COWBOYS AIMING HIGH
SATURDAY DECEMBER 27, 2014
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EAGLE FORD SHALE
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
No money for oil roads
Surge is not over Media may have left, but immigrants keep coming By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE
McALLEN — The media tent that once stood in the parking lot of Sacred Heart Church is
gone, as are the television crews and reporters who descended this summer when the flow of Central American immigrants illegally crossing the Texas border was major news.
Old ruling keeps counties from mineral rights By BOBBY BLANCHARD TEXAS TRIBUNE
South Texas counties scrambling for money to repair roads damaged by heavy trucks carrying oil field equipment have run into a roadblock: the state itself. Officials in many of the counties hoped to lease mineral rights beneath county roads and rights of way to energy companies, and use the revenue to repair those roads. But a 54-year-old opinion from the attorney general’s office gives leasing rights, and the revenue, to the state. That does not sit well with some county judges. If counties have to repair and maintain the roads, they deserve some of the royalties from mineral rights under and around them, said DeWitt County Judge Daryl Fowler. From January 2011 to April 2014, leases on DeWitt County property negotiated by the state’s General Land Office raised more than $8 million, all of which went to the state general fund, Fowler said. During that time, DeWitt County’s road budget grew from $2.5 million to $15.3 million. “We still have to maintain the roads, and in many cases we’re rebuilding the roads,” Fowler said. “The state is actually benefiting from the revenue stream. We’re paying for the maintenance, but we’re not getting any benefit from the production. Somebody is eating a free lunch.” Fowler and representatives from other counties will ask the next Legislature to allow counties to negotiate leases, or at least receive some of the money the state gets from leasing mineral rights around roads.
See ROADS PAGE 11A
But after a brief lull, the surge of undocumented families passing through a temporary shelter set up by Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley seems to be rising again. The
spotlight may have turned away, but if the sense of crisis is gone, the people have not stopped coming.
See SURGE PAGE 12A
GUERRERO, MEXICO
THIRD PRIEST KILLED
Photo by Christian Palma | AP
The bishop of the diocese in Ciudad Altamirano said Friday that the Rev. Gregorio Lopez Gorostieta was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head, near this statue, on Christmas Day. The monument is in honor of Mexico’s former President Lazaro Cardenas.
Series of attacks targeted Roman Catholic clerics By MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — A priest was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head, his diocese said Friday, marking the latest in series of abductions, at-
tacks and highway robberies against Roman Catholic clerics in an area of southern Guerrero state dominated by drug cartels. Rev. Gregorio Lopez Gorostieta is the third Catholic priest to have been killed in
the region this year, and the first to die since the federal government launched a special, stepped-up security operation in the area following the disappearance of 43 teachers’ college students three months ago.
The motive in Lopez Gorostieta’s killing remains unclear; Bishop Maximino Martinez said a group had been seen lurking around the seminary where the priest taught
See PRIESTS PAGE 12A
FALCON LAKE
Officials may raise alligator gar limit By SHANNON TOMPKIN HOUSTON CHRONICLE
The Zapata Times file photo
In this September 23, 2010 file photo, Zapatans enjoy fishing in the high waters left from floods at Falcon Lake.
Falcon Lake holds a worldclass trophy fishery for a freshwater species growing in popularity among recreational anglers, and it isn’t the one most people associate with the 84,000acre reservoir on the Rio Grande in Zapata.
Falcon’s largemouth bass fishery, which booms and busts with the reservoir’s wildly fluctuating water levels, is nationally known as one of the country’s premier bass fisheries — at least when the drought-prone reservoir is in "boom" mode. But a recent months-long research project, in part triggered by concerns about that large-
mouth bass fishery, documented what undoubtedly is one of the best trophy fisheries for alligator gar in Texas. And that says a lot; Texas waters are the nation’s last strongholds holding good populations of truly huge — 7-foot-long or longer, 200pound or heavier — alligator
See GAR PAGE 11A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SUNDAY, DEC. 28
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Winterfest 2014 at Roxxy, 8510 Las Cruces Dr. From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
MONDAY, DEC. 29 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 237-0666.
TUESDAY, DEC. 30 Free basic computer classes. Classes every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. No registration required. Hands on learning about the computer, Microsoft Word, the internet and email. The Inner City Branch Library is located on 202 W. Plum St. next to the Inner City Pool. For more information call John Hong at 795-2400 x2521 or visit the website: http://www.laredolibrary.org/innercityevents.html.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31 Epoca de Oro New Year’s Scholarship Dance. Table reservations and tickets on sale at Rolis. Call Rosa at 3377178, Sid at 740-3572 or Daniel at 2907341 for more information. Elysian Social Club New Year’s ScholarshipDance. Mirage Reception Hall. Call Consuelo Ramirez 286-4253 for reservations and additional information.
THURSDAY, JAN. 1 First Day Hikes at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Mesquite Bend Nature Hike, about 1.75 miles. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., White-tail Loop Fossils Hike, about 1.25 miles. From 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Junior Ranger Hike, about 1 mile. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Roadrunner Trail, about 2.25 miles.Meet at the Boat Ramp Restrooms for all hikes. Contact Holly Reinhard at holly.reinhard@tpwd.texas.gov or 725-3826.
SATURDAY, JAN. 3 Laredo Northside Market Association’s Market Day. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at North Central Park. The market will feature free rides, over 25 vendors of handmade items and baked goods.
TUESDAY, JAN. 6 WWE Smackdown at 6:45 p.m. at the Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com, the LEA box office and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Alzheimer’s support group. 7 pm to TBA. Meeting room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For information, please call 956-693-9991.
SATURDAY, JAN. 10 Professional Bull Riders at 7 p.m. at the Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd.
SUNDAY, JAN. 11 Professional Bull Riders at 2 p.m. at the Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd.
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
Photo by Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune Herald | AP
In this Tuesday photo, sculptor Robert Summers, left, helps supervise the installation, as the last bronze statue, an AfricanAmerican cowboy, is installed in Indian Spring Park in Waco as part of a larger collection of the Chilsom Trail sculptures. Waco workers have installed the final pieces of a bronze tribute to cowboys, completing an eight-year, $1.65 million project.
Waco’s sculpture tribute ASSOCIATED PRESS
WACO — Waco workers have installed the final pieces of a bronze tribute to cowboys and cattle, completing an eight-year, $1.65 million project. The Branding the Brazos sculpture project features three cowboys — one white, one Hispanic and one black — and 25 cows, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported. It was finished Tuesday when the last two longhorn cattle and the final cowboy took their place at the end of the Indian Spring Park Herd. The artwork by 74-year-old Texas sculptor Robert Summers pays tribute to Waco’s location as a spot on the Chisholm Trail for cattle drives from South Texas to Kansas. The project was largely funded by Waco businessman Clifton Robinson. “Every time you look here, you see people
Texas City officer fatally shoots gunman
7-vehicle collision on Dallas tollway injures 3
Texas traffic stop yields nearly $500K in drugs
TEXAS CITY — Police are investigating an officer’s fatal shooting of a man who authorities say was firing at customers leaving a crowded Texas City club at closing and then pointed the gun at one of several officers who responded to a call for help from the club’s owners. Texas City Police Chief Robert Burby says the gunman was shot early Friday after failing to comply with warnings from the officer to drop his weapon.
DALLAS — Authorities say a chain-reaction collision involving seven vehicles on the Dallas North Tollway has sent three people to hospitals. The Dallas Morning News reports that the accident occurred Thursday evening when the driver of a speeding BMW crashed into another vehicle. Lonny Haschel of the Texas Department of Public Safety said the impact set off a “pingpong” effect of vehicles.
AMARILLO — A California man has been arrested after a Texas Panhandle traffic stop yielded nearly $500,000 in marijuana and methamphetamine. The 32-year-old California, man was detained Tuesday while driving an SUV near Conway, about 20 miles east of Amarillo. A Texas trooper stopped the vehicle on Interstate 40. The Department of Public Safety says the drugs were being hauled from Fontana to Oklahoma City.
Report: $34M in repairs needed at Texas college EL PASO — A report conducted by two architectural firms says more than $34 million in repairs and upgrades are needed at a West Texas community college. The El Paso Times reports the assessment comes as the college projects enrollment to grow to 45,000 students in 12 years. They have about 29,000 students now.
STCE’s Comic Con at TAMIU Student Center from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. 5201 University.
SUNDAY, JAN. 25 STCE’s Comic Con at TAMIU Student Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 5201 University.
MONDAY, JAN. 26 Chess Club. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. LBV- Inner City Branch Library at 202 W. Plum St. next to the Inner City Pool. Contact John Hong at john@laredolibrary.org. or http://www.laredolibrary.org/innercityevents.html. Or call 795-2400 x2521.
SATURDAY, FEB. 7 2nd Annual Krizia Lauren Keiser Memorial 5K Run/Walk & Kids Run at the Uni-Trade Stadium, 6320 Sinatra Pkwy. (Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, time, location and contact information.)
wandering around (the steers), taking pictures,” said Liz Taylor, director of the Waco Convention Center and Visitors Bureau. “And every time they take a picture, they take a memory of Waco away.” Summers modeled the African-American cowboy after Holt Collier, an actual cowboy and bear hunter most known for accompanying President Theodore Roosevelt on a 1902 bear hunt. Collier, told to make sure the president got a bear, tracked one down and tied it to a tree. But Roosevelt refused to shoot the animal. The incident reported in newspapers around the country led to a toymaker naming his stuffed toy bear “Teddy’s bear.” Summers, who supervised the installation this week, said after spending up to 15 hours a day working on some of the sculptures, he said he can’t help but feel attached.
5-year-old girl dies in Christmas Eve crash DENTON — A five-year-old girl was killed and her family seriously injured in a Christmas Eve traffic accident in Denton, authorities say. An SUV rear-ended a car at a state trooper traffic stop. Police say the driver of the SUV was “possibly on his cellphone” when the crash occurred. No criminal charges have been filed.
Galveston County official broke ethics rules GALVESTON — The Texas Ethics Commission has determined a Galveston County elected official violated state election laws and must pay a $100 civil penalty. The panel found County Commissioner Ken Clark converted political contributions for personal use. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Transit officers help mother deliver baby PHILADELPHIA — A pair of Philadelphia transit police officers rushed onto a downtown subway train on Christmas and helped make a special delivery: a baby boy. They coached the woman through the delivery, unwrapped the umbilical cord from the baby’s neck and placed the boy in her arms. The baby’s father wrapped him in a shirt to keep warm. “Everything just happened so quick, but it was amazing,” James told WCAU-TV.
Body of autistic boy, 4, found in Carolina pond LITTLE RIVER, S.C. — The body of an autistic, 4-year-old boy who had been missing since Christmas Eve has been found in a pond in South Carolina. Coroner Robert Edge told local
Today is Saturday, Dec. 27, the 361st day of 2014. There are four days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 27, 1964, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Baltimore Colts 27-0 to win the NFL Championship Game played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. On this date: In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-theworld voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. In 1904, James Barrie’s play “Peter Pan: The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” opened at the Duke of York’s Theater in London. In 1932, New York City’s Radio City Music Hall first opened. In 1945, 28 nations signed an agreement creating the World Bank. In 1949, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands signed an act recognizing Indonesia’s sovereignty after more than three centuries of Dutch rule. In 1968, Apollo 8 and its three astronauts made a safe, nighttime splashdown in the Pacific. In 1979, Soviet forces seized control of Afghanistan. President Hafizullah Amin (hahFEE’-zoo-lah ah-MEEN’), who was overthrown and executed, was replaced by Babrak Karmal. In 1994, four Roman Catholic priests — three French and a Belgian — were shot to death in their rectory in Algiers, a day after French commandos killed four radicals who’d hijacked an Air France jet from Algiers to Marseille. In 2007, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated during a suicide bomb attack in Pakistan following a campaign rally. Ten years ago: The death toll continued to rise in southern Asia in the wake of a huge tsunami triggered by a monster earthquake underneath the Indian Ocean. Five years ago: Iranian security forces fired on Tehran protesters, killing at least eight and launching a new wave of arrests. One year ago: Connecticut police released thousands of pages from their investigation into the Newtown massacre, providing the most detailed and disturbing picture yet of the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 20 first-graders and six educators dead. Today’s Birthdays: Rockabilly musician Scotty Moore is 83. Actor John Amos is 75. Actress Charmian Carr (Film: “The Sound of Music”) is 72. ABC News correspondent Cokie Roberts is 71. Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff is 63Journalist-turned-politician Arthur Kent is 61. Actress Maryam D’Abo is 54. Actress Eva LaRue is 48. Former professional wrestler and actor Bill Goldberg is 48. Actress Tracey Cherelle Jones is 45. Rock musician Guthrie Govan is 43. Musician Matt Slocum is 42. Actor Wilson Cruz is 41. Singer Olu is 41. Actor Masi Oka is 40. Actor Aaron Stanford is 38. Actress Emilie de Ravin is 33. Christian rock musician James Mead (Kutless) is 32. Rock singer Hayley Williams (Paramore) is 26. Country singer Shay Mooney (Dan & Shay) is 23. Thought for Today: “A dollar saved is a quarter earned.” — Oscar Levant, American composer, musician, actor (born this date in 1906, died in 1972).
