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FEDERAL COURT
3 from Zapata sentenced Human smugglers to serve prison time on transporting charges By PHILIP BALLI
Grandstaff and Mario Humberto Garza … pleaded guilty Jan. 12 to one count of transporting illegal immigrants for financial gain.
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Three Zapata residents arrested in November during a thwarted human smuggling attempt on U.S. 83 were sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Laredo. A grand jury formally indicted Misti Lea Grandstaff, Mario Humberto Garza III and Manuel Alejandro Garza on charges of conspiracy and two counts of transporting and attempting to transport illegal immigrants for
financial gain. The human smuggling charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Grandstaff and Mario Humberto Garza accepted plea agreements and pleaded guilty Jan. 12 to one count of transporting illegal immigrants for financial gain.
Manuel Alejandro Garza accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty April 23 to the conspiracy charge. As part of each of their plea agreements, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges of the indictment. During the sentencing hearing before U.S. District
Judge Diana Saldaña, Grandstaff was handed a prison sentence of eight months and 16 days. Saldaña further ordered that she be placed on a three-year term of supervised release with a special condition that she be placed in home confinement for six months with electronic
monitoring. Grandstaff must also complete 50 hours of community service within the first two years of her supervised release. Mario Humberto Garza was sentenced to two years. Garza is an alleged Valluco gang member. Manuel Alejandro Garza was handed a three-year
probated sentence. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service within two years of his probationary sentence. The three defendants were arrested Nov. 5. At about 3 p.m. Nov. 5, Zapata County Sheriff’s Office investigators flagged down a Border Patrol agent, requesting help with a traffic stop on U.S. 83. They told the agent they saw a driver, later identified
See SENTENCED PAGE 10A
WESLACO CITY COMMISSION
US 83
ELECTION FRAUD CLAIMS
Brothers indicted for human smuggling
AG office probes complaint By PATRICK SVITEK TEXAS TRIBUNE
Photo by Pat Sullivan | AP file
In this June 9, 2012 file photo, Gilberto Hinojosa speaks after being elected party chairman at the Texas Democratic Convention in Houston. The Texas attorney general’s office has opened an investigation into a contested election won by a client of Hinojosa two years ago. In an interview Friday, Hinojosa said he had no comment about the investigation.
The Texas attorney general’s office has opened an investigation into a contested election in the Rio Grande Valley won by a client of Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa two years ago, according to a lawyer for the losing candidate. Houston attorney Jerad Najvar said Thursday that Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is acting on a criminal complaint filed by his client, Letty Lopez. She lost to Lupe Rivera, Hinojosa’s client, by 16 votes in a November 2013 election for a spot on the Weslaco City Commission. More than a year ago, a visiting judge ruled that some of the votes for Rivera were illegally cast and ordered a new election held as soon as possible, according to local media. Legal wrangling has kept the new election from taking place, and Rivera has remained in office while Hinojosa has defended him in court. In an interview Friday, Hinojosa said he had no comment about the investigation but questioned the motivations of Najvar, a prominent Republican lawyer who specializes in campaign finance
See FRAUD PAGE 10A
ZAPATA COUNTY
Suspected smuggler indicted Luis Alejandro Gonzalez, who led U.S. Border Patrol on a chase through the county, could serve up to 10 years in prison if convicted on human smuggling charges By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A suspected human smuggler who led U.S. Border Patrol on a chase in Zapata County was indicted last week, according to court documents. An indictment filed July 21 states that Luis Alejandro Gonzalez was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented people and
three counts of transport undocumented people for financial gain. Gonzalez, 41, could serve up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted, according to court documents. Records state Gonzalez is accused of transporting immigrants when he led agents on a vehicle pursuit June 24. Gonzalez allegedly crashed his gray pickup through a gate located
about 3 miles from the Webb and Zapata County line. The chase continued through the ranch property until the vehicle’s tire blew up, states the criminal complaint filed June 26. Agents said they took Gonzalez into custody and six immigrants who had crossed the border illegally. In court statements, Gonzalez told authorities he had picked up the group in Roma.
Gonzalez stated he had dropped off more immigrants at a La Quinta Inn Motel in Laredo. At the motel, Homeland Security Investigations special agents said they found four additional immigrants. Gonzalez expected a $2,000 payment, records state. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Jury charges men allegedly involved in operation By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Three men who were allegedly involved in a human smuggling operation were indicted last week in a Laredo federal court, records state. An indictment filed July 21 identified the suspects as brothers Reymundo Aguillon and Ruben Noe Aguillon, and co-defendant Juan Manuel Marroquin. The grand jury charged them with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented people and three counts of transport undocumented people for money. If convicted, the trio could serve 10 years in prison. Each defendant has a $75,000 bond.
U.S. 83 U.S. Border Patrol said the defendants used U.S. 83 as the smuggling route. “It is important to illustrate that smuggling organizations prefer to utilize U.S. 83 as their primary means of travel to be able to transport (undocumented people) or narcotics further north into the United States,” states the criminal complaint filed July 9. “U.S. 83 is the primary means (to) travel north to transport (undocumented people) without encountering a fixed U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint, making it easily exploitable by the smuggling organizations. Recently, agents from the Zapata Border Patrol station have noticed an exponential increase in (human) smuggling cases that have been apprehended in this immediate area.” Authorities arrested the Aguillon brothers and Marroquin on July 5. At 10 p.m., an agent assigned to an area about two miles north of the town of Zapata spotted a blue Dodge Durango on U.S. 83. As the vehicle passed the agent’s location, he observed the front seat passenger “slouch down” as if he attempted to hide behind a door frame, according to court documents. When the agent drove onto U.S. 83, the driver immediately sped up and began to drive on the shoulder. A registration check on the vehicle revealed the vehicle was out of Hebbronville. Due to the driver’s erratic driving, the agent activated his unit’s emergency lights to conduct a vehicle stop. A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper pro-
See BROTHERS PAGE 10A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Wednesday, July 29
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Planetarium shows at TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium from 3 to 5 p.m. 3 p.m.: Accidental Astronaut; 4 p.m.: Extreme Planets; 5 p.m.: Zula Patrol: Under the Weather. General admission is $3. Call 956-326-DOME (3663).
Today is Wednesday, July 29, the 210th day of 2015. There are 155 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 29, 1890, artist Vincent van Gogh, 37, died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers-surOise, France. On this date: In 1588, the English attacked the Spanish Armada in the Battle of Gravelines, resulting in an English victory. In 1900, Italian King Humbert I was assassinated by an anarchist; he was succeeded by his son, Victor Emmanuel III. In 1914, transcontinental telephone service in the U.S. became operational with the first test conversation between New York and San Francisco. Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Canal, offering a shortcut across the base of the peninsula, was officially opened to shipping traffic. In 1921, Adolf Hitler became the leader (“fuehrer”) of the National Socialist German Workers Party. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating NASA. In 1965, The Beatles’ second feature film, “Help!,” had its world premiere in London. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford became the first U.S. president to visit the site of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland. In 1981, Britain’s Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. (However, the couple divorced in 1996.) In 1985, space shuttle Challenger began an 8-day mission that got off to a shaky start: the spacecraft achieved a safe orbit even though one of its main engines shut down prematurely after lift-off. In 1994, abortion opponent Paul Hill shot and killed Dr. John Bayard Britton and Britton’s bodyguard, James H. Barrett, outside the Ladies Center clinic in Pensacola, Florida. (Hill was executed in September 2003.) In 2004, Sen. John Kerry accepted the Democratic presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Boston with a military salute and the declaration: “I’m John Kerry and I’m reporting for duty.” Ten years ago: The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a U.S.-sponsored resolution expanding U.N. sanctions against al-Qaida terrorists and Afghanistan’s former Taliban rulers to affiliates and splinter groups. Five years ago: Army Spc. Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning was flown from a detention facility in Kuwait to the Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Virginia, to await trial on charges of giving military secrets to WikiLeaks. One year ago: Mississippi’s effort to close its last abortion clinic was blocked by a federal appeals court. Today’s Birthdays: Comedian “Professor” Irwin Corey is 101. Actor Robert Horton is 91. Actress Roz Kelly is 73. Documentary maker Ken Burns is 62. Style guru Tim Gunn (TV: “Project Runway”) is 62. Country singer Martina McBride is 49. Actor Josh Radnor is 41. Hip-hop DJ/music producer Danger Mouse is 38. Thought for Today: “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent van Gogh (18531890).
Thursday, July 30 Spanish Book Club from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Laredo Public Library on Calton Road. Contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Planetarium shows at TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium from 3 to 5 p.m. 3 p.m.: Accidental Astronaut; 4 p.m.: Extreme Planets; 5 p.m.: Zula Patrol: Under the Weather. General admission is $3. Call 956-326-DOME (3663).
Saturday, August 1 Photo by Rudy Gutierrez/The El Paso Times | AP
Planetarium shows at TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium from 2 to 5 p.m. 2 p.m.: Accidental Astronauts; 3 p.m.: Wonders of the Universe; 4 p.m.: New Horizons; 5 p.m.: Led Zeppelin. General admission is $3. Call 956-326-DOME (3663). Used book sale at First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardcovers $1, paperbacks $.50, magazines and children’s books $.25. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome. The Laredo Northside Market Association will hold its monthly market from 9 a.m. to 1 pm. on the parking lot of North Central Park. The association will present school supplies to Sacred Heart Children’s Home. The association will also raffle 12 packages of pre-K to K school supplies.
Tuesday, August 4 Grief Support Group “The Comfort Café” meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Danny’s Restaurant, 2406 Jacaman Road. For those 18 and older who are experiencing the loss of a loved one. Contact Yesenia Dickey at 7409374 or email her at yeseniadickey@gmail.com to reserve a seat or for more information. The Alzheimer’s support group will meet Tuesday Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. in meeting room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For information, call 956-693-9991.
