago: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, 90, the powerful U.S. ally who’d fought against al-Qaida and sought to modernize the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom, died in Riyadh. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Jeanne Moreau is 88. Actress Chita Rivera is 83. Actordirector Lou Antonio is 82. Jazz musician Gary Burton is 73. Actor Gil Gerard is 73. Actor Rutger Hauer is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jerry Lawson is 72. Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., is 69. Singer Anita Pointer is 68. Actor Richard Dean Anderson is 66. Rock musician Bill Cunningham is 66. Rock singer Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) is 63. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (vee-yahry-GOH’-sah) is 63. Princess Caroline of Monaco is 59. Singer Anita Baker is 58. Reggae musician Earl Falconer (UB40) is 57. Actress Gail O’Grady is 53. Actress Mariska Hargitay is 52. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marc Nelson is 45. Actress Tiffani Thiessen is 42. Rock musician Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie) is 41. Thought for Today: “It’s not what you are, it’s what you don’t become that hurts.” — Oscar Levant, pianist-composer-actor (1906-1972).
Tuesday, January 26 Join the MOS Library Knitting Circle at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 1-3 p.m. Please bring yarn and knitting needles. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 7952400 x2403. Crochet for Kids at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 4-5 p.m. Please bring yarn and a crochet needle. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403.
Thursday, January 28 Spanish Book Club from 6-8 p.m. Laredo Public Library – Calton. For more information please call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. The Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society’s Greet and Meet Membership Drive from 3-5 p.m. at St. John Neumann’s Parish Hall. There will be displays, a presentation on DNA genealogical testing and merienda. For more information, contact Sanjuanita MartinezHunter at 722-3497. Preschool Read & Play at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Story time and crafts for preschoolers. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Family Story Time & Crafts at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 4-5 p.m. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403.
Saturday, January 30 Anime Club meeting at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 3-5 p.m. For students in middle school and high school who enjoy manga, anime and pop culture. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 7952400 x2403.
Tuesday, February 2 Join the MOS Library Knitting Circle at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 1-3 p.m. Please bring yarn and knitting needles. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 7952400 x2403. Crochet for Kids at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St., from 4-5 p.m. Please bring yarn and a crochet needle. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403.
Photo by Kin Man Hui/The San Antonio Express-News | AP
Pre-school children spend time with indoor activities after a walking tour at the San Antonio Zoo, in San Antonio, Texas. Since 2004, the zoo has offered pre-school children an opportunity to attend school on the zoo’s premises.
Zoo school to expand By GRETA KAUL SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
SAN ANTONIO — While some preschoolers can only imagine storybook animals like Curious George and Lyle the Crocodile coming to life in their classrooms, kids at the San Antonio Zoo’s preschool get to see real monkeys and reptiles every day. The preschool, which opened in 2004, has plans to expand with the purchase of a more than 27,000-square-foot building. The San Antonio Express-News reports it’s unclear whether the expansion will reinforce the zoo’s case in its decision not to allow visitors to openly carry weapons — guns are prohibited in most educational institutions — and zoo officials didn’t comment on it Thursday. This month, CEO Tim Morrow simply stated that open carry wasn’t appropriate at the zoo.
“We don’t have any issue with the law,” Morrow said Jan. 8. “We don’t think it’s a good fit for us.” The San Antonio Zoo’s new preschool building, which is scheduled to open in the fall, would allow the accredited program to gradually expand from the 49 students who currently attend either two, three or five days per week to about 200 students in five years. At full capacity, it will be one of the largest nature-based preschools in the United States and the largest in Texas, said Stacy McReynolds, the zoo’s vice president of education. Schools that emphasize outdoor learning are popping up all over the United States, from California to New York and Minnesota to Virginia, says the Natural Start Alliance, a group that aims to connect children to nature.
Man sentenced to life in prison for 10th DWI
Ex-police investigator gets 7 years in drug case
Killeen teen assisted girl having asthma attack
WEATHERFORD — A judge concerned about public safety sentenced a 62-year-old North Texas man to life in prison for his 10th drunken driving conviction since the 1980s. Ivy Ray Eberhardt, of Weatherford, Texas, was sentenced Wednesday. Eberhardt would be eligible for parole after serving 15 years. “Part of my job is to protect the citizens of Parker County, and the only way that I can think of to do that from somebody that has 12 DWI arrests and 10 DWI convictions is to put you in a place that you can’t drive for as long as I possibly can,” Judge Craig Towson told Eberhardt. The case involved an April 2014 driving while intoxicated stop in Parker County in which Eberhardt’s blood alcohol level was almost four times the 0.08 legal limit for driving in Texas. While free on bond, Eberhardt fled to Colorado.
McALLEN — A former South Texas police investigator must serve seven years in federal prison for faking law enforcement reports about smuggled cocaine. Ex-Rio Grande City police investigator Noel Pena was sentenced Friday in McAllen. The 29-year-old Pena and another man, 21-year-old Hector Salinas-Hinojosa of Roma, were convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Salinas-Hinojosa was sentenced to five years in a U.S. prison. Both men were arrested last April in an undercover case linked to Pena’s work with the Starr County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Prosecutors say Pena was bribed by drug traffickers who would steal cocaine being stashed for Mexican cartels. Authorities say Pena generated fake police reports making it look like the cocaine had been seized.
KILLEEN — A 15-year-old Texas boy has served a day’s suspension for carrying a friend having an asthma attack to the school nurse. The eighth-grader at Gateway Middle School in Killeen was reprimanded because a teacher told him not to leave class. KCEN-TV reports the girl had trouble breathing Tuesday and fell to the floor. The teacher contacted the nurse and awaited an email response. A statement from the teacher says the boy said an expletive about not waiting for email and carried his friend to the nurse. KWTX-TV reports the boy said he feared the girl would die. She later texted saying she’s OK. The Killeen Independent School District on Wednesday declined comment on the incident but applauded students “who act in good faith to assist others in time of need.” — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Upstate New York village changing logo WHITESBORO, N.Y. — The upstate New York village of Whitesboro has confirmed that it will change its official logo a day after the image, which appears to show a white man throttling an Indian, was ridiculed on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.” Village officials and members of the nearby Oneida Indian Nation will meet to discuss creation of a new image, Mayor Patrick O’Connor said Friday. The announcement came after “The Daily Show” aired a segment Thursday that was filmed on Jan. 11, when villagers decided in a non-binding vote to keep the traditional logo for its historic value. Among alternative designs put before voters were several provided by the comedy show, including a white man and an Indian apparently dancing and a white settler and an Indian beating up a British soldier.
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In this photo taken July 16, 2015, a welcome sign on the village green, Whitesboro, N.Y., displays the village seal. Whitesboro let voters decide whether to keep the longtime village seal that has been called offensive to Native Americans. O’Connor said the long-time village seal shows a historic wrestling match between village founder Hugh White and an Oneida Indian that figured into good relations between early settlers and the Oneidas. The crudely drawn seal has drawn media
attention periodically over the years, most recently in July when someone posted an online petition saying it’s offensive and should be removed from village trucks, police cars and signs. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local & State
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Gun ban complaints ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas — The office of Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to determine if any of the 34 pending complaints regarding facilities in Texas that ban concealed handguns have merit. State law says that local and municipal governments cannot ban concealed handgun holders from carrying weapons in their facilities, unless those facilities fall into one of several weaponfree zones that include courtrooms, polling places and correctional facilities. A bill that went into effect last September allows people to
send a written complaint to a state agency or political subdivision if they believe it is improperly posting the signs where guns are allowed. If three days go by without a response, the complainant can file a complaint with the attorney general’s office, which will investigate the allegation and forward it to the appropriate division if further action needs to be taken. The Houston Chronicle reports that the facilities that have had complaints lodged against them include the Dallas Zoo and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
Man pleads not guilty ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Houston Zoo reinstalled signs prohibiting carrying firearms into the zoo after they were removed due to a complaint from attorney Edwin Walker with Texas Law Shield demanding that they be taken down. The zoo said the signs were put back up because the zoo is an educational institution, which exempts it from being forced to allow firearms within its gates. Walkers said in his letter that the zoo’s signs were in violation of state code because even though it is privately owned, it sits on property owned by the City of Houston.
THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata Chamber of Commerce is inviting the community to come out for Skeeter Bass Champs fishing tournament. The Texas No. 1 tournament trail event rolls into town today, Jan. 23 at the Zapata County Pub-
lic Boat Ramp. Morning take-off is scheduled at 6:50 a.m. and weigh-in is at 3 p.m. For more information, residents are encouraged to contact the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce at 956-756-4871 or visit their website at http://www.zapatachamber.com.
Woman in corruption probe ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin businesswoman has been convicted of lying to federal agents in a public corruption probe linked to Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley
Price. Helena Tantillo was convicted Friday in Austin and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced. The 59-year-old corporate executive was convicted of two counts of making false statements to law enforcement.
Tantillo worked for a firm that in 2005 won a contract to digitize Dallas County records. Prosecutors say Tantillo later lied to the FBI when she claimed a temporary increase in consultant fees was for a charitable donation.
Price was indicted in 2014 on charges that he accepted nearly $1 million in bribes, sometimes via consultants, to provide insider information and vote for certain projects. Price, who awaits trial, denies the allegations.
Officer charged for child porn ASSOCIATED PRESS
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (AP) — A Houston-area man has pleaded not guilty to killing his 19-year-old wife more than four decades ago in suburban Chicago. The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports that 73-year-old Donnie Rudd entered the plea Friday in the death of Noreen Kumeta Rudd. Rudd is being held on $4 million bond at the Cook County jail. He was arrested last month in Sugar Land, Texas, about 15 miles southwest of Houston. Prosecutors allege Rudd beat his wife to death in 1973 and made it appear she had died in a car accident to collect $120,000 in life insurance. The case was ruled a homicide after an autopsy of her exhumed remains determined her injuries were consistent with multiple blows to the head, and inconsistent with being thrown from a vehicle.
Bass fishing tournament held today
DALLAS — A former Texas police officer has been sentenced to the maximum 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
Brian Kelley of Quinlan was sentenced Friday in Dallas. The 41-year-old Kelley last January pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. Prosecutors say Kelley in September 2013 had
a flash drive that contained still images and video of a girl engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Prosecutors say Kelley, at the time of the offense, was a police officer at the University of Texas Southwestern Medi-
cal Center in Dallas. A UTSouthwestern spokesman says Kelley was fired In October 2013 before court proceedings began. Authorities say Kelley formerly was a deputy with the Hunt County Sheriff ’s Office.
Man gets 27 years for meth ASSOCIATED PRESS
McALLEN, Texas — An Alabama man must serve nearly 27 years in prison in a Texas drug smuggling case linked to 35 pounds of methampheta-
mine in a truck muffler. James Marcus Malone of Boaz (BOH’-az), Alabama, was sentenced Thursday by a federal judge in McAllen. The 42-year-old Malone in September was convicted of importing and possession with
intent to distribute methamphetamine. Prosecutors say Malone has several prior drug convictions. The Texas case involves a March 2015 search at the Hidalgo (hih-DAL’-goh) port of entry. The meth was hidden in the
muffler of a pickup truck driven by a person associated with Malone. Investigators say Malone and others traveled from Alabama to Reynosa, Mexico, to help pick the Dodge Ram loaded with drugs.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Poisoning Flint’s water By MARY SANCHEZ THE KANSAS CITY STAR
If there was ever any ethical foundation supporting the administration of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, it has been obliterated. The first duty of any government is to serve it citizens — openly, without favor or prejudice, and in such a way as never to knowingly inflict harm. In causing — yes, causing — the poisoning of the city of Flint’s water supply, Snyder’s administration have violated that trust. Trampled it, really. And in the process they showed contempt for the people of Flint. Citizens complained. Experts remonstrated. Yet more experts were enlisted to make a credible case for concern. It didn’t matter. Public health in Flint didn’t matter. What mattered was politics. In April 2014, the water supply of Flint was switched to the Flint River. It was a cost-saving solution. Flint, as most of us have known since Michael Moore’s 1989 documentary "Roger & Me," is a struggling, impoverished postindustrial landscape. Stateappointed emergency managers had been assigned to Flint to address its fiscal problems. So the lake water supplied by Detroit had to go. Too expensive. But the water from the Flint River, a historical dumping site for industrial effluent, wasn’t treated properly, a necessary step to keep old pipes from corroding and releasing lead into the water. The result was toxic water. People quickly began complaining of rashes and other problems. Pediatricians noted eye-popping levels of lead in the blood of children. Technicians found off-the-charts levels of lead in certain water samples taken from residents’ water faucets. This went on for 18 months before the water source was switched back to Detroit last fall. United Way of Genesee County, Mich., estimates that 6,000 to 12,000 kids were exposed to lead in the drinking water for an extended period, and that the cost of treating and caring for those poisoned by lead could reach $100 million. At its heart, the contaminated water crisis in Flint is simple. Everyone at some point — the governor, consultants, legislators, Flint’s state-appointed emergency managers and the various staffers surrounding all of the people with the lofty titles and salaries — discounted the people of Flint. It wasn’t their children who were exposed to irreversible brain damage from lead poisoning. It wasn’t their families breaking out with rashes. And it wasn’t their minis-
ter who stopped performing baptisms, fearing a toxic blessing for newborns. Those problems were Flint’s, and Flint apparently doesn’t really deserve better. We get this inkling from 275 pages of newly released emails from the governor’s office. They were only brought forth under duress — now that the National Guard is delivering clean bottled water to Flint. Now that a federal emergency declaration has been signed by the president. Now that the lawsuits are being filed and $28 million in emergency state money had to be offered up. The governor’s emails show state officials dismissing residents’ complaints as politically motivated and downplaying the findings of outside experts invited by residents to test the water. Now certain Michigan Republicans are wailing that the issue is being politicized by Snyder’s critics. Well, who politicized it? Principled public servants would have taken complaints from citizens seriously and sought unbiased evidence to investigate — not dismissed them as "political" or otherwise inconvenient. So, yes, this reflects badly on the Republican governor who supported the system of state-appointed saviors for the poor in the form of inept emergency managers. Racial and class insensitivity is certainly a factor. Flint is more than 55 percent African-American and has a 40 percent poverty rate. It’s easier to ignore people if they don’t look like you or vote for you. But that’s not the whole story. Multiple agencies and countless public workers mindlessly marched forward without adequately addressing the uproar coming from the people using the water. Some of the people snared in the negligence — including the emergency manager at the time the water was switched to a dangerous source — are African-American. Clearly, a lot of people shoved plans forward without questioning, without addressing dangers. Fingers have been pointing at the emergency manager at the time of the water switch. And that man, now the emergency manager of Detroit schools, points to the previous manager. Technically, he argues, his predecessor made the decision. The state legislature bears fault too. It twice approved acts to appoint emergency managers for Flint. The second time, it added language to prevent the people of Michigan from using a referendum to take back control of their cities, as they did in 2012.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COLUMN
Still no need for open carry By KEN HERMAN AUSTIN-AMERICAN STATESMAN
AUSTIN, Texas — “Disappointed” isn’t the right word. Neither is “surprised.” I’m not really surprised. But here we are, three weeks since Texas joined 44 other states in allowing licensed open carry of handguns and, save for photos at rallies, I’ve yet to see anybody openly carrying a gun. Maybe I will when the mercury goes up and the jackets come off. It speaks well for Texas that so many Texans feel no need to openly carry a handgun. And, so far, we’ve yet to hear stories of the extreme kind, be it of open-carryaided heroism or OK Corral shootouts. Overall, open carry has been what the kids call a big-ol’ bupkis. (OK, maybe that’s only the kids who speak Yiddish.) It’s early, but it’s been a Texas-sized nothing, pretty much tracking what’s happened in the two decades since concealed carry was approved amid overheated predictions from both sides. So let’s peer into the leg-
islative crystal ball (an oftfrightening place to peer) and try to divine what’s next in the world of guns in Texas. Now, to legally carry handguns (openly or otherwise) you have to take a course, pay a fee and get a license. To openly carry a “long gun” (rifle, shotgun, AK-47), all you have to do is get one. Other than a background check at purchase, the government’s not involved when it comes to long guns. Odd. Seems like maybe it should be the same rules for all firearms. It’s not, but some Texas lawmakers are thinking of leveling the playing field. Pop quiz: Do they want to start requiring licenses for long guns or do they want to end licensing for short ones? If you don’t immediately know the answer, I hope you’ve enjoyed your first week in Texas. Its shorthand term is “constitutional carry,” and it’s based on the highly defensible notion that if the Second Amendment guarantees arms-bearing, why is a license needed to bear arms?
