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Unemployment October jobless rate in Texas slips to 5.1 percent ASSOCIATED PRESS
OBAMA
Obama urges Congress to act
AUSTIN — Texas’ unemployment rate declined for the second month in a row to 5.1 percent in October as the state continues to add jobs, the Tex-
as Workforce Commission reported Friday. The October rate was down from 6.2 percent a year before, and slightly lower than September’s 5.2 percent. Steady job gains also helped push the Oc-
tober nationwide unemployment rate to a six-year low of 5.8 percent, labor officials reported. The state’s highest unemployment was in the McAllenEdinburg-Mission area at 7.9
percent. Midland had the lowest unemployment rate in Texas during October at 2.5 percent, while neighboring Odessa had a jobless rate of 3 percent.
See JOBS PAGE 11A
TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
DISAPPEARANCE PROTEST
President campaigns for reform in Las Vegas By MICHAEL D. SHEAR AND ASHLEY PARKER NEW YORK TIMES
LAS VEGAS — President Barack Obama opened up a campaign for his executive actions on immigration Friday as he told an audience of mostly Latino students at a high school rally here that Congress had to revamp what he called the nation’s broken immigration system. It was the same Las Vegas suburban high school where nearly two years ago Obama laid out principles that eventually became the core of a bipartisan immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013, helped along by Republican worries that they were rapidly losing traction in states like Nevada, where Hispanic voters are among the fastest-growing constituency. In Washington, Republicans continued to attack the president’s actions. Speaker John A. Boehner said Obama was "damaging the presidency itself" by abusing the
See OBAMA PAGE 10A
Photo by Victor Strife | The Zapata Times
TAMIU students pose for a photograph, as they gathered to protest the disappearance and presumed murder of the 43 students from Escuela Normal Rural “Raul Isidro Burgos” de Ayotzinapa in Guerrero, Mexico, Thursday morning outside the TAMIU Judith Zaffirini Success Center.
Locals mourn the loss of 43 Mexican students By JUDITH RAYO THE ZAPATA TIMES
A day of seeking justice in Mexico has gone international as 43 TAMIU students gathered to protest the disappearance and presumed killing of 43 students
in Guerrero, Mexico. “Today, Nov. 20, we have dressed in black to mourn the loss of the individuals that lost their lives on Sept. 26,” said Jackelyne Briseño, Texas A&M International University Student Government Association presi-
dent. “We have dressed in black to demonstrate that it hurts and we are worried the students have not been attending school. We have dressed in black because we want parents of the students to know we understand their pain
and frustration. We have dressed in black because they were taken alive and alive we want them back.” The students gathered outside the Judith Zaffirini Success Cen-
See MOURN PAGE 10A
EAGLE FORD SHALE
3 indicted for $1.5M oil robbery scheme THE ZAPATA TIMES
A Laredoan and two other men have been indicted in connection with the alleged theft of oil from companies in the Eagle Ford Shale. Proceeds from the theft scheme totaled more than $1.5 million, according to the FBI and IRS, which investigated the case along with a host of other law enforcement and government agencies. The Laredoan, Victor Manuel Guerra Jr., 37, was arrested Wednesday. The two other men, Juan Martin Bernal, 49, of Eagle Pass, and Carlos Samuel Peña, 25, of Del Rio, were arrested earlier this month. Guerra is charged with two counts of
The theft and money laundering charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The wire fraud charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. theft from interstate shipment, 69 counts of wire fraud and 58 counts of money laundering. Bernal and Peña are each charged with one count of theft from interstate shipment and 69 counts of wire fraud. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment alleges that Guerra, who
owned wastewater removal companies Las Lomas Vacuum Services and AVG Vacuum Services, coordinated with Bernal and Peña to determine when his truck drivers could enter oil well areas unnoticed. Guerra’s tanker truck drivers would travel onto the property under the guise of collecting contaminated water, the indictment alleges.
Bernal, who worked for Newfield Exploration Company, and Peña, who worked for Anadarko Petroleum Corp., would allow the drivers entry onto the properties, according to the indictment. Instead of removing wastewater from storage tanks, law enforcement alleges the drivers would take oil stored in tanks near the wastewater. They then allegedly took the oil to a property overseen by Guerra. There, it was held in storage units. Guerra would allegedly sell the product to thirdparty buyers, who paid for it via wire transfer to a bank account controlled by Guerra.
See OIL PAGE 11A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, NOV. 22
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rummage Sale. From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Blessed Sacrament Church /Bartlett and Galveston St. Contact Rebecca Sepulveda at rsepulveda@stx.rr.com or go to catholicweb.com/Blessed_Sacrament. Spiritual Wisdom on Karma and Reincarnation. From 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton. Contact Greg Pape / Aurora Gonzales at greg2u4@sbcglobal.net or go to the website www.Eckankar-Texas.org. Or call 210-831-7113. Planetarium movies. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium. Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu or www.tamiu.edu/planetarium.
Today is Saturday, Nov. 22, the 326th day of 2014. There are 39 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas; Texas Gov. John B. Connally, in the same open car as the president, was seriously wounded. Suspected gunman Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. On this date: In 1718, English pirate Edward Teach — better known as “Blackbeard” — was killed during a battle off present-day North Carolina. In 1935, a flying boat, the China Clipper, took off from Alameda, California, carrying more than 100,000 pieces of mail on the first trans-Pacific airmail flight. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek (chang ky-shehk) met in Cairo to discuss measures for defeating Japan. Lyricist Lorenz Hart died in New York at age 48. In 1954, the Humane Society of the United States was incorporated as the National Humane Society. In 1967, the U.N. Security Council approved Resolution 242, which called for Israel to withdraw from territories it had captured the previous June, and implicitly called on adversaries to recognize Israel’s right to exist. In 1975, Juan Carlos was proclaimed King of Spain. In 1989, Rene Mouawad was killed by a bomb after only 17 days as president of Lebanon. In 1990, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, having failed to win re-election of the Conservative Party leadership on the first ballot, announced her resignation. Ten years ago: Tens of thousands of demonstrators jammed downtown Kiev, denouncing Ukraine’s presidential runoff election as fraudulent and chanting the name of their reformist candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, who ended up winning a revote the following month. Five years ago: Iran said it had begun large-scale air defense war games aimed at protecting its nuclear facilities from attack. One year ago: On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the city of Dallas paused to honor the fallen leader. Today’s Birthdays: Movie director Arthur Hiller is 91. Actor Robert Vaughn is 82. Animator and movie director Terry Gilliam is 74. Astronaut Guion Bluford is 72. International Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King is 71. Rock musician Tina Weymouth (The Heads; Talking Heads; The Tom Tom Club) is 64. Retired MLB All-Star Greg Luzinski is 64. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is 56. Actor Winsor Harmon is 51. Actor-turnedproducer Brian Robbins is 51. Actor Mark Ruffalo is 47. International Tennis Hall of Famer Boris Becker is 47. Country musician Chris Fryar (Zac Brown Band) is 44. Actor Josh Cooke is 35. Actor-singer Tyler Hilton is 31. Actress Scarlett Johansson is 30. Thought for Today: “Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.” — Dorothy Height, American civil rights activist (1912-2010).
MONDAY, NOV. 24 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 237-0666. Planetarium movies at TAMIU. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center Planetarium. Claudia Herrera at claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu or tamiu.edu/planetarium.
THURSDAY, NOV. 27 Register for the 35th Guajolote 10K Race. Register at Hamilton Trophies (1320 Garden), Hamilton Jewelry (607 Flores), or on-line at www.raceit.com, Guajolote 10K Race. Call 956-724-9990 or 956-722-9463.
TUESDAY, DEC. 2 South Texas Food Bank Fundraiser. 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Hal’s Landing. For information call 324-2432. Or visit the website southtexasfoodbank.org. The Alzheimer’s support group. 7 pm. Room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center.
THURSDAY , DEC. 4 Primped’s Christmas Party. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Primped the Style Bar. 7718 McPherson Rd. Ste. #1. Contact Ariana Mora at arianamora@stx.rr.com or go to the website www.ruthebcowl.com .
SATURDAY, DEC. 6 Trail clean up. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. LCC Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center. “Shine the Light on Hunger” Health Fair. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 4500 Marco Drive. Call 324-2432 or www.southtexasfoodbank.org.
SUNDAY, DEC. 7 Pet Fest Laredo 2014. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Laredo Civic Center. Woof@gopetfest.com. 5th Annual Christmas Animal Posada. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. St. Peter’s Plaza (Matamoros Street and Main Avenue). Contact Berta "Birdie" Torres, President of Gateway Gatos of Laredo, at birdtorres@hotmail.com. For more details call Birdie at 286-7866.
TUESDAY, DEC. 9 Monthly Orthopaedic Clinic. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 1220 N. Malinche.Contact Norma Rangel at program.manager@laredo.twcbc.com. Prior registration is required. The South Texas Food Bank Kids Café program honors World War II and Korean War veterans. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Boys and Girls Club, 500 Moctezuma. For information call veteran Dr. Jesse J. Olivarez of the STFB Kids Cage program 726-3120 or vet officer David Garza 523-4399
FRIDAY, DEC. 12 “The Great Gatsby” Christmas Party, 7 p.m. Laredo Country Club. For more information contact Nancy De Anda at 763-9960.
SUNDAY, DEC. 21 “Ring we now of Christmas” from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. First United Methodist Church 1220 McClelland. Linda Mott at lmott@stx.rr.com or the church office at 722-1674.
Photo by Jay Janne/Austin American-Statesman | AP
Less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama announced his executive order on immigration, people gather at the state Capitol in Austin, Texas, for a rally organized by the University Leadership Initiative of the University of Texas to call for more action from the president and the federal government on Friday.
Hotlines for immigrants By JUAN CARLOS LLORCA ASSOCIATED PRESS
EL PASO — Attorneys and immigration groups in Texas are setting up telethons and hotlines to serve immigrants who may qualify under a new White House plan to protect them from deportation. Groups in Houston, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin and elsewhere also organized gatherings to watch President Barack Obama’s speech Thursday night. He announced a plan that grants work permits to millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States and to protect them from deportation. The announcement got a tepid reception at the El Paso offices of the Border Network for Human Rights. There activists and immigrants gathered to hear the simultaneous translation of Obama’s speech on Univision.