Thursday, August 6 Renacer Couple’s Club meeting at Northtown Professional Plaza, 6999 McPherson Rd. Suite 221, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. Contact Rosario Navarro at rossnavarro83@gmail.com.
Tuesday, August 11 Texas A&M International University is hosting no-cost, one-day workshops for K-5 educators interested in teaching computer science. Curriculum guide and supplies will be provided. Contact Pat Abrego at TAMIU at 326-2302.
Thursday, August 13 Inspire Social Business Club meeting at Northtown Professional Plaza, 6999 McPherson Rd. Suite 211, at 6:30 p.m. The public can discuss ideas, hear keynote speakers and support one another in business ventures. Contact Victor Navarro at vnavarro@texaslakeinc.com.
Tuesday, August 18 “Moving Forward in the Grief Journey.” This workshop provides insight into what can keep one from moving forward. From 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Laredo Public Library Conference Room, 1120 E. Calton Rd. To register or if you have any questions please contact 210-757-9425 ext. 1703 or michelle.ramirez@gencure.org.
Friday, August 21 South Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls IX fundraiser, 6 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. concert, Laredo Energy Arena. Concert by Kansas. Table (of 10) sponsorships start at $1,500, on sale from South Texas Food Bank staff 324-2432. Concert tickets only $10, $15, $25 available at LEA box office and Ticketmaster. The event honors the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation for their contribution to the mission of feeding the hungry.
In this photo taken on Monday, workers continue repainting an exterior wall to appear like a U.S. flag at the new Congressman Silvestre and Carolina Reyes Elementary school in West El Paso. The U.S. flag mural resolves a dispute over whether the building should feature the more muted colors of the desert.
Mural painted after spat ASSOCIATED PRESS
EL PASO — A U.S. flag mural being painted Tuesday on a new West Texas school resolves a dispute over whether the building should feature the more muted colors of the desert. Two muralists are working on the red, white and blue design at the Congressman Silvestre & Carolina Reyes Elementary School in El Paso. Martin Zubia and Ulices Gonzalez are doing the artwork at a discounted fee of $5,000, according to Shane Griffith, a spokesman for the Canutillo Independent School District. A subcontractor working for the district started to paint the 313-foot patriotic mural on the building in January, pending final approval with the development company, Hunt Companies Inc. The artwork violated the agreement
reached in 2011, when the district purchased the property from Hunt, that required use of certain colors that blend in with the desert and a nearby housing development, Griffith said Tuesday. The wall was then painted a burnt orange-type shade, in accordance with the original agreement. Some veterans and others complained. “The community as a whole didn’t agree with the painting over the flag mural,” Griffith said. “This is a belief that we also as a school district adhere to that the colors of our flag blend with all environments.” An agreement was later reached with Hunt to allow the patriotic mural, Griffith said, but the district did not have enough money for the repainting. The district and other supporters started Operation Paint It Back and raised more than $15,000, he said.
Airport security breach involved lovelorn man
Pastor shoots burglary suspect at church
Austin doctor gets 10 years in prison for fraud
GRAPEVINE — Police say a man blamed for a security breach at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport slipped onto a jet to try to stop his girlfriend from leaving. An airport police report released Tuesday says Damarias Cockerham of Garland faces a criminal trespass charge. The report says Cockerham on Sunday afternoon “walked” through a checkpoint without identification or a ticket.
BAYTOWN — Police say a pastor sleeping in his office at a Houston-area church awoke to confront a burglary suspect and then shot the man. Baytown police say the shooting happened around dawn Tuesday and the wounded man was transported to a hospital. The pastor was at the church when he heard someone trying to break into the building. The minister then armed himself and shot the suspect.
HOUSTON — An Austin physician has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and must repay $1.2 million for Medicare fraud. Dr. Dennis Barson was sentenced Monday in Houston. Barson and his clinical administrator were convicted in November of conspiracy and health care fraud counts. Prosecutors say the men in 2009 submitted fraudulent billing related to more than 400 patients for tests that were not done.
Coast Guard seeks father, son, who went fishing
1 killed, several slightly hurt in mobile home fire
Warning issued over missing 6-foot snake
FREEPORT — Coast Guard personnel are searching for a father and son last seen going fishing on the Brazos River south of Freeport. Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kendrick says authorities do not suspect foul play in Tuesday morning’s disappearance of the two men.
BRYAN — Investigators are trying to determine what sparked a Central Texas mobile home fire that left a woman dead and several other adults slightly hurt. Investigators say multiple adults were in the residence and everyone escaped — except one female. Authorities did not immediately release her name.
WICHITA FALLS — A public safety alert in one North Texas city involves a 6-foot creature that slithers. Officials in Wichita Falls say be on the lookout for a pet boa constrictor reported missing. Monday’s advisory does not say who owns the snake, which has been missing since Sunday. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Snow piles from Buffalo storm still melting BUFFALO, N.Y. — People from Buffalo hear it all year — over the phone or while traveling: “Buffalo? Got snow there?” The answer, still: “Why, yes!” Two piles remain in one abandoned lot where trucks dumped it after a freak November storm buried neighborhoods in so much snow — 7 feet fell in spots — that crews had nowhere else to put it. “I tell my customers; ’You want ice cubes? Go get them,”’ Eugene Kiszelewski, who owns the G&T Inn across the street, said Tuesday as the temperature climbed past 80 degrees.
2 injection wells shut down after quakes OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Corporation Commission says two oil and gas wastewater injection wells are shutting down
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A dirt covered snow pack, dumped eight months ago, creates pools of water as it slowly melts around the abandoned train station vacant lot in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday. Crews dumped snow in the lots after a storm in November. and one is reducing operations in the Crescent area following several earthquakes. The commission said Tuesday that Stephens Production and Devon Energy are each voluntarily closing one well. Also, Stephens is reducing op-
erations at another well by 50 percent. Earthquakes in the area recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey on Monday and Tuesday include two of magnitude 4.5 and one of magnitude 4.1. — 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
Local & State
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
More footage released ASSOCIATED PRESS
Courtesy photo
This 2014 photo shows a food and drink cart from last year’s Back to School Fishing Tournament. The Chamber of Commerce is calling on businesses and organizations to sponsor the event.
Back-to-School Fishing Tournament
HEMPSTEAD — Texas authorities on Tuesday released several hours of video footage of Sandra Bland during her three days in jail to address rumors that she was dead before arriving there. Waller County Judge Trey Duhon said such conspiracy theories — including one that Bland’s mugshot was taken after her death — have prompted death threats against county officials. “Because of some of the things that’s gone out on social media, this county has been literally attacked,” he said at a news conference, adding that the FBI is investigating the most serious threats. “Sandra Bland was alive and well” until she was found hanging on July 13 in her cell at the Waller County jail, Duhon said. Authorities have ruled that Bland’s death, three days after her arrest during a confrontational traffic stop, was a suicide. The first portions of footage show Bland being taken out of a patrol car at the jail and questioned by a jailer.
Photo courtesy of Bland Family | AP file
In this undated photo provided by the Bland family, Sandra Bland poses for a photo. Bland, a black 28-year-old from suburban Chicago, was found dead in jail on July 13. She’s then briefly placed in a holding cell before her mugshot is taken and she makes a phone call. Bland, a black 28-year-old from suburban Chicago, was found dead in the Waller County jail on July 13. Authorities have said Bland hanged herself with a garbage bag, a finding that her family has questioned, saying she was happy. She was in custody for allegedly assaulting the white state trooper who pulled her over for an improper lane change. The death has garnered national attention amid in-
creased scrutiny of police treatment of blacks in the wake of several high-profile police-involved deaths. On Monday, an initial toxicology report was released for Bland that two experts said raised the possibility that she may have used marijuana while in custody. The amount of THC, one of the active components of marijuana, in Bland’s system was 18 micrograms per liter, according to the report. That’s more than three times the legal limit for drivers in Colorado and Washington, states that permit the recreational use of marijuana. A committee of outside attorneys will assist Waller County District Attorney Elton Mathis in investigating Bland’s death. “I don’t know if we’ll ever get an answer to all the questions,” said attorney Lewis White of Sugar Land, one of the committee members. “But our job is to get answers. There are going to be answers some people don’t like.” The Texas Rangers and the FBI are investigating the case.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Backto-School Fishing Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Bravo Park Pond, 201 W. 9th Ave. The tournament is open for kids ages 3–12, and they must be accompanied by their parent or guardian the entire time. All participants will receive a backpack with school supplies, T-shirts for the first 300, fishing pole and bait. Food and refreshments will also be provided. Awards will be given to the top five heaviest fish caught. Prizes and gifts will be given or raffled from businesses/organizations that will be there to participate in the event. Registration is open at the Boys & Girls Club, 302 W. 6th St. The chamber is also
Ankle monitors eyed By SETH ROBBINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
Courtesy photo
This photo shows participants from last year’s tournament. calling on businesses and organizations to sponsor the event. For
more information on sponsorship, call 956-7654871 ext. 1012.
SAN ANTONIO — Lawyers representing immigrant mothers held in a South Texas detention center say the women have been denied counsel and coerced into accepting ankle-monitoring bracelets as a condition of release, even after judges made clear that paying their bonds would suffice. In a letter Monday to Sarah Saldana, director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the leaders of a volunteer lawyers’ project said they were “dismayed by the lack of transparency, and the coercion, disorganization, and confusion” surrounding recent releases. Among the irregularities cited were summons to court-
rooms scrawled on yellow sticky notes, no counsel or judge present in court, and women being told that the prior word of immigration judges “has no value.” ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a statement that the agency would review the claims and “respond directly” to the lawyers. “ICE takes very seriously the health, safety and welfare of those in our care,” the statement added. Between 70 and 100 women were called into courtrooms at the 50-acre Dilley campus last week and told by ICE officials that they could be released with ankle monitors in lieu of bond, according to a motion filed by R. Andrew Free, a Nashville lawyer working with the CARA Family Detention Pro
Bono Project. ICE appears to want ankle monitors, which use global positioning technology, on the majority of women released, Free said in an interview. The agency’s actions “are misleading people about their rights,” he said. An immigration attorney in Denver, Laura Lichter, said that in her 20 years of practice she has never seen ICE add a monitoring device or impose other conditions after an immigration judge has set bond. She said the bracelet monitors were cumbersome, conspicuous, and required constant charging and were another tacit attempt at deterrence. “There is a stigma,” Lichter said. “Everyone is going to think that they are criminals.”
