WEDNESDAYAUGUST 16, 2017
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Suspect arrested for minor theft
Federal court orders voting map changes Panel seeks alterations before 2018 elections By Paul J. Weber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ congressional maps are still flawed by racial gerrymandering and must be partially redrawn before the 2018 elections, a threejudge federal panel ruled Tuesday. Courts have chided Texas in recent years for intentional racial discrimination in voting maps and a strict voter ID law, and
FREE
the state must now quickly redo two of the state’s 36 congressional districts. One is held by Democrat Lloyd Doggett of Austin and the other by Republican Blake Farenthold. But the ruling was not a complete victory for Democrats and minority rights groups, who sought more sweeping changes that could put more seats in play for the first midterm elections under President Donald Trump. Repub-
licans currently hold 25 seats in Texas and Democrats have 11. U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez of San Antonio concluded that “discriminatory taint” in the Texas maps has carried on for multiple elections since 2013. But the court preserved other districts that Democrats say deserved changes, including a historically swing district in South Texas that’s currently held by Republican Will
Hurd. Luis Vera, an attorney for the League of United Latin American Citizens, cheered the ruling but said it was unlikely to drastically change the partisan advantages in districts across Texas. Vera has helped lead a long-running lawsuit over the maps since 2011. “My first impression is that it’s a great victory,” Vera said. “Just a little Voting continues on A12
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
PRESIDENT BLAMES BOTH SIDES FOR DEADLY VIOLENCE
Crime punishable by up to one year in jail By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
A man wanted for a misdemeanor theft was arrested over the weekend, according to the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said Sunday that Gilberto Soto, 43, was served with an arrest warrant charging him with theft, a Class A misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to one year in jail or a $4,000 fine or both. Soto remained behind bars at the Zapata County Regional Jail as of Tuesday. The Sheriff’s Office and Zapata Crime Stoppers had put out a lookout for Soto on Saturday. Details on
Soto
the allegations were not available. Authorities remind the community that Crime Stoppers pays a cash reward to anyone who provides anonymous information that leads to an arrest. People wanting to provide information on other cases are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 956-765-9960 or Crime Stoppers at 765-TIPS (8477).
CRIME STOPPERS
Man wanted for alleged burglary By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
The Zapata County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the community’s assistance to locate a man wanted for an
alleged burglary. Authorities said that Rolando Brian Olivares is wanted for burglary of a building, a state jail felony punishable with up to two Burglary continues on A12
DAVIS LANE/U.S. 83
Craig Ruttle / AP
Activists supporting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and other immigration issues gather near Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday.
Many critics stunned by Donald Trump’s late reaction By Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS S ERVICE
President Donald Trump reverted Tuesday to blaming both sides for the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and at one point questioned whether the movement to pull down Confederate statues would lead to the desecration of memorials to George Washington.
In a combative exchange with reporters at Trump Tower in Manhattan, the president repeatedly rejected bipartisan criticism for waiting two days before naming the rightwing groups and for placing blame on both the right and the left for the bloodshed on Saturday that ended with the death of a young woman after a car crashed into a crowd. He said that “before I make a statement, I like to Trump continues on A12
Teen busted for reportedly stealing charity money By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the lobby of Trump Tower on Tuesday in New York.
A man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a charity bucket in mid-April from a local convenience store, according to a recent open records request obtained by The Zapata Times. Porfirio GarciaMinor, 17, was charged with criminal mischief and burglary of building. Custody records show he remained behind bars on Tuesday. Authorities said
Garcia-Minor
the donation bucket contained about $30 and belonged to a children’s hospital. At about 11:50 p.m. April 12, a Zapata County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to Teen continues on A12
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
FRIDAY, AUG. 18
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
South Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls XI. Laredo Energy Arena. TexMex power rock trio Los Lonely Boys will perform. The event includes a dinner, a benefit concert and a silent auction featuring artworks from local and regional artists. Sponsorship tables of 10 that include dinner and access to silent auction items are available. There are different levels of sponsorship available: Diamond $20,000, Platinum $10,000, Gold $5,000, Silver $2,500 and Bronze $1,500. Individual table tickets are $150. Table tickets are available at the food bank, 1907 Freight at Riverside. Concert only tickets are $10, $15 and $25. Tickets are available at the LEA box office, Ticketmaster.com, select Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Learning Coping Skills for Managing Emotions. 8 p.m.-9 p.m. Westcare Foundation, 1616 Callaghan St. Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Education Series presents a workshop by Bruce King, LPC, on how to manage emotions more effectively. The workshop is free, but registration is required. Register at 956-307-2014 or gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com. For more information, contact Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar at gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com or 956-307-2014
MONDAY AUG. 21 Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in Spanish. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Recurring event. Spanish group meets every 3rd Monday of the month. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classroom 1. Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group provides a forum for people with anxiety and/or depression to meet, talk, share experiences and learn more about the conditions. Support groups can help individuals make connections with others facing similar challenges. While a support group does not replace an individual's medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength, and hope. The support group welcomes adults suffering from anxiety and/or depression to participate in free confidential support group meetings and social events. For more info, contact Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar at gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com or 956307-2014.
Today is Wednesday, Aug. 16, the 228th day of 2017. There are 137 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, at age 42.
Susan Montoya Bryan / AP
A model of a Tyrannosaurus rex sits on display in the main room of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday.
X-RAYS EXPOSE T. REX EVOLUTION ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Researchers at a top U.S. laboratory announced Tuesday that they have produced the highest resolution scan ever done of the inner workings of a fossilized tyrannosaur skull using neutron beams and highenergy X-rays, resulting in new clues that could help paleontologists piece together the evolutionary puzzle of the monstrous T. rex. Officials with Los Alamos National Laboratory and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science said they were able to peer deep into the skull of a
“Bisti Beast,” a T. rex relative that lived millions of years ago in what is now northwestern New Mexico. The images detail the dinosaur’s brain and sinus cavities, the pathways of some nerves and blood vessels and teeth that formed but never emerged. Thomas Williamson, the museum’s curator of paleontology, said the scans are helping paleontologists figure out how the different species within the T. rex family relate to each other and how they evolved. — Compiled from AP reports
TUESDAY. AUG. 22 Habitat for Humanity fundraiser. Wings To Go family sports restaurant, 2019 Bob Bullock Loop near H-E-B Plus! will donate percentage of sales to Habitat For Humanity Laredo-Webb County. Wings To Go is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Call 728-9464 for takeout orders. For Habitat information call, 724-3227.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23 Release of new pictorial history of Laredo by Dr. Jerry Thompson. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. The brand new edition of “Laredo: A Pictorial History” by Thompson makes its long-awaited debut at a reception hosted by the Webb County Heritage Foundation. The event celebrates the latest publication of this exciting local history which features five new chapters and beautiful photos. To pre-order the book, call the Heritage Foundation at 956-727-0977
SATURDAY, AUG. 26 Football Tailgating Cook-Off. 2 p.m. - 11 p.m. Uni-Trade Stadium. Event will feature cook-off competitions, brisket tasting/sampling for People's Choice from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., car show, live music, food vendors, arts & crafts and merchandise vendors and much more. For more information, contact LULAC Council 14 at 956-286-9055
MONDAY, AUG. 28 Google Computer Science Club. 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library. 1920 Palo Blanco. This free program is limited to 18 participants each week. Participants, ages 12-17, will receive community hours. Learn to code social media projects with the Scratch programming language.
THURSDAY, AUG. 31 Spanish Book Club. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library off Calton Road. For info, call Sylvia Reash 7631810 Submit calendar items by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location, purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
AROUND TEXAS Bill tackles high maternal mortality rate AUSTIN, Texas — Texas lawmakers have voted to continue a task force on maternal mortality and morbidity, after a study found that the state had the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. The Texas Senate late Tuesday unanimously approved House changes to a bill extending and bolstering the task
Wisconsin man drives to hospital after nail shot into heart MILWAUKEE — A Wisconsin man who doctors say came perilously close to death after accidentally shooting a nail into his heart while working on his house calmly drove himself to the hospital and even parked his pickup truck in the lot before walking into the emergency room.
Doug Bergeson is ready to get back to work this week after surviving a June 25 ordeal that others might not have taken in such stride. Bergeson told The Associated Press he was working on framing in a fireplace at his house near Peshtigo in northeast Wisconsin when his nail gun accidentally fired, sending a nail ricocheting off some wood and into his chest. “I thought it just nicked me. I looked down. I couldn’t see anything,” Bergeson said in an interview Tuesday. “I felt OK. I
wasn’t worried about the injury. I couldn’t feel any pressure or blood building up.” As he tugged at his sweatshirt, Bergeson, 52, said he realized only about 1 inch of the 31/2-inch nail was sticking out of his chest. “I could see the nail moving with my heartbeat. It was kind of twitching with every heartbeat,” Bergeson said. He was more annoyed than worried. He knew he had to go to the ER. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Iran’s president threatens to revitalize nuclear program TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s president warned Tuesday that it could ramp up its nuclear program and quickly achieve a more advanced level if the U.S. continues “threats and sanctions” against his country, which signed a landmark nuclear accord with world powers in 2015. Hassan Rouhani’s remarks to lawmakers were his most direct warning that the deal could fall apart and risked ratcheting up tensions with the United States. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to scuttle the accord, which limited Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon while ending most sanctions against it. Earlier this week, Iran’s parliament voted to increase spending on the country’s ballistic missile program and the foreign
force, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott to be signed into law. The task force was created in 2013 and would now continue until 2023. A University of Maryland-led study last year found that Texas’ maternal mortality rate doubled between 2010 and 2012 to the highest in the nation and the developed world, but offered no reason. Republican in-fighting killed similar bills during the regular legislative session, but Abbott called a special session ending Wednesday. — Compiled from AP reports
Vahid Salemi / AP
Irananian President Hassan Rouhani issued a direct threat to the West on Tuesday, claiming his country is capable of restarting its nuclear program within hours and quickly bringing it to even more advanced levels than in 2015.