“I am a mother of DREAMERS (children benefited by the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program), they are not citizens. It was a great disappointment to hear I won’t benefit from it. It’s bland, he gave us a little taste but it had no taste,” said Rosa Mejia, a native of Mexico who has been living in the United States illegally since 1999. She said she hoped the measure would not only be limited to parents of U.S. citizens. In San Antonio, the legal services group Raices was setting up hotlines so immigrants can talk to attorneys about what to expect from Obama’s executive action. The Texas Organizing Project set up phone hotlines and a text service in which people can text “alivio,” which means “relief,” and someone will help answer their questions. Greg Abbott pledged to challenge the executive order in court.
North Texan gets 45 years over robbery, slaying
Police: San Antonio man killed over pool game
2 guilty of trafficking children for sex in Texas
FORT WORTH — A North Texas man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in the drug-related robbery and slaying of a childhood friend. Prosecutors say Eduardo Bustos was fatally shot and his girlfriend was wounded in the 2011 attack at his Fort Worth apartment. Michael Daniel Cucuta of Fort Worth was sentenced Thursday.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio police have arrested a 79year-old man who they say fatally shot a man in a bar over a game of pool. Billy Nelson was released from the Bexar County Jail on Thursday after posting $100,000 bond. He is charged with murdering 55-year-old Raymond Carter Wednesday night at the Crazy 8 Ball Saloon. Nelson left the bar after arguing with Carter and returned with a revolver. Carter was shot once in the chest.
HOUSTON — A man and a woman have been convicted in Texas of trafficking children for sex in investigations linked to Arkansas and Louisiana. Prosecutors in Houston say David J. Golson and Arieal J. Bishop have coerced at least two minors since 2011. Prosecutors say Bishop videotaped Golson having sex with a 17-year-old girl. Bishop posted advertisements for commercial sex for herself and the victim in Houston and Louisiana.
Teen masqueraded as child in porn case
2 dead after gunfire in San Antonio neighborhood
HURST — Two men have been arrested in a North Texas child porn case, including a 17-year-old man police say enrolled in an elementary school posing as a 12year-old. Hurst police say 28-yearold Randy Ray Wesson is charged with promoting and selling child pornography.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio police say two men have been found shot to death and a third man was wounded in gunfire in a neighborhood. Two bodies were discovered early Friday outside a duplex as police responded to reports of shots fired. — Compiled from AP reports
Man sought for 1996 murder extradited AMARILLO — Authorities say a man arrested two years ago in Mexico for allegedly killing his wife in Amarillo has finally been extradited and returned to Texas. Forty-four-year-old Ngoc Van Tran was booked Thursday into the Potter County jail and is being held without bond. Authorities determined his location in 2010 but weren’t able to apprehend him until 2012.
AROUND THE NATION New York highway opens as snow ends BUFFALO, N.Y. — A stretch of the New York State Thruway closed by a snowfall totaling up to 7 feet has reopened for the first time since hundreds of motorists were stranded Tuesday. A spokesman for the Thruway Authority said the westernmost 132 miles of Interstate 90 opened at 3 p.m. EST. Some exit ramps remained closed. The snow ended Friday but looming rain and warm temperatures raised the threat of flooding.
MONDAY, DEC. 29
Window washer survives 11-story fall in California
Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English.
SAN FRANCISCO — Police say a San Francisco window washer has survived after falling 11 stories from a rooftop onto a moving car. Sgt. Danielle Newman, a police spokeswoman, said the man
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A front loader drives through a snowstorm along Union Road on Thursday in West Seneca, N.Y. A new blast of lake-effect snow pounded Buffalo for a third day piling more misery on a city already buried by an epic, deadly snowfall. was conscious when officers arrived Friday. The man, whose name and age were not immediately available, was transported to a hospital with critical injuries. Police said the motorist was making a left turn when the win-
dow washer fell onto the roof of the car. The driver of the Toyota Camry was not injured. Blood, glass and a shoe were in the street as onlookers watched police work. — Compiled from AP reports
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Local
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
Attempted murderer dies in prison ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — Former San Antonio millionaire Allen Blackthorne, who was serving two life sentences for hiring the murder of ex-wife Sheila Bellush, has died in federal prison. He was 59. Blackthorne died Tuesday in the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website. No cause of death was listed. Bellush, often referred to as the “Quad Mom” for the quadruplets she had with a second husband, was found shot with her throat slit in her Sarasota, Florida, home in 1997. Two of Bellush’s then-2-year-old children were found crawling in her blood. Bellush and Blackthorne divorced in 1989 and had a bitter custody dispute over their two daughters. In 1997, Bellush moved to Florida, and six weeks later, she was killed. Blackthorne was the last of four men to be convicted or plead guilty in Bellush’s death. Jose Luis Del Toro Jr. pleaded guilty to serving as the hit man and got two consecutive life sentences. The cousin who hired him, Sammy Gonzales, was given 19 years in prison. And Daniel Rocha, a golfing buddy of Blackthorne’s who asked Gonzales to find a hit man, was sentenced to life behind bars. Bellush and Blackthorne divorced in 1989 and had a bitter custody dispute over their two daughters. In 1997, Bellush moved to Florida, and six weeks later, she was killed.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
‘Talent’ auditions set for S.A. SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
“America’s Got Talent” will make it to Texas next year. Audi-
tions for the show’s 10th season will take place at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio on January 29, 2015.
The show advertises that its performers can be of “Any age. Any talent. Any dream.” The convention center is locat-
ed at 200 E Martket St., San Antonio, TX, 78205. For more information, visit agtauditions.com.
San Antonio farmers market closes ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — A farmers market in a San Antonio shopping district known as the Quarry will be closing next month amid concerns about traffic and parking issues. The Quarry Farmers & Ranchers Market has become a popular spot to buy locally grown and prepared foods since it opened three and a half years ago. It draws between 2,500 and 4,000 people each Sunday to the
parking lot near a supermarket. An official sent a letter last week to owners Heather Hunt and David Lent of the farmers market, saying they would have to end their operations on Dec. 7. “During our preparation for the 2014 holiday season,” states the letter by Patrick Kinney, senior vice president of real estate operations with American Assets Trust, “we much received (sic) feedback regarding traffic and parking issues that arise
during the holiday season. After much discussion, we have decided it has become necessary to reestablish the Sunday parking availability to our tenants and their customers.” Quarry general manager Allen Underwood didn’t discuss details with the San Antonio Express-News about the decision. Lent said he was “totally surprised” by the letter since they had been given permission to increase the market’s size two months ago.
“We went from covering 30 parking spots to 60,” he said. “They also encouraged us to add new vendors. We took that as a sign that they were happy to have us there.” The decision to close the farmers market has upset vendors and some customers. “It’s very shocking to hear,” said Ming Qian, who sells Chinese street food at the market. “It’s become a real local gathering place. I hope they can work something out so we can stay.”
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
EDITORIAL
OTHER VIEWS
History will see NK as major rights violator THE WASHINGTON POST
When the final days come around for the ruling family dynasty in North Korea — and it is not unreasonable to expect that such an isolated and paranoid regime, presiding over a desperate populace, will eventually collapse — a major task will be to document and discover the depths of its human rights abuses. Research completed in the past two years suggests those abuses were and are horrific, including four large camps holding between 80,000 and 120,000 political prisoners. Eventually this question also will be asked: Who knew, and what did they do about it? A United Nations committee provided one valuable answer Tuesday by voting to recommend that the Security Council refer to the International Criminal Court evidence that North Korea’s leaders have committed crimes against humanity. The vote on the resolution, sponsored by the European Union and Japan, was 111 nations in favor, including the United States, and 19 opposed, with 55 abstentions. Voting “no” were Russia, China, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Venezuela. Now the Security Council must take up the matter. Russia and China have threatened a veto. Fine; let them go on the record, for the world and for history, if that is their choice. Given the extraordinary ruthlessness of a regime that carries out extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, rape and forced starvation against its own people, where do
they stand? On the side of those carrying out the atrocities, or on the side of human dignity? It is remarkable that the United Nations case against North Korea has come this far; much credit goes to Australian jurist Michael Kirby and others who served with him on the U.N. Commission of Inquiry, which investigated the atrocities. North Korea would not allow them inside the country. Yet their report, issued in February, has proved so potent and well-documented that it has driven the debate beyond the usual windy speeches. Kirby’s commission, which took extensive testimony from defectors and others, concluded that not only prison guards but also North Korean rulers, including leader Kim Jong Un, are responsible for crimes against humanity. “The gravity, scale and nature of these violations reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world,” the commission found. North Korea’s leaders have reacted nervously to the prospect of prosecution, attempting to avert action by releasing captured Americans — and by threatening a new nuclear weapons test. They also have frantically sought to discredit defector Shin Dong-hyuk, who has been at the forefront of calling attention to the brutality of the North Korean gulag. When the gates to the concentration camps are opened in North Korea, who will be able to say: We knew, and we did something about it? Now it is up to the U.N. Security Council.
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Dems fail to back fellow La. senator By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
Usually when your team throws a Hail Mary pass, the football simply gets batted to the ground and the game ends. When Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., threw one this past week in an attempt to save her political career, the other team intercepted the ball and ran it all the way back for a touchdown. At issue was a Landrieu-led push for Senate approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, a long-delayed project that has pitted two core Democratic constituencies — the labor movement and environmentalists — against one another. Desperate to prove that she has retained clout in Washington ahead of a Dec. 6 runoff election with Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy — in which polling suggests she is the decided underdog — Landrieu spent the early part of the
week trying to round up the 60 votes she needed to pass a bill that would have compelled construction of the pipeline. She got 59. Meanwhile, the GOP-led House easily passed a bill authorizing Keystone — a bill sponsored by, you guessed it, Cassidy. “There’s no blame, there is only joy in the fight,” Landrieu said after the vote. Er, OK. For Landrieu, the defeat of Keystone was the latest in a series of indignities she’s had to weather, including the decision by national Democrats to abandon her on the TV airwaves while Republicans continue to dump millions into promoting Cassidy. Mary Landrieu, for putting points on the board for the other team, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something. Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and writes The Fix, its politics blog.
