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Truancy cases eyed School district has 11th highest prosecution rate By JUDITH RAYO THE ZAPATA TIMES
The number of truancy cases prosecuted in Zapata County courts in the 2012-13 school year ranked one of the highest in the state, according to a recent study.
At 3.53 percent, Zapata County ISD had the 11th highest prosecution rate. In the 2012-2013 school year, ZCISD filed 132 cases, according to the Texas Education Agency website. The district had the highest filing rate in 2012-2013 since
2008. The district had the lowest filing rate in the 2010-2011 school year with a reported number of 47 cases. In the 2013-14 school year, ZCISD’s truant cases decreased with a reported number of 81 cases, TEA states. As of Friday evening,
ZCISD officials were not available for comment. Almost 600 “failure to attend school” cases were prosecuted in Webb County in the 2012-13 school year, according to the report published by the
See TRUANCY PAGE 12A Photo by Refugio Ruiz | AP
FORT HOOD ATTACK
SURVIVORS RECEIVE HONOR
Mourners comfort each other during a ceremony to honor slain policemen in Tlaquepaque, Mexico, Wednesday. On Monday, the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel stopped a police convoy on a rural highway and opened fire, killing 15 officers and wounding five in the bloodiest single attack on Mexican law enforcement in recent memory.
A new name in Mexico’s drug war New Generation cartel responsible for police deaths By JOSHUA PARTLOW THE WASHINGTON POST
Photo by Rodolfo Gonzalez/Austin American-Statesman | AP
Purple Heart recipients Pfc. James Armstrong, left, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Royal hug as they look at pictures of co-workers who were killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, prior to a ceremony, Friday at Fort Hood, Texas. Survivors and family members of those killed during the attack were awarded medals: a Purple Heart for military personnel and Defense of Freedom Medals for civilians.
Five years after attack, Purple Hearts awarded By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT HOOD, Texas — Eric Jackson took a bullet in the forearm during the deadliest mass shooting on a U.S. military base, and returned to Fort Hood five years later
with other survivors Friday to receive Purple Heart medals. Some smiled over an honor they felt was overdue, but also clenched their teeth over needs in their scarred and injured lives they say the Army has denied.
“I try not to be bitter. But it’s kind of hard not to be bitter,” said Jackson, a former staff sergeant. “You wonder, where’s the respect? Where’s the recognition? Where’s the support for what you’ve gone through and what you’re continuously going
through?” Thirteen people were killed and 31 were injured in the 2009 attack carried out by an Army psychiatrist who is now on military death row. Following years of tension,
See FORT HOOD PAGE 12A
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AT BORDER
Cuellar details reimbursement plan By KENDRA ABLAZA THE ZAPATA TIMES
Local governments, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits and religious groups could be reimbursed for tens of thousands dollars spent since last year to
address an influx of families and unaccompanied children crossing CUELLAR the Southwest Texas bor-
der into the United States. U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, announced Friday that those in border communities like Zapata can soon apply for reimbursement of expenses accrued from
their efforts assisting those families and children. Cuellar said $47 million will be available to the state of Texas this year from the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency. Though the agency usually serves U.S. citizens who have experienced natural or manmade domestic disasters, including acts of terror, Cuellar said this
See CUELLAR PAGE 12A
MEXICO CITY — There’s a new name to worry about in Mexico’s ever-churning drug war. They call themselves the New Generation of Jalisco, and they just pulled off one of the most audacious attacks against Mexican authorities in years. Earlier this week, on a lonely road in western Mexico between the resort beach town of Puerto Vallarta and the state capital of Guadalajara, cartel henchmen with assault rifles and grenade launchers ambushed a convoy of state police, killing 15 of them and wounding five more. That brought the total number of police killed in the state to 21, just over the past three weeks, according to the Mexican newspaper El Universal. This is not just an attack on the police, but "an attack on the security of the state, an attack on the people’s security, and it’s bringing crisis to the state," said Jose Guillermo Garcia Murillo, a professor at the University of Guadalajara. Mexican cartels rise and fall, and analysts say New Generation is now rising faster than any. According to the Treasury Department, which put New Generation’s leaders on the drug kingpin list this week, the cartel is operating in several Mexican states and forging underworld ties around the globe. New Generation and an allied group, Los Cuinis, "have rapidly expanded their criminal empire in recent years through the use of violence and extortion," John E. Smith, acting director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in a state-
See DRUG PAGE 12A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Larry Hernandez Memorial 7th Annual Crime Stoppers 5-K Run/Walk Against Crime at the entrance of Lake Casa Blanca State Park. Registration 7 a.m. Race at 8 a.m. Pre-registration fee $15 through April 10. Day of the event April 11, $20. Kids’ run for ages 10 years and under. Proceeds benefit Laredo Crime Stoppers. The first 100 entries receive T-shirt and goody bag. Registration forms at Laredo Crime Stoppers office, 1200 Washington St., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or at Laredo Ciclo Mania at 611 Shiloh, Ste. #2 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Call 956-724-1876 for information; applications at www.laredocrimestoppers.org. The Down Syndrome Association of Laredo presents a Free Seminar & Resources Fair on updates on the care of children with Down Syndrome from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Presenters are Dr. Carlos Bacino, chief of genetic services at Texas Children Hospital; Dr. Jonathan Castillo of Down Syndrome Clinic Texas Children’s Hospital; and Dr. Heidi Castillo of Meyer Center for Developmental Pediatrics Texas Children’s Hospital. The event will take place at UTHSC Regional Campus Laredo, 1937 E. Bustamante St. For more information, call 3339312.
Today is Saturday, April 11, the 101st day of 2015. There are 264 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On April 11, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln spoke to a crowd outside the White House, saying, “We meet this evening, not in sorrow, but in gladness of heart.” (It was the last public address Lincoln would deliver.) On this date: In 1689, William III and Mary II were crowned as joint sovereigns of Britain. In 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated as Emperor of the French and was banished to the island of Elba. (Napoleon later escaped from Elba and returned to power in March 1815, until his downfall in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.) In 1899, the treaty ending the Spanish-American War was declared in effect. In 1921, Iowa became the first state to impose a cigarette tax, at 2 cents a package. In 1945, during World War II, American soldiers liberated the notorious Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald in Germany. In 1965, dozens of tornadoes raked six Midwestern states on Palm Sunday, killing 271 people. In 1970, Apollo 13, with astronauts James A. Lovell, Fred W. Haise and Jack Swigert, blasted off on its ill-fated mission to the moon. In 1989, Mexican officials began unearthing the remains of victims of a drug-trafficking cult near Matamoros; one of the dead was University of Texas student Mark Kilroy, who had disappeared while on spring break. (Several cult members were later convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison.) Ten years ago: During a meeting at his Texas ranch, President George W. Bush told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon he could not allow further West Bank settlement growth and said Israeli and Palestinian doubts about each other were hampering peace prospects. Five years ago: Thousands of people stood in the streets of Poland’s cities in a silent tribute to President Lech Kaczynski and the other 95 people killed in a plane crash the day before. One year ago: President Barack Obama, in a fiery speech at civil rights activist Al Sharpton’s National Action Network conference, accused the GOP of using voting restrictions to keep voters from the polls and of jeopardizing 50 years of expanded ballot box access for millions of black Americans and other minorities. Today’s Birthdays: Ethel Kennedy is 87. Pulitzer Prizewinning columnist Ellen Goodman is 74. Movie director Carl Franklin is 66. Actor Bill Irwin is 65. Country singersongwriter Jim Lauderdale is 58. Songwriter-producer Daryl Simmons is 58. Singer Lisa Stansfield is 49. Rapper David Banner is 41. Actress Tricia Helfer is 41. Actress Kelli Garner is 31. Singer Joss Stone is 28. Actress-dancer Kaitlyn Jenkins is 23. Thought for Today: “If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed, and color, we would find some other causes for prejudice by noon.” — George Aiken, U.S. senator (1892-1984).
Photo by Eric Gay | AP file
In this March 6, 2013, file photo, John Potter, a member of the San Antonio Living History Association, patrols the Alamo in San Antonio. The city of San Antonio is teaming up with state officials to create a master plan for a sweeping makeover of the Alamo and its surrounding plaza. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush says planning will take a year.
Alamo plaza makeover By WILL WEISSERT
MONDAY, APRIL 13
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Laredo Stroke Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at 7 p.m.at the San Martin de Porres Church Family LifeCenter. Please visit www.laredostrokesupport.com for more information.
AUSTIN — San Antonio is teaming up with state officials to create a master plan for a makeover of the Alamo and its surrounding plaza, hoping a major face-lift can again make the iconic site worthy of its “Remember the Alamo” rallying cry. Land Commissioner George P. Bush said Friday that planning will take a year, with recommendations ready perhaps by 2016. San Antonio will contribute $1 million to the planning process through an existing bond program, and Bush’s agency will cover any additional costs. But it remains unclear where the massive amount of state funding needed for any proposed revamp will come from. The plan will focus on revamping the Alamo as part of a larger look of the surround-
TUESDAY, APRIL 14 The Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center orthopedic clinic. Patients must register at the center before the day of the clinic. By appointment only. $5 fee. For more information contact Norma Rangel at 722-2431. Camino Real de los Tejas public meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. The public is invited to enjoy a presentation on the “Camino: Past and Present” by Steven Gonzalez, Trail Association Executive Director and by representatives of the National Park Service. For more information, call the Webb County Heritage Foundation at 956-727-0977.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 Used Book Sale, 10 a.m. to noon, Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited; no admission fee. “Opportunities and Challenges for Mexico Today” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at TAMIU Student Center Ballroom 5201 University Blvd. Dr. Negroponte will examine the high expectations for modernization of the Mexican economy under President Enrique Peña Nieto and the 11 structural reforms that he succeeded in passing through Congress. Contact Amy Palacios at cswht@tamiu.edu or 956-326-2820. Registration is open for G-Force Summer Reading Camp & Vacation Bible School at First United Methodist Church. The camp will take place June 15 – 19 from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and is for children ages 6 – 12. Applications are available at the church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Registration is $5 per child. For more information, contact Mary Webber at 7221674.
ing grounds. The project comes after state reports in recent years detailed some disrepair, including cracked, leaky roofs and rising damp on the walls. Last month, Texas ended its contract with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, which had overseen the Alamo since 1905. The group has since sued for control of more than 30,000 books and artifacts at its library. The downtown San Antonio shrine is the site of an 1836 battle in which 180 Texas defenders were killed during a siege by Mexican forces. Weeks later, those deaths provided Texas soldiers with the “Remember the Alamo!” mantra, which they carried to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto. That battle clinched Texas’ independence from Mexico. “This alliance is long overdue and also very encouraging for all of us who treasure the Alamo,” Bush said in a statement.
Teen will not be tried as adult in infant’s death
County commissioner arrested on bribery
Man charged with murder in fatal shooting
DALLAS — A 14-year-old girl won’t be tried as an adult in the drowning death early this year of an infant at the Dallas apartment they shared, a state district judge ruled Friday. The teenager had faced a life sentence if found guilty as an adult of capital murder in the January death of 2-month-old Justice Hull. But Judge Cheryl Lee Shannon determined the teen will be tried as a juvenile.
DEL RIO, Texas — A county commissioner in West Texas has been arrested on federal charges that he accepted more than $68,000 in bribes to support a real estate project. Val Verde County Commissioner Ramiro Ramon made an initial court appearance Friday on charges that include bribery, wire fraud and making a false statement on an income tax return.
TEXARKANA — Authorities say a 25-year-old man is charged with murder after finding a man shot to death in the street. Police Sgt. Michael Jones says Joshua D. Ray was arrested near the site where officers found 32year-old Stacy Darrell Vaughn with a gunshot wound to his chest Thursday morning. Vaughn was pronounced dead at the scene.
Man on death row loses federal court appeal
San Antonio settles suit in suspected rape by officer
HOUSTON — A 32-year-old man on death row for the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Southwest Texas woman whose remains weren’t found until two years after she vanished has lost a federal court appeal. The decision Friday from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals moves Ramiro Gonzales a step closer to execution.
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio City Council has approved a $500,000 settlement in a civil lawsuit filed by a woman who said a former police officer raped her in 2013. The former officer, 41-year-old Jackie Neal, still is charged with sexual assault. He is accused of raping the woman in his patrol car while on duty.
1 of state’s most-wanted fugitives arrested AUSTIN — One of the state’s most-wanted fugitives has been arrested in West Texas by authorities acting on a tip. Forty-year-old James Lee Matley was arrested on a parole violation this week in El Paso County. Authorities say he’s a member of the Texas Chicano Brotherhood gang and that a reward will be paid for his capture. — Compiled from AP reports
THURSDAY, APRIL 16 19th Annual Journalism Students’ Photography Exhibition Opening Reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Laredo Center for the Arts, LACF Gallery, 500 San Agustin Ave. Journalism and Online Media students will display a variety of photography at their 19th annual show in the Laredo Area Community Foundation Gallery through the end of the month.
SATURDAY, APRIL 18 Garage sale at Holy Redeemer Church, 1602 Garcia St., from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be clothes, toys, furniture and more. Call Amparo Elegarte at 286-0862.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 Volunteer Services Council for Border Region Behavioral Health Center’s 23rd Annual Administrative Professional day Luncheon & Fashion Show featuring scenes from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. At the Laredo Country Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Reservations: Laura Kim via email at blaurak@borderregion.org or 794-3130. Used book sale, First United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. to noon.
AROUND THE NATION Boy dies, brother fights for life after car sinks LOS ANGELES — A family had just left a waterfront entertainment area when their car plunged into Los Angeles harbor, killing a 13-year-old boy and leaving his 8-year-old brother fighting for his life Friday after divers pulled them from the sunken vehicle. The boys’ mother and father swam to the surface, but their two children weren’t breathing when they were rescued from the underwater car Thursday evening, authorities said. The teen died at a hospital a few hours later, and the younger child was hospitalized in critical condition, Officer Norma Eisenman said.
4 dead in home, carbon monoxide suspected NEW YORK — Police say four people in their 70s and 80s have
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Los Angeles police officers Friday morning look over the edge of a fishing boat dock where a car plunged over the edge Thursday afternoon in the San Pedro district of Los Angeles. been found dead in a New York City home in an apparent carbon monoxide poisoning after a car was left running in an attached garage. Police say the victims were a couple in their 80s, a 70-year-old tenant and a 76-year-old friend.
Officials say they were found Friday afternoon when a relative of the couple went to check on them because they hadn’t answered their phone. The husband was found next to a running car in the garage. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
State
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Free Equine therapy agency expands work shop offered By MARC RAMIREZ
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Zapata residents will soon have the chance to attend a free workshop where they can learn how to begin a small business. “Starting a Business or Existing Businesses: Tools and Resources for Entrepreneurs” will take place April 21 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Zapata County Courthouse, 200 East 7th St. #248. The workshop is hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Texas A&M International University Small Business Development Center, and the Small Business Development Network Center Network at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The seminar is designed specifically for start-ups or existing small businesses. Presenters will explain how to start, where to get free technical assistance and training and business loan programs. Attendance is free, but seating is limited so register today! For more information or to register, contact Veronica Z. Ortega at veronica.ortega@sba.gov or 956-4278533 ext. 233 or Yael Rodriguez at yael.rodriguez@tamiu.edu or 956-286-0042.
Border bill passes By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE
The Texas House on Thursday passed out the final piece of a three-part package on border security, which Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a legislative priority. House Bill 12, by state Rep. Oscar Longoria, DMission, codifies the current policies and duties of the state’s Border Prosecution Unit. The unit was formed in 2010 following an annual $2 million appropriation to help border prosecutors handle increased caseloads. It is made up of 17 jurisdictions that include the counties on the state’s border with Mexico and their surrounding areas. The bill would fund the unit through grants from the governor’s office that pay for special prosecutors assigned to handle borderspecific crimes — mainly smuggling, violent crimes, money laundering and gang activity associated with cartels.