Pop quiz 2: Name another constitutional right that requires a license to enjoy. (I will not accept the fact that, in some cases, you have to get a parade permit to exercise free speech.) Constitutional carry died in legislative committee last year when lawmakers OK’d open carry and college campus carry. In a Jan. 3 “Meet the Press” discussion of open carry, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick teased us into believing constitutional carry might be on the table next year. “You know, I’m one who believes the Second Amendment guarantees everyone the right to own a gun,” he said. Host Chuck Todd: “So why are we regulating anything? Why is there any standard on open carry? By that standard, there shouldn’t be a standard on open carry, right?” He didn’t say the words, but Todd was talking about constitutional carry. Patrick also didn’t say those words, opting instead to say “all of these issues are evolving.” Todd: “Do you think there are too many hurdles to get a concealed-carry
permit or an open-carry permit?” Patrick answered with a “no,” then tempered with “that is evolving. ... And I want to see a day when every American can simply have a gun, does not have to go through a long ordeal or pay a high price. We’re going to address that in Texas as well. Because it’s the right of every individual under the Second Amendment.” I’m sure some lawmakers will push constitutional carry next year. Here’s part of what Patrick’s office sent me when I asked for his position on it: “I will continue looking for ways to make the process of carrying a gun easier so that every person in the state can protect themselves under the Second Amendment.” Ditto-ish from Gov. Greg Abbott, whose spokesman John Wittman responded with this when I asked for the governor’s position on constitutional carry: “Gov. Abbott will carefully consider any future legislation aimed at preserving our right to keep and bear arms.” That sounds like a big ol’ “stay tuned” to me.
COLUMN
Clinton had worst week By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
For Hillary Clinton, it’s starting to look like deja vu all over again. Start a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination as giant front-runner. Check. Raise tens of millions of dollars and look unbeatable for large swaths of the year before the primaries start. Check. An insurgent challenger running to her ideological left? Check. Collapsing poll numbers on the eve of actual votes? Check. Over the past week or so, Clinton has watched as her national polling lead
over Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vt., a self-avowed socialist, has shrunk. And, far more important, Clinton’s standing vis a vis Sanders in the key early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire has eroded as well. In Iowa, after holding a high-single-digit lead (at worst) for months, Clinton now finds herself in a dead heat with the caucuses just over a week away. The Real Clear Politics polling average gives Clinton an edge of less than five points. Sanders has always run stronger in New Hampshire than in Iowa, but of late several polls suggest that he is widening his
steady lead over the former secretary of state. In the Real Clear Politics polling average, Sanders is up by almost 13 points. Lose both of those states early next month, and Clinton’s inevitability bubble bursts. Period. Clinton, to her credit, is doing everything she can to avoid a repeat of 2008. She’s savaging Sanders as both too conservative (on guns) and too pie-in-thesky liberal (on health care). Complicating those efforts is the news that broke midweek: The intelligence community’s inspector general confirmed
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
thatdozens of emails on the private server Clinton used while she was at the State Department contained extremely highly classified information. Clinton continues to stick by her original line on the email controversy that she never sent or received anything that was classified at the time - but the latest news is proof that the story and its reverberations are likely to dog her all the way through November. Hillary Clinton, for watching history repeat itself, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something.
State
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
Houston cowboy blazed new trails By CINDY HORSWELL HOUSTON CHRONICLE
HOUSTON — Fifty years ago, Paul Cleveland rode a paint horse named Stardust into the Astrodome — and a place in the record books. Considered a trailblazer for the AfricanAmerican cowboy, Cleveland was part of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s 1966 debut in what was billed as the world’s first domed stadium. He won first place in the paint horse registered calf-roping event that year. The horse, which he’d trained to help him rope a calf without any direction other than being commanded to go, was recognized the following year as the best judged roping horse of its breed. Cleveland’s success, which came at the height of the civil rights movement, helped lead to his 2008 induction into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Fame. Now 80 and a survivor of three strokes, Cleveland travels by wheelchair instead of by horse. It’s a tame ride for a seasoned cowboy. But the health setbacks haven’t diminished Cleveland’s passion for horses. Though he can no longer ride, he keeps two horses — a pinto and a sorrel — that he continues to train on leased ranchland near his Spring home. Cleveland also spends two days a week sharing his rodeo stories with young people at Mr. C’s, an old-time bar-
Photo by Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle | AP
Paul Cleveland, 81, is a member of the National Cowboys of Color Hall of Fame. bershop off Farm Road 1960 where an entire wall is covered with photos of teens whom he and the shop’s owner, Charles Jones, have mentored. They come there to learn not only about horses, but life, including the value of hard work — from sweeping up hair at the shop to shoveling manure at the ranch. “One of my arms is partially paralyzed and my hands don’t work that good no more,” Cleveland told the Houston Chronicle as he rubbed one twisted hand. He also has torn cartilage in one knee and a discolored white eye, which lost sight when a branch struck him while he chopped down a tree. “But I can’t let go of my horses,” Cleveland said. “I got that country in me. A person is going to follow what he knows.” Cleveland’s father was a sharecropper and ranch foreman in Sealy, about 50 miles west of downtown Houston. He had Cleveland riding a horse by age 6. The 10th of 11 children, Cleveland grew up without indoor plumb-
ing or electricity. He and his family traveled from farm to farm, picking cotton when they weren’t using horses to herd cattle or plow their own fields to plant crops. “I could pick 120 pounds of cotton a day when I was 14. It wasn’t hard if you knew how to avoid pricking your fingers,” he said. The soft-spoken Cleveland was a Godfearing lad, but at times he feared his father’s discipline more. “When I was 16, I was late coming home one night. My father had rules. I knew he’d be waiting for me in the dark to give me a whipping.” So he never went back. With help from an older brother, he rented a room and landed a job loading watermelons on a truck. In the ninth grade, he met his future wife, Barbara, and left school; she went on to obtain her diploma. “We were 17 when we got married. So our parents had to sign for us,” said Cleveland. The couple — married now for 63 years — have three children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Slocum’s grim past By MARC RAMIREZ THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
SLOCUM, Texas — She is a 7-year-old girl in the back of a ’76 Pontiac, lost in the landscape whizzing past her window. Anderson County unfolds in a gentle panorama of rolling hills, marshland and scraggly oaks in cauliflower contortions. This is where it happened, her father tells his passengers. This is where they were killed. She is too young to grasp the impact of what he is saying. The land is bewitching, with no evidence of the darkest chapter of its past. It would be years before Constance Hollie-Jawaid would absorb the punch of her father’s words or his fury at the unpunished crimes. It was there in Anderson County that a white mob hunted down and murdered perhaps dozens, if not hundreds, of AfricanAmericans in July 1910 — including many of Hollie-Jawaid’s ancestors. For more than a century, the act has gone officially unacknowledged in Slocum, a small, incorporated community 17 miles southeast of Palestine, the seat of Anderson County. Last weekend, that changed when Texas State Historical Marker No. 18212 was unveiled near Killgo Cemetery. The marker is the first in Texas to recognize 20th-century racial violence against African-Americans. It represents the realization of repeated efforts by Hollie-Jawaid and her elders to commemorate “the Slocum Massacre,” despite the resistance of county officials. “They’re not ready to acknowledge this atrocity,” Hollie-Jawaid, who co-authored the marker application, told The Dallas Morning News. “I know it can be hurtful or shameful to admit your ancestors were involved in something like this, but an atrocity is an atrocity.” Officially, eight blacks were killed in the two-day rampage by a mob of rage-filled whites. But news accounts of the time
Photo by Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News | AP
E.R. Bills, author of the book "Slocum Massacre," poses for a portrait next to Sadler Creek in Slocum, Texas. reported 18 to 25 dead, and oral histories passed down through generations of African-American families suggest many, many more. Hollie-Jawaid, who works for the Dallas school district, recalls hearing her dad, uncles and grandfather talking about the killings when she was a child. But otherwise, there was scant information. “It’s been essentially buried,” said Texas Tech history professor Karlos K. Hill, who studies lynchings and other racial violence. “You can’t find it in Texas history books. It’s been a case that’s been forgotten.” Hill places the Slocum rampage in the same league as Florida’s Rosewood Massacre of 1923, the Tulsa race riot of 1922, and the horrific Elaine Massacre of 1919 in Arkansas, the event to which Slocum’s tragedy bears most resemblance. Those attacks all occurred after World War I, when racial tensions were high, with black veterans agitating for civil rights. All were eventually recognized by local officials. Slocum’s marker, Hollie-Jawaid hopes, will be the first step in a journey to bring peace to the victims’ descendants, who never received justice or financial recompense. “Racial tensions in America in the early 20th century were sometimes punctuated by violent outbursts,” the marker reads. “One such occasion be-
gan near Slocum and spread across a wide area near the Anderson-Houston county line beginning on the morning of July 29, 1910.” E.R. Bills stands on the bank of Sadler Creek where it passes under Highway 294, a mile from central Slocum. It was somewhere along the marshy creek, closer to town, that a band of whites opened fire on three black men. One was killed, another injured as he took flight. It was the start of two days of slaughter whose details have mostly been lost to time — and to deliberate obfuscation. “Men were going about killing Negroes as fast as they could find them, and so far as I was able to ascertain, without any real cause,” William Black, the sheriff at the time, told The New York Times. “I don’t know how many were in the mob, but there may have been 200 or 300. ... They hunted the Negroes down like sheep.” Almost all of those killed were unarmed. The violence subsided when judges ordered saloons closed, along with stores that sold guns and ammunition, and the Texas Rangers were dispatched to the area. Local residents, meanwhile, were said to have piled bodies into mass graves. Seven white men were indicted for the murder, but the cases were moved to Harris County and never prosecuted.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve TORNEO DE PESCA Hoy sábado 23 de enero se llevará a cabo el 2016 Bass Champs Fishing Tournament, a partir de las 6:50 a.m. en la rampa pública para lanchas del Condado de Zapata. El pesaje está programado para las 3 p.m.
SEMANA NDAFW La Coalición Comunitaria del Condado de Zapata informa que del 25 al 29 de enero se celebra la semana nacional de hechos sobre alcohol y drogas (NDAFW, por sus siglas en inglés). Se trata de un evento que busca promover actividades entre adolescentes que utilicen la ciencia NIDA (instituto nacional por el abuso de drogas). Pida informes en el (956) 765-3555.
CIUDAD GUERRERO El Estado de Tamaulipas decreto que las parejas con deseos de contraer matrimonio deben recibir pláticas que involucran temas como la violencia intrafamiliar, que estarán a cargo del Instituto de la Mujer Tamaulipeca.
SÁBADO 23 DE ENERO, DE 2016
SEGURIDAD
Ratifican alerta
POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Esta semana, la oficina de asuntos consulares del Departamento de Estado renovó su advertencia de viaje a México a ciudadanos de EU, indicando que los grupos del crimen organizado suponen una amenaza en ciertos lugares de México. “Los ciudadanos de EU han sido víctimas de crímenes violentos, tales como homicidio, secuestro, robo de auto con violencia y asalto por parte de grupos del crimen organizado en varios lugares de Tamaulipas”, indica la advertencia. En el aviso, las autoridades mencionan al estado de Tamaulipas. “Posponga todos los viajes no esenciales al estado de Tamaulipas”, señala. “Alrededor del estado, los crímenes violentos, incluyendo homicidios, asaltos armados, robos de auto con violencia, secuestros, extorsión y agresión sexual, representan un riesgo importante a su seguridad. La capacidad de elementos de seguridad estatales y municipales es limitada o no existe en muchos lugares de Tamaulipas”. Oficiales del Departamento de Estado dijeron que los enfrentamientos armados entre grupos rivales del crimen organizado o contra
las autoridades mexicanas, pueden ocurrir en cualquier lugar de la región, a cualquier hora del día. La advertencia se emite en una semana donde se han reportado enfrentamientos en Nuevo Laredo, México y Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México, donde la violencia por parte del crimen organizado ocurre frecuentemente, señala el reporte.
