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ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Victimizing the elderly Authorities: Abuse of an elder is usually linked to a family member By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Financial exploitation and abuse of the elderly can mostly be attributed to a family member, an Adult Protective Services official said this week.
Under the motto, “If it’s not your money — it’s a crime,” APS wanted to put a spotlight on financial exploitation in October. “Financial exploitation is when a relative, caretaker or anyone with an ongoing relationship, improperly or illegally
uses the money or property of a person who is elderly or has a disability for personal benefit or profit,” APS said. APS investigates allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of a person with a disability ages 18 to 64 or anyone older than 65 years of age, according to John
Lennan, a regional media specialist with Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Elizabeth Vega, APS financial exploitation specialist, said the perpetrator in
See ELDERLY CRIME PAGE 13A
ELECTION 2014
EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION PROJECT NIÑOS
Federal judge blocks state’s voter ID law
HELPING A CHILD
Ruling blocks Texas’s enforcement of controversial measure; appeal is pending By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — A federal judge on Thursday likened Texas’ tough voter ID rules to a poll tax meant to suppress minority voters and blocked Texas from enforcing it just weeks ahead of next month’s election, knocking down a law that the U.S. Justice Department condemned in court as deliberately discriminatory. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi is a defeat for Republican-backed photo ID measures that have swept the U.S. in recent years and have mostly been upheld in court. And it wasn’t the only one. The U.S. Supreme Court also blocked Wisconsin from implementing a law requiring voters to present photo IDs. Gonzales Ramos, an appointee of President Barack Obama, never signaled during a twoweek trial in September that
she intended to rule on the Texas law — rebuked as the toughest of its kind in the U.S. — before Election Day. But the timing could spare an estimated 13.6 million registered Texas voters from needing one of seven kinds of photos identification to cast a ballot. The Justice Department says more than 600,000 of those voters, mostly blacks and Hispanics, currently lack any eligible ID to vote. Gonzales Ramos’ ruling says the law “creates an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote, has an impermissible discriminatory effect against Hispanics and African-Americans, and was imposed with an unconstitutional discriminatory purpose.” It added that the measure: “constitutes an unconstitutional poll tax.” Republican Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office said it would appeal.
See ELECTION 2014 PAGE 13A
Photo by César G. Rodriguez | The Zapata Times
Zapata County Sheriff’s Deputy Manuel Longoria plays with 14-month-old Leslie Raquel “Junior” Longoria at their home. “Junior” is diagnosed with lissencephaly, or smoothness of the brain, which causes her developmental delays.
Family makes effort to aid their daughter By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Aug. 5, 2013, marked the day Zapata County Sheriff’s Deputy Manuel Longoria and his wife Leslie Vela received a blessing from the sky,
they said. That day Vela gave birth to their second child, Leslie Raquel “Junior” Longoria, who is now 14 months old. In the following months, her parents be-
See CHILDREN
PAGE 13A
Photo by César G. Rodriguez | The Zapata Times
Zapata County Sheriff’s Deputy Manuel Longoria and wife Leslie Vela pose with their child, Leslie Raquel “Junior” Longoria.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Rep calls for Texas airport screenings By LISA HAGEN HEARST NEWSPAPERS
In the wake of the first U.S. death and the stillgrowing Ebola epidemic in West Africa, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, and a number of Texas lawmakers Friday called for screenings at Texas’ international airports, and asked key public health officials why they oppose
travel bans to and from infected countries. At a House Homeland Security committee hearing at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, members of Congress voiced concerns over Thomas Duncan, who died Wednesday of the virus after traveling from Liberia to Dallas about two weeks ago. “If there has ever been
a time to come together and put pettiness aside, it is now,” McCaul said at the hearing. “We must get this right and make sure that federal protocols are put in place and communicated to our local and
state leaders when a situation this critical occurs.” According to the World Health Organization, there have been 8,399 confirmed, suspected and probable cases as of Wednesday in seven countries around
the world including the three most infected countries in West Africa — Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Among those cases have been 4,033 deaths, the WHO reported. In addition to screening announced this week at JFK, Newark, Dulles, Atlanta and O’Hare airports, McCaul and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, requested in a letter to U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Protection commissioner Gil Kerlikowske that DallasFort Worth International and George Bush Intercontinental in Houston also start screening travelers arriving from those three West African countries for fevers. “Because those traveling from Guinea, Sierra
See PUBLIC HEALTH PAGE 13A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, OCT. 11 “Rock for a Cure” Zumbathon. 9 a.m. Casa Blanca Ballroom. $15 per person. Contact Ricardo Peña at 7222389. 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. Planetarium Movies. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium. Contact Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu or visit website www.tamiu.edu/planetarium. 2 p.m. The Little Star that Could. 3 p.m. Force 5: Nature Unleashed. 4 p.m. Wonders of the Universe. 5 p.m. Lamps of Atlantis. Author reception for 2014’s One City One Book selection, The River Runs Sweet, Runs Salt: A Memoir of Visegrad, Bosnia by Jasmina Dervisevic-Cesic. At 9:30am. This will be followed by the author lecture at 10:30am in the main library’s MultiPurpose Room. 9:30am To 12:30pm. Contact John Hong at john@laredolibrary.org or go to the website :www.laredolibrary.org.
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.
MONDAY, OCT. 13 The Laredo Stroke Support Group monthly meeting. 7 p.m. at the San Martin de Porres Church Family Life Center. Please visit www.laredostrokesupport.com for more information.
TUESDAY, OCT. 14 Planetarium movies. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium. Contact Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu at 6 p.m. Wonders of the Universe. At 7 p.m. Lamps of Atlantis. Free Rock Wall Climbing at the Inner City Branch library every Tuesday. From 3:30pm to 5:30pm. Inner City Branch Library- 202 W. Plum St.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15 “The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown”. From 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom (SC 203). Contact Amy Palacios at cswht@tamiu.edu. Website: http://freetrade.tamiu.edu/whtc_services/ whtc_speaker_series.asp. 120th anniversary observance in Laredo: the Sisters of Mercy will present, “Band of Sisters” from 6 p.m. to TBA. TAMIU Center for Fine & Performing Art Theatre. Contact Rosanne Palacios at rosanne.palacios@mercy.net for more information.
THURSDAY, OCT. 16 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club will meet at the Laredo Country Club from 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589. Pet Fest Laredo 2014. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Laredo Civic Center. Contact at woof@gopetfest.com. Website is www.gopetfest.com. Planetarium movies. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium. Contact Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu or visit the website www.tamiu.edu/planetarium. At 6 p.m. Wonders of the Universe. At 7 p.m. Lamps of Atlantis.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Joel Martinez/pool/file | AP
Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott shake hands before the Rio Grande Valley Gubernatorial Debate in Edinburg, on Sept. 19. a new television ad by Democrat Wendy Davis focuses attention on Republican Greg Abbott’s use of a wheelchair.
Ad focuses on disability ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN— With less than a month to go before the Texas governor’s election, a new television ad by Democrat Wendy Davis focuses attention on Republican Greg Abbott’s use of a wheelchair, accusing him of not siding with victims like himself. The 30-second ad, which the Davis campaign said Friday would start running across the state, drew a swift rebuke from Abbott’s campaign, which called it “disgusting” and “desperate.” Abbott, state attorney general, lost the use of his legs after his spine was crushed when a tree fell on him while jogging in 1984. Abbott’s own ads have drawn attention to his disability, most notably in spots in which he talks about his recovery and uses the chair to roll past cars stuck in bad traffic.
But the Davis ad is the first by the Democrat to address it and comes in the final three weeks before the election. Titled “Justice,” the ad notes that Abbott sued after his accident and collected millions. Then it criticizes Abbott as working against victims in other disability cases. In one case, Abbott argued that an amputee suing for employment discrimination was not disabled because she had a prosthetic limb. “Greg Abbott. He’s not for you,” a narrator says. Two other cases cited by the new ad have already been the subject of previous Davis campaign spots. “It is challenging to find language strong enough to condemn Sen. Davis’ disgusting television ad,” Abbott campaign spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said. “Sen. Davis’ ad shows a disturbing lack of judgment.”
3 soldiers charged with human smuggling
Falfurrias man arrested in 2002 slaying of couple
Medical helicopter pilot recalls crash
BROWNSVILLE — Officials say three Fort Hood soldiers were arrested in an investigation related to the transporting and harboring of people who have entered the U.S. illegally. Prosecutors said the indictment charges the three active-duty soldiers, two 20-year-olds and a 21-year-old. Also named in the indictment is a 45-year-old man who is an alleged smuggler from the Harlingen area.
LA PORTE — Authorities say a 37-year-old man has been charged with capital murder in the slaying of a couple in 2002. La Porte police Sgt. John Krueger says investigators previously had submitted evidence to prosecutors that implicates John Anthony Vela of Falfurrias in the killings of the couple at their home. The evidence recently was submitted again and investigators obtained a warrant for Vela’s arrest.
WICHITA FALLS — The man piloting a medical helicopter during a deadly crash tells officials the aircraft spun out of control shortly before crashing onto a street and bursting into flames. The patient was killed in the Sept. 4 crash while a flight nurse died Wednesday of her injuries. A medical crewman and the pilot were injured.
Driver killed as truck hits Fort Worth home FORT WORTH — Authorities say a pickup driver was killed after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a Fort Worth home. A woman in the home suffered minor injuries. The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office identified the victim as 36-year-old Jose Peña of Fort Worth. He was ronounced dead at the scene Friday.
Shuttered San Angelo theater to host ballet SAN ANGELO — A San Angelo theater that closed more than 30 years ago reopens this weekend for a ballet performance. The San Angelo Civic Ballet staff and volunteers spent two months dusting, adjusting lighting and pulling 300 chairs into place at the Texas Theatre, which closed in 1983.
Woman charged with leaving infant in truck BAYTOWN, Texas — A woman has been charged with child endangerment after authorities say another woman found her baby left in a hot truck. Wendy Rico-Montes De Oca, 29, was charged with the felony this week in connection to the Sept. 29 incident. Kristin Wright said she rescued the infant from a truck at a Baytown consignment shop. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION
FRIDAY, OCT. 17 Planetarium movies. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium. Contact Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu. Or visit www.tamiu.edu/planetarium. At 7 p.m. Live Star Show.
SATURDAY, OCT. 18 Planetarium movies. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium. Contact Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu or visit www.tamiu.edu/planetarium. At 2 p.m. The Little Star that Could. At 3 p.m. Force 5: Nature Unleashed. 4 p.m. Wonders of the Universe. At 5 p.m. Lamps of Atlantis. (Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.)
Jury rejects Iowa guard’s sexual harassment suit DES MOINES, Iowa — A jury rejected an Iowa prison guard’s lawsuit that said she was sexually harassed after inmates were repeatedly allowed to watch sexually graphic and violent moves. The Polk County jury reached its decision Friday afternoon, a day after hearing closing arguments in the case of Kristine Sink, who filed the sexual harassment lawsuit in 2012. Jurors favored the Iowa Department of Corrections, which acknowledged it was wrong to let inmates watch sexually explicit movies, including some that depicted women tortured and raped.
Indiana man grows giant pumpkins in his backyard ALBION, Ind. — An Indiana man is growing pumpkins that weigh hundreds of pounds in a
Today is Saturday, Oct. 11, the 284th day of 2014. There are 81 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct. 11, 1984, Challenger astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space as she and fellow Mission Specialist David C. Leestma spent 3 1/2 hours outside the shuttle. On this date: In 1614, The New Netherland Co. was formed by a group of merchants from Amsterdam and Hoorn to set up fur trading in North America. In 1779, Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski, fighting for American independence, died two days after being wounded during the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, Georgia. In 1890, the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in Washington. In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt became the first former U.S. president to fly in an airplane during a visit to St. Louis. In 1932, the first American political telecast took place as the Democratic National Committee sponsored a program from a CBS television studio in New York. In 1944, the classic films “To Have and Have Not,” starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and “Laura,” starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, opened in New York. In 1958, the lunar probe Pioneer 1 was launched; it failed to go as far out as planned, fell back to Earth and burned up in the atmosphere. In 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard. In 1979, Allan McLeod Cormack and Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield were named co-recipients of the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work in developing the CAT scan X-ray. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev opened two days of talks concerning arms control and human rights in Reykjavik, Iceland. In 1991, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her; Thomas re-appeared before the panel to denounce the proceedings as a “high-tech lynching.” In 2002, former President Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Earle Hyman is 88. Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry is 87. Actor Ron Leibman is 77. Actor Amitabh Bachchan is 72. Country singer Gene Watson is 71. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is 64. Rhythm-and-blues musician Andrew Woolfolk is 64. Actress-director Catlin Adams is 64. Country singer Paulette Carlson is 63. Actor David Morse is 61. Actor Stephen Spinella is 58. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Steve Young is 53. Actress Joan Cusack is 52. Rock musician Scott Johnson (Gin Blossoms) is 52. Comedy writer and TV host Michael J. Nelson is 50. Actor Sean Patrick Flanery is 49. Actor Lennie James is 49. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Chris Spielman is 49. Actor Luke Perry is 48. Country singersongwriter Todd Snider is 48. Thought for Today: “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.” — Immanuel Kant, German philosopher (1724-1804).
