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ECONOMY
FEDERAL COURT
Jobs rebound
Silence on dropped coke charges
US regains the jobs lost in the recession By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy has reached a milestone: It has finally regained all the private-sector jobs it lost during the Great Recession. Yet it took a painfully slow six
years, and unemployment remains stubbornly high at 6.7 percent. The comeback figures were contained in a government report Friday that showed a solid if unspectacular month of job growth in March. Businesses and nonprofits shed 8.8 million jobs during the 2007-09 recession; they have since hired 8.9
million. But because the population has grown since the big downturn, most analysts were hardly celebrating the milestone. Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the liberal Economic Policy Institute, called it a “pretty meaningless
See ECONOMY
PAGE 11A
By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A suspected cocaine smuggler who had been recently ordered detained
pending trial had his drug charges dropped by prosecutors, according to court records.
See CHARGES
PAGE 11A
NEW HOMES FOR OLD DOGS People like older pets By SUE MANNING ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Erin O’Sullivan wants to change lives by finding new homes for old dogs. Visitors to her popular Facebook page say she has done just that by helping them discover the pets they didn’t know they were missing. O’Sullivan’s page tells stories about pooches past their prime that need loving homes and taps into the wellspring of animal lovers seeking calmer, well-trained dogs or those wanting to care for pets in their twilight years. Shelters will ask her to help place older dogs that aren’t as sought-after as puppies, many of which have extensive health problems that can
See NEW HOMES PAGE 11A
Photo by Elli Frank | AP
This photo provided by Elli Frank shows herself with Tanya, an 8-year-old pit bull mix that was dumped as a puppy at a shelter in New York City, on Monday. Frank, founder of Mr. Bones & Co. in New York that takes in a few animals at a time, won’t acquire other dogs until Tanya has a home.
FORT HOOD
Investigators: Man mentally ‘unstable’ By WILL WEISSERT AND PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by J. Scott Applewhite | AP
The American flag flies at half staff at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Friday after a soldier went on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left four people dead Wednesday.
FORT HOOD — Unstable mental health may be a “fundamental, underlying cause” of a soldier’s shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left four people dead, though an argument with another service member likely preceded the attack, according to investigators. Spc. Ivan Lopez turned
his gun on himself after killing three people and wounding 16 others Wednesday at the sprawling Texas military base, where more than a dozen people were fatally shot by a soldier in 2009. An Army truck driver from Puerto Rico, Lopez was undergoing treatment for depression and anxiety while being evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder, base officials said.
Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, senior officer at the nation’s largest Army base, said there was a “strong indication” that Lopez was involved in a verbal altercation shortly before the shooting, though it doesn’t appear he targeted specific soldiers during the attack. Investigators also are focusing on his mental health. “We have very strong evi-
See FORT HOOD
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Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, APRIL 5
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Used book sale, hosted by First United Methodist Church. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents. Laredo Northside Market. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Easter egg hunt for children at 11 a.m. Donation to Laredo Animal Protective Society immediately after. For more information, visit facebook.com/laredonorthsidemarket. TAMIU Planetarium shows. “Zula Patrol: Under the Weather” 3 p.m.; “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” 4 p.m.; “New Horizon” 5 p.m; and “Black Holes” 6 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 326-3663.
SUNDAY, APRIL 6 SCAN’s 16th Annual Children Play Day. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Civic Center Ballroom and Grounds. Free. Games, prizes, food and refreshments. Contact Veronica Jimenez at 724-3177 or veronica.jimenez@scan-inc.org.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9 University of Texas Pan-American Social Work Recruitment event. 6 p.m. Room 10 of Laredo Community College’s De La Garza Building. Contact Jessica Villarreal at 220-7071 or jkvillarreal.jv@gmail.com.
THURSDAY, APRIL 10 Meeting of Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association. 12:30 p.m. Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall. Communities in School to speak. Meeting of Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
FRIDAY, APRIL 11 Laredo Community College and Doctors Hospital Wellness Fair. 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Maravillo Gym at LCC’s Fort McIntosh campus. Free and open to public. Various medical and health services for adults offered. Door prizes to be awarded, and health snacks offered. Call 721-5858. Christian Life Seminar: What It Means To Be A Christian. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., every Friday until April 11. San Martin De Porres Catholic Church’s St. Elizabeth Room. Free. Light snacks served. Contact Leah Cayanan at 2860654 or leigh.cayanan@gmail.com.
SATURDAY, APRIL 12 Larry Hernandez Memorial 6th Annual Crime Stoppers 5K Run/Walk Against Crime. Registration 7 a.m. Race 8 a.m. Entrance of Lake Casa Blanca State Park. Pre-registration fee $15 through April 11. $20 day of event. Kids run ages 10 and under. Proceeds benefit Laredo Crime Stoppers. Forms can be picked up at administrative office, 1200 Washington St., from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or Laredo Ciclo Mania, 611 Shiloh Road, Suite No. 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Call 724-1876. TAMIU Planetarium anniversary showing of “Wall-E.” Noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. $3 general admission. Free face painting, arts and music. Call 326-3663.
MONDAY, APRIL 14 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 7659920.
Photo by Mona Reeder/The Dallas Morning News | AP
Former President George W. Bush tours his new exhibit, "The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy" at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, on Tuesday. Bush, who started painting in 2012, said reading an essay by the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on painting inspired him to take lessons. The exhibit runs through June 3.
Artistic debut for Bush By JAMIE STENGLE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Former President George W. Bush is displaying his portraits of world leaders in the first exhibit of his work as an artist. The portraits, which include everyone from a grim-looking Russian President Vladimir Putin to a smiling likeness of the late Czech playwright and President Vaclav Havel, are part of an exhibit opening today at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas. He even did a self-portrait. The exhibit called “The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy” runs through June 3. “I spent a lot of time on personal diplomacy and I befriended leaders and learned about their families and their likes and dis-
Crews continue to remove Man gets 45 years for oil from state shoreline assault during carjacking CORPUS CHRISTI — Authorities say more than 119,000 pounds of oil-soaked sand and debris have been removed from island shorelines tainted by the spill nearly two weeks ago when two vessels collided in the Houston Ship Channel. Officials representing the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies say about 465 workers are removing oil from the Texas shoreline.
School bus driver punished for taunting FLORESVILLE — A South Texas school bus driver has been disciplined after being heard calling a sobbing student “crybaby” and urging other children to chime in and mock the girl. Floresville Independent School District Superintendent Sherri Bays says the bus driver’s actions were not appropriate. Bays declined to say how the driver has been disciplined.
TUESDAY, APRIL 15 South Texas Food Bank’s annual member agency conference. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. IBC Annex Building, 2416 Jacaman Road. For 80 agencies that help food bank distribute food in eightcounty area. Call Salo Otero at 3242432.
THURSDAY, APRIL 17 Meeting of Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
THURSDAY, APRIL 24 Meeting of Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
likes, to the point where I felt comfortable painting them,” he said in an introductory video to the exhibit. “Painting portraits of my friends and some people who weren’t necessarily my friends gave me a sense to convey a feeling I have about them because I got to know them well in the presidency,” he added. Bush, who started painting in 2012, three years after leaving office, said reading an essay by the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on painting inspired him to take lessons. “I’d never lifted a brush before. I’d never been next to paint. So I gave it a whirl,” he said in the introductory video. The exhibit includes more than two dozen portraits. Other subjects include the Dalai Lama and his father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States.
Larger areas of the state fall into severe drought
FORT WORTH — A Dallas man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for forcing a woman he carjacked and held at gunpoint to perform a sex act on him. Twenty-seven-year-old Ousmane Wangare (OOS’-mahn-ay WAHN’-gar-ay), who was sentenced Wednesday by a judge, must serve at least half of the 45year term before being eligible for parole. A second suspect faces charges. A third suspect remains at large.
HOUSTON — Large areas of Texas have fallen into severe drought as a typically wet season remains relatively dry. The Texas Water Development Board says Tuesday that extreme-to-exceptional conditions have spread to a quarter of the state based on the information released by the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Gas prices up by 2 cents across the state
AMARILLO — Authorities say a Southern California woman has been arrested after she was found with more than 15 pounds of heroin — valued at $2.7 million — in her car following a traffic stop east of Amarillo. Twenty-three-year-old Bianca Mendez, a resident of Cypress, Calif., is charged with a felony count of possession of a controlled substance. — Compiled from AP reports
IRVING — The average price of gas across Texas is up two cents this week to $3.38, but that is still 14 cents less than a year ago. AAA Texas said on Thursday that drivers in Dallas and Fort Worth are paying the most at $3.45 per gallon.
Authorities: Woman found with $2.7M in heroin
AROUND THE NATION Chicago transit agency fires driver after crash CHICAGO — Chicago transit officials have fired a train operator who acknowledged dozing off before crashing a commuter train at the O’Hare International Airport station. The March 24 crash injured more than 30 passengers and sent the eight-car train barreling over the platform and up an escalator leading into the airport. The operator was fired Friday, said Chicago Transit Authority spokesman Brian Steele. A federal investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board said last week that the driver told him she dozed off before the crash and had done so on another occasion in February. Her union says she worked a lot of overtime and was exhausted. The CTA says it does not believe her work schedule played a role.
Today is Saturday, April 5, the 95th day of 2014. There are 270 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On April 5, 1614, Pocahontas, Indian Chief Powhatan’s daughter, married Englishman John Rolfe in the Virginia Colony. (A convert to Christianity, Pocahontas had adopted the name “Rebecca” when she was baptized.) On this date: In 1614, England’s King James I convened the second Parliament of his rule; the “Addled Parliament,” as it came to be known, lasted only two months. In 1621, the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts on a monthlong return trip to England. In 1764, Britain’s Parliament passed The American Revenue Act of 1764, also known as The Sugar Act. In 1864, Ben Field and George M. Pullman received a U.S. patent for an “improvement in (rail) sleeping-cars” that consisted of a folding upper berth. In 1895, Oscar Wilde lost his criminal libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry, who’d accused the writer of homosexual practices. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order creating the Civilian Conservation Corps and an anti-hoarding order that effectively prohibited private ownership of gold. In 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to death following their conviction in New York on charges of conspiring to commit espionage for the Soviet Union. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Federal Communications Commission v. American Broadcasting Co., Inc., unanimously ruled that TV quiz shows did not violate lottery laws. In 1964, Army General Douglas MacArthur died in Washington at age 84. In 1974, Stephen King’s first published novel, “Carrie,” was released by Doubleday. In 1986, two American servicemen and a Turkish woman were killed in the bombing of a West Berlin discotheque, an incident which prompted a U.S. air raid on Libya more than a week later. In 2010, an explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine near Charleston, W.Va., killed 29 workers. Ten years ago: A U.S.-Canadian task force investigating the massive power blackout of August 14, 2003, called for urgent approval of mandatory reliability rules to govern the electric transmission industry. Five years ago: North Korea fired a rocket over Japan, defying Washington, Tokyo and others who suspected the launch was a cover for a test of its long-range missile technology. One year ago: Kansas legislators gave final passage to a sweeping anti-abortion measure declaring that life began “at fertilization.” Today’s Birthdays: Movie producer Roger Corman is 88. Former U.S. Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell is 77. Country singer Tommy Cash is 74. Actor Michael Moriarty is 73. Pop singer Allan Clarke (The Hollies) is 72. Thought for Today: “A man is only as good as what he loves.” — Saul Bellow, Canadian-born American author (1915-2005).
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Photo by John Minchillo | AP
Firefighters from departments outside New York support each other before a climb towards the 72nd floor of 4 World Trade Center during the "Runyon Up," a fundraiser for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, on Thursday in New York. More than 700 people took part in the climb.
