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MEXICO
Violence claims pregnant woman’s life
TEXAS BUSINESS
More problems Audit: Claims not supported for job fund By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — A pet program of Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry that has given a half-billion
dollars in taxpayer funds to companies including Toyota and Facebook failed to support claims about job-creation and competition from other states, according to a state audit released
Gunfights wound two other people
Thursday. The critical report, which also found that some companies never submitted applications before re-
See BUSINESS
PERRY
PAGE 13A
NATURAL RESOURCES
THE ZAPATA TIMES
Violence which swept across Northern Mexico on Thursday claimed the life of a pregnant woman and left two other people wounded, the Tamaulipas attorney general’s office announced. A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office announced gunmen attacked federal and state law enforcement officers in downtown Reynosa, Tamaulipas, across from Hidalgo, at about 7 p.m. Officers chased the gunmen across the city, leaving several streets blocked. During one gunfight, Brenda Marlen Hernandez Razo, a pregnant women whose age was not available Friday, was wounded by gunfire. She was taken to a Social Security hospital, where she died. Two other people, who authorities have not yet identified, were wounded during gunfights. They were reportedly in stable condition. Also on Thursday, in Matamoros, a pick-up truck with loaded with gas tanks another loaded with pipe caught fire on the ReynosaMatamoros highway, at the new railroad bypass road. The fire was reported at 5:10 p.m. and was brought under control by fire fighters about 1 1/2 hours later. Authorities reported no injuries in the blaze. (Translated by Mark Webber of the Times staff.)
OIL MONEY DRAWS CRIME
Photo by Eduardo Verdugo | AP
A soldier points out the border area, shared by the states of Texas and Tamaulipas, under gang influence on a map at a military base in Ciudad Mier, Tamaulipas state, Mexico, on Sept. 5. As Mexico prepares to develop rich shale fields along the Gulf Coast the country will be challenged to tame the brutal drug cartels that rule the region.
Mexican cartels steal billions from Mexico’s oil industry By MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
CIUDAD MIER, Mexico — Mexico overcame 75 years of nationalist pride to reform its flagging, state-owned oil industry. But as it prepares to develop rich shale fields along the Gulf Coast, and attract foreign investors, another challenge awaits: taming the brutal drug cartels that rule the region and are stealing
billions of dollars’ worth of oil from pipelines. Figures released by Petroleos Mexicanos last week show the gangs are becoming more prolific and sophisticated. So far this year, thieves across Mexico have drilled 2,481 illegal taps into state-owned pipelines, up more than one-third from the same period of 2013. Pemex estimates it’s lost some 7.5 million barrels worth $1.15 billion. Pemex director Emilio Lozoya called the
trend “worrisome.” More than a fifth of the illegal taps occurred in Tamaulipas, the Gulf state neighboring Texas that is a cornerstone for Mexico’s future oil plans. It has Mexico’s largest fields of recoverable shale gas, the natural gas extracted by fracturing rock layers, or fracking. Mexico, overall, is believed to have the
See OIL MONEY PAGE 13A
OPERATION STONEGARDEN
Sheriff’s office helps with Chevy Tahoe By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
EL CENIZO — El Cenizo Police Department announced Thursday it received a 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Interceptor through a partnership with the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office via Operation Stonegarden. The unit is equipped with a camera system that records what the officer sees in front and in the rear, where the detainee is, said Erik Villarreal,
chief of police in El Cenizo. An integrated laptop will allow officers to write their reports inside the unit while they’re out on the field. Having the laptop saves officers’ time, Villarreal said. If an officer wants to follow up on another report, all documentation will be stored in the computer. Villarreal said the department also made upgrades to the 2014 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor obtained
Photo by Cesar G. Rodriguez | Laredo Morning Times
El Cenizo Police Department announced Thursday it received a 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe Police Interceptor through a partnership with the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office via Operation Stonegarden.
in February through Operation Stonegarden via a partnership with Zapata authorities. El Cenizo PD added a camera system, a push bumper and a laptop to the Explorer. Both vehicles will help police there deter illegal activity, such as narcotics and human smuggling. In early August, El Cenizo PD recorded its biggest drug bust in its history. An officer pulled over a 2000 GMC Sierra driven by Erasmo Jua-
rez, 35, in the 3300 block of Espejo Molina Road. Inside the vehicle, police discovered 238 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $300,000, a police report states. Juarez was charged with felony possession of marijuana. “We do feel honored by the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office. They do believe in us that we can actually get the job done,” Villarreal said. “(The mar-
See TAHOE PAGE 13A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Meeting of the new American Legion Post 850. 6:30 p.m. Knights of Columbus home, 1720 Houston St. Veterans interested in joining the group should attend the meeting and bring a copy of your DD214 and $30 for a fullyear membership. For more information, call Javier Aranda at 722-3434 or Francisco Perez at 220-7858
Today is Saturday, Sept. 27, the 270th day of 2014. There are 95 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 27, 1964, the government publicly released the report of the Warren Commission, which concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy. On this date: In 1540, Pope Paul III issued a papal bull establishing the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, as a religious order. In 1779, John Adams was named by Congress to negotiate the Revolutionary War’s peace terms with Britain. In 1854, the first great disaster involving an Atlantic Ocean passenger vessel occurred when the steamship SS Arctic sank off Newfoundland; of the more than 400 people on board, only 86 survived. In 1928, the United States said it was recognizing the Nationalist Chinese government. In 1939, Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. In 1942, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra performed together for the last time, at the Central Theater in Passaic, New Jersey, prior to Miller’s entry into the Army. In 1944, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, 53, died in Oakland, California. In 1954, “Tonight!,” hosted by Steve Allen, made its debut on NBC-TV. In 1962, “Silent Spring,” Rachel Carson’s study on the effects of pesticides on the environment, was published in book form by Houghton Mifflin. In 1979, Congress gave its final approval to forming the U.S. Department of Education. In 1989, Columbia Pictures Entertainment Inc. agreed to a $3.4 billion cash buyout by Sony Corp. In 1994, more than 350 Republican congressional candidates gathered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to sign the “Contract with America,” a 10point platform they pledged to enact if voters sent a GOP majority to the House. Ten years ago: President George W. Bush asked Congress for more than $7.1 billion to help Florida and other Southeastern states recover from their lashing by four hurricanes. Five years ago: Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative columnist and former Nixon speechwriter William Safire died at age 79. One year ago: President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by telephone, the first conversation between American and Iranian leaders in more than 30 years. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Jayne Meadows is 95. Actress Kathleen Nolan is 81. Actor Wilford Brimley is 80. Actor Claude Jarman Jr. is 80. Author Barbara Howar is 80. World Golf Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth is 75. Singermusician Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is 71. Rock singer Meat Loaf is 67. Actress Liz Torres is 67. Actor A Martinez is 66. Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt is 65. Thought for Today: “Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.” — Lillian Dickson, American missionary (1901-1983).
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28 Semi-annual all-you-can-eat spaghetti lunch. From 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church. Contact Sue Webber at fumc_office@sbcglobal.net.
MONDAY, SEPT. 29 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.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1 3rdAnnual Youth Domestic Violence Conference. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. UTHSC Laredo Regional Campus, 1937 E. Bustamante, Laredo, Texas. For additional information and to register call Area Health Education Center at (956) 712-0037.
THURSDAY, OCT. 2 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 Duplicate Bridge Club. From 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. For more information, contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589. 18thAnnualDomestic Violence Conference. 8:00 a.m.- 5:30 pm. Texas A&M International University, Student Center.For additional information and to register call Area Health Education Center at (956)712-0037.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4 American Institute of Architects – Laredo Section’s second annual Shoot N’ Cook Sporting Clays Competition and Taco Cook-Off and Michelada Contest. 8 a.m. South Texas Shooting Complex. Registration fees: $150 single shooter, $625 squad of five. Register at aialaredo.org.
SUNDAY, OCT. 5 5th Annual Blessing of All Animals. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. St. Peter’s Plaza (Matamoros Street and Main Avenue). For more information contact Berta "Birdie" Torres at birdtorres@hotmail.com or call Birdie at 286-7866.
MONDAY, OCT. 6 “Conversations with the Sisters”. From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will be held at Lamar Bruni Vergara Education Center at 1000 Mier. Contact Rosanne Palacios at rosanne.palacios@mercy.net for more information.
TUESDAY, OCT. 7 The Alzheimer’s support group. Will meet at 7 pm. Laredo Medical Center. If you have any questions, please leave a message at 956-6939991.
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
Texas Gov. Rick Perry talks to the media and supporters after he was booked at the Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center Tuesday, Aug. 19, in Austin. Perry was excused from his next court appearance because of a previously planned state economic mission to Europe.
Judge excuses Perry By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry was excused from his next court appearance because of a previously planned state economic mission to Europe, but the judge on Friday denied the Republican’s request for blanket permission to skip all other pretrial hearings. Texas District Judge Bert Richardson said Perry’s presence at an Oct. 13 status hearing “is not expressly required.” He added that Perry is “not precluded from” seeking permission to miss individual upcoming, yet-tobe-scheduled appearances, but turned down his request to miss all future court dates where no evidence is to be presented. Richardson’s ruling came despite the objections of the special prosecutor leading the case against Perry, San Antonio-based attor-
Carnival worker killed by equipment
Man convicted in girlfriend’s death
Abbott, Davis to address education administrators
WINNIE — Authorities say a carnival worker has died after a piece of equipment hit her while she set up for a barbecue cookoff in Chambers County. The 30-year-old woman was killed Wednesday at a job site in Winnie Stowell Park. Authorities say she was struck while removing a brace.
AUSTIN — A 31-year-old Texas man has been found guilty of aggravated assault in the death of his girlfriend. A Travis County jury delivered the verdict against James Palacio on Thursday. He faces five years to life in prison. Prosecutors say 40-year-old Nicole Lynn McKee died in January 2013 from domestic abuse inflicted by Palacio.
DALLAS — Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis are going back to school. The Republican and Democratic nominees for governor will address the joint convention of the Texas Association of School Boards and Texas Association of School Administrators. The three-day convention opened Friday at the Dallas Convention Center.
Officer breaks car window to rescue baby
Police charge man in death of estranged wife
SAN ANTONIO — Another San Antonio infant has been rescued from a hot car in a grocery store parking lot, this time by emergency responders. The mother told authorities she accidentally locked her child inside her car in an H-E-B parking lot. A San Antonio Police Department spokesman says an officer broke the vehicle’s window to extract the 1-month-old baby.
FLOWER MOUND — North Texas police have arrested a U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee charged in the slaying of his estranged wife. Flower Mound police charged 40-year-old Daniel Fink with murder on Thursday morning. They say 50-year-old Aide Fink was at home with her three children when Fink shot her. — Compiled from AP reports
Man convicted in fatal machete attack on dog SAN ANTONIO — A jury has convicted a San Antonio man who slashed his dog with a machete after it chewed up his limited-edition “Call of Duty” videogame headphones. Juan Mendiola was found guilty of animal cruelty on Thursday. He could face up to 10 years in prison or probation. Mendiola was arrested in January 2013 after his dog named Tiger died. He was cut twice in the neck and once in the chest.
AROUND THE NATION
THURSDAY, OCT. 9 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club will meet at the Laredo Country Club from 1:15 to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
FRIDAY, OCT. 10 25th Reunion for JW Nixon class of 1989. Starts at 8:30 p.m. $25/person at Falcon Lakehouse. Contact Teresa Ramos at teresa_ramos10@yahoo.com.
SATURDAY, OCT. 11 25th Reunion for JW Nixon class of 1989. Starts at 9 p.m. $30/person at Embassy Suites. Contact Teresa Ramos at teresa_ramos10@yahoo.com.
SUNDAY, OCT. 12 Blessed Sacrament Church Grand Jamaica. 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bingo will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Parish Hall with the Jamaica to follow. Contact ehmartinez@stx.rr.com for more information.
ney Michael McCrum, who has complained publicly about the governor seeking “special favors” from the court and even suggested he’d made a “mockery” of the legal system since being indicted last month. McCrum wrote earlier this week that Perry’s defense attorneys have mistakenly argued that it is “common for defendants to be permitted to not appear at all ‘non-evidentiary’ pretrial hearings,” which McCrum said is not the case in Travis County, where the case is being tried. “From carpenters to lawyers to judges accused of anything from tickets to federal felonies, all are expected to appear in court,” he wrote. An Austin grand jury indicted Perry on Aug. 15 on two felony counts of abuse of power for threatening to veto state funding for a public corruption investigative unit.
8 schools evacuated after bomb threats SANFORD, Fla. — Authorities in central Florida say they are trying to find the source of bomb threat calls that led them to evacuate at least eight elementary schools. The sheriff ’s office announced that all schools had been cleared late Friday afternoon. Seminole County Public Schools received multiple calls around 1:30 p.m. regarding bombs at the schools. Officials said law enforcement was on scene at every public elementary school in the county. Parents picked up their kids from various off-campus locations.
