The Zapata Times 1/27/2016

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27, 2016

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LOCAL ECONOMY

Three men busted by Border Patrol

Zapata’s outlook Wind energy sought after in 2016

By KENDRA ABLAZA THE ZAPATA TIMES

Suspects allegedly attempted to transport immigrants from Zapata

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

Three men were arrested for attempting to transport illegal immigrants from a Zapata County rest area to a Wal-Mart in Laredo, according to court

Zapata has a brighter outlook in 2016 and beyond, said Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell, thanks to improvements to county infrastructure, job creation, and its local economy that are projected to take place this year.

Rathmell said Zapata County’s economy has been depressed for the past seven years due to the collapse

documents.

U.S. Border Patrol identified the suspects as Francisco Alberto Cansino, Jose Alfonso Orozco and Oliver Salazar.

All are facing human

See BUSTED PAGE 11A

RATHMELL

of the natural gas market.

Since then, the county has been able to reduce spending to meet its revenues as they come in, which Rathmell believes is benefiting Zapata in the long run.

Rathmell said Electric Transmission Texas will be building a transmission line from Webb County to Hidalgo County this year that will pass through Zapata.

This will not only in-

crease the county’s tax value, but also attract wind companies, wind farm producers and wind energy producers to the area because they will have a way to get energy, Rathmell said.

These projects, worth $100 million, will also increase Zapata’s taxable value significantly, the county judge said.

“They are leasing quite a

See OUTLOOK PAGE 11A

CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO

CATHOLICS LOOK FORWARD TO VISIT Pope touring border city next month

By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE

Photo by Julián Aguilar | Texas Tribune

A cardboard cutout of His Holiness Pope Francis greets residents of Ciudad Juárez on Jan. 16. Pope Francis will visit the border city in February as part of a six-day tour of Mexico.

CIUDAD JUAREZ – Residents of this border city hope the rest of the world sees next month what Juarenses already know: Despite years of bloodshed and continuing poverty, the local spirit is high and its people are determined to persevere.

Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Ciudad Juárez on Feb. 17 for the final stop on his six-day tour of Mexico. People here expect the visit will place the city once considered the most dangerous in the Americas under a new and positive light.

But there’s also an expectation that Pope Francis will arrive with his reputation for being outspoken on social issues like government corruption, immigration and poverty intact — and force officials on both sides of the Rio Grande to take note.

“Corruption exists everywhere, but yes, he

“

Corruption exists everywhere, but yes, he should address it.”

JESUS CARMONA, CIUDAD JUAREZ RESIDENT

should address it,” said resident Jesus Carmona outside the city’s downtown cathedral earlier this month. “What I hope is that he speaks about the deaths in Ciudad Juárez.

Thankfully, they aren’t as common, but now the cops are more heavy-handed than ever.”

The pope’s itinerary includes a visit to the state prison to pray with inmates and a meeting with business and school offi-

See POPE PAGE 11A

TEXAS

Immigration law challenged

By SETH ROBBINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN ANTONIO — Immigrant rights attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging part of a Texas border security bill they say could allow state authorities to target shelters and landlords for harboring immigrants who are in the country illegally.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund is asking a judge to find unconstitutional part of the far-reaching security bill the state passed in 2015.

The group suing includes two landlords who say they could be hurt by the law because they don’t ask the immigration status of their tenants. Also suing is Jonathan Ryan, director

But Nina Perales, the lead lawyer with MALDEF, said the law is intended to target people who do business with immigrants, such as landlords, or people carrying out humanitarian work in shelters. of a San Antonio-based immigration legal services center that also runs a shelter for migrants whose staff and volunteers, he says, could be subject to prosecution.

Republican state Rep. Dennis Bonnen, who authored the bill in question, called the lawsuit “frivolous” and said the legislation was never intended to target shelters, aid workers

or landlords and could not be used to do so.

But Nina Perales, the lead lawyer with MALDEF, said the law is intended to target people who do business with immigrants, such as landlords, or people carrying out humanitarian work in shelters.

“There can be no explanation for this harboring statute than to intimidate people,” she said. “There is

no public safety function.”

Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill, known as HB 11, into law by last year as part of an $800 million border security effort undertaken by the Legislature.

Under one provision of HB 11, people who profit from, encourage or induce a person to enter or stay in the country illegally “by concealing, harboring, or shielding that person from detection” can be charged with various felony degrees. The charges depend on the age of the immigrant and whether he or she becomes victim of sexual assault or other crimes.

The bill also creates the new crime of “continuous harboring” of immigrants

See LAW PAGE 11A

Texas Tribune photo

Nina Perales of MALDEF and others from the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force present a proposal for two new Latinomajority congressional seats in Texas.

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28

ASSOCIATED PRESS

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 Martinez-Hunter 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.

The Elysian Social Club will host its regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Sirloin Stockade Restaurant. Members are encouraged to attend this very important meeting.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 27, the 27th day of 2016. There are 339 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 27, 1945, during World War II, Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland.

On this date: In 1756, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria.

In 1880, Thomas Edison received a patent for his electric incandescent lamp.

In 1901, opera composer Giuseppe Verdi died in Milan, Italy, at age 87.

In 1944, during World War II, the Soviet Union announced the complete end of the deadly German siege of Leningrad, which had lasted for more than two years.

In 1965, “Up the Down Staircase,” Bel Kaufman’s novel about a young, idealistic teacher at a New York inner-city school, was published by Prentice-Hall.

In 1967, astronauts Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo spacecraft. More than 60 nations signed a treaty banning the orbiting of nuclear weapons.

In 1973, the Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris.

In 1977, the Vatican issued a declaration reaffirming the Roman Catholic Church’s ban on female priests.

In 1984, singer Michael Jackson suffered serious burns to his scalp when pyrotechnics set his hair on fire during the filming of a PepsiCola TV commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

In 1998, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, on NBC’s “Today” show, charged the sexual misconduct allegations against her husband were the work of a “vast right-wing conspiracy.”

In 2005, Condoleezza Rice, in her first day on the job as Secretary of State, reached out by phone to European allies and partners in the war on terrorism and echoed President George W. Bush’s inaugural charge to promote liberty across the globe. Frail survivors and humbled world leaders remembered the victims of the Holocaust as they marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz.

Ten years ago: Western Union delivered its last telegram.

Five years ago: Tens of thousands of Yemenis demanded their president step down; taking inspiration from Tunisians’ revolt, they vowed to continue until their U.S.backed government fell.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor James Cromwell is 76. Rock musician Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) is 72. Ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov is 68. Political commentator Ed Schultz is 62. Chief U.S. Justice John Roberts is 61. Actress Mimi Rogers is 60. Political and sports commentator Keith Olbermann is 57. Actress Bridget Fonda is 52. Actor Alan Cumming is 51. Country singer Tracy Lawrence is 48. Actorcomedian Patton Oswalt is 47.

Tennis player Marat Safin is 36. Rock musician Matt Sanchez (American Authors) is 30.

Thought for Today: “The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself.” — Wallace Stevens, American poet and author (1879-1955).

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 795-2400 x2403.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 The Alzheimer’s support group will meet at 7 p.m. in meeting room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For information, please call 693-9991.

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 795-2400 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.

Les Amies Birthday Club will meet at the Ramada Plaza at 11:30 a.m. The hostesses are Yolanda Gonzalez, Rebecca Martinez and Veronica Salinas. The honorees are Velia Herrera, Yolanda Gonzalez, Mary Lou Solis and Mao Eugenia Garcia.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 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.

The American Cancer Society and Laredo Specialty Hospital will commemorate World Cancer Day at 6 p.m. to raise awareness and educate our community on how to fight cancer. A balloon launch will be held to remember those who have lost their lives to cancer and honor those who are fighting the disease and those who have survived. The public is invited to attend. For more information, call Diana Juarez at 319-3100 or Laura Nanez at 286-6955.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 CaminArte at the Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustin Ave. Free art walk every first Friday of the month.

Carson and Barnes Circus from 5-7 p.m. and again from 8-10 p.m. at the Uni-Trade Stadium parking lot, 6320 Sinatra Parkway. Tickets are $16 for adults and $10 for children.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 The Laredo Northside Farmers Market will be held at the parking lot of North Central Park on International Boulevard from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will feature many of our usual vendors and Valentine’s Day activities for the children.

Photo by Pat Sullivan | AP

A Planned Parenthood clinic is seen Jan. 26 in Houston. A Houston grand jury investigating undercover footage at the Houston clinic found no wrongdoing Monday by the abortion provider, and instead indicted anti-abortion activists involved in making the videos that targeted the handling of fetal tissue in clinics and provoked outrage among Republican leaders nationwide.

Activists come under fire

By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Two anti-abortion activists who made undercover videos about Planned Parenthood are accused of using fake driver’s licenses to infiltrate the group, indictments made public Tuesday show.

David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt allegedly used California driver’s licenses they knew were false “with the intent to defraud and harm another,” the documents indicate.

The videos that surfaced last year accused Planned Parenthood of illegally selling fetal tissue to researchers for profit. The footage provoked outrage among Republican leaders nationwide and prompted investigations by Republican-led committees in Congress and by GOP-led state governments.

Planned Parenthood officials said the videos were misleading. And the Houston

grand jury that indicted the activists also investigated Planned Parenthood and concluded that the nation’s largest abortion provider committed no wrongdoing.

Both of the activists face a charge of tampering with a governmental record, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Daleiden was also indicted on a misdemeanor count related to purchasing human organs. The indictment on that count was not immediately available Tuesday.

The activists, who live in California, plan to come to Houston’s Harris County Jail, where they will be processed and allowed to post bond, said Murphy Klasing, an attorney for Daleiden.

Klasing said he did not know when that will happen. Bond for Daleiden and Merritt was set at $11,000 and $10,000, respectively.

