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Local priest suspected of driving drunk He crashed his vehicle into a ditch, according to DPS By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
A priest was recently arrested on the suspicion of driving drunk after he crashed into a ditch in Zapata County, accord-
FREE
ing to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Angel ValencianoCancino, 38, was arrested May 10 and charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor. He is out on bond
ZAPATA RESIDENT GRADUATES FROM TAMIU
from the Zapata County Regional Jail. ValencianoValenciano- Cancino Cancino is assigned as the Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Zapata, according to a statement from the Diocese of LarePriest continues on A10
STATE SENATE
Texas close to banning texting while driving By Jim Vertuno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas moved closer to passing a statewide ban on texting while driving on Friday, as the state Senate approved a measure that has been defeated several times over the last decade. Forty-six states have laws banning texting while driving that typTexting continues on A10
Jason Hoekema / AP
In this Wednesday photo, a woman uses her cellular phone while in traffic in Brownsville, Texas.
Courtesy
Zapata resident Beatriz Campos was among the TAMIU graduates Friday at the Laredo Energy Arena. Campos graduated with a degree in bilingual education.
WASTEWATER PLANT
Upgrade plan in motion Henry Cuellar’s staff marked groundbreaking SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
Courtesy
Francis Atwell presents a certificate of recognition to Zapata County officials at the groundbreaking of the improvement project for the wastewater plant.
The staff from the office of Congressman Henry Cuellar marked the groundbreaking of a project to improve the wastewater treatment plant in Zapata on Friday, May 12. The congressional staff joined County Judge Joe Rathmell, and County Commissioners Norberto Garza, Eddie Martinez, Paco Mendoza and Olga Elizondo, as Premier Engineering General Manager Manuel
Gonzalez ceremonially broke ground on the new Zapata County Waterworks Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements Project. The project is funded by a $4.8 million loan and a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities program, which Cuellar assisted Zapata County with securing in 2010. The county is working with the USDA to secure additional funding for the project, which
has an estimated total cost of $11,254,635. To mark the occasion, Francis Atwell, outreach coordinator for Cuellar, presented a certificate of recognition to the county officials and Premier Engineering staff. The ceremony followed a pre-construction meeting among key personnel and stakeholders to discuss the logistics, timeline and other details of the project. Upgrade continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, May 20, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, MAY 20
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association officers and awards banquet. 11:30 a.m. Embassy Suites.
Today is Saturday, May 20, the 140th day of 2017. There are 225 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France.
Harry Potter Book Club. 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free and family friendly. Children and adults are welcome. We will discuss “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling.
SUNDAY, MAY 21 St. Patrick Men's Club steak asado plate sale scholarship fundraiser. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. St. Patrick Church ground, 555 Del Mar Blvd. $5 per plate. For more information call, 956-324-2432.
MONDAY, MAY 22 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 LEGO Night. 6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free and family friendly. LEGOs, DUPLOs, and LEGO Robotics will be made available to the public for free-play.
THURSDAY, MAY 25 Landscaping with Native Plants. 6:30 p.m. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park Ranchito. Presented by George Altgelt, Sr., Soil Scientist, and Danny Gunn, Sr., Master Gardener. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com. Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society regular meeting. 3-5 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speaker: Judy Jordan, "When It Rains It Pours; The Story of the Jordan Family.” For more information, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, conference room. Discussion of La Quinta Montaña by Paulo Coelho of Brazil. Power Point on Brazil. For more information, contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
MONDAY, MAY 29 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 LEGO Night. 6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free and family friendly. LEGOs, DUPLOs, and LEGO Robotics will be made available to the public for free-play.
MONDAY, JUNE 5 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
SATURDAY, JUNE 10 The Martin High School Class of 1957 60th Reunion. Embassy Suites, 110 Calle Del Norte. Classmates wishing to attend should register by checking the class website at mhsclassof57.org or calling Irma Perales Mireles at 956-286-6385.
THURSDAY, JUNE 22 Why Invasive Species are So Invasive—An Ecosystem Approach. 6:30 p.m. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park Ranchito. Presented by Stephen Lange, Project Leader, South Texas Ecosystem Project, Chaparral and Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com.
MONDAY, JULY 3 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
SATURDAY, JULY 22 Laredo and South Texas Weather. 2 p.m. TAMIU Student Center, Room 236. Presented by Richard ‘Heatwave” Berler, Chief Meteorologist, KGNS-TV. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4 Les Amies Birthday Club monthly meeting. 11:30 a.m. Ramada Plaza. The hostesses are Rosita Alvarez, Marta Rangel Bennett, Imelda Gonzalez and Carmen Santos. The honoree will be Magda Sanchez.
Vahid Salemi / AP
Voters wait to get ballots to cast in the presidential and municipal council election at a polling station in Tehran, Iran on Friday.
IRANIAN VOTERS TURN OUT IN LARGE NUMBERS TEHRAN, Iran — Millions of Iranians voted late into the night Friday to decide whether incumbent President Hassan Rouhani deserves another four years in office after securing a landmark nuclear deal, or if the sluggish economy demands a new hard-line leader who could return the country to a more confrontational path with the West. The Islamic Republic's first presidential election since the 2015 nuclear accord drew surprisingly large numbers of voters to polling stations, with some reporting waiting in line for hours to cast their votes. Election officials extended voting
Russia's Putin pledges to send food to Venezuela CARACAS, Venezuela — Russia is pledging to send several thousand tons of wheat to Venezuela on a monthly basis, potentially helping alleviate the troubled South American country's food crisis and further tightening relations between the long-time allies. In a telephone conversation Thursday, President Vladimir Putin told his Venezuelan counterpart
hours at least three times at the more than 63,000 polling places to accommodate the crowds. Four candidates remain in the race. But for most voters only two mattered, both of them clerics with very different views for the country's future: Rouhani and hardline law professor and former prosecutor Ebrahim Raisi. Rouhani is a political moderate by Iranian standards, but the 68year-old has come to embody more liberal and reform-minded Iranians' hopes for greater political freedom at home and better relations with the outside world. — Compiled from AP reports
that Russia is willing to begin delivering food and strengthen commercial ties, according to Venezuela's Foreign Ministry. Putin's office confirmed the conversation but did not provide any information about the trade agreement. The gesture of support for the Maduro administration comes at a key moment. Regional governments have been distancing themselves from the embattled socialist president and calling on him to respect democratic norms as thousands of Venezuelans taking to
the streets demanding elections and decrying Maduro. Opposition members blame Maduro for the country's rising crime, food shortages and triple-digit inflation. At least 46 people have been killed and hundreds injured in clashes surrounding the protests. A spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry said Friday the nation continues to believe dialogue is the best way to resolve the upheaval, while also urging both the government and opposition to act "in line with the law." — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Ex-US Rep. Anthony Weiner pleads guilty in sexting case NEW YORK — Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, whose penchant for sexting strangers ended his political career and sparked a probe that upended the presidential race, pleaded guilty Friday to a sex charge, tearfully apologizing for communications with a 15-year-old girl that he said destroyed his "life's dream in public service." Weiner, who could go to prison, pleaded guilty to a single count of transmitting obscene material to a minor. He admitted exchanging online messages with the girl beginning in January 2015 and "sharing explicit images and encouraging her to engage in sexually explicit conduct." He said he knew the texting was "as morally wrong as it was unlawful." Pleading to the
Mary Altaffer / AP
Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner leaves Federal court Friday in New York.
charge, which requires him to register as a sex offender, could bring a sentence of up to 10 years. But Weiner is likely to serve a much shorter term if he is sentenced to prison. His lawyer can request leniency at a sentencing scheduled for Sept. 8. Wearing his wedding ring and a dark blue suit with a maroon tie, Weiner read from a
prepared statement after U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska addressed him: "Tell me what you did, sir." He said he "compulsively sought attention from women who contacted me on social media" beginning with his service in Congress and continuing through the first half of last year. — Compiled from AP reports
BRYAN, Texas — Authorities in Texas say a hearse was stolen when its driver stopped at a fast-food restaurant and the
Ten years ago: President George W. Bush welcomed NATO SecretaryGeneral Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to his Crawford, Texas, ranch, to review strategy on a flurry of issues. A gunman took his own life following a rampage in Moscow, Idaho, that killed three victims, including his wife. A pair of investment firms agreed to acquire Alltel Corp. in a deal worth $27.5 billion. Five years ago: A two-day NATO summit hosted by President Barack Obama opened in Chicago. Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Chicago, airing grievances about war, climate change and a wide range of other complaints. Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, 60, the only man convicted in connection with the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988, died in Tripoli, Libya. Robin Gibb, 62, who along with his brothers Maurice and Barry, defined the disco era as part of the Bee Gees, died in London. One year ago: A U.S. Secret Service officer shot a man with a gun who had approached a checkpoint outside the White House and refused to drop his weapon; Jesse Olivieri of Ashland, Pennsylvania, was later sentenced to eight months' confinement. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon announced his resignation, saying the governing party had been taken over by "extremist and dangerous elements" and that he no longer trusted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Today's Birthdays: Actor-author James McEachin is 87. Actor Anthony Zerbe is 81. Actor David Proval is 75. Singer-actress Cher is 71. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 69. Rock musician Warren Cann is 67. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, is 66. Former New York Gov. David Paterson is 63. Actor Dean Butler is 61. TV-radio personality Ron Reagan is 59. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 58. Singer Susan Cowsill is 58. Actor John Billingsley is 57. Actor Tony Goldwyn is 57. Singer Nick Heyward is 56. TV personality Ted Allen is 52. Actress Mindy Cohn is 51. Actress Gina Ravera is 51. Actor Timothy Olyphant is 49. Race car driver Tony Stewart is 46. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 45. Actress Daya Vaidya is 44. Rock musician Ryan Martinie is 42. Actor Matt Czuchry is 40. Actress Angela Goethals is 40. Actress-singer Naturi Naughton is 33. Country singer Jon Pardi is 32. Thought for Today: "Intolerance of ambiguity is the mark of an authoritarian personality." — Theodor W. Adorno, German philosopher (19031969).