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Matthew Hamby, left, and Christopher Shelden speak during a news conference following a hearing Friday in federal court in Anchorage, Alaska. They are one of five gay couples suing to overturn the state’s ban on gay marriage. backyard pumpkin patch. Keith Edwards of Albion began growing pumpkins as a hobby about four years ago and is now experiencing his most successful harvest yet. WANE-TV reports he’s produced seven pumpkins weighing a total of more
than 7,000 pounds since he started growing Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds a few months ago. The largest was 1,364 pounds and the smallest was 798 pounds. Edwards says he tries to outdo his past harvest every year. — Compiled from AP reports
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Photo by Bill Roth/The Alaska Dispatch News | AP
Justin Priest holds his 9-week-old yellow lab Lily in Anchorage on Thursday.
Cops ID wrong man as having died By DAN JOLING ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A couple knocked on the door of their son’s girlfriend Thursday, intending to inform her that he’d been killed in a car accident. Karen and Jay Priest instead were stunned when the son, 29-year-old Justin Priest, answered the door. They had mistakenly were told by Juneau police he’d been killed in the crash. Karen Priest said her husband started sobbing, and she was in shock. “There are no words,” she said on Friday, still wrung out from what she called an emotional roller coaster. “We just kept staring at him.” Justin Priest said he’d gotten up to let out his 9week-old puppy and was near the door at 5:30 a.m. when his parents and brother knocked. They started screaming when he opened the door. The Priests live outside of Palmer. At 3 a.m. Thursday, they were awakened by their barking dogs and a knock on the door. Through a window, Jay saw a man
with the drill sergeant hat of an Alaska State Trooper. “He knew right away, the dread. It’s not good when a trooper knocks on your door at three o’clock in the morning,” Karen Priest said. The trooper informed them Justin, a private fisheries biologist in Anchorage, had died in Juneau. The trooper gave them a Juneau police phone number. When the couple called there, an officer said Justin’s car had crashed into a tree at high speed. That didn’t sound like Justin, Karen said. The officer said they investigation was ongoing, which to her implied alcohol use, and that didn’t sound right either, she said. They started calling outof-state relatives. The Priests dressed and drove 45 miles to Anchorage to tell another son, Cody. Awakened at 4:30 a.m., Cody collapsed when he heard the news, Karen said. The parents and Cody drove to find Justin’s longtime girlfriend, Julia, so she could hear the news in person. Jay knocked on the door. “It opens and right here is Justin. I don’t even see it
but Jay is sobbing. It doesn’t compute to me. Then I see him,” she said. “You want it to be true, but you go, ‘Am I hallucinating?’ Justin didn’t know what was going on.” “I didn’t know why they were yelling and screaming,” Justin Priest said. “I was mostly asleep. They were yelling, ‘Praise Jesus! It’s a miracle!”’ It took a few minutes to sort out what happened. Justin initially thought his parents were the victims of a scam. After “lots of hugging, lots of tears,” he called Juneau police to tell them they had identified the wrong Justin Priest. Juneau police have apologized for the anguish the mistake caused and are reviewing audio tapes and other records to find out what went wrong. “I’m almost speechless for words,” Chief Bryce Johnson said. Police wanted troopers to contact the Priest family to find out if the crash victim was their son. The request was unclearly transmitted or misinterpreted, Johnson said, and the officer took the assignment as a death notification.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Davis ad is hacking at its finest AUSTIN — As we know, the goal of American politics is to make the opponent look bad. Sometimes that means finding and distributing the worst possible photo of the opponent — preferably while eating something, preferably something sloppy that nobody looks good eating. And sometimes it means conflating words and numbers to make something that might be nothing look like it might be something, preferably a scandal that earns a word ending in “gate.” I admire the political hacks who do it best. This, my fellow Americans, is why the best of them profit handsomely during campaigns while the rest of us just suffer through them. All of you who yearn to get into the political consulting racket can learn from a current back-andforth between the Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott gubernatorial campaigns. There are pros on both sides. Team Davis touched it off Wednesday with an email headlined: “Greg Abbott Spent $45 Million of Taxpayer Money on Travel.” A subheadline said, “Under Abbott, Attorney General’s Office Spends $45.9 Million Jetting Around.” Where’s this guy been going? Vegas? Paris? Saturn? “Greg Abbott has spent more than $45 million in taxpayer money on his office’s travel during his time in office,” the email said, leading into this quote from Zac Petkanas, the Davis campaign’s communications director: “Talk about traveling in style — Abbott spent more than $45 million of Texas’ taxpayer money on travel during his time as attorney general. Just imagine what he’d spend if he gets a promotion.” OMG. Scandal. How can we possibly let such a profligate spender of our money become our governor. End of race. Make your plans now for the Gov. Wendy Davis inaugural festivities in January. The numbers are there, taken from State Comptroller’s reports. Abbott’s state-funded travel ranged from $3.4 million in 2003 to $5.3 million in 2008. It’s hard to argue with numbers, isn’t it? Not always. The fact is the key words in the Davis camp’s blowhard hyperbole are in the opening line, the one saying Abbott spent “more than $45 million in taxpayer money on his office’s travel during his time in office.” So wait, not every penny of the $45 million in taxpayer money was spent on Abbott’s personal “jetting around?” Correct, and Team Abbott folks pounced on that fact.
“
KEN HERMAN
Watch how they skillfully parried this into an attack on what they want you to see as a heartless opponent. “You are correct,” Abbott spokesman Matt Hirsch told me when I asked if the $45 million actually was spent on lots of attorney general employees, including bunches of lawyers, doing lots of travel for lots of state-business reasons. “It spans a decade and includes the more than 4,000 employees at the AG’s office.” And — and here’s where a real pro shines — Team Abbott countered with this from Deputy Communications Director Amelia Chasse, who very righteously noted that Davis’ complaints about the travel expenditures clearly show she is a bad person: “It’s insulting that Sen. Wendy Davis thinks that caring for crime victims, fighting to secure child support payments for single parents, prosecuting sex offenders and training sexual assault nurse examiners across the state is a waste of taxpayer money.” Petkanas is sticking with the original attack, noting the release twice says the travel money was spent on Abbott’s “office.” “Including before the line ’jetting around,”’ Petkanas said. “No,” he said, responding to my notion that maybe the attack was a bit over the top. “I don’t think it’s unfair to let the public know that Greg Abbott authorized $45 million of taxpayer money in travel expenses while he was in office.” On Thursday, the Davis campaign followed up with a release noting Abbott “has billed taxpayers more than $75,000 to jet around in the state’s private plane.” Again, some of this travel is by staff, not Abbott. Is $45 million scandalously too much to spend on 10 years of travel for a 4,000-employee agency doing important state work? I don’t know. But I’m sure it would be scandalous if, as the Davis folks kind of want you to think, it all had been spent on Abbott. Let’s circle back Petkanas’ zinger about Abbott, the one in which he said, “Just imagine what he’d spend if he gets a promotion.” I imagine he might spend less. The governor has a smaller staff than the attorney general. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.
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WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Nat’s manager had bad time By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Nationals had the best team in the National League. They had home-field advantage all the way through the playoffs. Heck, Jordan Zimmerman threw a no-hitter for the Nats in the final game of the regular season. Then, in the space of five days — and three agonizing losses — it was all gone. How did it happen? And why? Lots of reasons, but most of them come back to a single person: Nats Manager Matt Wil-
liams. Yes, Williams is still likely to win manager of the year in the NL for his first season as skipper. But champions are made in the postseason. And Williams dropped the ball. Game 2 last weekend. Two outs in the ninth inning. Zimmerman, in front of a wildly cheering home crowd, issues a walk to the San Francisco Giants’ second baseman. Out comes Williams. Out goes Zimmerman. In comes Nats “closer” Drew Storen. In comes the tying run. Nine innings later — yes, the 18th inning — the Nats
lose on a solo home run. Game — and, let’s be honest about it, series — over. But Williams wasn’t done yet! After a convincing win in Game 3, the Nats found themselves tied at two with the Giants following a monstrous home run by Bryce Harper in the top of the seventh inning of Game 4 on Tuesday. Inexplicably, with Giants runners on first and second, Williams decided to go to right-handed rookie relief pitcher Aaron Barrett, who had spent the season in the minor leagues prior to a September call-up.
The moment proved too big for Barrett, who looked as nervous as a young me doing C-SPAN TV hits in my mid-20s. He walked Hunter Pence to load the bases, then uncorked a fastball that skipped past catcher Wilson Ramos, allowing the winning run to score. Game over and, this time officially, series over. Matt Williams, for making all the wrong moves, 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.
COLUMN
Cell phone blues, or having Einstein in your pocket By LLEWELLYN KING HEARST NEWSPAPERS
I have to face it: like most people of my generation, I am a technological dunce. In my pocket, there is an electronic miracle in the form of a cell phone. I am told it has enough computing power to plan a moon shot and run a nuclear submarine, or wake me up in the morning, organize my schedule, and provide me with reading material and audio and visual entertainment all day long. Wow! On a good day, if I have remembered to charge this pocket Einstein, I can make a phone call. I can receive phone calls, too. But that is more problematic because I have to find it and handle it gently, otherwise it disconnects the calls; which leads people to believe that I do not want to speak to them. Mostly, I would be happier if the phone did not do such extraordinary things, for it has become a reprov-
ing presence, mocking and denigrating me because I cannot calculate on it the cost of traffic congestion in the United States or, for that matter, my checking account balance — a truly modest calculation. Apart from making me feel even more stupid than necessary, the wretched super-device — and I hate to make this accusation — is sneaky. It steals money. It lives in my pocket and it helps itself to my money which, metaphorically, also dwells there. Unlike real phones — a dying breed like the necktie — you have to be deliberate about disconnecting a call, or you will continue to be charged for it. Woe betide you if you take the malicious little bloodsucker out of the country: the fees and charges can cost you as much as your trip. And if you turn on the data roaming to peek at your email, you may want to begin a new life for yourself, wherever
you are, because your financial destruction, which this seemingly innocent action will trigger, will probably be complete. In a simpler time, when I left home in the morning, I needed just my wallet and my keys. Now I need a checklist of devices. I need a wristwatch, because I forget that I can get the time on my cell phone and other electronic gadgets. Probably I could find out how many days I have left on earth, if I knew which app to download on my cell phone — preferably a free one. I need an electronic book mostly because I have spent a lot of money getting one — and now I am damned well going to read books, newspapers and magazines on it. I need the dreaded cell phone because I have become addicted to it. Maybe I can go to cell phone addiction rehab at the Betty Ford Center — if I can afford it, after all the money I have
spent on roaming charges. Of course, I cannot get out the door without a laptop, or some such device, to check my email and my Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts because nobody is going to phone me, despite the fact that everyone in America seems to have a cell phone. This is the Great Cell Phone Paradox: the more people have cell phones, the more they prefer email or some version of it. The cell phone manufacturers will respond by equipping new cell phones with apps for everything on earth, from dealing with inlaws to finding out how much the dude at the next desk really earns. The one thing you will not be able to do with them is, er, make a phone call. In the meantime, I will have to persevere with typing with my thumbs or move to North Korea. Now if only I could borrow a cell phone, so I could call my cell phone, so I can find it.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Tamaulipas en Breve OPERATIVOS A través de una denuncia anónima, el 5 de octubre, elementos del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas acudieron a un domicilio en la colonia Río Bravo en Miguel Alemán, México, donde sostuvieron un enfrentamiento con civiles armados. Cinco sospechosos fallecieron durante el intercambio de disparos. Oficiales aseguraron cinco armas largas, cargadores, cartuchos, pecheras y uniformes camuflados. El 5 de octubre, elementos del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas, observaron a un hombre hablando mediante un radio de comunicación en la Plaza de la colonia Río Bravo en Miguel Alemán, México. El hombre, al notar la presencia de los oficiales, corrió hacia un domicilio, y con el apoyo de civiles armados, empezaron a disparar a los policías estatales y federales, para posteriormente darse a la fuga. Al inspeccionar el domicilio a donde había ingresado el hombre sospechoso, oficiales aseguraron cinco armas, 790 cartuchos útiles, 31 cargadores, diverso equipo táctico, un vehículo y estrellas metálicas conocidas como poncha-llantas.
