The Zapata Times 10/15/2016 by The Zapata Times

SLUMPING TEXAS FACES FREE LOOK TO BREAK 3-GAME LOSING ISU LONGHORNS STREAK IN MUST-WIN GAME, 1B

SATURDAY OCTOBER 15, 2016

DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY

TO 4,000 HOMES

A HEARST PUBLICATION

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

WEBB COUNTY

BORDER PATROL

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Human smuggler busted in Zapata Man allegedly transported 5 immigrants By César G. Rodriguez LAREDO MORNING TIME S

Victor Strife / The Zapata Times

Laredoans participate in the 2016 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Oct. 8 at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas.

Former Zapata resident shares family’s experience with the chronic disease By Julia Wallace TH E ZAPATA T IME S

The Laredo chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association held its first-ever Walk to End Alzheimer’s in the Gateway City on Oct. 8. About 700 people participated in the walk, which raised an estimated $30,000 for Alzheimer’s research. Alzheimer’s is a chronic disease involving the degeneration of the brain, typically in old age. Symptoms include

short- and long-term memory loss, disorientation, mood swings, changes in personality and behavioral issues. Eventually, patients lose bodily functions, which can lead to death. There is no cure for the disease. Twenty-seven people died of Alzheimer’s disease in Webb County in 2013 (the most recent data available from the Texas Department of State Health Services), and many more in years precedFamily continues on A8

Courtesy / Rodriguez family

Victoria Rodriguez, center, is pictured with her four daughters at the Rodriguez family home.

A man from Alice was arrested in Zapata County for allegedly transporting five people suspected of crossing the border illegally, according to court documents. The suspect, Richard Osiel Ramos, was charged with transporting illegal immigrants. On Sept. 28, U.S. Border Patrol agents manning the intersection of FM 2687 Road and U.S. 83 south of Zapata observed three vehicles driving north in tandem. “Smuggling organizations use U.S. 83 as their primary means of travel to be able and transport undocumented (people) or narcotics further north into the United States,” states the criminal complaint filed Oct. 3. “The Zapata Border Patrol Agents have noticed an exponential increase in (human) smuggling cases One vehicle, a beige Chevrolet Tahoe, accelerated, states the complaint. “Smuggling organizations frequently use other vehicles referred to as ‘scouts’ in an attempt to warn vehicles which carry the (undocumented people) or narcotics as to the presence of law enforcement in the area. They also use scouts to confuse law enforcement and evade capture,” the complaint states. Agents followed the Chevrolet with their unit’s emergency lights on. The suspect vehicle then drove off the paved roadway and stopped close to a fence line. The driver exited the vehicle running, leaving behind five people. Those five passengers were immigrants who had crossed the border illegally. Agents caught up to Ramos. He alleged he injured himself while running through the brush. “A wallet was found near the center console of the vehicle. The wallet had a Texas Inmate Identification Card belongBusted continues on A8

U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS

New state detention center raises concerns LGBT advocates question transgender, queer section A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

ALVARADO, Texas — Some activists are asking questions about a new detention center in North Texas that is slated to house about 700 immigrants, including three dozen transgender individuals. The Prairieland Detention Center is a sprawling facility featuring 14-foot-tall fences and a specially designed wing for transgender individuals, the Dallas Morning News reports. The facility is in and owned by Alvarado, a small city about 40 miles south of Dallas, though it is managed by Emerald Correctional Management LLC, a privately held Louisiana-based detention company. A center official says de-

tained immigrants could arrive this month, though a U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement official said the center will more likely open in January. Advocates for transgender rights are cautious about the unique wing at the facility. Nell Gaither, founder of the Dallasbased Trans Pride Initiative, wants to ensure that Prairieland has enough security provisions to keep transgender immigrants from being abused and assaulted. “Our preference is that they not hold any trans or queer persons,” said Gaither, who along with other activists for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights have met Center continues on A8

Louis DeLuca / AP

The Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, will open soon and is being run by the Lafayette, a Louisiana-based company. Some activists are asking questions about a new detention center in North Texas that is slated to house about 700 immigrants, including three dozen transgender individuals.

Zin brief A2 | Saturday, October 15, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE NATION

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

First day of the annual Pumpkin Patch. 7 a.m.–7 p.m. First United Methodist Church lawn, 1220 McClelland Ave. 1 11th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Trail Ride. 9 a.m. LIFE Downs. Hosted by Brush Country Trail Riders. 1 St. John Neumann Church Jamaica. 4 p.m.–10 p.m. St. John Neumann Church, 102 W Hillside Road. Delicious food, entertaining games, and plenty of music and entertainment. Fun for the whole family! 1 Rodeo for The Cure featuring the 2nd Women’s Ranch Rodeo. 4 p.m. LIFE Downs. Hosted by Brush Country Trail Riders. 1 Rodeo for The Cure featuring the seventh annual Ranch Rodeo for The Cure. 7 p.m. LIFE Downs. Hosted by Brush Country Trail Riders.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16 1

Pumpkin Patch. Noon–7 p.m. First United Methodist Church lawn, 1220 McClelland Ave. 1 The Laredo Phil presents “Heavenly Peace.” 3–5 p.m. TAMIU Recital Hall. $20. The theme for this season is “Music of Peace, Joy & Love.” Dr. Fritz Gechter, associate professor of piano at TAMIU will perform as the soloist in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor Op. 38. Show is free for full time students with ID. For tickets and more information visit the Laredo Phil website at www.laredophil.com or call 326-3042.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 1

Pumpkin Patch. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. First United Methodist Church lawn, 1220 McClelland Ave. 1 Flu Vaccine Clinic. 1–4 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco Street. $20. Cash, credit cards or checks accepted. Free for those with Medicare Part B or Blue Cross Blue Shield. Proof of insurance required. For adults only. Vaccines provided and administered by the City of Laredo Health Department. 1 Chess Club. 4–6 p.m. Every Monday. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete in this cherished strategy game played internationally. Free. For all ages and skill levels. Instruction is offered. 1 Movie and Popcorn. Every Monday, 4–5 p.m. Santa Rita Express Library, 83 Prada Machin Drive, on the corner of Malaga Drive and Castro Urdiales Avenue. Enjoy a family movie and refreshments. 1 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting in Spanish. 6:30–7:30 p.m. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., Classroom No. 1. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. This meeting will be conducted in Spanish.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18 1

Pumpkin Patch. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. First United Methodist Church lawn, 1220 McClelland Ave. 1 Rock wall climbing. 4–5:30 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Take the challenge and climb the rock wall! Fun exercise for all ages. Free. Bring ID. 1 LEGO Workshop. Every Tuesday, 4–5 p.m. Santa Rita Express Library, 83 Prada Machin Drive, on the corner of Malaga Drive and Castro Urdiales Avenue. Create with LEGOs, DUPLOs and robotics.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19 1

Pumpkin Patch. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. First United Methodist Church lawn, 1220 McClelland Ave. 1 SRX Chess Club. Every Wednesday, 4–5 p.m. Santa Rita Express Library, 83 Prada Machin Drive, on the corner of Malaga Drive and Castro Urdiales Avenue. Learn the basics of chess and compete with friends. Limited chess sets available for use. 1 Sleeping Giant: How the New Working Class Will Transform America. 7 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, 5201 University Blvd. International Bank of Commerce Keynote Speaker Series presentation featuring Tamara Draut.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20 1

Pumpkin Patch. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. First United Methodist Church lawn, 1220 McClelland Ave. 1 Wii U Gaming. Every Thursday, 4–5 p.m. Santa Rita Express Library, 83 Prada Machin Drive, on the corner of Malaga Drive and Castro Urdiales Avenue. Game with friends on Wii U.

Today is Saturday, Oct. 15, the 289th day of 2016. There are 77 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlights in History: On Oct. 15, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill creating the U.S. Department of Transportation. The revolutionary Black Panther Party was founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, California.

Andrew Harnik / AP

Newly released emails show that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign asked former President Bill Clinton to cancel a speech to a Wall Street investment firm last year.

CLINTON TRIED TO CANCEL SPEECH By Matthew Daly ASSOCIATED PRE SS

WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton’s campaign asked former President Bill Clinton to cancel a speech to a Wall Street investment firm last year because of concerns that the Clintons might appear to be too cozy with Wall Street just as the former secretary of state was about to announce her White House bid, newly released emails show. Clinton aides say in hacked emails released Friday by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks that Hillary Clinton did not

3 arrested in alleged bomb plot targeting Somalis in Kansas WICHITA, Kan. — Three members of a Kansas militia group were charged Friday with plotting to bomb an apartment building filled with Somali immigrants in the western Kansas meatpacking town of Garden City. Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Curtis Wayne Allen, 49; Patrick Eugene Stein, 47; and Gavin Wayne Wright, 49,

want her husband to cancel the speech, but after a “cool down period” was eventually convinced that canceling was the right step. Campaign manager Robby Mook said he realized canceling the lucrative speech would disappoint both Clintons but “it’s a very consequential unforced error and could plague us in stories for months.” The Clintons’ paid speeches have been an issue throughout the campaign, particularly Hillary Clinton’s private speeches to Wall Street firms. Hillary Clinton earned about $1.5 million in speaking fees.