New atomic clock is more accurate BOULDER, Colo. — The National Institute of Standards and Technology launched a new
atomic clock Thursday that isn’t supposed to gain or lose a second for roughly 300 million years. The Boulder Daily Camera reports the clock is the nation’s civilian time standard. — Compiled from AP reports
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Area
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Laredo Philharmonic announces receiving second ASCAP award SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The League of American Orchestras has selected the Laredo Philharmonic as the recipient of a first place ASCAP Award for Programming of Contemporary Music for Group 7-8 Orchestras. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and the League offer American orchestras Awards for Adventurous Programming. Awards recognize concerts that stimulate the audience, build the repertoire, and strengthen support for new work in this country and abroad. They recognize orchestras whose most recent programming demonstrates a strong commitment to contemporary music. Music director and conductor Brendan Townsend was notified of the award by the president of the League of American Orchestras, Jesse Rosen, who noted, “We honor the work that you do on behalf of the music of our time, and the American composers who contribute so much to the vibrancy of our art form.” The Laredo Philharmonic previously won the competitive award in 2007. Townsend said the ASCAP Award is especially relevant as it recognizes the ongoing programming of contemporary music. “The audience here knows how committed I am to bringing new and contemporary music to the stage,” Townsend said, “We have at least one piece by a living composer on almost all our concert programs.” In addition to the $750 cash award, the orchestra will be presented with a plaque at the League’s National Conference in June in Seattle, Wash. “This is a major achievement for us,” said Townsend, who has entered the
“
This is a major achievement for us.” MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR BRENDAN TOWNSEND
the competition five times, “The vast majority of orchestras around the country fit in our budget category and so the competition to be rewarded for a commitment to new music is tough.” “In fact, our final concert of the season this weekend at Texas A&M International University features a contemporary selection and its composer will be present,” he explained. Today, the Laredo Phil presents its closing concert for the “Shared Borders” season, recognizing National Organ Donor Month and featuring the winner of the 5th Annual Concerto Competition, TAMIU student Osvaldo Ibarra.
“Eternal Rest” will be performed at the TAMIU Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall today at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $20, $15 for senior citizens and free for students with a valid ID. “The Laredo Philharmonic will honor the courage and passion of those who have donated and received organs, as well as those conducting the surgery with a performance of Linda Tutas Haugen’s ‘Transformations of Darkness and Light.’ Haugen will join us for this special performance,” Townsend said. Haugen’s piece was commissioned by the National
Kidney Foundation in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of organ transplantation. The composer commissioned a series of tuned bells to be rung out in honor of those who have had the courage to donate their organs. With the cooperation of Laredo Medical Center and Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, the Laredo Philharmonic was able to bring this work and the bells to Laredo. This is the first time that the work will be performed outside of Minnesota because of the logistics of transporting the bells. The Laredo Philharmonic has invited organ transplant recipients and donor
families, as well as nephrologists and other transplant doctors to ring the bells at the end of the concert. This week, volunteers from the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance and Laredo Medical Center will distribute information on the importance of organ donation and the need for young people on the donor list Wednesday and Thursday, April from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the TAMIU Student Center. As the winner of the 5th Annual Concerto Competition, Osvaldo Ibarra, TAMIU student cellist, will perform his concerto as a soloist. Ibarra played the Schumann Cello Concerto in a Minor. Ibarra began his cello career as a student at Lamar Middle School under the direction of Bea Balli. He played in the orchestra at J.W. Nixon High School and studied music the Vidal M. Treviño School of Fine Arts and Communications.
Dr. Ike’s 30th is today THE ZAPATA TIMES
Dr. Ike’s is celebrating 30 years of service to Zapata County and area residents with a celebration at the store today, beginning at 9 a.m. The day kicks off with light sweets and refreshments from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. At 10 a.m. will be a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce. Then, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. is a fish fry, with sides including French fries and assorted vegetables. Beginning at 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. is a merienda that will include the Don Chema Show with Oscar Zamora, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Dr. Ike’s is located at 430 Farm-to-Market Road 496 in Zapata. For more information, contact the store at 765-8430.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
‘62 book may have started environmental movement By LLEWELLYN KING HEARST NEWSPAPERS
April 22 is Earth Day and you can look forward to scattered celebrations, warnings about the future and self congratulations. The environmental community regards the first Earth Day as the beginning of the modern environmental movement. But the real birth of modern environmentalism may have come in 1962, with the publication of Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring.” It was a detonation heard around the world, and it greatly affected the way a whole generation felt about nature. Its central finding was against the use of the powerful pesticide DDT. The first Earth Day was the brainchild of the late Sen. Gaylord Nelson, D-Wisc. He provided leadership for a burgeoning environmental movement fed not just by a love of nature, as had earlier movements, but by a deep anger at the trashing of natural systems. DDT was killing off wild birds by altering their metabolism in a way that resulted in thin eggshells; West Virginia, and other parts of Appalachia, were being mutilated to extract coal; and the Cuyahoga River in Ohio had caught fire many times because it was so choked with pollutants. There was an abundance of anger in the 1970s, most of it inflamed in the 1960s. That troubled decade was not just about drugs and flower power, Woodstock and free love. It was about what had become of America and where was it heading. The movements were for civil rights, against the Vietnam War and for women. An environmental movement in the 1970s fit right in; it was inevitable because it was needed. Some of the anger of the decade that had just finished informed that first Earth Day and all those that followed. Because the modern environmental movement was born in anger, at times it has been unruly and counterproductive. Will we quickly forget the hysteria created by the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) 1989 report on the use of the pesticide Alar in apples? Or Greenpeace’s admission in 1995 that it had bullied European governments into disposing the Shell Brent Spar oil platform and reservoir on dry land when it should have been dropped into the deep ocean? Or the uncritical enthusiasm for wind power without regard to the environmental impact of wind turbines on birds and bats, or the noise they generate? In New England there are claims of adverse health effects from wind turbine, to say nothing of the adverse visual impact. The modern environmental movement differed from previous conservation movements because it knew how to harness the power of the
To my mind the biggest error the environmental community made was the relentless opposition to nuclear power. It has been an act of faith since the first Earth Day and it may be the one most at odds with environmental well-being.
courts. Litigation was the core of this movement, and it remains so. NRDC’s Web site boasts the availability of 350 lawyers. The movement that flowed from Rachel Carson’s book and the first Earth Day is global; it is as strong in Europe, if not stronger, than in its birthplace, the United States. It is a large part of the political fabric of Germany, and its policies have played a role in leading that country into a dependence on Russian natural gas. Opposition to the Keystone Pipeline may be another error of environmental enthusiasm. No pipe means more trains carrying oil; ergo more accidents and environmental degradation. To my mind the biggest error the environmental community made was the relentless, even pathological, opposition to nuclear power. It has been an act of faith since the first Earth Day and it may be the one most at odds with environmental well-being. The public has been frightened, but the math says it is the safest way to make electricity. Now a new generation of young idealists is beginning to look past the orthodoxies of the antinuclear movement. Richard Lester, head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT, said this week that many of his students are studying nuclear because of its environmental advantages, and its value in generating electricity without air pollution. The environmental movement of the 1970s has grown old, but it hasn’t grown thoughtful. I wish it a happy birthday, but I can only muster two cheers. I hope it enters a period of introspection and comes to realize that its rigidities can be as counterproductive as those of its industrial antagonists. It remains needed. (Llewellyn King’s email is lking@kingpublishing.com.)
COLUMN
More closure for Fort Hood FORT HOOD — The closure process for the November 2009 massacre at Fort Hood hit a milestone six weeks ago. “Fort Hood’s Directorate of Public Works has completed demolition of Building 42003,” Army officials announced. “The building was part of the Soldier Readiness Processing Center. Building 42003 is where most of the events of Nov. 5, 2009, occurred.” We were told about trees to be planted and a gazebo and “remembrance plaque” to be installed. There was no further description of “the events of Nov. 5, 2009.” None was needed. They were singular events. Until Wednesday about 4 p.m. when “again” was trending on post. In February, when officials announced the demolition of the site of the 2009 shootings, the statement noted that other buildings in that area “will soon return to normal SRP operations.” Army normal is a different normal, one needed in our dangerous world. For those who deeply appreciate our military personnel, it was nice to see releases like this one from Fort Hood on March 5 announcing that Jared Fogle, “The Subway Guy,” would be at the grand opening of a Subway at the post. “There will be giveaways and a cake served during the event,” we were told. Soldiers should get
“
KEN HERMAN
giveaways. They should get cake. They should not be shot at on their home post by someone on their side. Three military personnel were killed and 16 were injured Wednesday when Spc. Ivan Lopez, a mentally ill soldier armed with a semi-automatic pistol, opened fire. There was talk of an argument, but we don’t yet know exactly what happened. During morning-after testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Secretary John McHugh said Lopez, who killed himself Wednesday, had shown no signs of “likely violence” nor “suicidal iteration.” I blanched a bit when, after discussing the three deceased victims, McHugh referred to Lopez as “the other killed in action.” Late Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, the post commander, said, “Events in the past have taught us many things here at Fort Hood. We know the community is strong. We know the community is resilient. And we know the soldiers and the civilians and the families of this fort who have served so bravely in combat over the last 13 years in both Iraq and Afghanistan are strong and we will get through this.” In a sad coincidence,
the latest Fort Hood slayings came just after March ended with no U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan, making it the first such month since January 2007. There’s still much to learn about Lopez, who served four months as an Army truck driver in Iraq in 2011. Army officials say he was not in combat and suffered no wounds. But, Milley said, Lopez “was undergoing behavior health and psychiatric treatment for depression and anxiety and a variety of other psychologically and psychiatric issues.” Somewhere at Fort Hood folks are reviewing the records to see how nobody saw this coming from this soldier. Lots of soldiers come home with lots of problems. The numbers are disturbingly high, but relatively few become violent. But they are out there, a fact the military seems to have been slow in addressing. Sure to be studied is how Lopez got his personal weapon, which was not registered at Fort Hood as it was supposed to have been, on post. Despite heavy security, it’s unrealistic to expect airport-like searches of everybody who enters Fort Hood each day. The shootings have sparked renewed and proper discussion about keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. Like searching everyone who enters Fort Hood, it’s a fine concept in search of
a practical solution. It’s one thing to use public records — such as court orders declaring mental incompetence — to keep guns from those who shouldn’t have them. But do we want a federal database of everybody who’s ever sought mental health care? Looking forward, this latest shooting spree scares me more than the events of Nov. 5, 2009. The latter was perpetrated by a delusional Army psychiatrist, a Muslim driven by misguided notions about his religion. How many of those can there be? An infinitesimal few compared to the many back-from-deployment soldiers with psychiatric issues. Wednesday night, Milley was asked if his first reaction was “not again here.” “My reaction was not ‘not again here,’” he said. “My reaction was immediately to make sure we had a read on the casualties, immediately secure the site and immediately look for one or more shooters and to secure the installation.” “I wasn’t thinking about ‘not again’ or any of that,” Milley said. Milley was thinking the things a commander must think when his troops are under fire. God bless him for that. But the rest of us were thinking “not again.” Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
State
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
Security not easy for big base By EMILY SCHMALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — After three mass shootings at military bases in the U.S. over the last five years, security experts say the sad truth is that there is probably no practical way of preventing members of the armed forces or civilian employees from carrying guns onto big installations like Fort Hood. The kind of searches that would have prevented Army Spc. Ivan A. Lopez from driving onto Fort Hood with a pistol in his car and killing three fellow soldiers would paralyze access to a major post and create huge traffic jams among the tens of thousands of workers commuting to and from their jobs, officials and experts said. “Trying to secure a base from guns is a very, very difficult proposition at best — probably impossible,” said Robert Taylor, who is head of the University of Texas-Dallas public affairs program and has been a security consultant for the Justice Department and police forces. “You could do spot checks. You could have people walk through metal detectors,” Taylor said. But searching so many people would create big practical difficulties, he said. Dan Corbin, mayor of neighboring Killeen, said base workers would have to leave for their jobs four hours early just to get through the base’s checkpoints if searches were instituted. The security problem on large bases stems from their dual role as military installations and huge workplaces. Fort Hood, one of the nation’s largest Army posts, covers 340 square miles. More than 40,000 soldiers live on the post, and more than 80,000 military and civilian employees and contractors come there from surrounding communities every day to work at offices, equipment facilities, training sites and businesses. Though the post is ringed by fences with guard stations, it otherwise looks like a medium-size city with neighborhoods of single-family houses, schools, stores and restaurants. Security was beefed up after the base’s first mass shooting, in 2009, in which Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army
Soldiers had years of service ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
Security checks vehicles as they enter Fort Hood’s main gate on Thursday, at Fort Hood. A soldier opened fire Wednesday at the base, killing three people and wounding 16. psychiatrist, killed 13 people. Security measures were reviewed again last September after Aaron Alexis, a mentally disturbed civilian contractor, shot 12 people to death at the Washington Navy Yard. In both cases, the killers had credentials to enter the military installations and brought in guns. After the 2009 attack, Fort Hood posted more guards, armed them with long-barreled weapons and added training on insider attacks. The military also stepped up efforts to identify troubled service members and joined an FBI intelligence-sharing program. But authorities did not require searches of all people and vehicles entering the post. While visitors are required to check in at a welcome center outside the fence line to get a pass or an escort, soldiers who are stationed there and authorized base employees are usually waved through checkpoints if they have Department of Defense credentials and a car sticker, though some are subjected to spot checks. Even with quick access for those with credentials, long lines of cars can form at the gates in the morning. “It would not be realistic to do a pat-down on every employee and soldier for a weapon on a daily basis,” said Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, Fort Hood’s senior officer.
