The Zapata Times 10/12/2013

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STATE DISTRICT COURT

Trial to begin Alvarez-Briones is accused of child’s death

By MATTHEW NELSON THE ZAPATA TIMES

Photo by Cuate Santos/file | Laredo Morning Times

Gabriel Alvarez Briones, of Zapata, leaves the courtroom in March 2011 at the Zapata County Courthouse.

Reyes’ first charge settled

The trial for the man facing capital murder charges in the death of a 6-monthold child is set to begin Nov. 4 in Zapata County.

Gabriel Alvarez-Briones, a 38-year-old Mexican national, is accused of causing

the death of Carlos Eduardo Gonzalez in Zapata by striking the child in the head with his hand on March 29, 2010.

He was arrested two days later.

Since his arrest on March 31, 2010, AlvarezBriones has been in isolation from other inmates at

the Zapata Regional Jail.

“A lot of times when children are the victims of a crime, especially homicide, the other inmates physically assault the alleged perpetrator,” defense attorney Jose Eduardo Peña said.

The trial date on Nov. 4 is scheduled for jury selection.

“We’re going to try to se-

PUBLIC EDUCATION

RISING TO THE TOP AS AN EDUCATOR

Former coach gets 10 years probation

lect a jury comprised of jurors who understand officers are sometimes overzealous in their work and sometimes they do coerce people into making false confessions. False confessions are the second reason people are being wrongly

See TRIAL PAGE 11A

Sides seek budget pact GOP, Obama seek common ground

By MATTHEW NELSON

By ALAN FRAM

THE ZAPATA TIMES

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAREDO — A former Zapata County Independent School coach was sentenced to 10 years probation in a Williamson County courtroom Monday for attempted indecency with a child.

REYES He faces a similar charge in Wilson County.

Javier Reyes, 55, pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching a 15-year-old girl in August 2006 in Round Rock, north of Austin.

He was arrested in January for allegedly sexually assaulting her. But in August, an agreement was reached in which he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted indecency with a child by contact, a third-degree felony.

Reyes must register as a sex offender. He is also responsible for nearly $3,000 in fines, must pay restitution to the victim as well as avoid all contact with her.

If Reyes complies with all of the terms of his plea agreement, he will see no jail time and the attempted indecency with a child charge will be dismissed.

Reyes still faces one count of indecency with a child by exposure in Wilson County, southeast of Bexar County, for allegedly touching the genitals of a minor on July 1, 2004.

This case had been on hold until the case in Williamson was complete.

A hearing for Reyes’ case in Wilson County is now scheduled for Oct. 29.

The trial date is set for Nov. 12 but could change depending on how the case unfolds.

An investigation into claims in 2012 that Reyes inappropriately spoke to and touched girls on an Alexander High School,

WASHINGTON — After weeks of ultimatums, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans are exploring whether they can end a budget standoff that has triggered a partial government shutdown and edged Washington to the verge of a historic, economy-jarring federal default.

The two sides continued discussions Friday, a day after Obama and top administration officials met for 90 minutes with House Speaker John Boehner and other House GOP leaders at the White House. No agreement was reported and plenty of hurdles remained, but both sides cast their meeting positively as, for the first time, hopes emerged that a resolution might be attainable, even if only a temporary one.

Obama had a late-morning White House meeting with GOP senators, who said they would present options of their own for ending the shutdown and debt limit standoff. Determined to resolve the twin crises, the Republicans have reached out to senior Democrats, including New York Sen. Chuck Schumer.

“Let’s put this hysterical talk of default behind us and instead start talking about finding solutions to the problems,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said at the start of the Senate session Friday, shortly before the White House meeting.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., rejected the notion of a six-week increase in the nation’s borrowing authority, pressing not only for a longer, 15month measure but a reopening of the government.

A White House statement about Thursday’s meeting with House Republicans said “no specific determination was made” but added, “The president looks forward to making continued progress with

See REYES PAGE 11A

Photo by Michael Zamora/Corpus Christi Caller-Times | AP

Superintendent Maria Rodriguez-Casas talks with students at Mathis Middle School in Mathis. Casas, born in the U.S. but raised in Mexico, spent many of her summers as a migrant worker alongside her parents and eight brothers and sisters.

Former migrant worker now the boss

By ELAINE MARSILIO CORPUS CHRISTI CALLER-TIMES

MATHIS — Maria RodriguezCasas stood in a middle school hallway when she heard loud noises from inside a classroom.

It sounded a bit unruly and unrelated to a lesson plan so the Mathis superintendent opened the door.

Rodriguez-Casas greeted the students with a smile and asked why some were off task.

She asked four students to step into the hallway for a chat.

Their behavior wasn’t something to be proud of, she said, and she questioned why they didn’t respect their teacher.

Each must write a paper, she said, with an answer.

“Yes ma’am.”

Rodriguez-Casas commanded their respect. She has commanded that kind of respect for more than 20 years in education.

And she’s earned that respect and work ethic through literal sweat and extreme sun exposure.

“

Why not share our stories so we have a deeper understanding of ourselves?”

SUPERINTENDENT MARIA RODRIGUEZ-CASAS

The 48-year-old mother of three is the daughter of migrant farm workers, who she helped harvest fields in Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio. The backbreaking work earned them $12,000 to $17,500 that had to last through the year.

“It shaped me when we qualified for food stamps,” she told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

“I felt this sense of being asham-

ed ... I didn’t want to be part of that.”

Rodriguez-Casas, who leads a 1,695-student school district about 40 miles northwest of Corpus Christi, said her experience doesn’t embarrass her.

It shaped her and gave her a perspective that has helped her educate students, particularly the 123 Mathis ISD migrant students. The state reported 34,735 migrant students, according to Texas Education Agency data.

It’s a time she calls her “migrant life,” a chapter that showed her she could do more.

She gained the confidence from a high school educator who immersed her in the English language and from her mother, Juanita Garcia de Rodriguez, who pushed her to see her full potential.

Rodriguez-Casas was born in Brownsville and grew up across the border in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, so her family could care for her grandparents.

See SUPERINTENDENT

PAGE 11A

See BUDGET

PAGE 11A

PAGE 2A

Zin brief CALENDAR

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

AROUND TEXAS

TODAY IN HISTORY

SATURDAY, OCT. 12

ASSOCIATED PRESS

TAMIU Planetarium shows: “Earth, Moon and Sun” 2 p.m.; “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” 3 p.m.; “Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” 4 p.m.; and “Entranced” 5 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Matinee shows $4 at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Call 326-3663.

Today is Saturday, Oct. 12, the 285th day of 2013. There are 80 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Oct. 12, 1962, the devastating Columbus Day Storm, also known as the “Big Blow,” struck the Pacific Northwest, resulting in some 50 deaths.

On this date: In 1492 (according to the Old Style calendar), Christopher Columbus arrived with his expedition in the present-day Bahamas.

In 1810, the German festival Oktoberfest was first held in Munich to celebrate the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

In 1870, General Robert E. Lee died in Lexington, Va., at age 63.

In 1915, English nurse Edith Cavell was executed by the Germans in occupied Belgium during World War I. In 1933, bank robber John Dillinger escaped from a jail in Allen County, Ohio, with the help of his gang, who killed the sheriff, Jess Sarber.

In 1942, during World War II, American naval forces defeated the Japanese in the Battle of Cape Esperance. Attorney General Francis Biddle announced during a Columbus Day celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York that Italian nationals in the United States would no longer be considered enemy aliens.

In 1960, Japanese Socialist Party leader Inejiro Asanuma was stabbed to death during a televised debate in Tokyo by an ultranationalist student, Otoya Yamaguchi, who hanged himself in jail.

In 1971, the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway.

In 1986, the superpower meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, ended in stalemate, with President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev unable to agree on arms control or a date for a fullfledged summit in the United States.

In 1987, former Gov. Alfred (“Alf ”) M. Landon, R-Kan., died at his Topeka home at age 100.

In 1997, singer John Denver was killed in the crash of his privately built aircraft in Monterey Bay, Calif.; he was 53.

Ten years ago: A suicide attack outside a Baghdad hotel full of Americans killed six bystanders. Five years ago: Global finance ministers meeting in Washington kept searching for ways to tackle the unfolding financial crisis; in Paris, nations in Europe’s single-currency zone agreed to temporarily guarantee bank refinancing and pledged to prevent bank failures. One year ago: Thousands of supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi clashed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in the first such violence since Morsi took office more than three months earlier.

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Antonia Rey is 86. Comedian-activist Dick Gregory is 81. Former Sen. Jake Garn, RUtah, is 81. Singer Sam Moore (formerly of Sam and Dave) is 78. Broadcast journalist Chris Wallace is 66. Actress-singer Susan Anton is 63. Rock singer-musician Pat DiNizio is 58.

Thought for Today: “To know one’s self is wisdom, but not to know one’s neighbors is genius.” — Minna Antrim, American writer (1861-1950).

SUNDAY, OCT. 13 United Methodist Men’s semi-annual all-you-can-eat spaghetti luncheon. Noon to 1:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free-will offerings accepted. Contact Sue Webber 722-1674 or fumc_office@sbcglobal.net.