are members of a small group that calls itself “the Crusaders.” Prosecutors said the men don’t yet have attorneys. Publicly listed phone numbers for the men couldn’t immediately be found. The arrests were the culmination of an eight-month FBI investigation that took agents “deep into a hidden culture of hatred and violence,” Beall said. A confidential source attended meetings of a militia group called the Kansas Security Force in an investigation of its activities against Muslims in

southwestern Kansas. The suspects conspired to detonate a bomb at a Garden City apartment complex where Somalis were among roughly 120 residents, Beall said. The men, who were arrested in Liberal on Friday morning, performed surveillance of the apartment building and prepared a manifesto, Beall said. If convicted, the men could be sentenced to up to life in federal prison without parole. The Crusaders has militia and sovereign citizen ties. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE NATION Syrian suspected in bomb plot ‘excited about life’ BERLIN — A 22-year-old Syrian man suspected by German authorities of planning to carry out a bomb attack was looking forward to life in Germany the last time they spoke, his brother said Friday. Jaber Albakr was found dead in a cell at Leipzig prison Wednesday, two days after being arrested on suspicion of plotting to attack a Berlin airport using homemade explosives. But Alaa Albakr insisted that his brother had no violent intentions and that he would never have committed suicide because that is forbidden by Islam. “He sounded like he was excited about life and like he was ready to resume his life in Germany,” he said of the last time he spoke to his younger brother. The account he gave in a

Hendrik Schmidt / AP

A police barrier tape and a vehicle of a forensic team blocks off the entrance to an apartment in Leipzig, Germany on Monday.

telephone interview from Syria was sharply at odds with the portrait painted this week by German officials, who cast Jaber Albakr as a pawn of the Islamic State group whose violent plans were only narrowly intercepted. Federal prosecutors said Albakr, who was granted asylum in Germany last year, was

planning to carry out an “Islamist-motivated attack.” Authorities found 1.5 kilograms of “extremely dangerous explosives” that could have been used to make a suicide vest at an apartment he had been staying at in the eastern city of Chemnitz. — Compiled from AP reports

On this date: In 1783, the first manned balloon flight took place in Paris as JeanFrancois Pilatre de Rozier ascended in a basket attached to a tethered Montgolfier hot-air balloon, rising to about 75 feet. In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte, the deposed Emperor of the French, arrived on the British-ruled South Atlantic island of St. Helena, where he spent the last 5 1/2 years of his life in exile. In 1905, Claude Debussy’s “La Mer” (The Sea), a trio of symphonic sketches, premiered in Paris. In 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act, which expanded on the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. In 1917, Dutch dancer Mata Hari, convicted of spying for the Germans, was executed by a French firing squad outside Paris. In 1940, Charles Chaplin’s first all-talking comedy, “The Great Dictator,” a lampoon of Adolf Hitler, opened in New York. In 1945, the former premier of Vichy France, Pierre Laval, was executed for treason. In 1946, Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering fatally poisoned himself hours before he was to have been executed. In 1969, peace demonstrators staged activities across the country as part of a “moratorium” against the Vietnam War. In 1976, in the first debate of its kind between vice-presidential nominees, Democrat Walter F. Mondale and Republican Bob Dole faced off in Houston. In 1990, Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev was named the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. South Africa’s Separate Amenities Act, which had barred blacks from public facilities for decades, was formally scrapped. In 1991, despite sexual harassment allegations by Anita Hill, the Senate narrowly confirmed the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court, 52-48. Ten years ago: Three members of Duke University’s lacrosse team appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes” to deny raping a woman who’d been hired to perform as a stripper (Collin Finnerty, Reade Seligmann and David Evans were later exonerated). Pope Benedict XVI named four new saints of the Catholic Church. Five years ago: Italian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons in Rome as violent protesters hijacked a peaceful demonstration against corporate greed, smashing bank windows, torching cars and hurling bottles. One year ago: President Barack Obama abandoned his pledge to end America’s longest war, announcing plans to keep at least 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office in 2017 and hand the conflict off to his successor. Today’s Birthdays: Former auto executive Lee Iacocca is 92. Jazz musician Freddy Cole is 85. Singer Barry McGuire is 81. Actress Linda Lavin is 79. Rock musician Don Stevenson (Moby Grape) is 74. Actressdirector Penny Marshall is 73. Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer is 71. Singermusician Richard Carpenter is 70. Actor Victor Banerjee is 70. Former tennis player Roscoe Tanner is 65. Singer Tito Jackson is 63. Actorcomedian Larry Miller is 63. Actor Jere Burns is 62. Actress Tanya Roberts is 61. Movie director Mira Nair is 59. Britain’s Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, is 57. Chef Emeril Lagasse is 57. Rock musician Mark Reznicek is 54. Singer Eric Benet is 50. Actress Vanessa Marcil is 48. Singer-actress-TV host Paige Davis is 47. Country singer Kimberly Schlapman (Little Big Town) is 47. Actor Dominic West is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ginuwine is 46. Actor Devon Gummersall is 38. Actor Chris Olivero is 37. Christian singer-actress Jaci Velasquez is 37. Actor Brandon Jay McLaren is 36. Rhythm-and-blues singer Keyshia Cole is 35. Tennis player Elena Dementieva is 35. Actor Vincent Martella is 24. Actress Bailee Madison is 17. Thought for Today: “The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking.” — John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-born American economist (1908-2006).

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 1

UISD’s annual Dyslexia Awareness Parent Festival. 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Student Activity Complex, Rooms 1 & 2, 5208 Santa Claudia Lane. The event is free and open to all United ISD parents interested in knowing more about dyslexia. 1 DUPLO Fun Time. Every Friday, 10:30–11:30 a.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco Street. LEGOs for toddlers. 1 Pumpkin Patch. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. First United Methodist Church lawn, 1220 McClelland Ave. 1 Last day to RSVP for “Approaching the Healing Symbols in Art and Dreams.” 6:30–8:30 p.m., Oct. 28. Falcon International Bank, Community Room, 3rd Floor, 7718 McPherson Road. $15.

AROUND TEXAS

Dozen people charged in $100M health care scheme

Man sentenced to 99 years for 8th DWI conviction

Man gets 14 years in prison in fentanyl deaths case

DALLAS — Federal prosecutors in Texas say a dozen people have been charged in a $100 million health care scheme targeting military veterans and their families. Authorities said in a release Friday that nine people were arrested this week on charges that include conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

SAN MARCOS — Prosecutors south of Austin say a Hays County man has been sentenced to 99 years in prison following his eighth conviction for drunken driving. The Hays County district attorney’s office issued a release Thursday saying 64-year-old Jose Marin was sentenced after being convicted earlier in the week.

AUSTIN — An Austin man charged with selling fentanyl that authorities say led to the deaths of two men has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. The Austin American-Statesman reports that 27-year-old Sylvester Orlowski was sentenced Thursday. — Compiled from AP reports

Publisher, William B. Green .....................................728-2501 General Manager, Adriana Devally ..........................728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................................728-2531 Circulation Director ..................................................728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo..................................728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ..............................728-2582 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ........................................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo.......................728-2569

SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.

The Zapata Times

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 15, 2016 |

Zopinion A4 | Saturday, October 15, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

The Clinton Agenda By Paul Krugman TH E N EW YORK T IME S

It ain’t over until the portly gentleman screams, but it is, as intelligence analysts say, highly likely that Hillary Clinton will win this election. Pollbased models put her chances at around 90 percent earlier this week — and that was before the campaign turned totally X-rated. But what will our first female president actually be able to accomplish? That depends on how big a victory she achieves. I’m not talking about the size of her “mandate,” which means nothing: If the Obama years are any indication, Republicans will oppose anything she proposes no matter how badly they lose. The question, instead, is what happens to Congress. Consider, first, the effects of a minimal victory: Clinton becomes president, but Republicans hold on to both houses of Congress. Such a victory wouldn’t be meaningless. It would avert the nightmare of a Trump presidency, and it would also block the radical tax-cutting, privatizing agenda that Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, has made clear he will steamroll through if Trump somehow wins. But it would leave little room for positive action. Things will be quite different if Democrats retake the Senate. Pollbased models give this outcome only around a 50-50 chance, but people betting on the election give it much better odds, 2- or 3-1. Now, even a Democratic Senate wouldn’t enable Clinton to pass legislation in the face of an implacably obstructionist Republican majority in the House. It would, however, allow her to fill the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of Antonin Scalia. Doing that would have huge consequences, for environmental policy in particular. In his final years in office, President Barack Obama has made a major environmental push using his regulatory powers, for example by sharply tightening emission standards for heavy trucks. But the most important piece of his push — the Clean Power Plan, which would greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants — is currently on hold, thanks to a stay imposed by the Supreme Court. Democratic capture of the Senate would remove this roadblock. And bear in mind that climate change is by far the most important issue facing America and the world, even if the people selecting questions for the

presidential debates for some reason refuse to bring it up. Quite simply, if Democrats take the Senate, we might take the minimum action needed to avoid catastrophe; if they don’t, we won’t. What about the House? All, and I mean all, of the Obama administration’s legislative achievements took place during the two-year period when Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. Can that happen again? Until the past few days, the chances of flipping the House seemed low, even if, as now seems all but certain, Democratic candidates in total receive more votes than Republicans. Partly that’s because GOP-controlled state governments have engaged in pervasive gerrymandering; partly it’s because minority voters, who overwhelmingly favor Democrats, are clustered in a relatively small number of urban districts. But a sufficiently big Clinton victory could change that, especially if suburban women desert a GOP that has turned into the gropers-owned party. And that would let Clinton pursue a much more expansive agenda. There’s not much mystery about what that agenda would be. I don’t know why so many pundits claim that Clinton lacks a vision for America, when she has actually provided an unusual level of detail on her website and in speeches. Broadly speaking, she would significantly strengthen the social safety net, especially for the very poor and children, with an emphasis on family-related issues like parental leave. Such programs would cost money, although not as much as critics claim; she proposes, credibly, to raise that money with higher taxes on top incomes, so that the overall effect would be to reduce inequality. Democratic control of the House would also open the door for largescale infrastructure investment. If that seems feasible, I know that many progressive economists — myself included — will urge Clinton to go significantly bigger than she is currently proposing. If all of this sounds to you like a second round of what Obama did in 20092010, that’s because it is. And why not? Despite Republican obstruction, Obama has presided over a remarkable rise in the number of Americans with health insurance, a significant decline in poverty and the creation of more than 11 million private-sector jobs. In any case, the bottom line is that if you’re thinking of staying home on Election Day because the outcome is assured, don’t.