SÁBADO 11 DE OCTUBRE DE 2014
TEXAS
Bloquean ley POR WILL WEISSERT Y TODD RICHMOND ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Una jueza federal dijo que la estricta ley electoral de Texas que requiere presentar una identificación oficial con foto al momento de votar equivale a un “impuesto inconstitucional” que busca suprimir la participación de votantes de minorías, y la suspendió cuando falta menos de un mes para las elecciones legislativas y apenas horas después de que la Corte Suprema bloqueó una medida similar en Wisconsin. Los dos fallos dados a conocer el jueves por la noche representan un golpe considerable y en cierta forma sorpresivo a las reglas promovidas por los republicanos en todo el país que generalmente han
sido ratificadas en fallos previos. Aprobada en 2011, la ley de Texas es considerada entre las más severas del país y había sido fustigada incluso por el Departamento de Justicia como una discriminación flagrante. La ley en Wisconsin fue aprobada ese mismo año y ha sido igualmente un punto de controversia. “Estamos extremamente alentados por la decisión de la corte, que reafirma nuestra posición de que las reglas de identificación de votantes en Texas restringen injusta e innecesariamente” el acceso a las urnas, dijo el secretario de Justicia Eric Holder en una declaración. Nos complace también que la Corte Suprema se haya negado a permitir que Wisconsin implemente sus propias leyes restricti-
vas de votación”. La jueza federal Nelva Gonzales Ramos —de Corpus Christi, nombrada por el presidente Barack Obama— nunca dio indicios durante un juicio de dos semanas en septiembre de que planeaba fallar sobre la ley en Texas antes de las elecciones, pero su decisión pudiera evitar a un estimado de 13,6 millones de votantes registrados en el estado necesitar una identificación con foto para depositar sus boletas. El Departamento de Justicia dice que más de 600.000 de esos votantes, mayormente afroamericanos e hispanos, carecen actualmente de esas identificaciones. El fallo de casi 150 páginas de Gonzales Ramos dice que la ley “crea una carga inconstitucional
TAMAULIPAS
INFORME POLICIAL
NO HAY ALERTA
Hace reporte a agentes BP POR PHILLIP BALLI TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
TURISMO MÉDICO La demanda de servicios de salud, a través del segmento de Turismo Médico, ha crecido entre el 15 y 30 por ciento al año en Tamaulipas. Lo anterior fue dado a conocer por Mónica González García, Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo, al anunciar que la V Cumbre Global de Negocios en Turismo Médico 2014 se llevará a cabo del 5 al 7 de noviembre en Reynosa, México. El Turismo Médico en la frontera reporta alrededor de 103.000 consultas médicas mensuales en promedio, lo que se traduce en una derrama económica de más de 44 millones de pesos al mes. En Tamaulipas hay 570 empresas vinculadas al turismo médico, en los municipios de Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Río Bravo y Matamoros, México.
CONCURSO DIBUJO José Manuel Miguel García, de la escuela Ignacio José Allende y Rodrigo Emiliano de la Rosa, del Instituto Oxford, Victoria, México; Karen Lorelei Cerda Ruiz, de la escuela Guadalupe Mainero de Díaz Ordaz, México; y, Leslie Daniela Hernández Ramírez, de la escuela Esperanza Luna Contreras, de Matamoros, México, recibieron mención honorífica dentro del Segundo Concurso Estatal de Dibujo Infantil “La Protección Civil Somos Todos”. Los primeros lugares fueron para, Gloria Susana Velázquez Cuevas, del quinto grado en la escuela Guadalupe Mainero de Gustavo Díaz Ordaz; Jesús Javier Vázquez Villanueva, de sexto grado de la escuela Naciones Unidas de Victoria; y, Ana Paola Zapata Hernández, de sexto año de la escuela Esperanza Luna Contreras. La Secretaría General de Gobierno de Tamaulipas invitó al concurso como parte de la estrategia para fomentar y fortalecer la cultura de la protección civil. Participaron alrededor de 600 estudiantes del cuarto, quinto y sexto año de escuelas primarias de 10 municipios de Tamaulipas. El tema desarrollado fue “¿Cómo aplicas la Protección Civil para evitar accidentes en la escuela, casa o ciudad?”.
sobre el derecho al voto, tiene un efecto discriminatorio impermisible sobre hispanos y afroamericanos y fue impuesta con un propósito inconstitucionalmente discriminatorio”. Añadió que la medida representa “un impuesto electoral inconstitucional”. La oficina del secretario de Justicia de Texas, el republicano Greg Abbott, dijo que apelará, pero mientras tanto el estado pudiera realizar las elecciones bajo las reglas previas a la ley. “La corte hoy falló efectivamente que la discriminación racial no puede extenderse a las boletas”, dijo Sherrilyn Ifill, presidenta del Fondo para la Defensa Legal y la Educación de la NAACP (Asociación Nacional para el Progreso de la Gente de Raza Afroamericana).
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Personal de los diferentes sectores de salud en Tamaulipas se reunieron en Ciudad Victoria, México, donde descartaron la presencia del ébola en la entidad.
Comité toma medidas preventivas TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El jueves, el Comité Estatal de Vigilancia en Salud de Tamaulipas, señaló que no hay alerta sobre una posible amenaza del virus del ébola. Las instituciones y organismos que integran el Comité Estatal de Vigilancia en Salud, se reunieron el jueves con la finalidad de unificar criterios sobre el panorama epidemiológico del ébola, así como para establecer medidas de precaución y de lineamientos prevención. La reunión fue convocada por el secretario de Salud de Tamaulipas, Norberto Treviño García Manzo, en seguimiento al protocolo que deben seguir los estados ante casos de enfermedades emergentes o reemergentes. “Es muy importante que todos tengamos la informa-
ción necesaria e insistir en los mecanismos de transmisión de la enfermedad, que sólo se da mediante un contacto muy directo con una persona infectada y sus fluidos”, señaló Treviño García Manzo. El Comité Estatal de Seguridad en Salud tiene la capacidad para actuar de manera inmediata ante contingencias en unidades médicas, la liberación intencional de agentes biológicos, enfermedades infecciosas que se consideran controladas y que pudieran resurgir con intensidad, desastres naturales y otros factores a fin de limitar los daños y evitar que se supere la capacidad de atención de los servicios, señala un comunicado de prensa. “Lo más importante es puntualizar que no hay alerta por ébola en nuestro país y que Tamaulipas se
encuentra preparado para la detección y seguimiento de pacientes con sintomatología relacionada con esta enfermedad”, dijo Medardo Sánchez Albarran, coordinador estatal de Protección Civil. “Sobre todo en las unidades de sanidad internacional ubicadas estratégicamente en los puertos y cruces fronterizos de Tampico, Altamira, Matamoros, Reynosa, Miguel Alemán y Nuevo Laredo, (México)” añadió. Treviño García Manzo indicó que a nivel nacional y estatal se siguen todas las recomendaciones emitidas por la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Como punto final el comité detalló las acciones realizadas en el marco de la declaratoria de Emergencia 2014, originada por las precipitaciones pluviales registradas en el estado en días pasados.
Un hombre presentó el reporte de un incidente ante la Oficina del Alguacil de Hebbronville afirmando que agentes de Patrulla Fronteriza dejaron abierta una puerta que dirige a su propiedad, un rancho ganadero al sur de la Carretera 16. Mientras Edmundo Palacios se dirigía a su casa el 24 de septiembre, dijo que notó que un vehículo conducía de manera irresponsable sobre la carretera y llegó a detenerse en sus tierras. Palacios dijo que cuando se acercó al vehículo estacionado, vio que era una unidad no marcada de Patrulla Fronteriza. Palacios, de 61 años, preguntó al agente en el vehículo por qué estaba conduciendo irresponsablemente, y el agente dijo que estaba trabajando, de acuerdo con Palacios. Entonces el agente supuestamente aceleró y Palacios regresó a su vehículo para seguirlo. En su camino, Palacios dijo que notó que una entrada que conducía a su propiedad, estaba abierta. “Una puerta dejada abierta y sin atención es inaceptable”, dijo Palacios. “Si mis reses se hubieran perdido en la carretera y una familia hubiera chocado contra ellas, no solamente perdería a la vaca; podría perder el rancho entero, dependiendo de la gravedad de las heridas que presentara la familia”. Palacios dijo que también notó una unidad de Patrulla Fronteriza vacía estacionada en su propiedad. Fue cuando llamó a la Oficina del Alguacil de Hebbronville, alrededor de las 7:20 p.m. Mientras esperaba a que un agente llegara a la escena, Palacios dijo que cuatro agentes de Patrulla
Fronteriza llegaron para recuperar la unidad que estaba estacionada en su propiedad. De acuerdo con Palacios, cuando preguntó a los agentes si habían quitado el candado y dejado la puerta abierta, lo negaron. Palacios dijo a los agentes que no los dejaría tomar la unidad de Patrulla Fronteriza hasta que llegara el oficial, de acuerdo con Palacios. Entonces él dijo que los agentes le dijeron que “se alejara” y que si no los dejaba tomar la unidad lo podrían arrestar por intentar impedir su habilidad para proteger y servir. Los cuatro agentes de Patrulla Fronteriza eran del sector de Zapata, de acuerdo con Berin Salas, supervisor de enlace de ranchos para el sector de Patrulla Fronteriza de Laredo. “Tratamos de mantener el mejor enlace con todos los propietarios de ranchos”, dijo Salas. “Desconozco si los agentes abrieron la puerta del rancho del señor Palacios o no, pero no sé por qué estaban en el área trabajando tráfico. En ocasiones tratamos de educar a todos nuestros agentes sobre si ven una puerta abierta, dejarla como la encontraron”. Después de que el oficial realizó contacto con los agentes, les aconsejó que removieran la unidad fuera de la propiedad, de acuerdo con el reporte del incidente. “No me estoy apasionando con esto”, dijo Palacios. “Es como si yo entrara a su casa y dejara la puerta frontal abierta para que sus hijos salgan a caminar a la calle. Tampoco soy un caso aislado. Hay más y más personas que están teniendo este problema”. (Localice a Philip Balli en 728-2528 o en pballi@lmtonline.com)
COLUMNA
Explica esfuerzo de ‘Che’ por llevar ayuda POR RAÚL SINENCIO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El ciclón Hilda causa grandes daños en Tamaulipas, el 19 de septiembre de 1955. Como muchos, Ernesto “Che” Guevara se conmueve, pretende acudir a Tamaulipas. Tras algún tiempo en la Ciudad de México, llega de Guatemala, donde elites manejadas por “Tío Sam” derrocaron al gobierno del presidente Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán, con quien simpa-
tizaba Guevara. “Su cabeza visible era el secretario de Estado Foster Dulles, que por rara coincidencia también era abogado y accionista de la United Fruit Company, la principal empresa imperialista (en centroamerica)”, ironizó Guevara. Guevara, trabajaba por las mañanas en el Hospital General y el Hospital Infantil. En materia alergológica realiza investigaciones que producen artículos, publicados en revistas especializa-
das.
Llegada del huracán El verano iba de salida, pero se va acompañados de fuertes lluvias. En el Golfo de México aparece el ciclón Hilda, que golpea la península de Yucatán, desplazándose luego al sureste tamaulipeco. Al paso de las semanas surge una nueva tragedia. Los aguaceros previos redundan en torrentes extra-
ordinarios que bajan de zonas altas, tales sucesos causan el desbordamiento del Pánuco, el 2 de octubre. Se inundan Tampico, Madero, México, junto con áreas circunvecinas.
Rechazo Guevara, de alrededor de 20 años, contrajo matrimonio el 18 de agosto, con la guatemalteca Hilda Gadea. Aún así, se inscribe como de voluntario para asistir
en Tamaulipas. En cartas personales Guevara señala, “El huracán Hilda, , tomó por su cuenta a la ciudad de Tampico. Después vino el Pánuco y se desbordó, y ahora se llena de rufianes”, refiriéndose a los tripulantes del Saipán, portaviones de EU. Añade: “Yo me ofrecí para ir a colaborar, pero el gobierno desdeñó mis servicios y me quedé sin poder ver de cerca la catástrofe”. (Con permiso del autor, publicado en “La Razón”, Tampico, México).
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Ebola
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
Guide: Deaths keep rising; world reacts By CONNIE CASS
thors, including Dr. Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The scientists propose different approaches to testing in this emergency, such as trying different experimental treatments at the same time at different sites.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
American Marines scrambled to add Ebola treatment beds in Liberia on Friday, while the U.S. and Britain readied new disease screenings for passengers arriving at their airports from West Africa. Doctors tried out experimental drugs in a global battle against the deadly sickness. The U.N. said nations must all work together — and fast — or “the world will have to live with the Ebola virus forever.” The death toll in West Africa passed 4,000 for the first time in the World Health Organization’s count of confirmed and suspected Ebola cases. As worry ricocheted around the globe, medical records obtained by The Associated Press underscored questions about the United States’ front-line defenses. The Dallas hospital that initially missed the nation’s first Ebola diagnosis put a Liberian man through a battery of tests and CT scans for appendicitis, stroke and other serious ailments before sending him home, the records show. Before he was released, Thomas Eric Duncan’s fever spiked to 103 degrees, he reported severe pain and told a nurse that he’d recently come from Africa. But doctors didn’t think of Ebola until he returned to the hospital two days later by ambulance. On Wednesday, Duncan became the first person to die of Ebola in the United States. Questions linger about the readiness of the medical system in Spain, too. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s motorcade was jeered by health care workers when he made a surprise visit Friday to the Madrid hospital where a nursing assistant is lying sick with Ebola, which she apparently caught while treating a patient infected in West Africa. Unions and opposition politicians said the national health care system didn’t give medical workers the proper training and protective gear. At the United Nations, the focus was on the three countries where the virus is multiplying out of control — Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. “As long as there is one case of Ebola in any one of these countries, no country is safe from the dangers posed by this deadly virus,” said Anthony Banbury, who heads the new United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response. A guide to development around the globe:
ON THE GROUND The U.S. military is rushing to set up a 25-bed hospital in Liberia for health workers who catch the disease. Because Ebola is spread by bodily fluids such as blood and urine, West African doctors and nurses are especially vulnerable to infection at a
A PLEA FOR FASTER ACTION
Photo by Nellie Doneva/The Abilene Reporter-News | AP
Dr. Kent Brantly, who recently recovered from Ebola, attends a public forum at Abilene Christian University on Friday, in Abilene. The death toll in West Africa passed 4,000 for the first time in the World Health Organization’s count of confirmed and suspected Ebola cases.
moment when their nations need them desperately. Rear Adm. Scott Giberson, the acting U.S. deputy surgeon general, said the facility would be ready within weeks. “We have experience deploying in lots of medical settings,” Giberson said. “However, this is unique.” In addition to the hospital, a vanguard of Marines brought aircraft this week that will help ferry construction supplies for 17 treatment units with 100 beds each, to be finished by the end of November. The total American forces responding to the crisis may reach 4,000, U.S. officials said.