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AROUND TEXAS Police: Body dumped along Texas road after hearse stolen
On this date: In 1506, explorer Christopher Columbus died in Spain. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for farming. In 1902, the United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma. In 1932, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart set down in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.) In 1941, during World War II, the Office of Civilian Defense was established. In 1942, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo" at Victor Studios in Hollywood. In 1956, the United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. In 1957, Frank Sinatra recorded the song "Witchcraft" by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh at Capitol Records in Hollywood. In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Alabama, prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order. In 1970, some 100,000 people demonstrated in New York's Wall Street district in support of U.S. policy in Vietnam and Cambodia. In 1989, actress-comedian Gilda Radner died in Los Angeles at age 42. In 1996, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Romer v. Evans, struck down, 6-3, a Colorado measure banning laws that protected homosexuals from discrimination.
body in the back later was found dumped on the side of a road. Police in Bryan, about 90 miles northwest of Houston, say an employee of a funeral home stopped for a bite early Friday and a person jumped into the hearse while it was unattended and drove away. The body that was in the
vehicle was found by a passerby about an hour and a half later, along with the gurney that it was on. The body was placed along the side of a rural road a few miles away from the restaurant. Police say the investigation is ongoing and the hearse remains missing. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 20, 2017 |
A3
STATE
1 firefighter killed, 2 hurt in San Antonio fire A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio firefighter was killed and two others were seriously hurt while battling a blaze at a strip mall that grew so intense that fire crews were forced to retreat as parts of the building collapsed. Fire Chief Charles Hood said firefighters entered the mall Thursday night to ensure no people were inside the various businesses and also to attack flames from the interior. But firefighters were forced to pull back as the building weakened, he said. Authorities learned that one firefighter, Scott Deem, was missing and Hood said he became trapped inside. The sixyear department veteran was later found dead among the debris. About 100 firefighters stood in salute as an ambulance carried away his body early Friday. "It was a very rough decision to leave a firefighter behind," an emotional Hood told reporters who gathered at the scene northwest of downtown. "That is not what we do, but we had the risk of losing probably an additional 15 to 20 firefighters if we did not go
Jacob Beltran / AP
San Antonio firefighters gather at the scene of a fire Thursday at Ingram Square in San Antonio, Texas.
defensive on this fire." "We have firefighters that fought desperately tonight to try to save their friend's life," Hood said. There were at least four businesses operating out of the strip mall. Deem's body was found amid the ruins of a gym, Hood said at a later news conference. He said the order to have firefighters evacuate the structure knowing that Deem was still missing was "the most difficult decision of my life." Deem, 31, was the father of two children and his wife is pregnant with their third. Another firefighter suffered critical injuries and a second was seriously hurt, officials said.
"We are anticipating both of these firefighters are going to be OK, but we're asking for your prayers," the chief said. Investigators have not said what caused the fire. Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that he and his wife Cecilia extended their sympathies to Deem's family "during this unimaginably difficult time." "Those who put their lives on the line to serve others deserve our deepest respect, and we can never say thank you enough," he said. The last San Antonio firefighter to die on duty was in 1997 when one suffered a heart attack while battling a fire, the San Antonio ExpressNews reported.
9 dead in Fort Hood floodwaters ASSOCIATED PRE SS
FORT HOOD, Texas — An alert declaring all low-water crossings offlimits to vehicles was issued at Fort Hood hours before a truck carrying 12 soldiers was knocked over by floodwaters last year, killing nine, according to a military report. The report reviewed by The Dallas Morning News indicates that on June 2, 2016, a convoy of four Army vehicles attempted to navigate a crossing overrun by more than 7 feet of floodwaters. The military transport truck leading the convoy at the Central Texas post toppled over when it entered the water. Three aboard the truck were pulled to safety but nine others died. Army officials have not publicly released the report but a copy was provided to Ricky DeLeon of San Angelo, whose 19-year-old son, Isaac Lee DeLeon, was among those killed. The family allowed the newspaper to review the report. The investigation placed much of the blame for DeLeon's death on Staff Sgt. Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and the patrol leader in the transport convoy. He was among the nine who drowned in what ranks
among the worst training disasters in the 75-year history of the Central Texas post. Three other unit leaders who were not with the transport have also been recommended for reprimands. Their names have been redacted in the report. However, that doesn't satisfy DeLeon's family. His father believes the entire Fort Hood command should bear responsibility for his child's death. "Our son Isaac is dead because of irresponsibility. It was a bad situation where they never should have been out there," Ricky DeLeon told the newspaper. The disaster happened in a raging late-morning thunderstorm. A convoy of four Army vehicles carrying 18 soldiers, many of them newly minted privates being trained on convoy operations, headed down a road toward a remote area of the post about 15 miles northeast of the main gate. According to the Army report, the vehicles turned onto an unpaved tank trail, and a 2½-ton truck carrying 12 soldiers, including Isaac, took the lead position in the convoy, switching places with a Humvee. The Humvee's driver would later tell investigators he had phoned Co-
lonvazquez, the patrol's leader, and told him he was "unsure of the route and had concerns about the weather," according to the report. Yet the convoy rolled on through two large pools of water, including one deep enough to get the inside of the Humvee wet. The convoy arrived at the low-water crossing of flood-swollen Owl Creek, where waters were later determined to be more than seven feet deep at the crossing, the report said. The truck with the 12 soldiers entered the creek first and was immediately toppled by the rushing water and swept downstream. At the time, Fort Hood officials said the patrol was in the "proper place for what they were training." However, the National Weather Service had issued a flash flood warning more than an hour before the convoy left the motor pool. And Fort Hood had issued its own alert six hours before the convoy got underway, declaring all low-water crossings and creek-crossings off limits to all vehicles, according to the report DeLeon was given. The Fort Hood alert was emailed to the 1st Cavalry Division level, but it apparently wasn't forwarded down to the battalion level, the report said.
Homeless Texas couple move to Arkansas to seek a better life By Federico Martinez SA N A NGE L O STANDARD-T I ME S
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Tears flowed down Heidi Martinez’s cheeks as she slowly ripped up a stack of photographs and dropped them into a fire pit. The San Angelo Standard-Times reports she watched them burn and turn to ashes before quietly returning to her tent. Her husband Joe quickly followed. “This is really hard for both of us,” Joe Martinez said after he returned from the tent. “The people here have become our family. It might not be much, but this has been our home for the past eight months.” It was the Martinezes’ last day at the tent city under the Houston Harte Expressway in San Angelo. Joe and Heidi were among the first people there and helped create this community for the homeless, a place they dubbed “Camp Hope.” The next morning the Martinezes would board a bus that would take
them on an 18-hour trip to Arkansas. Jobs and hopes for a more promising future awaited them. Heidi spent the last day packing and discarding items so that their baggage would be light. Joe spent his time pacing nervously around the camp, inspecting the “bathroom” and waste recycling system he cobbled together to make sure they were working. He chatted with other residents and reminded them that they must continue to pick up trash and keep the grounds clean. He reminded them to be respectful of each other and offered last words of advice. Joe Martinez, 40, grew up in San Angelo. His wasn’t a perfect childhood, but his life was moving along pretty well until about two years ago, he said. “Nobody ever grows up dreaming about becoming homeless,” said Joe, who for years had a stable job installing flooring. “I had a great boss, but he ended up getting triple bypass surgery and his son took over the busi-
ness. “We butted heads immediately. I finally quit.” Joe thought he would find another job. When that didn’t happen, he began doing odd jobs — mowing lawns, building fences, installing new floors at people’s homes. Eventually, the opportunities dwindled, the money ran out and the bills went unpaid. When Joe lost his home, he moved to a tent city elsewhere in San Angelo. Heidi, who had married Joe a couple months before he lost everything, joined him. “I was raised in a good home,” Joe said. “I was raised to be responsible and believe that if you work hard and carry your own weight, good things will happen.” That’s not what happened, he said. When the Martinezes arrived, another homeless resident, Dustin Halvorson, had already set up a tent. Another couple, Billy Jack McMeekin and girlfriend Vera Kent, were preparing to leave. “Billy Jack is a legend among the homeless in
Yfat Yossifor / AP
In this Friday photo, Reggie Felton lights a cigarette in tent city under the Houston Harte Expressway in San Angelo, Texas.
San Angelo,” Joe Martinez said. “He was like the godfather. If you needed help, advice — anything — you just had to ask Jack and Vera.” McMeekin and Kent last fall relocated to Corpus Christi, where he found a job and the couple became engaged. McMeekin declined to comment for this story. When they left, they appointed Joe and Heidi as the new camp leaders. Other residents listened to Joe, whose muscular stature and no-nonsense speaking style can be intimidating, said Halvorson, who became good friends with the couple. Many residents quickly bonded with the Marti-
nezes, who took the time to listen to residents’ problems and concerns. Sometimes they just needed a little encouragement or a “kick in the butt,” Joe said. San Angelo police began cracking down on vagrancy this past spring. They stopped allowing the homeless to sleep on park benches or live in abandoned houses and buildings. That led to tent cities popping up around the city, Joe said. “Initially we tried to set up by some docks, but we were kicked out by the city,” Joe said. “They kicked us out of every place we tried to hide.” Eventually, the group
realized that if they set up at their current site, which is state land, local police did not have the authority to make them leave, Joe said. The standoff ended when Joe and San Angelo police Chief Frank Carter sat down to talk about the situation. Carter offered to try to help the people at Camp Hope by working with local social service agencies and faithbased organizations to provide services to the homeless. Carter also made arrangements so the people at Camp Hope could bag their garbage and place it near the expressway every Friday, where trash haulers collect it.
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A4 | Saturday, May 20, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
EDITORIAL
OTHER VIEWS
Do leaks to the media really put lives at risk? By Callum Borchers WA S H INGT ON P O ST
The Washington Post’s report this week that President Donald Trump alarmed U.S. officials by sharing classified information with Russian diplomats made Trump appear reckless, but when national security adviser H.R. McMaster addressed reporters on Tuesday, he expressed a more urgent concern than bad optics. “I think national security is put at risk by this leak and leaks like this,” the general said. This is a standard denunciation of leaks to the press. Republican and Democratic administrations alike often insist that disclosures of sensitive information to reporters put lives in danger. Is that true or is the real threat to the image of the White House? “There’s plenty of huffing and puffing that goes on, plenty of attempts to hide embarrassments and incompetence,” said Jason Ross Arnold, a professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University and an expert on leaks. “Even in the national security realm, something comes out and maybe it’s not that serious, but they make it seem like it is.” Arnold, who recently completed a manuscript for his second book about leaks, said he is not familiar with a single case in which someone died as a direct result of a leak to the media. In 2013, retired Brig. Gen. Robert Carr testified that an Afghan national was killed because Chelsea Manning provided battlefield reports containing roughly 900 names to WikiLeaks, which published the documents unredacted. Under cross examination, however, Carr acknowledged that the man who died was not among those identified in the war logs. The judge presiding over Manning’s sentencing struck Carr’s original assertion from the record. An absence of direct casualties does not mean leaks are harmless, however. “I think the strongest argument - and there are several - about negative consequences to security has more to do with indirect consequences,” Arnold said. “With the Manning leaks, she gave WikiLeaks these war logs with thousands upon thousands of detailed military operations. People who have access to big data techniques can find patterns and thus plan targets and develop strategies as a result.” “We can’t point to an individual who was
Arnold ... said he is not familiar with a single case in which someone died as a direct result of a leak to the media.
killed,” Arnold added. “However, because of the new strategies and tactics adopted by terrorist groups - and because we’ve maybe been unable to follow them as well as we did before - disclosures have potentially, in some way, led to some of the attacks in Europe or even in the United States.” It is important to note that major news outlets generally handle sensitive information more delicately than WikiLeaks does. The Post reported Monday evening that Trump shared with the Russians “details of an Islamic State terrorist threat related to the use of laptop computers on aircraft” and that he revealed the city in Islamic State territory where a U.S. intelligence partner detected the threat. The article, by Greg Miller and Greg Jaffe, explained that “The Post is withholding most plot details, including the name of the city, at the urging of officials who warned that revealing them would jeopardize important intelligence capabilities.” The Post’s national editor, Scott Wilson, said in an interview that he and other editors take national security concerns into consideration when making publishing decisions. “In national security stories such as this one, we are constantly trying to balance the public’s right to know and the context the public needs to understand what we’re reporting against information that could jeopardize, first and foremost, people and, second, ongoing U.S. or allied intelligence and military operations,” Wilson said. McMaster wasn’t satisfied by The Post’s judgment, of course, which is why he made the remark about endangering national security. Arnold said he “used to be a skeptic by default with regard to comments like that” but has grown more sympathetic. “As I’ve studied these issues, there is a way in which he is making a sincere point, even though he can’t point to anything specific,” Arnold said.
