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US GOVERNMENT
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Budget at center of face off
Low premiums
Giant showdown links Obama, Republicans, Dems and Tea Party By DAVID ESPO ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Time running short, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed urgent legislation Friday to avert a government shutdown, and President Barack Obama lectured House Republicans to stop “appeasing the tea party” and quickly follow suit. Conservative House rebels, using the shutdown threat to attack Obama’s health care overhaul, showed no signs of backing down. First effects of a shutdown could show up as early as Tuesday if Congress fails to approve money to keep the government going by the Monday-midnight start of the new fiscal year. “Think about who you are hurting” if government services are interrupted, the president said at the White House, as House Speaker John Boehner pondered his next move in a fast-unfolding showdown — not only between Republicans and Democrats but between GOP leaders and conservative insurgents. Despite Obama’s appeal, the Senate-passed measure faces a swift demise in the House at the hands of tea party conservatives who are adamantly opposed to funding that the measure includes for the three-year-old health care law. The Senate’s 54-44 vote was strictly along party lines in favor of the bill, which would keep the government operating routinely through Nov. 15. The bill’s passage masked a ferocious struggle for control of the Republican Party pitting Boehner and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell against rebels led by relatively junior lawmakers, Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah and a few dozen allies in the House among them. The outcome of that contest — more than differences between the two political parties — is like-
ly to determine whether the government shuts down for the first time in nearly two decades. “We now move on to the next stage of this battle,” Cruz said shortly after the Senate vote. He told reporters he had had numerous conversations with fellow conservatives in recent days, adding, “I am confident the House of Representatives will continue to stand its ground, continue to listen to the American people and ... stop this train wreck, this nightmare that is Obamacare.” The House is scheduled to be in session today and Sunday, but it is unclear when it will vote on a new bill to avert a shutdown, and what health care-related items it will include. Obama spoke more than an hour later at the White House, where he said it was up to House Republicans to follow the Senate’s lead and prevent a shutdown. He said the struggle has nothing to do with budget deficits, and said if Republicans “have specific ideas on how to genuinely improve the (health care) law rather than gut it, rather than delay it, rather than repeal it, I am happy to work with them.” He also said even a shutdown would not prevent the scheduled opening of so-called health care exchanges next Tuesday through which millions of Americans will be able to shop for coverage. “That’s a done deal,” he said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Boehner, issued a statement in response that said, “The House will take action that reflects the fundamental fact that Americans don’t want a government shutdown and they don’t want the train wreck that is Obamacare. Grandstanding from the president, who refuses to even be a part of the process, won’t bring Con-
See BUDGET
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Health Insurance Marketplace opens Tues. By CODY PERMENTER THE ZAPATA TIMES
Health care premiums under the new Health Insurance Marketplace will be significantly lower for residents living in South Texas, according to a report released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Servic-
es. The marketplace officially opens Tuesday across the nation, and is part of the rollout of the Affordable Health Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare. Americans will use the marketplace to shop and purchase health care coverage during the six-month open
enrollment period through March 2014. Plans vary and are categorized as either “gold,” “silver” or “bronze.” No one can be denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions. According to the Texas Medical Association, Texas ranks No. 1 in the nation of percentage of unin-
sured citizens, with 31 percent having no health insurance. Laredo fares worse, with 36 percent of residents uninsured. “No longer will fear of an accident, potential for illness, or even the desire to receive basic preventive care threaten to derail the
See INSURANCE
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TEMPLE EMANUEL
IMMIGRANT’S DREAM
Photo by Gabe Hernandez/The Monitor | AP
Rabbi Claudio Kogan reads a section of the torah at Temple Emanuel in McAllen. Kogan was just 7 years old when his native Argentina was ripped apart by war, its government taken over by the military in a violent coup, leaving its people under the regime of military dictatorship. Kogan, who is stationed at Temple Emanuel, became the rabbi for McAllen last July after moving from Connecticut, where he served as senior rabbi and police chaplain.
Argentine-born rabbi muses on life in US By MADELEINE SMITHER THE MONITOR OF MCALLEN
MCALLEN — Rabbi Claudio Kogan was just 7 years old when his native Argentina was ripped apart by war, its government taken over by the military in a violent coup, leaving its people under the regime of military dictatorship. He grew up in a place where, for seven years, students, labor organizers and other dissidents were assassinat-
ed, tortured and disappeared for demanding basic human rights during what was known as “The Dirty War.” In March of this year, 37 years to the day after his native country’s government was overthrown, Kogan realized a dream and became a citizen of the United States. His background has propelled him forward with a mission: to unite people of different faiths and combat prejudice
and poverty. “Coming from a country that suffered a lack of democracy, and coming to a place with pure democracy was incredible,” the 44-yearold told The Monitor of McAllen. “One example is President Obama’s move toward the Congress (asking them to vote about taking military action in Syria). Some people might say ‘You are president: Make the judgment and do it.’ But whether we like (his ac-
tions) or don’t like it, going to Congress is a show of democracy. In my former country, it was, ‘We want it, we take it.”’ Rabbi Kogan, who is stationed at Temple Emanuel, became the rabbi for McAllen last July after moving from Connecticut, where he served as senior rabbi and police chaplain. Kogan had always wanted to help people both spiri-
See RABBI PAGE 9A
THE BORDER
Mexican state’s ex-gov accused of embezzlement By JASON BUCH AND GUILLERMO CONTRERAS SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
A former Mexican border state governor funneled millions of dollars in laundered money through U.S. bank accounts, part of a scheme to embezzle money from government coffers and hide it in Texas and offshore, U.S. prosecutors have alleged in federal court filings. In a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in Corpus Christi, prosecutors asked a judge to forfeit $2.8 million in a
VILLARREAL Bermuda investment account they say belongs to Jorge Juan Torres Lopez, 59, who served as the inter-
im governor of Coahuila for most of 2011. The lawsuit alleges that Torres conspired with Hector Javier Villarreal, the state’s former treasurer who prosecutors allege laundered tens of millions of dollars in real estate investments in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley, to use Texas bank accounts to wire embezzled money from Mexico through the United States to offshore accounts. Neither Torres’ attorney J.A. “Tony” Canales nor a spokesman for the state of
Coahuila responded to phone calls seeking comment. Torres and his wife, Maria Carlota Llaguno de Torres, own a Texas company called Toya LLC, and that company owns an empty lot and a 5,000square-foot home overlooking the course at Marriott’s Grand Pines Golf Club in Montgomery, near Houston. Torres’ family has owned real estate in Texas for many years and are known as “the richest in Saltillo,” Coahuila’s capital, said Luis Rayet, a Sal-
tillo business owner who has houses in San Antonio and bought a home in Montgomery from Torres. Rayet said Torres owns Grupo Industrial Saltillo, which is involved in construction, automotive parts and residential furnishings, employs about 9,000 people and is traded on the Mexican stock exchange. He also said Torres owns property in the U.S., but “I don’t know where or how much.” “Our association was relative,” Rayet said. “I don’t know him to be
crooked, nor do I believe that he is crooked. I haven’t seen him in about two years.” Torres hired Villarreal in 2005, when Torres was the state treasurer, according to the lawsuit. In 2008, after Torres moved on to other things, Villarreal succeeded him. Torres took over as interim governor in 2011, when Humberto Moreira stepped down to head the Institutional Revolutionary Party. Moreira, whose
See EMBEZZLEMENT
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Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Texas A&M International University Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium: “The Little Star that Could” at 2 p.m.; “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” at 3 p.m.; “Violent Universe” at 4 p.m.; and “Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon” at 5 p.m. General admission $4 for children and $5 for adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 3263663.
Today is Saturday, Sept. 28, the 271th day of 2013. There are 94 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 28, 1787, the Congress of the Confederation voted to send the just-completed Constitution of the United States to state legislatures for their approval. On this date: In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded England to claim the English throne. In 1542, Portuguese navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrived at present-day San Diego. In 1781, American forces in the Revolutionary War, backed by a French fleet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Va. In 1850, flogging was abolished as a form of punishment in the U.S. Navy. In 1920, eight members of the Chicago White Sox were indicted for allegedly throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in what became known as the “Black Sox” scandal. Despite initial confessions by several of the players, all were acquitted at trial; still, all eight were banned from baseball for life. In 1924, two U.S. Army planes landed in Seattle, having completed the first roundthe-world flight in 175 days. In 1939, during World War II, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty calling for the partitioning of Poland, which the two countries had invaded. In 1960, Ted Williams hit a home run in his last career atbat as his team, the Boston Red Sox, defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 at Fenway Park. In 1989, deposed Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos died in exile in Hawaii at age 72. In 1991, jazz great Miles Davis died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 65. In 2001, President George W. Bush told reporters the United States was in “hot pursuit” of terrorists behind the Sept. 11 attacks. The U.N. Security Council approved a sweeping resolution sponsored by the United States requiring all 189 U.N. member nations to deny money, support and sanctuary to terrorists. Ten years ago: A massive blackout struck almost all of Italy, leaving millions of people without power. Five years ago: President George W. Bush urged Congress to pass a $700 billion rescue plan for beleaguered financial companies, saying in a written statement, “Without this rescue plan, the costs to the American economy could be disastrous.” One year ago: Citing national security risks, President Barack Obama blocked a Chinese company from owning four wind farm projects in northern Oregon near a Navy base where the U.S. military flies unmanned drones and electronic-warfare planes on training missions. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Brigitte Bardot is 79. Singer Ben E. King is 75. Actor Joel Higgins is 70. Actor Jeffrey Jones is 67. Singer Helen Shapiro is 67. Movie writer-director-actor John Sayles is 63. Rock musician George Lynch is 59. Actor Steve Hytner is 54. Thought for Today: “A great truth is a truth whose opposite is also a truth.” — Thomas Mann, German writer (1875-1955).
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 Laredo Church of Christ’s 10th Anniversary. 10 a.m. Laredo Church of Christ, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 340. A special service will be held commemorating the ministry to Laredo.
MONDAY, SEPT. 30 Laredo Area Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. Private dining room of Laredo Medical Center’s cafeteria. Anyone diagnosed, caregivers, family members and friends welcome to attend. Light refreshments available. Information in English and Spanish. Alta Vista Wellness Center physical therapist Aleth Oaferina will speak.
TUESDAY, OCT. 1 The Les Amis Birthday Club will host its monthly meeting at the Holiday Inn Civic Center at 11:30 a.m. This month’s honoree is Magda Sanchez. This month’s hostesses are Carmen Santos, Imelda Gonzalez, Alicia Veronica Salinas and Mercedes Salinas. Alzheimer’s support group. 7 p.m. Meeting room 2, Building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. Webb County Community Coalition of SCAN October meeting. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. San Martin de Porres Catholic Church meeting room, 1704 Sandman St. Representatives from Drug Enforcement Administration will discuss war against drugs in the community. RSVP with Veronica Jimenez, 724-3177.