Many water suppliers fail to test for lead

Prison inmate dies after fight with cellmate

4 firefighters injured in fire out of hospital

DENTON — The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says that hundreds of state public water suppliers failed to test for lead and copper in their systems last year. About 1,000 out of 2,245 water suppliers failed to fulfill the testing protocol in summer 2015. Local, state and federal officials do not have current data on lead and copper levels for about 1 in 7 of the state’s 6,916 public water systems.

AMARILLO — A Texas prison system inmate has died following an apparent fight with his cellmate. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said the death of 31-year-old Alton Rodgers has been ruled a homicide and the investigation continues.

Rodgers was convicted of capital murder in a 2005 Dallas County case and was serving life in prison at the Clements Unit in Amarillo.

SAN ANGELO — A city spokesman says four San Angelo firefighters hospitalized after part of a burning house collapsed on them have been released after treatment.

Fire officials say the house was under construction when it caught fire Saturday. Assistant Fire Chief Scott Farris says the firefighters were struck by a falling “veneer structure.”

Cockfighting raid leads to 40 arrests, $32K seized

Officials wary of rise in unvaccinated students

MIDLAND — At least 40 people face charges after a weekend raid on a suspected cockfighting operation in West Texas that led to the seizure of about 30 roosters. Deputies and other officers confiscated about $32,000 as part of the bust Saturday at a home near Midland.

Also more than 2 pounds of cocaine was seized.

DALLAS — A rise in the number of Texas students who forgo vaccinations is troubling public health officials and runs contrary to efforts elsewhere to ensure students get immunized.

Ten years ago there were about 10,000 Texas students exempt from at least one vaccination. That number climbed last year to nearly 41,000.

Houston man accused of 5 sexual assaults HOUSTON — A Houston man arrested for sneaking into a home and sexually assaulting a woman while she was asleep is charged with four other similar crimes.

Court records show 37-year-old Reginal Bond is accused of the five attacks that occurred from June 2014 through last week. He was arrested Friday.

— Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE NATION Where does the snow go?

In Baltimore, to the races BALTIMORE — No horses are galloping along the tracks at Pimlico this time of year, but there is plenty of racing going on. Baltimore officials and assisting agencies scrambled to get the city moving Tuesday in the wake of a monstrous storm that dumped more than two feet of snow onto the streets, and chose Pimlico Race Course as their primary staging area.

Dump trucks were streaming in and out of the race course, depositing mountains of snow into the lot. Pimlico site is one of three snow storage facilities in the city.

Marvin Minsky, pioneer of artificial intelligence, dies CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Marvin Minsky, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-

CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Juliet Linderman | AP

A dump truck deposits snow at a lot behind M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Tuesday. Baltimore government offices opened Tuesday as the city continues to dig out from more than 2 feet of snow. nology who saw parallels in the functioning of the human brain and computers, died Sunday at age 88.

The university said Minsky died Sunday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The cause of death was a cerebral

hemorrhage.

Minsky viewed the brain as a machine whose functioning can be studied and replicated in a computer, and he considered how machines might be endowed with common sense.

— Compiled from AP reports

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Local

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

HILCORP MAKES DONATION TO ZAPATA LIONS CLUB

Courtesy photo

Hilcorp Energy recently donated $815 to the Zapata Lions Club to help with their upcoming Zapata County Fair Free Hot Dog Lunch for all exhibitors. Pictured, seated from left are lions Romeo Mercado, Daniel Gonzalez, Jaime A. Gonzalez, Mike Martinez, Manuel Gonzalez, Abelardo Arturo Gutierrez, Jay Martinez, Hilcorp foreman Israel Lozano, Zapata Lions Club President Aurelio Villarreal and lion Aaron Cruz.

Meetings slated for arts competition SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

The Zapata County Fair Association Baking, Arts & Crafts and Photography committee will be hosting two participant/parent meetings. Attendance at one meeting is mandatory.

The first is Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Zapata County Pavilion.

The second is Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Zapata County Pavilion.

Entry forms and payment are due no later than Feb. 10.

Failure to attend one of these meetings will prohibit the participant from competing.

The rules and regulations for the Youth, Junior, Senior and Adult Baking, Arts & Crafts and Photography Divisions are as follows: 1. Contests are open to any permanent and part time Zapata County resi-

dents.

2. Junior division is open to any third–seventh grade students and senior division is open to any eighth–12th grade students. Contest is open to any student that is enrolled in either a private or public school. All students participating and competing in the baking, arts & crafts, or photography division MUST be enrolled in a local 4H club — no exceptions! (Failure to join any club will result in an immediate disqualification. Proof of eligibility required.) All students must qualify with the U.I.L. No Pass, No Play requirements.

3. All entries must be the original work of the participant. Any entry that has previously received an award (arts & crafts and photography divisions) or has been shown in the Zapata County Fair is not eligible.

4. A $15 fee will be collected for each division upon receipt of entry to help defray the cost of ribbons.

5. All work must be entirely the work of the person submitting the exhibit.

6. All arts, crafts, and photography entries must be submitted by Thursday, March 10, 2016.

The following times are listed below for each category: Adults: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Students: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

7. All baking entries must be submitted on Friday, March 11, 2016 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (as per official county fair clock). No late entries will accepted.

8. Participants may enter up to two items in any of the following categories: Crafts: aprons, clothing, embroidery, counted

cross stitch, needlework, wood, dolls, models, jewelry, etc. All crafts must be DIY (do it yourself) projects.

Quilts (adult division only): categories will be designated upon entry.

Baking: cakes, pies, cookies and bars, breads, refrigerated entries (ex: cheesecakes) and candies.

All entries must be on or in a non-returnable container with a cover or clear wrap. All entrants will be required to submit a separate judge’s sample for judging from the submitted entry. Boxed mixes and/or store bought (ready-made) items such as pre-made pie/graham cracker crusts, crescent rolls/biscuits, or pre-made doughs will not be allowed. Recipe cards must be submitted on a plain white 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper and must be submitted on the day of judging.

Entries will NOT be al-

lowed to have any form of identification visible to the judges. Failure to comply with the rules will result in immediate disqualification.

Photography: will be divided into two different classes: black and white and color. The entries will consist of the following: A. Pictures (1 per category) B. Portraits (1 per category) Size for all photos must be 8x10 only. All photos must be matted. No names, frames or glass is allowed on the photos.

9. Judging will be at the discretion of the committee in charge.

10. All decisions will be final.

11. Students will be awarded first – sixth place ribbons in each division.

Adults will be awarded first – third place ribbons in each division.

12. Grand Champions

and Reserved Champions will be awarded in each division by only the first place ribbons.

13. Only grand and reserved champions will be sold at a silent auction.

14. Silent auction will take place on Friday, March 11, 2016 from 5–7 p.m. at the Zapata County Pavilion. (Auction will apply to students ONLY — all other student entries and adult entries will be sold separately based on the participants set price.)

(It is highly encouraged that you try to find a buyer for your project.)

15. All entries must remain on exhibit until Saturday, March 12, 2016 until sold or no later than 3 p.m. Non-placing or unsold projects may be picked up from 3–4 p.m. on Saturday.

16. Any items left behind become property of the Zapata County Fair Association.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Stay sane America, please!

In January of 2017 someone will stand at the U.S. Capitol and deliver an Inaugural Address.

This is roughly the place where Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan once stood. I am going to spend every single day between now and then believing that neither Donald Trump nor Ted Cruz nor Bernie Sanders will be standing on that podium.

One of them could win the election, take the oath, give the speech and be riding down Pennsylvania Avenue. I will still refuse to believe it.

Yes, I know what the polling evidence is telling us about Trump, Sanders and Cruz, but there are good reasons to cling to my disbelief.

First, these primary campaigns will not be settled in February. They won’t be settled in March or April. Sometimes a candidate can sweep Iowa and New Hampshire and cruise to the nomination.

But that candidate has to be broadly acceptable to all parts of the party.

Trump, Cruz and Sanders are not.

As Jay Cost writes in The Weekly Standard, “This could mean a lengthy nomination battle that stretches all the way to the California primary in June.”

On the Republican side the early primaries and caucuses allocate delegates proportionally. Only 16.2 percent of the delegates overall come from winner-take-all states.

That means the delegategetting war will be a slog.

The first day when any candidate could rack up a big winner-take-all delegate harvest is March 15, an eternity from now.

More than half the delegates will be allocated after that date.

Second, Cruz and Trump will go after each other with increasing ferocity over the next many weeks or months. There is a decent chance, given their personalities, that they will make each other maximally unattractive and go down in each other’s death embrace.

Third, the Trump and Sanders turnout problems are real. Trump is doing very well among people who haven’t voted in the past four elections. It’s possible he has energized them so much they will actually caucus and vote, but you wouldn’t want to bet your gold-plated faucets on it. People who don’t vote generally don’t vote.

Sanders is drawing support from nonvoters, too. Sanders is up in some polls overall, but he trails big time among people in Iowa who caucused in 2008 and among those who are definitely registered to vote.

It’s quite possible that the big story post-Iowa will be how badly these two underperformed.

Fourth, establishment Republicans who are soft-

“

DAVID BROOKS

ening on Trump because they think he is more electable than Cruz are smoking something. According to a Pew Research survey, a majority of Americans think Trump would make a poor or terrible president.

Chuck Todd ran through Trump’s favorable-unfavorable ratings on “Meet the Press” on Sunday: Among independents, Trump is negative 26 points; among women, negative 36; among suburban voters, negative 24. Is the Republican Party really going to nominate one of the most loathed men in American public life?

Fifth, America has never elected a candidate maximally extreme from the political center, the way Sanders and Cruz are. According to the FiveThirtyEight website, Cruz has the most conservative voting record in the entire Congress. That takes some doing.