First United Methodist Church 12th Annual Pumpkin Patch. 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Proceeds go to Youth Ministries.

MONDAY, OCT. 14 First United Methodist Church 12th Annual Pumpkin Patch. Open Monday-Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Proceeds go to Youth Ministries.

TUESDAY, OCT. 15 A One Day Crash Course for Creative Leadership. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Room 101, De La Garza Building, Fort McIntosh Campus, Laredo Community College. $159 per person. Visit laredo.edu/edc or call 721-5110.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 Laredo Toastmaster’s evening meeting. Public speaking and leadership are focus. Meetings held at third Wednesday of each month. http://laredotoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org.

Contact Humberto Vela at humbertovela@sbcglobal.net or 740-3633.

International Bank of Commerce 2013-2014 Keynote Speaker Series, featuring Dr. Shannon K. O’Neil, senior fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

TAMIU Student Center Ballroom (SC 203). O’Neil will present “Two Nations Indivisible: Medico, the United Sates, and the Road Ahead.” Contact Amy Palacios at 326-2820 or cswht@tamiu.edu.

THURSDAY, OCT. 17 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 7270589.

FRIDAY, OCT. 18 Movies on the Patio, featuring “Dos Tipos de Cuidado,” starring Jorge Negrete and Pedro Infante. 7:30 p.m.

Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. In Spanish with English subtitles. Entrance free and open to public. Call 727-0977 or visit webbheritage.org.

SATURDAY, OCT. 19 Texas Computer Education Association’s iPad conference. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Texas A&M International University. Interactive, hands-on activities based on a few key apps. Staff will model use of iPad for content creation and higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Teachers, librarians and administrators encouraged. $59 for members and $99 for non-members (includes TCEA membership). Visit tcea.org/convene/itcea for more information or call Dr. Patricia Abrego at 326-2302.

TAMIU Planetarium shows: “One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure” 2 p.m.; “Zula Patrol: Under the Weather” 3 p.m.; “Seven Wonders” 4 p.m.; and “Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon” 5 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Matinee shows $4 at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Call 326-3663.

SUNDAY, OCT. 20 First United Methodist Church’s 12th Annual Pumpkin Patch. Noon to 7 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Proceeds go to Youth Ministries. Contact Sue Webber at 722-1674 or fumc_office@sbcglobal.net.

Vuelta D’Laredo. First race starts 8 a.m. Intersection of Mines Road and Highway 255. Early registration fee $30. Regular registration $40. Register at Laredo Ciclomania, 611 Shiloh Rd., No. 2, or Pro Bike, 5603 San Dario Ave., No. 2. All proceeds benefit Makea-Wish. Call Eddie Rios at 326-8344.

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.

Photo by Sam Craft/The Paris News | AP

Paris police talk to victims’ family members at the scene where four men were found fatally shot in Paris on Thursday. Investigators have ruled out murder-suicide and characterized the killings as a quadruple homicide, police Chief Bob Hundley Jr. said in a statement.

Deadly gunfire in Paris ASSOCIATED PRESS

PARIS — Emergency personnel responding to a 911 call found four men who had been shot to death at a house in northeast Texas, police said Thursday.

The four victims were found in a front room of the Paris home, each with gunshot wounds, police Chief Bob Hundley Jr., said.

Investigators have ruled out murder-suicide and characterized the killings as a quadruple homicide, Hundley said in a statement.

“I’ve been a police officer here for 39 years. I can’t recall any multiple homicides like this that we’ve had here in Paris,” Hundley said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Autopsies have been ordered, Hundley said. He identified three of the dead as men from Paris: Romello Dewain Steward, 18; De-

vante Larry Atkins, 21; and Brijonne Rashad Woods, 24. The other victim was Billy Charles Carey, 32, of Garland.

One of the three Paris residents lived at the home, said police Capt. Danny Huff.

A woman called 911 shortly before 11:30 p.m. Wednesday to report “someone bleeding,” Hundley said. Police have not identified any witnesses to the slayings.

In a recording of that call, the woman tells the dispatcher she doesn’t know what happened but that “it sounds like somebody said that somebody got shot.” She says emergency personnel should hurry.

The woman was at the residence when authorities arrived and has been interviewed by police, said Officer Curtis Garrett, a department spokesman. The woman, whom Garrett did not identify, does not live at the house.

Retail gasoline prices drop by nickel

Train hits tractor-trailer stuck on tracks

Jobless figures to be delayed amid shutdown

HOUSTON — Retail gasoline prices have continued to decline across Texas with the average price at the pump dropping by a nickel this week.

AAA Texas on Thursday reported the average cost for gasoline statewide slipped to $3.11 per gallon.

MIDLAND — A tractor-trailer stuck on tracks in West Texas was struck by a train that dragged it a half-mile before coming to a stop.

The driver of the rig had exited the tractor minutes before the train struck Wednesday morning in Midland and no injuries were reported.

AUSTIN — The federal government shutdown in a budget standoff means a delay in next week’s scheduled release of Texas unemployment figures for September.

The Texas Workforce Commission on Friday announced the Oct. 18 jobless update would be postponed indefinitely.

Brownsville ISD buses face checks after 2 fires

Fort Worth officer charged in sex case, oppression

BROWNSVILLE — Dozens of school buses operated by a South Texas district face inspections after two vehicles had engine compartment-related fires.

The Brownsville Independent School District announced inspections begin Monday on four buses similar to vehicles recently damaged or destroyed. Nobody was hurt.

District officials say the two buses were of similar make and model.

FORT WORTH — A North Texas police officer has been accused of sexually assaulting a prostitute, official oppression and theft.

Fort Worth police Chief Jeffrey Halstead on Wednesday announced the charges against Officer Douglas Campbell, who’s on administrative leave.

Tarrant County jail records Thursday didn’t list Campbell as an inmate.

— Compiled from AP reports

West Texas student found with guns, ammunition ODESSA — A West Texas high school student has been arrested after authorities say he was found in a classroom with two loaded handguns and ammunition in his backpack.

Ector County schools spokesman Mike Adkins says police are trying to determine why the 16year-old boy brought the weapons to Permian High School in Odessa on Wednesday.

He says a school administrator was tipped off by a student about the armed sophomore.

AROUND THE NATION Police: ‘Insanity’ search done on computer CENTENNIAL, Colo. — An investigator said Thursday an Internet search on the words “rational insanity” was done on a computer belonging to James Holmes, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the Colorado theater shootings.

Aurora Police Detective Michael Leiker testified during a pretrial hearing that he found evidence of the search on a computer he examined during the investigation of the 2012 shooting.

Holmes is accused of killing 12 people and injuring 70 as they watched a midnight showing.

Foul play ruled out in SF hospital patient’s death SAN FRANCISCO — A spokesman for the family of a woman whose body was found in the stairwell of a hospital where she was a patient says investiga-

CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Business Manager, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 324-1226 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Managing Editor, Mary Nell Sanchez........... 728-2543 Sports Editor, Adam Geigerman..................728-2578 Spanish Editor ........................................ 728-2569 Photo by J. David Ake | AP

A lone boater skims across the surface of the Potomac River at sunset in Washington on Tuesday.

tors have ruled out foul play in her disappearance and death.

The spokesman told reporters Thursday that while the coroner hasn’t established a cause or time of death for 57-year-old Lynne Spalding, investigators don’t think she was the victim of

an attack.

Spalding’s body was found Tuesday in a fire exit stairwell at San Francisco General Hospital.

She was admitted with an infection Sept. 19 and reported missing two days later.

— 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.

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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, OCTOBER 12, 2013

Marriage story fails as BP busts woman

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

LAREDO — A woman instructed an illegal immigrant to tell U.S. Border Patrol they were in a one-year relationship if they’d get pulled over. Unfortunately for her, federal authorities did pull her over and detained her on human smuggling charges.

Renee Morales, of Laredo, was charged with transporting four illegal immigrants with a motor vehicle within the Southern District of Texas, a criminal complaint filed Friday states. Morales remains in federal custody on a $75,000 bond. She had a preliminary hearing set for 10 a.m.

Oct. 25 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Guillermo R. Garcia.

On Tuesday, two Border Patrol agents stationed south of Zapata observed a green Ford Escape being tailgated by a gold Nissan Altima. Agents noticed both vehicles seemed to be trans-

porting several people and appeared to be riding low. A registration check on the Altima returned to a home in Zapata. Authorities say the passengers were all determined to be U.S. citizens.

Agents then caught up to the Ford Escape and noticed three passengers riding in the back seat. A registration check on the Ford Escape revealed it had been stolen in Laredo on Oct. 2.

Based on the suspicious behavior and that the Ford Escape was reported stolen, agents pulled it over along U.S. 83 in front of Sure Find Markers south of Zapata.

Agents identified the driver as Morales, a United States citizen. She said the front passenger was her boyfriend. Asked who the registered owner of the vehicle was, she said the Ford Escape belonged to a company she worked for in Laredo. “(Morales) also stated that they were en route to a funeral in Laredo and also that she has a one year rela-

tionship with her boyfriend,” the complaint reads.

A second agent approached the vehicle and asked the remaining four people for their immigration status. They allegedly admitted being from Mexico and that they crossed the Rio Grande in Roma. The front passenger whom Morales stated was her boyfriend said he did not know her.

