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THE BORDER
2016 ELECTION
Tense conditions
On the campaign trail, again
Militias complicate situation
Rick Perry heads to New Hampshire to seek votes
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
By RIK STEVENS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MISSION — On a recent moonlit night, Border Patrol agents began rounding up eight immigrants hiding in and around a canal near the Rio Grande. A state trooper soon arrived to help. Then out of the darkness emerged seven more armed men in fatigues.
CONCORD, N.H. — The last time voters in New Hampshire saw Rick Perry, the Texas governor’s 2012 presidential bid had fallen apart after a series of gaffes punctuated by a much-maligned stumble during a televised debate. When he visits the key early-voting state this weekend, he’ll have a new hurdle — his indictment on abuse-ofpower charges — and much to prove to Republicans watching his handling of the matter for clues to his 2016 presidential prospects. “I don’t think (Republicans) will take the indictment so seriously but they want to see if this Rick Perry is able to contend with adversity the way the other Rick Perry was unable to,” said Dante Scala, a political science professor at the University of New Hampshire. “The last time they saw him, he was stumbling around.” Others who agree with Perry that the indictment is politically motivated and without substance say his record in office will be their focus. “People are going to want to see what he’s saying about immigration because that’s an issue that’s certainly going to come up in the November elections,” said state senator and former Congressman Jeb Bradley. “They’re also going to want to hear why is the Texas economy one of the best in the nation and what can we learn about it here in New Hampshire.” The visit comes after a grand jury handed up the indictment Friday, charging Perry with carrying out a threat to veto $7.5 million in funding for the state’s public integrity unit after Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat, refused to resign following a well-publicized drunken driving arrest. Perry faces charges that carry a maximum sentence of 109 years in prison. The extent to which Perry can take command of his press coverage in the politically important state will be considered by some a measure of his viability in the presidential arena. Aides have said Perry plans to maintain his public schedule, in which he’ll make a half-dozen stops in New Hampshire and later visit the key battleground states of Iowa and South Carolina. Arizona Sen. John McCain scoffed at Perry’s indictment. McCain knows New Hampshire’s voters. He captured the state’s presidential primary in 2000 and 2008 and campaigned Monday for Senate hopeful Scott Brown. “I just think it’s outrageous from everything I can tell and I think it will help him in the long run,” McCain said, suggesting Perry make repeated stops in the state. “People want to meet you more than once in New Hampshire.”
See BORDER
Photo by Christopher Sherman | AP
The main canal supplying water to the city of Mission is shown. At this spot on the night of Aug. 6, Border Patrol agents arresting immigrants mistook seven armed militia members for state troopers.
PAGE 9A
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
OFFICIALS BOOK PERRY
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
Gov. Rick Perry, front right, is escorted from the Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Tuesday, in Austin. Perry has been booked on two felony counts of abuse of power for carrying out a threat to veto funding to state public corruption prosecutors.
Governor faces with abuse of power charges By WILL WEISSERT AND PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry was defiant as he was booked on abuse of power charges Tuesday, saying he would “fight this injustice with every fiber of my being.” The Republican, who is mulling a second presidential run in 2016, was indicted after carry-
ing out a threat to veto funding for state public corruption prosecutors. He has long called the case a political ploy, and dozens of supporters chanting his name and holding signs, some saying “Stop Democrat Games,” greeted him when he arrived at the Travis County courthouse in Austin. “I’m going to fight this injustice with every fiber of my be-
ing. And we will prevail,” Perry said before walking inside. Sheriff’s deputies confirmed that the governor was fingerprinted and had a mug shot taken before leaving a few minutes later. The longest-serving governor in Texas history was indicted last week for coercion and official oppression for publicly promising to veto $7.5 million
for the state public integrity unit, which investigates wrongdoing by elected officials and is run by the Travis County district attorney’s office. Perry threatened the veto if the county’s Democratic district attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, stayed in office after a drunken driving conviction.
See CHARGED
PAGE 9A
SCHOOL VIOLENCE
Web activities expose plot to target school By CHRISTOPHER WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
SOUTH PASADENA, Calif. — Investigators acting on a tip unraveled a plot to carry out a mass shooting at a suburban Los Angeles high school, arresting a pair of students who planned to target three school staffers and kill as many people as possible, police said Tuesday. School officials learned of the plot on Thursday and notified detectives, who began watching the 16- and 17-year-old boys and
monitoring their online activity, South Pasadena Police Chief Arthur Miller said. The pair didn’t have a date for an attack or weapons, but their online messaging included the names of three staffers to target and threats to randomly kill students, Miller said. They were also researching automatic firearms, handguns, knives, explosives and tactical techniques, he said. “Three or four days’ worth of surveillance on the Internet indicated that they had a very
real threat,” he said. “They had a plan in mind that they were going to execute.” The names of the teens have not been released because of their ages. Police expect to present their case to the district attorney later in the day. Miller said police interviewed the boys and realized how coldhearted the plot was. He provided no specifics, and officials at South Pasadena High School did not disclose details of the initial tip. Classes start again Thursday
in the quaint San Gabriel Valley suburb known for its quality schools and community involvement in education. Police plan to have a larger presence than usual on campus for the first day of school. School cheerleaders Zoe Bullard and Leah Schexnayder, both 16, said they were frightened by news of the arrests. “I don’t even want to go to school on Thursday, because what if something happens?” Schexnayder said. “What if they missed a per-
son?” Bullard asked about the police investigation. Miller said his officers saved lives by thwarting the attack in the town of about 25,000 people about 6 miles from downtown Los Angeles. “They were making a huge, a huge plan of a school massacre,” Miller said. “They just wanted to kill as many people as possible.” Enough evidence was gathered to serve warrants at the
See SCHOOL
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Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
Thursday, Aug. 21
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Los Amigos Duplicates Bridge Club meeting. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
Today is Wednesday, August 20, the 232nd day of 2014. There are 133 days left in the year. Today’s Highlights in History: On August 20, 1914, German forces occupied Brussels, Belgium, during World War I. On this date: In 1833, Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president of the United States, was born in North Bend, Ohio. In 1866, President Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over, months after fighting had stopped. In 1882, Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” had its premiere in Moscow. In 1910, a series of forest fires swept through parts of Idaho, Montana and Washington, killing at least 85 people and burning some 3 million acres. In 1940, during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid tribute to the Royal Air Force before the House of Commons, saying, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” In 1953, the Soviet Union publicly acknowledged it had tested a hydrogen bomb. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act, a nearly $1 billion anti-poverty measure. In 1968, the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations began invading Czechoslovakia to crush the “Prague Spring” liberalization drive. In 1972, the Wattstax concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In 1977, the U.S. launched Voyager 2, an unmanned spacecraft carrying a 12-inch copper phonograph record containing greetings in dozens of languages, samples of music and sounds of nature. In 1989, the situation comedy “Saved by the Bell” premiered on NBC-TV. Ten years ago: Democrats labored to deflect attacks on presidential nominee John Kerry’s war record with fresh television ads touting his fitness for national command. Five years ago: The only man convicted in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 returned home to Libya after his release on compassionate grounds from a Scottish prison. (Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, said to have only months to live because of prostate cancer, died nearly three years later, claiming his innocence.) One year ago: A Pakistani court indicted former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf on murder charges stemming from the assassination of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Today’s Birthdays: Writerproducer-director Walter Bernstein is 95. Boxing promoter Don King is 83. Former Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine, is 81. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is 79. Former MLB All-Star Graig Nettles is 70. Broadcast journalist Connie Chung is 68. Musician Jimmy Pankow (Chicago) is 67. Actor John Noble is 66. Rock singer Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) is 66. Country singer Rudy Gatlin is 62. Singer-songwriter John Hiatt is 62. Actor-director Peter Horton is 61. TV weatherman Al Roker is 60. Actor Jay Acovone is 59. Actress Joan Allen is 58. Thought for Today: “To the eye of failure success is an accident.” — Ambrose Bierce, American author-journalist (1842-1914?).
Friday, Aug. 22 South Texas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls VIII, mission of feeding the hungry fundraiser. 8:30 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. Music by Motown Legends and Commodores. Beaumont Foundation to be honored. Tickets on sale at LEA box office and Ticketmaster for $10, $15, and $25. Contact Salo Otero at 324-2432.