After driving onto the post, Lopez shot his first victims at the medical battalion building, then moved on to a building across the street. He shot himself in the head after being confronted by a military police officer. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said authorities will review security procedures at Fort Hood again, in light of the latest rampage. “What motivated this person to do this? Where was the gap, why did we have a gap, why did it happen?” he told reporters in Honolulu. The investigation will also focus on Lopez’s mental condition and the treatment he received. Lopez had received psychiatric care for depression and had reported that he might be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, officials said. He served as a truck driver in Iraq for four months in 2011. Officials said he was not in combat. Lt. Col. Chris Jenks, an Iraq War veteran who now teaches law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said the military has not resolved how to assess the emotional stability of its soldiers. “What do you do with a Lopez? If you have PTSD, do you need to leave the military? That seems akin to punishing the victim and shifts the problem to Veterans Affairs and society,” Jenks said. “But at a certain point allowing them to remain in the military also seems problematic.”
FORT HOOD — Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, commander at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, on Friday released the names of the three soldiers killed by Spc. Ivan Lopez, who then used the same .45-caliber pistol to kill himself. Milley said the shooting rampage on Wednesday at Fort Hood followed a verbal altercation. Following are the military records of the three soldiers killed by Lopez:
Daniel Michael Ferguson Ferguson, 39, of Mulberry, Fla., enlisted in 1993 and was promoted to sergeant 1st class in October 2004. A transportation management coordinator, Ferguson most recently served in the 49th Transportation Movement Control Battalion at Fort Hood. Ferguson served in several overseas bases in Europe, including in Italy and Germany. He was deployed to Kuwait twice in 2003 and 2004. Later, he served in Iraq from September 2009 to May 2010. Ferguson’s most recent overseas deployment was in Afghanistan, where he
served from June 2012 to March 2013.
Timothy Wayne Owens Owens, 37, of Effingham, Ill., enlisted in the Army in June 2004. A motor transport operator, Owens was a sergeant who was a heavy vehicle driver. He was most recently in the 154th Transportation Company in the 49th Movement Control Battalion in the 13th Sustainment Command at Fort Hood. Owens was deployed to Iraq from January to December 2005. Later he served in Kuwait from January to December 2010.
Carlos Lazaney Rodriguez Staff Sgt. Lazaney was a unit supply specialist who joined the Army in January 1994. Most recently, Lazaney was in the 21st Combat Support Hospital in the 1st Medical Brigade at Fort Hood. Lazaney, who was from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, served in Kuwait from December 1998 to April 199. Later, he did two deployments in Iraq from April 2007 to April 2008 and then from July 2009 to July 2010.
Photo by Stephen M. Keller/file | AP
General: Argument was spark By ESMÉ E. DEPREZ AND WILLIAM SELWAY BLOOMBERG NEWS
Investigators say an argument may have been the catalyst for a shooting by a troubled Iraq veteran that left him and three other soldiers dead at Fort Hood. Officials are investigating the possibility that Army Specialist Ivan A. Lopez, 34, clashed with at least one fellow serviceman before the attack, base commander Lieutenant General Mark Milley said at a news briefing Thursday. He said it might have been a trigger event. “There may have been a verbal altercation with another soldier or soldiers, and it’s a strong possibility that that, in fact, immediately preceded this shooting,” Milley said. “We do not have that definitively at this point. But we have strong indications of that.” Lopez’s medical history, which included being treated for depression and anxiety, appears to be an underlying causal factor, he said. Sixteen people were injured in the rampage, which happened about 4 p.m. Texas time Wednesday in a medical area at the U.S. Army base. Coming less than five years after an officer killed 13 people there as revenge for Americas wars, the slayings drew attention to the military’s handling of the psychologically wounded. The soldier was a married Puerto Rico native who had been prescribed medications for depression, anxiety and sleeping. He was being evaluated for a claim of posttraumatic stress disorder and a brain injury, Milley said. Lopez’s records showed no wounds, no direct involvement in combat and no injury that might lead us to further investigate a battle-related traumatic brain injury, Army Secretary John McHugh said
Photo courtesy of Glidden Lopez | AP
Shown is Army Spc. Ivan Lopez, who killed three people and wounded 16 others in a shooting at Fort Hood, on Wednesday. yesterday at a Senate hearing in Washington. A psychiatrist last month found no indication that Lopez showed any sign of likely violence, either to himself or to others, McHugh said. No suicidal ideation. Mental health professionals said Lopez’s struggles do little to explain the massacre and whether the Army could have prevented it. “Millions of people — and millions of people in the military — have sleep disturbances and have mood disorders, and that tells us absolutely nothing about whether those particular people are at risk for these kinds of really unusual acts,” said Terry Schell, a psychologist at the Rand Corp. in Santa Monica, California, who researches post-traumatic stress among veterans. “Those just aren’t associated with violence.” About 936,000 people serving active duty in the military were diagnosed with at least one mental illness between 2001 and
2011, according to an August report by the Congressional Research Service. Military spending for mental health was $994 million in 2012, up from $468 million five years earlier. “In recent years, the military has increased attention to soldiers emotional well being,” said retired Army Brigadier General Loree Sutton, a psychiatrist. “There may not have been anything that anyone could have done to prevent this tragedy,” she said. “We’ve just got to understand that war changes people. Many thrive when they come back and many struggle, but we owe them our best.” Fort Hood, about 60 miles north of Austin, houses about 41,000 troops and is home to the Army’s 1st Cavalry and 4th Infantry divisions. Lopez came there from Fort Bliss, in El Paso. He served four months in Iraq in 2011 after joining the Army in 2008, McHugh said. A sum-
mary of his service released by the Pentagon listed at least 20 awards, including three for good conduct. He spent 11 years in the Puerto Rico National Guard, during which he was deployed for one year to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. “He was an excellent soldier,” National Guard Adjutant General Juan Medina Lamela said on Telemundo. Lopez grew up in Guayanilla, on the island’s south coast, the Spanish-language El Nuevo Dia newspaper reported. Guayanilla Mayor Edgardo Arlequin, who directed the high-school band in which Lopez was a percussionist, told the newspaper he was a really easygoing kid whose parents were very dedicated to him. A neighbor, Aide Merlo Irizarry, described him to the newspaper as “very loving toward his mother,” and said her death in October hurt him deeply. A 2013 law authorized defense health professionals to ask troops whether they own or plan to acquire a gun if there’s reason to believe a soldier might commit suicide or harm others, said Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Defense Department spokesman. Officials didn’t know whether Lopez was asked, Warren said in a briefing with reporters at the Pentagon yesterday. “Mental-health professionals are hard pressed to discern violent tendencies,” said Craig Bryan, a psychologist at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and executive director of the National Center for Veterans Studies. “Patients may keep plans secret or act impulsively, he said.” “It’s remarkably difficult to predict if and when someone is going to die by suicide or if they are going to be aggressive toward others,” he said.
Greg Ebert is a salesman at Guns Galore. A second mass shooting at Fort Hood has been linked to guns bought at the store.
Store, shootings again are linked By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
KILLEEN — Guns are wall-to-wall at the Guns Galore shop near Fort Hood, and so are posters: No Idiots Allowed. This Isn’t a Place for Children to Play. Firearm Trafficking is Illegal. But now that a second mass shooting at the Texas military base has been linked to guns bought at the squat brick store, which promises “3,000 Guns In Stock,” the message Guns Galore clerks are emphasizing is don’t blame them. Fort Hood officials say Guns Galore, perched along the main road to the nation’s largest Army post, is where Spc. Ivan Lopez bought the .45-caliber pistol used to kill three people and wound 16 others this week. It also sold a semiautomatic pistol, laser sights and high-capacity magazines in 2009 to Nidal Hasan, who then killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others in a base rampage. Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, the senior officer at Fort Hood, said Lopez bought the gun on March 1, about a month before Wednesday’s attack. Hasan also bought his FN 5.7 tactical pistol not long before his rampage in November 2009. Lopez turned the gun on himself after being confronted by police Wednesday. Before the attack, he was being treated for depression and anxiety while being evaluated for posttraumatic stress disorder. Milley said investigators believe Lopez’s unstable mental health condition may be an underlying cause of the shooting. Greg Ebert, a longtime salesman at Guns Galore, said the store couldn’t comment on Lopez. But he bristled at anonymous angry callers and emails the store has been receiving, which
he said included some asking if they’re now happy more people are dead. “We had nothing to do with what happened out here,” said Ebert, emphasizing that he was speaking for himself and not the store. “If you want to blame somebody, go to the FBI and to the government at Fort Hood, and ask them why someone who was being psychologically evaluated wasn’t flagged.” The 34-year-old truck driver from Puerto Rico seemed to have a clean record, but investigators are now poring through Lopez’s personal history. Federal law generally prohibits selling guns to people who’ve been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility or have been ruled by a court to be a danger to themselves or others. Gun control advocates say that leaves a gaping loophole during computer background checks. Ladd Everitt, spokesman for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, called Lopez’s rampage another example of the gun industry profits taking precedence over safety. But he also cut Guns Galore a break. “I can’t possibly lay any blame at their door. Dealers are in this to make money,” Everitt said. “So I don’t think we should count on gun dealers to be psychiatrists or law enforcement officers. We need better laws on the books.” Business was steady at Guns Galore a day after the latest attack at Fort Hood. Uniformed soldiers brushed past other customers between narrow rows of display cases packed tightly with handguns and old cellphones shot up by bullets. Long-barreled assault and hunting rifles stood on racks behind the main counter, where clerks in 2009 let Hasan videotape on his phone a lesson on how to reload.