Enfrentamientos Autoridades tamaulipecas reportaron la balacera más reciente alrededor de la 1:50 a.m. del martes, a la altura del kilómetro 127 de la carretera Nuevo Laredo-Nueva Ciudad Guerrero. Elementos del ejército mexicano se encontraron con hombres armados en el interior de tres vehículos estacionados. Entonces inició una balacera y persecución por un tramo de dos millas. Dos hombres armados, con alrededor de 30 años de edad, murieron en la confrontación, reportaron autoridades. El informe señala que los agresores vestían ropa con de camuflaje, botas militares, cascos tácticos color verde, entre otro equipo militar. Más tarde, soldados descubrieron a uno de los vehículos sospechosos,
MIGUEL ALEMÁN
GMC Sierra, el cual fue incendiado. En la cajuela de la unidad, soldados descubrieron dos rifles de asalto, un arma Barrett calibre .50, un chaleco antibalas, un casco, municiones, cartuchos, abrojos y comida. Otra balacera fue reportada en Nuevo Laredo a inicios de semana. Alrededor de las 3 a.m. del 18 de enero, inició un enfrentando cuando militares y oficiales de la policía federal encontraron a civiles armados a bordo de un vehículo Isuzu, de cuatro puertas, color dorado por la Carretera al Aeropuerto y Bulevar Universidad. Tras la balacera un sospechoso murió, quien se cree tenía alrededor de 20 años. Autoridades tamaulipecas no lo identificaron. Reportes indican que el conductor huyó pero se volcó tras perder el control del vehículo. El resto de los sospechosos huyeron. Las autoridades decomisaron un rifle de asalto, municiones, un radio y tres teléfonos celulares, entre otros artículos, de acuerdo con reportes. En otra balacera reciente, el 8 de enero, un hombre murió y un joven de Zapata resultó herido, cerca de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero. Autoridades tamaulipecas dije-
ron que el adolescente de 17 años de edad, se encontraba con un grupo criminal que opera en Tamaulipas. Su identidad no ha sido revelada hasta el momento. Soldados mexicanos patrullaban a la altura del kilómetro 155 de la carretera Nueva Ciudad GuerreroNuevo Laredo, cuando descubrieron varios vehículos estacionados y un grupo conformado por 15 a 17 hombres armados, señalan reportes. Los militares repelieron la agresión, falleciendo uno de los sospechoso. Uno de los heridos fue identificado como Manuel Octavio Chapa Días, de 25 años, asi como el joven de Zapata. Ambos fueron detenidos y trasladados a un hospital. Autoridades reportaron la confiscación de unas camionetas Ford F-150 Super Duty, un Ford F-350 y un Ford Lobo. Todas con placas de Texas. Además, soldados reportaron que encontraron cinco tambos con 200 litros de diesel, ocho AR-15, una AK-47, un rifle calibre .22, una pistola de mano, clips, equipo táctico, abrojos y 70 bolsas con comida. (Localice a César G. Rodriguez en 728-2568 o en cesar@lmtonline.com)
EDUCACIÓN
Lorena Garza Landin tomó protesta como nueva presidenta de la fundación Vive en Paz y Haz el Bien A.C. El objetivo del organismo sin fines de lucro es llevar beneficios a personas que padecen cáncer. Irvin Cardoza Zamora, estudiante de la escuela primaria Plan de Guadalupe, obtuvo el primer lugar durante el concurso de oratoria Sentimiento Juarista, de la zona escolar número 50. En el segundo lugar se ubicó Yamile Mancilla Alvarado, y el tercer sitio lo obtuvo Melisa García Benites.
CARTA DE INTENCIÓN
REYNOSA Elementos policiacos lograron el rescate de un grupo de inmigrantes indocumentados que presuntamente estaban privados de su libertad en el municipio de Reynosa, México. El miércoles, elementos del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas informaron que la policía estatal rescató a 11 inmigrantes de origen centroamericano. En el grupo había tres mujeres y ocho hombres, uno de ellos menor de edad, indica el reporte. El reporte indica que ocho de los inmigrantes dijeron ser de Guatemala, dos de El Salvador y uno de Nicaragua. El rescate tuvo lugar después de que la policía recibiera una denuncia ciudadana sobre una presunta casa de seguridad en la cuadra 900 de calle Miguel Hidalgo, en la colonia Satélite en este municipio. Oficiales dijeron que al llegar al lugar, observaron a varias personas pidiendo auxilio, señala el reporte. No se realizaron arrestos.
TIRO AL DISCO El Boys and Girls Club of Zapata invita al Noveno Torneo de Tiro al Disco (Sporting Clay) que se realizará el sábado 30 de enero. La cuota de entrada es de 120 dólares para equipos con 5 tiradores adultos y 60 dólares para equipos con cinco tiradores jóvenes – equipos juveniles deben contar con un entrenador o patrocinador presente. Participantes deben estar registrados para las 7:30 a.m. el día del evento, y deberán llevar sus propias municiones 7 ½, 8 y 9 solamente. El horario de actividades será de 7 a.m. a 7:45 a.m. el registro; 8 a.m. primera etapa; 11 a.m., segunda etapa; 2 p.m., tercera etapa.
Foto de cortesía
Cassandra García, de Zapata High School, firmó su carta de intención para jugar voleibol a nombre de Laredo Community College. El evento se realizó el viernes por la mañana en el gimnasio de la escuela.
LEY DE AJUSTE CUBANO
En febrero reanudarán migración POR SONIA PEREZ D. ASSOCIATED PRESS
GUATEMALA— Representantes de los países centroamericanos y de México acordaron el miércoles reanudar a partir del 4 de febrero el tránsito de los migrantes cubanos varados en Costa Rica. Los representantes de los gobiernos de Costa Rica, Belice, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panamá y México se reunieron en Ciudad de Guatemala para evaluar la pri-
mera movilización realizada el 12 de enero en la cual 180 migrantes cubanos fueron trasladados a través de Centroamérica en avión y camión, para llegar a su destino. “Se acordó continuar la movilización a partir del 4 de febrero, utilizando la misma ruta, tiempos y procedimientos empleados en el plan piloto. Los Estados se comprometieron a mantener bajo vigilancia este procedimiento y concluirlo de acuerdo a la planificación que dispongan los países”, dijo la canci-
llería guatemalteca en un boletín de prensa. Al menos 8.000 migrantes cubanos llegaron a Costa Rica, procedentes de Ecuador en busca de migrar hacia Estados Unidos desde octubre de 2015. Tras la negativa de Costa Rica de permitir el paso por su territorio, los migrantes quedaron varados en ese país centroamericano, donde permanecieron por varios meses. Los gobiernos de Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala y Méxi-
co, lograron en enero de este año un acuerdo para permitirles el paso con la intención de hacerlo de una forma segura. El plan piloto consistió en permitir la salida de 180 migrantes cubanos, hombres y mujeres, de los primeros en llegar a Costa Rica, quienes vía aérea salieron de Costa Rica hacia El Salvador. Desde la capital salvadoreña los migrantes abordaron cuatro camiones que los llevaron hasta la frontera con México.
TAMULIPAS
Anuncian líder comercial TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Tamaulipas se ha posicionado como el líder mexicano en comercio exterior, dijeron autoridades tamaulipecas el jueves. La Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo, Mónica González García, hizo la declaración después de que se reportara que el índice de cruces de importación y exportación del 2015 en el Puente Inter-
nacional del Comercio Mundial entre Laredo y Nuevo Laredo, México, aumentara en 5.5 por ciento. “El 2015 cerró con 1.663.099 cruces de importación y exportación, esto representa una gran ventaja competitiva para la atracción de inversiones, además del desarrollo económico que representa para Tamaulipas”, dijo González. Ella agregó que el puen-
te del Comercio Mundial es parte importante de la promoción de inversión que se ha realizado, ya que el Estado asegura a los inversionistas que junto con los otros 16 cruces internacionales, la entidad es un punto estratégico por potenciar. “Entre los beneficios que deja este cruce internacional está la derrama económica que deja en Tamaulipas”, dijo González.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Los cruces por el Puente del Comercio Mundial, que unen a Laredo y Nuevo Laredo, México, tuvieron un incremento del 5,5 por ciento.
National
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Photo by Chicago Police Department | AP file Photo by Lynne Sladky | AP
Tracey Shelton, left, Paige Willey, center, and Warren Willey, right, of Crisfield, Md., wait to reschedule a flight at Miami International Airport, as their flight to Baltimore was canceled.
In this Oct. 20, 2014 frame from dash-cam video provided by the Chicago Police Department, Laquan McDonald, right, walks down the street moments before being shot by officer Jason Van Dyke in Chicago.
Flights canceled Cops put off streets due to snowstorm By MICHAEL TARM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Airlines canceled more than 6,000 flights to, from or within the U.S. for Friday and Saturday, as a blizzard began covering much of the Eastern U.S. The bulk of Friday’s 2,900 cancelations are in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Another 3,300 flights were canceled for Saturday. Those cancelations center on Philadelphia, Washington, and New York, with airlines essentially shutting down all flights into those cities. By Sunday afternoon, however, the airlines hope to be back to a full schedule to handle the typical influx of business travelers heading out to start a week on the road. Overall, the airlines have canceled about 13 percent of their scheduled flights in the U.S. for Friday and Saturday. One bit of good news: Saturday is the slowest travel day of the week. There are a little more than 22,000 flights scheduled to, from or within the U.S., according to FlightAware. That’s about 5,000 fewer flights — and 400,000 fewer passengers — than on Thursday or Friday. All major airlines have issued waivers for travel over the weekend, allowing passengers to rebook onto earlier or later flights to avoid the storms. The airports included vary by airline but include some cities in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia all the way up the coast to New Hampshire and Massachusetts. American Airlines
alone has issued waivers for 42 airports. For those looking to instead cancel their trips, they need to wait until the airline officially cancels their flight. Airlines have been much more proactive in recent years about canceling flights, often doing so up to a day in advance. More travelers are impacted but they aren’t stuck waiting in airports. It also lets airlines restart the system quicker because they have planes and crews in place. If your flight is canceled and maybe you are stuck at the airport, consider taking these actions: — If your flight is canceled — and you are at the airport — get in line to speak to a customer service representative. But also call the airline directly. If the phone lines are jammed, try the airline’s overseas numbers. You’ll pay long-distance rates, but might not have to wait. (Put those numbers in your phone now.) Finally, consider sending a tweet to the airline. — There are more to airline lounges than free drinks and lights snacks. The real secret to the lounges is that the airline staffs them with some of its best — and friendliest — ticket agents. The lines are shorter and these agents are magically able to find empty seats. So consider buying a one-day pass. It typically costs $50 but discounts can sometimes be found in advance online. — If weather causes cancellations, use apps like HotelTonight and Priceline to find last-minute hotel discounts for that night. Warning: Many of the rooms are nonrefundable when booked, so lock in only once you are stuck.
CHICAGO — Two Chicago police officers whose official accounts of a 2014 fatal shooting of a black teenager by white Officer Jason Van Dyke contradict parts of a squad-car video have been put on desk duty until investigations are complete. Van Dyke’s partner, Officer Joseph Walsh, and a detective who found the shooting justified, David March, retain their police powers but can no longer work on the street in any operational role, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. Dashcam video released Nov. 24 shows Van Dyke shooting Laquan McDonald 16 times as he walks away from police officers with a knife at his side. The footage prompted weeks of protests in Chicago, the sacking of the police superintendent and demands for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign. Van Dyke has been charged with murder in the shooting and has pleaded not guilty. The shooting has turned a spotlight on longstanding concerns about a “code of silence” in the police department, in which officers stay quiet about or even cover up possible misconduct by colleagues. The president of the Chicago Police Board, which oversees disciplinary actions against police, addressed that code this week.
“Those officers who are doing their jobs the right way must be responsible not only for themselves, but for their partners and colleagues who have gone astray,” Lori Lightfoot said in a speech at the City Club of Chicago on Tuesday. “They cannot bear witness to misconduct by others, turn a blind eye and believe that all is well.” Asked in a phone interview Friday about Walsh and March being taken off the street, a spokesman for Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante said he will terminate “any officer found guilty of lying or misrepresenting the facts” following federal and administrative investigations of the McDonald case. Included among hundreds of documents released publicly by the city on Dec. 4 were accounts by Walsh and March in which they describe the 17year-old McDonald advancing on police and waiving the knife threateningly at them right before Van Dyke fired — accounts that portray the teenager as far more menacing than he appears in the video. In a hand-written account on Oct. 20, 2014 — within hours of the shooting — Walsh wrote that McDonald “swung (the) knife” at Van Dyke, adding that he was convinced McDonald was “attempting to kill” his partner. He also says McDonald kept trying to get up. The video belies those accounts. In it, Van Dyke is seen step-
ping from a squad car driven by Walsh and shooting almost immediately. After one or two shots, McDonald collapses barely moving except for slight twitches as bullets pummel his body. Court filing by prosecutors say all but a few of the 16 shots hitting McDonald were fired over 13 seconds as he lay in the street. The 3-inch blade was founded folded into the handle. A report submitted by March months later appeared to take officers’ accounts at face value and concluded that McDonald had been “an active assailant” armed with “a dangerous weapon.” On that basis, he deemed Van Dyke’s decision to shoot was justified. Guglielmi said Escalante put March and Walsh on desk duty on the recommendation of the Chicago Office of Inspector General Joseph Ferguson in mid-December. The office is the city’s internal watchdog and its recommendation isn’t binding. The Independent Police Review Authority, the city agency that investigates police-involved shootings, referred the case to the inspector general. Guglielmi said Friday he didn’t know the basis of the inspector general’s recommendation nor whether it cited the reports that appeared to contradict the video. “Officer Walsh is currently assigned to desk duties within the 8th district and Detective March has been removed from all current investigations,” his earlier statement said.
