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ZCISD
FEDERAL COURT
CFO files grievance
Women await prison sentence
Barrera claims she was put on leave after accident By JUDITH RAYO THE ZAPATA TIMES
A high-ranking administrator filed a grievance against ZCISD Superintendent Raul Nuques after she was notified of a job reassignment and placed on administrative leave with pay. Former Zapata County Independent School District Chief Financial Officer Suzette Barrera filed her grievance in January. The Zapata Times had requested a copy of the grievance in March. ZCISD requested an opinion from the Texas
attorney general on “This is in retaliation whether the requested for me communicating documents were of public with the board, which I record. have a right to do,” BarAs of mid-June, ZCISD rera states in her grievresubmitted certain inance. formation to the Texas A written statement NUQUES attorney general for reby Olinda Flores, ZCISD consideration. chief personnel officer, In her grievance, which states that on Jan. 7, Barrera ZCISD trustees later discussed informed office secretaries in a meeting and took no ac- about her reassignment. tion on, Barrera states that on “Mrs. S. Barrera was crying Jan. 5, she received a written and told the compensatory secmemo from the superintendent retaries that she does love all that she would be reassigned of them but she is not happy,” for the 2015-16 school year to Flores said in her statement. director of compensatory edu- “Mrs. S. Barrera told them it cation programs. had always been her dream to
be the chief just as her dad was at one time.” Flores said she later bumped into Barrera in the hall as Barrera was walking to her office. “She was crying and I hugged her and reassured her she was going to be OK,” she states. Flores states Barrera opened the door and continued to cry as she dropped to the floor. Flores stated that as Barrera was trying to find her car keys, she knocked down picture frames on her shelf and proceeded to walk out of her
See GRIEVANCE PAGE 10A
GAY MARRIAGE IN TEXAS
STILL ISSUING LICENSES AG says clerks can refuse By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Many county clerks across Texas have begun issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, despite instructions from the state attorney general that they could refuse to do so if it violates their religious beliefs. And most of the ones holding out say they are doing so for logistic — not religious — reasons. Counties in more liberal areas of the fiercely conservative state began sanctioning samesex weddings within hours of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Friday legalizing gay marriage nationwide and wiping out a 2005 amendment to the Texas Constitution banning it. Some counties originally reported holding off to wait for updated paperwork or further state instructions. But many of those announced they would issue gay marriage licenses beginning Monday or at least
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
Jim Obergefell, the named plaintiff in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case that legalized same sex marriage nationwide, is backed by supporters of the court’s ruling on the step of the Texas Capitol Monday in Austin.
Two Zapatans embezzled $800K in bank scheme By PHILIP BALLI ZAPATA TIMES
Two women convicted in February of embezzling $800,000 in a long-running bank fraud scheme that targeted the Zapata National Bank are scheduled to be sentenced today in a Laredo federal court. A grand jury indicted Petra Del Bosque and Anita Arredondo Oct. 28 on charges of bank fraud. They each face up to 30 years in prison and possible $1 million fine. After the women, both of Zapata, entered pleas of not guilty in November, Del Bosque pleaded guilty on Jan. 13. Arredondo pleaded guilty a month later. They each accepted plea agreements and pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. Their plea agreements have remained under seal. Del Bosque is a former employee of Zapata National Bank, while Arredondo worked for a Zapatabased construction company as a clerk in the accounts payable department and had responsibility for issuing company checks. For two years, Arredondo issued numerous false company checks made payable to contractors who had not performed the work that was the alleged basis for the checks. Arredondo admitted to endorsing the false checks by forging the signatures of the contractors and then delivering the checks to Del Bosque at the bank. Del Bosque led bank tellers to believe she was cashing the checks on behalf of the contractors who were unable to come to the bank themselves and that she would deliver the funds from the cashed checks. However, she pocketed the money and split the proceeds of the fraud with Arredondo. Both have admitted that the loss as a result of the scheme totals more than $800,000. (Philip Balli may be reached at 728-2528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)
See LICENSES PAGE 10A
U.S. SUPREME COURT
Possible reopenings Ruling temporarily blocks law that would close 10 Texas abortion clinics, but providers are still unsure of future By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Abortion providers cheered a move by the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily block part of a Texas law that would have closed more than half the state’s 19 remaining abortion clinics. Now they are studying whether it could also allow them to reopen some previously shuttered facilities and whether that would even be feasible. “We may have gotten more than we even asked for,” said Amy Hagstrom Miller, chief executive of
Whole Woman’s Health, which sued to over overturn the law. But she cautioned that reopening clinics would be expensive and difficult, not just “a turn of the key and turn on the lights.” Meanwhile, anti-abortion advocates insisted Monday’s ruling, while at least a short-term victory for abortion providers, isn’t as sweeping as those groups hope. Both sides agree the two-paragraph order blocks a requirement that would mandate abortion facilities be constructed like surgical centers. It
was the final major component of the 2013 law set to take effect. Abortion providers also said they were analyzing whether the order goes further and temporarily wipes out an additional requirement that abortion doctors have admitting privileges at local hospitals. But Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, said the doctor requirements have been in place since a 2014 legal decision and stay in place.
See ABORTION PAGE 10A
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
In this Feb. 26 file photo, college students and abortion rights activists hold signs during a rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol, in Austin. The Supreme Court refused on Monday to allow Texas to enforce restrictions that would force 10 abortion clinics to close.