National
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
Photo by Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette | AP
A sanding truck drives down Shelden Avenue in Houghton, Mich., on Friday. A storm moving through the Great Lakes region dumped a foot of snow on parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Hail, rain pummel Midwest, South By JIM SALTER AND JIM SUHR ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Thunderstorms were crawling across a large swath of the Midwest and South on Thursday, spawning suspected tornadoes in Missouri and Texas, and slamming several states with large hail and heavy rain that prompted a handful of water rescues. Four people were injured in Texas when a suspected tornado destroyed a farmhouse and a mobile home Thursday night near Merit, about 40 miles northeast of Dallas. Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks said the injuries weren’t life-threatening, though he didn’t have details. Storms pummeled the North Texas college city of Denton with hail as large as baseballs, leading to reports of broken windows and other damage. The National Weather Service in Tulsa noted reports of hail up to the size
of ping pong balls and strong wind gusts. Arkansas saw smaller hail, and falling tree limbs knocked out power in western parts of the state. The heaviest rainfall was tapering off around midnight, though flashflood warnings will remain in effect through daybreak in eastern Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana, and western Kentucky because of runoff from the torrential rains, according to the National Weather Service. No injuries resulted from the twister that hit University City just west of St. Louis shortly before 5:30 a.m., damaging about 100 homes in winds that reached up to 110 mph, weather service meteorologist Jayson Gosselin said. That system also carried heavy rain. Up to 5 inches fell in parts of Missouri, prompting flash flooding that damaged dozens of homes and forced at least two water
rescues. In University City, a densely populated area, the city opened a shelter for evacuees. Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency. Rainfall was heavy over much of Missouri and western Illinois. The National Weather Service said portions of Johnson County, Mo., had more than 5 inches of rain, causing flash flooding that forced evacuation of some homes in the Warrensburg area. Highway T in Johnson County was closed after rushing water washed out three culverts. At least two drivers had to be rescued from water that swamped their cars. Even a three-person rescue team was briefly imperiled when flood debris clogged their jet skis. They eventually floated to safety. Heavy rains also flooded some roads in Indiana, and conservation officers said they had rescued at least eight people.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
PÁGINA 8A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve ZAPATA 04/05— Torneo de Pesca en Sendero Bud Light se realizará de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m. en la Rampa Pública para Lanchas del Condado de Zapata. 04/05— Dr. Ike’s Home Center celebra 30 años en Zapata con una fiesta abierta a toda la comunidad, en sus instalaciones ubicadas en 430 Farm-To-Market Road 496, a partir de las 9 a.m. La ceremonia oficial será a las 10 a.m.; el Show de Don Chema y Oscar Zamora será a las 5:30 p.m.
NUEVO LAREDO, MX 04/06— El Grupo de Teatro Primer Sol presenta la obra “Romeo y Julieta, pensado para niñ@s”, de Olga Margallo y Antonio Muñoz de Mesa, a las 5 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco. Cooperación voluntaria 20 pesos. 04/09— La compañía de teatro Laberintus presenta la obra “Memorabilia”, a las 7 p.m. dentro del teatro del IMSS, ubicado entre las calles Reynosa y Belden (sector centro). Costo de entrada 20 pesos. 04/10— Grupo de teatro Primer Sol presentará la obra teatral “La Madre Pasota” de Dario Fo, en el teatro Lucio Blanco, a las 7 p.m. Entrada libre.
SABADO 5 DE ABRIL DE 2014
ENCUENTRAN SIN VIDA A EX PRESIDENTE MUNICIPAL DE NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
Dos sospechosos POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Autoridades de Nuevo León sospechan que un grupo criminal estuvo detrás del secuestro y homicidio de un ex Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo, México, informaron oficiales durante una conferencia de prensa llevada a cabo en Monterrey, México, a mediados de semana. El Procurador General de Nuevo León Adrián de la Garza Santos dijo que Los Zetas se encuentran, presumiblemente, detrás del secuestro y muerte de Benjamín Galván Gómez. De la Garza Santos también dijo que las autoridades de Nuevo León han detenido a dos personas quienes tuvieron una participación indirecta en el incidente por medio de transportar los cuerpos a Nuevo León. Se cree que a Galván y al empresario Miguel Ángel Ortiz les quitaron la vida en Tamaulipas antes de ser trasladados. Medios mexicanos han identificado a uno de los hombres detenidos como Carlos Pérez González,
del martes. El Hospital Uniun ex soldado y ex oficial de versitario en Monterrey, Mépolicía quien laboró en dos xico, confirmó que tenía cusentidades policiacas en Nuetodia de los cuerpos, que fuevo León. Autoridades identiron encontrados en García. ficaron a un segundo sospeEl 27 de febrero, Galván y choso como José Isidro “El Ortiz supuestamente fueron Pichilo” Cruz Villarreal. GALVÁN interceptados a las 9 p.m. en Ellos dijeron que era un reo la intersección de calle Camque escapó de una prisión en peche y avenida Aquiles Serdan en Apodaca, Nuevo León. De la Garza Santos dijo que los la colonia Madero en Nuevo Laredos detenidos pertenecían a Los Ze- do. El velorio de Galván inició el tas. Las autoridades de Nuevo León miércoles en una funeraria de Nuedijeron que los sospechosos utiliza- vo Laredo frente al Consulado Geron caminos rurales entre Tamauli- neral de EU, mientras que el sepepas y Nuevo León para eludir un lio fue el jueves. Ahí mismo fueron punto de revisión federal mexicano, velados los restos de Ortiz. El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, conocido como Kilómetro 26. Los cuerpos de Gómez y Ortiz Egidio Torre Cantú, asistió a los fueron encontrados en una camio- servicios el miércoles por la tarde. Mientras tanto, oficiales de la neta con placas de Coahuila en García, Nuevo León, cerca del lími- ciudad de Nuevo Laredo, emitieron te estatal con Coahuila. Se sospecha un comunicado expresando sus que los sospechosos tenían instruc- condolencias a la familia. Dijeron ciones de arrojar los cuerpos en que confían en que las autoridades Coahuila en un intento por atribuir lleven a los responsables ante la los homicidios a otro grupo crimi- justicia. “La consternación es evidente en nal, de acuerdo con Garza Santos. Las autoridades de Tamaulipas la sociedad neolaredense, lamentaconfirmaron los decesos la noche mos profundamente estos hechos y
OPERATIVO
TEXAS
RECURSOS ADICIONALES
Aumentan choques por manejar distraído
LAREDO 04/05— Venta de libros usados en First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave., de 8:30 a.m. a 1 p.m. 04/05— La Asociación Laredo Northside invita al Mercado de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. en el área de juegos del North Central Park. Habrá venta de productos naturales, de jardinería, comida, manualidades y organizaciones comerciales y sin fines de lucro. 04/05— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “Zula Patrol: Under the Weather” a las 3 p.m.; “Force 5: Nature Unleashed”, a las 4 p.m.; “New Horizon” a las 5 p.m.; “Black Holes” a las 6 p.m. Costo: 4 dólares, niños; 5 dólares, adultos. 04/05— Laser Spectacular presenta Pink Floyd a las 8 p.m. en el Club Annex de Laredo Energy Arena. Costo: 23 dólares y 30 dólares. Adquiera su boleto en taquilla de LEA. 04/05— La Orquesta Filarmónica de Laredo presenta “Eternal Rest” (Descanso Eterno) en el Salón de Recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU a las 7:30 p.m. Actuación especial de Osvaldo Ibarra, ganador de la Quinta Competencia Anual Laredo Concerto. Costo: 20 dólares, adultos y 15 dólares, adultos mayores. 04/06— Décimo sexto (16) Día de Juego Infantil de SCAN de 1 p.m. a 6 p.m. en el Salón y Terrenos del Laredo Civic Center. Evento gratuito con diversión para toda la familia. 04/06— Danza de primavera y concierto de percusiones a las 3 p.m., por parte de alumnos del Departamento de Artes Escénicas de LCC, en el teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center en LCC-Fort McInotsh. Costo: 10 dólares, general; 5 dólares, estudiantes y adultos mayores. Ganancias se destinarán a becas escolares. 04/08— SOFTBÓL: El equipo Dustdevil de TAMIU recibe a Texas A&M University – Kingsville (DH) a la 1 p.m. en Dustdevil Field. Costo: 5 dólares. 04/08— Conferencia Vision Outlook de la Cámara de Comercio de Laredo, de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m. en el Centro Estudiantil de TAMIU. Informes en 722.9895.
oramos porque la familia de Benjamín Galván Gómez encuentre pronta resignación. Nos unimos al dolor de su esposa, de su señora madre y de sus hijos”, expresó el Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo, Carlos Canturosas Villarreal. En el comunicado, Canturosas pide a las autoridades locales, estatales y federales, trabajar unidos para lograr la paz a lo largo de la frontera. En nombre de la Ciudad de Laredo, el Alcalde Raúl G. Salinas expresó sus condolencias y envió sus oraciones a los familiares de Galván. “Estamos profundamente entristecidos”, dijo Salinas. Recordó haber tenido una buena relación laboral con Galván durante el periodo presidencial de este último, el cual cubrió de enero del 2011 a septiembre del 2013. Era un devoto a sus contribuyentes, dijo Salinas. “Ambos trabajamos juntos por el mejor interés de ambos Laredos”, dijo Salinas. “Estaba comprometido a servir y ayudar a las personas de Nuevo Laredo”.
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | CBP
Más de 100 agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza al Sector del Valle del Rio Grande para ayudar con los esfuerzos dirigidos contra las organizaciones criminales trasnacionales en el Valle del Rio Grande.
Reasignan personal a Valle Rio Grande ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
MCALLEN — Como parte de la Campaña del Sur de Texas (STC, por sus siglas en inglés), Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza asignaron recursos adicionales y más de 100 agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza al Sector del Valle del Rio Grande para ayudar con los esfuerzos dirigidos contra las organizaciones criminales trasnacionales. Utilizando una fuerza laboral flexible y unificada, el STC se encuentra movilizando recursos para complementar al personal que actualmente se encuentra en el Valle del Rio Grande. Además de personal ya desplegado del Sector Laredo; agentes y vehículos han sido
temporalmente reasignados desde California y Arizona. Este acercamiento a base de riesgo incrementa los esfuerzos y auxilia a interrumpir y degradar a las organizaciones criminales responsables del contrabando de inmigrantes sin documentos legales y de drogas a través del Corredor del Sur de Texas. A través de un acercamiento total del gobierno que integra la reunión de inteligencia y capacidades de objetivos de sus agencias policíacas y socios gubernamentales, la STC ha identificado múltiples sospechosos para ser arrestados. “Los sospechosos que hemos identificado son personas clave en los sistemas ilícitos que faci-
litan la mayoría de la actividad ilegal por la frontera en el área”, dijo Robert L. Harris, Comandante del Sur de Texas para CBP. “Estos grupos hacen presa a extranjeros sin documentos legales por medio de extorsionarles dinero, confinándolos en condiciones deplorables, y abusando de ellos física y sexualmente, regularmente”. Las operaciones de la Campaña del Sur de Texas sirven como apoyo durante la integración de capacidades de investigación y operativas de varias agencias policíacas, tomando ventaja total de las fortalezas de toda la comunidad en el Sur de Texas, para tener el mayor impacto posible sobre los sistemas criminales.
COMUNIDAD
AUSTIN — Debido a que el número de accidentes causados por conductores distraídos continúa en aumento, el Departamento de Transporte del Estado de Texas exhorta a los conductores que dejen de un lado sus dispositivos móviles y otras distracciones, y le presten atención a la carretera. Abril marca el Mes Nacional de Concientización de los Conductores Distraídos y el lanzamiento de la campaña anual de educación pública ‘Platica, Textea, Choca’. BARTON “Uno de cada cinco choques de tránsito en Texas es causado por un conductor distraído, y el año pasado murieron 459 personas por ese motivo. Esas muertes eran evitables”, dijo John Barton, director ejecutivo adjunto de TxDOT. “Es simple: Queremos que los conductores se concentren 100 por ciento en manejar cuando están detrás del volante, por su propio beneficio y el de las demás personas”. Los choques y muertes relacionadas con conductores distraídos en Texas son mayores entre los adultos jóvenes y los adultos mayores de 45 años. En el año 2013, el número de choques de conductores distraídos en Texas fue de 94.943, un aumento de 4 por ciento con respecto al año anterior. Los conductores que utilizan el teléfono celular cuando manejan tienen cuatro veces mayores probabilidades de verse involucrados en choques tan serios que puedan causar lesiones. Si bien las distracciones afectan a los conductores de todas las edades, la Administración Nacional de Seguridad del Tráfico en las Carreteras ha determinado que los jóvenes entre los 16 y 24 años de edad usan más los teléfonos de mano. “Las estadísticas nos deben servir de advertencia”, sostuvo Barton.