OP-ED
Impeachment for Trump? Think again By Michael J. Gerhardt WASHINGTON P O ST
President Donald Trump’s promise to shake things up in Washington has brought us back to unpleasantly familiar territory: talk of impeachment and obstruction of justice, this time involving the investigation into the Trump campaign’s dealings with Russia. But, just as it was with Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, it is imperative to understand what the Founding Fathers intended when they created the remedy of impeachment, and how allegations of obstruction fit into the constitutional framework for holding a president accountable for misconduct in office. The framers established impeachment as a last resort, a check to be used to deal with presidential misconduct when all other mechanisms failed. Impeachment cannot and should not be done hastily, nor should it be done for reasons so flimsy they suggest politicians are merely jockeying for political advantagerather than protecting constitutional values. The more that impeachment proceedings appear to be rushing to judgment or driven by partisanship, the less credibility they ultimately have. The Clinton and Nixon examples offer crucial lessons about the importance of slowing down and ensuring that the public is confident that the gravity of the alleged conduct warrants the extraordinary and
fundamentally undemocratic remedy of Congress removing the president from office. The Clinton episode offers a cautionary tale. In 1998, independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s office had spent months investigating the possibility that Clinton had lied under oath about the nature of his relationship with Monica Lewinsky and then, according to Starr’s referral to Congress for impeachment proceedings, obstructed justice by trying to conceal and destroy evidence of that relationship. Yet the failure of the House to undertake its own fact-finding, and its reliance instead solely on Starr’s findings, made it easier for Clinton and his defenders to attack the impeachment as both a rush to judgment and not being properly grounded in misconduct involving the president’s abuse of official powers. The Senate quickly disposed of the matter when it was obvious it lacked the votes to meet the two-thirds threshold for a conviction. The more deliberate the inquiry, the better chance that the American people will have confidence in it. For Nixon, the process that led to his resignation took more than two years, and the scope of wrongdoing that those investigations revealed was breathtaking. The House Judiciary Committee and a Senate select committee undertook meticulous factfinding, which ultimately uncovered the evidence
that Nixon had taped every conversation in the White House. Three days after the Supreme Court ordered Nixon to turn over dozens of taped conversations, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment, including one charging that Nixon obstructed justice by paying hush money to the Watergate burglars. Twelve days later, Nixon resigned. Ever since, people on both sides of the aisle have had confidence in the justice of that outcome. Many advocates on both sides are too eager for a quick resolution of the investigation into Trump’s campaign Democrats to remove the president from office and Republicans to exonerate him. Moving too quickly not only risks a sloppy and incomplete investigation but also subjects the outcome to claims of either a whitewash or of overturning the results of an election held just months ago. The selection of Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the investigation of possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russian agents presents a good model for the House to follow. A former FBI director, Mueller comes to the task with a reputation of impeccable integrity, just as Archibald Cox did when he was appointed as Watergate special prosecutor. If Mueller conducts the investigation as expected, rigorously and impartially, the public will likely have a great
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
deal of confidence in the outcome, whatever it may be. Impeachment requires proof of significant abuse of power or breach of public trust. Obstruction of justice, or even the attempt to obstruct, epitomizes that sort of offense, entailing as it does an attack on a system whose integrity the president has sworn to uphold. By contrast, Presidents John Tyler and Andrew Johnson faced constant threats of impeachment largely because they were remarkably unpopular. The House tried but failed three times to impeach Tyler for having done nothing more than protect the president’s authorities to veto legislation and nominate officials. Even though Johnson came within a single vote of being convicted in the Senate, most historians have dismissed his impeachment as driven more by partisanship than a proper basis for impeachment and removal. Impeachment is serious business, perhaps the most serious other than going to war that Congress ever contemplates. Any impeachment inquiry must be conducted thoroughly and preferably with bipartisan support. Those eager to get started must remember: If not done properly the first time, there might not be another chance. Michael J. Gerhardt, a professor of constitutional law at University of North Carolina Law School.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 20, 2017 |
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A6 | Saturday, May 20, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CRIME
4th member of Texas family sentenced in couple’s slaying A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WOODVILLE, Texas — The fourth and final member of an East Texas family has been sentenced to prison for his role in the 2014 shooting deaths of a couple in order to gain custody of a 5-year-old girl. The Lufkin Daily News reports that Paul Westfall pleaded guilty Thursday to murder in a plea deal that brings a life sentence. Prosecutors say Westfall shot Nathan and Krystal Maddox outside a
Tyler County church. The couple had gone to the church for a courtordered visitation with Nathan Maddox’s daughter. The child’s mother is Kristen Westfall, the daughter of Paul Westfall. Kristen Westfall, who also shot Nathan Maddox, was convicted last year of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison. Her mother and brother also previously received prison terms for their roles in the killings.
Ex-West Texas county judge charged in corruption case A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PECOS, Texas — Authorities say a former West Texas county judge faces federal bribery and income tax-related charges in a public corruption investigation linked to an indicted state senator. Prosecutors on Thursday announced charges against ex-Reeves County Judge Jimmy Galindo. Federal indictments returned Tuesday in San Antonio accuse Sen. Carlos Uresti of engaging in a Ponzi scheme to market hydraulic fracturing sand
for oil production. Uresti is charged with multiple conspiracy and fraudrelated counts. Prosecutors say Uresti is also charged with aiding a bribery scheme to help secure a 2006 medical services contract for the Reeves County Correctional Center. Investigators say Galindo was paid to provide insider bidding information, plus hasn’t filed individual tax returns since 2004. Uresti denies the allegations. No publicly listed phone number could immediately be located for Galindo.
Judge rules against Texas teen who brought clock to school A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DALLAS — A judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the father of a Muslim boy arrested after taking a homemade clock to his suburban Dallas school. Judge Sam Lindsay's Thursday ruling allows Ahmed Mohamed's family to file a new complaint that the Irving, Texas, school district discriminated against him in 2015 because of his race and religion. But Lindsay said that the family's claims so far
were "speculative and sweeping." Mohamed, then 14, brought to school a homemade clock that officials thought was a hoax bomb. His case drew international attention, and then-President Barack Obama invited him to the White House. A family attorney said Friday that they would file a new lawsuit. Lawyers for the Irving schools credited the judge for recognizing "the challenging situations" facing public school employees.
Convicted rapist wanted in Texas captured in Louisiana A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — A convicted rapist on the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender list has been captured in Louisiana. The Texas Department of Public Safety on Friday announced Johnny June Mason Jr. was caught Tuesday at a condominium complex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His last known location had been Houston. Authorities say the 48-year-old Mason was
wanted for parole violation and failure to register as a sex offender. Records show Mason in 1990 was convicted in Louisiana of aggravated rape and aggravated crime against nature involving a 16-year-old girl. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Investigators say Mason, who’s been a fugitive since last June, has a history of violating parole and failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
Courtesy / Zapata County Sheriff’s Office
This picture shows a gold vehicle similar to the one involved in a hit-and-run crash that occurred Monday.
Suspect sought for hit-and-run accident By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
Authorities are asking for the community’s assistance to solve a hit-and-run accident that occurred Monday. The incident occurred at about 12:45 p.m. in the intersection of 9th Street and U.S. 83 in front of the
Post Office. The Zapata County Sheriff’s Office said they are searching for a possible older model gold fourdoor sedan that might have damages to the front. Sheriff’s officials said the suspect vehicle collided into a red vehicle and left the scene. It was seen turning east on 10th Avenue, between
the International Bank of Commerce and EZ Pawn. People with information on the case are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 956-765-9960 or the Zapata Crime Stoppers at 765-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest.
Texas police commanders demoted amid leaked video and records ASSOCIATED PRE SS
FORT WORTH, Texas — Two police commanders in Texas have been demoted following an internal investigation into leaked body camera footage after a controversial arrest of a black woman
and her daughters by a Fort Worth police officer. Lawyers for the two assistant chiefs tell KXASTV that the men met with Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald on Friday afternoon and were demoted to captains. The Fort Worth Police
Department began an internal investigation after officer William Martin’s body-camera video from the December arrest of Jacqueline Craig was leaked along with Martin’s previous disciplinary records. Craig said a neighbor
had assaulted her son for littering. Cellphone video shows Martin escalating the situation before forcing Craig to the ground and arresting her and then her two daughters. Charges against the women were later dropped.