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ................. 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo courtesy of SEPTA | AP
In this image from Thursday surveillance video provided by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia transit police Sgt. Daniel Caban holds a baby boy he helped deliver aboard a subway train. media outlets that the body of Jayden Morrison was found late Friday morning in Little River, northeast of Myrtle Beach. Police, first responders, K9 units, dive teams and volunteers had been searching for the boy since he disappeared from his
grandmother’s house around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The New York boy’s family had been visiting his grandmother. His mother, Tabatha Morrison, had gone shopping and left her three children at the home. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
State
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
Perry’s judge is busy
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Bush remains in hospital ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The Republican judge overseeing the criminal case against Gov. Rick Perry is juggling more than abuse-of-power charges against the potential 2016 presidential candidate. Judge Bert Richardson also keeps up with a regular prison docket in South Texas, presides over highprofile murder cases and in January will join the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — the state’s highest criminal court — after winning a seat on the nine-member panel in the November elections. In his spare time, Richardson works as a freelance photographer, shooting sports for a running magazine and capturing moments around his San Antonio home, the Texas Capitol or in the counties he visits for his day job. Taking pictures provides a focus on something outside the courtroom, he told the San Antonio Express-News in a story published Friday. “I can just forget about what I do, and nobody knows who I am when I show up at my other job — and get bossed around by cops and pushed around by photographers, reporters and track officials,” Richardson said. Richardson’s profile has been raised since he was picked last year to preside over Perry’s case after a Travis County judge recused herself. Perry is ac-
cused of trying to leverage his power to force the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg following her conviction on drunken-driving charges. A grand jury indicted Perry on two felony counts in August. The governor, who will depart office Jan. 20, calls the charges a political witch hunt and has assembled a high-powered team of lawyers that is trying to convince Richardson to dismiss the case. Despite the spotlight on the Perry indictment, Richardson has his hands full with other notable cases: DNA issues in the death penalty case of convicted El Paso serial killer David Leonard Wood, and a nurse seeking a new
trial after getting 60 years in the 2005 shooting death of her husband. Without talking about the cases specifically, Richardson suggested that he takes his responsibility in other cases as seriously as in the Perry indictment. “I’ve tried lots of death penalty cases as a prosecutor and as a judge. To me those things are more stressful than this ... It’s a life and death decision,” Richardson said. Richardson has ruled against efforts to get Perry’s case dismissed on technical objections to the special prosecutor, lawyer Michael McCrum, based on issues related to his oath. Richardson was an assistant district attorney in Bexar County. .
HOUSTON — Former President George H.W. Bush is spending a fourth night in a Houston hospital where he’s being treated after experiencing shortness of breath earlier this week. Family spokesman Jim McGrath said Friday evening the 90-year-old Bush “remains in high spirits and continues to make progress.” No other details were disclosed in the brief statement. Bush was taken to Houston’s Methodist Hospital on Tuesday night in what was reported as a precaution. He spent nearly two months, including Christmas, at the same hospital two years ago for
Photo by Bob Daemmrich/Texas Tribune | AP
George H.W. Bush waves as he is introduced at Texas A&M University on Nov. 11. treatment of a bronchitisrelated cough and other issues. Bush is the oldest living former American presi-
dent. He suffers from a form of Parkinson’s disease that has forced him to rely on a motorized scooter or wheelchair.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Low gas prices are good, bad This is the holiday season of our consternation. Many of us are deeply consternated. (That sounds uncomfortable.) The source of our consternation is gas. (This is getting worse.) Specifically, it’s the price of gas. I don’t know about you, but I grow downright giddy while pumping $2.059-agallon gas. Maybe it’s the fumes. But who doesn’t like paying less for anything? And then I read, in my very own newspaper and written by one of my very own colleagues, that low gas prices might be bad for us — us being Texans, all of whom have an oil well out back, right next to our cattle and the shack where we store our firearms. Remember when high gas prices were bad for us? Let’s review: High gas prices, bad. Low gas prices, bad. This makes it kind of difficult to know what to root for, kind of like when OU plays A&M. The benefits of low gas prices are obvious. If I remember my advanced economics, when gas prices are low it costs less. Less, of course, is relative. It’s still too high. The lowest I ever paid for a gas was back in the early 1970s as a high school kid in North Miami. The benchmark price was 29.9 cents a gallon. One price war chopped the price to 19.9 cents. Back to today, or, actually, Dec. 19 when Austin American-Statesman business writer Claudia “The Grinch” Grisales inflicted reality upon us in a story explaining that low gas prices are bad for us. Thanks a lot, Claudia, way to screw up the festive holiday season. The headline: “Experts: Lower oil prices a threat to Texas economy.” Experts.
“
KEN HERMAN
They think they’re such experts. Who needs ’em? The experts Grisales quoted reminded us Texas, despite recent diversification (largely the proliferation of Buc-ee’s stores), remains linked to oil. Local economist Brian Kelsey did some math. Economists are like that. Always showing off by doing math. His math says if oil and gas industry earnings fall 20 percent in Texas, the state could lose 212,000 jobs and $13.5 billion in earnings. “Earnings in the oil and gas sector drive a significant portion of overall economic activity in Texas,” Kelsey said in Grisales’ story. “So consumers may enjoy seeing lower gas prices, but falling oil prices can hurt more in other ways.” I get it. I was around the Capitol in 1986 when plummeting oil prices caused significant fiscal heartburn for the state. Nevertheless, I’m still feeling that pleasant, light-headed feeling when I’m paying a dollar less per gallon than I did not that long ago. Does that make me a bad man? So I called Michael Webber, deputy director of the Energy Institute at the University of Texas. Mr. Webber, am I a bad man for enjoying declining gas prices? “If you are a person who consumes energy, which is everybody, then you should be happy about the lower energy prices. If you are a producer of energy — the guy who pulls oil out of the ground — you should be unhappy,” Webber said.
EDITORIAL
Strong dollar is an opportunity THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Despite a host of financial fears, the dollar is doing pretty well — relative to the rest of the global economy, at least. That’s no excuse, however, for policymakers to sit back and relax. We’ve got an opportunity to right the financial underpinnings of the economy before the dollar loses its precarious pride of place around the world. If we don’t, we’ll find ourselves in a world of hurt. To be sure, it’s a pleasant surprise that we’re in as good shape as we are. Far in the rear-view mirror are last decade’s worries that the euro would become the best currency around. Today, America’s struggles pale in comparison with Europe’s. If our allies are hurting, our adversaries are on even less-advantageous financial ground. Russia’s ruble has plunged so precipitously that comparisons are being drawn to its first post-communist financial meltdown, in 1998. And China — although its economy is still running hot — has no basis from which to challenge American financial dominance.
There are two important reasons for that. First, China’s massive holdings of U.S. Treasury bills require it to transition slowly away from the dollar-denominated financial system, if it is to do so at all. Switching to a different currency would require either the sudden dominance of a rival currency or the creation of a new one. And in almost all cases, whipping up a new currency isn’t a slowenough transition for China (or Russia, for that matter). There’s an exception, however. A new currency backed by a precious metal, such as gold, would introduce a radically different alternative to the dollar. The dollar drives the energy economy - in its role as the so-called "petrodollar." A rival metalbacked currency, set up by China and Russia, would draw the great interest of Iran, Pakistan and others, beginning a domino effect in Asia, Africa and elsewhere. We have to clean up our own act — with real financial reform that deleverages the economy and disperses concentrated banking power.
COMMENTARY
Enforce the law - without force By IAN AYRES AND DANIEL MARKOVITS THE WASHINGTON POST
Recent deaths at the hands of police in Ferguson, Mo., and on Staten Island, N.Y., have rightly raised questions about illegal force and racial bias in law enforcement. But a more basic question also needs to be weighed: Should police be permitted to initiate force when confronting misdemeanors and other non-serious crimes? The answer should be no. The existing rules of engagement for police in the United States invite violence, not just when officers act abusively but also when their conduct falls clearly within the limits of the law. There is no question that police in the United States can lawfully arrest anyone they see jaywalking or selling single cigarettes. And there is equally no question that any American who refuses a police order to come to the station can be forced by violence to comply. But should police be permitted to initiate force in such cases? Consider what arrests are for. An arrest is not punishment: After all, there has been no conviction at that point. The purpose of an arrest is to prevent crime and to aid in prosecution by establishing identity, gathering evidence and preventing flight. The steps taken to secure arrests therefore must, at every point, be proportional to the suspected crimes that underlie the arrests. The current police rules of engagement violate these
basic principles at every turn. Convictions for jaywalking and selling single cigarettes — the predicate offenses in Ferguson and Staten Island, respectively — effectively never carry jail sentences, and nobody thinks that they should. Fines are the proper punishments for these minor crimes. But under current law, when the police arrest someone based on nothing more than probable cause of a minor crime, they can treat the wrongdoer more severely than the punishment that would ordinarily be imposed by a court of law, even after a full trial. We believe that the New York Police Department violated current law when Officer Daniel Pantaleo placed Eric Garner in a chokehold. But under current rules of engagement, Garner’s saying "Don’t touch me" unquestionably authorized the police to initiate the use of force — non-lethal force, but still force — to subdue him. That’s wrong. An arrest should not impose a burden greater than a conviction. When it does, the arrest amounts to police oppression. To fix the wrong, we should change the rules of engagement. A police officer confronting someone suspected of only a minor crime should not be permitted to arrest the suspect by force. In most cases, the police should simply issue a ticket. If the police wish to take someone into custody, they should not use force but instead issue a warning, like the Miranda warning, backed by a sanction. The
text might say something like: "I am placing you under arrest. You must come with me to the station. If you don’t come, you’re committing a separate crime, for which you may be punished." If the person complies upon hearing the warning, that ends the matter. If not, then the police can obtain a warrant from a judge and make a forcible arrest for both the old crime and the new. Similar rules of engagement should govern searches based on suspicion of petty crimes. Such rules would not only protect the public’s rights but also promote law and order. Many critics rightly doubt that maximally aggressive "broken windows" public-order policing works. And other countries marry nonviolent rules of engagement with effective law enforcement; Germany, for example, imposes strict limits on the use of force to arrest petty offenders, and the entire German police, governing a population of 80 million, fired only 85 bullets in 2011. Moreover, nonviolent rules of engagement would also protect the police. Officers must of course retain the right to defend themselves when subject to attack. But by inviting police to initiate force, current practices require officers to control a naturally escalating dynamic that can quickly endanger all concerned. Garner’s tragic death illustrates the drawbacks of policies that permit but seek to limit police use of force. In the heat of the moment, Officer Pantaleo violated the longstanding NYPD policy against chokeholds. The
current rules of engagement make such excesses inevitable. Once the police initiate force, limits on escalation stand in tension with the goal of convincing the subject that resistance is futile. A policy restricting when an officer may initiate force at all draws a coherent, bright line that is much more likely to be observed. Finally, new rules of engagement would also promote racial equality. Outraged citizens properly emphasize that police disproportionately harm and kill black men. But these racial disparities are, once again, not simply products of illegal police conduct but rather are invited by the existing rules of engagement. Police discretion is greatest for minor offenses, and racial discrepancies follow discretion. By allowing the police forcibly to arrest people for these offenses, the current rules place communities of color at disproportionate risk of police violence. Reforms that aim merely to increase police compliance with existing rules of engagement cannot undo the disproportion. If the police in Ferguson or Staten Island had employed our rules, two men who are now dead might instead have been safely placed in voluntary custody, admitted their crimes and paid a small fine. At worst, they would now face an orderly and fair judicial process for defying the law. In either event, rights would be respected, order maintained and justice served. The writers teach at Yale Law School.