AT BIG U.S. AIRPORTS New York’s Kennedy International was slated to begin checking some arriving passengers Saturday for fever, which could be a
sign of Ebola but also is common with many other illnesses. Passengers traveling from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea are to be screened using no-touch thermometers. Over the next week, the screenings will expand to Newark Liberty, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta. Together, those airports receive more than 90 percent of passengers from the three nations. A U.S. citizen who presents a heightened risk of disease upon arrival at the United States has a legal right to re-enter the country and be safely quarantined, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University. That same guarantee would not apply to non-U.S. citizens, but as a practical matter, giving them immediate treatment might be safer than putting them on a plane back home.
British authorities announced their own plans to impose enhanced screening at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, as well as Eurostar rail terminals. Prime Minister David Cameron’s office said passengers arriving from West Africa would be questioned about their travels and contacts.
THE HUNT FOR A CURE Texas Presbyterian, the Dallas hospital where Duncan died, said he became the first Ebola patient to receive the investigative antiviral drug Brincidofovir. In Spain, nursing assistant Teresa Romero was to be treated with the experimental drug ZMapp, which is in extraordinarily short supply worldwide, a spokeswoman for Madrid’s regional health agency said. Meanwhile, a possible
Ebola vaccine developed by the U.S. government is being tested on up to 40 medical workers in the West African nation of Mali, which shares a border with Guinea. If safety tests go well, larger trials could be done in the outbreak zone early next year. The vaccine also is being safety tested in the United States and Britain. A group of leading doctors published a letter in the journal Lancet on Friday, arguing that promising Ebola drugs should be tried in West Africa without randomized trials in which one group of patients receives a new drug or vaccine and another group receives standard care or a placebo so the results can be compared. “We accept that RCTs (randomized controlled trials trials) can generate strong evidence in ordinary circumstances; not, however in the midst of the worst Ebola epidemic in history,” wrote the au-
The number of Ebola cases is probably doubling every three-to-four weeks, says the U.N. special envoy on Ebola, David Nabarro. Without a mass mobilization of nations and relief groups to help West Africa, he told the U.N. General Assembly, “it will be impossible to get this disease quickly under control, and the world will have to live with the Ebola virus forever.” The world’s response needs to be 20 times greater than it is now, Nabarro said. Yet he said the United Nations is committed to rallying the response necessary to stop Ebola “within a matter of months — a few months.”
FLYING THE NERVOUS SKIES Some joke. A man on a flight from Philadelphia to the Dominican Republic apparently spoiled his own vacation by declaring aloud before the plane landed that he was sick with Ebola. Video taken by passengers Wednesday shows him being led off the plane by officials in blue hazmat suits. The man, whose name was not released, was checked at the airport infirmary in the resort city of Punta Cana, Dominican officials said. Once it was determined that he didn’t have Ebola, the passenger was put on a plane back to the United States.
Texas
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
Lawyers seek order for grand jury testimony By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Lawyers for indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked a judge Friday to order the special prosecutor in the case to produce transcripts of secret grand jury testimony. Perry’s attorneys say the transcripts are needed for the judge to properly review their previous requests to dismiss the indictment. In their court filing, they say special prosecutor Michael McCrum has said he’s “too busy” to call the grand jury court reporter to order the transcripts and would only do so if ordered by the judge. McCrum said he hasn’t reviewed the filing and declined comment in ad-
vance of a Monday status hearing on the case. Perry, who had previously scheduled a state business trip to Europe, has been excused from attending that hearing. Perry was indicted on two felony counts of abuse of power for threatening to veto state funding for a public corruption investigative unit. The governor issued the promised veto after the Democratic district attorney who oversees the unit refused to resign following her drunken-driving conviction. Perry, a Republican, has denied all wrongdoing, calling the case a political ploy. Perry is not running for re-election this year but is considering running for president in 2016.
The governor’s legal team says the transcripts are needed for the judge to review their claims the indictment violates Perry’s rights under Constitutional free speech. They say the transcripts of the secret testimony could be filed under seal and available for either side for an appeal. Perry’s lawyers note that several of the governor’s office staff members appeared before the grand jury, and say there’s no chance they weren’t asked about his discussions about the veto. “The veto and any discussions between the governor and his staff regarding a veto are most certainly covered,” by free speech protections, Perry’s lawyers wrote.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Ebola
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
Patient’s temperature hit 103 degrees By EMILY SCHMALL, HOLBROOK MOHR AND NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Thomas Eric Duncan’s temperature spiked to 103 degrees during the hours of his initial visit to an emergency room — a fever that was flagged with an exclamation point in the hospital’s record-keeping system, his medical records show. Despite telling a nurse that he had recently been in Africa and displaying other symptoms that could indicate Ebola — fever, sharp headache and abdominal pain — the Liberian man who would become the only person to die from the disease in the U.S. underwent a battery of tests and was eventually sent home. Duncan’s family provided his medical records to The Associated Press — more than 1,400 pages in all. They chronicle his time in the ER, his urgent return to the hospital two days later and his steep decline as his organs began to fail. In a statement issued Friday, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said it had made procedural changes and continues to “review and evaluate” the decisions surrounding Duncan’s care. Duncan carried the deadly virus with him from his home in Liberia, though he showed no symptoms when he left for the United States. He arrived in Dallas on Sept. 20 and fell ill several days later. When he first showed up at the hospital, the man reported severe pain — rating it an eight on a scale of 10. Doctors gave him CT scans to rule out appendicitis, stroke and numerous other serious ailments. Ultimately, he was prescribed antibiotics and told to take Tylenol, then returned to the apartment where he was staying with a Dallas woman and three other people. “I have given patient instructions regarding their diagnosis, expectations for the next couple of days, and specific return precautions,” an emergency room physician wrote. “The condition of the patient at this time is stable.” After Duncan’s condition worsened, someone in the apartment called 911, and paramedics took him back to the hospital on Sept. 28. That’s when he was ad-
Sheriff’s deputy fatally shot
Photo by Allen Breed | AP
Josephus Weeks, nephew of ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan who died earlier this week in Dallas, looks through hundreds of pages of medical documents in a hotel room Friday, in Kannapolis, N.C. Duncan’s temperature spiked to 103 degrees during the hours of his initial visit to an emergency room. mitted and swiftly put in isolation. Duncan died Wednesday, almost two weeks after he first sought help. He was 45, according to the records. Relatives said he was 42. The discrepancy could not be immediately resolved. Josephus Weeks, Duncan’s nephew, said his uncle’s care was “either incompetence or negligence.” Either way “there is a problem, and we need to find the answer to it,” he said, adding that it was “conspicuous” that all the white Ebola patients in the U.S. survived “and the one black man died.” Only a fraction of the documents are related to the first visit. Most are related to Duncan’s care after he was admitted to the hospital. Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who reviewed some of the records, said the care after Duncan’s second ER visit was “im-
peccable.” Dallas physicians immediately signaled concern about Ebola and “spared no measure to try to keep him alive.” The documents also show that a nurse recorded early in Duncan’s first hospital visit that he recently came to the U.S. from Africa, though he denied having been in contact with anyone sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had alerted hospitals nationwide to take a travel history for patients with Ebola-like symptoms. The hospital said it had made changes to its intake process and other practices “to better screen for all critical indicators” of Ebola. Doctors who evaluated Duncan did not respond to messages left at their offices by the AP. A spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services said the agency was considering investigating the hospital for compliance with state health and safety laws. The hospital has repeatedly
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIDLAND — A West Texas sheriff ’s deputy was fatally shot while serving a warrant at the home of a suspected sex offender. Sgt. Mike Naylor of the Midland County Sheriff ’s Office was among a group of deputies serving the warrant Thursday when he was shot in the head. Sheriff Gary Painter told KWES television station there was an exchange of gunfire involving multiple shots, and Naylor was struck by the first shot fired. Authorities say the 37year-old suspect then barricaded himself in his home for more than three hours before surrendering and being arrested. The man, who was being held without bond Friday in the Midland County jail, has not yet been charged in the shooting. Deputy Sheriff Ed Krevit told the Midland ReporterTelegram that Naylor was airlifted to a hospital, where he died Thursday afternoon. Painter said Naylor is the first Midland County deputy to die while on duty in the nearly 30 years that Painter has been leading the office. Naylor joined the office in April 2004 and worked his way up from a jailer to a sergeant, Painter said. Naylor had volunteered to start a mental health unit within the office and train others to be a part of it. He trained others for various positions but focused mainly on mental health issues and people in crisis, Painter told the Reporter-Telegram.
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changed its account of what the medical team knew when it released Duncan from the emergency room early on Sept. 26. A few days later, on Sept. 30, it initially said Duncan did not tell the staff he had been in Africa. On Oct. 1, it said Duncan’s nurse had been aware of the Africa connection but did not share that information with the rest of the medical team. The next day, the hospital blamed a flaw in its electronic health-records systems for not making Duncan’s travel history directly accessible to his doctor. A day later, on Oct. 3, the hospital issued a statement saying Duncan’s travel history had been available to all hospital workers, including doctors, who treated him during his initial visit. Duncan’s travel history was listed in a nursing notice but not in the physician’s note, Adalja said. The patient’s 103-degree fever might warrant “a little more investigation,” Adalja said. A chart
showed Duncan did not arrive with a fever but left with one. After it became clear that Duncan was suffering from Ebola, another option would have been to give him a transfusion from an Ebola survivor in the hopes that antibodies in the blood could help him fight the disease. But Duncan did not receive a transfusion because the blood types did not match, the hospital said. Dr. Kent Brantly, the first American flown back to the U.S. for treatment of Ebola, confirmed that account, saying he spoke with a doctor caring for Duncan and was willing to donate blood. But their blood types were incompatible, he said Friday in an interview with Abilene Christian University’s alumni magazine. Also Friday, the World Health Organization announced that the Ebola death toll had surpassed 4,000 confirmed, probable or suspected Ebola deaths. All but nine were in Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Blowtorch attacks send two to prison By DANE SCHILLER HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Photo by Lefteris Pitarakis | AP
Heavy smoke from a fire caused by a strike rises in Kobani, Syria as fighting intensified between Syrian Kurds and the militants of Islamic State group, on Friday.
Syrian border crossing shelled By LEFTERIS PITARAKIS AND BASSEM MROUE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MURSITPINAR, Turkey — The Islamic State group shelled a Syrian border crossing with Turkey on Friday to try and capture it and cut off the embattled town of Kobani, a local Kurdish official and Syrian activists said. The official, Idriss Nassan, said Islamic State fighters aim to seize the crossing in order to close the noose around the town’s Kurdish defenders and prevent anyone from entering or leaving Kobani. By mid-morning Friday, occasional gunfire and explosions that appeared to be rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells could be heard from across the border in Turkey, and plumes of smoke were seen rising in the distance. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the militants shelled several areas in Kobani, including the border crossing, which is the town’s only gateway to Turkey. Islamic State group this week pushed into Kobani for the first time since launching its offensive in the area in mid-September. The onslaught has forced more than 200,000 to flee the country across the border into Turkey and activ-
ists say the fighting over Kobani has killed more than 500 people. “Daesh is doing all it can to take the border crossing point through the farmlands east of the city,” Nassan said, using an Arabic acronym to refer to the Islamic State group. “They think there might be help (for the Kurdish militia) coming through the crossing so they want to control the border.” Meanwhile, members of the main Kurdish militia known as the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, withdrew from a hill on the western outskirts of the town for tactical reasons, Nassan added, without giving further details. The Observatory said the U.S.-led coalition launched airstrikes east and south of Kobani overnight. Nassan said an airstrike south of the town targeted the AlFurat gas station, which is apparently under the control of the Islamic State group. The Observatory said that after the airstrikes on Kobani intensified over the past days, targeting the Islamic State group’s artillery and vehicles, the militants are now mostly firing mortar rounds and are using motorcycles to bring ammunition to their fighters on the front lines.