17 soldiers return to duty after CO exposure FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska — Most of the Alaska-based paratroopers who were hospitalized after being exposed to carbon
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Manging Editor, Nick Georgiou................... 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Jae C. Hong | AP
A boy rides his skateboard past a mural outside Betty Plasencia Elementary School on Thursday in Los Angeles. The mural was painted as part of an Eagle Scout project led by Dennis Gonzalez. monoxide have returned to duty. U.S. Army Alaska says in a release that 17 of the soldiers were treated and released after the Thursday incident at the Yukon Training Area near Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks. They were to be returned to their unit
Friday at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson in Anchorage. Four other soldiers were admitted to the Fort Wainwright base hospital. Pennell says the cause of the exposure remains under investigation. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
State
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Pain continues 25 years after 21 deaths By JACOB FISCHLER THE MONITOR
ALTON — In a matter of seconds 25 years ago, this rural town north of Mission changed forever. A Dr Pepper truck crashed into a school bus, claiming the lives of 21 students of Mission’s high school and junior high in the worst school bus crash in Texas history at the time. About 125 emergency vehicles from nearly every jurisdiction in the Rio Grande Valley responded to the crash, as did U.S. Border Patrol agents, that day’s Monitor reported. “I spent 34 years, approximately 7,100 days with the Mission school district,” said Ralph Cantu, the Mission superintendent at the time. “And there’s no doubt, of all those days, there’s only one I wish I could relive and change the outcome of.” The outpouring of support in the tragedy’s immediate aftermath wasn’t limited to western Hidalgo County or Valley residents. “We received cards from all over the country,” Patricia O’Cana-Olivarez, then a junior at Mission High School, told The Monitor of McAllen. “It was surreal. And it was very surreal for a long time to come.” The Monitor ran front-page stories on the crash for a week straight. Media members from across the state descended on the town of less than 4,000 to report on the grisly scene. Lawyers came too. Some got rich in lawsuits that also netted new houses and cars for the families of the victims, but brought resentment from their neighbors who had previously joined them in grieving. About 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 21, 1989, in a quiet corner of Hidalgo County, the brakes of a Dr Pepper truck failed, its driver would later say. The truck, heading north on Bryan Road, blew through a stop sign at 5 Mile Line and slammed into Mission school district bus No. 6. The impact forced the bus — carrying 81 junior high and high school students — over an embankment and into a water-filled caliche pit. The bus, lying on its side, was completely submerged.
Photo by Gabe Hernandez/The Monitor | AP
A wooden butterfly with the name of Abdon Garcia is displayed Sept. 19 during 25th anniversary of the 21 students that lost their life in a school bus accident at Alton Memorial Jr. High School in Alton. “There was a Dr Pepper truck on the side of the road, but there was no bus,” Cantu said Friday, recalling his thoughts as he approached the scene of the accident. Lying at the bottom of the pit on its right side, the bus’ door would not open. Students and divers were able to open the emergency exit at the back of the bus, but the laws of physics wouldn’t allow it to stay open, Cantu said. Rescue efforts commenced, but under difficult circumstances. A scuba diver said the caliche — a rock that is used to improve dirt roads — clouded the water, further complicating rescues. Heavy machinery struggled as well. “Loose-leaf binders and backpacks floated away from the sunken vehicle as 10 cranes together tugged on it with no success,” the day’s Monitor reported. Eighteen students — all between 12 and 18 years old — had died before The Monitor went to press that afternoon — Sept. 21, 1989. More than 50 were hospitalized. By the end of the counting in the days that followed, 21 children were dead. “You began to get all kinds of situations that you really, in trying to be prepared to be a superintendent, that you really weren’t prepared for,” Cantu said. “I remember being asked where to set
up a temporary morgue. Now you tell me: What education class do you think that I learned that from?” The day of the crash, a Thursday, Cantu canceled the next day’s football game. “We’ve had a tragedy,” he said at the time. “How can you be cheering at a football game when something like this has happened?” The next day, McAllen and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo districts canceled their highly anticipated matchup at McAllen’s stadium. In place of the Mission game, an estimated 10,000 people — nearly triple Alton’s population at the time — crammed into the school district’s football stadium for a memorial service. “It did bring this community to its knees,” said O’Cana-Olivarez, now the Mission school board president. “But it also brought the entire Valley, and actually the nation — it touched a lot of people, because we did start receiving a lot of condolences from the entire nation. The Rio Grande Valley came together.” But that feeling didn’t last. “It showed the best side of people,” Cantu said. “Then you began to get a little bit of kickback from the standpoint of, you might have someone who, in the spur of the moment, gave towards helping the families that lost loved ones. And all of a sud-
den, they found out that Coca-Cola had settled with these families for X amount of money. And then they, all of a sudden, it seemed like there was a little bit of resentment.” The Coca-Cola distributor paid out settlements to families of the victims: $4.5 million for every lost child. The bus manufacturer reportedly paid another $950,000. And injured children received between $500,000 and $900,000, according to Monitor archives. Giant houses sprung up in the city. Alton residents reported their neighbors taking European vacations. In a tragically ironic twist three years after the crash, two survivors died when they crashed their brand-new sports car into a tree. “That giving from the heart, because all of a sudden circumstances changed, that feeling changed,” Cantu said. On Sept. 19, the Mission school district held a 25-year memorial service at the school named in honor of the 21 students who died in the crash — Alton Memorial Junior High School. The school opened in 2004, about 2 miles west on 5 Mile Line from the site of the accident. A memorial — 21 white crosses and statue of Jesus — now sits at the northwest corner of the intersection of Bryan Road and 5 Mile Line. At the ceremony, those in the
audience and staff members in black dabbed tears from their eyes periodically. Cynthia Del Bosque, who survived the crash that day as a Mission High senior, spoke during the program, appearing for the first time at a public event remembering the day that she could never forget. “I think I was afraid of coming across some of the parents who I know are struggling and are experiencing turmoil and all,” she said after the service. “I guess I felt like I couldn’t give them any words that could console them.” Del Bosque, now an attorney and married mother of two, wasn’t alone in not knowing what to say to the families of those who didn’t escape. “Even back then, you didn’t know what the heck to say,” Cantu said. “It was a real traumatic situation. It was just unbelievable.” Both Cantu and Del Bosque said they were glad they decided, despite their ambivalence, to participate in this year’s ceremony. As the years passed, the pain has subsided some. “As they say, time heals wounds,” Cantu said. “Not completely.” All of the survivors and witnesses interviewed for this story said the memory has faded from day-to-day thoughts, but it remains in the backs of their minds and can be easily triggered “Certainly, the memory of it never goes away,” Del Bosque said. “It’s always tucked in the back of my mind and it stays pretty vivid.” Those who still live in Alton — now populated by about 10,000 people — can’t escape that day in 1989, despite their wishes. Margarita Ortega, the mother of Jose L. Ortega, who died at 15 in 1989, gathers every year with mothers of other victims to remember their lost sons and daughters, said Hector Ortega, a cousin of Jose. “She never lets it forget,” Hector Ortega said of his aunt. Even if she could, she might not be able to. “I mean, we have to pass by the memorial every day,” Hector Ortega said. “I don’t like thinking about it too much.”
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
OTHER VIEWS
Senator eyes challenging election By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
The last time a Democrat won a U.S. Senate race in Kansas, Herbert Hoover was in the White House. And yet, in the November midterm elections, Republican Sen. Pat Roberts could do the next-to-impossible: lose. Roberts, who has represented Kansas in the Senate since 1997 (and in Congress since 1981), finds himself in what polling suggests is a pure toss-up against wealthy businessman and independent candidate Greg Orman. (Democrat Chad Taylor dropped out of the race this month, and his name was removed from the ballot after some legal wrangling.) The closeness of the contest — due to the state GOP’s split between moderates and conservatives, as well as Roberts’ political ineptitude — has sent Republican strategists who hope to retake the Senate into a panic. Campaign managers have been replaced; consultants and surrogates have been dispatched.
But Roberts doesn’t have much time left. And it’s hard to imagine how a bunch of out-of-state advisers will fix his main problem: People in Kansas feel like he’s not one of them anymore. “Looking back over my life, I’m wondering, ‘What major things has he done for Kansas?’ I’m coming up empty,” a Kansas Republican named Shirley Deege told The Washington Post. It doesn’t help that Roberts no longer has his own home in Kansas — he stays with two donors when he’s there. What Roberts does have going for him is that this is Kansas. President Barack Obama won just 38 percent in the state in 2012. Being a Republican — Orman won’t say which party he would caucus with if he won — might be enough. Pat Roberts, for making a mess of a sure thing, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something. Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and writes The Fix, its politics blog.
EDITORIAL
Cooperation is good for all PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched in the streets of New York, London, Paris and Melbourne over the weekend; 120 world leaders attended a summit at the United Nations on Tuesday; even the recalcitrant Chinese, the biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have now pledged to curb them within six years. What is missing to spur global action to retard climate change? It is meaningful action by the United States, the world’s second-largest polluter. This action has been blocked in part by members of Congress who are supported by campaign contributions from those opposed to tougher controls on emissions. These corporations stand to incur additional expenses and make fewer profits if the United States were to play the role that it should. U.N. SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon called climate change “a defining issue of our time.” President Barack Obama told the U.N. audience
that the past decade in the United States had been the hottest on record and that parts of the nation face more frequent droughts, floods and wildfires. He then cited his administration’s Climate Action Plan and U.S. efforts so far to implement it.
Selling stocks He did not mention the announcement by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and other U.S.-based philanthropic organizations of their plan to divest their holdings of fossil fuel company stocks. He did say that U.S. efforts to address climate change must place “the hopes and dreams of all posterity above our own short-term interests.” The next moves are a global conference in December in Lima, Peru, to prepare a draft accord to be presented in Paris a year later for signature. “Nobody gets a pass,” Obama said, and that is how it must be. This generation of leaders cannot afford to duck the issue. Americans must work to solve this problem.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure
our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COLUMN
Fun 5’s described as not fun AUSTIN — It’s time once again to convene the Court of Public Opinion, the court that’s never wrong, at least in its own mind. Today the court must deal with everybody’s favorite state-run numbers racket: the Texas Lottery. First, this word from the lottery: “The Texas Lottery closed out a record-breaking fiscal year 2014, by making its largest contributions to public education and Texas veterans’ programs in the agency’s 22-year history.” Players, driven by the triumph of hope over experience — the same powerful force that leads to second marriages — spent $4.384 billion for lottery tickets in the fiscal year that ended Aug. 31. (A belated Happy Fiscal New Year to all. And, while we’re at it, a Happy Jewish New Year — 5775 — to those of that persuasion.) OK, enough for the lottery good news, assuming you think people spending $4.384 billion a year on gambling is good news. The court must now turn its attention to Dawn Nettles of Garland, publisher of The Lotto Report, the self-titled “Watchdog of the Texas Lottery.” She’s long annoyed the Texas Lottery Commission with her aggressive watchdoggery.
“
KEN HERMAN
Nettles’ current complaint involves Fun 5’s, a scratch-off ticket so named because it has five games. She thinks one of them (“Game 5”) is screwed up. Here’s the case she makes in asking Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg’s Public Integrity Unit to investigate: “Game 5’s play instructions state, ’Reveal three ‘5’ symbols in any one row, column or diagonal, win PRIZE in PRIZE box. Reveal a Money Bag symbol in the 5X BOX, win 5 times that PRIZE.” Nettles sent Lehmberg a ticket that did not have the three-in-a-row 5 symbols but did have a money bag symbol. “I won,” Nettles said, relying on the portion of the instructions that say “Reveal a Money Bag symbol in the 5X box, win 5 times that PRIZE.” When scratched, the prize box on Nettles’ ticket revealed $100, so, in her reading, that means she won $500. But where she sees a winner, the lottery
folks see a loser. Losing is so disappointing. But Nettles, by nature, is persistent. She believes — and what we’re submitting to the Court of Public Opinion — is whether the instructions on the game mean she’s correct. To win, the lottery agency says, you have to have the three-in-arow 5 symbols. The money bag, according to the commission, is a multiplier than can increase the winnings if you have three in a row. Once again, the instructions: “Reveal three ‘5’ symbols in any one row, column or diagonal, win PRIZE in PRIZE box. Reveal a Money Bag symbol in the 5X BOX, win 5 times that PRIZE.” Nettles’ point is simple. There’s no “and” or “also” there. Each instruction is independent. Her ticket did the second thing. She asks, where’s my $500? You’re not getting it, says the commission. “By making this decision,” Nettles told Lehmberg, “the Texas Lottery intentionally and maliciously decided they would simply insult the intelligence of players who called wanting their prize money. They are blatantly telling consumers that the lottery does not have to honor their written
word nor do they have to adhere to truth in advertising laws as set forth in our state and country.” Here’s the Lottery Commission’s case, in an email to Nettles from Robyn Smith, a media relations specialist: “If you review the play instructions for Game 5 on the Fun 5’s instant game ticket, the first sentence explains how to win the prize in the PRIZE box. ... In the second sentence, it explains how to multiply ‘that prize’ which you won from the first sentence.” Did I just hear someone say, “When will a lawyer get involved?” How did you know that would happen? Houston attorney Manfred Steinberg told the Houston Chronicle he represents lottery players who feel cheated by Fun 5. So, I guess, this could go to a real court. But that doesn’t obviate the need for the Court of Public Opinion to weigh in. The question is simple: Do the above instructions offer two different ways to win money in Game 5 or do they show how somebody who has the three-in-a-row 5 symbols can multiply the prize? Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin AmericanStatesman. E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.
