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REP. HENRY CUELLAR
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Coming into town
Reward money doubled
Congressman will hold 2 events THE ZAPATA TIMES
CUELLAR
U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Zapata, will be in town Tuesday for two events. He will first hold a press conference to announce the expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs Choice Program for eligible veterans in Zapata County. The program allows vet-
erans who qualify to receive non-VA health care rather than traveling to a VA facility. The nearest VA facilities to Zapata are the Laredo Outpatient Clinic and the Laredo Vet Center, both in Laredo. Veterans who currently reside more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facilities are eligible for the Choice Program. Cuellar will join Hugo
Martinez of the Public Affairs Office for the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend and Zapata County officials for the press conference, which will take place at the Zapata County Technical and Advanced Education Center (ZTAC) at 3:45 p.m. Immediately following, Cuellar will speak with
See CUELLAR PAGE 11A
TEXAS DROUGHT
LAKE LEVELS RISING
Woman wanted for indecency with child by sexual contact, still at large By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
State authorities have doubled the amount of reward money for information leading to the arrest of a former mental health center employee who sexually molested a female UISD student, according to reports. The Texas Department of Public Safety is now offering $10,000 for tips leading to the capture of Iris Iliana Rodriguez, 25. Rodriguez — who is wanted for indecency with a child by sexual contact, harassment and unlawful restraint — was added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitive list on Feb. 23. “One offender from the Texas 10 Most Wanted Program is featured each month in hopes the higher reward money from the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division will generate additional tips,” states the DPS news release and further adds the higher reward amount will only be paid if the tip comes in the month of May.
RODRIGUEZ Initially, the reward was $5,000. “The reason that the reward was raised is that this is a serious case,” said Clemente Camarillo, chief of police at United Independent School District. Camarillo hopes the money will attract callers. “We’re willing to pay anything, no matter the amount, to bring (Rodriguez) back to justice,” he said. DPS said Rodriguez, a former Border Region Behavioral Health Center employee, has strong ties
See WANTED PAGE 11A
US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION
CBP accepting applications Photo by Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News | AP
A fisherman moves down Lavon Lake at East Fork park on April 10 in Lavon, Texas. Most lakes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have been well below capacity since shortly after 2011, the state’s driest-ever year. Statewide, estimates from the National Weather Service indicate the first four months of this year have been the wettest since 1997.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
El Niño has given the state good rainfall By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LUBBOCK — Restaurant owner Kelly Duncan gazes incredulously at a full Lake Lavon. Three months ago, this lake northeast of Dallas was half-full. Good rainfalls in March and April brought big changes — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released water this week from the full lake to reduce flood risk.
“I forgot what it looked like when it was full,” the 59-year-old owner of Big Daddy’s Roadhouse BBQ said. “It’s looking really good.” Statewide, estimates from the National Weather Service indicate the first four months of this year have been the fifth wettest since 1895 and the wettest since 1997. So far this year, estimates show the state
See LAKE PAGE 11A
Candidates selected can work in Laredo, Hidalgo, Pharr, elsewhere
Photo by Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News | AP
This April 10 photo shows Lavon Lake at East Fork park in Lavon, Texas. Lavon Lake is more than 80 percent full. So far this year, estimates show the state has gotten 11.5 inches of precipitation, or about 160 percent of the normal 7.1 inches.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is accepting applications nationwide for CBP officer positions at some air, land, and sea ports on the Southwest border and other select locations. The announcement will be open through May 11 or until 15,000 applications are received. As a key component of the Department of Homeland Security’s frontline defense, a CBP officers’ primary responsibility is to detect and prevent terrorists, their weapons, and other threats from entering the United States
while facilitating legitimate trade and travel. This requires enforcing more than 400 laws related to trade, contraband, agricultural pests and diseases, and admissibility of individuals. An applicant for the CBP officer position must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of the United States for the past three years; must be referred for selection prior to their 37th birthday (or a preferenceeligible veteran, or have prior civilian federal law enforcement experience); and have a valid state driver’s license. In addi-
See CBP PAGE 11A