Sixth, sooner or later the candidates from the governing wing of their parties will get their acts together. Marco Rubio has had a bad month, darkening his tone and trying to sound like a cut-rate version of Trump and Cruz.

Before too long Rubio will realize his first task is to rally the voters who detest or fear those men.

That means running as an optimistic American nationalist with specific proposals to reform Washington and lift the working class.

If he can rally mainstream Republicans he’ll be at least tied with Trump and Cruz in the polls. Then he can counter their American decline narrative, with one of his own: This country is failing because it got too narcissistic, became too much like a reality TV show. Americans lost the ability to work constructively to get things done.

Finally, eventually the electorate is going to realize that in an age of dysfunctional government, effective leadership capacity is the threshold issue.

That means being able to listen to others, surround yourself with people smarter than you, gather a governing majority and above all have an actual implementation strategy.

Not Trump, Cruz or Sanders has any remote chance of turning his ideas, such as they are, into actual laws.

In every recent presidential election U.S. voters have selected the candidate with the most secure pair of hands.

They’ve elected the person who would be a stable presence and companion for the next four years. I believe they’re going to do that again. And if they’re not, please allow me a few more months of denial.

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 name-calling 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

Walmart changed Texas Most people under 35 can’t remember life before Walmart.

Many older Texans still have some bitter feelings about Sam Walton’s “discount” store creation when it began to debut in the Lone Star State in the 1970s. Naturally, some shoppers welcomed the notion of lower prices, even if detractors said the merchandise was inferior.

Wal-Mart, as the chain’s first signage and advertising proclaimed, made such a big splash in small towns because it was generally much larger than any store in town and its marketing and advertising hit at the low price theme loudly and often.

While the discount store was considered a godsend by many shoppers, it was a pariah in other segments of business and society.

Whatever the claims were versus reality paled beside the bitterness created when mom-and-pop shops, which were not designed for volume buying or sales and thus had to charge higher prices to be profitable, began to close their doors. Those momand-pop-shops closures affected small towns quite adversely, particularly in Walmart’s early years.

Longtime small town residents who owned the

mom-and-pop stores grumbled about their plight to very sympathetic neighbors.

For several years, Walmart killed small stores — department and/or specialty — with the low price theme emphasized through an aggressive advertising program. That increased resentment and bitterness but the chain continued a phenomenal growth pattern.

When Walmart began to attract a lot of attention, I was out of newspaper publishing, working in graphics sales in Houston. Large cities still weren’t on Walmart’s radar, at least not as far as the public and the competing retailers knew.

My introduction came in 1982 when I returned to community newspaper publishing in Lockhart where a fairly new Walton operation was wreaking havoc on an understandably angry, beleaguered, resentful and hurting retail community. The outgoing publisher informed me I “would need a wheelbarrow” to pick up all of the ads from the Walmart store.

That seemed like no exaggeration as three weeks out of the month, there were anywhere from three to eight full-page ads. During the fourth week, Walmart’s circular mailer always hit consumers’ mailboxes.

Greed overcame vision and foresight for some in the community newspaper business.

But many publishers and editors didn’t stop to consider that they’d never had a single advertiser consistently run that much advertising before. When some of the mom-and-pops began to bite the dust, their smaller but more numerous ads went with them, and it began to dawn on publishers there might be some inherent danger in this enormous concentration of advertising lineage.

In addition, Walmart’s emergence coincided with a trend toward larger department store chains, some of which came “south” with the migration of many Yankees into Texas and Southern climes and job markets.

That population shift came about at least in part because of a brief 1980s oil and gas boom that swelled our economy.

Those migrating Yanks didn’t take to Texas department and specialty store retailing brands such as Fo-

ley’s, Sakowitz and Battlestein’s. New York giant Macy’s bought all Foley’s and its stores changed to bear the parent name. Battlestein’s bit the dust. Sakowitz survived but never grew beyond the initial handful of stores.

Meanwhile, new department stores proliferated and thrived. Target and Kmart (a Sears operation) became principal competitors for Walmart. Small towns got an infusion of Gibson’s Discount, Bill’s Dollar Store and a myriad of low price, cheaper merchandise operations.

Walmart expanded into groceries and super stores years ago as did Kmart and Target.

So, the Walmart emergence in Texas dovetailed with all of the other growth and the development of a newer breed of department stores as opposed to discount operations.

Who knows what future generations will see in terms of retail operations. I just know it will be extremely interesting and, unfortunately, painful to some probably familiar retailing brands.

Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by writing him at wwebb@wildblue.net

EDITORIAL

Getting students to eat healthy PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

The challenge for the nation’s school lunch program is not unlike that of the parent of a picky eater: Creating a healthy, balanced meal is just half the trick. The other is getting

the child to eat it.

Since healthier standards were put in place for school meals in 2012, more fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains have been features of the breakfasts and lunches that reach 31 mil-

lion students in 100,000 schools every day.

First lady Michelle Obama, who led the effort to put healthier meals on cafeteria tables, had good intentions, and changes were necessary, given the size of the nation’s wais-

tline. Last week, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry approved a sensible, bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the school meals program for another five years but scale back some of the regulations.

CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

National

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

Campaigns ramp up efforts

By JOSH LEDERMAN AND KEN THOMAS ASSOCIATED PRESS

DES MOINES, Iowa — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders worked to expand their appeal Tuesday to voters who fueled President Barack Obama’s rise, while Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz played up evangelical support ahead of the critical Iowa caucuses.

Six days before voting in the 2016 campaign kicks off, both parties were bracing for nail-biting caucuses in which either of the two front-runners could claim victory. Republicans were hoping Monday’s contest would help whittle down the field to make room for a more mainstream contender to challenge Trump and Cruz.

On the Democratic side, the race was hardening into a contest between Clinton’s vaunted resume versus Sanders’ judgment and world view. Clinton, in a new television ad, used archival footage of her from decades past to remind Iowans of her history as a battle-hardened champion for Democratic Party values.

“I’m Hillary Clinton, and I’ve always approved this message,” Clinton said in a variation on the typical tagline.

Eyeing Obama’s upset victory in Iowa eight years earlier, both candidates sought to soak up the president’s good graces. Although Sanders has captured some of the energetic, status quo-busting aura of Obama’s campaign, he faces skepticism over whether he can turn out young voters and minorities as effectively as the president he’s running to succeed.

Asked whether he could match the historic turnout Obama secured in 2008, Sanders told a steel workers union in Des Moines that he hoped he could, but “frankly I don’t think we can. What Obama did in 2008 was extraordinary.”

Still, with polls showing

By BEN NUCKOLS WASHINGTON — A man who told his former boss he was going to go to Washington and “start shooting” has been arrested and will face charges related to threats to government officials, a federal law enforcement official said.

Adrian Daigle, 36, had been working for a company based in Wisconsin but had lost his job within the past week, said the official, who had been briefed on the case but spoke on condition of anonymity because Daigle had not been formally charged. Daigle told his former employer that he was going to Washington to resolve his prob-

New Flint water probe draws critics

By DAVID EGGERT AND COREY WILLIAMS ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Jae C. Hong | AP

Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a campaign event at High Point Bulls Oswald Barn Tuesday, in Osceola, Iowa.

Sanders within a few points of Clinton, the Vermont independent waxed confident that he had an “excellent chance” to win Iowa. He predicted success in Iowa and New Hampshire would beget more support from party leaders who have firmly backed Clinton as the party’s best chance for a general election victory.

“If I’m the candidate best able to do that, you can bet your bottom buck we’re going to have a whole lot of establishment Democrats on board,” Sanders said in an Associated Press interview.

Clinton, who was crisscrossing northern Iowa for get-out-the-vote events, was savoring recent praise from Obama, who called her “wicked smart” and qualified to run the country from Day one. At a televised town hall forum Monday evening, she said she was “really touched and gratified” when she saw the interview — Obama’s strongest indication to date of his preference in the race. Obama isn’t expected to formally back a primary candidate.

Trump, riding high on a new poll showing his national lead growing, was deviating from his typical playbook by casting himself as a uniting figure able to work with Democrats if elected. He instead trained his attacks on Cruz, talking to morning TV shows to disparage Cruz as nervous and “such a mess.”

Cruz appeared determined not to succumb to a

war of words with Trump, whose supporters he’s working to peel off in Iowa and other early-voting states.

Though lagging behind Trump nationally, Cruz is locked in a cutthroat race with Trump in Iowa as the broader Republican Party slowly comes around to the likelihood that one of the two could be their nominee.

“Donald has engaged in a lot of personal attacks,” Cruz told reporters in Albia, Iowa, as he joined former Texas Gov. Rick Perry for a day of campaigning. “I have not responded in kind, and I don’t intend to.”

But the public comity aside, Cruz was working behind the scenes to undercut Trump’s claim to be a true conservative. Both Cruz’s campaign and a super PAC backing him were airing new ads accusing Trump of supporting abortion rights.

Trump spent the morning playing up support from Jerry Falwell Jr., Liberty University’s president and an influential evangelical figure, and Joe Arpaio, the Arizona sheriff known nationally for his hardline stance on immigration.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, hoping his recent gains in Iowa would continue, secured the endorsement of George Pataki, who also dropped out of the race last year.

Before Iowa voters have their say, the Republicans will face off once more at a debate on Thursday evening.

Man said he was off to DC to ‘start shooting’ ASSOCIATED PRESS

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

lems and that if he didn’t get them resolved, he was going to “start shooting,” the official said.

Daigle was arrested early Tuesday in Jessup, Maryland, about 25 miles north of Washington, said Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Alice Kim. The FBI in Green Bay, Wisconsin, had alerted local and federal officials in Washington to be on the lookout for Daigle, the official said. Charges against him are pending.