COLUMN

Trump and the surreal By Dick Meyer SCRIPP S WASHINGTON BUREAU

Way back in January, when I began to worry and then panic that Donald Trump was going to snag the Republican nomination and a realistic shot at the White House, I went searching for reality checks. One call I made was to a former colleague who is a decade or so younger than me and started his career in archconservative Republican politics before succumbing to the news business. He assured me that my panic was unwarranted. "Have faith in the American voter," he said. Chances are now about 95 percent that he was right and Trump will not be elected president. But my faith in the American voter is shaken and just about shattered. My faith in my ability to make sense of American politics and society — or that American politics makes sense — is smashed. It’s disorienting and demoralizing. And I’ve discovered that lots of people feel the same way: incredulous, bewildered and baffled. "Surreal" is the word I hear the most. It isn’t very comforting that Trump now seems destined for disgrace and defeat. He came close, and that is unfathomable. This sense of constant disbelief is for many the most disturbing part of Trumpism and the abominable election of 2016, our American annus horribilis. It is at this point when a good slice of readers will start writing me emails saying something like, "You just don’t get it because you’re a brainwashed robot of media bias, liberal elite and establishment privilege who can’t see that America is a disaster and

Over the course of the campaign, "angry white voters" have become our most sympathized-with aggrieved group, though it isn’t polite to say so. That is deeply unfortunate as there are many groups in trouble in America, white people in the lower and middle classes punished by the post-1980s economy among them. African-Americans and Hispanics have fared worse by any statistical measure, plus they carry the weight of prejudice and discrimination. We tolerate the resentment of the angry white electorate as their predatory politicians vilify, for example, Black Lives Matter. Trump is the only man with enough nuts and guts to blow it up." There is no arguing with that kind of thinking, believe me. The rebuttal will have to be the election itself. It looks like a vast majority of voters will reject Trumpism; the vast majority of those voters will not be members of the rich, establishment, liberal elite; they will be a near perfect sample of America itself. Most everyone has a theory they use to explain or make sense of Trumpism. I don’t know anyone except the cockiest of smart alecks and know-it-alls who find their theories emotionally and intuitively satisfactory. In the end, if you’re not in the tank for Trump, you are baffled by how anyone could be. We in the media elite have tried to explain Trumpism primarily by talking to Trump voters and reporting on the plight of angry white voters. This reporting has been overwhelmingly sympathetic, bending over backwards to overlook or excuse the racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic resentments in Trumpdom. There hasn’t been a parallel effort to understand Clinton voters. We assume they fit into the tidy, traditional categories. Minorities tilt heavily Democratic and so do women. Rich, urban, coastal areas go that way, too.

LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the

letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

support Donald Trump, the most exhibitionistic heathen ever to get near the White House? Or of birthers, climate deniers and locker-room talkers? It isn’t for a lack trying that most voters are mystified by zealous Trumpers and his enablers in the Republican Party. In my experience, those who aren’t baffled, who are confident they know what’s going on, are smug. Never have I seen so many people in emotional distress over American politics. One friend, a gregarious and very successful extrovert, told me he feels "insular," like he only wants to be around his family and friends lately. Friends and relatives who have never read a poll report in their lives, Google for the latest results twice a day. This isn’t only from worry about Trump winning — it also comes from the sense that their own culture and community have become alien and less comprehensible. This is proving to be deeply unsettling and depressing. The right personal therapy for this is also the right civic therapy: Find a way to ensure that Donald Trump and his fellow travelers lose big. Dick Meyer is Chief Washington Correspondent for the Scripps Washington Bureau.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 15, 2016 |

LOCAL & STATE State betting on lawman to fix growing child welfare crisis By Paul J. Weber A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS

AUSTIN, Texas — When two of the most troubled child welfare systems in the U.S. plunged into crisis, Republican governors in Texas and Arizona turned to law enforcement veterans who promised tough investigations, then saw the safety net for vulnerable kids worsen. Arizona’s Greg McKay, a onetime Phoenix detective, has survived early calls for his firing as a once-massive case backlog wanes. Now Texas’ Hank Whitman, a retired Texas Ranger who actor Robert Duvall cast to play a lawman in the 2015 film “Wild Horses,” is under similar pressure to turn woeful numbers around quickly. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday publicly prodded his hand-picked appointee for quicker action just seven months after selecting Whitman, who had no child welfare experience and hasn’t slowed the trend of hundreds of reportedly abused kids the state isn’t checking on daily. More than 200 children at risk for abuse or neglect go unseen by investigators each day around Dallas and Houston, according to state figures. About 50 kids in Texas slept in state caseworker offices in September, five times as many as the start of the year. A security guard was hired to watch over one office in Austin. “I’m sure that’s not what the governor expected,” said Texas Democratic Rep. Armando Walle of Houston. “But

Abbott

when you have maybe somebody who doesn’t have any experience in CPS, then that’s

a problem.” Whitman declined an interview but said in a statement this week that he appreciated Abbott’s support. But the problems go beyond leadership. Caseworkers in Texas, who start off making less than $40,000, have left in droves and passed their work onto already overwhelmed colleagues. The turnover rate among Texas caseworkers last year was 33 percent, though state leaders are putting no immediate money on the table for raises, frustrating child-welfare experts. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick praised the job Whitman was doing under the circumstances. “That’s how tough of a job it is, when you have to call in the head of the Rangers,” Patrick said. Arizona had a similar turnover rate at its child welfare agency at the end of last year, when McKay came under fire for reports showing that backlog of child abuse reports had grown to 15,000. That resulted in lawmakers issuing a rare rebuke of the agency run by McKay, who was hired in February 2015 and was previously the head of the state’s Office of Child Welfare Investigations. The backlog is now around 4,000, according to Arizona’s Department of Child Safety.

Courtesy photo

This is a photo of last year’s Christmas Parade. The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce has announced that this year’s annual Christmas Parade and the Lighting of the County Plaza will be taking place on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 at 6 p.m.

Participants wanted for annual Christmas Parade SPECIAL TO THE TIME S

The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce would like local residences to save the date for the annual Christmas Parade and the Lighting of the County Plaza on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016.

All businesses, churches, clubs, schools, organizations and elected officials are invited to participate in this year's Christmas Parade. Trophies will be awarded for the top three best decorated floats. The parade lineup will

start at 5 p.m. on Glenn St & 17th Ave., behind (Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.) All entries must be in line no later than 5:30 p.m. The Christmas Parade will begin promptly at 6 p.m. and proceed on 17th

Ave. and head south on US Hwy 83 taking a left on 6th Ave. to end the parade. Immediately following the parade we will have our annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the County Plaza followed by gifts from Santa.

Veterans Appreciation Day event announced SPECIAL TO THE TIME S

The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce would like to invite the public give a special

thank you those who have served our country. The Veterans Appreciation Day event is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 at the American

Legion Backroom located at 2213 S. US Hwy 83 in Zapata, Texas. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. and end at 8 p.m. Both dinner and

refreshments will be served. For more information contact, please contact Nora Eliza Vaughn at 956-290-1271.

A6 | Saturday, October 15, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL

New allegations of sexual misconduct rock the Donald Trump campaign By Steve Peoples and Jill Colvin A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Battered by sordid new accusations of sexual misbehavior, Donald Trump fought back in ever-more-remarkable fashion Friday, acting out one woman’s allegation onstage and suggesting another was not attractive enough to merit his attention. Trump He defiantly denied a week’s worth of accusations that have all but consumed his presidential bid just over three weeks before the election. “She would not be my first choice, that I can tell you,” Trump said of one woman in a rambling attack on his female accusers as he campaigned in battleground North Carolina. The New York businessman said his staff wanted him to avoid the topic altogether but that he couldn’t resist defending himself. He blamed the growing story on his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton and an international media conspiracy, describing his female accusers as “sick” people seeking fame or money. “The only thing I can say is hopefully, hopefully, our patriotic movement will overcome this terrible deception,” he declared. Trump assailed The New York Times in particular, noting its connection to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who is a major shareholder in the media company. Spokesman Arturo Elias Ayub later said Slim doesn’t know Trump at all “and is not the least bit interested in his personal life.” Meanwhile, Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, promised the campaign would

Steven Senne / AP

In this Tuesday photo, a 1600 edition of Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing" rests in a display case as part of the exhibit "Shakespeare Unauthorized" at the Boston Public Library. Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP

Summer Zervos, right, listens alongside her attorney Gloria Allred during a news conference.

soon release evidence against the women that would show Trump’s innocence. “It’s coming in, frankly, probably in a matter of hours,” Pence said Friday morning on NBC’s “Today” Show.” He added, “It’s astonishing to see the enormous coverage of these, of these really unfounded allegations, unestablished allegations, compared to an avalanche of emails coming out of Hillary Clinton’s years as secretary of state.” Indeed, Friday marked another day on which WikiLeaks released thousands of emails stolen from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s personal account. The Clinton campaign, citing information it says is from the FBI, says the hacks are being investigated as part of a broader attack on Democratic Party leaders that may involve Russia. Explosive claims of sexual impropriety have almost completely overshadowed the extraordinary attempt by a third party, whoever it may be, to influence the U.S. election at a critical moment. Polls suggest Trump has fallen further behind Clinton nationally and in most battleground states. Early in-person voting is underway in 20 states, including Ohio, where President Barack Obama railed against Trump a day after first lady Michelle Obama declared in a passionate speech,

“Enough is enough.” The Obamas both seized on Trump’s words, captured in a video released last week, bragging about kissing and groping women without their permission. The 70-yearold billionaire has apologized, but also repeatedly dismissed his comments as “locker room talk.” “You don’t have to be a husband or a father to know that that kind of language, those kinds of thoughts, those kinds of actions are unacceptable. They’re not right. You just have to be a decent human being,” President Obama charged in Columbus, Ohio. Two more women, meanwhile, come forward Friday with allegations against Trump. A former contestant from NBC’s “The Apprentice,” said Friday that the former reality television star became sexually aggressive at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007. Summer Zervos, appearing at a Friday news conference with attorney Gloria Allred, said Trump kissed her open-mouthed and touched her breasts in a private room. And in a story published online Friday, Kristin Anderson told The Washington Post that she was sitting on a couch with friends at a New York nightclub in the early 1990s when a hand reached up her skirt and touched her through her underwear.