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Zentertainment
Designer’s auto part dresses By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — One auto supplier is taking the term “ready to wear” to a whole new level. Inteva Products LLC commissioned a fashion designer to produce four gowns using the same thermoplastic material the maker of engineered components and systems places in the instrument panel surface of a host of General Motors Co. vehicles. The results were on display during a recent popup fashion show at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Four models outfitted with formal dresses made from Inteva’s Inteather material strutted up and down a carpeted area, passing by dumbfounded auto show attendees as well as the GMC Yukon and Sierra, both of which feature instrument panel exteriors made of Inteather, a thermoplastic olefin material. Inteather has the appearance of traditional leather, but Inteva says it weighs less, lasts longer, and is recyclable. Inteva’s Ken Gassman, who leads the team responsible for the commercial use of Inteather, was on hand to see the models in action. He says the designer, Ferndale-based Janna Coumoundouros, did a “phenomenal job” creating the gowns. Coumoundouros says people are taken aback by the texture of the dresses, because “it looks like hard leather, but when they touch it, it’s really soft.”
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
Oscars to diversify By SANDY COHEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
The film academy is pledging to double the number of female and minority members by 2020, and will immediately diversify its leadership by adding three new seats to its board of governors. Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the changes Friday, following a weeklong storm of criticism and calls for an Oscar boycott after academy members nominated an all-white slate of actors for the second year in a row. “The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up,” she said in a statement. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 51-member board of governors unanimously approved
a series of reforms late Thursday to “begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition,” Isaacs said. The number of minorities currently serving as members of the academy has not been revealed. Several of Hollywood’s most prominent AfricanAmericans, including Will Smith and Spike Lee, have said they won’t attend this year’s Oscars, which is to be hosted by Chris Rock. Other changes include limiting members’ voting status to a period of 10 years, to be extended only if the individual remains active in film during that decade. Lifetime voting rights will be granted only to Academy Award nominees and winners, and to members after three ten-year voting terms. Previously, all
active members received lifetime voting rights. The organization also plans to diversify its leadership beyond the board of governors by adding new members to key decisionmaking committees, and further diversify its membership with a global campaign to identify and recruit diverse talent. Reaction came swiftly. Ava DuVernay, director of last year’s best picture-nominee “Selma,” tweeted that the changes were “one good step in a long, complicated journey for people of color and women artists.” She added: “Shame is a helluva motivator.” “Marginalized artists have advocated for Academy change for DECADES,” DuVernay wrote. “Actual campaigns. Calls voiced FROM THE STAGE.”
Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision | AP
Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announces the Academy Awards nominations at the 88th nomination ceremony.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
THE MARKET IN REVIEW STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS
u
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NYSE 9,426.91 +200.34
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
DAILY DOW JONES
NASDAQ 4,591.18 +119.12
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
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EgyTrEq s SanchezEn NGL EnPt USA Cmp WbstFn wt WmsCos CypressEn TeekOffsh UltraPt g ClrbrgMLP
9.63 3.24 12.21 10.76 21.88 19.74 8.84 3.97 2.45 5.87
17.99 3.23 2.76 9.00 13.10 2.16 3.15 23.97 7.28 4.15
+2.44 +.77 +2.77 +2.18 +4.30 +3.70 +1.58 +.69 +.41 +.92
+33.9 +31.2 +29.3 +25.4 +24.5 +23.1 +21.8 +21.0 +20.1 +18.6
GolLNGLtd Qumu Cp Perfuman lf CathGn wt GolLNGPt h BonTon SpanBrdc SparkEngy MitelNet g VanNR pfB
Last Chg%Chg Name
CSVInvCrd 287.30-99.10 DxRsaBr rs 44.31-13.33 DBCmdyL 7.00 -1.54 DrxNGBear 65.00-13.48 PrUShCrde 173.94-35.94 PUVixST rs 41.86 -8.48 TutorPerini 10.68 -2.14 DxHmbBear 61.94-10.06 DxEnBear 34.96 -5.33 DxSPOGBear109.61-15.55
-25.6 -23.1 -18.0 -17.2 -17.1 -16.9 -16.7 -14.0 -13.2 -12.4
+50.7 +37.4 +36.0 +28.8 +25.7 +22.7 +20.7 +20.7 +20.3 +19.9
Vol (00)
6.13 8.74 2.60 2.50 2.39 3.75 9.16 8.78 4.85 2.17
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-4.87 -3.72 -1.09 -1.00 -.88 -.94 -1.86 -1.67 -.84 -.34
Vol (00)
BkofAm 1661679 13.56 +.20 Apple Inc FrptMcM 1073175 3.94 -.39 Cisco GenElec 844100 28.24 -.35 Microsoft KindMorg 613356 15.34 +1.46 MicronT EgyTrEq s 489588 9.63 +2.44 Starbucks s AmExp 433074 55.06 -7.58 Facebook Sprint 426385 2.87 +.37 Netflix s FordM 415875 12.14 +.13 Intel MarathnO 381567 9.02 +.23 FrontierCm Alcoa 336460 6.87 -.22 SiriusXM
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
2,834 343 26 3,203 14 27 4,798,726,887
16,680
Close: 16,093.51 Change: 210.83 (1.3%)
16,060 15,440
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18,351.36 9,214.77 657.17 11,254.87 5,231.94 947.85 2,134.72 1,551.28 22,537.15 1,296.00
10 DAYS
17,500 17,000 16,500
-44.3 -29.9 -29.5 -28.6 -26.9 -20.0 -16.9 -16.0 -14.8 -13.4
Last Chg
642833 101.42 +5.12 543549 23.37 +.47 355867 52.29 +1.81 347137 11.07 +.22 319676 59.17 +.14 297763 97.94 +3.78 264186 100.72 -1.63 243092 29.93 +.26 231176 4.36 +.36 225965 3.73 +.07
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
2,304 519 142 2,965 16 59 2,095,442,216
15,370.33 6,403.31 539.96 8,937.99 4,292.14 809.57 1,812.29 1,215.14 18,550.48 958.48
Name
15,500
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Dow Industrials Dow Transportation Dow Utilities NYSE Composite Nasdaq Composite S&P 100 S&P 500 S&P MidCap Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000
16,093.51 6,778.54 589.14 9,426.91 4,591.18 851.34 1,906.90 1,287.77 19,592.34 1,020.76
MONEY RATES
16,000 J
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STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST Last
YTD Chg %Chg
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AT&T Inc AEP Apple Inc BkofAm B iPVixST Caterpillar CCFemsa CmtyHlt ConocoPhil CSVLgCrd rs Dillards EmpIca ExxonMbl FordM FrptMcM GenElec HP Inc HomeDp iShJapan iShEMkts Intel
1.92 2.24 2.08 .20 ... 3.08 1.98 ... 2.96 ... .28 ... 2.92 .60 ... .92 .50 2.36 .13 .84 1.04
5.5 3.8 2.1 1.5 ... 5.1 3.0 ... 7.9 ... .4 ... 3.8 4.9 ... 3.3 5.1 1.9 1.2 2.9 3.5
38 35.14 +.60 +2.1 16 58.53 +.89 +.4 11 101.42 +5.12 -3.6 10 13.56 +.20 -19.4 ... 25.00 -2.29 +24.4 12 60.98 +1.29 -10.3 ... 65.65 +1.05 -7.3 7 19.70 -.35 -25.7 42 37.67 +.76 -19.3 ... 2.23 +.44 -43.5 9 67.56 +.37 +2.8 ... .68 +.27 -11.7 16 76.57 +2.47 -1.8 10 12.14 +.13 -13.8 ... 3.94 -.39 -41.8 ... 28.24 -.35 -9.3 ... 9.80 -.14 -17.2 23 122.76 +2.54 -7.2 ... 11.29 +.49 -6.8 ... 29.33 +.97 -8.9 13 29.93 +.26 -13.1
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IntlBcsh IBM KindMorg Lowes Lubys MetLife MexicoFd Microsoft Modine Penney S&P500ETF SanchezEn Schlmbrg SearsHldgs SonyCp UnionPac US OilFd USSteel UnivHlthS WalMart WellsFargo
.58 5.20 .50 1.12 ... 1.50 1.81 1.44 ... ... 4.13 ... 2.00 ... ... 2.20 ... .20 .40 1.96 1.50
2.6 4.2 3.3 1.6 ... 3.4 ... 2.8 ... ... 2.2 ... 3.1 ... ... 3.1 ... 2.8 .4 3.1 3.1
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11 22.22 +.50 -13.5 8 122.50 -.41 -11.0 23 15.34 +1.46 +2.8 22 70.50 +1.18 -7.3 ... 4.20 +.02 -6.0 10 44.19 +1.49 -8.3 ... 15.25 +.46 -8.2 35 52.29 +1.81 -5.7 ... 6.52 ... -28.0 ... 6.75 +.19 +1.4 ... 190.52 +3.83 -6.5 ... 3.24 +.77 -24.8 19 65.20 +3.75 -6.5 ... 18.03 +1.01 -12.3 ... 21.74 +.58 -11.7 13 69.99 -1.01 -10.5 ... 9.27 +.71 -15.7 ... 7.24 -.08 -9.3 16 107.52 +.57 -10.0 13 62.69 +.81 +2.3 12 49.02 +1.01 -9.8
Stock Footnotes: g=Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars .h= Doe not meet continued- listings tandards lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
Prime Rate Discount Rate Federal Funds Rate Treasuries 3-month 6-month 5-year 10-year 30-year
3.50 3.50 1.00 1.00 .25-.50 .25-.50 0.29 0.39 1.48 2.06 2.83
YTD 12-mo Chgg %Chg %Chg %Chg +210.83 +88.57 +10.48 +200.34 +119.12 +17.00 +37.91 +30.93 +419.74 +23.42
+1.33 +1.32 +1.81 +2.17 +2.66 +2.04 +2.03 +2.46 +2.19 +2.35
-7.64 -9.72 +1.96 -7.06 -8.31 -6.59 -6.70 -7.92 -7.44 -10.13
-8.94 -24.53 -9.05 -12.62 -3.50 -5.74 -7.06 -11.54 -9.24 -14.14
CURRENCIES
Last PvsWeek
Last Chg%Chg
FstFnB wt CardiovSys LegcyR pf TrovaGn wt LegcyR pfB OptimB rs CSVixSh rs DigiIntl Trovagne DiscvLb rs
MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Name
Dow Jones industrials
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE) Name
+6.05 +.88 +.73 +2.01 +2.68 +.40 +.54 +4.11 +1.23 +.69
STOCK MARKET INDEXES 52-Week High Low
0.22 0.34 1.46 2.04 2.82
Australia Britain Canada Euro Japan Mexico Switzerlnd
Last
Pvs Day
1.4270 1.4282 1.4151 .9267 118.78 18.4251 1.0163
1.4310 1.4218 1.4284 .9195 117.50 18.7245 1.0073
British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.