District of Columbia police put out a bulletin Monday night, saying Daigle was wanted for questioning “in reference to an active police investigation involving threats.”

Officers in Howard County, Maryland, where Daigle was arrested brought him to a hospital for an emergency evaluation, said Howard County police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn. Such an evaluation is ordered when a person is considered a possible threat to himself or others. He is not facing charges in Maryland, Llewellyn said.

Daigle was last seen driving a vehicle with Louisiana license plates, and public records indicate he is a Louisiana resident.

His criminal history includes arrests for attempted murder and auto theft and a conviction for aggravated assault, court records show.

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan attorney general’s investigation into the process that left Flint’s drinking water tainted with lead is drawing bipartisan criticism, with a Republican leader saying Tuesday that it duplicates the work of a state task force and Democrats questioning whether the special counsel will be impartial.

Meanwhile, the crisis has attracted the attention of the United Nations, which is “looking at the human implications closely,” according to Baskut Tuncak, a UN expert on hazardous substance and waste. And national and local NAACP leaders are planning to reveal Tuesday what they call a “15-point priority plan” created with Flint residents’ input to address the health emergency.

Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof said Tuesday that the probe into Flint — which Attorney General Bill Schuette said Monday will be led by a former assistant prosecutor for Wayne County and a retired head of Detroit’s FBI office — should wait until a panel appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder finishes its work.

“I’m a little concerned about that because the (task force) report hasn’t been put out yet and I think duplicating efforts is not very helpful,” Meekhof said. “There’s plenty of time to look at what happened and who did what when and where, but right now we have people that don’t have safe drinking water and we’re going to make sure that’s done first.”

Meekhof suggested Schuette should pay for the outside investigators with existing funds and not ask

Photo by Carlos Osorio | AP

Registered Nurse Brian Jones draws a blood sample from Grayling Stefek, 5, at the Eisenhower Elementary School, Tuesday, in Flint, Mich. The students were being tested for lead after the metal was found in the city’s drinking water. the Legislature for additional money. He said once the panel is done, Schuette would then have a better idea of whether to investigate.

And Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, a Democrat from Flint, said Tuesday that Schuette took months too long to investigate, but he will “give him the benefit of the doubt until I see otherwise.” A day earlier, Democratic state Rep. LaTanya Garrett asked U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to open a federal investigation, noting that Schuette denied a Democratic legislator’s September request for a state investigation.

“I am not confident that he can serve in the best interest of the Flint citizens,” Garrett said.

A Schuette spokesman declined to comment Tuesday.

It is unclear at this point whether the attorney general’s probe could result in criminal or civil charges.

The investigation could focus on whether environmental laws were broken or if there was official misconduct in the process that left Flint’s drinking water contaminated. Flood declined to discuss which laws may have been broken, except to note that “a

plethora of laws” could be used and that there are prohibitions against misconduct by public officials.

Flint switched from Detroit’s municipal water system while under emergency state financial management and began drawing from the Flint River in 2014 to save money, but the water was not properly treated. Residents have been urged to use bottled water and to put filters on faucets.

The UN has looked at Michigan water issues before, sending two human rights officials to Detroit in 2014 as the city was shutting off water service to residents behind on their bills. They had no enforcement abilities, but called on Detroit officials to restore water to those unable to pay.

The NAACP’s plan for Flint, which the civil rights organization said was developed with input from Flint residents, will be announced early Tuesday evening. Also Tuesday, the EPA said teams are preparing to collect samples to confirm that lead is being removed by water filters.

Todd Flood, the former prosecutor, and Andy Arena, formerly of the FBI, will report to Schuette.

PÁGINA 6A

Zfrontera

Ribereña en Breve 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. Puede inscribirse en el sitio bgczapata.com. Habrá premios.

COMPETENCIA El grupo del Mighty Hawk Spinners de Zapata High School se ubicó en primer lugar del grupo Scholastic Novice durante el Winter Guard Competition (Competencia Invernal de Portabanderas) celebrada el sábado en Martin High School de Laredo, con 32.370. Se trata de la primera competencia de este tipo para el Zapata County ISD. La patrocinadora del grupo es Dalia García.

MIÉRCOLES 27 DE ENERO DE 2016

TEXAS

Persiste pobreza POR ALEXA URA TEXAS TRIBUNE

Texas continúa siendo el hogar de algunos de los condados más pobres en el país con la pobreza prevaleciendo más en la frontera Texas-México, indican cifras del censo reveladas en diciembre.

El Condado de Zapata, donde 32.6 por ciento de sus residentes vivían en pobreza en el 2014, es el quinto más pobre en el estado. El Condado de Webb le sigue de cerca con una tasa de pobreza del 32.3 por ciento, convirtiéndolo en el séptimo más pobre. La tasa del 2014 es la más alta que el Condado de Webb ha tenido desde 1997, cuando la tasa de pobreza fue de 32.6 por ciento.

Los estimados más recientes acerca de la pobreza a nivel condado por parte del Buró del Censo de EU, dada a conocer en diciembre, indica que la pobreza se encuentra distribuida de manera desproporcionada por el estado.

Entre los condados con al menos 10.000 residentes, los condados de la frontera enfrentan las tasas más altas de residentes viviendo en la pobreza — casi una en cada tres personas en el Sur de Texas.

Mientras tanto, en condados considerados suburbios y ubicados cerca de las más grandes ciudades del estado, comparten las porciones más bajas de personas pobres, con menos de 10 por ciento de residentes viviendo en pobreza en muchos suburbios.

Aunque las porciones de teja-

nos pobres han disminuido gradualmente en años recientes, 17.2 por ciento de la población del estado seguía viviendo en la pobreza en el 2014.

El censo determina la pobreza basado en el ingreso y tamaño de la familia. Por ejemplo, una familia de cuatro es considerada que vive en la pobreza si su ingreso de vivienda es menor de 24.008 dólares al año.

Aquí un vistazo a los condados de Texas con las tasas de pobreza más altas y bajas, entre aquellos con población de 10.000 personas o más.

Condados con tasa de pobreza alta: Condado Willacy Habitantes: 22.056 Condado Willacy, al norte de Brownsville, cuenta con la tasa más alta de pobreza en el estado con 38.8 por ciento de residentes viviendo en la pobreza. Ocupa el segundo lugar en la tasa de pobreza infantil con 45.9 por ciento.

Condado Starr Habitantes: 62.040 Condado Starr ocupa el segundo lugar de condados pobres en el estado con 35.4 por ciento de su población viviendo en la pobreza. Parte del Valle del Rio Grande, el condado se conforma principalmente por pequeñas poblaciones, incluyendo a Rio Grande City.

Condado Cameron Habitantes: 415.103

En la punta sur del estado, el 34.5 por ciento de los residentes del Condado Cameron son pobres.

Lugar donde se ubican Brownsville y Harlingen, el condado también posee la tasa de pobreza infantil más alta en el estado con 47 por ciento de los niños viviendo en la pobreza.

Condado Hidalgo Habitantes: 806.447 En el corazón del Valle del Rio Grande, 33.5 por ciento de la población en el Condado Hidalgo vive en la pobreza. Lugar donde se ubica McAllen y Edinburg, el condado también posee una alta porción de niños pobres con 45.5 por ciento de los niños viviendo en pobreza.

Condado Zapata Habitantes: 14.231 En el Condado de Zapata, 32.6 de los residentes viven en la pobreza. A una hora de Laredo, el condado está compuesto de varios poblados pequeños, incluyendo la ciudad de Zapata.

do en la pobreza.

Condado Collin Habitantes: 836.947 El Condado Collin se ubicó como el condado con la porción más baja de residentes en pobreza con 7 por ciento. Lugar donde se ubica Plano y McKinney, también posee la segunda tasa de pobreza infantil más baja. Solo 9 por ciento de los niños son pobres.

Condado Williamson Habitantes: 457.218 Justo al norte de Austin, solamente 7.8 por ciento de los residentes del Condado Williamson son pobres. La población del condado se ubica en ciudades tales como Georgetown y Round Rock, e incluye a muchas personas que viajan desde poblados cercanos para trabajar en Austin.

Condado Kendall Habitantes: 36.058 Solamente el 8.3 por ciento de la población en el Condado Kendall vive en la pobreza. Al Oeste de San Antonio, el condado principalmente se compone por pequeños poblados, y es lugar de varias personas que viajan desde poblados cercanos para trabajar en San Antonio.

Condado Denton Habitantes: 708.627 Al norte del área metropolitana de Dallas-Fort Worth, 8.7 por ciento de la población en el Condado Denton es pobre. El condado es hogar para la ciudad de Denton y la University of North Texas.

(Laredo Morning Times contribuyó a este reporte.)

Condados con tasa de pobreza baja: Condado Rockwall Habitantes: 83.239 El Condado Rockwall, ubicado al oeste del Condado de Dallas, posee la porción más baja de residentes viviendo en pobreza con solo 6.8 por ciento de la población en ése nivel. También posee la tasa de pobreza infantil más baja con 8.9 por ciento de niños vivien-

MIGUEL ALEMÁN, MÉXICO René Marroquín García asumió la presidencia de la mesa directiva de la Asociación Ganadera de Miguel Alemán, México.

Durante el evento, el Presidente Municipal, Ramiro Cortez Barrera, sostuvo que “la reconstrucción ganadera de la región es una importante aportación… (y) se han obtenido destacados apoyos a la productividad y a la actividad ganadera”. Estuvo presente Homero García de la Llata, presidente de la Unión Ganadera Regional de Tamaulipas; y la presidenta saliente, Amanda Barrera.