Saturday, Aug. 23 Annual Back to School Kid’s Fishing Tournament. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bravo Park Pond. Contact cbalderas@zapatachamber.com.
Monday, Aug. 25 Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. to noon. Zapata County Courthouse. Contact Roxy Elizondo at 7659920. Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666.
Saturday, Aug. 26 Sparkle and Dazzle, 317 E. Calton Road, will have 25th anniversary reunion tickets for JW Nixon class of 1989. 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Reunion dates are Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11. $25 per person on Friday and $30 per person on Saturday. Go to JW Nixon 1989 on Facebook for more information.
Thursday, Aug. 28 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Los Amigos Duplicates Bridge Club meeting. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589. Spanish Book Club meeting. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Road. For information call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
Tuesday, Sept. 2 Alzheimer’s support group meeting. 7 p.m. 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 more information call 956-693-9991.
Thursday, Sept. 4 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Sisters of Mercy “Conversations with the Sisters,” a series of discussions focusing on earth, nonviolence, women, racism and immigration. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. 1000 Mier St.
Photo by Michael R. Sisak | AP
Protesters march in New York City’s Union Square on Thursday, Aug. 14, in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, and the death of New York City man caused by a police officer’s apparent chokehold. An extra grand jury is being assembled to hear evidence in the July 17 death of Eric Garner, the New York City man.
Case to go to grand jury By MICHAEL R. SISAK AND TOM HAYS ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Saying “no person is above the law, nor beneath its protection,” a New York prosecutor announced Tuesday that he would ask a grand jury to consider charges in the death of a black man placed in an apparent chokehold by a white police officer. Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said an extra grand jury was being assembled next month specifically to hear evidence in the July 17 death of Eric Garner. “I assure the public that I am committed to conducting a fair, thorough and responsible investigation into Mr. Garner’s death, and that I will go wherever the evidence takes me, without fear or favor,” Donovan said in a statement. Garner’s death fueled outcry and several
Defense: School may have withheld Holmes records DENVER — Defense attorneys in the Colorado theater shooting case say the University of Colorado might have withheld records that show the school failed to act on information it had about defendant James Holmes when he was a student there. In court filings made public Monday, Holmes’ attorneys revive questions about how much the university knew of Holmes’ mental problems and whether school officials could have done more to prevent the attack. They say they have found out that a prosecution witness sent an email to a friend that indicates that before the shooting, someone gave university officials information about Holmes that they did not act on. It’s not clear what that information is or even who the witness is, because the filings are heavily redacted. A university spokesman said Tuesday the records in question are privileged
peaceful protests against the nation’s largest police department and led Commissioner William Bratton to overhaul its training on use-of-force. The 43-year-old father of six could be heard on an amateur video shouting “I can’t breathe!” as Officer Daniel Pantaleo placed him in an apparent chokehold. Police said the officers were arresting Garner on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. Garner, who had asthma, later died. Donovan said his decision to take the case to a grand jury was based on his office’s investigation and the medical examiner’s ruling that the death was a homicide caused by neck compressions from the chokehold, chest compression and Garner’s prone position while being restrained. Donovan said a court granted his request for the extra grand jury on Monday.
under state and federal law and the school will argue against turning them over to the defense. Lawyers in the case will not comment, citing a gag order. Holmes, then 25, dropped out of a doctoral program in neuroscience at the University of Colorado, Denver shortly before the July 2012 assault at a movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Twelve people were killed and 70 were injured in the attack. Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. His attorneys have acknowledged he was the shooter but say he is mentally ill and was in the grips of a psychotic episode at the time.
Age limit on Louisiana officials on hold for now BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana court officials who face new age restrictions that could oust them from office will be allowed to sign up for re-election bids this week.
A Baton Rouge judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday against enforcing a law that prohibits anyone 70 or older from running for justice of the peace or constable. District Judge Tim Kelley granted the request from the Louisiana Justice of the Peace and Constables Association, which says in a lawsuit the restriction amounts to unconstitutional age discrimination. A law establishing the mandatory retirement age of 70 for the court officials has been on the books since 2006, but it exempted anyone elected before Aug. 15 of that year. Legislation this year removed that exemption, a change that was slated to affect about 160 elected officials. Kelley’s order allows anyone who was previously exempted to sign up for re-election during the qualifying period, today through Friday, for the Nov. 4 ballot. The judge also set an Aug. 29 hearing in the lawsuit to determine whether to continue a prohibition against enforcing the age restriction. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD
Friday, Sept. 5 Women in Leadership. Positive role models event. 12 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Palenque Grill. Contact Abby Willett or Sylvia Praesel for more information at wwconnection.org.
Wednesday, Sept. 10 21st annual Logistics & Manufacturing Symposium. Texas A&M International University. For more information contact the Laredo Development Foundation at 800-820-0564, 7220563 or ldfinfo@ldfonline.org.
Thursday, Sept. 11 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative.
WWII bomb found near Frankfurt airport BERLIN — A World War II bomb found Tuesday next to a highway near Frankfurt airport was disposed of in a controlled explosion, causing some disruption to flight operations. A stretch of the A3 highway near Offenbach, outside Frankfurt, was closed Tuesday after the 500-kilogram British bomb was found. Police shut off a 1,000-meter (1094-yard) area around the site. They destroyed the bomb in a controlled explosion after deciding that it wasn’t possible to defuse the device, news agency dpa reported. It wasn’t immediately clear how much disruption was caused.
Reports: Italian military jets collide over Italy ROME — Italian news reports
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Photo by Francisco Seco | AP
A woman draws in a notebook as a skater performs a trick on a street bench at Lisbon’s Comercio square Monday. say two Italian Tornado fighter jets have collided over eastern Italy during a training mission and crashed into a wooded area that caught fire. A Civil Protection official told Sky TG24 TV there were no civilian casualties on the ground af-
ter the crash Tuesday afternoon in woods near the town of Ascoli, but she had no details about the fate of those aboard the aircraft. The official said a firefighting helicopter was trying to extinguish the blaze. — 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
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Catholic group aids dioceses SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
CHICAGO — Catholic Extension announced Tuesday it is providing emergency relief funding to six border dioceses that include Laredo and Brownsville. The special emergency grants are specific to each diocese’s existing needs. “We feel we have a moral
responsibility to help the dioceses that are exhausting their resources on this monumental humanitarian crisis,” said Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension. “No federal government funding has been received. In this vacuum, Catholic Extension is called to step up to support these heroic people at work in the dioceses. They are demon-
strating love and outreach to the strangers who have shown up at their door.” Catholic Extension’s reach continues to expand due to growing need for essential resources. In underresourced dioceses all along the United States-Mexico border, thousands of Catholics live in communities that lack basic city support services and infrastructure.
In fact, among the six dioceses, supported through this initiative along or near the Mexican border, there are 3.6 million Catholics. In addition, the current international crises unfolding on the U.S. border is estimated to bring about 90,000 unaccompanied children into the United States in 2014, mostly from Central American countries.
Fundraiser for United Way ASSOCIATED PRESS
Live, Give and Dine, a United Way fundraiser, will take place Wednesday, Sept. 3, at McDonald’s Restaurant, 116 U.S. Hwy. 83. The fundraiser will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. McDonald’s will donate 20 percent of all proceeds to United Way of Laredo, which benefits more than 20 agencies in the area.