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
Special Olympics takes on the world By LAWRENCE DOWNES NEW YORK TIMES
LOS ANGELES — If you want to see a world that takes equality seriously, then come to Los Angeles this week, for the Special Olympics World Games, which run through Saturday, at stadiums, ball fields, tracks and pools around the city. Take a seat in the stands and root for your country, or your common humanity. The athletes, about 6,500 from 165 countries, are all amateurs, but their intensity runs hot; the competition is not taken lightly. I watched qualifying track-and-field races on Saturday at the University of Southern California. In smothering heat, young women threw all they had onto the 400meter course, some crumpling at the finish line. I squinted to follow one young runner at a distant turn, trailing and alone. She had no choice but to brave it out — or give up, which she did not do. Bravery is a core word in the Special Olympics movement, embedded in its athletes’ oath, which concludes: “If I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” Brave these athletes have to be, to rise in societies that tear them down. The competition, started in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, has grown into a global movement, an informal tribe whose membership — those with autism, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, fragile X syndrome and other conditions — transcends all boundaries. Whatever country or class they are born into, people with intellectual disabilities are frequently humiliated, abused and ignored. A member of the Botswana delegation told me that children with intellectual disabilities are often seen in that country as a source of family shame, taught in segregated schools, kept at home or sent away to the empty countryside, where the cattle are kept. Much the same thing happens in other countries, even in the developed world, where it is called institutionalization. When Special Olympics officials say their athletes are the world’s most vulnerable and neglected population, they mean it literally. Special Olympics has become a global public-health organization simply because its athletes kept showing up with serious, untreated medical problems. At the first health
clinic at the World Games in 1995, 15 percent of athletes had eye or dental ailments so debilitating they were sent immediately to the emergency room. Almost 20 percent were in severe pain. At the 2015 Games, large tents on the University of Southern California campus are packed with athletes waiting for checkups with volunteer doctors and technicians. Along with medals, they will go home with prescription eyeglasses, hearing aids and shoes that fit. There is a paradox within the Special Olympics — the organization puts a heavy emphasis on inspiration and joy. It lays that part on thick; it is hard to think of a happier bunch of people. But its message resonates so powerfully because of the pain it is working to erase. At the opening ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, 62,000 people roared for the athletes, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, marching in native costumes. President Barack Obama greeted them by video, and Michelle Obama, in person, declared the Games open. Dancers waved ribbons, fireworks erupted and the Olympic torch blazed. Taking the stage, Timothy Shriver, the Special Olympics chairman, shouted a call to revolution for rights and dignity. “Storm the castle,” he roared, not militantly. He meant with basketballs and barbells, roller skates and gym shoes. At a time when other marginalized groups are seeing progress toward greater rights and inclusion, millions with intellectual disabilities are still waiting. While they wait, they race, run and swim. Los Angeles this week is heaven for a sports fan. I’ve met a young Irishman who is a champion open-ocean swimmer, and seen young female runners from Africa, some racing in bare feet, some in hijab. I saw a Swedish handball player make an impossible lumbering drive to the goal that won a game in the final seconds. The Chinese basketball team got thumped by ballstealing, hard-fouling, high-fiving competitors. Skaters from India raced in slick blue uniforms, and on cheap roller skates that strapped to their shoes. Iran and Israel will both be competing this week in the sedate, non-Middle Eastern sport of bocce. But I’m rooting for the Afghans.
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COLUMN
‘Closet bass singer’ shot down As I’ve mentioned previously, I grew up in rural and small town environs. Upon reaching full growth and maturity — for the male of the human species, that’s means past 40 at least, if ever — I’ve become most grateful to that clime for learning to be a responsible citizen. Rural east central Texas in the 1940s-50s was a great place to raise children. There wasn’t much you could do there without someone calling your mother and reporting any misbehavior. Since my family’s roots were entirely rural farmranch oriented, there were some out-in-the-country things we didn’t give up. A one-room church, affiliated with the North American Baptist Association, was one of those things to which we clung. We attended the rural church on its first- and third-Sunday services, the only times available when you had to share a pastor/ preacher with a similar church 20 miles away for the second and fourth Sundays. Southern gospel was the music style and my mother loved that music immensely. As I may have pointed
out, she was basically a very shy, introverted person except among family and very close friends. She sang, because, with an average attendance of 20 or so, every voice was needed. Additionally, all those farm-ranch bred and raised folks loved the music and chimed in. Mother always referred to herself as a timid alto. I never knew for sure that anyone in the church could read music except whoever played the piano during the services. As much as Mother wanted me to be able to play piano, we couldn’t afford lessons. Thus, I never learned to read music. In high school, I spent three semesters in choir — as soon as it was organized — but I just listened and guessed at the notes. Several of the guys who played football decided to join choir because we heard it was going to be fun and it’d be an easy grade and credit. And, we all had a great time because it was enjoyable even
though the work was harder than we expected. I managed to sit next to Douglas Aycock, one of my best buddies. His near blindness required thicklens glasses, so since he couldn’t play football, he took piano and was quite accomplished. On top of which, he was the smartest student in the entire school. To my great dismay, I was assigned to sing tenor rather than “he-man” bass. But, I decided to make the best of it and learn from Doug. He kept me on key most of the time, as long as I kept an ear cocked toward him with the other on the choir teacher and the pianist. College introduced me to a number of things including my very first try at smoking. In the mid-1950s, it was the “he-man” thing to do. Little did we know. So smoking Kent cigarettes, with the baby blue micronite filter, was way cool and ultimately deepened my voice. But, there weren’t many opportunities to test that for years, what with finishing college, beginning a career, family and all those things “responsible” small town boys are taught.
But, I listened to good Southern Gospel music every chance I could. And, I’d kind of sing along in a muffled bass, the he-man tone I’d longed for all those years. About 30 or so years into “real life,” I saw an advertisement for a performance by a very good Southern Gospel quartet in a neighboring town. So, I bought a ticket and went to hear them. Their bass singer was magnificent and I was enthralled. After the concert, I made a beeline for him and engaged him in conversation, telling him how I’d enjoyed his singing. I told him about my mom and her being a self-described “timid alto,” and added that I guessed I’d been a closet bass. He looked at me with this funny expression and said, “Well, I don’t think I’d put in the manner of ‘coming out of the closet.’” So, now I refer to myself as a bashful bass, but I still can’t read music. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.
COMMENTARY
Cruz feud shows Trump’s influence By DANTE RAMOS BOSTON GLOBE
Donald Trump isn’t just leading the polls among GOP presidential candidates. If last weekend’s feud between senators Ted Cruz and Mitch McConnell is any indication, Trump’s rise is also stretching the fabric of the U.S. Senate. A Texas Republican who’s running for president, Cruz blasted McConnell, the GOP majority leader, on Friday for supposedly going back on his
promise about how he’d handle a proposed amendment about the controversial Export-Import Bank. McConnell had told his fellow Republicans “a flat-out lie,” Cruz insisted in a floor speech. His colleagues were appalled by this breach of a Senate rule against impugning other senators. So when Cruz tried to force a roll-call vote on an Iran-related measure Sunday, his fellow Republicans embarrassed him by swatting him down. But Cruz
wouldn’t relent, tartly describing McConnell as being in league with Democratic leadership and “in favor of big government.” Why did Cruz pick this fight? He’s been stuck around eighth place in the polls, as Trump dominates the political niche — unapologetic, in-your-face conservatism — that Cruz seemed intent on occupying. Taking bold stands against seamy, closed-door decisionmaking in the Senate is usually a good way to gin up attention.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
By Senate standards, what Cruz did was far more rash. It’s McConnell’s job to keep the Senate machinery operating — but it’s all too easy for a loner like Cruz to cast all compromise as apostasy and weakness. On the positive side, the Senate passed a key test: If Trump’s candidacy has fueled some maneuvering among Cruz and others, it’s also given GOP senators a chance to defend their chamber against showy political games.
International
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Man sought for lion poaching in Zimbabwe By FARAI MUTSAKA ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwean police said Tuesday they are searching for an American who allegedly shot a well-known, protected lion known as Cecil with a crossbow in a killing that has outraged conservationists and others. Authorities on Tuesday said two Zimbabwean men will appear in court for allegedly helping lure the lion outside of its protected area to kill it. The American faces poaching charges, according to police spokeswoman Charity Charamba. The American allegedly paid $50,000 to hunt the lion, Zimbabwean conservationists said, though the
hunter and is local partners maintain they didn’t know the lion they killed was protected. Walter James Palmer was identified on Tuesday by both the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe as the American hunter, a name that police then confirmed. “We arrested two people and now we are looking for Palmer in connection with the same case,” Charamba said. Emmanuel Fundira, the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, said at a news conference that Palmer is from Minnesota and his current whereabouts were unknown.