operations of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The move came in response to U.S. legislation passed earlier this month imposing mandatory penalties on people involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them. The U.S. legislation
also applies terrorism sanctions to the Guard and enforces an existing arms embargo. If Washington continues with “threats and sanctions” against Iran, Tehran could easily step up its nuclear activities, Rouhani said in parliament Tuesday. — Compiled from AP reports
Legislature OKs $560M for schools, teacher retirement
Huberty’s chamber approved the Senate changes 94-46, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott, who plans to sign it into law. About $210 million goes to teacher retirement funds. The rest includes money for educating dyslexic and autistic students, and for some school districts facing declining property tax revenue and an expiring program that previously provided aid. The Texas Supreme Court last year ruled that the school finance system was deeply flawed but barely constitutional. — Compiled from AP reports
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Legislature has approved about $560 million in extra funding for schools and retired teachers. The state House originally sought to spend an additional $1.8 billion, but the Senate balked. House Public Education Chairman Dan Huberty said Tuesday, “To say I’m disappointed is an understatement,” but urged supporting the scaled-back version. After lengthy, heated debate,
On this date: In 1777, American forces won the Battle of Bennington in what was considered a turning point of the Revolutionary War. In 1812, Detroit fell to British and Indian forces in the War of 1812. In 1858, a telegraphed message from Britain's Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan was transmitted over the recently laid trans-Atlantic cable. In 1937, the American Federation of Radio Artists was chartered. In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York at age 53. In 1954, Sports Illustrated was first published by Time Inc. In 1956, Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In 1967, Louis Armstrong recorded "What a Wonderful World" by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss for ABC Records. In 1977, a judge in New York ruled that Renee Richards, a male-to-female transgender, had the right to compete in the U.S. Open without having to pass a sex chromosome test. (In the opening round of the Open, Richards lost to Virginia Wade in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4). The Debby Boone recording of "You Light Up My Life" by Joseph Brooks was released by Warner Bros./ Curb Records. In 1987, 156 people were killed when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed while trying to take off from Detroit; the sole survivor was 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan. In 1987, people worldwide began a two-day celebration of the "harmonic convergence," which heralded what believers called the start of a new, purer age of humankind. In 1991, Pope John Paul II began the first-ever papal visit to Hungary. Ten years ago: Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held for 3½ years as an enemy combatant, was convicted in Miami of helping Islamic extremists and plotting overseas attacks. (Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaida to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb," was later sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison on the unrelated terror support charges, but that sentence was later increased to 21 years.) Five years ago: Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney declared he had paid at least 13 percent of his income in federal taxes every year for the previous decade; President Barack Obama's campaign shot back: "Prove it." Ecuador decided to identify WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as a refugee and give him asylum in its London embassy. One year ago: Democrat Kathleen Kane, Pennsylvania's first elected female attorney general, announced her resignation a day after being convicted of abusing the powers of the state's top law enforcement office to smear a rival and lying under oath to cover it up. Today's Birthdays: Actress Ann Blyth is 89. Actor Gary Clarke is 84. Actress Julie Newmar is 84. Actress-singer Ketty Lester is 83. Actor John Standing is 83. Actress Anita Gillette is 81. Actress Carole Shelley is 78. Country singer Billy Joe Shaver is 78. Ballerina Suzanne Farrell is 72. Actress Lesley Ann Warren is 71. Actor Marshall Manesh is 67. Rock singer-musician Joey Spampinato is 67. Actor Reginald VelJohnson is 65. TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford is 64. Rhythm-andblues singer J.T. Taylor is 64. Movie director James Cameron is 63. Actor Jeff Perry is 62. Rock musician Tim Farriss (INXS) is 60. Actress Laura Innes is 60. Singer Madonna is 59. Actress Angela Bassett is 59. Actor Timothy Hutton is 57. Actor Steve Carell is 55. Actor-singer Donovan Leitch is 50. Actor Andy Milder is 49. Actor Seth Peterson is 47. Country singer Emily Robison (The Dixie Chicks) is 45. Actor George Stults is 42. Singer Vanessa Carlton is 37. Actor Cam Gigandet is 35. Actress Agnes Bruckner is 32. Singer-musician Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) is 32. Actress Cristin Milioti is 32. Actor Shawn Pyfrom is 31. Country singer Ashton Shepherd is 31. Country singer Dan Smyers (Dan & Shay) is 30. Actor Kevin G. Schmidt is 29. Actress Rumer Willis is 29. Actor Parker Young is 29. Actor Cameron Monaghan is 24. Singer-pianist Greyson Chance is 20. Thought for Today: "In politics people give you what they think you deserve and deny you what they think you want." — Cyril Northcote Parkinson, British historian and author (19091993).
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 |
A3
STATE
Texas A&M calls off planned white nationalist rally By Will Weissert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas A&M University late Monday called off a planned white supremacist rally on its campus next month, citing concerns of a “major security risk” following the demonstrations that turned deadly over the weekend in Virginia. The decision came amid bipartisan pressure from Texas’ Republican-controlled Legislature, where lawmakers said protecting free speech was important, but rejecting hate even more so. A former A&M student named Preston Wiginton had been organizing a “white lives matter” rally in College Station, Texas, saying he was inspired by Saturday’s “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, when a vehicle plowed into a group of counterprotesters, killing at least one and injuring 19. But the university said it was canceling the event because of “concerns about the safety of its students, faculty, staff, and the public.” “Linking the tragedy of Char-
Brett Coomer / AP
This 2016 file photo shows law enforcement officers pushing protesters out of the Texas A&M University student center where Richard Spencer, who leads a white nationalist organization, was speaking in College Station, Texas.
lottesville with the Texas A&M event creates a major security risk on our campus,” Texas A&M said in a statement. “Additionally, the daylong event would provide disruption to our class schedules and to student, faculty and staff movement.” Wiginton said he’d invited prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer to address the rally. Spencer spoke at an A&M event in December, when he was met by hundreds of pro-
95-plus percent of school districts meet standards A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — More than 95 percent of Texas school districts, and around 89 percent of individual schools, have met minimum education standards — slight improvements over last year. The Texas Education Agency announced results Tuesday for 1,203 districts and 8,757 schools. It has frequently overhauled ratings in recent years, meaning lower failure rates. In 2016, about 94 per-
cent of districts met state standards and almost 89 percent of schools did. The year before that, it was 95.5 percent of districts and 86.5 percent of schools. Critics complain that Texas has watered down its accountability ratings too much. The system was going to be replaced with an academic accountability scale issuing letter grades A to F this year. But state lawmakers delayed implementation until next year for school districts and 2019 for schools.
testers, many of whom gathered at Kyle Field football stadium to hear music and speeches highlighting diversity and unity to counter Spencer’s appearance. Texas A&M noted that it had changed its policy after those protests so that no outside individual or group could reserve campus facilities without the sponsorship of a universitysanctioned organization. It said that “none of the 1200-plus campus organizations invited Pres-
ton Wiginton nor did they agree to sponsor his events in December 2016 or on September 11 of this year.” Instead, Wiginton, opted to plan next month’s event for outside at Rudder Plaza, in the middle of campus. “Texas A&M’s support of the First Amendment and the freedom of speech cannot be questioned,” the statement said. “However, in this case, circumstances and information relating to the event have changed and the risks of threat to life and safety compel us to cancel the event.” Word of the cancellation followed Dallas Democratic Rep. Helen Giddings giving a House floor speech Monday while nearly all of the chamber’s 150 members stood beside her. She urged university administrators to “unequivocally denounce and fight against this violent group” adding “all of us in the state of Texas want to say, with one voice, Texas will not stand for hate.” Rep. Paul Workman, an Austin Republican, said a petition being circulated for A&M graduates in the House was attempting to “keep this from happen-
ing on our campus.” The chamber also held a moment of silence for victims killed and injured in Charlottesville. Similar sentiments came from the Texas Senate, which held its own moment of silence. “The First Amendment also allows us to respond in kind, to stand up and say what we believe as a society, as Americans and as Texans,” Republican Sen. Charles Schwertner, whose district includes College Station, said of protests that had been planned in response to Wiginton’s now-canceled rally. “We should not stand for bigotry, for violence, for racism.” Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat who is black, had planned to go to the Texas A&M campus on Sept. 11, saying, “We will stand strong against those hate groups, neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan.” “My 17-year-old grandson asked me yesterday, ‘Should my generation be more like Martin Luther King or Malcom X? I had to pause and listen to the hurt in his voice and doubt in his ability to pursue the American dream,” West said. “I didn’t answer the question ... That’s where we are in America today.”
School official removed over book’s supremacist symbol By David Warren ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — A Texas school district has removed an assistant principal from his post after he authored a children’s book whose central character is also a white supremacist symbol. The Denton school district said in a statement Monday that the publicity generated by Eric Hauser’s work has become a “distraction.” The district said he was being reassigned from his position at a middle
Tailyr Irvine / AP
In this Aug. 10 photo, Eric Hauser poses with his book "The Adventures of Pepe and Pede" in Denton, Texas.
school to an undetermined post. “The students, the community and the teachers are too important to me to subject them to all the negativity and disapproval resulting from this book,” Hauser said as part of the district’s statement. “To my colleagues, I offer my deepest apologies if this has affected them or their families in any negative way.” Hauser self-published a book this summer, titled “The Adventures of Pepe and Pede,” about a frog
and centipede seeking “truth and honesty” against “deceitful forces threatening their home.” Pepe the Frog has been appropriated by white supremacists and other racists in online memes, according to the AntiDefamation League. The organization said the character didn’t originally have such connotations, but the use of racist and bigoted versions of Pepe has been increasing in recent years, which prompted the group to categorize the character as a hate symbol.