The bullet train that could change everything Firm hopes to enter high-speed rail market By AMAN BATHEJA AND STEPHEN J. SMITH THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
For years, the Japanese company behind the world’s first and busiest high-speed rail system has been itching to enter the U.S. high-speed rail market, hoping to sell one of the world’s ripest passenger rail markets on its breathtakingly fast Shinkansen bullet trains. But with Central Japan Railway’s efforts to sell high-speed trains on the U.S. coasts going nowhere, Texas has emerged as the company’s best hope for introducing its wildly successful technology to the American market. It also may turn out to be a transformative event in the history of the nation’s transportation system. Barack Obama unveiled his vision for a national network of high-speed passenger rail lines three months after being sworn in as president in 2009. But the administration’s hopes of offering billions of dollars in funding over several years never panned out, largely due to Republican pushback against investing so much federal money in the projects. Meanwhile, every day in Japan the Shinkansen shuttles nearly 400,000 people the 300 miles between Tokyo and Osaka, cities in the country’s two most populous
Photo by Norihiro Kataoka | The Texas Tribune
The Japanese Shinkansen is a high-speed trail used by JR Central in Japan. A private company is planning to build a rail line between Dallas and Houston using the same trains. metropolitan regions. It’s about a 90-minute ride — just long enough for riders visiting from abroad to feel as if they have stepped into some kind of futuristic movie. Since launching in 1964, the system has not recorded a single fatality. Central Japan Railway Co., also known as J.R. Central, sees a huge opportunity for exporting its technology to America, where the busiest passenger rail line takes about seven hours to slog the 400 miles between Washing-
ton and Boston. Today, there are only three significant high-speed rail projects in advanced development in the U.S. — in Texas, Florida and California. At some point during the early planning of all three ventures, J.R. Central offered to sell its trains to those states but only found sure footing in Texas. The Texas project, led by a private local company working with J.R. Central, is by far the most ambitious. Texas Central High-Speed Rail-
way is promising to connect Houston and Dallas with the fastest trains at 205 mph, developed on a relatively snappy timeline with little support from taxpayers. By contrast, the California train will be heavily subsidized and take years longer to develop. Texas Central Railway has set a 2021 target date for beginning operations while the California line isn’t expected to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco until 2029. In Florida, a privately funded project could be-
gin service between Miami and West Palm Beach as early as 2016 but is projected to be the slowest of the three, traveling at less than 100 mph through some areas, and run on a congested century-old right-of-way, including a portion that will run on a converted freight line. At first blush, Texas may not seem like the ideal place in the U.S. to debut high-speed rail. The state’s urban centers have a history of low public transportation use, despite expanding light-rail networks in its largest cities. And they are very car-oriented, without any significant intercity rail traffic. But all those cars indicate a whole lot of people, too: The Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan areas were among the fastest-growing in population nationally last year, coming in first and third, respectively. Just as important, those very large populations interact with one another on a regular basis; the air routes between the two metro regions are among the busiest in the U.S. The land between the two cities is also largely flat and unpopulated, making real estate acquisition a cheaper prospect than it would be in other major metropolitan regions. Even the distance between the two cities — about 230 miles — is considered an ideal length to take advantage of bullet train technology, company officials say. “It was the most innately financeable corridor,” said Robert Eckels, president of the Texas Central Railway.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Yazidis live quiet life full of their faith Group faces threat of extinction from Islamic State militants By GABRIEL SCHEINMANN SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
The city of Lalish, as many refer to the holy center of the Yazidi faith, is a bit of a misnomer. Wedged into the side of a small hill several hours’ drive north of Irbil in Kurdistan, the hamlet is remote and modest and has only one entry point, a partially paved strip that was guarded, at the time of my visit, by Kurdish pesh merga troops. The small group looked and acted more like parking attendants than hardened fighters. In the small valley between the hills, gas flares dotted an otherwise tranquil landscape seemingly undisturbed by modernity. Days after the last U.S. troops left Iraq in late 2011, I found myself cradling a cup of tea in the Yazidi temple compound in Lalish, a place whose name sounds like something out of a Gene Roddenberry creation. As U.S. airpower returns to Iraq, at least partly to protect thousands of Yazidis from possible massacre, that afternoon at the Yazidi mecca has been on my mind. Our visit was fortuitously timed. Two colleagues and I had embarked on a research trip to Iraqi Kurdistan that happened to fall between the exit of U.S. forces and the arrival of the resurgent Sunni jihadism that has since swept through much of western Iraq. After several days of meetings with senior Kurdish Regional Government officials, we ventured northward out of Irbil toward the Zagros Mountains, first to visit the Christian town of Alqosh, home to the tomb of the Jewish prophet Nahum, and then to travel onward to Lalish. In Lalish, members of the Yazidi clergy welcomed us warmly, gave us a tour of their temple and explained the tenets of their faith. Yazidis are a small group of people — there are fewer than 700,000 worldwide, we were told. They have no written religious texts and no language of their own, which makes the continuation of their faith over time both difficult and impressive. Similarly, they neither believe in conversion, choosing not to proselytize in the shark tank of more aggressive theologies, nor in intermarriage among members of their strict castes. Bedecked in white, our host, a diabetic and smoker, was from the middle caste and was forbidden to imbibe alcohol or eat fish. Such constraints — no language, no conversion and strict caste divisions — likely explain their dwindling numbers even more than the very real historical persecution they have experienced. The temple itself is fairly plain. Its conical roofs ensconce the tomb of Sheikh Adi, a 12thcentury Lebanese-born Sufi canonized by the Yazidis. Engravings and
statuettes of peacocks, a deeply venerated symbol, are omnipresent. Adherents, of which there were few that sunny December afternoon, would enter the temple barefoot, being careful not to step on the thresholds between rooms, and kiss the corners of the shrine. We watched devotees, some of whom had traveled from Germany and Sweden, where there are large Yazidi diasporas, participate in a ritual in which they threw a square of cloth blindly over their backs, hoping it would land on the shrine. Yazidism has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance under Kurdish rule. The Kurdish Regional Government, the Yazidi clergyman explained, often allowed them to teach Yazidism, instead of Islam, in their schools. He told us that the Yazidis had no problems with Jews, Christians or Muslims — especially with Jews, since they, like Yazidis, are an older faith. Although it had been a while since he had received American visitors, he told us that U.S. soldiers had been regular visitors before the drawdown. Our visit highlighted the diversity of experiences that is Kurdistan. The very next night, we enjoyed a concert by the internationally renowned Lebanese pop star Nancy Ajram, though it ended prematurely when adoring fans began to storm the stage. A couple of nights later we went to a Christmas party for foreign diplomats that was attended by many senior Kurdish officials. Christmas itself is a bank holiday there, and the Christmas lights of the relatively well-off area of Ein Kawa — including large, lighted-up crucifixes — could be seen from a distance. And one night that week, we celebrated Hanukkah with Iraqi Jews, Christians, Sunni Arabs and Shiite Kurds. As we explained the meaning behind the letters on the dreidel and noshed on sweets, we caught a glimpse of what a modern and liberal Middle Eastern society could look like. Victory by the Islamic State and the slaughter of Yazidis would bury such a dream. Long repressed under Saddam Hussein, Yazidis, Kurds and other minorities were buoyed by the U.S.led invasion. Kurdistan has served as a haven for many during the turmoil of recent years, including Iraqi Christians, as well as Sunnis fleeing both jihadists and Iraqi government persecution. President Obama has warned that the U.S. military campaign will be a “long-term project.” Those words apply equally to the prospects of modernity in the Middle East. The fate of the Yazidis will be a small but telling example of the future of the region. Scheinmann is the director of policy at the Jewish Policy Center.