OBITUARIO

LUTO ESCOLAR

PRÉSTAMOS FSA Los Condados de Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr y Willacy fueron declarados elegibles para los préstamos de emergencia ante desastres del Farm Service Agency (FSA). Esto va dirigido a los agricultores que hayan perdido al menos 30 por ciento de su producción o que hayan sufrido cualquier perdida en producción o física causadas por tormentas severas, vientos constantes, tornados, e inundaciones, en el periodo del 22 al 31 de octubre del 2015. La fecha límite para presentar su solicitud de préstamo es el 25 de julio del 2016. Las oficinas del FSA se ubican en 2514 S. Veterans Blvd., Suite 1 en Edinburg. Informes en el 956-381-0916 Ext. 2.

MICROPRESTAMOS El Departamento de Agricultura de EU (USDA) empezará a ofrecer micro-créditos para que agricultores puedan obtener un financiamiento y mejorar o comprar una propiedad.

El programa ha otorgado más de 16.800 préstamos a bajo interés, totalizando 373 millones de dólares para productores en el país, desde el 2013. El dinero se utiliza principalmente para costos de operación en ranchos – comida, fertilizantes, herramientas, cercas, equipamiento y gastos de vivienda. Un 70 por ciento de los préstamos se han destinado a nuevos agricultores.

Los micro préstamos otorgan hasta 50.000 dólares a productores que califiquen, y pueden ser emitidos al solicitante directamente desde el USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Más informes visitando www.fsa.usda.gov/microloans.

Foto de cortesía | Nueva Ciudad Guerrero

El féretro con los restos de Lilia Treviño Martínez, directora fundadora de la escuela primaria Profesor Leoncio Leal, en Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas, México, es visto en el centro de la cancha de la institucion, en evento realizado el viernes. Treviño Martínez, quien falleciera hace una semana, dio clases en todos los niveles educativos, desde preescolar hasta Universidad; además fue escritora, poetisa, y tutora de generaciones.

TAMAULIPAS

SUPER TAZÓN

Detallan estrategia

Habrá servicio gratuito de taxi

TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

Casi 900 personas han sido consignadas por su participación en actividades de la delincuencia organizada, en poco más de 20 meses de haberse aplicado la segunda fase de la Estrategia de Seguridad en Tamaulipas, México.

El reporte indica que del 13 de mayo del 2014 al 21 de enero del 2016 han sido detenidas 3.569 personas por diversos delitos.

De esa cantidad, 2.425 han sido consignadas ante jueces federales y 277 remitidos a otras autoridades; 394 fueron liberadas bajo las reservas de la ley y 473 quedaron libres bajo caución.

Durante la 51ª reunión itinerante del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas, celebrada en Matamoros, México, también se anunció que el Almirante Fernando Arturo Castañón Zamacona asumió el cargo de comandante de la Primera Región Naval, que incluye las entidades de Tamaulipas y Vera-

Arturo Castañón Zamacona asumió cargo de comandante de la Primera Región Naval en Tamaulipas cruz; en tanto que el Vicealmirante Rodrigo Vargas Reyes estará a cargo del mando federal en la zona frontera.

Recientes Durante la semana del 15 al 21 de enero fueron detenidos 14 presuntos integrantes de grupos dedicados al crimen organizado, los cuales estaban relacionados al delito de secuestro en diferentes municipio de Tamaulipas.

En tanto, 31 personas

fueron puestas a disposición por delitos federales, y 56 personas por delitos que incluyen posesión de vehículo robado, lesiones, narcomenudeo y atentados a la seguridad.

En el mismo periodo fueron aseguradas 38 armas largas, seis armas cortas, 22.716 cartuchos útiles de diferentes calibres, ocho vehículos, y 2.070 kilogramos de marihuana.

El reporte señala que fueron descubiertas ocho tomas clandestinas en ductos de PEMEX ubicados en el municipio de Río Bravo, México. En este año se han localizado y asegurado un total de 12 tomas clandestinas.

Finalmente se dio a conocer que fueron asegurados 844.059 litros de hidrocarburos en diversos operativos, así como un camión pipa con 20.000 litros de diesel sobre la carretera Tampico-Valles, en el municipio de Pánuco, Veracruz. Diez personas fueron detenidas en relación al caso.

TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

La Oficina del Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Webb estará ofreciendo viajes gratuitos en taxi desde cualquier establecimiento público el domingo del Super Tazón.

La iniciativa del conductor designado busca mantener los caminos seguros y evitar que los fanáticos del fútbol manejen después de haber consumido bebidas alcohólicas.

De acuerdo con estadísticas dadas a conocer por el Departamento de Transportación de Texas, durante la temporada del fútbol americano del 2014 (del 4 de septiembre del 2014 al 1 de febrero del 2015) se registraron 10.676 accidentes relacionados al alcohol en Texas.

De tales accidentes, 492 resultaron en personas perdiendo la vida. En Laredo, 53 accidentes viales relacionados al alcohol

ocurrieron durante la temporada de fútbol americano del 2014.

Bares y ALANIZ restaurantes en Laredo participarán en promocionar la iniciativa por medio de colocar carteles publicitarios, distribuyendo materiales promocionales y conminando a los clientes a realizar la llamada correcta.

Durante los pasados seis años, la Oficina del Fiscal de Distrito se ha asociado con el International Taxi Company para coordinar esta iniciativa. El año pasado, 11 personas tomaron ventaja del programa. Fanáticos del fútbol americano pueden llamar al 956-723-9177 desde cualquier establecimiento local para recibir su viaje gratuito en taxi a casa.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Warriors win Round 1 Spurs blasted on the road

By JANIE MCCAULEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

OAKLAND — Stephen Curry and the dominant Warriors aren’t just beating teams anymore, they’re throwing staggering knockout punches against the NBA’s best — make that second-best.

In a span of eight days, Golden State has 30-point wins over Cleveland, Chicago and San Antonio.

Curry scored 37 points and hit six 3-pointers in three scintillating quarters Monday night, and the reigning champions showed they still rule the West by routing the Spurs 120-90.

“No moment’s too big, obviously,” Curry said. “We know this is just another regular-season game, but there was some hype around it. Every time we have an opportunity to prove who we are and take another step in the journey, we’re ready for it. It wasn’t always that way. This core has been together for a while and understands how to mentally prepare for nights like this.”

Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez | AP

San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and the Spurs lost their first of four meetings this season with defending-champion Golden State as the Warriors won in a 120-90 rout Monday night.

The NBA MVP had 15 points in the opening quarter, 18 in the third and shot 12 for 20 in Golden State’s 39th straight home win at raucous Oracle Arena, where a star-studded sellout crowd saw a lopsided showdown in what was billed as a potential Western Conference finals preview.

The Warriors (41-4) snapped a 13-game winning streak by the Spurs (38-7), off to the best start in franchise history but without

Tim Duncan this time. The teams had the highest combined winning percentage in NBA history for opponents meeting at least 40 games into the season.

Curry galloped down the court and pounded his chest after his second straight 3pointer and 10th consecutive point put Golden State up 76-56 with 7:55 to go in the third. It was his 1,400th career 3 and he became the 26th player in NBA history to reach that mark.

Chants of “M-V-P!” came from every corner of the arena as Curry did it all for his highest-scoring total in 17 games against San Antonio — knocking down 3s from the baseline and hitting from 30 feet well beyond the arc. Coming off his second triple-double of the season when he banked in a half-court shot Friday against Indiana, the dynamic point guard had three steals early in the game to set the defensive tone. And

the Warriors didn’t relent after building a 62-47 halftime lead.

All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard scored 16 points for the sloppy Spurs, with Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala guarding him early. The Spurs lacked the presence of Duncan, out because of soreness in his right knee.

“They outplayed us in every single aspect of the game,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “Aggression

was one.”

Even coach Steve Kerr was in disbelief watching his current team thoroughly dismantle his old one on both ends — not to mention his mentor and good friend, Gregg Popovich.

Kerr coached his second game back following a long leave of absence dating to Oct. 1 because of complications following two back operations.

Popovich understood the hype for one of the most anticipated regular-season matchups in recent memory.

“Why not? It’s the two teams with the best record, playing it up would seem to be logical to me,” he said.

“We feel different going against a team that’s the best team in the league. I get butterflies in my gut and excited about the game, and all that sort of thing. I don’t feel like that every night.”

Yet the Spurs are still right behind in the standings despite Golden State’s NBA-record 24-0 start, so the Warriors wanted nothing more than to send a message that they plan to win another championship.

First, the Warriors are pursuing the Chicago Bulls’ NBA record of 44 straight regular-season home wins from March 30, 1995 to April 4, 1996. They improved to 21-0 this season.

“It was like men and boys out there tonight,” Popovich said.

International

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

Brazil is ‘losing battle’ against mosquito

By JENNY BARCHFIELD ASSOCIATED PRESS

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s health minister says the country is sending some 220,000 troops to battle the mosquito blamed for spreading a virus suspected of causing birth defects — but he also says the war is already being lost.

Marcelo Castro said that nearly 220,000 members of Brazil’s Armed Forces would go door-to-door to help in mosquito eradication efforts ahead of the country’s Carnival celebrations. Agency spokesman Nivaldo Coelho said Tuesday details of the deployment are still being worked out.

Castro also said the government would distribute mosquito repellent to some 400,000 pregnant women who receive cash-transfer benefits.

But the minister also said the country has failed in efforts against the Aedes ae-

gypti mosquito that transmits Zika, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

“The mosquito has been here in Brazil for three decades, and we are badly losing the battle against the mosquito,” the ministers told reporters as a crisis group on Zika was meeting in the capital, Brasilia.

A massive eradication effort eliminated Aedes aegypti from Brazil during the 1950s, but the mosquito slowly returned over the following decades from neighboring nations, public health experts have said.

That led to outbreaks of dengue, which was recorded in record numbers last year.