“Morales stated that she knew the subjects she picked up were illegal (immigrants) and she was to be paid $200 per person. She was to transport them to El Cenizo,” the complaint reads.

One immigrant held as material witness claimed he had paid $1,200 in Mexico to someone to arrange his trip.

The immigrant said Morales instructed him to lie about being in a one-year relationship with Morales.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

Cotulla history at TAMIU SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

As Cotulla grows, the history of its past will now be safeguarded in Texas A&M International University’s Killam Library Special Collection and Archives.

Cotulla and TAMIU officials met last week to initiate a Memorandum of Understanding that makes the university the custodian of the Cotulla Archives.

TAMIU president Dr. Ray Keck, himself a Cotulla native, said the university is pleased to be able to provide the service to Co-

tulla.

“In our fast-paced world, history is so easily lost: papers go missing, ownership changes and history is lost forever. The City of Cotulla can now rest assured that their history is professionally archived and protected in our Special Collection for generations to come,” Keck said.

Mayor José Javier García said in addition to its inclusion in the collection, Cotulla is finally visible.

“For so many years the only visible sign of Cotulla from the highway was our courthouse. Now, we have

a skyline with hotels and businesses popping up everywhere. We’re very happy that as we move forward, our past will be protected here. I’m looking forward to future students writing about Cotulla’s history,” Garcia said.

Jeanette Hatcher, TAMIU’s Special Collection librarian, said the collection is a growing and important research resource.

“The Special Collection is dedicated to housing a diverse and growing collection focused on the powerful history of Laredo and the region,” she said.

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A

Pot gets man arrested

By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES

Zapata County Sheriff ’s deputies seized more than 200 pounds of marijuana and arrested a man in connection with the case, authorities announced this week.

Deputies charged Noe Guadalupe Vela Jr., 34, with possession of marijuana, a second-degree felony punishable with two

to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Vela was transported to the ZapaVELA ta Regional Jail, where Justice of the Peace Fernando Muñoz set a $45,000 bond. Vela posted bail Wednesday, custody records show.

Deputies pulled over a

2004 Ford Explorer driven

by Vela for a traffic violation Oct. 4 near the Siesta Shores area. Authorities found Vela in possession of 17 bundles of marijuana. The contraband added up to 220 pounds and had an estimated street value of $95,000, according to sheriff ’s officials.

(César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)

THE BLOTTER Assault An assault was reported at 8:33 a.m. Oct. 4 at Zapata High School along Texas 16.

A sexual assault was reported at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 5 in Lopeño, a small community south of the town of Zapata.

An assault, family violence incident was reported at 5:36 p.m. Oct. 5 in the 200 block of Mango Drive.

An aggravated assault with a weapon was reported at 5:26 p.m. Oct. 5 at Stripes’ parking lot in the 100 block of North U.S. 83.

An assault was reported at 9:47 p.m. Oct. 5 in the 700 block of Falcon Avenue.

Burglary A burglary of a vehicle was reported at 8:59 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of FM 496 Road and Lincoln Street.

A burglary of a building was reported at 11:07 a.m. Thursday in the 400 block of Third Avenue.

Terroristic threat A terroristic threat was reported at 9 p.m. Oct. 5 at the

Martinez Ranch, off Mangana Hein Road.

A terroristic threat was reported at 2:10 p.m. Monday at the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office.

Theft A theft was reported at 2:19 p.m. Oct. 5 in the 1700 block of Fresno Street.

A theft was reported at 9:29 p.m. Monday in the 2100 block of Kennedy Street.

A theft was reported at 5:26 p.m. Thursday in the 1300 block of Falcon Avenue.

PAGE 4A

Zopinion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Congress needs to take classes

By ARNOLD GARCIA JR. COX NEWSPAPERS

AUSTIN — The government shutdown demolition derby continues with only minimal hints of a temporary break in the impasse over how to manage the national economy.

I’m not an economist, but West Texas common sense tells me that playing Russian roulette with five bullets in the chamber isn’t the most effective way to run a national enterprise. Watching the shutdown showdown with the accompanying podium-thumping expressions of righteous indignation conjured up a ghost for me.

Friday would have been Jake Pickle’s 100th birthday. He died in 2005.

The legendary congressman loved the House of Representatives, in which he represented the 10th Congressional District from 1963 until he retired in 1995. Pickle — usually referred to with more than a dash of affection as “Jake” — wouldn’t get this Congress. Nor would they get him.

And that would be a source of dismay for him.

Pickle left Big Spring to attend the University of Texas in the 1930s. It was there that John Connally introduced Pickle to Lyndon B. Johnson.

And it was at UT that Pickle learned the art of politics. He was an exceptional student.

A consummate retail politician, Pickle made connections and then put them to work. And it worked for him, as his long and successful tenure in the House demonstrates. He was third ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, and for all his good ol’ boy manner, he knew the federal budget inside out.

Politicians of Pickle’s generation also understood well that mastery of arcane detail — unlike virtue — isn’t its own reward. He knew how to use those details and used them to represent the people of his district “as best he could,” as he would often say.

Lee Yeakel, now a federal judge, is fond of telling the story of how good Pickle’s best was. Travis County Republicans didn’t get much respect from the rest of the party as it struggled in the 1980s and 1990s. When George H.W. Bush was to be inaugurated as president in 1990, inaugural tickets for the Travis County GOP were low priority for everybody except Pickle.

Once the congressman scored the requested number of inaugural tickets for his Republican constituents, Pickle made

a point of having them stop by the office to pick them up. It was an amiable message delivered in the trappings of a Washington office that went with Pickle’s seniority.

Pickle did a lot of things well, but he excelled at delivering amiable messages. His sense of humor could be pointed but was never malicious. He believed in making and keeping friends because Pickle was a cum laude graduate of the “You Never Know” school of politics.

You never know when somebody will be in position to help you.

Peggy Pickle, the congressman’s daughter, recalled that John McCormick, who was House speaker when Mr. Pickle went to Washington, offered this advice: “‘Look around this chamber. You will argue and fight issues on the floor, but the minute you leave the floor you’ll be friends again.’ It was a lesson Jake never forgot.”

There was no politician more different from Pickle than former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm. Yet, the conservative’s conservative showed up to say: “I’m here for one reason and one reason only. I love Jake Pickle” when the federal building downtown was named in Pickle’s honor.

Times, of course, have changed. An outsized political personality like Pickle would be lost in today’s Twitterverse. He couldn’t tell a story in 140 characters because Pickle enjoyed — and excelled at — up close and personal communication.

And he leveraged his communication style to get things done for the people he represented the best he could.

Wistful observation?

Nolo contendre.

Yet, things change, and that’s unalterable fact. But it is also unalterable fact that an unyielding, uncompromising Congress doesn’t get anything done.

For all the faults and foibles of the retail politicians who are no longer in vogue, they were about getting something done.

Lawrence Olson, a former Pickle press secretary, theorized that his former boss would assess the current state with sadness. “I believe Mr. Pickle would hang his head a bit, scratch his head a bit and after 30 seconds, he would say, ‘By, God, we need to sit down together and figure this out.’”

And I have no doubt that he would.

Happy birthday, Mr. Pickle. We miss you.

Arnold Garcia Jr. writes for the Austin American-Statesman.

Email: agarcia@ajc.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters.

To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication.

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WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON

GOP had a difficult week

By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST

It’s hard to be a Republican in Washington these days.

The party is being battered and blamed from all sides for the government shutdown even as it tries, mostly unsuccessfully, to present a united front against President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats in the fiscal fight.

Negativity An

NBC-Wall

Street

Journal poll released late Thursday tells the story.

Fifty-three percent of Americans had a negative impression of the party, compared with 40 percent for Democrats.

Seventy percent disapproved of the job the GOP is doing in Congress — 11 points worse than the number for Democrats.

Fifty-three percent said congressional Republicans are more to blame for the government shutdown, while 31 percent named Obama. We could go on, but you get the point.

The worst part of all

this for the GOP is that so many people in the party saw it coming.

Delaying law In the run-up to the shutdown, Republican strategists questioned the wisdom of insisting that defunding or delaying Obamacare was the price of keeping the lights on in Washington. Polling suggested that it was the only way the party could lose, politically speaking, on the president’s unpopular health-care law.

But Republican leaders in Congress didn’t heed those warnings. The result? Instead of playing offense on the problems with Obamacare’s new health insurance exchanges, they spent the week in a defensive crouch.

Republican Party, for walking into a trap of your own making, 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

TV changes not easy to fathom AUSTIN — My home has TVs, which I believe is increasingly common in America. Mine, like many of yours, are connected to The Cable, allowing me to watch faraway events, like Fordham’s 52-34 win over Lehigh last Saturday. Heckuva football game.

Cable’s great, and we shall be welcomed as heroes when we bring it to thirdworld nations.

I recently noticed a change in my Time Warner Cable service, one that inspired me to seek answers.