COLUMN
Gov. Rick Perry ‘Czechs’ in at ceremony in West WEST — It was far from highstakes international relations, but it never hurts for someone who wants to be president to spend some time with a foreign leader. So it was Thursday morning in West when Gov. Rick Perry and Czech Republic Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka — whose name the locals in this Czech community pronounce as effortlessly as you say Rick Perry — met for an important moment in the continued recovery of a town hit hard by the April 17, 2013, fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people and destroyed numerous homes and public buildings. Thursday’s event was the groundbreaking for the rebuilding of a gym and community center destroyed in the blast. Like West, Perry still is recovering from a disaster — his a political one in 2012. Perry was late arriving, meaning he missed Sobotka’s remarks, which were translated for the small crowd gathered under a tent. Sobotka has an unusual presence. Last January, when he took office, the Agence France-Presse news agency described him as “a bespectacled, ginger-haired leftist, known for being short on charisma but long on integrity.” There’s probably something in that checklist for you to like. Me? I found his monotone delivery oddly reminiscent of “Saturday Night Live’s” Beldar Conehead. Sobotka praised the local townsfolk for their resilience in the face of tragedy. And he said his country was honored to pitch in some money to rebuild the gym, which is part of the American Sokol Organiza-
“
KEN HERMAN
Sobotka praised the local townsfolk for their resilience. … His country was honored to pitch in some money to rebuild the gym. tion, a Czech-related group. It’s nice, if a bit odd, when we get foreign aid. When Perry took the stage, it was first things first. And first was high praise for Fred Malek, chairman of the American Friends of the Czech Republic, which also contributed to the rebuilding project. “I just want to say to Fred Malek thank you for all your help with this,” Perry said as Malek looked on. “He’s just a great American who has done some amazing things for a lot of different places over the course of the years.” He’s also done a lot of things for a lot of different people — politically important people. Malek, former president of Northwest Airlines and Marriott Hotels, has played important roles for every GOP presidential nominee for about 40 years. He
served in the Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush administrations. His political tasks have included campaign manager for the elder Bush’s 1992 re-election campaign and co-finance chairman of John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid. So he’s a good guy to hang out with if you have those kinds of aspirations. The very, very faint political overtones aside, it was nice to see smiling faces Thursday in West. The groundbreaking, with Perry and Sobotka ably manning the ceremonial shovels, was warmly received by the appreciative local folks. “Community is what helps us transcend tragedies,” Perry said. “We have had our fair share over the course of the years, whether they were man-made natural disasters — excuse me, man-made disasters — or whether they were natural disasters.” It was an interesting slip of the tongue. A repeat Perry presidential campaign could bring scrutiny of whether Texas, under his long stewardship, has been lax when it comes to regulating things like fertilizer plants and whether man has multiplied natural disasters here. That, of course, is for other days, perhaps ones spent in Iowa or New Hampshire. This was a day for colorful costumes, distinctively Czech music and dancing and kolaches. “I don’t know a place in America you would feel more welcome than West, Texas,” Perry told his Czech mate. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The
phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our
readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Jerez families look north By JOSHUA PARTLOW THE WASHINGTON POST
JEREZ DE GARCIA SALINAS, MEXICO — So many people have left this quaint colonial town for their neighbor to the north that they have a saying: “If you don’t know the United States, you’re not from Jerez.” On a day when the terms of that relationship could be changing — with President Barack Obama announcing his new rules on immigration — the residents of Jerez, some who have left and returned, others with family abroad, welcomed any reform that could bring them closer to their relatives and make it easier for those living in the states. “Immigrants don’t have a lot of rights. They need licenses, medical services,” said Erik Ivan Zuñiga Garcia, a 31-year-old who spent six years in Atlanta. “To be
allowed to come and go would really help, and help our families move forward.” Zuñiga was stewing big vats of beef and pork for taquitos in the town square on Thursday, as Jerez, part of Zacatecas state in northern Mexico, prepared for its annual parade in honor of the Mexican Revolution. He had left home as a 15-yearold and earned as much doing construction and carpentry in one day as he now makes in a week as a security guard at a school. “I went out of necessity,” he said. He learned firsthand the precariousness of an undocumented life when he was picked up for driving without a license and spent 15 days in jail. “The hardest thing was knowing that one day you could go to the store and run into immigration officials,” said Gabriel Marquez Garcia, 41, a friend of
Zuñiga’s who lived in Chicago and Tampa, Florida over the years before returning home. “Immigration reform is necessary. Many single mothers are working illegally there, and their kids are here. When parents die here, their kids can’t visit them.” Over the years, hundreds of thousands of residents from Zacatecas, a rural state famous as an old silver mining region, departed for the United States, and the area grew dependent on remittances from abroad. Gonzalo Hernandez, a 58-year-old schoolteacher, said that his father worked for years on Texas farms and that he’s now got four nephews, two undocumented, in the United States. As with most of Mexico, Jerez has faced drug-war violence, and in recent years, people were too worried to be in the central plaza at night, Hernandez said.
Nation
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
Florida woman accuses Cosby of assault By MATT SEDENSKY ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOCA RATON, Fla. — A Florida woman who came forward Thursday became the fourth in recent weeks to say Bill Cosby gave her pills that made her feel groggy then forced himself on her sexually. Therese Serignese, now 57 and a nurse in Boca Raton, said the television icon raped her in 1976 when she was 19 years old following a show in Las Vegas. She said she went backstage and when the two were alone, Cosby gave her two pills and a glass of water, saying, “Take these.” “My next memory is clearly feeling drugged, being without my clothes, standing up,” she said. “Bill Cosby was behind me, having sex with me.” Cosby spokesman David Brokaw did not respond to a request for comment. Cosby’s lawyer, in a statement released Sunday, criticized previous “decades-old, discredited allegations,” stating that “the fact that they are being repeated does not make them true.” Dozens of Cosby’s television and comedy colleagues have either refused to comment or not returned telephone calls from the AP in recent days. The allegations by Serignese and three others are similar: Barbara Bowman, an aspiring actress, said in a Nov. 13 Washington Post column that she was 17 and blacked out after Cosby drugged her, waking up to find herself in panties and a man’s T-shirt with the television icon looming over her. She said she was certain she was raped. Joan Tarshis on Monday said she was a 19-year-old who wanted to be a comedy writer when Cosby gave her a drink and forced her to perform oral sex on him. Janice Dickinson on Tuesday told “Entertainment Tonight” that Cosby had given her
Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack | AP
A marquee outside the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts advertises a Bill Cosby performance before his show in Melbourne, Fla., on Friday. red wine and a pill when they were together in a Lake Tahoe, California, hotel room in 1982. Cosby’s lawyer, Martin Singer, said in a letter to the AP that Dickinson’s charges were “false and outlandish.” In addition, Tamara Green wrote an opinion piece Wednesday for “Entertainment Tonight.” In 2005, Green publicly claimed that she was drugged and Cosby attempted to assault her; Cosby’s lawyers have previously denied they knew each other. Serignese says after the alleged rape, she willingly stayed with Cosby in Las Vegas for some time, but could not specify how long or whether the two had sex again during their time together. The two also maintained sporadic contact for years after the alleged rape. The 77-year-old television
star’s attempt at a career comeback has been collapsing in recent days as the abuse allegations resurfaced. This week Netflix said it was postponing a comedy special it had planned with Cosby to air later this month; NBC said it was stopping development of a sitcom with him and TV Land pulled reruns of “The Cosby Show” off the air. Also, High Point University in North Carolina has removed Cosby’s name from its board of advisers, the High Point Enterprise reported. Serignese said she filed a statement with Philadelphia police in January 2005 detailing her allegations and provided a copy of that statement to The Associated Press. The AP could not confirm Thursday that a report had been filed with the Philadelphia police department. She had agreed to testify on behalf of An-
drea Constand, a Pennsylvania woman who alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Cosby and settled before the case when to trial. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Serignese said she was standing in a Hilton gift shop when she felt someone approach her, put his arm around her and say, “Will you marry me?” When she turned around, it was Cosby. She said they had a friendly conversation and he invited her to the show. Afterward, she said she was escorted to the green room, where she said the rape took place. Serignese said she returned to the hotel sometime after the rape and stayed with Cosby for numerous nights, though she said she couldn’t remember precisely when or for how long. She said she also cannot remember if
they had sex again, but recalled other details, including an expansive penthouse suite with a sunken living room, pinball machine and Miles Davis records littered on the floor. She said she eventually thought she might be pregnant and Cosby told her to leave. Several years later around 1980 or 1981, she said, Cosby invited her to Lake Tahoe, saying he wanted to give her Louis Vuitton luggage, but she declined. Years after that, she said, she reached out to him when he was performing in the Detroit area, where she said she went to his hotel room after the show. She said he had encouraged her to go back to school and could not remember whether the two had sex. Her last contact with Cosby, she said, was in 1996. She had been badly hurt in a car accident and moved to Florida to live with a sister who reached out to the comedian seeking financial support. He asked to speak with Serignese, she said, and yelled at her, asking why she was calling him after so many years. Serignese said Cosby sent her $10,000 via Western Union. A couple days later, she said she received a second payment of $5,000 from his management company, the William Morris Agency. She provided a letter from the management company signed by William Morris agent Tom Illius who represented Bill Cosby at the time. Illius died in 2011. She said Constand’s attorneys agreed to represent her but she decided not to sue. An attorney involved in the civil case could not comment because of the settlement’s confidentiality clause. “There’s no DNA. There’s no evidence. There was no cameras. There’s no videotaping back then. There’s no proof,” she said. “It’s just my word against Bill Cosby.”