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
OP-ED
OTHER VIEWS
Instant info is making us less informed, unmindful By Dwight DeWerth-Pallmeyer TH E P H ILADE LPHIA I NQUIRER
As we all get ready to start new academic years, I’m reminded of how radically technology has changed us and our ideas about education. I vividly recall relishing the idea of a communications revolution as my collegiate teaching career began in the 1980s. Technologies would merge, leading to easy acquisition of knowledge, entertainment, news and interpersonal dialogue. The internet was still a pipe dream. Thirty years later, the changes are beyond my wildest imaginings but they have come at a steep cost. Information is instantaneous, but I believe it is actually making us less informed, and certainly less thoughtful and introspective. Today’s college students know trivial facts about many things, but little substantive information about any one thing, except perhaps sports and a favorite binge-watched TV series. Technology is preparing them for jobs, but is it preparing them for life? Several years ago, both USA Today and The New York Times started delivering free papers to college students, hoping to lure their readership. Students rarely picked them up. They were a chore. It didn’t get any better when stories went online. Students were much more taken with texting than reading current events. Today, many are aware of news headlines, but their knowledge is shallow. Reading just a headline and the first sentences of a story provides little chance for contextualizing the news or understanding its significance. Academically, students no longer feel the need to read materials prior to coming to class. They assume they can Google anything they really need to know. Students aren’t the only ones reading less. We all are. Try reading a full-size article on a cellphone, and you’ll likely end up with a headache. Texts are short and to the point. So are tweets. Few of us have the patience to read full articles. We are more likely to watch the latest cutekitten video on YouTube than read an extensive article on politics, religion or even sex. Consider the last time you read a full novel. If you did so recently, you are in the minority. A National Endowment for the Arts study
released last year found that U.S. adults who read any work of literature in the previous year plummeted from 57 percent in 1982 to 43 percent in 2015. This is not a utopian world of information. Instead, we have become a nation of one-liners. No wonder politicians speak in sound bites, or our commander in chief prefers tweets. We lack an appetite for much else. Sound bites and tweets are not designed for comprehension, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. They appeal to raw emotion. We need critical thinking to really understand an issue, how movements grow and how legislation is passed. Technology has made getting bits of information so easy that the big picture is lost. A case in point: Most of us now rely on GPS devices in our smartphones for simple navigation. We fail to learn even the most rudimentary knowledge of neighborhoods, much less understand where main thoroughfares are in relation to a street two blocks away. We count on our phones to navigate passageways on the road and in our lives. As I’ve discovered in researching my soon-tobe-released documentary, "Cellular Aftershocks," we have not only become myopic in our understanding of the world, but we have also become ignorant and less able to communicate with one another on a meaningful basis. We can post something on Facebook about an idea that pops into our heads, but are we able to say much more? We lament a do-nothing Congress, but do we understand the complexities of passing meaningful legislation? Do we have the patience to sit through a sermon that is more than 12 minutes long? Do we abandon a meaningful discussion with our spouse if a cellphone rings? Can we teach our children restaurant manners when they are already trained to use video devices to stay quiet? We need to detach a bit from the false promises of a technologically savvy world. Try going a couple of hours without your phone. Read a novel. Walk in the woods. Turn off your technology and talk to your spouse. We must have the strength to take charge of our lives. The future lies in our hands, cellphone or not. Dwight DeWerth-Pallmeyer is an associate professor of communications studies at Widener University.
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.
COLUMN
It’s past time to bury the Confederacy for good By Ramesh Ponnuru BL OOMBERG
They may call themselves “white nationalists,” but the adjective nullifies the noun. In Charlottesville, Virginia, few of them hoisted American flags. They marched under banners the United States took up arms to fight. Their stated cause was preserving a statue of a man who committed treason against our country: Robert E. Lee. Confederate flags, statuary and memorials have defenders who wish to have nothing to do with neo-Nazis or white supremacists. They say that they mean to honor the valor of Confederate soldiers rather than the cause for which they bled. Or they say that we should have visible and uncensored reminders of our history. If Lee statues go, they ask, will Monticello be next? Mount Vernon?
Our national mythos has come to celebrate Thomas Jefferson less than it once did: His reputation has suffered, as it should have, as we have reckoned with slavery. We remember Jefferson the slave master; but we also remember the Declaration of Independence, the University of Virginia, a role in our national history that is not reducible to his slaveholding. Jefferson Davis, on the other hand, to this day has a highway with his name on it in Virginia because, and only because, he tried to found a nation with slavery as its cornerstone. It was not necessary to have a vicious character to fight for the Confederacy in 1861, though one is required to root for it today. Good people — otherwise good people — did. The time and place mitigates their guilt. But only somewhat. Ulysses Grant acknowledged that Lee had fought “long and valiantly,” but in the same
breath noted that he “had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse.” To judge such choices with mercy is not to honor those choices. Those who defend Lee statues and worse often say they are motivated by “heritage not hate.” There is no reason to doubt them. But the meaning of a public symbol is not a private possession. They may tell themselves that the statue should stay to honor Lee’s (allegedly) conciliatory behavior after the war. Can they really tell black people who interpret it differently — who look at that statue, erected in the same period as “The Birth of a Nation” and the second Ku Klux Klan, and see a public display of contempt for their dignity and rights -- that their reaction is absurd? The marching racists were
vile and stupid. But they weren’t crazy to treat the statue as a vestige of white supremacy. There are, as always, prudential considerations. Removing memorials will cost city governments money. The Charlottesville experience could be read either to suggest that Confederate statues must be taken down to keep white supremacists from having a rallying point, or that trying to take them down gives them one. But our deliberations should not dwell too long on these cretins. The South has and deserves its pride, but it ought not center it on the most shameful moment in its history. The statues and the flags should come down. They will come down, as Southerners of all races come to see that this cause, too, is better off lost. Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg View columnist.
EDITORIAL
To fight the opioid crisis, treat imprisoned addicts BL OOMBERG
President Donald Trump’s initial bombastic comments about North Korea last week overshadowed the event he was holding to highlight his administration’s efforts to fight opioid addiction. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to overshadow. Trump failed to mention, much less embrace, any of the recommendations contained in a new report from his Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The commission, led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, has produced some useful but too-small ideas for improving access to treatment, educating doctors, sharing data among states, and blocking the illegal drug trade. The one proposal that Trump later embraced — declaring a national emergency — will matter only if it is followed up with bold actions and the fund-
ing to support them. The commission’s assertion that the declaration will “awaken every American” to the scourge of addiction gets it backwards. Americans have been crying out for leadership. It’s Washington that has been asleep. One of the most effective steps the federal government could take went unmentioned: treating addicts who end up behind bars. Each year, about one-third of heroin users spend time locked up, yet federal prisons do not offer medicationassisted addiction treatment. There are humanitarian reasons to provide addicts with methadone or buprenorphine, which can wean people off far more powerful and deadly opiates, like heroin and fentanyl. The withdrawal experience — which can include vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, insomnia and seizures — is hellish, and occasionally deadly. But the best reason to provide treatment is
that going cold turkey rarely cures the addiction. Ex-offenders are prone to resume using, often at levels their bodies can no longer tolerate. Overdoses are tragically common. Imprisonment offers one of the best opportunities to treat opioid addiction. Programs have shown encouraging results where they have been tried — including in New York City, where inmates are connected to clinics after their release and report to them at high rates. The program has also helped reduce recidivism. Similarly positive results have been seen in Australia. Yet only a few dozen of America’s more than 5,000 local jails and state prisons offer addiction treatment. Failing to do so also undermines recoveries for many people in treatment. It’s estimated that about 10 percent of Americans receiving methadone treatment are locked up each year. Some states and local
jails have begun offering inmates a new drug, Vivitrol, upon their release. It blocks opioids from delivering a high, but only for one month, and then ex-offenders must continue taking it on their own. There is good reason to be skeptical about its effectiveness in preventing relapses. Many politicians and law enforcement officials who have embraced Vivitrol remain hung up on mistaken ideas: that withdrawal will cure addiction, that physical suffering will “teach them a lesson,” that jails should be drug-free zones, or that dispensing milder opiates in prison rewards criminals. Vivitrol may prove to be effective for some. But until the evidence is in, methadone treatment for incarcerated addicts should become the norm, rather than the exception. The national emergency cannot be addressed without going inside prison walls.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 |
A5
CRIME
16 immigrants found locked Mother charged after newborn inside rig at truck stop
left in flower bed
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
EDINBURG, Texas — Police in Texas acting on a tip found 16 immigrants locked inside a tractortrailer parked at a gas station about 20 miles from the border with Mexico, less than a month after 10 people died in the back of a hot truck in San Antonio. Edinburg Assistant Police Chief Oscar Trevino says the immigrants may have been locked inside the 18-wheeler in Edinburg for at least eight hours before being freed by officers late Sunday morning. He had earlier said there were 17 immigrants locked in the tractor-trailer before correcting the number on Monday to 16. Trevino said none of the people inside the tractor-trailer required medical attention. He said they were hungry and thirsty and were given food and water at the scene. Those found locked in the tractor-trailer included eight people from El Salvador, six from Mexico and two from Romania, said Manuel Padilla, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol sector chief for the Rio Grande Valley at Texas’ southernmost point. A man and woman who Trevino said are Cuban nationals were in charge of the rig and have been detained. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Nina Pruneda said no one has been charged yet in connection with the case but that the agency is working with state and local officials and talking to witnesses. The discovery comes three weeks after 10 people died in a sweltering rig
Delcia Lopez / AP
In this Aug. 13 photo, Border Patrol officers check the inside of a tractor-trailer in Edinburg, Texas. Police in Texas acting on a tip found the immigrants locked inside the tractor-trailer parked at a gas station about 20 miles from the border with Mexico.