THURSDAY, OCT. 3 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
SATURDAY, OCT. 5 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents. Outrun Abuse 5k Run/Walk, hosted by Kristine Meza Foundation in partnership with Battered Women’s Shelter. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in San Antonio. facebook.com/TheKristineMezaFoundation. Laredo Philharmonic’s Annual Gala. 7 p.m. to midnight. St. Augustine Ballroom at La Posada Hotel. Honoree is U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar. Master of Ceremonies is Marcus A. Nelson. “Dance Hits through the Decades” by Ross & Friends. Dinner 8 p.m. Tickets $100 per person available at Cantu Interirors, from Phil board members, emailing laredophilharmonic@gmail.com or calling 236-7772.
Photo by Michael Schumacher/The Amarillo Globe News | AP
Cars are derailed where three freight trains collided near Amarillo on Wednesday. An eastbound BNSF Railway train rearended a stopped train, derailing up to 30 cars and injuring four crewmembers, including two critically. Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway said Thursday that the line has reopened to traffic.
Rail line reopens after wreck ASSOCIATED PRESS
AMARILLO — A rail line through the Texas Panhandle has been cleared following a three-train wreck that left four crewmembers hurt. Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway said Thursday that the line just east of Amarillo has reopened to traffic. Three freight trains collided in the Texas Panhandle before dawn Wednesday, derailing up to 30 cars and injuring four crewmembers, including two critically. An eastbound BNSF Railway train rearended a stopped train, then moments later a westbound train collided with the twotrain wreck, according to the Department of Public Safety. The accident was reported shortly after 4:30 a.m.
“The wreckage was mangled up,” Sr. Trooper Chris Ray said Wednesday. BNSF Spokesman Joe Faust says the line reopened just before 11 p.m. Wednesday. Faust also says the four workers injured in the wreck have been treated and released from a hospital. According to Faust, workers on the first train suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening. Two crewmembers on the second train were critically injured. The cause of the accident is under investigation. The BNSF trains were hauling flatbed cars carrying truck trailers. No hazardous materials spilled. No nearby residents were in danger due to the accident.
Suburban Dallas cop helps deliver baby
Perry, Dewhurst name 6 members to new board
Robber’s gun jams in Fort Worth McDonald’s
CARROLLTON — A suburban Dallas police officer ended up playing midwife to one mother in labor. Gene Kimpton says he entered a home in Carrollton. A boy pointed Kimpton into the bathroom, where his mother was in labor. Kimpton helped guide the baby boy out until paramedics arrived. Police say mother and child are resting comfortably at an area hospital.
AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst have appointed six members of the new board set to oversee the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Perry named Angelos Angelou of Austin, Gerry Geistweidt of Mason and William Rice of Austin. Dewhurst picked Ned Holmes of Houston, Craig Rosenfeld of Dallas and Amy Mitchell of Austin.
FORT WORTH — Fort Worth police say a gunman’s pistol jamming averted a possible disaster. Police say Jestin Joseph entered a McDonald’s after 9 p.m. Tuesday and asked for a cup. He then allegedly drew a gun and pointed it at diners. He’s caught on video pulling the trigger. The gun doesn’t fire. The 24-year-old man is charged with five counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.
Retail gasoline prices tumble 8 cents HOUSTON — Retail gasoline prices have tumbled 8 cents across Texas during the first week of fall. AAA Texas on Thursday reported the statewide average price at the pump fell to $3.20 per gallon. The national gas price average declined 6 cents since last week to settle at $3.43 per gallon.
Woman slain outside 8th grade football game GILMER — An East Texas man is accused of killing a woman outside an 8th grade football game. KLTV-TV reports that police in Gilmer arrested 32-year-old Jonathan Ray Shepherd in the death of 29-year-old Cheyenne Green. Authorities suspect her death was related to domestic violence.
Most Wanted sex offender caught in Denver AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety says a convicted felon on the agency’s 10 Most Wanted sex offender list has been captured in Colorado. DPS on Wednesday announced the arrest of 54-year-old David Martinez Maldonado of San Antonio. — Compiled from AP reports
SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Fourth Annual Blessing of All Animals. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. St. Peter’s Plaza, Matamoros Street and Main Avenue. Pet owners bring pets in a harness, leash or cage to be blessed. Saint Francis of Assisi medals available with donation. Contact 286-7866 or birdtorres@hotmail.com.
FRIDAY, OCT. 11 Registration for the Texas Team Trail Championship will take place at the Zapata Community Center, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 2 First United Methodist Church will hold a used book sale, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardback books are $1, paperback books 50 cents, and magazines and children’s books 25 cents. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
AROUND THE NATION 8 years after Katrina, historic theater reopens NEW ORLEANS — Eight years after Hurricane Katrina and a $52 million restoration, the historic Saenger Theatre is again open for business. Mayor Mitch Landrieu, elected officials and investors who partnered to bring the restoration to fruition stood on the newly renovated stage Friday to celebrate the formal reopening of the theater, which was built in 1927 as a movie palace but also has hosted stage productions. The reopening was to kick off Friday night with a performance by comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
Texas man wins right to attempt Snake River jump BOISE, Idaho — A Texas motorcycle stuntman has won the right to try to re-create Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon jump on the 40th anniversary of
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Kaden Bowden, son of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Bowden, looks at the casket for his father during burial services for Staff Sgt. Bowden at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Friday. the failed effort. The Times-News reports Big Ed Beckley and Beckley Media LLC of Bridgeport, Texas, bid $943,000 Friday for a two-year lease on the state land near Twin Falls where the jump took place in September 1974.
Beckley also must pay $25,000 a year to the Idaho Department of Lands for each of the two years, have a $10 million in commercial liability insurance and turn over a share of the revenue from the event to the state. — 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
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
Man pleads not guilty in fed case By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — A Zapata man detained while allegedly transporting illegal immigrants in the Siesta Shores neighborhood last month pleaded not guilty in federal court in Laredo. Court records show Juan Francisco Ledesma was not present for arraignment but he did submit in writing his not guilty plead. Ledesma is out on a $75,000 bond. His travel is restricted to Webb and Zapata counties. He’s not authorized to go into Mexico, according to court documents. On Sept. 17, a federal grand jury returned an indictment on Ledesma, charging him with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented people within the United States and two counts of
transport and attempt to transport undocumented people for financial gain. Each count carries up to 10 years in prison. Pretrial motion filing is due Oct. 7. A pretrial conference is set at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 12 in Courtroom 2B before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga. Jury selection has been tentatively set for Nov. 15. At 7:30 p.m. Aug. 27, a Zapata County Sheriff ’s investigator requested assistance from U.S. Border Patrol after he had stopped a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado with a black hood for expired registration and expired motor vehicle inspection along U.S. 83 near Siesta Shores. As the investigator approached the driver’s side, he observed four people lying in the back seat of the Silverado. The sher-
iff ’s office had placed a look out for a white Chevrolet pickup with a black hood suspected of loading illegal immigrants from a brushy area. Border Patrol agents arrived at the scene and determined the people were illegally present in the United States. The immigrants were from Mexico. One immigrant held as witness stated his mother had made arrangements with a man in Dallas to smuggle him, his mother and cousin. A person identified in the complaint as “El Flaco” put the group in a boat to cross Falcon Lake. They then walked through the brush to the back of the trailer near Siesta Shores, according to the complaint. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Woman: I’m not guilty By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — A Zapata woman indicted on human smuggling charges Sept. 17 has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Laredo, according to federal authorities. Though Eva Linette Garcia did not appear in court for her arraignment Monday, she did submit a written not guilty plead Monday. Garcia remains in federal custody on a $75,000 bond. Garcia got charged with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented people within the United States and two counts of trans-
porting and attempting to transport undocumented people for financial gain, according to the indictment. A Department of Public Safety trooper pulled over a gray 2004 Ford F-150 for not having a license plate at 10:40 a.m. Aug. 30 north of the City of Rio Bravo in Southern Webb County. The trooper identified the driver as Garcia and cited her for operating a motor vehicle when unlicensed. A criminal complaint filed Sept. 3 alleges the trooper could not properly identify five passengers. In addition, none of the five people could speak English, court documents state.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived at the scene to determine citizenship on the passengers. All five were determined to be illegally present in the country. Court documents state Garcia “voluntarily stated she was transporting the undocumented people for financial gain from Zapata to Laredo,” the complaint states. A final pretrial conference has been set for Nov. 12 in courtroom 3C before U.S. Magistrate Judge Guillermo R. Garcia. Jury selection is tentatively set for Nov. 18. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
CRIME BLOTTER Animal cruelty
An assault was reported at 11:17 p.m. Sept. 21 in the 1700 block of Bravo Avenue. An aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was reported at 3:35 p.m. Thursday at the Nutrition Center along U.S. 83. An assault was reported at 3:35 p.m. Thursday at Zapata High School.
reported at 5:35 a.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of Juarez Avenue. A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday in the 600 block of Eagle Street. A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 2:41 p.m. Wednesday in the 600 block of Falcon Drive. A burglary of habitation was reported at about 11:22 p.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of Gonzalez Street. A burglary of building was reported at 6:20 a.m. Thursday at the Hawk Ready Mix. A burglary of vehicle was reported at 8:42 a.m. Thursday in the 400 block of U.S 83.
Burglary
Criminal mischief
An animal cruelty incident was reported at 12:18 p.m. Sept. 22 in the Siesta Shores neighborhood.
Assault
A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 1:22 p.m. Sept. 18 in the 1800 block of Jackson Street. A burglary of habitation was reported at 6:16 p.m. Sept. 23 in the 2000 block of Elm Street. A burglary of a vehicle was
A criminal mischief incident was reported at 1:13 a.m. Sept. 22 at the Lake View Inn and Suites in the 100 block of U.S. 83.
Hit and run A hit-and-run accident was
reported at 7:04 a.m. Sept. 22 in the intersection of Texas 16 and Alamo Street. A hit-and-run accident was reported at 5:15 p.m. Monday at the Dollar General parking lot.
Theft A theft was reported at 4:31 p.m. Sept. 20 in the 1400 block of Second Street. A theft was reported at 4:16 p.m. Sept. 22 in the 1200 block of Evergreen Street. A theft was reported at 7:48 p.m. Sept. 22 in the 1500 block of Lincoln Street. A theft was reported at 10 p.m. Sept. 22 in the 400 block of Miraflores Street. A theft was reported at 1:18 p.m. Tuesday in the 2200 block of Carla Street. A theft was reported at 7:23 p.m. Thursday in the 500 block of FM 496 Road. A theft was reported at 10:56 a.m. Friday in the 1200 block of Weslaco Lane.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
OTHER VIEWS
Refreshing voice of humility MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
We wonder if the princes of the Roman Catholic Church knew what they were getting when they elevated Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to be Pope Francis in March. Perhaps, they knew very well. In an extraordinary interview published last week with 16 Jesuit journals, the pope expressed a thoughtful tone of humility. In the passage that has gotten the most attention, the pope says that the church “cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. ... The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.” In other words, strive for balance and remember that the church is a “field hospital” that must heal wounds. “It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else.” Francis notes: “We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel.” Francis explained that
This is a pope who believes, unlike his predecessor, that the church must be a big tent. he is a pastor who needs his flock; he didn’t want to live in the traditional papal apartments because they were cut off from people. “People can come only in dribs and drabs, and I cannot live without people,” he says. Liberals may be disappointed if they believe this pope will fundamentally change church teaching on the role of women, priestly celibacy or contraception. Francis warns that any change must come slowly, and he worries about what he calls “female machismo.” Note what he says: “I am a son of the church.” But there is a new pastoral message coming from the Vatican — that of a humble servant who calls up young Catholics, washes the feet of prisoners and is an urgent voice for the world’s poor. This is a pope who believes, unlike his predecessor, that the church must be a big tent, a message that already is resonating with many American Catholics.