Police: Man heard voices, Molestation cases griped about cameras settled for $139M By BRENDAN FARRINGTON AND JUAN CARLOS LLORCA
By BRIAN MELLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A man who shot three people at a Florida State University library complained to police and property managers in New Mexico that cameras were watching him in his apartment and that he heard voices talking about and laughing at him, according to police reports released Friday. Myron May walked into the Las Cruces Police Department in September to report he was almost certain there were cameras installed in his apartment and that he could hear voices commenting on his activities, a police report said. For instance, May told an officer, after a bubble bath he began applying lotion to his body and heard voices that said, “Did you see that? He never puts lotion on.” May, a 2005 Florida State graduate, returned to the school early Thursday and shot two students and a library worker before reloading his semi-automatic pistol. Police responded within two minutes and fired off a barrage of bullets that killed him. Videos and a journal obtained by police indicate he thought he was being watched and targeted by the government. The first 911 call from the shooting came from one of the victims, according to an initial Tallahassee Police report released Friday. The victims are student Elijah Velez, 18, who was grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene; student Farhan Ahmed, 21, who was in critical condition when admitted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and is still being treated, and library employee Nathan Scott, 30, who was shot in the leg. Police didn’t say which one called 911, but there were several more calls that followed. In New Mexico, May apparently also suspected neighbors were watching him at his Las Cruces apartment. A woman who shared a wall with him had a football-sized landscaping rock thrown at her window at 2 a.m. Oct. 20. Responding officers talked to a maintenance man, who told them May complained to property managers that neighbors were laughing at him as he watched pornog-
Photo by Steve Cannon | AP
Tallahassee police chief Michael DeLeo, right, and Florida State police chief David Perry speak at a news conference concerning the on-campus shooting on Thursday, in Tallahassee, Fla. raphy. The officers then matched the rock to a gap in landscaping rocks in front of May’s apartment. The maintenance man told them he took care of May’s dog several times during his stays at a mental hospital, according to the report. That incident happened less than three weeks before May returned to Wewahitchka, Florida, where he stayed at a guest cottage owned by friends. Authorities Friday were examining packages May sent to friends before the Florida State shooting. Joe Paul, a Washington, D.C., resident and motivational speaker who knew May from their time in Florida State student government, said postal inspectors intercepted a package May sent to him. The postal inspectors told him that the package contained nothing dangerous, and promised they would eventually release it to him. “We want to know why this happened,” Paul said. “The sooner we know why this happened, the sooner we can start to heal.”
Paul said May mailed similar packages to about nine people. The FBI in Houston was examining another package delivered in Texas and others were believed to have been sent to Florida and elsewhere. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said the packages weren’t a threat and said they were flatrate, priority mail envelopes. Florida State President John Thrasher greeted about 100 students Friday as Strozier Library reopened with a heavy police presence and the university resumed classes. “I still don’t know there’s any real explanation why he picked Strozier, why he picked the time he did,” said Thrasher, who has been on the job less than two weeks. “That’s beyond, I think, anyone understanding now.” University police participated in active shooter training less than two weeks before the attack, including a scenario with a shooter at the library. “It’s good to know we look at those opportunities where someone may try to harm our students,” said university police Chief David Perry.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Unified School District will pay $139 million to end all remaining litigation involving an elementary school teacher convicted of committing numerous counts of lewd conduct against his students, according to the settlement announced Friday. The deal involving 81 students puts a legal end to the saga that began when Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt was arrested in 2012 and accused of blindfolding students and feeding them his semen on cookies. Plaintiff’s lawyers had planned to present evidence suggesting the district was aware of sexual misconduct by Berndt three decades ago but failed to act until a photo processor at a pharmacy contacted police about film Berndt dropped off that showed pictures of blindfolded children and being fed some substance. The 19-year-old woman had only been on the job a month. “She was told not to call the police by her supervisors and she did it, anyway,” John Manley, one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit, said at a news conference. “If she hadn’t made that call, we wouldn’t be here
today and he’d still be teaching.” The case led to an overhaul of how the nation’s second-largest school district handles allegations of sexual BERNDT abuse. After Berndt’s arrest, the district removed all 130 staff members from the school and placed them at an unopened empty campus during the lengthy investigation. “Our goal from the outset of these appalling revelations has been to spare the Miramonte community the anguish of a protracted trial, while at the same time being mindful of the financial consequences stemming from settlements,” school district Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines said in a statement. “Given these circumstances, we believe we struck a balance between those objectives.” Berndt was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading no contest to 23 counts of lewd conduct. The settlement is in addition to $30 million the district previously agreed to pay to settle 65 other cases involving Berndt. Lawyers in the current case said it’s believed to be the largest sexabuse case settlement involving a school district.
Officer testifies about NY chokehold death By TOM HAYS ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — A grand jury heard testimony Friday from a police officer involved in the chokehold death of an unarmed man, a development signaling that it could be close to deciding whether he should face criminal charges in the volatile case. Officer Daniel Pantaleo spent about two hours giving the Staten Island panel his account of the videotaped death of Eric Garner, said the officer’s attorney, Stuart London. “We’re thankful that they listened intently to his testimony,” London said. The grand jury began hearing evidence in late September. A spokesman for Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan declined to comment on when it’s expected to vote on whether to indict the officer, but a decision is expected before the end of the year. Pantaleo and other New York Po-
lice Department officers stopped Garner on the street on July 17 on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. A video shot by an onlooker shows the GARNER 43-year-old Garner telling the officers to leave him alone and refusing to be handcuffed. Pantaleo responded by wrapping his arm around Garner’s neck in an apparent chokehold, which is banned under NYPD policy. The heavyset Garner, who had asthma, is heard gasping, “I can’t breathe.” He later was pronounced dead at a hospital. The medical examiner ruled Garner’s death a homicide and found that a chokehold contributed to it. An expert forensic pathologist hired by Garner’s family, Dr. Michael Baden, agreed with the medical examiner’s findings, saying there was hemorrhaging on Garner’s neck indicative of neck compressions.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
PÁGINA 8A
Zfrontera
Ribereña en Breve NOMBRAMIENTOS Los Generales Brigadier Norberto Cortés Rodríguez y Raúl Gámez Segovia, recibieron de manos del Gobernador de Tamaulipas y el el general Dagoberto Espinoza Rodríguez, comandante de la Octava Zona Militar, entregaron los ascensos de general de brigada de arma. El evento se celebró en las instalaciones del 77 Batallón de Infantería con sede en Ciudad Victora, capital de Tamaulipas, el jueves. Dentro de la Estrategia de Seguridad Tamaulipas, Cortés Rodríguez actualmente es Coordinador Federal de la Zona Centro con base en Victoria, mientras que Gámez Segovia es el Coordinador Federal de la Zona Sur con base en El Mante. Asimismo Torre Cantú, entregó la posición de mayor de arma al capitán primero de artillería Manuel Victorio Villarreal, coordinador general de la Zona Centro.
COMPETENCIA DE ACCIÓN DE GRACIAS La Comisión de Parques y Recreación de la Ciudad de Roma invita a su primer Competencia Comunitaria de Cocina por Acción de Gracias Gobble Till Ya Wobble, el sábado 22 de noviembre en el Parque Municipal de Roma. La cuota de entrada es de 150 dólares por equipo. Las categorías disponibles para participar son: fajitas, frijoles, pan de campo y pavo. Se invita a la comunidad en general a asistir y disfrutar de una cena gratuita por Acción de Gracias.
SÁBADO 22 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2014
INMIGRACIÓN
Preparan acciones Texas se moviliza POR JUAN CARLOS LLORCA ASSOCIATED PRESS
EL PASO— Abogados y grupos defensores de los inmigrantes han organizado teletones e instalado líneas telefónicas para las personas que busquen acogerse a un plan de la Casa Blanca a fin de evitar la deportación. Grupos en diversas partes del estado prepararon reuniones para presenciar el discurso televisado que pronunció el presidente Barack Obama el jueves por la noche. El mandatario anunció un plan mediante el cual se concederán permisos de trabajo a millones de inmigrantes que viven sin autorización en Estados Unidos, donde quedarían protegidos de la deportación. El anuncio tuvo una moderada recepción en las oficinas de El Paso del grupo Red Fronteriza por los Derechos Humanos. Activistas e inmigrantes se habían reunido ahí para escuchar la traducción simultánea del discurso de Obama. “Soy madre de ‘dreamers’ (jóvenes que se beneficiaron del programa de suspensión de deportaciones denominado DACA), no son ciudadanos estadounidenses. Fue muy decepcionante escuchar que no me beneficiará”, dijo Rosa Mejía, originaria de México, quien ha vivido en Estados Unidos de manera ilegal
Foto por Jim Bourg | AP
El presidente Barack Obama anuncia medidas ejecutivas en materia de inmigración durante un discurso televisado a todo el país desde la Casa Blanca, el jueves. Obama presentó un plan para beneficiar a un máximo de 5 millones de personas. desde 1999. En San Antonio, el grupo de servicios legales Raíces comenzó a establecer líneas telefónicas para que los inmigrantes puedan hablar con abogados sobre qué esperar de la acción ejecutiva de Obama. El grupo Texas Organizing Project también dedicó líneas telefónicas y montó un servicio de texto en el que las personas pueden enviar por teléfono la palabra “alivio” (en español) y alguien responde sus preguntas. Jenna Carl, subdirectora de inmigración y servicios legales del grupo Catholic Charities, de Dallas, dijo que no sabía cuántas personas podrán acogerse al plan de Obama, pero que instruyó a su personal a
Foto por Alex Brandon | AP
Participantes de mitin levantan carteles y banderas de EU mientras se reúnen frente a la Casa Blanca, el jueves. prepararse porque el número de inmigrantes que busquen información podría ser “enorme”. Se calcula que hay cerca de 11 millones de inmigrantes viviendo de manera ilegal en Estados Unidos. Oba-
ma anunció planes que protegerían a unos cinco millones. Los republicanos planean impugnar las acciones del presidente. Líderes republicanos, como el gobernador Rick Perry, han amenazado con medidas le-
gales. El fiscal general de Texas Greg Abbott prometió impugnar en tribunales la orden ejecutiva. “Luego del pronunciamiento de esta noche, estoy preparado para impugnar inmediatamente al presidente Obama en la corte, para garantizar la soberanía del estado y el estado de derecho, tal como se contempla en la Constitución”, dijo Abbot en un comunicado emitido la noche del jueves. Casi 1,8 millones de inmigrantes vivían de manera ilegal en Texas en 2011, de acuerdo con cifras del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. Ello representa 16% de la población del estado.
DESFILE DE NAVIDAD La Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata invita al Desfile de Navidad y Encendido de la Plaza del Condado, el jueves 4 de diciembre. Se invita a empresas, iglesias, clubes, escuelas, organizaciones, y oficiales a participar durante el desfile. Se entregarán trofeos a los tres mejores carros alegóricos. Los participantes empezarán a alinearse a las 5 p.m. del 4 de diciembre en calle Glenn y 17th Ave (detrás de Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church). El desfile iniciará a las 6 p.m., tomando 17th Ave y continuando al sur sobre US Hwy 83, y girando a la izquierda en 6th Ave, para concluir el desfile. Al concluir el desfile, se realizará la ceremonia anual de encendido del árbol de Navidad en la Plaza del Condado, seguido de regalos de Santa.