The arrival of Zika in Brazil last year initially caused little alarm, as the virus’ symptoms are generally much milder than those of dengue. It didn’t become a crisis until late in the year, when researchers made the link with a dramatic increase in reported cases of microcephaly, a rare birth

Photo by Leo Correa | AP

A health worker stands in the Sambadrome as he sprays insecticide to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit the Zika virus in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday. defect that sees babies born with unusually small heads and can cause lasting developmental problems.

The World Health Organization repeated Tuesday that the link remains circumstantial and is not yet proven scientifically.

But worry about the rapid spread of Zika has expanded across the nation, and the hemisphere beyond.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to reconsider travel to Brazil

Photo courtesy of L’Osservatore Romano | AP

Pope Francis poses with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the Vatican, Tuesday.

Vatican: Iran must join fight against terrorism

By FRANCES D’EMILIO ASSOCIATED PRESS

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis held talks with Iran’s president at the Vatican Tuesday, calling on Tehran to play a key role in stopping the spread of terrorism as Iran tries to improve its image in the global arena following an agreement on its nuclear program.

The pontiff warmly clasped the hand of President Hassan Rouhani in the first official call paid on a pontiff by an Iranian president since 1999. They held 40 minutes of private talks before Rouhani met with other top Vatican officials.

The talks “delved into the conclusion and application of the nuclear accord, and the important role that Iran is called upon to play, together with other countries of the region, was highlighted,” the Holy See said.

It added that that role should “foster adequate political solutions to the issues plaguing the Middle East, fighting the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking.”

The “cordial” talks also stressed common spiritual values, the statement said.

Usually it’s the pope who asks his audience to pray for him. This time, after the two men spoke with the help of Italian and Farsi language translators, it was the guest who asked the pope for prayers. “I ask you to pray for me,” Rouhani said.

The Vatican meeting was a key part of the Iranian effort to take a more prominent place on the world stage after the nuclear deal with Western powers.

Iran, which agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for an end to economic sanctions, is eager to carve out a bigger role in mediating Middle East conflicts. Francis’ papacy has emphasized mediation and conflict-resolution, including his role in helping Cuba and the United States to normalize their relations.

Rouhani heads to France Wednesday on his four-day European trip seeking to boost Iran’s image abroad as well as to rehabilitate economic ties with a continent that had been a big trade partner before the sanctions.

Francis gave Rouhani a medal depicting St. Martin giving his cloak to a poor man in the cold, describing

the saint’s act as “a sign of unsolicited brotherhood.”

Rouhani brought a gift of a hand-made rug that he said was made in the Iranian holy city of Qom. Before going to the Vatican, Rouhani told a forum of business leaders in Rome that “Iran is the safest and most stable country of the entire region.”

Italy also sees Iran as a potential peacemaker in Syria’s civil war, as the Italian government fears the warfare will further destabilize Libya — just across the Mediterranean from southern Italy — fuel terrorism and jeopardize energy security.

“Italy has always backed the role of Iran as a regional player in resolving tensions in the area, starting with the Syrian crisis,” Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said after meeting his Iranian counterpart, according to his office.

Rouhani has described the political talks leading to the nuclear deal as a potential blueprint for pursuing peace in the Middle East.

His European trip was originally planned for November but postponed because of the attacks in Paris.

and 21 other countries and territories with Zika outbreaks.

One of them, the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, reported 18 new confirmed cases of Zika on Tuesday, though none involve pregnant women. One case had been reported earlier.

Officials in El Salvador, Colombia and Brazil have suggested women stop getting pregnant until the crisis has passed.

Repellent has disappeared from many Brazilian phar-

macies and prices for the product have tripled or even quadrupled where it’s still available in recent weeks since the government announced a suspected link between Zika virus and microcephaly Nearly 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly have been reported in Brazil since October, compared with fewer than 150 cases in the country in all of 2014.

Castro’s remarks have proven controversial, both in and outside Brazil.

World Health Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier said he hadn’t seen the remarks, “but in general terms I think that this would be a bit of a fatalistic approach because this should mean we could lay down all our approaches now and declare the war lost.

“I don’t think this is the case,” he added at WHO headquarters, in Geneva.

In Brazil, some called for Castro to be fired.

“He is incapable of occupying his position,” wrote Helio Gurovitz, a columnist with G1, the internet portal of the Globo television network. “To prove that Castro doesn’t have the capacity to occupy such an important position, at such a delicate moment with the spread of the epidemic, all that’s needed is a selection of such comments.”

Both Brazil’s Zika outbreak and the spike in microcephaly have been concentrated in the poor and underdeveloped northeast of the country, though the prosperous southeast, where Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are located, are the second hardest-hit region. Rio de Janeiro will host the Aug. 5-21 Olympic games.

On Tuesday, officials in Rio also ramped up their fight against the Aedes aegypti, dispatching a team of fumigators to the Sambadrome, where the city’s Carnival parades will take place next month.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

Price of oil rises abruptly

By MARLEY JAY ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks jumped Tuesday as the price of oil made another abrupt reversal, this time rising almost 4 percent after falling sharply the day before.

Energy stocks climbed along with the price of oil, and Chevron and Exxon Mobil made major gains.

Strong fourth-quarter results from beleaguered wireless provider Sprint gave telecom stocks a boost.

Quarterly earnings also sent several stocks higher, including Post-it Notes maker 3M, Procter & Gamble, which makes Crest toothpaste, and luxury handbag maker Coach.

The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 282.01 points, or 1.8 percent, to 16,167.23. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 26.55 points, or 1.4 percent, to 1,903.63. The Nasdaq composite index added 49.18 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,567.67.

Energy stocks gained ground as the price of U.S. crude rose $1.10, or 3.7 percent, to close at $31.45 a barrel in New York. It fell almost 6 percent Monday.

Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, rose $1.30, or 4.3 percent, to $31.80 a barrel in London.

Despite the rebound, U.S. crude is down almost 18 percent this month.

Exxon Mobil picked up $2.72, or 3.7 percent, $76.70

Photo by Richard Drew | AP

Trader John Panin works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday. U.S. stocks jumped higher Tuesday as the price of oil made another abrupt reversal, this time rising nearly 4 percent after falling sharply the day before. and Chevron rose $3.23, or 4 percent, to $84.12.

Quarterly earnings contributed to many of the biggest moves of the day. Procter & Gamble reported a larger profit in the fourth quarter as it raised prices and cut costs. The maker of Pantene shampoo, Crest toothpaste and Charmin toilet paper added $1.96, or 2.6 percent, to $78.81.

Coach reported a greater profit than analysts had expected, and its stock rose $2.98, or 9.8 percent, to $33.33. Even with that big gain, however, it’s down 10 percent over the last 12 months.

3M, which makes industrial coatings and ceramics, reported a greater profit and more revenue than analysts expected. It rose $7.21, or 5.2 percent, to $144.78.

The Dow had its best day since early December. Many of the companies making the biggest gains, including

Exxon, Chevron and 3M, are Dow components. The Nasdaq made smaller gains because tech stocks didn’t rise as much as the broader market.

Huntington Bancshares agreed to buy competitor FirstMerit Corp for $3.4 billion. The deal would create the largest bank in Ohio, and the companies would have about $100 billion in combined assets. FirstMerit added $2.82, or 18.3 percent, to $18.19 and Huntington lost 75 cents, or 8.5 percent, to $8.50.

Sprint, the fourth-largest wireless provider in the U.S., posted a smaller loss in its third quarter and said its aggressive promotions lured in more users. The company raised its outlook for the year.

Sprint’s stock rose 47 cents, or 18.7 percent, to $2.99. The stock, which hit an all-time low last Wednesday, has been on a wild ride

the last few days, jumping almost 15 percent Friday and then falling 12 percent Monday, when Sprint said it had cut about 2,500 jobs since last fall, or 8 percent of its staff.

Other telecom stocks also jumped Tuesday. Verizon Communications gained $1.22, or 2.6 percent, to $48.25.

While the market made broad gains and undid most of Monday’s losses, it’s still down substantially this year and there are signs investors have big worries about the global economy.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 2 percent from 2.01 percent and the yield on the twoyear Treasury note dipped to 0.84 percent from 0.86 percent. In the last week the yields on those two bonds have gotten closer than they’ve been since June 2008, a sign that investors are concerned about economic growth.

“Fear is the biggest driver,” said Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist for Janney Capital. LeBas said investors are also anticipating weaker inflation and think the Federal Reserve will be more cautious about raising interest rates because the market has experienced so much turmoil this month. U.S. government bonds get more popular with investors when the economy looks dicey because the U.S. government is extremely likely to make good on its debt.

Fines pressure millennials

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Millions of young adults healthy enough to think they don’t need insurance face painful choices this year as the sign-up deadline approaches for President Barack Obama’s health care law.

Fines for being uninsured rise sharply in 2016 — averaging nearly $1,000 per household, according to an independent estimate.

It’s forcing those in their 20s and 30s to take a hard look and see if they can squeeze in coverage to avoid penalties. Many are trying to establish careers or just make progress in a still-bumpy economy.

“There’s only so far one can dwindle a ramen-noodle diet,” said Christopher Rael of Los Angeles. In his late 20s, Rael is pursuing a degree in sociology and working at a children’s center to pay his bills.

With open enrollment over after Jan. 31, Rael is hoping his meager income will qualify him for Medi-

Photo by Chris Carlson | AP

In this photo taken Jan. 19, college student Christopher Rael poses for a picture at California State University, Long Beach, in Long Beach, Calif. Millions of young adults healthy enough to think they don’t need insurance face painful choices this year as sign-up deadline approaches for President Barack Obama’s health care law.

Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid. “I cannot afford an additional bill,” he said.

He paid a fine of about $150 for being uninsured in 2014.