EDITORIAL
‘Drive-by’ docs are not ethical THE KANSAS CITY STAR
You’re in the hospital, mending from surgery, and a friendly doctor shows up to ask how you’re doing. You shouldn’t have to wonder if that doctor is on rounds for the hospital or on the hunt for extra pay. But patients around the country are seeing unexpected charges pop up on bills from a practice called “drive-by doctoring.” Sometimes a second
physician assists in a surgery without a patient’s prior knowledge. Sometimes a fully trained physician performs tasks that can easily be done by a nurse. Sometimes hospitals are the problem, requiring doctors to perform services that patients don’t need and doctors don’t recommend. Many of these physicians are outside of a patient’s insurance network. That means they can bill
for a much higher charge. A newspaper report cited a patient who received a bill for $117,000 after surgery from an “assistant surgeon” whom he’d never met.
Just greed Insurance companies, aided by state legislatures, must fight this greedy practice. Insurers who pay hefty charges not previous-
ly agreed upon will end up passing those costs along to consumers in the form of higher premiums. Legislatures should consider measures such as New York’s “surprise bill law.” Fortunately, “drive-by doctoring” hasn’t yet taken root in a big way. But combating avarice is one of the U.S. health care system’s greatest challenges. Consumers, regulators and public officials must remain vigilant.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Nation
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Arrests Unrest persists despite chief’s gesture spark fed lawsuit By JIM SUHR
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — The arrests of several protesters for writing anti-police messages with chalk on a sidewalk last year have spawned a federal civil rights lawsuit against Las Vegas police. Maggie McLetchie, attorney for the plaintiffs, said Friday that chalking isn’t a crime, and the people who protested in July 2013 outside Las Vegas police headquarters and a regional courthouse had a constitutional right to express themselves. “You don’t need to ask anybody for permission to engage in free speech on a public sidewalk, including writing with water-soluble chalk,” McLetchie said. “We certainly don’t criminalize kids for drawing hopscotch on the sidewalk. We should all be concerned when the police department is investigating and using inapplicable laws to try to punish its very critics.” Officer Laura Meltzer, a police spokeswoman, said the department doesn’t comment on lawsuits. The arrests of plaintiffs Brian Ballentine, Catalino Dazo Jr. and Kelly Patterson on conspiracy and graffiti charges provided a pivot point for a debate last year about the use of police resources and power to punish department critics. A protest supporter, Gail Sacco, is also a plaintiff. The civil lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court declaration that protesting on public sidewalks is not against the law.
FERGUSON, Mo. — Cast as an olive branch by some, the Ferguson police chief’s attempt to march with protesters demanding charges in the killing of an unarmed, black 18-year-old by a white officer still erupted into a clash that activists Friday blamed on police missteps. The trouble Thursday night came hours after Police Chief Tom Jackson released a videotaped apology to Michael Brown’s family that drew skepticism from residents and protesters who still crave answers about Brown’s death. A county grand jury is weighing whether to indict Ferguson officer Darren Wilson in the Aug. 9 shooting, and the Justice Department is investigating whether Brown’s civil rights were violated. The latest unrest occurred two days after many in the St. Louis suburb complained Ferguson police did little to douse a fire that destroyed a makeshift memorial for Brown.
Photo by Robert Cohen/St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Protesters lock arms, blocking S. Florissant Road in front of the Ferguson Police Department, call for the resignation of Police Chief Tom Jackson on Thursday. “You have people grasping for a crumb of justice,” protester Charles Wade, 31, of Austin, Texas, said Friday near a canopy across the street from the police station where protesters have regularly gathered since shortly after Brown’s death. “There’s a circle of trauma that keeps happening.” He said Thursday night’s protesters appeared largely unmoved by Jackson’s apology, saying they “felt it was more of a PR move than sincere.” In it, Jackson acknowledged Brown’s body should have been removed from the street much sooner
than the four hours it remained there as police collected evidence. “I’m truly sorry for that,” Jackson said, insisting officers meant no disrespect to Brown’s family or the largely black community. To Brown’s parents, Jackson added, “I’m truly sorry for the loss of your son.” Also Thursday, news surfaced that the man hired to handle public relations for Ferguson, including the chief’s apology, was fired after officials learned he had been convicted of reckless homicide in 2006 in connection with a shooting in
Shelby County, Tennessee. Devin James told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the shooting was self-defense and he served 90 days in prison and five years of probation. James and Jackson did not return messages to The Associated Press seeking comment Friday. Col. Ron Replogle of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Friday that Missouri police have been undergoing training on responding to civil unrest, buying more equipment and “planning for the worst” throughout the St. Louis region if a grand jury opts not to indict Wilson. Thursday’s flare-up came after Jackson agreed to join marchers but failed to tell officers monitoring his safety to stand down, witnesses said Friday. That led to some officers forcing their way into the gathering, then pushing and shoving marchers, the witnesses said. Several protesters were arrested. “If (the officers) had just not come in, everything would be all right,” protester Steven Wash, 26, of Ferguson, said Friday.
Nation
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
Nephew of Mexican drug lord Coronel acquitted ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Michael J. Mullen/Scranton Times & Tribune | AP
FBI and state police officers exit a wooded area at Buck Hill Falls in Barrett Township, Pa., where the search for Eric Frein continued Friday.
MEXICO CITY — A Mexican court has ordered the release of the nephew of deceased Sinaloa drug cartel leader Ignacio Coronel because of procedural violations, an embarrassment for officials who had portrayed the man as his uncle’s likely successor. The Federal Judiciary Council said late Wednesday the court had acquitted Martin Beltran Coronel and four co-defendants because of procedural violations at the time of his arrest in May 2011. Beltran Coronel had been charged with organized crime and the other four faced money laundering charg-
es. The council said that soldiers who detained the five had entered a home without a search warrant. It also said that protected witnesses had improperly identified the five after being shown photo albums of potential suspects. Suspects are usually identified through a special form of lineup in Mexico. At the time of Beltran Coronel’s arrest, Mexico’s Defense Department said he had taken over trafficking after his uncle died in a shootout with troops in 2010, overseeing trafficking from South America through western Mexico. They said nine guns, six cars, jewelry and $400,000 in cash were seized at the house in Zapopan,
a suburb of Guadalajara. The release follows another major setback for prosecutors in a highprofile drug cases. In August 2013, convicted drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero was freed after an appeals court overturned on procedural grounds his conviction in the 1985 kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. Caro Quintero hasn’t been seen in public since then. After his release, Mexican prosecutors issued an arrest warrant when Mexico’s Supreme Court annulled the lower court’s ruling. Caro Quintero had served 28 years of a 40-year sentence.
Hunt still on for shooter By MICHAEL RUBINKAM ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trooper ambush suspect Eric Frein performed extensive Internet research on how to avoid police manhunts, experimented with explosives and might have booby-trapped the woods where authorities are looking for him, Pennsylvania State Police said Friday, two weeks after the deadly attack outside a rural barracks. Police looked through the hard drive of a computer used by Frein and found a search history that indicates he had been planning an attack for several years, Lt. Col. George Bivens said. Frein, 31, is charged with opening fire at the Blooming Grove barracks on Sept. 12, killing one trooper and injuring another. He has managed to elude hundreds of law enforcement officials looking for him in the thick woods around his parents’ home in Canadensis, in the Pocono Mountains, taking advantage of the difficult terrain to keep them at bay. He is believed to be armed with at least one high-powered rifle. “I suspect he wants to have a fight with the state police, but I think that involves hiding and running since that seems to be the way he operates,” Bivens said. “I expect that he’ll be hiding and try to take a shot from some distance from a place of concealment, as he has done in the past.” Underscoring the danger they face as they pursue him, Bivens said Frein had experimented with explosives, citing materials that police found and interviews with people who knew him. Trackers are proceeding through the thick woods as though they are booby-trapped, he said. Frein also performed Internet research on law enforcement technology and survival skills, using a computer other than his own, Bivens said. Police tried to look at Frein’s own computer but he had removed the hard drive at some point before the ambush, he said. On Friday, police searched a shuttered, derelict 113-year-old resort that
Frein had been known to visit. The 400-room Buck Hill Inn, near the main search area, was featured in a 2001 episode of MTV’s “Fear.” State police spokesman Trooper Tom Kelly said Frein hadn’t been spotted there and police were simply clearing it. Several days ago, a police dog picked up Frein’s scent and flushed him from his hiding place. But the distance was too great, and Frein was able to get away, the dense canopy providing cover from a police helicopter overhead, Bivens said. “I do believe, based on his actions and things that he has said in the past, that he may consider this to be a bit of a game — a war game, if you will,” he said. Authorities believe they have him contained in a 5square-mile perimeter. As the search for the gunman neared its third week, Bivens said he remained confident police will catch their man — “at some point.” A person can easily lose himself or herself in the Pennsylvania woods, said Julie Martin and Eddie Starnater, who teach wilderness survival and “traditional living” skills at their school Practical Primitive in Great Meadows, New Jersey. Twenty miles from Canadensis, in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area, they demonstrated just how easy: Martin spotted an immature hemlock tree and crawled underneath it, making herself invisible even though she was only a few feet away from the trail. “As long as I don’t move,” she said, “you would walk right past me and never see me.” Besides having the ability to conceal himself, Frein probably has stockpiles of food and supplies, according to Martin and Starnater. Even if he doesn’t, though, there’s still a fairly ample supply of nuts, roots and other wild edibles this time of year, as well as small game and insects, they said. “What we now call ‘survival,’ Martin said, “300 years ago they just called it ‘Wednesday.”’
Photo by Steve Sisney/TheOklahoman | AP
Employees and friends wait behind a tape for word of loved ones as police investigate an incident at Vaughn Foods on Thursday, in Moore, Oklahoma.
Police: Woman beheaded at Oklahoma workplace By TIM TALLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
OKLAHOMA CITY — A man fired from an Oklahoma food processing plant beheaded a woman with a knife and was attacking another worker when he was shot and wounded by a company official, police said Friday. Moore Police Sgt. Jeremy Lewis said police are waiting until Alton Nolen, 30, is conscious to arrest him in Thursday’s attack and have asked the FBI to help investigate after coworkers at Vaughan Foods in the south Oklahoma City suburb told authorities that he recently started trying to convert several employees to Islam. Nolen severed the head of Colleen Hufford, 54, Lewis said. “Yes, she was beheaded,” Lewis told The Associated Press before a Friday news conference.
Lewis said NoA law enforcelen then stabbed ment official familiar Traci Johnson, 43, with the investigaa number of times tion told the AP that before Mark while there was indiVaughan, a reserve cation that Nolen sheriff’s deputy was a Muslim conNOLEN and the company’s vert and was trying chief operating offito convert others to cer, shot him. Islam, there is so far no “This was not going to connection to terrorism stop if he didn’t stop it. It and no evidence of any could have gotten a lot worrisome travel. worse,” Lewis said. “The The official, who spoke threat had already stopped on condition of anonymity once we arrived.” because the investigation Lewis said Moore police is ongoing, said Nolen had have asked the FBI to look a Facebook page that was into the man’s background of potential interest to inbecause of the nature of vestigators but that “there the attack, which follows a doesn’t appear to be any series of videotaped be- nexus to terrorism right headings by Islamic State now.” But the official also militants. said investigators were In a statement, FBI Spe- still looking into Nolen’s cial Agent in Charge background. James E. Finch said the Johnson and the susmotive for the attack has pect were hospitalized and not been determined but in stable condition Friday, that there is no reason to Lewis said. Nolen had not believe there is a threat to yet been charged and Leanyone else. wis said he didn’t know
what charges the suspect would face. Oklahoma Department of Corrections records say Nolen has served time in prison and is on probation for assault and battery on a police officer. He also was convicted of cocaine possession with intent to distribute in 2011. Corrections records show Nolen has what appear to be religious tattoos, including one referencing Jesus and one in Arabic that means “peace be with you.” Lewis said Nolen had been fired in a building that houses the company’s human resources office, then immediately drove to the entrance of the business. Lewis said he didn’t know why the man was fired. A Vaughan spokeswoman said the company was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the attack.