VISITA DE CASAS Se invita a pasar la tarde del 7 de diciembre visitando casas históricas y puntos de referencia de San Ygnacio. Las ganancias se destinarán a la Escuela Primaria Arturo L. Benavides.
COLUMNA
RX OUTREACH
Relata vida, situación y acciones de vicecónsul
Ofrecen medicina a bajo costo
POR RAÚL SINENCIO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Frente al espejo de la recámara, terminó de vestirse. Sin demora, se puso en marcha. Estaba por amanecer en pleno invierno. Desde la Plaza de la Libertad, vendedores y transeúntes lo vieron salir de aquella casona, sede del consulado de España. Algunos vecinos cruzaron saludos con él. Serían los últimos.
Contexto Francisco Melgarejo y Guzmán era vicecónsul en Tampico. Comenzó a desempeñar el puesto en Tabasco. A finales de 1845, con buenas recomendaciones, consiguió su traslado al puerto tamaulipeco. Al llegar y encontrar el puesto de cónsul vacante, quiso tomarlo. Las gestiones fracasaron. La invasión de EU de 1846 a 1848 agravó la ya difícil situación, por inhibir el tráfi-
co marítimo. Con falta de pago por las funciones desempeñadas, Melgarejo pronto sufrió problemas financieros. Pese a solicitudes de aumento, solo se le autorizaron gastos de escritorio. Ante estas circunstancias, su humor constantemente era malo. Por los que Melgarejo decide tomar venganza. Terminó fijándose en un subteniente de artillería. Pero incluso dándose a la tarea de acumularle ofensas, ninguna respuesta hubo.
Duelo El subteniente José María Peña intentó evadirlo. Dada la disparidad social entre ambos, conllevaba severos riesgos que él, retara al extranjero, ya que podría enfrentar complicaciones. Catalán joven e impulsivo, Melgarejo envió a dos padrinos a la casa del militar. Así emplazado, Peña atendería la
necesidad de nombrar los suyos. Se ultimaron detalles. El duelo iba a verificarse en un paraje solitario. Se utilizarían dos escopetas, con un solo tiro por arma. Beneficios Los convocados llegaron puntuales. El vicecónsul y el subteniente quedaron espalda contra espalda. Instruidos por los padrinos, avanzarían cinco pasos; al grito de “¡uno!”, apuntaron; “¡dos!”, amartillarían sus respectivas armas; y al escuchar “¡tres!”, darían media vuelta y dispararían con el mayor tino posible. A fin de exculparlo, Melgarejo adujo que de manera accidental él mismo se había disparado. Los servicios médicos no sirvieron. Al cabo de varios días en doloroso trance, expiró Francisco Melgarejo y Guzmán. . (Publicado con permiso del autor de acuerdo con La Razón, Tamps.)
CAMPAMENTO DE SOFTBALL La Ciudad de Roma, Texas estará realizando un campamento de softball dirigido a jugadores de entre 8 y 14 años de edad. El evento se llevará a cabo el sábado 13 de diciembre, dentro de las instalaciones del Roma High Softball Field, en los siguientes horarios: de 9 a.m. a 12 p.m.; de 12 p.m. a 1 p.m. (se proporcionará la comida); y de 1 p.m. a 3 p.m. Los asistentes recibirán entrenamiento para cubrir las áreas de picheo, bateo, cubrir las bases, moverse entre campos, robar bases, entre otros aspectos. El costo del campamento será de 25 dólares, e incluirá la comida y una playera.
RECONOCEN LABOR
Foto de cortesía
El Departamento de Administración de Transporte otorgó el reconocimiento Extra Mile Award, que reconoce el trabajo destacado de servidores públicos. En la imagen John Barton, Santiago Hernández, José García, Antonio Moreno, Ángel Rentería Jr. y Joe Weber. El evento fue en Transportation Conference Short Course en College Station.
POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Una organización sin fines de lucro está ofreciendo surtir medicamento a bajo costo hasta por seis meses a los habitantes del Sur de Texas. La organización, denominada Rx Outreach, fue creada en 2010 y desde entonces ha dado servicio a más de 150.000 personas en todo el país, manteniéndose como el primer y único organismo que proporciona medicamentos tanto genéricos como de marca, según se establece en su sitio de Internet. “Es importante que las personas sepan que no se trata de ningún programa de tarjeta de descuento, no estamos afiliados a ningún programa privado o gubernamental”, explicó Janet Domínguez, directora de relaciones públicas de Rx Outreach. Agregó que Rx Outreach ofrece costos bajos en sus productos y que a menos que sea una orden que urge, el producto tendría un costo superior por ser enviado con carácter de urgente al cliente desde su base en St. Louis, Missouri. Rx Outreach es una farmacia autorizada para enviar medicamentos a Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes por correo, y está comprometida a hacer que el uso de medicamentos de prescripción sea seguro y accesible. “Es necesario bajar una forma de Internet y llenarla para hacerla llegar por correo normal. También ofrecemos medicinas a bajo costo para familias o individuos con seguro o sin seguro, al igual que para aquellos que tienen una cobertura de prescripción médica limitada”, dijo Domínguez. Los pacientes también deberán enviar una copia de la receta que haya sido expedida por un médico certificado vía fax o escáner. “Nosotros confiamos en la información que nos proporcionan no pedimos comprobantes de ingresos o declaraciones de impuestos, tampoco ningún tipo de identificación o estatus migratorio, sólo pedimos un domicilio activo para poder enviar los medicamentos”, señaló. Las personas interesadas pueden entrar al sitio de Internet y bajar la aplicación o llamar al 1-800-769-3880.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
New Social Studies texts OK’d By BOBBY BLANCHARD AND MORGAN SMITH THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
After adopting hundreds of pages in last minute updates and corrections, the Texas State Board of Education approved new social studies textbooks Friday. All but the five Democrats on the 15-member board voted to accept products from all publishers except Worldview Software, which they rejected because of concerns over factual accuracy. “When I think of the other publishers, they were on it. They were on the errors. I did not see that here,” Tincy Miller, a Dallas Republican, said of Worldview. In total, they approved 89 products for eight different social studies courses that will be used in Texas public schools for the next decade. School districts do not have to buy products from the list vetted by the state education board, but many do because it offers a ready guarantee that materials cover state curriculum standards. Friday’s vote marks the conclusion of a monthslong review process where members of the public from across the political spectrum have pointed to thousands of perceived errors and flaws in how the books cover topics like cli-
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Deborah Cannon/Austin American-Statesman | AP
State Board of Education member Geraldine Miller talks with Marty Rowley during hearings regarding the adoption of new textbooks in Austin, on Friday. mate change, Islam and the influence of Moses on American Founding Fathers. The morning began with news that a major publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, had withdrawn its textbook from consideration amid ongoing negotiations over changes. Even as they took the vote, members acknowledged they had not had the time to review all of the changes made since the board began meeting Tues-
day. “I did not have an opportunity to read this,” Ruben Cortez, Jr., DBrownsville, said, gesturing to a stack of updates. But others argued that the board should follow the rules it had created. “I’ve heard a lot of comments calling this a funky process — but I would just remind those around the circle that we adopted that process,” said Tom Maynard, R-Florence, “If any of you have gone through a
home improvement project that got a little out of hand, those things never go quite like you expect.” Marisa Perez, a San Antonio Democrat, took issue with his analogy. “I am by no means a handywoman in the household, but I know if I am laying down a foundation and I realize midway through my work that measurements are off, I’m not going to continue to build just for the sake of finishing,” she said.
Iran nuke talks stalled in Vienna By GEORGE JAHN AND MATTHEW LEE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIENNA — Contentious nuclear talks between world powers and Tehran hit a new snag Friday after Iran apparently again turned down U.S. demands for concessions, leaving negotiations in limbo just three days before a deadline for a deal. In hours of high drama reflecting the delicate stage of the talks, both U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif first made, then cancelled plans to walk away from the talks — at least temporarily — for additional consultations. Such developments could have meant possible progress, suggesting that the Iranians needed political approval from Tehran to move forward. After initially announcing he was flying to Paris, Kerry suddenly reversed course and scheduled a new meeting with Zarif late Friday, with the two talking into the evening for more than two hours. Iranian media initially spoke of a new U.S. initiative that Zarif needed to have his superiors sign off on, but
Photo by Ronald Zak | AP
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry leaves Palais Coburg where closed-door nuclear talks with Iran took place in Vienna on Friday. the Iranian diplomat dashed those hopes. “There have been a lot of discussions in Vienna, but there were no remarkable offers and ideas to take to Tehran,” Zarif told Iran’s official IRNA news agency. The remark reflected the probabil-
ity that substantial obstacles remain in the way of a deal that would cap Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief — a view reinforced by senior diplomats of other nations taking part in the negotiations.
Miss Honduras killed by boyfriend By ALBERTO ARCE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SANTA BARBARA, Honduras — Maria Jose Alvarado expected some difficult questions about her country at the Miss World pageant in London, so the 19-year-old beauty queen enlisted a teacher to help her prepare. They reviewed the history of Honduras, including the militarybacked coup in 2009 that sent the president into exile. They went through the daily newspapers to discuss politics and the gang and drug violence that makes this small Central American republic one of the most dangerous countries in the world. The odds of winning the Miss World crown were long, Alvarado knew, but she practiced her English in the weeks ahead of the pageant, just in case she needed an acceptance speech, said Jose Eudaldo Diaz, the philosophy professor who was coaching her. “She knew that the questions would be about the insecurity and violence because that is what the world knows about Honduras,” Diaz said. “Her goal was to explain that she wanted to contribute to a Hon-
AP
Plutarco Ruiz is taken away by police after his arrest in the city of Santa Barbara, Honduras, Tuesday. duras in which children could walk the streets without fear of being murdered.” No one ever got to hear Alvarado’s speech, and she didn’t get to the pageant. She was shot to death along with a sister, their bodies discarded on a riverbank. They were laid to rest in a rain-soaked cemetery Thursday. The senseless murder of Miss Honduras along with the older sister, Sofia, is both a family tragedy
and a national outrage in a country that had seemed to be sleepwalking through a homicidal bloodbath. While many of the daily dead are gangsters, drug traffickers and police officers, many others are taxi drivers, journalists, abused women and other nameless innocents caught in the line of fire. Alvarado would have fallen into the last group were it not for the fact she was unusually beautiful, and rose from humble roots in the hinterlands to represent Honduras on a world stage. “If she had been any other girl, if she hadn’t been Miss Honduras, this would have been one more crime amid the impunity of Honduras,” said Jose Luis Mejia, director of the Technological University campus in Santa Barbara, where Alvarado studied. “They would have said what they always do: that this was the settling of accounts between drug traffickers, and they wouldn’t even have bothered to investigate.” Officially, the killing of Miss Honduras and her 23-year-old sister isn’t related to drug trafficking. Police say Sofia’s suitor, Plutarco Ruiz, confessed to shooting the sisters in a jealous rage.