Palmer issued a statement saying he was unaware that the lion was so well known and part of a study. “I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt,” he said, maintaining that to his knowledge, everything about the hunt had been legal. Attempts to reach Palmer, 55, at his two listed home numbers and his office by phone and in person were unsuccessful. Palmer, an avid hunter, pleaded guilty in 2008 to making false statements to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about a black bear he fatally shot in western
Wisconsin outside of the authorized hunting zone, according to court documents. The two arrested Zimbabwean men — a professional hunter and a farm owner — face poaching charges, the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said in a joint statement. Killing the lion was illegal because the farm owner did not have a hunting permit, the joint statement said. The lion was skinned and beheaded. The hunters tried to destroy the lion’s collar, fitted with a tracking device, but failed, the statement said. If convicted, the men face up to 15 years in prison. The lion is believed to
have been killed on July 1 in western Zimbabwe’s wildlife-rich Hwange region, its carcass discovered days later by trackers, the statement said. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said in a statement that an American paid the $50,000 for the hunt. During a nighttime hunt, the men tied a dead animal to their car to lure the lion out of a national park, said Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. The American is believed to have shot it with a crossbow, injuring the animal. The wounded lion was found 40 hours later, and shot dead with a gun, Rodrigues said in the statement.
“The saddest part of all is that now that Cecil is dead, the next lion in the hierarchy, Jericho will most likely kill all Cecil’s cubs,” said Rodrigues. The Zimbabwean hunter accused in the case claimed that Cecil was not specifically targeted, and the group only learning after the fact that they had killed a well-known lion, according to the Safari Operators Association. Cecil, recognizable by his black mane, was being studied by an Oxford University research program, the conservation group said. Tourists regularly spotted his characteristic mane in the park over the last 13 years, said Lion Aid, also a conservation group.
Obama delivers frank words about Africa’s problems By JULIE PACE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — President Barack Obama arrived in East Africa with no big American aid packages, no ramped up U.S. military resources for fighting terror groups and no new initiatives with billions in government backing. Instead, he brought a frank message on democracy, corruption and security that could perhaps be delivered only by a Western leader viewed in Africa as a local son. “The future of Africa is up to Africans,” Obama said during a trip to Kenya and Ethiopia that concluded Tuesday. “For too long, I think that many looked to the outside for salvation and focused on somebody else being at fault for the problems of the continent.” The president’s advisers reject the notion that Obama’s policy toward Africa is all talk, pointing to the longterm potential of initiatives to boost power access and
food security for millions on the continent. They stress the importance of America’s first black president, one with a sprawling family still living in Kenya, capitalizing on his ability to speak not as a lecturing Westerner, but as someone with a personal stake in the continent’s success. “He is someone who is broadly respected by not just the leaders, but the peoples of these countries, especially young populations who make up an increasing percentage of these countries,” said Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser. “So, for that reason, I think people pay close attention to what he has to say.” “That doesn’t mean that they’re going to agree with everything he says, but I think he can lay out a direction that he thinks the U.S.African partnership can go in,” Rhodes added. Indeed, Obama closed his East Africa swing with a blunt accounting of the risks facing the fast-growing
Photo by Evan Vucci | AP
President Barack Obama delivers a speech to the African Union on Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. continent. He compared Africa’s large youth population to the Middle East, warning that without jobs and prospects for the future, young Africans are more likely to be drawn to terrorism. He warned of the “cancer of corruption” that runs rampant through some African governments, a problem he said only the continent’s leaders could solve. And with high-level African officials in the audience for his remarks at African Union headquarters, he launched a blistering and sometimes sarcastic take-
down of leaders who refuse to leave office when their terms end. “Let me be honest with you — I just don’t understand this,” he said, drawing cheers from many in the crowd. “I actually think I’m a pretty good president. I think if I ran, I could win. But I can’t.” While those remarks drew cheers from many in the crowd, some African activists greeted his comment one day earlier that Ethiopia has a democratically elected government with scorn and concern. Oba-
ma’s remarks came during a news conference with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia, whose ruling party won every seat in parliament in May elections. Obama’s predecessors have also pushed for good governance and respect for human rights in Africa. But none had the instant credibility African leaders confer on Obama, whose visit was heralded as a homecoming. “It would have been different of course if he was from a different background,” said Amadou Sy, director of the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution. “But he’s also one of us.” Obama barely knew his father, who was born and is buried in Kenya. The younger Obama wouldn’t visit the nation of his father’s birth until he was in his 20s, yet his political rise has been cheered enthusiastically throughout the continent. Obama’s connections to Africa garnered oversized
expectations for what his tenure as U.S. president would mean for the continent. While he’s made four trips to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office — more than any other U.S. president — his foreign policy focus has often been on boosting ties with the Asia-Pacific region and confronting crises in the Middle East. Obama also faces frequent comparisons to his predecessor George W. Bush, who launched a $15 billion initiative for combating HIV/AIDS in Africa. “I am really proud of the work that previous administrations did here in Africa, and I’ve done everything I could to build on those successes,” Obama said during a news conference in Kenya Saturday. “This isn’t a beauty contest between presidents.” At the heart of Obama’s approach to Africa is a belief that the U.S. and other developed nations can no longer view the continent simply as a receptacle for billions in international aid.
National
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
Boy Scouts end ban on gays By DAVID CRARY AND LINDSAY WHITEHURST ASSOCIATED PRESS
SALT LAKE CITY — The lifting of the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay adult leaders prompted some gay Eagle Scouts to quickly rejoin the movement on Tuesday. But the Mormon church — the nation’s largest sponsor of Scout units — warned that it may split away to form a global scouting organization of its own. The contrasting reactions followed the BSA national executive board’s 4512 vote on Monday to lift the nationwide ban while allowing church-sponsored Scout units to continue excluding gay adults. Across the country, scores of gay Eagle Scouts signed forms with the advocacy group Scouts for Equality, expressing interest in rejoining the Boy Scouts as volunteers. Among them was Charles Spain, a 56-year-old attorney in Houston who had not worn a Scout uniform since his post-college years as an in-the-closet Scout employee before he entered law school. On Tuesday morning, he registered as an adult leader with the local Scout troop that his 13-year-old son belongs to, then hurried out to buy a uniform and posted a photo of it on his Facebook page. “I haven’t worn a Scout
Photo by John S. Adcock | AP
This photo provided by John S. Adcock shows Jeff Spain and his father Charles Spain before leaving for Scout summer camp. uniform in 30 years,” said Spain. “I support and believe in the Scouting program. It’s the best youth program that’s ever been invented.” The mood was different at the Salt Lake City headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which described itself as “deeply troubled” by the BSA’s decision to lift the nationwide ban. Just two weeks earlier, Mormon leaders indicated they were comfortable with the pending policy change. But in a strongly worded statement issued after Monday’s final vote, Mormon officials described the admission of openly gay leaders as “inconsistent with the doctrines of the
Church.” One possibility, church officials suggested, would be for the Mormons to form their own worldwide scouting movement. The Mormons’ statement noted that the church has members in 170 nations, many of them without scouting programs. “Those worldwide needs combined with this vote by the BSA National Executive Board will be carefully reviewed by the leaders of the Church in the weeks ahead,” the statement added. At Boy Scout headquarters in Texas, reaction to the Mormons’ declaration was muted. The BSA issued its own statement expressing ap-
preciation for its long relationship with the Mormon church, and asserting, “America’s youth are better off when they are in Scouting.” A conservative activist in Utah, Gayle Ruzicka, applauded the Mormons’ tough reaction and noted that the church already ran its own scouting-style program for young women. “There’s not any reason why the church can’t start their own boys’ program — one that will teach the same things,” she said. Brad Daw, a Republican legislator in Utah who’s been involved in Scouting since he was 11, said he was disheartened by the BSA vote to allow gay leaders, but also saddened about the “pretty big hint” by church leaders of a Mormon exodus from Boy Scouting. Given that most units in Utah are Mormon-affiliated, Daw said, being part of the BSA is “an opportunity for us to welcome boys from other faiths to be part of the Scouts.” The Mormon church — which serves more than 427,000 boys in nearly 38,000 scout units — still opposes gay marriage and believes homosexuality is a sin. But the religion’s leaders have shifted their tone on gay rights in recent years, away from harsh rhetoric and toward compassion and acceptance of gays and lesbians.
Prison worker pleads guilty By MICHAEL HILL
to feeling good about said. herself, better than Prosecutors say she had for a period of Mitchell provided PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — time, and she was hacksaw blades, A prison worker who was swept off her feet a chisels, a punch “in over her head” with bit. ... And then when tool and a screwtwo inmates convicted of she realized who she driver to Matt on murder tearfully pleaded was dealing with, evMay 1. Authorities MITCHELL guilty Tuesday to charges erything changed.” say she became of aiding them by smugMatt was shot and killed close with the pair and gling hacksaw blades and by searchers June 26, about agreed to be their getaway other tools to the pair, who 30 miles west of the prison. driver. But she backed out broke out and spent three Sweat was captured near at the last moment, forcing weeks on the run. the Canadian border two the two to flee on foot after Joyce Mitchell, an in- days later and sent to anoth- they emerged from a manstructor in the tailor shop er prison. hole near the prison. at the Clinton Correctional Mitchell, 51, faces a senInvestigators also said Facility in upstate New tence of 2 1/3 to seven years Mitchell had discussed killYork, wore shackles and in prison under terms of a ing her husband, Lyle prison stripes as she en- plea deal with prosecutors. Mitchell, as part of the plot. tered the pleas in a barely Sentencing is set for Sept. Lyle Mitchell was in audible voice. 28. Johnston said his client court Tuesday and declined Afterward, her lawyer, will not be able to post the to speak with an Associated Stephen Johnston, said she bail of $100,000 cash or Press reporter. realizes she made a “horri- $200,000 bond. Wylie said a grand jury ble mistake” by getting inDistrict Attorney Andrew could have considered othvolved with Richard Matt Wylie said separate cases er counts against Joyce and David Sweat, who against Sweat and a Gene Mitchell, including conspirstaged an elaborate escape Palmer, a guard who investi- acy to commit murder and from the maximum-securi- gators accuse of unwittingly sexual-related charges ty prison on June 6. helping the two inmates, are based on allegations involv“She got in over her expected to go before a ing the inmates. But he head into something that grand jury next month. said he accepted pleas on she never should have start“At this time, there are no two clearly provable charged. But she did, and she’s other individuals who have es — first-degree promoting paying the price now,” been identified through the prison contraband, a felony, Johnston told reporters out- investigation as being in- and fourth-degree criminal side court. “I think that to a volved directly or indirect- facilitation, a misdemeancertain extent, Matt got her ly” with the escape, Wylie or— “in the interest of jusASSOCIATED PRESS
tice.” The deal requires Mitchell to cooperate with a probe by the state inspector general. Authorities said Joyce Mitchell smuggled the tools into the prison by hiding them in frozen meat she placed in a refrigerator in the tailor shop. They said Palmer then took the meat to Sweat and Matt, who were housed in a section where inmates are allowed to cook their meals. Authorities do not believe Palmer knew of the escape plan. He was released on bail after being arrested on charges including promoting prison contraband. Mitchell, who was arrested June 12, resigned from her job but remains eligible for a pension, according to corrections officials and the state comptroller’s office. Matt and Sweat cut through their adjoining cell walls over months, climbed down catwalks to tunnels and broke through a brick wall. They then cut into a steam pipe and cut a chain holding a manhole cover outside the prison to get away, authorities said.