Kennedy Center head seeks innovation By BRETT ZONGKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Deborah Rutter says there’s no reason the nation’s capital should be thought of as a conservative, risk-averse place for the arts. Instead, she wants to see the Kennedy Center drive more innovation and discussion about the role of the arts in society. In her first month as the new president of the busy performing arts center, Rutter said she has been thinking of ways to break down barriers between artists and audiences to foster more interaction. She also wants to make the center more accessible to more people, reviewing everything from pricing to the experience of visitors walking through the door. Since 1971, the Kennedy Cen-
ter has been a national cultural center and memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Rutter took charge Sept. 1 and is the first woman to lead the center. She had headed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and was lauded for fostering greater community engagement and a vibrant artistic organization. She also has led orchestra companies in Los Angeles and Seattle.
All types of art Now Rutter leads a more comprehensive arts center that includes the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera and programs in theater, jazz, dance and arts education. She discussed her new role Friday with editors and reporters
at The Associated Press. “I want the Kennedy Center to be a place of joy, a place of discovery, a place of innovation and a place that sort of looks to what is the role of the performing arts in our society,” she said. “I want to bring the artist back into the center of every conversation.” In the years ahead, the 57year-old Rutter, who was raised in California, said she will work hard to end the notion that Washington is a more conservative arts town than Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City or elsewhere. “We should actually be pushing harder because we’re in the nation’s capital,” she said. “We shouldn’t be more conservative. We should be saying ‘Let’s celebrate all that exists, all of the performing arts.”’
But trying new things and being more daring with classical or contemporary works means first building trust with the audience, she said. As a large, nonprofit arts center with a history of sending shows to the commercial theaters of Broadway, Rutter said the Kennedy Center should continue to be a place that identifies and fosters new art, such as its successful revival of the Broadway-bound musical “Side Show” and the center’s new musical “Little Dancer” opening in October. It is inspired by the story of a famous Degas sculpture at the National Gallery of Art. “We’re going to have to take calculated risks, but I believe we should be encouraging and nurturing those,” she said. Rutter has plans to push the boundaries of the relationship
between artists and audience, pulling back the curtain to show how art is created. Even before her arrival, she had been meeting with designers of the center’s first major expansion. It’s set to open in 2017 with new rehearsal halls, program spaces and exhibits, and each rehearsal space will have windows for the public to see actors and musicians at work and for the artists to see the public. Or visitors could sit alongside musicians as they practice or perform. “As you think about audiences today, they want to be more connected to what’s being created and not have it be a one-directional experience,” Rutter said. “Great art is when the audience has a huge impact on what is happening on the stage.”
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
PAGE 8A
Zentertainment
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
Tina Turner exhibit opens in old schoolhouse By ADRIAN SAINZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — A restored one-room schoolhouse where Tina Turner attended classes opened Friday as a museum honoring the singer’s career and recalling her childhood in this small West Tennessee town. More than 100 people attended an opening ceremony, ribbon cutting and tour of the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School, located on the grounds of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville. The museum features gold-and-platinum records and glittering outfits and dresses worn during performances by Turner, whose Grammywinning singing career includes hit songs “Nutbush City Limits,” “Proud Mary” and “What’s Love Got To Do With it.”
Turner, who lives in Zurich, Switzerland, did not attend the ceremony, but she recorded a video that was played for those in attendance. Turner said she did not attend because she has problems with flying long distances. She thanked those involved with the project, which she supported from its start. “My spirit is with you,” Turner said in the video. “Have a wonderful day. Ciao.” Fans from as far as the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden attended the ceremony. Television personality Robin Roberts and musicians Melissa Etheridge, Ann Wilson of Heart, Mike Love of the Beach Boys and The Oak Ridge Boys sent video tributes. “I remember my first Grammy nomination — you of course won,” Etheridge said. “I’m just so inspired by you ... You are just the definition of rock and roll,
the Mae queen of Bullock, rock and attended roll.” the TurnFlagg er, whose Grove given School TURNER name is while Anna growing up in nearby Nutbush, located about 50 miles northeast of Memphis. The building was located on farmland owned by Benjamin Flagg, who saw a need for a school for the area’s black children and began building it in 1889. The school is representative of the one-room schoolhouses for African-American children that sprang up in the rural South after the Civil War. The school closed in the 1960s and was used as a barn before the dilapidated building was moved by tractor-trailer from Nutbush to Brownsville in 2012.
The museum also includes old wooden desks and a chalkboard used by the students and teachers. Members of the Flagg family attended the ceremony. Private donations, including a sizable one from Turner, and public funds helped pay for the $300,000 restoration of the school, said Sonia Outlaw-Clark, executive director of the Delta Heritage Center. The school is seen as a symbol of the values of education, family and hard work possessed by area residents. “Not only does the school give you a sense of appreciation of her, her music and where she came from, but also a historical perspective of what life was like here,” said Martha Lyle Ford, a Brownsville resident and Turner fan. Those involved in the project view the museum as a way to honor someone who used her
education, talent and perseverance to go from humble beginnings to an international star. Among the items displayed in the museum are dresses designed by Giorgio Armani and Bob Mackie that were worn by Turner during her 50th anniversary tour in 20082009 “Those artifacts, those performances have her blood, sweat and tears woven into the fabric, and now we have brought that fabric back to where it began,” Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls said. The museum is also a way to bring tourist dollars to Brownsville. Officials hope that travelers interested in cultural and music tourism who fly into Memphis, known for its blues and rock and roll bloodlines, will make the 50minute car ride eastbound on Interstate 40 and spend money in the town.
Entertainment
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Clooney, fiancee arrive in Venice for wedding By COLLEEN BARRY AND LUCA BRUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
VENICE, Italy — George Clooney vowed he would never marry again, giving hope to millions of women that they one day might get their chance at romance with Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor. And for more than two decades, Clooney’s love life has been tabloid fodder as he carried on romances with a series of models and actresses, a cocktail waitress, an Italian starlet and a former professional wrestler — before meeting his match in human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin. Less than five months after their engagement was announced, the couple is marrying this weekend in a celebrity-studded wedding extravaganza in Venice, one of the world’s most romantic settings. It has not been reported if Michelle Pfeiffer has called him on his $100,000 bet that he would, indeed, never marry again following his four-year marriage to Talia Balsam, which ended in 1993. And it is unknown how many hearts have been broken by Clooney’s renunciation of his sworn bachelorhood, but there are plenty. ‘’I am going to tell all the women who are sad because George is getting married: Yah, you lost this
one because he is an honorable, sensitive, intelligent, sweet guy,” said Howard Bragman, vice chairman of reputation.com and a long-time Hollywood publicist who has observed Clooney in action on sets and at events. Bragman said Clooney ‘’holds a very unique place in Hollywood.” ‘’George is a contemporary throwback star,” he said. ‘’He is contemporary in his thinking. He has taken stands on politics, in presidential elections, on Darfur and other causes. But in terms of his respect and his place in the Hollywood system, he is very traditional. He is a throwback to at timeless movie star, almost Cary Grant.” Venice is perhaps a natural setting for Clooney’s wedding. The star owns a villa on Lake Como north of Milan, feels at home in Italy and is a frequent visitor to Venice, often to promote his films at the Venice Film Festival. While the Venetian waterways offer stunning views of the city’s Byzantine and Renaissance architecture, where East truly meets West, its system of islands also permits privacy and easily restricted access. Clooney and Alamuddin arrived in Venice by bus on Friday accompanied by a small group of guests who included the groom’s
Photo by Luca Bruno | AP
George Clooney, left, and his fiancee Amal Alamuddin arrive in Venice, Italy, on Friday, for their marriage this weekend. parents, as well as Cindy Crawford and her husband. A clutch of photographers greeted them, and the couple obliged with smiles and poses. They were met by Clooney’s regular water-taxi driver, who piloted the group down the scenic route along the picturesque Grand Canal lined by stunning palazzi, including the one where the couple is to be married in a civil ceremony on Monday. Clooney and his bride stood outside during the water-taxi ride, his arm comfortably around her as they were conveyed along the most famous of Venice’s canals on a boat fit-
tingly named ‘’Amore.” He waved to well-wishers as they passed under the famed Rialto Bridge. The water journey ended at the luxury Cipriani Hotel, Clooney’s usual residence when in Venice, on an island opposite St. Mark’s Square. Clooney, 53, and Alamuddin, 36, have not pub-
licly divulged details of the celebrations — leaving plenty open to speculation. A reporter saw a distinct hexagonal box that Alamuddin was photographed carrying through a Milan airport on Thursday arrive by water taxi at the Aman Hotel overlooking the Grand Canal, rumored to be the venue of one of the weekend festivities. The wedding veil, perhaps? And the million dollar question: Who designed the dress she will wear? Giorgio Armani said during Milan Fashion Week that the groom would be wearing Armani. Clooney is a long-time friend of the designer and has in the past been a front-row guest at his menswear shows. And an Armani suit bag arrived with Clooney, among two vans of luggage, in Venice. Venice city officials have announced the closure of a 50-meter (yard) length of pedestrian way along the Grand Canal where the 16th-century
Cavalli Palace is located for two hours on Monday for the Clooney nuptials. Media have speculated that the couple will have two ceremonies — one on Saturday followed by a civil ceremony Monday. The arrival of other celebrities in Venice on Friday indicated star-studded festivities were in the making. Those spotted included Clooney’s cousin Miguel Ferrer, Matt Damon, Ellen Barkin, Anna Wintour and Richard Kind. Clooney has expressed bemusement at the level of interest in his love life over the years. And it’s unlikely to stop with marriage. ‘’I think it is going to help his image,” Bragman said. ‘’He married someone who is super intelligent, super beautiful and super comfortable in her own skin. And I think that shows that here is a guy who has enough security in his own skin to marry someone who is truly his equal.”
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Agenda en Breve LAREDO 09/27— Se realizará recolección de medicamentos no utilizados, no necesitados y expirados en Ryan Elementary School, 2401 Clark Blvd., y en el Edificio Administrativo del Departamento de Policía de Laredo, 616 East Del Mar Blvd. 09/27— VOLEIBOL: El equipo Dustdevil de TAMIU recibe a Oklahoma Panhandle State University al mediodía en Kinesiology and Convocation Building de TAMIU. 09/27— Se presentará un concierto de Padres e Hijas de Giuseppe Verdi, a las 7:30 p.m. en el teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center. Evento gratuito. 09/27— Segundo Concierto “Caring Loving Giving” de United Way, a las 8 p.m. en el Salón del Laredo Civic Center. Costo: 40 dólares. Informes en el 723-9113. 09/30— El bajista de Jazz Marcos Varela, regresa al Laredo Community College a un concierto especial a las 7:30 p.m. en el teatro del Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center. Varela será acompañado de Ruben Vargas, Joe Guerra y Jerry Quintero. El concierto es gratuito y abierto al público.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 09/27— Estación Palabra ‘Gabriel García Márquez’ presenta “Bazar de Arte” a las 10 a.m.; “100 Thousand Poets for Change” a las 10 a.m.; Festival Infantil a las 2 p.m. Entrada gratuita a todos los eventos. 09/27— Programa “Leo… Luego Existo” presenta la Lectura en Voz Alta con Juan Ignacio Aranda, y textos de Laura Esquivel, a las 4 p.m. en el Auditorio de Estación Palabra. Entrada gratuita. 09/27— FIT 2014 presenta: Exposición de pintura “Alto Contraste” de Lizy Hinojosa, a las 6 p.m. en el Anexo del Museo Reyes Meza. Entrada gratuita. 09/27— FIT 2014 presenta: Música “Proyecto Oblivion” con Alberto Lizando Baltazar, a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Lucio Blanco. Entrada gratuita. 09/27— FIT 2014 presenta: Orquesta Típica Yukalpetén y el Ballet Folklórico del Estado de Yucatán, a las 8 p.m. en el Teatro Principal del Centro Cultural. Entrada gratuita. 09/28— FIT 2014 presenta: obra de teatro “Juegos de azar Niño de mi vida” a las 5 p.m. en el Teatro experimental del Centro Cultural. Entrada gratuita. 09/28— FIT 2014 presenta: Nuestras Tradiciones con el Grupo de Danza Telpochcalli a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Adolfo López Mateos. Entrada gratuita. 09/28— FIT 2014 presenta: Danza ‘Valentina Tangos con Tangos de mi Flor’ a las 8 p.m. en el Teatro Principal del Centro Cultural. Entrada gratuita. 09/29— FIT 2014 presenta: Onda Urbana con ‘Alice in Wonderland’ a las 5 p.m. en el Teatro Principal del Centro Cultural. Entrada gratuita. 09/29— FIT 2014 presenta: “Voces de Tamaulipas, Velada de Ópera” con Daniel Vargas, Magda Olvera, Nereida García y Héctor Gamaliel, a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Adolfo López Mateos. Entrada gratuita. 09/30— FIT 2014 presenta: Literatura/conferencia con Pável Granados y Juan Carlos Onetti a las 5 p.m. en Estación Palabra. Entrada libre. 09/30— FIT 2014 presenta: Huapangos, Polka y Tradición con la agrupación Ensamble Folklórico Teocalli, bajo la dirección de Manuel Alejandro Villasana Lara, a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro Adolfo López Mateos. Entrada gratuita.