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
State
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
Volunteers ineligible ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Battleground Texas, the liberal-leaning group aiming to register thousands of new voters, says Texas laws have made it harder to keep its volunteers eligible. The deputy voter registrars that signed up with Battleground Texas and others lose their certification under state law at the end of this year, the Houston Chronicle reports. Texas law allows registrars to serve two-year terms that expire at the end of even-number years. While the two-year requirement has been law since the 1980s, a trio of bills passed in 2011 added new restrictions that Battleground Texas’ voter protection director Mimi Marziani called “wildly burdensome.” “The only logical explanation is that all of those things are aimed at the same goal, which is making it much harder to vote,” she said. Texas Republicans have supported a raft of new restrictions aimed at stopping voter fraud, though opponents believe those laws are intended to suppress voting by minorities, the poor and traditionally
Democratic constituencies. But Texas Sen. Jim Murphy, a Houston Republican who sponsored the bill creating training for deputy registrars, said that while more training might inconvenience volunteers, the effort was worth it. “It takes away the defense of, ’I didn’t know I couldn’t do that,”’ Murphy told the newspaper. “Clearly, I would agree it’s additional work, but so is having insurance for your house if it burns down.” Battleground Texas officials said they’ll still push to re-register their volunteers and try to add more voters. Texas has not elected a Democrat to a statewide office in two decades, and Battleground Texas was created in part by former organizers by President Barack Obama who say they can make the state competitive for Democrats in state and national elections. The group suffered a major setback when Wendy Davis was crushed this year in the Texas governor’s race by Republican Greg Abbott, despite expectations that new Democratic voters would help Davis.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Schools crave bond relief ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Fast-growing Texas school districts that are absorbing the bulk of new enrollment in the state want more financial latitude to build additional classrooms, but the odds of success are long in the Republican-dominated and debt-loathing Legislature. Nearly three dozen districts last year maxed out a statemandated cap on local school bond debt, up from five districts in 2008 and none in 2003, according to the Texas Education Agency. Republican Gov.-elect Greg Abbott is vowing to put education at the top of his agenda. But escalating local debt has become a hot talking point for some conservative politicians, and bills that would allow districts to exceed the current cap have floundered before. But with the Legislature awaiting the outcome of a lawsuit against the state over $5.4 billion in education cuts in
2011, a coalition of 85 fast-growing school districts hopes 2015 is the year that lawmakers address the debt limit so that new facilities can be built, the Austin American-Statesman reported in a story published Friday. “I don’t think anyone expects the Legislature to really try to focus on school finance because of the pending lawsuit, so outside of transportation, water and mental health, I think this is a great opportunity for our representatives to take advantage of looking at growth and how it impacts our local school districts,” said Hays Consolidated Superintendent Michael McKie. There are about 1,200 school districts in Texas. The Fast Growth School Coalition only represents a fraction of those districts, but says its new members are taking on about 80 percent of new student enrollment statewide. In the booming corridor between Austin and San Antonio, the Hays school district expects
to add upward of 1,000 students a year for the foreseeable future. But school board members didn’t include a new high school on a recent bond package ballot, in part because financing that building would have exceeded the local school bond debt limit set in 1991. The limit is 50-cent-per-$100valuation. Jesse Fields, a senior policy analyst in the Center for Local Governance at the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, said bond elections have shown that school districts are inappropriately financing shortterm items such as computers and buses. Districts have also financed extravagant, non-instructional items, like multimillion dollar football stadiums, Fields said. “We have significant concerns about any attempt to allow more debt to be issued to burden Texas taxpayers,” said Fields, whose influential Austin think tank keeps pressure on Republican lawmakers.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Ribereña en Breve HORARIO DE INVIERNO La Oficina de Impuestos de Roma ISD, estará abierta durante el receso de invierno el lunes 29 de diciembre y el martes 30 de diciembre de 8 a.m. a 3 p.m.
DETENIDOS El viernes, cuatro hombres fueron detenidos en Reynosa, México, por elementos de la Policía Estatal de Tamaulipas, debido a que supuestamente tenían en su poder armament de uso exclusivo del Ejército. Manuel Fuentes Montoya, Francisco Barbosa Simental, Mario Hernández García y Edgar Orta González son sospechosos de tener en su poder seis armas largas, 24 granadas, siete cargadores, 106 cartuchos, dos lanzagranadas, dos celulares, un radio, tres vehículos y equipo táctico. Los hechos sucedieron en la colonia Jarachina Norte, cuando los agentes detectaron un vehículo donde viajaban los cuatro sospechosos. Los detenidos fueron puestos a disposición del Ministerio Público Federal.
INTEGRACIÓN DE AGENTES
SÁBADO 27 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2014
NACIONAL
Mejora economía POR JOSH BOAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — La economía estadounidense ejercitó sus músculos en 2014. A más de cinco años de la crisis financiera mundial, se habían arraigado las preocupaciones de que tal vez la principal economía del mundo había caído en una depresión semipermanente. Los consumidores, empresas e inversionistas, después de soportar un invierno brutal, mostraron renovado vigor mientras avanzaba el año y Estados Unidos se diferenció de la mayor parte del mundo. Las acciones repetidamente establecieron récords. Las contrataciones llevan un ritmo que casi alcanza los 3 millones de empleos, su mayor cifra en 15 años. La caída en los precios del petróleo ha reducido los de la gasolina a su menor nivel desde mayo de 2009. Se aceleró la venta de automóviles. La inflación fue menor a 2%. En resumen, Estados Unidos
permaneció aislado de los problemas financieros que surgieron en todas partes, desde Europa y Latinoamérica hasta China, Japón y Rusia. ¿Cómo se explica la resistencia de la economía estadounidense este año? Los economistas dicen que la economía en esencia reflejó los beneficios aplazados de enmendar finalmente el daño de la peor crisis económica en 80 años. A diferencia de recuperaciones pasadas que fueron comparativamente rápidas, esta en particular fue agonizantemente lenta. Pasaron seis años y medio para recuperar todos los empleos perdidos durante la recesión (8,7 millones), muchos más que durante recuperaciones previas. Pero la recuperación no está completa. El crecimiento en los salarios es magro y apenas supera a una inflación extremadamente baja. La construcción de casas ha sido tibia. A continuación algunos datos económicos destacados de 2014:
Auge laboral
Ventas de autos
Los empleadores agregaron 2,65 millones de empleos en los primeros 11 meses del año y la tasa de desocupación bajó de 6,7% a 5,8%. Para cuando el gobierno anuncie el dato de desempleo de diciembre el mes próximo, se espera que el total de contrataciones ronde los 3 millones, la mejor cifra desde la era del punto com en 1999.
Muchos más estadounidenses se complacieron con un auto nuevo después de haber mantenido sus viejos vehículos durante la recesión y de una lenta etapa inicial de recuperación. Las ventas se enfilaban a incrementarse 6% este año, con 16,5 millones de vehículos nuevos en las calles, de acuerdo con Cars.com. Sería el mejor ritmo de ventas desde 2006.
Caída de los precios del petróleo En un regalo a los consumidores estadounidenses, los energéticos se volvieron significativamente más baratos. Los precios del petróleo básicamente están a la mitad del máximo que alcanzaron este año. Parte de esa caída afectó a productores petroleros estadounidenses, los cuales deben sopesar despidos. Pero en general, un petróleo barato es positivo.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
COMPETITIVIDAD
Aprueban expandir garita TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
DESTINO TURÍSTICO
ECOLOGÍA El estado de Tamaulipas busca la conservación y aprovechamiento responsable de una amplia variedad de especies de flora y fauna silvestres en de los habitantes de las comunidades donde se encuentran, cuidando la sustentabilidad y equilibrio, señala un comunicado. Con el objetivo de proteger, manejar y mantener los ecosistemas, hábitats y poblaciones de vida silvestre, se promueve la creación de nuevas Unidades de Manejo y Aprovechamiento de Vida Silvestre – UMA. Actualmente se cuenta con 1.952 unidades bajo ese esquema. En la Colonia Parras de la Fuente en Abasolo, se realizan actividades de manejo conservación y recuperación de los ecosistemas, y es la principal área de anidación de la paloma de ala blanca, Zenaida asiática, en América, este año se consiguió un incremento en el número de ejemplares de la especie, de 6.630.008 millones.
Aun cuando la economía se ha fortalecido —usualmente una señal de que las tasas de interés subirán_, el crédito se ha abaratado. Un mayor monto de crédito implica más gasto y mayor crecimiento. El rendimiento del bono del Teso a 10 años ha bajado a 2,27% en comparación con el 3% de principios de año. La tasa hipotecaria promedio a 30 años es 3,83%, debajo del 4,5% del año pasado.
FRONTERA
Doscientos cuarenta y cuatro elementos policiales se incorporaron a agencias del orden. Los egresaron recibieron capacitación y certificación en Mazaquiahuac, Tlaxcala, y cursaron el diplomado sonbre Nuevo Sistema Penal Acusatorio en la Universidad de Seguridad y Justicia de Tamaulipas. El general Arturo Gutiérrez García, Secretario de Seguridad Pública del Estado, destacó que los efectivos policiales fueron incorporados de inmediato a las labores de seguridad y vigilancia tanto de zonas urbanas como rurales.
El Gobierno de Tamaulipas invita a visitar sus Pueblos Mágicos, como una opción para visitar durante la temporada invernal Los Pueblos Mágicos de México se han convertido en un destino turístico para nacionales y extranjeros que gustan de disfrutar las tradiciones, gastronomía, artesanías, la arquitectura y todo lo que envuelve la cultura mexicana, además de ser una oferta basada en la historia y actividades propias del lugar, así como de la aventura y deporte extremo en escenarios naturales. Los Pueblos Mágicos de Tamaulipas son Tula y Mier, México.
Bajan tasas de interés
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Nuevo Laredo
El Puente Internacional del Comercio Mundial es objeto de investigación y captura de información con la finalidad de incrementar la competitividad del Puerto de Entrada, de acuerdo con el Instituto para la Competitividad y el Comercio Exterior de Nuevo Laredo, México. Durante el año 2014 se realizó la captura de información de los cruces diarios del puente y se catalogó arancelariamente cada producto importado y exportado para diferenciarlos y exponer propuestas que permitan que los empresarios locales analicen sus futuras inversiones, señala un comunicado de prensa.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
Harán estimado para obras TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El presupuesto del 2015 para Nuevo Laredo, México, es de casi 913 millones de pesos, por lo que corresponderá a la Secretaría de Obras Públicas, Desarrollo Urbano y Medio Ambiente, presentará el Plan de Obra Pública 2015 para que sea aprobado en
Sesión de Cabildo, una vez que sea evaluado y analizado. El presidente municipal, Carlos Canturosas Villarreal, dijo que entre las obras que destacan hay pavimentaciones, construcción de vialidades, plazas públicas, infraestructura educativa, deportiva y soluciones viales.
Además del proyecto de los colectores pluviales que evitará inundaciones en las principales calles y avenidas, también se realizará la creación de un nuevo parque en El Laguito. El proyecto anual de obra pública se llevará a cabo sin solicitar préstamos, aclaró Canturosas.