Phoenix serial killings suspect left behind shell casings By Jacques Billeaud ASSOCIATED PRE SS
PHOENIX — The man arrested in a string of serial killings left behind bullet casings at each crime that authorities tested and linked him to the shootings, police said in documents released Friday that provide the most detailed narrative to Saucedo date about a case that unnerved Phoenix neighborhoods last year. The documents were released after media organizations including The Associated Press, Arizona Republic and Phoenix TV stations went to court in a bid to get prosecutors to unseal the evidence that led to the arrest of 23-year-old Aaron Saucedo in nine killings. Police say that in one of his killings, Saucedo opened fire on a man walking along a Phoenix street on New Year's Day 2016 and then got out of his car and kicked him twice before calmly driving away. The documents also say video footage captured from a July 2016 shooting determined the shooter's car was a 5series BMW — the same model that Saucedo drove. Saucedo emerged as a possible culprit just weeks after the last of the nine shootings. Two witnesses told authorities in August 2016 that Saucedo matched a composite sketch of the suspect and drove a BMW similar to one seen at the crimes. Homicide detectives interrogated him in December, about five months before he was arrested. In the interview, Sauc-
Ross D. Franklin / AP
Aaron Saucedo, 23, was arrested Monday in a string of serial killings that terrorized Phoenix neighborhoods in 2016, including a victim shot at this intersection, in the Maryvale section of Phoenix.
edo told authorities he drove a BMW and owned a 9mm handgun, which he said had been stolen. Saucedo told a judge last week "I'm innocent" in the hours after he was arrested. Dean Roskosz, one of Saucedo's courtappointed attorneys, didn't immediately return a call Friday seeking comment on the allegations made in the newly released document. Police say Saucedo randomly opened fire on people after dark, primarily in a largely Latino neighborhood in Phoenix. Many residents reacted by staying inside after dark as police fielded thousands of tips. Police say his victims include a 21-year-old man whose girlfriend was pregnant with their son and a 12-year-girl who was shot to death along with her mother and a friend of the woman. No motive has been established. Saucedo knew only one of the victims. The court document
focuses heavily on ballistic analysis that investigators say links Saucedo to the shootings, marking the first time investigators are publicly revealing evidence that ties the cases together. Investigators say they found 9-mm bullet casings at all of the shootings, except for the January 2016 shooting death of 22-year-old Jesse Olivas, when officers recovered .380 casings. In that case, police said the .380 bullet recovered from Olivas' body was fired from the same handgun owned by Saucedo. A month ago, authorities seized a black 2001 5 Series BMW from Saucedo's home. Police say the vehicle in question matched the description of the attacker's car in the July 2016 shooting. A 9mm shell casing was found in the car when it was seized on April 18. Police say the casing found inside the car was fired from the same gun as the shells found after nine of the 12 attacks.
Police said Saucedo drove a separate vehicle — a Hyundai — and they found more than a dozen shells in the vehicle that connected him to the killings. Rosa Pastrana, head of the Maryvale block watch program, said residents seem happier and more relaxed since Saucedo's arrest, but they still need more information. The arrest did not come easy because people in Latino communities are hesitant to speak with state and law enforcement officials, she said. Even now that Saucedo is behind bars, community members are fearful that Saucedo's friends could retaliate against them and their families, Pastrana said. "I personally believe that there's more people involved," community advocate Lydia Hernandez said. "I just am not convinced that this 23year-old from the hood is savvy enough to have made that happen."
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 20, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE
DIÓCESIS DE LAREDO
CONDADO DE ZAPATA
FERIA DEL LIBRO 1 La escuela primaria Zapata North Elementary School invita a la Feria del Libro. Compre un libro y lleve otro gratis, del 18 al 25 de mayo en la biblioteca de ZNES, de 8 a.m. a 3:30 p.m.
Arrestan a sacerdote
CAMINATA/ CARRERA 5 K 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita al Tributo a las Fuerzas Armadas con Caminata/ Carrera 5K iniciando en Guadalupe Plaza, el sábado 20 de mayo de 8 a.m. a 12 p.m.
Por César G. Rodríguez
Inician mejoras a planta tratadora
ZAPATAN OF THE YEAR 2017 1 La ceremonia de entrega del reconocimiento Zapatan of the Year 2017 se llevará a cabo en Zapata County Courthouse Rotunda, el domingo 21 de mayo, a partir de las 3 p.m. Se distinguirá a Osvaldo y Juanita Ramírez. Es un evento gratuito y abierto al público. PAGO DE IMPUESTOS 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. PAGO EN LÍNEA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día.
TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Un sacerdote fue arrestado recientemente bajo sospechosa que conducía en estado de ebriedad después que impactara su vehículo en una zanja en el Condado de Zapata, de acuerdo con el Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas (DPS por sus siglas en inglés). Ángel Valenciano-Cancino, de 38 años, fue arrestado el 10 de mayo por el cargo de conducir intoxicado, un delito menor. El sacerdote salió libre bajo fianza de la prisión regional del Condado de Zapata. Valenciano-Cancino es Vicario Parroquial en la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes en Zapata, según un comunicado de la Diócesis de Laredo. "El obispo James Tamayo, Obispo de la Diócesis de Laredo, se enteró que un sacerdote de la Diócesis de Laredo, el
padre Angel ValencianoCancino, fue acusado de conducir intoxicado el 10 de mayo de 2017", se lee en el comunicado. "La Diócesis de Laredo está en el proceso de Valenciano investigar este asunto y -Cancino cooperará plenamente con los funcionarios encargados de hacer cumplir la ley con respecto a su investigación". DPS recibió un reporte sobre un accidente que involucraba un solo vehículo Toyota modelo 2015 junto a la carretera U.S. 83 en Zapata. El automóvil había sido conducido hasta una zanja, dijo el sargento de DPS Conrad J. Hein. Oficiales identificaron al piloto como Valenciano-Cancino, quien supuestamente exhibía signos de intoxicación, dijo Hein.
GRUPOS DE APOYO 1 El grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reunirá en su junta mensual, a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario. Las reuniones se realizan el primer martes de cada mes en el mismo lugar y a la misma hora. 1 El grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. 1 Grupo de Apoyo para Ansiedad y Depresión Rayo de Luz. En Centro de Educación del Área de Salud, ubicado en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. El grupo se reúne de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430, cada primer lunes de mes.
ZAPATA
teresadas, para discutir la logística, cronograma y otros detalles del proyecto. "El proyecto duplicará la capacidad de la Planta de Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales del Condado de Zapata, lo cual asegurará que todas las aguas residuales sean tratadas adecuadamente antes de ser incorporadas nuevamente al medio ambiente. Eso es esencial para la salud y seguridad de los constituyentes en el Condado de Zapata", explicó el Congresista Cuéllar. "Yo luché por estos fondos porque mejorar esta planta ayudará a salvaguardar la salud de nuestra comunidad. Me gustaría agradecer al juez del condado Joe Rathmell, a todos los comisionados y al USDA por trabajar juntos en este asunto tan importante”. La planta actual tiene décadas de antigüedad y actualmente está funcionando al 98 por ciento de su capacidad —muy por encima del 90 por ciento máximo recomendado— y está esforzándose para cumplir con los estándares de la Comisión de Calidad Ambiental de Texas. Sus dos zanjas de oxidación existentes, que forman parte del proceso de tratamiento de aguas residuales, presentan importantes daños estructurales. Otro equipo clave para el funcionamiento de la planta no puede ser operado de forma segura y necesita de un reemplazo total. El proyecto duplicará la capacidad de la planta de 0,8 a 1,6 millones de galones por día. Además se reemplazará o agregará el equipo necesario para que la planta sea capaz de cumplir con las normas ambientales y de salud.
Osvaldo H. y Juanita G. Ramírez serán distinguidos con el premio Zapatans of the Year 2017, por su contribución al bienestar de Zapata.
Personal de la oficina del Congresista Henry Cuéllar recientemente colocó la primera piedra en la construcción de un proyecto que mejorará la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales en Zapata. El pasado viernes 12 de mayo, personal del Congreso se unió al Juez del Condado de Zapata Joe Rathmell y los comisionados del condado Norberto Garza, Eddie Martínez, Paco Mendoza y Olga Elizondo, mientras el director general de la compañía Premier Engineering Manuel González inauguró el nuevo proyecto de mejoras a la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales del condado de Zapata. El proyecto se financia con un préstamo de 4,8 millones de dólares y un subsidio de 1,6 millones dólares provenientes del programa de servicios públicos rurales del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA por sus siglas en inglés), que el congresista Cuéllar aseguró para al Condado de Zapata en 2010. El condado está trabajando actualmente con el Departamento de Agricultura para asegurar fondos adicionales para el proyecto, cuyo costo total es de alrededor de 11 millones de dólares. Para conmemorar la ocasión, Francis Atwell, Coordinador de Extensión del Congresista Cuéllar, presentó un certificado de reconocimiento a los funcionarios del condado y al personal de Premier Engineering. Después de la ceremonia se llevó a cabo una reunión previa a la construcción entre personal clave y las partes in-
Mañana celebrarán ceremonia para entregar reconocimientos
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
ZAPATAN OF THE YEAR 2017
DISTINGUEN A MATRIMONIO
LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956849-1411. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE
Foto de cortesía | Zapata County Chamber of Commerce
Por Malena Charur TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
H
ace tres años el periódico Zapata County News formó un comité para reconocer a aquellos ciudadanos cuya labor en beneficio de los demás impactara en gran medida a la comunidad y nombrarlos Zapatan of the Year. Cynthia Villarreal, coordinadora de niños de alto riesgo y reclutamiento de padres para el distrito escolar Zapata County Independent School District, y miembro del comité de reconocimiento Zapatan of the Year, dijo que buscan personas que se distingan por su ayuda a la comunidad. “El premio es para aquellas personas que hacen algo fuera de lo normal, más allá de su trabajo, que son muy generosos y que contribuyen de una manera u otra a crear una mejor comunidad”, dijo Villarreal. Mary Plattner fue nombrada Zapatan of the Year 2015 mientras que Roberto Haynes fue el acreedor del premio en el 2016.
Este año, el premio Zapatan of the Year 2017 será otorgado a Osvaldo H. y Juanita G. Ramírez. Osvaldo nació en San Ygnacio y estudió en Laredo donde se graduó de la Academia San José, mientras que Juanita nació en Zapata y se graduó de la preparatoria Zapata High School. Villarreal dijo que el matrimonio Ramírez ha hecho una gran labor en la comunidad al ayudar a los 4-H Clubs y donar el Ramírez Exhibit Hall para la feria Zapata County Fair. “Fue una sorpresa, no esperábamos este reconocimiento. Ha sido muy emocionante y ha sido un honor tremendo para nosotros porque realmente no lo esperábamos”, expresó Juanita Ramírez. Agregó que siempre han tratado de retribuir a la comunidad. Primeramente porque siempre hemos tratado de ser unos buenos ciudadanos de nuestra comunidad y como maestros hemos tratado de ser un buen ejemplo para los jóvenes y para nuestros familiares”, señaló. “Siempre hemos
tratado de compartir con la comunidad los bienes que Dios nos ha otorgado”. Osvaldo y Juanita Ramírez son maestros retirados del distrito escolar Zapata County Independent School District. Osvaldo Ramírez dijo que ahora que han sido distinguidos con este premio seguirán trabajando por su comunidad. “Vamos a seguir con lo mismo, haciendo lo mejor que se pueda, continuar con la lucha de siempre para tratar de hacer lo mejor por nuestra comunidad mientras Dios nos siga bendiciendo con buena salud, seguiremos adelante”, dijo Osvaldo Ramírez. Él agradeció la distinción. “Estamos muy agradecidos con la comunidad que nos honra con este premio”, finalizó. La ceremonia de entrega del reconocimiento Zapatan of the Year 2017 se llevará a cabo en Zapata County Courthouse Rotunda, el domingo, a partir de las 3 p.m. Es un evento gratuito y abierto al público.