The escapade began last week when I punched in 1521, the channel on which I get KXAN on my TVs that are connected directly to The Cable (not through a cable converter box). As always, KXAN’s HD signal appeared. But my trusted Vizio was telling me it was tuned to 36-1, not 1521. And a day or so later, punching 1521 produced nothing, as in the TV didn’t change channels. I had to punch in 36-1 instead of 1521. The change involved all local stations.

Being of average intelligence, I figured I could learn the new numbers and life could continue. But I called Time Warner to see what was going on. I explained the situation to a

“

KEN HERMAN

friendly customer service rep (who may have been in Bhutan and not hooked to The Cable). He assured me nothing had changed. I assured him something had.

This went on for a few minutes. I’d estimate I was reasonable for as much as 30 percent of the conversation.

Then he noticed what he called an “update.” Something, he said, has changed.

He explained it to me, I think. Then, utilizing one of my constitutional rights, I asked to speak to a supervisor.

I enjoyed some music (Bhutanese, I think) and then a supervisor came on.

He had more information. I didn’t take notes, but here are some words and phrases I think I heard: Analog, digital, a device to hook up to my TVs, Bhutan, channel migration, free for one year and then you’ll have to pay 99 cents a month per TV until the end of time to get HD channels you can get for free by disconnecting from the cable.

One question remained:

Why? He had no answer and said someone from the Department of Why would call me. She did, but she didn’t know why. And she told me I’d been notified of the change in “fine print” on a recent bill. I don’t even read the large print on my bills.

As a member of the public in need of relations, I then turned to Time Warner’s public relations team.

By email, Melissa Sorola promised to look into it and said she was unaware of any changes “but we might have a few channels going digital.”

Please remember this involves only TVs not hooked up through a DVR or other converter box.

While awaiting Sorola’s update, I surfed around and found that Time Warner is engaged in a “Digital Conversion Initiative” in some cities, which means some channels no longer would be available without a cable converter box. I figured that’s what’s going on here, and my righteous indignation about having to pay more to keep getting those channels was indeed righteous.

But I was wrong, as were the three Time Warnerians with whom I spoke before Sorola straightened every-

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

thing out.

Nothing has changed, at least nothing I need to worry about, she reported.

“What you saw was not a result of any channel format change and, unfortunately, that was initially miscommunicated to you,” she said.

“There is no additional equipment you need to purchase.”

What was going on, she said, was “on the back end, our engineering team was making changes to better support the program and system information data that is provided by the broadcaster.” Fine with me.

What the engineering team does with its back end is none of my business.

“We will use this as a coaching opportunity with the employees you initially spoke with so they can communicate this more effectively if they’re asked again,” Sorola assured me.

I still don’t really know what’s going on here, other than I indeed have to punch in different numbers. I’m going to default to the answer I always use about such things: “My TVs are haunted.”

Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin AmericanStatesman. E-mail: kherman@statesman.com.

State

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A

Patterson eyes moving up Feds indict 14

By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — He’s famous for never leaving home without a .22-caliber Magnum tucked in his boot.

But if things ever really got dicey, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson says his first move would actually be for the lesserknown .380 he keeps in his waistband.

“It’s like a smoke detector: You don’t turn it on just for when you think you might get a fire,” Patterson said during an interview with The Associated Press, showing off the pistols he carries everywhere. “It’s like putting your billfold in your pocket. You either carry or you don’t.”

Patterson is hoping his penchant for packing heat can bolster him in the crowded, four-way Republican primary for Texas lieutenant governor. He’s one of three top candidates trying to prove he’s more conservative than incumbent David Dewhurst, even suggesting in a slightly joking manner that rather than Texas seceding, the U.S. would be better off if four liberal states — California, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut — were kicked out of the union.

“I’m in favor of expulsion,” he said. “New York, California, and there’s some good people in New York and California, but their legislatures’ aren’t representing them.”

Patterson is known for his quick wit — but not everyone finds him funny.

While serving in the state Senate in 1995, he authored a concealed handgun law to allow Texans to take their firearms more places than nearly anywhere else in America.

When a colleague proposed an amendment barring weapons in the Capitol in case someone wanted to shoot at lawmakers,

Photo by David J. Phillip | AP

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, seeking the Republican Party nomination for lieutenant governor, is seen at a Montgomery County Republican Women’s Club luncheon Sept. 26, in Conroe.

Patterson responded: “I don’t know about you, but I’m going to return fire.”

Though he’s been land commissioner since 2003, the gun law remains his signature achievement.

“There’s 580,000 concealed handgun licenseholders in Texas,” said Patterson, a retired, 24year U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “I can win this race on that issue alone.”

He may have to. A millionaire energy mogul, Dewhurst has been lieutenant governor since 2003. Looking to unseat him with Patterson are Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and state Sen. Dan Patrick, a Houston radio talk show host who founded the state Legislature’s Tea Party Caucus.

Dewhurst was the favorite to succeed the retiring Kay Bailey Hutchison during last year’s Republican U.S. Senate primary, but was upset by then little-known former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, who convinced conservative grass-roots activists that Dewhurst was too moderate.

Now Patterson, Staples and Patrick are all attempting to energize the far right against Dewhurst. Patterson has his trademark pistols, Staples

emphasizes his work protecting ranchers on the Texas-Mexico border from drug smugglers, while Patrick has heralded his expansion of charter schools statewide as head of the Senate Education Committee.

“In a crowded field, you’ve got to stand apart,” said Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, a political science professor at the University of North Texas. But that only works to a point — especially since Patterson acknowledges all of his opponents are staunch Second Amendment defenders too.

The lieutenant governor oversees the flow of legislation in the state Senate. By contrast, Patterson said the office he’s giving up is so low-profile that Texans often tell him they can’t vote for him because they don’t live in his district — even though he represents the entire state.

Land commissioner is now best known as the post being sought by George P. Bush, the latest in his political-dynasty family to have his name appear on a Texas ballot.

Patterson has sparked outcry in some circles by complaining that federal endangered species laws are more about restrict-

ing energy companies than protecting the planet.

“Why is it that we created a law that imposes a burden to protect every single species?” he asked.

“I’m not suggesting that we just go wanton, without any regard for animals and plants and the environment. But it gets to the point of absurdity.”

The frenzy to sway conservatives was on display this week, when Patrick released a television ad claiming he was the only lieutenant governor hopeful who opposes existing state law allowing the children of people who entered the U.S. illegally to pay in-state tuition at Texas universities if they graduated from high school in Texas. Patterson called Patrick a lair, saying he’s long advocated for the 2001 law’s repeal.

Patterson says he’s the only candidate who can protect traditional Texas values as more people move here to take advantage of a state economy flush with new jobs.

“We want to preserve, protect, defend, advance those things we are rightly proud of,” he said.

Then he went a step further, suggesting booting California, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut from the U.S. “I get lots of questions all the time, ‘Well, we should secede.’ I say, ‘No, I’ve got a better idea. Instead of secession, I’m a proponent of expulsion,”’ he said. “I want to kick about four states out of this union.”

Patterson eventually conceded: “This is a little tongue in cheek.”

“But nonetheless,” he continued, “just think about how different our country would be if New York and California weren’t the tail wagging the dog. And those other states? It’s not America.”

Houston sex traffickers

By JUAN A. LOZANO ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON — A sextrafficking operation in Houston that made at least $12.6 million over more than a decade by using violence to force underage girls and women who are living in the U.S. illegally into prostitution has been shut down, authorities announced on Friday.

Federal, state and local officials have arrested 13 of 14 people who were indicted for their alleged roles in the operation, including the alleged 66year-old ringleader. The 14th person indicted remains a fugitive, officials said.

The arrests took place Thursday night in a coordinated sweep of almost a dozen locations, including several bars.

Those indicted face charges that include sex trafficking conspiracy, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“This ring victimized women and young girls who were brought here from Mexico and forced into the sex trade through violence and intimidation,” said Stephen L. Morris, the special agent in charge of Houston’s FBI office. “Nowhere in the world, especially right here in Houston should any human being be trafficked for profit or used as a reusable commodity.”

The federal indictment unsealed Friday names Hortencia Medeles-Arguello as the ringleader who owned and operated the four bars in east and southeast Houston where

authorities say the girls and women were forced into prostitution. Authorities said the sex-trafficking operation was a family affair, as Medeles-Arguello’s three daughters, brother, sister and niece also took part in the scheme and were indicted as well.

Court records did not list an attorney for Medeles-Arguello or the other 12 who were arrested and appeared in federal court Friday. Authorities say they are still looking for one defendant, Alfonso Diaz-Juarez, 45, from Mexico.

Medeles-Arguello, also known as Raquel Medeles Garcia, and others who worked for her would charge men anywhere from $65 to $500 to have sex with the girls and women for 15 minutes in rooms located upstairs in the bars or sometimes in nearby hotels, according to the indictment.

The “minor and adult females were locked in an upstairs room” at one bar and were allowed to “come out of the locked room when a special client or big spender paid to have sex with one of them,” the indictment said. Authorities say some of the underage girls were between 14 and 17 years old.

The girls and women were sometimes beaten by Medeles-Arguello and others if they “did not keep the clients happy,” the indictment said.

Prosecutors allege in the indictment that the girls and women were often smuggled into the U.S. illegally by either Medeles-Arguello or by pimps, also known as “padrotes.”