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Punch does comedian in By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
Did you hear the one about the comedian who punched a reporter in the face for heckling him on Twitter? That happened this past week at the “Funniest Celebrity in Washington” competition at the Improv comedy club in Washington’s trendy Dupont Circle. The combatants: comedian Dan Nainan and Daily Beast foreign policy reporter Josh Rogin. Nainan — whose website features, among other images, a picture of him and Donald Trump — apparently took umbrage at Rogin’s tweets critical of his routine. (Sample jibe: “Dan Nainan was funny until he dusted off his 2005 Katrina jokes in a gratingly bad GWB impression.”) Nainan approached Rogin after his act and punched him in the face, pushed him, then took two more swings (only one of which connected), according to Rogin. Nainan denied that, telling the Washington Post’s Reliable Source column reporters he was simply standing up for the other comedians on the stage
The combatants: comedian Dan Nainan and Daily Beast foreign policy reporter Josh Rogin. that night. Nainan was arrested and charged with simple assault. One would think that a comedian who has almost 480,000 Twitter followers and has performed for The Donald might be slightly more thickskinned. Rather than punch Rogin, Nainan should have followed Jerry Seinfeld’s lead and gone to the Daily Beast’s offices to heckle the heckler while he worked. Dan Nainan, for taking your punch lines a little too literally, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something. Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and writes The Fix, its politics blog.
COLUMN
The ‘tail’ of Boko: Lengthy appendage just doesn’t cut it AUSTIN — Today, the tail of the anatomically incorrect mascot. It makes sense, but I guess I had never thought about the fact that a bobcat is a bobcat because of its short, bobbed tail. But you’d think they’d know that at Texas State University, where the bobcat has been the mascot since 1920 and Boko has been the mascot’s name since 1964 when then-student Beth Greenless of Luling won $5 in a namethe-mascot contest. Anyway, Texas State this year bought a new costume for the student who runs around as Boko at football games. The debut came during the Bobcats’ Sept. 7 home win over Prairie View A&M.
Too long a tail But there was a problem. Boko had a long tail. Such things don’t sit well in San Marcos, where Bobcats know that bobcats have short tails. “Most of our fans noticed and made comments either on message boards or fan forums,” said Bryan Miller, the school’s assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions. “And a couple of our sponsors for the game mentioned something to us during the game.”
“
KEN HERMAN
In mascotdom, a bobcat with a long tail is like a longhorn with short horns. (Proper way to introduce the Texas State and the University of Texas mascots to each other: “Boko, Bevo. Bevo, Boko.”) The season went on and Boko hauled tail to Lubbock last Saturday for Texas State’s loss to Texas Tech. Tonight, the Bobcats are home against Wyoming and it’s family weekend on the San Marcos campus. What’s a tuition-paying parent going to think about a school that screws up its own mascot? Something had to be done.
Hospital to the fore Fortunately, Seton Medical Center is a major Bobcat sponsor. “After several consultations with medical personnel at Seton Medical Center Hays,” the hospital said in a statement, “Texas State decided to put Boko on injured reserve and have the mascot undergo a ’tailectomy’ in the hope that Boko could return to the field” for the Wyoming
game. By now you get the drift here as Texas State seeks to turn its tail error into positive PR. But wait, it gets worse/better.
Tale of a tail The school produced a series of five hokey/inspirational videos about Boko’s ordeal. It’s called “As the Tail Turns” and you can enjoy it at tinyurl.com/tailtale. In part one, a proud Boko struts his stuff, only to be humiliated by students yelling that he’s not a real bobcat. Shaken and mortified, Boko tries to tuck tail and disappear. Part two, “Searching for Answers,” is an emotional look at a cat confronting his longcomings. “You don’t feel like a real bobcat?” a mental health professional asks the couched Boko, who responds with a cutting motion across his tail.
Humorous videos It’s a tour de force performance. I think Boko is portrayed by Daniel DayLewis. “Are you sure that’s the best option for you?” the doc asks as Boko frets before giving two thumbs up. (Yes, bobcats have
thumbs.) Part three includes a cat scan (but you knew that) and ends as the surgeon prepares for the big cut on the big cat. (The sharper eyed among you might catch a brief glimpse of the surgeon playing the board game “Operation” during the procedure. I’m told that’s now standard protocol at all Seton facilities. According to Sen. Ted Cruz, it has something to do with Obamacare.)
Recovery In the fourth episode, “Road to Recovery,” we see Boko’s dogged (I’m mixing species here, I know), postsurgery rehab efforts. The final installment is a cliff-hanger called, “Will Boko Be Ready?” We won’t know, of course, until game time. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. Let’s all hope for a happy ending. Prepare yourself by watching the videos. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll wonder why you’re laughing and crying and whether you should have yourself tested. Go, cat, go. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. Email: kherman@statesman.com.
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State
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Wendy Davis lone star for Dems in 2014 By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Stand with Wendy? Sure. But running with Wendy Davis in 2014 is less enticing for bigname Texas Democrats. Davis will launch her campaign for Texas governor next week riding a wave of national celebrity and fundraising power that hapless Democrats have craved for two winless decades against Republicans, whose statewide dominance has built a launch pad for GOP presidential aspirants. But missing for Davis, the state senator propelled to political fame with an 11-hour filibuster that temporarily blocked new Texas abortion restrictions, are headliner running mates to boost her underdog bid. That is despite the potential for a heavyweight Democratic ticket in 2014, including San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a top surrogate of President Barack Obama. Instead, Davis will have to win Texas as a lone star. “It’s going to require all hands on deck. If you ask me, that should be our focus,” said state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, another top Democrat who is sitting out 2014. “Whether that means we don’t put a full team on the field, I’ll have that debate with anybody. I’d rather be a foot deep as opposed to a foot wide.” It’s also a reminder how the voter landscape in Texas remains unfavorable to the Democrats — and Davis’ chances of an upset. Even if Davis seizes on her star power and raises enough to financially compete with Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, whose campaign has already socked away more than $20 million, money isn’t the only reason Democrats haven’t
won a statewide office since 1994. Democratic strategists, including those who ran Obama’s re-election bid, believe Texas demographics and politics are shifting in their favor but the gains are still years away. Just four months ago, Democrats seemed pressed to find a willing gubernatorial candidate with name recognition in Texas, much less nationwide. Then Davis laced up her now-famous pink running shoes on the floor of the Texas Senate on June 25, and ran out the clock on a special legislative session that Gov. Rick Perry had ordered to pass pet conservative measures in a symbol of Republican power. Thousands of abortionrights supporters that night packed the Texas Capitol to root on the second-term senator. Tens of thousands more watched the filibuster live on YouTube, and the Twitter hashtag “StandwithWendy” trended worldwide. Long-suffering Democrats instantly began urging Davis to run for governor. Two Democrats with knowledge of her decision told The Associated Press on Thursday that Davis will announce her candidacy Oct. 3 as widely expected, speaking on condition of anonymity because they did not want to preempt the official campaign launch. But from lieutenant governor to agriculture commissioner, there are still no Democratic candidates. Contrast that with Republicans, who are on pace to have competitive primary fights across the board. It comes after rising GOP leaders stifled pent-up ambitions while Perry held onto the governor’s office for a record 14 years, thwarting many from moving up the ladder.
Photo by Nick Wass/file | AP
Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis speaks at a fundraiser July 25. Davis will launch her campaign for governor next week. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, one of four Republicans running for lieutenant governor, was unfazed Friday by the threat of Democratic victories next year. “When the primary and runoff are over in May, I’m going to take some time off,” said Patterson, shrugging off the competitiveness of the general election. Patterson’s likely successor at the state land commission is Republican George P. Bush, who is running for the office in his political debut. Most rumored to run with Davis in the lieutenant governor slot is state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, which would create only the fourth all-female gubernatorial ticket in the
country. The third was launched this summer in New Jersey, where two women are Democratic challengers against Republican Gov. Chris Christie, who may run for president in 2016. Democratic state Sen. Carlos Uresti has also publicly discussed a possible run for attorney general.
First-year U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, who is Julian’s twin and also a rising Democrat on the national state, rejected criticism that they and other top Democrats are leaving Davis to fend for herself while they wait for more favorable voting trends. Castro said the Democratic ticket is shaping up
to be strong enough to give voters choices they haven’t had in years. “It would’ve been more strange for me to be in my first term of Congress and turn right around and decide that I’m going to run for another office,” Castro said. “I’m going to be supportive of all of them. Everyone has to decide on their own timing.”
State
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
Groups sue to halt parts of abortion law By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — More than a dozen women’s health care providers in Texas sued the state Friday, attempting to block as unconstitutional key provisions of a strict new abortion law that drew massive protests and threw the Legislature into chaos before it was approved this summer. The 32-page complaint was filed in Austin by the providers and Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union. The new law requires doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, only allows abortions in surgical centers and bans the procedure completely after 20 weeks, while also limiting medical abortions. It was approved by the
Legislature’s Republican majority despite a nearly 13-hour filibuster that made Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth a national political star and amid weeks of unprecedented protests where thousands of activists on both sides of the issue thronged the state Capitol. Opponents say the restrictions would effectively ban abortion in much of the nation’s second-mostpopulous state. Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said Friday: “The real purpose of this law is to make it impossible for women in Texas to get an abortion.” The suit doesn’t address the 20-week ban because the overwhelming majority of abortions occur earlier than that threshold. On a conference call with reporters, the groups and attor-
neys said they wouldn’t discuss future legal strategy but also didn’t rule out a possible future legal challenge to the 20-week ban. Friday’s suit also isn’t challenging the surgical center rules — which providers say will force clinics to make costly upgrades or close — because they won’t take effect until next year. Instead, it seeks a temporary injunction to block requirements that doctors have hospital admitting privileges, as well as limits on medical abortions. The groups said there are currently 36 licensed facilities in Texas that perform abortions and 13 of those would be forced to stop doing so based just on the rules that take effect next month. Planned Parenthood says women in Fort Worth, Waco, Harlingen, Killeen, Lubbock and McAllen will be left with nowhere to le-
gally undergo the procedure. Other clinics around the state will remain open but will be unable to operate at the staffing levels they do now because not all of their physicians have hospital admitting privileges. Jim George, an attorney handling the suit, said there are many reasons why hospitals would choose to deny admitting privileges to doctors, including religious or political objections to abortion, in some cases. “This law is unconstitutional and it interferes with a women’s ability to make her own private medical decision and it will absolutely jeopardize women’s health and safety,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “I grew up in Texas and learned pretty early on that
women only got what they fought for,” said Richards, the daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards. State Attorney General Greg Abbott, a prominent Republican who’s running for governor, is named in the suit. His office offered no comment Friday. The state senator who sponsored the bill that became the new abortion law, Republican Glenn Hegar of the Houston suburb of Katy, said it “plays a critically important role in improving safety standards for women and protecting the life of the unborn child.” “This lawsuit is an effort to delay implementation of certain provisions in the bill that would improve women’s health care in the state of Texas,” Hegar said in a written statement. “I have absolute confidence that the Attorney General will be able to successfully
defend against this frivolous lawsuit.” Those behind the suit argue the law isn’t about making women safer, just stopping abortion. Thy said that if they secure a temporary injunction they expect Abbott to appeal to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court. Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the ACLU have teamed up before to challenge similar restrictions in other states. The groups say rules on physicians with hospital admitting privileges were halted by legal challenges in Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, legal complaints against medical abortion rules similar to the ones passed in Texas were struck down by state courts in Oklahoma and North Dakota, but upheld by a federal court in Ohio.