FOTOGRAFÍA URBANA
Dr. Ike’s invita a celebrar 30 Aniversario TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Dr. Ike’s se encuentra celebrando 30 años de servicio para el Condado de Zapata y residentes del área con una celebración a su tienda, el sábado 5 de abril. El día inicia con dulces y refrigerios a partir de las 9 a.m. y hasta las 11 a.m. A las 10 a.m. con una
ceremonia de corte de listón a las 10 a.m. auspiciada por la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata. Posteriormente, de 11 a.m. a 2 p.m. habrá pescadito frito, que incluirá papas a la francesa y vegetales variados. A partir de las 5 p.m. y hasta las 6:30 p.m. se realizará una merienda que in-
cluirá el Espectáculo de Don Chema con Oscar Zamora, a partir de las 5:30 p.m. Dr. Ike’s se encuentra ubicado en 430 Farm-toMarket Road 496 en Zapata. Más información llamando a la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata en 7654871 o en la tienda de 7658430.
Foto de cortesía
En la imagen de cortesía se puede apreciar la presidencia municipal de Ciudad Mier y de la iglesia Purísima Concepción.
International
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
3 convicted of rape get death sentence By ASHOK SHARMA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Fernando Llano | AP
A poster of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez leads a protest to demand his freedom, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday. The poster reads, “He who gets tired loses.”
Charges filed on leader By FABIOLA SANCHEZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARACAS, Venezuela — Jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was formally charged Friday with inciting violence at an anti-government protest that has been followed by weeks of unrest across Venezuela. Chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz announced the charges a day before the legal deadline to make the case for keeping Lopez in custody. The Harvard-educated Lopez has become a cause celebre among opponents of President Nicolas Maduro during the month and a half he has spent in a military prison outside the capital. Lopez’s Popular Will party responded with what it said would be a 24-hour protest to demand his freedom. Protesters gathered at the same plaza where the 42year-old former mayor dramatically surrendered to au-
thorities on Feb. 18 surrounded by a sea of supporters. Lopez’s wife helped lead the rally that began Friday afternoon. The protest remained peaceful as night fell, with hundreds of police looking on. The U.S. Embassy put out a release mentioning the rally and advising Americans to avoid protests and large gatherings and urging them to stay inside after nightfall. The unrest has caused at least 39 deaths, including both anti- and pro-government activists as well as bystanders, according to official figures. Most of the deaths happened since Lopez was arrested. Prosecutors say Lopez was behind the deadly violence that followed a peaceful march Feb. 12, saying he encouraged followers to set fire to and destroy public buildings. Maduro accused him of being the visible face
of a U.S.-backed “fascist” conspiracy to topple his year-old administration. If found guilty, Lopez could serve nearly 14 years in prison. It would be by far the longest sentence for an opposition leader since the protests began. The country’s high court sent two opposition mayors to jail last month for failing to remove road barricades put up by anti-government activists. One mayor was sentenced to a year while the other got 10 months. Critics of Maduro’s socialist administration say the charismatic Lopez is being held on trumped-up charges. Courts have denied his request to be freed ahead of his trial. Speaking in Caracas on Friday, Maduro said he would continue to take preventive action against those who plot his overthrow. “Those who try to topple the government are prisoners now,” he said.
NEW DELHI — An Indian court on Friday sentenced to death three men who raped a photojournalist inside an abandoned textile mill last year in Mumbai, India’s biggest city. A fourth defendant was sentenced to life in prison, prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said. He said he asked for the death sentence under a strict anti-rape law introduced following public outrage over a fatal gang rape in New Delhi in 2012. “This is the first case in India in which the death penalty has been given to convicts while the victim is alive,” Nikam said. The three men were also found guilty last month of raping a call-center operator at the same abandoned mill in July 2013, a month before the attack on the photojournalist. Nikam described the three as habitual offenders. Judge Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi said the offense was diabolical in nature and the punishment would send a strong message to Indian society. India increased penalties for sex crimes and moved rape trials faster through its notoriously
Photo by Rajanish Kakade | AP
Police officials escort one of the four convicts in a gang rape case to a court in Mumbai, India, on Friday. slow justice system after a 23-year-old medical student died after being gangraped on a moving bus in the capital. Four men were sentenced to death in the New Delhi case. The trials in New Delhi and Mumbai cases were completed within seven months. The four men sentenced in the case in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, can appeal their conviction in an appeals court within three months. Also Friday, 24 men were sentenced to prison for raping a teenager who was abducted in Kerala
state in 1996. A court had acquitted all but one defendant in 2005, but India’s top court ordered a retrial last year. It was completed in six months, prosecutor Anella George said. One man was sentenced to life in prison and 23 others to 7 to 11 years, George said. The 16-year-old victim was abducted and raped in homes, hotels, cars and public buses over one and a half months. The men convicted in Ernakulam town included a retired professor, lawyers, businessmen and government officials.
AP photographer killed, reporter injured By KIM GAMEL ASSOCIATED PRESS
KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan police commander opened fire Friday on two Associated Press journalists, killing Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Anja Niedringhaus and wounding veteran correspondent Kathy Gannon — the first known case of a security insider attacking journalists in Afghanistan. The shooting was part of a surge in violence targeting foreigners in the run-up to today’s presidential elections, a pivotal moment in Afghanistan’s troubled recent history that promises to be the nation’s first democratic transfer of power. Niedringhaus, 48, who had covered conflict zones from the Balkans in the 1990s to Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, died instantly of her wounds. Gannon, 60, who for many years was the news organization’s Afghanistan bureau chief and currently is a special correspondent for the region, was shot three times in the wrists and shoulder. After surgery, she was in stable condition and spoke to medical personnel before being flown to Kabul. Niedringhaus and Gannon had worked together repeatedly in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, covering the conflict from some of the most dangerous hotspots of the Taliban insurgency. They often focused on the war’s impact on Afghan civilians, and they embedded several times with the Afghan police and military, reporting on the Afghan government’s determination to build up its often ill-equipped forces to face the fight against militants. Gannon, who had sources inside the Taliban leadership, was one of the few Western reporters allowed into Afghanistan during the militant group’s rule in the 1990s. The two journalists were traveling in a convoy of election workers delivering ballots in the eastern city of Khost, under the protection of Afghan security forces. They were in their own car with a translator and an AP Television News freelancer waiting for the convoy to move after arriving at the heavily guarded security forces base in eastern Afghanistan. A unit commander
Photo by Walter Bieri/Keystone/file | AP
Associated Press photographer Anja Niedringhaus, right, and AP journalist Kathy Gannon, are pictured in Zurich, Switzerland, on Aug. 27, 2013. Niedringhaus, 48, was killed and Gannon was wounded Friday when an Afghan policeman opened fire in eastern Afghanistan. identified by authorities as Naqibullah walked up to the car, yelled “Allahu Akbar” — God is Great — and fired on them in the back seat with his AK-47, said the freelance videographer, who witnessed the attack, which left the rear door of the car riddled with bullet holes. The officer then surrendered to the other police and was arrested. While there have been repeated cases in recent years of Afghan police or military personnel opening fire on and killing international troops working with the country’s security forces, Friday’s attack was the first known insider shooting of journalists. Past attacks have been carried out by suspected Taliban infiltrators or Afghans who have come to oppose the foreign presence in the country. At their worst, in 2012, there was an average of nearly one a week, killing more than 60 coalition troops and prompting NATO to reduce joint operations with Afghan forces. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied responsibility for Friday’s attack. Khost Provincial Police Chief Faizullah Ghyrat said the 25-year-old attacker confessed to the shooting and told authorities he was from Parwan province, northwest of Kabul, and was acting to avenge the deaths of fam-
ily members in a NATO bombing there. The claim could not be corroborated and officials said they were still investigating the shooter’s background. Ghyrat said the police commander told authorities he had seen the journalists, decided to act, and then demanded the assault rifle from one of his subordinates. The shooting came on the eve of Afghanistan’s elections for a new president and provincial councils. With international combat forces preparing to withdraw by the end of this year, the country is so unstable that the very fact the vote is being held has been touted as one of the few successes in outgoing President Hamid Karzai’s tenure. The Taliban have vowed to disrupt the vote and have stepped up violence in recent weeks, including increased attacks on civilian targets in Kabul and the killings of a Swedish journalist and an Afghan journalist for the French news agency Agence France-Presse. Karzai said in a statement that he “grieved” Niedringhaus’ death and wished a quick recovery for Gannon. He also ordered an investigation into the shooting. In a memo to staff, AP President Gary Pruitt remembered Niedringhaus as “spirited, intrepid and fearless, with a raucous
laugh that we will always remember.” “Anja is the 32nd AP staffer to give their life in pursuit of the news since AP was founded in 1846,” he wrote. “This is a profession of the brave and the passionate, those committed to the mission of bringing to the world information that is fair, accurate and important. Anja Niedringhaus met that definition in every way.” Niedringhaus joined the AP in 2002, and while based in Geneva worked throughout the Middle East as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan. In 2005, she was part of the AP team that won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography for coverage of Iraq, and was awarded the Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation, among many journalistic honors. In 2006-07, she studied at Harvard University under a Nieman Fellowship. “What the world knows about Iraq, they largely know because of her pictures and the pictures by the photographers she raised and beat into shape,” said AP photographer David Guttenfelder. “I know they always ask themselves, ‘What would Anja do?’ when they go out with their cameras. I think we all do.” “She truly believed in the need to bear witness,” said Santiago Lyon, AP
vice president and director of photography. Niedringhaus captured what war meant to her subjects: an Afghan boy on a swing holding a toy submachine gun, a blackclad Iraqi giving a bottle to her baby as she waits for prisoners to be released, a U.S. Marine mourning the loss of 31 comrades. Others showed life going on among the killing: a Canadian soldier with a sunflower stuck in his helmet, a young girl testing her artificial limbs, while her sister teasingly tries to steal her crutches, a bearded Afghan man and grinning boy listening to music on an iPod borrowed from German soldiers. At an exhibit of her work in Berlin in 2011, Niedringhaus said: “Sometimes I feel bad because I can always leave the conflict, go back home to my family where there’s no war.” Niedringhaus started her career as a freelance photographer for a local newspaper in her hometown in Hoexter, Germany, at age 16. She worked for the European Press Photo Agency before joining the AP and had published two books. Gannon, a Canadian journalist based in Islamabad, has covered Afghanistan and Pakistan for the AP since the mid-1980s. A former Edward R. Mur-
row fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, she is the author of a book on the country, “I Is for Infidel: From Holy War to Holy Terror: 18 Years Inside Afghanistan.” She also was awarded the Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation, in 2002. After Friday’s attack, Gannon underwent surgery in Khost and was said to be stable. She was then flown to Kabul for further treatment. Niedringhaus drew praise Friday from battlefields to the White House. She was honored at a United Nations briefing, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, tweeted condolences. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said she and Gannon were in President Obama’s thoughts and prayers. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren condemned “this senseless act of violence against these brave professionals covering this important political transition in Afghanistan.” The Committee to Protect Journalists said the loss of Niedringhaus and the wounding of Gannon “reflect the heightened dangers of reporting from Afghanistan.” “As pre-election violence mounts, Afghanistan has become a dangerous assignment on par with the height of the Iraq war or the current situation in Syria,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. The militants have increasingly been targeting Westerners. Nils Horner, a 51-yearold Swedish journalist who had worked for Swedish Radio since 2001 as a foreign correspondent, was killed by a shot in the head as he was reporting on Afghanistan’s election in Kabul in early March. An extremist Taliban splinter group later claimed responsibility. On March 21, four gunmen opened fire in a crowded restaurant frequented by foreigners in the Serena Hotel in Kabul, killing nine people. Among the dead was Sardar Ahmad, a respected 40-year-old Afghan journalist with AFP. His wife and two of their children also were killed, while their nearly 2-year-old son was badly wounded.