SÁBADO 27 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2014
TAMAULIPAS
MEDICAMENTOS
Toma ilegal
Hoy DEA hará acopio TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto por Eduardo Verdugo | Associated Press
En esta imagen de inicios de septiembre, un soldado apunta el área fronteriza, compartida por los estados de Texas y Tamaulipas, que están bajo influencia de pandillas, sobre un mapa en una base militar en Ciudad Mier, México. Conforme México se prepara para desarrollar ricos campos de esquistos a lo largo de la Costa del Golfo, y atraer inversionistas extranjeros, el país estará teniendo el reto de combatir a los cárteles de las drogas que mandan en la región y roban billones de dólares, en petróleo, de las tuberías.
Carteles roban billones de litros de petróleo POR MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
CIUDAD MIER, México — México superó 75 años de orgullo nacionalista para reformar su decadente industria petrolera propiedad del gobierno. Pero conforme se prepara para desarrollar ricos campos de esquistos a lo largo de la Costa del Golfo, y para atraer a inversionistas extranjeros, otro reto le espera: sosegar a los cárteles de las drogas que rigen en la región y que roban billones de dólares en petróleo de los oleoductos. Cifras reveladas por Petróleos Mexicanos la semana pasada, muestran que, en lo que va de este año, los ladrones han perforado 2.481 tomas ilegales en ductos de propiedad estatal, más de un tercio respecto al mismo periodo en 2013. PEMEX estima que ha perdido alrededor de 7,5 millones de barriles con un valor de 1.15 billones de dólares. El Director de PEMEX, Emilio Lozoya llama a la situación “preocupante”. Más de una quinta parte de las tomas ilegales ocurrieron en Tamaulipas. La reforma energética, aprobada en diciembre, re-
dujo las políticas de protección mexicanas, abriendo el camino a PEMEX para buscar inversionistas y expertos extranjeros para ayudar a explorar sus yacimientos de esquito. Se espera atraer de 10 a 15 billones en inversionistas privados anualmente. El atractivo de la empresa puede depender de tener a Tamaulipas bajo control. “La reforma energética no será viable si no tenemos éxito… en solucionar el problema de delincuencia e impunidad”, dijo el Senador David Penchyna, quien encabeza la Comisión de Energía del Senado. “El desafío más grande que tenemos los mexicanos, y lo digo sin vergüenza, es Tamaulipas”. Una compañía petrolera extranjera que tuvo un roce con la violencia parece decidida. A principios de abril, hombres armados dispararon contra un hotel en Ciudad Mier, donde se hospedaban ocho empleados de Weatherford International Ltd., una empresa de servicios petroleros, con base en Suiza. No resultaron heridos, y Weatherford dijo en un correo electrónico que “Mé-
xico continúa siendo un enfoque mercantil para nosotros, con potencial de crecimiento para 2014 y 2015”. Pero otros posibles licitadores pueden dejarse intimidar por este tipo de incidentes. Los grupos rivales, el Cártel del Golfo y Los Zetas, además de transportar narcóticos e inmigrantes indocumentados a EU, en años recientes, diversificaron sus negocios: robando petróleo y crudo y vendiéndolo a refinerías en Texas o en gasolineras en ambos lados de la frontera. Al menos dos veces al día, las pandillas se detienen en alguna de las cientos de tuberías que atraviesan el estado. Los trabajadores rápidamente escarban un par de yardas (metros) para destapar un tubería y cargar su botín en un tanque robado, dijo el coronel del ejército Juan Carlos Guzmán, cuyas tropas han allanado varias de las conexiones ilegales. Sospechas de que los carteles estaban infiltrados en PEMEX o con trabajadores de la empresa, se vieron reforzadas a principios de este mes, cuando los detectives atra-
paron a un líder del Cártel del Golfo que fue descubierto en posesión de una credencial de empleado de PEMEX falsa, con una fotografía y un nombre falso. Con miles de kilómetros de gasoducto extendiéndose por las regiones remotas de Tamaulipas, detener el robo de petróleo está resultando difícil. México ha tomado medidas para frenar a los cárteles, poniendo a los líderes militares a cargo de la seguridad del Estado y el envío de soldados, infantes de marina y policías federales para patrullar las ciudades clave. Los arrestos y la violencia han acabado con tantos líderes claves de Los Zetas que los miembros del cártel han sido enviados a acampar en el monte, presionando a inmigrantes indocumentados de Centroamérica para ingresar a sus filas. Ellos viven en los campos de tierra y cambian constantemente para evitar ser detectados. El Cártel del Golfo, por su parte, mantiene el control de Reynosa, aunque los militares han aumento su patrullaje, lo que ha hecho que algunos residentes se sientan más seguros.
La DEA y la Coalición Comunitaria del Condado de Webb se unen hoy sábado de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. para realizar el Día Nacional de entrega de Medicamentos de Receta. Habrá sitios disponibles en Laredo, en el Edificio de Administración del Departamento de Bomberos de Laredo, 616 E. Del Mar Blvd., el Departamento de Policía del United Independent School District, 101 E. Del Mar Blvd., Cigarroa High School, 2600 Zacatecas, y Ryan Elementary School, 2401 Clark Blvd. Otros puntos en ciudades relativamente cercanas son, Estación de Bomberos # 3 en Bannworth Park, 1804 N. Shary Road en Mission; Office Depot, 5115 North 10th St., en McAllen; y, Departamento de Policía de Edinburg, 1702 South Closner, en Edinburg. La iniciativa busca prevenir el abuso de medicamentos con receta y de venta sin receta. La DEA supervisará la recolección de medicamentos con receta, potencialmente peligrosos, vencidos, sin uso o indeseados. Medicinas que se venden sin receta también serán recibidas. “Queremos enfatizar que el tirar las medicinas por la taza del baño o simplemente en el bote de basura crea un significativo daño a la seguridad y la salud”, indica la coalición. El abuso de medicinas con receta en los EU se ha incrementado en tasas alarmantes, así como el número de envenenamiento accidental o sobredosis debido a estas drogas. La mayoría de las medicinas con receta de las cuales se abusa con obtenidas de familiares y amigos, y muchas personas desconocen cómo deshacerse de ellas de forma apropiada.
TAMAULIPAS
EL CENIZO
Muere embarazada tras balacera
Policía recibe vehículo
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El jueves una serie de hechos violentos en las ciudades de Reynosa y Matamoros, México, cobraron la vida de una persona y dejaron lesionadas a dos, anunció la Procuraduría General de Justicia de Tamaulipas. En la ciudad fronteriza de Reynosa, se reportó que en el sector centro se registraron ataques a elementos federales y estatales, después de las 7 p.m. por parte de hombres armados, en el sector centro. Los eventos dieron lugar a una persecución que dejó calles bloqueadas. Durante los ataques, Brenda Marlen Hernández Razo, quien estaba embarazada, recibió una herida de bala. Hernández Razo fue transportada a un hospital del Seguro Social, donde falleció. Dos personas más, que aún no han sido identificadas, resultaron heridas. Fueron reportadas en condiciones estables. En el municipio de Matamoros, una camioneta con contenedores para gasolina y un camión pipa se incendiaron al momento de carga, en la carretera Reynosa-Matamoros, a la altura del Nuevo Libramiento Ferroviario. El incendio se reportó a las 5:10 p.m. y fue controlado por bomberos y Protección Civil alrededor de 1 hora y media después. No se reportaron heridos.
POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
EL CENIZO — El Departamento de Policía de El Cenizo anunció el jueves que recibieron una camioneta Interceptora de Policía, Chevrolet Tahoe 2014, a través de una sociedad con la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata, a través de la Operación Stonegarden. La unidad está equipada con un sistema de cámara que graba lo que el oficial ve en frente y en la parte posterior, donde se encuentra el detenido, dijo Erik Villarreal, jefe de policía en El Cenizo. Una computadora laptop integrada permitirá a los oficiales escribir sus reportes dentro de la unidad mientras se encuentran fuera de la oficina. El contar con las computadoras laptop ahorra tiempo a los oficiales, dijo Villarreal. Si un oficial desea dar seguimiento a otro reporte, toda la documentación estará archivada en la computadora. Villarreal dijo que el departamento también realizó actualizaciones a la camioneta Interceptora de Policía Ford Explorer 2014 obtenida en febrero a través de la Operación Stonegarden, por medio de una sociedad con autoridades de Zapata. El Cenizo PD agregó un sis-
Foto por César G. Rodríguez | The Zapata Times
El jueves, el Departamento de Policía de El Cenizo recibió una camioneta Interceptora de Policía, Chevrolet Tahoe 2014. En la imagen el vehículo. tema de cámara, un parachoques para la defensa y una computadora laptop para la Explorer. Ambos vehículos ayudarán a la policía a impedir la actividad ilegal, tal como el contrabando de narcóticos y humanos. A inicios de agosto, El Cenizo PD registró uno de sus decomisos más grandes en la historia. Un oficial detuvo una GMC Sierra, modelo 2000, que conducía Erasmo Juárez, de 35 años de edad, en la cuadra 3300 de Espejo Molina Road. Dentro del vehículo, la policía descubrió 238 libras de marihuana con un valor estimado en la calle de 300.000 dólares, in-
dica un reporte de la policía. Juárez fue acusado con felonía por posesión de marihuana. “Nos sentimos honrados por la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata. Ellos creen en nosotros, de que nosotros realmente podemos hacer el trabajo”, dijo Villarreal. “(El decomiso de marihuana) muestra que los narcóticos están cruzando por la Ciudad de El Cenizo y hacia el norte sobre Espejo Molina”. El Alcalde Raúl L. Reyes dijo que las personas creyeron durante muchos años que El Cenizo era un refugio para la actividad ilegal. Pero él cree que es una idea equivocada negativa.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Suspect back in Va. to face abduction charges By MATTHEW BARAKAT AND ALAN SUDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Yellow ribbons adorn the streets of Hannah Graham’s northern Virginia neighborhood, symbols of hope in a community devastated by the disappearance of a woman known for her intelligence, wit and dry sense of humor. Graham vanished on Sept. 13, her steps recorded by grainy surveillance videos as she walked unaccompanied on the streets of Charlottesville and its popular Downtown Mall, an open air center of shops, bars and restaurants. She is a sophomore at the University of Virginia. A suspect in her disappearance, Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., was released from the county jail in Galveston, Texas, and extradited to Charlottesville on Friday evening, said Charlottesville spokeswoman Miriam Dickler. Capt. Aaron Carver of the Charlottesville-Albermarle Regional Jail said Matthew is in custody there. Matthew was being held without bond and is expected to have an initial court appearance Thursday, Dickler said. He was arrested on a beach near Galveston on Wednesday. Police have charged Matthew, 32, with “abduction with intent to defile” the 18-year-old Graham. “Defile,” in a legal context, means “sexually molest.” Authorities said they had probable cause to support the charge against Matthew after twice searching his apartment and gathering evidence they have not described, saying it ultimately will be presented at trial. A crime lab is testing clothing recovered through search warrants, but police haven’t said whose clothing that was. In the meantime, police in Charlottesville have indicated that they have no idea where Graham is. “It’s extremely frustrating,”
Associated Press
This undated photo provided by the Charlottesville, Va. police department shows missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., 32, charged with abducting Graham, was captured in Texas on Wednesday, Sept. 24, said Charlottesville resident Nancy Murphy Spicer, who participated in a volunteer search for Graham last weekend. “I just want to hear that they found her and that she’s well.” In her hometown of Alexandria, Graham is known as whip smart, with broad interests and eclectic tastes in music. She moved from Britain to the U.S. when she was about 6 and was determined to lose her British accent, said Craig Maniglia, her softball coach at West Potomac High School and a family friend who lives in the Grahams’ neighborhood. Maniglia described her as “witty, polite, extremely intelligent, with a very dry British sense of humor.” Graham played saxophone in the high school band and had a
Virus probed in 9 children By MIKE STOBBE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Health officials are investigating nine cases of muscle weakness or paralysis in Colorado children and whether the culprit might be a virus causing severe respiratory illness across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday sent doctors an alert about the polio-like cases and said the germ — enterovirus 68 — was detected in four out of eight of the sick children who had a certain medical test. The status of the ninth case is unclear. The virus can cause paralysis but other germs can, too. Health officials don’t know whether the virus caused any of the children’s arm and leg weaknesses or whether it’s just a germ they coincidentally picked up. “That’s why we want more information,” and for doctors to report similar cases, said the CDC’s Dr. Jane Seward. The cases occurred within the last two months. All nine children are being treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, and most are from the Denver area. A hospital spokeswoman said the patients’ families didn’t want to talk to the media. The nine children had fever and respiratory illness about two weeks before developing varying degrees of limb weakness. None seems to have a weak immune system or other conditions that might predispose them to severe illness, but the cases are still being investigated, Seward said. Investigators don’t think it’s polio — eight of the nine children are up to date on polio vaccinations. It’s not known whether the limb weakness or paralysis is temporary or will be long-lasting. The cases come amid an unusual wave of severe respiratory illness from enterovirus 68. The germ is not new — it was first identified in 1962 and has caused clusters of illness before, including in Georgia and Pennsylvania in 2009 and Arizona in 2010. Because it’s not routinely tested for, it’s possible the bug spread in previous
years but was never distinguished from colds caused by other germs. This year, the virus has gotten more attention because it has been linked to hundreds of severe illnesses. Beginning last month, a flood of sick children began to hit hospitals in Kansas City, Missouri, and Chicago — kids with trouble breathing, some needing oxygen or more extreme care such as a breathing machine. Many — but not all — had asthma before the infection. The CDC has been testing a limited number of specimens from very sick children around the country, and as of Thursday reported 277 people in 40 states and the District of Columbia with enterovirus 68. So far no deaths have been attributed to the virus, but Seward said 15 still are being investigated. Health officials know enterovirus can cause paralysis. Published reports count at least two people in the U.S. who were paralyzed and were found to have the virus in their spinal fluid. One was a New Hampshire 5-year-old in 2008; details are scant on the second case, a young adult, which happened many years earlier. Earlier this year, Stanford University researchers said they had identified poliolike illnesses in about 20 California children over about 18 months. Two tested positive for enterovirus 68. CDC officials say it’s still not clear if the virus was a factor in those cases. Paralysis is a rare complication of enterovirus 68 infection, but with so many more cases of enterovirus being reported this year, it may not be surprising to see that problem, said Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The CDC is asking doctors to report patients 21 or younger who developed limb weakness since August 1 and who have had an MRI exam that showed abnormalities in the nerve tissue in the spinal cord. Seward said a test that showed the germ in a patient’s spinal fluid would be good evidence that the virus was causing paralysis.