COLUMN
For indicted Gov. Perry, the game of ‘Is it a crime?’ begins Governors aren’t indicted too often, and prosecutors and defense agree on facts
“
KEN HERMAN
AUSTIN — Now that our governor is en route to being mugged — I’m guessing sans glasses — and fingerprinted, let’s take a look at how The State of Texas v. James Richard ”Rick” Perry might play out. Obviously, the two-count case against our governor is an unusual one. Texas governors don’t get indicted very often. Kind of surprising in itself, isn’t it? That, combined with Perry’s status as longest-serving governor and potential repeat presidential candidate, makes this case a big deal. And, criminal prosecution-wise, it’s an odd one in that prosecution and defense seem to pretty much agree on the facts, though there could be disagreement on motive. There’s not much doubt Perry did exactly what the prosecution says he did. There is, of course, a deep divide on whether what he did was criminal. No way, says the defense, which could start by
moving to quash the indictment. To do that, Team Perry would have to convince the judge there’s no possible fact situation in which he broke the law. That can be a high hurdle. I’m three years short of a law degree to have an educated guess on this one, but it could happen. Failing to get the charges dropped, there would be a trial. Here’s what you’re asking: Would it be difficult for Perry to convince jurors he didn’t break the law? Here’s why you might be asking the wrong question: There might not be any jurors. In Texas, a criminal defendant — other than in capital murder cases — can choose to be tried by a judge instead of a jury. Jurors decide questions of fact. Judges decide questions of law. In this case, there might not be many of the former and there is a huge one of the latter. There may be scant few questions of fact — except, as referenced above, on motive. Perry says he vetoed the local district attorney’s Public Integrity Unit money because he thought District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg’s DWI and subsequent behavior were grounds for
removal. It’s possible prosecutors have evidence that Perry did what he did because the Public Integrity Unit investigated and got an indictment against an official of the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas, a Perry pet project. There also could be a question as to whether Perry, on the record saying Lehmberg was unfit for office, in fact told her he’d veto the Public Integrity Unit money if she didn’t resign. The Austin American-Statesman has reported that threat happened. Perry lawyer David Botsford, while not confirming there was such a threat, said Monday the governor ”would have been entirely within his rights” if he’d announced the threat in public prior to the veto. This case could boil down to lawyers arguing about whether generally agreed-upon facts add up to a crime. If I’m Perry and I really felt I was on the right side of the law, I might prefer to argue that to a judge — perhaps even one elected as a Democrat — than a jury of 12 amateurs who might have more difficulty with the intricacies and subtleties
of the law and who might bring who-knows-what political biases to the courtroom. FYI, at this point the judge in the case is Republican Bert Richardson of San Antonio, but he’s a heavy favorite to win a Texas Court of Criminal Appeals race and move up to that court in January. What that means is, depending on timing, we now might not know who will wind up as the judge in the Perry case. This case is huge for Texas to the extent it outlines limits on gubernatorial power. In a state with a constitutionally relatively weak governor, the veto is arguably the most powerful power. Veto threats routinely are used to coerce other elected officials into doing something official, such as when legislators’ actions are guided by such threats. Using a veto threat to try to coerce an elected official out of office is a different thing. This case could determine if it’s different enough to be a crime. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: khermanstatesman.com.
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Nation
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Ferguson pledges outreach efforts after shooting By NIGEL DUARA ASSOCIATED PRESS
FERGUSON, Mo. — Ferguson’s leaders urged residents Tuesday to stay home after dark to “allow peace to settle in” and pledged several actions to reconnect with the predominantly black community in the St. Louis suburb where the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown has sparked nightly clashes between protesters and police. According to a statement from the city, Ferguson’s mayor, City Council and other employees have been exploring how to increase the number of AfricanAmerican applicants to the law enforcement academy, develop incentive programs to encourage city residency for police officers and raise funds for cameras that would be attached to patrol car dashboards and officers’ vests. “We plan to learn from this tragedy, as we further provide for the safety of our
residents and businesses and progress our community through reconciliation and healing,” the leaders said in the statement Tuesday. Benjamin Crump, an attorney for Brown’s family, said the 18-year-old’s funeral and memorial service would be Monday, though the time and location haven’t been finalized. The National Guard arrived in Ferguson Monday but kept its distance from the streets during another night of unrest. Protesters filled the streets after nightfall Monday, and officers trying to enforce tighter restrictions at times used bullhorns to order them to disperse. Police deployed noisemakers and armored vehicles to push demonstrators back. Officers fired tear gas and flash grenades. Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol, who is in charge of security in Ferguson, said bottles and Molotov cocktails were
thrown from the crowd and that some officers had come under heavy gunfire. At least two people were shot and 31 were arrested, he said. He did not have condition updates on those who were shot. Johnson said four officers were injured by rocks or bottles. Demonstrators no longer faced the neighborhood’s midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew, but police told protesters that they could not assemble in a single spot and had to keep moving. After the streets had been mostly cleared, authorities ordered reporters to leave as well, citing the risk from the reported gunfire. A large crowd also gathered Tuesday afternoon in nearby St. Louis after officers responding to a report of a store robbery shot and killed a knife-wielding man. Police Chief Sam Dotson said the suspect acted erratically and told responding officers to “shoot me now, kill me now.” Some members of the
crowd shouted “Hands up, don’t shoot,” a phrase that has become a frequent part of protests since Brown’s death on Aug. 9. Like Brown, the 23-year-old suspect killed Tuesday was black. The latest clashes in Ferguson came after a day in which a pathologist hired by the Brown family said the unarmed black 18-yearold suffered a bullet wound to his right arm that may indicate his hands were up or his back was turned. But the pathologist said the team that examined Brown cannot be sure yet exactly how the wounds were inflicted until they have more information. Witnesses have said Brown’s hands were above his head when he was repeatedly shot by an officer. The independent autopsy determined that Brown was shot at least six times, in-
cluding twice in the head, the family’s lawyers and hired pathologists said. The St. Louis County medical examiner’s autopsy found that Brown was shot six to eight times in the head and chest, office administrator Suzanne McCune said Monday. But she declined to comment further, saying the full findings were not expected for about two weeks. A grand jury could begin hearing evidence Wednesday to determine whether the officer, Darren Wilson, should be charged in Brown’s death, said Ed Magee, spokesman for St. Louis County’s prosecuting attorney. Wilson was recognized during a Ferguson City Council meeting in February, getting a special recognition for what Police Chief Thomas Jackson said then was his role in responding
to a report of a suspicious vehicle, then struggling with the driver and detaining him for arrest until help arrived. Jackson said the suspect was preparing a large quantity of marijuana for sale. A third autopsy was performed Monday for the Justice Department by one of the military’s most experienced medical examiners, Attorney General Eric Holder said. Holder was scheduled to travel to Ferguson later this week to meet with FBI and other officials carrying out an independent federal investigation into Brown’s death. The Justice Department has mounted an unusually swift and aggressive response to Brown’s death, from the independent autopsy to dozens of FBI agents combing Ferguson for witnesses to the shooting.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera GOBERNADOR DE TEXAS ACUDE A TRIBUNAL
Agenda en Breve
Fichan a Perry
ZAPATA 08/20— Zapata High School tendrá su Orientación para Alumnos de 9º Grado (Freshman) de 10 a.m. a 12 p.m. Se discutirán los temas de graduación, endorsos, exámenes, actividades extracurriculares, clubes disponibles, visitas a la escuela. El evento es abierto solamente para alumnos de grado Freshman y para sus padres.