An anxious journey to check on a flooded home after Hurricane Matthew By Tamara Lush A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

LUMBERTON, N.C. — Elmer McDonald rolled up his blue jeans and sloshed into the ankledeep floodwater on his street. The cool water was the color of strong tea. In his left hand, he carried keys to his trailer. The 36-year-old father of four hoped to find out exactly what Hurricane Matthew had left behind. McDonald — known as Moe to his friends in Lumberton — had tried to return Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but each day, the current was too strong, the water too deep. Maybe Thursday would be the day he finally got inside. The water on the street had receded and now covered only about a city block. The sky was bright blue, the sun not too warm. It would have been a perfect fall day if folks here weren’t dealing with the worst natural disaster to hit this city in a generation. McDonald was one of thousands who evacuated. About 1,200 people had to be rescued by boat or plucked from their roofs by helicopters. Two of North Carolina’s 24 fatalities occurred in Robeson County, where Lumberton is the seat. People throughout the

Brian Blanco / AP

Cedric Blackmon, left, entertains neighbor Jaywuan McMillian, 13, by catching small fish.

flood zone are anxious to get back to their homes to see what is salvageable. Many, like McDonald, do not have flood insurance. With an Associated Press reporter and photographer in tow, McDonald set out. He walked with rhythmic splashes up the road’s double yellow line and talked of his life — how he was from Baltimore, how he’d once been shot in the foot and been homeless. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t scared when the water deepened, first to his calves, then his knees, then his hips. “I’ve been through a lot, a lot of stuff. This right here ain’t bothering me.” A soggy sofa sat half submerged, making one wonder what else was in the water. “Everything. All kinds

of stuff. Snakes, water moccasins, maybe a gator. Trash, debris. There’s probably all type of metal and glass in here,” he said. McDonald’s kids range from 16 months to 17 years old. None was home at the time of the storm. Before the rain, the little ones went to stay with their grandma, who has water and power. He and his wife didn’t leave until the waters rose. They hastily piled everything they could grab onto tables and counters, then packed a few items and fled. McDonald returned to try to get paperwork out of a car in his backyard, but the water was too high. He helped neighbors move their cars to higher ground. What he wasn’t able to do: grab his tools.

Early editions of William Shakespeare’s plays get rare public view By Philip Marcelo ASSOCIATED PRE SS

BOSTON — The public is getting a rare peek at first and early editions of some of William Shakespeare’s most beloved plays. The Boston Public Library is commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death with “Shakespeare Unauthorized,” a free exhibition that opens Friday. The library famously holds a copy of the “First Folio,” the earliest published collection of Shakespeare’s works. Early “quartos,” or booklets for individual works like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Hamlet” and “The Merchant of Venice,” are also among the highlights of the exhibition. “These are the books that all modern Shakespeare texts are based on,” says Jay Moschella, the library’s curator for rare books. “They’re extremely valuable and we’re one of the few places that has them. They’re one of the great cultural treasures of Boston.” “Shakespeare Unauthorized” features roughly 60 items, a relatively modest selection from the library’s sizable holdings of original works by Shakespeare, which are considered among the

largest and most comprehensive among public institutions in the U.S. The last time the library showcased these materials was 100 years ago, on the 300th anniversary of the Bard’s death, according to Moschella. Most of the year, they’re securely kept and made available to researchers by request. The library purchased much of its collection of Shakespeare materials — along with thousands of other early works of English literature — for $34,000 from the family of a prominent collector in 1873. Tucked in the library’s grand Beaux Arts building downtown, “Shakespeare Unauthorized” opens with a discussion of “Hamlet” and how early versions of the seminal work differed. The famous line “To be or not to be, that is the question,” for example, is written “To be or not to be, ay, there’s the point” in the earliest version. “It’s not only significantly less poetic, but it’s also one of the central questions of Shakespearean scholarship,” Moschella explains. “Why is that text different and how does that affect what we’re reading?” Elsewhere, the exhibit delves into the conspiracy theories surrounding the Bard, such as the theory

that the true author of his works was the famed English philosopher and scientist Sir Francis Bacon. It also spotlights copies of notorious forgeries and works that were initially credited to Shakespeare but later dismissed. The grand finale of the exhibition is the richly made “First Folio,” one of about 230 copies still in existence. The handmade, encyclopedia-sized tome — titled “Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies Published According to the True Originall Copies” — is displayed in a large glass case along with copies of later folios. An interactive screen nearby lets visitors peruse a digital copy of the 900-plus-page book. Published in 1623, years after Shakespeare’s death, the “First Folio” contains 36 of his works, 18 of which had never been printed before, including “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar” and “The Tempest.” “These are major, important Shakespeare works. Without these, Shakespeare would not be Shakespeare,” Moschella says. “And it is a pretty safe bet that most if not all of these plays would have been lost if they had not been memorialized in the ‘First Folio.”’

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 15, 2016 |

BUSINESS

Slow recovery confounds economists’ expectations By Paul Wiseman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Friday that the slow recovery from the Great Recession has surprised economists, confounding long-held beliefs about growth and inflation. Her remarks could help explain why the Fed has been reluctant to raise U.S. interest rates. Speaking to an economic conference at the Feder-

al Reserve Bank of Boston, Yellen did not address the Fed’s timetable Yellen for rates. The central bank is widely expected to resume raising rates in December, a reflection of an improved economy. Yellen said sluggish worldwide growth would likely keep global interest rates low, making it hard-

er for central banks to combat the next recession with rate cuts. As with the aftermath of the Great Recession, Yellen noted that economists have at times been baffled by the economy’s refusal to comply with their expectations — during the Great Depression of the 1930s, for example, and the “stagflation” of the 1970s when high unemployment co-existed with high inflation. The aftermath of the

2007-2009 crisis has “revealed limits in economists’ understanding of the economy,” the Fed chair suggested. Tumbling home prices reduced consumers’ willingness to spend more than economists had envisioned. And a steady decline in the unemployment rate has failed to lift wages and inflation as much as economic models would indicate. Yellen’s comments amounted to an implicit

defense of the Fed’s aggressive efforts to boost the American economy in the aftermath of the recession. The Fed kept shortterm rates near zero for seven years and launched three bond-buying programs to try to shrink longer-term rates, too, to stimulate borrowing and spending. Yellen said the sluggish recovery suggests that “it is even more important for policymakers to act quickly and aggressively

in response to a recession” and that policymakers might need to provide more stimulus “during recoveries than would be called for under the traditional view.” After raising its benchmark short-term rate in December, the Fed had been expected to increase rates again several times this year. But it has instead left rates alone, citing persistent uncertainty about the economic outlook.

After the scandal, Wells Medicare unveils Fargo’s damage becomes far-reaching overhaul of doctors’ pay apparent By Ken Sweet

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

NEW YORK — It’s going to get worse for Wells Fargo before it gets better. In the wake of the biggest scandal in the bank’s 164-year history, distrustful customers are not opening as many checking accounts or applying for credit cards, and branch visits and meetings between customers and bankers are down, too. Wells has also been hit with several lawsuits from customers, employees and shareholders. There are calls from politicians for fraud charges against the bank. And Wells almost surely faces settlements and fines way beyond the $185 million it agreed to pay regulators when the scandal broke wide open last month. Or, as Wells Fargo executives put it to Wall Street analysts, using what has become a remarkably common term in this age of corporate malfeasance, the bank’s legal expenses are likely to be “lumpy.” Wells Fargo executives, including newly appointed CEO Tim Sloan, are having trouble quantifying what the long-term effect on the bottom line will be. Investors expect Wells to walk away from this crisis mostly intact, but it is apparent that the bank’s recovery will be long and arduous. For now, “our immediate priority is restoring trust in Wells Fargo,” Sloan said in a conference call with investors Friday. The San Franciscobased bank is engulfed in

WASHINGTON — Changing the way it does business, Medicare on Friday unveiled a farreaching overhaul of how it pays doctors and other clinicians. The goal is to reward quality, penalize poor performance, and avoid paying piecemeal for services. Whether it succeeds or fails, it’s one of the biggest changes in Medicare’s 50-year history. The complex regulation is nearly 2,400 pages long and will take years to fully implement. It’s meant to carry out bipartisan legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama last year. The concept of paying for quality has broad support, but the details have been a concern for some clinicians, who worry that the new system will force small practices and old-fashioned solo doctors to join big groups. Patients may soon start hearing about the changes from their physicians, but it’s still too early to discern the impacts. The Obama administration sought to calm concerns Friday. “Transforming something of this size is something we have focused on with great care,” said Andy Slavitt, head of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Officials said they considered more than 4,000 formal comments and held meetings around the country attended by more than 100,000 people before issuing the final rule. It eases some timelines

Lynne Sladky / AP file

Customers walk into a Wells Fargo bank in Pembroke Pines, Fla. In the wake of the biggest scandal in the bank’s 164-year history, distrustful customers are not opening as many checking accounts or applying for credit cards.