weakness for Elvis, students and teachers said. At a vigil Wednesday at her old high school, the band played Elvis’ “Can’t Help falling in Love.” Her favorite candy, Starburst, was scattered on the cafeteria tables where the vigil was held. Graham and her softball teammates routinely warmed up to a wide range of music from her iPod that was blasted over the loudspeakers, Maniglia said. “All of a sudden you could hear a classical piece, and then maybe Elvis, and then maybe AC/DC,” he said. “It was such a wide variety of music. That’s what I liked about it.” Now, Maniglia said, one of his daughters, away at college, has been having nightmares since Graham’s disappearance. “She’ll send me texts at 3:30, 4
in the morning, saying, ‘It could’ve been me. It could’ve been (my sister). What is wrong with this world?”’ Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo, who has made emotional public pleas seeking Graham’s recovery, has acknowledged that the longer Graham remains missing, the dimmer the hope she will be found alive. The search for Graham has expanded to rural areas outside the college town of 40,000. “We have an obligation to bring her home, one way or the other. That’s what we promised to do,” Longo said Thursday. The hunt for Matthew ended in the Texas beach town of Gilchrist, 1,260 miles from Charlottesville. A deputy sheriff responding to a suspicious-person report found him camping on the beach.
Authorities say Graham met friends at a restaurant for dinner Sept. 12 before stopping by two off-campus parties. She left the second party alone and eventually texted a friend saying she was lost, authorities said. Matthew attended Liberty University from 2000 to 2002, said officials with the Lynchburg school founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. The school’s athletics website listed him as a defensive lineman on the football team. While at Liberty, Matthew was accused of raping a student on campus, but the charge was ultimately dropped, Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Doucette said Friday. “The complaining witness said she did not consent; Mr. Matthew said she did consent,” Doucette said. Ultimately, the woman said she did not want to move forward with the investigation, he said. “When the investigator called, she never returned his calls, so the decision was made not to place a charge at that time,” Doucette said. The Lynchburg Police Department investigative file was being sent to Charlottesville at the request of police investigating Graham’s disappearance, he said. Matthew attended Christopher Newport University in Newport News from January 2003 through Oct. 15, 2003, the Newport News university confirmed in an email. He was briefly a member of the football team, according to the university. Citing federal privacy laws, Christopher Newport said it could provide no further information on Matthew. More recently, Matthew volunteered to help coach football at The Covenant School, a private Christian grade school in Charlottesville, where officials said he had passed background and reference checks.
New sentence: 10 years By MATTHEW BROWN ASSOCIATED PRESS
BILLINGS, Mont. — A Montana teacher was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison in a notorious student rape case that dragged on for years and led to the censure of a judge who partially blamed the victim. Stacey Dean Rambold, 55, was resentenced by a new judge exactly a year after he completed an initial one-month prison term for the crime. Rambold appeared to grimace as Friday’s sentence was read by Judge Randal Spaulding. He was then handcuffed and led away by deputies, pausing briefly to exchange words with family as he exited the courtroom. Rambold pleaded guilty last year to a single count of sexual intercourse without consent in the 2007 rape of 14-year-old Cherice Moralez, a freshman in his Billings Senior High School business class. She committed suicide in 2010. Rambold’s attorney had argued for a two-year sentence, pointing out that the defendant had no prior criminal record, underwent sex offender treatment and was considered by the state as a low risk to re-offend. Spaulding indicated that the nature of the crime outweighed those factors. “I considered your abuse and exploitation of your position of trust as a teacher, and specifically Cherice’s teacher,” Spaulding told the defendant. The state Supreme
Court in April overturned Rambold’s initial sentence, citing in part comments from Judge G. Todd Baugh, who suggested the victim shared responsibility. Baugh was censured and suspended for 31 days. He’s stepping down when his terms ends in January. Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito said he was pleased with the new sentence, which included five additional years of prison time that were suspended. “The criminal justice system worked today,” he said. John Moralez, the father of the victim, said he had hoped for a longer sentence, but added that 10 years was better than the one-month Rambold previously served. During the hearing, Twito asked Judge Spaulding to reject attempts by Rambold’s attorney to make the victim’s conduct with her teacher a factor in the sentencing. That included references by the defendant’s attorney to video-taped interviews of the victim recorded by law enforcement prior to her death. Those recordings, which have never been made public, had been cited by Baugh during his sentencing. Under state law, children under 16 cannot consent to sexual intercourse. “The last thing we want to do is sit here in the criminal justice system and say, ‘What is the age?’ It doesn’t matter. Fourteen is way too young,” Twito said. “There has to be
punishment. ... Punishment means prison.” Rambold’s attorney, Jay Lansing, responded that there was no statute preventing the court from considering Moralez’s conduct. He pointed out that prosecutors had not objected to comments about the videotaped interview during Rambold’s first sentencing hearing. Lansing requested for his client a two-year sentence in the custody of the Department of Corrections, with another 13 years suspended. That would have allowed Rambold to serve his time in a community setting rather than prison. Rambold broke down crying during a brief statement to the court. He said he was sorry for his actions and had worked hard to make himself a better person. In a recent letter to the court, he lamented the international publicity the case attracted. “No one can really appreciate and understand what it feels like to have so many people actually hate you and be disgusted by you,” Rambold wrote. “I do not mention this for the sake of sympathy, but
it has been hard.” It was uncertain if the new sentence would be appealed, Lansing said. After the death of Moralez, the prosecution’s primary witness, Twito’s office in 2010 struck a deal with Rambold that initially allowed him to avoid prison altogether. Rambold, however, violated that agreement by having unauthorized visits with relatives’ children and entering into a relationship with an adult woman without telling his counselor. As a result, the case was revived and Rambold pleaded guilty. Two additional counts sexual intercourse without consent were dropped under the deal with prosecutors. During last year’s sentencing, Baugh suggested Moralez had as much control over her rape as the defendant and said she “appeared older than her chronological age.” He gave Rambold a 15-year term with all but one month suspended. That triggered an appeal from the office of Attorney General Tim Fox, and ultimately resulted in the case being reassigned to Spaulding.
International
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
Army holds 8 soldiers in June killing of 22 By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO AND KATHERINE CORCORAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — An army officer and seven soldiers face disciplinary action for their participation in the killing of 22 people in rural southern Mexico, but the army remained mum on Friday on what roles they played. The Mexican Defense Department said that the eight were involved in the June 30 incident in San Pedro Limon, an encounter that the military initially reported as a shootout but that a witness has described as a massacre. The National Human Rights Commission has requested a report on the arrests, investigator Marat Paredes said Friday. The army’s statement did not reveal the names of those detained nor their battalion. They were being held at a prison in Mexico City on charges of crimes against military discipline, disobedience and dereliction of duty.” The statement issued Thursday night said the military charges are being pursued “independently of the investigations that civil authorities are carrying out under their jurisdiction,” leaving open the possibility of charges in civilian courts. President Enrique Peña Nieto said this week that the federal Attorney General’s Office is also probing the incident. Shortly after the confron-
tation, the army reported that 22 suspected criminals had been killed in a firefight with troops. Only one soldier was wounded. The official version came into question when The Associated Press visited the scene days later and found no sign of a prolonged battle. At least five spots inside the warehouse where the bloodshed occurred showed the same pattern: One or two closely placed bullet pocks, surrounded by a mass of spattered blood, giving the appearance that some of those killed had been standing against a wall and shot at about chest level. Last week, a woman who says she witnessed the events told the AP that only one person died in the initial confrontation and the rest were shot after surrendering. The witness said the dead included her 15-yearold daughter, who had been wounded in the leg and was lying on the ground when she was killed. The witness couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on the army detention. The national newspaper La Jornada on Friday published photos showing bloody bodies, purportedly in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, with investigators and military personnel at the scene. The bloodstains on the cinderblock wall, evidence markers and debris match those AP journalists photographed days after the deaths were report-
ed by the army. Among the dead is a girl lying on her back in the manner that the witness described. Many of the dead are sprawled beside the wall of the warehouse. All pictured are holding or lying near assault rifles, which in some cases appear propped against the bodies. The AP is not distributing the photographs because it cannot determine their source. A plain yellow envelope containing the photos on a USB memory stick was sent anonymously on Wednesday to MVT, a local news agency in Mexico state, said the agency’s director, Mario Vazquez. He checked the photos with those his agency took the day of the shooting and concluded it was the same scene. Until recently, officials have stood by the initial account of a fierce firefight. In July, the state of Mexico prosecutors’ office released a statement saying there was “no evidence at all of possible executions.” The office said it found ballistic evidence of “crossfire with a proportionate interchange of gunshots.” The state government refused to release autopsy reports that the AP requested under Mexico’s freedom of information law, declaring them state secrets to be guarded for nine years. The federal Attorney General’s Office last week said that so far it had not found evidence corroborating the witness’ account.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 13A
OIL MONEY Continued from Page 1A
Photo by Eduardo Verdugo | AP
An armored truck riddled with bullet holes sits at a military base in Ciudad Mier, in Tamaulipas state, Mexico, on Sept. 5. The military says they confiscate vehicles that are abandoned by their drivers after armed fights among cartels or with the military, so that gangs cannot reuse vehicles parts. world’s sixth-largest reserves of shale gas — equivalent to 60 billion barrels of crude oil. That’s more than twice the total amount of oil that Mexico has produced by conventional means over the last century. The energy reform passed in December loosened Mexico’s protectionist policies, opening the way for Pemex to seek foreign investors and expertise to help it exploit its shale fields. It hopes to draw $10 billion to $15 billion in private investment each year. The attractiveness of the venture may hinge on bringing Tamaulipas under control. “The energy reform won’t be viable if we aren’t successful ... in solving the problem of crime and impunity,” said Sen. David Penchyna, who heads the Senate Energy Commission. “The biggest challenge we Mexicans have, and I say it without shame, is Tamaulipas.” One foreign oil company that had a brush with violence appears undeterred. In early April, gunmen opened fire at a hotel in Ciudad Mier, in Tamaulipas’ rough Rio Grande Valley, where eight employees of Weatherford International Ltd., a Swissbased oil services company, were staying. They were not injured, and Weatherford said in an email message that “Mexico continues to be a focused market for us with growing potential in 2014 and 2015.” But other potential bidders may be put off by such incidents.