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Liberales se enfrentan a conservadores Nota del editor: Esta serie de artículos sobre la historia de Ciudad Guerrero, México, fueron escritos por la guerrerense Lilia Treviño Martínez (1927-2016), quien fuera profesora de la escuela Leoncio Leal. Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
A mediados del siglo XIX se hizo patente la lucha entre dos ideologías contrarias: liberales y conservadores. Inició México esta época con su territorio recientemente mutilado por los infames Tratados de Guadalupe Hidalgo, provocados por el afán de expansión del vecino país del Norte. Resentidos los texanos por la derrota que sufrieron en Mier en 1842, y dirigidos por el gobernador de Texas, Samuel Houston, lograron que el Congreso Norteamericano decretara la anexión de Texas a su país.
La guerra no se pudo evitar y en 1846, después de la derrota del general Mariano Arista en Palo Alto y Resaca, cayeron Matamoros, Laredo y las poblaciones fronterizas intermedias, entre ellas Guerrero. La invasión continuó avanzando en tierras tamaulipecas. También la ciudad de Monterrey fue ocupada y después de la batalla de la Angostura (cerca de Saltillo) siguió el fuerte desembarco de fuerzas norteamericanas en Veracruz, que no dejo a México más salida que la de firmar los tratados en Guadalupe, Hidalgo, el 2 de febrero de 1848, mediante los cuales perdió más de 2.000.000 de kilómetros cuadrados del territorio nacional. Eso motivó que un puñado de patriotas cruzara el Río Bravo hacia el sur y, con sus familias, procedieran a la fundación de Nuevo Laredo para seguir siendo mexicanos.
A8 | Saturday, May 20, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Kentucky family court judge opposed to gay adoptions has rule change blocked By Bruce Schreiner A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky family court judge who openly declared his opposition to adoptions by gay couples has been blocked from instituting a measure that may have let him avoid handling such cases. Judge W. Mitchell Nance recently submitted a proposed procedural change to the state's chief justice, John D. Minton Jr. Minton denied the request on procedural and substantive grounds, state
Administrative Office of the Courts spokeswoman Leigh Anne Hiatt said Friday. Nance declined comment through a court official. The judge is under attack from civil rights groups seeking his removal from the bench. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky and other groups complained this week to the state's judicial disciplinary commission about Nance. Minton's denial of the proposal was praised by
gay-rights activist Chris Hartman. "Creating an additional legal hurdle for LGBT couples to jump over in order to achieve their adoption is inappropriate and against the law," said Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, a Louisville-based, nonprofit LGBT advocacy group. Hartman said a complaint accusing Nance of violating the state's judicial conduct code will still move forward. Kentucky law allows gay couples to adopt.
Final Confederate monument to come down in New Orleans By Jesse J. Holland and Janet Mcconnaughey A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
Workers tied ropes around a towering statue of Gen. Robert E Lee, preparing to take down the last of New Orleans' four Confederate monuments Friday as hundreds looked and some danced in the streets. The statue of Lee, who commanded Confederate armies against the Union in the Civil War, was the most prominent of the four statues, his bronze figure standing nearly 20 feet tall in uniform, arms crossed defiantly, gazing northward. Workers jockeyed a tall crane into position Friday morning to reach the statue, which has perched atop a 60-foot-high pedestal in a traffic circle where it has been since 1884. The removal comes after a long and divisive battle over whether old South emblems represent racism or an honorable
heritage. While many were supportive of removal, opinions varied widely in the crowd. Al Kennedy, who is white and a former New Orleans school board member, supported removal. Of the Confederate past, he said: "It's my history, but it's not my heritage." But Frank Varela Jr., a born-and-bred New Orleans native carrying an American flag, said he thought it should stay up as "a part of the South." "It's part of history. It's a part of my heritage," said Varela. "I was born and raised here. It's been here all my life ... When we came back from Katrina it was here. It's survived every hurricane this city has ever seen." Police on horseback lined up nearby as a security measure and traffic was diverted away from the traffic circle. But protesters defiantly opposed to removal were
few as the work wore on for hours Friday — though some shouted out against the removal. For many, it was a time for festivities. Bystander Brittnie Grasmick danced to the song "Another One Bites the Dust," calling that song appropriate for the occasion. One young man rode a unicycle, children drew chalk hearts in the street and young women jumped rope. Some brought out lawn chairs to watch, entertained by a trumpeter who played "Dixie" — but in a minor key. The Lee statue had towered over a traffic circle — Lee Circle — in an area between the office buildings of the city's business district and stately 19th-century mansions in the nearby Garden District. The city plans to leave the column where Lee's statue stood intact and will mount public art in its place.
Prosecutors: Times Square driver wanted to ‘kill them all’ By Colleen Long ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — A man charged with slamming his speeding car into pedestrians in Times Square, killing a teenager and injuring nearly two dozen people, said he wanted to "kill them all" and police should have shot him to stop him, a prosecutor revealed Friday. Richard Rojas, 26, also said he had smoked marijuana laced with PCP sometime before making a U-Turn onto the sidewalks of the bustling Crossroads of the World and plowing straight ahead into frightened tourists, according to a criminal complaint. Officials are awaiting toxicology results, though Rojas "had glassy eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady," during his arrest, the complaint said. "He murdered in cold blood," Assistant District Attorney Harrison Schweiloch said. Eighteenyear-old Alyssa Elsman, of Portage, Michigan, was killed in the crash. Her 13-year-old sister was among the 22 injured. Three people are in critical condition with serious head injuries, and a fourth is being treated for a collapsed lung and broken pelvis, according to the complaint. Rojas, wearing the same red T-shirt and jeans he was photographed in the day earlier, appeared subdued Friday during a brief court appearance where prosecutors detailed murder and attempted murder charges. He didn't enter a plea
R. Umar Abassi / AP
Richard Rojas appears during his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York on Friday.
and was held without bail. Rojas' lawyer, Enrico Demarco, had no comment. His family and friends who attended the hearing cried outside court and didn't speak to reporters. His next court appearance is May 24. Rojas, who lived with his mother in the Bronx, drove his car Thursday from his home to Times Square, waited for traffic to start moving and then made a U-turn, authorities said. He barreled straight up the sidewalk, knocking down some pedestrians as others ran in terror, before he crashed his car into protective barriers. "That goes to his state of mind," said William Aubry, assistant chief of the New York Police Department. Photographers snapped pictures of a wild-eyed Rojas on Thursday after he climbed from the wrecked car and ran through the streets. A group that included a security supervisor at a nearby Planet Hollywood restaurant tackled him. Rojas has several prior criminal cases that paint a
picture of a troubled man. He pleaded guilty last week to harassment in the Bronx after he was accused of pulling a knife on a notary in his home. "You're trying to steal my identity," he said, according to prosecutors. He also had two previous drunken driving cases. Rojas enlisted in the Navy in 2011 and was an electrician's mate fireman apprentice. In 2012, he served aboard the USS Carney, a destroyer. Rojas spent his final months in the Navy at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2012, he was arrested and accused of beating a cab driver whom he said had disrespected him by trying to charge too much, according to the arrest report. The arresting officer said Rojas screamed, "My life is over!" as he was being detained. After his arrest, Rojas told the officer he was going to kill all police and military police he might see after his release from jail.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 20, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Union: Up to 40K workers walk off the job at AT&T A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — The Communications Workers of America union says that up to 40,000 AT&T workers have started walking off the job over contract fights with the phone company. They'll return to work Monday. That includes 21,000 workers on the wireless side of the company, which the union says raises the prospect that some cellphone stores could be closed this weekend in Washington, D.C., or one of the 36 states affected. Wireless workers want wage increases that cover higher health care costs, better scheduling and promises from the company to not cut jobs. Some 17,000 other potential protesters come from AT&T's home phone, internet and cable division in California, Nevada and Connecticut. Another 2,000 are DirecTV workers in California and Nevada. Dallas-based AT&T says it has a contingency workforce" ready in preparation for the walkouts.
Jobless rate stays steady at 5 percent in Texas
Volkswagen has fix for more cars in the cheating scandal ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. and California regulators approved a fix for more Volkswagen cars caught up in the company’s emissions cheating scandal, giving their owners an option to keep the vehicles instead of having the automaker buy them back, regulators announced Friday. The modification to bring the vehicles into compliance with U.S. emissions standards applies to about 84,000 Passats with automatic transmission from model years 2012 to 2014, according to Volkswagen. Regulators previously approved a fix for another 67,000 2-liter Volkswagens. More than 550,000 vehicles in the U.S. were implicated in the scandal. “Today’s approval is another important step in efforts to repair the environmental harm caused by
Damian Dovarganes / AP
This 2015 file photo, shows the Volkswagen logo on a car for sale at New Century Volkswagen dealership in Glendale, California.
these vehicles,” said Richard Corey, executive officer of the California Air Resources Board. The automaker has acknowledged that the vehi-
cles were programmed to turn on emissions controls during government lab tests and turn them off while on the road. The EPA alleged the scheme let the cars spew
up to 40 times the allowable limit of nitrogen oxide, which can cause respiratory problems in humans. The affected vehicles fall into two classes — 2 liters and 3 liters. The company reached a deal worth up to $15 billion for 475,000 2-liter diesel cars that offered owners the option of repairs or a buyback and additional compensation of $5,100 to $10,000 each. Regulators are evaluating a possible fix for another 49,000 of these vehicles, according to the California Air Resources Board. A federal judge in San Francisco this week signed off on a separate, $1.2 billion deal with owners of 88,500 Volkswagens with 3-liter diesel engines rigged to cheat on emissions tests. Volkswagen is offering buybacks to some of those owners, but believes it can repair newer models.
Uber threatens to fire key exec in self-driving car dispute
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas unemployment rate held steady during April at 5 percent, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday. Last month's jobless figure mirrored the March unemployment rate, according to a TWC statement . Nationwide unemployment for April was 4.4 percent. Amarillo had the lowest unemployment across Texas last month at 3 percent. The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area had the state's highest jobless rate for April at 8 percent, the commission reported. Texas has added 258,900 jobs over the past year, according to Andres Alcantar, commission chairman. "Texas employers continue to create jobs in the broad based Texas economy with 10 of the 11 industries expanding over the year," Alcantar said. The Texas economy expanded in April with the addition of 30,400 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs. Manufacturing expanded by 8,100 jobs last month, according to the TWC. Employment in the state's education and health services industry recorded the largest private-industry gain over the month with 10,400 jobs added in April. Manufacturing employment grew by 8,100 jobs in April. Professional and business services employment expanded by 7,400 jobs, officials said. "Positive economic growth means continued employment opportunities for the expanding Texas labor force," Commissioner Julian Alvarez said.