LAREDO 08/21— El Departamento Atlético de Texas A&M International University realizará un evento especial a las 6 p.m. en Kinesiology and Convocation Building. Habrá comida, refrescos y la oportunidad de conocer a los entrenadores y estudiantes atletas de TAMIU. Evento gratuito. Para más información puede llamar al 326-2168. 08/22— El Banco de Alimentos del Sur de Texas (STFB) presenta “Empty Bowls VIII”, a partir de las 8 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Además de la subasta silenciosa, habrá concierto a cargo de The Commodores. Costo del boleto varía de 10, 15, y 25 dólares. 08/23— “La Mágica Música de Walt Disney” interpretada en vivo por The Laredo Phil, a las 7:30 a.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Costo del boleto varía de 15, 25, y 35 dólares. 08/26— Venta de boletos para la reunión de 25 aniversario de egreso de los estudiantes de JW Nixon 1989, de 6:30 p.m. a 8 p.m. en Sparkle and Dazzle, en 317 de E. Calton. El costo de los boletos es de 25 dólares para la reunión del viernes 10 de octubre y de 30 dólares para el evento del sábado 11 de octubre. Para más información puede ingresar a la página JW Nixon Eightynine en Facebook. 08/27— “Foreigner” en Concierto, a las 8 p.m. en Laredo Energy Arena. Costo del boleto varía de 75, 57, 43, y 33 dólares. 08/29— ‘Juicy J’ se presenta en Laredo Energy Arena, a las 8:30 p.m. Es un evento de entrada general. Costo de boleto en piso: 38 dólares; costo del boleto en arena, 28 dólares. 08/29— La generación de 1984 de Martin High School celebrará una reunión por el 30 aniversario de egreso, a las 8 p.m. en el rancho frente a LIFE Downs, sobre Carretera 59. Costo por persona es de 20 dólares. Para más información puede llamar a Martha Laura Medina al (956) 740-7044 o escribirle a medinalau@yahoo.com.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 08/20— Cine Club Carmen Montejo presenta “Grandes Esperanzas”, en el Auditorio de Estación Palabra, a las 6 p.m. Entrada gratuita. 08/20— Inauguración de la exposición fotográfica de Octavio Paz, en Estación Palabra a las 7 p.m. Entrada gratuita. 08/21— Jueves de Teatro presenta “Ponshow, un espectáculo Clown” en el Teatro Lucio Blanco, dentro de la Casa de la Cultura, a las 7 p.m. Entrada 20 pesos. 08/22— “Danssika Arte en Movimiento” invita a las audiciones para ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, a las 5 p.m. en la academia ubicada en Leandro Valle y Chihuahua. Requisito: Llevar ropa cómoda para bailar. Informes en danssika@gmail.com. 08/22— Cine en tu Barrio presenta “Sociedad de los Poetas Muertos”, en El Progreso, a las 6 p.m. Entrada gratuita. — Envíe su evento a amachorro@lmtonline.com
MIÉRCOLES 20 DE AGOSTO DE 2014
POR WILL WEISSERT Y PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN El gobernador Rick Perry acudió el martes a un tribunal de un condado de Texas donde fue fichado por cargos graves de que abusó de su poder al vetar el financiamiento a una contraloría estatal. Perry, que sopesa volver a postularse a la presidencia en 2016, se presentó ante la Corte del Condado Travis. El republicano ha argumentado que el caso tiene tintes políticos, y muchos altos miembros de su partido lo están respaldando. Está acusado de coerción y de abuso de poder por prometer vetar
la entrega de 7,5 millones de dólares a la contraloría estatal, operada por la fiscalía de distrito del condado Travis. Perry amenazó PERRY con vetar el financiamiento si la fiscal de distrito Rosemary Lehmberg no renunciaba después de que fue declarada culpable de conducir ebria. Lehmberg se negó a dejar el puesto y Perry aplicó el veto, lo que generó una denuncia por violaciones éticas. “Voy a pelear esta injusticia con cada fibra de mi ser. Y saldré victorioso”, dijo Perry antes de salir,
donde sus huellas digitales y su fotografía fueron tomadas. La doto muestra a Perry con una delgada sonrisa y sin sus lentes oscuros de marca. Todo este hecho no está evitando que él realice una gira que lo llevará a las votaciones anticipadas en los estados de Iowa, New Hampshire y South Carolina en las próximas dos semanas. Después que su campaña para la presidencia en el 2012 se apagara, el Republicano optó por no buscar la re-elección para gobernador en noviembre — dándole más tiempo para enfocarse en rehabilitar su imagen a nivel nacional. De ser encontrado culpable, Perry pudiera enfrentar un máximo
de 109 años en prisión — aunque expertos legales en el ámbito político han dicho que el caso en su contra será difícil de vender a un jurado. La queja contra Perry alega que públicamente amenazó con vetar y por tratar de forzar a Lehmberg a renunciar, la coaccionó. El juez Republicano asignado al caso ha asignado un fiscal especial con oficinas en San Antonio quien insiste el caso es más fuerte de lo que parece. Perry ha contratado a un equipo de abogados poderoso, quienes están siendo pagados con fondos estatales para defenderlo. Perry es el primer gobernador de Texas en ser acusado desde 1917.
MIGUEL ALEMÁN
COMUNIDAD
CICLO ESCOLAR 2014-2015
Subsidio ayudará diócesis fronteriza ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Dos alumnos de la Escuela Primaria ‘Plan de Guadalupe’ en Miguel Alemán, México, muestran los artículos escolares recibidos por parte del Gobierno de Tamaulipas, como parte del inicio del Ciclo Escolar 2014-2015, el lunes.
Entregan a alumnos material de apoyo TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
E
l lunes dio inicio el ciclo escolar 2014 -2015 en las escuelas de Tamaulipas para 900.000 alumnos. El arranque oficial se realizó en la Escuela Primaria “Plan de Guadalupe” de Miguel Alemán, México, donde simultáneamente empezaron clases en más de 6.500 escuelas. En Tamaulipas operan actualmente 705 escuelas de tiempo completo; y con 1.210 escuelas de calidad, de excelencia y el Programa de Escuela Digna. En Miguel Alemán, el Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú hizo entrega simbólica de más de 650.000 paquetes de útiles escolares, así como más de 80.000 piezas de mobiliario y
equipo escolar para escuelas de los 43 municipios. Torre destacó la importancia de los apoyos y estímulos que se entregan a los niños y jóvenes estudiantes con el único objetivo de que cuenten con todas las herramientas necesarias para preparase mejor y continúen en la escuela. El Gobierno de Tamaulipas beneficia con becas a 186.000 alumnos con una inversión de 560 millones de pesos. El Secretario de Educación, Diódoro Guerra Rodríguez, mencionó que este ciclo escolar 2014-2015, inicia en un marco de mayor certidumbre. El mobiliario escolar se renovó en más de 1.500 escuelas, además de que se les ha dotado de materiales y tecnologías educativas. Igualmente, la biblioteca digital amplió sus
acervos a más de 10.000 títulos, asignándoles recursos adicionales por más de 1.500 millones de pesos. En las escuelas de Tamaulipas laboran 51.000 docentes. “Refrendamos en este ciclo que hoy inicia, que nuestro sindicato seguirá creando las condiciones necesarias para una relación de respeto institucional sin olvidar que somos los primeros en comprometernos a dar nuestro mejor esfuerzo, dijo el Secretario General de la Sección 30 del SNTE, Rafael Méndez Salas. Por su parte el Presidente Municipal de Miguel Alemán, Ramiro Cortés Barrera agradeció la presencia del mandatario estatal en el arranque oficial de este nuevo ciclo escolar y reconoció los apoyos del gobierno estatal.
CHICAGO — Catholic Extension anunció esta semana que estará otorgando fondos de asistencia ante emergencia a seis diócesis de la frontera sur de Estados Unidos. Los subsidios especiales ante emergencias son específicos para cada necesidad existente de las diócesis. Los fondos directos se entregarán en las diócesis de Laredo, Las Cruces, Tucson, Brownsville, El Paso y San Bernardino. “Sentimos que tenemos una responsabilidad moral en ayudar a las diócesis que están acabándose sus recursos en esta gran crisis humanitaria”, dijo Father Jack Wall, presidente de Catholic Extension. “No se ha recibido ningún fondo del gobierno federal. En esta aspiradora, Catholic Extension es llamado a responder y apoyar a estas personas heroicas que laboran en las diócesis. Ellos están demostrando el amor y compromiso hacia personas que han llegado a sus puertas”. El alcance de Catholic Extension continúa expandiéndose debido a la creciente necesidad de los recursos esenciales. En diócesis con menos recursos a lo largo de la frontera Estados Unidos-México, miles de católicos viven en comunidades que carecen de la infraestructura y los servicios de apoyo básico de la ciudad. De hecho, entre las seis diócesis, hay 3.6 millones de Católicos — muchos de los cuales viven por debajo del nivel de pobreza, comparado con otras diócesis en el país. Además de estas dificultades, la actual crisis internacional desarrollándose en la frontera de EU se estima que atrae a aproximadamente 90.000 niños solos a los Estados Unidos en 2014, la mayoría de países de Centroamérica. Esto brinda una carga sobre personal, voluntarios y trabajadores sociales quienes deben responder a la gran cantidad de población y sus necesidades. Actualmente, nueve de las 15 diócesis de Texas son consideradas diócesis de la misión para Catholic Extension, siendo éstas: Amarillo, Beaumont, Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo, Lubbock, San Angelo, San Antonio y Tyler. Tan solo en los últimos cinco años, Catholic Extension ha enviado más de 11.5 millones de dólares en apoyo a las nueve diócesis de la misión.