State

6A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

Fertilizer plant cited for safety lapses

By DINA CAPPIELLO AND RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The Texas company that operated a fertilizer plant where a thunderous explosion in April killed 15 people is facing $118,300 in federal fines for two dozen serious safety violations, including a failure to have an emergency response plan, officials said Thursday.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which had not inspected the facility since 1982, said West Fertilizer Co. committed violations that included unsafe handling and storage of two fertilizers, anhydrous ammonia and ammonium nitrate, a volatile chemical that investigators believe contributed to the massive blast that leveled swaths of the rural town of West, Texas, and registered as a small earthquake.

Dan Keeney, a spokes-

Photo by L.M. Otero/file | AP

Firefighters search an apartment destroyed by an explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. in West. The Texas company that operated the fertilizer plant where an explosion in April killed 15 people is facing $118,300 in fines for two dozen serious safety violations. man for the West Fertilizer Co., said the company’s lawyers were reviewing the citations and proposed fine.

The company has 15 days to pay the fine or file an administrative appeal with OSHA. “Based on what they see so far, it doesn’t appear that the violations that are alleged have anything to do with the accident, but they’re still reviewing it,”

he said.

The agency issued the citations Wednesday, but due to the government shutdown, they were not disclosed until Thursday, when Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., announced them in a conference call with reporters. The agency also cited the company for inadequately labeling storage tanks, failing to pressuretest replacement hoses and

not having respiratory protection or appropriate fire extinguishers.

But West Mayor Tommy Muska said the investigation came too late.

“The damage has already been done,” he said.

“It’s like shutting the door after the cow is out.”

Investigators have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the explosion but narrowed the possibilities

to three: a problem with one of the plant’s electrical systems, a battery-powered golf cart or a criminal act.

They ruled out others, including a rail car on site loaded with fertilizer or someone smoking. A state investigation remains open.

On Thursday, a former paramedic who was among the most vocal first responders to the blast pleaded guilty to federal charges

that he collected materials for a pipe bomb. Bryce Ashley Reed, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make a destructive device and another count of attempting to obstruct justice, according to court documents. He was never linked by authorities to any criminal responsibility for the plant blast.

The April blast knocked out windows and rooftops all over the tiny town. It destroyed and damaged nearby apartments, a nursing home and two schools. Victims included 10 first responders and two others who volunteered.

As far OSHA’s report, Suzy Price, a West resident who saved her now 92-yearold mother from a nursing home across the street from the facility the night of the blast, brushed it off, saying, “That’s government for you. Politics and government. We don’t have a chance against any of it.”

Cornyn rakes in $1.8M

By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — John Cornyn continues to rake in big fundraising bucks — even with no major Republican primary challenger or a Democrat yet emerging to try and take the U.S. Senate seat he has held since 2002.

The Senate’s No. 2 Republican raised $1.8 million during the quarter that ended Sept. 30, campaign manager Manager Brendan Steinhauser told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The official fundraising totals have not yet been released, but Steinhauser said Cornyn’s re-election bid for next year had $6.9 million in cash on-hand.

Cornyn’s latest haul matches what the campaign raised in the first quarter of 2013 but is down from the $2.3 million raised during the second quarter, which ended June 30. Cornyn also had outraised all other U.S. senators up for re-election through June, but it’s unclear if he has continued to do so since many campaigns haven’t yet divulged their latest totals.

Still, Cornyn may not need a massive war chest.

That’s because, despite being criticized by some tea party groups and other

conservative activists as too moderate, Cornyn has yet to draw a credible challenger in the CORNYN Republican senatorial primaries set for March.

It’s a far cry from last year’s nasty and expensive primary fight to replace retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, when then little-known former state solicitor general Ted Cruz used a wave of tea party support to upset Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — the choice of Gov. Rick Perry and the Texas Republican party mainstream.

Cruz and Dewhurst combined to spend more than $30 million.

Meanwhile, no Texas Democrat has yet formally become a U.S. Senate candidate for the November 2014 general election.

Steinhauser said the campaign has successfully grown its donor base via “Keep It Red,” a grass-roots effort begun in August and meant to counteract Battleground Texas, which seeks to boost voter turnout among women and minorities in order to help Democratic candidates.

Visitors to the “Keep It Red” website see a variety

of images spurring on the Texas conservatives, including decrepit urban street scene over the tag line: “Democrats bankrupted Detroit. Now they’re coming for Texas.” A Web video launched Sept. 30, three days before Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis announced she was running for governor, imagines a fictional future Texas run by Democrats where the Legislature passes a state income tax.

Steinhauser said Cornyn’s campaign on Monday began a substantial TV and radio campaign targeting primary and general election voters. He said several hundred thousand dollars was being spent on television alone but provided no further details.

Also, Cornyn’s campaign staff is attending around 20 grassroots events per week statewide.

Cornyn has nonetheless been outshined

by Cruz in some conservative circles. The freshman helped lead the budget battle over the nation’s new health care law that forced the federal government into a partial shutdown.

Cornyn has dubbed the health care overhaul a “monstrosity” and spent lavishly on Internet advertising attacking it.

Perry pushes water vote

By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Speaking beside a lake off the Colorado River that’s receding amid the punishing drought, Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday renewed his calls for voters to approve an amendment to the Texas Constitution that would use $2 billion from the state’s Rainy Day fund to finance major water infrastructure projects.

The referendum appears on the Nov. 5 ballot. If approved, it would authorize a one-time payment from Texas’ cash reserves — which have been bolstered by the oil and natural gas boom and would balloon to $11.8 billion by August 2015 if left untouched — to bolster water supplies statewide.

Perry called tapping the fund “seed money” and said it would help spur an eventual $30 billion in economic development for water projects. He cheered the proposed amendment as a way to ensure Texas has enough natural resources to keep pace with its rapid economic growth and population increase without raising

taxes “a single penny.”

The governor spoke to reporters in Austin’s Mansfield Dam Park on Lake Travis, which is part of the Colorado River but has seen its water levels fall to 45 feet below normal October levels. That’s low enough that over Perry’s shoulder, sand bars were exposed where open lake once flowed.

“The view of Lake Travis, it’s generally one of the more beautiful views in the state of Texas but the presence of these sometimes islands and now even peninsulas serves as a stark reminder that were in near-record drought conditions and water levels are near record lows as well,” Perry said.

A record drought parched much of Texas in 2011 and many areas have yet to recover as rain levels remain below normal.

Perry said the funding would pay for building new reservoirs and pipelines, as well as desalination plants and other projects to conserve and reuse water. He refused to divulge which projects have priority, saying what’s most pressing

could change if a sudden tropical storm or hurricane brings increased rainfall to some parts of Texas.

“We just cannot afford to come up short on this,” Perry said. “We need to do everything within reason to meet our increasing water needs in this state.”

Last week, Perry campaigned for voting yes on the referendum from San Angelo in West Texas, which he said was dangerously close to running out of water as levels in nearby reservoirs continue to plummet. On Thursday, he plans to make a similar pitch for the water plan in Wylie, outside Dallas.

Joining Perry on Wednesday were state lawmakers from both parties, including state Sen. Kirk Watson, an Austin Democrat. He said of the issue: “There’s nothing partisan about it.”

“Of course the Rainy Day Fund will not make it rain,” Watson said, “But it will put us in a situation where we will be able to expand and preserve and conserve our water in this state.”

Photo by Deborah Cannon/Austin American-Statesman | AP

Evan Smith, left, moderates a discussion between Lt. Governor candidates, from second left, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, Sen. Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples during Texas Municipal League’s annual conference in Austin, on Friday.

Hopefuls on the attack

By CHRIS TOMLINSON ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN — Houston Sen. Dan Patrick found himself under attack Friday for a campaign ad in the lieutenant governor’s race that his three opponents said is deceitful.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson called Patrick out during a joint appearance Friday before the Texas Municipal League’s annual convention in Austin.

In his first television ad, released Monday, Patrick claims he is the only candidate for lieutenant governor who opposed a current state law extending in-state college tuition to children who were brought to the United States illegally but who graduated from a Texas high school and met other residency requirements.

The 2001 law requires the students to apply for legal residency.

The ad severely distorts the political records of Patrick’s opponents, who have repeatedly criticized the measure, and inde-

pendent observers have labeled it false. Patrick defended the ad, but tried to change the subject by saying the candidates should concentrate on the issues.

“We have ‘political Dan’ up on the stage today, who issues a lie and then challenges everybody to get on the issues. That is very unauthentic and doesn’t bode well,” Staples said.

The enmity between the four candidates was apparent throughout the discussion led by Texas Tribune Editor Evan Smith. All four men bill themselves as conservative Republicans and have appealed for the tea party vote. Smith pointed out there was little space between them on most major issues, such as opposing abortion rights, limiting state spending, taking a tough line on illegal immigration and spending the Rainy Day Fund on road and water projects.

When asked what set them apart when they agree on so much, the candidates said it was primarily a question of leadership style, priorities and experience. Dewhurst was elected in 2003, Patrick was elected to the Texas

Senate in 2006 and both Patterson and Staples were senators before being elected to their current statewide posts.