El viernes, el Cabildo de Nuevo Laredo, México, aprobó solicitar al Gobierno de Tamaulipas la expropiación de ocho terrenos necesarios para llevar a cabo la ampliación de la Garita del Puente Internacional Juárez-Lincoln. Aunque el 19 de junio de 2014 se hizo la misma solicitud, debido a las modificaciones a la Ley de Expropiación, Ocupación Temporal o Limitación de Dominio para el Estado de Tamaulipas, publicada el 27 de noviembre en el Periódico Oficial del Estado, se hace necesario hacerlo nuevamente. El presidente municipal, Carlos Canturosas Villarreal, destacó que esta modificación agiliza de manera significativa el proceso de expropiación, por lo que espera que en enero se emita el decreto para que los terrenos sean de propiedad pública. De los 61 lotes en cuatro manzanas necesarios para la ampliación, en los pasados ocho años se adquirieron 14, y la actual administración adquirió 39, pero el proceso para la compra de los ocho predios restantes sigue, a la par con el proceso expropiatorio. Una vez que se realice la expropiación, se procederá a escriturar los 61 predios a nombre del Gobierno federal para que proceda a construir la garita. La obra tendrá una inversión de más de 250 millones de pesos, además de los recursos que se aplicarán el equipamiento con tecnología de vanguardia. Los trabajos comprenden la construcción de un área de 4.05 hectáreas, espacios de inspección aduanera para aumentar la capacidad de nueve a 16 módulos, y de seis a 24 el número de mesas de revisión. Además se crearán oficinas y alojamiento para oficiales, estacionamiento de remolques, vehículos ligeros, de pequeña importación y almacén de decomisos.
TAMAULIPAS
Consolida inversión en Turismo Médico TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
A fin de impulsar el área de Turismo Médico, el Gobierno de Tamaulipas apoyó en la apertura o consolidación de empresas a través de apoyos crediticios, denominados CrediMedic, con base en el Fondo Tamaulipas. Los préstamos otorgados van en montos de 15.000 pesos a 200.000 pesos, con una tasa de interés del 14 por ciento annual, y un plazo de uno a tres años. El requisito es que el negocio tenga como finalidad promover el turismo de salud, la actividad empresarial y la creación de empleos, mediante la creación o consolidación de negocios que buscan el bienestar de las personas. Mónica González García, Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo, destacó que el Gobierno
de Tamaulipas continua detectando oportunidades del sector medico, promoviendo actividades como la V Cumbre Global de Negocios de Turismo Médico. “La cumbre reunió a más de 500 expositores relacionados a los servicios médicos y coloca a la Entidad en la punta del desarrollo de los servicios médicos, por lo que trabajando todos por Tamaulipas conseguimos que durante el 2015 al turismo médico le vaya mejor”, dijo González. El programa CREDIMEDIC busca apoyar el capital de trabajo y a la adquisición de activos fijos. En un comunicado de prensa se dio a conocer que en 2014 se han distribuido más de un millón de pesos en beneficio de empresarios del servicio médico para nueve consultorios, clínicas y farmacias.
Foto de cortesía
La imagen muestra una clínica de ginecobstetricia, un renglón de los varios que apoya el Turismo Médico en Tamaulipas.
State
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Movie set used by John Wayne fading away By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRACKETTVILLE — Time and Mother Nature are threatening to dismantle the Alamo. Not the original, but the replica 18th-century Spanish mission and Old West movie set John Wayne built for his Oscar-nominated 1960 movie and that for decades was a tourist mecca and film production site. “It’s not just something that represents history to a movie set — it is now history for sure,” says Rich Curilla, the one-man curator and custodian of the nowclosed Alamo Village. Alamo Village, a 400-acre plot of land about 120 miles west of San Antonio, was carved out of a large ranch in the late 1950s for Wayne’s directorial debut. Starring Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Wayne as Davy Crockett, “The Alamo” had an estimated $12 million budget, huge for its time.
The 4-foot-thick Alamo facade was modeled off a 1936 map of the historic building — drawn up for the Texas centennial that year — and set construction took nearly two years. Unlike the real Alamo, which is dwarfed by taller buildings in the heart of San Antonio, the view from Wayne’s Alamo offered a panorama of iconic Texas and Western images. “To Hollywood, a movie set is just a means to an end,” said Curilla, a film and Alamo historian who spent his summers in college during the late 1960s at the site and began working there full-time in 1988. “I think Wayne was cognizant of building a monument and not just a movie set.” In its heyday, Wayne’s Alamo hosted Jimmy Stewart, Dean Martin, Raquel Welch and even Willie Nelson. It’s where James Arness reprised his famous Matt Dillon role in a “Gunsmoke” TV movie.
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
A replica of the Alamo built for John Wayne’s 1960 movie "The Alamo," is framed by arches at the movie set in Brackettville, Texas. In all, nearly 40 major film and TV productions, plus hundreds of commercials, documentaries and music videos were shot at Alamo Village. And musical shows, comedy skits and staged gunfights drew hundreds of tourists daily. “It was magical,” said Penny Loewen, who was 18 in 1979 when she arrived
from tiny St. Francisville, Illinois. She stayed for three years, getting paid $350 a month to sing and perform six days a week, 11 hours a day. “We would do just about anything,” the 55-year-old retired Nashville songwriter who remained involved with movie productions for 20 years said. “That was the
most fun I ever had in my life.” Business at Alamo Village began to wane in the 1980s when traffic along the main east-west route through South Texas shifted north with completion of Interstate 10. It closed to the public after the last remaining owner died in 2009 and the property was divided among heirs. The land now primarily is used for cattle grazing and hunting. In recent years, a large crack has developed on the front of the Alamo facade. A tree grows inside. Other walls and structures that have been replaced or redone are failing. At the main entrance to the ranch, only an abandoned ticket booth and a weathered sign telling visitors they’re entering the world’s largest outdoor movie set hint at its storied past. “The weather and elements are taking a toll on it,” Texas Film Commission
Director Heather Page said. “I think it would be disappointing to lose something like that.” Corpus Christi businessman David Jones, 74, envisions saving Alamo Village as a Texas version of Old Tucson, a thriving Old West theme park in southern Arizona. Jones, who describes himself as a lifelong friend of the former owners, says he’s close to raising the $8 million he believes is necessary to buy the property and ready it for visitors. The remote location won’t be a deterrent, Jones says, noting that Big Bend National Park, some 200 miles to the west, typically draws more than 300,000 visitors a year. “The place really needs to be more than preserved,” he said. “It needs to be rehabilitated. ... It has two icons, John Wayne and the Alamo, known to everybody all over the world.”
Nation
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
Fellow officers salute ‘Interview’ makes impact NY cop’s casket By LINDSEY BAHR
ASSOCIATED PRESS
By MIKE BALSAMO ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — The wife and two sons of a policeman gunned down along with his partner in a brazen daylight ambush were joined at his wake Friday by hundreds of uniformed officers, including dozens who saluted as his flagdraped casket was carried into the church. The daylong tribute to Officer Rafael Ramos occurred at a Queens church where friends and colleagues spoke of him as an embodiment of the selfless, compassionate and heroic nature the New York Police Department wants its finest officers to project. “He was studying to be a pastor. He had Bible study books in his locker, which is rare for a police officer, but that goes to show you the type of man he was,” NYPD Capt. Sergio Centa said before entering Christ Tabernacle Church. Ramos was dressed in full dress uniform in an open casket, Nassau County Police Benevolent Association President James Carver said. His funeral is scheduled for today. Vice President Joe Biden is expected to attend, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio. Police union officials have criticized de Blasio, saying he contributed to a climate of mistrust toward police amid protests over the deaths of black men at the hands of white officers. Union officials have said the mayor’s response, including his mention of how he often fears for the safety of his biracial son in his interactions with police, helped set the stage for the killings. But de Blasio, who has praised officers for their service both before and amid the protests, has
Photo by Andrew Renneisen | New York Times
High ranking police officials line up outside the church to pay respects at the wake of Officer Rafael Ramos in New York Friday. stood solidly behind the department since the Dec. 20 slayings of Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu as they sat in their patrol car on a Brooklyn street. The shooter, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, later killed himself. After the killings, de Blasio called for a temporary halt to demonstrations against police after grand juries in Missouri and on Staten Island declined to charge white police officers in the deaths of two black men. He denounced as “divisive” a demonstration that took place anyway and on Thursday tweeted a thank you to police for arresting a man accused of threatening to kill officers. Still, on Friday an airplane hauling a banner insulting the mayor organized by a former police officer-turnedactivist flew above New York City. Pastor Ralph Castillo said Ramos was a beloved member of the church. “Whether he was helping a mom with a carriage or bringing someone to their seats, he did it with so much love and so much vigor and so much joy,” Castillo said. In the evening, hundreds of additional mourners were expected to spill
into the streets outside the church to hear speakers eulogize Ramos and to watch on giant video screens. Police Commissioner William Bratton, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and other politicians had arrived for the ceremony. Ramos was a long-standing and deeply committed member of the church, where he served as an usher, family and friends said. “We feel sorry for the family, and nobody deserves to die like this,” said fellow churchgoer Hilda Kiefer as she waited to enter the wake. His compassion was in contrast to the emotionally disturbed loner who killed the officers. Investigators say Brinsley started his rampage by shooting and wounding an ex-girlfriend in Baltimore. He also posted online threats to police and made references to highprofile cases of unarmed black men killed by white officers. The killings ramped up emotions in the already tense national debate over police conduct. Since Ramos and Liu were killed, police in New York say they have arrested seven people accused of threatening officers.
LOS ANGELES — “The Interview” was never supposed to be a paradigmshifting film. But unusual doesn’t even begin to describe the series of events that transpired over the past few weeks, culminating in the truly unprecedented move by a major studio to release a film in theaters and on digital platforms simultaneously. Sony is in uncharted waters now with the film, which earned $1.04 million from 331 locations on Thursday, according to studio estimates, in addition to the untold VOD grosses. “Considering the incredibly challenging circumstances, we are extremely grateful to the people all over the country who came out to experience “The Interview” on the first day of its unconventional release,” said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures in a statement. For a film that would have just come and gone in the usual 3,000 theaters without much fanfare, the $40 million comedy has now become an accidental case study in the world of day-and-date releases, in which titles are available both in theaters and for digital rental simultaneously. The industry is watching closely to see just where audiences will choose to place their dollars in the coming days and weeks. The big question is whether or not this strategy could be viable for major releases in the future. While a $3,142 per-theater average and sold-out showings when audiences had the option to watch the film from the comfort of their own homes is nothing to scoff at, analysts agree that it probably doesn’t signal the beginning of a significant change in how Hollywood does business.
Photo by John Minchillo | AP
Derek Karpel holds his ticket to a screening of "The Interview" at Cinema Village movie theater, in New York Thursday. Day-and-date releases are nothing new, for one. Independent distributors have embraced this strategy for years. But those are generally small films with even smaller budgets— ones that can’t afford a more traditional, widespread marketing campaign. For the major studios, it’s never really been an option. Theater chains depend on exclusive first-run content to survive. If audiences were given the choice to just rent anything from a mid-budget comedy to a $200 million blockbuster on the day of its release, theaters would undoubtedly suffer. “The last thing the major theater chains want is for this kind of strategy to be employed by the major studios on a more frequent basis,” said BoxOfficeGuru.com editor Gitesh Pandya. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. experimented with an unconventional day-and-date release for “Veronica Mars.” Theater chains Regal and Cinemark declined to screen the film because of its online availability. The film ended up showing on 270 screens, most of which were AMC. “The relationship between big studios and exhibitors is so monumental that they’re not going to start changing things
around anytime soon. Possibly down the road, little by little. But the old-school model of putting your major releases in 3,000 theaters nationwide will stay intact for the time being,” Pandya said. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for box office tracker Rentrak, agreed. “Theatrical is the engine that drives everything else. I don’t think this is a sudden gateway to studios wanting to release films this way,” he said. Also, “The Interview” is an imperfect case. Patriotism, free speech, pure curiosity and even the desire to be part of the nationwide conversation have all played in to why audiences flocked to theaters on Christmas Day to see the movie. “Awareness is through the roof,” Dergarabedian said. “People went out to the theaters and made an event out of it. They’re going to be talking about this for a long time. That’s a very interesting and unusual phenomenon that’s usually reserved for films like ‘The Hobbit’ or ‘Star Wars.’” Added Pandya: “Audiences who would otherwise never go to see a Seth Rogen movie were hearing about it and decided to come out to see what all the fuss is about.” Long-term prospects for “The Interview” at the box office remain a mystery.