Teen accused of killing 8-year-old By MARTHA MENDOZA AND JANIE HAR ASSOCIATED PRESS
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A teenage boy lured an 8year-old girl into his apartment and killed her before hiding her body in a recycling bin at the housing complex where they lived, authorities said Tuesday. Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel told reporters that Madyson Middleton was probably dead even before she was reported missing Sunday evening. Federal and local law enforcement searched the area surrounding the complex Sunday night and throughout Monday before finding the girl’s body that night. A 15-year-old boy, who police say knew the girl as a neighborhood acquaintance, was arrested on suspicion of murder, Vogel said. The boy, whose name is not being released because he is a juvenile, was nearby when the body was discovered, and officers found evidence in the apartment that links him to the slaying, the police chief said. Madyson willingly went
Photo by Ben Margot | AP
A couple embrace at a memorial for Madyson Middleton at the Tannery Arts Center Tuesday in Santa Cruz, Calif. to the apartment. A motive has not yet been released, Vogel said. Prosecutors are considering bringing charges against the boy as an adult, Santa Cruz District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell said. The girl’s disappearance has shaken the unique artists’ community called Tannery Arts Center on the outskirts of this small beach town. Santa Cruz, with a population of 62,000, is perhaps best known for its boardwalk and liberal politics, and it’s not unusual to see unaccompanied children out and about.
On Tuesday morning, the trash-collection area where Madyson’s body was found remained roped off. Visitors stopped at a walkway memorial to pay respects with candles, bouquets of flowers and stuffed animals. “My staff was so hopeful we were going to find her alive. And when the news came last night that she was not alive,” Vogel said, “it was horrible.” Hundreds of volunteers had searched surrounding areas to look for Madyson, who was last seen Sunday afternoon. She had been seen riding her new Razor scooter in the courtyard,
but around 5 p.m., her mother realized she was gone. Police twice conducted a door-to-door search of the entire apartment complex, as well as a homeless shelter across the street. Vogel said he did not know if the boy’s apartment was immediately searched, but they believe the girl was killed before they got a call. Officers discovered the body on a second, more thorough search of the complex, Vogel said. Beyond the 8-acre property, searchers from throughout the state used boats, helicopters, bikes and cameras in their efforts. Authorities used dogs to search nearby woods and parks and the San Lorenzo River levee. Helicopters scanned the forest and the coastline, and the Coast Guard surveyed the ocean 2 miles from where she was last seen. The Tannery Arts Center where the girl lived is a public-private nonprofit project that includes 100 affordable loft apartments for artists and their families, a cafe and dance and art studios.
Photo courtesy of Colorado Judicial Department | AP
In this image made from Colorado Judicial Department video, defense attorney Tamara Brady, left, questions Robert Holmes, top right, the father of James Holmes, in Centennial, Colo., on Tuesday.
Father calls Colorado theater shooter an ‘excellent kid’ By SADIE GURMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The father of Colorado theater shooter James Holmes took the stand Tuesday as defense lawyers try to persuade jurors to spare his life. Robert Holmes has attended every day of his son’s trial along with his wife, Arlene, but the couple has not spoken publicly since before the trial, when they begged for a plea deal to spare his life. Holmes said he supports his son and still loves him, saying he was an “excellent kid.” “Well he’s my son and we always got along very well,” he said when asked to explain. Robert Holmes said he didn’t know about mental illness in the family until after his son killed 12 people and injured 70 others in the July 2012 attack on a movie theater audience in suburban Denver. “I assumed he might be depressed,” but never knew his son had homicidal or suicidal thoughts after breaking up with a girlfriend and dropping out of school, Robert Holmes said. While Holmes was found legally sane at the time of the attack, his defense is hoping at least one juror will agree that his mental illness reduces his moral culpability so much that he deserves the mercy of a life sentence instead. Death sentences must be unanimous, and the judge has explained to jurors that their decision will be highly personal. So the defense has a two-fold task during this phase of Holmes’ sentencing: They must show the jury that Holmes was deeply mentally ill, even if legally sane, and they must give jurors reasons to be merciful. On the first point, the defense brought back the same court-appointed psychiatrist who found Holmes was legally sane during the attack, this time to say that it was severe mental illness that drove Holmes to kill. “Having psychosis
doesn’t take away your capacity to make choices. It may increase your capacity to make bad choices,” Dr. Jeffrey Metzner testified Monday. “He acted on his delusions, and that’s a reflection of the severity of his mental illness.” On the second, they introduced a series of friends and family to show that even this killer was loved once, and has people who still care for him. Lori Bidwell recalled Tuesday how “Jimmy” helped celebrate Halloween with them each year in California. She said he was quiet, smart and goodhumored. The families went rafting together when Holmes was 21, and Bidwell recalled how he laughed and watched sea otters. “When I first heard it on the news, I called because I thought this can’t be possible,” said Bidwell said. A college friend, Harry Soren Carr, described Holmes as introverted, but with a self-deprecating sense of humor, and said he didn’t make fun of other people. Chris Holmes, 22, became the first in her family to testify on Monday. She described a jail visit two years after the attack, saying he was no longer the loving brother who protected her as they were growing up. “His whole demeanor seemed different,” she said. “His eyes, they were almost bugging out of his head.” But she still loves him, she said, and will still visit, and probably send him a birthday card each year in prison. “It will be up to me when my parents pass away, so I do want to do that.” Holmes’ lawyers say the once-promising neuroscience student should get life without parole rather than be executed for the 12 murders. He also injured 70 others at the crowded midnight movie in July 2012. Holmes had no visible reaction to his sister, who sat just feet from the defense table where he has been tethered to the floor.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
Zentertainment
PAGE 7A
Ready Familiar characters in new Dr. Seuss to be a normal couple By HOLLY RAMER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By LUQMAN ADENIYI ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Now that they’re finally engaged, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth are ready to go on their first real-world date. The bachelorette and her chosen fiancé are now able to live their love away from TV cameras after Monday night’s “The Bachelorette” finale on ABC. Bristowe chose the 29-year-old personal trainer as her one true love. Bristowe said the couple will go on their first real date Tuesday night. “We were counting down the Mondays until we could get to this point and we are finally here so we are just going to enjoy it,” Booth said. Twenty-five other men competed to woo the 30year-old former dance instructor in the 11th season of the reality dating competition. She accepted Booth’s marriage proposal during the finale saying, “I never want you to question what we have ever again because I am completely yours.” It was speculated that Booth had won after a Snapchat video of him and Bristowe in bed was accidently shared and quickly deleted in June. Bristowe said it was a regrettable mistake to spoil the show for viewers but it was a smaller ordeal than they expected. “We just kind of skimmed over and didn’t acknowledge it,” Bristowe said.
HANOVER, N.H. — Move over mockingbirds and watchmen. There’s a new Yent in a tent in town. Dr. Seuss’ new book, “What Pet Should I Get?”, features the same siblings seen in his 1960 classic “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.” The book went on sale Tuesday, two weeks after the release of Harper Lee’s long-awaited second novel, “Go Set a Watchman.” But unlike some fans of Lee’s 1960 book, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” those who love Dr. Seuss are unlikely to be disappointed, says Donald Pease, author of two books about Seuss and
an English professor at the author’s alma mater, Dartmouth College. “It’s a classic Dr. Seuss treatment,” he said. “What it does is it brings a child, actually a brother and sister, into relationship by way of a problem almost every child addresses in her or his life: What pet should I get?” As the siblings ponder which animal to acquire — Dog? Cat? Fish? — they start to imagine more fanciful creatures: the aforementioned Yent, or a “thing on a string.” All the while, they face the constraints of what their parents would allow. The final illustration, which shows two eyes poking out of a basket, leaves readers
guessing about their choice. Pease suggests Seuss didn’t publish the book because he used it as a jumping-off point for “One Fish Two Fish” instead. “In a sense, the pet shop is giving the children access to the difference between the world of pets they can encounter in a pet shop, and the world of creatures they can only enter encounter by opening the book equivalent of a pet shop: the archive of Dr. Seuss’s children’s books,” he said. For example, in “One Fish Two Fish,” the children have a Gox, a Gack, and a Wump with one hump. Seuss, whose real name
Phoot by Holly Ramer | AP
A plush “Cat in the Hat” toy is displayed next to “What Pet Should I Get?,” the latest book by Dr. Seuss, on Tuesday in Concord, N.H. was Theodor Geisel, grew up in Massachusetts, but it was at Dartmouth that he found his passion for writing and drawing.