MUTUAL FUNDS Name AB GlbThmtGrA m Columbia ComInfoA m Eaton Vance WldwHealA m Fidelity Select Biotech d Fidelity Select BrokInv d Fidelity Select CommEq d Fidelity Select Computer d Fidelity Select ConsFin d Fidelity Select Electron d Fidelity Select FinSvc d Fidelity Select SwreITSvcs d Fidelity Select Tech d T Rowe Price SciTech Vanguard HlthCare Waddell & Reed Adv SciTechA m
Total Assets Obj ($Mlns) NAV WS 513 78.52 ST 2,780 49.99 SH 1,033 11.11 SH 14,941 188.29 SF 405 55.23 ST 177 25.42 ST 451 61.04 SF 100 10.74 ST 1,522 66.34 SF 1,254 75.31 ST 3,268 111.95 ST 3,102 107.62 ST 3,145 30.66 SH 12,018 205.06 ST 3,308 12.10
Total Return/Rank 4-wk 12-mo 5-year -9.0 -7.7/B +0.5/E -8.4 -0.3/B +8.9/B -7.1 -3.5/B +17.0/D -18.8 -13.9/E +26.7/A -13.1 -18.1/E +3.4/D -7.4 -16.1/E +0.9/E -10.2 -21.0/E +4.3/E -12.0 -11.9/D +8.9/A -12.5 -10.6/E +9.4/B -10.1 -11.1/B +4.9/C -7.6 +2.9/A +14.4/A -9.1 -2.4/C +8.1/D -10.8 -2.1/C +9.1/B -6.2 +0.3/A +19.5/B -10.2 -12.6/E +10.3/A
Pct Min Init Load Invt 4.25 2,500 5.75 2,000 5.75 1,000 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 3,000 5.75 750
CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV - Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, ST - Technology, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
Judge orders Sumner Redstone examination By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — A judge on Friday ordered a medical examination of Sumner Redstone as part of an ongoing court fight over the media mogul’s health and mental capacity. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David J. Cowan said Friday that a doctor hired by the mogul’s ex-girlfriend should evaluate Redstone’s health and mental health. Cowan says the evaluation should last an hour and cannot be attended by Redstone’s regular physician or attorneys handling the case. Redstone’s ex-girlfriend and longtime companion Manuela Herzer has raised
issues about the 92-yearold’s health and decisionmaking capacity after she was expelled from his house in October. Redstone controls CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. His lawyers have opposed Herzer’s efforts and say Redstone receives frequent visits from a doctor and tests have shown no signs of impairment. Cowan has previously rejected attempts to have Herzer’s expert physician meet with Redstone, citing privacy concerns. He changed his mind after Herzer’s lawyers submitted a new request earlier this week. Herzer was in control of Redstone’s care until late last year, when she was thrown out of his home. She
Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision | AP file
A Los Angeles judge on Friday, ordered a one-hour medical examination of Redstone as part of a court case. has said she is only interested in the billionaire’s care, not his fortune. Redstone controls CBS and Viacom through National Amusements Inc.,
Volkswagen labor relations By ERIK SCHELZIG ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The United Auto Workers union is hoping a management overhaul at Volkswagen in the aftermath of its diesel emissions cheating scandal will help ease an impasse over collective bargaining at the German automaker’s lone U.S. plant. But on a visit to Chattanooga last week, new Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller said he hasn’t yet made up his mind about politically sensitive labor issues at the factory. “My agenda of course has been heavily dominated by the diesel issue so far,” Mueller told The Associated Press after a speech to workers on the factory floor. “Surely we must take a few weeks to understand and relate to this very complex topic,” he said about the unsettled union issues at the plant. Volkswagen was forced to admit last year that about 600,000 diesel vehicles — including 90,000 Passat sedans made at the Chattanooga plant — were sold with illegal software designed to trick government emissions tests. Efforts to find a fix have failed so far. Gary Casteel, secretary-treasurer of the UAW and head of the union’s efforts to organize foreign automakers, acknowledged that “Volkswagen is under new management and that company officials have a lot on their plate right now.” Casteel nevertheless expressed hope that the new leadership “will provide an opportunity, soon, to reset the dialogue.” The UAW has been thwarted for decades in its attempts to organize foreign automakers in the South amid heavy opposition from manufacturers and Republican politicians wary of seeing the union gaining a foothold in the region. Volkswagen is seen as the UAW’s best chance to make inroads with a foreign automaker in the South because of the strong labor presence on the company’s supervisory board in Germany. Those leaders chafe at the Chattanooga plant being alone
among company’s worldwide facilities without formal labor representation. In the run-up to a 2014 union vote at the plant, the UAW agreed with Volkswagen to pursue a Germanstyle “works council” that would represent both salaried and hourly employees at the plant. Despite the close working relationship between the company and union, the UAW lost that election on a 712626 vote amid heavy opposition from antilabor groups and Republicans like U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. MUELLER The UAW changed tactics last year by seeking a new election covering only the roughly 160 skilled-trades workers specializing in the repair and maintenance of machinery and robots at the plant, and not the remaining 1,250 hourly production workers. The union won that election last month on a 108-44 vote despite public opposition from Volkswagen management. But the celebration was short-lived, as Volkswagen filed an appeal to the National Labor Relations Board and has refused to engage in collective bargaining with the union. The challenge is still pending with the federal panel. Volkswagen’s hardball approach may please longtime Republican critics about the company’s labor stance, but doesn’t play as well among the worker representatives who wield considerable clout back in Germany. But like Mueller, much of Volkswagen management has been focused on the fallout from the emissions cheating scandal, which has dealt a severe blow to the company’s reputation. The UAW’s Casteel said he hopes labor issues don’t fall by the wayside. “We’re hopeful Volkswagen will recommit to core principles like codetermination, adhere to federal law and begin collective bargaining,” he said.
which holds nearly 80 percent of the voting stock in both media companies. He hasn’t joined an investor conference call since November 2014. His longtime
attorney Philippe Dauman, now Viacom’s CEO, has authority to make medical decisions if Redstone is deemed incapacitated by his physician, but that has not yet happened. One of Redstone’s doctors has submitted a sworn statement that the mogul has a substantial speech impediment but remains in charge of his own care. A CAT scan of Redstone’s brain and throat showed no indications of a stroke or other impairment, Dr. Richard Gold wrote in the declaration Herzer contends Redstone is unable to speak and cannot meaningfully engage in decision-making about his medical care or other topics. The allegations, which
Redstone’s lawyers have vehemently contested, prompted a lawsuit Tuesday by a Viacom shareholder. The suit contends company directors breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders by allowing millions of dollars to be paid to Redstone while he was physically and mentally incapacitated and unable to carry out his duties as chairman. Viacom said Wednesday that Redstone’s compensation in fiscal 2015 declined 85 percent to $2 million from $13 million in fiscal 2014. The company owns several popular television networks, including MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, BET and Nickelodeon, as well as film studio Paramount Pictures.
US stocks advance By ANNA-LOUISE JACKSON BLOOMBERG NEWS
U.S. stocks advanced, on the way to the strongest two-day rally in five weeks, amid speculation central banks around the world will act to support the global economy even as the Federal Reserve tightens policy. Energy companies led, headed toward the first weekly advance this year, with Schlumberger Ltd. and Valero Energy Corp. gaining at least 5.7 percent. Technology shares added 2.4 percent, with Apple Inc. rising the most since August. JPMorgan Chase & Co. climbed 3.1 percent to lead a rebound by banks. American Express Co. slumped 12 percent, the biggest drop since 2009, after its quarterly earnings fell 38 percent. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index gained 1.8 percent to 1,902.87 at 2:31 p.m. in New York, on the way to the best back- to-back increase since Dec. 16 and turning positive for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 191.24 points, or 1.2 percent, to 16,073.92, with the decline in American Express a 54-point drag. The Nasdaq Composite Index increased 2.4 percent, on track for the most since September. Trading in S&P 500 shares was 30 percent above the 30-day average for this time of day. “I think we’re a heck of a lot closer to the bottom, and I think it’s a better time to put your foot in the water, but don’t back up the truck yet,” said Andrew Brenner, head of international fixed income for National Alliance Capital Markets in New York. “It looks like central banks are on the warpath against weakness.That’s going to put a real risk-on component to today.” Equities are continuing a snap-back from the worst start to a year since 2009, hammered as oil sank to 12-year lows amid rising supplies and con-
cerns that flagging global growth, particularly in China, will drag on the U.S. economy. Crude rallied Friday in its biggest two-day advance since 2009. TheS&P 500 rebounded yesterday from a 21-month low as European Central Bank President Mario Draghi signaled the potential for more stimulus as early as March. Sentiment also received a boost overnight from speculation that the Bank of Japan is considering additional easing. The benchmark through Thursday was headed for a fourth weekly decline, and on Wednesday dipped below a level technical analysts call oversold, meaning a selloff has gone too far. A rout stoked by concerns about China’s slowdown and plunging oil wiped off as much as $2.45 trillion from U.S. equities this year. “It’s a classic oversold bounce after Draghi’s comments yesterday and the noise on Japanese stimulus overnight,” said Veronika Pechlaner, who helps oversee $10 billion at Ashburton Investments, part of First Rand Group. “It’s become harder and harder for stimulus to really support the economic fundamentals. But at least we have a bit more stable trading environment for a couple of days.” The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index fell almost 15 percent Friday to 22.63, the biggest drop in a month. The measure of market turbulence known as the VIX has surged about 24 percent so far in 2016, on pace for its biggest climb since a record-setting jump in August. Investors are keeping watch on corporate earnings for a gauge on the health of the U.S. economy. Analysts estimate earnings of S&P 500 firms slumped 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter. Of the 73 companies that have reported results so far, 78 percent beat profit projections and 48 percent exceeded sales forecasts. Among the few pieces of data
before the Fed’s two-day policy meeting next week, a report today showed purchases of previously owned homes rose more than projected in December, helped in part by warmer weather and wrapping up the best year since 2006. While chances for a January Fed rate increase have stayed low, odds for a March boost have fallen since the start of the year, with traders pricing in a 25 percent chance of a raise, compared with even odds at the start of the year. All 10 of the S&P 500’s 10 main groups rose, led by a 3.8 percent surge for energy companies. Technology stocks climbed 2.6 percent, with Apple’s 4.5 percent gain contributing the most to the group’s increase. Qorvo Inc. rallied 8 percent, the most since November, following a report that the manufacturer could pick up a power amplifier design win for the Samsung Galaxy S7 in the first quarter. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. added 7.5 percent, bringing its two-day gain to almost 11 percent. Consumer discretionary companies rose 1.7 percent, with Viacom Inc. adding 3.8 percent. Walt Disney Co. jumped 3.2 percent, headed for its biggest gain since August. D.R. Horton Inc., which is scheduled to release earnings before the market opens on Monday, rose 3.5 percent. Amazon.com Inc. contributed most to the group’s gains, rising 4.2 percent on pace for its best since October. Banks in the benchmark rebounded from four days of declines, on the way to their best increase in more than a month. JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup Inc. rose more than 2.2 percent. The KBW Bank Index gained 1.9 percent after sliding 6.5 percent during the prior four sessions. Industrial stocks lagged as General Electric Co.’s 1.3 percent slide weighed on the group.
National
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
Photo by Cpl. Ricky Gomez/U.S. Marine Corps | AP
U.S. Marine Corps, Marines attached to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 search for debris of a helicopter mishap in Haliewa Beach Park, Hawaii. Associated Press
Vehicles make their way through downtown Flint, Mich., Thursday. Residents in the largely minority city feel their complaints about lead-tainted water flowing through their taps have been ignored.
Safe water plan By ROGER SCHNEIDER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — An advisory panel to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recommended steps Friday the state should take to restore reliable drinking water to Flint. The recommendations came a day after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told the state and city that their efforts so far had failed. The agency ordered them to act to ensure the safe operation of Flint’s drinking water system and the protection of public health. The Flint Water Advisory Task Force said its recommendations are more detailed and comprehensive than what the EPA ordered. Messages left with Snyder’s office and the EPA were not immediately returned. High levels of lead have been detected in Flint’s water since officials switched from the Detroit municipal system and began drawing from the Flint River as a cost-saving measure in April 2014. Some children’s blood has tested positive for lead, a potent neurotoxin linked to learning disabilities, lower IQ and behavioral problems. The panel recommenda-
tions included: Work with the EPA staff on a comprehensive lead-sampling program; hire an unbiased third-party to assess and declare when Flint drinking water is safe; seek help from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in assessing an outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease and its cause. “To help address both the technical issues facing Flint, as well as the publictrust issues, we believe it is imperative to have the right people and organizations involved,” task force Co-Chairman Chris Kolb said. “Until the public trust starts to build, this crisis will continue.” A regional director of the EPA resigned in connection with the drinking water crisis on Thursday, the same day the agency’s chief issued the emergency order directing state and city officials to take action to protect public health. The EPA said Susan Hedman, head of the agency’s regional office in Chicago whose jurisdiction includes Michigan, was stepping down Feb. 1 so the EPA could focus “solely on the restoration of Flint’s drinking water.” While much of the blame has been directed at Snyder and state officials, particu-
larly the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, some have faulted the EPA’s Region 5 office for not acting more forcefully. The agency also released a letter from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to Snyder outlining terms of the order. Among other requirements, the agency said the city should: Submit plans for ensuring that Flint’s water has adequate treatment, including corrosion controls; ensure city personnel are qualified to operate the water system in a way that meets federal quality standards; and create a website where citizens can get information. The agency also said it would begin sampling and analyzing lead levels and would make the results public. Snyder told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Friday that he wants to bring in third-party experts to oversee water safety. He said state and local leaders were misled by career civil servants regarded as scientific experts on the subject. “But as a practical matter, when you look at it today, and you look at their conclusions, I wouldn’t call them experts anymore,” he said.
Public corruption case ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO — A former San Francisco city commissioner and two other people accepted $20,000 from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for political access and preferential treatment in the awarding of city contracts, prosecutors said Friday. District Attorney George Gascon said his office charged former city commissioner Nazly Mohajer, former city employee Zula Jones and political consultant Keith Jackson with four counts of bribery each. They have also been charged with money laundering. Gascon declined to release any additional details
about the allegations. He cited a federal protective order. “All I can tell you is that we have been investigating irregularities in local government for quite some time,” Gascon said, noting the investigation was continuing. Jackson pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge last year as part of a federal probe that also ensnared state Sen. Leland Yee and Chinatown gangster Raymond “Shrimp Boy” Chow. Chow’s attorney, Curtis Briggs, said in a court filing in Chow’s case that the FBI alleged that Jones and Mohajer solicited bribes for Mayor Ed Lee. Briggs cited documents turned over to him by the
government as part of the process of mounting a defense for his client as the source of the FBI allegation. Lee has denied the allegation. He has not been charged with a crime. “Mayor Lee is deeply disturbed by the alleged criminal activities of Mr. Jackson, Ms. Jones and Ms. Mohajer and strongly condemns them,” Christine Falvey, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said. “There is absolutely no place in San Francisco for this corruption.” It was not clear whether Jackson and Mohajer had attorneys. Gascon said they had not been arrested and were being given a chance to turn themselves in.