parked at a Walmart in San Antonio. Immigration officials say survivors estimated 100 people had been packed into the back of the 18-wheeler at one point. Officials said 39 people were inside when rescuers arrived, and the rest either escaped or hitched rides to their next destination. Nearly 20 of those rescued from the rig were hospitalized in dire condition, many suffering from extreme dehydration and heatstroke. The driver of that rig remains in federal custody, charged with illegally transporting immigrants for financial gain, resulting in death. On Sunday, Edinburg police went to the gas station, a popular stopover for commercial truck drivers traveling through the region, after receiving an anonymous call from someone saying a relative was trapped inside the tractor-trailer. Officers
began knocking on the sides of trailers parked at the station and eventually received return knocks from the one holding the immigrants, police said. The San Antonio incident demonstrated how smugglers regularly use big rigs in an elaborate network of foot guides, safe house operators and drivers. The immigrants discovered in San Antonio had been divided into groups and marked with color-coded tape. Six black SUVs were waiting at one transit point to take some to their destinations. Authorities have not said if similar arrangements had been made for the immigrants found in Edinburg, about 230 miles south of San Antonio. Trevino said that they discovered the immigrants after one of the people locked in the tractortrailer called a relative in Mexico. The relative then
called authorities. Padilla declined to say if Sunday’s incident was related to the San Antonio case, citing the ongoing investigation. But he said authorities had stopped more than 30 tractortrailers since October in the Rio Grande Valley. That doesn’t include Laredo, the Texas border city where authorities say the driver of the trailer in the San Antonio case said he stopped twice on his journey. “You don’t know how many you miss,” Padilla told The Associated Press on Monday. “But ... the use of tractor-trailers to smuggle people out of this area is higher in South Texas, to include Laredo, than any other area along the border. And it goes right back to a weak border.” Most people apprehended crossing the United States’ southern border are caught in the Rio Grande Valley, which includes more than 300 miles of the Rio Grande, the river separating the United States and Mexico. Border apprehensions have risen each month since falling in April to a 17-year low. Tractor-trailers emerged as a popular smuggling method in the early 1990s amid a surge in U.S. border enforcement in San Diego and El Paso, Texas, which were then the busiest corridors for illegal crossings. Before that, people paid small fees to mom-andpop operators to get them across a largely unguarded border. As crossing became exponentially more difficult after the 2001 terror strikes in the U.S., migrants were led through more dangerous terrain and paid thousands of dollars more.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON — A Houston-area woman has been charged with felony child abandonment after officials say her newborn daughter was found covered with ants in an apartment complex flower bed. Harris County jail records show 21-year-old Sidney Woytasczyk of Spring was being held Tuesday on $20,000 bond. Online records don’t list an attorney to speak for Woytasczyk, whose initial court appearance was Monday.
Another resident found the baby last Thursday. Woytasczyk was arrested after investigators followed a trail of blood to her apartment, where hours earlier she’d given birth. Sheriff’s Deputy Kimberly Thomas says the mother says she didn’t know that she was pregnant and feared the baby would come between her and the father, who hasn’t been charged. A judge will decide custody of the baby, who’s hospitalized with a bacterial infection.
ZAPATA COUNTY BLOTTER TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
1 Juan Ramon RamosMora, 31, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance on Aug 1. 1 Roberto Salinas Jr., 19, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana on Aug. 1. 1 Claudio Hill Treviño, 20, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana on Aug. 1. ZAPATA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
1 Rogelio Valadez Jr., 45, was arrested and charged with assault on July 31. 1 Eduardo Javier Gonzalez Jr., 25, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with deadly weapon on Aug. 3. 1 Noel Zamora, 27, was served with an arrest warrant charging him with burglary of building on Aug. 3. 1 Amado Sarmiento Santiago, 25, was arrested and charged with criminal non-support on Aug. 3. 1 Guillermo Manuel Gu-
tierrez, 59, was arrested and charged with injury to child, elderly, disable on Aug. 3. 1 Mary Isabel Elizondo, 25, was arrested and charged with striking a fixture on Aug. 5. 1 Claudio Hill Treviño, 20, was arrested and charged with assault on Aug. 6. 1 Amado Rufino Martinez Jr., 31, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct on Aug. 6. 1 Roel Gonzalez III, 23, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana on Aug. 6. 1 Gerardo Peña, 32, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana on Aug. 6. 1 Oscar Sanchez III, 18, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and a Class C liquor violation on Aug. 9. 1 Joseph Jonathan Vazquez, 21, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana on Aug. 6. 1 Jimmy Sanchez, 21, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated on Aug. 9
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Permiso de estacionamiento 1 El Departamento de Policía del distrito escolar Zapata County Independent School District invita a los estudiantes de preparatoria que son conductores de vehículos a que recojan su permiso de estacionamiento desde hoy y hasta el viernes 25 de agosto de 9 a.m. a 12 p.m. y de 1:30 p.m. a 3:30 p.m. en la oficina frontal de la preparatoria Zapata High School. Estudiantes deberán presentar comprobante de seguro vigente y licencia de manejo. Costo del permiso 5 dólares. Mayores informes al departamento de policía de ZCISD o con Patricia Flores.
Feria de Salud Comunitaria 1 El Condado de Zapata junto con organismos y entidades públicas invita a la Primera Feria Anual de Salud Comunitaria, el miércoles 16 de agosto, de 5 p.m. a 7 p.m.; Club Boys & Girls, 302 6th Avenue. Habrá regalos para los primeros 500 niños.
Torneo de pesca 1 Torneo Anual de Pesca para Niños organizado por la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata, sábado 19 de agosto de 7 a.m. a 3 p.m. en Bravo Park. Para niños de 3 a 12 años de edad. Premios en efectivo para el 1er, 2do y 3er lugar. El padre o un guardán debe estar presente. Evento gratuito.
TRATADO DE LIBRE COMERCIO DE AMÉRICA DEL NORTE
Inician conversaciones para reformar TLCAN Cualquier cambio requerirá aprobación del Congreso Por Paul Wiseman ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — De todos los acuerdos comerciales que fustigó durante la campaña electoral como dañinos para los trabajadores estadounidenses, Donald Trump reservó su mayor desdén para el Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte. El TLCAN con México y Canadá “es el peor acuerdo comercial de la historia”, declaró el candidato Trump. Lo acusó de elevar el déficit comercial con México, arrastrar fábricas al otro lado de la frontera y eliminar empleos en Estados Unidos. Prometió renegociar el tratado celebrado hace 23 años o de plano abandonarlo. Ahora llegó el momento. El miércoles comenzarán cinco días de conversaciones para reformar el TLCAN (o NAFTA por sus siglas en inglés), primero en Washington, luego en México y Canadá. Estados Unidos jamás ha intentado reformar un acuerdo
comercial de gran envergadura. Por eso, los analistas no saben con certeza qué esperar. Pero está claro que será difícil cumplir las promesas de campaña de Trump. Una nueva versión del TLCAN necesitaría la aprobación del Congreso, que está dividido. Y un TLCAN mejorado no ofrece la certeza de lograr lo que esperan Trump y sus partidarios: la devolución de millones de empleos fabriles. Economistas y analistas comerciales dicen que es posible mejorar el TLCAN, que eliminó la mayoría de las barreras comerciales entre los tres países. En todo caso, se lo puede actualizar para reflejar el crecimiento de la economía digital. Pero una reformulación tecnocrática difícilmente satisfará a los partidarios de Trump y los detractores del TLCAN, que buscan la reformulación del acuerdo para reducir el déficit comercial y la recuperación de empleos. Una estrategia más agresiva
—por ejemplo, exigir que se consuman bienes de producción nacional— conlleva el riesgo de privar a los estadounidenses de algunos beneficios que el acuerdo les ha ofrecido. Los agricultores estadounidenses, por ejemplo, temen perder el acceso irrestricto que tienen ahora en el mercado mexicano. Muchas empresas de manufactura han creado líneas de suministro que atraviesan las fronteras, y temen perder sus inversiones. Y si Estados Unidos decide alzar barreras comerciales, Canadá y México seguramente tomarán represalias. Aparte de eso, el tiempo corre. El próximo año hay elecciones presidenciales en México y elecciones legislativas en Estados Unidos. Renegociar un acuerdo tan complicado será sumamente difícil en medio de una intensa retórica electoral. El mes pasado, la administración Trump enumeró sus condiciones para la renegociación, y algunas de ellas desde ya se han
DEPARTAMENTO DE POLICÍA ROMA, TX
MIGUEL ALEMÁN, MX
CELEBRAN REGRESO A CLASES Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Miguel Alemán
Un trabajador deposita concreto en una máquina que fabrica bloques para construcción durante la firma del convenio entre el Municipio de Miguel Alemán, México, y el Instituto Tamaulipeco de Vivienda y Urbanismo que dotará de bloques a bajo precio a las familias de escasos recursos
Regreso a clases 1 El primer día de clases para las escuelas del distrito escolar Zapata Independent School District se realizará el 28 de agosto.
Crean bloquera móvil para familias
Sociedad genealógica 1 La Sociedad Genealógica Nuevo Santander invita a su reunión el sábado 9 de septiembre a las 2 p.m. en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata.
E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Noche mexicana 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la Noche Mexicana que se celebrará el 14 de septiembre de 7 p.m. a 11 p.m. Disfrute de bailes folclóricos y antojitos mexicanos en la Plaza Guadalupe de la Ciudad de Roma.
topado con la férrea resistencia de Canadá y México. El gobierno de Washington irritó a Canadá, por ejemplo, al decir que desea eliminar un mecanismo de resolución de disputas establecido bajo el TLCAN. El mecanismo le permitiría a México y Canadá apelar decisiones desfavorables emitidas por tribunales y agencias comerciales estadounidenses. Pueden apelar a paneles establecidos por el TLCAN formados por cinco integrantes: dos de cada país de la disputa y uno que se alternaría entre ellos. Las decisiones de tales comisiones son de cumplimiento obligatorio. Pero el problema es que esas comisiones tienen una reputación de ser contrarios a las decisiones comerciales estadounidenses, como pasó con la disputa sobre la madera canadiense. Estados Unidos se queja de que Canadá subsidia a su industria maderera, con lo que su producto se hace artificialmente barato en el mercado estadounidense.
Foto de cortesía | Ciudad de Roma
Los oficiales de policía de la Ciudad de Roma entregaron bolsas y tomaron las huellas digitales de los menores durante la Carne Asada del Regreso a Clases organizado por The Pediatric Care Center de Zapata donde hablaron y respondieron a inquietudes de la comunidad, el sábado.