Mexico
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
Novelist Garcia Mourners get comfort Marquez is ill from duo’s singing By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
By DAMIEN CAVE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK TIMES
MEXICO CITY — Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez has been hospitalized in Mexico City with lung and urinary tract infections that are responding to treatment, federal health officials and the author’s son said Thursday. The 87-year-old Nobel laureate entered the hospital Monday suffering from the infection and from dehydration, Mexico’s Secretary of Health said in a written statement. “The patient has responded to treatment. Once he’s completed his course of antibiotics his discharge from the hospital will be evaluated,” the statement said. The author’s son Gonzalo said there had been no medical emergency and he expected his father to leave the hospital early next week. “He went to a normal room,” the son said. “He was never in the emergency room.” Garcia Marquez has lived in Mexico City for more than three decades, and has limited his public appearances in recent years. He was feted before the press on his birthday last month by friends and well-wishers who brought him cake and flowers outside his home in an exclusive neighborhood in the south of Mexico City. He did not speak at the event. Garcia Marquez’s friend Elena Poniatowska, a renowned Mexican journalist and author, said she had last seen him when he visited her home in November with a bouquet of yellow roses, a symbol that made frequent appearances in his epic, hallucinatory novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” “He looked well,” Poniatowska told The Associated Press. Garcia Marquez’s hospitalization did not appear related to longstanding reports about the author’s memory problems, which have not been publicly diagnosed. A person close to the family said that Garcia Marquez can carry on with normal life, although he has good days and bad days. “He functions well in daily life,” said the man, who did not want to
MEXICO CITY — The gravediggers tossed dirt onto the gray coffin, the dust adding tears to weepy eyes. A young man in a T-shirt poured out a little beer for his cousin, who died at just 27. Then came the surge of music. Hired for an hour at the entrance to one of Mexico’s biggest, grittiest cemeteries, the Wolves of the Sierra — two friends in black cowboy hats, one with a guitar, the other with an accordion — carried dozens of mourners into contemplation and grief with a classic song about a swallow hoping to fly. “Today we’re sad, but tomorrow we’ll be happy,” said Jesus Rojas, 33, a cousin of the young man who was buried, Alberto Valvino Blancarte Colunga. “That’s why we have the music, to carry us through.” Musicians hired for the moment are as integral to Mexican life as tequila and family — often, all three appear together — but in death, melodies play a special role. Ever since the Mexican Revolution, when songs known as corridos became aural obituaries for soldiers killed in battle, music has been used to celebrate the dead and remind mourners of more festive memories. Especially here in Iztapalapa, a neighborhood of about 1 million people that has more homicides than any other borough of the capital, the Wolves have become a reliable companion. As the house band for the Panteon Civil de San Nicolás Tolentino, a 280-acre cemetery on a hillside full of graves either overgrown with weeds or graced with fresh flowers. “The work is always steady,” said Lázaro Martínez, 55, a red electric guitar swung over one shoulder and a small speaker slung over the other.
Photo by Eduardo Verdugo/file | AP
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was hospitalized Thursday, in Mexico City. be quoted by name out of respect for the family’s desire to keep the issue out of the spotlight. Garcia Marquez is by many accounts the Spanish language’s most popular writer since Miguel de Cervantes in the 17th century. His extraordinary literary celebrity has drawn comparisons with Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. “One Hundred Years of Solitude” has sold some 50 million copies in more than 25 languages and its 1967 publication was a milestone in a two-decade-long Latin American literature boom. Other contemporary classics by the man with the bushy black eyebrows and white mustache, known to friends as “Gabo,” include “Chronicle of a Death Foretold,” “Love in the Time of Cholera,” “The General in His Labyrinth” and “Autumn of the Patriarch.” Garcia Marquez won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1982, and his books have outsold everything published in Spanish except the Bible. Along with writers including Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe, he was also an early practitioner of literary nonfiction that would become known as New Journalism.
“Here there are always people who need a song.” His partner, Edmundo Taurino Juárez Pérez, 56, arrived here first. Born in the southern state of Oaxaca, he came to Mexico City decades ago seeking stardom and a stable income. He has been playing among the dead for 11 years.
Balance Tall and taciturn, singing more than he speaks, but with kind, dark eyes, he is the ballast to Martínez’s lighter personality. While Martínez seems to be here out of necessity (he said he tried and failed to make a go of it in the United States), Juárez plays the cemetery by choice. He said he liked the quiet, the solemnity: In a city of endless traffic, car horns and exhaust, San Nicolás is a slice of peace where birds can be heard even during rush hour. “It’s just tranquil,” Juárez said. But the job can be difficult. “Especially when I first started, it was hard,” he said. “We play for a lot of people who are crying. We feel what they feel.” It was just before noon on a recent weekday. He and Martínez were walking back to the road after a small performance in a hidden corner of the cemetery where pink bougainvillea climbed over a barbedwire fence behind a factory. They had just played 10 songs (at 50 pesos each, for a total fee of about $38) for a family that came to visit the graves of several relatives, including the mother. She died in 1984 and every year the relatives return on the anniversary of her death. The music, the relatives said, was a way to reconnect with past eras and loved ones who are gone. “None of them are here anymore, but when they were,
they liked the music, and it’s a way to remember them,” said Elena Contreras Moreno, 64. Her sisters nodded. “We want the music because we don’t want to be suffering,” said María de los Ángeles Contreras Moreno, 58. “We don’t want to cry, we want to smile, and the music helps.” Juárez and Martínez seemed pleased with the praise. Asked about more difficult moments, Juárez walked over to a mound of earth where a young couple had recently been buried. “It was a motorcycle accident,” he said. The hardest case, he added, came about a year ago when they played for the family of two young girls who died in a house fire. Their mother was out. No one was there to save them. “Most of the people we play for, they didn’t die from natural causes,” Juárez said. “They’re young. There are a lot of accidents.” Iztapalapa is hardworking but poor, with nearly every open wall covered in layers of graffiti. Bodies with tragic stories arrive at the cemetery all the time. In November 2012, a 10-yearold boy was killed by a stray bullet while watching the Disney film “Wreck-It Ralph” at a movie theater in a mall here. Two months later, all of Mexico seemed captivated by claims that roving packs of dogs had mauled five people in the park that abuts San Nicolás. Neighbors said the first bodies with bite marks, those of a 26-year-old woman and a 1-year-old boy, were found just after Christmas, followed by three more, including a teenage couple that bled to death. Many residents still doubt that dogs were responsible. They argue that the dogs came after the real killers dumped the bodies.
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
ECONOMY benchmark economically.” “The potential labor force is growing all the time, so the private sector should have added millions of jobs over the last sixplus years,” she said. U.S. employers did add a seasonally adjusted 192,000 jobs in March, just below February’s 197,000, which was revised higher. March’s figure nearly matched last year’s average monthly gain, suggesting that the economy has recovered from the hiring slowdown caused by severe weather in December and January. “We’re seeing sustained improvement,” said Scott Anderson, chief economist at Bank of the West. “But we’re not really that much stronger than we were last year. And we need more improvement for a stronger economy to come into fruition.” The March figures did signal that stronger gains could lie ahead: More Americans without jobs are starting to look for one, and paychecks are growing. Most economists expect job growth to pick up a bit to a monthly pace of
225,000 or more. One reason: Americans have reduced their debts and benefited from rising home prices and a rising stock market. Better household finances should translate into more spending. And a major drag on growth — federal spending cuts and tax increases — will fade this year, most likely boosting the economy. Budget battles and government shutdowns that have eroded business and consumer confidence since the recession ended are unlikely this year. “Enough repair has happened in damaged sectors and there’s enough calm ... so we can have a real recovery,” said Ethan Harris, global economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Greater business confidence has been good for companies such as Advanced Technology Services, a Peoria, Ill.-based firm that maintains machine tools, robotics and computer systems for industrial companies such as Caterpillar, Honeywell and Honda. The company has about 120 openings for factory floor technicians, network
FORT HOOD dence that he had a medical history that indicates unstable psychiatric or psychological condition,” Milley said. “We believe that to be a fundamental, underlying cause.” Lopez had reported to medical personnel that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury. The 34-year-old served four months in Iraq but saw no combat, and he previously had demonstrated no apparent risk of violence. He seemed to have a clean record that showed no ties to potential terrorists, though military officials said the investigation was ongoing. “We’re not making any assumptions by that. We’re going to keep an open mind and an open investigation,” Army Secretary John McHugh said Thursday in Washington, explaining that “possible extremist involvement is still being looked at very, very carefully.” Three people who were critically injured in the attack improved to fair condition Friday at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple. A fourth victim was expected to be released later in the day. At the military’s request, the hospital said, it would not make the wounded or their families available for media interviews. Investigators searched Lopez’s home on Thursday and questioned his wife, who declined to comment in Spanish when reached by phone by The Associated Press.
engineers and information technology professionals. It has 2,700 employees in the U.S. and 300 more in Mexico and Britain. Jeff Owens, president of ATS, said his clients appear more confident about economic growth and more willing to invest in machinery. He is seeing solid growth in the auto, food processing and oil and gas drilling equipment industries. “The economy is better than it was a year or two ago,” Owens said. “We’re seeing that people are more comfortable with executing their strategic plans.” The U.S. unemployment rate has been stuck at 6.7 percent since December, but that partly reflects a positive trend: More Americans, particularly younger people, are either working or looking for work. So far this year, about 1.3 million people have started looking for jobs, and most have found them. Last year, by contrast, the number of people either working or looking for work had shrunk by roughly 500,000. That’s a welcome change from the pattern that had prevailed since the reces-
Continued from Page 1A
Lopez walked into a base building around 4 p.m. Wednesday and began firing a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol. He then got into a vehicle and continued shooting before entering another building on the Army post. He eventually was confronted by military police in a parking lot, Milley said. As he came within 20 feet of a police officer, the gunman put his hands up but then reached under his jacket and pulled out his gun. The officer drew her own weapon, and the suspect put his gun to his head and pulled the trigger a final time, Milley said. The base’s commander praised the actions of the female police officer but declined to release her name. Milley also said authorities were first alerted to the rampage when two soldiers who had been shot managed to dial 911, and that a base chaplain shielded soldiers with his own body before smashing window glass to allow them to flee the area. Lopez bought the weapon he used in the attack at Guns Galore in Killeen — the same store, just off the base, where Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan purchased an FN 5-7 tactical pistol that he used it to kill 13 people and wound more than 30 others in a November 2009 shooting on the base. After that assault, which marked the deadliest attack on a domestic military installation in U.S. history, the military tightened base security nationwide.
CHARGES
Continued from Page 1A
Lopez grew up in Guayanilla, a town of fewer than 10,000 people on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico, with a mother who was a nurse at a public clinic and a father who did maintenance for an electric utility company. Glidden Lopez Torres, who said he was a friend speaking for the family, said Lopez’s mother died of a heart attack in November. The soldier was upset that he was granted only a 24-hour leave to attend her funeral, which was delayed for nearly a week so he could be there, the spokesman said. The leave was then extended to two days. Lopez joined the island’s National Guard in 1999, and he served on a yearlong peacekeeping mission in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in the mid-2000s. He enlisted with the Army in 2008, and arrived at Fort Hood in February from Fort Bliss, a Texas post near the Mexico border. He saw a psychiatrist last month and showed no “sign of any likely violence either to himself or others,” McHugh said. Suzie Miller, a 71-year-old retired property manager who lived in the same Killeen apartment complex as Lopez, said few people knew him and his wife well because they had just moved in a few weeks ago. “I’d see him in his uniform heading out to the car every morning,” Miller said. “He was friendly to me and a lot of us around here.”
sion: The proportion of Americans working or looking for work fell to a 35-year low in December. Many of the unemployed had become discouraged and stopped hunting for jobs. In addition, many younger people stayed in school to avoid the job market. And some older Americans probably retired earlier than they would have otherwise. For most of the past four years, the number of Americans who found jobs barely kept up with population growth. Now it’s growing slightly faster. As a result, the percentage of Americans 16 or older who were working reached 58.9 percent in March — the highest point since 2009. Another positive sign in the report: Americans worked more hours last month. The average work week rose to 34.5 hours last month, up from 34.3 in February. More hiring plus a longer workweek means bigger paychecks for more Americans. That should help fuel more consumer spending and economic growth in the months ahead.