DALLAS — For son Jonathan, born with cerebral palsy, Laura Lopez just wanted the simple things. At age 6, he couldn’t walk or speak, his hearing was impaired and he couldn’t drink from a cup without help. Please, God, she prayed. Just let me hear his voice. Let me see him take a step. Lopez, of Rockwall, scoured the Internet for any possibility that might give her son a better life. That’s how she learned about Equest, a Wylie-based equine therapy agency whose new facility at South Dallas’ recently opened Texas Horse Park will significantly boost its services. After all the sessions spent with other therapists, “I really didn’t think it would be much help,” Lopez told The Dallas Morning News. “I never thought a horse would make a difference for him. But it was completely the opposite.” Like Lopez, many parents of kids facing physical, mental and emotional challenges are surprised by how much equine therapy can improve their conditions. Early last year, Colorado State University launched a fiveyear project to study the benefits of such therapy and gather existing research. “We have clients that say their first words from the back of a horse,” said Lili Kellogg, Equest’s operations director. “Or maybe they can button their shirts, or swallow food, or their handwriting improves — things we take for granted.” Kellogg recalled sitting in the bleachers at Equest’s Wylie facility with a woman who’d adopted a severely abused girl as a 3-yearold. At 10, the girl was among a number of children taking riding therapy classes. The children were lined up with their instructors, about to go through a trail pattern, when the girl’s horse sneezed. The girl laughed, and her mother suddenly went silent, a look of shock on her face. “She said, ‘In the seven years I’ve had her, I’ve never heard her laugh,”’ Kellogg said. Equest’s gleaming South Dallas site, which includes an outdoor and covered arena, will not only reach a new population but
hips to function the way they were designed to.” By midyear she was straddling Crunchie; eventually her feet were in stirrups. Lately she’s been working on core strength and sitting tall, gaining confidence and stamina. “Two weeks ago, she got to trot for the first time,” Grall said. “It was the most thrilling experience she’s ever had, with her hair blowing in the wind and giggling the whole way around the arena. It’s a big ego boost for her.” For Rockwall’s Lopez, too, the therapy has been a godsend. While other boys Jonathan’s age whooped and climbed and ran Photo by Andy Jacobsohn/The Dallas Morning News | AP and jumped, her son, now 7, In this March 31 photo, Christa Collum, Megan Fishel, and therapist Kristi Immitt seemed locked away behind a assist Jonathan Lopez, 7, of Rockwall, Texas, who has cerebral palsy, feed Patron a wall of silence and immobility. carrot during his equine therapy session at Equest in Rowlett, Texas. But after Jonathan’s first session, his personality seemed to ultimately expand its reach ten- them to interpret the animals’ change. With some help, he took fold. moods through visual cues, some small steps. CEO Patrick Bricker said half Equest also hopes to encourage After the second, he sat up of Equest’s 38 stalls at Texas socialization and empathy. more straightly on his highchair Horse Park — also home to River “You never know which kids it and car seat. He didn’t need a pilRanch Educational Charities — might motivate,” said Joan Cut- low in front of him to keep him should be filled by year’s end, ler, Equest’s program director. “If from collapsing forward. with regular classes starting by you can teach them empathy, that Usually, as Lopez drove around early June. The park’s proximity carries over to every other part doing errands, she’d need to stop to the Dallas VA Medical Center of their world.” to feed Jonathan. But this time will also bolster the agency’s Animal-assisted therapy is she handed the cup to him, and Hooves for Heroes program for said to aid a range of issues from he held it and started drinking. former service members. bipolar disorder to post-traumatWhat was going on? Equest’s typical therapy horse ic stress, and, by giving individuYears of dealing with the chalworks about 10 times weekly, als purpose outside themselves, lenges of cerebral palsy had been with a service period of about it can foster self-esteem and inde- a series of defeats, maybes and five years. Autism has overtaken pendence. not-yets. Over and over, Lopez cerebral palsy as the agency’s For physically challenged cli- had lost hope. most common client issue, with ents, hippotherapy — hippo is Then this. Now into his second the disorder affecting a third of the Greek word for horse — can year at Equest, Jonathan is nearits clientele. be effective because the animals’ ly walking on his own. In all, the agency serves about gait echoes that of humans, help“It has been a window in a 300 clients a year but now ex- ing improve posture and core dark room for me,” she said. “I pects to interact with an addi- and muscle control. can see the light. It may not tional 3,000-plus through public Brooke Grall of Murphy dis- make my child 100 percent norappearances and school field covered equine therapy while mal, but it’s given him quality trips to the facility. seeking out-of-the-box approach- time. An opportunity to make a Some of those visits will fea- es to treat daughter Zoe, who was better life.” ture miniature horses Equest born with spina bifida and startFor her, it’s a chance to more calls “mini ambassadors.” Cisco ed using a wheelchair when she fully know her son. “That’s what and Dare, a pair of 36-inch-tall was 18 months old. Zoe started at this program gave me,” she said. beige-and-white beauties, were Equest in the fall of 2013, when The real gift comes when Jonalready enjoying their moment she was 3, riding sideways on a athan is on his ride, with Lopez in the sun at the park’s grand horse named Crunchie. in the bleachers, watching. opening event March 28. “She started out that entire It’s something that otherwise Appearances by the minis at hour the first time just crying,” never happens — unless he’s on libraries, for instance, will en- Grall said. “It was so scary and the horse. able teachers to illustrate horse- different and she had never expeWith every pass he makes, the related book passages with a live rienced anything close to walk- boy sees his mom in the stands, animal. ing before. But because the gait and from the void comes a sound “We’re taking what’s in litera- of the horse is so similar to that as his mouth opens wide. ture to real life,” Kellogg said. of a human, it was causing her Hi, he says. By also allowing kids to inter- muscles to actually feel like they Hi. act with horses and teaching were working. It allowed her Hi.
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Child gun death statistics challenge NRA By NATHAN J. ROBINSON THE WASHINGTON POST
As the National Rifle Association’s annual conference hits Nashville, Tennessee, this weekend with 70,000 expected attendees, the organization has good reason to be upbeat. For another year, it has succeeded in stalling legislative attempts at moderate gun controls, rolling back existing state regulations and winning media battles. But there’s a looming question that should be seriously concerning the NRA and its supporters: how to reconcile the organization’s agenda with new evidence on the prevalence of gun accidents involving children. Over the past year, new studies and media reports have documented America’s extraordinary number of child-involved shootings. These occur when a child happens upon a gun, or is left alone with one, and ends up shooting themselves or another person. Such disasters result in hundreds of child fatalities and have made American children nine times more likely to die in gun accidents than children anywhere else in the developed world. These deaths pose a massive challenge for the NRA. They demonstrate fairly conclusively that guns cannot be both safe and ubiquitous; the inevitable consequence of widespread gun ownership is a never-ending series of tragedies involving children. But, desperate to insist there’s nothing wrong, the NRA has proved itself totally incapable of responding to the problem. The stories are endless and gruesome. A toddler shoots an infant while they are left alone in a car. A 5-year-old boy shoots a 3year-old girl. And so on, ad infinitum. In Texas last month, the sheriff of Houston pleaded despairingly with the public after three children were shot dead in four days. And in widely reported Idaho incident, a 2-year-old shot his mother to death in a Walmart after finding a gun in her handbag. These cases change the terms of the gun control debate. Ordinarily whenever America’s extraordinary level of gun violence is brought up, usually after a mass killing of newly shocking savagery, the NRA offers its well-honed reply: For every bad guy with a gun, there should be a good guy with a gun. It’s the people, not the guns. These slogans, with their emphasis on personal responsibility, have been tremendously effective. But the child-involved shootings are much harder to explain away, since they don’t allow for such facile moral narratives. Talk of good guys and bad guys loses all meaning when a toddler has shot his baby brother. Because of this difficulty, each time the NRA has been confronted with the child-death problem, it has adopted what might be called a "Look — what’s that over there?" strategy. The organization tries to paint media coverage of the deaths as the true problem; when a 9-year old killed her shooting range instructor with an Uzi, the NRA called the outcry "exploitative" and a "trick" by "anti-gun advocates in the media." Alternatively, spokespeople point to other ways children die, and other kinds of gun deaths, to play down the seriousness of the issue. The NRA has a habit of suddenly be-
come very interested in bicycle accident statistics when the issue is raised, and Gun Owners of America insists that children are "more likely to die by choking on their dinner," as if choking deaths is at all pertinent to gun deaths. Occasionally, they go as far as Tennessee State Rep. Glen Casada (R), who when speaking in support of the state’s new NRA-promoted guns-in parks bill, called these deaths "acts of God," about which nothing could possibly be done. Of course, we know one thing that could be done: We could admit that there are too many guns and get serious about reducing their number. These childdeaths are a uniquely American problem; in other countries, simply accepting such an endless string of accidental killings would be unthinkable. And as the child accident statistics have poured in, so have those on the efficacy of gun control: It’s becoming harder and harder to deny that more guns equals more violence. We also know that massive restrictions can have major positive effects. The word "Australia" is verboten among the gun rights crowd now that Australia has succeeded in cutting its firearm death rate by 59 percent after passing sweeping prohibitions on gun ownership. In fact, the Australian case offers such rock solid evidence of the life-saving potential of gun control that the pro-gun side has struggled to offer any response, except to yelp, "But you’re talking about confiscation!" (To which one might reply: "And?") There is a way to avoid having our preschools look like a Sam Peckinpah film. It just involves some tough measures. Some people insist that gun accidents involving children are a problem of insufficient parent accountability. Writing in Slate, Justin Peters argued that when a child finds a gun and shoots herself, the parents should be criminally prosecuted. If we care about the deadly consequences of carelessness, Peters says, it’s time to get serious about punishing those who let their children near guns unsupervised. But on this, the NRA’s position is far more reasonable than that of the reformers. It’s unfair to blame the parents, because even the most responsible gun owners can make mistakes and have accidents. To believe that absent-mindedness amounts to criminality is astonishingly unforgiving. In the case of a Florida 2-year-old who shot himself in the chest in January, the parents had stored the gun securely in the glove compartment, unaware that their mischievous son would be able to wriggle his way in. These parents took what they believed were the wise steps for gun owners; the point is that owning a gun to begin with is unwise. The tradeoffs between safety and accessibility put the NRA in a bind. Either it must acknowledge that these deaths will be a logical consequence of its policies, or it must retreat from its absolutist position on regulation. Neither seems likely, which is why the organization will spend its time in Nashville listening to Nugent and studying military history, carefully avoiding the one conversation it is desperate not to have.
COMMENTARY
Clinton cannot ‘go small’ By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
The Hillary Clinton for president campaign is coming. For real, this time. The furor created by the exact date and time Clinton would announce her candidacy speaks to the total and complete impossibility of Clinton carrying off a "going small" strategy that she and her team seem set on pursuing. I absolutely get the logic behind the strategy. Clinton ran as "Hillary Clinton" in 2008, to her detriment. Her campaign seemed to believe that voters in places like Iowa and New Hampshire would vote for her simply because of her political celebrity. They believed that Clinton didn’t need to do the grip and grin sort of campaigning that other candidates did because she was a beloved member of the first family of Democratic politics. Unsurprisingly to everyone but those in the Clin-
ton campaign, it didn’t work. Clinton came off as aloof and entitled — two very bad character traits for someone running for president. People had no sense of how or why she wanted the job or how hard she was willing to work to get it. (Sidebar: One of the reasons her tearing-up moment in New Hampshire in 2008 was so powerful was because it drove home for many voters that she did actually care deeply about the race.) Because all campaigns are in ways large and small reactions to the campaigns that came before them, you can understand why the "go small" approach makes sense to the Clintons this time around. According to Democratic strategists and advisers familiar with her plans, the go-slow, go-small strategy plays to her strengths, allowing her to meet voters in intimate settings where her humor, humility and policy expertise can show through.
And yet, it’s almost certainly an impossibility for Clinton and her campaign to truly go small — for reasons almost entirely out of her control. Clinton is the biggest non-incumbent front-runner to be a party’s presidential nominee in the modern era of politics. She is one of the most famous politicians in the country if not the world. She is part of one of the most famous families in the country if not the world. "Going small" is as hard for Clinton to do as it would be for Taylor Swift. Let’s say, for example, that T-Swift just wanted to play a few intimate gigs for her most loyal fans with no publicity. No matter what she did to keep it small, word would leak out that Taylor Swift was playing at some hole in the wall club in fill-in-the-blank town. A mob scene — fans, media, assorted gawkers — would immediately assemble. Intimacy gone. The same goes for Clin-
ton. Because of who she is and where she stands in the presidential race, she will be followed around by an ever-present local, national and international media horde. Wherever she goes, there will be crowds who just want to see her — take a picture of her, shoot a Vine of her, tweet about her, SnapChat about her. No matter how small Clinton tries to make the campaign, it will always be big — because of who she is. That is not to say that Clinton can’t more effectively show voters than she did in 2008 that she is running to help them, that her campaign is centered on what they want rather than what she thinks they want. Clinton will do everything she can to make that the central message of this race and, because of that focus, she’ll likely do a better job of conveying that message than she did seven years ago. But, the idea of Clinton going small is a fallacy. It cannot be done.
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Rand Paul gets testy on air By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
On Tuesday, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., announced that he is running for president. On Wednesday, he spent the day debating himself on what his relationship is — and should be — with the media, particularly female reporters. Not so good. It all started for Paul during a Wednesday morning interview with "Today" show anchor Savannah
Guthrie. Guthrie began by noting that Paul seemed to be hedging some of his past positions on things like aid to Israel and defense spending. Enter Rand. "Before we go . . . before we go . . . before we go through a litany," he said, repeatedly trying to interrupt Guthrie. "Why don’t we let me explain instead of talking over me?" Paul asked — while talking over Guthrie. "Why don’t you ask me a question: Have I changed my opinion," he
scolded the journalist, adding: "You’ve editorialized." What made it even worse was the fact that Paul had also gotten testy with a female reporter a few months back. He shushed — yes, he literally put his finger to his lips and made the "shush" noise — CNBC’s Kelly Evans in February. He also told her to "calm down a bit." By Wednesday night, Paul was toning down his ’tude. "I’ve been universally testy and short-tempered
with both male and female interviewers," he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. Of course, by then, the would-be president had not only wasted a full day of his campaign rollout but had also created questions about whether he is temperamentally ready for the race to come. Rand Paul, for forgetting that manners matter, even when dealing with the media, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
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Rita Moreno relishes playing the diva By LYNN ELBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Rita Moreno’s guest-starring turn Monday on “Jane the Virgin” represents a tribute from the comedy’s young Latina star, Gina Rodriguez, to the trailblazer who helped pave her way. “I was approached (for the role) because of Gina,” Moreno said. “She told me some wonderful things about how I inspired her, great stuff that made me feel very proud.” Looking back, Moreno, 83, marvels at the stage, screen and TV career that made a “little Puerto Rican girl” one of the rare performers to win the supersized awards combo: Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy
trophies. “It astonishes me that I’ve come this far. I’m humbled by it and thrilled by MORENO it,” Moreno said in a phone call this week from New York. The path wasn’t always easy. Her early movie years were filled with what she calls “dusky maiden” roles because Hollywood found it difficult to see Latinos, especially actresses, beyond stereotypes. “I can’t remember playing roles in movies that did not require an accent and very dark makeup. ... Even in ‘West Side Story,’ it was (director) Jerome Robbins’ idea that all of the
Sharks have very dark skin, because he wanted a contrast between the Sharks and the Jets,” she said, referring to the musical’s Latino and Anglo street gangs. “I remember resenting that,” she said of the production that brought her an Academy Award. “I thought, ‘I’m Puerto Rican. I don’t look like that.” She’s pleased to see evolution in the entertainment industry that has led to shows including CW’s “Jane The Virgin,” focused on a Latino family. “There’s actually a lot of progress. I don’t think it’s enough but, my God, when you compare that to when I was a young woman in movies, it’s totally different,” Moreno said.