Yucatan musician killed ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — The music director of the southern Mexico state of Yucatan has been found strangled to death, three days after he disappeared. Luis Luna Guarneros
Auditor hits program run by schools
served as music director of the Yucatan government department of arts and was formerly director of a state orchestra. The state prosecutor’s office said his body was found Wednesday in a vacant lot in the state capital,
Merida. Luna Guarneros had reportedly been planning to make a trip on Sunday when he disappeared. Local media reported his vehicle was later found abandoned. Several musicians have been killed in Mexico in re-
cent years, but they were singers of popular music styles including “narco-corrido” drug ballads, not classically trained musicians. Yucatan has largely been untouched by the wave of violence affecting other parts of Mexico.
DALLAS — State Auditor John Keel is criticizing an economic development program run by Texas school districts, saying they’re being passive about checking whether companies actually are creating high-paying jobs as promised. The Dallas Morning News obtained a copy of Keel’s report, released Friday. Keel was required to audit the program, known as “Chapter 313,” as part of a law extending it through 2024. He said districts are giving away more than $200 million a year in property tax breaks without confirming if the businesses are creating the pledged jobs. “The school districts relied primarily on information that the businesses certified to be true and correct,” Keel said. He recommended the Legislature require independent verification and urged state lawmakers to set tighter policies on school board members and district employees who handle tax break applications. Keel analyzed four school districts’ practices in his audit and found inconsistent reporting of information on amounts invested and jobs spun off. He examined a research facility in Austin; two wind farms in Sterling City; a natural gas processing plant in Fort Stockton; and two nuclear power generating units in Matagorda County. Keel’s audit said the school districts in those communities passively accepted the companies’ numbers before forwarding the information to two state agencies that help the districts obtain reimbursement. Between 2001 and 2012, school districts agreed to give out $2.4 billion in reduced appraisals and tax credits to companies in the program, according to state Comptroller Susan Combs. The Texas Education Agency offsets the districts’ losses by increasing their school aid. A goal of the program is to attract businesses to Texas. The state has high property taxes on industrial businesses and can’t compete for large relocations or expansions without incentives, said Dale Craymer of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. Dick Lavine, a fiscal expert at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, said the audit shows the program is too loose about making sure as many jobs as possible are being generated. “The reason it’s important to verify the numbers is to see if the state’s getting its money’s worth,” Lavine said.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
OBAMA Continued from Page 1A power of his office. The speaker accused the president of trying to "deliberately sabotage any chance of enacting bipartisan reforms that he claims to seek." After Republicans in the House blocked action on the Senate bill and refused to pass their own, Obama eventually lost faith in a legislative approach. On Friday, a day after announcing his executive action on immigration in a speech to the nation, the president said he had no choice but to use the power of his office to shield up to 5 million immigrants from deportation. "It has now been 512 days - a year and a half in which the only thing standing in the way of that bipartisan bill and my desk, so I can sign the bill, is a simple yes or no vote in the House of Representatives," Obama told an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,600 people in the school gymnasium. The president said he had urged Boehner to let the Senate bill come to a vote on the floor of the House, but to no avail. "I cajoled and I called and I met," Obama said. "I told John Boehner: ’I’ll wash your car. I’ll walk your dog. Whatever you needed to do. Just call the bill.’ And he didn’t do it." White House aides called the trip back to Del Sol High School an example
of political "symmetry." They said the president was eager to return to declare that he had made good - at least in part - on the promise he made on his earlier visit there, in January 2013. As an indication that the president’s actions fall short of what he and activists have long sought, Obama was interrupted during his speech by an activist who appeared to yell that not all undocumented immigrants would be helped under the action Obama announced Thursday. "I heard you, and what I’m telling you is, we’re still going to have to pass a bill," Obama said. "What I’m saying is, this is just a first step." Around the country, Obama’s critics began searching for ways to block his action. Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, an ardent opponent of immigration, accused the president of granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants and filed a lawsuit seeking "to have the president and the other defendants obey the U.S. Constitution, which prevents this executive order from having been issued in the first place." In Oklahoma, Attorney General Scott Pruitt promised to file a similar lawsuit. In a statement, he called the president’s executive actions "ill-advised, unworkable, unlawful and brazenly political."
MOURN
"The American people are not stupid, and can see right through this blatantly political power grab on the part of the president," Pruitt said. Traveling on Air Force One from Washington, Obama’s top aides waved aside the legal attacks and released a letter from 10 legal scholars who wrote that the president’s actions were proper. "We would not endorse an executive action that constituted an abdication of the president’s responsibility to enforce the law or that was inconsistent with the purposes underlying a statutory scheme," the scholars wrote. "But these limits on the lawful exercise of prosecutorial discretion are not breached here." Obama traveled to Las Vegas with several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House, and Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who will lose his title as majority leader when the new Republican-controlled Congress convenes in January. The visit was a public relations event designed to build support for the president’s actions even as it helps Reid in his bid to attract support among Hispanics. An analysis of demographic voting patterns by Latino Decisions found that Reid had won nine out of every 10 Latino voters in 2010, when he won re-election.
Continued from Page 1A ter at TAMIU. Each held a portrait of a missing student from Ayotzinapa with a short biography attached. As the names of each student were announced, the TAMIU student assigned to the respective missing student read the biography, concluding with “I want to be a teacher” and “justice.” Irma Cantu, TAMIU Mexican literature professor, read a poem by Jose Ramon Ruisanchez, University of Houston Hispanic studies assistant professor and author. The poem describes how the students in Ayotzinapa went to school to become teachers, not dead ones. On Sept. 26, 43 students from the Escuela Normal Rural “Raul Isidro Burgos” hijacked three buses to travel back to Ayotzinapa from Iguala. What occurred after remains unclear. According to the Washington Post, Iguala police intercepted the students on their way back on Mayor Jose Luis Abarca’s orders. The students were handed over to a drug gang, “Guerreros Unidos.” Prosecutors say there is evidence the gang members killed the students and incinerated their remains. Additionally, they have sent badly burned bits of bone and teeth found at a garbage dump in Guerrero to a laboratory in Austria to see if any DNA samples can be recovered to help identify the remains. (Judith Rayo may be reached at 728-2567 or jrayo@lmtonline.com)
Happy Thanksgiving
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
REYNALDO SOLIS May 24, 1961 — Nov. 14, 2014 Reynaldo Solis, 53, passed away on Friday, Nov. 14, 2014, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo, Texas. Mr. Solis is preceded in death by his parents, Filiberto and Elba Solis. Mr. Solis is survived by his children, Reynaldo Solis Jr., Reymundo Solis, Mariela Solis and Rey Roy Solis and by numerous other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, at 4 p.m. with a chapel service at 5 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Committal services will be held on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, at Panteon Del Pueblo in San Ygnacio, Texas. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez,
By MARCY GORDON ASSOCIATED PRESS
funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83, Zapata, Texas.
INDALECIO SANCHEZ RUBIO May 15, 1926 — Nov. 18, 2014 Indalecio Sanchez Rubio, 88, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at his residence in San Ygnacio, Texas. Mr. Sanchez is preceded in death by his parents, Herculano and Lorenza Sanchez; sons, Jose Sanchez; daughters, Nicolasa Sanchez Quiroz, Maria Elena Sanchez Guerrero and his first wife, Paula Guerrero. Mr. Sanchez is survived by his wife, Maria Juana Quiroz Alvarez; sons, Simon (Maria) Sanchez, Herculano (Eduarda) Sanchez, Indalecio (Juana) Sanchez Jr., Eusebio Vega Sanchez; daughters, Epifania (Dionicio) Sanchez, Leonarda (+Eustaquio) Zuñiga, Aniceta Sanchez, Marcelina (Jeronimo) Jimenez, Maximina Sanchez, Dominga (Ramon) Benavides, Andrea Sanchez, Martha (Pablo) Trejo, Cristina (Gregorio) Santos, Blanca Estela (Miguel) Castillo; grandchildren, Oscar Esquivel Jr., Sergio Esquivel, Modesto Esquivel, Dalia Esquivel, Maritza Esquivel, Rocio Sanchez, Jorge Perez, Lizandra Sanchez, Ronaldo Sanchez, Jocelinn Sanchez, Clarissa Solis, Samuel Solis III, Amada Solis, Jamari Sanchez, Mia Alaniz, Marlene Santos, Jaret Santos, Carolina Sanchez, Juana Maria Sanchez, Anna Sanchez, Adriana Sanchez, Ai-
NY Fed chief on defensive
leen Sanchez, Yesenia Sanchez, Bianca Estela Sanchez, Nora Hilda Perez, Heriberto Perez and by numerous great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014, at 8 a.m. with a chapel service at 9 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Committal services followed at Panteon de Zacatipa in Xilitla, San Luis Potosi. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83, Zapata, Texas.