Crosses adorn 12 marines killed By CALEB JONES AND AUDREY MCAVOY ASSOCIATED PRESS
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii — Servicemen draped flight gear on 12 white crosses Friday to commemorate the Marines who died when two helicopters crashed off the coast of Hawaii during a nighttime training mission. Military members and families gathered for a memorial service at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe after the status of the dozen missing Marines changed to deceased following five days of searching. Enlarged pictures of the men and the crosses were lined up on a tarmac where a helicopter was parked. Servicemen placed flight vests, rifles, flight helmets, combat boots and leis on each of the crosses. Families approached the displays to pay their respects. The commanding officer of the squadron, Lt. Col. Eric D. Purcell, thanked the Coast Guard for their efforts and said that some of the rescuers
were at the service. “The sadness that this loss brings to their families and to this squadron is immeasurable,” Purcell said. “They were in the prime of their life, full of joy and hope — only to be taken from us in an instant.” At the service, a bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” and a Marine band played taps, while fellow Marines shared vignettes about the fallen service members. Capt. Brian Kennedy would make helicopter noises over the chopper radio, and Sgt. Dillon Semolina deployed to Australia and returned with an Australian wife. The crews belonged to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. The search for them began Jan. 14 when a witness on a beach reported seeing the helicopters flying and then a fireball. The Marines were alerted when the CH-53E helicopters each carrying six crew members failed to return to their base. Hours later, a Coast Guard
helicopter and C-130 airplane spotted debris 2 1/2 miles off of Oahu. The search ended Tuesday after the around-theclock, multiagency effort failed to locate any sign of the service members. The Marines were: — Maj. Shawn M. Campbell, 41, College Station, Texas. — Capt. Brian T. Kennedy, 31, Philadelphia. — Capt. Kevin T. Roche, 30, St. Louis. — Capt. Steven R. Torbert, 29, Florence, Alabama. — Sgt. Dillon J. Semolina, 24, Chaska, Minnesota. — Sgt. Adam C. Schoeller, 25, Gardners, Pennsylvania. — Sgt. Jeffrey A. Sempler, 22, Woodruff, South Carolina. — Sgt. William J. Turner, 25, Florala, Alabama. — Cpl. Matthew R. Drown, 23, Spring, Texas. — Cpl. Thomas J. Jardas, 22, Fort Myers, Florida. — Cpl. Christopher J. Orlando, 23, Hingham, Massachusetts. — Lance Cpl. Ty L. Hart, 21, Aumsville, Oregon.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Syrian opposition sharply divided By BASSEM MROUE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIRUT — Syrian groups opposed to President Bashar Assad are still sharply divided on who should represent them at peace talks which were scheduled to begin Monday in Geneva but now appear to be delayed. Opposition officials said Friday there was no agreement on a delegation as a new wave of air raids in eastern Syria killed at least 40 people. The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has the final say on the delegation and who will receive invitations to attend the talks. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq indicated Friday that the talks probably will not start on Monday, telling reporters that the U.N. envoy would hold a news conference in Geneva that afternoon to talk about next steps. Others have said the talks may be delayed by a few days. “Where we stand on this
right now is that Staffan de Mistura, expects to at least roll out the process a bit on Monday,” Haq said. “How that happens will become more clear on that date.” At the Geneva news conference, he said de Mistura will “give some more details on what will happen next.” Many in the opposition say Russia wants to add names to the delegation that opposition groups backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar announced this week by the Saudis. Abdul-Basit Sieda of the Saudi-backed opposition said they reject Russia’s desire to add names to the opposition list. One senior Kurdish official denounced the negotiating team announced in Saudi Arabia as a “delegation of jihadis.” Another opposition official said Moscow wants to add to the delegation among others, Qadri Jamil, a former Syrian deputy prime minister, as well as Saleh Muslim, the co-presi-
Photo by Bilal Hussein | AP
Filippo Grandi, right, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, drinks a cup of coffee dent of the largest Kurdish group, the Democratic Union Party or PYD. Turkey, which has its own large and restive Kurdish population, strongly opposes any PYD participation. The PYD’S military wing has been instrumental in the fight against the Islamic State group in northern Syria. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details about the talks.
“The PYD wants to hijack the Kurdish cause in Syria,” said Sieda, himself a Kurd, but an opponent of the PYD. On Wednesday, senior opposition official, Riyad Hijab, announced the names of opposition negotiators saying they will be headed by army defector Asaad alZoubi and include Mohammad Alloush, a representative of an Islamic rebel group known as the Army of Islam. The Saudi-backed
Army of Islam, which controls large parts of the suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus, is considered a terrorist organization by Syria and Russia. Hijab accused Russia on Wednesday of obstructing the talks by trying to impose conditions on which opposition groups can participate, and said the opposition will not take part in talks while Syrians die from blockades and Russian and government airstrikes. Moscow is a key ally of the Syrian government and has been carrying out airstrikes against insurgents since Sept. 30. Muslim, the PYD co-president, described in a telephone interview the team named in Saudi Arabia as a “delegation of Jihadis, Islamists and their allies that do not represent us.” He added that the PYD has not been invited to the talks. “Putting someone from the Army of Islam as a chief negotiator, means that they want to impose an Islamic state. He will lead and other members of the
delegation must have similar opinions,” Muslim said. Sieda said U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair as well as Hijab during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday to discuss the talks, adding that any changes of the names in the delegation will be up to the opposition. On Thursday Kerry said that the opposing sides won’t initially meet face-toface in Geneva next week. The talks are the start of a process outlined in a U.N. resolution that envisages an 18-month timetable for a political transition in Syria including the drafting of a new constitution and elections that would restore peace to Syria. But naming members of the armed opposition has angered some groups that are part of the Saudi delegation. Mounzer Khaddam, of the Saudi-named delegation, said in a statement that choosing a chief negotiator from the armed opposition is a wrong.
Venezuela nixes request By HANNAH DREIER ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition-led congress on Friday rejected President Nicolas Maduro’s request for emergency powers amid a plunging national economy, the depths of which were dramatized by an IMF estimate that inflation this year will top 700 percent. Ruling party and opposition lawmakers accused each other of trying to run the country into the ground in the first major congressional debate Venezuela has seen in more than a decade. Critics of the socialist revolution kicked off by late President Hugo Chavez took control of congress last month for the first time in 17 years.
Photo by Fernando Llano | AP
People wait in a line outside a supermarket in Caracas, Venezuela, to buy price regulated toilet paper made available for sale. Maduro had proposed an economic emergency decree that would give him expanded authority for 60 days. In the past, when it was dominated by first Chavez’s and then Maduro’s allies, congress made a habit of approving these
kinds of exceptional powers. The opposition argues that Maduro is responsible for raging inflation and chronic shortages dogging daily life here, and is promising to oust him within six months.
The debate took place against the backdrop of more grim economic news as the International Monetary Fund predicted that inflation in Venezuela would more than double in 2016, reaching 720 percent. The South American nation already suffers from the world’s highest inflation and a crushing recession. The IMF estimates that prices rose 275 percent last year in Venezuela, while the economy contracted by 10 percent. Ahead of the final vote on his decree, Maduro announced he had approved a change that will allow the country’s small export sector to use a more favorable currency exchange rate. He scolded opposition activists for “turning their back on the country.”
Photo by Joshua Mercredi/The Canadian Press | AP
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the shootings occurred at a high school and another location, but did not say where else.
5 dead in school shooting By ROB GILLIES ASSOCIATED PRESS
WBCA Continued from Page 1A Friday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. Laredo-Webb County Bar Association Tequila Tasting Saturday, Jan. 30 STCE’s Comic Con @ TAMIU, 10 a.m. UETA Jamboozie, 12 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Taste of Laredo Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. Boys & Girls Clubs of Laredo Wine Tasting Gala Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. Youth Song & Dance Festival, 2 p.m. Noche de Cabaret Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. American Historical Theatre George Washington Performance
Thursday, Feb. 11 at 12 p.m. Carnival Sponsored by McDonald’s of Laredo Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. Comedy Jam for George Saturday, Feb. 13 Founding Fathers’ 5K Fun Run and Health Fair, 7:30 a.m. LCC Family Fun Fest and Musicale, 12 p.m. Pipes & Stripes Car Show Sponsored by VitaMed Urgent Care, 12 p.m. Princes Pocahontas Pageant and Ball, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. Stars and Stripes Air Show Spectacular Sponsored by Miller Lite
Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. IBC Youth Parade Under the Stars Friday, Feb. 19 La Posada Hotel Welcome Luncheon, 12 p.m. Cablleros Cocktail Party, 6 p.m. Jalapeño Festival Sponsored by La Costeña, 6 p.m. The Society of Martha Washington Colonial Pageant & Ball, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 Anheuser-Busch Washington’s Birthday Parade, 9 a.m. International Bridge Ceremony Sponsored by La Posada Hotel, 7:30 a.m. Mr. South Texas Luncheon Hosted by Texas
TRAVEL Continued from Page 1A left one Zapata teen wounded and one man dead Jan. 8 near Nueva Ciudad Guerrero. Tamaulipas authorities said the 17-year-old was with a criminal group that operates in Tamaulipas. His identity was not released. Mexican soldiers patrolling the area of kilometer marker 155 of the Nueva Ciudad GuerreroNuevo Laredo highway came across several parked vehicles and 15 to 17 armed men, reports state. Troops returned fire when the suspects shot at them. One gunman died. Officials said shots fired wounded two gunmen — Manuel Octavio Chapa Diaz, 25, and the Zapatan. They were detained and taken to a hospital. Authorities said they confiscated a Ford F-150 Super Duty, a Ford F-350 and a Ford Lobo. All had Texas license plates. Additionally, soldiers said they found five drums containing 200 liters of diesel, eight AR-15s, one AK-47, a .22-caliber rifle, a handgun, clips, tactical gear, caltrops and 70 bags with food. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Community Bank, 12 p.m. The Society of Martha Washington Cocktail Party, 7 p.m. Noche Mexicana: A Presentation of Señor & Señora Internacional, 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21 WBCA Membership BBQ, 5:30 p.m. H-E-B Fireworks Extravaganza, 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. Carnival McMonday Sponsored by McDonald’s of Laredo For extensive information on locations, ticket prices, and event times please visit the official WBCA website at: http:// www.wbcalaredo.org.
TORONTO — A shooter opened fire at a high school and a second location in a northern Saskatchewan community on Friday, leaving five dead and two others critically injured, Canada’s prime minister said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said from Davos, Switzerland that a suspect was in custody. “This is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Trudeau said. “The community is reeling.” Trudeau said the shootings occurred at a high school and another location but did not release any information on the second location. School shootings are rare in Canada. The grade 7 through 12 La Loche Community School is in the remote aboriginal community of La
Loche, Saskatchewan. The school’s Facebook page said it would remain on lockdown until the Royal Canadian Police resolve the matter. It asked the public to stay away. It was unclear how many died at the school. Police have yet to announce any details. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall earlier confirmed the shooting. “Words cannot express my shock and sorrow at the horrific events today in La Loche.My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims, their families and friends and all the people of the community,” he said in a statement. The area’s representative in parliament, who attended the same school, was setting up a constituency office in the community when the shooting occurred.
FEUD Continued from Page 1A ing after Trump over his support for eminent domain. The 30-second video from the Cruz campaign calls eminent domain a "fancy term for politicians seizing private property to enrich the fat cats who bankroll them — like Trump." A narrator goes on to detail how the billionaire invoked eminent domain while seeking property from an elderly widow in Atlantic City, where he wanted to build a limousine parking lot for one of his casinos. "Trump won’t change the system. He’s what’s wrong with it," a narrator concludes in the spot. Cruz’s campaign unleashed the attack ad just hours after Trump released his, a minutelong commercial that zeroes in on an interview last month in which Cruz struggled to explain his involvement in immigration reform efforts in 2013. The spot then flashes back to Cruz introducing amendments to the socalled "Gang of Eight" legislation that has become toxic to many GOP primary voters. "I want immigration reform to pass," Cruz is quoted as saying at the time, "and that allows those who are here illegally to come in out of the shadows." Labeling Cruz "pro immigration" and "pro amnesty," the spot
mocks Cruz’s denial that his amendments would have allowed people in the country illegally to stay permanently and obtain legal status. "Yeah, right Ted," reads text on the screen after Cruz is shown insisting his amendments would not have done that. Cruz’s amendments would have nixed a path to citizenship for people in the country illegally but left in place a measure to grant them legal status. The commercial goes on to contrast Cruz’s collective remarks on the Gang of Eight with an interview last week in which Trump spoke of the negative effects of illegal immigration and vowed to secure the border. "People want to take back their country," Trump said in the interview with ABC News. "We have to do it in a humane way, but we have to have a country. We don’t have a country right now." Trump’s campaign suggested Cruz’s stuttering answers in the interview last month with Fox News host Bret Baier show he is a politician taking "advice from his pollsters, donors and the special interests who control him." In a statement accompanying the commercial, the billionaire expanded his criticism of
Cruz. “Ted Cruz is a total hypocrite and, until recently, a Canadian citizen who may not even have a legal right to run for President," Trump said. "He didn’t disclose loans, pretending he’s Robin Hood, when he’s just another all talk, no action politician. Had I not brought up the subject of illegal immigration, an issue which Ted Cruz is very weak on, nobody would even be talking about it. I will build a great wall, and Mexico will pay for it.” Titled "Clear Difference," Trump’s attack ad will run in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina as part of his plan to spend $2 million a week on TV advertising at this point, according to his campaign. Additional details about the Cruz ad were not immediately available. The dueling ads come less than two weeks before the firstin-the-nation caucuses in Iowa, where recent polls have pointed to a tightening race between Cruz and Trump, once allies who refused to criticize one another. Immigration is among the issues on which the two candidates have started to exchange fire, with each accusing the other of being late to the cause.
Eminent domain has been a less common point of contention between the Cruz and Trump, though the senator has been increasingly seizing on it. It was among the contrasts with Trump he volunteered while campaigning Monday in Whitefield, New Hampshire, where he criticized the billionaire in front of voters for the first time. Trump’s campaign is not the first to pounce of Cruz’s amendments to the Gang of Eight bill, which passed the Senate but failed in the House. The campaign of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who helped author the legislation, spent most of December seeking to show Cruz’s immigration views were not too different from Rubio’s, citing the amendments as proof that Cruz is not the hardliner he claims to be on the issue. Cruz’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s ad. However, Cruz has argued that his amendments did not represent a de facto endorsement of the legal status provision. “The fact that I introduced an amendment to remove part of the Gang of Eight bill doesn’t mean I support the rest of the Gang of Eight bill,” Cruz said in the same interview with Baier.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION OFFICE PUBLIC INFORMATION | CHILD FIND/CHILD SERVE Do you know a child or a student ages 0-21 who shows signs of developmental delay, on-going learning problems, behavioral or medical problems that interfere with learning? Do you suspect the presence of a disability?
¿Conoce Ud. algùn niño o algùn estudiante entre la edad de 0 a los 21 años que demuestre retraso del desarrollo, problemas de aprendizaje, problemas de salud o problemas de comportamiento que se interponen con su aprendizaje? ¿Sospecha Ud. la presencia de algùn impedimento?