The veteran actress retains the vibrancy to take advantage of the changes, with a role in a comedy pilot that’s under consideration by CBS as well as an upcoming album of Spanish-language songs, aimed at a May release. Her guest role part on CW’s riff on telenovelas proved a delight for Moreno: A bad guy, or at least an imperious woman, who sweeps heedlessly into the lives of her son, TV star Rogelio (Jaime Camil), and Xiomara (Andrea Navedo), who are Jane’s parents. “She is a real diva, a rude woman who spouts off mean things to people,” Moreno said, delight in her voice. “When she comes on the scene you find out that Rogelio is a real mama’s
boy.” The character, Liliana, doesn’t have a warm relationship with Xiomara, Moreno said, and for “such a hilarious reason. I don’t want to give it away because it’s silly and funny. But in telenovelas, anything can happen.” “Gina said to me early on, ‘The person I most admire more than anyone is Rita Moreno. It would be my dream come true if she could come on the show,”’ recalled executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman. Moreno turned out to be everybody’s dream, Urman said. “She came with so much energy and passion and enthusiasm. ... She just invigorated our cast and crew. Everybody was so stunned and honored to be
working with her.” The star’s focus now is on her as-yet untitled upcoming album, her first in more than two decades. Emilio Estefan, husband of Gloria Estefan, is the producer. “The compliment is I still have a voice,” Moreno said, proving it by crooning a few bars of one of the album’s songs, “Concierto de Aranjuez,” the famed composition by Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. She describes the album as an eclectic mix that includes “some really terrific salsa numbers,” a jazzy version of “Brazil,” and “Somewhere,” from “West Side Story.” “It sounds even more beautiful in Spanish,” Moreno said.
911 call reveals ordeal Hamm accused of hazing of Bullock’s break-in By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
By ANTHONY MCCARTNEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Sandra Bullock awoke early the morning of June 8 to find an intruder in her home. She didn’t know it at the time, but the man had lurked outside her gates for several days, writing in a spiral notebook about his obsession with the OscarBULLOCK winning actress. He had jumped her fence and rang her doorbell for 10 to 15 minutes before entering her home through a sunroom door. Bullock got a glimpse of him as he walked past her bedroom and toward her attic, giving the actress an opportunity to seal herself behind a security door, hide in a closet, and call police. Details of the 50-year-old actress’ ordeal were revealed during a hearing Thursday for Corbett that ended with a judge determining he should stand trial on stalking, burglary and other felony charges. Corbett’s attorneys deny their client wanted to hurt Bullock and say they are hoping to resolve the case and get their client mental health treatment. The items presented in court during a hearing this week and released on Friday include a two-page let-
ter Corbett wrote to the Oscar-winning actress the day before he entered her home.
Hiding, Panicked, Yet Polite Once Bullock locked the door to her bedroom and got into the closet, she dialed 911. Over the next 15 minutes, she guided police through the gates of her home and led them to her location, opening the door only after confirming with a police dispatcher that officers had secured the home. Bullock’s fear is evident on the call — she was breathing heavily and sounded near tears at points. Although she saw only one man, Bullock heard what she thought were two voices. About three-and-a-half minutes after calling police, Bullock heard a new noise. “I hear them,” Bullock said. “I hear someone banging on my door.” Police were already on their way, and a dispatcher assured the actress they were coming with lights flashing and sirens blaring. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” the actress responded. “You’re doing good,” the
dispatcher told Bullock about six minutes into the call. “Thank you,” Bullock said, letting out a nervous laugh. The actress thanked the dispatcher 10 times during the call.
‘Love, Your Husband’ When he was arrested, police found Corbett with a two-page letter professing his love for Bullock that was apparently written the day before, about 20 hours before his arrest. The letter makes clear Corbett has been watching Bullock, commenting on her comings-and-goings. “You could have had me today however you chose other people over me,” the letter opens. “I’ll be around as you know.” After his arrest, police reviewed Bullock’s surveillance footage and saw Corbett outside the actress’ gate on each of the three days before he hopped the fence. The letter was signed, “Always and forever, Love, your husband.” Police also found a spiral bound notebook with 25 pages of writings commenting on Bullock.
AUSTIN — “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm took part in a violent college hazing in 1990 at the University of Texas that led to criminal charges and to the fraternity chapter permanently disbanding, according to court and HAMM school records obtained Thursday. The Emmy-nominated actor had not previously been publicly linked to a lawsuit filed by a Sigma Nu pledge who said he was severely beaten, dragged by a hammer and had his pants lit on fire. In the 1991 lawsuit, the pledge said Hamm participated “till the very end.” Criminal records show
Hamm, now 44, was charged with hazing and received deferred adjudication, which under Texas law means he had to successfully complete probation but was never convicted. A separate charge of assault was dismissed. Representatives for Hamm and “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. None of the records were sealed, but Hamm was not famous when the incident happened and his connection to the case didn’t come to light until Star magazine reported on it this week. The case resurfaced just as the critically acclaimed “Mad Men” begins airing its final season on AMC. According to the lawsuit, Hamm became “mad, I mean really mad” after the 20-year-old Sig-
ma Nu pledge failed to recite things he was supposed to memorize about Hamm and other fraternity members. For Hamm, his list included “Young Bobby,” “MC Hammer” and “UT Football Punching Bag.” The pledge, Mark Allen Sanders, said Hamm went on to set his jeans on fire, shove his face in dirt and strike him with a paddle. “He rears back and hits me left-handed, and he hit me right over my right kidney, I mean square over it,” Sanders said in the lawsuit. “Good solid hit and that, that stood me right up.” Sanders said he needed medical care and withdrew from the school. Court records show the lawsuit was dismissed in 1993. Attempts to reach Sanders were unsuccessful Thursday, and his former attorney did not return a message.
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
Amendments GOP hopefuls bash Clinton proposed to nuclear bill By ERIK SCHELZIG
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By DEB RIECHMANN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — A bill calling for Congress to have a say on an emerging nuclear agreement with Iran has turned into a tug of war on Capitol Hill, with Republicans trying to raise the bar so high that a final deal might be impossible and Democrats aiming to give the White House more room to negotiate with Tehran. Senators of both parties are considering more than 50 amendments to a bill introduced by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J. The bill would restrict Obama’s ability to ease sanctions against Iran without congressional approval. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday is to debate the amendments and vote on the bill, which has pitted the White House against the GOP-led Congress on a critical foreign policy issue that President Barack Obama wants etched in his legacy. Obama administration officials, who are expected to continue lobbying lawmakers next week, don’t want Congress to take any action before a final deal could be reached by the end of June. There is strong support, however, from lawmakers of both parties who think they should be able to weigh in on any agreement aimed at preventing Iran from being able to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its program is for civilian purposes, but the U.S. and its partners negotiating with Tehran suspect Iran is keen to become a nuclear-armed powerhouse in the Middle East, where it already holds much sway. There have been intense negotiations on Capitol Hill for
the past several days about ways to amend the bill. Advocacy groups and congressional staffers provided details about amendments, which still might be withdrawn or rewritten. Under the bill as it is currently written, Obama could unilaterally lift or ease any sanctions that were imposed on Iran through presidential action. But the bill would prohibit him for 60 days from suspending, waiving or otherwise easing any sanctions Congress levied on Iran. During that 60-day period, Congress could hold hearings and approve, disapprove or take no action on any final nuclear agreement with Iran. If Congress passed a joint resolution approving a final deal — or took no action — Obama could move ahead to ease sanctions levied by Congress. But if Congress passed a joint resolution disapproving it, Obama would be blocked from providing Iran with any relief from congressional sanctions. In an effort to give the president more negotiating room, Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin, the new ranking Democrat on the foreign relations committee, and a few of his Democratic colleagues have proposed letting Obama waive congressionally imposed sanctions if not doing so would cause the U.S. to be in violation of a final agreement. Several Democratic senators also have proposed shortening the congressional review period to 30 days or even 10 days that Congress is in session. Democrats also want to strike a part of the bill that requires the Obama administration to certify that Iran has not directly supported or carried out an act of terrorism against the United States.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The prospect of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s imminent presidential campaign dropped like a gift from the heavens at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention Friday. A succession of potential Republican presidential rivals slung criticism and cracked jokes about the Democratic candidate-to-be, and NRA leader Wayne LaPierre, never given to understatement, predicted doom for the nation if she should win. “Hillary Rodham Clinton will bring a permanent darkness of deceit and despair forced upon the American people to endure,” LaPierre said. The NRA executive vice president and CEO vowed that the powerful gun lobby would “stand shoulder to shoulder” to prevent her from becoming
Photo by Mark Humphrey | AP
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks at the National Rifle Association convention Friday in Nashville, Tenn. the next president. Clinton plans to announce her candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Sunday. Many speakers at the NRA convention took the opportunity to say something about it. “Is this the ready-for-Hill-
ary gathering?” joked Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Many in the capacity crowd at the 4,000-seat ballroom shouted back, “No!” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush decried the “liberal, progressive worldview of Barack Obama and Hillary
Clinton and Eric Holder, and all of the other people who want to take the guns out of the hands of the good guys.” Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker added Clinton’s name to his criticism of the president. “People like Hillary Clinton seem to think you measure success in government by how many people are dependent on the government,” he said. “I think we measure success by just the opposite: by how many people are no longer dependent on the government.” And Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal drew laughter when he said he expects Clinton’s campaign slogan won’t be “four more years.” “The reality is the 2016 campaign is going to be between elitism and populism,” Jindal said. “Hillary Clinton has already made it clear she’ll be on the side of elitism.”
Census Bureau guard killed By JESSICA GRESKO AND AMANDA LEE MYERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — A man charged in a crime spree that left a Census Bureau guard dead and a police officer wounded was previously convicted of manslaughter and recently was arrested in an assault case involving his “visibly afraid” girlfriend, according to court documents obtained Friday by The Associated Press. Ronald Anderson, 48, was arrested Feb. 17 on a charge of assaulting his girlfriend in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Prince George’s County, according to court records. He was released the day of his arrest. The officer responding to a domestic dispute call said that the man’s girlfriend, who is 20 years old, was clearly afraid. “The victim was shaking, crying and was whispering while speaking be-
Photo by Alex Brandon | AP
Law enforcement officers investigate the scene involving at least one wrecked DC Metro police car, in the 1100 block of H Street NE, Thursday in Washington. cause she was afraid of the suspect hearing her,” the officer wrote, according to the documents. The woman, whose 10month-old son was home, told police that Anderson had hit her several times, knocking her into walls, because he thought she was looking at another man, the records say. Another court record filed in D.C. Superior Court
shows that Anderson pleaded guilty to manslaughter while armed in 1991 in Washington, D.C. No other details were immediately available about that case. Anderson’s attorney’s phone number rang busy Friday. The same woman from February’s assault is listed as Thursday’s kidnapping victim in a Metropolitan Police Department report
released Friday. She was taken at gunpoint from her home, the report said. Shortly after that, a guard at the Census Bureau in Suitland, Maryland, saw two people fighting in a car that matched the description of the vehicle in the kidnapping, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Thursday. When the guard approached the car, the man shot him and took off, crossing the border back into the nation’s capital and firing at police who gave chase, Lanier said. The man fired at them again during the chase before police blocked him and collided with his car, Lanier said. Cornered, the suspect opened fire again and police shot back. Anderson and an officer were hit. Anderson was charged with armed kidnapping and assault on a police officer in Thursday’s spree.
Clinton to announce 2016 presidential bid Sunday By KEN THOMAS AND JULIE PACE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton will end months of speculation and launch her highly anticipated 2016 presidential campaign on Sunday, skipping a flashy kickoff rally in favor of conversations with voters about the economic needs of middle class families and the next generation. Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of state who lost the 2008 nomination to Barack Obama, will begin this time by courting voters in living rooms and cafes in early voting states. If victorious in 2016, she would become the nation’s
Photo by Andrew Harnik | AP
In this photo taken April 3, Hillary Rodham Clinton hats sit on shelves at the Ready for Hillary Super Pac offices in Arlington, Va. Hillary Clinton will announce her presidential bid Sunday. first female president. The first official word of her candidacy will come in a video posted on social
media and to supporters online, according to two people familiar with her plans. She will then turn to
states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, looking to connect directly with voters in small, intimate settings. The people familiar with her plans spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Clinton has offered glimpses in recent speeches of why she will again seek the White House. Another preview came Friday in the epilogue to the paperback version of her 2014 book, “Hard Choices.” “Becoming a grandmother has made me think deeply about the responsibility we all share as stewards of the world we inherit and will one day pass on,” Clinton writes in the new chap-
ter, according to a preview published by The Huffington Post. “Rather than make me want to slow down, it has spurred me to speed up.” The Sunday announcement will mark Clinton’s formal return to politics following a two-year leave from government. Kicking off her campaign with straight-up retail politics, where she can talk to voters one-on-one, would be a departure from how Clinton jumped into her first presidential campaign. In 2007, Clinton also launched with a video, but followed it with a large, boisterous rally in Des Moines: “I’m running for president, and I’m in it to
win it.” This time, the emphasis will be making a personal connection, rather than touting herself. Clinton allies say they hope the intimate settings will let people see a more nurturing, empathetic side, along with her sense of humor. “I think she’s going to make sure she’s in the small venues, the living rooms, the smaller places where she can connect directly with the voters,” said Sylvia Larsen, a former New Hampshire state Senate president and a longtime Clinton supporter. “When people meet Hillary Clinton, they are persuaded. She’s very down to earth and very personable.”
National
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Videos eyed in shooting By JEFFREY COLLINS AND MICHAEL BIESECKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by David Pardo/The Victor Valley Daily Press | AP
Law enforcement personnel search for a suspect who stole a horse near Deep Creek in Apple Valley, Calif., on Thursday. A Southern California sheriff on Thursday ordered an immediate investigation after deputies were recorded beating the man.
Deputies put on leave in violent arrest By TAMI ABDOLLAH AND AMY TAXIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — A Southern California sheriff placed 10 deputies on paid administrative leave Friday after a TV station recorded several of them kicking and punching a man following a 21/2-hour chase during which the suspect rode away on a stolen horse. San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said the video “disturbed and troubled” him and appeared to show an excessive use of force. McMahon announced the action after 30-year-old Francis Pusok was arrested Thursday by deputies in a violent encounter filmed by a KNBC-TV helicopter. Pusok fled by car and then on the horse, traveling several miles while deputies chased him on foot after trying to serve a search warrant in an identity-theft investigation. The video shows Pusok, dressed in bright red clothing, falling from the horse as a deputy ran up and fired a Taser. McMahon said the Taser was believed to be ineffective because of Pusok’s loose clothing. As pursuing deputies reached him, Pusok was face down with his arms and legs outstretched and hands behind his back. One deputy kicked him in the head or shoulder area and punched him, and another kicked him in the crotch. Other deputies arrived moments later. McMahon said internal and criminal investigations are under way. The FBI announced Friday it was starting a civil rights investigation. “I’m asking for some patience while we complete a thorough and fair investigation,” McMahon said. “I am disturbed and troubled by what I see in the video.