By Michael Liedtke ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber is threatening to fire a key executive accused of stealing self-driving car technology from a Google spin-off unless he waives his constitutional right against self-incrimination so the ride-hailing service can comply with a court order. The development raises the possibility that Uber may end up dumping Anthony Levandowski, whose expertise in robot-controlled cars is the
main reason that the ridehailing company bought Levandowski's startup for $680 million nine months ago. Until last month, Levandowski had been running Uber's self-driving car division. Although he no longer is doing that, he remains a vital part of Uber's effort to develop a fleet of robot cars so its service eventually will no longer have to rely on people to pick up passengers. Waymo, a self-driving car company started by Google, alleges Levandowski downloaded 14,000 documents
Eric Risberg / AP
In this 2016 file photo, Anthony Levandowski, head of Uber's self-driving program, speaks about their driverless car in San Francisco.
containing its trade secrets before he founded the startup that he sold to Uber. Levandowski has asserted his rights under the Fifth Amendment since Waymo filed its lawsuit in February . But Uber is warning Le-
vandowski that he may lose his job unless he waives those rights and reveals whether he took any Waymo documents. The San Francisco company made the threat in a May 15 letter that became public in a court filing late Thursday.
Education Department to switch to one student debt servicing company By Maria Danilova ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The Education Department has announced it will move servicing of $1.3 trillion in federal student loans to a single provider.
The department said Friday the change will improve customer service and increase oversight. No details were given on when the provider will be chosen. Currently, there are ten companies servicing student loans. In an op-ed published
Friday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos calls the previous system, put in place under President Barack Obama, "chaotic." She adds, "Students will now be treated as valued customers and afforded the protections and respect they
deserve." Rohit Chopra, Senior Fellow at the Consumer Federation of America, raises concerns that the government will be too reliant on a single company. He adds that the change will do little to tame student debt defaults.
A10 | Saturday, May 20, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER PRIEST From page A1 do. “Bishop James Tamayo, the bishop of the Diocese of Laredo, became aware that a priest of the Diocese of Laredo, Father Angel Valenciano-Cancino, was charged with driving while intoxicated on May 10, 2017,” the statement reads. “The Diocese of Laredo is in the process of
TEXTING From page A1 ically also ban sending or reading email, using apps or engaging in other use of the internet. Dozens of Texas cities also prohibit texting while driving. Both chambers of the Texas Legislature have passed versions of a ban that has gained momentum since a March church bus crash that killed 13 people. Federal investigators have said the driver of the pickup truck that hit the bus said he was checking for a text when the crash happened, and had been taking prescription drugs. Video taken before the accident showed the truck weaving on the road and crossing the center line. The measure approved Friday would create a statewide ban that preempts local ordinances regarding texting only. It would prohibit the use of hand-held phones to "read write or send an electronic message" while driving, assessing a fine of up to $99 for firsttime offenders and $200 for repeat offenses. Advocates say the ban would be a life-saving measure and would deter
investigating this matter and will fully cooperate with law enforcement officials regarding their investigation.” DPS responded to a single-vehicle crash involving a 2015 Toyota passenger car along South U.S. 83 in Zapata. The vehicle had gone into a ditch, said DPS Sgt. Conrad J. Hein. Troopers identified the driver as ValencianoCancino. He allegedly exhibited signs of intoxication, Hein said.
people from using their phones in a way that can have deadly results. "If this saves the life of one teenager who decides 'I'll wait' ... then we've accomplished what we set out to accomplish," said Sen. Joan Huffman, a Houston Republican. Some lawmakers worry the ban would be difficult and too confusing to enforce and would give police new powers to pull over people who might be doing something legal if they mistake the presence of a phone or mobile device for texting. Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, noted that other potentially dangerous distractions would not be banned. "We have a real problem with people being pulled over for things that are perfectly legal under this law," Taylor said. "I could read the newspaper (while driving) and under this law it's perfectly legal." Bill sponsor Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, has been pushing for texting while driving ban for 10 years. Texas lawmakers approved a ban in 2011 but it was vetoed by then-Gov. Rick Perry, who called it a "government effort to micromanage the behavior of adults."
Doctors worry as Texas approves vaccine restrictions By Paul J. Weber ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas moved closer Friday to restricting emergency immunizations given to children removed from troubled homes, worrying doctors and handing a political victory for vaccination opponents in a state where the
number of families forgoing shots is soaring. Vaccination critics are trying to build a foothold in Texas, and the state's Republican-controlled House has now signed off on prohibiting doctors from administering any immediate immunizations— other than for tetanus — for children newly taken into state
custody. Doctors argue there are real implications. During a pertussis outbreak last year in North Texas, Dr. Anu Partap of Dallas said she didn't hesitate to give vaccinations to new foster children who were removed from homes for abuse or neglect. But she said that couldn't happen
again under a bill that is now likely to head soon to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. "If I had a 6-month old in my clinic, delaying a shot has more risk than spending time looking for vaccine records," said Partap, an assistant professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
UPGRADE From page A1 "The project will double the capacity of the Zapata County Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will ensure all wastewater is treated properly before being introduced back into the environment. That is essential for the health and safety of my constituents in Zapata County," Cuellar said. "I fought for these funds because improving this plant will help safeguard the health of our community here. I'd like to thank County Judge Joe Rathmell, all the commissioners, and the USDA for working together on this important issue." "Having safe and reliable water and waste disposal services is vital to the health of rural communities," said Daniel Torres, USDA Rural Development Texas acting state director. "Rural Development is pleased to be a part of this groundbreaking, to improve wastewater services for Zapata County." The current plant is decades old and in need of upgrades. It is operating at about 98 percent of
Courtesy
Zapata County Commissioners Norberto Garza, Eddie Martinez, Paco Mendoza and Olga Elizondo join Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell, Congressman Henry Cuellar's Outreach Coordinator Francis Atwell, and Premier Engineering General Manager Manuel Gonzalez for a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Zapata County Waterworks Treatment Plant Improvements Project.
its capacity — an unsustainable level well above the 90 percent maximum recommended — and is struggling to meet the standards of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Its two existing oxidation ditches, which are part of the wastewater treatment process, have major structural damage. Other key plant equipment cannot be operated safely and needs total replacement.
The major improvement project will double the capacity of the plant from .8 MGD (millions of gallons per day) to 1.6 MGD. It will replace or add necessary equipment so the plant is capable of meeting environmental and health standards. The planned improvements include the construction of: 1 1 new headworks facility 1 1 new carrousel basin 1 2 new secondary clarifi-
ers 1 1 new clarifier splitter box 1 1 new RAS/WAS pump station 1 1 new cloth media filter basin 1 1 new chlorine contact/ dechlorination basin 1 1 new chlorination/ dechlorination system with fiberglass shelter 1 1 new electrical building; and 1 1 new administration/ laboratory building
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 20, 2017 |
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Warriors, Thompson succeeding in shutting down Spurs’ Mills
B1
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Cold shooting costing SA guard By Tom Orsborn Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News
SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
SAN ANTONIO – Acting Golden State coach Mike Brown made it clear before the West finals started that shutting down Spurs point guard Patty Mills would be a priority for the Warriors. “That guy, his juice or his motor, is second to none in my opinion in this league,” Brown said, “and that poses a huge threat because of his ability to shoot the ball from range so well.” So far, Golden State is making good on its goal of making life difficult for Mills. With the Warriors’ Klay Thompson hounding him, the Australian is averaging just five points through two games on 3-of-14 shooting from the field (21.4 percent), including a miserable 1-of-10 Mills continues on B2
Kawhi Leonard’s status for Saturday is uncertain after injuring his ankle during a collission with Golden State’s Zaza Pachulia during Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Leonard’s status uncertain for Game 3 By Janie McCauley ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press
Spurs guard Patty Mills was averaging 11.2 points through two rounds of the postseason, but he has 10 total points in two games against the Warriors.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry pulled Zaza Pachulia aside and made one thing clear to the Warriors big man: We got your back. Other teammates echoed that message.
Pachulia will most certainly receive a villain’s welcome for Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Saturday at AT&T Center regardless of whether he’s on the court or not, simply because he was involved in the play that injured Spurs continues on B2
FS1 PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS
LEA HOSTS MAJOR BOXING EVENT SATURDAY
Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle
Texans rookie cornerback Treston Decoud had two interceptions and 10 pass deflections in his senior season at Oregon State.
Texans rookie corner Treston Decoud wants to impose his will By Aaron Wilson H OUSTON CHRONICLE
One of the qualities that the Texans immediately liked about Oregon State cornerback Treston Decoud was his ability to use his imposing size to his advantage. Decoud excelled in press coverage, manhandling wide receivers as an honorable-mention All-Pac-12 selection. Decoud is an especially big corner at 6-2, 206 pounds with 33-inch arms and 9 1/4 hands. Decoud is capable of locking out receivers with his initial jam at the line of scrimmage. "Just using my length, but it always starts with footwork," Decoud said. "So, I'm just trying to
work on my footwork and do what I can to help the team win." A fifth-round draft pick, Decoud is unlikely to be able to participate in the remainder of the Texans' spring practices after taking part in their rookie minicamp last weekend. Oregon State is on the quarter academic system along with UCLA and Stanford. The NFL allows rookies to participate in a rookie minicamp, but has an NFL rule that limits a player to that time until his school has finished its session and the player hasn't graduated yet. Oregon State has its commencement on June 17. The Texans' mandatory minicamp concludes June 15. Texans continues on B2
Danny Zaragoza / Laredo Morning Times file
Jorge Ramos Jr. makes his professional boxing debut Saturday at FS1 Premier Boxing Champions at Laredo Energy Arena. The United senior faces off against Cigarroa alumnus Israel Camacho (1-0).