With the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, it is all about “the patch.” The tattoo is to be worn only by members of the infamous prison-born gang, where belonging is for life and betrayal means death. If a member gets kicked out, or someone is found to be wearing the patch as a poser, then the pain is coming. One of the gang’s enforcers, Kenneth Michael Hancock, was sentenced in Houston this week to 15 years in federal prison for using a blowtorch to burn one of the tattoos off the rib cage of an ousted member. In another instance he was part of a crew that made a man who was not part of the gang burn a tattoo off his own body. “When gang members are using blowtorches to inflict punishment, it strengthens our resolve to see every last one of them prosecuted,” Robert Elder, head of the Houston division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Thursday. Members have been known to wear tattoos of neo-Nazi symbols, such as swastikas and lightning bolts. But the most coveted tattoo is the patch. It usually includes a shield with a sword, and a swastika with the letters “A” and “B” above it and “Texas” below it, according to court papers. It is held sacred in the
race-based gang. Hancock was acting on orders from his superiors when he and two other gang members burst through the front door of Albert “Sidetrack” Parker’s North Texas home in May 2010, according to prosecutors. Parker, who apparently disrespected one of the gang’s leaders, was beaten, dragged outside and stuffed into a sport utility vehicle for a ride of terror into the countryside. It was there that he again was kicked and punched before Hancock pulled out a blowtorch and went to work. “As Parker screamed in agony and fell in and out of consciousness, the ABT gang members continued to beat and burn him,” notes a plea agreement in the case. Parker was dumped along a lonely road, where he was later found by a passer-by who called 911. He spent several months in a hospital, where he fought an infection from the burning and underwent several surgeries, according to court papers. He would recover, but sport the scars and skin grafts of his past. Hard times continued to follow Parker. He was found dead in May, just days after getting out of state prison, where he served a short stint for methamphetamine. It remains unclear if his death is tied to the gang, and authorities won’t say how he was killed.
“He was found in a pasture,” said Lt. David Russell, of the Grayson County Sheriff ’s Office. “No charges are pending at this time.” Two months after Parker was burned, the gang was back at it over another man’s tattoo. Tommy Slaughter, who lived in the North Texas community of Richland Hills, was accused of wearing the brotherhood’s signature lightning bolts without having earned them because he was not a member of the gang. Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gangsters surrounded Slaughter. He was handed a blowtorch and given a horrifying ultimatum: Burn the tattoo off yourself, or the gang will take care of it. As Slaughter melted the tattoo from his skin, gangsters berated him with obscenities and threats to pummel him, according to court papers. While Hancock the enforcer got 15 years Wednesday, his gang superior, James “Chance” Burns, who ordered that Parker have his tattoo burned off, was sentenced to 20 years. The men were convicted as part of a Houston-based probe that has notched 73 convictions of the gang’s members and associates in various parts of the state. The investigation was led primarily by ATF, and assisted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Killings force change in focus for Mexico’s leader By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO AND CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Since taking office nearly two years ago, President Enrique Peña Nieto has sought to project an image of Mexico on the move, beating back chronic drug violence and pressing ahead with historic constitutional and economic reforms, even offering to contribute soldiers to UN peacekeeping missions in other parts of the globe. The problem is that, back home, Mexico’s grotesque cycle of violence continues, with soldiers and police implicated in recent atrocities. Peña Nieto’s determination to focus on Mexico’s moment has been derailed by Mexico’s mess. International human rights groups are calling an alleged massacre of 22 suspected gang members in southern Mexico this year a test case for the president, and the world is demanding answers in the disappearance of 43 college students, who are feared buried in mass graves discovered since they vanished Sept. 26 following a clash with police. Peña Nieto addressed the violence twice this week as
everyone from outraged Mexicans to the United Nations and the U.S. State Department called for a full accounting in both mass killings. He said he has exhorted his security Cabinet to step up the investigation. “This tarnishes the collective national effort we have to truly turn Mexico into a country of greater progress and development,” he said, referring to the disappearance of the 43 students from a teachers college. Until now, Peña Nieto had left security to his interior minister as the administration restricted the release of information and played down drug-related crime. The macabre headlines probably are not what Peña Nieto was hoping for during a period in which his security forces nabbed two top drug traffickers and the president was awarded the Global Citizen Award by a U.S. think tank. In the case of the missing students, many of the bodies in the mass grave were burned. One victim of the police violence had his skin peeled from his skull. More than two dozen local police have been arrested in the case. “It has become increas-
Photo by Eduardo Verdugo | AP
Missing students’ relatives wait for news near a makeshift altar inside the Raul Isidro Burgos rural teacher’s college, in Tixtla, Mexico, on Monday. Parents are gathered at the teacher’s college that was supposed to be their sons’ escape from life as subsistence farmers. ingly evident that in the process of not allowing this single issue to hijack this administration, he has made the mistake of ignoring it altogether,” said Tony Payan, director of the Mexico Center at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Peña Nieto took office vowing to change the narrative after his predecessor’s bloody war on drugs, portraying Mexico as ready to lead and as fertile ground for foreign investment. His administration has pushed through reforms to the education system, changed the tax code and opened the energy sector to more foreign investment, among other achievements. He can also point to
a string of high-profile drug arrests including that of Juarez cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, whose capture was announced Thursday, and Hector Beltran Leyva, who was apprehended last week while eating fish tacos in a central Mexico seafood restaurant. But the taking down of capos also has grim side effects. As major drug organizations were dismantled under Peña Nieto’s predecessor, smaller and often more-violent bands have taken their place, causing a spike in crimes such as kidnapping and extortion. The students in the southern state of Guerrero allegedly went missing at the hands of corrupt police working with the Guerreros Unidos,
Survivors killed with own guns By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Mexican soldiers used alleged criminals’ own guns to kill those who initially survived a confrontation at a warehouse southwest of Mexico City, the country’s attorney general said Friday. In an interview with MVS Radio, Jesus Murillo Karam said that three soldiers have been charged with murder and a lieutenant with a cover up for the events of June 30 in San Pedro Limon, a community in the municipality of Tlatlaya in the state of Mexico. Murillo said the majority of the 22 alleged criminals killed that day had already died in the shootout, but that at least eight
were still alive before the three soldiers finished them off. He said authorities confirmed that some of the bullets that killed the alleged criminals “do not match the army’s guns,” and in the course of the investigation determined that “they shot them with the guns of the dead.” Murillo had said on Tuesday that the government had a new version of what happened in Tlatlaya and that there had been two exchanges of gunfire before the killings at the warehouse. Authorities have maintained that seven soldiers and a lieutenant participated in the confrontation and all have been charged in the military justice system with violations of military policies.
Murillo said that a witness confirmed that version of events in a declaration Tuesday, though the woman had told The Associated Press and Esquire magazine weeks earlier in separate interviews that 21 of the victims were killed after surrendering. The witness had told the AP that she saw soldiers kill her 15-year-old daughter who was wounded on the ground. She spoke under condition of anonymity fearing reprisals and could not be reached on Friday. The story of what happened in the warehouse has taken several turns in the past three months. The army said initially that the 22 alleged criminals died in a single clash and that soldiers freed
three kidnapped women. But that version was questioned because the military said that only one soldier was wounded in the shootout. AP journalists visited the warehouse days later and found little evidence of an extended shootout. On the walls were bullet holes at chest level, suggesting shots fired at close range. However, Murillo said Friday on MVS that it was the army that first notified his office days after the incident that it had detected irregularities and policy violations, leading it to open an investigation. Federal authorities did not investigate the scene until mid-September and had not interviewed the witness until Tuesday
which was born out of the breakup of the once-powerful Beltran Leyva cartel. The mayor of Iguala, where the students disappeared, is on the run amid accusations that he and his wife were linked to the drug gang and to killings, allegations that date back at least to last year. Some are calling this the biggest crisis so far for Peña Nieto’s administration, a watershed moment similar to scandals decades ago that led to the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission and the dismantling of a government organization for political spying. Peña Nieto on Thursday called on all levels of government to do their jobs and coordinate in fighting violence. “This is a moment for new ideas, not just telling us to all to behave well,” Milenio newspaper columnist Carlos Puig wrote Friday about Peña Nieto’s response so far. “It’s time for something much more serious than just ‘coordination.’" So far, there don’t seem to be many new ideas. “The objective is to keep everything under the rug, but it doesn’t work for very long,” said Erubiel Tirado,
a security expert with the Iberoamerican University. It now appears that federal and state officials have known for some time about the drug-cartel ties of Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca, who has been pictured with Peña Nieto and several of his Cabinet members. And the government version of what happened during a June 30 confrontation between soldiers and suspected gang members keeps evolving, ever since a witness described it to the media as an extrajudicial massacre. The witness, who has not given her name for fear of reprisals, said 21 of the 22 were killed after surrendering. The army originally said all 22 died during a fierce gunbattle with troops, but the story changed in recent weeks to pin the killings on three rogue solders now charged with murder. Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam on Friday said that the majority of the alleged criminals killed that day had already died in a shootout, but that at least eight were still alive when three soldiers finished them off. He said the witness now confirms the government’s version. She is not available for comment.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 13A
ELDERLY CRIME Continued from Page 1A financial exploitation is usually a family member. Unfortunately, those cases could be challenging. Financial exploitation by a family member is not reported, she said. In some cases, the client tells APS specialists that the perpetrator is his or her son or daughter and that he or she does not wish to report the case because they don’t want their relative getting in trouble, Vega said. APS conducts a civil investigation of the allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation. If criminal activity is suspected, the case is referred to law enforcement. In fiscal year 2013, there were 5,645 cases statewide
Crime against the elderly
Population with a Disability aged 18-64
Webb 20,776 Zapata 1,116
Population aged 65+
Total APS Intakes
22,240 659 499 1,645 60 46
Validated APS Investigations
Closed Sevice Delivery Stages
305 34
219 25
Source: Texas Department of Family and ProtectiveServices.
referred to law enforcement by APS investigators. Investigator Joe E. Baeza, police spokesman, said the crimes against property unit receives four to five cases a month targeting the elderly. Police said the elderly could be seen as a cash cow by either a relative or a health care provider. “It’s like taking candy from a
baby, unfortunately,” Baeza said. A recent case included an elderly woman who transferred power of attorney to a caretaker, or “palomita,” who was taking advantage. “There’s no shame amongst thieves when it comes to that,” Baeza said. If a crime is suspected, police urges the community to contact
CHILDREN gan to notice that something was not right. Leslie had not reached her milestones, such as sitting, crawling or playing with toys like a normal child. Longoria and Vela were introduced to Early Childhood Intervention Project Niños. On Aug. 29, doctors told Longoria and Vela that Leslie had lissencephaly, which is the smoothness of the brain. The brain did not develop properly like a normal child’s. Lissencephaly caused Leslie developmental delays and a “small head,” Longoria said the doctors told him. “When we found out, it was a hard pill to swallow. Nobody wants that for their child. You always want better for your child,” Longoria said. Vela agreed. “That day was very emotional
Total APS Completed Investigations
… I was scared,” she said. Longoria and Vela are looking forward to taking Leslie to Houston at the Texas Children’s Hospital, which was recently ranked fourth among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. “The illness is not reversible. There’s nothing we can do about it,” Longoria said. But that does not discourage Leslie’s parents. “It’s a day-by-day thing. We don’t know what tomorrow brings. But we know what we are going to bring to the table every day … The grieving part is over. Now, we’re just working with her and enjoying every day of life that we have with her,” Longoria said. Vela began researching lissencephaly and came across the website Foundation for Children with Mi-
them at 795-2800. APS said warning signs of financial exploitation include: Sudden changes in bank accounts or banking practices. Unexplained or unexpected withdrawal of large sums of money. Adding names to someone’s bank signature card. Unfamiliar people accom-
panying bank customers to withdraw large sums. Unauthorized withdrawal of funds using ATM cards or sudden transfers of assets. Sudden changes in financial documents. Unpaid bills despite having enough money. Previously uninvolved relatives who suddenly claim rights to a person’s affairs and possessions. Abuse of power of attorney. People who suspect someone is being exploited can call 1-800252-5400 or report it online at TxAbuseHotline.org. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Continued from Page 1A
crocephaly, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children diagnosed with microcephaly, lissencephaly, polymicrogyria and other closely related neurological disorders, the website reads. Vela discovered that Sept. 30 is Microcephaly Awareness Day. At first, she wanted to do what she called a “family thing” and contact relatives to tell them to wear something yellow in support of National Microcephaly Day. “The support is therapeutic to us,” Longoria said. The Sheriff’s Office released a statement Sept. 30 supporting Leslie. People in the office wore yellow. “There’s nobody in any language that has created a word to describe how appreciative we were of the people (on Sept. 30),” Longoria said.
But news of Leslie spread throughout Zapata County and out of town. Longoria created the Facebook support group Junior’s Army. He started Junior’s Army to post updates on his daughter’s improvements and medical appointments. “For Junior’s Army, the motto is ‘her battles are our battles.’ What ever she has to go through, we’re going to go through it together,” Longoria said. He added that the family looks forward to raising awareness on other children fighting the same battle as Leslie’s in the community. Longoria and Vela have seen Leslie greatly improving because of therapy. Leslie undergoes speech, physical, occupational and special skills therapy during home visits on a weekly and bi-weekly basis.