Energy analyst David Goldwyn said the Mexico government is going to have to be a lot clearer about its security plan for most shale exploration and production companies, which don’t have experience working in risky areas. “What’s the government going to do, what kind of protection, what is it going to allow the operators to do inside their fence line?” he said in a recent conference call with reporters. Two rival gangs, the Zetas and the Gulf cartel, long have used Tamaulipas as a route to ferry drugs and migrants to the United States and, in recent years, diversified their business: stealing gas and crude and selling it to refineries in Texas or to gas stations on either side of the border. At least twice a day, the gangs pull up to one of the hundreds of pipelines that crisscross the state. Workers quickly shovel down a couple of yards (meters) to uncover a pipeline and siphon their booty into a stolen tanker truck, said army Col. Juan Carlos Guzman, whose troops have raided a number of such illegal taps. A dirt farm road led down to one site outside Ciudad Victoria, 180 miles southwest of McAllen, Texas. About a half-mile from a nearby highway, thieves had dug out a pit and inserted a large needle-like device into the pipeline. By the time soldiers arrived, the gang members had fled, and only the driver of the half-loaded gaso-
BUSINESS ceiving money, is the latest bad news for the possible 2016 presidential candidate’s economic development funds. Perry credits them with helping fuel a booming Texas economy — and his office defended them again Thursday — but the programs have become increasingly unpopular among conservatives. According to the audit, about a third of all the money handed out since Perry launched the Texas Enterprise Fund in 2004 — $172 million dollars — went to companies that never submitted applications. Among them were Citgo Petroleum and outdoors retailer Cabela’s. Perry calls the fund Texas’ deal-closer when multiple states are wooing restless companies to move their way. In April, Toyota was awarded $40 million to uproot its U.S. headquarters from California to suburban Dallas. But auditors said they couldn’t always find “sufficient
information” about other suitors. Under the fund rules, viable competition is required for Perry’s office to tap the money. Nailing down the number of jobs created thanks to the Texas Enterprise Fund also seemed to challenge state auditors. Claims by Perry’s office that the fund has created more than 48,000 direct jobs could not be verified because of “weaknesses” in monitoring by Perry’s office, according to the audit. Perry’s office published a report last year indicating more than 66,000 “direct jobs” created, but auditors found that number was actually only what fund recipients had collectively promised. Responding to the findings, Perry’s office said Thursday that many problems identified by auditors occurred during the fund’s early stages and that better safeguards evolved over time. It maintained that the fund is a “key economic devel-
line truck was arrested. The knowledge needed to tap into the pressurized pipelines leads authorities to suspect the gangs have infiltrated Pemex or co-opted company workers. “It is impossible to do this without information on the timing and level of flows,” said Marco Antonio Bernal, a federal congressman from Tamaulipas who is drafting legislation to toughen punishment for pipeline thefts. The suspicions were reinforced earlier this month when detectives nabbed a Gulf cartel leader who was found carrying a fake Pemex employee credential, complete with his photo and a false name. Pemex is installing more automated pipeline shut-off valves operated remotely from a control room in Mexico City. Such controls allow them to not only stop spills often caused by illegal taps but to avoid having to send workers out to unpopulated, dangerous areas to turn off valves manually. With thousands of miles of pipeline stretching over far-flung regions of Tamaulipas, stopping oil theft is proving hard to do. Mexico has taken steps to rein in the cartels, putting military leaders in charge of the state’s security and sending in soldiers, marines and federal police to patrol key cities. Arrests and violence have taken out so many key Zetas leaders that the cartel’s
members have taken to camping out in the bush, dragooning Central American migrants into their ranks. They live off the land and change campsites constantly to avoid detection. “They don’t have structures. They sleep under the trees, near rivers to get water,” said Gen. Mario Lopez Miguez, who commands nearly 600 soldiers at a base in the once cartel-dominated town of Ciudad Mier. The Gulf cartel, for its part, remains in control of Tamaulipas’ largest city, Reynosa, which sits across from McAllen, although the military has increased its patrols, making some residents feel safer. “The situation has gotten a lot better,” said Nora Gonzalez, who runs a secondhand furniture shop near downtown Reynosa. Still, just a few blocks away, Reynosa remains dangerous. A reporter asking residents about the crime situation was quickly approached by a young man driving a battered car with no license plates. “Where are you from? What are you doing here? Identify yourself,” said the young man, using language similar to that of drug cartel lookouts, known as “halcones,” or falcons. “How much money are you carrying? Pull over,” the man demanded, as the reporter opted to drive away.
TAHOE
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opment tool” and needed flexibility to negotiate with companies. In July, a review by The Associated Press of Perry’s other signature job-creation program also revealed oversight problems. It found that the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, which gives taxpayer dollars to high-tech startups, includes recipients that have quietly stagnated, not filed tax reports and made questionable job claims. One company that received $1.25 million was actually operating in California. Even before the audit, the future of both the enterprise and tech funds has been murky as Perry prepares to leave office in January after a record 14 years as governor. The favorite to be elected as his successor, Republican Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, has expressed unease with giving public dollars to private companies.
Other conservatives have outright called for scrapping the funds. Perry, who bragged on the funds during his failed 2012 presidential run, has defended of the programs despite growing criticism. But last weekend in Austin, he struck a deferential tone about whether the funds that have awarded a combined $700 million had run its course. “I think they’ve served us well,” Perry said Sunday. But if the Legislature wants “to unilaterally get out of economic development business, that’s their call.” Democrat Wendy Davis, who is running to replace Perry, carried a bill in the state Senate last year that led to this first audit of the enterprise fund. She has called for continuing the program and said Thursday she’ll keep it working with proper oversight and transparency.
Continued from Page 1A ijuana bust) does show that narcotics are crossing by the City of El Cenizo and going up north on Espejo Molina.” Mayor Raul L. Reyes said people have believed for many years that El Cenizo was a haven for illegal activity. But he sees that as a negative misconception and credited the partnership with Zapata authorities. “If anybody asks what this partnership has done for our community … it’s this. It’s being able to deter any type of illegal substances,” Reyes said. Villarreal echoed the thought. “We are taking care of our borders. That’s one of our main objectives dealing with Stonegarden. Border security is a very must,” Villarreal said. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
14A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
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HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: ZAPATA HAWKS
Fighting back Zapata recovers from early loss By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata still recalls its loss to Port Isabel, which left a bad taste in its mouth to open the team’s District 16-4A campaign. The Lady Hawks, however, have recovered, utilizing that loss as fuel for the rest of the district season. Zapata has rolled off three consecutive victories to stay in contention for the district title and is nipping at the heels of Port Isabel, the district leader. Tuesday night, the Lady Hawks swept Hidalgo 3-0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-12) to move to 3-1 in District 16-4A. The victory kept them right behind the Lady Tarpons in the race for a district title. "The girls played together as a team," Zapata head coach Rosie
Villarreal said. "They know that they need to work together in order to win. They played their game. They were focused on the task and are still in the hunt for the district title." Zapata (11-7) displayed a wellbalanced offense getting four players in the scoring act to combine for 28 kills. Leading the way was Cassy Garcia with 10 kills just ahead of Alexis Alvarez (9 kills), Tere Villarreal (5) and Sarah Rathmell (4). While the Lady Hawks dominated on offense, they were also able to do some damage on the defensive end of the net. ZHS recorded nine blocks on the night as Villarreal and Alvarez picked up four apiece. Zapata is emerging as a district contender after a rough preseason that had the Lady Hawks
pile up a few losses to 6A schools. "The team is peaking at the right time," Villarreal said. "We still have a few things to fix for the second round, but I feel we are right on track." Villarreal noted that Garcia Villarreal, Isela Gonzales and Alvarez have stepped it up on the court after that loss to Port Isabel two weeks ago. They’ll need their impact entering the second half of district play, still having Progreso, La Feria and Rio Hondo left on the schedule. Now Zapata moves on to playing Progreso Saturday afternoon on the road at 1 p.m. The Lady Hawks are vying to pick their fourth district win while also finishing the week 2-0. Clara Sandoval can be reached at Sandoval.Clara@Gmail.com.
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
Spurs center Tiago Splitter talks to the media during the team’s media day on Friday in San Antonio.
Spurs living in the moment By RAUL DOMINGUEZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — Gregg Popovich has a “live in the moment” philosophy. It has worked well for the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. “Just to be clear, we’ve
never had any goals whatsoever in the sense of winning ’X’ number of games or this year is our year to win a championship,” Popovich said Friday at the team’s media day. “All we’ve said is that we want to be the best
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NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS, NO. 6 TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
Texas running back Johnathan Gray and the Longhorns face off with Kansas on Saturday looking to improve to .500 on the year.
No. 6 Texas A&M brings its unbeaten record to Arlington facing off with Arkansas on Saturday in the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.
Texas, Kansas have plenty in common
Aggies face off with run-heavy Arkansas
By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAWRENCE, Kan. — If Texas coach Charlie Strong needs anybody to commiserate with these days, he needs look no further than the sleepy college town of Lawrence and the guy coaching Kansas. When Charlie Weis took over the Jayhawks a couple of years ago, a veritable purge ensued. Just about every day, it seemed, another player was suspended or dismissed from the program. Weis wanted to establish a certain culture, and those who didn’t buy in had an alternative: leave. In short, it’s exactly what Strong has been doing in his first year at Texas. When the former Louisville coach sent offensive tackle Kennedy Estelle packing on Tuesday for a violation of team rules, it brought to nine the number of players he’d dismissed. Two other players, offensive tackle Desmond Harrison and running back Daje Johnson, were still suspended as Texas (1-2) prepared to visit the Jayhawks (2-1) in the Big 12 opener for both teams Saturday. "The difference is it’s always tough to follow a legend," Weis said. "When you go to Texas, following Mack Brown, what are you going to do? Come in here and say all the things Mack Brown was doing were wrong? It’s tough to do that. "I think Charlie’s doing things his way," Weis said. "He feels comfortable doing it his way, and he believes it’s the only way to get it done the way he wants." Weis made similar comments about himself when he took over for Turner
Gill. But in letting go a number of players at the onset, including several starters, Weis sacrificed potential early success for what he hoped would be long-term gains. The Jayhawks only won once that first season, but won three times last year — including their first Big 12 win under his watch — and have started to show signs of turning the corner. Meanwhile, the Longhorns have dropped consecutive games to UCLA and BYU. In other words, expectations are much different at Texas than Kansas. "It’s all coming together," Strong said this week. "I told the seniors, it’s their leadership, and what you like, your senior year, you’d like to see them go play their best football, because some of our seniors are not playing their best football right now. And it’s not going to change until we start developing pride and we have pride within ourselves and pride within our team." As the Longhorns prepare to visit Kansas, here are a few things to keep in mind: ASH STEPS AWAY This will be the first game since Texas quarterback David Ash announced last week that he was done playing football because of concussions. Tyrone Swoopes will make his third straight start on Saturday. "I just feel the same way as I always have," he said. "Just have to go out there and be ready. Got to prepare and be ready to play, play for the team." SPEAKING OF MACK Weis and Brown have been close friends for years, but Weis said he
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By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON — Sixth-ranked Texas A&M gets most of its yards through the air. Arkansas sticks primarily to the ground. The Southeastern Conference’s top two scoring teams, which do it in different ways, play Saturday at Cowboys Stadium. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Razorbacks quarterback Brandon Allen said. “You know they have a high-powered offense, but our defense is coming along. They’re improving greatly. I have confidence in them to hold them. It’s our job as an offense just to score more points than they do.” Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0) has kept rolling since an impressive opening victory at then-No. 9 South Carolina. The Aggies are coming off the highestscoring four-game stretch in school history (55.3 points a game), and have scored an FBS-best 29 touchdowns, with nine different receivers and five different runners getting into the end zone. The Aggies are trying for their first 5-0 start since 2001 when their series against Arkansas (3-1, 0-1) returns to the $1.2 billion home of the Dallas Cowboys, where the first national championship game in the new College Football Playoff will be played in January. The NFL team is owned by Jerry Jones, a member of the Razorbacks’ 1964 undefeated team. “Two of the top three (scoring teams) in the country, with really contrasting styles,” Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin said. “The point total has become interesting to me based on who
they’ve played because you can run the ball the way they run it, but where they’ve really improved is quarterback play. ... Brandon Allen has really improved as a passer and in being accurate and in the play-action game. You can’t score that many points just running the ball all the time.” Arkansas is running for an SECbest 325 yards per game with an FBShigh 17 rushing touchdowns — one more score than Texas A&M has through the air while throwing for a league-leading 405 yards a game. The Razorbacks, who are averaging 49 points, stopped a school-record 10game slide by outscoring their last three opponents by a combined 174-49 score. But they still have a 13-game SEC losing streak, including this season’s opener against Auburn, and are the only one of the seven SEC West teams not in the Top 25. “Every game we take that 1-0 mentality in. We say one game is no bigger than the next — this game is huge, though,” Arkansas linebacker Martrell Spaight said. “We’ve got an opportunity to go in and show the world that we’re a great team and that all our hard work is going to pay off.” Some other things to watch when Texas A&M and Arkansas play: BACK TO JERRYWORLD After a brief return to campus, Texas A&M and Arkansas are back at AT&T Stadium, where the series will be played through 2024. Arkansas won all three games from 2009-11, and beat Kansas State in the 2012 Cotton Bowl in its only other game at the NFL venue. Texas A&M won both campus
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Zscores
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
O’Brien puts his mark on Texans in 1st season By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — After spending his entire 12-year NFL career in Houston, there are few things that could surprise Andre Johnson anymore. But things have changed so much under new coach Bill O’Brien that even the veteran receiver has been taken aback at times. One example is seeing O’Brien in the locker room chatting and sharing a joke or two with his players. “He just interacts more with the team,” Johnson said. “Previous coaches didn’t do stuff like that.” It’s a one sign of a different culture within the Texans and part of the plan of the first-year NFL head coach to make this his team from top to bottom. O’Brien came to Houston after two seasons at Penn State where he took over the unenviable job of replacing Joe Paterno in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal that rocked the university. He was an offensive assistant under Bill Belichick at New England from 2007-12, and the Penn State job was his first as a head coach. Since taking over the Texans, whose shocking 2-14 collapse after two straight playoff trips led to Gary Kubiak’s firing, O’Brien’s overarching mantra has been that nothing is more important than the team. There are reminders everywhere, starting in the locker
Photo by Kathy Willens | AP
Houston quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Texans have already matched last season’s win total through three games in 2014. room where each locker features a Texans logo with the words: ’Always put the team first,’ inside. Running back Arian Foster caught some flak in training camp when he answered each of 11 questions in one interview with slight variations of: “I’m just trying to be the best teammate I can be.” But with O’Brien’s Texans that response might be one of the best things one could say. And if focusing solely on the team is what’s expected, something completely off-limits is worrying about what happened in 2013. O’Brien won’t entertain questions about what occurred before he arrived, and a favorite phrase of his is, “We don’t talk
about last year.” Everything he does seems to be an effort to make every person in the organization feel as if they’re part of a family. “We’re all in it together,” O’Brien said. “We’re coaches and it is our job to teach these guys how we want them to play football in our systems and our vision. At the same time, we want input, especially from the guys that have played a lot of football.” Chris Myers, a 10-year veteran who has been Houston’s center since 2008, noticed a change from the moment O’Brien arrived. He thinks shaking everything up helped create cohesiveness within the team.