Zapata County Independent School District hasw an on-going process in identifying locating, and evaluating any children/students residing within the district who are in need of special education and related services. Please contact any of of the following for referral information:
El distrito escolar del condado de Zapata tiene un proceso para identificar, localizar y evaluar niños o alumnos dentro del distrito escolar que tienen necesidad de educaciòn especial o de servicios relacionados. Para màs informaciòn avor de comunicarse con alguna de las siguientes personas:
Gerardo Garcia
Elsa Martinez
Carmen G. Zavala
Diana Brandon
Dahlia Garcia
Juanita Lovejoy
Marlen Guerra
Elma Almaraz
Ana Perez
Principal Zapata High School Box 3750 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-0280 Principal A.L. Benavides Elementary P.O. Box 219 San Ygnacio, Texas 78067 956-765-5611 Principal Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elem. Box 3637 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-4321
Principal Zapata Middle School Box 3636 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-6542
Director of Special Instructional Services P.O. Box 158 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-6130
Principal Zapata South Elementary Box 2030 Zapata, Texas 78076 956-765-4332
Child Find Specialist Region One ESC 1900 West Schunior Edinburg, Texas 78539 1-800-274-7346
Principal Zapata North Elementary Box 3224 Zapata, TX78076 956-765-6917
ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION OFFICE CONFIDENTIALITY RIGHTS AS A PARENT OF A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY OR ADULT STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY (18 YEARS OR OLDER OR MARRIED), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: 1. RECEIVE A LIST OF THE TYPE AND LOCATION OF YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL RECORDS WHICH ARE COLLECTED, MAINTAINED, OR USED BY THE SCHOOL (34 CFR 300.565); The student’s records are maintained at the Special Education Office located at 17th & Carla Street and at the school the student attends. The referral information, the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee reports, the related service reports, assessment reports, and any correspondence pertaining to the student is kept in the main folder at the Special Education Office. The school folder contains the copies of the Admission, Review, or Dismissal (ARD), and Individual Educational Plan. 2. INSPECT AND REVIEW ALL OF YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL RECORDS WITHOUT UNNECESSARY DELAY AND BEFORE ANY IEP MEETING OR DUE PROCESS HEARING AND IN NO CASE MORE THAN 45 DAYS AFTER YOUR REQUEST (34 CFR 300.562). When you and/or a student makes the request, the Director of Special Instructional Services will ensure that before records are made available, identification will be required when the request is received from an individual of the specified classification who is not personally known. Each request will be honored as soon as possible, but the time will be no longer than fortyfive days. The superintendent of schools will be notified if a request cannot be honored in time. A suitable place for record inspection will be provided by the Director of Special Instructional Services. The Director will see that a notification is placed in the student record folder indicating date of access, name of individual obtaining access, and reason for inspection. 3. SEE A LIST OF THOSE PERSONS, BESIDES YOU OR AUTHORIZED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, WHO HAVE SEEN YOUR CHILD’S EDUCTIONAL RECORDS AND WHY THEY SAW THEM. (34 CFR 300.563) The district will not honor requests for personally identifiable information or records unless authorized by written consent by the parent/guardian or eligible student unless requested by responsible school officials needing the information to provide educational services to the student. Responsible school officials are considered to be representatives of the school listed in Texas Education Agency, Region One Education Center, and the United States Government. The Director will be responsible to determine that representatives of the agencies listed above have a legitimate need to the information to carry out an audit or monitoring function. The list of the persons who have seen your child’s records will be maintained in the individual student folder for seven consecutive years. The Director of Special Instructional Services assumes the responsibility for ensuring the confidentiality of any personally identifiable information.
Project Niño Director 5709 Springfield Laredo, Texas 78041 956-728-1769
DISTRITO ESCOLAR INDEPENDIENTE DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA OFICINA DE EDUCACION ESPECIAL DERECHOS CONFIDENCIALES USTED, COMO PADRE DE UN ESTUDIANTE CON IMPEDIMENTOS, O ESTUDIANTE ADULTO CON IMPEDIMENTOS DE 18 ANOS EN ADELANTE O CASADO TIENE EL DERECHO DE: 1. RECIBIR UNA LISTA DONDE SE LOCALIZA LOS ARCHIVOS Y TIPO DE EDUCACION QUE RECIBE SU HIJO(A) QUE SE CONSERVAN, O QUE SE UTILIZAN EN LAS ESCUELAS (34 CFR 300.565); Los archivos de los estudiantes se conservan en la oficina del Departamento de Educaciòn Especial ubicada en 17th & Carla asì como en la escuela a la que asiste el estudiante. La informaciòn de referencia, el reporte del comitè de Admisiòn, Repaso, y Retiro (ARD), reporte de servicios relacionados, reportes de evaluaciòn, y correspondencia que estè relacionada con el estudiante se conservan en el archivo principal en la oficina del Departamento de Educaciòn Especial. El archivo que permanece en la escuela contiene copias del reporte de Admisiòn, Repaso y Retiro (ARD), reportes del comitè, y El Plan Individual de Educaciòn (IEP). 2. REVISAR Y REPASAR TODOS LOS ARCHIVOS EDUCATIVOS DE SU HIJO(A) SIN TENER QUE ESPERAR MUCHO TIEMPO, Y ANTES DE CUALQUIER JUNTA DE IEP O AUDIENCIA, Y POR NINGUN MOTIVO ESPERAR MAS DE 45 DIAS DESPUES DE HACER SU SOLICITUD (34 CFR 300.562). Cuando usted o el estudiante hace la solicitud, el Director del Programa de Instrucci ón Especial, deberà solicitar, ya sea por escrito o verbalmente, que estos archivos le sean proporcionados. El Director se reserva el derecho de pedir identificaciòn al solicitante, si este no es ampliamente conocido. Cada solicitud serà atendida lo màs pronto posible, y siempre antes de los 45 dias. Se darà aviso oportunamente al Superintendente de las escuelas si por algun motivo la solicitud no puede ser atendida dentro de los 45 dìas. El Director del Programa de Instrucci ón Especial asignarà un lugar apropiado para el repaso de los archivos. El Director anotarà en el archivo del estudiante la fecha en que se llevò a cabo el repaso del archivo, el nombre de la persona que hizo la solicitud, y la razòn por la cual se hizo el repaso. 3. TENER ACCESO A L A LISTA DE PERSONAS, ADEMAS DE USTED O PERSONAL AUTORIZADO DE LAS ESCUELAS, QUE HAN TENIDO ACCESO A LOS ARCHIVOS EDUCATIVOS DE SU HIJO(A) Y LA RAZON POR LO CUAL FUERON REVISADOS (34 CFR 300.563). El distrito no atenderà la solicitud para la revisiòn de archivos con informaciòn personal si no està autorizada por escrito por los padres/tutores o estudiante elegible y solamante se està autorizado por algùn oficial responsable de la escuela que necesite la informaciòn para prestar servicios educativos al estudiante. Oficial responsable de la escuela se considera a aquellas personas que se considera sean representantes de la escuela segùn la lista del Boletìn de la Agencia de Educaciòn de Texas, Centro Educativo Region I, la Agencia de Educaciòn de Texas, y el gobierno de los Estados Unidos. El Director tendrà a su cargo la responsibilidad de verificar que las razones de los representantes de las agencias arriba mencionadas sean legìtimas y necesarias para llevar acabo una auditorìa o para supervisar las actividades. Una lista de las personas que han revisado el archivo de su hijo(a) se mantendràn en el archivo personal del estudiante por un perìodo de siete años consecutivos. El Director del Programa de Instrucci ón Especial es responsable de mantener informaciòn confidencial y no podrà dar ninguna informaciòn a la persona sin presentar propia identificaciòn y consentimiento de los padres o tutor.
If you have any concerns regarding the confidentiality rights, feel free to write or call:
Si tiene alguna duda sobre sus derechos confidenciales, puede llamar o escribir a:
CARMEN G. ZAVALA DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES 1302 Glenn Street / P.O. BOX 158 ZAPATA, TEXAS (956) 765-6130 (956) 765-3967 Fax
CARMEN G. ZAVALA DIRECTOR DEL PROGRAMA DE EDUCACION ESPECIAL 1302 Glenn Street / P.O. Box 158 Zapata, Texas 78076 (956) 765-6130 (956) 765-3967 Fax
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: HOUSTON ROCKETS
Smith back in Houston Rockets reaquire forward in trade By JONATHAN FEIGEN HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Seeking to recapture the lost magic of last season, or to at least bring in a reinforcement to a big man rotation thinned by injuries, the Rockets on Friday made the move that provided a muchneeded jolt a year ago. The Rockets re-acquired forward Josh Smith barely a half season after he left as a free agent to get more certain playing time with the Los Angeles Clippers than he thought available in
Houston only to fall out of their rotation entirely. Smith, 30, averaged 12 points and six rebounds in 55 games with the Rockets last season and helped key their Game 6 comeback and second-round series win against the Clippers. He averaged the fourth most points and rebounds of his 12-year career. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.9 rebounds this season. “We love Josh, what he was able to do for us last year,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
“He brings another level of skill. More skilled hands on the floor is always better. He can make plays for everybody else. He’s very versatile. He should be comfortable with what we try to do, what we’re trying to get done.” The teams exchanged the rights to players not in either teams’ plans, with the Rockets sending the rights to Maarty Leunen to Los Angeles and the Rockets reacquiring the rights to Ser-
See ROCKETS PAGE 2B
Photo by Jae C. Hong | AP
Houston reacquired forward Josh Smith on Friday in a deal with the Clippers after he signed with Los Angeles in the offseason.
TENNIS: AUSTRALIAN OPEN
NBA: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez | AP
Cleveland fired head coach David Blatt, left, on Friday and assistant coach Tyronn Lue, right, is taking over for the Cavaliers.
Photo by Aaron Favila | AP
Roger Federer became the first men’s player to win 300 Grand Slam singles matches with his victory over Grigor Dimitrov Friday at the Australian Open.
Federer earns 300th win By JOHN PYE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MELBOURNE, Australia — The countless records and accolades accumulated over a long and illustrious career don’t in any way diminish Roger Federer’s satisfaction when he sets yet another
benchmark. Federer became the first man to win 300 Grand Slam singles matches when he beat Grigor Dimitrov, a player formerly dubbed “baby Fed” for the likeness of their styles, in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday. The 34-year-old Federer
already tops many “most of ” lists in men’s tennis — from the number of major titles won (17) to the number of consecutive Grand Slam tournaments contested (65). Yet he still gets a thrill from the numbers. “It’s very exciting, I must tell you,” Federer told the crowd following
his 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Dimitrov. He compared the latest milestone to his 1,000th win in tour-level matches, which he sealed 12 months ago in Brisbane. “It was a big deal for me.” Federer is now 67 wins
See TENNIS PAGE 2B
Kerr returning to Warriors By JANIE MCCAULEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
OAKLAND, Calif. — Sure, coach Steve Kerr knocked down a half-court shot in Cleveland earlier this week that pointed to him returning to full strength. He is returning to the Golden State Warriors’ bench Friday night after a leave of absence dating to the first week of training camp in October as he recovered from complications following two back surgeries. The defending champion Warriors made the announcement Friday morning that Kerr would coach Golden State against Indiana at Oracle Arena, where the Warriors will try to win their 38th straight regular-
season home game to tie the 1985-86 Celtics for third place on the all-time list for such unbeaten streaks. The Warriors went 39-4 in Kerr’s absence. They are 19-0 at home this season and haven’t lost at Oracle since a 113-111 overtime defeat to Chicago last Jan. 27. “It’s been rough. I’ve gotten a lot better. I feel really good, ready to roll. Can’t wait to be back out there,” Kerr told reporters after shootaround. “Just being on the road with the team it really felt like I turned a corner on this road trip. It’s hard to explain. I’ve known for the last few months that I wasn’t ready. After this past week or 10 days or so I’ve felt, ’OK, this is finally turning in the right direc-
See KERR PAGE 2B
Photo by Ben Margot | AP
Steve Kerr is back at full strength and returning to the Warriors after a leave of absence dating back to training camp.