WASHINGTON — The head of the New York Federal Reserve was put on the defensive by Senate Democrats, who accused the Fed of being too close to the big banks it is charged with regulating. William Dudley, president of the New York Fed, insisted at a Senate hearing Friday that “our eyes are open” and regulators are fair, unbiased and rigorous in their oversight of the biggest U.S. banks. A 2009 report found that the New York Fed’s culture stifled dissenting views among its bank supervisors. “Of course we are not perfect, but we always strive to improve and retain your trust,” Dudley said at the hearing, which focused on whether the Federal Reserve has too cozy of a relationship with Wall Street banks. Democratic critics say the Fed’s lax regulation of Wall Street banks could end up putting taxpayers on the hook again to bail them out as in the 2008 financial crisis. “We need bank regulators who work to protect the American people, not the profits of giant banks,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, DMass., a member of the banking panel who has become a key spokeswoman for the Democratic Party on economic issues. “Change has to come from the top,” Warren said. “Either you need to fix it Mr. Dudley, or we need to get someone who will.” Warren and other members of the panel had testy exchanges with Dudley, who repeatedly defended the Fed’s actions in several cases involving big banks and said it has made great progress in sharpening its oversight. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the subcommittee’s chairman, told Dudley his testimony gave “a pretty sunny description” of the Fed’s ef-
Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP file
Ben Bernanke, center, and Federal Reserve Bank of New York President and Chief Executive Office William Dudley, right, prepare to testify on Capitol Hill in 2009. forts to rein in risky conduct by big banks in the years since the financial crisis. But public confidence in Wall Street hasn’t improved since then, Brown said. The Federal Reserve, which oversees Wall Street titans such as JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc., announced late Thursday that it will review how it inspects and supervises the banks. The Fed said the review will examine whether its decision-makers get the information they need to make good decisions in their inspection and oversight of banks. It also will look at the Fed’s internal culture, and whether dissenting views related to oversight are stifled. The banks are considered to be so huge and interconnected that each could threaten the financial system if it collapsed. This fall, conversations between New York Fed supervisors, secretly taped by a former employee there, were played on the radio program “This American Life.” The tapes
were made by Carmen Segarra, a former Fed bank examiner who sued the New York Fed last year, alleging she was wrongfully terminated because she refused to change the results of her investigation into Goldman Sachs. Segarra’s lawsuit said the New York Fed interfered with her examination of Goldman’s legal and compliance divisions, and directed her to change her findings. She says she refused and was fired three days later in May 2012. Members of the Senate panel held up the tapes Friday as a dramatic example of New York Fed supervisors’ coziness with the banks. “When Goldman was unhappy, you told the lead Fed investigator to back off,” Warren told Dudley. He maintained the tapes don’t reflect how the New York Fed conducts its supervision of banks. “I don’t accept the characterization that those tapes show the Federal Reserve is not working correctly,” Dudley said. “We investigated those issues.”
JOBS Continued from Page 1A In the past year, Texas added 421,900 total nonfarm jobs, setting a record for jobs added statewide for the third consecutive month. In September, the Texas economy grew by a revised 414,700 jobs over the year. "We have witnessed the Texas economy growing stronger and stronger over the last several years, culminating in another re-
cord-breaking month," commission chairman Andres Alcantar said. "The diversity of our growing industries, businesses and skilled workers has made for a prosperous Texas." Texas added 35,200 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs last month. Eight of 11 major industries added jobs in October, led by trade, transportation and utilities
with 17,500 jobs. Employers added 1,500 manufacturing jobs, while construction grew by 9,200 jobs, according to state figures. Mining and logging, which includes jobs related to the oil and gas industry, grew by 4,100 positions. Mining and logging also grew at a rate of 11.3 percent over the year, faster than any other major industry in Texas.
OIL Continued from Page 1A This scheme occurred between January 2011 and August 2014, the indictment states. According to the indictment, the U.S. government is seeking proceeds derived from the scheme as well as funds totaling more than $1.5 million. Prosecutors allege this amount represents the proceeds obtained directly or indirectly through the scheme. “The vast expanse of the Eagle Ford Shale and the high level of oil and gas drilling and production in the area provide many opportunities for those inclined to cheat and steal,” U.S. attorney Robert Pitman said in a news release. “This indictment gives notice that this office will work close-
ly with federal and state law enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who perpetrate unlawful schemes to exploit the financial opportunities presented in the oil field.” Christopher Combs, special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Division, added: “While the theft the defendants allegedly engaged in resulted in significant losses for two publicly traded companies, this type of criminal activity often harms the American public as well by hindering the creation of new jobs, raising prices for consumers, and depriving communities of tax revenue needed to fund infrastructure and other vital
projects.” The theft and money laundering charges are punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The wire fraud charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Texas Attorney General’s Special Investigations Unit, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, Dimmit County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Railroad Commission. Assistant U.S. attorneys Bryan Nathan Reeves and Timothy Adam Duree are prosecuting the case.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
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Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
NFL: HOUSTON TEXANS
Seeking a sweep Photo by David Richard | AP
Houston Texans running back Alfed Blue ran 36 times for 156 yards last week in a 23-7 victory on the road over the Cleveland Browns.
Blue runs with starting opportunity Houston’s sixth-round pick taking advantage of carries with Foster hurt Photo by Tim Ireland | AP
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys are on the road against the New York Giants on Sunday night. The Cowboys won 31-21 in their first meeting as Romo threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cowboys look to take down Giants after bye By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
For Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, the concern is about his back. While the Giants’ Eli Manning is looking to rebound after one of the worst starts of his career.
Romo takes the Dallas Cowboys to New York on Sunday night with a chance to match the win total from their .500 rut of the past three seasons. The 34-year-old quarterback whose surgically repaired back sustained yet another injury against
Washington has a chance for the most efficient season of his career. Much more importantly for him, Jason Witten and the rest of the Cowboys (7-3), they’re in position to end a four-year playoff drought in a season-ending schedule filled with NFC
NCAA BASKETBALL: TEXAS A&M 59, CHARLESTON 50
East opponents. The co-leaders of the division along with Philadelphia owe plenty of their lofty perch to NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray. The Cowboys’ future will depend on how Romo’s
See COWBOYS PAGE 2B
HOUSTON — Alfred Blue didn’t spend any time feeling sorry for himself when he didn’t hear his name called until the sixth round of this year’s NFL draft. Houston’s rookie running back had long heard a familiar refrain from coaches that helped him navigate what would have been a disappointing time for many players.
“Coaches always told me, it’s not where you begin, it’s how it ends,” Blue said. And in Houston he found a perfect example of that sentiment when he joined a backfield starring Arian Foster. Foster went undrafted out of Tennessee before signing as a free agent with the Texans and eventually developing into one of the NFL’s best running backs. On Sunday when Foster
See TEXANS PAGE 2B
ZAPATA GRADUATE RUNNING AT REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Aggies rally late for win over Charleston Cougars By KYLE HIGHTOWER ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy wasn’t exactly sure how his team would react after losing on a last-second tip-in to Dayton in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. He was pleased to find the response was toughness. Peyton Allen had 14 points, Jalen Jones added 12 and Texas A&M rallied in the second half to slip past College of Charleston 59-50 in the consolation round Friday. Kennedy said it was good to see how Allen and Green performed down the stretch after combining to score just two points in the loss to the Flyers. “That was huge for us,” Kennedy said. “We really got nothing out of those guys yesterday...They’re both starters. It’s good to see them both be resilient. We’ve got a good group of kids, and they’re resiliency paid off.” The Aggies (2-1) trailed by five with more than eight minutes remaining before outscoring the Cougars 27-13 to end the game. Jordan Green had nine of his 11 points in the final four minutes. Joe Chealey and Anthony Stitt had 10 points apiece to lead Charleston (1-3). Stitt helped carry the Cougars offense for the second straight game, but
Photo by Kiara Riojas | TAMIU Athletics
Former Zapata cross country runner Rafael Benavides, right, will represent TAMIU in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Washington Park in Denver.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE: DALLAS STARS Photo by Ricardo Arduengo | AP
Davonte Fitzgerald and Texas A&M outscored Charleston 27-13 down the stretch Friday for a 59-50 win. had seven turnovers. It matched the seven turnovers in their opening loss to Connecticut. The Cougars lost a lot of their inside presence and scoring with the pregame decision to sit big man Adjehi Baru. He was injured during a lategame collision in Charleston’s loss to Connecticut and limped off the court. Charleston coach Earl Grant said it forced them to rely more on perimeter scoring. “That really threw a last minute monkey wrench in our game plan,” Grant said.
After trailing for most of the second half, Texas A&M took a 39-37 lead on a dunk by Antwan Space with about 7 minutes to play. That cushion grew to 46-39 on a pair of free throws by Jordan Green, capping a 14-2 spurt. The Aggies settled down, and twice cut the lead down to two. But five straight points by Green pushed the lead back up to six with about a minute left. Charleston controlled the tempo in the first half and got production
See AGGIES PAGE 2B
Stars extend Spezza, trade for Demers ASSOCIATED PRESS
FRISCO, Texas — Twotime NHL All-Star center Jason Spezza signed a $30 million, four-year contract extension Friday with the Dallas Stars. The deal came nearly five months after the Stars acquired Spezza from Ottawa just before the start of free agency, and keeps the 31-year-old center from becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. Spezza has 18 points in
See STARS PAGE 2B
Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
The Dallas Stars signed center Jason Spezza to a four-year, $30 million contract extension Friday.
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
Peterson hearing scheduled for Dec. 2 By JON KRAWCZYNSKI ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS — Adrian Peterson’s hearing for the appeal of his suspension will be held on Dec. 2. And it will not be in front of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The NFL announced Friday that longtime hearing officer Harold Henderson will preside over the proceedings involving the Minnesota Vikings star running back. Goodell has the authority to decide whether to hear the appeal himself or appoint someone else. Peterson has not played since the opening week of the season while dealing with child abuse allegations in Texas. He was placed on paid leave while the legal process played out, and he pleaded no contest on Nov. 4 to misdemeanor reckless assault for injuring his 4-yearold son with a wooden switch. Goodell suspended Peterson earlier this week for the rest of the season and told Peterson that he will not be considered for reinstatement before April 15 for his violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Peterson is appealing the punishment, which the NFL Play-
Photo by Ann Heisenfelt | AP
The NFL will meet with Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson on Dec. 2 for a hearing on the appeal of his suspension.
ers Association called “unprecedented, arbitrary, and unlawful.” The union had been seeking a neutral arbitrator to oversee the appeal, saying the league “is making up the process and punishment as it goes.” Henderson worked for the league as chairman of its powerful Management
Council’s executive committee for 16 years. He also was a league vice president of labor relations. He led the league’s negotiation team, which settled several lawsuits by NFL players and ultimately entered into a new collective bargaining agreement which included expanded free agency and a salary
cap. That agreement has been extended several times, most recently through 2021. He regularly deals with NFL team owners, team executives, players, players’ union, player agents and attorneys on a variety of matters. Henderson’s long history of working for the league did little to assuage the
AGGIES Continued from Page 1B from its bench, which outscored Texas A&M’s reserves 12-2. The Aggies also struggled shooting the ball, connecting on just 6 of their 23 field goal attempts, including 2 of 11 from beyond the arc. Alex Caruso, who led Texas A&M with 17 in their opening game Thursday, was held to just three at the half. The Aggies big rebounder in that game — Kourtney Roberson — had only one in the opening 20 minutes against the Cougars, and two for the game. TIP-INS Texas A&M: The Aggies shot 48 percent in the second half (12 for 25), after just a 6 for 24 (25 percent) effort in opening 20 minutes. Charleston: Grant said he didn’t know that Baru wouldn’t be available until about two hours before tip-off. “He said he was fine and trainer said
union’s concerns about the process. “The NFL should stop attempting to position a former NFL executive as neutral and independent,” the union said. “It is disappointing the league office made a decision to ignore the players’ request for fairness.” The NFL argued that
Goodell’s right to preside over appeals or choose an official has been part of the collective bargaining agreement since 1993. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said criticism of Henderson is unwarranted given his current position as president of the NFL Player Care Foundation, which is funded jointly by the union and the league; and his experience in hearing 87 appeals, including one from receiver Brandon Marshall that ended with his three-game suspension for a domestic violence incident being reduced to one game. Goodell’s punishment of Peterson comes under the new player conduct policy he unveiled in August. That came in the wake of criticism he received for his initial light treatment of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was caught on camera punching his then-fiancee in the face in an Atlantic City casino elevator. Rice was later suspended indefinitely, cut by the Ravens, and recently had his appeal heard by an arbitrator. The new, tougher guidelines call for a six-game suspension for the first assault, battery or domestic violence offense.