“From square one everything’s changed,” Myers said. “There’s different signs around; times are different. He kind of wanted to change everything so it was brand new for everyone, no matter if you were a rookie or if you were a vet for 10 years it was going to be new to every single person. So no one could just lean back and say: ’OK I’m used to that.”’ Middle linebacker Brian Cushing has enjoyed the positivity and enthusiasm O’Brien has brought to the team and loves that he treats everyone, from 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney to players on the practice squad, the same. “He’s got a lot of respect for
everyone,” Cushing said. “He’s very conscious about every single guy, what they’re doing, how they’re feeling and will take care of their specific needs.” That doesn’t mean that he’s easy on anyone. When asked to describe the 44-year-old coach, player after player used one word: Demanding. “Every day is a work day and nothing is taken for granted,” cornerback Johnathan Joseph said. “Everyone is held to a certain high standard and everyone has the same responsibility as the next teammate.” But as much of a taskmaster as he can be, he is also very conscious and committed to his family and the concerns players have with their own families. When he was hired. he said that an attractive aspect of the job was Houston’s world-class medical center. O’Brien’s 11-year-old son Jack can’t walk or talk because of a rare neurological disorder that also causes seizures. Players have been wowed by his understanding of personal situations and said that it is a relief to know his door is always open to discuss any issues that they might have, even if it isn’t about football. “He’s a very, very family oriented, family driven person,” Myers said. “To be able to be demanding on the field and to do your best off the field, (with) him understanding certain situations with family, and that family comes first, I think gains a lot of respect with a lot of players.”
Spencer returns to Cowboys after knee injury By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — Anthony Spencer quietly worked his way back without knowing when he would return from left knee surgery that threatened his career. The Dallas defensive end finally has an answer, or so it appears. He’s expected to play Sunday night against New Orleans, almost a year to the day since the microfracture procedure. Spencer played just one game last season after dealing with the troublesome knee throughout the 2013 offseason. He had surgery last Oct. 1. The 30-year-old Spencer skipped practice Friday and was listed as questionable a day after defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said he was likely to play. He went through limited workouts earlier in the week. The eighth-year player isn’t likely to see many snaps against the Saints, but the Dallas front four can use the help. The defensive line has just half a sack, and the team only three, through three games. The Cowboys (2-1) are facing Drew Brees, who was sacked just once total in games against Dallas the past two years. He threw for 838 yards with seven touch-
Photo by Tim Sharp | AP
Dallas’ Anthony Spencer makes his comeback from a year off for knee surgery as he will play Sunday against the Saints. downs and no interceptions, in part because he was rarely bothered in the pocket. “It’s coming at a point in time where we need his strength with his pass rush,” cornerback Brandon Carr said. “His ability to get off the ball will be big for us if we can find a way to get him into the
game and get him after the quarterback.” Spencer, who wasn’t available in the locker room Friday, had a career-high 11 sacks his last full season in 2012, which was the second of consecutive years under the franchise tag. He earned $10.6 million a year ago, but is getting just $250,000 guaranteed in his
current $1.25 million deal signed late in free agency because of uncertainty over his recovery. “It has been a long year and a lot of hard work on his part,” said his agent, Jordan Woy. “It was major surgery and you never know how a player will recover. But he has put in the sacrificial hours to get back to being football-ready.” Spencer never put a timetable on a return, always telling reporters he would simply wait until his body felt the time was right. The Cowboys decided not to put him on the physically unable to perform list to start the season, which would have meant missing six games. “He’s a pretty reserved person,” Carr said. “His work ethic speaks for itself. Whatever peaks and valleys he went through, he fought it out to this point now where we can get him for a big game Sunday night.” When he started his recovery, Spencer couldn’t be sure this day would come. NOTES: LB Rolando McClain (groin) practiced for the first time in two weeks and was listed as questionable along with DT Henry Melton (groin), who practiced for the first time this week. ... DT Terrell McClain (concussion) missed practice all week but was listed as questionable rather than doubtful.
SPURS Continued from Page 1B team we can be at playoff time and that starts with the very first practice and it’s a building block sort of thing.” The Spurs definitely improved as last season progressed, capped by a 14.5-point margin of victory against the Heat in the NBA Finals. “I’m sure Pop can put together film of what went wrong, that’s the way he works,” said Tim Duncan, who is entering his 18th season. “We still start with watching film even in the wins. We celebrate our wins, too. I have no idea if (Pop) will start us off down that road or we’ll just go from square one and try to put that behind us like we put last year behind us.” San Antonio returns its entire postseason roster with the re-signing of Aron Baynes on Friday as the team attempts to win consecutive titles for the first time in franchise history. The Spurs did add former UCLA forward Kyle Anderson through the draft and will be without Patty Mills for up to seven months after the reserve point guard had surgery in July to repair a torn rotator cuff. Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili was cleared to play after being diagnosed with a slight stress fracture in his right fibula during the offseason, but his playing time will be limited initially as he works on his condition-
ing. Ginobili said he no longer suffers leg pain, though his feelings were hurt after San Antonio prevented him from playing for his native Argentina in the FIBA World Cup because of the injury. “We had a talk, I think it was necessary,” Ginobili said. “I was hurt (by the decision), probably I am still hurt. Of course, I understand why they did it, I just didn’t like it and I disagree with it.” But those feelings faded when Ginobili returned to San Antonio and practiced with so many familiar faces. “(It helps with) just the same chemistry,” Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard said. “There’s no one new. We all know the offense, we all know how we all won the championship last year, we’ve just got to repeat that but play a little harder because the target is on our back now.” The target will be even bigger on Leonard, who at 22 became the third youngest player to earn Finals MVP. He averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks while being San Antonio’s top defender against Miami. “He’s made huge strides every year, but I’m probably going to talk to him more about consistency,” Popovich said. “He’s reached a certain level. If you look at those last three games he played, they were pretty special,
TEXAS Continued from Page 1B won’t pick up the phone for a few helpful tips this week. "Now, I gladly would take his call," Weis said, "but I wouldn’t make that call because that’s putting somebody on the spot." CONNECTIONS Of the 95 players on the Jayhawks’ roster, 25 of them are from Texas. Perhaps not surprisingly, no players on the Longhorns’ roster are from Kansas. COMING OFF BYE The Longhorns had a week off to digest their situation, and cornerback Quandre Diggs said they took advantage of it. "It gave us more time to refo-
cus," he said. "Coming off a tough loss like (UCLA), where we had the opportunity to win the game, it’s always good to have some time off." Diggs said he was able to get home, see family "and eat some good cooking." MONTELL’S MOMENTUM Kansas quarterback Montell Cozart seemed to hit his stride against Central Michigan last weekend, throwing for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Asked what the sophomore needs to do next, offensive coordinator John Reagan had a simple reply: "Just keep getting better."
but to be in that top echelon of players in our league, it’s a huge responsibility to come and do that every night. .. In his case, he’s very special because he can bring it on both ends of the court.” The only place where the Spurs experienced major changes is on the bench. Assistant coach Sean Marks was promoted to assistant general manager and the team added WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon and fourtime Euroleague champion Ettore Messina. Hammon is the first female to serve as a full-time assistant coach in the NBA. “It will be fun to add to our coaching staff and Pop’s really excited about it, really excited about it,” Duncan said. “It’s good to see that in him and we’ll see how they fit into what we do.” Popovich was impressed with Hammon’s knowledge while she interned with the team last season and he has long held Messina in high regard. Messina, who was Ginobili’s first coach in Bologna, is already leaving an imprint with San Antonio. “He already has with our preparation for this season,” Popovich said. “He seen we do this, we do that and he’ll say, ’Have you thought about this?’ I already like some of the suggestions he’s made that we’ll change.”
A&M Continued from Page 1B games the past two years. SACK ATTACK Texas A&M’s defense has 17 sacks this season, including eight last week against SMU. Allen has been sacked once. “I don’t think we’re too worried about sacks or anything,” Allen said. “We really don’t give up sacks, and that’s something we kind of pride ourselves on.” BETTER THAN JOHNNY Kenny Hill has averaged
a touchdown pass every 10.7 attempts this season. When former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel threw for a schoolrecord 37 touchdowns last season, he had a TD every 11.6 attempts. Hill has thrown for 1,359 yards and 13 TDs with only one interception in 139 attempts this season. LOT OF TARGETS While the Razorbacks run a lot, they have com-
pleted passes to 14 different players, with Keon Hatcher’s 10 receptions leading the team. Texas A&M has 16 different players with at least one catch, and six of them have at least 12 receptions. RETURN TRIP Texas A&M is in North Texas for the second Saturday in a row. The Aggies were about 25 miles east at SMU last Saturday, and won 58-6.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
Address Your Friends Before You Go Dear Heloise: When my mother died, I used her ADDRESS BOOK to notify her friends in other states. It would have been helpful had she noted next to the names if they were high-school friends, college friends or other friends, because I didn’t know all the people. I have since noted in my address book who my friends are as a help for my children. – B.H. in Texas MAKING PAINT Dear Heloise: My small children love to finger-paint, but they go through a ton of it. It can get expensive. Can I make some at home? – Pam D. in Alabama Yes, you can, and it’s cheap, too! Plus, most likely you have the items needed in your house. Here is a Heloise recipe to make flour finger paints at home. You will need: * 1 cup plain wheat flour * 1 1/2 cups cold water * 4 cups of boiling water * 1 tablespoon glycerin * Food coloring or powdered paint
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HELOISE
pigment Mix flour with cold water to make a paste. Then mix the 4 cups of boiling water with the paste and stir until it is translucent. Stir in the glycerin and set the mixture aside until cooled. Divide the mixture into different containers, and add the powdered paint pigment or food coloring to make different colors. You can make whatever colors you want. Have fun painting! – Heloise P.S.: Teach your children how to use basic colors to make another color. Such as: yellow and red make orange, one of my favorite colors! Heloise READING AND WRITING Dear Heloise: When my daughter was learning to read and write, I found some ways to help her. Here are some hints I used: * Let them help write to-do or grocery lists. – Tina Z
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014