In general, Pease said, the world that Seuss created didn’t have race or class distinctions but instead celebrated differences.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors MEXICO SOCCER
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Suspension upheld Brady out 4 games after ‘Deflategate’ By BARRY WILNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Tom Brady’s four-game suspension for his role in using underinflated footballs during the AFC championship game has been upheld by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The league announced the decision Tuesday, with Goodell saying that the New England quarterback told an assistant to destroy Brady’s cellphone on or just before March 6. Brady met with independent investigator Ted Wells on that day. "He did so even though he was aware that the investigators had requested access to text messages and other electronic information that had been stored on that phone," Goodell said in his decision. "During the four months that the cellphone was in use, Brady had exchanged
nearly 10,000 text messages, none of which can now be retrieved from that device." Calling the appeal process "a sham," Tom Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said Goodell "failed to ensure a fair process" in upholding the quarterback’s four-game suspension. The Patriots used the words "folly" and "incomprehensible" in their statement, then said they "unequivocally believe in and support Tom Brady." Brady acknowledged in his testimony he was aware of investigators’ request for information from the cellphone before he had it destroyed, the appeal decision said. After releasing the report in May, Wells said he had told Brady and Yee he did not need to see his phone and would have accepted a list of communications. Wells’ investigation
Mexico fires Herrera By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Embattled Mexican national soccer team coach Miguel Herrera was fired Tuesday following a TV reporter’s claim that the coach known as “El Piojo” punched him. The ouster comes just two days after Herrera led Mexico to victory in the Concacaf Golf Cup. But DeHERRERA cio de Maria, who on Saturday becomes president of the Mexican Soccer Federation, said the incident with the journalist was not in keeping with “the spirit of fair and respectful competition” that the organization espouses.
File photo by Elise Amendola | AP
New England quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension for his role in using underinflated footballs has been upheld by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. had no subpoena power and Brady was under no legal obligation to cooperate. The NFL had some messages from Brady sent to an equipment manager’s phone, but investigators wanted to see if Brady’s cellphone had other messages related to
footballs. The four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback was suspended by NFL executive Troy Vincent in May following the Wells report. The Patriots were fined $1 million and docked a pair of draft picks. The team didn’t ap-
peal its penalty, but Brady appealed. The NFL Players Association had said previously it would challenge the decision in court if Brady’s suspension wasn’t erased. The union said in a statement on Tuesday that it would appeal in court.
The incident involving the coach and Television Azteca’s Christian Martinoli took place Monday at the Philadelphia airport as the team prepared to return to Mexico following its 3-1 victory over Jamaica in the championship match. Martinoli accused Herrera of hitting him in the neck and then threatening him. The journalist has been a tough critic of Herrera, as have many Mexican fans and pundits disappointed with the team’s recent results. “El Tri” failed to advance from group play at the Copa America this summer in Chile. Critics also faulted Mexico’s performance again at the Gold Cup, where it finished second in group and only advanced to the final after winning two knockout-round matches with the help of controversial late penalties.
MIÉRCOLES 29 DE JULIO DE 2015
Ribereña en Breve
Zfrontera CASO RAMÍREZ
Compensación
DECOMISO
POR PHILIP BALLI
Fueron decomisados más de 13 kilogramos de marihuana en el municipio de Miguel Alemán, México, dijeron autoridades tamaulipecas. El decomiso, que tuvo lugar el lunes, estuvo a cargo de elementos de Fuerza Tamaulipas, quienes encontraron 155 paquetes conteniendo 1.013 con 500 gramos de marihuana en una casa de la Colonia Nuevo Amanecer en Miguel Alemán. Durante el decomiso, dos sospechosos lograron escapar.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
INSCRIPCIÓN TARDÍA El periodo de inscripción tardía para los estudiantes de ZCISD, finaliza hoy. Los padres que aún no hayan inscrito a sus hijos al ciclo escolar 2015-2016, pueden asistir al campus que le corresponde a su hijo de 8 a.m. a 3 p.m.
Una mujer de Zapata y su hermano están un paso más cerca de recibir una compensación de más de 11.6 millones de dólares en minerales que heredaron de su abuela y que fueron recolectados por ConocoPhillips, de acuerdo con registros de la corte. Minerva Clementina Ramírez y León Oscar Ramírez Jr., presentaron una demanda en contra de ConocoPhillips en noviembre de 2010 en el Distrito del Condado 49 en el Condado de Zapata para recuperar su cuota de minerales producidos por la compañía. Ellos heredaron los derechos de los minerales de su abuela, Leonor V. Ramírez. Los hijos de Leonor V. Ramírez incluyen a León Oscar Ramírez Sr., Ileana Ramírez y Rodolfo Ramírez. En una parte de su testamento, Leonor Ramírez dejó todos sus derechos, título e interés en/y para el rancho Las Piedras — de 1.058 acres de tierra ubicado en el Condado de Webb — para su hijo, León Oscar Ramírez Sr., durante el término de su vida natural.
ATAQUE CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — Nueve personas murieron en Tamaulipas, dijo un oficial de seguridad estatal el lunes. La portavoz de seguridad estatal en Tamaulipas Ivon Meléndez dijo que murieron 9 supuestos criminales después de un ataque a la policía estatal en Rio Bravo el sábado por la tarde. Rio Bravo está dentro del territorio controlado por el cartel del Golfo. La policía confiscó nueve armas largas y equipo táctico.
Sin embargo, hasta su Cada uno de los hijos de muerte, Leonor Ramírez señaLeonor firmó la estipulación, ló por su testamento que el tíacabando con la reivindicatulo pasaría a los hijos (de Leción de los nietos a los intereón Oscar) en partes iguales. ses de minerales en el proceDe conformidad con su tesso. tamento, León Oscar Ramírez Como resultado, ConocoPSr. se convirtió en un usufruchillips hizo dinero que por M. RAMÍREZ tuario, lo que significa que sóderecho le pertenecía a los lo tenía derecho a disfrutar de demandantes, de acuerdo con la superficie de la tierra y no del el abogado Alberto Alarcón, quien corpus, que incluye los minerales. representó a los demandantes en el El corpus pertenecía a las perso- caso. nas que permanecen después del En diciembre de 2011, Minerva y usufructuario, los hijos de León Os- León Oscar Ramírez Jr. presentaron car Ramírez Sr. mociones enmendadas para juicio Sus hijos son los demandantes en sumario parcial. el caso. Las mociones solicitan específicaDespués de que Leonor Ramírez mente el juicio sumario que el intemuriera, ConocoPhillips envió una rés de cada mineral era de un 1/12 carta dirigida a su hijo, Rodolfo Ra- interés mineral indivisa, destinado mírez, el 1 de julio de 1997. para ellos en el testamento de LeoEn la carta, ConocoPhillips reco- nor Ramírez. noce que los minerales que alguna Las mociones también solicitan el vez pertenecieron a Leonor no perte- dictamen de que los arrendamientos necían a ninguno de sus hijos, sino a de petróleo y gas invocados por Cosus nietos. nocoPhillips eran inválidos en relaAnexo a la carta, había una “esti- ción a su respectivo interés mineral. pulación de la propiedad de interés El tribunal de primera instancia de la masa mineral”, que, en caso de concedió los movimientos modificaestar firmada por los hijos de Leo- dos para juicio sumario el 6 de dinor, intentan “corregir el título de ciembre de 2012. El juicio final deregistro”. cretó que Minerva y León Oscar Ra-
NUEVO LAREDO, MX
TURISMO
Mueren 2 oficiales de policía TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Todos los padres de familia del Zapata County Independent School District, están invitados al evento “Compartir la Visión”, que realizará el distrito, el miércoles 5 de agosto, de 3 p.m. a 7 p.m. en Zapata High School. El evento es para los padres de todos los estudiantes, desde preescolar, hasta 12vo grado. Los asistentes recibirán paquetes con artículos escolares.
TORNEO
REGRESO A CLASES Los estudiantes asistentes al Zapata County Independent School District, regresarán a la escuela, el 24 de agosto.
JUNTA DE COMISIONADOS La Corte de Comisionados se reunirá en el Palacio de Justicia de Zapata, a las 9 a.m. Para más información puede llamar a Roxy Elizondo al (956) 765-9920.
mírez Jr. fueron los propietarios de 1/6 de los minerales (1/12 cada uno). Sus acciones fueron de 9.432.070 dólares. En mayo, el tribunal de primera instancia concedió un adicional de 1.125 millones a cada uno en honorarios para el abogado a Minerva y León Oscar Ramírez Jr., con lo que el dictamen dio un total de 11.682.070 dólares, que se dividirían en partes iguales entre ellos. “La táctica de ConocoPhillips en este caso fue (…) encontrar un juez crédulo”, dijo Alarcón. “En su lugar, se encontraron con un brillante jurista, el Juez Joe López, quien rápidamente observó que los argumentos no eran más que cortinas de humo”. El caso y la defensa presentada por ConocoPhillips y su equipo de ocho abogados consumen una cuarta parte del tiempo de trabajo de Alarcón por cuatro años y medio, según documentos judiciales. Alarcón dijo que ConocoPhillips ya ha anunciado que apelará el caso. Si la Cuarta Corte de Apelaciones en San Antonio afirma la decisión del tribunal de primera instancia, entonces los demandantes recibirán los 11.6 millones de dólares.
TAMAULIPAS
ACADEMIA PARA PADRES
El Torneo Anual de Pesca Infantil ‘Back to School’ organizado por la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata, en su quinta edición, se realizará el sábado 22 de agosto. El evento se realizará de 7 a.m. a 3 p.m. en Bravo Park Pond. Se están aceptando patrocinadores desde 300 dólares hasta 2.000 dólares. Para más información contacte a la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata, ubicada en 601 N. US Hwy 83 o llamando al (956) 7654871.
PÁGINA 9A
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
El Gobierno de Tamaulipas comenzó a promover el lema “Vive, Conoce y Disfruta”, con la finalidad de dar a conocer las actividades al aire libre, los lugares turísticos, los pueblos mágicos y las diferentes atracciones que se pueden disfrutar en el Estado. Entre los atractivos que se promueven están los paseos en vehículos motorizados, como cuatrimotos, motocross y ‘buggies’; asimismo, conocer entornos diseñados para el turismo como el Zoológico y Parque de Tamatán, el Museo de Historia Natural de Tamaulipas (Tamux), el parque Siglo XXI y el parque recreativo “Los troncones”, en ciudad Victoria; al igual que actividades como escalada en rocas, visita a ríos y balnearios, remar en rápidos, entre otras.
COLUMNA
Había cruces gamadas en Tamaulipas Nota del Editor: Este es el segundo de dos artículos sobre los cruces gamadas en Tamaulipas durante el Siglo XX.
POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Como herencia del Siglo XX Tamaulipas aún conserva infinidad de cruces gamadas. Próximas al primer centenario, de ellas casi nunca se habla en altos círculos locales. Al transcurrir la posterior década aparecen verdaderos clásicos de la historiografía tamaulipeca. Sorprende que ninguno dedique ni breves palabras al símbolo de marras. Cabe desprender que ello aconteciera por la entonces cercana II Guerra Mundial. Sin embargo, concluida esta última con la derrota contundente del Eje Berlín-Roma-Tokio, persiste el silencio. Aún textos impresos en fechas menos re-
motas son del todo omisos. El primer comentario sobre el particular se ofrece hasta 1981. Y corre a cargo del libro conmemorativo “Banamex en Tampico”. En un pie de foto se indica: “Sucede que al iniciarse la actual Catedral en 1922, mediante generosa aportación del riquísimo petrolero californiano Edward L. Doheny, éste y su esposa eran en esa época admiradores de los preceptos e ideales originales del nacionalsocialismo germano”. La esvástica o cruz gamada en realidad presenta antiquísimas raíces. Antes de nuestra era y al paso de ella, disímbolas culturas y religiones la usan en diversas formas. Advertimos que cuando empiezan las obras catedralicias en Tamaulipas ya distingue al partido nacionalsocialista, pues Adolfo Hitler la adopta durante el verano de 1920. Las del aludido recinto porteño son empero idénticas al modelo nazi, con su ca-
racterístico giro de 45 grados. Por lo demás, en aquellos momentos lejos está la condena unánime al régimen totalitario del führer. Incluso tras comenzar el conflicto bélico, amplia cantidad de países mantiene con Alemania relaciones diplomáticas. Y tardan en verse interrumpidas. No obstante, sólo mediante riesgosos malabares interpretativos puede colegirse que las mentadas esvásticas denotan simpatías por el Tercer Reich. Quienes reconfiguran de 1922 a 1931 la Catedral tamaulipeca revelan gran talento. Poco hubieran requerido para hallarles privilegiado acomodo en paredes, arcos o pilares internos, a cuenta de turbias filias. En vez de esto, deciden ponerlas literalmente por los suelos. Hoy, nomás las del pasillo central sobreviven. (Con permiso del autor, según fuera publicado en La Razón, Tampico, México)
Dos integrantes de la policía estatal de Tamaulipas fallecieron al ser atacados a balazos por personas desconocidas, el sábado por la tarde, en Nuevo Laredo, México. Otro oficial resultó lesionado, pero no recibió ningún tiro. Los agentes llevaban más de 50.000 pesos y 6.000 dólares. El sobreviviente declaró a autoridades que se dirigían de compras a Laredo. Las víctimas fueron identificadas como Francisco Mao Briseño Quintanilla, de 33 años de edad, originario de Matamoros, México; y Jorge Iván Castillo Gómez, de 29 años, de Reynosa, México. Omar Abdiel Carcano Hernández sobrevivió a la agresión. El sábado a las 3:30 p.m. los tres elementos del grupo conocido como Fuerza Tamaulipas —perteneciente a la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública del Estado—viajaban a bordo de una camioneta Ford Expedition, de reciente modelo, con placas de Tamaulipas, por el Boulevard Luis Donaldo Colosio, x cuando a la altura de la calle Madero fueron atacados a balazos por sujetos que viajaban en dos vehículos diferentes. “Oí los disparos y alcancé a ver que los balazos le daban a mi compañero que iba manejando, el cual perdió el control y chocó contra la malla de unos terrenos junto al Colosio”, declaró Carcano Hernández a las autoridades. El oficial que iba manejando ahí perdió la vida. Aunque la investigación inicial indica que el copiloto logró abrir la puerta para intentar escapar, al salir recibió varios impactos de bala que le causaron la muerte. Carcano Hernández, quien viajaba en la parte posterior de la Expedition, logró salir y corrió por entre el monte, cayendo a un barranco de aproximadamente tres metros de altura, lo cual lo dejó herido. Él no recibió balazo alguno. El reporte de la investigación revela que uno de los oficiales viajaba con 51.000 pesos, 5.000 dólares y tres teléfonos celulares (dos de la marca BlackBerry); otra de las víctimas tenía 1.900 dólares en su poder. Carcano Hernández declaró que era su día de descanso e iban de compras hacia Laredo, pero el reporte no indica si pudo aclarar la legal procedencia del dinero. La investigación también reveló que los tres oficiales pertenecían a la escolta del General Ricardo César Niño Villarreal, quien fuera acribillado en abril del 2014 en el estado de Nuevo León, México. Niño Villarreal traía en su poder 240.000 pesos, y joyería de alto valor. Carcano Hernández fue trasladado a Ciudad Victoria, México, sin que rindiera declaración ante el Ministerio Público del Estado de la vecina ciudad. De la muerte de los dos elementos de Fuerza Tamaulipas, que andaban de civil, dio fe el Fiscal del Estado en turno, quien ordenó el traslado de los cuerpos a una funeraria para la práctica de la autopsia Con información de Agencia de Noticias-Oficina de Corresponsales)
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
SENTENCED Continued from Page 1A as Grandstaff, picking up four people near the brush on U.S. 83. That information was relayed to a sheriff ’s deputy, who then pulled over the vehicle, a 1999 silver Pontiac Grand Prix. Grandstaff allegedly admitted to picking up the illegal immigrants and that she had been hired by Mario Humberto Garza to
transport four of them to Zapata for $100. Investigators had seen a red Ford Mustang usually driven by Garza following the Pontiac. Deputies pulled over the Mustang and detained Garza and his brother, Manuel Alejandro Garza. Mario Garza later told authorities he was a member of the Valluco gang.
In a post-arrest interview, Grandstaff claimed the Garzas were involved in the smuggling attempt. Mario Humberto Garza acted as the foot guide for the group of immigrants while Manuel Alejandro Garza was the scout, she told law enforcement. (Philip Balli may be reached at 728-2528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)
FRAUD Continued from Page 1A
“
The Texas GOP ought to take some time to clean house.” MANNY GARCIA, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY
and political law. The case has no doubt provided fodder to the Texas GOP, which has latched on to reports of corruption in the Valley to accuse Democrats of hypocrisy on voting rights. Lopez’s challenge made its way to the attorney general’s office via the secretary of state’s office, with which she first filed a complaint alleging voter fraud in the original election. In a letter dated May 13, the secretary of state’s office asked the attorney general’s office to get involved, saying Lopez’s complaint “demonstrates that it is likely unlawful voting occurred.” “After review of the submitted documentation, we believe the information regarding offenses warrants a submission for criminal investigation to the Texas Attorney General as the specific allegations described involve potential misdemeanor and felony offenses,” Keith Ingram, di-
rector of elections in the secretary of state’s office, wrote to David Maxwell, Paxton’s director of law enforcement. Asked about the investigation earlier this month, a Paxton spokeswoman would neither confirm nor deny it. Hinojosa’s involvement in the election contest has become a focus of the Republican Party of Texas and the Republican National Committee. Both organizations have used it against Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, who delivered a speech last month in Houston that called voter fraud a “phantom epidemic.” “The fact that Chairman Hinojosa would spend nearly two years executing a legal strategy that disenfranchises voters, while at the same time possibly profiting off of voter fraud is reprehensible,” Texas GOP spokesman Aaron Whitehead said in a statement.
“It is certainly Chairman Hinojosa’s right to make a mockery of the Texas Democratic Party, however Texans deserve better than the leader of a political party making a mockery out of our electoral process.” The Texas Democratic Party fired back Friday, bringing up a part of the state GOP platform that calls for the repeal of the federal Voting Rights Act. Manny Garcia, deputy executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, also pointed to the legal drama following in the Texas GOP’s own ranks, including Paxton and former Gov. Rick Perry. “It isn’t surprising that the Republican Party is resorting to smear tactics to desperately divert attention away from weeks of embarrassing headlines about Republican corruption and racism,” Garcia said in a statement. “The Texas GOP ought to take some time to clean house.”
BROTHERS Continued from Page 1A vided backup during the stop. Authorities identified the driver as a juvenile. A front passenger was identified as Marroquin, the juvenile’s stepfather. One immigrant was found hiding in the gap between the backseats, records state.
Conspiracy Agents then took custody of the juvenile and Marroquin, who told authorities there were two more vehicles involved in the human smuggling conspiracy. Those vehicles were described as a maroon Chevrolet Silverado and a black Dodge Ram. Moments later, agents said they observed two vehicles matching the description. An agent attempted to get a closer look on the vehicle, but agents said the Dodge Ram reduced
its speed while the Silverado sped away. “The agent attempted to pass the black Dodge Ram; however, the driver of the Dodge Ram veered into the oncoming lane in an attempt to block his movement,” states the complaint. “These tactics are often used by scouts to deter law enforcement from apprehending the load vehicle.” A backup agent responded to the scene and was able to get behind the Dodge Ram while another agent followed the Silverado. Agents said they eventually pulled over the Silverado, which was driven by a woman and Aguillon. A search of the Silverado yielded three immigrants. Agents later pulled over the Dodge Ram, which was loaded with two immigrants. Border Patrol identified the driver of the Dodge Ram as Reymundo Aguillon.