MÉXICO
Tamaulipas asistirá a Expo Mezcal 2014 ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El Consejo Mexicano Regulador de la Calidad del Mezcal (CMRCM) e integrantes de la cadena productiva del Mezcal, han acordado realizar la Expo Mezcal 2014, donde Tamaulipas participará con un mínimo con tres marcas, anunciaron autoridades tamaulipecas esta semana. Tras una reunión de trabajo, se llegó al acuerdo de realizar la Expo Mezcal 2014, el 21 y 22 de noviembre en la Ciudad de México. Para elegir las marcas
representantes se contactará a personas especializadas en bebidas y decidirán los municipios que ellos decidirán que cuentan con excelente categoría, dijo Carlos Solís Gómez, Secretario de Desarrollo Rural. La producción de mezcal en la entidad va a generar oportunidades de negocio para los productores del estado, ya que Tamaulipas produce 120.000 litros anuales y dispone de 2.000 hectáreas de agave en 11 municipios que cuentan con la Denominación de Origen Mezcal, señala un comunicado. Los municipios son:
Tula, Palmillas, Miquihuana, Bustamante, Jaumave, San Carlos, San Nicolás, Jiménez, Méndez, Burgos y Cruillas, México. “En Tamaulipas trabajamos intensamente para integrar al productor primario en los procesos de transformación a fin de que se apropie del valor agregado de sus productos, incrementando con ello sus ingresos y la competitividad de las cadenas productivas, reflejando con ello un verdadero desarrollo del campo Tamaulipeco”, dijo Solís Gómez en un comunicado.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Durante el mes de noviembre se realizará la ‘Expo Mezcal 2014’, donde Tamaulipas participará con un mínimo de tres marcas diferentes.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: ZAPATA LADY HAWKS
NFL: CLEVELAND BROWNS
Tourney champs
Manziel flips bird to ‘Skins By JOSEPH WHITE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Clara Sandoval | Laredo Morning Times
The Lady Hawks protected home court winning the Zapata tournament after defeating Laredo duo LBJ and Martin along with Crystal City.
Lady Hawks win Zapata tournament By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata volleyball tournament unfolded over a two day span, welcoming in some formidable opponents. After all the dust settled, the Lady Hawks took home the championship with a gutsy performance against Laredo LBJ. The third place trophy went to Laredo Martin followed by Rio Grande City La Grulla. The consolation championship went to Crystal City. Zapata’s Alexis Alvarez was named the most valua-
ble player for the tournament. The All-Tournament team consisted of Zapata’s Isela Gonzalez, Tere Villarrreal and Cassie Garcia, LBJ’s Francis "Twiggy" Tobias, Amy Garza and Annette Gallegos, Martin’s Ashley De Anda, La Grulla’s Alexia Andrade and Crystal City’s Maria Flores. The Lady Hawks took down Crystal City, Martin and LBJ in the championship game. Zapata beat Crystal City 2-0 (25-18, 2513) while also downing Martin in straight sets (2519, 25-23). In the final game,
Zapata topped the Lady Wolves 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 2521) for the title. LBJ started off the tournament with a 2-0 victory over La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (25-8, 25-15), plus won in two sets over La Grulla (25-19, 25-15). Martin started the tournament with a victory over PSJA Southwest (25-14, 2515). The only loss for the Lady Tigers was to Zapata. The Lady Hawks continue to navigate through their non-district schedule as they welcome Laredo United South Tuesday night.
Clara Sandoval can be reached at Sandoval.Clara@Gmail.com
LANDOVER, Md. — If the Cleveland Browns pick a quarterback based solely on numbers, there’s not much either Johnny Manziel or Brian Hoyer did to show he deserves the job. If the choice is based on maturity, the hot-shot rookie’s obscene gesture lost him some ground to the nondescript sixthyear veteran. Manziel raised his middle finger toward the opponents’ bench as he returned to the huddle late in the third quarter of Monday night’s 24-23 loss to the Washington Redskins. Truth be told, it was one of the few times a Browns QB actually found his intended target. “It does not sit well,” Cleveland coach Mike Pettine said. “It’s disappointing, because what we talk about is being poised and being focused. ... That’s a big part of all football players, especially the quarterback.” Manziel called the moment a “lapse of judgment” and suggested it
Photo by Richard Lipski | AP
Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel flipped off Washington’s bench during a preseason loss Monday. was brought about by another game of unprintable verbal grief from another team’s players and fans. “I get words exchanged throughout the entirety of the game, every game, week after week, and I should’ve been smarter,” Manziel said. “It was a ’Monday Night Football’ game, and cameras were probably solid on me, and I just need to be smarter about that. “It’s there, and it’s present every game, and I just need to let it slide off my back and go to the next play.”
State
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
Dad who shot drunk driver called ‘execution’ By JUAN LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANGLETON — A drunk driver did not deserve “execution” by a Texas father accused of taking the law into his own hands in a fit of rage over the killing of his two sons in a wreck, a prosecutor told jurors on Tuesday. David Barajas is accused of fatally shooting Jose Banda in December 2012, minutes after Banda plowed into a pickup truck that Barajas and his two sons had been pushing on a rural road. Twelve-year-old David Jr. died at the scene and 11year-old Caleb died at a hospital. Barajas’ truck had run out of gas about 100 yards from the family’s home. Barajas’ attorney told jurors his client did not kill Banda and was focused only on saving his sons.
In opening statements Tuesday in Barajas’ murder trial, prosecutor Brian Hrach told jurors Banda made a horrible decision by drinking and driving, “He deserved severe legal punishment, but he did not deserve a public execution,” Hrach said. Barajas allegedly left the scene of the accident, retrieved a gun from his home and returned to kill Banda. Sam Cammack, Barajas’ attorney, told jurors Barajas never left the crash site. Cammack portrayed Barajas as a father who was desperate to help his sons and was covered with their blood after he tried to perform CPR on the boys. “When police get there my client is doing what he was doing the whole time, trying to save his children’s lives,” Cammack said. Dashcam video of the crash scene played for ju-
Photo courtesy of Barajas family | AP
Shown are Cindy Barajas, Jenessah Barajas, Caleb Barajas, David Barajas and David Barajas Jr. Caleb and David Jr. were killed Dec. 7, 2012, as the boys and their father were pushing their truck on a rural road after it had broken down. rors Tuesday after testimony had begun brought many in the courtroom to tears. Barajas kept his head down as the video was played. On the video, Barajas can
be seen kneeling on the ground near a roadside ditch where the body of his son David Jr. had landed. A woman can be heard screaming, “My babies. Why? Oh my God, please
help them.” David Barajas’ wife, Cindy, and their infant son and 8-year-old daughter had also been in the truck. They were not seriously hurt. Legal experts said the case will be difficult to prosecute given the lack of hard evidence: no weapon was recovered, no witnesses identified Barajas as the shooter and gunshot residue tests done on Barajas came back negative. An even greater challenge for prosecutors could be overcoming sympathy for the father. Many people in the town of Alvin where the tragedy occurred, 30 miles southeast of Houston, have supported Barajas. Some have said they might have done the same thing in a similar situation. The trial is in the county seat of Angleton, Texas. Hrach tried to minimize the absence of a murder
weapon, saying a bullet fragment from a .357 caliber weapon was found at the murder scene and an open box with .357 caliber ammunition was found in Barajas’ home. Witnesses will testify that they saw Barajas leave the scene and then come back and approach Banda’s vehicle, going up against the car, appearing to be hiding something. When 911 calls were played for jurors during testimony Tuesday, Cammack tried to suggest Barajas would not have had enough time to shoot Banda. On one call, screaming can be heard in the background as an unidentified caller told a dispatcher a boy is “bleeding badly ... he’s in half. It’s bad.” Cammack highlighted for jurors the timeline, while questioning dispatcher Grace Gambino.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
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Last Chg Name
S&P500ETF 520722 198.39 +1.03 NokiaCp 508812 8.02 +.20 Penney 487841 10.25 +.38 Sprint 438593 5.39 -.23 BkofAm 413904 15.45 ... iShEMkts 301850 45.15 +.21 Aeropostl 288295 3.87 +.63 Petrobras 242649 17.46 +.60 B iPVix rs 236418 27.50 -.30 AMD 231240 4.27 +.06
Vol (00)
Volume
1,978 1,123 130 3,231 190 18 2,596,186,722
Last Chg
Apple Inc s 673108 100.53 +1.37 Zynga 307056 3.11 +.03 Intel 287959 34.34 -.07 Microsoft 272428 45.33 +.50 Facebook 261044 75.29 +.70 SiriusXM 229949 3.56 +.01 Vringo 219462 1.40 +.22 Cisco 200969 24.64 +.01 PwShs QQQ 196327 98.70 +.55 ChiFnOnl 178176 8.09 +.27
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
16,640
17,151.56 8,515.04 576.98 11,334.65 4,509.16 886.27 1,991.39 1,452.01 21,108.12 1,213.55
1,446 1,225 140 2,811 101 34 1,506,525,936
16,320
10 DAYS
16,500
14,719.43 6,237.14 467.93 9,246.89 3,573.57 728.63 1,627.47 1,170.62 17,305.21 1,009.00
Name
Last
Dow Industrials Dow Transportation Dow Utilities NYSE Composite Nasdaq Composite S&P MidCap S&P 500 S&P MidCap Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000
16,919.59 8,414.89 554.68 10,929.66 4,527.51 879.72 1,981.60 1,420.83 20,989.23 1,162.47
MONEY RATES F
M
A
M
J
J
A
STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST Name
Ex
AT&T Inc Aeropostl AEP Apple Inc s BkofAm Caterpillar CCFemsa CmtyHlt ConocoPhil Dillards EmpIca ExxonMbl Facebook FordM GenElec HewlettP HomeDp iShEMkts Intel IntlBcsh IBM
NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY Nasd Nasd NY
Div
1.84 ... 2.00 1.88 .20 2.80 2.17 ... 2.92 .24 ... 2.76 ... .50 .88 .64 1.88 .71 .90 .50 4.40
YTD Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
Name
Ex
Div
YTD Yld PE Last Chg %Chg
5.3 ... 3.8 1.9 1.3 2.6 2.0 ... 3.7 .2 ... 2.8 ... 2.9 3.4 1.8 2.1 1.6 2.6 1.9 2.3
Lowes Lubys MetLife MexicoFd Microsoft Modine NokiaCp Penney RadioShk S&P500ETF SanchezEn Schlmbrg SearsHldgs SonyCp Sprint UnionPac s USSteel UnivHlthS WalMart WellsFargo Zynga
NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd NY NY NY NY NY NY NY Nasd
.92 ... 1.40 3.07 1.12 ... .51 ... ... 3.58 ... 1.60 ... .24 ... 2.00 .20 .40 1.92 1.40 ...