a crisis that started in mid-September, when Wells reached a settlement over allegations that its employees opened up to 2 million bank and credit card accounts without customers’ authorization in order to meet high sales goals. Under pressure from politicians and investors, CEO John Stumpf abruptly retired on Wednesday. On Friday, Wells reported third-quarter earnings of $5.6 billion, down from $5.8 billion a year earlier. That is not a good measure of the effects of the scandal, which didn’t break until the quarter was nearly over. But at Wells’ 6,000 U.S. branches, there are signs that customers are backing away, even though the bank says it clamped down on the abuses over a year ago. Wells reported a drop in what it calls banker and teller “interactions” in September from both a year ago and from Au-

gust. Also, consumer checking account openings dropped 25 percent in September from a year earlier and 30 percent from August. Consumer applications for Wells credit cards also fell sharply in September. In addition, referrals for mortgages from Wells’ retail branches were down 24 percent from August. Wells is the nation’s biggest mortgage lender. What all of this could mean for Wells’ bottom line is difficult to quantify. Not every credit card application will result in an opened credit card account. Not every account opened will get used, carry a balance, and get charged interest. “We are beginning to try to calculate whether there will be a trend at all,” Wells Fargo CFO John Shrewsberry said in an interview. “The income implications for us, if at all, are down the road.”

the administration initially proposed, and gives doctors more pathways for complying. The American Medical Association said its first look suggests that the administration “has been responsive” to many concerns that doctors raised. In Congress, staffers were poring over the details. Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., who worries that Medicare’s new direction could damage the doctorpatient relationship, said he’s going to give the regulation “careful scrutiny.” Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of a panel that oversees Medicare, called it an “important step forward,” but said the administration needs to keep listening to concerns. MACRA, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, creates two new payment systems, or tracks, for clinicians. It affects more than 600,000 doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and therapists, a majority of clinicians billing Medicare. Medical practices must decide next year what track they will take. Starting in 2019, clinicians can earn higher reimbursements if they learn new ways of doing business, joining a leading-edge track that’s called Alternative Payment Models. That involves being willing to accept financial risk and reward for performance, reporting quality measures to the government, and using electronic medical records. Medicare said some 70,000 to 120,000 clinicians are initially expected to take that more challenging path. Officials are hoping the number will quickly grow.

Most clinical practitioners — an estimated 590,000 to 640,000 — will be in a second track called the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. It features more modest financial risks and rewards, and accountability for quality, efficiency, use of electronic medical records, and self-improvement. Finally, about 380,000 clinicians are expected to be exempt from the new systems because they don’t see enough Medicare patients, or their billings do not reach a given threshold. “Half of the physician practices under 10 (doctors) will not be reporting at all,” said Slavitt. Initially more doctors would have been covered. Advocates say the new system will improve quality and help check costs. But critics say complicated requirements could prove overwhelming. The administration says some doctors will be pleasantly surprised to find out that reporting requirements have been streamlined to make them easier to meet. With 57 million elderly and disabled beneficiaries, Medicare is the government’s premier health insurance program. The Obama administration has also been working to overhaul payment for hospitals and private insurance plans that serve Medicare beneficiaries. The unifying theme is rewarding quality over volume. While some quality improvements have already been noted, it’s likely to take years to see if the new approaches can lead to major savings that help keep Medicare sustainable.

A8 | Saturday, October 15, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

FROM THE COVER

Michael Schumacher / AP

Tanner attaches a prosthetic flipper before swimming at Amarillo Town Club. Tanner lost a portion of his leg in an accident with a drunk driver but that hasn't keep him out of the swimming pool.

Eduardo Verdugo / AP file

In this July 12, 2014 photo, a young migrant girl waits for a freight train to depart on her way to the U.S. border in Ixtepec, Mexico. According to Amnesty International, countries including Mexico and the United States are deporting Central American immigrants back to violent homelands that don’t protect them.

Deported Central Americans face violence back home, reports Amnesty By Maria Verza A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

MEXICO CITY — Countries including Mexico and the United States are deporting Central American immigrants back to violent homelands that don’t protect them, Amnesty International said Friday. In a report released in Honduras’ capital of Tegucigalpa, the international human rights organization said soaring deportations, especially by Mexico, are creating a desperate situation when combined with already sky-high murder rates in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. It gave the example of Saul, a 35-year-old Honduran man and father of five who survived a shooting that seriously wounded two of his sons. Saul fled the country when police failed to act on his report and Mexico denied his request for asylum and deported him in July. Three weeks later, he was killed. The Amnesty International report said the man it identified only by his first name is just one of the many Central American migrants being deported who face death in homelands that do little

BUSTED From page A1 ing to Richard Osiel Ramos,” the complaint states. In a post-arrest interview, Ramos said a

CENTER From page A1 with ICE in Dallas to work on these issues. Emerald Correctional Management CEO Steve Afeman said special security measures will be in place for the transgender population, including a separate dorm with electronic monitoring by cameras and direct supervision. The company has a contract that guarantees it will receive $89.25 per day for each of a minimum of 525 beds, even if those beds aren’t filled. At that rate, the revenue stream would be $17.1 million over one year. “It is a guaranteed minimum revenue stream,” Afeman said. “Otherwise, how would

to protect them. It describes cases of migrants who were returned to their countries and killed. The report cites the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to show applications for asylum from those three countries to their neighbors and the U.S. are six times higher than they were five years ago. Meanwhile, Amnesty International says Mexico’s deportations of those migrants have increased 180 percent from 2010 to 2015. El Salvador’s murder rate last year was among the highest in the world outside a war zone. The report calls on the migrants’ countries to do more to protect people who are sent back, arguing that support in most cases is cursory and quickly evaporates. Saul was a bus driver in Honduras, an especially dangerous profession because powerful gangs control the business of extorting drivers. Amnesty International interviewed him in July at his Tegucigalpa home. “I’m always uneasy,” he said. “I feel like something is going to happen again, maybe to me.” He was shot dead three days later.

friend named Horacio approached him in Alice. Horacio allegedly offered Ramos a job smuggling five people from Roma to Houston. Ramos expected a $400 payment per immigrant, according to court documents.

you get a $60 million facility custom-built?” Jeh C. Johnson, the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has called for a review of contracts allowing private corporations to run immigration detention centers. However, Afeman said he doubts that contracts for immigrant detention centers are under threat. There are currently no other place to house so many people awaiting legal proceedings or deportation. Prairieland was financed with nearly $64 million in revenue bonds issued through the Prairieland Public Facilities Corp., which was set up by the city of Alvarado. Alvarado owns the facility, while Emerald is the operator, Afeman said.

Disabled Amarillo man swims last long miles for a purpose By Jon Mark Beilue AMARILL O GL OBE -NEWS

AMARILLO, Texas — The day was nearly 37 years ago, but Doug Tanner can still recall several details — up to a point. He was a field archivist, working for the University of Virginia. Tanner was in his Volkswagen van, returning to the library where he worked. On Dec. 7, 1979, he came through a turn signal in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he made a left turn. Then, like a flash, came a car. It was from the other lanes of traffic facing the opposite direction at the stop light, speeding into his lane to get around them. “The last thing I remember was pulling my wheel to the right,” Tanner told the Amarillo Globe-News. An 18-year-old kid, a groundskeeper at the university, was legally drunk. He, of course, walked away. Tanner did not. The head-on crash, among several injuries, crushed both legs and put him in the hospital for months. “It was really assault

with a deadly vehicle,” Tanner said. “I literally had to learn to walk again.” His left leg never really healed. Skin and bone grafts didn’t work. While he was living near Denver in 1981, doctors determined it was best to amputate just below the knee. Tanner eventually worked through the bitterness as he put his life back together again. He became more grateful and patient, with himself and with others. A carbon fiber foot and ankle with a conventional prosthesis, now his seventh one, provides a cosmetic look and the necessary mobility. Most afternoons now, Tanner, 74, can be found at the Amarillo Town Club. A graduate of Amarillo High and West Texas State, Tanner retired as a consultant in Washington, D.C., in 2009 and moved back to his hometown. Since Jan. 23, 2009, he’s been a fixture at the Town Club. Occasionally, he’ll be at the pool at West Texas A&M or at Gold’s Gym, or if traveling, any

available pool. You see Tanner, with his 1and a half legs, is swimming across the country, or the equivalent of. And as he approaches the last 50 miles of what will be more than 2,400 miles in the water, he harkens back to that day in 1979 and maybe why he’s doing all of this in the first place. Tanner started swimming as a kid, and as an adult added trail running, skiing and cycling. After the accident, the head of the orthopedic clinic at Johns Hopkins in Maryland told him to forget running, but swimming was more doable. Returning to Amarillo, the swim miles slowly piled up, 36 up-and-back laps at the Town Club equaled a mile over 50 to 55 minutes. He swims with a swim fin on his left stump. “It unbalances me and forces me to use my upper body more than I would,” he said, “I don’t have much of a kick because most of my kick is devoted to straightening out my gait.” Through the daily swims, some as long as 11⁄2

miles, Tanner believed he could do more — not for himself, but for others. A member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity at West Texas, in 2012 he took up the Iron Phi Challenge. A national Phi Delt fundraiser, Tanner raised $1,300 by swimming a mile for every $5 donation. The money went to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. The disease killed baseball great Lou Gehrig, a former Phi Delt. At some point, Tanner, who keeps a log, tried to put in terms how far his miles were. Google maps determined 2,410 miles was from coast to coast, Savannah, Ga., to San Diego. So maybe he could end with a renewed purpose. This past week, Tanner needed 50 miles to complete the virtual coast-tocoast swim. He should finish on Thanksgiving Day. His idea: 50 separate donations for the last 50 miles to Texas’ Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). He’s spread the word online, and handing out some literature to friends and at church.

