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Group aided Zetas
LCC may float bond
Six sentenced to prison for firearms trafficking By MATTHEW NELSON THE ZAPATA TIMES
Six people were sentenced to federal prison Friday in connection to a firearms trafficking organization operating out of Zapata that sent weapons to members of Los Zetas drug cartel in Mexico. Maria Elena Ramos, 31, of Rio Grande City, received the longest sentence at five years for attempting to unlawfully export
ammunition. Zapatan Claudia Medrano, 29, was sentenced to 42 months for conspiracy to make a false statement in connection with the acquisition of certain firearms. For making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of certain firearms, Anna Salinas-Alaniz, 52, of Zapata, received two years; Maria del Carmen Carbajal, 31, of Sullivan City, received two years and four months; Mar-
lene Riojas, 32, received one year and four months; and Maria Micaela Berrones, 26, of Zapata, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in prison. A seventh defendant, Adriana Garza, is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 3. She has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make a false statement in connection with the acquisition of certain firearms.
See FIREARMS PAGE 10A
PUBLIC EDUCATION
RULE CHANGES Textbook review changes OK’d By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The Texas Board of Education imposed tighter rules Friday on the citizen review panels that scrutinize proposed textbooks, potentially softening fights over evolution, religion’s role in U.S. history and other ideological matters that have long seeped into what students learn in school. Tension over the issue has been building for years in the country’s second most populous state, where the textbook market is so large that changes can affect the industry nationwide. Critics complain that a few activists with
See TEXTBOOK PAGE 10A
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
In this Sept. 17, 2013 file photo, pro-science supporters rally prior to a State Board of Education public hearing on proposed new science textbooks, in Austin.
By ALDO AMATO THE ZAPATA TIMES
On the heels of Webb County voters approving more than $500 million combined in bond money for UISD and LISD, it appears Laredo Community College will float a bond in 2014. In June, LCC said it was mulling a possible $60 million bond issuance to build a student union and health science center at its south campus and expand the main campus’ Yeary Library. On Thursday night, the college’s board of trustees met to discuss and possibly act on, among other things, approving an order calling for a bond election. However, the vote has been postponed to February as only six LCC board members were present. No details, such as how much bond money LCC may seek, were discussed. Feb. 28 is the deadline for the college to place a proposal on the May 10 ballot. LCC trustees Leonides Cigarroa Jr., Allen Tijerina, Carlos Carranco Jr., Jesse A. Porras, Hilario Cavazos III and Rene De La Viña were present at Thursday’s meeting. LCC President Juan Maldonado opted to table the item because he had previously talked about it with Board President Cynthia Mares and wanted her and trustees Mercurio Martinez Jr. and Gilberto Martinez Jr. to be included in the discussion about a possible bond election. “We really need to finance the third phase of renovations to meet various campus needs,” Cavazos said. “To go along with a student union, we are considering building a clinic and a state-of-the-art science building, which would house our nursing program. If we find ways to fund these proposals, we could enhance the quality of life in this community.” The college increased tax rates and student fees in 2009 to bankroll its $120 million facilities master plan, which involved a comprehensive renovation of the college’s downtown Fort McIntosh campus. College officials said last year that increasing tax rates and student fees is not an option this time around. The growth of the city and county was the impetus for considering a bond to build new facilities at the south campus, Mares said in May. Health occupations are in ever-rising demand, and there can never be enough students produced with credentials in the medical field, Mares had said.
See BOND PAGE 10A
BRIDGES
Ports need upgrades By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
A federal agency said two ports of entry in Laredo need upgrades because they are either not up to code or present safety concerns. According to the General Services Administration, the pedestrian area at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, otherwise known as bridge I, does not meet handicap accessibility or life safety standards.
The top priority for the port of entry is to make the process of moving pedestrians faster and safer, especially during extreme temperatures. Also, the General Services Administration reported that the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, otherwise known as bridge II, was not designed to accommodate the level of bus traffic it currently receives. The combination of heat and long wait times create uncomfortable and unsafe conditions for port staff as
well as travelers, the administration said. To address these concerns, the administration announced recently that it will invest $61.6 million in federal funding for the two Laredo ports of entry to ease traffic in the area and help the Department of Homeland Security continue to fulfill its mission. “With these funds, Laredo will be able to modernize the infrastructure and expand the facilities at our
See PORTS PAGE 10A
File photo by Times staff
Hundreds of pedestrians wait in line as they try to cross the international bridge I in 2010 after it was closed down due to a bomb threat.