“Our program is designed to increase the functionality of each child,” said Alexis Flores, child find and public awareness coordinator of Early Childhood Intervention Project Niños. ECI is a federally and state mandated program that has existed in Laredo for over 30 years. ECI assists families with children who are experiencing developmental delays or going through a developmental disorder. Regarding Leslie, Flores said she has made a lot of progress. He credits the parents for being overwhelmingly supportive. “Learning occurs best when it’s done through the parents,” Flores said. “We teach the parents how to interact with their child.” (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
PUBLIC HEALTH Continued from Page 1A Leone, and Liberia can transit to the United States from many other countries, we have concerns that the current decision to screen only at five airports may not adequately protect Americans and others traveling to America from the Ebola virus,” they wrote. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, and Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Coppell, also announced at the hearing that they have sent letters to other federal agencies urging that Texas airports do the same. While the Center for Disease Control & Prevention and other public health officials have repeatedly refrained from supporting travel bans to the infected countries, some Texas lawmakers ques-
tioned that response. “Our experience has been when there are interruptions in air travel, it impedes a public health response,” said Toby Merlin, CDC director of the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infection, who testified at the hearing. “Although there might be workarounds like military transport, that’s difficult and right now time is of the essence.” But Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, argued that people traveling to infected countries for support wouldn’t use commercial flights. “I don’t accept that answer that we can’t stop flights simply because we need to get people in,” Barton said at the hearing.
Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, agreed, explaining that the authority to ban flights must exist since there was a temporary travel ban over the summer when fights in Gaza erupted between Israelis and Palestinians. Earlier this week, Republican Gov. Rick Perry established the Texas Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. Brett Giroir, the newly appointed director, said at the hearing that the task force is responsible for assessing and improving protocols including hospital preparedness, waste disposal, and experimental therapies to treat Ebola. Another member of the task force, David Lakey, Texas Department of State
Health Services commissioner, testified at the hearing that none of the 48 people who have to be monitored for 21 days for having direct or potential contact with Duncan are currently sick. After House approval, the Senate lifted its hold on the Pentagon’s emergency request Friday, transferring $750 million of war funds to respond to the outbreak in West Africa. The Pentagon also wants to send up to 4,000 U.S. troops to help construct treatment centers and train health care workers. “The safety of anyone who we deploy in epidemics like this is of the upmost concern,” Merlin said. “The military is not providing direct care, but logistical work, but it is still a concern.”
ELECTION 2014 Continued from Page 1A “The State of Texas will immediately appeal and will urge the Fifth Circuit to resolve this matter quickly to avoid voter confusion in the upcoming election,” said Lauren Bean, a spokeswoman for Abbott’s office. Early voting is scheduled to begin Monday, Oct. 20. Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said, “The Court today effectively ruled that racial discrimination simply cannot spread to the ballot box.”
Nineteen states have laws requiring voters to show identification at the polls. Courts across the country have knocked down challenges — including at the U.S. Supreme Court — but the Texas case attracted unusual attention from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. He brought the weight of his office into Texas after the Supreme Court last year struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act, which had prohibited the state from enacting its voter ID law signed by Republican Gov. Rick
Perry in 2011. Democrats and minority rights groups joined the Justice Department in the lawsuit. The full Voting Rights Act had blocked Texas and eight other states with histories of discrimination from changing election laws without permission from the DOJ or a federal court. Holder vowed to wring whatever protections he could from the new and weakened version, and made Texas a first target. But prevailing in court required proving intentional discrimina-
tion, and Texas maintained that opponents produced no evidence. Abbott is favored to win the race to replace Perry as governor. His office said minorities and whites alike supported the law in public opinion polls. It also pointed to other states, such as Georgia and Indiana, where the similar measures have been upheld. But opponents slammed Texas’ law as far more discriminatory. College students IDs aren’t accepted by poll workers, but concealed handgun licenses are. Free voting IDs offered by the state require a
birth certificate that costs little as $3, but the Justice Department argued that traveling to get those documents imposes an outsize burden on poor minorities. As a result, opponents say, Texas has issued fewer than 300 free voter IDs since the law took effect. Georgia, meanwhile, has issued 2,200 voter IDs under a similar program with more robust outreach. Texas has already conducted two smaller statewide elections under voter ID, in which no widespread issues were reported.
14A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
ZAPATA COUNTY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SPECIAL EDUCATION OFFICE
DISTRITO ESCOLAR INDEPENDIENTE DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA OFICINA DE EDUCACION ESPECIAL
CONFIDENTIALITY RIGHTS
DERECHOS CONFIDENCIALES
AS A PARENT OF A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY OR ADULT STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY (18 YEARS OR OLDER OR MARRIED), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO:
USTED, COMO PADRE DE UN ESTUDIANTE CON IMPEDIMENTOS, O ESTUDIANTE ADULTO CON IMPEDIMENTOS DE 18 ANOS EN ADELANTE O CASADO TIENE EL DERECHO DE:
1. RECEIVE A LIST OF THE TYPE AND LOCATION OF YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL RECORDS WHICH ARE COLLECTED, MAINTAINED, OR USED BY THE SCHOOL (34 CFR 300.565); The student’s records are maintained at the Special Education Office located at 17th & Carla Street and at the school the student attends.
1. RECIBIR UNA LISTA DONDE SE LOCALIZA LOS ARCHIVOS Y TIPO DE EDUCACION QUE RECIBE SU HIJO(A) QUE SE CONSERVAN, O QUE SE UTILIZAN EN LAS ESCUELAS (34 CFR 300.565); Los archivos de los estudiantes se conservan en la oficina del Departamento de Educaciòn Especial ubicada en 17th & Carla asì como en la escuela a la que asiste el estudiante. La informaciòn de referencia, el reporte del comitè de Admisiòn, Repaso, y Retiro (ARD), reporte de servicios relacionados, reportes de evaluaciòn, y correspondencia que estè relacionada con el estudiante se conservan en el archivo principal en la oficina del Departamento de Educaciòn Especial. El archivo que permanece en la escuela contiene copias del reporte de Admisiòn, Repaso y Retiro (ARD), reportes del comitè, y El Plan Individual de Educaciòn (IEP).
The referral information, the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee reports, the related service reports, assessment reports, and any correspondence pertaining to the student is kept in the main folder at the Special Education Office. The school folder contains the copies of the Admission, Review, or Dismissal (ARD), and Individual Educational Plan. 2. INSPECT AND REVIEW ALL OF YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL RECORDS WITHOUT UNNECESSARY DELAY AND BEFORE ANY IEP MEETING OR DUE PROCESS HEARING AND IN NO CASE MORE THAN 45 DAYS AFTER YOUR REQUEST (34 CFR 300.562). When you and/or a student makes the request, the Director of Special Instructional Services will ensure that before records are made available, identification will be required when the request is received from an individual of the specified classification who is not personally known. Each request will be honored as soon as possible, but the time will be no longer than forty-five days. The superintendent of schools will be notified if a request cannot be honored in time. A suitable place for record inspection will be provided by the Director of Special Instructional Services. The Director will see that a notification is placed in the student record folder indicating date of access, name of individual obtaining access, and reason for inspection. 3. SEE A LIST OF THOSE PERSONS, BESIDES YOU OR AUTHORIZED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, WHO HAVE SEEN YOUR CHILD’S EDUCTIONAL RECORDS AND WHY THEY SAW THEM. (34 CFR 300.563) The district will not honor requests for personally identifiable information or records unless authorized by written consent by the parent/guardian or eligible student unless requested by responsible school officials needing the information to provide educational services to the student. Responsible school officials are considered to be representatives of the school listed in Texas Education Agency, Region One Education Center, and the United States Government. The Director will be responsible to determine that representatives of the agencies listed above have a legitimate need to the information to carry out an audit or monitoring function. The list of persons who have seen your child’s records will be maintained in the individual student folder for seven consecutive years. The Director of Special Instructional Services assumes the responsibility for ensuring the confidentiality of any personally identifiable information. If you have any concerns regarding the confidentiality rights, feel free to write or call: CARMEN G. ZAVALA DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES 1302 Glenn Street / P.O. BOX 158 ZAPATA, TEXAS (956) 765-6130 (956) 765-3967 Fax
2. REVISAR Y REPASAR TODOS LOS ARCHIVOS EDUCATIVOS DE SU HIJO(A) SIN TENER QUE ESPERAR MUCHO TIEMPO, Y ANTES DE CUALQUIER JUNTA DE IEP O AUDIENCIA, Y POR NINGUN MOTIVO ESPERAR MAS DE 45 DIAS DESPUES DE HACER SU SOLICITUD (34 CFR 300.562). Cuando usted o el estudiante hace la solicitud, el Director del Programa de Instrucción Especial , deberà solicitar, ya sea por escrito o verbalmente, que estos archivos le sean proporcionados. El Director se reserva el derecho de pedir identificaciòn al solicitante, si este no es ampliamente conocido. Cada solicitud serà atendida lo màs pronto posible, y siempre antes de los 45 dias. Se darà aviso oportunamente al Superintendente de las escuelas si por algun motivo la solicitud no puede ser atendida dentro de los 45 dìas. El Director del Programa de Instrucción Especial asignará un lugar apropiado para el repaso de los archivos. El Director anotarà en el archivo del estudiante la fecha en que se llevò a cabo el repaso del archivo, el nombre de la persona que hizo la solicitud, y la razòn por la cual se hizo el repaso. 3. TENER ACCESO A L A LISTA DE PERSONAS, ADEMAS DE USTED O PERSONAL AUTORIZADO DE LAS ESCUELAS, QUE HAN TENIDO ACCESO A LOS ARCHIVOS EDUCATIVOS DE SU HIJO(A) Y LA RAZON POR LO CUAL FUERON REVISADOS (34 CFR 300.563). El distrito no atenderà la solicitud para la revisiòn de archivos con informaciòn personal si no està autorizada por escrito por los padres/tutores o estudiante elegible y solamante se està autorizado por algùn oficial responsable de la escuela que necesite la informaciòn para prestar servicios educativos al estudiante. Oficial responsable de la escuela se considera a aquellas personas que se considera sean representantes de la escuela segùn la lista del Boletìn de la Agencia de Educaciòn de Texas, Centro Educativo Region I, la Agencia de Educaciòn de Texas, y el gobierno de los Estados Unidos. El Director tendrà a su cargo la responsibilidad de verificar que las razones de los representantes de las agencias arriba mencionadas sean legìtimas y necesarias para llevar acabo una auditorìa o para supervisar las actividades. Una lista de las personas que han revisado el archivo de su hijo(a) se mantendràn en el archivo personal del estudiante por un perìodo de siete años consecutivos. El Director del Programa de Instrucción Especial es responsable de mantener información confidencial y no podrà dar ninguna informaciòn a la persona sin presentar propia identificaciòn y consentimiento de los padres o tutor. Si tiene alguna duda sobre sus derechos confidenciales, puede llamar o escribir a: CARMEN G. ZAVALA DIRECTOR DEL PROGRAMA DE EDUCACION ESPECIAL 1302 Glenn Street / P.O. Box 158 Zapata, Texas 78076 (956) 765-6130 (956) 765-3967 Fax
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NFL: CLEVELAND BROWNS
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS: ZAPATA HAWKS
Hawks take first File photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
Cleveland quarterback and former Texas A&M Heisman winner Johnny Manziel opposes the NCAA rule stating college athletes cannot get paid for selling autographs.
Manziel opposes NCAA rule By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
File photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Zapata’s Selissa Lopez (6) and Alexis Alvarez (7) helped the Lady Hawks take down Port Isabel in a matchup of two of the three teams tied atop District 16-4A.
Zapata avenges early loss to Port Isabel By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
Zapata had a lot riding on its game Tuesday night as it welcomed leagueleading Port Isabel, the only team to leave a black mark on what would have been a perfect first round in District 16-4A action for the Lady Hawks. With a home crowd filling the seats to capacity, Zapata beat Port Isabel in a five-set thriller (21-25, 25-18, 25-23, 24-26, 15-7) to take a slim edge in the fight for the district’s top spot. Heading into the game, Zapata, Port Isabel and La Feria were in a three-way tie for first place
with 6-1 records. "The girls wanted revenge because they loss to them and they knew they should have won," Zapata head coach Rosie Villarreal said. "They did a good job preparing for the game. They came together as a team and pulled it off. We have a great crowd and that also helped. Cassy (Garcia), Tere (Villarreal) and Alexis (Alvarez) did a great job at the net and Isela (Gonzalez) did a great job defensively." Zapata (7-1, 17-7) was able to take down Port Isabel in a game that brought out the Lady Hawks big hitters with a balanced offensive attack
from all corners of the net. The Lady Hawks had three players in double figures, led by Garcia with 15 kills while Alvarez and Villarreal added 13 and 12, respectively. The setting duo of Kaity Ramirez and Brianna Gonzalez combined for 47 assists. Ramirez had 26 while Gonzalez ended with 21. Zapata also broke out a defensive game that started with the blockers at the net who combined for 21 blocks during the five-set thriller and received as much recognition as an offensive
See ZAPATA PAGE 2B
BEREA, Ohio — Johnny Manziel built his brand and bolstered Texas A&M’s by producing magical moments on the field and winning. He made the school money and feels college athletes should be getting paid. On Friday, the Browns rookie quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner said the NCAA should change its rules and allow college athletes to capitalize on their likeness. Addressing the situation involving Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who was suspended indefinitely on Thursday as the school investigates an alleged violation of NCAA rules, Manziel said he can relate to Gurley’s predicament and believes college players should be compensated. “I obviously know what Todd’s going through and I feel for him,” Manziel said. “Obviously I don’t know every single (detail) of the situation that he’s in, but at the same time I think he’s done a great job and worked extremely hard to make a name for himself on the football field. He has an image and he has a likeness and he has obviously a want and a need for his autograph
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NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS
NO. 9 TCU AT NO. 5 BAYLOR
NO. 14 TEXAS A&M
File photo by Lawrence Peart | AP
File photo by LM Otero | AP
Photo by Jim Lytle | AP
Texas and Oklahoma face off for the 109th meeting in the Red River Rivalry taking place in Dallas, halfway between the two campuses.