El martes se llevó a cabo la firma de un convenio entre el Municipio de Miguel Alemán, México y el Instituto Tamaulipeco de Vivienda y Urbanismo (ITAVU), para activar la Bloquera Móvil Comunitaria. La alcaldesa de Miguel Alemán, Rosy Corro y el director general de ITAVU, Salvador González, firmaron
este acuerdo que busca producir bloques para familias de escasos recursos. Se espera que la Bloquera Móvil Comunitaria produzca 600 bloques diarios a un precio muy bajo lo que impactará de forma positiva a la economía de estas familias. Las personas interesadas en beneficiarse de este convenio pueden acudir a las oficinas del ITAVU, ubicadas en la esquina de Carranza y Sexta en ese municipio.
Festival Nuevo Santander 1 La Sociedad Genealógica Nueva Santander invita al Festival Nuevo Santander el 13 y 14 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Museo de Historia de Zapata.
Caminata contra cáncer 1 Walk All Over Cancer! en su cuarta caminata anual. Inscripciones en el Ayuntamiento llamando al 956-8491411 x 9241 o en el 956-844-1428. Caminata iniciará en Citizens State Bank o en el Centro Comuniario de Roma el sábado 21 de octubre.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
Luchan por autonomía municipal Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
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. Durante la administración municipal, presidida por Fabio de la Garza (1946-1948) y ante la confirmación de que era inminente el cambio
de la población por la construcción de la gran Presa. Autoridades y ciudadanos destacados contemplaron la necesidad de formar un Comité con representación legal, que atendiera el trabajo de orientar a los propietarios y residentes de la Antigua Ciudad Guerrero, a la vez que defender sus derechos de Compensación por la expropiación de que era objeto el Municipio. Fue una tarea que se prolongó a través del Gobierno Municipal de
Don Lorenzo González Vela (1949-1951) y a la siguiente de Don Serafín Vela García (1952-1954). Este comité luchó sin tregua y con gran valor, asumiendo como tarea prioritaria obtener el Decreto para que Guerrero siguiera bajo la Ley de Municipio Libre. Apoyado por el pueblo, y por guerrerenses residentes en lugares próximos a Guerrero, tanto dentro de México como en el extranjero, este Comité organizó la defensa de los intereses del
pueblo, en lo referente a las indemnizaciones, a la vez que defendía la autonomía municipal, pues la Nueva Ciudad Guerrero estaba siendo construida en terreros del vecino Municipio de Mier. Durante los años de 19501953, continuó la lucha para obtener lo que se consideraba justo para los expropiados; sin embargo, con fecha 29 de marzo de 1954, y ya efectuado el traslado de habitantes a la Nueva Ciudad, la Secretaría de Recursos Hidráulicos informó
desde México que las compensaciones de casas solamente se efectuarían para propietarios que estuviéramos residiendo en la Antigua Ciudad. Esto provocó problemas de acomodo que se fueron resolviendo poco a poco. En cuanto al municipio libre, se obtuvo mediante decreto No. 274, de fecha 14 de septiembre de 1953, expedido por el H. Congreso del Estado, ordenando canje de terrenos entre los dos municipios litigantes.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 |
NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS
A7
ALL AMERICAN FUTURITY TRIALS: QUARTER HORSE RACING
Taking the next step Gus Ruelas / Associated Press
Dallas quarterback Kellen Moore is the backup quarterback the Cowboys hope wont have to take a meaningful snap in 2017, just as he was a year ago before a training camp injury ended his season.
Moore healthy, now the backup for Prescott Moore prepares for 2017 as No. 2 again By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
OXNARD, Calif. — Kellen Moore is the backup quarterback the Dallas Cowboys hope won’t have to take a meaningful snap in 2017, just as he was a year ago before an injury at training camp ended his season. The radical difference since Moore broke his right ankle early last August is the incumbent in front of him: Dak Prescott, whose sensational rookie season kept 10-year starter Tony Romo on the bench when he was ready to return from a back injury and ultimately led the club’s career passing leader to retire and go into broadcasting. The changing face of the franchise didn’t alter Moore’s outlook much. He’s always known his job role either way. “He’s just back here healthy, irregardless of whom the starter was a year ago or who it is now,” offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. “He knows he’s got a significant role for us. I don’t think he’s approaching it any different.” Linehan is the constant through the unexpected transition, and the reason Moore is going into his third season with the Cowboys. Undersized by QB standards (listed generously at 6-foot), the undrafted Moore made a connection with Linehan in Detroit out of Boise State in 2012. Both are from eastern Washington, and Linehan likes to joke about his family’s issues with his close relationship with a hated rival since Linehan went to Idaho. Kidding aside, Linehan simply thinks there isn’t a quarterback smarter than Moore, or better-suited to carry out his game plan. “For me it’s coming up on five of my six years,” the 28-year-old Moore said of his link to Linehan. “You kind of understand the way he thinks of football, his process and his way of thinking and his terminology. All of that stuff kind of adds up when you speak the same language. It’s important.” Moore didn’t take a regular-season snap all three years he was with the Lions, and only got into games with the Cowboys at the end of a lost 2015 season when Romo was hurt most of the season and backups Brandon Weeden and Matt
Cassel failed badly. The 28-year-old Moore lost the final two games as a starter in a 4-12 season, throwing six interceptions in three games overall. But he did have a 400yard passing game in the finale and four touchdowns total. And the Cowboys obviously have faith in him, because they signed him as a free agent coming off the ankle injury. Last season, Moore was one of the voices in an interesting quarterback room for the suddenly blooming Prescott. Romo, whose back injury in a preseason game completed Prescott’s ascension , was in his 14th season; Moore had several years in Linehan’s system; and backup Mark Sanchez had experience as a rookie starter. Instead of sitting in the background with Romo in control, Moore had a much more active role as a voice for Prescott. “Kellen does such a good job just contributing,” said coach Jason Garrett, who was the backup to Troy Aikman when the Cowboys were winning Super Bowls in the 1990s. “And he can contribute a lot of different ways as a backup quarterback, just in that room, making that room feel like it is a good place for the guy that’s starting and everything he goes through and then just having a positive impact on everybody on offense and throughout the team.” It’s easy to forget that Moore’s injury gave Prescott significantly more playing time in the first two preseason games last year. And the former Mississippi State standout impressed enough for the Cowboys to give him the job when Romo went down. Moore isn’t really the type to wonder what might have been without his ankle injury. Mostly he’s just glad to be back in camp, where he has a better appreciation of the gritty daily details after so much idle time last August. “It was your first August where you sat on the couch and watched ‘Fixer Upper’ all day and didn’t really watch football,” Moore said. “It was kind of a weird deal and you had to deal with that. Obviously you’re enjoying it this year.” Even if a backup is all anyone wants him to be.
Courtesy photo file
Juan Medina’s racehorse Eagle Jazz will compete in the All American Futurity trials on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Juan Medina’s Eagle Jazz of Zapata sits one victory away from the illusive triple crown By Bud Denega LAREDO MORNING TIME S
Zapata’s Juan Medina owns racehorses. Quarter horses to be exact. And this weekend at Ruidoso Downs Race Track in New Mexico, Medina and his horse Eagle Jazz are eyeing history. Well the step just prior to history. Eagle Jazz competes in the All American Futurity trials on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in an attempt to book its ticket to the
finals on Labor Day. This qualifying race is significant for the fact that Eagle Jazz has won the first two legs of the quarter horse triple crown. Juan Medina’s horse won the Ruidoso Futurity in mid June and captured the top spot at the Rainbow Futurity in late July. Only one other horse in the history of quarter horse racing has ever claimed the triple crown. Special Effort achieved that feat in 1981. The rare accomplishment comes
with a $4 million bonus on top of the $3 million purse already associated with the All American Futurity. The top 20 horses in qualifying advance to the finals and during the first two events of triple crown, Eagle Jazz won the quaffer and entered the finals with the fastest time. Follow @BudDenega_LMT on Twitter for the latest news on all local sports. Email: JDenega@LMTOnline.com
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
TEXANS’ DJ READER HAS BIG SHOES TO FILL IN 2017
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Texans defensive tackle D.J. Reader has big shoes to fill this season stepping in for the retired Vince Wilfork.
Reader set to replace Vince Wilfork on D-line By Kristie Rieken ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Filling Vince Wilfork’s shoes is daunting. The good news for the Houston Texans and D.J. Reader is that he spent his rookie season being groomed for this job by the nose tackle before he retired this month. Getting to spend a season with Wilfork was a thrill for Reader, who watched him growing up and throughout his career at Clemson. The pair spent hours together on and off the field last year in Wilfork’s second season in Houston after he played for the New England Patriots for 11 seasons. “It helped a lot especially just how to handle
double teams and learning a little bit about how to be a pro and things like that,” Reader said. Reader isn’t intimidated by moving into Wilfork’s spot and actually takes pride in the fact that he’s now starting in the place that the player he always idolized once held. “It feels good for sure,” he said. “Can’t really worry about (comparisons to) him, I just go out there and practice hard and play hard.” Coach Bill O’Brien saw the benefits of the relationship between Wilfork and Reader and knows that he’ll continue to learn this season from other veterans on the defensive line such as superstar defensive end J.J. Watt. “With Vince retiring and not being here, we’ve
still got J.J. in there (as) a great mentor for D.J. and we’ve got some guys in there that do a great job just working together,” O’Brien said. “It was good to have that experience with Vince last year and now he’s having that experience with Watt this year, which is great.” The Texans need Reader to take a step forward this season to man the middle of a line featuring Watt and 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Reader appeared in each game last season and made seven starts while Wilfork was dealing with injuries. He finished with 22 tackles and one sack in his first season after the Texans drafted him in the fifth round following a Clemson career where he played 46 games and had
145 tackles. He’s impressed in camp so far with O’Brien raving about his work in practice. “He’s an excellent player, excellent young player,” O’Brien said. “Tough, strong, plays low to the ground, very smart, good teammate. He’s got all the qualities that you’re looking for in a good player.” The 6-foot-3, 335-pound Reader believes he’s a much different player than he was a year ago. Part of his improvement comes from a mindset of pushing himself to his limits. “It’s about being in every play, playing with effort and technique every single play. Just not stopping,” he said. “No matter how tired you get you’ve still got one more rep in you. I think that’s important.”