FAMILY From page A1 ing. Family members of Victoria Rodriguez explained to The Zapata Times how this disease impacted their lives and how meetings such as the Laredo Alzheimer’s Support Group have helped. These meetings became a lifeline for many Laredoans affected by the disease, like Gloria Rodriguez. Victoria N. Rodriguez One of Gloria Rodriguez’s sisters saw a mention of the support group meetings in the paper, and they decided to go. “That’s how we learned (to manage),” Rodriguez said. “Through people who were there that had experienced it.” Rodriguez is one of eight siblings who grew up on a ranch in Zapata. She moved to Laredo about 40 years ago, but she returned to the ranch often to stay with her mother when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was around 2007 when she says they started to notice little changes. Her mother, Victoria Rodriguez, was about 80 at the time. Gloria Rodriguez and her siblings did not know that these were symptoms of Alzheimer’s when they first manifested, she said. For instance, Victoria Rodriguez never let her children use curse words. “No cussing! No bad words! Not in my house!” Gloria Rodriguez recalls her mother saying. Suddenly in her old age, however, Victoria Rodriguez started to practice what she had always condemned.

Courtesy / Rodriguez family

Victoria Rodriguez rests her head on her oldest grandchild, Jorge Abel Garcia Jr., 21 days before she died. Victoria Rodriguez, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, was 87 when she died in 2014.

“When she started using cuss words, it’s like ‘OK! We can do it (too)!’” Gloria Rodriguez laughed. Gloria Rodriguez also said her mother absolutely loved George Strait. When she was cutting her mother’s hair one day, she put on the movie “Pure Country,” which stars the King of Country. To Gloria’s surprise, her mother became agitated by the film and told her daughter to turn it off. But these personality changes weren’t enough to make Victoria Rodriguez’s children realize she was sick. In fact it was years after these symptoms presented that Victoria Rodriguez was diagnosed. The first sign of a real problem was when Victoria Rodriguez’s youngest son took her to a neighbor’s wedding, someone she had known for years. But at the wedding, she didn’t recognize them.

Her son realized she could have Alzheimer’s, which a doctor later confirmed. Victoria Rodriguez worsened. She once fled the house in the middle of the night. Her family found her two blocks away with a gash on her head from when she had fallen on the way. She eventually didn’t recognize her family. “She didn’t know who we were, but she knew it was a familiar face,” Gloria Rodriguez said. “You’d walk in and she’d light up. But she didn’t know your name.” Love Gloria Rodriguez said that at the end of her mother’s life, her entire family came to be with her in the hospital. She remembers a room full of family praying around her mother. Gloria Rodriguez looked up, and realized her mother had passed

quietly and peacefully while they were in prayer. Victoria Rodriguez was 87 when she died in 2014. About a month ago, Gloria Rodriguez and her older sister were cleaning out their parents’ house and found a yellow envelope that had the words “reunion pictures” written across it. Inside, they found no photos, but an undated letter from their mother. She addresses all her children by name. “She wants us to be there for each other,” Gloria Rodriguez recalled the letter’s contents. “She was so proud of us, and she says it there.” Gloria Rodriguez said in the face of Alzheimer’s it’s all about giving care, affection, attention and love. “Bottom line, it’s the loving.” Julia Wallace may be reached at jwallace@lmtonline.com

Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 15, 2016 |

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE FERIA DEL LIBRO 1 La escuela primaria Zapata North Elementary School estará realizando su Feria del Libro del 17 al 21 de octubre, en la biblioteca de ZNES de 8 a.m. a 3 p.m. CENA ESTA NOCHE 1 La Escuela de Cocina Saludable de Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, invita al evento Cena esta Noche que se celebrará el jueves 20 de octubre en la iglesia First Assembly of God, ubicada en 6103 McPherson Rd., en Laredo. Habrá demostraciones culinarias presentadas por Chef Bobby González de los restaurantes Tabernillas y El Capataz. Las puertas se abrirán desde las 5 p.m. para realizar pruebas de salud. Regístrese en línea en agriliferegistrer.tamu.edu/ DinnerTonight CURSOS DE LENGUAJE DE SIGNOS (ASL) 1 El Departamento de Educación Especial local está ofreciendo clases de Lenguaje Americano de Signos para el personal profesional y paraprofesional así como para padres, estudiantes o administradores del distrito Zapata County Independent School District, todos los jueves desde el 20 de octubre al 15 de diciembre (ocho semanas de duración). En el horario de 4:15 p.m. a 5:15 p.m. en el laboratorio de computadoras de la escuela primaria Zapata North Elementary School. Mayores informes al 956285-6877 o a la Oficina de Educación Especial al 956756-6130 antes del 13 de octubre.

TAMAULIPAS

PATRULLA FRONTERIZA

Crean comisión

Arrestan a uno por tráfico humano

E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Ciudad Victoria, México— El gobernador de Tamaulipas, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca se reunió en las oficinas de Palacio de Gobierno con familiares e integrantes de organizaciones civiles que participan en la búsqueda de personas desaparecidas o no localizadas en Tamaulipas. En el encuentro con los activistas sociales que buscan a desaparecidos y víctimas en el contexto de la violencia criminal en el estado, el gobernador, asumió el compromiso de proceder a la integración de la Comisión Ejecutiva Estatal de Atención a Víctimas, así como definir quienes la conformarán y con ello dar cumplimiento a lo que establece la Ley General de Atención a Víctimas. La creación de la Comisión, permitirá respetar, proteger y garantizar los derechos de las víctimas de delitos, misma que también permitirá vigilar que las autoridades cumplan sus obligaciones de prevenir, investigar y sancionar los ilícitos, como el secuestro o la desaparición de personas.

El mandatario también dijo que su administración procederá a la elaboración del Reglamento de Atención a Víctimas, así como a la reactivación o integración de la Unidad de Búsqueda vivos o muertos de las Personas Desaparecidas o No localizadas la cual actualmente existe pero prácticamente es inoperante, denunciaron los representantes de las distintas organizaciones. Las familias de desaparecidos reunidos con el gobernador forman parte de diferentes organizaciones como “Red de Desaparecidos en Tamaulipas, A.C”, “Buscando a Nuestros Hijos Ausentes de Tamaulipas” y Colectivo de Familiares y Amigos de Desaparecidos”, entre otros. “Sé el dolor de cada familia por la desaparición de algún, padre, esposo, hijo o hija, pero solicito comprensión por el proceso de respuesta a las peticiones, el cual podría ser un tanto prolongado, pero de inmediato lo que esté al alcance del gobierno, se pondrá a disposición de las víctimas directas o indirectas por la desaparición de personas”, dijo el gobernador.

Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Un hombre de Alice fue arrestado en el Condado de Zapata por supuestamente transportar a cinco personas sospechosas de cruzar la frontera de manera ilegal, de acuerdo a documentos de la corte. El sospechoso, Richard Osiel Ramos, fue acusado de transportación ilegal de inmigrantes. El 28 de septiembre, agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza vigilando la intersección de la carretera FM2687 y la Carretera US 83 al sur de Zapata observaron tres vehículos conduciendo hacia el norte en caravana. “Las organizaciones de contrabando utilizan la carretera US 83 como su principal camino para viajar y poder transportar (individuos) indocumentados o narcóticos hacia el norte de Estados Unidos”, se es-

LIMPIAN LAGO FALCÓN

1 El Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata y la Sociedad de Genealogía Nuevo Santander invitan a la exhibición de árboles familiares y cocina en sartenes de hierro fundido el viernes 21 de octubre y sábado 22 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. El evento se llevará a cabo en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata.

FESTIVAL DE OTOÑO 1 La comunidad de Zapata y los comerciantes locales invitan al 1er. Festival de Otoño que se realizará el lunes 31 de octubre, desde las 5 p.m., en los terrenos de la feria del Condado de Zapata. Mayores informes con la Comisionada Olga Elizondo 956489-1064. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m.

vehículo y empezó a correr, dejando a las cinco personas a bordo. Los cinco pasajeros eran inmigrantes que habían cruzado la frontera de manera ilegal. Los agentes capturaron a Ramos. Él declaró que se lastimó cuando corría por entre la maleza. “Una billetera fue encontrada cerca de la consola central del vehículo. La billetera tenía una Tarjeta de Identificación de Reo que pertenecía a Richard Osiel Ramos”, se establece en la querella. En una entrevista posterior al arresto, Ramos dijo que un amigo llamado Horacio se le acercó en Alice. Horacio supuestamente ofreció a Ramos un empleo para contrabandear a cinco personas desde Roma a Houston. Ramos esperaba un pago de 400 dólares por inmigrante, de acuerdo a documentos de la corte.

ZAPATA HIGH SCHOOL

Exhibición de árboles familiares

FIESTA FAMILIAR DE HALLOWEEN 1 La Patrulla Fronteriza y el Departamento de Parques y Vida Silvestre invitan a la fiesta familiar del terror el viernes 29 de octubre en el Parque Municipal de Roma de 5 a 9 p.m. Habrá concursos de disfraces para todas las edades, juegos, comida y mucho más.

tablece en una querella criminal presentada el 3 de octubre. Agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza de Zapata han notado un incremento exponencial en los casos de contrabando (humano). Un vehículo, una camioneta Chevrolet Tahoe, aceleró, se establece en la querella. “Las organizaciones frecuentemente utilizan otros vehículos a los que refieren como “exploradores” en un intento por advertir a vehículos que llevan (personas indocumentadas) o narcóticos de la presencia de autoridades en el área. Ellos también utilizan exploradores para confundir a las autoridades y evadir la captura”, se establece en la querella. Los agentes siguieron el vehículo Chevrolet con las luces de emergencia encendidas. el vehículo sospechoso se salió de la carretera y se detuvo junto a una barda. El conductor salió del

Fotos de cortesía | Zapata County Independent School District

Más de 70 estudiantes de la preparatoria Zapata High School, liderados por Kamel Shrek y José Vela, participaron en la limpieza del Lago Falcón y en el proyecto internacional de prueba de agua, organizado por la administración de la preparatoria ZHS, la Corte de Comisionados del Condado de Zapata y la asistencia del centro de estudios Río Grande International Study Center en Laredo.