1.8 ... 2.6 ... 2.5 ... 6.4 ... ... 1.8 ... 1.5 ... 1.3 ... 1.9 .5 .4 2.6 2.8 ...
10 ... 15 16 18 18 ... ... 13 15 ... 13 81 11 19 12 23 ... 17 13 12
34.48 -.17 3.87 +.63 52.20 +.73 100.53 +1.37 15.45 ... 107.30 +.32 110.83 -.13 51.40 -.26 79.91 +.57 110.23 +1.67 7.53 -.07 99.49 -.03 75.29 +.70 17.36 -.07 26.05 -.02 35.48 +.14 88.23 +4.64 45.15 +.21 34.34 -.07 25.90 +.15 190.07 +.71
-1.9 -57.4 +11.7 +25.4 -.8 +18.2 -9.0 +30.9 +13.1 +13.4 -10.9 -1.7 +37.8 +12.5 -7.1 +26.8 +7.2 +8.0 +32.3 -1.7 +1.3
23 ... 13 ... 17 5 ... ... ... ... ... 22 ... ... ... 20 ... 23 15 13 ...
51.52 +1.07 5.32 -.02 53.63 +.14 28.10 -.26 45.33 +.50 13.63 -.01 8.02 +.20 10.25 +.38 .63 -.04 198.39 +1.03 32.49 +.13 109.42 +1.28 35.50 +.34 18.86 +.34 5.39 -.23 104.39 +.60 37.65 -.23 112.19 +.49 74.88 +.39 50.86 +.17 3.11 +.03
+4.0 -31.1 -.5 -4.1 +21.2 +6.3 -1.1 +12.0 -75.9 +7.4 +32.6 +21.4 -10.7 +9.1 -49.9 +24.3 +27.6 +38.1 -4.8 +12.0 -18.2
Stock Footnotes: g=Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars .h= Doe not meet continued- listings tandards lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week. Gainers and Losers must be worth at least $2 to be listed in tables at left. Most Actives must be worth at least $1. Volume in hundreds of shares. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
Prime Rate Discount Rate Federal Funds Rate Treasuries 3-month 6-month 5-year 10-year 30-year
3.25 3.25 0.75 0.75 .00-.25 .00-.25 0.03 0.05 1.58 2.40 3.21
YTD 12-mo Chgg %Chg %Chg %Chg +80.85 +.48 +2.07 +12.77 +9.26 +.11 +13.71 +31.77 +6.48 +1.18 +13.07 +15.28 +43.15 +.40 +5.09 +16.01 +19.20 +.43 +8.40 +25.29 +4.05 +.46 +6.79 +18.95 +9.86 +.50 +7.21 +19.93 +8.34 +.59 +5.83 +17.19 +96.61 +.46 +6.51 +19.55 +4.07 +.35 -.10 +13.02
CURRENCIES
Last PvsWeek
16,200
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
Name
-4.00 -10.8 ElizArden -4.03 -10.0 Oncothyr -1.06 -7.4 SignalGn n -.39 -7.2 PerfectWld -.30 -6.5 Quotinet n -.38 -6.4 Achaogen n -1.44 -6.3 ElPLoco n -4.30 -6.2 Neovasc g -.14 -6.1 NewLink -.12 -5.6 VaporCp rs
16,960
Close: 16,919.59 Change: 80.85 (0.5%)
16,800
15,900
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
Dow Jones industrials +19.20
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
Name
+1.22 +.63 +1.10 +.69 +3.26 +1.18 +4.66 +2.10 +2.28 +.49
NASDAQ 4,527.51
STOCK MARKET INDEXES 52-Week High Low
0.04 0.05 1.62 2.45 3.28
Australia Britain Canada Euro Japan Mexico Switzerlnd
Last
Pvs Day
1.0743 1.6618 1.0944 .7508 102.91 13.0515 .9091
1.0725 1.6728 1.0888 .7485 102.58 13.0516 .9064
British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.
MUTUAL FUNDS Name Alliance Bernstein GlTmtcGA m Columbia ComInfoA m Eaton Vance WldwHealA m Fidelity Select Biotech d Fidelity Select BrokInv d Fidelity Select CommEq d Fidelity Select Computer d Fidelity Select ConsFin d Fidelity Select Electron d Fidelity Select FinSvc d Fidelity Select SoftwCom d Fidelity Select Tech d T Rowe Price SciTech Vanguard HlthCare Waddell & Reed Adv SciTechA m
Total Assets Total Return/Rank Pct Min Init Obj ($Mlns)NAV 4-wk 12-mo 5-year Load Invt WS 580 85.96 -0.2 +20.7/A +8.7/E 4.25 2,500 ST 2,536 58.28 +0.3 +28.3/B +14.7/D 5.75 2,000 SH 919 13.03 +4.1 +36.4/A +18.6/D 5.75 1,000 SH 8,218 210.44 +11.6 +36.3/A +28.9/A NL 2,500 SF 609 73.34 +0.2 +18.2/A +11.4/C NL 2,500 ST 260 31.85 -1.8 +19.0/E +12.5/E NL 2,500 ST 672 80.58 +1.4 +18.4/E +18.6/B NL 2,500 SF 147 15.42 -0.7 +11.4/D +14.5/A NL 2,500 ST 1,732 78.42 -1.4 +41.0/A +17.9/B NL 2,500 SF 1,195 84.98 +0.3 +18.4/A +9.9/D NL 2,500 ST 3,010 118.16 0.0 +26.2/C +22.3/A NL 2,500 ST 2,548 124.00 +3.0 +26.6/C +19.3/A NL 2,500 ST 3,098 43.04 +3.3 +30.5/B +17.6/B NL 2,500 SH 10,301 210.59 +1.8 +34.2/B +20.5/C NL 3,000 ST 3,554 16.46 -1.0 +25.8/C +19.8/A 5.75 750
CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV - Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
Floods force dramatic rescues in Phoenix area By BRIAN SKOLOFF AND PAUL DAVENPORT ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOENIX — Heavy monsoon season rains that swept across Arizona on Tuesday led to dramatic rescues, road closures and flight delays as a series of fastmoving storms pummeled the state. A helicopter crew rescued two women and three dogs from a home surrounded by swift-moving waters in a town about 30 miles north of Phoenix, while elsewhere a small trailer park was evacuated, a school was flooded and first-responders pulled motorists from partially-
submerged vehicles. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for much of the metro area and north of the city where up to 8 inches of rain fell by midday in some of the mountainous regions along Interstate-17, the main north-south freeway in Arizona. Dramatic aerial television footage showed a river of muddy water rushing down I-17 about 25 miles north of Phoenix as motorists changed lanes to avoid the deluge. Other footage showed authorities pulling an elderly woman from a van stuck in rushing floodwaters, scenes repeated across the region throughout the
day as motorists became trapped while driving through typically dry desert washes. Gov. Jan Brewer said her office was monitoring the effects of the storm and will take additional action if needed. “It looked absolutely devastating,” Brewer said. “For the last 10, 15 years, we’ve never seen anything the likes of this.” Officials said nearly 5 inches of rain fell around the town of New River, where a helicopter dropped a rescuer onto the roof of a home to pull the women and dogs to safety after one had been waving a white piece of fabric from a window to draw attention.