In a matchup of the two remaining unbeatens in the Big 12, No. 5 Baylor hosts surprising No. 9 TCU on Saturday afternoon.
After a loss to Mississippi State, Texas A&M will look to rebound facing the nation’s No. 3 ranked team in Mississippi.
UT enters Red River Rivalry
TCU-Baylor in top 10 battle
A&M faces No. 3 Ole Miss
By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Oklahoma needs another one of those bounce-back games that have become so common under coach Bob Stoops. Without one Saturday in their storied rivalry against Texas, the 11thranked Sooners will have
a difficult, and likely impossible, time getting back into the mix for a spot in the new fourteam College Football Playoff. “Just worried about this week. Down the road’s a long way off — for everybody,” Stoops said. “Through the years,
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By RALPH D. RUSSO ASSOCIATED PRESS
The biggest game in Texas this weekend is nowhere near a Ferris wheel — though there are plenty of places in Waco to stuff yourself with sloppy fried foods if that’s what you want. No. 9 TCU turned the Red River Rivalry into
an opening act for the Horned Frogs matchup against No. 5 Baylor, when they upset Oklahoma last week. Sure, the Sooners and Texas will draw plenty of attention for their annual meeting at the Cotton Bowl during the Texas State Fair, but the
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By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLLEGE STATION — No. 3 Mississippi didn’t spend long celebrating its big win over Alabama. Not with No. 14 Texas A&M up next, a team the Rebels have never beaten and a school that has sent
them to close losses the last two seasons on their home field. Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze isn’t concerned about a letdown. “I think they’ll continue to be hungry and want to compete,” he said. “That’s really not a big worry of mine be-
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Zscores
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
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MANZIEL Continued from Page 1B
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— and I feel that if he wants he should be able to have a system that allows him to go out and capitalize from that.” Georgia officials have not revealed the nature of their investigation. But SI.com, citing anonymous sources, reported Gurley received money for signing memorabilia. Manziel, who won the Heisman as a freshman with the Aggies, was investigated before the 2013 season when reports surfaced that he received money for signing autographs. The NCAA agreed with Texas A&M to sit Manziel for the first half of the season opener against Rice, with no finding he did anything wrong. SI.com reported that Gurley is accused of receiving $400 to sign 80 pieces of memorabilia on campus earlier this year. Manziel said he believes it’s time for the NCAA to take closer look at how the money in big-time college football is distributed. “I think it’s at a big crossroads right now with how much money college football in particular is bringing in for universities, for networks, for the SEC for everything of that nature and then guys are walking out with an $800 scholarship check a month,” he said. “It’s
spike from the crowd. Villarreal and Alvarez erected a wall at the net as the dynamic duo recorded seven blocks apiece. Garcia had 4.5 while Marla Gutierrez and Sarah Rathmell had one each. The second line of defense was led by libero Isela Gonzalez with 30 digs. Ramirez (13), Gonzalez (12), Andrea Garza (11) were also in double figures.
Cross country The Hawks are gearing up for their last tuneup before the District 16-4A meet set for Oct. 20. Zapata is scheduled to run at the Hebbronville Invitational this morning against some tough competition. Zapata is coming off a successful outing in their last meet as a depleted Hawks team ran well at the La Feria Invitational. Clara Sandoval can be reached at Sandoval.Clara@Gmail.com
File photo by David Richard | AP
Manziel was investigated before the 2013 season when reports surfaced that he received money for signing autographs. an ongoing thing and we don’t know every bit and piece, but he (Gurley) has built an image for himself. I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon, but at the same time I think it is an ongoing problem in college athletics.” Moments after speaking with reporters, Manziel offered his support to Gurley by tweeting: “(hash) FreeGurley.” Manziel knows what it’s like to be tempted by memorabilia collectors willing to pay for a signature. He said it’s difficult to separate the casual fan from someone looking to cash in. “People walk around on game days in brand new jerseys with
tags on them,” he said. “You see it here in the NFL. Any sporting event, signatures and autographs are something that every fan usually wants, and it’s really hard to decide when somebody comes up to you and asks you to sign if they genuinely want your autograph, are a die-hard fan, or if they’re going to take this back and sell it and try to make it for their own profit.” In addition to getting a stipend of some kind, Manziel would also like to see college athletes receive some financial training. He says there are too many cases of athletes spending their scholarship money too quickly, and by the end of the month not having food in
their refrigerator or enough to pay the electric bill. “I definitely feel there is some type of way to get these players more money, more resources, something to help them out because they are doing so much and creating so much money,” he said. “And I get that’s not the case at every single school around the country. But the majority of big schools are very profitable.” The scrutiny has followed Manziel from campus to the NFL sideline. In last week’s game at Tennessee, TV cameras captured Manziel laughing as the Browns fell behind 28-3. Manziel was standing with practice squad QB Connor Shaw when he was shown smiling and joking around. “It was just me and Connor kind of just talking,” Manziel explained. “The camera kind of just caught me at a time that was a little bit after a play. At that point in the game, it was almost like everything was going so wrong for us that all you can kind of do is sit back and just kind of chuckle. But at the same time, me and Connor have a really fun relationship during games. And as serious and in tune to the game as we are, it’s not like that every play.”
TEXAS Continued from Page 1B when there’s only been two teams to qualify to get into the championship game, how many one-loss teams have won it? Quite a few. LSU won it with two losses. So I don’t know why it’s much different. ... We’ll see.” Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) was among the losing teams last week in that unprecedented string of upsets — among five of the top eight ranked teams that lost, and 11 of the top 20. The 37-33 loss at TCU dropped the Sooners seven spots, and took them out a prime position as the Big 12’s highest-ranked team. Eight-time Big 12 champion Oklahoma hasn’t lost consecutive games in the regular season since the start of the 2000, going 31-0 in the regular season following a loss. Since 2009, the Sooners have also won 10 consecutive games in rematches against teams that beat them the previous season — like Texas (2-3, 1-2) did 36-20 last year, when Oklahoma was a two-touchdown favorite just as it is
now. Stoops was 9-6 against former Texas coach Mack Brown with a string of lopsided victories. Like Stoops, new Texas coach Charlie Strong won a national championship as a defensive coordinator with Florida before getting a head coaching job. Strong, whose title with the Gators came in the 2009 BCS national championship game over the Stoops-coached Sooners, already knows the significance of the Red River Rivalry game at the State Fair of Texas. “The Texas-Oklahoma rivalry is a special rivalry. We know how big it is,” Strong said. “Don’t have to say much to the players this week. Don’t have to worry about them being down. They know what’s at stake here. Last year going into this game everyone was kind of throwing dirt on them, and they were able to bounce back and go win it.” Here are a few things to watch when Texas and Oklahoma play for
File photo by Lawrence Peart | AP
Texas enters the Oklahoma game at 2-3 in head coach Charlie Strong’s first season. the 109th time, the 92nd time in Dallas, halfway between the two campuses:
MIDTERM GRADE Strong had to chuckle when he was asked this week what his midseason
TCU-BAYLOR Continued from Page 1B 110th game between TCU and Baylor will have far more impact on who wins the Big 12. For Baylor a huge game in their glitzy new on-campus stadium, the first top-10 matchup in Waco since 1956, is another step in the evolution of a program that for years resided in the Big 12 basement. “It’s exactly the stage we want to be where we all kind of want to be, to play the big games and lot on the line for us, as far as nationally, but at the end of the game, it’s still just another game,” Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty said. “We want to dominate and we want to win. It’s good for us as far as we’re kind of getting there. We’re making steps and making strides. It’s just another part of it.” For TCU, the Oklahoma win represented a rebirth of sort. After years of dominance in this conference and that, the Horned Frogs slipped upon arrival to the Big 12. Now in Year 3 it seems they are ready to be contenders again. If TCU can pull off a second straight upset of the Big 12’s preseason favorites, the Horned Frogs should make another huge leap in the rankings and grab firm control of the conference race. Quite a turnaround after going 4-8 last season, Gary Patterson’s worst in 14 years as TCU coach. Some things to watch for when TCU and Baylor — yes, TCU and Baylor — play for first-place in the Big 12. SPREAD’EM OUT TCU’s new spread offense is suiting Boykin fine. He leads the Big 12 in total yards per game at 359 and is the Frogs’ leading rusher at 65 yards per
File photo by Jerry Larson | AP
TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin faces the Bears hoping to beat top 10 teams in consecutive weeks. game. He’s blossoming into the player Patterson always hoped he could become. And he’s already got a victory at Baylor on his resume. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, Boykin passed for 261 yards and four touchdowns in his first-career road start and ran for a touchdown in the 49-21 victory. The Bears have won 12 straight home games since. BEARS DOWN? Baylor leads the nation in scoring at 51.0 points per game and is No. 2 in total offense at 590.6 yards per game, but the Bears sputtered last week in a 28-7 victory at Texas. Petty was 7 for 22 for only 111 yards and said his head was spinning after the game. What gives? “That’s what I said, but it was just kind of an in the moment kind of quote,” Petty said. “Watching tape, everything I saw on tape is what I saw on the field. I guess I was kind of searching for answers I guess after the game. As far as defensively wise, they played a good game, but just as far as the flow of the game it called for more runs. I was
more or less disappointed in myself and how I played. I kind of hold myself to a high standard so, not to say you misquoted me because you didn’t, but I guess how I said it wasn’t the right way to say it.” BLUE PRINT The Longhorns forced Baylor to settle for small bites instead of big chunks of yardage. If that’s the blue print to slowing down the Bears’ warpspeed offense, it looked familiar to Patterson. “If you want to know the truth about it, I saw similarities to what we’ve done over the last couple of years, so I’m not sure they were the blueprint,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to stop them, got to be able tackle and you’ve got to play the run, and you’ve got to stop them from throwing it over your head and moving the football.” EATS Locals will tell you the Crazy Wings at George’s, chicken, cheese and jalapeno peppers, wrapped in bacon and deep fried, hold their own against anything you can get at the fair.
grade was for his team. “I don’t know if I can put a letter grade on it, but we’d like to play better,” Strong said. “We’re not playing up to our ability. I think that we can play a lot better than what we’re playing, and I tell our guys that.” The Longhorns are in a difficult stretch, coming off a loss to No. 5 Baylor and with three more ranked opponents (Kansas State, Oklahoma State and TCU) still left after Oklahoma. SHINING STERLING Sooners receiver Sterling Shepard has the secondlongest active FBS streak with four consecutive 100yard receiving games, one behind West Virginia’s Kevin White. Shepard is second in the Big 12 and third in the FBS with 130.2 yards receiving per game. He had seven catches for 215 yards, only two yards short of the school record, at TCU when he also had a 75-yard touchdown catch. WINNING WHEN EXPECTED, WITH A BIG EXCEPTION Oklahoma has won 22 of its last 23 games against unranked teams, including
seven in a row. That lone loss in that span was 36-20 to Texas last October. Since that win, the Longhorns have lost five in a row against ranked teams, and are 4-17 in such games since 2010. CORNY DOGS FOR SPLIT CROWD The Red River game has been played at Cotton Bowl Stadium during the State Fair of Texas since 1929. The crowd is split 50-50 in burnt orange and crimson. The winner gets The Golden Hat, the rotating trophy in use since 1941. The Longhorns lead the series 60-43-5, and are the only Big 12 team with a series lead over Oklahoma. GETTING QBS Texas has 20 quarterback sacks in its first five games for the first time since 1985, and ahead of the pace in 2008, when it finished the season with a national-best 47 sacks. Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty hadn’t been sacked this season before getting taken down three times last Saturday in the Longhorns’ 28-7 loss.