The minimum penalty rises to $695 in 2016 for someone uninsured a full 12 months and not eligible for one of the law’s exemptions.

That’s more than double the corresponding figure of $325 for 2015.

In practice, the fines will be higher for many consumers. That’s because the law sets the penalty as the

greater of $695 or 2.5 percent of taxable income this year. A study by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation estimates the average 2016 penalty at $969 per uninsured household.

Fines are collected through the tax returns of uninsured people and in most cases deducted from their tax refunds. The penalty amounts will be increased by a cost-of-living factor in future years.

Penalties are the health care law’s nudge to get

healthy people into the insurance pool, helping keep premiums manageable for everyone.

Until now, the administration has mainly stressed the benefits: subsidized premiums and protection from the costs of unanticipated injury or serious illness.

But with concerns that many young and healthy people still aren’t sold, officials are invoking the threat of penalties.

“The tax penalty is bringing more young and healthy consumers into the market,” Andy Slavitt, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in a recent speech. “We are using a large portion of our marketing resources to make sure that consumers are aware of the increasing fee for people that go without insurance.” Slavitt’s agency oversees the health care law. The pressure of rising fines is butting up against the economic situations of uninsured people, nearly half of whom said in a recent Kaiser poll that they’ve tried but coverage is still too expensive.

Apple forecasts rare sales drop

By BRANDON BAILEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is bracing for its first sales decline in 13 years, despite selling a record 74.8 million iPhones in the final three months of 2015.

The giant tech company says revenue could fall at least 8.6 percent during the January-March quarter, compared with a year earlier. Analysts say the latest iPhone models are selling reasonably well, but they’re not providing the boost Apple needs to match the massive sales growth it enjoyed last year.

The company inched past its previous record, established when it sold 74.5 million iPhones in the holiday quarter of 2014. But Tuesday’s forecast implies Apple doesn’t expect to match the 61 million iPhones sold in last year’s January-March quarter.

Apple’s stock has been in a slump for months, as investors worry that the company won’t be able to duplicate last year’s growth in sales, which were in the double-digit percentages. In an interview, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said a strong dollar helped reduce revenue, as sales made with foreign currencies abroad convert into fewer dollars. He also said the company isn’t concerned about what he characterized as a shortterm slowing of growth, because it has a large base of customers who can be relied on to buy new devices and pay for other services.

“We think we’re in the strongest position we’ve ever been,” Maestri told The Associated Press, adding that the company estimates 1 billion Apple devices — including iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and Mac computers — are now in active use.

The iPhone, however, is Apple’s biggest-selling product, contributing nearly two-thirds of its revenue and a similar share of profit. Despite the introduction of new models, analysts say global demand for new smartphones isn’t growing as fast as it has in recent years. Apple is also confronting an economic downturn in China, one of its biggest markets.

The giant tech company is in no financial danger. It earned $18.4 billion in profit for the OctoberDecember quarter, up 1.8 percent from a year earlier. It had $75.9 billion in revenue, an increase of 1.7

percent.

Earnings amounted to $3.28 a share, which beat the $3.23 average forecast among analysts surveyed by FactSet. Revenue fell short of analysts’ estimates, which averaged $76.7 billion.

No one expects Apple to match those results in the current, January-March quarter, as sales traditionally drop after the holiday shopping season and the introduction of new models. But Apple’s forecast, which calls for revenue between $50 billion and $53 billion in the current period, means the company will likely fall short of the $58 billion it had a year earlier.

That would be Apple’s first year-over-year sales decline since the JanuaryMarch quarter of 2003 — long before the company began selling iPhones and iPads. Back then, Apple was a fraction of its current size, reporting quarterly revenue of just $1.45 billion.

While the iPhone has been a phenomenal success, analysts say it’s difficult to match the sales surge that Apple enjoyed last year, after it introduced the first iPhone models with significantly larger screens to compete with big-screen phones from rivals like Samsung, which were hugely popular in Asia.

Analysts say last September’s release of two more big-screen phones, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, made less of a splash because they were viewed as relatively similar to the previous models, despite some new features. Analysts say the slight increase in sales for the December quarter came in part because Apple began selling the newest models several days earlier in key markets such as China.

Apple is expected to release the next iPhone models, with new features, later this year. That could fuel another surge in sales. Along with firsttime buyers and people who switch from competitors’ phones, analysts say Apple can count on a loyal base of iPhone owners who will buy a new model every two years or so.

Skeptics, however, note that Apple hasn’t come up with a blockbuster product to replace the iPhone.

The company’s latest report showed sales of Mac computers and iPads both declined in the previous quarter.

Apple has introduced new gadgets like a larger iPad for business users and the Apple Watch, along with new online services like Apple Pay, Apple Music and other apps.

PAGE 10A

Zentertainment

16M watch ‘The X-Files’

By DAVID BAUDER ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK — Mulder and Scully received a big assist from the NFL in attracting more than 16 million television viewers to the premiere of their return in Fox’s “The X-Files.”

Fox’s iconic series starring David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson is back for a limited run, and Fox schedulers smiled on them by booking the show directly after the NFC championship game between Arizona and Carolina. That game was seen by 45.7 million people on Sunday, the Nielsen company said.

While more people watched “NCIS” last week, “The X-Files” had more than twice as many viewers as any other scripted series among viewers aged 18-to-49, Nielsen said.

That’s the audience Fox cares the most about.

CBS’ coverage of the AFC championship between New England and Denver wasn’t in prime time, but it was seen by an average of 53.3 million viewers Sunday on CBS. That made it the top-rated AFC championship game in 30 years, Nielsen said.

As the game was reaching its conclusion, CBS’ telecast hit a peak of 63 million viewers between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST. The NFC championship helped Fox to an easy ratings win, with the network averaging 13.2 million viewers in prime time.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

Third time’s a charm for witty flick

By JOCELYN NOVECK ASSOCIATED PRESS

If you’re one of those people — and I’m with you — who roll your eyes when handed a pair of 3D glasses at the multiplex, wondering if all this rigmarole is REALLY necessary, then take heart: The lovely, colorpopping visuals in “Kung Fu Panda 3” are well worth those darned glasses.

And the evocative DreamWorks Animation visuals are accompanied by just enough heart, witty dialogue and kid-friendly humor — anything about gorging on dumplings, for example — to make this an all-around extremely satisfying third installment in

Photo by DreamWorks Animation | AP

This image released by DreamWorks Animation shows a scene from "Kung Fu Panda 3." the popular series. Like a well-made dumpling, it’s not too heavy but not too light, has the right amount of spice, and leaves one with some appetite for the next time.

Much of the appeal of the “Panda” films is, of course, the starry cast of voices, and it’s fun to try to figure out who they are, rather

than informing yourself beforehand (but if you do, stop reading here). Of course, you’ll already know that Jack Black is back, and in fine shape, as Po, our rotund panda hero and reluctant Dragon Warrior.

Black’s goofy persona is perfect for lines like, when he discovers other pandas don’t use chopsticks to slow

them down: “I always KNEW I wasn’t eating up to my full potential!” That was my personal favorite, but the kids in the audience were overwhelmingly partial to this one, hurled mockingly by the overmatched Po at his taunting, evil opponent: “Chitty, chitty, chat, chat. Chat, chat, chat.”

The film, directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni, begins in the spirit realm, where Oogway, the ancient kung fu master (and tortoise), is suddenly attacked by the villainous bull Kai, a former friend. Kai has been spending the last few centuries collecting all the “chi” power from kung fu masters and storing it in amulets. His goal is to bring his supernatural army to the mortal world and defeat Po, his anointed opponent.

“Kung Fu Panda 3,” a 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation release, is rated PG “for martial arts action and some mild rude humor.” Running time: 95 minutes.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016

THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A

VA complex features Wall of Honor for women

By LOYD BRUMFIELD THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

DALLAS — Eva Fulton vividly remembers that day, almost 24 years ago.

How can she forget, when the evidence is all around her?

Three pelvic fractures.

Two knee fractures. Two ankle fractures. A diagnosis of post-traumatic arthritis — all the result of an accident in Fort Stewart, Georgia, when a military police vehicle collided with hers on March 20, 1992.

It was her birthday.

“The wreck looked so bad that when the investigators saw it, the first thing one of them said was, ‘Who died?”’ Fulton remembers.

The Dallas Morning News reports Fulton, now 47 and an honorably discharged Army veteran, receives regular treatment at the Dallas VA Medical Center, care she praises effusively. She and other veterans are part of the hospital’s campaign to recognize more female veterans and their health care needs.

Two medical center administrators, women veterans program manager Leslie Snowden-Crawford and physician assistant Pamela Korzeniowski, came up with the idea for the Women Veterans Wall of Honor, a series of shadow boxes designed to raise the profile of female veterans among the center’s heavily male-dominated artifact exhibits.

“Every day I kept passing all these shadow boxes dedicated to male service members and I thought the women deserve some rec-

Photo by Ron Baselice/The Dallas Morning News | AP

In this photo taken Jan. 6, Army veteran Eva Fulton looks at the Army uniform part of the Women Veterans Wall of Honor at the VA Medical Center in Dallas. ognition, too,” Korzeniowski said.

According to VA statistics, the number of female veterans using VA health care services has more than doubled since 2000, from nearly 160,000 then to more than 390,000 as of fiscal year 2013.

Still, that represents only 6.8 percent of the population using VA medical services. Officials suspect that number would be far greater if more women understood they were eligible for veterans benefits regardless of the nature or length of their service, Snowden-Crawford said.

“A lot of women deal with mental health needs and exoskeletal muscular disorders from carrying 90 pounds of equipment every day,” she said. “A lot of women with (post-traumat-

ic stress disorder) are set up for postpartum depression, and we want them to know that they don’t have to suffer through those things alone.”