Nation
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
Migrants apply for licenses By AMY TAXIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — While tens of thousands of immigrants living in the country illegally are gearing up to apply for a long-sought driver’s license in California starting Jan. 2, others are being urged to think twice. Immigrant advocates say the vast majority should be able to get licensed without trouble but they want anyone who previously obtained a driver’s license under a false name or someone else’s Social Security number to speak first with a lawyer, fearing a new application could trigger a fraud investigation. The same applies to immigrants with a prior deportation order or criminal record because federal immigration officials and law enforcement can access Department of Motor Vehicles data during an investigation. The advice isn’t meant to frighten immigrants from seeking licenses that are meant to make their lives easier — especially because many already risk getting ticketed or having their car impounded simply by driving to work or taking their children to school. “For the vast majority of people, getting a license is a good decision,” said Alison Kamhi, staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. “At the same time, I think it is important people are aware there is some risk.” The nation’s most populous state is preparing to start issuing driver’s licenses to immigrants in the country illegally in a bid to make the roads safer and ease fears for more than a million people to get behind the wheel. California’s program eclipses the scope and scale of those approved in nine other states, including Nevada, Colorado
Bird flu to affect exports ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Lenny Ignelzi | AP file
In this file photo taken on April 23, California Highway Patrol officer Armando Garcia explains to immigrants the process of getting a drivers license during an information session at the Mexican Consulate, in San Diego. and Illinois. The state hopes to avoid pitfalls faced elsewhere such as long wait times and high failure rates on the written test by hiring more staff, updating test preparation materials and hosting 180 workshops to tell immigrants what they must do to apply. California is also requiring all new license applicants to have an appointment and will take walk-in applicants only at four newly created offices. “We felt this would be a more orderly way of providing service,” said Armando Botello, a DMV spokesman. California expects 1.4 million people to apply for the licenses — which include a distinct marking from those issued to U.S. citizens and residents — over the next three years. Officials say they don’t know if there will be an initial surge, but the number of people making license appointments more than doubled to 379,000 during the first two weeks immigrants were allowed to sign up. Immigrant advocates said they don’t foresee major problems with the rollout of the program because the state has had more than a
year to prepare and an ample budget — $141 million spanning three years. In Nevada, about 90 percent of immigrants failed the required written test during the first few weeks a driver authorization card was offered this year because they were not prepared. In Colorado, the state had no startup funding to issue licenses this year and couldn’t keep pace with demand, leading to monthslong waits. Jonathan Blazer, advocacy and policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, said he expects California to license as many immigrants in the country illegally as the nine other states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico combined. “If California is not able to do this right with the resources it put into this, other states will take notice,” Blazer said. State officials have touted the licenses as a boon to public safety by getting more drivers trained, tested and insured. Critics have voiced security concerns and questioned the ability of state officials to verify immigrants’ identities. Like other applicants, im-
migrants will need to prove their identity and residency in the state. Those who don’t have a passport or consular identification card on a preapproved list can submit other documents for review by a DMV investigator to see if they qualify. To help applicants prepare, Mexican consulates and advocacy groups have been hosting driver’s license preparation classes for months. Demand has been high, with more immigrants interested than slots available to learn the rules of the road. Abel Rivera, a 37-year-old forklift driver, took a class to brush up on differences between driving in California and his native Mexico, where he was a truck driver for more than a decade. One thing he hadn’t considered was how to drive on icy roads, said Rivera, who has an appointment in mid-January. “The sooner the better, because it will be safer to drive,” he said, adding that he hopes to qualify for better insurance coverage and avoid problems like those faced by his brother when he was pulled over and had his car impounded.
SALEM, Ore. — Commercial poultry producers say they’re concerned the outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu virus found in Washington and Oregon will hurt exports by prompting some nations to impose trade barriers. “It’s probably going to be a problem anyway because some countries aren’t going to properly distinguish between backyard and commercial,” flocks, export council President James Sumner told Capital Press. “This likely will have repercussions that will likely impact the entire U.S. industry.” Sumner said China already bans poultry imports form five states because of cases of low pathogenic bird flu. He said he hoped the U.S. Department of Agriculture would be able to convince other countries to continue buying U.S. poultry by showing the virus has not spread to commercial producers. Officials suspect that wild ducks that breed in Alaska and northeast Asia have spread the virus to the U.S. The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced last week that a strain of highly pathogenic bird flu virus, H5N8, had been found in a flock of 100 guinea fowl and chickens in the southern Oregon town of Winston. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quarantined the Winston yard and will dispose of any surviving birds The spot is along the Pacific Flyway, where the birds could easily have contact with wild birds carrying the virus while migrating south for the winter, department spokesman Bruce Pokarney said. Both the H5N2 and H5N8 strains of the virus were found in Washington state. The state Department of Agriculture reported H5N2 in a wild northern pintail duck found in Whatcom County. A captive gyrfalcon that was fed a wild duck from the same area died of H5N8. In British Columbia, 11 poultry farms have been quarantined after discovery of the virus, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Many countries, including the United States, have imposed restrictions on Canadian poultry and eggs. The USDA said Friday that it has reported the Oregon case to the World Organization of Animal Health, and is working with other countries to minimize trade impacts. The last outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu in the United States was in 2004, when 7,000 chickens in Texas were infected.
Former SC Gov. dies at age 87 By BRUCE SMITH ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Eric Albrecht/The Columbus Dispatch | AP
Authorities investigate the scene of a house where a grandmother and her three grandchildren were killed in a fire on Friday.
Family found burned in home By DAN SEWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI — Three boys who spent the night with their grandmother so she wouldn’t be alone on Christmas died with her Friday morning as a fire engulfed her home, authorities said. Fayette County coroner Dr. Dennis Mesker said the badly burned bodies were turned over to the Montgomery County coroner’s office for autopsies and confirmation. They were tentatively identified as 60-year-old Terry Harris and three brothers: 14-year-old Kenyon, 11-year-old Broderick and 9-year-old Braylon Harris. Terry Harris lived alone in the single-story, ranch-style house that was destroyed by the fire reported shortly after 4 a.m. The boys lived two houses down with their parents. “They didn’t want their grandma to be by herself on Christmas night; that’s why they spent the night there,” Fayette County Sheriff Vernon Stanforth said. “The children just adored their grandmother.” State Fire Marshal’s spokesman William Krugh said state investigators are still trying to determine what caused the blaze. Stanforth said the grandmother’s body was found near the front door, with the children near, so authorities think she was
trying to help them get out. Firefighters sifting through the smoldering debris found the bodies hours after the blaze erupted because the site was too unstable and hot before then. “To lose three children and a grandparent, it’s devastating to the family,” Stanforth said by telephone from the Washington Court House area some 40 miles southwest of Columbus. “The fact that it’s the holidays makes it even worse for the community.” He said that he had known the family for years and that the oldest boy had wrestled competitively. “They’re a very closeknit family,” he said. “They were good boys.” Officials said counselors were on hand Friday afternoon for family, friends and the children’s classmates at Washington Court House city schools’ Liberty Hall, and counseling services will be available through the holiday break.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — James B. Edwards, South Carolina’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction and later energy secretary for two years in the Reagan administration, has died. He was 87. His son-in-law Ken Wingate confirmed that Edwards died Friday. Edwards, an oral surgeon, helped build the modern Republican Party in South Carolina, serving as Charleston County party chairman and supporting Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign in the 1960s. He later won a seat in the state Senate and then, in 1974, was elected governor. Edwards was limited to one term under state law at the time. After leaving the governor’s mansion, he headed to Washington as President Ronald Reagan’s energy secretary. Edwards, who was born in Florida but moved to Charleston County as a toddler, returned in 1982 to become president of the Medical University of South Carolina, a position he held for 17 years before retiring. “South Carolina has lost a statesman and the Republican Party has lost a true pioneer,” said Iris Campbell, widow of the late GOP Gov. Carroll Campbell, who worked in Edwards’ administration.
Photo by Lou Krasky | AP file
In this Dec. 8, 1999 file photo, former South Carolina Gov. James B. Edwards stands on the porch of his home in Mount Pleasant. Republican Gov. Nikki Haley said she’s grateful for the support and encouragement Edwards gave her. “Michael and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Gov. Edwards, whose love for South Carolina inspired him to serve until his last day,” she said. Senate President Pro Tem Hugh Leatherman, a senator since 1981, described Edwards as a “Palmetto gentleman who sought only the best solutions for his community, state, and nation.” U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a former Charleston County Council chairman, said Edwards was an early mentor of his, and he’ll be “forever thankful for his advice.” Entering the 1974 governor’s race, Edwards was not sure of his chances facing well-known retired Gen. William Westmoreland, who commanded U.S. troops in Vietnam, in the
GOP primary. Edwards, who served in the U.S. Maritime Service during World War II and as a Navy Reserve officer during the Korean War, won the nomination but was still a Republican running in a Democratic state. That year, however, the Democrats were divided after the state Supreme Court ruled that Democratic front-runner Charles D. “Pug” Ravenel did not meet the residency requirements to run for governor. Edwards defeated U.S. Rep. Bryan Dorn — who became the Democratic nominee in a special convention — by about 17,500 votes. In a 1999 Associated Press interview, Edwards said the job he most enjoyed was being governor, particularly working on economic development, education and energy issues at a time when people seemed
to work together. During his tenure, the Education Finance Act was passed. It remains the basis for how K-12 public education is funded in South Carolina. “Anything you wanted, you could ask anyone in the state to help you,” he recalled. “I put away partisan politics when I got to Columbia. We had the whole Senate and the House, the vast majority working with us.” As Department of Energy secretary, Edwards served two years working on Reagan’s plan to close down the agency — an idea that never made it through Congress. In 1982, Edwards was recruited to take the MUSC job. He planned to stay only a year or so but ended up staying 17 years during a time when the university’s budget grew from $200 million to $840 million. During his tenure, more than 10,000 health professionals graduated from the university. “God has blessed me with the ability to pick good people,” he said. “I choose good people and then I’m smart enough to stay out of the way and let them do their jobs well.” Multiple media outlets report his funeral will be 1 p.m. Monday at St. Philip’s Church in Charleston. Visitation will be 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Luke’s Chapel on the Medical University of South Carolina campus in Charleston.