Cavaliers fire David Blatt Tyronn Lue takes over as head coach, discussing contract extension By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Even after wins, and there were a bunch of them, the Cavaliers didn’t celebrate. Everything was too easy for them, way too easy. Loaded with talent, they’re lacking chemistry and cohesion. A championship roster without championship heart. David Blatt took the fall. The second-year coach, who guided the Cavs to the NBA Finals in 2015 and had them sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings this season, was shockingly fired on Friday by general manager David Griffin. Griffin didn’t think the title-chasing Cavaliers were handling prosperity, expectations or acting like a championship team under Blatt, who was 83-40 in less than two seasons. Griffin saw a team going in the wrong direction. “Sometimes you can win games in this league in the regular season and get worse,” Griffin said at a hastily-arranged new conference at the team’s practice facility. “We were
regressing over a period of time. I’m in our locker room a lot, and I knew that there’s just a disconnect there right now. There’s a lack of spirit and connectedness that I just couldn’t accept. And frankly, halfway through the season, I think we have the time to right the ship. “I know that sounds crazy when we’re sitting with a 30-11 record. I understand that. But we were 30-11 with a schedule that was reasonably easy. And I’m judging a lot more than wins and losses.” Griffin said he did not consult superstar LeBron James, who never seemed comfortable with Blatt in charge, or any of Cleveland’s other players. “This is my decision, this is our basketball staff’s decision,” said Griffin, who released Blatt just days after an embarrassing home loss to Golden State. “I’m not taking a poll; my job is to lead a franchise and to lead an organization to where it needs to go. I’m in the locker room. I’ve done this for a long time and I know
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
Broncos aim to control the clock, limit Brady By ARNIE STAPLETON ASSOCIATED PRESS
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After dropping seven of Peyton Manning’s passes against Pittsburgh, the Denver Broncos wide receivers found themselves running the “gauntlet” drill this week. They ran from one sideline to the other catching rapid-fire passes from their left and right, a staple of the NFL’s scouting combine every February where prospective pass-catchers show off their good hands. That wasn’t the only fundamental skill the Broncos worked on as they prepared for Sunday’s AFC championship game against New England. “I think it will come down to big runs on offense,” Demaryius Thomas said. “We already were talking about that as a group of receivers that we don’t want to just go out there and work on our drops we’ve had. We also want to block in the secondary so the running backs can have running room. “We can do better than what we’ve been doing. So, we challenge ourselves to go out, make every catch and also block down the field.” The Broncos know one of the best ways for Manning to win his 17th matchup with Tom Brady is to take pressure off their own QB and keep the Patriots’ passer cooling his cleats on the sideline. The best way to do that is the grind out yards on the ground. When these teams played on a snowy Sunday night in November,
Photo by Jack Dempsey | AP
Broncos running back C.J. Anderson breaks free for the game-winning touchdown against New England on Nov. 29 in Denver for a 30-24 victory. the Broncos ran for 179 yards, including C.J. Anderson’s 48-yard scamper that won it 30-24 in overtime. However, 105 of those yards came after Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower left with a knee injury. Hightower is back for the rematch although he’s still bothered by the knee injury and linebacker Jamie Collins has a bad back. Another linebacker, Jerod Mayo, went on IR this week with a
shoulder injury. The Broncos had trouble running the ball early in the season, but once their O-line jelled and the running backs adjusted to coach Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme, things started to come together. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman combined for a season-best 212 yards against San Diego on Jan. 3 and Anderson had 72 yards and a TD in 15 carries against the Steel-
ers last week. Both New England and Denver have porous offensive lines but are coming off their best performances of the season. Plus, they have quarterbacks who get rid of the ball lickety-split. The Broncos also have had bouts of big dropped passes this season. In Denver’s win over the Patriots on Nov. 29, Thomas had five drops and his only catch was a leaping 36-yard grab that ignited
KERR Continued from Page 1B tion, now’s the time.”’ The 50-year-old Kerr said in mid-December that he was optimistic he would be back in the coming weeks. Kerr had been dealing with headaches and other issues after the operations — the first procedure causing him to leak spinal fluid — that followed Golden State’s first championship in 40 years. He watched the Warriors’ record 24-0 start from behind the scenes. During a shootaround in
Cleveland on Monday before Golden State’s 132-98 blowout of the Cavaliers in an NBA Finals rematch, Kerr made an underhanded heave from half court that banked in. He raised his arms in triumph, kicked his right leg out and pumped his fist afterward. That video went out on social media, and had to alert many that he was close to healthy at last. “I think making that halfcourt shot. Just kidding,” he
said of what told him he was ready. “I don’t think any one specific point. I think this past road trip getting through everything, feeling good, sleeping well, being engaged. To do that when you’re traveling all over the country, that’s a pretty good indication that things are better.” Kerr’s first surgery to repair a ruptured disc was in late July then he required a follow-up procedure in early September. When he began the leave of
TENNIS Continued from Page 1B absence Oct. 1, he initially had hoped to return by Jan. 1, but he did begin taking road trips in recent weeks to test his symptoms. In his first season last year, Kerr guided Golden State to a franchise-record 67win campaign and its first championship since 1975. Even during his absence, he addressed the team and offered input despite watching the games from an office in the arena or at home depending on how he felt.
CAVS Continued from Page 1B what it’s supposed to feel like. I didn’t need to ask questions.” Griffin did meet with owner Dan Gilbert, who supported the move to fire his third coach in four seasons. “Over the course of my business career I have learned that sometimes the hardest thing to do is also the right thing to do,” Gilbert said. Blatt’s firing stunned Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, president of National Basketball Coaches Association. “It’s just a real shocker,” Carlisle said. “I’ve gotten to know David in the last year and a half since he came over. He’s one of the greatest coaches in European history. The ironic thing about all this is that he adjusted and adapted to the NBA game in my opin-
ion, much quicker than any of us ever could have adjusted and adapted to the European game. He did a tremendous job just from a strategic standpoint. If you look at his record, this is bizarre.” Lue, who was hired as the team’s associate head coach shortly after Blatt came to Cleveland and was the highestpaid assistant in the league, will make his debut Saturday night when the Cavs host the Chicago Bulls. Griffin stressed that Lue is not an interim coach and said the team is discussing a contract with him. “He has the pulse of our team,” he said. As social networks hummed with speculation and opinion about James’ role in Blatt’s removal, Griffin dismissed the
notion that the four-time league MVP is a “coach killer.” “LeBron doesn’t run this organization,” Griffin said. “LeBron is about this organization. This narrative that somehow we’re taking direction from him, it’s just not fair. It’s not fair to him, in particular, but frankly, it’s kind of not fair to me and our group anymore. I know what something that’s not right looks like and I believe this was the right decision to make and it’s very possible that it’s the wrong decision to make. You may hear that from our players. They don’t have to like it. They have to respect that this is what we’re trying to do.” Griffin said the home loss to the Warriors was not a “last straw” for Blatt.
Blatt seemed to be adjusting to the NBA game following his well-documented struggles in 2015 — James’ first season back in Cleveland. One of the most successful coaches in European history, Blatt was feeling good about the way his team was performing amid overwhelming expectations. However, there was a discord he couldn’t seem to fix. His rapport with James was a running saga last season as the Cavs got off to a disappointing 19-20 start. However, the two seemed to work through their differences and the Cavs won the Eastern Conference title before losing to the Warriors in the Finals, where they played without injured All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
ROCKETS Continued from Page 1B gei Lishouk, a 2002 secondround pick whose rights have been dealt six times including three times to the Rockets. The Rockets also will receive cash consideration to pay the remainder of Smith’s salary. As with a season ago, when the Rockets signed Smith as a free agent on Dec. 24, they hope he can fill the void left by injuries. Then, Terrence Jones was out with Dwight Howard struggling with knee issues that would eventually cost him half the regular season. This season, Donatas Motiejunas is out with Howard out on Friday with a sprained left ankle and uncertain to return Sunday for the start of a back-to-back in a grueling stretch of the Rockets schedule. Beyond filling in for injured players, the Rockets needed veteran help with the frontcourt rotation limited to second-year center Clint Capela, fourth-year forward Terrence Jones and rookie Montrezl Harrell, who is questionable to play with a sore shoulder. “The versatility that he
brings, but the experience is even more important,” Bickerstaff said. “We have young bigs. We played Clint a ton of minutes, Terrence a ton of minutes, guys who haven’t been around as long as Dwight and Josh have been. The more you see, the better you are. “Josh is an extremely intelligent basketball player. His IQ is through the roof. His understanding of other team’s systems, other players tendencies. He’s going to help us from that standpoint.” The Rockets have slipped to the 22nd-rated defense, allowing the third-most points in the paint. Some of that comes from giving up the secondmost points off turnovers, but the Rockets issues defending inside have been clear throughout the season and were especially conspicuous Wednesday when Howard left the game in the first minute with a sprained ankle. “It’s great news,” Rockets guard Jason Terry said. “It’s more than his skill, which is what he brought to the table
last year, but it’s the intangible of his personality. It’s infectious. The chemistry he and Dwight had together was something you can’t make up. It’s natural. He was a huge part of our success last year. “Both ends of the floor, he’s seen it all. His veteran experience defensively, protecting the rim, he’s one of the best to me. He’s always been. He can guard multiple positions, which is very key to us because when we do play our small lineup, we like to have versatile defenders. He’s one of those.” The Rockets used Smith and Motiejunas last season to serve as passers when teams double-teamed the ball out of James Harden’s hands. They have struggled to replace that with Smith struggling to find a fit with the Clippers’ reserves and Motiejunas limited to 14 games working off rust after his eight-month rehab and then going out again. “It should be good,” Jones said. “We have a lot of chemistry together, making that push together. I remember sev-
the Broncos’ go-ahead drive in the closing minutes of regulation. Thomas had one of Denver’s seven drops last Sunday, miscues that would have resulted in 82 more yards, not even counting yards after the catch. Thomas said fans are starting to ask him about the dropped passes. “I just say, ’We’ll fix it, we’ll be fine.’ That’s all I say. I don’t really have any conversation with them because I get tired of hearing the questions about the drops,” Thomas said. The Patriots only had 39 yards rushing in that loss in Denver two months ago. But Brady, more than any other quarterback, has no problem being a one-man show when it comes to moving the ball downfield. New England rushed for 38 yards on 14 carries in its 27-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. That 2.7-yard average was identical to the Patriots’ output in last year’s Super Bowl, factoring in Brady’s three kneeldowns, when they gained just 15 percent of their yards on the ground. The Patriots’ ground game was better than only San Diego’s and Detroit’s this season, and Denver’s top-ranked defense was third in the league against the run. That doesn’t mean the Broncos aren’t wary of James White, Steven Jackson or Brandon Bolden. “You definitely can’t just focus on the pass game the whole time, because if you do and you forget about the run they’ll gash you,” linebacker Brandon Marshall said.
eral times me being at the five and him being at the four and us running fast. It gives us another guy that makes plays.” Smith started for seven games with the Rockets last season before he became their sixth man. He moved back into the starting lineup in the playoffs, averaging 13.8 points in the post-season. “It (the time together last season) gives us a leg up, an advantage from the start,” Bickerstaff said. “We don’t have to start all the way over with him. He knows what we do. He’s familiar with how his teammates like the ball. He’s familiar with how to play pick-and-roll with Dwight. He knows how to play pick-androll with James. It’s a quick start. “It’s a matter of fit for everybody and he fits here with us. How we relate to Josh, how he relates with his teammates, all those things make a big difference on how effective guys can be. Chemistry is a big part of that. We have a comfort level for him. We have high expectations for him.”
ahead of No. 2 and long-retired Jimmy Connors in terms of Grand Slam singles wins, so the mark is safe for a while. “It’s not something I ever aimed for but when it happens, it’s very special,” he said. “You look deeper into it, where it’s all happened and how. So it’s very nice.” Federer’s next aim is to break a Grand Slam title drought that dates back to Wimbledon 2012. He reached two major finals in 2015, losing them both to Novak Djokovic, who has replaced him as the most dominant man in the draw. He could meet Djokovic in the semifinals. Djokovic took care of the man who ended Federer’s run in the third round here last year, the Swiss star’s worst run at the Australian Open since 2001. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic needed only 25 minutes to win the first set against No. 28seeded Andreas Seppi but had a tougher time in the next two, saving two set points in the tiebreaker before winning 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (6). The five-time Australian Open champion was playing at the same time as Serena Williams, a six-time Australian Open winner, so he shuffled over to Margaret Court Arena. He noted how he liked the renovation — the No. 2 stadium has had a roof installed since his last outing there. “I played a quality player who took out Federer last year here and who has been on the tour for many years,” Djokovic said. “It was a great test. It was a physical match. I’m just glad I got through.” After extending a streak of making the fourth round or better at every major since a third-round exit at the 2009 French Open, Djokovic will play No. 14 Gilles Simon in the Round of 16. Federer will play David Goffin. Williams raced to a 6-1, 6-1 win in 45 minutes over 18-year-old Russian Daria Kasatkina on Rod Laver Arena to set up a fourthround match with Margarita Gasparyan, whom she beat early at Wimbledon last year. If the fourth-round results go on rankings, she’ll meet No. 5 Maria Sharapova in a quarterfinal match that will feature both of last year’s finalists. While Williams’ form has been good, it hasn’t drawn quite the same attention as her bright yellow crop top and pleated mini-skirt. “I just wanted to push the envelope again, just bring pop culture to tennis, kind of make it really fun,” she said. “It’s definitely not built for warmth, but it’s built for speed.” Sharapova had a milestone victory when she beat Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-0 to record her 600th win at tour level, becoming the 17th and only fourth active women’s player to reach the mark. “I think it’s a proud number,” the 2008 champion and four-time Australian Open finalist said. She next plays No. 12 Belinda Bencic. No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska advanced to a fourth-rounder against Anna-Lena Friedsam, who beat Roberta Vinci — the Italian player who ended Williams’ bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015. Also progressing were No. 10 Carla Suarez Navarro and Russian-born Australian Daria Gavrilova, who held off No. 28 Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 4-6, 11-9. The home crowd couldn’t quite lift No. 29 Nick Kyrgios, who was distracted by the noise and upset with the umpire in his latenight, four-set loss to No. 6 Tomas Berdych, a two-time semifinalist. No. 12 Marin Cilic also lost but Kei Nishikori — whom Cilic beat in the 2014 U.S. Open final — advanced over No. 26-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and will next play 2008 Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
Dear Readers: It’s the perfect time of year to collect GREETING AND HOLIDAY CARDS and send them off to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. The Recycled Card Program has been doing a super job of teaching children work skills for more than 30 years! The ranch is home for children who have had a hard life and may be homeless or may have been abused. The children recycle old greeting cards into new cards that sell in the retail store and online, and the profits benefit the residents. Here’s what to do: Tear off the fronts of greeting cards -- don’t send the whole card! All card fronts are welcome: birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, thank-you cards, etc. Birthday and thank-you cards are especially nice since they are used all year long. Check that there is no writing on the back side of the front. Here are some other guidelines: Disney, Hallmark and American Greetings cards can’t be used because of
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copyright issues. The best size is 5 inches by 7 inches, but all are welcome. The address: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children Recycled Card Program 100 St. Jude’s Street Boulder City, NV 89005 You can order online at www. stjudesranch.org, or by phone at 877-977-7572, ext. 4. If you have a bunch, use a U.S. Postal Service flat-rate box! Cheap by any standard. -- Hugs, Heloise RINSING RECYCLABLE CANS Dear Heloise: I would like to offer a solution to rinsing recyclable jars and cans: When emptied, I set them under the faucet in my sink. Since I wash my hands often during cooking, I do double duty. My hands get clean, and the cans get rinsed from the excess water used when washing my hands. -- Sue in Valparaiso, Ind. Where water is a precious commodity (in many parts of the country, mind you), this is a super water-saving hint. Thanks! -- Heloise
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016