A8 | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Taylor Swift hopes her trial win inspires assault victims By James Anderson and Tatiana Flowers A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DENVER — Immediately after a jury determined that Taylor Swift was groped by a radio station host at a backstage 2013 concert event Swift in Denver, the singersongwriter embraced one of her closest allies — her mother — and later said she hoped the verdict would inspire other victims of sexual assault. Swift hugged her crying mother after the six-woman, two-man jury decided Monday in U.S. District Court that
David Zalubowski / AP
Office workers put up a sign in support of Taylor Swift at the end of the civil trial involving the pop singer in a case in federal court Monday in Denver.
former Denver DJ David Mueller grabbed the pop star’s rear end during a photo session four years ago. In keeping with Swift’s
request, the jurors awarded her $1 in damages — an amount her attorney, Douglas Baldridge, called “a single symbolic dollar, the val-
Review: ‘Logan Lucky’ will put a smile on your face By Lindsey Bahr A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
“Logan Lucky " is an easy movie to like, but maybe not love. That’s not to say that “Logan Lucky” has nothing new to offer — it just feels unshakably familiar in a way that could irk some and feel like home to others. The setting for this heist is West Virginia, where Channing Tatum’s Jimmy Logan has just been laid off from his coal mining job because one of the higher-ups spotted him walking around with a limp. Like a distant cousin to Magic Mike, who supplemented waning construction work with stripping, Jimmy Logan is another side of the American dream dashed. Once a high school football star with a promising future, Jimmy has ended up in the same
place where he began, only slightly worse. He’s also got a young daughter, Sadie (a precocious and adorable Farrah Mackenzie), and an ex-wife (Katie Holmes) who has traded up for a middle class husband (David Denman) and may be moving across state lines imminently. His brother, Clyde Logan (Adam Driver) is a slow-talkin’ bartender who lost one of his arms serving in Iraq, but can still make a killer martini when an arrogant NASCAR sponsor played by Seth MacFarlane challenges him. And his sister, Mellie Logan (Riley Keough), is a no-nonsense hairdresser who wears acrylics, drives a stick and has no time for try-hards. The Logans, simply, are not going anywhere anytime soon, which is why they decide to try to take something back from the
institutions that have failed to share the wealth with the people who support them. Their plan? To intercept the cash flow at a big NASCAR race. They gather up some help in an incarcerated demolition savant, Joe Bang (Daniel Craig, who is hilarious), and his knucklehead but shrewdenough brothers Fish (Jack Quaid) and Sam (Brian Gleeson) who say things like they “know all the things there is to know about computers” while playing horseshoes with toilet seats. Suffice it to say, this is not some verite look at the world of coal miners and NASCAR lovers, nor is it an all-out comedy a la “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” Rather, it’s an interesting combination of the two, closest, probably to Adam McKay’s “The Big Short” but a lot sillier.
ue of which is immeasurable to all women in this situation.” Swift issued a statement thanking her attorneys “for fighting for me and anyone who feels silenced by a sexual assault.” “My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard,” she said, promising to make unspecified donations to groups that help sexual assault victims. Nancy Leong, a University of Denver law professor, said the verdict is important because “we are getting to the point in society that women are believed in court. For many decades and centuries, that was not the case.” Leong, who also teaches in the university’s
gender studies program, said the verdict will inspire more victims of sexual assault to come forward. “The fact that she was believed will allow women to understand that they will not automatically be disbelieved, and I think that’s a good thing,” Leong said. Swift’s mother, Andrea Swift, tried to keep the accusation quiet by not reporting the incident to police. Instead, the singer’s management team alerted Mueller’s bosses. But it became public when Mueller sued Swift for up to $3 million, claiming her allegation cost him his $150,000-ayear job at country station KYGO-FM, where he was a morning host.
“I’ve been trying to clear my name for four years,” Mueller told reporters after the verdict, explaining why he sued Swift. “Civil court is the only option I had. This is the only way that I could be heard.” Appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Mueller on Tuesday said he might appeal and insisted he did nothing wrong. U.S. District Judge William Martinez last Friday dismissed claims that Taylor Swift ruined Mueller’s career, ruling that Mueller’s legal team failed to present evidence that the then-23year-old superstar did anything more than report the groping to her representatives, including her mother.
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Business leaders quit Trump Dead rodent found baked panel; he hits back hard By Josh Boak and Michelle Chapman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ripped into the four business leaders who resigned from his White House jobs panel — the latest sign that corporate America’s romance with Trump is faltering — after his equivocal response to violence by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia. “They’re not taking their job seriously as it pertains to this country,” the president said at an impromptu news conference at Trump Tower in New York City. The president denied that his original statement about the violence in Virginia on Saturday was the cause of the departures. Trump also assailed the CEOs who left on Twitter as “grandstanders” and said he had plenty of executives available to take their place. The president added that he believes economic growth in the U.S. will heal its racial divide. But the parade of departing leaders from the informal panel seems closely linked to how the president responded to events that led to the death of a counter-protester that opposed the white supremacists. Among those who’ve left are the chief executives for Merck, Under Armour and Intel and the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing. Alliance president Scott Paul, in a tweet, said simply, “I’m resigning from the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative because it’s the right thing for me to do.” Within minutes of the tweet on Tuesday, calls to Paul’s phone were being sent to voicemail. Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon joined the chorus, saying in a note Monday to employees, “(We) too felt that he missed a critical opportunity to help bring our country together by unequivocally rejecting the appalling actions of white supremacists.” But McMillon, whose business has customers on all sides of the political spectrum, plans to stay on a separate Trump advisory panel and said that the president’s follow-up remarks on Mon-
Richard Drew/AP
This 2015 file photo shows Kenneth Frazier, chairman and CEO of Merck.
Mark Lennihan / AP
This March 13 file photo shows Intel CEO Brian Krzanich.
day that named white supremacists were a step in the right direction. Corporate leaders have been willing to work with Trump on taxes, trade and reducing regulations, but they’ve increasingly found themselves grappling with cultural and social tensions amid his lightning rod-style of leadership. The CEOs who left the council quickly faced his wrath, while those who have stayed have said it’s important to speak with the president on economic issues. Like several other corporate leaders, Alex Gorsky, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, said that intolerance and racism have no place in U.S. society but that he intended to stay on the manufacturing council. “We must engage if we hope to change the world and those who lead it,” he said in a statement. A White House official downplayed the importance of the manufacturing council and a separate policy and strategy forum featuring corporate leaders. The official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations, said the panels were informal rather than a set body of advisers. The departures, the official said,
Richard Drew/AP
This 2011 file photo shows Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour.
Alliance for American Manufacturing/AP
This image shows Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.
were unlikely to hurt the administration’s plans to overhaul taxes and regulations. Many corporate leaders have faced a lose-lose scenario in which any choice involving politics can alienate customers, not to mention a U.S. president who has shown a willingness to personally negotiate government contracts. Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, one of only four African-Americans leading a Fortune 500 company, was the first to tender his resignation Monday. He was assailed almost immediately by Trump on Twitter. Then came resignations from Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank and then Intel CEO Brian Krzanich. On Under Armour’s Facebook page Tuesday, customers who supported Trump threatened to boycott the athletic clothier. Austan Goolsbee, the former chief economist for President Barack Obama, said the departures suggest the president’s response to the violence in Charlottesville could alienate those who work for the companies, and those who buy the products and services that they sell. “It’s certainly a sign that Trump’s more controversial stuff isn’t play-
ing well with companies selling to middle America,” said Goolsbee, now a professor at the University of Chicago. There had already been departures from two major councils created by the Trump administration that were tied to its policies. Tesla CEO Elon Musk resigned from the manufacturing council in June, and two other advisory groups to the president, after the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. Walt Disney Co. Chairman and CEO Bob Iger resigned for the same reason from the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum. The manufacturing jobs council had 28 members initially, but it has shrunk since it was formed earlier this year as executives retire, are replaced, or, as with Frazier, Musk, Plank, Paul and Krzanich, resign. So far, the majority of CEOs and business leaders that are sitting on the two major, federal panels, are condemning racism, but say they want to keep their seats at the table. “Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is unwavering, and we will remain active champions for these efforts,” said a spokesman for Campbell Soup for CEO Denise Morrison. “We believe it continues to be important for Campbell to have a voice and provide input on matters that will affect our industry, our company and our employees in support of growth.” Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg also will remain. So will Michael Dell, the head of his namesake computer company. Both companies contract with the government. AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka said the labor union is “assessing our role” on a council “which has yet to hold any real meeting.” Lawrence Summers, once the chief economist at the World Bank and senior Treasury official, wondered when more business leaders will distance themselves from Trump. “After this weekend, I am not sure what it would take to get these CEOs to resign,” he tweeted. “Demonizing ethnic groups? That has happened.”
into Chick-fil-A sandwich By Julie Shaw THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia-area woman contends that she bit into a Chick-fil-A sandwich last year and discovered something baked into the bun that she hadn’t ordered: a dead mouse. In a lawsuit filed in county court, Ellen Manfalouti said she found the tiny rodent baked into the chicken sandwich her co-worker at Nationwide Insurance brought back for her from one of the chain’s area drivethroughs in November. Manfalouti, 46, had started to eat the sandwich in a conference room at her office when "I felt something funny on the bottom of the bun," she said in an interview Monday. "I turned it over. I said to (my co-worker), ’They burned my roll really bad.’" Her co-worker, Cara Phelan, said that as soon as Manfalouti threw it on the table, "I realized it was a small rodent of some sort. I could see the whiskers and the tail." Manfalouti’s lawyer, Bill Davis, said that he filed the suit last week against Chick-fil-A franchise owner Dave Heffernan and the store because both had "stonewalled" attempts to address the complaint. The suit seeks more than
$50,000 for what it says are physical and psychological injuries Manfalouti has endured since the Nov. 25 episode. Reached Monday, Heffernan said: "We’re not going to make any comment about any allegations. It’s an ongoing allegation and investigation." The Atlanta-based restaurant chain also emailed an identical response, attributing it to Heffernan. According to a laboratory analysis provided by Manfalouti’s lawyer, the animal was a small "rat/mouse," and appeared to have been baked onto the bottom of the bun. Her lawsuit contends the defendants were negligent, saying they "failed to supervise employees who intentionally and/or knowingly served a sandwich to a customer with a dead rodent baked into the bun" and "failed to have proper procedures in place to inspect their own food products before selling them to customers." Davis, in an email Monday, said they decided to file the lawsuit after months of seeking a resolution. He said Chick-fil-A sought to push responsibility onto the franchise owner, the owner said the bakery may have been to blame, and the bakery’s insurance company denied liability.
Police: Couple exploited website glitch for free merchandise ASSOCIATED PRE SS
BRICK, N.J. — Authorities say a New Jersey couple exploited a computer glitch on a home improvement chain’s website to get thousands of dollars’ worth of items shipped to their home for free. Ocean County prosecutors say 40-year-old Kimy Velazquez and his 24-year-old wife, Romela Velazquez, stole enough items from Lowe’s to fill an 18-foot (5.5-meter) trailer. The items ranged from a gazebo to $2,500
worth of underwear. Authorities declined to provide details on the computer glitch. Authorities say the Brick residents tried to get about $258,068 worth of unpaid merchandise overall but received only about $13,000 in merchandise. They say the couple sold the items on Facebook for less than half the original price. It wasn’t known Tuesday if they’ve retained attorneys. A phone number couldn’t be found for them.
A10 | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL
More than 300 dead in Sierra Leone mudslides
China, Russia keep North Korea’s nuclear program funded By Kevin G. Hall MCCLATCHY WASHINGTON
By Clarence Roy-Macaulay
BUREAU
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Lost in all the attention paid to President Donald Trump’s threat of unleashing "fire and fury" on North Korea is his promise to bring the country to heel with tough sanctions. It hasn’t worked so far, because of Russia, China and shadowy middlemen tied to both nations. North Korea has successfully skirted sanctions for two decades and developed a nuclear arsenal thanks to a network of Chinese middlemen, rogue Russian partners and no shortage of people willing to help, even at a steadily escalat-
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Fatmata Kamara had just stepped outside her house before dawn Monday when she saw the muddy hillside collapsing above her. The only thing she could do was run. She was one of the survivors, those who managed to escape the surging mudslides and floodwaters in and around Sierra Leone’s capital that killed more than 300 people, many of them trapped as they slept. Another 600 people are missing, the Red Cross said Tuesday, and the death toll is expected to rise. Thousands lost their homes in the disaster, which was triggered by heavy rains. “I ran away from the house, leaving behind my family,” a grieving Kamara told The Associated Press. “I am the only one that has survived, as my house and dozens of others were covered with mud and boulders.” Rescuers dug with their bare hands through the thick, reddish mud to try to find any survivors in the debris of the homes. Heavy equipment was later brought in, said government spokesman Cornelius Deveaux. The military also was deployed to help. Late Tuesday, Deveaux said that 297 bodies have been recovered so far, including 109 males, 83 females and 105 children. Some bodies were swept into the sea off the coast of the West African nation and have begun
Jane Hahn / NYT
Workers move debris before searching for trapped bodies in the neighborhood of SS Camp, where homes were destroyed by a mudslide in Freetown, Sierra Leone on Tuesday.
washing back ashore. The mortuary of the Connaught Hospital in central Freetown was overwhelmed with the dead. More than 300 bodies of men, women and children were brought there, and many were laid out on the floor. Deveaux said an exact death toll was unknown, and many of the bodies were horribly mangled. President Ernest Bai Koroma said Sierra Leone was in a state of grief and mourning, with many survivors still in shock. He called for seven days of mourning starting on Wednesday. Radio journalist Gibril Sesay said he lost his entire family.
“I am yet to grasp that I survived, and my family is gone,” he said through sobs, unable to continue. Ahmed Sesay, caretaker of a two-story house near the Guma Valley Dam east of the capital, said he was sleeping around 6 a.m. when he felt a vibration. “It was like an earthquake. I ran out of my quarters to the gate of the compound,” he said. “The ground shook and I had to stay outside the compound until daybreak.” An estimated 9,000 people have been affected in some way by the disaster, said Abdul Nasir, program coordinator for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
STR / AFP/Getty Images
This August 11 photo shows North Korean youths and workers and trade union members holding a rally to protest the UN Security Council's "sanctions resolution" at the Youth Park Open-Air theatre in Pyongyang.
ing price. China and Russia have both long eased any pain to North Korea caused by the economic clampdown through a series of in-
vestments that have allowed Pyongyang to direct its cash into weapons programs. China’s General Administration of Customs said in April that trade with North Korea had expanded more than 37 percent in the first three months of 2017, despite tighter global sanctions. Over the weekend, China pledged to halt imports of iron, lead and coal from North Korea. Russia appears to be backfilling what China pulls back, especially North Korean coal, according to reports citing the Russian state-owned news site Sputnik. Indeed, despite years of sanctions, Pyongyang shows no sign of a financial squeeze.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 |
A11
NATIONAL
Deadly rally accelerates removal of Confederate statues By Jesse J. Holland A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
In Gainesville, Florida, workers hired by the Daughters of the Confederacy chipped away at a Confederate soldier’s statue, loaded it quietly on a truck and drove away with little fanfare. In Baltimore, Mayor Catherine Pugh said she’s ready to tear down all of her city’s Confederate statues, and the city council voted to have them destroyed. San Antonio lawmakers are looking ahead to removing a statue from a prominent downtown park. The deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, is accelerating the removal of Confederate monuments in cities across the nation in much the same way that a 2015 mass shooting by a white supremacist led to the end of the Confederate flag being flown on public property. “We should not glorify a part of our history in front of our buildings that really is a testament to America’s original sin,” Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe said Monday after the statue known as “Old Joe” was returned to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which erected it in 1904. Some people refused to wait. Protesters in Durham, North Carolina, used a rope to pull down a nearly century-old statue of a soldier holding a rifle in front of an old courthouse. Many officials who were horrified by the events that killed one person and injured dozens more Saturday in Charlottesville soon began publicizing plans to remove statues. Not everyone is in favor of destruction. A law professor and director of the Center for
Scott Eisen / Getty Images
A worker cleans up broken glass at the New England Holocaust Memorial on Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts.
Teen accused of vandalizing Holocaust memorial faces judge ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Allen Breed / AP
A damaged nearly century-old Confederate statue lies on a pallet in a warehouse in Durham, North Carolina on Tuesday.
Terrorism Law at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio called removal a “slippery slope,” saying judging historical figures through a modern lens can be difficult. “A healthy democracy and people within that democracy should be able to say, ‘This is our history.’ And history is made up of actions of human beings, and human beings aren’t perfect,” said Jeffrey F. Addicott, who stressed he was speaking for himself and not the law school. Statues, he added, can be moved, but he’s opposed to them being “put in a warehouse never to be seen again because then you’re kind of erasing or rewriting history.” The director of public history for Northeastern University in Boston suggested adding context to existing Confederate stat-
ues and adding new statues to mark prominent slavery or lynching sites throughout the South. “I think simply destroying them or removing them and turning them into junk metal, there’s a nihilistic element to that. It’s wiping out history,” Martin Blatt said. “However, looked at from the perspective of African-Americans ... I can understand destruction. In Jacksonville, Florida, City Council President Anna Brosche ordered an immediate inventory of all of the Confederate statues in her city in preparation for their removal. “These monuments, memorials and markers represent a time in our history that caused pain to so many,” she said Monday. Lexington, Kentucky, Mayor Jim Gray moved
up his announcement by a day in reaction to the weekend bloodshed. Memorials to John C. Breckinridge and John Hunt Morgan are perched outside a former courthouse that was the site of slave auctions before the Civil War. San Antonio Councilman Roberto Treviño is promoting a measure that would remove the Confederate statue at the center of Travis Park, where for years people have mistakenly identified the figure as being that of Col. William Travis, a Texas hero who died at the Alamo. “This is not an important art piece, but a monument to power. It was put in to remind people of that power. It is an unfortunate message of hate, and we think it’s important to relocate it,” Treviño said Monday.
BOSTON — A 17-yearold boy who smashed a glass panel at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston was apprehended by an offduty city firefighter and a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who chased the teen as he ran from the memorial Monday evening and held him until police arrived, authorities said. A day later, a witness photographing the damage to the memorial captured images of another person, Said Bouzit, damaging flowers placed there, police said. Bouzit, 37, was taken into custody on vandalism charges. Both suspects were arraigned separately on Tuesday in the latest acts of vandalism this summer at the memorial since almost two months earlier in June, when authorities allege James Isaac used a rock to shatter a roughly 9-foot-tall (3-meter-tall) glass panel on one of the memorial’s six 54-foot-high (16-meter-high) towers. Isaac has pleaded not guilty to vandalism charges. The six glass towers are lit internally and etched with millions of numbers that represent tattoos on the arms of
many Jews sent to Nazi death camps. The repaired memorial was rededicated in July. Barry Shrage, the president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, said at a news conference Tuesday that the vandalism “surpasses any possibility of understanding,” The Boston Globe reported. “(The memorial) represents bodies stacked like cordwood, it represents a million and a half dead children, it represents the ultimate outcome of evil. ...Taking them seriously is essential,” he said. Shrage was among several faith and community leaders and elected officials who condemned the vandalism, including the mayor of Malden, where the teenage suspect is from. The teen, who was not identified, was not held on Tuesday. He was ordered to stay away from the memorial and to return to court on Oct. 10. His attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Bouzit’s bail was set at $5,000. His attorney said Tuesday he has no comment at this time. Authorities are investigating whether either alleged act is a hate crime.