In a shift from past appearances where the candidates focused on Dewhurst, the incumbent, Staples and Patterson concentrated their criticism on Patrick. Dewhurst is considered the frontrunner, and the other candidates hope to force a runoff where they will face him in a two-man race.

The conversation often slid into an insider’s debate over the rules in the Texas Senate, which the lieutenant governor oversees. All four men said they would weaken the ability of the minority party to slow down legislation by lowering the hurdle for a bill to get a vote from a two-thirds majority of senators to only 60 percent.

That would allow the current Republican majority in the Senate to pass legislation without a single Democratic vote.

The conversation did not hold the interest of the audience made up of officials and employees from 1,135 Texas cities.

National

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A

New GED exams are harder

By MOTOKO RICH NEW YORK TIMES

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The high school equivalency exams taken by people who dropped out of school and immigrants seeking a foothold in the American education system are about to get harder and potentially more expensive, causing concern that fewer will take and pass the exams.

At a time when a high school diploma — much less an equivalency certificate — is losing currency in the labor market, exams being introduced in January will start to be aligned with the Common Core, a set of rigorous academic standards for kindergarten through 12th grade that 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted.

In an echo of the debate surrounding the standards in elementary and secondary education, instructors and officials at adult education centers worry that increasing complexity could demoralize a population that already struggles to pass the current test, commonly known as the GED. “There is a lot of fear of it becoming too challenging,” said John Galli, assistant director at the Community Learning Center, an adult education center run by the city of Cambridge near Boston.

Many students try for years to feel confident enough to take the test, much less pass it.

Maria Balvin, who dropped out of school in the ninth grade in Lynn, about 10 miles north of Boston, has taken classes on and off for six years.

Balvin, 21, a single mother of two children, ages 3 and 2, said she was daunted by the academics. Math is her biggest fear.

“I don’t understand anything about it,” she said.

Every year about 700,000 people take the General Educational Development high school equivalency exam, and about 70 percent pass. New tests in math will add more advanced algebra, while reading and writing tests will assess higher order critical thinking skills.

Starting in January, two more test developers, the Educational Testing Service and McGraw Hill, will also offer high school exams, potentially adding to the confusion.

The changes have caused anxiety as instructors and students try to prepare for the unknown. While many states have selected a test company, Massachusetts is one of several others still reviewing their options.

“The information we have is still very much up in the air,” said Catherine Pautsch, education and career pathways coordinator at Youth Build Just-a-Start, a nonprofit that helps young adults like Balvin prepare for high school equivalency exams and develop social and emotional skills for college and work. “We haven’t had anyone take the test yet, so we’re not sure what it’s all going to look like.”

Photo by David Duprey | AP

Keith Holmes works in a GED class in Buffalo, N.Y., on Feb. 5. Adults are facing a more difficult and costly exam next year.

Two years ago, the American Council on Education, the nonprofit that has administered the GED exam for seven decades, joined a venture with Pearson, the publishing giant. As the new venture announced plans to move the test entirely online and raise its prices, some states balked and invited other test developers to enter the market.

Randy Trask, president of GED Testing Service, said the price hike, raising the cost of the GED test to $120, would cover enhanced services such as same-day scoring and detailed exam reports for students.

GED Testing Service currently charges states $15 just for the text booklets, in addition to other fees. In New York, the state covers the students’ cost of the test, paying $60 to administer each exam; in Massachusetts, test takers pay $65 to take exams in five subject areas.

So far, 40 states plan to offer the new GED test in January, while seven states are transitioning to the Educational Testing Service exam.

New York and Indiana have selected McGraw Hill. New York’s costs will rise to about $80 per test.

Officials at Educational Testing Service and McGraw Hill say they will offer both online and paper versions initially and will gradually adjust the tests to align with the Common Core standards, which are still being put in effect in elementary and secondary schools throughout the country.

Most public school students will not take annual standardized tests based on the new standards until 2014-15.

The new GED exam will initially be graded using two separate benchmarks: one representing a pass rate equivalent to what 60 percent of current high school seniors could achieve, and one that measures readiness for college. The Educational Testing Service and McGraw Hill said they would also use two

separate benchmarks.

Eventually, the two pass rates will likely converge. Instructors in adult education centers worry that students will become discouraged.

“A lot of the people haven’t exactly had great success in school,” said Karl Steenberg, director of adult education and literacy at St. Louis Community College at Meramec in Missouri. “Some of them are very bright and probably dropped out of school for social reasons, but many of the students also have a real history of not being successful at school at the academic stuff.”

Across the country, a little over a third of those who gain their equivalency certificates enroll in college.

Many of them have trouble keeping up with college-level work. In Massachusetts, for example, 94 percent of those who pass the test and enroll in a community college take at least one remedial math course, said Bob Bickerton, senior associate commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Adult education centers will also face challenges upgrading their curriculum because they depend largely on part-time, uncertified instructors who are typically paid less than teachers in public schools. Federal funding for adult education remains barely above the level it was a decade ago.

Nevertheless, instructors in adult education centers are introducing new approaches. One evening this week at Somerville Center for Adult Learning Experiences, which is operated by the Somerville Public Schools in Massachusetts, Hannah French guided a dozen men and women through a four-paragraph essay on cells.

She noted a question on a work sheet asking the students to draw generalizations from the text.

“What is the skill you need?”

French asked.

Hesitantly, a few students called out. “Infer?”

“Yes,” French said. “That is great higher level thinking.”

Some educators worry that not all students will benefit from the shift to academically rigorous standards, especially when it comes time to look for work.

Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, said standards based on “higher and higher levels of abstraction in traditional academic disciplines” could “have relatively little to do with what you need in the real world.”

But other educators say the skills are overlapping, and that a high school equivalency must prepare students for more academic work if they are to gain the further education they need to get the best jobs.

“I think the GED was not rigorous enough,” said Janice Philpot, supervisor of Adult and Continuing Education at the Somerville center.

“You think about the skill set that is now needed to be successful in our world and in our culture, and we need to test that.”

Photo by Geoff Hamill/The Pocahontas Times | AP

Crews work at the site where a logging truck on U.S. Route 250 crashed into a passenger train in West Virginia, on Friday.

Train, truck collision kills 1

By JOHN RABY ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A logging truck collided Friday with a train carrying passengers on a scenic tour amid peak fall foliage season in the West Virginia mountains, killing one person and injuring 24 people Friday, authorities said. Two of the rail cars turned on their sides.

A preliminary toll of more than 60 hurt tallied initially by authorities was subsequently revised downward by a hospital official, Tracy Fath. She told The Associated Press on Friday evening that dozens brought to a hospital by a school bus were subsequently determined to be unhurt — despite an earlier account from an emergency official who said dozens on the bus had lesser injuries.

“We’ve got 24 people who were treated” in the emergency room, Fath said by telephone from Davis Memorial Hospital in Elkins. She added that of the 24 treated, three were admitted to the hospital, two in serious condition and one in stable condition.

She said she couldn’t release details of the injuries or the identities of those hurt.

She said the worst injuries were brought in by ambulance and the 39 others counted by the hospital who were brought on a bus didn’t require medical care. “We gave them comfort care, sat them down ... made them comfortable,” she said of those merely shaken.

The cause of the accident between the truck and the Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad train on an

excursion at the height of autumn leaf-watching season in the state’s mountainous eastern region wasn’t immediately known.

Two rail passenger cars overturned in the accident at 1:30 p.m. Friday along U.S. Route 250 about 160 miles east of Charleston at Cheat Mountain, said emergency services director Shawn Dunbrack of Pocahontas County.

News photographs showed first responders beside the highway aiding the injured, the scenic route threading woods splashed with brilliant red and yellow foliage.

Emergency vehicles lined the shoulders of the route.

Randolph County emergency services director Jim Wise said he confirmed one fatality and at least three people badly injured.

Of the two rail cars on their side, he said, “It was a pretty good impact.”

“The tracks actually go acros U.S. 250 there, right on top of the mountain,” he said, adding he knew of no accident at that site in recent memory.

Wise had said initially that 21 people were taken to a hospital in Elkins by ambulances and dozens of others were transported there by bus with lesser injuries. While he said one person was killed, he didn’t know if the fatality was aboard the train or the truck.

Dunbrack said the train involved was operated by the Durbin & Greenbrier Railroad.

The railroad operates several trains in the area, including the Cheat Mountain Salamander that runs Tuesdays through Saturdays in October on a 6.5-hour trip.

National

8A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

Mount Rushmore announces reopening

By MICHELLE L. PRICE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SALT LAKE CITY — The Obama administration’s willingness to reopen national parks shuttered by the government shutdown came with a big caveat: States must foot the bill with money they likely won’t see again.

So far, only Utah, Colorado and South Dakota have jumped at the deal. Governors in other states were trying to gauge Friday what would be the bigger economic hit — paying to keep the parks operating or losing the tourist money that flows when the scenic attractions are open.

South Dakota and several corporate donors worked out a deal with the National Park Service to reopen Mount Rushmore beginning Monday. Gov. Dennis Daugaard said it will cost $15,200 a day to pay the federal government to run the landmark in the Black Hills.

He said he wired four days’ worth of the donations on Friday.

In New York, state and federal officials were discussing the possible reopening of the Statue of Liberty, while Arizona officials weighed whether to pay the federal government to reopen Grand Canyon National Park.

In Utah, federal workers rushed to reopen five national parks for 10 days after the state sent $1.67 million to the U.S. government with the hope of saving its lucrative tourist season.

Zion National Park superintendent Jock Whitworth said staff members began opening gates and removing barriers and expected to have the park fully operational Saturday.

“This is a practical and temporary solution that will lessen the pain for some businesses and communities in Utah during this shutdown,” Interior Department Secretary Sally Jewell said in a statement.

It was welcome news for beleaguered shop owners in the small town of Springdale adjacent to Zion. Hotels have been vacant and retail and rental shops have seen sales plummet

Photo by Ross D. Franklin | AP

Hundreds of tourists flock to Grand Canyon Airport to take helicopter and plane tours as the only way they could see the Grand Canyon as the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park remains closed to visitors due to the continued federal government shutdown, on Friday, in Tusayan, Ariz. during the shutdown.

“It’s going to be awesome,” said Jenna Milligan of Zion Outfitters, an outdoor gear rental shop. “A lot of businesses have suffered severely because of the government. I just hope it does stay open through autumn.”

In Colorado, officials said a deal had been struck for the state to pay $360,000 to reopen Rocky Mountain National Park for 10 days to allow tourists to reach Estes Park. The visitors are needed to help the town recover from flooding.

Just over 400 national parks, recreation areas and monuments — including such icons as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite — have been closed since Oct. 1 because of the partial government shutdown.

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees have been furloughed, and lawmakers from both parties have complained that the closures have wreaked havoc on communities that depend on tourism.

Officials in some states were

not happy about paying to have the parks reopened.

In Arizona, Republican Gov. Jan Brewer balked at spending about $112,000 a day for a full reopening of the Grand Canyon.

She said a partial reopening would be much cheaper while allowing tourists to visit and businesses to benefit.

“The daily cost difference is enormous, especially without assurances that Arizona will be reimbursed,” said Andrew Wilder, a spokesman for Brewer.

At this time of year, the Grand Canyon draws about 18,000 people a day who pump an estimated $1 million a day into the local economy.

The town of Tusayan, just outside the South Rim entrance, and area businesses have pledged $400,000 to help reopen the canyon, but Wilder said it was unclear if the Interior Department could accept private funds.

Interior Department spokesman Blake Androff said Thursday the government had no

Attorney in Florida gambling scheme faces long sentence

By MIKE SCHNEIDER ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANFORD, Fla. — A Florida attorney was convicted Friday of using a veterans’ organization as a front for a $300 million gambling operation in a case that led to the resignation of the state’s lieutenant governor and caused the Legislature to ban so-called Internet cafes.

Six jurors deliberated for more than 14 hours over two days before finding Kelly Mathis of Jacksonville guilty of possessing slot machines, helping top operate a lottery and racketeering.

He was found guilty on all but one of 104 counts against him.

Mathis was released on bond until his sentencing in February when he faces the possibility of dozens of years in prison. He described the verdict as “shocking” as he left courtroom. His attorney, Mitch Stone, said the fight wasn’t over. Mathis’ attorneys have said they were constrained in their defense presentation by a judge’s ruling that limited the evidence they could introduce.

“I gave legal advice as an attorney, that’s all I did,” Mathis said as he left the courtroom. “Attorneys all over the nation need to be very afraid when six years after you give legal advice, somebody disagrees with that legal advice and they convict you of a crime.”

Statewide prosecutor Nick Cox said he found no joy in winning a conviction against a fellow attorney.

“You can’t use the practice of law as a shield,”

“

I gave legal advice as an attorney, that’s all I did.”

ATTORNEY KELLY MATHIS

Cox said. “It doesn’t make me happy to convict a lawyer. What message does that send to the public?”

Mathis was the first of 57 defendants to go to trial in a case that led to the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll who had worked as a consultant for the Allied Veterans charity.

She wasn’t charged with any crime.

Mathis argued that he was merely acting as an attorney, giving legal advice, and that the Internet cafes were legal until this year.

Prosecutors said Mathis and his associates built up the network of casinos by claiming they were businesses where customers could buy Internet time, when in reality most customers played slot machine games on computers and didn’t use the Internet. Even though the Internet cafes were being operated under the aegis of Allied Veterans of the World, very little of the $300 million the Allied Veteran affiliates earned actually went to veterans, prosecutors alleged.

Neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys called as witnesses some of Mathis’ key co-defendants who had reached deals with prosecutors: former Allied Vet-

erans of the World leaders Johnny Duncan and Jerry Bass, as well as Chase Burns, who operated a company that made software for computers at the dozens of Allied Veterans centers around Florida.

Defense attorneys also didn’t call some of the state’s top politicians — such as Gov. Rick Scott, Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam and Attorney General Pam Bondi — even though they were listed as potential witnesses.

The judge in the case limited testimony from witnesses about efforts by local governments and the state Legislature to regulate the Internet cafes.

Such testimony would have been valuable to the defense since it would be impossible to argue something was illegal if governments were setting regulations for it, said defense attorney Mitch Stone.

During the three-week trial, prosecutors called a 78-year-old woman who testified that she gambled every night and spent more than $55,000. They also called a retired Army colonel who testified he had stopped by an Allied Veterans affiliate thinking it was a place for veterans to get help but instead found what looked like dozens of slot machines.

Defense attorneys called to the witness stand a former City of Jacksonville attorney who testified he had agreed with Mathis’ interpretation of the law that the Internet cafes were legal. They also called other law enforcement officials and municipal attorneys who said they had never found anything wrong with Mathis’ interpretation of the law.

plans to reimburse states that pay to reopen parks. But members of Congress introduced legislation Friday to refund the money within 90 days.

In Utah, Herbert estimated the economic impact of the federal government shutdown on his state at $100 million.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration was working on a proposal to reopen parks in that state, including the Gateway Arch grounds in St. Louis and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways Park in southern Missouri.

In South Dakota, Gov. Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, was considering the federal government’s offer but wants to see how much it would cost.

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said his state can’t afford to reopen its parks, as did Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Sandoval said Nevada is already facing critical funding decisions on dozens of programs, including food stamps, unemployment insurance and aid to

women, infants and children.

In Wyoming, Gov. Matt Mead’s office said the state would not pay to reopen two heavily visited national parks or Devil’s Tower national monument.

“Wyoming cannot bail out the federal government and we cannot use state money to do the work of the federal government,” Mead spokesman Renny MacKay said.

Outside the Grand Canyon, some tourists made the most of their trek by taking photographs in front of the park’s sign.

Rassie Erasmus and his wife, Yolando, from Cape Town, South Africa, said they had been saving money for their trip to America for some time and were disappointed to find the park closed.

“We actually looked forward to going to the Statue of Liberty, but we believe that’s closed as well, so we’ll see what else is left,” Erasmus said. “Maybe Vegas.”

International

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A

Waiting room birth ousts hospital head

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko | AP

From left, Jesselyn Radack, Raymond McGovern, Coleen Rowley and Thomas Drake chat before their interview with The Associated Press in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday. The four former U.S. government officials met with Edward Snowden at an undisclosed location.

Snowden awarded by Americans

By CARO KRIEL ASSOCIATED PRESS

MOSCOW — Four former U.S. government officials who met with former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden said Thursday that he is adjusting to life in Russia and expresses no regrets about leaking highly classified information. Separately, Snowden’s father arrived to see his son.

The Americans, who once worked for the CIA, FBI, Justice Department and NSA, have criticized the U.S. government and exposed what they believed was wrongdoing in the security agencies. All supporters of Snowden, they are the first Americans known to have met with him since he was granted asylum in Russia in August.

In interviews with The Associated Press, they described spending the previous evening with Snowden to present him with an award given annually by a group of retired national security officers.

“He spoke about going out and about and getting to understand Russia and its culture and the people,” said Thomas Drake, who started working for the NSA in 2001 and disclosed an electronic espionage program that he saw as invasive. “This is where he lives now, and so where you live is your home.”

Snowden’s father, Lon, did not say when or where he would meet his 30year-old son, but expressed optimism about his situation.

“You know, I have heard so many things through the media, and my assumption is certainly, given the cir-

cumstances, he’s doing as well as could be expected,” Lon Snowden told the AP in Moscow. “He’s safe and he’s free, and that’s a good thing.”

The elder Snowden said he doubts his son will return to the United States, where he is charged with violating the Espionage Act for disclosing the NSA’s surveillance of phone and Internet usage around the world.

The four former U.S. officials refused to say where they met with Snowden or where he is living.

“For his own safety it’s best that no one else knows where he actually lives,” Drake said. “But I believe he is making the best of his circumstances and is living as normally as possible.”

Like Snowden, Drake was indicted under the Espionage Act, but the felony charges were dropped before trial and he was found guilty in 2011 on a lesser charge and sentenced to one year of probation and community service.

Drake and the other Americans — Raymond McGovern, Jesselyn Radack and Coleen Rowley — said Snowden was in good spirits and still believes he did the right thing in disclosing the NSA program.