Public Notice The Local Federal Coordinating Committee (LFCC) of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is accepting applications from non-profit agencies wishing to apply as the Principal Combined Fund Organization (PCFO) for the Dimmit, Duval, La Salle, Jim Hogg, Maverick, Webb and Zapata County areas. The PCFO is a non-profit agency selected by the LFCC to coordinate and administer the local federal campaign. For more information or an application packet, please contact the United Way of Laredo at (956) 723-9113. Completed applications should be mailed to the United Way office at P.O. Box 1711 Laredo, TX 78044-1711 or delivered to 1815 E. Hillside Road in Laredo. The deadline to submit applications is January 30, 2015 by 12:00 noon. L-60
International
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
Russian military doctrine says NATO top threat By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW — Russia identified NATO as the nation’s No. 1 military threat and raised the possibility of a broader use of precision conventional weapons to deter foreign aggression under a new military doctrine signed by President Vladimir Putin on Friday. NATO flatly denied it is a threat to Russia, and accused Moscow of undermining European security. The new doctrine, which comes amid tensions over Ukraine, reflected the Kremlin’s readiness to take a stronger posture in response to what it sees as U.S.-led efforts to isolate and weaken Russia. The paper maintains the provisions of the previous, 2010 edition of the military doctrine regarding the use of nuclear weapons. It says Russia could employ nuclear weapons in retaliation for the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against the country or its allies, and also in the case of aggression involving conventional
weapons that “threatens the very existence” of the Russian state. But for the first time, the new doctrine says Russia could use precision weapons “as part of strategic deterrent measures.” The document does not spell out when and how Moscow could resort to such weapons. Examples of precision conventional weapons include ground-to-ground missiles, air- and submarinelaunched cruise missiles, guided bombs and artillery shells. Among other things, the paper mentions the need to protect Russia’s interests in the Arctic, where the global competition for its vast oil and other resources has been heating up as the Arctic ice melts. Russia has relied heavily on its nuclear deterrent and lagged far behind the U.S. and its NATO allies in the development of precision conventional weapons. However, it has recently sped up its military modernization, buying large numbers of new weapons and boosting military drills. It has also
sharply increased air patrols over the Baltics. Earlier this month, Russia flexed its muscle by airlifting state-of-the art Iskander missiles to its westernmost Kaliningrad exclave bordering NATO members Poland and Lithuania. The missiles were pulled back to their home base after the drills, but the deployment clearly served as a demonstration of the military’s readiness to quickly raise the ante in a crisis. Russia has threatened to permanently station the Iskander missiles, which can hit targets up to 480 kilometers (about 300 miles) away with high precision, in retaliation for U.S.-led NATO’s missile defense plans. The Iskander can be fitted with a nuclear or conventional warhead. On Friday, Moscow successfully test-fired the RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from the Plesetsk launchpad in northwestern Russia. The 29-page doctrine outlines top threats to Russia’s security and possible responses. It is the document’s third edition since Putin
was first elected in 2000. The doctrine places “a buildup of NATO military potential and its empowerment with global functions implemented in violation of international law, the expansion of NATO’s military infrastructure to the Russian borders” atop the list of military threats to Russia. It stresses that the deployment of foreign military forces on the territory of Russia’s neighbors could be used for “political and military pressure.” NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu responded by saying in a statement that the alliance “poses no threat to Russia or to any nation.” “Any steps taken by NATO to ensure the security of its members are clearly defensive in nature, proportionate and in compliance with international law,” she said. “In fact, it is Russia’s actions, including currently in Ukraine, which are breaking international law and undermining European security.” Russia’s relations with
the West have plummeted to their lowest level since Cold War times, and NATO cut off ties to Moscow after it annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in March. Ukraine and the West have also accused Moscow of fueling the pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine with troops and weapons, accusations the Kremlin has denied. In 2010, NATO adopted its current so-called Strategic Concept. Without specifying which countries might be on the receiving end, the document states that “deterrence, based on an appropriate mix of nuclear and conventional capabilities, remains a core element” of NATO’s overall strategy. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who had been critical of Putin in the past but has strongly backed the Kremlin in its dispute with the West, said Friday that Russia’s actions were a response to U.S. and NATO moves. “I think the president is right to a large extent when
he draws attention to a particular responsibility of the United States,” he said in Moscow. The U.S. and the European Union have slapped sanctions against Moscow, which have deepened Russia’s economic woes and contributed to a sharp devaluation of the ruble, which lost about half its value this year. The economic crisis could challenge Russia’s ambitious weapons modernization program, but so far the Kremlin has shown no intention of scaling back. The program envisages the deployment of new nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, the construction of nuclear submarines and a sweeping modernization of Russia’s conventional arsenals. Russia has been particularly concerned about the so-called Prompt Global Strike program under development in the U.S., which would be capable of striking targets anywhere in the world in as little as an hour.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
ISRAEL MARTINEZ
Nasdaq rises to 14-year high
Oct. 19, 1950 — Dec. 23, 2014 Israel Martinez, passed away on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 at his residence in Zapata, Texas. Mr. Martinez is survived by his wife, Olga Rodriguez de Martinez; sons, Israel Jr. (Maria Lilia) Martinez, Jose (Julieta) Martinez, Gerardo (Iraselia) Martinez, David (Griselda) Martinez, Ricky (Mariselva) Martinez, Luis Alberto (Rubi) Leal, Alejandro (Ana) Rodriguez; daughters, Esmeralda (Homero) Garza, Arabela Martinez, Humbelina Martinez (Marcos Salinas); nineteen grandchildren; brother, Jose Inez (Blanca) Martinez, Rolando (Nora) Martinez, Rusbel (Carmen) Martinez; sisters, Humbelina Martinez, Araceli (+Roberto) Medina, Eunice Rangel, Norma (Fernando) Rendon and by numerous nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held on Friday, December 26, 2014, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Rose Garden Funer-
By JEREMY HERRON BLOOMBERG NEWS
al Home. A Chapel Service will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, Funeral Director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
U.S. stocks extended a rally, as the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed to the highest since March 2000 and the Russell 2000 Index reached a record, on one of the slowest trading days of the year. Precious metals advanced, while oil capped a fifth weekly loss. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 0.3 percent to a record at 4 p.m. in New York, and the Russell 2000 jumped 0.7 percent to top its March high. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7 percent. Gold advanced 1.9 percent and silver gained the most since Dec. 9. Natural gas futures slipped below $3 per million British thermal units for the first time since 2012 and settled at the lowest in 27 months. U.S. crude slid to cap a fifth weekly loss. The ruble
ROADS Continued from Page 1A Counties can already negotiate leases for mineral rights under buildings they own, such as courthouses. “We would like legislation that returns that revenue stream to the county, and allows us to use it to offset the damages,” Fowler said. “To have this attorney general’s opinion to say we’re not entitled is a real stretch.” DeWitt County is one of 30 counties in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, where the oil and gas boom has drawn new residents and generated revenue for the state, but also damaged roads never meant to carry 18-wheel trucks. “Our road system is wholly inadequate for what is going on in the Eagle Ford Shale,” Fowler said. “We’re doing what we can with the revenue that we have.” It would cost more than $400 million to repair and upgrade more than 300 miles of roads in DeWitt County, according to a 2012 report by an engineering firm hired by the county. Legislation on the issue never made it out of committee last session. State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, chairman of the House County Affairs Committee, said he supports helping the counties. “It’s important to get this right,” said Coleman, who added that the issue had a better chance in the next session because lawmakers are better educated about it. The 1960 opinion by then-Attorney General Will Wilson is consistent with a convention in Texas and other states that roadways are the state’s business, said Matthew Festa, a professor at the South Texas College of Law and an expert in property laws. “It would take some creative drafting to come up with a law that provides an exception to this rule against counties negotiating a lease without undermining the larger framework of the state’s essential sovereignty over the roadways,” Festa said. A spokesman for Attorney General Greg Abbott, the governor-elect, declined to comment on the 1960 opinion. Jerry Patterson, the state’s departing land commissioner, said the land office should continue negotiating the leases. But he said he did not see a problem with money generated by the leases going to the counties. Fowler said he did not care whether the counties or the state negotiated the leases. He just wants the counties to get a piece of the pie.
weakened 1.9 percent, while the Micex Index increased 0.7 percent. Equity markets advanced this week, and U.S. stocks regained their losses from earlier this month, with the Dow rising seven straight days to close above 18,000. The ruble capped its first weekly advance in a month amid speculation the government is ordering exporters to sell foreign currency. Most markets in Europe and Asia are shut today for Boxing Day, while the U.S. reopened after the Christmas holiday. About 3.3 billion shares changed hands today, the slowest full-day of trading this year. “We’ve had quite a run here,” Eric Cinnamond, who manages the $691 million Aston/River Road Independent Value Fund, said by phone from Louisville, Kentucky. “The consensus has been that the
domestic economy is improving and small-caps are more exposed to that than large-cap multinational companies. Managers are making sure they’re owning what’s working and the herd mentality is at extremes right now.” U.S. stocks recovered losses from earlier this month as the Federal Reserve said it will be patient on the timing of interest-rate increases and the U.S. economy expanded at the fastest pace in more than a decade. Both the S&P 500 and the Dow are trading at records. The Dow has risen for seven days in its longest rally since March 2013. The S&P 500 has advanced 0.9 percent this week, while the Dow is up 1.4 percent and the Russell 2000 has gained 1.6 percent. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.9 percent in the week.
The small-cap and technology gauges have shown resilience this year, recovering from a correction that saw it slip 11 percent over a five-week period starting in early September. The index has surged 16 percent since reaching a one-year low on Oct. 13. Even with its 4.4 percent gain in 2014, the Russell still trails the S&P 500, which has climbed 13 percent. The Dow has increased 9.1 percent yearto-date. “Momentum has been building in the last month for small- cap names,” Michael James, a Los Angeles-based managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities Inc., said by phone on Dec. 24. It’s merely playing catch up. Given that the Russell has lagged through this year, people are trying to find beta for performance.’’
GAR Continued from Page 1A gar.
‘Really huge’ Falcon and the adjacent Rio Grande, the research suggests, may well outshine the trophy-gar fishery in the Trinity River, a fishery that draws rod-and-reel anglers and bowfishers from across the state, nation and other countries. "There are some huge — I mean really huge, world-record-class — alligator gar in Falcon," said Dave Terre, chief of fisheries management and research for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s inland fisheries division. "What’s really cool is that some of the data collected in this study has never been collected before in Texas. It adds so much to our knowledge base for this fish." The research project, headed by Randy Myers of TPWD’s inland fisheries division, profiled Falcon’s alligator gar fishery and the anglers who target the nation’s second-largest freshwater fish. (Only sturgeon grow larger than alligator gar, which can exceed 300 pounds.) Impetus for the study came from concerns voiced by Falcon anglers, fishingrelated businesses and public officials after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in 2009 adopted agencyrecommended restrictions on harvest of alligator gar. The new rules replaced the previous unrestricted, unlimited take of alligator gar with a one-fish-per-day limit. The move was aimed at protecting the state’s alliga-
tor gar population from overfishing. Like most topend predators, alligator gar are long-lived and slow to mature. They have relatively low reproduction levels, making them vulnerable to overharvest. The fish have been extirpated or their populations severely reduced throughout most of their range. Texas and Louisiana have the best remaining alligator gar populations, with Texas holding the best trophy-class gar fisheries. The TPWD study was aimed at addressing concerns that the one-fish limit unnecessarily limited harvest of alligator gar and that a thriving gar population in Falcon was preying heavily on, and damaging, the lake’s prized largemouth bass and other game fish. TPWD staff, often with help of local rod-and-reel angler and bowfishers, collected scores of alligator gar from Falcon. They learned much, Myers said. Turns out, Falcon’s alligator gar eat few largemouth bass. Studies of the stomach contents of almost 400 Falcon alligator gar showed almost 90 percent of the fishes’ diet were carp, tilapia and gizzard shad. Largemouth bass accounted for only eight percent of the fish found in gar stomachs.
Higher growth rates Growth rates for Falcon’s alligator gar were considerably higher than those for gar collected in previous studies in Texas and other states. Female gar in Falcon grew to about 5 feet in five years, with males hitting
the 5-foot mark in 10 years. Females weighing 100 pounds averaged just 9 years old. Falcon’s female alligator gar reached sexual maturity (6 feet) in just seven years, almost half the time it takes females in more northern waters to reach maturity. Falcon’s almost yearround warm climate and growing season is likely a factor in the rapid growth of the lake’s alligator gar, as well as the extremely large size of some of the gar in the reservoir and river. Alligator gar weighing more than 200 pounds are not uncommon in the reservoir. A gar weighing 249 pounds was landed from the reservoir this past month and is the pending lake record for a rod-and-reel-caught alligator gar. But larger ones have been taken. A gar measuring 8 feet, 9 inches was landed by a Falcon angler in 2013. That fish was 9 inches longer than the 290-pound alligator gar taken from the Trinity River that holds the Texas record for bowfishers. "That fish was probably a world record," Terre said. The world-record rod-andreel-caught alligator gar, which has stood since 1951, weighed 279 pounds. It was caught from the Rio Grande. There are indications, Terre said, that alligator gar in the Rio Grande drainage may be slightly genetically different from other populations across the fishes’ range. That difference could give them the genetic predisposition to grow larger — kind of like the difference between Florida largemouth bass and northern largemouth bass. The angler who caught
the monstrous 8-foot, 9-inch alligator gar from Falcon declined repeated efforts of TPWD fisheries biologists and game wardens to have the fish officially weighed. The angler wasn’t interested in records; he simply wanted to eat the fish. And that’s another unusual characteristic of Falcon’s alligator gar fishery: Most anglers targeting alligator gar on the reservoir do so because they want to eat the fish. Almost all of the fishing pressure aimed at Falcon’s gar is from local anglers — 88 percent of the 141 gar anglers TPWD staff interviewed lived within a 11/2hour drive of the lake, Myers said. The majority — more than 75 percent — said they kept the fish to eat. The TPWD study indicated harvest of Falcon’s alligator gar by the relatively few anglers targeting the fish was low, with anglers annually taking only about 1 percent of the population. That low harvest rate, coupled with Falcon’s healthy gar population and the anglers’ desire to take more than one fish per day, has TPWD planning to recommend loosening regulations on the reservoir. In January, inland fisheries officials officially will propose allowing anglers on Falcon to take as many as five alligator gar per day. "We think this proposed bag limit is supported by the science presented in this study, is sufficient to conserve this population long into the future, and it meets the needs and desires expressed by our constituents," Terre said.
