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ZCISD
FEDERAL COURT
Man granted bond Zapata native accused of receiving stolen oil By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
NUQUES
School district improves
A Zapata native accused of receiving $1.5 million worth of alleged stolen oil from Eagle Ford Shale companies was granted bond Tuesday morning in federal court. U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker set a $125,000 bond with $2,500 cash deposit and two co-sureties for Victor Manuel Guerra Jr., who was indicted on two counts of theft from interstate shipment, 69 counts of wire fraud and 58 counts of money laundering. Guerra, 37, was arrested Nov. 19. On Wednesday, the prosecution did not go forward with the detention hearing. Instead,
See BOND PAGE 9A
IMMIGRATION SUIT
By JUDITH RAYO THE ZAPATA TIMES
See ZCISD PAGE 9A
69 counts of wire fraud. They recently pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment alleges that the trio “devised a scheme to steal oil” from energy companies operating in the Eagle Ford Shale from January 2011 to August 2014. “After obtaining the oil, the co-conspirators then sold the ill-gotten product to third-party companies for financial gain,” the indictment states. Guerra allegedly controlled a bank account where buyers would pay for the oil via wire transfer. Furthermore, Guerra coordinated with Bernal and Peña to determine when his truck drivers could enter oil
OBAMA’S EXECUTIVE ACTION
TEA concerned about selected programs
ZCISD received a visit from the Texas Education Agency due to concerns in the Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System, or PBMAS, report. The annual report indicates the performance of school districts and charter schools in selected programs such as special education, career and technical education, bilingual/ESL education and certain title programs under the No Child Left Behind Act. Such title programs include Title I, a federal program that provides funds to school districts and schools with a high percentage of children who are considered disadvantaged. Its purpose is to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. The indicators are designed to reflect critical areas of student performance, program effectiveness and data integrity. The TEA on-sight team audited the district for a week on Nov. 10. “They did a complete audit and were impressed with all the changes that have taken place,” said Raul Nuques, Zapata County Independent School District superintendent. Audits included effective communication between campus and central office administrators and self-monitoring and auditing. “They could not find anything wrong and that is a first for (ZCISD),” Nuques said. According to the ZCISD report, the special education program is struggling in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, testing, special education, No Child Left Behind Act and the bi-
Hacker heard bond amount proposals from prosecutors and the defense until the judge set the amount. “We at this time deny the allegations. We’re going to investigate the case thoroughly. He’s presumed innocent because these are only allegations,” said attorney Oscar A. Vela Jr., who represents Guerra. Vela, who described Guerra as a hardworking family man, said the case will be defended vigorously. Earlier this month, federal authorities also arrested two men whom they identified as Juan Martin Bernal, 49, of Eagle Pass, and Carlos Samuel Peña, 25, of Del Rio. Both men were charged with one count of theft from interstate shipment and
Photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman | AP
Texas Attorney General and Gov.-elect Greg Abbott speaks against President Barack Obama’s executive order on immigration at the Price Daniel Building in Austin on Monday. Abbott is again vowing to sue the Obama administration for lifting the threat of deportation from millions of immigrants living illegally in the U.S.
Abbott insists on legal standing to sue federal government By PAUL J. WEBER
legal standing to sue the federal government over President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration, but he gave himself two weeks to make a final decision.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Republican Gov.elect Greg Abbott insisted Monday that Texas has firm
The outgoing Texas attorney general has forcefully vowed a court challenge, but he stopped short of guaranteeing a lawsuit during his first press conference since Obama
laid out plans last week to spare nearly 5 million people living in the U.S. illegally from deportation. Abbott’s defiance
See ABBOTT PAGE 9A
TEXAS FARM BUREAU
Thanksgiving dinner to cost less than last year WACO — Family, fun and cost-savings are on the menu this month as shoppers prepare for the holiday season. A traditional, Texas-style Thanksgiving dinner for 10 will cost $46.79 this year, marking nearly 3 percent savings over last year, according to the special Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) 2014 Thanksgiving Meal Report. The 2014 report shows a decrease of $1.29, or 2.68 percent, from the 2013 TFB Thanksgiving Meal Report. The survey records the cost of 10 holiday staples—including turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and pecan pie—to feed a family of 10 people. “Texans are sensitive to grocery prices, especially when preparing large meals. This year, shoppers will notice a slight decrease in the overall price of their Thanksgiving meal,” TFB Presi-
Changes in the Price of Thanksgiving Meals Low-Cost Items
High-cost Items
Cost (in Dollars)
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
25
3.00
20
2.50
15
2.00
10
1.50
5 2012 Thanksgiving Turkey
2013 Year
2014 Pecans (Shelled)
1.0
2012 Sweet Potatoes
2013 Year Brown & Serve Rolls
2014 Whipping Cream
SOURCE: Texas Farm Bureau
dent Kenneth Dierschke said. Despite reports suggesting a decrease in turkey supplies, Texas shoppers shouldn’t feel the pinch at the cash register. Survey shoppers found the price of a
16-pound, frozen, self-basting, young tom turkey to be more than $1 less than last year, marking a 6.11 percent decrease. In addition to the turkey, five other items decreased in price: brown and
serve rolls, 12 per package (down 8.33 percent); green beans, frozen (down 6.08 percent); 9-inch pie shells, frozen (down 3.73 percent); cubed stuffing, herb seasoning (down 1.83 percent); and pecans, shelled and halved (down 1.23 percent). A large, global supply of wheat is a driving factor in low prices for wheat-derived products. And recent rains have helped pecan growers come out of the drought, dropping pecan prices to the lowest since 2010. “Lower pecan prices and lower wheat prices mean a less expensive pecan pie—a Texas tradition—to round out Thanksgiving dinner,” Dierschke said. Texans, however, will pay more for four of the Thanksgiving staples this year: whipping cream (up 22.7 percent); sweet potatoes, fresh (up 4.44 percent); cranberry sauce, jellied (up 2.96 percent);
See THANKSGIVING PAGE 9A