Investigation Homeland Security Investigation special agents responded to investigate. Ruben Noe Aguillon allegedly agreed to speak to them without an attorney present. Ruben Noe Aguillon stated he was in charge of the operation involving the three vehicles. He stated that a friend of his from Roma offered him a job. Ruben Noe Aguillon then spoke with his brother, Reymundo Aguillon, and Marroquin on July 3 and told them of the job offering. “He said they all agreed to transport six (undocumented immigrants) in three separate vehicles,” states the complaint. Each defendant expected cash payments for their involvement, records show. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Motorola improves smartphones ASSOCIATED PRESS
Motorola is refreshing its Android smartphones with better cameras and other improvements as it seeks to lure customers who want lower-cost alternatives to leading smartphones from Apple and Samsung. These new models — the Moto G, Moto X Play and Moto X Style — will appeal largely to people who have to pay full prices for phones, rather than discounted prices that come with two-year service contracts. “We’re about delivering great mobile user experiences at a price that doesn’t break the bank,” Motorola President Rick Osterloh said in an interview. Motorola, which Lenovo bought from Google last year, said the new Moto G will retail in the U.S. for about $180 without a contract. Motorola hasn’t announced prices for the Moto X models, but they are expected to be a few hundred dollars cheaper than high-end phones, which cost $600 or more without a contract. In touting improved cameras, Osterloh was careful to say that they will deliver some of the best pictures “at this price point.” Apple and Sam-
sung, in particuwill be availlar, have been adable in the vancing phoneU.S. Motorola camera technolosays it should gy with better work with all auto-focus and major carrilow-light perers. Contractformance. Their free phones high-end phones are often limalso have other ited to GSM wizardry such as networks fingerprint sensuch as sors for bypassAT&T and Ting passcodes. Mobile. The 5-inch The Moto Photo courtesy of Motorola | AP Moto G will have G goes on a 13-megapixel This product image sale Tuesday, camera, up from shows the Moto X while the Mo8 megapixels in smartphone. Motorola is to X models last year’s model. refreshing its Androids. will come out Motorola says in the coming the phone will be able to weeks. withstand dunking in up Chipmakers Intel and to three feet of water for Micron Technologies say up to 30 minutes. All mod- they’ve made a major els will support 4G cellu- breakthrough by creating lar connections; in the a new kind of memory past, 4G models of the Mo- chip that’s a thousand to G cost more. times faster than the The cameras on the Mo- “flash” memory now used to X phones will be 21 in smartphones, tablets megapixels, up from 13 and high-end laptop commegapixels, but they won’t puters. have extensive water proExperts say the new 3D tection. The 5.5-inch Play XPoint (pronounced model promises two days “cross point”) technology of battery life, while the has enormous potential, company says the 5.7-inch but some caution that it Style should last more won’t be showing up in than a day. The Style will consumer products for have a sharper screen some time. than the Play and more So-called “flash” memcustomization options, in- ory is already faster than cluding wood and leather the spinning disk drives backs for a higher price. that are still used in many Only the Style version desktop and laptop com-
puters. The new memory, developed jointly by Intel and Micron, uses a threedimensional chip design that lets computers store and retrieve individual bits of data far more quickly than with flash. The companies said the new technology also has ten times the storage capacity of another format, known as DRAM or dynamic random access memory, which can be faster but more expensive than flash. In another benefit, they said, 3D XPoint doesn’t require a constant flow of power, while DRAM does. Intel and Micron say the new technology can help big organizations analyze vast quantities of data, as well as improve the performance of PCs and other consumer devices. But tech analyst Martin Reynolds of the Gartner research firm cautioned that other breakthroughs in memory technology have stalled because of technical and economic hurdles. Big companies like Google or Facebook will be eager to test the new memory in their data centers, Reynolds predicted. But he said flash memory should remain the dominant technology in consumer devices “for some time.”
Limited supply lifts home prices By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — U.S. home prices rose steadily in May, pushed higher by a healthy increase in sales this year. The Standard & Poor’s/ Case-Shiller 20-city home price index climbed 4.9 percent in May from 12 months earlier, down slightly from a 5 percent pace in April, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. Home sales have jumped in recent months as an improving economy boosts hiring and enables more people to afford a purchase. Yet the higher sales haven’t encouraged more people to sell their homes, leaving supplies tight and driving up prices. And separate data released by the Census Bureau Tuesday pointed to the limited impact of the three-year old housing recovery: The proportion of Americans owning their own homes has continued to decline and is now at the lowest level since 1967. Still, prices are soaring higher in some cities, according to Case-Shiller: They rose 10 percent from a year ago in Denver, 9.7 percent in San Francisco and 8.4 percent in Dallas.
Washington, D.C. posted the smallest increase at 1.3 percent. Prices rose in all 20 cities from a year earlier. The Case-Shiller index covers roughly half of U.S. homes. The index measures prices compared with those in January 2000 and creates a three-month moving average. The May figures are the latest available. Sales of existing homes increased 3.2 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.49 million, the National Association of Realtors said last week. That is the fastest pace since February 2007. Sales are up from an annual pace of just 4.8 million in January. Some of the accelerated pace has likely been driven by higher mortgage rates and an expected decision by the Federal Reserve to start raising short-term interest rates this year. Most economists forecast that decision will occur in September. Yet the supply of available homes hasn’t kept up with rising sales. The number of homes listed for sale rose 0.4 percent in the past year, the Realtors said, while sales have increased 9.6 percent.
That has led to aggressive efforts by buyers to grab homes: The typical property was on the market for just 34 days in June, down from 40 in May and the shortest time since the Realtors’ group began tracking the data in May 2011. The current pace of home sales is roughly what might be expected in a healthy housing market. Yet other data point to some ongoing weaknesses. The percentage of homeowners continues to decline: Just 63.4 percent of Americans owned homes in the April-June quarter, down from 63.7 percent in the first three months of the year. That is below the peak of 69 percent in 2006, at the height of the housing bubble. Meanwhile, more Americans are moving out on their own, after doubling up with friends or living with their parents. That is a good sign for the economy because the creation of new households leads to purchases of more furniture, appliances and other goods. But in the past year, all the new households have moved into rentals, the Census Bureau report shows. Builders are ratcheting up the construction of
apartments in an effort to keep up with the increased demand. But single-family home building remains lackluster. The pace of single-family home construction has risen 9.1 percent in the past year, while purchases of new homes have jumped at more than double that pace. The sluggish rate of new homebuilding is depriving the housing market of a crucial source of supply. Much of the overall gain in homes available for sale typically comes from new home construction. Sellers of existing homes, meanwhile, frequently buy other homes. As a result, sellers of existing homes usually add little to the overall number of homes for sale. The proportion of home purchases from first-time buyers is also far below typical levels. First-time buyers create greater demand and enable current homeowners to trade up to larger homes. “Without a boost in first-timers, there is less housing market activity, fewer existing homes being put on the market, and more worry about inventory,” David Blitzer, chair of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices said.
Photo courtesy of Butler, Wooten & Fryhofer, LLP | AP file
This March 6, 2012 file photo shows the burnt out Jeep Grand Cherokee that 4-year-old Remington Walden was riding in when it was hit from behind by a pickup truck and burst into flames, killing the boy, in Bainbridge, Ga.
Judge cuts damage in Jeep fire death from $150M to $40M By TOM KRISHER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — A Georgia judge has cut the damages that Fiat Chrysler must pay the family of a child who died in a Jeep SUV fire from $150 million to $40 million. Decatur County Superior Court Judge J. Kevin Chason also denied Fiat Chrysler’s motion for a new trial, dismissing arguments that jurors acted irrationally in the case. In a ruling issued Friday and made public Tuesday, Chason decided that the family of 4-year-old Remington Walden should get $30 million for his death and $10 million for pain and suffering. The ruling was accepted by the family’s attorneys and opens a path for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV to appeal. The company said in a statement that the ruling doesn’t cure errors that tainted the verdict and denied it a fair trial, and that it is considering legal options. Walden died after the Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by his aunt in Bainbridge, Ga., was hit from behind in March 2012 and exploded into flames. The Jeep’s gas tank was mounted behind the rear axle, leaving it vulnerable in a rear crash. A 12-person jury found Fiat Chrysler negligent and asked for $120 million for wrongful death and $30 million in pain and suffering following a seven-day trial in the rural southwestern Georgia community in early spring. Earlier this month, FCA attorneys sought during a hearing to cut the judgment to $5 million to bring it in
line with court-approved judgments in other Georgia cases. The attorneys contended that jurors acted with passion and prejudice against the Italian-American automaker, and they were irrational. Chason, however, rejected those arguments, writing in his ruling that the evidence against FCA was overwhelming. “The court saw nothing to indicate, nor has it been presented with persuasive evidence or argument to suggest that the jurors were inflamed or irrational,” Chason wrote. Jim Butler Jr., the attorney for the parents of the victim, Remington Walden, told Chason during the hearing that $40 million for the wrongful death and $10 million for pain and suffering seemed fair. At least 75 people have died in post-crash fires involving several Jeep models with the rear-mounted gas tanks. The problem has led to the recall of 1.56 million Grand Cherokees and Libertys to install trailer hitches to protect the tanks in lowspeed crashes. Fiat Chrysler says the Jeeps are as safe as comparable SUVs from the same era. Earlier this week, Fiat Chrysler agreed in a deal with government safety regulators to offer $100 gift cards to entice owners of recalled Jeeps into taking their SUVs to dealers to get hitches installed. The company also agreed to offer $1,000 above market value trade-in prices on a new vehicle to those who own 1993 to 1998 Grand Cherokees. The Waldens’ Jeep and other newer Grand Cherokees with rear-mounted tanks were not included in the recall.
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