A&M Continued from Page 1B cause of the schedule we face. There are really good teams in this conference that can beat you at any given moment. We’ve got to play a very good football game to win every game that’s left on our schedule in this deal.” The Aggies are coming off their first loss of the season, a 48-31 defeat by Mississippi State, and are looking to get back on track in their first home game in almost a month. “Our guys are anxious to get back on the field and prove who they are,” coach Kevin Sumlin said. Quarterback Bo Wallace knows it will be a challenge to deal with a crowd expected to top 100,000, but thinks that playing other tough road games will help make things easier Saturday. “We’ve had guys that have played at ’Bama and at LSU,” Wallace said. “We’ll be prepared for that ... this is what it’s all about. We’re right in the thick of things in the SEC West. Going on the road to a hostile environment is why you go to school here.” The Rebels are 0-6 against A&M. They’re 0-2 since A&M joined the SEC after losing 30-27 in 2012 and 41-38 last season. “They were difficult for sure,” Freeze said of those losses. “Our kids bounced back nicely, probably better than the coaches, but they were difficult.” Wallace said those defeats still sting. “You definitely remember that,” he said. “We’re a different team. We’re a different offense and defense. We’ll get to work on them and hopefully come out and play well.” Things to know about the Mississippi-Texas A&M game: HILL’S SETBACK Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill had thrown just two interceptions through the first five games, but threw three on Saturday in Tex-
as A&M’s first loss this season. “I need to be smarter with the football,” Hill said. He’s been solid in his first season after taking over for Johnny Manziel and leads the SEC with 2,110 yards passing and has helped the Aggies score 38 touchdowns, which are the most in the FBS. OLE MISS’ DOMINANT DEFENSE The Rebels’ defense is giving up just 10.2 points per game, which ranks first in the Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss has allowed only four touchdowns all season, which is tops in the nation. Senquez Golson leads the team with four interceptions and the Rebels are aggressive up front — 17 different players have at least one tackle for a loss. FABULOUS FRESHMEN Texas A&M freshman receiver Speedy Noil and defensive end Myles Garrett are off to great starts this season. Garrett is second in the SEC and has set the school record for sacks by a freshman with 6 1/2 and had a career-best 10 tackles last week. Noil has 255 yards receiving with three scores and also returns kicks and punts for the Aggies. GOOD BO, BAD BO Wallace had a good game during last week’s win over Alabama, throwing for 251 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s thrown for 1,522 yards this season and 14 touchdowns this season, but is also tied for the league lead with six interceptions. South Carolina’s Dylan Thompson and Florida’s Jeff Driskel have also thrown six interceptions. REYNOLDS ROLLING Texas A&M receiver Josh Reynolds, a sophomore transfer, leads the Aggies with 402 yards receiving, and his team-best seven touchdowns are the most in school history through a player’s first six career games. He has three catches this season for 40 yards or more.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
Bike Basics Dear Readers: BICYCLING is a great activity to do as a family. It gets you outside and active. Here are some hints to help you stay safe and healthy while doing so: * Before heading out, make sure you have the proper equipment, such as reflectors, lights, etc. Don’t just jump on a bike in flip-flops. * Wear bright clothing so that you are easily visible, especially if riding at dusk or night. PLEASE heed this hint! * Use bike lanes, when available, and ride single file. You don’t take up too much space, and you reduce the chances of being hit. * Always, always wear a helmet when riding. * Just like with an auto, check to be sure that the tires are properly inflated and the brakes are working. If you have lights, check those, too!
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HELOISE
* Don’t distract yourself when riding! Don’t listen to music or talk on your cellphone. I’ve seen people just sail through stop signs or yield signs, seemingly unaware of where they are! Please pay attention so you can come home from your ride, not from the hospital. Oh, and watch out for wildlife, too! -- Heloise WASHER REMINDER Dear Heloise: Just a reminder for all of your readers out there who have cats: Don’t leave the door to your washer or dryer open! If your cat is curious, it might just jump in there when you aren’t looking. If you don’t notice, you could seriously injure your cat, or worse. -- Heidi, via email
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2014
Cowboys’ Bryant faces ‘Hawks’ Sherman By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — For all the drama Dez Bryant created on and off the field early in his career, the Dallas receiver has never really had a public spat with a highprofile rival. Tony Romo’s top target isn’t going to start with Richard Sherman, the talented Seattle cornerback who’s been known to call out opposing receivers in pointed ways. “I feel like at times he says what he feels and that’s what he believes,” said Bryant, who will try to match his second-longest touchdown streak at five games when the Cowboys (4-1) visit the Seahawks on Sunday. “There’s really nothing wrong with what he’s doing. He has issues with other players that are a conflict, but that’s not here. We have respect.” Days after dismissing Washington’s Pierre Garcon as a receiver who “doesn’t matter,” Sherman had entirely different words for Bryant, one of the league’s most productive receivers since the Cowboys drafted him in 2010. The timing might have had a little to do with it because Bryant had just made one of the best catches of his career — a leaping, juggling 37-yarder on third down to set up the winning field goal in a 20-17 overtime victory against Houston.
Photo by Brandon Wade | AP
Dallas wide-out Dez Bryant prepares for his matchup against Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman on Sunday as the Cowboys travel to face the defending Super Bowl champions. “He made a fantastic play for them last week, which is indicative of what he can do when the ball is in the air,” Sherman said. “He’s definitely physical throughout the route.” The Cowboys bring a surprising record and NFL rusher leader DeMarco Murray to Seattle (3-1), and the matchup of Murray against the league’s top rushing defense is certainly a talker. But Sherman against Bryant is prob-
ably the most intriguing one-onone battle in the game. It’s unlikely that Dallas will follow the lead of other teams and simply stay away from Sherman. The Cowboys have generally been better when they’ve found ways to get the ball to Bryant, whose 44 scoring catches through 64 games are more than twice what Drew Pearson had and 15 more than Michael Irvin at the same point in the ca-
reers of those No. 88s for Dallas. “They have really good players all across their defense, so I think if you got into that game with these guys you wouldn’t really snap the ball,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “They’re awfully good. Just put the tape on. But we have to do what we do.” Even if Sherman took aim at Bryant the way he did with San Francisco’s Michael Crabtree,
it’s unlikely he would get much of a response from Bryant. While the fifth-year receiver had a petty sideline moment as recently as last season when he went to the locker room before the clock expired in a loss to Green Bay, he usually dances away from headline-grabbing sound bites. He wouldn’t oblige reporters Thursday when asked if he considered himself the best, and after Garrett playfully pushed him away from the conversation, he came back for one more answer — and a politically correct one at that. But Bryant isn’t naive enough to believe all the niceties will extend into the game. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to say something to me,” said Bryant, who said he chatted with Sherman and exchanged phone numbers at an event during the offseason. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to say something to him. But at the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, we’re going to congratulate one another and talk and take pictures and get back on the plane and go our separate ways.” NOTES: LB Bruce Carter is out for a second straight game because of a strained quadriceps, but LB Rolando McClain (groin) practiced Friday. He’s listed as questionable, but owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show that he anticipated McClain playing.
Slow starts dooming Texans By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have been concerned about their slow starts all season. After they fell behind 24-0 in the first quarter in a loss to Indianapolis, coach Bill O’Brien is putting it on his team to change things. “I think the players need to make up their minds that they’re going to start well,” O’Brien said. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t sure why they’ve struggled so much early in games, but knows they have to figure out a way to turn it around. “Just got to come out more focused I think,” he said. “More focused and ready to go. Just continue to make it a point of emphasis.” Houston has scored just 14 points in the first quarter this season and all of those points came in a win over Oakland in Week 2. Since then they’ve been incapable of doing anything on offense in the opening frame. O’Brien said it might be as simple having one good thing happen early so they’ll have something to build on. “If we start the game with a positive play — first down, gain four, gain five; second-and-5, then gain three (and) then it’s a positive or manageable third down,” O’Brien said. “We get that first first-down,
Photo by David J. Phillip | AP
Indianapolis Colts’ T.Y. Hilton and the Colts took an early 24-0 lead in Houston in a slim 33-28 win over the Texans Thursday night.
we’re able to get into a good tempo, a good rhythm and we’re going.” Many have blamed Houston’s tough starts on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was 0 for 4 in a first quarter against the Colts where the team gained just two yards. But O’Brien took up for his quarterback on Friday. “When you look at the
film, the film never lies,” O’Brien said. “What the film shows us is that everybody on offense has to play better. Everybody. The line has to play better, the backs have to play better, the tight ends, the receivers and we have to coach better.” Still, Fitzpatrick is quick to point out that he needs to do more early in games. “There is still a lot of
room for improvement,” he said. “We’ve talked about getting off to better starts, but when we get in our groove you see what this offense can be. It’s just a matter of doing it all the time.” Perhaps more troubling than the slow start by the offense Thursday night was that the defense and special teams were also terrible in the first quarter. The de-
fense allowed three touchdowns and a field goal in the first quarter and the special teams unit was surprised by an onside kick which the Colts recovered. O’Brien said that when he watched the game film on Friday he saw that his team made an error on each of the game’s first 32 plays. “We’ve got to tackle better,” he said. “We gave up
too many hit-and-yardage type plays because we didn’t tackle, the first guy didn’t make the tackle. Special teams, we just can’t allow that to happen, that onside kick. That’s not good.” The good news for the Texans is that they’ve got a few extra days to prepare for their next game since they don’t play again until a Monday night matchup at Pittsburgh on Oct. 20. There’s also a strong possibility they could get top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney back for that game, which would provide a boost to a defense that has been led by a stellar six games by defensive end J.J. Watt. Watt had two sacks on Thursday night and returned a fumble for a touchdown for his third score this season. Clowney has been out since having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after injuring it in Houston’s opener on Sept. 7. “He’s progressing,” O’Brien said. “I would say that’s still 50-50 whether he plays in that game or not, but he’s getting better. He’s working at it.” Clowney is eager to get back, but he’s leaving it to the medical staff to decide when he’s ready to play. “I talked to the trainers the other day about how I’m responding to the drills and everything they’ve got me doing,” he said. “Just time will tell. It’s the healing process right now.”
Texas Tech hosts WVU in search of win By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LUBBOCK — Texas Tech’s season thus far has a considerably different feel than last year. About this time last season, the Red Raiders were approaching a No. 10 ranking after going 7-0. When it plays West Virginia on Saturday, Texas Tech will be trying to avoid starting conference play with three straight losses for the first since 1990. The Mountaineers (3-2, 1-1) are aiming to build off their first Big 12 win, a 3314 victory over Kansas last week that followed a home loss to Oklahoma. The two coaches know one another well. West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen was coaching receivers at Texas Tech when Kliff Kingsbury was the Red Raiders quarterback. Holgorsen sees similarities between Mountain-
eers quarterback Clint Trickett and Kingsbury’s time behind center. “He would come in and want to watch a ton of film and knew how to be a leader in the locker room — knew how to be a leader in the huddle,” he said of the second-year coach. “He was extremely competitive. I see all of those qualities with Clint.” Trickett’s counterpart, Davis Webb, is looking to rebound after throwing a career-high four interceptions (he has 10 for the season) in the Red Raiders’ (2-3, 0-2) loss at Kansas State last week. Kingsbury said he’s sticking with Webb, who’s thrown for 1,603 yards and 16 TDs as his starter. Kingsbury says he’s ready to not see “the Bad News Bears” version of his offense “We have to be more consistent as a group and we haven’t been at all,” he said. “It’s puzzling to me because in practice, I see positive things and we’re
Photo by Orlin Wagner | AP
Texas Tech defensive back Tevin Madison and the Red Raiders are looking to avoid losing three straight facing West Virginia. just not doing it in the games.” The Red Raiders won last year’s game, 37-27, at West Virginia. Five things to know for Saturday’s game: KEY CORNERBACK Holgorsen on Wednesday reinstated CB Daryl Worley after the sopho-
more pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault in a nightclub altercation last month. Worley, who missed games against Oklahoma and Kansas, could be a valuable asset in combatting the Red Raiders’ passing attack. He’s second in the Big 12 with two interceptions; the
Mountaineers have three on the season. PENALTY PLETHORA Texas Tech has committed more penalties than any team in the nation. Ranked No. 125, the Red Raiders have been penalized 55 times for 511 yards, or an average of 11 penalties and 102.2 yards per game. They’ve come at key moments, either moving opponents forward or the Red Raiders backward. “That number is pretty astounding when you look at a season total,” Kingsbury said. “It’s hard to win any games doing that every week.” RECEIVER ROTATION The past couple of games, the Red Raiders have toyed with shuffling around their receivers. The move was aimed at getting more from outside receiver positions that have thus far not been too productive. In the past two games, four Tech receivers have switched positions and the Red Raid-
ers have dropped 14 passes. (Webb’s) got a couple of inexperienced guys at receiver,” Holgorsen said. “They’re going to continue to be able to get on the same page. I would expect to see improvement with them each and every week moving forward.” QUARTERBACKS’ TARGETS Trickett’s best and frequent target is WR Kevin White, a 6-3, 210-pound senior who leads the nation in receiving yards (765) and receiving yards per game (153). Webb most often throws to WRs Jakeem Grant and Bradley Marquez; their combined per game receiving average is 171 yards. WHO’S GOT THE BALL? Texas Tech has won time of possession in only one game this season — at Oklahoma State. In three games, opponents held the ball almost twice as long as the Red Raiders. They average 23:41, while West Virginia’s average is 29:55.