Bush now feels ‘good’ By JAMIE STENGLE ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — Former President George W. Bush says he’s feeling “pretty good” after undergoing a heart procedure last month and able to go mountain biking and play golf. “I’m a little more risk averse on the mountain bike, but I’m exercising,” Bush told The Associated Press on Friday after kicking off the competitive portion of his golf tournament for wounded military members. “It’s really important to stay fit and not vegetate,” he said. This is the third year that the George W. Bush Presidential Center has hosted the Warrior Open for military members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Twenty-four military members, many with prosthetic legs, were participating in the twoday tournament in the Dallas suburb of Irving. Participants include active and retired members of the military. “I’m inspired every year to be in the midst of people who suffered significant injury and refuse to quit,” Bush told the AP as the
Photo by Michael Ainsworth/The Dallas Morning News | AP
Lee Treviño and former president George W. Bush laugh prior to the Bush Center Warrior Open golf pro-am tournament Thursday. participants teed off. “Golf is an unbelievably challenging sport and it’s especially challenging, for example, if you are trying to drive with one leg — and yet they’ve overcome their difficulties and are really good golfers. The talent out here is pretty amazing,” he said. Bush had a procedure on Aug. 6 to have a stent inserted after a blockage was discovered in an artery during his annual physical. The 67-year-old who lives in Dallas is known as a fitness buff. While in the White House he ran about three miles four days a week, and
cross-trained with swimming, free weights and an elliptical trainer. When doctors found his knees were getting damaged, he turned to mountain biking. Bush said he was fortunate that the blockage was found, and was pragmatic about his recovery. “I feel pretty good. I’ve learned that aging can be difficult if you let it be difficult,” he said. This year, the Warrior Open included an additional day of play on Thursday with its first Pro-Am, which featured professional golfers teaming up with the warriors.
Elder Bush at wedding ASSOCIATED PRESS
KENNEBUNK, Maine — Former President George H.W. Bush was an official witness at the same-sex wedding of two longtime friends, his spokesman said. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush, attended the ceremony joining Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen as private citizens and friends on Saturday, said spokesman Jim McGrath. Thorgalsen posted a photo on her Facebook page showing Bush signing the marriage license as a witness. She captioned the photo: “Getting our marriage license witnessed!” In the photo, Bush is seated in a wheelchair, a stack of papers on his lap and his left hand poised with a pen. One bright red sock and one bright blue one peek out below the cuffs of his blue slacks. The 41st president has deep ties to the area and owns a compound in Kennebunkport, a small coastal town. Thorgalsen and Clement own a general store in neighboring Kennebunk. They were honeymooning overseas and didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday. Gay marriage became legal in Maine in December. Bush was in the White House when gay marriage wasn’t as big a political issue as it is today. One of his sons, former President George W. Bush, opposed same-sex marriage and in 2004 announced his sup-
Photo by Susan Biddle | AP
Former President George H.W. Bush, seated center, prepares to sign the marriage license of longtime friends Helen Thorgalsen, right, and Bonnie Clement, left, in Kennebunkport, Maine, on Sept. 21 as officiant Nancy Sosa, third right, and Helen’s daughter Lindsey, rear, look on. port for a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw it. But his wife, Laura Bush, and their daughter Barbara Bush support gay marriage, as does his former vice president, Dick Cheney, whose daughter Mary Cheney is openly gay. A spokesman for George W. Bush on Wednesday declined to comment on his current feelings about same-sex marriage or his thoughts about his father’s role in a same-sex wedding. In July, George W. Bush made headlines when he said he wouldn’t comment on the issue, saying he “shouldn’t be taking a speck out of someone else’s eye when I have a log in my own.” He later explained that he just wasn’t going to answer the question because he was out of politics. His brother Jeb Bush, a former governor of Florida and a potential presidential candidate, has said same-sex marriage is an issue best left to the
states to decide. In a speech in June, he told the Faith & Freedom Coalition the nation needs to be supportive of non-traditional families.
Photo by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | AP
Zebra mussels are seen on Lake Texoma in this recent photograph. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department on Thursday announced invasive zebra mussels were discovered Sept. 18 in Belton Lake, in Central Texas, as efforts continue to stop their spread.
Mussels spread to lake By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LUBBOCK — Invasive zebra mussels have turned up at a Central Texas lake as efforts continue to stop the spread of the unwanted creatures, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced Thursday. The mussels were discovered Sept. 18 in Belton Lake, 60 miles north of Austin. It’s the first time zebra mussels were documented in the Brazos River basin, nearly 200 miles south of where they previously were found in Texas. It’s “not a surprise but certainly not unexpected,” said Ken Kurzawski, the department’s freshwater fisheries regulation coordinator. They’re “in an area we thought that if they got there they probably could survive.” An order adopting an emergency rule to add lakes Belton and Stillhouse Hollow, and portions of the Leon and Lampasas rivers was signed Wednesday. Zebra mussels are suspected of reaching Lake Worth and Joe Pool
Lake in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where zebra mussel DNA has been detected but none of the shellfish have been confirmed as present, the department said. Boaters are required to clean, dry and drain watercraft after they’ve been in waters where the mussels or their larvae have been found. The mussels — whose larvae are invisible to the naked eye — can expand their range by hitching rides on boats and trailers. The draining of water includes livewells, bilges and bait buckets. The invasive species clogs public-water intake pipes, attaches itself to boat hulls, jams watercooling systems and can be a hazard to boaters and swimmers because of its sharp edges, according to the department. Last month, the department’s commission approved a proposal to add the regulation in counties proximate to the lakes where mussels have been found. Their additional rule-making authority came as a result of legisla-
tion passed in the spring. Public hearings on the proposed expanded regulation, which would mean public water in 17 counties of North Texas, are set for Oct. 1 in Fort Worth, Oct. 8 in Denison and Oct. 9 in Garland. It is a Class C misdemeanor statewide to possess or transport zebra mussels. The bill gave more authority to expand the regulation. Before the rule applied to only lakes where mussels were found. Kurzawski said the department’s commission would have authority to make the regulation statewide. “That’s a pretty big step,” he said. “We’re not there yet and it’s not (a step) we would take lightly.” Officials say the creatures were likely introduced to the Belton Lake reservoir in 2012. They were found in Lake Texoma, bordering Oklahoma, in 2009. Since then mussels or their larvae have spread to several lakes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
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BUDGET gress any closer to a resolution.” Republican lawmakers said Boehner had made it clear he would continue to seek health care-related concessions from the White House when the House passes its next shutdown-prevention legislation. But the rank and file rebelled on Thursday when leaders suggested moving the main focus of the effort to defund Obamacare to a separate bill rather than continue to flirt with a shutdown. There is little or no disagreement between the House and Senate over spending levels in the legislation now moving from one side of the Capitol to the other, and except for health care, passage might well be routine. The bill provides funds at an annual rate of slightly more than $986 billion, in keeping with an agreement Obama and Republicans made two years ago to restrain the growth of a wide swath of government spending from the Pentagon to the nation’s parks. Without separate legislation to make further reductions, across-the-board cuts will automatically take effect early next year that will reduce the level to $967 billion, and Republicans are fond of pointing out that the government is on track to spend less on those programs for the second year in a row — for the first time since the Korean War. But Republicans voted unanimously against the health care law when it passed Congress, backed lawsuits to challenge its constitutionality, and some now seek to strangle it before its final implementation begins next Tuesday. Cruz, Lee and several tea party groups seized on the issue during Congress’ five week summer vacation, turning “Defund Obamacare” into a rallying cry backed by television commercials, public rallies and emails. The result was a bruis-
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
INSURANCE Continued from Page 1A
Continued from Page 1A ing week in the Senate in which Cruz spoke for slightly more than 21 hours straight in hopes of swaying some votes his way, only to lose by far on the showdown that he described as the crucial one. That was a proposal by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to cut off debate on the spending bill, a move that also meant Democrats needed a mere majority of the votes to restore money for the health care law that the House had omitted. The vote was 79-19, 19 more than the 60 needed to cut off debate. All 52 Democrats, two independents and 25 of 44 Republicans voted in favor. That included McConnell and much of the GOP leadership with the exception of Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, who heads the party’s campaign committee. McConnell had said repeatedly it made no sense to block legislation to prevent a shutdown and defund Obamacare, both of which Republicans support. Cruz and Lee argued otherwise in what amounted to a direct challenge to McConnell’s leadership, but drew the support of only 17 other Republicans. Reid excoriated tea party Republicans in remarks before the votes, and said they support “a shutdown that would shatter the economy.” Reprising a theme he has used in recent days, he added, “A bad day for government is a good day for the anarchists among us.” McConnell, who faces a primary challenger as he seeks a new Senate term in Kentucky, focused his remarks almost exclusively on the health care law rather than the turmoil in the party he leads. “Republicans are united on the need to repeal Obamacare,” he said. “The American people want this bill repealed. ... I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of our Democrat colleagues secretly want it repealed.”
financial security of millions of Texas families,” U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said in a statement Wednesday. Texans will have the option of choosing from about 54 health plans total — average premiums range from the lowest cost bronze plan at $211 to the lowest cost silver plan at $287. But averages in the San Antonio and the McAllen-EdinburgPharr-Mission metro complexes are much lower.
While information is not available for the Laredo area, the areas with some of lowest rates in Texas are all located in Cuellar’s congressional district, which includes Laredo. This information can give an idea of what Laredoans can expect when signing up for the new health care plan. A family of four in San Antonio with an income of $50,000 a year would pay $73 a month for the lowest bronze plan, and a 27-year-old person who
makes $25,000 a year will pay $87 for the lowest cost bronze plan, after tax credits. There will be 58 qualified health plans to choose from in San Antonio. A family of four in the McAllen-Edinburg-PharrMission area with an income of $50,000 would pay $117 a month for lowest cost bronze plan, and a 27-year-old person with an income of $25,000 will pay $99 a month for the lowest bronze plan, after tax credits. There will be
30 plans available in the area. Citizens can get more information about the marketplace rollout by visiting HealthCare.gov or cuidadodesalud.gov. One can also call 1-800318-2596 toll free to speak with a trained customer service representative with translation services available in 150 languages. (Cody Permenter may be reached at 728-2579 or cpermenter@lmtonline.com)
RABBI Continued from Page 1A tually and physically, so at 18, he decided to become a rabbi and a medical doctor. In Argentina, Kogan pursued both passions simultaneously: he attended rabbinical school at a seminary while he started medical school at the University of Buenos Aires. He became a doctor in 1995, and a mohel (professional who performs circumcisions) two years later. When Argentina underwent a disastrous economic crisis in 1999, Kogan left to seek his fortune in the U.S., despite leaving a medical career and steady girlfriend of one year behind. Kogan said that at the time his girlfriend, Ana Sverdlick, thought he was kidding when he said he was going to move to America to earn his rabbinical degree. Still, Sverdlick — now his wife — was committed to their relationship. “I used to joke that airlines and AT&T were the beneficiaries of our relationship,” he said. After a couple of long-distance years, Sverdlick left her own career behind to join Kogan. “She left a job as a lawyer to become the girlfriend of a broke student,” Kogan added, seeming to still be in disbelief. Since her arrival, Sverdlick has earned a master’s degree
in global affairs from Rutgers University, and she is finishing her Ph.D. in human trafficking. Kogan has picked up four more university degrees himself, two in Hebrew studies, and one each in education and medical ethics, respectively. A little more than one year into his stint as McAllen’s rabbi, Kogan has several goals. One is to inspire an interfaith dialogue within the community, which he has achieved by talking with Bishop Daniel Flores and clergy members throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Beginning next month, Flores and Kogan will hold a series of public discussions regarding the cornerstones of the Jewish and Catholic faiths, inviting the public to listen and participate. He added that some locals with last names like Garza, Guerra and Hinojosa, among others, might be surprised to learn that they could have Jewish ancestors. “If I have a goal it’s to open doors for people,” Kogan said. “When I was in Connecticut, someone came and knocked on the doors and said, ‘Rabbi, I would like to see the place where you hold the sacrifices.’ My main goal in the Valley is to fight ignorance and prejudice. Sometimes by studying or giving education, we grow a better
community that will recognize their origin.” For Kogan, every teachable moment and sacrifice has been worthwhile, and indeed, pushed him toward a greater empathy for people and a passion for equality and human rights. Through his classes, services and community outreach, Kogan sends a message that all people, regardless of their heritage or income, deserve the basic necessities provided by a first-world country. “(I’m grateful that) having come to the country with almost no money, I was able to make my way here today,” he said. “But there are lots and lots of people, especially in this area that, I believe, deserve to have the same rights as our grandparents who are Americans who came to this country and we were here illegally.” He added that he was not advocating for U.S. borders to be thrown open, but for Americans to “think with their hearts and their heads” when it comes to matters of equality and social justice. He added that, with his backgrounds in medical science and theology, addressing health care reform was also high on his agenda. “I think that everybody deserves it,” Kogan said. “Now, having said that, we
have to create systems where people don’t abuse that. I think we need a discussion about how to make it work. Until we stop thinking about it as a business, things won’t get better for our society.” The simple ability to have, and be a part of, that discussion is what makes the rabbi proud to be a U.S. citizen. Coming from a country whose populace had no voice to a land where one person can effect change if they so choose is, for Kogan, the American dream come true. For him, pillars of a life well-lived are education, health and spirituality. He said that the United States has a power like no other to provide these to all of its people regardless of their origins, and he hopes to further that cause and be a force working for democracy, equality and altruism in the community. “I truly believe in the American dream. We are, I believe, the most powerful country in the world,” he said. “We have to think about how we’re going to maintain our cities and communities and keep them vital in the 21st century. It’s our responsibility to combat poverty, provide education and help those in need. Life is short; you must find a way to improve your world.”
PÁGINA 10A
Zfrontera OBAMACARE
Agenda en Breve
Plan de salud
LAREDO 09/28— El equipo de fútbol soccer varonil de TAMIU recibe a Midwestern State University a las 12 p.m. dentro del Complejo de Soccer de TAMIU. Costo: 5 dólares. 09/28— Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta: “Little Start that Could” a las 2 p.m.; “Force 5: Nature Unleashed” a las 3 p.m.; Violent Universe a las 4 p.m.; y “Pink Floyd Dark side of the Moon” a las 5 p.m. Costo: 5 dólares (adultos) y 4 dólares los niños. 09/28— “A Starry Starry Night Gala” se presentará a partir de las 7 p.m. en Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 avenida San Agustin. Informes en el 725-1715. 09/29— La Fundación Kathy’s Wish invita al Maratón de 5K en North Central Park. Las inscripciones inician a las 7 a.m. y la carrera/caminata a las 8 a.m. Costo: 20 y 25 dólares. 09/29— Laredo Phil inicia temporada en el salón de recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts en TAMIU, a las 3 p.m. Costo: 20 dólares. 09/30— El Capítulo Sigma Tau Delta de TAMIU presenta “Local Literature: A Campus Reading of Hispanic Works” (Literatura Local: Una Lectura Escolar de Obras Hispanas) de 1 p.m. a 3 p.m. en la Rotonda del Centro Estudiantil. 10/01— Sexto Aniversario del ‘Laredo’s National Night Out’ de 6 p.m. a 9 p.m. en el Estadio UniTrade, 5620 Sinatra Parkway. Evento gratuito. 10/02— Con motivo del Mes de la Herencia Hispana, Laredo Community College y el Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education (TACHE) presentan la película ‘My Family: Three Generations of Dreams’ a las 7 p.m. en el área adjunta al Gimnasio Maravillo, en el Campus Fort McIntosh de LCC. Entrada gratuita. 10/03— LTGI y TAMIU presentan “The Crucible” (Las Brujas de Salem o El Crisol) de Arthur Miller, en el Teatro del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU, a las 8 p.m. Otra presentación será el 4 de octubre a las 8 p.m. Costo: 15 dólares. 10/04— El Instituto Cultural Mexicano de Laredo presenta “Brillo de México Gala”, colección de joyería de Daniel Espinosa, a partir de las 7 p.m. en Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 avenida San Agustin. También participará Paty Chapoy. Costo: 150 dólares, por persona. Más información en 723-0990, extensión 214/ 215 o en 725-1715. 10/05— “Laredo Walk Like MADD” se llevará a cabo en North Central Park, con el registro a partir de las 7 a.m. y la ceremonia de apertura a las 8 a.m. Inscríbase en www.walklikemadd.org/Laredo. 10/05— First United Methodist Church tendrá su venta de libros usados, desde las 8:30 a.m. hasta la 1 p.m. en el 1220 McClelland Ave. Libros de pasta dura: 1 dólar; pasta blanda, .50 centavos; revistas y libros infantiles, .25 centavos. 10/05— Hoy es el Noveno AutMus Fest Anual en terrenos de TAMIU. El festival de música y actividades iniciará a las 4:30 p.m. Costo: 12 dóalres. Visite www.autmusfest.com. Niños de 12 años y menores entran gratis.
NUEVO LAREDO, MX 09/28— Cuento teatralizado “Cenicienta” se presenta en Estación Palabra, a las 3 p.m. Entrada libre. 09/29— El grupo de Teatro Laberintus presenta “Hansel y Gretel”, del clásico de los hermanos Grimm, a las 12 p.m. en el teatro del IMSS, Reynosa y Belden. Costo 20 pesos.
SÁBADO 28 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2013
POR CODY PERMENTER TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Las primas en los seguros de salud bajo el nuevo Health Insurance Marketplace serán significativamente más bajas para los residentes que viven en el Sur de Texas, de acuerdo con un reporte emitido el miércoles por CUELLAR el Departamento de Servicios de Salud y Humanos. El mercado abrirá oficialmente el 1 de octubre en toda la nación, y es parte del lanzamiento de Affordable Health Care Act, la cual es conocida comúnmente como Oba-
macare. El mercado será utilizado por los ciudadanos estadounidenses para comprar y adquirir la cobertura de seguros de salud durante un periodo, con inscripción abierta, de seis meses, ósea hasta marzo de 2014. Los planes varían y se clasifican como “oro”, “plata”, o “bronce”. A nadie se le podrá negar la cobertura basándose en las condiciones ya existentes. De acuerdo con la Asociación Médica de Texas, Texas actualmente ocupa el primer lugar en la nación en el porcentaje de ciudadanos sin seguro, con un 31 por ciento de personas que no poseen seguro. Y Laredo presenta una tasa aún peor, con un 36 por ciento
de ciudadanos sin seguro. “Ya no se temerá a un accidente, un enfermedad potencial, o incluso el deseo de recibir atención preventiva básica, que amenaza con descarrilar la seguridad financiera de millones de familias en Texas”, dijo el Congresista Henry Cuéllar (D-TX28) en una conferencia de prensa. Los tejanos tendrán la oportunidad de escoger entre 54 planes de salud completos— el promedio en el rango de primas del plan bronce de menor costo es de 211 dólares, mientras que el plan plateado de menor costo es de 287 dólares. Pero los promedios en los planes para San Antonio y los complejos del metro en McAllen-EdinburgPharr-Mission son mucho más ba-
jos. Aunque la información no está disponible en el área de Laredo, las zonas con algunas de las tarifas más bajas en Texas están ubicadas en el distrito 28 del Congreso de Texas, que incluye a Laredo. Esta información puede dar una idea de lo que pueden esperar los Laredenses al registrarse en los nuevos planes de salud. Puede obtener mayor información sobre el lanzamiento del mercado visitando HealthCare.gov o cuidadodesalud.gov. También puede llamar al número gratuito 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325) para hablar con un representante de servicio al cliente capacitado traducir los servicios disponibles en 150 idiomas.
TAMAULIPAS
COMUNIDAD
DESPUÉS DE INGRID
Alientan donar médula ósea POR MALENA CHARUR TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Familias afectadas, residentes en el sur de Tamaulipas, México, se acercan a saludar al Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú. Torre estuvo recorriendo las comunidades afectadas tras el paso del Huracán Ingrid.
Amplían programas de apoyo en comunidad afectada TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
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l paso de los huracanes Ingrid y Manuel dejaron secuelas que mantienen a miles de personas sin hogar en el vecino país. Esta semana, el Presidente de México, Enrique Peña Nieto, se reunió de nueva cuenta con gobernadores de las entidades afectadas, incluyendo a Egidio Torre Cantú, de Tamaulipas. El objetivo fue tener una evaluación preliminar de la situación y una definición de diversas acciones, programas y apoyos a ejercer juntos el Gobierno de la República y los gobiernos de los estados en beneficio de las comunidades afectadas, indica un comunicado de prensa. “Para que entre todos como lo venimos haciendo, con este gran concurso también de la extraordinaria sociedad civil que tenemos en México y por supuesto en Tamaulipas, a la brevedad posible generar las condiciones para que la normalidad regrese a la vida de todos nuestros conciudadanos”, dijo Torre. En gira por Tampico, al sur de la entidad, Torre recorrió la aún inundada colonia Moscú, sector que se ubica cerca del sistema lagunario del Río Pánu-
co-Tamesí. En esa ciudad, el Centro de Salud continúa funcionando como albergue para 19 familias damnificadas. El total de personas (considerando las 19 familias) son 62, de los cuales 9 son hombres, 21 mujeres, y 20 niños. La prioridad es que las personas afectadas se encuentren en un sitio donde haya agua potable, alimentos, servicio médico y un lugar par dormir, mientras las autoridades trabajan para reestablecer las comunicaciones y clases. “Ahora estamos ayudándoles en donde ya es posible hacerlo”, dijo Torre. “(Que) empiecen a limpiar las casas para que pronto puedan regresar”. En algunos hogares el nivel del agua alcanzó más de metro y medio de altura. En acciones adjuntas, se dio a conocer que se creó un programa emergente de empleo temporal para cerca de 5.000 padres de familia en 11 municipios de Tamaulipas (El Mante, Ocampo, Soto la Marina, Güemez, Padilla, Aldama, Jiménez, Xicoténcatl, Llera, Gómez Farías y Jaumave). El monto destinado para este programa es de casi seis millones de pesos, los cuales fueron otorgados por la Secretaría de Desarrollo Social
federal. El Programa de Empleo Temporal otorgará cinco días de trabajo con dos jornales diarios y los pagos se harán a través de Telecom. Estos apoyos se entregarán después de 10 días a partir del levantamiento de un padrón de damnificados, que finalizó el viernes. “Vemos también al mismo tiempo con mucho optimismo que hay muy buen ánimo y que poco a poco juntos y entre todos vamos a salir adelante”, puntualizó Torre. Otros recursos adicionales para Tamaulipas han sido por parte del Fonden. “Algunos de ellos (fondos) si son a través de la Secretaría de Gobernación, que son los fondos de emergencia, otros son a través de la Cruz Roja y de la Sociedad Civil Organizada, que con mucho cariño se solidarizan con las familias tamaulipecas afectadas y otros son del DIF Nacional y por supuesto del Gobierno del Estado y los ayuntamientos y del gobierno federal”, agregó Torre. En otra labor adicional, la Secretaría de Salud está pidiendo a la población que extreme las precauciones para evitar enfermedades respiratorias, gastrointestinales o de la piel.
Kathy Solíz tenía 15 años de edad cuando fue diagnosticada con leucemia. Era el año 2001.Ella luchó contra la enfermedad durante nueve años y medio, pero en el 2010 falleció. Desde que fue diagnosticada, Kathy mantuvo su lucha y sobre todo, su mensaje de promover la donación de médula ósea entre las minorías. “Mi hija falleció de leucemia en el 2010. Ella empezó el tratamiento y fue una enfermedad difícil”, recordó la mamá de Kathy, Yvette Solíz. Una esperanza de vida para Kathy lo representaba el recibir un transplante de médula ósea, procedimiento que se usa comúnSOLÍZ mente en pacientes con leucemia. Un factor importante para el éxito, al realizar un transplante de médula, reside en que ésta debe ser compatible entre el donador y el receptor. La raza y la etnicidad son elementos que elevan la compatibilidad. Sin embargo, sólo existe un 30 por ciento de posibilidades de encontrar compatibilidad entre los miembros de la misma familia. A fin de honrar su memoria y promover la donación de médula ósea, la Fundación Kathy Solíz llevará a cabo una carrera/caminata de 5K, el domingo 29 de septiembre, en North Central Park, a partir de las 8 a.m. Antes de morir, Kathy hizo que su madre le prometiera que continuaría con el trabajo que había iniciado para convocar y educar sobre la necesidad de que las minorías se registraran como donantes comprometidos. “Porque mantuvimos nuestra promesa a Kathy, es la razón que se fundó The Kathy Soliz Foundation”, dijo Laura Canales, tía de Kathy. El registro para la carrera/caminata se puede realizar vía Internet en www.active.com. El costo de la inscripción es de 20 dólares ó 25 dólares si se registra en línea. Habrá inscripciones en el lugar desde las 7 a.m y la carrera/caminata 5K iniciará a las 8 a.m.
SALUD
Revelan detalles del síndrome de cáncer hereditario POR EL CENTRO DE CIENCIAS DE LA SALUD DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE TEXAS ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Cuando los genes de una persona cambian, las células pueden crecer fuera de lo normal y causar cáncer. Un cambio anormal en un gen es conocido como una mutación. Mutaciones en los genes que resultan en cáncer pueden ser adquiridos debido a exposición a riesgos ambientales, ciertos tipos de infecciones, y como resultado de factores de
estilo de vida, tales como dieta, actividad física y el uso de tabaco, o pueden ser heredadas tanto del padre como de la madre. Si el cáncer se origina como resultado de un gen hereditario, se denomina cáncer hereditario. El tipo de cáncer heredado más común se conoce como el síndrome de cáncer hereditario de mama y de ovario (Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer syndrome— HBOC por sus siglas en inglés). HBOC es
causado por mutaciones en los genes BRCA1 o BRCA2. Entre el 5 y el 10 % de los cánceres de mama hereditarios son la consecuencia de mutaciones en los genes BRCA1 o BRCA2 mientras se cree que el 90 % de los cánceres son esporádicos. Mientras que en promedio las mujeres en los EU tiene un 12% de riesgo de desarrollar cáncer de mama en su vida, una mujer con una mutación heredada en los genes BRCA tiene un riesgo más alto de lo normal de
desarrollar cáncer de mama (40 a 87 por ciento de riesgo de por vida). Señales que sugieren que HBOC puede correr en la familia incluyen: diagnóstico de cáncer de mama antes de llegar a la menopausia, parientes cercanos con cáncer de mama, ovario, u otros cánceres relacionados, múltiples cánceres relacionados con una persona, y cáncer de mama masculino. A través de una investigación que incluye
la revisión de antecedentes de salud personales y familiares, consejeros genéticos pueden identificar patrones específicos de antecedentes familiares asociados con un mayor riesgo para el síndrome de HBOC y recomendar las pruebas genéticas apropiadas. Puede comunicarse a El Centro de Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad de Texas (UTHSCSA, por sus siglas en inglés) al (956) 523-7440 o escriba a pulidosaldiv@uthscsa.edu.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
OSIEL SALDAÑA
ROY JAY BINGHAM
Sept. 16, 1941 – Sept. 20, 2013
June 23, 1948 – Sept. 26, 2013
Osiel Saldaña, 72, passed away Friday, Sept. 20, 2013, in Laredo. Mr. Saldaña is preceded in death by his parents, Candelario and Isabel Saldaña; brother, Zaragoza Saldaña; sisters, Camila (Zaragoza) Elizondo, Arabela (Jose) Martinez and Teofila (Erasmo) Guerra. Mr. Saldaña is survived by his wife, Guadalupe Saldaña; son, Osiel Saldaña Jr.; daughters, Maria Guadalupe (Hector) Montalvo, Criselda (Raymond) Arroyo and Maricarmen Martinez; grandchildren: Kassandra Saldaña, Brianna Saldaña, Hector Daniel (Heather) Montalvo, Christina Montalvo, Gabriella Montalvo, Elizabeth Arroyo, Alejandro Arroyo, Rebecca Martinez, Alexis
Arroyo and Cristopher Arroyo; brother, Omar (Mirtala) Saldaña; sisters, Manuela (+Alfonso) Barreiro, Joaquina (+Ramon) Moreno, Elodia (+Mora) Ramirez and Eloisa (+Rito) Diaz; and sister-in-law, Berta Saldaña; and by numerous other family members and friends.
EMBEZZLEMENT brother was elected to his old seat in Coahuila, eventually had to step down as head of the national party after the embezzlement scandal broke. Between 2008 and Villarreal’s resignation in August 2011, Mexican authorities allege, Villarreal racked up 3 billion pesos, about $250 million, in fraudulent loans using the state’s credit. Shortly after his arrest in Mexico in October 2011, Villarreal was released on bail and entered the U.S. on a tourist visa. In February 2012, he was arrested in Smith County carrying $67,000, but was released again and hasn’t resurfaced. In 2008, Villarreal and Torres met with J.P. Mor-
gan Chase bankers about opening accounts in the U.S., according to the lawsuit, which includes an affidavit by an Internal Revenue Service agent. Their behavior caused J.P. Morgan Chase to launch an investigation, according to the lawsuit. Some of that behavior included Torres telling a bank official that as a public official he “could not have details about (his) property disclosed in Mexico or the public,” his request that statements be sent to the banker’s home address in Brownsville, and Torres and Villarreal wiring in millions of dollars from Mexico, sending hundreds of thousands of dollars back and forth be-
Visitation hours were held Sunday, Sept. 22, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Monday, Sept. 23, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services followed at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
Continued from Page 1A tween each others’ accounts and then sending the money to Bermuda. Last year, federal and Bexar County prosecutors filed a series of lawsuits seeking tens of millions of dollars in bank accounts and in real estate in San Antonio, Brownsville, Harlingen and South Padre Island that they said Villarreal had bought with embezzled money. In February, prosecutors filed a lawsuit to forfeit $2.3 million in a Bermuda account they say is controlled by Villarreal. Two weeks later, according to Tuesday’s lawsuit, Torres tried to transfer the money in his Bermuda account to an account in Germany. jbuch@express-news.net
Troops at fault in mall By TOM ODULA AND ADAM SCHRECK ASSOCIATED PRESS
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s military caused the collapse of three floors of the Westgate Mall in the deadly terrorist siege, a top-ranking official disclosed Friday, while the government urged patience with the pace of an investigation that has left key questions unanswered. Seven days after 67 people were killed in the attack on the upscale shopping center, there is still no word on the fate of dozens who have been reported missing and no details on the terrorists who carried it out. The account of the roof collapse raises the possibility that the military may have caused the death of hostages in its rescue attempt. An undisclosed number of people are feared to be buried in the rubble. The official said autopsies will be conducted on
any bodies found to determine the cause of death — from the militants or the structural collapse. The high-ranking government official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to divulge sensitive information. The official also confirmed that Kenyan troops fired rocket-propelled grenades inside the mall, but would not say what caused the floors to collapse, if the action was intentional, or if it was an accident. The account at least partially backs up information given to AP on Wednesday by another official who said RPGs fired by soldiers created a gaping hole in the mall’s roof and caused the floors to collapse. Four huge explosions had rocked the mall Monday and dark smoke poured out — the likely time that the floors collapsed.
A soldier who was returning from the mall Tuesday while carrying a rocket launcher told the AP reporter that he had fired it inside. The soldier spoke on condition of anonymity because he was ordered not to talk to the media. The government has not said publicly what caused the collapse. One official had earlier suggested it was caused by a mattress fire in the Nakumatt department store. Presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu said structural engineers are examining the collapse. FBI agents, along with investigators from Britain, Canada and Germany, are participating in the inquiry. Results are not expected until next week at the earliest. Police are trying to determine if the attackers stored ammunition in the mall hours or even days before the attack.
Roy Jay Bingham, 65, passed away Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013, at Laredo Medical Center in Laredo. Mr. Bingham is preceded in death by his parents, Edward Bingham and Jessie Lee Bingham; brother, Kenneth Bingham; and a sister, Georgia. Mr. Bingham is survived by his wife, Belinda R. Bingham; son, Orlando J. (Velma) Martinez; daughter, Elisa (Baldemar Jr.) Montes; grandchildren: Corina, Nicolas, Joaquin Martinez, Madelyn Reeves, Macey Reeves, Baldemar Montes III, Mia Montes;
brothers, Edward (Barbara) Bingham, James (†Barbara) Bingham; sisters, Faye (Ed) Bolton, Helen (†Bill) Martin, Betty (†Charles) Mascheck; and by numerous nephews, nieces and friends.
Visitation hours will be held Monday, Sept. 30, 2013, at 8 a.m. with a chapel service at 10 a.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, at 10 a.m. at Mereta Cemetery in Mereta. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy. 83, Zapata.
Valley man put to death for crime By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
HUNTSVILLE — A Rio Grande Valley man was put to death Thursday for a slaying 14 years ago in which the victim was bound with shoelaces and strips of bedding, stabbed 94 times and robbed of $50. The execution of Arturo Diaz, 37, was carried out after the U.S. Supreme Court refused a last-ditch appeal to block his lethal injection. It was the 13th execution this year in Texas, the nation’s most active capital punishment state. Diaz smiled and blew a kiss to several witnesses watching through a window, including his mother and grandmother. He then turned to the father of his victim, watching through an adjacent window to the death chamber. “I hope this can bring some relief for you and your family,” he told him. He spoke in Spanish to his own friends and relatives, telling them: “I am with God.” He also added that he hoped his fate “serves as an example for some youngsters. ... Think about it before you do drugs.” He was pronounced dead 17 minutes later, at 6:30 p.m. Zapata time. “It was way too easy,” Forrest Nichols, whose son was murdered in 1999, said as he stood watching Diaz. Texas Department of
DIAZ Criminal Justice officials have used pentobarbital as the single execution drug for more than a year, but Diaz became the first in the state given the sedative procured from a vendor or manufacturer the prison agency has declined to identify. Diaz’s reaction to the drug was similar to other Texas inmates who have been executed with pentobarbital. He took several deep breaths, began snoring and ceased movement in less than a minute. The expiration date of the department’s existing inventory passed this month, possibly diluting its potency. Like other death penalty states, Texas officials needed to go to nontraditional sources because the usual suppliers bowed to pressure from capital punishment opponents and refused to make their product available. In his appeal to the Supreme Court, Diaz’s attorney, James Terry Jr., argued recent high court rulings allowed another
look at previously unsuccessful appeals where inmates had shoddy legal help. Diaz had deficient counsel at his 2000 trial in Hidalgo County and early in the appeals process, his attorney said. Diaz, from Las Milpas, a small town between McAllen and the Mexican border, was convicted of the April 1999 slaying of Michael Nichols, 25, at Nichols’ apartment in McAllen. Diaz also was given two life terms for attempted capital murder and aggravated robbery of another man who survived. Cregg Thompson, the lead prosecutor at Diaz’s murder trial, said evidence showed Diaz tried to steal Nichols’ pickup truck but couldn’t open a locked gate at the apartment complex. His shoe print was found on the keypad box at the gate, and his DNA was found on a beer bottle at Nichols’ apartment. Diaz said he was high on drugs and alcohol during the attack on Nichols. He also confessed to a slaying that took place a month earlier. In that case, the victim’s head was stomped and face beaten with a hammer. Diaz also received a 94year prison term for aggravated sexual assault for raping a jail inmate. “You know it’s going to take some time for all the appeals and everything to go through,” Thompson said this week of Diaz’s execution. “But when you say 14 years, that sounds like an awful long time.”
12A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
NFL: HOUSTON TEXANS
Staying focused Photo by Nick Wass | AP
Houston offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said quarterback Matt Schaub has “got to get better” as the Texans’ offensive struggles continue.
Texans need to improve on offense By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Tony Gutierrez | AP
Dallas running back DeMarco Murray rushed for 175 yards last week in a 31-7 victory over St. Louis. It was the first 100-yard rushing game for the Cowboys since the season opener in 2012.
Big game or bad, Murray keeps churning By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — DeMarco Murray’s expression never changes much, even after the first 100-yard game in more than a year for the Dallas Cowboys running back. The third-year back said he wasn’t frustrated coming off a 25-
yard day in Kansas City that led to questions about whether he was the problem in the running game, rather than the blocking or the scheme or something else. On the flip side, Murray wasn’t shouting “I told you so” when he ran through St. Louis for 175 yards last week, two years after he set a franchise record with 253 yards as
a rookie against the Rams. “Whether it’s positive or negative, I don’t read into it too much,” said Murray, who will face San Diego for the first time Sunday. “All I’m doing is trying to work hard, and whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to try to do it. I’m sure
See MURRAY PAGE 2B
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans know their offense has to improve after scoring just nine points in their first loss of the season last week. The unit has plenty of problems, but perhaps the biggest one is the recent play of quarterback Matt Schaub. Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison was blunt when asked about Schaub. “He’s got to get better,” Dennison said. Schaub has thrown four interceptions this season and two of those have been returned for touchdowns. Dennison couldn’t put his finger on exactly why Schaub, who had 12 interceptions last season, has been so mistake-prone this year. “I don’t know,” Dennison said. “He’s made bad decisions. That’s about as far as I can tell you. He made a bad decision with
the ball and he’s learning from them. We can’t make those bad decisions.” Dennison said the coaching staff asks Schaub, who is in his 10th season, to explain his mistakes and together they try to figure out how he can avoid making the same miscues in the future. Schaub knows that he has to clean up his play, but he believes that the biggest key to improving is to forget the bad plays he’s made and move forward. “You can’t dwell on things that have happened,” Schaub said. “You can’t change the past. Just go look to the next play to be better and put yourself and your team in a better position. That’s where my focus is, is to be better for my team this week. They depend on me and need me to be that.” This week, he’ll face the NFL’s top defense in Seat-
See TEXANS PAGE 2B
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Arkansas looks to slow Manziel By KURT VOIGT ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by John Bazemore | AP
Tiger Woods was named the U.S. PGA Tour’s Player of the Year for the first time in four years and record-extending 11th for his career.
Woods given PGA honor By MICHAEL BUTEAU MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Tiger Woods was named the U.S. PGA Tour’s Player of the Year for the first time in four years and record-extending 11th for his career, capping a season in which he won five events and led all players with $8.6 million in prize money. Woods, 37, won the award in a vote of U.S. tour players. Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson were also on the ballot. The No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, Woods won five of the 16 tour events in which he competed. No other player on the ballot won more than twice this season,
which ended Sept. 22 with Stensons victory at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Woods, who hasn’t won one of golf’s four major titles since the 2008 U.S. Open, said he was very satisfied with his season after finishing 22nd out of 30 players in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. Overall, at the end of the year, I think its been a really good year, Woods told reporters as the Tour Championship ended. Woods was second in the tour’s season-long points competition to Stenson of Sweden, the winner of the points title and its $10 million bonus
See WOODS PAGE 2B
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Bret Bielema watched plenty of Johnny Manziel before he ever thought about pursuing the Arkansas job. While at Wisconsin last season, Bielema saw the Texas A&M quarterback from afar as Manziel ran circles around the Southeastern Conference — all the way to the Heisman Trophy. The first-year coach of the Razorbacks will have the opportunity to witness Manziel in person on Sat-
urday when Arkansas (3-1) hosts the Aggies, who are making their first trip to Razorback Stadium since 1990. Bielema can only hope the Razorbacks fare better in their second go-around again Manziel than they did in their first — a 58-10 drubbing at the hands of Texas A&M (3-1, 0-1 SEC) last season. The quarterback accounted for 557 yards of total offense (453 passing, 104 rushing), a coming-out game in a season-long, coming-out party for the talented signal call-
See A&M PAGE 2B
Photo by Bob Levey | AP
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and the Aggies lead the SEC in scoring (50.2) and total offense (602.2 yards per game) in 2013.
NCAA FOOTBALL: TCU VS. SMU
TCU, SMU fight to avoid 1-3 By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH — TCU and SMU have been playing regularly for nearly a century, even after going their separate ways. There is even a disputed national championship between the two schools — back in 1935, when both claim national titles that are recognized in the NCAA record book. SMU did win the head-to-head game that season.
And there is the unique trophy up for grabs Saturday when the two FBS teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth market play for the Iron Skillet. For most players these days, though, it’s just the next game on the schedule instead of a huge rivalry going into its 93rd meeting. It is the last non-conference game for both teams trying to avoid 1-3 starts. “Play them just like we play everybody else,” TCU running back B.J. Catalon
said. “After this game, the next opponent will be the most important opponent.” Both teams went to the WAC in 1996 after the breakup of the Southwest Conference. But TCU jumped in 2001 to Conference USA, the league SMU went to in 2005 at the same time the Frogs joined the Mountain West Conference. “I think it was more (of a rivalry) when we were all in the same league,” said Gary Patterson, in his 13th season as TCU’s head
coach. “It carried a lot more balance then when you were playing. You’re not in the same league, so you think about each other early in the year and then you don’t think about it anymore.” SMU, whose only win this season was a last-minute 31-30 victory at home against FCS team Montana State, next makes its American Athletic Conference debut at home against
See TCU-SMU PAGE 2B
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Zscores
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
MURRAY Continued from Page 1B the offensive line, I’m sure those guys aren’t worried about anything, either.” Murray’s right. Not much has changed for rookie Travis Frederick after getting a chance to dominate with run blocking like he used to at Wisconsin. And this year’s firstround pick wasn’t really thinking about the paltry 3.2-yard average per carry Dallas had before beating St. Louis and pushing that number to 4.3. “Things like that, when you have game like that, that happens because
you’re getting better,” Frederick said. “You take the bad things that you did during that game, which there were plenty of, and you better at that and hopefully take it into next week.” Murray was benched after a fumble in the last preseason game featuring mostly starters. While he had a decent game in the opener against the New York Giants, a rough day in the 17-16 loss to the Chiefs was a reminder that he hadn’t gone over 100 yards since the 2012 opener.
Part of the reason for the drought was a six-game absence with a sprained foot last year — an injury that ended what would have been a 100-yard day in Baltimore when he had more than 90 yards at halftime. The Cowboys rushed for 227 yards that day. Since then, Dallas had only three 100-yard games — as a team — before getting 193 in the 31-7 victory over the Rams. “It’s not always easy around the league to come out and say, ’We’re going to run the ball and we’re go-
ing to rush for 150 yards in the first half,”’ coach Jason Garrett said. “It’s unrealistic to think that. You have to keep banging away. You have to keep finding ways to run the ball whether it’s a new personnel group, a new formation, a new this, a new that. “It helps the offensive line. It helps the quarterback. It helps the receivers. It just helps everybody.” Tony Romo would second that. He had his fewest passing attempts since that St. Louis game two years ago, and still threw for
A&M Continued from Page 1B er. “I just don’t want him to be great on Saturday,” Bielema said. Manziel hadn’t even been born the last time the Aggies played a game in Fayetteville. The two schools were both members of the Southwest Conference at the time, before Arkansas jumped to the SEC in 1992. Though Texas A&M joined the SEC as well last season, this will be its last trip to Arkansas for the foreseeable future. The schools, which played three nonconference games in Cowboys Stadium from 2009-11, are slated to renew their rivalry there next year through the 2024 season. Arkansas hopes a return home is enough to at least slow down Manziel and the Aggies, especially after a disappointing loss at Rutgers last week. The Razorbacks, who played without quarterback Brandon Allen, led by 17 points in the second half before falling 28-24. Senior defensive end Chris Smith, who leads the SEC with 5 1/2 sacks, knows all-too well what a difficult challenge Texas A&M — in particular, Manziel — provides this week. “Johnny’s going to be Johnny,” Smith said. “That’s one thing about him is he is a great player, and I feel like he might win the Heisman again this year. We’ve got to be able to contain him. “... We don’t want to get Manziel-ed.” Five things to watch as Arkansas searches for a way to slow down Manziel: DEFENSIVE HOPE Led by Smith, Arkansas leads the SEC with 14 sacks. The Razorbacks have preached a new, more physical approach in their first season under Bielema — one they’ll need to practice against Manziel. The sophomore quarterback hasn’t slowed down at all this season, with the Aggies leading the SEC in scoring (50.2) and total offense (602.2 yards per game). Manziel has played a large role in that, particularly in a 49-42 loss to No. 1 Alabama in which he accounted for 562 yards of total offense. “His knowledge of the system in year two is
three touchdowns. While he needs as many games like that from Murray to minimize his chances for mistakes, he doesn’t necessarily think his back has to run wild every week to be happy. “Every time we have him out on that field he helps our football team tremendously,” said Romo, who has just one interception. “I know sometimes a game or two we want to jump to conclusions about individuals and about the team and go that way, but it’s going to play out over a season
with all of those things.” Frederick didn’t see a different Murray this week either. “You see it in practice every day,” Frederick said. “He’s a guy that goes and plays as hard as he can. This week things happened to open up a little bit and he was able to make some more plays. But he’s a guy that’s continually playing well. He didn’t need a game like that to spark him to do something.” But maybe it could be a spark to a big season for Murray.
WOODS Continued from Page 1B to go with his victories at the Tour Championship and Deutsche Bank Championship, two of the four season-ending playoff events. The Player of the Year award, named after 18-time major tournament winner Jack Nicklaus, is intended to focus on the golfer who does best on the U.S. tour, with voting limited to members of the circuit, the richest in golf. Trailing Nicklaus Woods has won 14 major championships, four behind Nicklauss record, and 79 U.S. tour events, three shy of Sam Snead’s career mark. Ballots for the award went out to PGA Tour players after the conclusion of the Tour Championship. Vote totals weren’t disclosed in a statement released today by the Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida-based Tour, the
worlds richest golf circuit. Woods, a full-time U.S. tour player since 1997, also won the PGA of America’s Player of the Year and Vardon Trophy awards today. The Vardon Trophy goes to the tour player with the lowest average adjusted score for the season, with Woods topping the list at 68.985 strokes per round. Jordan Spieth was named Rookie of the Year by the U.S. tour. Spieth, winner of the John Deere Classic and the only firstyear player to qualify for the Tour Championship, became the youngest player to win a PGA Tour event since 1931 when he captured the John Deere title at age 19. Spieth led all rookies in earnings and finished 10th on the money list with $3.9 million. Spieth was selected for the rookie honor over Derek Ernst, Russell Henley and David Lingmerth.
TEXANS Continued from Page 1B
Photo by Bob Levey | AP
Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel accounted for 562 yards of total offense in a 49-42 loss to topranked Alabama. and should be better than it was last year,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. QUARTERBACK DERBY Arkansas played last week against Rutgers without quarterback Brandon Allen, who won the starting job in the spring and had performed well in his first two games. The sophomore injured his throwing shoulder in the first quarter of a win over Southern Mississippi, however, and he’s questionable to play Saturday after not throwing a football during practice over the last two weeks. If Allen is once again unable to go, juniorcollege transfer AJ Derby, who was 14-of-26 passing for 137 yards against the Scarlet Knights, will start for the Razorbacks. NEW FACES The Aggies entered this season facing plenty of
turnover, particularly on defense. They played 16 true freshmen in the season-opening win over Rice, including 11 on defense. It was the most true freshmen ever used by Texas A&M in a season opener, and many of the youngsters will play their first game away from home on Saturday in the Aggies’ first road trip of the season. RECEIVING HELP Texas A&M has struggled mightily on defense with its new faces this season, ranking last in the SEC in scoring and total defense — allowing 30.2 points and 475.2 yards per game. One area, however, that hasn’t been a concern has been the production of wide receivers Mike Evans and Malcome Kennedy. The two have combined for 41 catches and 793 yards receiving through four
games, highlighted by Evans’ seven-catch, 279yard effort in the loss to the Crimson Tide. Kennedy has also proved more than capable of big games on his own, finishing with six catches for 83 yards in a win over SMU last week. RUNNING WILD For Arkansas to slow down the Aggies’ quickstrike offense, it will likely need to play keep-away. The Razorbacks have the duo at running back to try and do just that, with freshman Alex Collins and sophomore Jonathan Williams combining to average 224.7 yards rushing this season. Both struggled to find running lanes last week against Rutgers, which concentrated on stopping the run with Allen out, but they’ll have to perform better on Saturday if Arkansas is to have a chance at the upset.
tle, a team which has forced 10 turnovers this season and is allowing a league-best nine points a game. The unit features a secondary with three of the four starters that 6foot-3 or taller. “They do everything,” coach Gary Kubiak said. “They can run, physical, they’re all long. Even if you get a step on them or so, they find a way to make plays with their length. They’ve just been exceptional.” Despite his recent problems, the Seahawks know that dealing with him and the rest of Houston’s offense won’t be an easy task. “He’s really good, he’s really accurate, he has a tremendous group to throw to, they have a style of getting the ball down field,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “It’s really effective.” “You can be all over a guy and he can put the ball where the receivers and the only guy who can get it and he does that a lot,” Carroll continued. “So we think a lot of him.” The Texans are also hoping to get back to running the ball the way they have in the past. The suc-
cess of the offense is predicated on being able to run the ball, but they haven’t been able to run as much as they’d like after trailing for large chunks of each of their games this season. “We definitely would like to get our running game going more,” Kubiak said. “We’ve actually run the ball pretty decent, but we just have not stayed on the field to run it.” The Texans also struggled with penalties on Sunday against the Ravens, committing 14 for 113 yards. Houston’s offensive line was flagged three times as it adjusted to playing without veteran left tackle Duane Brown, who missed the game with a toe injury. Brown is feeling better this week, but the Texans aren’t sure if he’ll be ready to play on Sunday. Like Schaub, the line aims to turn in a better performance this week. “Matt (Schaub) got hit too much,” left guard Wade Smith said of Sunday’s game. “We definitely want to get it back on track and get us doing what we do around here, running the ball, controlling the clock and dictating defenses.”
TCU-SMU Continued from Page 1B Rutgers. TCU is playing for first time in 16 days after losing its Big 12 opener at 24thranked Texas Tech. The Frogs follow SMU with a trip to No. 14 Oklahoma for the first of seven consecutive weekends of conference games. Here are five things to know for the latest Frog and Pony show: GOING FOR TWO Each team needs a victory. TCU hasn’t been 1-3 since 1999, when Patterson was still the defensive coordinator. The Frogs overcame that to go 8-4, and had more than two losses in a whole season only four times in Patterson’s first 12 years. SMU started 1-3 last season, but recovered to go 6-6 in the regular season and get to its school-record fourth bowl game in a row. NOT ALONE
Sophomore quarterback Trevone Boykin, back in the starting lineup after Casey Pachall broke his arm, completed 23 of 36 passes for 194 yards and ran 20 times for 101 yards in the loss at Texas Tech. “The biggest thing Trevone has got to understand, he’s got to use everybody else,” Patterson said. “’We’ve got some good players at the running back and wide receiver positions. He can’t try to do it all by himself.” MAKING THEM COUNT While SMU has won only twice in the 11 games in the series since TCU was no longer a conference rival, both wins had significance. After the Horned Frogs opened the 2005 season with a win at seventhranked Oklahoma, they lost 21-10 at SMU the following week — their only loss that season. When they
last played in Fort Worth two years ago, TCU scored 23 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime before the Mustangs pulled out the win. The Frogs then won their last eight games, clinching an undefeated MWC title and winning a bowl game. HEALTHY MUSTANGS? SMU could get back two key players who haven’t played since the season opener, but loses another. Linebacker Randall Joyner and running back Traylon Shead both got hurt against Texas Tech. Joyner injured his knee, and former Texas transfer Shead injured his knee after a horse-collar tackle. But Der’rikk Thompson, one of their starting receivers, is out 5-6 weeks with a leg injury. WINNING IS THE CURE TCU isn’t used to having
Photo by Edyta Blaszczyk | AP
TCU wide receiver Brandon Carter and the Horned Frogs are trying to avoid a 1-3 start after earlyseason losses to LSU and Texas Tech. two losses this early in the season. “What people don’t understand, whether it’s in
football or anything in life, losing is a disease ... if you let it go, it spreads,” Patter-
son said. “Losing can’t be tolerated, no matter what’s happening.”
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B
HINTS | BY HELOISE LOSING MY MARBLE Dear Heloise: We moved into a home with MARBLE FLOORS. When we moved in, the floors looked stunning. However, over time, they have begun to lose their luster. What is the best way to clean and keep the floor in its polished, high-shine state? –– Martha J., Bastrop, Texas To keep real marble floors in the best shape, you need to sweep or vacuum the floor often –– even daily, if there is a lot of traffic! Daily dirt and grime left on the flooring gets ground in and can scratch the floor. A quick once-over every day will prevent a lot of problems. For a more thorough cleaning, there are a lot of very good commercial products. With time, marble may fade. To bring the shine back to marble, you will need to buy specialty cleaners and follow the directions to the letter. –– Heloise FREEZER DEFROSTING Dear Heloise: I mark any food with a date before put-
ting it in the freezer. When it is time to defrost my upright freezer, I remove all the frozen food and place it on the floor, piled tightly together to keep the cold in the packages. I take a floortype fan and place it in front of the freezer and turn it on so that the warm air from the room will circulate into the freezer. After cleaning out the freezer and putting the food back in, it is easy to see which things are older than the others, and those items can be placed back accordingly. –– Kathie in Erie, Pa. MAIL ENVELOPES Dear Heloise: My husband and I use envelopes from incoming mail for writing lists, notes or messages. We use an envelope opener to slit the edge, which leaves a flat writing surface on the back of the envelope. We keep a stack of them handy next to the computer and the telephone. When we’ve completed a list or task, we recycle the envelope with the newspapers. –– Jim and Pat, via email
DENNIS THE MENACE
FAMILY CIRCUS
PEANUTS
GARFIELD
DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:
DILBERT
4B THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013