COLUMNA

Bautizan asentamiento como Nuevo Laredo Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Debido a la guerra entre Estados Unidos y México, en 1848 extensos territorios mexicanos pasan a manos de EU. En la parte texana, Laredo, que pertenecía a Tamaulipas, antaño provincia de Nuevo Santander, registra comienzos difíciles, de acuerdo a antiguos textos. Al colonizar José de Escandón y Helguera el dilatado Nuevo Santander, el 15 de mayo de 1755 surge Laredo. De todas las fundaciones, sería la única al

Foto de cortesía | Picasa

Mapa de Laredo, detalle, siglo XVIII

filo izquierdo del río Bravo, circundándola suelos inhóspitos. Escandón le encarga a Tomás Sánchez la empresa fundadora, solventada con 66 personas, en 13 familias.

Dos años después, José Tienda de Cuervo inspecciona la plaza. Contabiliza ganado mayor, ganadería menor, bestias caballares y mulas. Encuentra asimismo 11 familias de 85 individuos, sin ningún grupo indígena añadido. Interrogándolo Tienda de Cuervo, resalta Tomás Sánchez los “buenos pastos” ganaderos, aunque “por las muchas secas … toda ... siembra se marchita”, al impedir el Bravo “sacar acequia”. Por orden de Escandón –revela–, denomina al pueblo Laredo, réplica del Laredo español.

Alrededor de 1767 hace ahí escala Nicolás de Lafora. Ingeniero militar de origen hispano, relata: “Anduvimos por lomas …cubiertas de …nopales y mezquites … hasta la villa de Laredo”. Manuel Payno arriba el Jueves Santo de 1839. Y describe: “Laredo es la última de las Villas del Norte [que completan Matamoros, Reynosa, Camargo, Mier y Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas]. Está situada en la ... margen [septentrional] del río Bravo y es mucho más … pobre, menos poblada y más expuesta a … los

[indios] bárbaros que las” demás. “Tendrá unas cincuenta casas y … no llega a dos mil habitantes”. De temple recio por ende, aquella comunidad protagoniza audaz gesta. Según la tradición, el 15 de junio de 1848, “al perder México … Laredo … muchos … laredenses … decidieron emigrar a la” margen de enfrente, vuelta frontera mexicana con Estados Unidos, donde fundarían el “asentamiento que bautizaron con el nombre de Nuevo Laredo”, explica Manuel Ceballos Ramírez.

A10 | Saturday, October 15, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 15, 2016 |

NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS VS. IOWA ST. CYCLONES

Texas’ Foreman having big season Longhorns RB Foreman excelling despite 2-3 start for Texas By Jim Vertuno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas running back D’Onta Forman is quietly having a big season. While the Longhorns’ three-game losing skid keeps raising the pressure on coach Charlie Strong, Foreman keeps pounding away at opposing defenses and racking up some of the best rushing numbers in the country. Foreman’s 148.8 yards per game ranks second nationally and he’s averaging nearly seven yards per carry as Texas (2-3,

0-2) heads into a Saturday night matchup against Iowa State (1-5, 0-3). At his current pace, Foreman could rival Ricky Williams of 1997 when Williams ran for 1,800 yards on a 4-7 team the season before he won the Heisman Trophy. “What no one realizes (is) how strong and how fast he is,” Strong said. “It’s maybe a 1-yard gain, maybe a 2-yard gain and he just keeps grinding. And then all of a sudden it’s going to be a six yard pop and then a 20 yard pop. Foreman is a 250pound battering ram

who’s fast enough to have eight touchdown runs of 19 yards or longer the last two seasons, including bursts of 93, 65 and 62 yards. Foreman ran for 159 yards and two scores in a loss to Oklahoma last week despite an abdominal muscle injury from a week earlier. He also missed Texas’ win over UTEP with a leg injury although Texas has said he could have played that game if needed. “Sometimes we don’t even block it the right way, he just finds a way where he can bounce Texas continues on B2

NBA: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press

Texas running back D'Onta Foreman’s 148.8 yards per game ranks second nationally and hes averaging nearly seven yards per carry as Texas heads into a Saturday night matchup against Iowa State.

NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS

SPURS UNDRAFTED Cowboys’ Bailey ROOKIES CATCH still on mend with PAU GASOL’S EYE back injury By David Moore THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

John Raoux / Associated Press

New San Antonio forward Pau Gasol has been impressed by some of the rookies he’s seen this year on the Spurs.

Forbes, Laprovittola impressing

Dan Bailey’s back still doesn’t feel right. But the kicker hopes to make it through Sunday’s game, recover during the bye week and return to form for the final 10 weeks of the regular season. "We’re still working through it a little bit," Bailey said. "It’s just one of those things we have to manage until we get to the bye week. Get some rest and do some treatment to hopefully get back to 100 percent." Bailey experienced no discomfort until the morning of the San Francisco game on Oct. 2. His back didn’t feel right and he informed the training staff immediately. He believes a soft bed was the culprit. "I think that’s what triggered it or made it Cowboys continues on B2

Daniel Gluskoter / Associated Press

Dallas kicker Dan Bailey is still suffering from a back injury as his status is in question for Saturday’s matchup at Green Bay.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE By Tom Orsborn

Short-term ratings slide or long-term issue for NFL?

SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS

SAN ANTONIO – Like many fans, Spurs big man Pau Gasol is intrigued by the fierce competition for the club’s final roster spot. Heading into Friday night’s preseason game against Miami at the AT&T Center, undrafted guards Bryn Forbes and Nicolas Laprovittola have emerged as two of the top candidates to claim the bottom-of-the-roster spot. Gasol said it’s been a pleasure getting to know both of them. “Forbes has an incredible ability to shoot the 3,” Gasol said after Friday’s shootaround. “Quick trigger. Even though he doesn’t have a lot of size (6 foot 3, 190 pounds), he’s always around the ball and gets open and knocks ’em down. Right off the bat, that’s been pretty impressive.” Spurs continues on B2

By Eddie Pells ASSOCIATED PRE SS

John Raoux / Associated Press

Undrafted rookie guard Bryn Forbes has been one of two impressive young players early for the Spurs. San Antonio has also seen a lot out of 6-4, 180-pound Nicolas Laprovittola.

The slide in NFL ratings could be as much a trend as a blip. The presidential campaign, the growing move away from cable, the increase in live streaming sports and competition from compelling baseball have all been given as reasons for a double-digit decline in viewership through the first five weeks. All legitimate explanations, experts say. But one of the main selling points of live sports to the networks — they’re Ratings continues on B2

Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press

The NFL ratings are down in 2016 as a number of reasons have been blamed early.

B2 | Saturday, October 15, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

SPORTS

Big 12 set to address expansion, but what will it do? By Ralph D. Russo A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

The Big 12 board of directors meets Monday in Dallas and the topic of expansion will be addressed. Not necessarily decided, but definitely addressed. Maybe after three months of vetting, analyzing and interviewing potential new members the presidents and chancellors will decide the Big 12 Conference should add schools. Maybe they will even decide which schools to add. Or maybe they will decide 10 members are enough for the smallest Power Five conference and stick with what they have. Or maybe they will decide not to decide and keep college football’s never-ending story going. It is impossible to know which way this will go, but news reports from Big 12 country over the last month suggest the conference has cooled on the idea of expansion. The only public statements that provide a hint at which way the Big 12 is leaning have come from Oklahoma President David Boren, who once called the conference “psychologically disadvantaged” by having only 10 members. First, Boren said expansion should not be considered a given. Then, responding to reports citing unidentified sources that he had changed his position, Boren released a noncommittal statement in late September. “I do not know where the speculation came from, but Oklahoma has not yet taken a position on expansion,” he said. Consultants have provided data to conference

RATINGS From page B1 appointment viewing that most people don’t like to record and watch later — could be eroding, as the fan base fragments, even for America’s most popular sport. “It’s not to say that less than the majority of people are going to sit down and watch the game at a certain time,” said Dennis Deninger, who teaches sports management and sports media courses at Syracuse. “It’s just to say it’s retreating, and that retreat puts into question the value that’s been attached to TV rights that were locked up for the long-term.” According to Sports Media Watch , viewership for last week’s games was down 26 percent for Monday night, 15 percent for Sunday night (against the second presidential debate) and 20 percent for Thursday night. Overall, for the first four weeks of the season, ratings across the league were down 11 percent. The decline was concerning enough that league executives recently sent an internal memo to the NFL media committee, comparing this year’s slide to a lesser decline during the 2000 election cycle and conceding that, “While our partners, like us, would have liked to see higher ratings, they remain confident in the NFL and unconcerned about a long-term issue.” The current TV contracts, worth between $8.5 billion to more than $15 billion each, expire in 2021 and 2022. What the

leaders showing expansion could increase the Big 12’s chances of reaching the playoff and the bottom lines of its members. The Big 12’s television contracts with ESPN and Fox call for the networks to provide increases to cover the addition of new members. So two new schools would mean an extra $50 million or so each year through 2025. The new members would, as is standard, receive a partial share of conference revenue for the first three or four seasons in the league. The old members would split the rest. More money and a better chance to make it to the playoff. So why wouldn’t the Big 12 expand? THE CHOICES Big 12 officials held face-to-face interviews with 11 schools during September: Air Force, BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Connecticut, Houston, Rice, South Florida, SMU and Tulane. None is an obvious choice. — BYU has had the most football success and is a national brand, but the Cougars’ other sports don’t play on Sundays and the school’s honor code has received scrutiny from LGBT advocacy groups. — Houston received an endorsement from the governor of Texas and some public support from the University of Texas, but promoting an in-state competitor could make winning and recruiting more difficult for current members. — Cincinnati, South Florida and Central Florida provide new media markets and recruiting