Laredo fighters highlight the televised event By Zach Davis LAREDO MORNING TIME S
On Saturday night, Laredo will be host to plenty of action in the boxing world. Not only will seven different unbeatens be in action, but two local products will face off in front of their home fans. As part of the FS1 Premier Box-
ing Champions event at Laredo Energy Arena, unbeaten David Benavidez squares off with former title challenger Porky Medina in a 168-pound World Title Eliminator that headlines the night. Unbeaten featherweight Jorge Lara is also in action while a pair of locals square off in front of their home fans. Doors at LEA open at 5:30 p.m.
and the event will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 starting at 8. "The LEA is excited to host for the first time FS1 Premier Boxing Championship," said Xavier Villalon, the general manager of the SMG-managed LEA. "This televised event promises to bring exciting professional talent to the Boxing continues on B2
B2 | Saturday, May 20, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS SPURS From page B1 Kawhi Leonard in the series opener. “I think he’ll be booed pretty badly,” Golden State’s Draymond Green said. “I’ve definitely been in that situation before. He’ll get it pretty good, but he’ll be fine.” Leonard, whose status for Game 3 remained unclear Friday, didn’t play in Game 2 after re-injuring his tender left ankle in the third quarter of Game 1 when he came down on Pachulia’s foot after shooting a long jumper. San Antonio lost 113-111 without him, squandering a 20-point halftime lead, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was peeved. The next day, Popovich called the play “dangerous” and “unsportsmanlike” and insisted Pachulia has a history of such. “Zaza’s got a thick skull, so I know when he gets out there he’s going to be able to play,” Curry said. “I know guys in the locker room have told him, ‘As best you can, block out as much of this noise as possible because it doesn’t matter. We know what kind of person you are, be apologetic for Kawhi about what happened but you don’t have to apologize for your intent on how you’re guarding that play, whatever you want to call it.’ So, moving on, he’ll be ready, he’ll be the same Zaza, confident. That’s what we expect, and he knows that we have his back. And hope-
fully that’ll go a long way. I talked to him. I don’t think he needed to hear it but just knowing that we all have his back is, I think, huge, especially at this juncture with the spotlight and microscope that everybody’s under.” Without Leonard, the Spurs took a 136-100 thumping in Game 2, prompting Popovich to question their belief and effort. Asked Friday whether San Antonio might come out differently Saturday, Pop said succinctly, “I believe that.” The Warriors sure expect it. “A team going home down 0-2, they’re going to come out with a lot of energy, and especially a team like the Spurs who never quits,” Green said. “At the end of the day, they’re going to go in with the mindset they feel like if they just go take care of their home court it’s a series. We’ve obviously been here before, we know what it takes to go win on the road. It’s just about us.” Leonard and Pachulia were listed as questionable Friday, along with key Warriors reserve Andre Iguodala. Popovich said Leonard had only shot the past couple of days. Pachulia bruised his right heel and missed the second half Tuesday, while Iguodala sat out Game 2 and all but 10 minutes of the opener with soreness in his left knee. Leonard said his ankle is “still not ready,” but he didn’t rule out that it could be much improved
BOXING From page B1 next level that Laredo’s boxing fans have been asking for." The night will feature seven total fights including the professional debut of a local product against a fellow Laredoan. United senior Jorge Ramos Jr. will shed his amateur status when he battles Cigarroa alumnus Israel Camacho in a bantamweight bout. Ramos was 53-13 in the amateur ranks with five technical knockouts, including winning the USA Boxing Youth National Championships in Reno, Nevada from 2014-16. "I am very excited to make my pro debut," Ramos said. "It’s been a dream of mine to go pro since I first started boxing. I would look at all the fights on TV and even archive fights from Johnny Tapia, (Mohammed) Ali and (Juan Manuel) Marquez, and I couldn’t wait for when I would be doing this. Now I am able to do this. And especially (doing it) in my home town – nothing could be better than that." The Longhorn Ramos will square off against a Toro as he goes head to head with Camacho in a battle in front of Laredo. Camacho fought for the first time professionally in February inside LEA at Fight Fest 14 beating Andrian Salda-
by game day. He said he won’t play if he can’t be his usual strong self and use both legs to take quality shots and not force things by being off-balance. Asked again whether he thought Pachulia’s play was dirty — initially having said he didn’t consider it intentional — Leonard said he’s spending his energy on getting healthy. “I’m not worried about that,” he said. Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s health has improved enough that he traveled to Texas with the team, an encouraging sign after he returned to practice for the first time in more than three weeks last Saturday following a May 5 procedure to repair a spinal fluid leak. The reigning coach of the year then attended Games 1 and 2 behind the scenes but spoke to the Warriors before the game and at halftime. While Golden State hopes to get Klay Thompson going on offense, rebounding is a focus again after the Warriors surrendered another 22 offensive rebounds to the Spurs in Game 2. Thompson is 6 for 21 over the first two games. Curry knows the shooting will come. “You expect to make shots, you expect to shoot well no matter what zip code you’re in,” Curry said. “That’s what shooters, that’s how we think. The only difference is the noise after the shot goes in, whether it’s 18,000 fans screaming or if it’s dead silence.”
na by unanimous decision. Those two won’t be the only ones from Laredo in action. LBJ alumnus Joshua Juarez will be competing in the light heavyweight division against a debuting Demetrius Harris. At 6-foot-1, Juarez has competed on four occasions with all coming inside LEA. In 2016, Juarez defeated a pair of 0-2 fighters in Derrick Beroit and Alberto Vazquez. He ended the year besting Edwynn Jones (1-8-1) before knocking off a debuting Dominique Wiltz at Fight Fest 14. In the main event, Benavidez squares off with Medina in a bout with major implications. A victory Saturday by either competitor would put them in the mandatory position to challenge for the vacant super middleweight world title. That belt will be awarded next to the winner of the Anthony Dirrell (30-1-1, 24 KOs) and Callum Smith (22-0, 17) bout which has not yet bet given a date. The championship was vacated by Badou Jack earlier this year to move up in weight. Benavidez is looking for a title shot after he has quickly made a name for himself in the boxing world. The 20 year old Phoenix native is 17-0 on his career including a staggering 16 knockouts. He is the younger brother of another unbeaten boxer in the 25 year old Jose
TEXANS From page B1 "It's a tough deal," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "That's the way it looks right now, but I think we're still looking at that as far as what he's doing from his end of things, online classes and things like that. So, I'm going to hold on giving you a final answer on that."
Decoud had two interceptions and 10 pass deflections as a senior at Oregon State. The former Northwest Mississippi junior college All-American recorded 58 tackles, limiting prolific Cal wide receiver Chad Hansen to four catches for 16 yards. "Yeah, the Pac-12 is the Pac-12," Decoud said. "They have speedy, tall and short guys. But this is the NFL, everybody's fast. Just have to get acclimated
to that and go from there." Decoud is looking forward to eventually competing in practice against Texans wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller to gain experience. "Definitely," Decoud said. "I think those are some of the top guys in the NFL so going against those guys every day will prepare me for the days on Sundays and Thursdays."
MILLS From page B1 showing from 3-point range. Mills entered the series averaging 11.2 points this postseason after hitting 40.9 percent of his 3-point attempts (27 of 66). “They’re doing some different things to him, trapping him,” Spurs shooting guard Danny Green said. “They have more athletic people, so they’re using their hands and being active. We have to find different ways to get him open and more aggressive, back to being himself.” Mills was asked after Friday’s practice about the Warriors’ game-planning to stop him. “It definitely feels that way,” Mills said. “Getting off the ball and denying it back and not letting me catch or not leaving (me). It’s kind of the things I try to do on defense.” Mills is hopeful he can break out in Game 3 on Saturday night at the AT&T Center. The Spurs lost the first two games of
Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle
Patty Mills is shooting just 3-of-14 from the field and 1-of-10 from 3-point range in two games against the Warriors. He shot 40.9 percent from beyond the arc in the first two rounds.
the series. “I’ve definitely been watching a lot of film the last couple of days and trying to work ways around it,” he said. “There’s some ways there I’ve seen from watching film. We’ll leave it all out on the floor tomorrow.” Brown talked at length the day before Game 1 about his respect for Mills. “The biggest thing he does is he moves so well without the ball,” Brown
said. “You can never relax on him. If he has the ball in his hand, you have got to make sure you are connected, because if you are not he is knocking down a three. If he gives the ball up, if you take a breath, he’s like the Energizer bunny rabbit, (the defender thinks), ‘I get to rest for a second,’ and the next thing you know, boom, he’s relocating, he’s behind the 3-point line, and it’s another made three.”
Gregory Payan | Associated Press file / Gregory Payan | Associated Press file
In the main event of Saturday's FS1 Premier Boxing Champions event at Laredo Energy Arena, David Benavidez (17-0, 16 KOs), pictured, puts his unbeaten record on the line against Porky Medina (37-7, 16). The winner will challenge for the super middleweight world title.
Benavidez (25-0, 16). Benavidez stands in at 6foot-2 and 168 pounds. He has had experience training with some of the best fighters in the world, participating in sparring sessions with former world champions Kelly Pavlik and Peter Quillen when he was only 15. He also sparred at 16 three times a week for a month with one of the best
César G. Rodriguez / Laredo Morning Times file
LBJ alumnus Joshua Juarez will put his 4-0 record on the line against a debuting Demetrius Harris at Laredo Energy Arena Saturday night as part of FS1 Premier Boxing Champions.
fighters in the world in Gennady Golovkin. "This is a great opportunity for me," Benavidez said. "I have been working very hard and I am not going to let this chance pass by me. I’m going to go in there and win this fight. I don’t feel pressure with this being an eliminator. I’m training extremely hard just like every other fight. I’m ready to go in there and do what I always do." On the other side of the ring is Medina. The 28 year old is 37-7 in his career with 31 knockouts, including wins in five of his previous six bouts. His only loss in that span was to James DeGale for the IBF World Super Middleweight title by unanimous decision. The Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico native stands in at 6-foot-1 and 168 pounds. "I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring against David Benavidez," Medina said. "Benavidez has never faced a fighter as good or experienced as me. I have fought many world champions and for a world title and that is going to give me an advantage in this fight. May 20 will be my first step toward getting another title shot." Headlining the undercard of the night is a battle between Lara and Briones, as the former looks to keep his unbeaten streak alive. In the featherweight division, Lara enters the night 28-0-2 with 20 knockouts. The 26 year old out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico is 5-foot-6. He
had won 23 straight fights before a draw with Jesus Rojas on September 2015 in Hollywood, California. Lara since has gotten back in the win column with a victory 13 months ago against Fernando Montiel, a former multiple division world champion that he knocked out in the first round. Briones enters the fight at 5-foot-7 ½ and 31 years old. He holds a record of 28-5-2 including 21 knockouts. The Villa de Puertecitos, Aguascalientes, Mexico native was unbeaten through his first 21 professional fights. He has won three of his last four bouts with his only loss in that span to unbeaten Miguel Flores in San Antonio in January 2016. Another bantamweight battle features a pair of unbeaten boxers going head to head. 21 year old Adam Lopez (6-0, 3) out of Glendale, California matches up against 19 year old Jordan White (4-0, 3) from Washington D.C. In the super featherweight division, 21 year old Austin Dulay (9-0, 7) of Tennessee squares off with 27 year old Jose Arturo Esquivel (10-5, 2) from Ciudad Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico. In the light heavyweight division, 31 year old Lanell Bellows out of Las Vegas puts his 16-2-1 record on the line against an opponent that has yet to be determined. Follow @ZachDavisLMT on Twitter for the latest news on all local sports. Email: ZDavis@LMTOnline.com
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 20, 2017 |
Dear Readers: Springtime brings warm days, beautiful flowers, birds chirping and, unfortunately, FLEAS. Discuss with your veterinarian flea control and prevention. There are a lot of good flea medications on the market today, but read the labels carefully. Here are some hints to keep in mind: * Never give flea meds indicated for dogs to cats. This can be deadly. Have the number of the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Animal Poison Control Center programmed into your phone, or written by the phone: 888-4264435 * Use only one flea treatment (flea shampoo, drops, oral medications) at a time. Using more than one med on your pet could cause toxins to build up in the animal's system.