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
SURGE Continued from Page 1A “The numbers increased a lot this past month, almost to 100 every day [last week],” said Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. “We have seen some that have already been caught and tried again. They have hope that they have a chance at a better life here.” After Christmas, she said, the charity will begin searching for a facility to turn what began as a temporary shelter into a permanent offering. Pimentel oversees the volunteer effort providing short-term shelter to some of the thousands of women and children who have trekked to Texas from Central America. About 52,300 families surrendered to the U.S. Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley during the 2014 fiscal year, an increase of more than 500
percent over 2013. About 50,000 unaccompanied children were caught or surrendered to border agents in the Valley in fiscal year 2014. The number of unaccompanied minors apprehended, or who have surrendered, has gone down from about 5,460 in October and November of 2013 to about 3,220 during the same months this year. But the number of parents with one or more minor children has stayed about the same: 3,430 in October and November of last year compared with 3,360 this year. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon,” Pimentel said. “[The Border Patrol] considered the fact that we’re here and we’re prepared to receive them.” With so many arrivals, the Border Patrol releases most families to the church
shelter with orders for them to appear before an immigration judge in whatever city they reach. Some stay in Texas. Others head for New York, Miami, Boston or Chicago, among other cities. Some of the migrants now show up at the shelter with ankle bracelets so officials can track their movements. Nina Pruneda, a spokeswoman with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the agency’s first priority is to make sure dangerous criminals aren’t released. Beyond that, she said in an email, the agency decides where to send families and children on a caseby-case basis. During the summer’s record immigrant surge, Republicans accused the Obama administration of spawning the disaster with lax enforcement of immi-
gration policies. Texas leaders responded by sending a flood of state police and the Texas National Guard to the area. The administration, in turn, touted its quick response, and has since said efforts to curb the unauthorized migration have been working. “Since the spring, the numbers of unaccompanied children crossing the southern border illegally have gone down considerably,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee earlier this month. But should the numbers continue to creep up, national attention — and political jousting — will almost certainly focus again on the border. Republicans will likely seek ammunition to help shoot down the president’s latest unilateral
move on immigration. Last month, President Obama announced he was using his executive authority to grant an estimated 5 million undocumented immigrants already in the United States a reprieve from deportation proceedings and a work permit. Though the president stressed the policy would not apply to people who arrived in the country recently, Republicans have argued it will act as a magnet, enticing people to risk their lives and come to America. Spotlight or not, local officials and charities expect to be dealing with the flow of undocumented immigrants for the foreseeable future. Through Oct. 17, local governments had spent about $560,000 to aid in the humanitarian effort. Governments including the cities of McAllen and Wesla-
co, and Hidalgo and Willacy counties, have asked the federal and state governments for reimbursement, but a McAllen city official said they haven’t heard back. The crisis has also put the area in the spotlight. Pimentel said the American and Latin American branches of Catholic Charities will hold their annual conference in McAllen next year. Pimentel has been nominated for The Dallas Morning News’ Texan of the Year award. She hopes people won’t lose sight of the root cause of the shelter’s mission. “It’s the right thing to do and that’s my position,” she said. “Your heart breaks and you want to help. It’s bittersweet. All of this attention comes from the fact that there are a lot of people suffering, a lot of people hurting.”
Guerreros Unidos drug cartel, which has been implicated in the mass killing of 43 students in September in the nearby city of Iguala. The area is so dangerous that Martinez said one priest had been briefly kidnapped in the mountains above San Miguel Totolapan by cartel gunmen who complained the priest had been speaking in favor of “La Familia” — the name of a rival drug cartel. The priest had to quickly explain he had been preaching in favor of family values, not the rival cartel. Nor have authorities cleared up the killing of a Ugandan priest whose body was found in a clandestine grave in a nearby Guerrero diocese in November. Father John Ssenyondo, 55, had been kidnapped about six months earlier. His body was later identified as one of 13 found in
a clandestine grave discovered Nov. 2 in the town of Ocotitlan. Ssenyondo, a member of the Combonian order, was abducted April 30 in the town of Santa Cruz after celebrating Mass, when a group of people in an SUV intercepted his car. Several priests have also been victims of highway assaults in Guerrero in recent months that appear to be attempted robberies. Church officials also believe three abductions of church workers in March may have been intended to discourage priests from leading protests against rampant violence. The three were released unharmed. The Catholic Multimedia Center, a church group, reports that eight priests were killed in the past two years in Mexico — now nine including Lopez Gorostieta’s death — and that two priests remain missing.
PRIESTS Continued from Page 1A on the outskirts of Ciudad Altamirano, Guerrero, on Sunday and Monday. Lopez Gorostieta was apparently kidnapped by the gang early Monday; his truck was found abandoned two days later. “This is another priest added to those who have died for their love of Christ,” Bishop Martinez said. “Enough already of so much pain, of so many murders. Enough already of so much crime. Enough extortions.” That was an apparent reference to the “protection payments” that the local drug gang, the Knights Templar, demand from business owners in Ciudad Altamirano. One business owner, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said his family had been forced to pay thousands of pesos (dollars) each year to the gang for the right to operate a pharmacy. While the Rev. Jesus Mendoza Zaragoza said
gangs have also demanded protection payments from parish priests in the nearby resort city of Acapulco, Lopez Gorostieta didn’t have a parish or collect tithes. But Bishop Martinez said there could be other motives: Priests have received threats when they refuse to perform quickie marriages or baptisms for drug gang members. The church normally requires extensive paperwork before performing such ceremonies. “At times, if they ask for a baptism and you don’t do it, they start to threaten you,” Martinez said. “They want a marriage, or a blessing” for a car or a home, he said, and won’t take “no” for an answer. The Mexican Council of Bishops issued a statement saying “we demand authorities clear up this and so many other crimes that have caused pain in so many homes, and en-
“
At times, if (drug gang members) ask for a baptism and you don’t do it, they start to threaten you.” BISHOP MAXIMINO MARTINEZ
sure that it is punished.” But Mendoza Zaragoza said there appears to be little likelihood authorities will find the killers, because they haven’t done so in past cases. “The government offers to investigate, but nothing is ever known,” he said referring to the other recent killing of a priest in the Altamirano diocese. In September, the battered body of the Rev. Ascension Acuña Osorio was found floating in the Balsas river near his parish of San Miguel Totolapan, near Ciudad Altamirano. Guerrero state pros-
ecutors said the priest’s body had head wounds, but it was unclear whether they were caused by the body being dragged by the current, or whether he had been killed before being dumped in the river. Martinez said authorities never offered more information on the investigation into his death. Residents of San Miguel Totolapan told reporters that Acuña Osorio was well liked in the town, but they were afraid to speak more about his death, or the gang that operates in the area. The town is an area dominated by the
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Out for revenge Cowboys playing for win
Photo by Patric Schneider | AP
By SCHUYLER DIXON
Houston DE J.J. Watt is making his case to be the MVP, leading the NFL with 25 tackles for loss and 47 QB hits.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — Tony Romo hasn’t made it through his past two games against Washington without a back injury, and the most realistic playoff scenarios don’t require the Cowboys to beat the Redskins on Sunday. So what does that mean for the 34-year-old quarterback who has actually had three back problems in less than two years? Not much. “I go in with the exact same mental approach I do every game,” Romo said. “If you’re a football player and there’s a game, there’s only one way to play and it’s hard the whole time. You go
See COWBOYS PAGE 2B
Watt makes MVP case Could Houston end become first defensive MVP since 1986? By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
File photo by Tim Sharp | AP
Dallas running back DeMarco Murray and the Cowboys don’t need a win Sunday, but plan on trying to get some redemption after losing to Washington 20-17 earlier in the season.
HOUSTON — Should J.J. Watt be the NFL’s Most Valuable Player? Many who are paid to find ways to slow down the overpowering defensive end for the Houston Texans
say yes. “I’d vote for him,” Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. “I’ve never had a game in my coaching career when I basically had to plan to run one way all day, and he forced me to do
See WATT PAGE 2B
Smith to miss pivotal Week 17 By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Tom Puskar | AP
With slim playoff odds, Kansas City lost its quarterback as Alex Smith has a lacerated spleen. The Chiefs host San Diego on Sunday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Alex Smith thought he had some indigestion. It turned out to be a lacerated spleen. Now, the Kansas City Chiefs will put their already slim playoff hopes in the hands of career backup Chase Daniel, who will make his second-ever start Sunday against San Diego. The Chiefs need to beat the Chargers and hope that Baltimore loses to Cleveland and Houston gets beat by Jackson-
ville to reach the postseason for the second straight year. San Diego needs only to defeat its longtime AFC West rival to get back to the playoffs — and now faces a second-string quarterback. “The guys have a lot of trust in Chase,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said shortly after Friday’s practice. “Our heart goes out to Alex. It’s not something he wanted to happen. He wanted to be out there. But the guys know Chase. They’re comfortable with him.” Daniel should be comfortable facing the Chargers, too.
Last season, the Chiefs (8-7) had already locked up their playoff seed before their regular-season finale in San Diego. Reid rested his starters and Daniel made his first NFL start, playing well in an overtime loss that allowed the Chargers to squeak into the playoffs. Smith is expected to miss about six weeks, Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said, though his age and fitness level could shorten that timeframe. The Chiefs would need to make the
See SMITH PAGE 2B
NCAA FOOTBALL
Photo by John Bazemore | AP
File photo by Eric Gay | AP
Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who was suspended four games for improper benefits and later tore his ACL, will enter the NFL draft according to his head coach.
West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett will not pursue a career in professional football or play in the team’s bowl game against Texas A&M, retiring from the game due to concussions.
Richt: Gurley will enter the NFL draft
Trickett retiring after concussions
By STEVE REED ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE — Georgia running back Todd Gurley has informed coach Mark Richt that he plans to enter the NFL draft.
Richt said after practice Friday for the Belk Bowl that Gurley won’t return for his senior season. The 13th-ranked Bulldogs face No. 20 Louisville on Tuesday. The news doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
Gurley was a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate and got off to a strong start, but a fourgame suspension and a knee injury derailed a promising season.
See GURLEY PAGE 2B
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEMPHIS — West Virginia senior quarterback Clint Trickett is retiring from football because of concussions and won’t play in the Liberty Bowl on Mon-
day against Texas A&M. Trickett said Friday that he had endured five concussions over the last 14 months. “It would be dangerous for me to be out there,” Trickett said.