On March 19, U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker granted the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s motion to dismiss the criminal complaint without prejudice against Martin Gonzalez-Garces Jr., a man arrested in Zapata County with cocaine valued at $1.7 million. Defense attorney Daniel Longoria, who represented Gonzalez-Garces, said he could not comment on the “reason(s)” for the dismissal. “I will say that the (U.S.) Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, which includes Laredo, is staffed by very competent attorneys who apply the law to the facts of a case,” Longoria stated in an email to Laredo Morning Times. Angela Dodge, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said the office could not comment on the matter. “We cannot provide specifics on our prosecutorial discretion, but the matter remains under investigation,” Dodge said. Gonzalez-Garces’ arrest dates back to Feb. 17. At about 5 p.m. that day, Homeland Security Investigation special agents were conducting surveillance in
Continued from Page 1A the Lopeño and Chihuahua area when they observed a red Ford F-150 driven by Gonzalez-Garces. Gonzalez-Garces then drove to the north end of a ranch in Lopeño. He exited the property about 30 minutes later and headed toward Roman on U.S. 83. Then, a Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office deputy pulled the vehicle over for a traffic violation. A federal criminal complaint reads that GonzalezGarces was acting nervous. Deputies would end up discovering 117 pounds of cocaine concealed in an aftermarket compartment within the pickup’s bed. The man allegedly admitted to transporting narcotics, according to court records. “Gonzalez-Garces further admitted that he was to be paid an unknown amount of money for transporting the narcotics,” the complaint reads. The cocaine had an estimated street value of $1,707,200. At the time, Gonzalez-Garces was charged with possession with intent to distribute the cocaine. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
NEW HOMES Continued from Page 1A stall adoptions. “I think more than food or water, companionship is lifeblood to a dog,” O’Sullivan said. She is convinced that when an older dog is adopted, they will live longer because of an owner’s love. Many shelters and rescues online and off focus on senior dog adoptions that are growing in popularity. But O’Sullivan’s page, Susie’s Senior Dogs, has gotten more attention than most thanks to a big boost from her boyfriend, an Internet star who knows how to build buzz online — and owns a dog named Susie. Brandon Stanton of Brooklyn is the author of a book and much-read blog called “Humans of New York,” which claims more than 4 million followers on social media and chronicles the lives of New Yorkers, enrapturing overtaxed Web surfers with heartfelt photos and snippets of text. Three years ago, Stanton adopted an 11-year-old Chihuahua named Susie. “She is the greatest dog in New York ... I didn’t realize what it meant to have an animal attach itself to you so her only concern in life is being close to you,” he said. O’Sullivan had set up a Facebook page for Susie, which had about 10,000 “likes” the morning she changed its purpose to finding other old dogs new homes. Stanton pitched
the page on his blog, and by nightfall the page had 10 times as many followers. That number has since grown to over 150,000, and she has helped nearly 200 dogs since January. That includes a 12-yearold pooch that Britany Spangler of Grand Rapids, Mich., found on the page. “I never intended on getting a dog until I saw our Molly and I knew we had to have her,” she said. The Lhasa apso was missing a whole side of teeth, was infested with worms and fleas, had an allergy that made her hair fall out and suffered kidney problems. Despite the health issues, the dog gets along beautifully with her three children, who are all under 3 years old, Spangler said. “It was like they had been together forever,” she said. “She came pottytrained and full of love. If she is with us for six months, she blesses us for six months. If she is with us for five years, she enriches our lives for five years. She’s the dog I never knew I needed.” Steve Greig, who owns a menagerie of animals, found a 10-year-old dog to love on O’Sullivan’s page, but the nearly hairless Chihuahua-poodle mix named Phyllis also came with problems. The dog is blind, weak, had sores on her face from trying to escape her cage, and lost all her hair to an
infection, Greig said. In February, he took in Phyllis because he didn’t have hope she would be adopted from a shelter otherwise. “She looks like a fox with a bad perm,” he said, but that hasn’t bothered his dogs, cats, chickens, ducks or pot-bellied pig. “The other dogs must realize the 10-year-old Chihuahua-poodle is blind and feeble. They are so gentle with her. She’s fitting in fine.” Greig is looking into getting Phyllis surgery to possibly restore her eyesight. Meanwhile, O’Sullivan and animal rescue owner Elli Frank are trying to help Tanya, an 8-year-old pit bull mix that was all but forgotten after being dumped at a shelter as a puppy. Frank, founder of Mr. Bones and Co. in New York City that takes in a few animals at a time, won’t acquire other dogs until Tanya has a home. The dog has been adopted twice, but little things went wrong and she was returned. Frank has since sent her to an obedience school in Connecticut. “I want her to be the most adoptable dog she can be,” Frank said. “It’s so wrong that she doesn’t have a home ... But who is going to gamble on a dog that’s never had a home?” O’Sullivan would call her an underdog — her favorite kind.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS: ZAPATA
Zapata heads to district Courtesy photo
The Zapata tennis team heads to the District 31-3A meet. The Hawks squads include: Alex Reyes, Chris Davila, Javi Fernandez, Carlos Romero, Hector Leduc, Carlos Poblano, Trey Alvarez, Manuel Benavides, Gaby Alvarez, Alynna Benavidez, Sandra Morales, Samantha Garcia, Alexa Alvarez, Christina Martinez and Virgi Solis. Not pictured: Araceli Velasquez.
Hawks tennis teams prepared for District 31-3A meet By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata Hawks and Lady Hawks tennis teams have been on a roll. The squads won the overall team championship at the Alice Invitational,
placed fifth at the UISD Winter Classic and went home with the boys’ and girls’ titles at the Bishop and Hebbronville tournaments. This preseason success will be very beneficial for the upcoming District 31-3A meet on April 4 in Harlingen at
the HEB Tennis Center at Pendleton Park. It continues through April 5 at Raymondville High School. “If the seeding holds out it will be mostly Zapata and Kingsville slugging it out for the district titles," Zapata coach Robert Alvarez said. "I am confident that
we have put in the work necessary to bring back the titles, but it will come down to our kids playing their best. I believe that we are ready." Leading the charge for the Hawks
See ZAPATA PAGE 2B
NCAA BASKETBALL: FINAL FOUR
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
TEXAS’ FINAL FOUR
Titans cut Chris Johnson Seahawks extend Carroll, Bailey joins Saints, Daniels heads to Baltimore ASSOCIATED PRESS NFL NEWS ROUNDUP
Photo by Kim Johnson Flodin | AP
AT&T stadium will be the host of the 2014 NCAA Final Four beginning on Saturday as No. 1 Florida faces No. 7 UConn and No. 2 Wisconsin battles No. 8 Kentucky.
Final Four meets ‘Jerry World’ By MATT PORTER MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
ARLINGTON — At the NCAA Tournament South Regional last year, Florida, like all teams, arrived a
little early. It wasn’t out of pure excitement. They were just trying to stay on schedule. It took 10 minutes to walk from the bus to the locker rooms.
Welcome to life on the biggest stage of ’em all. The Bunyanesque dimensions of AT&T Stadium, formerly known as Cowboys Stadium, are well documented. It’s 3
million square feet can hold some 110,000 fans, has a video board larger than a basketball court, is tall enough to fit the Stat-
See FINAL FOUR PAGE 2B
NCAA BASKETBALL
Marshall, McDermott honored By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON — Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall is growing accustomed to being center stage at the Final Four. He just wishes his team was with him this time around. After leading the Shock-
ers to the national semifinals a year ago, Marshall deftly guided them through a perfect regular season, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. While they were done in by Kentucky in the third round, by then the votes had al-
See AWARDS PAGE 2B
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have told Chris Johnson they are releasing him after six seasons to avoid paying the $8 million the running back is due in pay in 2014, and the final three seasons left on the $53.5 million contract he signed in September 2011. The Titans announced Johnson has been told he
will be released Friday. The decision comes before they start their offseason program Monday. They also agreed with Dexter McCluster to a three-year deal at the start of free agency after signing Shonn Greene in March 2013. The Titans also re-
See NFL PAGE 2B
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Indians extend Kipnis Red Sox receive rings, ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo protested ASSOCIATED PRESS MLB NEWS ROUNDUP
Photo by David J. Phillip | AP
Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall was named the AP coach of the year after a perfect regular season.
CLEVELAND — The Indians have signed All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis to a six-year, $52.5 million contract extension hours before playing their home opener against Minnesota. Kipnis is the latest core player to be locked up by the Indians, who reached deals with outfielder Michael Brantley and catcher Yan Gomes during spring
training. The sides had been negotiating for months. The contract runs through the 2019 season with a club option for 2020. The 27-year-old Kipnis developed into one of the AL’s rising stars last season, batting .284 with 17 homers and 84 RBIs in 149
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NFL Continued from Page 1B signed Jackie Battle recently, along with reaching a one-year deal for kick returner and running back Leon Washington on March 11. Seahawks give Carroll extension SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks have locked up coach Pete Carroll with a three-year contract extension after he led the franchise to its first Super Bowl title. The Seahawks announced the extension Friday. Carroll’s original five-year deal, signed with the team in January 2010, was set to expire after the 2014 season. Carroll has proven his attitude and approach can work in the NFL during his third stint as a head coach at the pro level. He’s preached competition with his players and it has shown with the emergence of stars like quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman. Carroll is 38-26 in four regular seasons with Seattle and 5-2 in the playoffs. At age 62, Carroll is the second-oldest head coach in the NFL. Bailey agrees with Saints
METAIRIE, La. — Veteran defensive back Champ Bailey has agreed to a two-year contract with the New Orleans Saints. The 35-year-old Bailey played the last 10 seasons with Denver after spending his first five in the NFL with Washington. A shutdown cornerback for much of his career, Bailey has made three All-Pro teams and been selected to 12 Pro Bowls. He trails only Hall of Fame end Reggie White (13) among defensive players in NFL history in Pro Bowls. Bailey’s 52 interceptions are the most among active players, as are his 204 passes defensed. But he missed 11 games because of a left foot sprain originally suffered in the 2013 preseason, which wound up being a Lisfranc injury, one of the most painful for an athlete. He returned late in the season to help the Broncos advance to the Super Bowl. Ravens add TE Daniels OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens and tight end Owen Daniels have reached agreement on a 1-year contract, pending a physical.
ZAPATA Continued from Page 1B The 32-year-old Daniels broke into the league with Houston in 2007 and spent his entire career with the Texans before being cut last month. SS Manning joins Bengals CINCINNATI — The Bengals signed strong safety Danieal Manning on Thursday, three days after his release by the Houston Texans. Manning started the first six games last season before suffering a season-ending injury to his right knee. He became an unrestricted free agent on Monday. Patriots cut Wilson FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Safety Adrian Wilson has been released by New England. A four-time All-Pro pick, Wilson spent his first 12 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Williams traded from Bucs to Bills BUFFALO — The Buffalo Bills have acquired receiver Mike Williams in a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s a homecoming for Williams, who grew up in Buffalo and played at Syracuse under current Bills coach Doug Marrone.