networks are willing to pay when it’s time to renegotiate will be the best indicator of how big an impact America’s changing viewing habits have had on the NFL, and whether pro football remains the nation’s undisputed entertainment king. But there’s still a lot of uncertainty over how new technology will impact viewership. Best example: Yes, you can live stream Thursday night games on Twitter, but what if your connection is shaky? And how much better will that connection get over the next five years? “There will be some instances where the composition of (the media deals) will change vastly, and others where they’ll continue to engage with traditional partners,” said Adam Jones, the director of PwC Sports Advisory Services. “All the deals may not yield the same premiums. But we could see a shift in the actual structures of the deals, from traditional rights fees to a smaller base” with more digitalbased bonuses and incentives on the back end. PwC does not talk about specific sports leagues, though in a recent newsletter , it predicted a moderation in growth of rights fees for North American sports over the next five years. Though Jones says it will take time to see if this season’s sports ratings are cyclical or more long-term, “it should be acknowledged that the market is not limitless when it comes to consumption through traditional broadcast.”

territory, but limited history of success on the field. And those media markets don’t have as much impact for a conference that is not likely to follow-up expansion with its own television network. — Colorado State would put the Big 12 back in a state that is home to many of its schools’ alumni, but it is not the flagship university of that state. — Connecticut has a national brand, but it’s for basketball. — Football-only membership probably makes the most sense for Air Force. Maybe for BYU, too. But is that worth it? — Rice, SMU and Tulane have strong academic profiles, but it is highly questionable whether they could compete in football. CONSENSUS Any decision would require agreement from eight of the Big 12’s 10 presidents, though do not be surprised if the conference publicly claims unanimity about whatever is decided. So first eight of the 10 schools would have to agree on expanding. Then eight of the 10 would have to agree on whom to invite. If you have followed the Big 12, consensus has not been its strong suit. DILUTION The Big Ten is experiencing this now. The addition of Maryland and Rutgers means less opportunity for Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin to play Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. That’s not great, but the Big Ten offset that with the financial gains. Expanding the conference’s footprint to the Northeast corridor boosted the value of the Big Ten’s cable network and increased its

None of this is to say the NFL is hurting. That same league memo that recognized this year’s ratings issues said overall NFL viewership has increased 27 percent over the past 15 years. In 2015, the NFL accounted for 63 of the top 100 TV shows. Even with recent legal troubles for daily fantasy — which could also be partially responsible for the ratings dip — fantasy football is still considered a growth area for the NFL. The current numbers also don’t take into account how many people are streaming the games. Deninger says giving viewers more options is the NFL’s best long-term bet. He says the league, to some extent, has to feel some of the same effects as all other televised entertainment products — the increase in “nonlinear” viewing. He said that according to comscore.com , Google sites that include YouTube draw 182 million unique users every month, all of whom are turning into clips of things they want to watch, when they want to watch them. Other websites post similar stats. “The nonlinear sites where you go select whatever you want, they aren’t complaining about any drop off,” he said. “More and more, people are not waiting for things to be delivered to them, one way or another.” How well the NFL bucks that trend — or goes along with it — will help shape the ratings and, from there, the dollar signs for the league’s next round of mediarights deal.

Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press

Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the Big 12 board of directors meets Monday in Dallas and the topic of expansion will be addressed. Not necessarily decided, but definitely addressed.

the networks be willing to pay the Big 12 a smaller amount to stand pat in return for an extended contract and grant of rights?

exposure into a highly populated area where lots of its alumni live. The addition of two more teams to the Big 12 would mean fewer games against Oklahoma and Texas for many of the current members, but without the ancillary benefits because the Big 12 won’t be getting a cable network.

announced with ESPN that it would start a network and extend its TV contract and the grant of rights that helps bind the schools through 2035. Seeing the ACC strengthen its position, along with having the Big 12’s pro rata deal clearly spelled out, moved the Big 12 presidents to do a deep dive on expansion.

THE BIG 12 DIDN’T REALLY WANT TO DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE In June, the Big 12 announced it was paying out $30 million apiece to its members and the expansion talk seemed to be put to rest. In late July, Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and Boren emerged from a CEO meeting and announced the conference would explore expansion, making the league again seem unstable. What changed? The Atlantic Coast Conference

LONG-TERM FLEXIBILITY Standing pat. Dream big. Maybe the ACC network is a dud and six years from now Florida State and Clemson are pondering how to escape that grant of rights. Maybe Pac-12 falls behind the rest of the Power Five and its members look at the Big 12 as more fertile territory. MONEY ESPN and Fox were reportedly not thrilled about the idea of paying for a bigger Big 12. Would

OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS Ultimately, the longterm stability of the Big 12 is predicated on Texas and Oklahoma happily remaining in the conference. At some point the Longhorns and Sooners have to decide if they want to be the most powerful members of the Big 12 or just another member of another conference. And adding teams to the Big 12 now doesn’t change that.

COWBOYS From page B1

for any reason in college or the NFL. Well, he did miss part of practice in college but it had nothing to do with an injury. "I did miss half of a practice in college to go to my graduation ceremony, but came back for the second half," Bailey said. "I was one of the first groups." It helps when your last name begins with a "B." The injury has forced

Bailey to alter his routine heading into games. He’s stretching more than he has in the past and may keep that as part of his regimen going forward. The bigger question is this: does he intend to sleep on the floor of the team hotel the night before the Green Bay game? "I don’t know," Bailey said. "The last time we were there they had the Sleep Number beds, so hopefully I can dial it in."

play the game, especially Nico, the point guard,” Gasol said. “He’s very crafty and has some experience for a young guy, so that has also been pretty surprising.” Although rookie forward Davis Bertans is guaranteed a roster spot,

Gasol also took time to talk about the sharpshooting 6-10, 225-pound Latvian. “Davis is a player that is pretty athletic for his size, but he doesn’t look athletic,” Gasol said. “So he’s pretty deceptive in that regard.”

BIG-PLAY CYCLONE Texas defenses have been allowing career games by big-play wide receivers all season and Iowa State’s Allen Lazard or Trever Ryen could be next. Those two caught three touchdown passes last week against Oklahoma State. At 6-foot-5, 223 pounds, Lazard is a handful for any defensive back to handle.

TEXAS PASS RUSH Despite terrible problems in coverage, Texas had been good at getting pressure on quarterbacks until last week against Oklahoma, when they didn’t have a sack until late in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns’ secondary needs all the help it can get, starting with the guys up front.

flair up," said Bailey, who has never had a problem with his back before. "But obviously there was something there preexisting I didn’t know about." Bailey didn’t kick on Wednesday leading up to the Cincinnati game. It was the first practice he can remember missing

SPURS From page B1 But the 6-4, 180-pound Laprovittola has also caught Gasol’s eye. “The two Argentieans, (guard) Pato (Garino) and Nico, they know how to

TEXAS From page B1 back outside and drop his pads and just run through people,” Strong said. Here’s some things to watch for when Texas hosts Iowa State: FOURTH QUARTER FOLLIES Iowa State is a rapidly improving team mostly because the Cyclones can’t hold a lead in the fourth quarter. Iowa State has taken doubledigit leads into the fourth quarter its last two games only to lose both . The Cyclones are averaging 39 points in their last three games and now face a Texas defense that’s given up at least 45 four times this season.

STRONG’S “MUST WIN” Texas has never started 0-3 in the Big 12 and losing to an Iowa State program that has just two wins in the history of the series likely seals Strong’s fate. Iowa State drubbed Texas 24-0 last season in Ames in arguably Strong’s worst loss in the last three seasons.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Regardless of expansion, the Big 12 has plans to bring back its football championship next year. So there’s more new revenue and another game for the College Football Playoff committee to consider.

WHERE’S JEFFERSON? Texas is looking for big plays from Jefferson, who many regard among one of the Big 12’s best defensive players. But while Jefferson ranks second on the team with 30 tackles, he has just one sack with no interceptions or forced fumbles through the first five games as the defense reels.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 15, 2016 |

Dear Readers: The weather is cooler and the leaves are changing. Now is the perfect time to hit the trails, or the park, or the neighborhood ... with your dog. Here are some hints for you when WALKING YOUR DOG: * Dogs crave exercise and attention. Combine the two with a walk. Make sure the dog has a secure harness or collar and leash. Find a smooth and well-lit walking path. * Clean up after the dog, and dispose of the waste properly. * Teach the dog to walk by your side and not out in front of you. This is called "heel." The dog needs to know that you are in charge. A routine is critical, too. Keeping the dog on a schedule will keep him happy, anticipating spending time with you. -- Heloise PRETTY JEWELRY Dear Readers: Some of you may have received beautiful jewelry or

bought some yourself. I'm reprinting my Heloise Homemade Jewelry Cleaner formula so you can keep your jewelry looking new. Work in a ventilated area. Mix equal parts ammonia and water in a small bowl. Immerse pieces in the solution and leave for a few minutes. Remove and gently loosen any debris from prongs, etc., with a soft toothbrush. Rinse with warm water, and dry with a hand towel or microfiber cloth. SCOOTING IS NOT CUTE Hi, Heloise: When a dog scoots across the carpet, this is not funny. The dog needs to go to the veterinarian and have its anal glands drained. -Grace G., Ventura, Calif.

B4 | Saturday, October 15, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES