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MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE
ZAPATA COUNTY
Foul play suspected Sheriff’s Office investigates death of baby By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ
from the medical examiner’s office that the boy did not die of natural causes. Del Bosque said foul play is suspected. An investigation is underway. “This is a very serious crime, and The Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office is investigating all leads and acquiring all the necessary evidence to arrest these individual(s) for the crime they commit-
Courtesy photo | Sheriff’s Office
A man reported cattle stolen.
ted to this innocent child,” del Bosque said. “The Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office will work closely with the District Attorney’s Office and prosecute these individual(s) accordingly and to the full extent of the law.” Deputies first responded to an unresponsive child call July 25.
Cattle stolen from LAREDO ranch FOOD BANK RECEIVES DONATION THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo | Zapata County Sheriff’s Office
Roberto Saldivar III, 22 months old, did not die of natural causes, reports state.
A 22-month-old boy from Zapata died recently in a McAllen hospital, authorities said this week. The Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office identified the baby as 1year-old Roberto Saldivar III. Sheriff ’s Office Chief Raymundo del Bosque Jr. said they learned
See BABY PAGE 14A
Suspect allegedly took 14 cows By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Courtesy photo
Community leaders and representatives on Friday gather to announce the donation of over 40,000 pounds of chicken to the South Texas Food Bank from Tyson Foods.
Tyson gives 40,000 pounds of chicken SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The South Texas Food Bank received 40,000 pounds of leg quarters from the Tyson Corporation on Friday morning. This donation occurred on the same day as the food bank’s largest fundraiser of the year later, Empty Bowls IX, which took place later that evening at the Laredo Energy Arena. The Tyson donation came through the contact efforts of Laredoan Roger Rocha, recently elected national LULAC president, and South Texas Food
See FOOD PAGE 14A
Courtesy photo
National LULAC president Roger Rocha, left, and Tyson Foods Chaplain Juan Cantu receive certificates of appreciation from South Texas Food Bank Executive Director Alma Boubel for Tyson’s contribution of 40,000 pounds of leg quarters Friday. Center is truck driver Tammie Minton.
A man landed behind bars recently for stealing cattle from a ranch, the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office said this week. On Aug. 3, the Sheriff ’s Office responded to a theft of livestock call on GUERRA Alejandreñas Road in the Chihuahua subdivision. A man reported to investigators that about 14 head of cattle were stolen from his ranch. Investigators, assisted by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association special rangers unit, worked diligently on the case, officials said. Authorities’ work rendered Rene Guerra as a suspect. On Aug. 14, Guerra was served with warrants for theft of livestock. The offense carries a punishment of up to 10 years behind bars. Guerra was released on bond Tuesday. Investigators said the case remains open as other arrests may be forthcoming. People with information on the case are asked to call the Sheriff ’s Office at 956765-9960 or call Zapata Crime Stoppers 956-765-TIPS (8477). Callers may remain anonymous. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
NATURAL RESOURCES
Barrel of US crude drops below $40 Oil has lowest close since the end of global economic crisis ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — A barrel of U.S. crude oil fell below $40 per barrel for the first time since the end of the global economic crisis. Friday’s fall, to $39.86, was just the latest indicator of a vast shift in the energy landscape over the past year. U.S. Oil bounced back a bit to close down 87 cents at $40.45, the lowest close since March 3, 2009.
The price of oil has fallen for eight consecutive weeks, the longest streak since 1986. Oil is down 34 percent from its high of $61.43 this year, and 62 percent from its high of $107.26 last year. A boom in production has outpaced growth in global oil demand. The U.S. is churning out oil at a rate not seen in decades. Meanwhile, even with sharply lower prices, Saudi
Arabia and other OPEC nations haven’t cut production. Production in the U.S. averaged 9.4 million barrels in the four weeks ending Aug. 14, up nearly 11 percent from a year ago, according to data released this week by the Energy Department. U.S. oil held in storage has reached levels not seen in at least 80
See OIL PAGE 14A
Photo by Gerald Herbert | AP file
In this Feb. 13 file photo, stacks and burn-off from the Exxon Mobil refinery are seen at dusk in St. Bernard Parish, La. A barrel of U.S. crude fell below $40 per barrel on Friday for the first time since the end of the global economic crisis.
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
ASSOCIATED PRESS
District Attorney Isidro “Chilo” Alaniz and J’s Party Town are holding a back-to-school supply drive from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at J’s Party Town, 6516 McPherson Rd. Show receipt of school supplies and redeem it towards riding go-karts and paintball. Faith Lutheran Church rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sale will be at the church’s parish hall at the corner of Seymour and Reynolds. For more information contact Erna Pelto at 763-0138.
Today is Saturday, August 22, the 234th day of 2015. There are 131 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On August 22, 1485, England’s King Richard III was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field, effectively ending the War of the Roses. On this date: In 1787, inventor John Fitch demonstrated his steamboat on the Delaware River to delegates from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. In 1846, Gen. Stephen W. Kearny proclaimed all of New Mexico a territory of the United States. In 1851, the schooner America outraced more than a dozen British vessels off the English coast to win a trophy that came to be known as the America’s Cup. In 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war against Belgium. In 1922, Irish revolutionary Michael Collins was shot to death, apparently by Irish Republican Army members opposed to the Anglo-Irish Treaty that Collins had co-signed. In 1932, the British Broadcasting Corp. conducted its first experimental television broadcast, using a 30-line mechanical system. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon were nominated for second terms in office by the Republican National Convention in San Francisco. In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle survived an attempt on his life in suburban Paris. In 1968, Pope Paul VI arrived in Bogota, Colombia, for the start of the first papal visit to South America. In 1972, President Richard Nixon was nominated for a second term of office by the Republican National Convention in Miami Beach. In 1985, 55 people died when fire broke out aboard a British Airtours charter jet on a runway at Manchester Airport in England. In 1989, Black Panthers cofounder Huey P. Newton was shot to death in Oakland, California. (Gunman Tyrone Robinson was later sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.) Ten years ago: The last Jewish settlers left Gaza, making way for the Palestinian government. Five years ago: Chilean President Sebastian Pinera confirmed that all the miners trapped deep underground for 17 days were still alive after a probe came back with a handwritten note, “All 33 of us are fine in the shelter.” (The miners were rescued the following October.) One year ago: The United Nations reported the death toll from three years of Syria’s civil war had risen to more than 191,000 people. Today’s Birthdays: Heart surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley is 95. Broadcast journalist Morton Dean is 80. Author Annie Proulx is 80. Writer-producer David Chase is 70. CBS newsman Steve Kroft is 70. Country singer Holly Dunn is 58. Singer Tori Amos is 52. Actor Ty Burrell is 48. Celebrity chef Giada DeLaurentiis is 45. Comedian-actress Kristen Wiig is 42. Talk show host James Corden (TV: “The Late Late Show with James Corden”) is 37. Actress Aya Sumika is 35. Thought for Today: “There are mighty few people who think what they think they think.” — Robert Henri, American artist (1865-1929).
MONDAY, AUGUST 24 First day of school for students in the Laredo and United Independent School districts.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25 Azteca Economic Development presents a series of small business workshops. Classes are free and in English at the Goodwill on I-35 and Mann Road from 6–8 p.m. Call 7264462 to register or for more information.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26 Groundwork Laredo is hosting its introductory meeting from 6:30– 7:30 p.m. at PILLAR, 1403 Seymour St. The mission of the organization is to provide support to the LGBT community in Laredo. They would like to extend an invitation to the community to join them so they may learn more about the organization’s developments and what the group has in store for the future.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Spanish Book Club from 6 to 8 p.m. at Laredo Public Library-Calton Road. Contact Sylvia Reash at 7631810. Azteca Economic Development presents a series of small business workshops. Classes are free and in English at the Goodwill on I-35 and Mann Road from 6–8 p.m. Call 7264462 to register or for more information. The Webb County Heritage Foundation will host an opening reception for “New Spain: The Frontiers of Faith,” an exhibit featuring photographic reproductions of rare documents, engravings, paintings and artifacts concerning the conquest and colonization of Mexico and its northern territories from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. For more information, contact the Webb County Heritage Foundation at 956-727-0977 or visit www.webbheritage.org.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 “Imitate Jesus!” is the theme for this year’s convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Corpus Christi. The first of two three-day events at the American Bank Center, 1901 N Shoreline Blvd., will begin at 9:20 a.m. with the English Convention. The keynote address is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. and is entitled “Concealed in Him Are All the Treasures of Wisdom.” The convention is open to the public; no admission fee.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 LCC Fall Student Art Show at the Visual and Performing Arts Center on West End Washington Street from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Come and enjoy the artistic masterpieces created by Laredo Community College art students in the Martha Fenstermaker Memorial Visual Arts Gallery. For more information, contact Christine Rojas at Christine.rojas@laredo.edu or 7215140.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 The Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society will meet from 3 to 5 p.m. at St. John Neumann to discuss the state conference. For more information call Sanjuanita-Martinez Hunter at 722-3497 or visit vsalgs.org for conference info.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Martin High School Class of ’75 40th year reunion from 7 p.m. to midnight at 105 Regal Drive. Contact Yolanda Gonzalez-Robbins at 286-4627 or yolandarobbins@hotmail.com.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Martin High School Class of ’75 40th year reunion from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at The Mirage, 5411 McPherson Rd. Contact Yolanda Gonzalez-Robbins at 286-4627 or yolandarobbins@hotmail.com. RSVP required.
Photo by Kin Man Hut/The San Antonio Express-News | AP
In this photo taken Aug. 8, volunteers walk down a row of grape vines with collection buckets in hand at the Lost Maple Winery at Polvadeau Vineyards in Vanderpool. They are harvesting their largest crop of Black Spanish/Lenior grapes since they’ve started growing them on the property. Lost Maples Winery is the first commercial vineyard in Bandera County.
A good year for wineries By JULIE COHEN SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
COMFORT — On May 23, Bending Branch Winery in Comfort received 13 inches of rain in 12 hours, says John Rivenburgh, Bending Branch’s director of winery and vineyard management. Just down the road at Singing Water Vineyards, those 13 inches turned a picturesque creek into a raging river. “It flows in back of the winery and tasting room. Normally, it’s a little creek and you can dip your ankles in,” said Ann Holmberg, vice president of Singing Water. “Suddenly, it appeared to be 20 feet deep, and the parking lot was a lake.” The San Antonio Express-News reports in total, May clocked in as Texas’ wettest month on record, and the heavy rains were followed by showers in June. For Texas
farmers plagued by years of drought, this deluge seemed like a godsend. Yet, grape growers didn’t see it quite the same way. “The rain put a significant amount of fungal disease pressure on the vines, and if you didn’t catch it early enough or didn’t know what to do, you lost a lot of fruit,” said Carl Hudson, wine educator at 4.0 Cellars. Despite some losses throughout the state, Hudson maintains this will be a banner year for Texas grapes. “It will be the biggest vintage in Texas history, no question,” he said. Great yields, Hudson added, don’t necessarily mean great wine, though. Although there are different views on this, some winemakers argue there’s a finite amount of nutrients per vine, and sometimes greater yields per vine can dilute the flavor.
Death of jailer, 26, No arrests after 2 killed, 2 A dozen trapped dogs die blamed on heart disease hurt in Starr County in Houston house fire HOUSTON — A coroner says a Harris County Sheriff ’s Office jailer who collapsed following an altercation with an inmate died of natural causes. Preliminary autopsy results indicate Officer Tronoski Jones, 26, had atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Jones on Thursday was helping move an inmate from one part of the jail to another when the prisoner made some type of “contact” with Jones and he fell to the floor.
LA GRULLA — Investigators say two men have been killed and two others wounded in South Texas gunfire blamed on a suspect who then fled. Officers responding to calls about gunfire near a highway located a wounded man. Two men were found shot to death inside a pickup truck near the Rio Grande. The other wounded man was near the vehicle. Both injured men were transported to hospitals. Authorities are seeking a motive for the shootings.
HOUSTON — Investigators say a dozen dogs have died following a Houston house fire as the residents ran an errand. Homeowner Martha Caudle says she and her husband went to a hardware store on an errand when a neighbor called to report seeing smoke at their home. Officials say Siberian huskies, schnauzers and a Rottweiler were trapped in the smoke-filled house. Authorities say the family’s cat survived by fleeing into the garage.
Traffic stop yields more than 4 pounds of heroin
2 from Houston allegedly stole 63 pairs of jeans
Texas Gulf Coast is virtually seaweed-free
AMARILLO — A Texas trooper has confiscated about $579,000 worth of heroin found hidden in a car traveling east of Amarillo. The Texas Department of Public Safety said Friday that bundles containing more than 4 pounds of heroin were inside a window cowling.
COLLEGE STATION — Police say two people from Houston have been charged with stealing 63 pairs of jeans and 56 shirts from a Sears in College Station. More than $5,000 worth of clothing was stolen Aug. 11. A manager noticed a large volume of clothing missing.
GALVESTON — A slight shift in ocean currents has spared the Texas Gulf Coast from a seaweed onslaught that left its beaches reeking last summer. Instead, those weedy waves are being found on beaches throughout the Caribbean basin. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Cancer forces Jimmy Carter to slow down ATLANTA — Skin cancer in his brain is forcing Jimmy Carter to slow down, but the 90-yearold former president won’t give up yet on the humanitarian work that sustained him since losing re-election as president 35 years ago. Carter said Thursday that his work isn’t done yet. He plans to keep up with The Carter Center’s progress reports on eradicating Guinea worm disease and other previously neglected tropical maladies. Former aides say that is no surprise from Carter, whose work ethic hasn’t ebbed.
Suspect killed by St. Louis police was shot in back ST. LOUIS — An autopsy showed that an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by an officer helping serve a search warrant
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Former President Jimmy Carter speaks during a news conference about his health after he announced last week that he had cancer, at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Thursday. Carter said doctors have found cancer on his brain. in a violence-plagued neighborhood died from a single wound in the back, police said Friday. St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson cautioned that the location of Mansur Ball-Bey’s wound neither confirms nor disproves two officers’ accounts that Ball-
Bey pointed a loaded gun at them before they shot at him Wednesday. The shooting had set off an evening of violent outcry, with authorities saying at least nine people were arrested and property was damaged. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local and State
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Coke seized at traffic stop Man arrested By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A recent routine traffic stop in Zapata yielded street-level narcotics, officials said this week. Identified as the suspect, Roberto Cadena, 44, was arrested and charged with
possession of a controlled substance, a second-degree felony punishable with up to 20 CADENA years in prison. Cadena was released on
bond Aug. 7. Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office deputies said the case unfolded Aug. 5, when they stopped a Ford Expedition bearing Texas license plates for a traffic violation. Further investigation revealed the driver, Cade-
na, was in possession of a plastic baggy containing 4.2 grams of a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, reports state. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
for domestic violence By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Museum builds 26-foot treehouse By STEVE BENNETT SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
SAN ANTONIO — Sort of a cross between a Hobbit house, a beach hut and a pirate ship, the DoSeum Treehouse seems to have sprouted from the ground in the children’s museum’s eastyard “quiet zone.” “These ideas tend to grow organically,” said Attie Jonker, the local artisan who designed and built the 26-foot-tall treehouse, a process that took more than two years. “The museum’s criteria was that they wanted something warm and whimsical, something magical.” “Treehouses appeal to our sense of adventure, discovery and a dream to travel to far-off, exotic places,” DoSeum CEO Vanessa Lacoss Hurd told the San Antonio Express-News. The treehouse, she said, “gives kids the ownership over their learning. They get to decide what the treehouse is through imaginative play. . The kids decide what role they want to play, what setting they are in and act out their own scenes.” While its magic and whimsy come from its design, the treehouse’s warmth radiates from the wood: repurposed live oak, juniper, red cedar and wallaba shingles. Every inch of wood surface was cut, shaved, sanded and finished by hand by Jonker’s nine-man crew
Photo by Steve Bennett/The San Antonio Express-News | AP
This Aug. 13 photo shows the DoSeum Treehouse, built by local wood artisan Attie Jonker, featureing a spiral, or helix, ramp that can accommodate the disabled all the way to the top platform. Jonker spent a year-and-a-half on design and engineering for the treehouse. from Azzanarts, his San Antonio-based company that builds everything from backyard decks and bridges to gazebos and treehouses. Over the past 10 years, Jonker, a lanky, 39-year-old South African with hands like hammers and a friendly, easygoing manner, has built 26 treehouses in Central and South Texas. “Only two of them are actually in a tree,” he said. “There just aren’t that many trees large enough in the area to support a big treehouse.” The DoSeum Treehouse rests on black steel tubing and beams, with a groundlevel concrete alcove that kids can play in. Eighty feet of wooden ramp — wide enough for
kids in wheelchairs — gradually spiral around the central shingled structure to a top observation deck that overlooks the Children’s Stream, a 5-foot-wide, 3-inchdeep waterway with stepping-stones, sluice gates, wood bridges and shaded paths specifically designed for young children. On the platform, beams open onto a large, shingled dome topped with a metal cap, which Jonker said was inspired by the black heron, a bird that hunts by spreading its large wings like a cape. Unique architectural elements and details open up everywhere a visitor turns. “I like to have lots of eye candy,” Jonker said. The “whole concept” with
the helix ramp was “to get kids in wheelchairs up to the top,” he said. “They’re always stuck at the bottom, looking up, and we wanted to give them the opportunity to get up there with the other kids. The heart of the treehouse business is to inspire young people that they can do anything.” Cable shows such as Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters” are a reflection of how hot the treehouse business is, Jonker said. When he started building treehouses in 2004, he averaged two a year; last year, he built four. Next year, he plans to build eight, most in private yards. “Everybody wants a treehouse,” said Jonker, who started building photo safari camps and lodges — 7 or 8 feet up off the ground — in the bush in Botswana at age 17. “I had to rely on the natural resources around me to make them feel like the bush,” he said. He met his wife, Christina, a San Antonian, there and moved here more than a decade ago. “It took a while to adjust,” he said. “I started doing some remodeling and building decks, and it evolved into treehouses.” Jonker said his goal with his treehouses is to inspire. “Our kids grow up in a plastic world, and the need to be exposed to nature,” he said.
A man was arrested recently for assaulting a person he knows, according to the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office. AuthorVILLARREAL ities identified the suspect as Ramiro Villarreal, 27. He was charged with assault by impeding breath. The third-degree
felony carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison. On Aug. 5, deputies said they responded to a domestic disturbance at about 9 p.m. in the 1100 block of Juarez Avenue. An investigation revealed probable cause to arrest Villarreal. Villarreal was taken to the Zapata Regional Jail, where he posted bond Aug. 7. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Texan detained in Mexico ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — The government’s human rights commission said Friday it is investigating claims that Mexican immigration agents illegally detained a U.S. woman and two 17-year-old boys and tried to extort money from them. The commission said the three were detained Monday in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco while returning from a visit to relatives. They were travelling on a bus when they were stopped. Immigration agents frequently stop buses in the area to check for illegal Central American migrants.
Mexico’s Immigration Institute denied there was any abuse. It said the three weren’t carrying passports and were taken in to determine their nationality and whether they were in the country legally. The rights commission identified the woman as Diana Leal, 39, of Texas. It did not give her hometown or identify the minors. The woman is the mother of one of the boys, but not the other. The immigration agency said agents became suspicious when she acknowledged she wasn’t the mother of one of the boys and could not supply custodial documents. The boy’s biological mother is Mexican.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Ignoring the law proves painful for clerk, county AUSTIN — You know what’s worse than having to pay a lawyer? Having to pay the other side’s lawyer. Hood County Clerk Katie Lang now has learned about that to the tune of $43,872.10. That’s how much her side has paid to the lawyers of a couple of guys to whom she initially refused to grant a marriage license. You might remember Lang as the North Texas county official who said her religious beliefs prevented her from doing what should be one of the most joyous tasks of her official county job: issuing marriage licenses. When the U.S. Supreme Court said men can marry men and women can marry women Lang, citing her religious beliefs, said not in her county. You also probably remember that Jim Cato and Joe Stapleton — Hood County ranchers who’ve been in what they call a committed relationship for 27 years — showed up at Lang’s office and were denied a marriage license by Her Clerkness, who seems to believe that public officials can ignore any law they choose to ignore, a position encouraged in this situation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Kind of an odd belief even if based on religious beliefs, isn’t it? When push came to shove — defined as when the lawyers showed up — Lang saw the light, and Cato and Stapleton now have been pronounced husband and husband or whatever they choose to call themselves. Best wishes to them. Under threat of a lawsuit Lang was sure to lose, she issued the marriage license despite her religious objection to samesex marriage. The lawsuit has been dropped, and we now know the cost of the delay. “Cato and Stapleton were subjected to degrading and disrespectful treatment and unnecessary and malicious delay in issuing their marriage license,” their lawyers said in a statement, “causing them significant emotional and mental distress and requiring them to hire lawyers to enforce their rights.” Those lawyers said Hood County could have faced more than half a million dollars in damages and lawyer fees. But the newlyweds opted to drop the suit and, in the settlement, their lawyers gave Hood County a dis-
“
KEN HERMAN
count on what the lawyers said were more than 150 hours expended working on the case. Austin lawyers Jan Soifer, Pat O’Connell and Austin Kaplan, who represented Cato and Stapleton, said the $43,872.10 Hood County agreed to pay them represented a 50 percent price break. Who said lawyers don’t have a heart? In what had to be particularly sweet for Soifer, who is the Travis County Democratic Party chairwoman, the lawyers said they donated a portion of their fee to the Equality Texas Foundation, which advocates for equal legal protection for gays. I’m guessing many folks in Hood County wouldn’t have been happy with a line item in the county budget for a nice donation to a foundation that advocates for legal protection for gays. But that, in effect, is what Lang accomplished for them. It could have been more expensive. “Clerk Lang is fortunate that the Hood County commissioners agreed to resolve the lawsuit now to save her from dealing with the additional expense and significant financial exposure her actions caused the taxpayers of her county,” Soifer said in announcing the settlement. To add some perspective to the $43,872.10 payment to the lawyers, let’s note that Hood County spends about that much a year for voter registration efforts. Wouldn’t it have been nice if the money that went to the lawyers as a result of Lang’s attempt to violate the Supreme Court ruling went instead for something fun like voter registration? It’s painful indeed to pay the other side’s lawyers. But the pain is lessened, I guess, when you get to pay it with other people’s money, which is what the Hood County commissioners did when they used public funds to pay for their clerk’s misguided attempt to put her personal beliefs above everybody’s law. Come budget time, they might want to look at deducting that from Lang’s $62,946 annual salary. (Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. kherman@statesman.com)
EDITORIAL
New drone rules are needed THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER
In June, a Southwest Airlines pilot looked down as he approached Love Field in Dallas to see a drone just “a few hundred feet” away. This month, an American Airlines pilot descending toward Phoenix Sky Harbor airport got a surprise at 7,000 feet. A hobbyist’s black-and-yellow drone buzzed nearby, just 100 feet below the plane’s nose. Just last Sunday, there were 12 incidents across the country of drones flying too close to airplanes or airports, according to The Washington Post. The good news: All the planes involved landed safely. The troubling news: Despite these incidents and hundreds of others, the Federal Aviation Administration continues to move slowly in adopting new
drone regulations. The popularity of the pilotless aircraft is exploding — not only for personal fun, but commercial and government use. That surge, however, has not been met with federal rules assuring that they’re used safely. After dragging its feet, the FAA finally proposed new regulations in February. The 60-day comment period on those proposals has long passed. Next are public meetings this month and next month to discuss “innovation and opportunities.” Final regulations seem far from imminent. Certainly, crafting a new set of rules is a delicate, difficult balancing act. Regulations need to accommodate safety and privacy concerns, but rigid restrictions might stifle the potential for drones to be a valuable tool for commerce.
Already, drones are put to a wide variety of good uses. Farmers are beginning to utilize them to check crops, and foresters are doing the same for timber. Law enforcement officials also are realizing their promise, as are media. This week, Duke Energy officials told The Charlotte Observer that the utility is testing drones for purposes like surveying power lines. The new rules are bound to put a crimp in some of those pursuits. The FAA’s February proposals would require that drones weigh no more than 55 pounds, fly no higher than 500 feet and travel no faster than 100 mph. Drone operators would have to be at least 17 years old and certified, and drones would not be allowed to drop anything from the sky. One proposal that’s already drawn objection: Op-
erators would be required to always be able to see the aircraft without the aid of binoculars or cameras. For companies like Google and Amazon that are pursuing drone projects involving delivery of goods, that would be a big blow. For now, however, that makes sense. Drones can’t sense and avoid collisions on their own. Even when operators can see them, they can’t always control them. Some are ending up in unintended places, like the White House lawn. As drones become sophisticated and their operators more capable, we can envision rules expanding commercial use of the aircraft, so long as operators are licensed like other pilots. First, though, the FAA has to establish a base of reasonable safety and privacy regulations — and soon — before a close call becomes a catastrophe.
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Hillary goes through another week of email problems By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
Hillary Rodham Clinton’s email problem just keeps getting worse. For the second straight week, the Democratic presidential frontrunner found the private email server that she used during her time as a secretary of state at the center of a national conversation about whether she was being entirely candid and how much damage she might be doing to her presidential campaign. The centerpiece of Clinton’s week was a news con-
ference she held after a campaign event in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. She found herself in a heated back-and-forth with Fox News Channel’s Ed Henry over whether she or her allies had “wiped” the private server clean before turning it over to the FBI. “Like with a cloth or something?,” Clinton responded — somewhere between sarcastically and somewhat unknowingly. She quickly ended the news conference — it ran less than five total minutes — but as she was leaving decided to respond to a shouted question about
whether she was worried that the issue would linger for the duration of the campaign. “Nobody talks to me about it ... other than you guys,” Clinton said. Within 24 hours of that comment, CNN had released polling showing that 56 percent of voters nationwide thought Clinton had done something wrong in regards to her email server. Later in the week, polling in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida showed that only 1 in 3 voters in those states thought the words “honest” and “trustworthy” described Clinton.
While the Clinton campaign insisted everything was going to plan, cracks began to appear as jittery Democrats publicly wondered where the email story would end up. “It is a problem,” Rep. Michael E. Capuano (DMass.) told the Boston Globe on Thursday. “She must know that.” Hillary Clinton, for apparently not knowing that, you had the Worst Week in Washington. Again. Congrats, or something. (Chris Cillizza writes “The Fix,” a politics blog and also covers the White House.)
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written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY (1984) | GARRY TRUDEAU
State
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Researchers work to preserve artifacts By SAM PESHEK THE EAGLE OF BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION
BRYAN — Donny Hamilton’s hands have been covered in some kind of dirt or grime for most of the past 38 years. Throughout his time as director of Texas A&M University’s Conservation Research Lab, he has inspected centuries-old wooden ship parts, lifted Civil Warera cannons out of chemically treated mixtures, chipped away at exteriors of cast iron mechanical parts, arranged 350-year-old wooden ship wreckage in freeze dryers, made epoxy casts out of boat hooks and meticulously logged each artifact he has handled into an expansive file system with an X-ray photograph and a brief description. When nature erodes and tears artifacts apart, Hamilton and a team of researchers and graduate students at the lab piece them back together. He tells visitors he has the most interesting job at the university, and tucked in the corner of A&M’s Riverside campus in what used to be a firehouse on a decommissioned Air Force base, his lab is also one of the school’s best-kept secrets. Hamilton and his team are busy this summer with seven conservation projects, and despite the long hours of at-times tedious work, they are eager to solve Texas history’s mysteries. “We have two sayings around here,” Hamilton told The Eagle of Bryan-College Station. “If you didn’t get dirty doing it, then it wasn’t worth doing, and if you didn’t get dirty doing it, you didn’t do it here.” One of the lab’s current projects, the restoration of French explorer Robert de La Salle’s ship, the Belle, is in its 18th and final year. The ship sank in Matagorda Bay in 1686 after La Salle’s failed attempt at starting a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi River. La Salle was mutinied by Pierre Duhaut in an ambush while another one of his men, Jean L’Arche-
veque, distracted him. The widely held belief is that La Salle died near present-day Navasota, but some say he was killed near Texas 21 and OSR, which would put him within sight of where his old flagship was restored. Hamilton also came into personal contact with part of the history he helped bring back to life. During his uncle’s funeral three years ago, Hamilton said a variation of the name L’Archeveque stood out to him on the list of names of pallbearers. It turned out to be his second cousin, once removed. “I thought it was interesting there was someone from the Belle I was related to by marriage,” Hamilton said. The excavation of the Belle in 1997 yielded more than 1 million artifacts for the CRL, from as large as the ship’s 54-foot hull to small beads that needed to be sorted by color and documented by hand. With the
Photo by Sam Craft/College Station Eagle | AP
In an Aug. 7 photo, Algae and other sea debris covers what is called a "6 pound cannon" from CSS Georgia that was destroyed on Dec. 21, 1864, near Savannah as Texas A&M Conservation Research Lab Director Donny Hamilton looks over the gun at the Texas A&M Riverside Campus in Bryan. ship now on display at the Bullock Museum in Austin, all that remains to be restored are some firearms and swords. “We conserve an awful lot of the cultural history of
Texas here,” Hamilton said. While the CRL’s work often contributes to Texas historical projects, a portion of its work is contracted from other states. As the Belle project
draws to a close, the main focus will soon turn to the vats outside the lab where four cannons pulled from the Confederate ironclad CSS Georgia await electrolysis as part of a two-year pro-
ject to remove the growth from the cannons and bring them back to life for public display. The two Brooks cannons, one 10,000-pound Georgia foundry Dahlgren cannon and one “six pound” cannon, were placed in the CRL’s possession in late July as part of a channel-deepening project on the Savannah River in Georgia. Hamilton said the cannons in the CRL’s possession and others that could still be inside the wreckage already have a story tell. “You can read about the La Salle shipwreck and the CSS Georgia, but through archaeology, you can touch history,” Hamilton said. “You can actually see the artifacts that were being used by the people.” On the opposite end of the CRL grounds, a “jigsaw puzzle” of remnants from the Civil War ship the USS Westfield, are being reassembled by a team led by student Justin Parkoff.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera OFICINA DEL ALGUACIL DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA
Ribereña en Breve
Investigación
HORARIOS El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Zapata informa los horarios de entrada y salida para el ciclo escolar 2015-2016. El horario de entrada para las escuelas primarias (Benavides, Zapata South, Zapata North, Villarreal) será a las 7:45 a.m. y la salida a las 3:15 p.m. En Zapata Middle School el horario de entrada será a las 7:45 a.m. y la salida a las 3:24 p.m. En Zapata High School la hora de entrada será a las 7:45 a.m. y la salida a las 3:36 p.m. El primer día de clases es el lunes 24 de agosto.
SÁBADO 22 DE AGOSTO DE 2015
POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Un niño de 22 meses de edad de Zapata murió recientemente en un hospital de McAllen, dijeron autoridades esta semana. La Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata identificó al menor como Roberto Saldivar III. El Jefe de la Oficina del Alguacil, Raymundo del Bosque Jr., dijo que descubrieron a través de la oficina del médico forense que el menor no murió de causas natu-
rales. Del Bosque dijo que se sospecha de violencia. Una investigación está en proceso. “Este es un crimen muy grave, y la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata está investigando todas las pistas y adquiriendo toda la evidencia necesaria para el arresto de esta persona (s) por el crimen cometido a este inocente niño”, dijo del Bosque. “La Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata trabajará de cerca con la Oficina del Fiscal de
Distrito para procesar a la persona (s) de acuerdo a todo el peso de la ley”. Los oficiales respondieron a una llamada sobre un niño inconciente el 25 de julio. El menor fue llevado a Rio Grande Regional Hospital en McAllen vía aérea. El menor murió cinco días después, el 30 de julio. A Saldivar le sobreviven sus padres y otros familiares, señala su obituario. Un servicio en su memoria fue celebrado el 13 de agosto en Rose
Garden Funeral Home en Zapata. Un usuario, identificado como Jose E. Vela, expresó sus condolencias a la familia en el sitio de Internet de la funeraria. “(Es) muy triste perder a un buen y lindo angelito. Dios lo arrope en el cielo y le de descanso eterno. Nuestras plegarias y pensamientos especiales a todos sus familiares. Bendiciones para todos”, dijo Vela en la publicación. (Localice a César G. Rodriguez en 728-2568 o en cesar@lmtonline.com)
CIUDAD DE GUERRERO, MÉXICO
RINDEN HOMENAJE
TORNEO El Torneo Anual de Pesca Infantil ‘Back to School’ organizado por la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata, en su quinta edición, se realizará el sábado 22 de agosto. El evento se realizará de 7 a.m. a 3 p.m. en Bravo Park Pond. Se están aceptando patrocinadores desde 300 dólares hasta 2.000 dólares. Para más información contacte a la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata, ubicada en 601 N. US Hwy 83 o llamando al (956) 7654871.
BANCO DE UNIFORMES MIGUEL ALEMÁN, México— La Cámara Nacional de Comercio invita a la comunidad de Miguel Alemán a participar en el banco de uniformes para apoyar a los estudiantes de bajos recursos. Se solicita donación de uniformes en buen estado de cualquier grado, desde guardería, jardín de niños, primaria, secundaria y hasta preparatoria. El acopio se lleva a cabo en las instalaciones de la CANACO Miguel Alemán.
ARRESTO Un joven de 19 años fue arrestado en el municipio de San Fernando, acusado de homicidio con agravio de quien fuera su novia. Raymundo Robles Gómez, fue arrestado el jueves en las inmediaciones del ejido Miguel Hidalgo. Durante su arresto se decomisó una puntilla de 17 centímetros de largo. De acuerdo con reportes Robles Gómez dijo que portaba el artículo para su seguridad. Supuestamente, Robles acordó hablar con las autoridades del Ministerio Público, aceptando el homicidio de Lizeth Hernández Vega, el 14 de julio. De acuerdo con reportes el incidente “fue lamentable accidente, la pistola que traía ese día se disparó cuando la abrazó para despedirse de ella”, señala un comunicado. Jorge Alberto Pérez González y Jorge Luis Cena Rodríguez fueron arrestados y acusados de robo y venta de hidrocarburos, en el municipio de Reynosa. Durante el arresto se decomisaron 1.620 litros de hidrocarburo denominado “wachacol”, el cual transportaban en 14 bidones con capacidad de 20 y 200 litros respectivamente, así como dos vehículos marca Nissan, uno de los cuales tiene reporte de robo, señalaron autoridades estatales. Supuestamente los detenidos dijeron pertenecer a un grupo delictivo del área. Su trabajo serí la venta y distribución del combustible, añade un comunicado. Su detención ocurrió en calles de la colonia Luis Donaldo Colosio.
Foto de cortesía | Municipio de Guerrero
Autoridades de la Ciudad de Guerrero, Tamaulipas, se reunieron para rendir homenaje al personaje histórico José Bernardo Maximiliano Gutiérrez de Lara Uribe, por el aniversario de su natalicio, el jueves. Junto a los oficiales municipales estuvieron autoridades educativas, federales, personal del DIF y COMAPA, entre otros. El evento involucró un número cívico en la plaza en honor a Gutiérrez de Lara Uribe.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
POLICÍA
Mueren cuatro tras Arrestan sujeto, enfrentamiento dijo ser de milicia POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Cuatro sospechosos armados murieron el miércoles durante un enfrentamiento contra la marina de México en Nuevo Laredo, México, de acuerdo con reportes. Autoridades de Tamaulipas no identificaron a los hombres, pero dijeron que su edad estaba entre los 20 y 40 años. Añadieron que los hombres eran integrantes de un grupo criminal organizado. Reportes señalan que el incidente ocurrió cuando las tropas estaban patrullando por la colonia Oradel al oeste de Nuevo Laredo. En la intersección de avenida Memphis y calle Wall, marinos mexicanos chocaron contra un vehículo Dodge Ram 1500 y un Chrysler Voyager, que presuntamente transportaban a los sospechosos. Ambos vehículos tenían placas de Texas, señalan los reportes. Tiradores abrieron fuego mientras intentaban eludir a las autoridades. Sin embargo, los marinos regresaron el fuego, dando muerte a cuatro hombres. Dos hombres vestían chalecos antibalas color verde. Todos estaban armados con rifles de asalto, señalan reportes. Au-
toridades dijeron que de la Ram decomisaron un clip cargado. El miércoles, autoridades de Tamaulipas también anunciaron el arrestos en Nuevo Laredo, de un supuesto traficante, identificado como Manuel Guillén Zúñiga. Fue arrestado en Calle Incas y avenida Agustín Rodríguez, al oeste de Nuevo Laredo. Las autoridades dijeron que a Guillén Zúñiga le decomisaron nueve bolsas pequeñas con cocaína, tres bolsas pequeñas con marihuana y 250 pesos, alrededor de 16 dólares.
Mujer herida Recientemente Nuevo Laredo ha visto una ola de violencia. El sábado, una mujer de San Antonio recibió un disparo en la cabeza. Ella fue identificada como Virginia Valenzuela de Medina, de 36 años. Al principio Valenzuela fue transportada al Hospital General en Nuevo Laredo. Más tarde, fue llevada al Puente Internacional Lincoln-Juarez, donde paramédicos de Laredo la transportaron a Laredo Medical Center. Entonces, Valenzuela fue transportada vía aérea a San Antonio Military
Medical Center, donde fue enlistada en grave condición el martes, de acuerdo con reportes. La policía de Laredo dijo que un hombre desconocido disparó a Valenzuela después de que ella y su sobrina dejaran un consultorio dental en Nuevo Laredo. La bala no tocó órganos principales, dijo la policía.
Alerta “El Departamento de Estado advierte a los ciudadanos estadounidenses sobre el riesgo de viajar a ciertos lugares en México debido a las amenazas a la seguridad planteadas por grupos criminales del país”, se lee en una alerta de viaje a México que el Departamento de Estado emitió en mayo. Para Tamaulipas, la advertencia señala que delitos violentos — homicidios, asaltos armados, robo de auto con violencia, extorsión y agresión sexual — tienen un importante riesgo de seguridad. “Los conflictos violentos entre elementos rivales y/o con el ejército mexicano pueden ocurrir en cualquier parte de la región a cualquier hora del día”, se lee en la advertencia. (Localice a César G. Rodriguez en 7282568 o en cesar@lmtonline.com)
POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Un autoproclamando integrante de la milicia de Texas que fue arrestado el jueves por Zacate Creek con cargos por armas, dijo que estaba en el área proporcionando seguridad, de RIVERA acuerdo con un reporte de la policía de Laredo obtenido el jueves. Tomas Ismael Rivera, de 20 años de edad, supuestamente ofreció proporcionar seguridad voluntariamente a causa del tráfico ilegal por la casa de un amigo. El Departamento de Policía de Laredo (LPD, por sus siglas en inglés), Patrulla Fronteriza (BP, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Webb (WCSO, por sus siglas en inglés), creen que encontrar a un integrante de la milicia en el área es raro. El investigador Joe E. Baeza, portavoz de LPD, dijo que el departamento nunca había arrestado a nadie que sostuviera ser un integrante de la milicia de Texas. Patrulla Fronteriza dijo que esta podría ser la primera vez que agentes en el Sector Laredo encuentran a un autoproclamado in-
tegrante de la milicia. Independientemente, la agencia no “estimula o apoya ninguna organización o grupo privado para tomar los asuntos de seguridad fronteriza en sus propias manos”, se lee en una declaración emitida el miércoles por Patrulla Fronteriza. El Jefe de la Oficina del Alguacil, Federico García dijo que aunque los oficiales no han encontrado militantes en el Condado de Webb, estas personas pueden crear una sensación de inseguridad para un oficial. Garza dijo que uno de los problemas es que los miembros de la milicia están escondidos en la maleza, vestidos como militares. “Sentimos que estamos en desventaja. Los elementos del orden están… tratando de identificar quienes son”, dijo el jefe. “Cuando las personas quieren hacer esto y actúan como oficiales del orden, se convierten en un problema para los encargados de hacer cumplir la ley. Dejen a los oficiales manejar la parte del orden. Pienso que somos muy capaces de hacerlo”.
Caso Rivera fue arrestado el miércoles alrededor de las 12:30 a.m. en la cuadra 300 de calle Cortez. Alrededor de las 11 p.m. del martes,
la policía respondió a una ubicación después de recibir un reporte sobre una persona armada. La policía se reunió con un agente de Patrulla Fronteriza, quien apuntó a un hombre vestido ya sea con uniforme militar o táctico. Más tarde identificado como Rivera, también vestía chaleco táctico y tenía un rifle largo, una funda lateral, un cuchillo Bowie, un dispositivo dispensador de productor químicos y otro equipo táctico, señalan reportes. Después, la policía habló con el hombre que reside en Cortez. Le dijo a la policía que había estado llamando a la Patrulla Fronteriza para reportar actividad ilegal en su área, pero que los agentes nunca llegaron o llegaron demasiado tarde. Harto, llamó a Rivera. Los informes indican que esta no era la primera vez que Rivera se ofreció a proporcionar seguridad. La policía acusó a Rivera de dos cargos de transporte ilegal de un arma y dos cargos de arma prohibida. Autoridades presuntamente incautados un largo rifle, una Glock calibre .45, un bastón, un chaleco táctico y un cuchillo Bowie, entre otros equipos a Rivera. (Localice a César G. Rodriguez en 728-2568 o en cesar@lmtonline.com)
Nation
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Mistrial in officer’s trial By TOM FOREMAN JR. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by John Bazemore | AP
U.S. Army First Lt. Shaye Haver, center, and Capt. Kristen Griest, right, pose for photos with other female West Point alumni after an Army Ranger school graduation ceremony Friday, at Fort Benning, Ga.
Women pass Ranger School By RUSS BYNUM ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT BENNING, Ga. — The first two women to pass the Army’s notoriously difficult Ranger School impressed male classmates left in their dust during road marches and proved their mettle as teammates by helping carry heavy weapons when others were too fatigued to lift another ounce. As the Pentagon weighs a decision on allowing women to serve in combat jobs long held by men only, a Ranger School comrade offered a blunt assessment of Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver as they spoke to reporters Thursday. “They can serve by my side anytime because I know I can trust them,” 2nd Lt. Erickson Krogh said. “Especially these two. I’d have no qualms about serving with them in combat.” Griest, 26, of Orange, Connecticut, and Haver, 25, of Copperas Cove, Texas, became the first women to wear the Army’s coveted Ranger tab as they graduated alongside 94 male soldiers Friday at Fort Ben-
ning. Despite proving their grit in the two-month Ranger course, the two women are still unable to join infantry, armor and special forces units — including the 75th Ranger Regiment. That could change next year after the Pentagon makes its recommendations. At a news conference Friday, the women stopped short of saying they earned a place in combat units by finishing the notoriously grueling two-month Ranger course — something only about 3 percent of Army soldiers accomplish. But Griest said she hopes the achievement at least carries some weight in the final decisions. “I’m definitely interested to see what new doors do open up for women,” said Griest, a military police officer and Afghanistan veteran stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. She said she might be interested in a special forces career if that path was open to her. Haver, an Apache helicopter pilot stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, said she plans to stick with aviation.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina judge declared a mistrial Friday after a jury deadlocked in the case of a white police officer charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of an unarmed black man. Judge Robert C. Ervin declared a mistrial in the case of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer Randall Kerrick after four days of deliberations. Ervin brought the racially diverse jury of eight women and four men back into the Mecklenburg County courtroom around 4:10 p.m. The foreman said they continued to be deadlocked 8-4, and he saw no possibility of reaching a verdict. “Honestly, we have exhausted every possibility,” the foreman said. Defense attorney George Laughrun called for the mistrial because jurors were at an impasse after deliberating for 19 hours. Prosecutors asked Ervin to urge the jury to continue its deliberations. Outside the courthouse, a handful of protesters lay down in the middle of the street to protest the decision. Several shouted “No justice, no peace” at members of Kerrick’s family as they left the courthouse. They were still in the street an hour later. Kerrick had faced up to 11 years in prison. Prosecutor Adren Harris said officials will review the case and consider whether to retry it. Laughrun had no comment as he left the courtroom. Kerrick also said nothing as he exited, carrying a cardboard box in his left arm, with his wife following him. Jurors made no comments to reporters as they left. Prosecutors said nonlethal force should have been
Photo by Davie Hinshaw /The Charlotte Observer | AP, Pool
Randall Kerrick and his wife Carrie talk with attorney George Laughrun while waiting for the courtroom to clear before leaving after Superior Court Judge Robert Ervin declared a mistrial in the voluntary manslaughter trial of officer Kerrick in Charlotte, N.C. on Friday. used to subdue Jonathan Ferrell, a former Florida A&M football player, in September 2013. Two officers with Kerrick didn’t fire their guns. But Kerrick’s attorneys said the officer feared for his life when he shot and killed Ferrell while responding to a breakingand-entering call. The case was one of several in recent years that raised questions about police use of deadly force against black men. Police say Ferrell wrecked his car on the morning of Sept. 14, 2013, went to a nearby house and banged on the door, apparently seeking help. The resident called police, and three officers responded. Investigators say one deployed his Taser without apparent effect on Ferrell before Kerrick fired 12 shots, 10 of which hit him. Kerrick testified that he repeatedly fired because Ferrell kept charging at him and he didn’t think his weapon was even working. Holding back tears and in a quavering voice, Kerrick re-created the events, at one point yelling “Stop!” and “Get on the ground!” to a nearly packed courtroom Police training expert Dave Cloutier testified that Kerrick’s decision to shoot
Ferrell was consistent with the department’s training. However, Police Capt. Mike Campagna testified that the shooting violated department policy. He said nonlethal force should have been used to subdue Ferrell. Kerrick’s attorneys contended Kerrick opened fire because he feared that Ferrell was going to attack him and take his gun. Officer Adam Neal, who was also at the shooting scene, testified that he never considered pulling a weapon that night and instead viewed the situation as one that would require physical force. Defense attorneys targeted Ferrell’s condition at the time of the shooting, pointing to the fact that he had smoked marijuana and drank alcohol before the wreck that led to the deadly confrontation. The Ferrell family has already settled a lawsuit with the city of Charlotte, receiving $2.25 million. Jeff Welty, an associate professor of law and government at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, said the fact that the first of two grand juries declined to indict Kerrick indicates why a trial — with a higher standard of proof required — would be hard to decide. “You could at least view
that as a suggestion that getting a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt was going to be a struggle,” he said. “Maybe that suggests that the case isn’t going to be an easy one.” Bowling Green State University criminologist Philip Stinson, who is a former police officer, said he would have expected a mistrial or an acquittal. “In my research, only a little over 20 percent of the cases where an officer is charged with murder or manslaughter resulting from an on-duty shooting results in a conviction.” Ferrell was killed a little less than a year before an unarmed black man in New York and an unarmed 18-year-old black male in Ferguson, Missouri, died after separate violent encounters with police — cases that shined a national spotlight on how police departments treat minorities and sparked calls for widespread reforms. Protests and rioting followed Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson and a grand jury’s refusal to indict the officer. Protests also followed the deaths of two unarmed black men after encounters with police earlier this year in Baltimore and South Carolina. Officers have been charged in both of those cases.
Nation
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
Bugs invade homes, cars By TAMI ABDOLLAH ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONE PINE, Calif. — The gas station’s ground was covered with the small winged bugs. Piles of carcasses, inches deep, sat swept to the sides. On the road, they rained onto car windshields. They flew by the thousands toward even the smallest sources of light, and crept along windows and kitchen tables. Such has been the skincrawling reality for the past two months in the high-desert communities at the foot of the Sierra Nevada’s eastern slopes, where residents have seen an explosion of the blackand-red seed bug species Melacoryphus lateralis. “They’re in everything. There’s no way to get rid of them or eradicate them. They’re just here,” said Blair Nicodemus, 33, of Lone Pine, while driving with a bug creeping on his windshield. “Sometimes there will be these micro-plumes that’ll come through where there will be just thousands of them, and they’ll be all over you. ... I’m sure I’ve eaten at least two dozen, because they get into your food.” Such outbreaks have happened in Arizona’s Sonoran desert near Tucson, but scientists say it’s the first one they have record of in California. The influx has been driven by a mild winter and monsoonal weather, which provided healthier vegetation for the nutrient-sucking bugs, said David Haviland, an entomologist with the University of California Cooperative Extension in Kern County. The bugs’ flight into town and toward the lights in homes, businesses or cars, however, might be related to the drying up of native vegetation in the summer heat and the drought, said Nathan Reade, agricultural commissioner for Inyo and Mono counties.
Photo by Matthew Hengst | AP
Seed bugs swarm at a service station in the eastern Sierra Nevada town of Lone Pine, Calif. Scientists are calling the unusual explosion of this Melacoryphus lateralis species of seed bug the first outbreak of its kind in California’s recent memory. To the north, a different type of bug is infesting the site of the popular Burning Man counterculture festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. State officials are working to identify the green, coinshaped insects swarming the outdoor venue and biting workers setting up for this year’s event, which starts Aug. 30. Entomologist Jeff Knight, with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, said the bugs aren’t bloodsuckers and don’t seem to pose a health risk. In California, the outbreak of fingernail-sized seed bugs is a main topic of conversation in the infested communities. A printout in a Lone Pine motel lobby warned people to keep their doors shut at night, and a hotel worker advised people to keep their car windows
up if lights are on. A Dollar General Store in Inyokern limited its store hours after dark to avoid dealing with the bugs. Lia Sensanbaugh of Inyokern doesn’t turn on her lights when at home. “I’ve got them real bad,” she said. “I’ve been living off my TV light for about a month and a half.” Gas stations and rest areas along Highway 395 — a roadway that crosses through sparsely populated and rural areas — are prime bug targets because of their lights. After dark, the bugs swirl like surreal artwork below the Pearsonville Shell gas station’s overhead lights. “Millions, tens, twenty, we can’t count it,” gas station owner Soma Praba said. “At night time, if you go into the station, they’ll follow. They go every-
where. They get on your body, your head.” Each morning Praba’s workers have spent three hours sweeping the ground and using a leaf blower to clear away piles of the bugs. Around eight times a day, workers will sweep, discovering two hours later that the same amount of bugs are back, Praba said with frustration. Spraying insecticide hasn’t helped, Praba said, and exterminators have been equally stymied. The bugs also have limited natural enemies: Praying mantises and some spiders or lizards will catch a few. “But the amount of biological control is really insignificant compared to the millions of insects that are out there,” said Haviland, the entomologist. And residents are wary of importing more bugs to worry about later. The only reprieve from the seed bugs seems to be a windy day and the recent smoke from fires. “We are tired of it,” Praba said. “I am waiting for the first snow to come.” At a Lone Pine gas station this week, the side of the building was covered with bugs, and a woman was hosing off the wall, despite the drought, said Kathi Hall, who owns the town’s Mt. Whitney Restaurant with her husband. Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breeden said some people in town use umbrellas while getting gas because of the swarms overhead. She’s fielded many dozens of concerned calls and never seen anything like this in her 33 years there. She put together a notice this week to post around town explaining to visitors that the bugs are a harmless nuisance in the hopes that they’ll return when the bugs die down. That said, Breeden joked, “If frogs come, we’re all leaving.”
Photo by Ruth Fremson/The New York Times | AP
Andy Knutson creates a fire barrier as a wildfire bore down on Okanogan, Wash., on Friday. Three firefighters died Wednesday after their vehicle crashed near a blaze near Okanogan.
Tragedy notes youth, passion By MATT VOLZ AND BRIAN SKOLOFF ASSOCIATED PRESS
TWISP, Wash. — One was a college student for whom fighting fires was a summer job. Another had graduated and wanted to make firefighting his career. The third was already a professional firefighter who had gone back to school to earn his master’s degree. Tom Zbyszewski, Richard Wheeler and Andrew Zajac — the three men who died Wednesday when flames consumed their crashed vehicle in Washington state — were typical of the wildland firefighters who start out as fresh-faced college kids making as little as $12 an hour then find themselves hooked on the work. Four others were injured in the canyon, one critically. But their firefighting brothers and sisters had little time to mourn as raging fires forced entire communities to flee their homes 60 miles away. The complex of fires grew more than 100 square miles in a day, creating a situation too chaotic to even track how many homes had burned.
“We have lost them, but I don’t know how many,” Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Rogers said. “We’ve got no idea.” As conditions worsened, emergency officials ordered evacuations in Okanogan, with 2,500 residents, as well as Tonasket, a community of 1,000 people. Not everyone who was told to leave was willing to go. “I’ve been up for like 40 hours, and I was very nervous, very concerned because (the fire) was going to take everything we have, us and the rest of our friends,” said Al Dodson, who stayed home despite evacuation orders in Twisp, 40 miles west of Okanogan. Nearly 29,000 firefighters — 3,000 of them in Washington — are battling some 100 large blazes across the drought-and heat-stricken West, including Idaho, Oregon, Montana and California. Thirteen people have died. There are more firefighters on the ground this season than ever, and the U.S. government is spending more than $150 million a week on fire suppression, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Tidwell said.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
PAGE 10A
Zentertainment
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
Photo by Jaimie Trueblood/Universal Pictures | AP
O’Shea Jackson Jr. is Ice Cube in “Straight Outta Compton.” Critics say it ignores N.W.A.’s allegations and criminal charges.
‘Compton’ is a drag for Dr. Dre By JOE COSCARELLI NEW YORK TIMES
Photo by /Rogelio V. Solis/file | AP
B.B. King performs at the 32nd annual B.B. King Homecoming in Indianola, Miss., on Aug. 22, 2012. A probate court commissioner in Las Vegas denied a bid Friday by one of B.B. King’s adult daughters to obtain the late blues icon’s medical records from an executor who she alleges mishandled her father’s finances and health.
King’s daughter denied files By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — A probate court commissioner in Las Vegas denied a bid Friday by one of B.B. King’s adult daughters to obtain the late blues icon’s medical records from an executor who she alleges mishandled her father’s finances and health before he died. Patty King can use her position as a party in ongoing probate proceedings to subpoena the records she wants, Clark County Family Court Commissioner Wesley Yamashita said. He said he didn’t need to issue a court order. Brent Bryson, attorney for B.B. King’s estate, told the judge that Patty King was fishing for evidence to support false claims the musician’s longtime busi-
ness manager and powerof-attorney, LaVerne Toney, looted his accounts and hastened his death on May 14 at age 89. Toney is now executor of the estate. “Things are going along smoothly, the way they’re supposed to,” Bryson told Yamashita. “If they want to fish for something, they need to do it in a different way.” Lawyer Larissa Drohobyczer, representing Patty King, insisted her client wants the records because she doesn’t trust Toney. “It’s not necessarily that she caused his death,” Drohobyczer told Yamashita, “but that she breached her fiduciary duty as power-ofattorney.” Drohobyczer has said she thinks the estate is worth between $5 million and $10 million. Bryson has said an ac-
counting of King’s assets, royalties, business and property holdings is still being conducted. He hasn’t put a figure on the total. B.B. King died of natural causes, Bryson said Friday, and Toney is carrying out King’s own wishes to keep his private affairs private. The lawyer for the estate noted that separate investigations by police and a county elder welfare agency in the months before King died failed to turn up evidence that King was abused or exploited. Reviews by three doctors, including King’s personal physician, found that he was properly cared-for before he died after several days of home hospice care, Bryson said. An autopsy by the Clark County coroner found no evidence to prove allega-
tions by Patty King and her sister, Karen Williams, that their father had been poisoned. King died of Alzheimer’s disease, plus physical conditions including coronary disease, heart failure and the effects of Type 2 diabetes, the coroner found. B.B. King was survived by 11 adult children, and family members count 35 grandchildren. Several lent support to a failed court effort to block Toney’s appointment June 25 as executor of the estate. Patty King and her son were the only family members at Friday’s hearing. Outside court, Drohobyczer characterized Yamashita’s ruling as a setback on a procedural issue. She and Patty King promised to keep fighting to get the medical records.
For Dr. Dre, the self-proclaimed “first billionaire in hip-hop,” the movie “Straight Outta Compton” and its quasi-soundtrack, “Compton,” his first album in 16 years, were meant to be a victory lap. That biopic, about his hip-hop group, N.W.A., topped the box office last week with a $56.1 million opening and was praised for its raw and timely depiction of police harassment against black men, “Compton” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard chart. Beats, the music company that Dre helped establish, was sold to Apple last year for $3 billion. But critics have charged that the movie, which was co-produced by Dre, glosses over N.W.A.’s record of misogyny and ignores allegations, including criminal charges, that Dre physically abused women. Their ad hoc campaign, conducted mostly online, has managed to shift the focus from Dre’s accomplishments to his less pristine past in the often lawless early years of gangster rap. In a sign that the uproar was threatening not only his reputation but also his business dealings, Dre,
who has previously spoken dismissively or vaguely about the allegations, which are decades old, confronted them Friday in a statement to The New York Times. While he did not address each allegation individually, he said: “Twentyfive years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I’ve been married for 19 years and every day I’m working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I’m doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again.” He added: “I apologize to the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives.” Apple, where Dre, 50, now works as a top consultant, also issued a statement: “Dre has apologized for the mistakes heâs made in the past and heâs said that he’s not the same person that he was 25 years ago. We believe his sincerity and after working with him for a year and a half, we have every reason to believe that he has changed.”
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Photo by Autumn Parry/News & Daily Advance | AP
Firefighters and rescue personnel work along the tracks where several CSX tanker cars carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire along the James River in Lynchburg, Va., on April 30, 2014.
Fire chief knocks CSX over mishap By JOHN RABY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Richard Drew | AP
World Wrestling Entertainment superstar John Cena, center, is accompanied by Make-A-Wish participants Evan Maher, and Elijah Mendoza, foreground left and right, as he visits the trading floor Friday before ringing the New York Stock Exchange opening bell. To date, WWE superstars and divas have granted more than 6,000 wishes. This was Cena’s 500th granted wish.
Stocks down on global fears By MATTHEW CRAFT AND BERNARD CONDON ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Growing concerns about a slowdown in China shook markets around the world on Friday, driving the U.S. stock market to its biggest drop in nearly four years. The rout started in Asia and quickly spread to Europe, battering major markets in Germany and France. In the U.S., the selling started early and never let up. Investors ditched beaten-down oil companies, as well as Netflix, Apple and other technology darlings. Oil plunged below $40 for the first time since the financial crisis, and government bonds rallied as investors raced into hiding spots. “Investors are wondering if growth isn’t coming from the U.S. or China, where is it going to come from?” said Tim Courtney, CIO of Exencial Wealth Advisors. “This is about growth.” By the time it was over, the Standard and Poor’s 500 index had lost 5.8 percent for the week, its worst weekly slump since 2011. That leaves the main benchmark for U.S. investments 7.7 percent below its all-time high — within shooting range of what traders call a “correction,” a 10 percent drop from a peak. Markets began falling last week after China announced a surprise devaluation of its currency, the yuan. Investors have interpreted China’s move
as a sign that flagging growth in world’s second-largest economy could be worse than government reports suggest. On Friday, they got more bad news: A private survey showed another drop in manufacturing on the mainland. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index dropped 64.84 points, or 3.2 percent, to close at 1,970.89. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 530.94 points, or 3.1 percent, to 16,459.75. That’s 10 percent off its high, a correction. The Nasdaq slid 171.45 points, or 3.5 percent, to 4,706.04. “Concerns about slowing growth in China are certainly valid,” said Jeremy Zirin, head of investment strategy at UBS Wealth Management. “But there doesn’t seem to be any signal that the weakness abroad is slipping into the U.S. economy.” Investors pointed to other reasons behind the recent sell-off, such as falling prices for oil and other commodities as well as the relatively high prices investors pay for U.S. stocks compared with corporate earnings. “All of this is coming at a time when we haven’t had a correction” in many years, Zirin said. The last time the market slipped into a correction was in October 2011. Until recently, investors seemed willing to shrug off any worrying news, confident that low interest rates from the Federal Reserve and ris-
ing corporate profits would help push stocks higher. As a result, big drops were soon followed by big gains and the market would continue on its six-year run. The S&P 500 has more than tripled in value since the financial crisis. Roberto Perli, head of global monetary policy research at Cornerstone Macro, said the market’s recent slump likely means the Federal Reserve won’t raise its benchmark interest rate at its September meeting. Fed officials gathering next month will have to weigh the global pressures against evidence of a solid U.S. job market and improving U.S. economic growth. “They have the luxury of being able to wait and see what happens,” Perli said. “But if the meeting was tomorrow, it’s probably fair to say that they wouldn’t tighten given all the turmoil in the global markets.” For all the markets’ jitters, many economists say they remain confident that the U.S. economy is resilient enough to withstand a slowdown in the developing world. And Europe’s economy appears to be emerging from its long slump. Major markets in Europe finished with deep losses on Friday. France’s CAC-40 fell 3.2 percent while Germany’s DAX lost 2.9 percent. In Britain, the FTSE 100 index dropped 2.8 percent. In Asia, the Shanghai Composite index suffered another steep drop of 4.3 percent. Japan’s
Nikkei 225 lost 3 percent, South Korea’s Kospi shed 2 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.5 percent. Back in the U.S., government bond prices rose, pushing the yield on the 10-year Treasury note down to 2.04 percent. In the commodity markets, gold gained $6.40 to settle at $1,159.60 an ounce. Crude oil briefly dipped below $40 a barrel for the first time since March of 2009. U.S. crude fell 87 cents to close at $40.45 in New York. A wide range of commodities have been hammered this year as demand for raw materials has cooled off and as the U.S. dollar gains strength against currencies used by developing countries. Investors who once flocked to emerging-markets like Brazil and Russia now shun them. Slower growth in China means their top customer no longer needs the commodities they sell. Some argue that this isn’t necessarily bad news. Beijing is trying to shift from an economy that relies on selling cheap goods abroad to one based on steady consumer spending. For U.S. investors, the sudden sell-off that hit this week is likely another bump in the road, Zirin said, a short stretch when investors’ worries about the global economy bubble over. Otherwise, he said, given the strength of the U.S. economy, the market’s swoon was a “bit perplexing.”
The fire official who led the response to a 2014 oil train derailment in Lynchburg, Virginia, criticized CSX Transportation, saying it took two hours for the company’s representative to arrive at a command post after the wreck. With fire and smoke billowing along the James River in Lynchburg, city fire battalion chief Robert E. Lipscomb said the sooner he could get answers about the train from the company, the better. “I felt, from an incident commander’s perspective, that that two hours was a little bit long,” he told the National Transportation Safety Board a day after the April 30, 2014 accident. The derailment is still under investigation and Lipscomb’s comments were part of documents released this week. Seventeen cars derailed near a restaurant and walking path near the James River. Three went into the river, one caught fire and nearly 30,000 gallons of oil were spilled into the river. The derailment briefly caused parts of downtown Lynchburg to be evacuated. No one was injured. “What we were looking for at that point in time, as much as anything, was information from the engineer or a conductor,” Lipscomb said. “We really wanted to know what was on that train.” NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said the agency does not set response times for reporting to an accident site. “However, NTSB will review the emergency response as it does in the majority of accident investigations and evaluate whether there were any significant issues that pertain to this accident,” Holloway said in an email. Former NTSB chairman Mark Rosenker said Friday an acceptable response time from any company to an accident site would depend on the terrain and location, and the employee’s mode of transportation. “There is no what I would
characterize as a guaranteed set time because a lot of the elements change,” Rosenker said. CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle declined comment on the NTSB documents, citing the ongoing investigation. A Norfolk Southern representative who had arrived on site within 45 minutes determined the accident didn’t involve the company’s train. Authorities initially requested assistance from Norfolk Southern and CSX because both had rail lines along the river in Lynchburg. Lipscomb said CSX initially told authorities that someone was headed to the scene, “but what I needed was someone from that company at my (command post) to be able to provide me answers to: Where’s the locomotive? Is there anything else going on down line that we don’t know about? Is there anything wrong with the engineer? ... Did it (hit) a tractortrailer further down that we don’t know about?” In addition, responders had determined the train contained oil but needed help from CSX figuring out whether all rail cars contained them or whether other products were present, he said. Lipscomb said “multiple, multiple notifications” were made to CSX. He recalled looking at his watch and deciding that he would call state public safety officials if the CSX representative didn’t show up by 4:05 p.m. “I was getting frustrated. I’m like ‘I’ve got to know, we’ve got to have someone here,” Lipscomb said. “And before my time ran out, he showed up.” There was confusion where the representative needed to be. The representative initially went to one end of the train, but Lipscomb said the official needed to be at the command post. Lipscomb said the initial CSX responder told him he drove about 50 minutes to get to the scene. Once CSX was there, “they came in force,” Lipscomb said. The train was carrying Bakken crude from North Dakota.
Nation
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
Iran deal Democrats want explanation gaining momentum By KEN THOMAS AND JULIE BYKOWICZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
By ERICA WERNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran gained momentum in Congress on Friday as a key Jewish Democrat from New York bucked homestate opposition to back the deal. Rep. Jerrold Nadler’s endorsement followed a personal appeal from Obama, and came despite opposition from New York’s senior senator, prominent Democrat Chuck Schumer, and other Jewish members in the New York congressional delegation. Iran has threatened to destroy Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is vehemently opposed to the deal. Nadler became the latest undeclared Democrat to break in favor of the historic agreement, which seeks to keep Iran from building a nuclear bomb in exchange for billions in international sanctions relief. “I bring to my analysis the full weight of my responsibilities as a member of Congress, and my perspective as an American Jew who is both a Democrat and a strong supporter of Israel,” Nadler said in a statement. He said he’d concluded that of the alternatives, the agreement “gives us the best chance of stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.” Nadler, who’s the first Jewish lawmaker from New York to back the deal, received a lengthy personal letter from Obama earlier this week defending the deal and pledging that the U.S. will continue to put economic pressure on Iran and keep military options open. “In our conversations, Jerry raised specific concerns relating to Israeli security and the U.S. com-
mitment to countering Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region,” Obama said Friday. “I wanted to respond to the thoughtful questions Jerry raised, and I am pleased that our discussions were ultimately productive.” Nadler’s announcement comes at the end of a week that’s seen the deal pick up a steady stream of Democratic support in the House and Senate despite furious opposition from the Israeli government and Republicans who say it makes too many concessions to Iran and could actually enable that country to become a nuclear-armed state. Congress is facing a vote next month on a resolution disapproving of the deal, but Obama will veto such legislation if it prevails. Congressional Republicans would then need to muster two-thirds majorities in both the House and the Senate to overturn Obama’s veto, a steep bar that even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says Republicans are unlikely to overcome. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a strong supporter of the deal signed by the U.S., Iran and five world powers, declared this week that House Democratic supporters have the votes necessary to sustain Obama’s veto despite unanimous GOP opposition. She reiterated that assertion in a letter Friday to fellow Democrats in which she trumpeted Nadler’s endorsement and declared, “I feel confident that we will sustain the president’s veto, and we will all work together to hold Iran accountable to honoring the agreement.” The list of public Democratic supporters in the House is now approaching 60, with only a dozen opposed. In the Senate, only two Democrats have announced opposition to the deal.
WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton is facing fresh worries among elected Democrats about her use of a private email account while serving as secretary of state, as new polls signal that the inquiry is taking a toll on her presidential campaign. The Democratic frontrunner’s campaign has taken steps to defend her against allegations she may have put classified information at risk by using a private email account and server, arguing she never sent or received material considered classified at the time. Democratic lawmakers said Clinton’s campaign has not adequately explained the complicated nature of the email review and panned some of her attempts to use humor to talk about the probe.
Photo by Melina Mara/Washington Post | AP
Hillary Rodham Clinton answers questions from journalists after speaking to North Las Vegas, Nevada, voters at a town hall meeting Tuesday. She was answering questions about emails. Clinton joked at a Democratic dinner in Iowa last week that she liked the social media platform Snapchat because the messages disappear by themselves. And she shrugged off questions about her server being wiped clean, asking facetiously in Nevada, “Like a cloth or something?” “I don’t think the campaign has handled it very
well,” Florida Sen. Bill Nelson told The Associated Press on Thursday. “I think the advice to her of making a joke out of it — I think that was not good advice.” Nelson said if Clinton had received information that should have been labeled classified or top secret, the person sending the email would bear the responsibility of making that
clear on the email. “If she is receiving something on a private email account and it has no designation, then how would she know that it is classified?” he asked. In Republican-leaning Kentucky, Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth warned in an interview with WHASTV in Louisville, “I still think there is a chance that this could upend her campaign.” “I just never feel like I have a grasp of what the facts are,” Yarmuth said Wednesday. “Clearly she has handled it poorly from the first day. And there’s the appearance of dishonesty, if it’s not dishonest.” The new concerns follow Clinton’s decision to turn over her server to federal investigators who are trying to determine if the data on it was secure. Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown compared the controversy to a “vampire” in an interview Friday with “Meet the Press.”
NRA enlisted to train Guards By BRIAN SLODYSKO ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — The National Rifle Association has been instructing Indiana’s National Guard members on how to use concealed weapons after Republican Gov. Mike Pence directed the state’s military bases and training centers to beef up security in response to recent attacks in Tennessee. According to a survey by The Associated Press, Indiana is the only state to enlist the NRA’s help in the training, which the gunrights group says it will conduct free of charge for any guardsman who wants to carry a concealed handgun. Although National Guard members traditionally have not been allowed to carry weapons while conducting most stateside duties, Pence is one of 14 governors who decided to arm them in the wake of a gunman’s attacks last month on two U.S. mil-
Photo by Charles Hiltunen | AP
In this Aug. 3 photo provided by Charles Hiltunen, members of the Indiana National Guard undergo National Rifle Association firearm training at the Johnson County Armory in Franklin, Ind. itary sites in Chattanooga that left four Marines dead. Gun control advocates argue it’s inappropriate for a state to involve a political lobbying organization in training members of the military, and even some National Guard officials from states that allow guardsmen to carry weapons question why a civilian organization is needed. “This is a military problem to deal with, so we’re
going to deal with it with the military,” said Lt. Col. Joel Lynch, a spokesman for the Arkansas National Guard, which is handling the training of its Guard members itself. As governor, Pence has wide-ranging powers over the Indiana National Guard and appoints the adjutant general who oversees operations. Pence spokeswoman Kara Brooks declined to com-
ment and directed inquiries to the Indiana National Guard. Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Cathy Van Bree said guard instructors have previously offered handgun instruction themselves but that Pence’s executive order last month allowing guardsmen to be armed requires a “deeper level of training.” She did not elaborate. In order to be armed, a guardsman must have a valid conceal-carry permit and undergo training. Van Bree declined to say how many members have been approved to be armed. Guy Relford, an NRA instructor who recently trained about 65 Indiana guardsmen at an armory in Franklin, said his “basic pistol” course delves into safety scenarios on when and when not to shoot. Without training, the National Guard has “dramatically increased the possibility that someone could hurt themselves or others with a gun,” Relford said.
Trump calls for respect after attack on Mexican man ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON — Donald Trump on Friday denounced a violent attack against a homeless Hispanic man in Boston whose attacker told police he was inspired, in part, by Trump’s rhetoric that people in the country illegally should be deported. It was a change in tone for the Republican presidential candidate, who’s known for his incendiary remarks. “Boston incident is terrible. We need energy and passion, but we must treat each other with respect,” Trump tweeted after coming under criticism for failing to condemn the attack more strongly. “I would never condone violence.” Scott and Steve Leader were arrested early Wednesday on charges they beat a 58-year-old Hispanic man while he slept near a Boston train station. One of the brothers later told police Trump “was
tack at a press conference ahead of New Hampshire town hall on Wednesday evening, Trump said it was the first he’d heard of it. “I think that would be a shame,” he said, before adding: “I will say, the people that are following me are very passionate. They love this country. They want this country to be great again. And they are very passionate.” Trump has inflamed Latinos by describing Mexican immigrants as “criminals” and “rapists” and saying he would build a wall between the United States and Mexico to crack down on illegal immiPhoto by Mary Schwalm | AP file gration. He recently said he would In this Aug. 19 file photo, Republican presidential candidate businessman Donald deport the millions of people alTrump speak in Derry, N.H. Trump on Friday denounced a violent attack against a ready in the United States illegally, homeless Hispanic man in Boston. sort them into groups of “good ones” and “bad ones” and then alright” about deporting “all these change in tone for Trump, who on low those deemed good to re-enter illegals,” according to a police re- Wednesday appeared far less trou- the country. port. bled by it. Police and the Suffolk County The comments marked a After being told about the at- district attorney’s office said the
two brothers came across the victim while heading home from a Boston Red Sox game and proceeded to urinate on him, punch him and beat him with a metal pole while he slept. Witnesses flagged down a state trooper at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday after they saw the attack and reported seeing the brothers walk away laughing, prosecutors said. The victim was treated for a broken nose, serious bruises and other injuries. Scott Leader told troopers after his arrest: “Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported,” according to a state police report. He also suggested his behavior was acceptable because the victim was homeless and Hispanic, police said. The brothers were arraigned Wednesday on a slew of charges, including assault and battery, according to prosecutors.
International
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 13A
Americans subdue gunman By GREG KELLER ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS — A gunman opened fire on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris Friday, wounding two people before being subdued by two American passengers, officials said. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, speaking in Arras in northern France where the suspected was detained, said one of the Americans was hospitalized with serious wounds. Their names were not immediately released. Philippe Lorthiois, an official with the Alliance police union, said on i-Tele that the two Americans were soldiers. In Washington, the Pentagon said it “can only confirm that one U.S. military member was injured in the incident. The injury is not life-threatening.” Contrary to early reports, Lorthiois said the attacker did not fire his automatic weapon but wounded one man with a handgun and the other with a blade of some kind. Investigators from France’s special anti-terror police are leading the investigation, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor’s office said. “As always where an act that could be terrorist in nature is involved, the greatest care and the greatest precision will be used,” Cazeneuve said. The suspect is a 26-yearold Moroccan, according to Sliman Hamzi, an official with the police union Alli-
Photo by Julie Yoon | AP
South Korean protesters with defaced portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shout slogans during an anti-North Korean rally in Seoul, South Korea, Friday. The North leader on Friday declared his frontline troops in a "quasi-state of war."
Associated Press photo
A police officer videos the crime scene inside a Thalys train at Arras train station, northern France, Friday. A gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon on a high-speed train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris Friday, wounding three people before being subdued by two American passengers. ance, who spoke on French television i-Tele. Cazeneuve said the two Americans “were particularly courageous and showed great bravery in very difficult circumstances” and that “without their sangfroid we could have been confronted with a terrible drama.” Lorthiois said the gunman shot one victim and injured another with a bladed weapon. A third person, French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, suffered a minor injury while activating the train’s emergency alarm, Lorthiois said. The attack took place at 1545 GMT while the Thalys train was passing through Belgium, according to a statement from the office
President Francois Hollande. Hollande said he’s spoken with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and the two leaders pledged to cooperate closely on the investigation. A young woman said on i-Tele that she was in the carriage next to the one which the gunman struck. “I wouldn’t call it a fusillade, because even in the next wagon we didn’t hear any shots,” said Margaux, who declined to give her last name. She said passengers remained “relatively calm,” and some showed no concern until police boarded the train. Europe’s major rail stations, such as Paris’ Gare du Nord and Brussels’ Gare du Midi, are patrolled by
soldiers armed with rifles, but passengers can board most high-speed trains without passing through metal detectors or having their bags searched. One exception is the Eurostar between Paris and London. Passengers on those trains must pass through a metal detector and have their bags scanned as well. Thalys is owned by the French and Belgian railways and operates highspeed trains serving Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne, Germany. French authorities have been on heightened alert since Islamic extremist attacks in January left 20 people dead, including the three attackers.
IS systematically destroying sites By KARIN LAUB AND ALBERT AJI ASSOCIATED PRESS
DAMASCUS, Syria — Islamic State extremists in Syria and Iraq are engaged in the “most brutal, systematic” destruction of ancient sites since World War II, the head of the U.N. cultural agency said Friday — a stark warning that came hours after militants demolished a 1,500-year-old monastery in central Syria. The world’s only recourse is to try to prevent the sale of looted artifacts, thus cutting off a lucrative stream of income for the militants, UNESCO chief Irina Bokova told The Associated Press. A series of recent attacks has stoked fears that IS is accelerating its campaign to demolish and loot heritage sites. On Friday, witnesses said the militants bulldozed St. Elian Monastery in central Syria. Days earlier, IS beheaded an 81year-old antiquities scholar who had dedicated his life to overseeing the ruins of Palmyra in Syria, one of the Middle East’s most spectacular archaeological sites. Since capturing about a third of Syria and Iraq last year, IS fighters have destroyed mosques, churches and archaeological sites, causing extensive damage to the ancient cities of Nimrud, Hatra and Dura Europos in Iraq. In May, they seized Palmyra, the Roman-era city on the edge of a modern town of the same name. “We haven’t seen some-
Photo courtesy of Islamic State militant website | AP
This picture released late Thursday shows Islamic State militants standing inside the ancient monastery of the Saint Eliane, near the town of Qaryatain, which IS captured in early August. thing similar since the Second World War,” Bokova said of the scope of the IS campaign against ancient sites. “I think this is the biggest attempt, the most brutal systematic destruction of world heritage.” Bokova said recent images of archaeological sites under IS control in Iraq and Syria show signs of widespread illegal digging and looting. “If you look at the maps, the photos, the satellite pictures of it, you will not recognize one place,” she said. “It is just hundreds of holes all around them.” There is very little the world can do to stop the extremists from inflicting more damage, she said, but stopping the trafficking in artifacts must be a priority. Bokova spoke hours after IS posted photos on social media showing bull-
dozers destroying the St. Elian Monastery near the town of Qaryatain in central Syria. The group had captured the town in early August. A Qaryatain resident who recently fled to Damascus said militants leveled the shrine and removed church bells. The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear his relatives still in Qaryatain might be harmed, called on the United Nations to protect Christians and Christian sites. Osama Edward, the director of the Christian Assyrian Human Rights Network, said shelling of the area by Syrian government troops over the past two weeks had already damaged the monastery. “Daesh continued the destruction of the monastery,” said Edward, using an Arabic
acronym for the Islamic State group. A Catholic priest, the Rev. Jacques Mourad, who had lived at the monastery, was kidnapped in May and remains missing. According to Edward, Mourad sheltered both Muslim and Christian Syrians fleeing the fighting elsewhere in Homs province. Activists said that shortly after capturing Qaryatain, the Islamic State group abducted 230 residents, including dozens of Christians. Activists said some Christians were released, but the fate of the others is still unknown. In another attack, IS militants beheaded Palmyra scholar Khaled al-Asaad on Tuesday, hanging his bloodied body from a pole in the town’s main square. AlAsaad, a long-time site director, had refused to leave Palmyra after it was overrun by IS. Bokova said she believes al-Asaad was “brutally murdered” because he refused to divulge where authorities had hidden treasures secreted out of Palmyra before the IS takeover. She would not say whether UNESCO was aware of where the artifacts were taken, saying only “we hope they are in safe places.” She recalled her first visit to Palmyra before the outbreak of the conflict, with al-Asaad escorting her. “He introduced me to this beautiful Venice of the desert, as it was called,” she said. “We walked through the colonnades.”
North Korea warns of war with South By ERIC TALMADGE AND HYUNG-JIN KIM ASSOCIATED PRESS
PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday declared his frontline troops in a “quasistate of war” and ordered them to prepare for battle a day after the most serious confrontation between the rivals in years. South Korea’s military on Thursday fired dozens of artillery rounds across the border in response to what Seoul said were North Korean artillery strikes meant to back up a threat to attack loudspeakers broadcasting antiPyongyang propaganda. The spike in tensions prompted the U.S. and South Korea to briefly halt an annual military exercise that began this week, U.S. defense officials said Friday. North Korea had criticized the drills, calling them a preparation for invasion, although the U.S. and South Korea insist they are defensive in nature. The North’s declaration Friday is similar to its other warlike rhetoric in recent years, including repeated threats to reduce Seoul to a “sea of fire,” and the huge numbers of soldiers and military equipment already stationed along the border mean the area is always essentially in a “quasistate of war.” Still, the North’s apparent willingness to test Seoul with military strikes and its recent warning of further action raise worries because South Korea has vowed to hit back with overwhelming strength should North Korea attack again. Pyongyang says it did not fire anything at the South, a claim Seoul dismissed as nonsense. Kim Jong Un ordered his troops to “enter a wartime state” and be fully ready for any military operations starting Friday evening, according to a report in Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency. The North has also given Seoul a deadline of Saturday evening to remove border loudspeakers that, after a lull of 11 years, have started broadcasting anti-Pyongyang propaganda. Failure, Pyon-
gyang says, will result in further military action. Seoul has vowed to continue the broadcasts. The North’s media report said that “military commanders were urgently dispatched for operations to attack South Korean psychological warfare facilities if the South doesn’t stop operating them.” South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified government source, reported Friday that South Korean and U.S. surveillance assets detected the movement of vehicles carrying short-range Scud and medium-range Rodong missiles in a possible preparation for launches. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it could not confirm the report. North Korea said the South Korean shells fired Thursday landed near four military posts but caused no injuries. No one was reported injured in the South, either, though hundreds were evacuated from front-line towns. The loudspeaker broadcasts began after South Korea accused the North of planting land mines that maimed two South Korean soldiers earlier this month. North Korea denies this, too. Authoritarian North Korea, which has also restarted its own propaganda broadcasts, is extremely sensitive to any criticism of its government, run by leader Kim Jong Un, whose family has ruled since the North was founded in 1948. The loudspeaker broadcasts are taken seriously in Pyongyang because the government does not want its soldiers and residents to hear outsiders criticize human rights abuses and economic mismanagement that condemns many to abject poverty, South Korean analysts say. North Korea on Thursday afternoon first fired a single round believed to be from an anti-aircraft gun, which landed near a South Korean border town, Seoul said. About 20 minutes later, three North Korean artillery shells fell on the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone. South Korea responded with dozens of 155-millimeter artillery rounds.
Skull rack found at Aztec temple By MARK STEVENSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Hector Montano/INAH | AP
In this May 30 photo released by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, skulls are partially unearthed at the Templo Mayor Aztec ruin site in Mexico City. Archeologists believe they have found the site’s main trophy rack of sacrificed human skulls.
MEXICO CITY — Archaeologists have found the main trophy rack of sacrificed human skulls at Mexico City’s Templo Mayor Aztec ruin site, scientists said Thursday. Racks known as “tzompantli” were where the Aztecs displayed the severed heads of sacrifice victims on wooden poles pushed through the sides of the skull. The poles were suspended horizontally on vertical posts. Eduardo Matos, an archaeologist at the National Institute of Anthropology and History, suggested the
skull rack in Mexico City “was a show of might” by the Aztecs. Friends and even enemies were invited into the city, precisely to be cowed by the grisly display of heads in various stages of decomposition. Paintings and written descriptions from the early colonial period showed descriptions of such racks. But institute archaeologists said the newest discovery was different. Part of the platform where the heads were displayed was made of rows of skulls mortared together roughly in a circle, around a seemingly empty space in the middle. All the skulls were arranged to look in-
ward toward the center of the circle, but experts don’t know what was at the center. Archaeologist Raul Barrera said that “there are 35 skulls that we can see, but there are many more” in underlying layers. “As we continue to dig the number is going to rise a lot.” Barrera noted that one Spanish writer soon after the conquest described mortared-together skulls, but none had been found before. University of Florida archaeologist Susan Gillespie, who was not involved in the project, wrote that “I do not personally know of other instances of literal skulls
becoming architectural material to be mortared together to make a structure.” The find was made between February and June on the western side of what was once the Templo Mayor complex. The platform was partly excavated under the floor of a three-story colonial era house. Because the house was historically valuable, archaeologists often worked in narrow excavation wells six feet (two meters) under the floor level suspended on their stomachs on a wooden platform. Periodic excavations carried out since 1914 suggested a ceremonial site was located near the site.
14A THE ZAPATA TIMES
BABY Continued from Page 1A The child had been taken to the Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen via air evac. The child died five days later on July 30. Saldivar is survived by his parents and other relatives, his obituary states. A memorial service was held Aug. 13 at Rose Garden Funeral Home in Zapata. A user identified as Jose E. Vela expressed his condolences to the family on the funeral home’s website. “(It’s) so sad to lose such a nice and good looking little angel. May God embrace him into heaven and give him eternal peace. Our prayers and very special thoughts to all his loving family. Blessings to all,” Vela posted. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
FOOD Continued from Page 1A Bank board member Roberto Diaz, among others. STFB Executive Director Alma Boubel opened the event, noting that the South Texas Food Bank serves 27,000 families per month in an eight-county area, including Zapata County, with 30-plus percent poverty. “This great protein product will be a blessing to our South Texas Food Bank clients,” Boubel said. “We are very greatful.” U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar also spoke at the donation announcement. “The South Texas Food Bank severs a very large area in my district and provides nutritious food to families, children, expecting mothers and veterans in need through a variety of programs — many of which I have voted on and supported as a member of Congress.” Cuellar said. “There is no doubt that this organization and its hardworking staff provide an immeasurable service to our community. I thank the great people at the South Texas Food Bank and the generosity of Tyson Foods for donating these great resources for the people of Laredo and South Texas. Tyson 18-wheeler driver Tammie Minton, who brought the product to Laredo; LULAC representatives; and national, state and local political dignitaries all reiterated at the press conference that it is “a team effort” that will give healthy South Texas Food Bank meals to the needy. “For the past 26 years, the South Texas Food Bank has served thousands of families, seniors, children, and veterans in an eight-county area,” said Nora Venegas, director of federal government relations for Tyson Foods. “With this donation, we hope to help those in need, as well as raise awareness about how hunger affects all communities.” Tyson, located in Springdale, Ark., is one of the world’s largest food companies. Others who stepped up to the podium to say a few words were Brent Wilkes, national executive director of LULAC in Washington, D.C.; Tyson chaplain Juan Cantu; STFB board member Roberto Diaz; State Rep. Richard Pena Raymond; Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz and Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
Signs of jitters about emering economies By PAUL WISEMAN AND JOSHUA GOODMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The damage spans the globe. Thailand’s baht. Kazakhstan’s tenge. South Africa’s rand. Peru’s nuevo sol. In emerging markets worldwide, currencies are plunging over fears that developing economies are on the verge of a crippling fall. Success stories until recently, emerging economies are seen as casualties now — of slower growth in China, plunging prices for commodities like oil and iron ore, the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates and homegrown threats. The damage has spilled across oceans, with the turmoil jolting investors in New York, Tokyo and Europe. Investors there worry that China and other major emerging economies will reduce their imports. They also fear a trade-disrupting currency war as some countries desperately lower their currencies’ value to gain a competitive edge. A lowerpriced currency makes a country’s goods cheaper for foreigners. The Dow Jones industrials plunged 400 points, or 2.4 percent, in afternoon trading Friday on top of a 358-point drop Thursday. It’s down more than 6.5 percent in the past month. Tokyo’s Nikkei index shed 3 percent Friday.
For all the markets’ jitters, many economists say they remain confident that the U.S. economy is resilient enough to withstand a slowdown in the developing world. And Europe’s economy appears to be emerging from its long slump. Even so, the trouble in emerging markets is a surprising and unsettling reversal. “It’s remarkable just how things turned around so quickly,” says Neil Shearing, an economist at Capital Economics and a former British Treasury official. Consider Peru. Three years ago, its capital, Lima, hosted an International Monetary Fund’s meeting of global finance officials in what was seen as a celebration of Latin America’s arrival in the economic big leagues. But with the event six weeks away, Latin America’s outlook has descended from boom to gloom. Peru’s economy has steadily slowed, and its currency, the nuevo sol, has plunged 2.5 percent against the U.S. dollar in the past month. And Peru boasts one of the region’s healthiest economies. Brazil’s economy is expected to shrink this year and next. Its currency, the real, is down 7 percent the past month and more than 30 percent the past two years. It’s hardly just Latin America. Kazakhstan’s
currency plummeted this week after the government decided to let it trade freely. The South African rand fell this week to a 14-year-low against the U.S. dollar. Turkey’s lira hit a record low against the dollar this week. Hung Tran, an executive managing director at the Institute of International Finance, expects developing countries to post 3.8 percent economic growth this year, down from 4.3 percent in 2014. The institute is on the verge of cutting that forecast further. Analysts point to a primary culprit: “It’s all coming from China,” says Masamichi Adachi, an economist with JP Morgan Chase in Tokyo. “Brazil, South Africa, many countries are commodity exporters, and the final destination is all going to China.” The Chinese economy is slowing more sharply than most people had expected from the doubledigit growth rates of the mid-2000s. The world’s second-biggest economy is expected to grow 7 percent this year, which would be its slowest pace since 1990. Beijing is trying to manage a transition from rapid growth based on exports and often-wasteful spending on factories, real estate and infrastructure to slower, steadier expansion based on consumer spending.
YOLANDA M. WOODROW Yolanda M. Woodrow, 82, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015 in Zapata, Texas. Ms. Woodrow is preceded in death by her husband, Jarrett Olen “Woody” Woodrow; parents, Jorge Montes and Josefa V. Montes; and sister-inlaw, Guadalupe Montes. Ms. Woodrow is survived by her sons, Walter Olen (Elizabeth) Woodrow, Jarrett O. (Jennifer) Woodrow; daughters, Anadina W. (Alfonso) Guzman, Cynthia Lynn Woodrow, Consuelo “Connie” (Jon) Hoke, Susan Marie W. (Joergen) Larsen; fifteen grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; brothers, Jorge Jr. (Edna) Montes, Mauro (Ofelia) Montes, Roberto O. (Genoveva) Montes; sisters, Guillermina Montes; and by numerous nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Yolanda enjoyed hosting family gatherings and caring for family while recovering from illnesses — she was the life of the party. Her home was the place to go when one needed a tool, medical care or any other need. Yolanda was the hub of the family and she will be dearly missed.
Visitation hours will be held on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession will depart on Monday, Aug. 24, 2015, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services will follow at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83, Zapata, Texas.
OIL Continued from Page 1A years. Meanwhile, OPEC production averaged 31.5 million barrels a day in July, a three-year high. Adding to the downward pressure on oil prices is a steady drumbeat of economic data out of China suggesting that the world’s second largest economy is slowing. Data released Friday showed a further contraction in China’s manufacturing sector and it sent ripples through global stock markets. The world’s biggest oil producers are getting hit by falling prices and pessimism about China and other economies that have
not recovered from the recession like the U.S. has. Almost all oil companies, from Exxon Mobil to BP PLC, have cut spending on exploration in anticipation of a prolonged period of lower prices. Over the past 12 months, Chevron shares have lost nearly 40 percent, while Exxon shares are down 26 percent. Companies that primarily drill for oil onshore in the U.S., such as Continental Resources, have suffered even steeper declines. Energy companies make up roughly 7 percent of the market value of the Standard & Poor’s
500, but that amount was much higher earlier this year. While the S&P 500 is down 3 percent this year, the energy sector is down almost 20 percent. While energy investors feel the pain, U.S. drivers are saving an average of 80 cents on each gallon of gasoline they buy at the pump. Gasoline is averaging $2.63 a gallon, compared with $3.44 a year ago. Analysts say gas prices could drop below $2 a gallon in many areas of the country later this year. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell $1.07 to $45.55 in London.
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Sports&Outdoors NCAA: BAYLOR BEARS
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Aging cornerstones Photo by Jerry Larson | AP
One-time All-American Sam Ukwuachu, who transferred to play football at Baylor, has been convicted of sexually assaulting a fellow student athlete in 2013.
Briles defends add of transfer Ex-coach: Baylor ‘apprised’ of issues By CHUCK CARLTON MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE File photo by Brandon Wade | AP
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo (9) and tight end Jason Witten (82) joined the Cowboys 11 years ago and are seeking their first championship in 2015.
Romo, Witten growing ‘old,’ seeking first title By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
OXNARD, Calif. — Tony Romo crouches to give his little son Hawkins instructions on running a pass route while Jason Witten carries one of his kids nearby, surrounded by autograph seekers. This is the training camp tradition after practice these days for one of the best quarterback-tight end combinations in NFL history, and the steady force in the Dallas offense for nearly a decade. Their desire to win a Super Bowl hasn’t changed since Romo and Witten came into the league together 12 years ago, or from when Romo became a starter three years later. But their appreciation for how difficult it is to win a title
has grown, along with the friendship that formed through the disappointments in trying. “When you are competitors like we are and you’ve gone through the highs and lows like we have, you grow,” said Witten, who needs 57 catches to become the NFL’s second tight end with 1,000 for his career, trailing only Tony Gonzalez. “And then off the field, just the friendship and brotherhood. You get married. You have children. All in that course of when you first met.” The perception of the commitment for each of these teammates differed for years, reputations sewn a year apart starting with Witten famously running 30 yards without a helmet after a catch in 2007. When the next season ended in
NFL: CLEVELAND BROWNS
a blowout loss at Philadelphia that kept Dallas out of the playoffs, Romo infamously said his life would be pretty good if that was the worst thing that happened to him. Only recently have views on Romo been changing, partly because he battled through three back injuries in just a year and a half to have the most efficient season of his career in 2014. Then the Cowboys came close to winning multiple playoff games for the first time since Troy Aikman led the last of three Super Bowl-winning runs after the 1995 season. A loss at Green Bay in the divisional round turned in the fourth quarter when Romo’s deep throw to Dez
See COWBOYS
Baylor football coach Art Briles defended his handling of Boise State transfer Sam Ukwuachu and said he was unaware of the player’s history when he arrived on campus. Jurors in Waco deliberated for 51/2 hours Thursday before finding Ukwuachu guilty of sexually assaulting a former Baylor student-athlete in 2013. The penalty portion of the trial continued Friday. In the aftermath, the university and the football program has drawn sharp media criticism for their investigation and decision to bring Ukwuachu on campus. During the trial, Ukwuachu’s former girlfriend at Boise State testified that he struck and choked her. Briles said he did not know about the incident at the time. "No. Zero," Briles said when
PAGE 2B See BAYLOR PAGE 2B
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Army Ranger competes for spot By ED BOUCHETTE MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Photo by David Richard | AP
Despite throwing the team’s lone touchdown in a preseason loss to Buffalo Thursday, Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) remains the second option behind Josh McCown.