Judge blocks 176-million ton coal US: ‘Zero’ chance of Colorado mine expansion in Montana River water shortage in 2018 By Matthew Brown
By Ken Ritter and Dan Elliott
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
BILLINGS, Mont. — A federal judge has blocked a proposed 176-million ton (159 million-metric ton) expansion of a central Montana coal mine in a ruling that criticized U.S. officials for downplaying the climate change impacts of the project and inflating its economic benefits. U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy issued an order Monday barring Signal Peak Energy from mining in the 11-square mile (28-square kilometer) expansion area at the Bull Mountain coal mine pending a new round of environmental studies. Molloy says the Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining must consider the environmental effects of shipping the fuel to customers in Asia and from the greenhouse gases and other pollutants emitted when the fuel is burned to generate electricity. Courts in Colorado and Montana previously have issued similar rulings about greenhouse gas emissions from mine expansions. In those cases, the expansions ultimately were allowed to proceed following further environmental revieMoves to national green + business wires. s. Molloy’s ruling stems from a 2015 lawsuit filed by the Montana Environmental Information Center, Sierra Club and Montana Elders for a Livable Tomorrow. The groups argued that the
Matthew Brown / AP
In this 2009 file photo, heavy equipment moves coal outside Signal Peak Energy's Bull Mountain mine near Roundup, Montana.
government did not look closely enough at the effects of the expansion on waterways, air pollution and the health of people who live along the coal’s shipping routes. A Signal Peak spokesman said Tuesday that the company was reviewing the ruling, which was not expected to immediately affect operations. Federal mining officials said the proposed expansion would contribute almost $24 million annually in tax revenues. They also said there would be no additional environmental impacts from burning more coal from Bull Mountain because its customers would simply go somewhere else if the expansion were not approved. But Molloy rejected the claim. “This conclusion is illogical, and places the (Interior Department’s) thumb on the scale by inflating the benefits of the action while minimizing its impacts,” the
judge wrote. A representative of one of the plaintiffs in the case, the Montana Environmental Information Center, said Molloy’s ruling underscores the need to address the “real costs that are hidden in the fossil fuel world.” Bull Mountain, located near Roundup, is a major employer in central Montana with more than 250 workers at the underground mine and a coal preparation plant on the site. As much as 95 percent of its coal has been exported in past years, to South Korea, Japan and the Netherlands, according to court volumes. The mine’s production volumes dropped sharply in recent years as overseas coal markets have been in decline. Signal Peak extracted 5.6 million tons of coal last year, down by 35 percent since peaking at 8.7 million tons in 2013, according to company filings with the U.S. Mine Health and Safety Administration.
LAS VEGAS — Heavy winter snows in the Rocky Mountains have rescued the thirsty Western U.S. for another year. U.S. water managers said Tuesday there will be no water cutbacks in 2018 for millions of residents and farmers served by the Lake Mead reservoir on the Colorado River that lies behind the Hoover Dam. “The projection indicates there is no chance of shortage in 2018,” said Rose Davis, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. “Zero.” January water levels are expected to be 8 feet above the point that triggers a drought-shortage declaration on the closely watched lake, according to a key 24-month projection by the water system management agency. The report is a turnabout from a year ago, when the agency projected a 50-50 chance the lake level would fall just below the shortage point of 1,075 feet above sea level. Under the interstate agreements governing the river’s use, a shortage declaration would force officials to cut some water deliveries to Arizona and Nevada. Overall, the river serves more than 40 million people in cities, farms and tribes in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Mexico also gets a share. Davis said conservation and water-banking pro-
John Locher / AP
In this 2014 file photo, lightning strikes over Lake Mead near Hoover Dam at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona.
grams involving Mexico, California, Arizona and Nevada were a main reason the largest constructed reservoir in the U.S. will not fall below the drought shortage point. Water banking allows users to leave some of their water in Lake Mead for later use, with some restrictions. Combined, conservation and water banking have added about 10 feet to the lake level. Snowmelt from heavy snowfall from mountains in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming also boosted the lake’s water level. The report projects a 31 percent chance of a shortage declaration in January 2019. A 1922 interstate agreement allocates a combined 15 million acre-feet of water to the states and Mexico. An acre-foot is about 326,000 U.S. gallons, enough to serve two typical homes for a year in the U.S. West. More than 16 years of drought have taken a
visible toll on Lake Mead, which is currently at 38 percent of capacity while downstream farmers withdraw water to irrigate summer crops. A white mineral “bathtub ring” left behind when the water was higher is visible on rocky shorelines. But Lake Powell, another huge reservoir on the Colorado River upstream from Mead, has improved to 63 percent capacity. That will provide options for water managers who control the water flow from Lake Powell, east of the Grand Canyon, to Lake Mead, west of the national park. Officials have compared the process to pouring water from one teacup to another. A drought shortage declaration would cut 11.4 percent of Arizona’s promised 2.8 million acrefeet allocation, and 4.3 percent of Nevada’s allotted 300,000 acre-feet. The amount of water at stake combined would serve more than 625,000 homes.
A12 | Wednesday, August 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
VOTING From page A1
TRUMP From page A1 know the facts.” And he criticized “altleft” groups that he claimed were “very, very violent” when they sought to confront the white nationalist and Nazi groups that had gathered in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from a park. He said there is “blame on both sides.” “Many of those people were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee,” Trump said. “This week, it is Robert E. Lee and this week, Stonewall Jackson. Is it George Washington next? You have to ask yourself, where does it stop?” he said, noting that the first American president had owned slaves. Trump defended those gathered in the Charlottesville park to protest the statue’s removal, saying, “I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups. Not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists by any stretch.” Trump unleashed a torrent of frustration at the news media, saying they were being “fake” because they did not acknowledge that his initial statement about the Charlottesville protest was “very nice.” Again and again, Trump said that the portrayal of nationalist protesters in the city were not all Nazis or white supremacists, and he said it was unfair to suggest that they were. The president added that blame for the violence in the city — which also took the lives of two Virginia state troopers when their helicopter crashed — should also be on people from “the left” who came to oppose the nationalist protesters. “You had a group on one side and the other, and they came at each other with clubs, and it was vicious and horrible. It was a horrible thing to watch,” the president said. “There is another side. There was a group on this side, you can call them the left. You have just called them the left, that came violently attacking the other group. You can say what you want. That’s the way it is.” He also called the
BURGLARY From page A1
years in jail and a possible $10,000 fine. Zapata Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward to anyone who provides anonymous information that leads to the arrest of Olivares. People who know his whereabouts are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 956-765-9960 or the Zapata Crime Stoppers at 765-TIPS (8477).
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CODE THAT: Muy Pizza-Tejas LLC d/b/a Pizza Hut #33914 HAS FILED APPLICATION FOR A: Wine and Beer Retailer’s Permit SAID BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED AT: 209 North US Highway 83, Zapata, Zapata County, Texas 78076 Owner: Muy Pizza-Tejas LLC James H. Bodenstedt, Manager L-65
disappointed.” The judges gave Texas until the end of the week to decide whether to give its GOP-controlled Legislature the first crack at making the changes or handle the revisions in court. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton signaled that the state will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. For years, Texas has used court-tweaked maps that Republicans rushed to permanently
TEEN From page A1 Jeenah Moon / Bloomberg
A demonstrator holds a sign during the "Defend DACA & TPS" rally outside of Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday.
alleged driver of the car that crashed into the crowd, James Alex Fields Jr., 20, “a disgrace to himself, his family and this country. You can call it terrorism. You can call it murder. You can call it whatever you want.” Fields is being held without bail on charges of murder and malicious wounding in the death of Heather D. Heyer. His first court appearance was on Monday. The president’s breathtaking statements inflamed and stunned people. “White supremacy is repulsive,” wrote House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis. “This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.” “No words,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader, praised Trump’s comments as a condemnation of “leftist terrorists.” “Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth about #Charlottesville,” Duke said in a Twitter post. The president’s raw and emotional eruption during a news conference about repairing infrastructure was a rejection of the more measured language about the unrest that Trump offered in a brief statement on Monday from the White House. In that statement, Trump appeared to distance himself from his earlier claims on Saturday that two sides were to blame for the weekend violence. But on Tuesday, Trump returned to his initial feelings about the subject, which poured out without much prompting from reporters at Trump Tower. “There are two sides to a story. I thought what took place was horrible moment for our country, a horrible moment. But
there are two sides to the country,” the president said. Trump said his initial statement on Saturday was shaped by a lack of information about the events on the ground in Charlottesville, even though television stations had been broadcasting images of the violence throughout the morning. “There was no way of making a correct statement that early,” the president said. “I had to see the facts, unlike a lot of reporters. I didn’t know David Duke was there. I wanted to see the facts.” But Trump also made it clear that even now — with the benefit of hindsight — he does not accept the overwhelming criticism that he should have reserved his condemnation for the white supremacist and Nazi groups. But referring to the reporters assembled, he insisted that he had watched the protests “much more closely than you people watched it.” He said that he believes there were “bad” people on both sides, and he criticized others for being unwilling to say that. “You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent,” the president said. “Nobody wants to say that. I’ll say it right now. You had a group on the other side that came charging in without a permit and they were very, very violent.” Asked whether he considers the alt-left as the same as neo-Nazis, Trump said: “I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups.” And he said it should be “up to a local town, community” to say whether the statue of Robert E. Lee should remain in place.
reports of a broken window at a convenience store on Davis Lane on U.S. 83. The complainant stated
adopt in 2013 after its original ones were thrown out as unconstitutional. But opponents have decried the adopted maps as a quick fix that didn’t purge all districts of the use of gerrymandering — the practice of drawing boundaries to favor one political party over another — in a racially biased way. Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. Justice Department helped challenge some Texas voting rights laws, but the department has largely reversed that position under the
Trump administration. “We appreciate that the panel ruled in favor of Texas on many issues in the case. But the portion of the ruling that went against Texas is puzzling considering the Legislature adopted the congressional map the same court itself adopted in 2012, and the Obamaera Department of Justice did not bring any claims against the map,” Paxton said in a statement. The court is also expected to rule later on whether any changes are needed to Texas’ statehouse maps.
that the suspect broke the front door with an object to enter the business, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He then allegedly took the charity bucket from the counter. Authorities said the incident was captured on
surveillance video. The footage shoes a male wearing a red hoodie, blue jeans and black shoes, the Sheriff’s Office said. An investigation identified Garcia-Minor as the suspect, according to the Sheriff’s Office.