“
HELOISE
* Your source of information should be your veterinarian. There is so much you can find on the internet, and some of it is accurate, and some is not. -- Heloise GIFTS TO GIVE AGAIN Dear Heloise: When I mail packages to my parents, I stuff the packages with my kids' homework papers as packing material. Mom and Dad are happy to see what the kids are working on -math papers, writing compositions and art projects. The packing material is as fun as the package! -- Donna R., Encino, Calif.
B3
B4 | Saturday, May 20, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Top dollar: Browns sign Myles Garrett, 1st overall pick By Tom Withers A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
CLEVELAND — Myles Garrett’s first sack as a pro is filled with money. The No. 1 overall pick in last month’s NFL draft, Garrett signed his fouryear rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns, who gave the speedy defensive end an estimated $30.4 million package that includes a $20.3 million guaranteed signing bonus. One week after displaying his dazzling skills at the team’s rookie minicamp, Garrett got the business side of things out of the way by signing his deal Friday. The Browns posted a video on Twitter of the former Texas A&M All-American filling out the contract’s paperwork while Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose” played in the background. The Browns are counting on Garrett, whose outside interests include writing poetry and paleontology, to energize their turnaround. Cleveland went 1-15 last season, has
had just two winnings seasons since its 1999 expansion reboot and hasn’t been to the playoffs in 15 years. Blessed with a running back’s burst, Garrett recorded 321/2 sacks in three seasons for the Aggies. He was limited by a sprained ankle last season but still played at a dominant level, and the Browns didn’t pass up the chance to take him in a draft loaded with defensive talent. Garrett was impressive during the club’s rookie minicamp, showing off his ability to blow past blockers and pressure quarterbacks. “Did you see that guy come off the edge that one time?” coach Hue Jackson said following a practice. “Holy smokes. Oh my gosh. The guy has flashed and shown exactly why he was drafted where he was drafted. What we have to do is continue to let him be who he is and play the way we think he can. It is exciting to see. I haven’t been around a lot of guys like him. It is
fun.” Garrett has also displayed an easygoing personality and eagerness to succeed. He knows there are high expectations as the first overall pick, but he isn’t hiding from them. “I’m not worried about what people expect from me or what they think I am going to do,” Garrett said. “My expectations are definitely higher than what most others have for me. I hold myself to that every single time I step on the field, whether I’m going against whoever is out there for rookie camp or if I am going against the very best or if I am just trying to learn the playbook or just being a great man in general.” Garrett caused a stir shortly after being drafted when he said he was targeting Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for his first sack. The Browns open next season against the Steelers, their longtime rival who has overpowered Cleveland in recent years. And while Garrett’s comments could fuel the
Ron Schwane / Associated Press
No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett signed his four-year rookie contract with the Browns Friday and received a $20.3 million guaranteed signing bonus.
Steelers, he didn’t backtrack on his remarks. “I think that was kind of blown up, but I stand by it,” Garrett said. “We are looking to get after it. Why should I be afraid of saying those kinds of things? That is what any team would say or any player would say. You are trying to make a name for yourself. You are trying to go out there and win games just like they are. They are not going to shy away from the challenge and neither are we.”
Not long after Garrett’s deal was finalized, the Browns signed rookie defensive tackle Caleb Brantley, a sixth-round pick. Brantley arrived in Cleveland with a battery complaint hanging over him, but earlier this week, prosecutors in Florida dismissed his case, saying there was “no reliable evidence upon which an arrest or prosecution would be warranted or legally justified.”
The Browns felt comfortable enough with Brantley’s situation to draft him, and as it turned out, their instincts were right. Brantley led Florida with 91/2 tackles for loss last season and had 21/2 sacks for the Gators before declaring for the draft following his junior season. With Garrett and Brantley under contract, Cleveland has signed seven of the 10 players the club drafted last month.
NASCAR’s Aric Almirola out Ross moving closer to 8-12 weeks with broken back joining Rangers’ By Jenna Fryer A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
CONCORD, N.C. — Aric Almirola celebrated a victory with his family one weekend, then found himself on a backboard in a helicopter on the way to the hospital just seven days later. Almirola fractured a vertebra in a crash Saturday night at Kansas Speedway and could miss up to three months of the NASCAR season. The 33-year-old Almirola will heed doctor warnings and not rush back to racing because he has been warned further injury could lead to paralysis. “Everybody is telling me that with this type of fracture it is eight to 12 weeks, so I’m not happy about that,” Almirola said. “Getting back in a race car two weeks too soon is just going to add two more starts to my start column and the stat book. But if I were to get in another similar accident and not be properly healed, you’re talking about potentially being paralyzed from the belly button down. “I’m not going to risk that,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of baseball to play with my son and I’d like to dance with my daughter one day at her wedding. Whenever the doctors clear me, I’ll be ready to get back in a race car.” It was a wild turn of events
Chuck Burton / Associated Press
Aric Almirola will miss 8-12 weeks with a back injury.
for Almirola, who reveled in celebrating an Xfinity Series win at Talladega with his family on May 6. A week later, he was hospitalized overnight in Kansas before flying home to North Carolina to receive another diagnosis. Almirola said Friday he’d stopped taking painkillers 48 hours prior to his news conference in order to sound coherent while discussing his injury. It has been a rollercoaster of a week, with the Talladega victory underscoring the promise his Richard Petty Motorsports team has shown this season. “We’ve seen momentum and everything was looking so good and everybody at the team is happy, the morale in the shop is good, everybody just keeps digging harder and working harder because when
you see those results it just drives more ambition,” he said. “So to go through Talladega and have such a great weekend there, to win on Saturday and have Janice and the kids in victory lane with me, and then to have a great run on Sunday, and then literally seven days later to be on a helicopter heading for the hospital — there’s nothing that describes it better other than that’s our sport. “One day you’re a hero, one day you’re a zero, although I don’t classify myself as a zero just because I broke my back. But I think it does, it messes with your emotions.” Almirola suffered a compression fracture of his T5 vertebra, just above the middle of his back. Denny Hamlin missed four races — and started but didn’t complete a fifth — after suffering a compression fracture of the L1 vertebra in his lower back in 2013. “This fracture is at a higher level than the injuries that Denny sustained or that Tony sustained,” said Dr. William Heisel of OrthoCarolina Motorsports. “The bone is, for lack of a better term, crunched and it’s something that first and foremost we’ve got to get some of the edema or some of the blood out of the bone and that is something that is a time phenomenon as much as anything.”
rotation By Jeff Wilson FORT WORTH STAR-TEL EGRAM
DETROIT — Right-hander Tyson Ross could be just one more rehab start away from joining the Texas Rangers’ rotation after tossing four innings Thursday in a start at extending spring training. Ross is expected to start Tuesday, likely for Triple-A Round Rock, and stretch out to five innings and 80 pitches. He would be able to log 90-95 pitches in his next start, whether with the Rangers or once more in the minors. Out to start the season because of offseason surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and slowed last month because of back spasms, the Rangers could take the conservative route with Ross. "We’ll see how he feels and how things go with the next start," pitching coach Doug Brocail said. "I know one thing: He says he feels really,
Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press file
Tyson Ross pitched four innings at a start in extened spring training Thursday. He is expected to make a start for Triple-A Round Rock Tuesday and could join the Rangers’ rotation later in the week.
really good." Ross allowed two runs on six hits Thursday while striking out five and walking none over 65 pitches. It was his second start in extended spring, and Brocail said that Ross’ slider was better and that his fastball was clocked from 88-92 mph. Ross continues to
not look too far ahead, as he has done throughout the process, but said all that stands between him and joining the Rangers is building up his arm strength. "I’m making good progress," he said. "It’s just a matter of building that pitch count up, and the arm strength continues to get better every time."
Spieth out at Nelson; Kokrak has career-best 62, leads by 5 By Stephen Hawkins A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
IRVING, Texas — Jason Kokrak shot a bogey-free 8under 62 Friday for a record five-stroke lead after two rounds at the AT&T Byron Nelson, where local favorite Jordan Spieth missed the cut for the first time at the tournament where he made his debut as a 16-year-old high school junior. Kokrak, the 128th-ranked player in the world, matched the Nelson’s 36-hole record at 12 under after his career-best scoring round, and no one has ever had a bigger lead there after two rounds. Billy Horschel was second at 7 under after three consecutive birdies to finish a 65.
Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, had his second consecutive 67 and was among six players tied for third. Spieth closed with a 75, including a 9 on the par-5 16th after hitting two tee balls out of bounds. With a 3-over total and needing at least one birdie, Spieth finished with consecutive pars. His 17-foot birdie try at No. 17 curled by the cup, and he missed a 14-footer on 18. The 23-year-old Spieth also missed the cut last week in The Players Championship. He last missed consecutive cuts in 2015. Kokrak finished with a nice par save after driving way right. The ball landed in the rough closer to the first fairway with a temporary conces-
sion stand between him and the hole. He managed to hit the ball back in the fairway short of the green, then chipped to 6 feet. Kokrak had the 36-hole lead for only the second time in 146 career PGA Tour starts. The other was the 2016 Northern Trust Open, where he ended up with a career-best tie for second. Byeong Hun An had a bogey-free 66 to get into the tie for third with Johnson, Bud Cauley (67), Cameron Tringale (68), Jhonttan Vegas (68) and first-round co-leader James Hahn (70). They were one stroke better than a group that included Grayson Murray, who had never seen the TPC Four Seasons course before this week but hit 16 of 18
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Jason Kokrak played bogey free Friday shooting an 8-under 62 to take a five-stroke lead after two rounds of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Irving, Texas.
greens in a 65 on Friday. Sergio Garcia, the Masters champion who is defending his second Nelson title, birdied six of his last 15 holes for a 65 to get to 2 under. He opened with a 73. Spieth, the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open champion, first played a PGA Tour event at age 16 on a sponsor’s exemption in the 2010 tournament, and tied for 16th — still his best Nelson finish. He missed
his high school graduation ceremony in 2011 to play after making the cut again. After an opening birdie Friday, Spieth missed a 3 1/2foot par putt at the par-3 second hole. He had five bogeys and four birdies, plus saved par from a drop at the edge of a curb after his tee shot at the 316-yard 11th hole rolled to a stop on a neighborhood street, before the horrendous 16th hole.