will be the doubles team of Trey Alvarez and Alex Reyes, as they take their 22-2 record into the meet. Alvarez and Reyes have won titles at Alice, the UISD Winter Classic, Hebbronville and Bishop. The duo placed second at the Border Olympics and third at the UISD Spring Open. "Trey and Alex were regional semifinalists last year but the Kingsville team went to state last year," Alvarez said. "The boys have really worked hard. We have beaten them three times this year but it will be a great match with a lot riding on it as far as seeding for regionals." As expected, Alvarez and Reyes are seeded No. 1 at the district meet while Kingsville’s team of Weatherford and Apthassist are second seeds. These teams are two of the best in the region and have played each other three times this year. The Hawks duo won all three in very close matches. The other Hawks doubles team of Javi Fernandez and Carlos Romero are seeded fourth heading into the district tournament. In mixed doubles, the team of
FINAL FOUR Continued from Page 1B ue of Liberty — and the 40-acre island on which she lives — inside with the roof closed. This weekend, the 5-year-old, $1.3 billion place called Jerry’s World welcomes the Final Four for the first time as UF, UConn, Wisconsin and Kentucky battle for the national championship. The Gators have the most experience at the big house in Arlington, having defeated Florida Gulf Coast in last year’s South Regional before losing to Michigan in the final. ”We had the opportunity last year to play here, so for some of our guys it’s a familiar place,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. ”But I think there’s enough time to get ready and play in this venue because it’s a little bit different.” Their opponent in Saturday’s national semifinal, UConn, hasn’t played here, nor has Wisconsin. Kentucky lost to Baylor here on Nov. 13. However, that game was played opposite a Baylor football game and with icy weather outside. The crowd was less than 10,000. ”We know our guys are going to get in front of 75,000, look around and think ’oh my,”’ said Kentucky coach John Calipari, whose team usually plays in Rupp Arena, a place more than seven and a half times smaller. ”It’s going to be that way. Then we’ll both try to settle down our teams and try to get them focused on basketball, lose themselves in the game and just play basketball.” For NCAA, bigger is better The last time the Final Four was played in a true basketball arena was 1996, when Rick Pitino’s Kentucky squad cut down the nets in Continental Airlines Arena in Rutherford, N.J. Some 19,229 saw that game, which feels like a student section next to recent crowds at Final Fours. Each of the last five championship games, held in football-first stadiums, has drawn 70,000-plus. The NCAA Tournament attendance record is 75,421 for the 2011 national semifinal games at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. UConn played Kentucky in that 2011 Final Four. Huskies coach Kevin Ollie, then an assistant to Jim Calhoun, said one big difference for the teams this year is that the NCAA allowed them to have two practices to get accustomed to shooting in such a cavernous area. ”This really allows our players to see the ball going in,” Ollie said. ”We always want to see that. Just seeing them get used to (the court) and relaxed, and shooting in a venue like this is a great opportunity.” The Final Four attendance record seems likely to fall this weekend. AT&T Stadium’s capacity will be 77,122, which is 25,000 more than last year’s regional due to the removal of a curtain that blocked off the top row. The record for a college basketball game is 78,129, set
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during a 2003 regular-season Kentucky-Michigan State game at Detroit’s Ford Field. There’s a ”distinct possibility” that mark is topped, said Brett Daniels, senior director of corporate communications for the Dallas Cowboys. After all, then-Cowboys Stadium drew the all-time basketball record of 108,713 for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. The building has more than enough room — 180,000 square feet of standing-room space — to place students and walk-ups. ”We don’t have to turn away fans,” Daniels said. Because of the capacity, ticket demand is relatively cheap. After spiking last weekend, the average semifinal ticket on the secondary market is $487, according to Forbes. That’s the lowest in the last four years, per TiqIQ.com. On Thursday, the lowest-priced ticket was $93 on reseller SeatGeek.com. Stadium transformation big job It will never feel as intimate as the arenas Florida, Kentucky, UConn and Wisconsin are used to seeing. Not even close. Combined, the square footage of those schools’ home arenas equals a little more than 35 percent of AT&T Stadium. If sellout crowds from all four buildings sat inside Jerry’s World, they’d still have 14,000 seats left over. Making such a huge place fit for basketball takes some serious work. The transformation requires 10 to 11 days, said Mark Williams, a principal at HKS Architects, the firm that designed AT&T Stadium and was hired by the NCAA to convert it to a hoops haven. The checklist for a team of about 60 workers includes installing 16,500 temporary seats and removing 9,500 regular seats, for a net gain of about 7,000. So floor-bound fans can better see the game, the stadium’s much-ballyhooed high-definition video board — 72 feet high and 160 feet wide — gets an ornamental 18-by-40 screen, sized like ones found in many regular-sized arenas. They place the hardwood floor in the center of the building on a 29-inch riser to improve sight lines. ”We basically built an arena in the lower bowl,” Daniels said. The in-stadium glass windows and walls are curtained off so they don’t distract players. The roof is translucent, so it does not allow beams of direct sunlight to reach the floor. Fans watching the UF-UConn game Saturday (5:15 p.m. local start) may notice a sunset glow from the roof, but the players won’t. The end game AT&T Stadium has bid on Final Fours from 2017-20 and hopes to host another Super Bowl soon. But a stadium this large need not limit itself to football and basketball. It will host the championship game of Division I college football’s first playoff in January.
AWARDS Continued from Page 1B ready been tabulated. Marshall was the runaway winner of the AP coach of the year award. He accepted his hardware during a news conference Thursday at AT&T Stadium, where the Wildcats will play Wisconsin and UConn will meet Florida in the national semifinals Saturday night. “I’m truly honored,” Marshall said. “It’s amazing what our young guys and our program were able to accomplish this year, with the tremendous win streak and the run they took us all on. I’ve been coaching for a long time, but when you have a group like this, they make it really special.” Speaking of special, Creighton star Doug McDermott was a nearunanimous pick as the AP player of the year after a senior season that left him the fifth-leading scorer in Division I history. McDermott received all but one vote from the 65member panel that votes for the Top 25. Russ Smith of Louisville received the only dissenting vote. “This is a huge honor,” said McDermott, who was joined at the news confer-
ence by his father, Creighton coach Greg McDermott, along with his mother and sister. “It’s been a heck of a ride,” McDermott said. “It has been a great four years.” The award ceremony was also a reunion for Marshall and McDermott, who became familiar with each other when Wichita State and Creighton tussled for Missouri Valley supremacy. But when the Bluejays skipped to the Big East, it cleared the way for Marshall’s Shockers to romp through a weakened league and have one of the finest seasons in Division I history. Wichita State won its first 35 games, a record for a men’s major college program, and became the first team to enter the NCAA tournament with a perfect record since UNLV in 1991. With his motto of “play angry,” the Shockers embodied the intense nature of their blue-collar coach, who came up through tiny schools such as Randolph-Macon to reach the pinnacle of his sport. Along the way, the Shockers captured their
first Missouri Valley tournament title since 1987 and landed forward Cleanthony Early and point guard Fred VanVleet on the AP’s All-America teams. “I tell you what, they made it easy to coach,” Marshall told AP. “You enjoy going to work every single day. Even with the loss to Kentucky, they never wavered. They wanted to be a special group, and they wanted to do things that have never been done.” That loss to the Wildcats still stings, though. The heavyweights from the SEC were given a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament, meaning Wichita State had to face them in the opening weekend, and the two teams waged a thrilling game that came down to VanVleet’s missed shot at the buzzer. “Ultimately, some point down the road, we’ll look back on this season, and look back fondly,” Marshall said, “but at this point, gosh, I wish we were still playing.” Marshall received 44 votes for coach of the year. Tony Bennett of Virginia got 13, followed by Florida’s Billy Donovan with
Manuel Benavides and Gaby Alvarez have done well this year winning titles at Alice, Bishop and Hebbronville. Benavides and Alvarez are seeded No. 1 at district meet, while the second mixed doubles team of Carlos Poblano and Samantha Garcia are the No. 4 seed. In girls’ singles, Christina Martinez is the top seed and Alexa Alvarez is seeded second. In boys’ singles, Chris Davila is seeded third and Hector Leduc fourth. Kingsville has the top two seeds. In girls’ doubles, the Lady Hawks duo of Sandra Morales and Alynna Benavidez are seeded second and the team of Valeria Rodriguez and Araceli Velasquez are seeded fourth. "Manuel and Gaby have been playing well and I expect them win district," Alvarez said. "Our singles players Chris Davila and Christina Martinez have worked so hard and improved so much that I am so excited to see how they do at district.” Clara Sandoval can be reached at Sandoval.Clara@Gmail.com.
six and Michigan’s John Beilein and SMU’s Larry Brown with one each. There wasn’t nearly as much indecision in voting for McDermott, who led the Bluejays to a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. And while their season ended in a loss to Baylor, it was only a blip on an otherwise remarkable career that left his proud pop feeling nostalgic. “It’s hard to believe on a lot of levels,” Greg McDermott told AP. “As his father, I still see him as a little scrawny kid in a lot of ways.” One that blossomed into a dynamic, 6-foot-8 forward who led the nation in scoring at nearly 27 points per game and finished with a staggering 3,150 for his career. Earlier this year, he was voted a first-team AllAmerican, the first player since Patrick Ewing and Wayman Tisdale in 1985 to earn the nod three straight years. “I knew Doug was going to be player of the year much sooner than I thought I could be coach of the year,” Marshall said. “He can certainly play on any level and he proved that this year.”
Photo by Mark Duncan | AP
Indians All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis received a sixyear, $52.5 million extension on Friday. games. He also stole 30 bases and scored 86 runs. He led the Indians in runs, hits, RBIs and steals. The Indians drafted Kipnis in the second round in 2009. Red Sox receive rings BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have received their 2013 World Series championship rings. They were presented Friday during a ceremony that also honored victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and two Boston firefighters who died in a fire last week. As the ceremony began before the game against Milwaukee, banners for Red Sox championship teams from 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007 and 2013 were lowered from the top of the Green Monster. Family members of victims who died in the bombing last April and survivors walked in from the left-field wall with the rings. Team officials presented them to players and other personnel. Then co-workers from the same station as Lt. Edward J. Walsh and firefighter Michael R. Kennedy walked into center field and stood beside the players. ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo protested at Indians’ opener CLEVELAND — Carrying hand-painted signs that read, “We Are Not Honored,” and “Our Children Are Not Mascots,” a small group of Native Americans demonstrated against the Indians’ use of their smiling, Chief Wahoo logo before the team’s home opener at Progressive Field. The protesters, who have been gathering on opening day outside the ballpark’s entrances for years, stayed behind bar-
ricades as Indians fans, many of them wearing the red-faced logo, filed in for Friday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. Organizers of the protest feel they’re gaining support because of the growing national debate over sports mascots. Robert Roche, the executive director of the American Indian Education Center, says the team should abolish the logo permanently because it “mocks us as a race of people.” The Indians have made Chief Wahoo less visible in recent years, even adding a “Block C” logo. Roche, though, said the team’s efforts to minimize Chief Wahoo “are a facade.” Dodgers scratch Puig for arriving late LOS ANGELES — Yasiel Puig has been scratched from the starting lineup after arriving late for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ home opener. The rest of the team was already on the field stretching before batting practice on Friday while Puig was getting dressed in the clubhouse. He had been slated to start in right field against the San Francisco Giants. Instead, Matt Kemp replaced Puig after manager Don Mattingly had earlier said Kemp wouldn’t start. Kemp came off the disabled list on Friday, and according to Mattingly, Kemp was upset when initially told that he wasn’t in the lineup. Kemp has been rehabbing from left ankle and shoulder operations. He was limited to 279 games during the last two seasons because of injuries. Puig, last year’s runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year, is 5 for 20 through the first five games of the season.
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HINTS | BY HELOISE SPRINGTIME IS LADDER TIME! Dear Readers: With the start of spring begins many home-improvement and cleaning (garage and window) PROJECTS. With many spring projects, you need a ladder, but before you drag the ladder out, here are some hints for staying safe, from the American Ladder Institute: Do not use a ladder that has any missing parts or is damaged in any way. Do not use a ladder if there are high winds or storms in the area. Make certain the ladder you are using is the correct size for the job you are doing. You should never have to stand on the top rung to reach the area you need to work with. Never allow more than one person on the ladder at a time. Do not place the ladder in front of a closed door that can be opened into the ladder (essentially knocking a person off). — Heloise
P.S.: Be ladder SAFE, not ladder sorry! PET PAL Dear Readers: Cathy S. in San Antonio sent in a picture of her black cat, Jazzy, looking out from her favorite spot: a box! Cathy says Jazzy and her other cat take turns lying in it. To see Jazzy’s picture, go to my website, www.Heloise.com, and click on “Pets.” — Heloise DOGGY TREATS TO GO Dear Heloise: I enjoy your column in The (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Gazette. I wash out my used plastic mayo jars, oleo tubs, etc. Then I fill them with a variety of doggy treats. I keep these in the car, and when I see a homeless person with a dog, I give them one, and sometimes a few bucks, too. — Joan M., via email You almost got me! I thought you were giving the doggie treats to the person, not the dog! I’m sure both of them appreciate your kindness. — Heloise
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