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen indicated that Trickett wasn’t cleared to play in the bowl game and that sophomore Skyler Howard would start at
See TRICKETT PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
WATT Continued from Page 1B that. Even running away from him, he made plays.” No defensive player has won the MVP since Lawrence Taylor in 1986, joining Alan Page in 1971 as the only defenders to pick up the honor. Only quarterbacks and running backs have won since Taylor had 20 1/2 sacks for the Giants in 1986 to win it. Colts coach Chuck Pagano has had to plan for Watt twice this season, and perhaps Watt’s best game this year came against Indianapolis in Week 6. Watt had two sacks, swatted down three passes and returned a fumble by Andrew Luck 45 yards for a touchdown. “He’s a nightmare,” Pagano said. “It’s like a scary movie ... he’s near unblockable. And his motor never stops. He’s got great instincts, a great skill set, what can you say? He’d get my vote for MVP right now.” Watt leads the NFL with 25 tackles for losses and 47 quarterbacks hits. His 17 1/2 sacks are second most in the NFL and he needs 2 1/2 to become the first player in NFL history with at least 20 sacks in two seasons. He leads the NFL with five fumble recoveries and is the first player since Bill Golding in 1948 to have three offen-
sive touchdowns and two touchdowns on takeaways in a season. Scott Linehan, the passing game coordinator and play caller for the Cowboys, said you can’t stop Watt, but the focus is to keep him from “wrecking the game.” He doesn’t see why Watt shouldn’t win MVP. “It’s hard to argue against it,” Linehan said. “I don’t vote for that stuff so my vote doesn’t count. But the things he’s done are so rare. I think rare things make people MVP candidates.” The 25-year-old, in his fourth NFL season, has sparked a Houston defense that leads the NFL with a franchise-record 34 takeaways this season. “Some can be attributed to his pressure or sometimes interceptions come from tips and overthrows, and he’s got his hand on the ball quite a few times,” Jacksonville coach Gus Bradley said. “He’s just a guy that I think really elevates everybody around him.” Another highlight for Watt came in a win over Buffalo when he got both of his oversized hands on a pass thrown by E.J. Manuel, batted it down and intercepted it before running 80 yards for a
Photo by Patric Schneider | AP
J.J. Watt has a chance to become the first MVP from the defensive side of the ball since 1986. touchdown. And his contributions aren’t just limited to defense. The 6-foot-5, 289pound Watt, who started his college career as a tight end, has caught three
touchdown passes for the Texans, who host Jacksonville on Sunday and are still in the playoff hunt. Watt practices one-handed catches during the week and in pregame, but puts
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B all out. I think you’re doing a disservice to the game and your team if you don’t play that way.” Besides, the only inexplicable loss this season for NFC East champion Dallas (11-4) came against a Washington team already going nowhere in October. Granted, the Cowboys were without Romo for about a quarter in the second half after taking a direct hit to his surgically repaired back on a sack by linebacker Keenan Robinson. But they still couldn’t get key stops against third-string quarterback Colt McCoy, who started in place of ineffective backup Kirk Cousins while Robert Griffin III was still sidelined with a dislocated ankle. The 20-17 loss in overtime snapped Dallas’ six-game winning streak. “Everyone knows what happened last time,” defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford said. “That’s not a feeling that we like around here. So we don’t want it to happen again.” The earlier win means the Redskins (4-11) can break even in the division in an otherwise dismal first season under coach Jay Gruden. Plus, Washington is coming off a 27-24 upset of Philadelphia that put the Cowboys in position to knock the Eagles out of the playoffs, which they did the next day by beating Indianapolis. “It would give us a chance to finish 3-3 in our division and sweep the Cowboys, which our fans love,” Griffin said. “It’s Dallas week. We understand that. They’re playing at a very high level right now.” In his last visit to Washington, Romo finished a winning rally last December after sustaining a herniated disk earlier in the game. He had surgery five days later and missed a season-ending loss to Philadelphia that extended the Cowboys’ playoff drought to four years. After his latest back injury against the Redskins — best described as two small fractures — Romo missed a loss to Arizona and clearly had a difficult time with the quick Thanksgiving turnaround a few weeks later in a loss to the Eagles. They’ve put together three strong performances since then, another reason to try to keep it going. “It really comes down to just being the best version of yourself re-
File photo by Tim Sharp | AP
GURLEY Continued from Page 1B Richt said Gurley’s rehabilitation is going well and his spirits are high. He predicted Gurley “will be a very high draft pick.” “I wouldn’t be shocked to see him doing a lot of things for the scouts before the draft,” Richt said. Gurley attended practice with his teammates Friday but was not made unavailable for interviews. The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Gurley ran for 911 yards and nine touchdowns in six games this season, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Gurley was suspended four games in October by the NCAA
for taking $3,000 for autographed memorabilia and other items over two years. In Gurley’s first game back against Auburn, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, ending his season. In his first two seasons at Georgia, Gurley ran for 2,374 yards and 27 touchdowns. The Georgia running game hasn’t missed a beat since Gurley left, with freshman Nick Chubb handling the load. Chubb rattled off four straight games of at least 143 yards rushing with Gurley out. He has 1,057 yards and 10 touchdowns in the last seven.
Some in the NFL don’t like that defensive players are rarely in the conversation for MVP. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Luck and Dallas running back DeMarco Murray are other top contenders to win this year’s award. None plays defense. Pagano would argue that Watt’s importance to the Texans is as high as that of any quarterback. “Like a quarterback touches the ball every single play, J.J. affects the game that way,” Pagano said. “I know he doesn’t play that position. You normally don’t see it from a position at the defensive line, but he’s as good as or better than anybody that’s ever played on that side of the football.” Watt also plays on special teams, using his huge mitts to get in the face of kickers and punters, and he blocked an extra point attempt in a win over Washington in September. With everything he does Jackson believes Watt is the epitome of an MVP. “You take him off that football team, that’s a different football team,” Jackson said. “The fact he’s out there playing gives them a chance to win every football game.”
SMITH Continued from Page 1B
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo has suffered a back injury in his last two games against Washington. gardless of circumstance,” Romo said. “These are great games to go show that. In the playoffs, not in the playoffs, it doesn’t matter.” And for the Redskins, it’s a matter of showing something heading into the offseason in a string of disappointing years interrupted only by a playoff team that beat the Cowboys in a winner-take-all finale two years ago.
both hands on the ball when he’s grabbing TD passes. “He looks like (Rob) Gronkowski out there right now running,” Pagano said, comparing him to New England’s Pro Bowl tight end. “The catch he made from the fullback spot in the flat was phenomenal.” The Texans, of course, are impressed with Watt’s work, but coach Bill O’Brien isn’t doing any campaigning for the award. “I understand the question, but I could care less about the MVP,” O’Brien said when asked if he should win it. “I really could. I know that he could care less about it, too. I think it’s about the team.” That doesn’t mean Watt doesn’t enjoy hearing coaches say he should win it. “It’s special,” he said. “It’s very humbling to hear that from other coaches and players around the league, because those are the guys that you work hard to earn the respect from. ... They’ve seen you, and they know what they’re talking about, so those are the guys that you’d really like to have the respect of.”
“Winning the last two games against two quality opponents would be the next best thing other than going to the playoffs,” Gruden said. Nobody likes being in the situation we’re in, but to finish strong and show the type of guys we have on this team, the way they’re still competing despite not going to the playoffs, I think is a great tribute to them.”
playoffs and then likely advance all the way to the Super Bowl for him to return this season. “I didn’t know what to make of it,” Smith said. “Once you start hearing how serious it is, obviously yeah, you know the implications as far as not playing — that’s the last thing you want to hear. At the same time, you’re not crazy.” The Chiefs, who have lost four of five, have been plagued by injuries all season. Defensive tackle Mike DeVito and linebacker Derrick Johnson were lost to torn Achilles tendons and offensive guard Jeff Allen a torn biceps in Week 1. Running backs Joe McKnight and Cyrus Gray, tight end Demetrius Harris and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins have joined them on injured reserve. Then there’s safety Eric Berry, who was placed on the non-football injury list and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Berry is currently undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments. Smith believes he was hurt on a hit early in the third quarter of last Sunday’s 20-12 loss at Pittsburgh. He didn’t feel any pain until after he had showered, and then it felt like cramps and pressure. He visited with the team’s medical staff but didn’t go through full testing. “Thought it was something I ate,” said Smith, who ultimately took some antacids. Smith practiced twice early in the week, feeling fine other than some nausea. There had been a stomach virus going around the team that kept wide receiver Dwayne Bowe from prac-
ticing all of last week, so Smith and the training staff suspected that might be the cause. The Chiefs had off for Christmas and Smith didn’t want to leave his family, but a team doctor helped persuade him to undergo a scan, which to his surprise found a 3centimeter laceration. There was only a bit of bleeding, though, which explained why Smith had so few symptoms. “If you would take another shot there and the laceration would increase, then you have a medical emergency,” Burkholder said. “This is a 1-in-100 find for our doctors because he didn’t have any signs of a spleen (injury).” Burkholder said scans also revealed a slight enlargement of the spleen, and Smith will have more testing to determine why that’s the case. Burkholder said it may just be natural. “It’s a non-surgical case. It will heal on its own, but he is going to have to have some time down from contacts and collisions,” Burkholder said. “I won’t go as far as to say that we saved a life, but you saved something that could go on Sunday.” Daniel, who starred nearby at Missouri, was acquired by the Chiefs last season. He’s appeared in only seven games since, mostly in mop-up duty, but was 21 of 30 for 200 yards with a TD pass and no interceptions in that 27-24 loss to San Diego last year. “We have a sharp game plan this week. We’re excited about it,” Daniel said after Friday’s workout, “and it was great to get out here and go over the entire game plan.”
TRICKETT Continued from Page 1B quarterback for the Mountaineers (7-5) against Texas A&M (7-5). Trickett hasn’t played since being knocked out of a 26-20 loss to Kansas State on Nov. 20. After disclosing Friday all the concussions he’d sustained over the last 14 months, Trickett suggested he hadn’t told the team’s medical staff about some of them at the time they happened. “That was on me,” Trickett said. “If they would have known, they probably would have been more cautious about it, but I was trying to push through it.”
Trickett said he plans to go into coaching and referred to it as the “family business.” Trickett is the son of Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett. He began his college career with Florida State before transferring to West Virginia. “I know he’s going to be a hell of a coach one day,” Holgorsen said. Howard is 36 of 65 for 483 yards with five touchdown passes and no interceptions in three games this season. He started West Virginia’s regular-season finale against Iowa State and threw for 285 yards
and three touchdowns while rushing for 69 more yards in the Mountaineers’ 37-24 victory. “The improvements that he made in the last two months, I’ve never seen it with a quarterback before, not as a true sophomore,” Holgorsen said. Trickett completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions this season. “I would love to be out there and finish the season with my guys my last game,” Trickett said. “It’s unfortunate how it ended, but I had a great senior year.”
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014
Dear Readers: The holiday season is almost over! We do have one more big night and day to celebrate New Year’s! We may enjoy New Year’s Eve with food, drink and fireworks, but our PETS don’t know what’s going on. They do know that there is more food around, and all kinds of new and yummy treats to get into. There are some foods that can be extremely harmful to dogs and cats, so please take a minute or two to read this. The no-no list for pets: 1. NO avocados (including my much-loved guacamole). They are very high in fat. 2. NO chocolate, especially dark and baker’s; it’s a real no-no for ferrets. 3. NO to most nuts, including macadamia (oh, I love these!), pecan (a fave from my home state of Texas) and even walnuts. All three are very high in fat content. 4. NO to any food or candy that contains xylitol. So watch out for sugar-free gum, candy and baked goods. You (or a guest!) may
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HELOISE
think there is no sugar in it so it’s probably OK. But it’s NOT! A lot does depend on body weight – think Great Dane versus Chihuahua. – Heloise P.S.: Keep your pets safe, and "Woof, woof" from Chammy, our adopted silky wheaten. CLEAN WALL Dear Heloise: I would like to know how to get dried hair spray off a spongepainted wall. Thanks! – Dan, via email Dan, as long as the paint is washable, you are home free! All you need is some rubbing (or isopropyl) alcohol, which all drugstores and grocery stores carry. Pour some on a microfiber cloth or terry towel, then gently rub in one tiny spot (to test first) and let dry. No need to rinse! – Heloise
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2014