That’s part of the reason for the campaign — to change the perception that women aren’t true veterans — a perception that is keenly felt even among some veterans themselves.

When Dawn Leobold served in the Army about 10 years ago, the boots she wore during basic training hurt so bad that they left her with permanent nerve damage.

Leobold, now 36 and living in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, received a medical discharge after less than a year of service.

“My dad was a Vietnam veteran.

My brother served,” she said as she

cradled her 3-month-old daughter Riley. “But I am not a veteran.”

Fulton is accustomed to hearing sentiments like that.

“I speak at assemblies and I always ask the audience, ‘Where are my veterans? Who is a veteran out there?”’ said Fulton, a Justin resident who works for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Every once in a while a woman will raise her hand, but they always kind of say, ‘I do not consider myself to be a veteran.’

They associate being a veteran with being male and seeing combat.”

The wall’s organizers hope to change that perception. The exhibit features uniforms, photographs and other military

OUTLOOK Continued from Page 1A bit of ranch land this past year,” Rathmell said. “The wind companies have approached commissioners court recently and told us about their plans. There’s going to be significant projects coming to Zapata

County by the end of this year, which will hopefully bring employment opportunities to our residents.”

Residents of the county’s Beacon Lodge area and military point areas will receive first-time water and

sewer connections thanks to grant and county funds.

In the past year, Zapata hotels, restaurants and grocery stores have benefited greatly from the county’s hotel-motel tax, Rathmell said.

LAW Continued from Page 1A The Texas Department of Transportation is also upgrading U.S. Route 83, widening it in certain areas of Zapata County.

(Kendra Ablaza can be reached at 728-2538 or kablaza@lmtonline.com)

POPE Continued from Page 1A cials. He will also celebrate Mass near the city’s soccer stadium and then attend a private dinner with officials from the Ciudad Juárez Diocese.

Across the border, his Mass will be televised at Sun Bowl Stadium at the University of Texas at El Paso campus. Tens of thousands are expected to attend.

The pope’s visit comes as Ciudad Juárez is attempting to rebrand its image after a drug war between the rival Juárez and Sinaloa cartels claimed thousands of lives from 2008 to 2012.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, the famous Kentucky Club on downtown’s Avenida Juárez hosted a near-capacity crowd while a live band played traditional ballads near the city’s cathedral. Banners and other signage on street corners reminded residents of the pope’s upcoming visit. Life-sized cutouts of the pontiff with the slogan “Juárez es Amor” (“Juárez is Love”) made it easy for Catholics to take selfies with the leader of the church.

“It’s possible that he’ll touch on a lot of topics like poverty — but he’s mainly coming to deliver

a message of hope and faith,” said Elson De La Cruz, a city employee working to promote the Pope’s visit. “I think what he’s going to say is something positive about Juárez and Mexico.”

But grassroots and human rights organizations are bracing for a more honest message that cuts directly to what they say ails Mexico the most: economic inequality.

“Ciudad Juárez is indeed a case study for Pope Francis’ critique of the world economy,” Dylan Corbett, the executive director of the Hope Border Institute, wrote after first hearing of the Pope’s visit last November. “Its more than 200,000 poorly paid but skilled maquiladora workers have made Juárez a global hotspot for foreign direct investment and one of North America’s economic powerhouses, emblematic of contemporary Mexico’s growth without equality.”

Others expect immigration to be high on the pope’s list of controversial topics to address after he said last year that his crossing the border into the United States would be a “beautiful gesture.”

There is no evidence to

suggest the pope will attempt to actually cross, but his past suggestions that Americans should show immigrants more compassion has riled up some conservatives, who have begun to criticize the pope for what they deem his liberal tendencies.

Bishop Mark J. Seitz of the El Paso Diocese said he expects the pontiff to touch on many themes, including immigration.

“Certainly when we come to issues concerning public policy on immigration, we are dealing with many complex issues,” he said in an email. “Nations have a right to secure borders, and there should be legal processes for accepting immigrants. But these legitimate points need to be balanced with a concern for the rights of those who are fleeing unimaginable violence and with the compassion that is a necessary foundation for peace between peoples and nations.”

Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to issue a comment on the pope’s February visit, despite the governor’s Catholic faith and his stated commitment to establishing closer ties to the border region and Mexico.

Abbott has also received his share of criticism from immigrant rights and faith-based groups for filing the lawsuit that has halted President Obama’s immigration initiative known as DAPA, a case scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court later this year. Abbott is also adamantly opposed to Syrian refugees relocating to Texas.

Seitz said politics and faith have their “own proper spheres” and as governor, Abbott has a commitment and a duty to protect Texans. But he suggested Abbott might gain something from the pope’s visit nonetheless.

“The pope isn’t attempting to tell the governor or anyone else what laws they should enact or how they should fix these highly complex social issues," Seitz said. "The governor does have a responsibility to see to the well-being of our state’s citizens. But perhaps this papal visit will be an opportunity for the governor and others to more carefully consider the place of compassion toward those who are fleeing to our borders and the implications of our state’s response upon their lives.”

BUSTED Continued from Page 1A smuggling charges.

Authorities arrested the trio Jan. 20.

That evening, agents on an unmarked vehicle observed a silver Nissan Titan make an unsafe U-turn north of San Ygnacio.

Agents said the Nissan then arrived at Pepe’s Gas Station in San Ygnacio.

A gold Chevrolet 1500 arrived moments later and parked behind the Titan.

Both drivers exited the vehicle and had a conversation before driving north on U.S. 83.

Records state the driver of the Chevrolet parked in the San Ygnacio rest area and turned off the lights.

Minutes later, the vehicle departed, but agents said they were able to see silhouettes inside the Chevrolet.

Agents pulled over the vehicle. They observed six people on top of each other.

An immigration inspection revealed they were citizens of Mexico who had entered the country illegally, according to court documents.

Assisting agents then pulled over the Titan and identified the driver as Orozco. Records state he admitted to being “the scout and organizer” of the attempted human smuggling.

Orozco stated that a friend in Laredo offered him quick money to scout for an illegal immigrant load to be picked up in San Ygnacio, but that he needed to find someone to be the driver of the load vehicle, records state.

Salazar stated that Orozco contacted him and of-

mementos donated by local veterans.

Brenda Powell, 66, who served 21 years in the Marines, donated her service uniform to the exhibit, which is dedicated to all five branches of the military — the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.

Powell, who lives in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, still makes the trip to Dallas for treatment as a result of a stroke she suffered in 2009. In 2010, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and later cancer of the throat and neck.

“I could handle the breast cancer. They went in and cut it out, and it was gone,” said Powell, a former Ennis resident.

“But I had a really bad time with the throat and neck cancer. I had radi-

ation and chemo at the same time, and it just really burned me.”

As a veteran, Powell received treatment for free at the Dallas VA. At a time when VA facilities around the country have been criticized for long wait lists and neglect in treatment, Powell has nothing but praise for her doctors in Dallas.

“The people there, the doctors and nurses — even the guy who pushes the broom — helped me through this,” said Powell, now cancer-free and living with her older sister.

Autumn Elsey, 36, has nothing good to say about the treatment she received at a VA facility near her home in South Carolina.

Her mother grew so frustrated that she uprooted Elsey and took her to Dallas in 2006 for treatment of her service-induced arthritis in both knees.

“So much running and too many years stationed in cold climates,” said Elsey, an Army vet who served in Korea.

Elsey gave birth recently to a son, Thomas Lee Smith. Elsey and Leobold received free maternity care through the VA, which was outsourced to a local care center.

“I didn’t even find out I was pregnant until I came for my physical,” Leobold said. “I missed the whole first trimester.”

Elsey has a job but doesn’t receive benefits.

That will change when she marries her fiancé, she said.

“This place has been a blessing for me,” Elsey said. “I was giving up.”

fered him to be the driver for $100 per immigrant smuggled. Orozco said he would split the money with Salazar, according to court documents.

Salazar and Cansino allegedly picked up the immigrants.

Cansino stated that Salazar asked him if he could pick up immigrants near San Ygnacio. Cansino told authorities he needed money and took the offer.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

for 10 days or more.

David Cruz, a San Antonio landlord who is one of the plaintiffs, called the law “pretty broad and vague.”

The law “could affect me if I have to be determining the residency status of my tenants,” he said. “I feel it’s not my role.”

Bonnen called the suit “a political stunt,” saying the bill had been “carefully crafted to go after the drug cartel leaders who are smuggling individuals into our state,” and forcing them into prostitution, or making them victims of “violence, forced labor, sexual assault and other heinous crimes.”

Abbott’s spokesman John Wittman said the law is intended to fight human smuggling and that the governor was proud to have signed it.

The harboring provision was called into question at last year’s hearings as potentially vulnerable to a constitutional challenge, because the federal government has authority over immigration. Moreover, Perales said, existing federal and state laws already prohibit most of the activities described in HB 11.

In recent years, federal

courts have struck down immigrant harboring laws in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina as pre-empted by federal law.

In Texas, the suburban Dallas community of Farmers Branch made national headlines after passing an ordinance a decade ago that would have fined or revoked renter’s licenses for landlords who lease property to immigrants in the country illegally.

The 5th U.S. Court of Appeals later ruled the ordinance unconstitutional, and the U.S. Supreme Court in 2014 declined to hear the city’s appeal.

The high court has held since 2012 that immigration issues are largely a matter for federal agencies, not local governments, to regulate.

Ryan, the director of RAICES in San Antonio, said he was confident that the harboring provisions of HB 11 will be struck down, “and in doing so send a deterring message to those who would seek to pass unjust unconstitutional laws.”

As the direct of a nonprofit professional legal services group, he said, “I must have an assurance that my operations are legal.”

12A THE ZAPATA TIMES

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016