BORDER Agents assumed the camouflaged crew that joined in pulling the immigrants from the canal’s milky green waters was a tactical unit from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Only later did they learn that the men belonged to the Texas Militia, a group that dresses like a SWAT team and carries weapons but has no lawenforcement training or authority of any kind. The situation ended peacefully with the immigrants getting arrested and the Border Patrol advising the militia members “to properly and promptly” identify themselves anytime they encounter law-enforcement officers. But the episode was unsettling enough for the Border Patrol to circulate an “issue paper” warning other agents. The presence of armed militia members working on their own in a region known for human smuggling, drug smuggling and illegal immigration has added one more variable to an already
CHARGED Lehmberg refused to resign and Perry carried out the veto, drawing an ethics complaint from a left-leaning government watchdog group. Perry was indicted by a grand jury in Austin, a liberal bastion in otherwise fiercely conservative Texas. But he isn’t letting the case keep him from a packed travel schedule that will take him to the earlyvoting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina over the next two weeks. After his 2012 presidential campaign flamed out, the Republican opted not to seek re-election as governor in November — leaving him more time to focus on rehabilitating his image nationally. If convicted on both counts, Perry could face a maximum 109 years in prison — though legal experts across the political spectrum have said the case against him may be a tough sell to a jury. No one disputes that Perry has the right to veto any measures
complex and tense situation. Although the Aug. 6 incident in Mission resulted in no harm, it’s not hard to imagine deadlier outcomes throughout the Rio Grande Valley, a wide area patrolled by more than 3,000 border agents, as well as hundreds of state troopers, game wardens, deputies and local police officers. Gov. Rick Perry is also sending as many as 1,000 National Guard troops. “How do they identify themselves? Do they have badges? How do we know who they are?” asked J.P. Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Hidalgo County Sheriff ’s Office. “If they’re all just dressed in camos, it’s kind of hard to distinguish whether they’re law enforcement or not. ... There’s a lot of potential for stuff to go wrong.” One year ago, a member of an Arizona Minuteman borderwatch group was arrested for pointing a rifle at a sheriff ’s deputy he apparently mistook for a drug smuggler. Maricopa County
sociated Press. Emails sent to a website for the Texas Militia were not answered. The spot where the incident happened is a popular smuggling corridor where a thumb of Mexican farmland pushes a deep pocket into South Texas. The canal, an earthen channel that delivers water to the city of Mission, is 6 to 8 feet deep. Immigrants who emerge from the canal have only to cross a single sorghum field to reach a road. A surge of illegal immigration put renewed attention on the border this summer. About 63,000 unaccompanied child immigrants were arrested between October and July, the vast majority of them in South Texas. Some militia and self-described “patriot” groups responded with a call to seal the border. Barbie Rogers, founder of the Patriots Information Hotline, said at last count there were 13 such teams on the Texas border. If they are each similar in size to the one
SCHOOL boys’ homes Monday. Police had to break into one boy’s house as he resisted and they took him into custody as he tried to run, officials said. One boy allegedly said he had a relative with a gun that he might be able to get. Police contacted that relative, who said the weapon was secured. The two teenage boys, who were about to become seniors, were arrested on charges of making threats and conspiracy. They were being held at a juvenile facility. Miller didn’t provide information about the dynamic of their relationship. He said the suspects’ parents were cooperating with investigators. The FBI joined the investigation to help search for evidence on the computers seized from the boys’ homes. Officials must investigate all threats, and discretion comes later as they decide how to deal with students who make
probably into the early evening.” Kathy Mascaro said her typical 15-minute commute from home to work in the Phoenix area more than doubled because of the traffic nightmares caused by the flooding. “It’s crazy. You’d think, how could the desert flood, but it really does,” Mascaro said. “I’ve never seen it this bad. I’ve been here over 20 years and it has never flooded this bad.” The desert around Phoenix sees very little rain most of the year, so when storms roll through with such intensity as they did Tuesday, the water has nowhere to go.
Continued from Page 1A
Sheriff Joe Arpaio warned of “chaos if you’re going to have private citizens dressed just like our deputies taking the law into their own hands.” If militia members aren’t careful in their dealings with real law officers, “there could be some dead militia out there,” he added. The Border Patrol declined to comment on the encounter in Mission, referring questions to a general statement on militias released last month by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That statement said the agency “does not endorse or support any private group or organization from taking matters into their own hands as it could have disastrous personal and public safety consequences.” The militia members who surprised the Border Patrol that night told agents they wanted to help with the “border crisis” and that they supported the agency’s efforts, according to a copy of the issue paper obtained by The As-
Continued from Page 1A
passed by the state Legislature, including any parts of the state budget. But the complaint against Perry alleges that by publicly threatening a veto and trying to force Lehmberg to resign, he coerced her. The Republican judge assigned to the case has assigned a San Antonio-based special prosecutor who insists the case is stronger than it may outwardly appear. Perry has hired a team of high-powered attorneys, who are being paid with state funds to defend him. Perry is the first Texas governor to be indicted since 1917. Top Republicans have been especially quick to defend him, though, since a jail video following Lehmberg’s April 2013 arrest showed the district attorney badly slurring her words, shouting at staffers to call the sheriff, kicking the door of her cell, and sticking her tongue out. Her blood alcohol level was also three times the legal limit for driving.
That’s more rain than that area saw during all of last summer’s monsoon season, said meteorologist Gary Woodall of the National Weather Service. A 15-mile stretch of northbound I-17 was reopened later Tuesday after authorities were forced to reroute vehicles for several hours into the southbound lanes sending them back to Phoenix because of floodwaters. “It looks like the heavy rain is pulling out to the east and northeast out of that area,” Woodall said Tuesday afternoon. “But with all the rain that fell this morning, we’re going to see continued flooding, continued runoff
that showed up in Mission, that would be fewer than 100 people operating on the 1,255-mile Texas border. Rogers uses a website and hotline to coordinate donations and supply lines to militia groups in the field. Asked how many people that amounted to, she said, “I couldn’t tell you that because it could compromise their security.” She said the teams she knows keep sheriffs’ offices and the Border Patrol apprised of their activity. Asked about the Texas Militia members appearing in Mission without identifying themselves, Rogers said, “They should have. I can’t imagine that they didn’t.” The teams, she said, try to advise the Border Patrol as soon as they spot illegal activity. They will detain people until authorities arrive, although Rogers acknowledged they have no authority to hold anyone. “Usually the people coming across are so scared they just sit there and wait,” she said.
Continued from Page 1A
Photo by Nick Ut | AP
South Pasadena, Calif., police Chief Arthur Miller announces Tuesday that his department arrested two South Pasadena High School students suspected of planning a massacre at the school. them, said Ken Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm.
“They’re better off to find dozens of threats that are not credible than to have one case that’s missed,” he said.
In Trump’s opinion, the South Pasadena threat was reasonably well-developed based on information police have released.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014