STARS Continued from Page 1B
he was fine. But he was sore and couldn’t go 100 percent,” Grant said. “I just know he’s banged up right now and he’s sore.” WAIVER OK The NCAA told Texas A&M on Friday it approved the waiver for junior guard Danuel House to play this season. House, a 6-foot-7 swingman, transferred from Houston after averaging 12.9 points and 5.1 rebounds. He shot 43.2 percent from the floor and 32.5 percent from 3-point range in 57 games during his two-year Cougar career. UP NEXT Texas A&M plays the winner of New Mexico and George Mason in the consolation bracket final on Sunday. Charleston plays the loser of that game.
his first 20 games in Dallas, with his 14 assists tops among the Stars and ninth in the NHL. He has 705 points (255 goals, 450 assists) in 706 career games since being the second overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft by Ottawa. “Jason is a world-class player and his commitment to the organization is a reflection of what we are building in Dallas,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “The professionalism and production he brings to our group is key for our success moving forward and we value the leadership he brings to our team.” The Stars acquired Spezza on July 1 in exchange for right wing Alex Chiasson, left
wings Nick Paul and Alex Guptill and a second-round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft. Spezza is in the final season of a $49 million, sevenyear contract, so his new deal with the Stars is through the 2018-19 season. In 11 seasons with the Senators, Spezza had at least 65 points in a season six times, and three other seasons with at least 50 points. He was sent to the Stars only a few days after using his no-trade clause to turn down a possible deal to Nashville. Sharks trade Demers to Stars for Dillon SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Sharks have traded defenseman Jason Demers and a future draft pick to the
Dallas Stars for defenseman Brenden Dillon. The Stars will get a thirdround pick in the 2016 draft in Friday’s deal. The 24-year-old Dillon has nine goals and 17 assists in 149 career games with Dallas. He had one assist in 20 games this season, along with 26 penalty minutes, 27 hits and 29 blocked shots. Sharks general manager Doug Wilson calls Dillon a “late-blooming” player whose game is trending up and who will help San Jose for the present and future. The 26-year-old Demers has 16 goals and 82 assists in 300 career games. He has three assists in 20 games this season.
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B back holds up through three games in 12 days, including a Thanksgiving visit from the Eagles. “We understand what we need to do to play well,” Witten said. “We know what our strengths are, the things that we do well look good in cold weather, being able to run the ball and the play-action game and getting everybody healthy. Philadelphia’s good, New York’s good, whoever we play after that, they’re going to be good.” Manning wasn’t good in last week’s 16-10 loss to San Francisco, matching his career high with his second five-interception game. He had the Giants inside the 49ers 5yard line late with four chances to take the lead. Instead, his fifth interception on a fourth-down play sent the Giants (3-7) to their fifth consecutive loss — the second straight season they’ve lost at least five in a row. “I have all the faith in the world in him,” coach Tom Coughlin said of Manning, who had six interceptions through nine games before facing the 49ers. “I think the competitor that he is, the extra focus, the extra concentration, I think that he’ll come out and play well.” Some things to look for when the Cowboys go for a fourth straight win against the Giants, which would be their longest streak in 20 years in the series: TONY VS. ELI This will be the 16th meeting with Romo and Manning, with Romo holding an 8-7
Photo by Brandon Wade | AP
Dallas tight end Gavin Escobar had three catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns when the Cowboys beat the New York Giants 31-21 earlier this season. edge. Manning holds all the major passing records with the Giants, and Romo is closing in on Troy Aikman in yardage and completions. Romo already has the Dallas mark for touchdowns. “Obviously there are only so many quarterbacks who have been in one franchise for this long, have had the ups and downs and different things,” Manning said. “I obviously have a brother who I chat with a little bit about that, but Tony, any time you’re in the same division with a quarterback for whatever it’s been now,
eight years together, seven years, there’s definitely a little bond there.” RUNNING ON The Giants are trying to get where the Cowboys are with their running game, and they should have a better chance in Rashad Jennings’ second game since returning from a knee injury. The Giants could do some juggling in the offensive line with guard Geoff Schwartz expected to play after missing the first 10 games with a toe injury and tackle Justin Pugh possibly being sidelined by a thigh injury.
“We’ve got to be able to run the ball,” Coughlin said. “You can talk about interceptions all you want, but there’s a reason for all those things.” HEALTHY COWBOYS The Cowboys are much healthier than they were at this point the past two seasons. The only player who missed practice Thursday was undrafted rookie cornerback Tyler Patmon. Linebacker and leading tackler Rolando McClain has practiced all week after missing the Jacksonville game with knee and groin injuries. BREAKOUT ROOKIE Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had his breakout game in the first meeting with Dallas, getting two touchdowns. He doesn’t have a touchdown since, but has 357 yards receiving in three games. The No. 12 overall pick is the first rookie New York receiver with consecutive 100-yard games since Byron Williams in 1983. “You can see why he was drafted so high,” Dallas cornerback Orlando Scandrick said. BRENT’S RETURN Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent is eligible to play for the first time since Dec. 2, 2012, six days before his drunken-driving accident that killed teammate Jerry Brown. Brent was convicted of intoxication manslaughter, got a 150-day jail term while avoiding prison time and was suspended by the NFL for 10 games when he was reinstated. Coach Jason Garrett has said Brent is overweight, and it’s unclear whether he will be activated against the Giants.
TEXANS Continued from Page 1B was out with a groin injury, it was Blue’s chance to shine. The former LSU back took advantage of the opportunity, carrying a franchise-record 36 times and tying Houston’s single-game rookie rushing record with 156 yards. He didn’t allow himself to soak in the moment during the win over the Browns. He was too busy worrying about the next carry. “I never during the game sat down and relaxed like: ’Wow, I’m doing good,”’ he said. “Just keep your foot on the pedal. I knew I was running the ball hard and (I said) just keep doing what you’re doing and running the ball hard.”
It was a culmination of years of hard work for Blue, who was likely headed for a higher draft position before tearing his ACL in the third week of the 2012 season. He spent months recovering and said he didn’t really feel like himself again until midway through his senior season. “It was very difficult. There are a lot of obstacles to overcome,” Blue said. “You’ve got to get your confidence back. You’ve got to train harder. You’re behind everybody, so really you’re coming from the back of the line to get back to where you were.” When he was drafted by the
Texans, Blue was determined to crack the 53-man roster and decided he’d worry about everything else after that. He developed an immediate bond with Foster, watching him intently on the practice field and asking him for pointers off of it. He said the No. 1 thing Foster tried to drill into his head was the importance of being patient. “When you do get carries you want to try to impress people so you’re not really running with patience,” Blue said. “You’re just trying to get it done and make that big run to wow the coaches.” It took a while, but Blue finally
understood why Foster harped on that singular point. “As the season went on, I kind of started to understand what Arian was saying,” he said. “You can’t force it. Just be patient and that long one’s going to come.” Foster is listed as day to day this week, but even if he returns on Sunday, coach Bill O’Brien said they’ll use Blue, too. O’Brien was asked if Blue’s performance on Sunday gave him confidence in the young running back. He insisted that he didn’t need that game to feel that way about him. “I have a lot of confidence in Alfred. I really do,” O’Brien said.
“If I didn’t have confidence in Alfred, I wouldn’t have played him against Cleveland. I would have played (Jonathan) Grimes more.” And it isn’t just O’Brien who has noticed Blue’s work this season. Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis raved about him as the Bengals prepare to meet Houston on Sunday. “He really did a great job of making a lot of yardage after contact last week,” Lewis said. “He’s an impressive player. Obviously going through the draft process ... we had evaluations of guys and thought he was a talented player.”
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2014
Pilling’s Not Thrilling on Sheets Dear Heloise: Is there any way to keep MICROFIBER SHEETS from pilling? No matter what brand I buy, those annoying little pill bumps start forming after a few months. – Karen, via email It’s probably not the brand, as you have found out; it’s the way they are manufactured or how you are washing them. First, wash using the delicate cycle so there is a minimum amount of agitation. It’s really the rubbing against other materials that causes the little fibers to "pill," or cause bumps. The same for putting them in the dryer. So do try to wash and dry them alone, with nothing else that may have an abrasive action. And hang them to dry, if you can. – Heloise PLUG-IN DOORBELL Dear Heloise: Recently, my aged father was very ill. While my brother and his wife live the house, their sleeping quarters
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and workspace are downstairs from where my parents were. We worried that my mother might need them quickly and couldn’t get to the door to call them very easily. I thought of our inexpensive plug-in doorbell. We attached the button to something that Mom could take with her into several rooms. It works like a charm, even from the floor above. Even though my dad passed away, they bought one so that Mom can summon them if she needs to. – Dawn O., via email Dawn, my heart sends you and your family a hug on losing your dad. I know how tough it can be. Thank you for sharing this hint, which I know will help thousands of my readers who are taking care of family. – Heloise
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