It does not appear to be in line with our policies and procedures. “I assure you, if there is criminal doing on the part of any of our deputy sheriffs or any policy violations, we will take action.” McMahon said the department received multiple threats after the video was aired. He said names of the deputies, including a sergeant and a detective, won’t be released until the threats are checked out. Attorneys for Pusok told KNBC-TV Friday as they left the jail that their client has a badly swollen eye, marks from the beating over his face and body, and is in pain. “He remembers being beat, and he remembers that he wasn’t resisting, that he laid still, he complied immediately. He says that he didn’t even move a muscle because he didn’t want to be continuously beat, yet it still happened,” attorney Sharon Brunner said. After the beating, a deputy whispered in his ear: “This isn’t over,”’ attorney Jim Terrell said. “And that’s why he’s scared to death for himself and his family right now,” Terrell said. The American Civil Liberties Union released a statement saying it is “deeply troubled by the video images” and applauding McMahon’s call for an investigation. The beating is the latest in a string of recent videotaped incidents involving police officers using extreme force on suspects, including the shooting death of an unarmed man as he ran from a police officer last weekend in North Charleston, South Carolina. Ken Cooper, a New York-based use of force expert who trains police, said it appears the San Bernardino deputies allowed their emotions and adrenaline to get the best of them.
2nd phase of trial scheduled ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON — The second phase of the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will begin on April 21, after the second anniversary of the attack and the day after this year’s race. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr. granted a request Friday from Tsarnaev’s lawyers to give the defense additional time to resolve logistical issues with potential witnesses. Tsarnaev, 21, was convicted by a federal jury Wednesday in the 2013 attack, which killed three people and injured more than 260. The jury convicted him on all 30 counts, including 17 that make him eligible for the death penalty. During the second stage — known as the penalty phase — the same jury will hear additional evidence and be asked to decide whether he receives the death penalty or is sentenced to life in prison.
The delay means the trial won’t be held on two sensitive dates: April 15, the second anniversary of the attack; and April 20, this year’s marathon. O’Toole said in his written order that it is not uncommon to have a recess between phases in capital cases. During the first phase of the trial, Tsarnaev’s lawyer bluntly admitted that he participated in the bombings but said his older brother, Tamerlan, was the mastermind who enlisted his then-19-year-old brother to help him. Prosecutors said Tsarnaev was an equal partner in the plan with Tamerlan. Each brother planted one of the two pressure-cooker bombs used in the attack near the finish line of the marathon. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed four days after the bombings when he was shot during a gunbattle with police and run over by his brother during a chaotic getaway attempt.
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Dashboard video shows a police officer making a routine traffic stop. Cellphone video shows the officer shooting the fleeing motorist in the back. What remains a mystery is what happened during the minutes in between that led the polite officer to become a killer. The dash cam footage released by state police on Thursday showed North Charleston Officer Michael Thomas Slager pulling over black motorist Walter Scott for a broken brake light last weekend. Slager, who is white, has been charged with murder in Scott’s death. Saturday’s traffic stop opens like so many others as Scott was stopped in a used Mercedes-Benz he had purchased days earlier, footage from the patrol car showed. At the outset, it’s a strikingly benign encounter: The officer is seen walking toward the driver’s window, requesting Scott’s license and registration. Slager then returns to his cruiser. On the dash cam video, Slager never touches his gun during the stop. He also makes no unreasonable demands or threats. The video also shows Scott beginning to get out of the car, his right hand raised above his head. He then quickly gets back into the car and closes the door. After Slager goes back to his patrol car, minutes later, Scott jumps from his car and runs. Slager chases him. What’s missing is what happens from the time the two men run out of the frame of dashboard video to the time picked up in a bystander’s cellphone video a few hundred yards away. The cellphone footage starts with Scott getting to his feet and running away, then Slager firing eight shots at the man’s back. “It is possible for something to happen in that gap to significantly raise the officer’s perception of risk,” Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and criminal law professor at the University of South Carolina Scott was more than $17,500 behind in child support - more than $18,000 with court fees - and had been in jail three times over the issue. He last paid child support in 2012, court records show, and a bench
Photo by David Goldman | AP
Jerome Smalls, of Charleston, S.C., carries a sign protesting the killing of Walter Scott as he leaves the Fielding Home For Funerals after visiting Scott’s wake Friday, in Charleston, S.C. Scott was killed by a North Charleston police officer Saturday after a traffic stop in North Charleston, S.C. warrant for his arrest was issued in early 2013. His family has said that he might have run because he was behind on payments again and didn’t want to go back to jail. Police and Slager’s first lawyer initially said the officer fired in self-defense during a scuffle over his department-issued Taser. Within days of Saturday’s encounter, the eyewitness video surfaced and immediately changed perceptions of what had happened, leading authorities to charge Slager with murder and fire him from the police force he’d worked on for five years. On Friday, Slager’s mother, Karen Sharpe, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she couldn’t believe her son — who loved being an officer and had a baby on the way — would have been involved in the incident. She said she’s taking one day at a time and hasn’t watched the cellphone video that helped bring about Slager’s arrest. “I just have to let it be and hope God takes care of everybody involved — not only my family but the Scott family because I know they’re grieving just like I’m grieving, so I want them to know that,” she said. There is almost nothing in Slager’s police personnel file to suggest that his superiors considered him a rogue officer capable of murdering a man during a traffic stop. In the community he served, however, people say this reflects what’s wrong with policing
today: Officers nearly always get the last word when citizens complain. “We’ve had through the years numerous similar complaints, and they all seem to be taken lightly and dismissed without any obvious investigation,” the Rev. Joseph Darby, vice president of the Charleston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Thursday. The mostly black neighborhood where the shooting took place is far from unique, said Melvin Tucker, a former FBI agent and police chief in four southern cities who often testifies in police misconduct cases. Nationwide, training that pushes pre-emptive action, military experience that creates a warzone mindset, and legal system favoring police in misconduct cases all lead to scenarios where officers see the people they serve as enemies, he said. “It’s not just training. It’s not just unreasonable fear. It’s not just the warrior mentality. It’s not just court decisions that almost encourage the use of it. It is not just race,” Tucker said. “It is all of that.” As a steady crowd left flowers, stuffed animals, notes and protest signs in the empty lot where Scott was shot, many said police in South Carolina’s thirdlargest city routinely dismiss complaints of petty brutality and harassment, even when eyewitnesses can attest to police misbehavior. The result, they say, is that officers are regarded with a mixture of distrust and fear.
Both Slager, 33, and Scott, 55, were U.S. Coast Guard veterans. Slager had one complaint in his personnel file of excessive force that was ultimately dismissed. Scott had the child support issues and traffic violations. But neither man had a record of violence. Slager consistently earned positive reviews in his five years with the North Charleston Police. Slager’s attorney, Andy Savage, said Thursday that he’s conducting his own investigation, and that it’s “far too early for us to be saying what we think.” The officer is being held without bond pending an Aug. 21 hearing on a charge of murder that could put him in prison for 30 years to life if convicted. Slager’s file includes a single excessive use-of-force complaint, from 2013: A man said Slager used his stun gun against him without reason. But Slager was exonerated and the case closed, even though witnesses told The Associated Press that investigators never followed up with them. Police say they are now looking at that case again amid questions by the man tased and eyewitnesses who said authorities never questioned them about it. “It’s almost impossible to get an agency to do an impartial internal affairs investigation. First of all the investigators doing it are co-workers of the person being investigated. Number two, there’s always the tendency on the part of the departments to believe the officers,” Tucker said.
2 women killed in tornadoes By MICHAEL TARM AND SOPHIA TAREEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
FAIRDALE, Ill. — The two women killed by a devastating tornado system that barreled through northern Illinois shared a friendship, favors and, ultimately, a neighborhood that turned out to be a prime target of a twister that also leveled much of their rural hamlet. Jacklyn Klosa, 69, was found Friday morning in the rubble of her Fairdale home, not far from where Geraldine Schultz, 67, died Thursday night when the tornado bore down on their neighborhood. The storm cut through the region about 80 miles west of Chicago, injuring more than a dozen and ripping buildings from their foundations. Schultz, known as “Geri,” and remembered by neighbors in the community of about 150 people as kind-hearted, hosted annual Christmas parties and made a point of driving Klosa to clinics for medical treatment. Klosa, known as “Jackie,” was described by friends as a friendly and quick-witted woman who spoke her mind. The county coroner said Klosa, who had no basement, took shelter in her shower; she was found clutching her purse. Klosa “was just one of the most friendly people in the world, a wonderful mother and a wonderful
Photo by Walker Ashley | AP
In this Thursday photo provided by Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Walker Ashley, a funnel cloud moves through near Rochelle, Ill. friend,” said Les Bellah, mayor of neighboring Kirkland, recalling the “big ol’ hug” he got from her recently but also how she’d “let you know” if she was upset with you. “You never had to wonder what she was thinking.” At least two tornadoes touched down in the sixcounty vicinity. Most of the injuries weren’t considered serious. To the south in Ogle County, no one was injured although the tornado system caused severe damage to roughly 30 buildings in Rochelle and others in Flagg Township, according to Sherriff Brian VanVickle — who lost his own home. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner declared both Ogle and DeKalb counties as disaster areas, facilitating the use of state resources in the recovery efforts. “We are very blessed that more people were not
hurt. This was a devastating storm,” Rauner said in the town of Flagg after touring the damage. National Weather Service meteorologist Jamie Enderlen said at least one tornado touched down near Fairdale and was initially rated an EF4, meaning it was capable of producing winds up to 200 mph. Damage survey teams were working Friday to officially determine how long tornadoes stayed on the ground, their strength and extent of the damage. Meteorologist Matt Friedlein said the storms and cold front headed northeast, dumping snow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and sweeping across the Ohio Valley overnight. In Illinois, Fairdale was the hardest hit, though the storm also collapsed buildings in surrounding towns, including a restaurant in
Rochelle from which a dozen people had to be dug out of a storm cellar. At least several individual farms near Fairdale were also struck. Fairdale has no village government, no school, no cable TV and no major businesses. Some residents kept horses in town; one family found one of its horses dead amid the debris Friday afternoon. Children are bused to nearby Kirkland, where classes were canceled Friday. Gas lines to most other communities in the area also don’t reach Fairdale — meaning residents relied on tanks of propane, the first thing that survivors smelled when they emerged from their shattered homes Thursday night. “The rent was cheap over there,” Bellah said. “It was unincorporated and people, they liked to live there because they didn’t have to put up with a lot of ‘government bull crap,’ so to speak.” Kirkland firefighter Carl Bunder said there had already been an outpouring of help, with people calling in from all over the region offering to lend trucks, chainsaws or tractors. All Fairdale homes were evacuated, in part, because of a lack of electricity. But trees, power lines and debris lay strewn on the ground, posing a safety hazard. Roofs from buildings were missing. Metal siding from barns were wrapped around trees.
International
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
Obama, Castro set to meet today By JIM KUHNHENN AND JOSH LEDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Hani Mohammed | AP
Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, gather during a protest against Saudi-led airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday. Pakistani lawmakers on Friday unanimously voted to stay out of the Saudi-led air coalition targeting Shiite rebels in Yemen in a blow to the alliance.
Pakistan votes to stay out of Yemen conflict By AHMED AL-HAJ AND MUNIR AHMED ASSOCIATED PRESS
SANAA, Yemen — Pakistan’s parliament voted unanimously Friday to stay out of the Saudi-led air campaign targeting Shiite rebels in Yemen, offering instead to mediate a solution, in a blow to Saudi Arabia’s attempts to build a Sunni front in an increasingly sectarian conflict. Pakistan’s decision is unlikely to greatly affect the Saudi-led coalition’s military capabilities. But it was an embarrassment to the kingdom from a traditionally close ally, now reluctant to get pulled into a conflict that is threatening to escalate into a new proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia had been seeking to expand the coalition, made up of fellow Gulf nations as well as Egypt and Sudan, which has waged a nearly 3-week campaign of airstrikes against the rebels, known as Houthis, and is reportedly considering a ground incursion. At the same time, Shiite powerhouse Iran, which backs the Houthis, also lobbied Pakistan and other
Sunni nations to back a cease-fire and a negotiated end to the conflict. A senior official in the United Arab Emirates — a member of the coalition — lashed out angrily at Pakistan, accusing it of choosing Iran over the Gulf nations at a time when they face an “existential confrontation” in the Yemen conflict. Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, said on his Twitter account that Pakistan should look out for its strategic relations with Gulf nations, pointing to the Gulf’s economic and investment help to the South Asian nation. “Contradictory and ambiguous positions in this existential matter will cost (Pakistan) dearly,” he wrote. Airstrikes along with escalated fighting on the ground between the Houthis and supporters of Yemen’s beleaguered president threaten to push Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, into collapse. On Friday, the U.N. and International Committee of the Red Cross succeeded in bringing in the first two plane loads of aid, delivering tons of medical and humanitarian supplies to the capital, Sanaa,
to relieve hospitals overburdened by casualties. Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the United States, accuse Iran of arming the Houthis. The Gulf countries view the rebels’ power grab as a move by Iran to establish a stronghold on their southern flank. Iran says it backs the rebels politically and with humanitarian aid but denies sending weapons. The Houthis have full or partial control over 11 of Yemen’s 22 provinces, backed by military units loyal to ousted autocrat Ali Abdullah Saleh. The current president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, was forced to flee the country last month, leaving a shaky collection of forces on the ground to fight the Houthis — including military units still loyal to him, militiamen and Sunni tribesmen. Al-Qaida’s Yemen branch is also fighting the Houthis. The coalition is reportedly considering a ground incursion, likely including Saudi and Egyptian forces, once airstrikes have sufficiently weakened the Houthis and Saleh’s forces, a process that could take weeks.
PANAMA CITY — President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro moved toward a groundbreaking meeting on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas Friday in what would be a remarkable display of reconciliation between two nations with the leadership of the Western Hemisphere gathered around them. The powerful symbolism of a face-to-face exchange Saturday between the leaders could signal progress even though both sides are still working through nettlesome issues that would lead to the opening of embassies in Washington and Havana, the first stage in a new diplomatic relationship. Obama cast the move to end 50 years of hostile relations as a triumph for the Cuban people. “As the United States begins a new chapter in our relationship with Cuba, we hope it will create an environment that improves the lives of the Cuban people,” he told a meeting of civil society groups, including Cuban dissidents. “Not because it is imposed by us, the United States, but through the talent and ingenuity and aspirations, and the conversations among Cubans from all walks of life so they can decide what the best course is for their prosperity.” The White House was coy over the status of the State Department’s recommendation to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror. Removal is a top issue with Castro because it would not only eliminate Cuba’s status as a pariah, but also ease Cuba’s ability to conduct simple financial transactions. Nevertheless, the pace of activity over the terror list suggested that even if
Photo by Stephen Crowley | New York Times
President Barack Obama speaks during a multilateral meeting of SICA, the Central American Integration System, in Panama City. Obama did not make an announcement Saturday, one would come soon. The U.S.-Cuban outreach entered a new, accelerated stage in recent days, with Obama speaking with Castro by phone Wednesday and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holding a lengthy meeting with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez late Thursday. The Cuban foreign ministry issued a brief account of the Kerry-Rodriguez meeting, saying they met for nearly three hours in a “respectful and constructive atmosphere.” It was the highest-level, face-to-face contact between officials from the two countries since the Dec. 17 announcement that Washington and Havana would move to restore diplomatic relations that were severed in 1961. Even as Washington talked up the historic shift toward Cuba, leftist leaders in Latin America took shots at the U.S. in solidarity with Venezuela. Barely off the plane, President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela laid a wreath at a monument to victims of the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989. To shouts of “Maduro, stick it to the Yankee,” he vowed to personally ask Obama to apologize to Panama and compensate victims of what he called a “massacre” that left more than 500 people dead during the invasion. “Never again a U.S. invasion in Latin America,”
Maduro said. President Evo Morales of Bolivia said he backs Maduro’s drive to end U.S. intervention in the region. For Obama and Castro, their conversation Wednesday was the first since they spoke Dec. 17. The flurry of diplomacy around the summit was recognition of the historic nature of the new relationship intended to end five decades of American presidents either isolating or working to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government. Officials hoped to make the most of the exchange between the two men. Still, Obama made a point of meeting with about 15 Latin American activists, including two Cubans who have challenged Castro’s government. The White House identified the Cubans as Laritza Diversent, a human rights lawyer and independent journalist, and Manuel Cuesta Morua, a leader of a centrist opposition group. A large contingent of proCastro Cubans who were supposed to participate in a larger civil society forum left shortly before Obama spoke to protest the inclusion of Cuban dissidents. Obama was already getting praise from allies in the Americas. “President Obama is going to leave a legacy the way he is supporting Hispanics in the United States,” Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said as he met with Obama.
Boko Haram ousted from towns, camps, still killing By MICHELLE FAUL AND LEKAN OYEKANMI ASSOCIATED PRESS
GWOZA, Nigeria — As the turbaned militant lifted his head from his Quran and readied to dash to his anti-aircraft gun, the helicopter pilot stuck the nose of his aircraft into the air and veered away. Then he called in the coordinates for an airstrike. It was a chilling reminder that Boko Haram extremists still are in northeast Nigeria with all sorts of weapons even as Nigeria’s military officials boast that they have ousted them from all major towns and forest camps. Each day brings new reports of atrocities, with mass graves being discovered in towns seized back from the militants who had tried to set up an “Islamic caliphate” across a great swath of northeast Nigeria. Just this week, survivors described how the insur-
Photo by Lekan Oyekanmi | AP
In this photo taken Wednesday, Nigerian soldiers man a check point in Gwoza, Nigeria, a town newly liberated from Boko Haram. Each day brings new reports of atrocities, with mass graves being discovered in towns seized back from the militants who had set up a socalled “Islamic caliphate” across a great swath of northeast Nigeria. gents arrived in a village, saying they had come to preach Islam. When villagers gathered in front of the mosque, the extremists opened fire. When some ran into the mosque, the militants set it ablaze, burning alive some of their victims. “As I speak to you, all the
towns they previously occupied ... have been cleared, so they really have no base,” said defense ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade. “All we are doing at the moment is mopping up and conducting cordon and search for weapons and as many of them as
may be straggling.” Boko Haram has been left “marauding from place to place,” he told The Associated Press. The AP and journalists from other media organizations were taken on Wednesday by military helicopter to Gwoza, a “newly liberated” city of burned-out buildings. On the outskirts, an Arabic script sign left by the militants was smashed to the ground. Decomposing bodies lay scattered, including those of a woman and child. Others had lain there long enough to turn to skeletons. A young man showed reporters the stump from his amputated right hand, chopped off with a machete under the harsh form of Islamic law imposed by the insurgents. They accused him of stealing fuel, a charge he denies. “I told them I am a mechanic, and they said since you are a mechanic you will work for us,” said Has-
san Usman, speaking in the local Hausa language. “When I told them I could not work for them, they said they would kill me.” Just 35 kilometers (22 miles) away, Cameroonian troops were battling the insurgents, according to reports reaching The Associated Press in Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeastern Nigeria. With soldiers from neighboring Chad, Cameroon and Niger, Boko Haram has been ousted in recent weeks from towns held for months. But Chadian President Idriss Deby has complained that Nigeria’s military is not doing its part. “Two months after the beginning of this war, we have not had a single direct contact on the ground with units of the Nigerian army. This is why, more than once, Chadian forces have been obliged to retake towns and advance again,” Deby said in an interview published March 26 in the
French magazine Le Point. Olukolade did not respond directly to questions about border towns that have been seized by Chadian troops who then withdraw, leaving Boko Haram to return. Boko Haram’s nearly 6year-old Islamic uprising in northeast Nigeria that has killed thousands — a reported 10,000 just last year — and forced more than 1.5 million from their homes. Nigerians’ displeasure over the government’s conduct in the war was a factor in their booting President Goodluck Jonathan out of office in March 28 elections — the first time that an opposition politician has ousted an incumbent. President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, who takes office on May 29, is a former military dictator whom many Nigerian hope will use his military background to definitively stamp out Boko Haram.
Syrain peace talks in Moscow end in disarray By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW — Talks between the Syrian government and the opposition ended in acrimony Friday with the parties blaming each other for the breakdown. The Russian mediator of the weeklong meeting, Vitaly Naumkin, said the parties agreed on a set of principles for a political settlement, including the condemnation of foreign support for terrorist groups, a call for preserving state institutions and lifting economic sanctions.
But some opposition representatives later reversed their support for the initially approved document because of a failure to agree on moves to improve mutual trust, such as prisoners’ release, said Naumkin, head of the Moscow-based Institute for Eastern Studies. “If we spent another week here, we would probably reach agreement on other issues,” Naumkin said at a briefing. “They sat at the table together, they didn’t go into a fistfight, they listened to each other. It’s good.” Moscow arranged the ne-
gotiations in a bid to raise its international profile at a time of bitter tensions with the West over Ukraine. The meeting followed the first round of Moscow-hosted talks in January. “We didn’t have any excessive expectations, we didn’t expect the meeting to settle the Syrian crisis,” Naumkin said, adding that there was no immediate plan for hosting the next round of talks. The main Westernbacked opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, refused to attend the Moscow talks amid deep distrust of Russia’s inten-
tions. Russia has staunchly backed Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government throughout the country’s civil war, now in its fifth year, which has killed more than 220,000 people and has turned nearly 4 million into refugees. Bashar Jaafari, Syria’s U.N. envoy who represented the Syrian government in the negotiations, sought to cast them as a success, hailing the initially agreed document. He tried to downplay opposition reversal of support. “The government and the opposition managed to
reach common ground on a number of important issues,” he said at a news conference. Jaafari denied the opposition accusation that the government side was trying to drag out the talks to avoid discussing sensitive issues. But Samir Aita, one of the opposition representatives who attended the talks, criticized the government for stonewalling demands for prisoner releases. He said “the document doesn’t create hope, on the contrary, it destroys it.” The public spat followed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting
with negotiators on Thursday, in which he strongly urged the parties to reach a compromise to stem the spread of the Islamic State and other terrorist groups in the region. “You need to save the country and its people, or there will be no one left to build a renewed, united and sovereign Syria,” Lavrov said. He argued that the U.S.led air campaign against the Islamic State has failed to reach its goals, and criticized Washington for training some of the rebels, saying it would only fuel the conflict.
SÁBADO 11 DE ABRIL DE 2015
Ribereña en Breve CAMINATA CONTRA CRIMEN LAREDO— La organización Crime Stoppers realizará la carrera “Larry Hernandez Memorial 7th Annual Crime Stoppers 5-K Run/ Walk Against Crime” el sábado 11 de abril. El punto de inicio será en la entrada del Lago Casa Blanca. El registro para la carrera empieza a las 7 a.m. y la carrera empieza a las 8 a.m. El costo por el prerregistro de es de 15 dólares hasta 10 de abril. El día del evento el costo por participar será de 20 dólares. También habrá una carrera para niños menores de 10 años. A los ganadores se les entregarán trofeos y medallas. Todas las ganancias será para beneficio de Laredo Crime Stoppers. Las primeras 100 personas en registrarse recibirán una camiseta y una bolsa con souvenirs. La forma para registrarse estarán disponibles de lunes a viernes en la oficina administrativa de Crime Stoppers del centro en 1200 de la calle Washington de 9 a.m. a 6 p.m. o en Laredo Ciclo Mania en 611 Shiloh Suite 2 de 11 a.m. a 6:30 p.m. Para mayores informes llame al 956-724-1876, la forma de registro también se puede conseguir en http://www.laredocrimestoppers.org.
Zfrontera Acepta cargo CORTE
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El jueves, un ex traficante de narcóticos de alto rango en la “plaza” de Piedras Negras, se declaró culpable de un papel de líder en la importación y distribución de miles de kilogramos de narcóticos a Estados Unidos desde México, anunció el Departamento de Justicia de Texas. Ezequiel Rodríguez, alias “Chepe”, de 46 años, se presentó ante el Juez de Distrito de EU, Fred Biery. Rodríguez se declaró culpable de un cargo de conspiración para posesión con intención de distribuir una sustancia controlada. Al decla-
rarse culpable, Rodríguez admitió que desde la década de 2000, fue uno de los principales traficantes de drogas en la “plaza” de Piedras Negras, Coahuila, México, y ser responsable del transporte de miles de kilogramos de cocaína y marihuana de México a Estados Unidos, señala un comunicado de prensa. Las investigaciones policiales revelaron que Rodríguez tenía fuertes asociaciones con varias organizaciones de narcóticos a gran escala, incluyendo el cartel de drogas de Los Zetas. Desde aproximadamente 2007 hasta el 2009, Rodríguez trabajó con varios integrantes de Los Zetas pa-
ra el tráfico de cocaína. La investigación reveló que entre 2007 y 2009, Rodríguez y otros contrabandearon un mínimo de 500 kilogramos de cocaína por mes desde México a los Estados Unidos, y al menos 6.000 kilogramos por año durante este período de tiempo, añade el comunicado. El comunicado señala que la mayor parte de esta cocaína se introdujo a través del puerto de entrada de Eagle Pass hacia San Antonio, para ser distribuido en todo EU. Rodríguez se enfrenta a una sentencia de 35 años de prisión federal, si los términos del acuerdo de culpabilidad son aprobados por la Cor-
ECONOMÍA
RECONOCIMIENTO
FEMA dará reembolsos tras crisis migratoria TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
La Corte de Comisionados del Condado de Zapata se reunirá el lunes 13 de abril en el Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Zapata. La junta comenzará a las 9 a.m. y continuará hasta las 12 p.m. Para mayor información puede contactar a Roxy Elizondo llamando al (956) 765-9920.
CONFERENCIA PARA EMPRESARIOS Foto de cortesía
Desde izquierda, Ricardo Ramírez, presidente de IBC Zapata, Roberto Garza, ex jugador para Chicago Bears y Renato Ramírez, CEO de IBC Zapata.
Dan cuadro a ex jugador Chicago Bears TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
E
l IBC Bank reconoció a un ex jugador de Chicago Bears, por su ejemplo entre la comunidad hispana, señala un comunicado de prensa. Roberto Garza ex jugador medio para Chicago Bears, recibió una fotografía del Tejano Monument a manera de reconocimiento por sus logros como un modelo de positivismo, por parte del CEO de IBC Zapata, Renato Ramírez. “Como uno de los líderes y portavoces de los atletas hispanos en la NFL, Garza me-
rece ser reconocido con una pieza que recuerde el monumento de todos los tejanos, pieza clave entre las razas y culturas, que se yergue con orgullo en el Estado y sus raíces”, dijo IBC Bank Zapata en un comunicado de prensa. Tejano Monument, que fue revelado en marzo de 2012, se encuentra en los jardines al sur del capitolio de Texas, es el más grande en su tipo y tiene como objetivo honra las contribuciones de los primeros colonos americoespañoles y sus descendientes, señala el comunicado. Ramírez, quien realizó un
CAMPAÑA MÉDICO-ASISTENCIAL MIGUEL ALEMAN — Se implementará la primer campaña médico asistencial propuesta por miembros de los ministerios nacionales “Betel” el 11 de junio, de 8 a.m. a 5 p.m. El grupo de 15 personas, entre médicos y enfermeros, estarán representados por la misionera Deana Gatlin. Además traerán consigo ropa, medicamentos y despensas. El Presidente Municipal, Ramiro Cortez, informó que los misioneros evangélicos viajarán a las comunidades rurales del sur de Miguel Alemán el 13 de junio.
esfuerzo de 12 años, para el desarrollo y fijación del monumento en los terrenos del Capitolio del Estado, fue nombrado Mr. South Texas 2014. IBC Bank también han trabajado con Cowboys de Dallas, Texans de Houston y Spurs de San Antonio, indica el comunicado. “IBC cree que la disciplina y el compromiso que se requiere para ser un atleta profesional, atributos similares que necesitamos para ser exitosos banqueros que prestan un servicio de calidad”, Ramírez.
El viernes, el congresista Henry Cuellar, DTx 28, anunció que las comunidades fronterizas afectadas por la reciente crisis humanitaria ahora son elegibles para un reembolso de la Agencia Federal de Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, por sus siglas en inglés). Elementos de la aplicación de la ley, organizaciones sin fines de lucro, religiosas, gubernamentales y otras comunidades que incurrieron en gastos inesperados debido a la oleada podrán solicitar reembolsos debido a una adición que Cuellar incluyó en la Ley de Financiamiento del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional para el año fiscal 2015, señala un comunicado de prensa. “Sé muy bien que las comunidades a lo largo de la frontera son las responsables de hacer frente a una gran cantidad de importantes y costosos desafíos como la prestación de socorro humanitario a los niños que han venido a nuestro país”, dijo Cuellar a través de un comunicado de prensa. El lenguaje añade una disposición que hace que los costos de la prestación de ayuda humanitaria a los niños extranjeros no acompañados y adulto y sus hijos menores de edad sean elegibles para reembolso, bajo determinadas subvenciones de subvenciones para Seguridad Nacional, a destinatarios de la frontera sudoeste para los años fiscales 2013 y 2014. La afluencia de los niños extranjeros no acompañados y familias que cruzaron la frontera sudoeste, abrumaron los recursos federales, en particular los pequeños condados, ciudades y organizaciones no lucrativas a lo largo de la frontera. En julio pasado, el Comité de Asignaciones incluyó el lenguaje para atender los reembolsos en respuesta a la solicitud al Presidente de la Junta Hal Rodgers de Cuellar para proporcionar recursos y ayudar con los costos relacionados con la prestación de ayuda humanitaria a los niños no acompañados y las unidades familiares que han entrado a Estados Unidos.
COLUMNA
CORTE DE COMISIONADOS La Corte de Comisionados del Condado de Zapata se reunirá el lunes 11 de mayo en el Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Zapata. La junta comenzará a las 9 a.m. y continuará hasta las 12 p.m.
te. La sentencia está prevista para las 8:30 a.m. el 24 de julio de 2015, ante el Juez en Jefe, Biery. Los cargos fueron resultado de una investigación por parte de la Fuerza de Trabajo de la Organización Transnacional Antinarcóticos (OCDETF, por sus siglas en inglés), realizada por agentes de la Administración del Control de Narcóticos (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés), el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio y la Fuerza de Trabajo de Alta Intensidad de Tráfico de Drogas (HIDTA, por sus siglas en inglés). Patrulla Fronteriza de Estados Unidos también ayudó en la investigación.
IBC
CORTE DE COMISIONADOS
Se realizará la conferencia “Comenzar un negocio o expandir un negocio: Herramientas y Recursos para Empresarios”, el martes 21 de abril, dentro del Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Zapata, en 200 East 7th Street. El evento será de 10 a.m. a 12 p.m. Durante la conferencia se darán consejos, asesorías e información sobre el inicio, estructuración y ejecución de la apertura de un nuevo negocio. El seminario es gratuito. El espacio es limitado. Puede tener más información o inscripción puede llamar a Verónica Z. Ortega al (956) 427-8533 ext. 233 o escribiendo a veronica.ortega@sba.gov; o a Yael Rodríguez al (956) 286-0042 o a yael.rodriguez@tamiu.edu.
PÁGINA 9A
Destaca trayectoria de ideólogo en liberalismo Nota del editor: El historiador cuenta la trayectoria del político Ponciano Arriaga y el impacto que tuvo en Tamaulipas.
POR RAÚL SINENCIO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Ponciano Arriaga resalta entre los ideólogos del liberalismo en México. Sus ideas progresistas impactaron las deliberaciones que condujeron a la carta magna de 1857. Los tamaulipecos tuvieron la oportunidad de conocerlo, en incursiones casi olvidadas.
Inicios La capital potosina lo ve nacer el 19 de noviembre de 1811. Meses antes de cumplir 20 años de edad, se gradúa como licenciado en derecho. Egresa del novel Colegio Guadalupano Josefino
y a la par se vuelve lector de Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville, Hamilton y otros influyentes pensadores. Aunque católico practicante, diferencia la fe religiosa y “los intereses bastardos del clero”, según él mismo puntualizaba. Otrora realista, Anastasio Bustamante gobierna entretanto la nación tras muerte del presidente Vicente Guerrero. Arropado por elites conservadoras, Bustamante provoca en contra suya la rebelión civil y militar ocurrida en Tampico en marzo de 1832. Le respaldó el general Esteban Moctezuma, quien tiene como secretario de campaña a Arriaga, quien llega a Tamaulipas. Cerrado dicho episodio, retorna Ponciano al terruño, donde edita con Mariano Villalobos “El Yunque de la Libertad”. En apariencia, mantiene vivos los vínculos tamaulipecos. “El H. Con-
greso (…) de Tamaulipas” redujo “los derechos que cobran los curas por bautismos, matrimonios, entierros, etcétera”, atacándolo el “obispo de Monterrey, (…) increpador y amenazante, sin dejar la manía de los tiempos (…) en que se calificaba de herético todo aquello que tendía a reducir la avaricia de los obispos de Roma”, publica Arriaga en 1834. Más tarde vuelve al noreste de México, en condiciones muy distintas. Porque conforme a las Bases Orgánicas y con un congreso nacional dirigido por federalistas moderados, reasume la presidencia Antonio López de Santa Anna. Ocupa entonces la gubernatura tamaulipeca el general José Ignacio Gutiérrez. Establecido de manera sucesiva en Ciudad Victoria y Tampico, con Gutiérrez llega de nuevo Arriaga. Y resulta nada menos que se-
cretario general de gobierno hasta fines del siguiente año, cuando desconocen al referido mandatario. Dice mucho que “El Gején” de Tampico, periódico opositor, en agosto de 1844 resalte “la urbanidad y comedimiento” del “señor (…) Ponciano Arriaga”, huésped a la par del municipio porteño. La carrera política de José Ignacio Gutiérrez prosigue con altos puestos. En cambio, Arriaga debe marcharse a EU durante la dictadura santanista.
Elección Depuesto, Santa Anna por la Revolución de Ayutla, los disidentes regresan del exilio. San Luis Potosí y siete entidades más eligen a Ponciano diputado al congreso constituyente de 18561857. Ante la tibieza del ala
moderada, renuente a combatir injusticias sociales, Arriaga expone: “Mientras que pocos individuos están en posesión de inmensos e incultos terrenos, (…) un pueblo numeroso (…) gime en la más horrenda pobreza (…) Arrebatar al trabajador la tierra que sus sudores han regado, es a los ojos de todo el mundo una iniquidad insoportable”. Al lado de los radicales, logra sin embargo que el nuevo código supremo establezca la supremacía mexicana “en materia de culto religioso”. Respalda al presidente Benito Juárez en la Guerra de Reforma. Con él combate también el imperio que pretendía imponernos Napoleón III. Resuelto patriota, don Ponciano Arriaga fallece en su tierra el 12 de julio de 1865. (Publicado con permiso del autor conforme aparece en La Razón, Tampico, México)
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE PAGE
U.S. Gov’t urges citizens to carry cell phones Cell phones prove to be safety net in case of emergency
N HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT: Things can change in the blink of an eye. Imagine being all alone in an emergency situation like the one shown above with no one to help. That’s why it’s so important to have a cell phone. They act as a personal safety net in case of emergency to keep people safe. A cell phone with a onetouch emergency safety button that instantly calls emergency medical, police, fire and rescue for free is the best one to get. That way you never have to worry about being stuck alone.
When it comes to personal safety everyone should have a cell phone. They can save your life. In the U.S. Department of Interiors “Safe and Secure” memo it even urges citizens to carry them.1 In real emergencies they provide people with a lifeline of communication if hurt, stranded or to report a crime. No matter where or what kind of emergency or duress a person finds themselves under—especially if they’re all alone—if they have a cell phone they can call 911 for help. Cell phones act as valuable lifelines in healthrelated issues, too. At the very least, they provide an easier way to keep in touch with family and friends. They’re easy to get and con-
sumers may even find special deals that require no contracts, deposits or monthly service charges. There’s no question that everyone should have a cell phone for safety. But there’s no real need to have one that plays games, takes pictures or goes on the Internet. It’s important to make sure the phone can be preprogrammed or has a one-touch emergency safety button that instantly calls for emergency help when needed. It should also be easy to use with big buttons, a large display screen and big numbers so it’s easy to see. And last of all the phone should be hearing aid compatible with an extra loud speaker that makes it easy to hear. But remember, a cell phone can’t help you unless you have one. N 1Cell phones provide significant economic gains for low-income American households.
Public set to get easy to use cell phones free Easy to use cell phones aimed at keeping Texas residents safe are being given away free to everyone who beats the 48 hour deadline to cover just the one-time activation fee, but only those Texas area residents who call are also getting nationwide coverage with no long distance charges, no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills Big buttons, large screen and magnified text make it easy to see; extra loud speaker makes it easy to hear and the one-touch emergency safety button instantly calls emergency medical, police, fire and rescue free
N ALWAYS SAFE: The phone lines are ringing off the hook. That’s because easy to use Senior Mobile cell phones are being handed over to Laredo area residents for free just by covering a simple one-time activation fee before the deadline ends. “I’m so happy we got the free Senior Mobile cell phones. Now I know she’ll be safe and I don’t have to worry about her going out alone anymore,” said Chuck Guster. The Senior Mobile’s exclusive large red E safety button is a real life saver in any emergency situation. It immediately sends help wherever you are by instantly calling emergency medical, police, fire and rescue for free. “I love the fact that we can just push a button and instantly get help wherever we’re at,” said wife Carol.
• Who gets the Senior Mobile phones Free: All Laredo area residents who beat the 48-hour deadline are getting easy to use Senior Mobile cell phones free with nationwide coverage, no long distance charges, no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills.
• What if I already have a cell phone: Even Texas residents who already have a cell phone are being given the open box Senior Mobile cell phones free. This can save residents money on high monthly cell phone bills and lengthy contracts associated with other cell phones. The Senior Mobile cell phone is perfect for everyone who wants a simple phone because it’s easy to use with big buttons, a large screen, magnified text, a loud speaker and a one-touch E safety button It’s the only cell phone in the world with the exthat instantly calls 911 emergency medical, police, fire and rescue for free. E clusive Senior Mobile one-touch E Safety Button
• Do I have to pay for minutes: No. Texas residents who plan on using the phone just for emergencies get unlimited emergency calls for free. This is all possible because the U.S. Gov’t put a Federal Regulation in place that makes cell phone giants transmit free 911 emergency calls in all 50 states. But here’s the good news. You can call family and friends too because the Senior Mobile phone comes with 250 anytime minutes good for sixty days. After that just call Senior Mobile to reload your phone with additional minutes as an added option and get nationwide coverage with no long distance charges, no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills.
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• Why is the activation fee so low: The U.S. based company responsible for distributing the free phones is giving every Texas resident who beats the deadline a discount to help cover the cost of the one-time activation. The Senior Mobile phone is perfect for anyone on a fixed income because it comes with nationwide coverage, no long distance charges, no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills. After the deadline each Senior Mobile phone is $199, but Texas residents who beat the 48-hour deadline are authorized to use the Double Coupon printed below and get the phones Free, a Free Emergency Car Charger plus a discount off the activation and cover just $ 97 and shipping as long as they call the National Toll Free Hotline before the deadline ends at 1-866-459-2437 Ext.70275.
How to get the Double Coupon Deal: Texas residents immediately call the Toll Free Hotline to use the Double Coupon printed below at: 1-866-459-2437 Ext.70275 EXPIRES
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TEXAS – The phone lines are ringing off the hook. That’s because Laredo area residents who call the Toll Free Hotlines today are getting easy to use Senior Mobile™ cell phones free. So, if you’re still risking your safety by not having a cell phone with a one-touch E safety button, well now there’s no reason not to get one and the phone is free. The only thing residents need to do is call the Toll Free Hotline before the 48-hour order deadline ends to cover just a one-time activation fee to instantly be awarded one of these open box Senior Mobile cell phones for free. But only those Laredo area residents who do are also getting nationwide coverage with no long distance charges, no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills. This is all possible because the U.S. Gov’t put a Federal Regulation in place that makes cell phone giants transmit free emergency calls in all 50 states, which is why this announcement is being so widely advertised. This allows U.S. residents to use the Senior Mobile cell phone as an emergency phone to call emergency medical, police, fire and rescue for free as well as an everyday cell phone with nationwide coverage, no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills. And here’s the best part. A 2-Day Double Coupon has been reprinted in today’s publication for Laredo area residents to use. By using this coupon, Laredo area residents who call are being awarded the Senior Mobile cell phone for Free. And since this is a Double Coupon Deal, it not only gives you the phones Free, but also entitles you to get the Emergency Car Charger for Free. That makes the easy to use cell phone a real steal since everyone who beats the 48-hour deadline covers just a one-time $97 activation fee and shipping which includes assigning a cell phone number, a SIM card loaded with 250 anytime minutes good for sixty days which allows the Senior Mobile phone to be used as your everyday cell phone as well as an emergency phone, preprogramming the one-touch E 911 safety button that gives your location to E 911 (Enhanced 911) highly trained emergency dispatchers who can send emergency help wherever you’re at, a portable home phone charger and installing the lithium long life battery so it’s ready to use right out of the box. “It’s important that Texas residents call right away to get the free cell phones because after the coupon expires the phones are no longer free and residents will be required to pay $199.00 for each new phone,” said David Martin, Executive Director of U.S. based Federated Consumer Products. Laredo area residents can use the 2-Day Double Coupon more than once. But there is a catch. You can only get away with it for the next two days from the date of today’s publication by calling the National Toll Free Hotline before the deadline ends. Safety research shows that 74% of Americans who own a cell phone have used it in an emergency situation to get help when they needed it. Yet millions of Texas residents are still risking their safety by not having a cell phone with a one-touch E safety button. That’s why these open box Senior Mobile cell phones are being given to Texas residents for free. It’s so easy to use because it comes with big buttons, a large screen and magnified text that make it easy to see. It’s also hearing aid compatible with an extra loud speaker that makes it easy to hear. Plus it’s the only cell phone in the world that has the exclusive Senior Mobile one-touch E safety button that instantly calls 911 emergency medical, police, fire and rescue for free. “The Senior Mobile cell phone is perfect for everyone who wants a simple phone because it doesn’t play games, take pictures or go on the Internet, which makes it among the easiest cell phones to use in the world,” said Martin. Thousands of Laredo area residents are expected to call to get the free Senior Mobile cell phones today. So if lines are busy keep trying, all calls will be answered. N
No Contracts & No Monthly Bills
FREE Senior Mobile Cell Phone
7 0 2 7 5
2 Days From Today’s Publication Date
After Coupon Expires: The Senior Mobile cell phone is $199.00 plus activation and shipping & handling
For ONE (1) FREE Senior Mobile cell phone with nationwide coverage, no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills. FREE Emergency Car Charger
USE THIS COUPON: To get the easy to use Senior Mobile cell phone Free you must call the National Toll Free Hotline at 1-866-459-2437 Ext.70275 to cover just a one-time activation fee before the deadline ends
N 2 DAYS REMAIN: An extraordinary Double Coupon Deal has been authorized for Texas residents. To use the coupon and get the easy to use Senior Mobile cell phone Free you must call the National Toll Free Hotline at 1-866-459-2437 Ext.70275 to cover just a one-time activation fee before the deadline ends. Because it’s a Double Coupon, it also includes a Free Emergency Car Charger, but only for those who beat the deadline.
©2015 FCP P6891A OF18885R-1
CONSUMERS WHO BEAT THE 2 DAY ORDER DEADLINE WILL RECEIVE AN OPEN BOX SENIOR MOBILE CELL PHONE IN LIKE NEW CONDITION WITH A FULL 30 DAY WARRANTY. THE SENIOR MOBILE MAY BE RETURNED WITHIN 30 DAYS OF RECEIPT FOR A REFUND LESS SHIPPING AND A 15% RESTOCKING FEE. NO RETURNS AFTER 30 DAYS. SCREEN IMAGES ON THE SENIOR MOBILE ARE SIMULATED. FEDERATED CONSUMER PRODUCTS, LLC IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST RETURNED SHIPMENTS. 8000 FREEDOM AVE., N. CANTON OH 44720
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
MARIA BERTHA MORENO Jan. 3, 1945 – April 7, 2015 Maria Bertha Moreno, 70, passed away on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at her residence in Zapata, Texas. Ms. Moreno is preceded in death by her son, Joel Hugo Alvarez Moreno and a daughter, Rosa Bertha Vasquez Moreno. Ms. Moreno is survived by her sons, Rodolfo (Lalis) Alvarez, Higinio (Martha) Alvarez; daughters, Alma Nilda Alvarez, Maria del Carmen (Erasmo) Martinez, Matiana (Josue) Reyes; nineteen grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren and by numerous nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held on Friday, April 10, 2015, at 8:30 at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.
Drones push down prices By SPENCER SOPER BLOOMBERG NEWS
Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
Amazon.com Inc.’s proposed use of drones could drive down the cost to deliver small packages crosstown to about $1 — a fraction of existing sameday delivery options, according to a study by a financial research company. The report from New York-based ARK Invest also suggests deliveries may arrive in as soon as 30 minutes. The research tried to quantify the savings from the use of drones compared with delivery trucks and couriers. Amazon has pushed the U.S. government for permission to test unmanned aircraft as it seeks to develop drones to speed shipping products. The Federal Aviation Administration gave the Seattle-based online retailer a waiver allowing flights as fast as 100 miles (161 kilometers) an hour and as high as 400 feet off the ground, according to
Photo courtesy of Amazon | AP
This undated image provided by Amazon.com shows the so-called Prime Air unmanned aircraft project that Amazon is working on in its research and development labs. Amazon.com Inc.’s proposed use of drones could drive down the cost to deliver small packages crosstown to about $1. a letter from the agency dated Wednesday. Amazon charges $7.99 for one-hour delivery of shampoo, paper towels and thousands of other products in some cities, including New York, Baltimore, Miami and Dallas, through its Prime Now program started in December. “The breakthrough is the value that drones offer customers, in terms of the cost and the convenience,” said Tasha Kee-
ney, an ARK Invest analyst who wrote the report. Barring regulatory obstacles, Amazon would face an upfront cost of about $100 million to buy tens of thousands of drones. The company also would see expenses of about $300 million to deploy them to deliver 400 million orders annually, according to the report, which based its findings on existing technology and prices.
Amazon would need to hire thousands of operators, each capable of monitoring multiple drones simultaneously, to ensure safe takeoffs and landings, according to the study, which included the personnel cost in its calculations. Most of the drone flight would be automated, according to the study, which assumes each package weighs as much as 5 pounds and each delivery is no more than 10 miles.
Rout not over; drillers idle Apple Watch deliveries delayed 42 oil rigs By TIM HIGGINS
for shopping, checking into flights and monitoring sports scores. The device must be paired with an iPhone to work.
BLOOMBERG NEWS
By LYNN DOAN AND DAN MURTAUGH BLOOMBERG NEWS
Just when you thought the U.S. oil-drilling retreat was slowing, explorers dropped 42 rigs in a single week. Those actively drilling for oil slid to 760 this week, the lowest since December 2010, the Houston-based field services company Baker Hughes Inc. said on its website Friday. The slide followed two weeks of modest declines that appeared to show the pace of an unprecedented retrenchment in drilling was easing. Producers instead pulled 20 rigs this week out of the Permian Basin of New Mexico and Texas alone. Traders are watching the weekly counts as they wait for U.S. production to drop and rebalance oil markets. The country has lost more than half its oil rigs since October as a more than $50a-barrel collapse in crude prices prompts drillers to scale back spending in shale formations. “There is going to have to be a fundamental change in the market before the rig count stops dropping,” Trisha Curtis, director of upstream research at the nonprofit Energy Policy Research Foundation Inc., said by phone from Washington. “Rigs and oil production are one step removed, so unless something fundamental in production
changes oil prices, a lot of these companies just don’t have the money to continue the activity they were doing.” The U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate oil for May delivery rose 85 cents on Friday to settle at $51.64 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, down 52 percent from the 52- week high of $107.73 reached June 20. The steep decline in the rig count this week “a little bit surprising,” James Williams, president of energy consultant WTRG Economics, said by phone on Friday. “What is clear is that U.S. oil production will, if it hasn’t already, peak by next month, and by the second half of this year, we will be seeing measurable declines.” Evercore ISI analysts including James West said in a research note on Thursday that the “impending supply drop” will coincide with increased U.S. refinery runs heading into the peak summer driving season and work to correct “the global supply-demand imbalance.” The slowdown in drilling has yet to make a real dent in U.S. oil production, which reached a weekly record in March because of bigger and higher-yielding shale wells. Output climbed 18,000 barrels a day last week to 9.4 million, Energy Information Administration data show.
Few people lined up at Apple Inc. stores from Beijing to New York to get a peek of the company’s new smartwatch, while online pre-orders pushed delivery dates for some versions into July. The Apple Watch, a test of Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s ability to innovate, arrived Friday in stores in eight countries and Hong Kong for customers to preview. It officially goes on sale April 24, when delivery begins of devices that have been ordered. Delivery times quickly pushed passed that date, after Apple began taking online pre-orders about 3 a.m. in New York. By about 9 a.m. shipments of high-end versions, which can cost as much as $17,000, were delayed until June. All 10 versions of the entry-level Sport, which starts at $349, were delayed until June, according to the company’s U.S. website. Midtier models were being promised for delivery in four to six weeks, with four versions stretching into June or July. “We view this as an indication of solid demand paired with very limited supply, with supply being the most significant limiting factor,” Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray Cos., said Friday in a note to investors. Cook showed up at the
Katy Perry
Photo by LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group | TNS
Paul Perez, of San Jose, looks at the Apple Watch display at the Apple Store in the Oakridge mall as he waits for the store to open on Friday in San Jose, Calif. Apple Store in Palo Alto, California, close by Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, where he mingled with the crowd and answered questions.
Record Sales Optimism for Apple’s new product lineup has helped push the company’s shares to record highs this year. Sales of the watch may reach almost 14 million units in the fiscal year that ends in September, according to the average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The rollout of the first gadget under Cook is a test of a new way for the company to sell devices. To avoid the long lines of people camping out to get the latest iPhone, Apple initially is only taking orders for the watch online and suggested that customers make appointments to try
on the device in stores. By Friday morning at New York’s Fifth Avenue store, customers could try on a watch without an appointment, waiting no more than 10 minutes for the opportunity. “I was sort of surprised that there are not more people in the store,” said Kishin Manglani, 24, a software engineer who builds iPhone apps. “I would say this is actually fewer than normal.” He speculated that may be because of the price and because consumers can’t leave the store with the watch. The watch, which has a digital touch-screen, comes in two face sizes and three styles and is offered with different bands. It tells time, for starters, and offers capabilities such as tracking the wearer’s health and fitness data, giving directions, sending messages and controlling music. Apps are available
U.S.-based Apple enthusiasts were active on Twitter early Friday morning as they were among the first to place their online orders. “Got it!!!” Gregg Mojica tweeted at 3:16 a.m. Musician Katy Perry posted a photo on Instagram of the $17,000, 18-karat gold watch with a bright red modern buckle and a Mickey Mouse motif on the face. Apple’s website said that version wouldn’t be available until June. Apple has said it anticipates that smartwatch demand will outpace initial supplies. It may get 300,000 pre-orders in the first 24 hours and may sell 1 million watches during the opening weekend, including those early orders, according to Munster. He’s estimating the company may sell 8 million units this fiscal year, generating $4.4 billion in revenue. The new product won’t rival Apple’s biggest seller, the iPhone, which helped fuel a record quarter of $18 billion profit. Apple received 4 million pre-orders of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus during its first 24 hours in September and sold more than 10 million during the first weekend, a record.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
Mexico’s water chief resigns amid scandal By ANDREA NAVARRO BLOOMBERG NEWS
The director of Mexico’s National Water Commission resigned at a news conference after photos emerged of him and his family boarding a helicopter bearing the commission’s logo carrying suitcases for a personal trip. The photos, uploaded to Facebook on March 29, of the flight to Mexico City’s airport caused an immediate uproar in social media. David Korenfeld at first said the ride had been for medical reasons but later apologized via Twitter, saying he “made an inexcusa-
ble mistake” using an official copter for an 8-minute flight to the airport. He also paid Mexico’s Treasury back in full for the copter cost, the equivalent of about $711, he said on Radio Formula, according to the Associated Press. “As human beings, we’ll always be susceptible to make mistakes,” Korenfeld said Thursday at the press conference. “But we must be brave enough to accept it, offer apologies and assume the consequences.” He then thanked President Enrique Pena Nieto, who appointed him in 2012. They had previously worked together. When Pena Nieto
was governor of Mexico state, Korenfeld headed the state Water and Public Works Ministry. The scandal is the latest in a series of corruption cases to plague the Pena Nieto administration the last few months. Last December, the news website Aristegui Noticias and The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Grupo Higa, a construction company that received contracts while Pena Nieto was governor, built and financed luxury houses for his wife and Finance Minister Luis Videgaray. Korenfeld’s case, however, is the first to result in a resignation.
TRUANCY Continued from Page 1A advocacy group Texas Appleseed. That placed the county at No. 19 in the state with the highest number of truancy case prosecutions. Also, of the 323 districts that reported truancy data to the Texas Education Agency, Laredo Independent School District, which filed about 1,090 truancy cases, had the sixth highest prosecution rate at 4.4 percent. The study, released this month, calls for statewide reform to truancy laws.
‘Is it criminal?’ Texas Appleseed quoted Nathan Hecht, chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, as saying: “The theory is that the threat of punishment will incentivize attendance,” Texas Appleseed said. “But when almost 100,000 criminal truancy charges are brought each year against Texas schoolchildren, one has to think, this approach may not be working. “Playing hooky is bad, but is it criminal. A better more affective solution may be for schools and courts
alike to provide prevention and intervention services for at-risk children to actually achieve the goal: getting them back to school.” Students who end up in court facing truancy charges are usually poor, according to the study. In the 2013-14 school year, almost 98 percent of LISD students were classified as economically disadvantaged. At United ISD, it was about 74 percent. “Our school system has a system of interventions for students who are chronically absent,” said LISD Superintendent A. Marcus Nelson. “Our interventions include home visits, parent conferences and a host of other actions that are intended to engage the student in getting them in the right track and attending school.”
Court as a last resort According to the study, schools are mandated by law to implement truancy prevention measures before filing criminal charges. “Unfortunately, we have a small group of students
who are unwilling or unable to come to school,” Nelson said. “We have no choice but to explain to them that state law requires them to be in school 99 percent of the time.” He added: “The court is our last resort. We definitely want to work with parents and kids.” Nelson said he knows filing truancy charges and subsequently fining students and their families is not the most effective decision in a community where many struggle financially. “The only way that a student can avoid the consequences of truancy is to be in school every day,” he said. “That is our expectation and the law today.” Under state law, when students accumulate unexcused absences for three days or parts of days within a four-week period, the school may refer them to court for truancy. When they accumulate unexcused absences for 10 days or parts of days within a six-month period, the school must file a complaint in juvenile or adult criminal court regardless of any ongoing intervention.
FORT HOOD Continued from Page 1A the Army gave the Purple Hearts to survivors and relatives of the dead in a somber ceremony on the Texas military post, just two miles from where Nidal Hasan had opened fire in a room of unarmed soldiers. Top military commanders recalled tables that became makeshift stretchers to transport the wounded and dying. Ten of the survivors remain on active duty. “It is our sincere hope that in some small way this will help heal the wounds you have suffered,” Army Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland said. But words of gratitude from military leaders and elected officials, including Republican Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, gave way to medal recipients pressing and chastising the Pentagon over combat benefits. The Purple Heart, given to military personnel wounded in battle, offers increased retirement pay. Cornyn said he expects Fort Hood victims to finally get approved for entitlements within weeks, noting that he spoke to Army Secretary John McHugh before the ceremony. Many survivors are also seeking separate financial damages in a lawsuit, claiming the U.S. government should have known of Hasan’s extremist views. During his 2013 trial, Hasan told jurors he had “switched sides” in what he called America’s war with Islam. He admitted beginning the rampage by pulling out a pistol and shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is great) and said he wanted to stop American soldiers from being deployed to kill fellow Muslims. Kimberly Munley, a Fort Hood police officer at the time, helped end the attack in a gunfight with Hasan. She was awarded the De-
Photo by Rodolfo Gonzalez/Austin American-Statesman | AP
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, seated, and Sen. John Cornyn, right, bow their heads during the invocation of a Purple Heart ceremony held at Fort Hood, Texas, Friday. Survivors and family members of those killed during the attack by Maj. Nidal Hasan in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting were awarded medals: the Purple Heart for soldiers and Defense of Freedom Medals for civilians. fense of Freedom medal but after the ceremony expressed frustration over uncertainty about the level of benefits Fort Hood victims would receive. “These soldiers are going to get what they rightfully deserve,” Munley said. Military officials had long denied the Purple Heart awards because they called the attack an act of workplace violence, not terrorism. Cornyn and others have long condemned that classification, but he said changing the distinction could have jeopardized the case against Hasan, who was not charged with terrorism. Last year, Congress ap-
proved new eligibility requirements for Purple Hearts that forced the Defense Department to reconsider. The daughter of Michael Cahill, a physician’s assistant who was the only civilian killed in the attack, accepted the Defense of Freedom medal for her father and used the occasion to draw attention to veteran suicides. Cahill was shot while as he rushed toward Hasan with a chair lifted over his head. “The first month after dad died, everyone asked us, ‘What can I do?’ And it was great,” Kerry Cahill said. “Nobody asks me that any more. We’re not done.”
CUELLAR Continued from Page 1A is the first time the agency is assisting in a humanitarian care. “There’s a lot of my colleagues that think the border is only a wall … but it’s more than that,” Cuellar said. “It’s also the cost incurred by local communities. It was shift in Washington when we added this language and it’s a shift we will see in Austin also.” Beginning last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection saw a sharp increase in apprehending unaccompanied children from Central America at the country’s southwest border, mostly in the Rio Grande Valley. The congressman said he worked with other federal officials on including new language in a fiscal year 2015 Department of Homeland Security funding bill to make this funding possible. A report on the bill’s language released by Cuellar’s office says local governments and law en-
forcement along the border are eligible for reimbursement since the events “not only created a humanitarian crisis but also a greater vulnerability to terrorism and other security risks to our nation.” The FEMA funds aim to reimburse expenses on food, water, hygiene products, medicine, medical supplies and temporary housing, and costs for transportation to and from temporary housing or to permanent housing. However, costs accrued for volunteerism or “manpower” cannot be reimbursed, Cuellar said. Rebecca Solloa, executive director of Catholic Social Services of Laredo, said her nonprofit had spent $60,000 on the crisis since June 2014. She said the extra costs led the nonprofit making adjustments to its general fund this fiscal year regarding personnel, specifically the salaries of the nonprofit’s immigration
staff, social workers and other staff members working at its humanitarian center in Laredo. While the reimbursement application is not yet available to Catholic Social Services of Laredo and other local nonprofits, Solloa said she will have to check the definitions of what can be reimbursed in the application when it is released to see which of her nonprofit’s costs are eligible. Once her nonprofit’s application is submitted, she expects it could take four to six months before Catholic Social Services of Laredo sees its federal reimbursement. “It’s a good gesture on behalf of the government to recognize that agencies like ours and Holding (Institute) were here and provided the humanitarian efforts that those families needed and deserved,” Solloa said. (Kendra Ablaza may be reached at 728-2538 or kablaza@lmtonline.com)
DRUG Continued from Page 1A ment. "They now rank among the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in Mexico." The group is relatively new, coalescing five years ago from the remnants of another group, the Milenio cartel, after the capture of one of its leaders, according to U.S. officials. Their leader is a man named Nemesio Osegera Cervantes, a.k.a. "El Mencho," reportedly a former police officer himself. Beyond the drug trade, analysts said the cartel makes money by selling guns, stealing gasoline, extortion and kidnapping. During the militia uprising over the past two years against the Knights Templar cartel in the neighboring state of Michoacan, the New Generation cartel was widely accused of infiltrating militia factions, providing money and weapons to
fight their Templar rivals. They’ve also gone after the Zetas, a notorious cartel now in decline following the capture of many of its top bosses. New Generation was also linked to the dozens of bodies found two years ago in a mass grave in the small town of La Barca, in Jalisco. More recently, the cartel has been on a police killing spree, forcing state authorities to convene emergency meetings to address the threat. Last week, gunmen tried and failed to kill the Jalisco state security commissioner, Alejandro Solorio. After the highway ambush, the police chief in the town of Zacoalco de Torres was found dead. "It is spreading like a cancer in Mexico," Mike Vigil, formerly of the Drug Enforcement Administration, told the Global Post. "It’s the fas-
test expanding cartel and they could in the near future overtake the Sinaloa cartel as the most significant organized group in Mexico." Mexican authorities said they believed the police ambush was revenge for the killing of a New Generation cartel leader, Heriberto Acevedo Cardenas, or "El Gringo," last month. But analysts also suspect that its timing has to do with Mexico’s upcoming local elections in the summer. "It’s not a coincidence that this weekend 1/8April 53/8, election campaigns started," said Gerson Hernandez Mecalco, a political science professor at Mexico’s National Autonomous University. "It’s a very negative message, on the part of organized crime, of the possible impact and strength that they continue to have."
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
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Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Saints nab Spencer
Attorney: Winston needs to mature By DAN GELSTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Tim Sharp | AP
Former Cowboys defensive end Anthony Spencer is leaving Dallas to join the Saints as a free agent.
Saints sign former Cowboys DE Anthony Spencer ASSOCIATED PRESS
METAIRIE, La. — New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis says the club has signed former Dallas defender Anthony Spencer to a one-year contract. Spencer, a first-round draft choice by the Cowboys in 2007, has played linebacker and defensive end during eight NFL seasons. Last season, Spencer played defensive end as he returned from a knee injury that sidelined him for most of 2013. He was credited with 25 tackles, half a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. In 2012, Spencer was a Pro Bowl line-
backer after recording career-highs in tackles with 106 and sacks with 11, along with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. That season, Spencer’s defensive coordinator was Rob Ryan, who has held the same position in New Orleans since 2013. Polamalu retiring from Steelers PITTSBURGH — Troy Polamalu’s career now belongs to the ages. The Pittsburgh Steelers announced the star safety’s retirement on Friday following a spectacular 12 seasons in the NFL that included eight Pro Bowls, four firstteam All-Pro selections and two Super Bowl rings. Polamalu’s retirement was first report-
ed by the Uniontown (Pa.) Herald-Standard. Steelers chairman Dan Rooney called Polamalu “a tremendous leader” who helped guide the franchise through a sixyear run that included three Super Bowl appearances and the team’s fifth and sixth world championships. Polamalu turns 34 later this month. He had two years remaining on his contract but questioned whether he could make the commitment necessary to play another season. NFL suspends Giants linebacker Butler for 4 games
NASCAR
VILLANOVA, Pa. — Jameis Winston has flashed enough Heisman Trophy talent on the field to become worthy of the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. It’s his dubious behavior off the field that has put his readiness for the pro lifestyle into question. “I doubt that he is the first NCAA athlete to demonstrate that he’s immature and a knucklehead,” Winston family adviser David Cornwell said Friday. “Jameis is ready to be an NFL quarterback on the field, but he is not ready to be an NFL player off the field.” Cornwell said most 20-somethings aren’t mature or prepared enough to handle the demands and distractions of NFL life. Winston announced in January he was entering the NFL draft, leaving behind a tumultuous college career that included a lengthy sexual assault investigation. Tampa Bay could make Winston the No. 1 pick in the draft later this month. Winston was cleared of wrongdoing by FSU following a two-day hearing last year to determine whether he violated sections of the student conduct code. A Florida prosecutor chose not to press charges against Winston, who shined last month at Florida State’s pro day. In April 2014, he took $32 worth of crab legs and crawfish from a Tallahassee Publix. He said he forgot to pay, but agreed to and completed 20 hours of community service. He was briefly suspended from the baseball team, where he is a relief pitcher. Winston was suspended for one football game in September after he climbed atop a table in a Florida State lunchroom and yelled an obscene phrase. Cornwell spoke Friday at Villanova University for a program
See NFL PAGE 2B See WINSTON PAGE 2B
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
No verdict after 4 days of deliberations in trial By MICHELLE R. SMITH ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Tim Sharp | AP
NASCAR driver Joey Logano gets out of his car during practice for the Sprint Cup auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
Logano dream a reality at Texas By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH — Joey Logano had dreams as a kid of racing his favorite driver Jeff Gordon to the checkered flag. That was reality a year ago at Texas, when Logano made a last-lap pass of Gordon in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. “When your 6 years old — I remember that part, and having all of his gear, and all the (No.) 24 stuff,” Logano said. “It’s still
cool, you’re racing against your childhood hero, and last year at Texas to be able to pass him for the win like that. That was a really cool moment.” Logano was leading and about to take the white flag when a late caution came out instead. Gordon exited pit road first after the ensuing stop, but Logano recovered during NASCAR’s version of overtime for the first of five wins in a
See NASCAR PAGE 2B
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Jurors in the murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez completed a fourth day of deliberations on Friday with no verdict. The twelve jurors have spent nearly 20 hours over four days considering whether to convict Hernandez of the June 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee. Hernandez’s lawyer acknowledged the former NFL player was there when Lloyd was killed but says he didn’t do it. Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh sent jurors home at 1 p.m. Friday, telling them to come back Monday at 9 a.m. They were released earlier than usual because some jurors had scheduling conflicts. While deliberations typically end at 4:30 p.m., jurors may go later if they wish. “Please continue to avoid anything at all about this case or about Mr. Hernandez,” Garsh told them. She has asked them to avoid the news in general on TV, on the radio and elsewhere. Hernandez was brought into court twice on Friday, at the be-
Photo by CJ Gunther | AP
Former Patriots player Aaron Hernandez leaves the courtroom during the jury deliberation in his murder trial at the Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Mass. ginning and end of the day, both times for just a few minutes. His fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, sat behind him in the front row. Her sister, Shaneah Jenkins, who was dating Lloyd when he was killed, sat across the aisle with
Lloyd’s family. In addition to the murder charge, jurors are deciding whether to convict Hernandez on charges of illegal possession
See HERNANDEZ PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
Lauren Hill dies after fighting tumor By JOE KAY ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI — Lauren Hill spent her final year polishing a layup and inspiring others to live fully. She succeeded at both as she fought an inoperable brain tumor. The 19-year-old freshman basketball player at Mount St. Joseph University died at a hospital Friday morning, the co-founder of her nonprofit foundation, Brooke Desserich, told The Associated Press. “She’s made an impact on the world, more so than me — more than I ever will do,” her coach Dan Benjamin said. “I’ve gotten so many emails and phone calls from all over the world. People are contacting me because they want to share her story.” Hill wouldn’t let the tumor dictate her final days. Along the way, she became known simply as Lauren, someone who knew how to make the most of every day and who had a knack for encouraging others to do the same by the way she persevered. “We are forever grateful to have had Lauren grace our campus with her smile and determined spirit,” Mount St. Joseph President Tony Aretz said. “She has left a powerful legacy. She taught us that every day is a blessing; every moment a gift.” Her nonprofit foundation helped to raise more than $1.5 million for cancer research. “She not only became a spotlight on the lack of funding for cancer research, but she most certainly has become a beacon guiding researchers for years to come,” Desserich said. A year and a half ago, Hill was just another high school student getting ready for college. She decided to play basketball at Mount St. Joseph, a Division III school in suburban Cincinnati. Soccer was her favorite sport, but basketball became her selling point.
Photo by Tom Uhlman | AP
Jessica Neuenschwander places a flower in a memorial during a tribute to basketball player Lauren Hill at Mount St. Joseph College in Cincinnati Friday. Hill died of brain cancer Friday. A few weeks later, she started experiencing dizziness while playing for her high school team in nearby Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Tests found the tumor. Treatment didn’t work. She knew she had less than two years left. While the tumor squeezed her brain, Hill squeezed back, holding onto life as tightly as she could. “I’m spreading awareness and also teaching people how to live in the moment because the next moment’s not promised,” Hill told the AP after one of her team’s 6 a.m. practices. “Anything can happen at any given moment. What matters is right now. “Especially after this kind of diagnosis, your perspective on
life and what you value changes.” For Hill, that meant spending time with her parents and a brother and sister, going to college, raising money for cancer research, inspiring others, and achieving her goal of scoring a basket in a game. A lot of people got involved to make it happen. The NCAA agreed to let Mount St. Joseph move up its opening game against Hiram College by two weeks because Hill’s condition was deteriorating. Xavier University offered its 10,000-seat arena so more people could attend. Tickets sold out in less than an hour. By the time the game came around on Nov. 2, the tumor had affected Hill’s right side so
much that she had to shoot with her non-dominant hand. With Tennessee women’s coach Pat Summitt and an impressive cast of WNBA players on hand, Hill took a pass and made a lefthanded layup only 17 seconds into the game. Tears. Goosebumps. Applause. She also made the last basket of the game, returning for a right-handed layup this time. “It’s a dream come true,” she said. “To play on a college court, to put my foot down on the floor and hear the roar of the crowd — I just love it so much. I love basketball. “Everything that happened today was amazing. I’m truly happy, it’s a really good day.” NCAA president Mark Em-
NFL Continued from Page 1B NEW YORK — The NFL has suspended New York Giants linebacker Victor Butler without pay for the first four games of the regular season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. The league announced the suspension Friday. Butler is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. Butler played two games with Indianapolis last season and signed a reserve future contract with the Giants in January. He started his career in Dallas in 2009 and played in 63 games in his first four seasons. He didn’t play in 2013. Suit seeks clarity on funding for St. Louis stadium ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Regional Complex and Sports Authority is asking a court to clarify whether the city can contribute tax money for a new NFL stadium without a public vote. A lawsuit filed Friday seeks clarity as part of the effort to develop a new open-air stadium and
Photo by Gus Ruelas | AP
Anthony Spencer was a former first-round pick of the Cowboys in 2007 and a 2012 Pro Bowler. keep the Rams in St. Louis. The Rams play in the Edward Jones Dome, a stadium deemed inadequate by the team. Owner Stan Kroenke is part of a
venture planning a new stadium in Los Angeles. Without a new stadium in St. Louis, he could move the team as early as next year. St. Louis developers
NASCAR Continued from Page 1B want to extend the bond debt for the dome to help fund a stadium on the Mississippi riverfront. Supporters say that should not require a vote. Packers-Patriots, BroncosSeahawks top preseason The NFL preseason will open Aug. 9 when Pittsburgh and Minnesota meet in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. In the first full week of the preseason, the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will host Green Bay, which lost to Seattle in the NFC title game. The Seahawks will host Denver, which they beat in the 2014 Super Bowl, in Week 1 of the exhibition games. Most matchups in the preseason involve AFC vs. NFC teams, but a dozen games will feature intraconference meetings. Pittsburgh, Dallas, Minnesota, Green Bay and Buffalo each play two exhibitions within the conference. The regular season begins Sept. 10; that schedule is expected to be released later this month.
WINSTON Continued from Page 1B that was part of the Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal Symposium. “I refuse to run from the fact that as a 21-yearold man, he’s not as ready as he’s going to be,” Cornwell later told the AP. “That’s why we have the resources to make him ready.” Winston took steps to prove he was set to change. Cornwell said it was Winston who requested a meeting last month with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Cornwell said Winston spent the day at the league office meeting with officials in all departments from the public relations to a conversation with Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president for football oper-
Photo by Mark Wallheiser | AP
Jameis Winston, center, talks with other participants during Florida State football pro day in Tallahassee. ations. “We provided the NFL with every transcript, with every document, and all of the briefs in the case, so they had a clear understanding of all the
issues,” Cornwell told the AP. “Particularly the ones that weren’t reported. Jameis didn’t rape her. It’s just that simple. It’s getting out the full story. They want to know it’s be-
mert said Hill achieved a lasting and meaningful legacy. “Lauren Hill’s bravery, enthusiasm and strength were an inspiration not only to those who knew her best but also to the millions of people she touched around the world by sharing her story,” Emmert said. After the game, things got tougher. The spreading tumor caused her to be sensitive to light, sound and movement. She couldn’t sleep well. She tired quickly and needed a wheelchair at times. She had good days and bad days. Those close to her watched her grit it out. Hill played in four games and made five layups before the spreading tumor made her give up playing. When the season ended, her team held its annual dinner in a room at the hospital where Hill was being treated. Hill hoped that raising money would help others have a better chance at beating cancer in the future. Her Layup4Lauren challenge and other fundraising activities brought in donations worldwide. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association voted her the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award, which is normally awarded at the Final Four. Athletes from other colleges autographed No. 22 jerseys — her number — and sent them in support. Hill befriended Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Devon Still, whose 4-year-old daughter, Leah, is fighting cancer. They exchanged jerseys, and she attended a Bengals game and met Leah. As the cancer slowed her down, her family, friends and teammates took a bigger role in promoting her campaign. And she kept reminding everyone to appreciate life. “Life is precious,” she told WKRC-TV. “Every moment you get with someone is a moment that’s blessed, really blessed.”
hind us. We think it is.” Winston set the national freshman record in 2013 with 40 touchdown passes while throwing for 4,057 yards and 10 interceptions and leading the Seminoles to the national title. His numbers dropped last season after losing his top two running backs, two starting receivers and his starting center. Winston threw for 3,907 yards, with 25 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, in 2014. Winston has since been working with quarterback guru George Whitfield, who has cleaned up the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner’s mechanics. Asked by ESPN analyst and panel moderator Andrew Brandt if Winston would be the No. 1 pick, Cornwell said: “Book it.”
breakout year. The Team Penske driver has carried that momentum into this season, starting with a win in the Daytona 500 and finishing in the top 10 in all six Sprint Cup races. Logano is second in points going into Saturday night’s Duck Commander 500 at Texas, after the series was off last weekend for Easter. Gordon makes the first of his two trips to Texas in his last full-time Cup season, returning to the scene of that post-race melee last November involving Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski, and their respective teams. Contact with Keselowski during extra laps ended Gordon’s shot at winning the eighth of 10 races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup — and his fifth season title. While Gordon and Keselowski may have moved past what happened five months ago, Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage has certainly had fun with it. Billboards promoting the race in North Texas showed a puffy-faced Keselowski with the slogan, “Left turns and right crosses!” Others listed “Gordon’s Last Stand!” with a picture of a stern-looking Gordon. “Got to have fun with this stuff, don’t take it serious,” said Gossage, who saw Gordon about a month after that race. “He said, I looked over and I saw you, and expletive, of all places for me to do this, why does it got to be here, because I know
what you’re going to do,” Gossage recalled. “I said, well, yes.” During an open test this week at Richmond, Keselowski told NASCAR.com that he’s tried not to feed into that hype. “I don’t think that’s what racing’s about or what it should be about,” Keselowski said. “But I respect that for Eddie, that sells tickets. He’s got to do what he’s got to do.” Kyle Larson, who had top-10 finishes in both Texas races as a rookie last year, is back after missing the race two weeks ago at Martinsville. He fainted during an autograph session the day before the race, and extensive tests determined that he was severely dehydrated. “It’s never fun to miss a race, especially when you’re sitting in the hospital,” Larson said. “But it was actually nice in a way too, because I could watch the race from a different perspective, and listen too. I had my NASCAR app up so I could listen to other people’s radio communications and try and learn things that maybe I could do differently to be a better race car driver.” The Chip Ganassi Racing driver is always anxious to get back to racing after a break, but Larson said he’s not feeling any different than the rest of the Cup drivers. “Doesn’t even really feel like I’ve been out, it was only one day,” he said. “I was still there for practice and qualifying and all that. Just missed the race.”
HERNANDEZ Continued from Page 1B of a .45-caliber firearm and .22-caliber ammunition. Lloyd was killed with a .45caliber weapon, although the gun was never found. Police found .22-caliber ammunition in Hernandez’s basement. Jurors must be unanimous to reach a verdict. On
the murder charge, they must decide on either 1stdegree or 2nd-degree murder. Second-degree murder carries a sentence of life with the possibility of parole after 15 years, while parole is not possible with a 1st-degree murder conviction.
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
Dear Heloise: We frequent a popular midpriced family restaurant. They had made some changes of food offerings, and fresh food changes seasonally. The problem was, they took my FAVORITE MEAL off the menu! It was a salad with grilled tuna on top. All I had to do was ask the server. She was happy to have the restaurant prepare my salad with the grilled tuna. You never know unless you ask. The restaurant usually can prepare meals you like. You never know what “hidden” items are on the menu unless you ask! Bon appetit! –– Tom in San Antonio Most restaurants want to please the customer! A simple request is usually all it takes. Tip your server well as a thank-you. Tell your friends so they, too, will keep going back. –– Heloise TOWEL TROUBLE Hi, Heloise: We have brand-new towels that do not seem to dry the water on our bodies. We still feel damp afterward. Is there something we can add to
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the wash load to help these towels absorb water better? –– Phyllis, via email Phyllis, don’t despair. Vinegar to the rescue! Most brand-new towels have a sizing or starchy finish on the material. Wash the towels in the hottest water recommended on the label, with just a small amount of detergent. Add 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse water, and DON’T use liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets. You should find yourself dry in no time! I have compiled a group of my favorite vinegar hints and delicious recipes in a convenient pamphlet, Heloise’s Fantabulous Vinegar Hints and More! If you would like to receive one, send a self-addressed, stamped (70 cents) business envelope along with $5 to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015