Manziel remains Browns’ backup By TOM WITHERS ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — Josh McCown’s right ring finger isn’t badly injured. Still, the Browns won’t let him raise his index finger just yet. McCown will not miss any practice time after hurting the finger on his throwing hand during an exhibition loss Thursday night to Buffalo. McCown threw interceptions on Cleveland’s first two drives, raising questions about
whether backup Johnny Manziel, who threw a touchdown pass and made a sensational play, was threatening to jump him on the depth chart. But Browns coach Mike Pettine said Friday that Cleveland’s depth chart at quarterback remains unchanged. “We feel good about where Johnny is as the No. 2 and we feel good about where Josh is with the No. 1,” Pettine said. “Our thoughts on the quarter-
See BROWNS PAGE 2B
Tackle Alejandro Villanueva, says teammate Ramon Foster, is not one to sit on the sidelines. He did not mean football either, although the way Villanueva’s career has ascended with the Steelers, that might be said as well. The fact he had three tours of combat duty as an Army Ranger captain in Afghanistan and is on the brink of earning a roster spot with the Steelers would be inspirational enough. That he also did not play football for five years, that he first signed last year as a defensive end with the Eagles and could become the Steelers No. 3 offensive tackle is right up there with the Rocky Bleier story. Villanueva has not talked much publicly about his action in Afghanistan, but has told a few war stories at the urging of teammates. In one, Foster related, Villanueva led a rifle platoon on an assignment with Afghan soldiers. They proceeded toward a mosque when shots rang out and one Afghan soldier dropped dead with a bullet through his head. Villanueva could add more perspective to what it’s like to go from real war combat to the "trenches" of pro football, but
Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack | AP
Pittsburgh tackle and former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva is competing for a roster spot on the Steelers’ offensive line. he prefers to talk about his current job. He earned a Bronze Star among his military medals. His goal now is to earn a spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster. He has gone about that the hard way, too. Recruited as a tight end at West Point from SHAPE American High School in Belgium, he started his junior season at
left tackle. He moved to starting wide receiver as a senior in 2009 with the Cadets, then moved into military service. Five years later, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014 as a defensive end after a super regional combine in Atlanta. They cut him after training camp, the Steelers signed
See STEELERS PAGE 2B
PAGE 2B
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
Cena sets Make-A-Wish record By DAN GELSTON ASSOCIATED PRESS
John Cena had long ago turned “Never give up” from his wrestling catchphrase into a motto for sick children who have to fight daily more than the WWE superstar ever has inside the ring. On Monday, he will become the first celebrity to grant 500 wishes in Make-A-Wish Foundation history. “I just drop everything,” Cena said. “If I can offer a fantastic experience, I’ll be first in line to do my part.” Rocco Lanzer, an 8-year-old boy from Queens, New York diagnosed in January with leukemia, will get ringside seats for the weekly “Raw” television show, among other things. Cena feted Rocco with swag on Thursday’s “Today” show and attended a party to celebrate all the wishes Friday in New York. Rocco, who needs at least three years of treatment, appeared on a video package where he said Cena is “nice and strong and inspirational. He reminds kids to never give up.” Cena surprised him on the set with a championship belt and tickets for Monday’s show. Rocco stared at the tickets with mouth agape before his mother, Maria, urged him to give Cena a high-five. “When he was diagnosed, everybody would tell him you have to be strong and you can never give up,” Maria Lanzer said. “He was like, ’Wow, mommy, that’s what John Cena says.’ I’m like, ’See, if a wrestler tells you to never give up, then you can’t give up. You have to fight and be strong.”’ Cena granted his first wish in 2004, about two years after his WWE debut. As he soared toward the top of the wrestling world, so did his popularity with Make-A-Wish children. He granted his 300th wish in 2012 and hit 400 in 2014. He was the first celebrity to reach those milestones. “They certainly deserve a day as a real kid,” Cena said. The 38-year-old Cena is following a WWE tradition of granting wishes. The organization has granted more than 6,000 wishes to meet WWE superstars or attend its live shows. The tradition started in the
Photo by Richard Drew | AP
World Wrestling Entertainment superstar John Cena, center, is the first celebrity to grant 500 wishes to sick children in the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s history. early 1980s with Hulk Hogan being the most requested. Nearly 50 wrestlers have granted wishes since 2001. With WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon on hand, the sports entertainment company made a $1 million commitment to Make-A-Wish at Friday’s event. Many families stay in touch with Cena, sometimes writing that the time spent helped turn the child’s attitude and physical condition around. He also receives heartfelt, thankful letters for brightening days for children who eventually died. “Those are always difficult to read,” Cena said. “But at the same time, the strength of the parents in sending me a message about how much the time that I spent with their child meant to them, it’s very special.” Make-A-Wish CEO David Williams said the organization, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, was grateful for Cena’s time. “He’s an entertainer, but he’s a
fighter,” Williams said. “Ultimately, these kids are fighting, just fighting a different kind of battle. That’s what resonates so much with these kids.” Rocco, Cena, McMahon and Williams helped ring the opening bell Friday for the New York Stock Exchange. Cena has mixed wishes and wrestling with stints behind the anchor desk of the “Today” show and roles in the comedies “Trainwreck” and the upcoming “Sisters.” Cena broke his nose in a match late last month but is ready to wrestle WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins on Sunday’s SummerSlam card at the Barclays Center. The WWE stays in Brooklyn for Monday night’s show — and Rocco will be there, cheering on the decorated champ. “I want them to have an experience that will stay with them to forever,” Cena said. “I don’t ever want the children or their families to be treated in a way where they feel as if they’re up against anything at all.”
BAYLOR Continued from Page 1B asked what he knew during media availability before practice Friday morning. Briles said he had consulted former Boise State coach Chris Petersen, now at Washington. "I talked to Chris Petersen personally," Briles said. "No mention of anything beyond Sam being depressed and needing to come home. That was our information and that’s what you go by." Petersen disputes that characterization in a statement to ESPN. "After Sam Ukwuachu was dismissed from the Boise State football program and expressed an interest in transferring to Baylor, I initiated a call with coach Art Briles," Peter-
sen’s statement said. "In that conversation, I thoroughly apprised Coach Briles of the conversation of the circumstances surrounding Sam’s disciplinary record and dismissal." In an interview with Rivals.com in 2013 that was unearthed by Texas Monthly this week, Ukwuachu said Baylor coaches were familiar with unspecified personal problems at Boise State. "No. No. That’s not true. No. Lord no. There’s no truth to that," Briles said. "Find out who informed us and go talk to them please." At one point in the four-minute session, Briles said he was asked not to address the issue and asked for football questions. He said he was trying
to "clear a little of air" on the subject. "It’s unfortunate for everybody concerned. It’s really about it," Briles said. "Our timeline was followed by what the standards were here. When the incident happened, he’s off the roster. Never played a down for us." Baylor has accepted several players in the past after issues at other schools, including brushes with the law. Among them: senior All-American defensive end Shawn Oakman. Briles said he draws the line at domestic violence. "Nobody is going to do that, bring in somebody with a prior conviction or even an allegation," Briles said. "We made our decision on knowledge that we had two years ago."
BROWNS Continued from Page 1B back picture are the same this morning as they were going into last night.” So that ends that. For now. McCown didn’t duck criticism following the 1110 loss, calling his second game with the Browns “not good” and “not the standard I want to play at.” But the Browns still believe the likable 12-year veteran is their best current option even though Pettine has yet to name his starter for the Sept. 13 season opener against the New York Jets. Pettine doesn’t see the need to put labels on his QBs. “I’m not into guaranteeing or announcing a game one starter,” he said. “That, to me, comes down the road.” The Browns have more than a week to get ready and healthy for their exhibition at Tampa Bay. It will be a homecoming of sorts for McCown, who went 1-10 last season as the Buccaneers’ starter. He’s hoping his game can solidify his standing with his Cleveland teammates and perhaps quiet a suddenly renewed drumbeat of support for Manziel.
Photo by David Richard | AP
Johnny Manziel, pictured, was 10 of 18 for 118 yards Thursday including orchestrating a 96-yard touchdown drive. Starting quarterback Josh McCown threw interceptions in his first two drives. The former Heisman Trophy winner showed more signs of improvement during his half against Buffalo’s backups. Manziel finished 10 of 18 for 118 yards, but started 9 of 11, led the Browns on a 96-yard touchdown drive and flashed some of that old Johnny Football magic by scrambling to his left, throwing against his body and completing a 37yard pass.
Manziel’s outing wasn’t perfect, but it continued the positive momentum that began after he checked out of rehab facility during the offseason. The Browns are encouraged by his progress. “Overall I think he made strides, was still calm in the pocket, got flushed probably more than we wanted him to get flushed, but he still made some plays on the move with his feet,” Pet-
tine said. Pettine understands that there’s huge interest in Manziel, but he’s not going to buckle to any outside pressures. “We have a plan for our quarterback room, just like we have a plan for all of our other positions, and we’re going to stick to it,” he said. On his TD pass, Manziel stepped forward in the pocket and put perfect touch on a 21-yard scoring toss to Shane Wynn, an undrafted free agent wide receiver who grew up in Cleveland. This is the new Manziel: poised, confident, deliberate. He can still improvise but is starting to show he can make some throws with his feet planted. “The way he escapes and runs around and throws the ball downfield, it’s like watching somebody in the backyard in the Turkey Bowl and that’s why he’s always had a big fan base because of how he plays the game,” said Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas. “He’s learning to pick and choose his times to do that instead of majoring in that.”
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B Bryant on fourth-and-2 was overturned on review after being ruled a catch near the goal line. “When you’re in the NFL and you’re young, it’s all about yourself,” said Romo, the franchise leader in yards passing (33,270) and touchdowns (242) — ahead of Hall of Famers Aikman and Super Bowl winner Roger Staubach. “And as you get older and you create the relationships that you have, through a Jason Witten and other people, you want to share those moments. Playoff games. Super Bowl.” Romo also frequently faced questions about his leadership in the locker room, but those have mostly subsided. When nobody — Witten included — could get Bryant to calm down on the sideline after a fight with cornerback Tyler Patmon early in camp this year, Romo slowly approached the scene. And Bryant quietly walked away with him. “He’s real. There’s nothing fake,” Bryant said. “If I’m doing something wrong, Tony’s not afraid to let me know.” While Bryant is Romo’s most dangerous target these days, Witten will go down as his most consistent. They lead the NFL in connections between quarterback and tight end with 632 since 1991, according to STATS. That’s as far back as STATS tracks the numbers. They are second in yards, behind San Diego’s Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates. Romo dominates the season charts for Dallas quarterbacks, and Witten has the NFL season record for catches by a tight end (110 in 2012). The former Tennessee player likely will be at least 300 catches ahead of Michael Irvin on the Cowboys’ career list when he retires, and Romo and Witten could end up with as many completions together as Hall of Famer Irvin had in his 12-year career (750). “As much as they’ve played together there is always something new: ’The guy covered me different-
ly on this particular route; he played with this kind of leverage,”’ coach Jason Garrett said. “So the fact that they know each other so well, communicate so well, I think they can take full advantage of those situations.” Romo and Witten don’t figure to match Irvin’s three Super Bowls with Aikman and NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith. They’re only worried about the first one. If it happens, their embrace could last a few seconds — at least. “If it’s just you, it just seems a little bit like, ’All right. It’s fine.’ But to have people with you, that makes it special, I think,” Romo said. “And being with a bunch of people you care about, it makes it really enjoyable to go through the process and through the whole journey.” Together, Romo and Witten have lost four season finales with a postseason berth on the line, and their playoff opener after the 2007 season when they were the top seed in the NFC. Their first playoff game after Romo became the starter in 2006 was his famous flub of the snap that prevented a potential go-ahead field goal in a 2120 loss at Seattle. “I think the greatest thing I can ever say about Tony is through the tough times and all that was being said, his focus was simply on becoming the best quarterback that he could become,” Witten said. “He always had a rare ability to kind of be above it and focus on what really mattered. I respect that. It’s not easily done.” And it’s not easy for two players to spend 13 years together in the NFL. Never mind that it will probably be at least 15 years, with both under contract at least through 2017. “We want to win just as bad as for the team as for those guys,” sixth-year safety Barry Church said. “They’ve been through it all. I know they want to win bad as hell.” That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
STEELERS Continued from Page 1B him and put him at tackle on their practice squad. Today, at 6-foot-9 and nearly 100 pounds heavier at 340, it looks as if he will be the team’s No. 3 offensive tackle behind starters Kelvin Beachum and Marcus Gilbert. They had him at left tackle until this week when line coach Mike Munchak moved him to the right so he can have experience on both sides. "He’s learning and doing it at a fast pace, which is a credit to him as far as his work ethic," Munchak said. "He fits in that room; the guys have a great admiration for him, for what he’s doing and what he did being in the military and for our country." Foster has been an offensive lineman all his life and is impressed with the quick transition made by Villanueva, who turns 27 next month. "I don’t think he realizes what’s going on because he’s so day to day," Foster said. "He’s stepped in a big, big way in things they’ve asked him to do." He was born to Spanish parents at a Navy station in Mississippi, his father a lieutenant commander in the Spanish Navy. He grew up in the United States, Spain and Belgium, where he went to high school and learned to play football. He never thought he could make a living at it while attending West Point or marching in Afghanistan. "When I got out of the Army, I had couple teammates in the NFL," said Villaneuva, which inspired him to give it a try.
"I was in really good shape and felt I had some juice left." Munchak, a Pro Football Hall of Fame guard, said Villanueva has the talent, the drive and all he needed was practice and patience. "He took a big break," Munchak said of that fiveyear football layoff. "That’s what’s made it more of a challenge for him to come back and not only find his niche - I think he’s found that, no doubt, it’s offensive tackle - but catching up again and getting as many reps as he can. "He had the feet, I think it’s more how to use what he has. You can’t get it all at once, so it’s baby steps: Let’s work on the stance, let’s work on staying square and using those long arms." His biggest adjustment? "Football as a whole," Villanueva said. "Everything is an adjustment. I started from zero. I’m learning. I played defensive line. I started from scratch. I would say everything has been a challenge." Turns out, the Steelers need Villanueva. Mike Adams remains on the physically unable to perform list after July back surgery and there’s no telling when he might be able to return - and get back into shape to play football. He served as their No. 3 tackle last season. There is no other tackle on their roster with any pro experience. "Al’s a confident guy," Munchak said. "He has high expectations. He wants it now."
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015
Dear Heloise: I’ve FOSTERED DOGS AND CATS, and it’s so rewarding! It’s a commitment, but is worth it to save a deserving animal that otherwise might be euthanized. Some animals need fostering for extra socialization and playtime, like litters of new puppies or kittens, or animals that have fear and anxiety issues. Normally, once an animal is in a home instead of the chaotic shelter, the fear will subside, and they are calmer. Check with shelters or rescue groups for requirements. Mine wanted to ensure that I would care for the animal and attend adoption events. I agreed that it was all right to give my phone number and email to potential adopters. Usually the shelter pays for medical expenses. It’s hard to say goodbye to my fosters once they get adopted, but I’m happy they are going on to a great life, thanks in part to fostering! –– Any Pet Lover, Anywhere Woof, meow, chirp,
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HELOISE
squeak! Fostering is special, because it takes a VERY special person to “let go” when the time is right. Big Heloise Hug to all who foster! –– Heloise READ, SNIP, STORE Dear Heloise: I keep a spare pair of glasses, some sandwich bags and scissors in the bedroom. I can read care directions on garments with the glasses; scissors cut tags and loose strings; and the bags hold a myriad of things. –– Karen in Greenville, Ohio DESIGNER TISSUE BOX Dear Heloise: I like to decorate my rooms with name-brand tissue boxes, but they are expensive. When they are nearly done, simply open one end and refill them with storebrand tissues! I close the end with double-stick tape. Ta-da! –– Peggy G., Hobe Sound, Fla.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015