All but McGovern are past recipients of the Sam Adams Award, named for a CIA analyst during the Vietnam War who accused the U.S. military of underestimating the strength of the enemy for political purposes. The award is given annually by the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence.

The winner of the award in 2010 was WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange.

McGovern, a 74-year-old retired CIA officer who had worked with Adams, said the anti-secrecy group had facilitated its trip to Moscow and that WikiLeaks staffer Sarah Harrison, who had arrived with Snowden from Hong Kong in June, remained by his side.

The Americans said they saw no evidence that Snowden was under the control of Russian security services, as many in the U.S. government believe.

“He spoke very openly about a whole range of things, a number of which I won’t get into here, but it certainly didn’t involve any kind of manipulation by the Russian government or anyone else for that matter,” said Radack, a former U.S. Justice Department adviser now with the Government Accountability Project.

“He definitely is his own person and makes his own decisions, and says and does what he wants to.”

Radack, 42, had accused the FBI of misconduct in its handling of the case against John Walker Lindh, an American who fought with Taliban and was captured in 2001 during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. She later wrote a book about the case called “Traitor: The Whistleblower and the American Taliban.” The forward for the book was written by Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who worked with Snowden to publish his disclosures.

Rowley, who worked for the FBI from 1981 until retiring in 2004, testified to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2002 about intelligence failures ahead of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities on Friday fired the director of a hospital where a woman gave birth in a waiting room, an incident that prompted outrage when video of it was widely shared on social media sites.

The Puebla state government said it removed Dr. Jose Hassan as head of the Women’s Hospital of Tehuacan because he didn’t let authorities know about the Sept. 7 incident. The federal Health Department and the National Commission of Human Rights are launching their own investigations, too.

It’s the second recent internet scandal in Mexico about treatment of pregnant women. Officials this week suspended a Oaxaca state clinic’s director after a photo circulated of an indigenous woman who was denied help and gave birth on the lawn of the health center.

In the Puebla hospital, authorities have not revealed the identity of the woman and the baby and have only said they were discharged in good health after a short time in observation.

In the video, spread by local media sites, the husband of the woman complains right after the baby is born that they have been waiting since the previous night for the wife to be admitted and that they had warned the receptionists her pains were growing stronger.

The nurse holding the baby tells him he has the

right to be upset, but “we are short staffed and there are tons of patients.”

Before the video was posted on a news site early Friday, the photograph of a Mazatec woman giving birth on the lawn of a clinic had horrified people all across Mexico.

Irma Lopez, 29, said she and her husband walked an hour and arrived to the health center in San Felipe Jalapa de Diaz at 6 a.m. on Oct. 2, only to be turned down by the only nurse there who told them she was only eight months pregnant and “still not ready” to deliver. An hour and a half later, Lopez gave birth to her third child and the photo taken by a passerby has appeared on the front pages of national newspapers.

It also brought to light another case in July, where an indigenous woman also gave birth outside the same clinic, according to the village’s health official “The new information technologies that people are actively using allow us to know about these irregularities and take the appropriate measures,” said the Health Department in its Friday statement.

Both cases are highlighting the shortcomings of maternal care in Mexico, where hundreds of women, mostly in poor and rural areas, still die during or right after pregnancy. Activists and nonprofit organizations are demanding better access to health care to poor women.

PÁGINA 10A

Zfrontera

Agenda en Breve SÁBADO 12 DE OCTUBRE LAREDO — El Planetario Lamar Bruni Vergara de TAMIU presenta “Earth, Moon and Sun” a las 2 p.m.; “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” a las 3 p.m.; “Ancient Skies, Ancient Mysteries” a las 4 p.m.; y, “Entranced” a las 5 p.m. Costo varía de 4 a 5 dólares.

LAREDO — The Bazaar se presenta de 4 p.m. a 8 p.m. en The French Quarter, 1605 Del Mar Boulevard. Habrá la Caminata Zombie Laredo, además de las exposiciones habituales.

Entrada gratuita.

LAREDO — 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.

Costo: 15 dólares. Otra presentación el domingo a las 3 p.m.

NUEVO LAREDO, México — Estación Palabra, César López de Lara 1020, presenta “Bazar de Arte” a las 12 p.m.; Festival Infantil con el tema “Otoño y poesía” (Cuenta cuentos) a las 2 p.m.; Lecturas antes de Abordar con el tema “Fantasía Épica” una lectura y charla acerca de los autores J.R. Rolkien y George R. Martin, a las 3 p.m.

SÁBADO 12 DE OCTUBRE DE 2013

CIERRE DE GOBIERNO EN EU AFECTA A EXTRANJEROS

Grave dilema

POR ALICIA A. CALDWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — El cierre parcial del gobierno de Estados Unidos ha dejado en el limbo a los trabajadores inmigrantes altamente cualificados y las empresas que los emplean.

La Oficina del Departamento de Trabajo para la Certificación de Mano de Obra Extranjera está cerrada y las solicitudes para el cambio de empleo, nuevas contrataciones o cualquier otro ajuste de trabajadores extranjeros están suspendidas hasta que el gobierno reanude sus labores.

Laura Foote Reiff, una abogada del norte de Virginia especializada en temas de inmigración, dijo que mientras el Departamento de Trabajo permanezca cerrado, toda empresa en proceso de contratar trabajadores extranjeros que cuentan ya con un visado podría haber perdido varios plazos para la presentación de documentos, lo que podría obligar a las empresas

a iniciar de nuevo el complicado proceso de contratación.

“Podría ser costoso y consumir tiempo”, dijo Reiff.

El Departamento de Trabajo dijo el viernes que no podía responder a las preguntas sobre el tema porque el cierre había clausurado la Oficina del Departamento de Trabajo para la Certificación de Mano de Obra Extranjera.

Reiff dijo que los patrones que trabajan para el gobierno y cuyos contratos están en suspenso durante el cierre encaran un dilema: dar asueto o despedir a los trabajadores extranjeros.

Debido a las condiciones en los visados de trabajadores altamente calificados, incluso los trabajadores extranjeros en asueto deben recibir su paga. Si una empresa decide despedir a esos trabajadores, la firma encara la perspectiva de iniciar de nuevo el arduo proceso de contratación.

Para los trabajadores extranjeros, tomarse un descanso tempo-

Foto por Susan Walsh | Associated Press

Comienza a surgir la preocupación de que un cierre prolongado podría provocar una reducción del trabajo para las empresas privadas y que los consumidores pierdan la confianza en la economía de EU. Los Servicios de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos, que procesan los trámites burocráticos de dichos trabajadores, dijeron que evaluarán las futuras renovaciones y las solicitudes de cambio de situación de los trabajadores cesados o despedidos caso por caso.

ral sin paga o perder el empleo hace que violen las condiciones de su visado, lo que podría causar problemas en el futuro si intentan renovar un visado o cambiar su situación de inmigración.

No hay un periodo de gracia que permita a los trabajadores extranjeros quedar desempleados.

TAMAULIPAS

ES MEJOR PREVENIR

DOMINGO 13 DE OCTUBRE LAREDO — Jamaica 2013 en Christ The King Church, 901 calle Guadalupe, inicia a las 3 p.m. Habrá comida, juegos, entretenimiento, participación del Mariachi Azteca, y una rifa (primer premio una Nissan Rogue 2013). Costo del boleto para rifa a 5 dólares.

NUEVO LAREDO, México — El grupo de Teatro Laberintus presenta la obra de teatro infantil “Hansel y Gretel”, del clásico de los hermanos Grimm, a las 12 p.m. en el teatro del IMSS, en el sector centro (entre las calles Reynosa y Belden). Costo 20 pesos.

MARTES 15 DE OCTUBRE LAREDO — CÁNCER: Doctors Hospital of Laredo invita al 13er Foro Público Anual de Atención al Cáncer de Seno y Desfile de Modas, a las 6 p.m. en Embassy Suites Ballroom, 110 Calle Del Norte. Evento gratuito. Reserve su espacio al (956) 523-2658.

NUEVO LAREDO, México — Laberintus Arte y Cultura A.C. presenta “Arrojados al Mundo sin Cobertor de Lana”, con actuaciones de Fany Silva y Damián Aviña, a las 7 p.m. en el Teatro del IMSS (esquina de Reynosa y Belden).

MIÉRCOLES 16 DE OCTUBRE LAREDO — Recital de Voces de Estudio de Mitad de Curso en TAMIU, a las 7:30 p.m. en el Salón de Recitales del Center for the Fine and Performing Arts de TAMIU. Evento gratuito.

LAREDO — Shannon K. O’Neil compartirá la conferncia “Two Nations Indivisible: México, the United States, and the Road Ahead” a partir de las 7:30 p.m. en el Salón del Student Center SC 203 de TAMIU. Evento gratuito.

NUEVO LAREDO, México — Cine Club Carmen Gonzalez presenta “Mujeres sin mañana”, dirigida por Tito Davison, a las 6 p.m. en Estación Palabra.

JUEVES 17 DE OCTUBRE LAREDO — Teatro Chicano presenta “Isaura and the Virgin” a las 8 p.m. en el Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 avenida Thomas. Costo: 20 dólares. Informes en el 721-5490 con Carlos Flores.

Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas

Por tercer año consecutivo, el Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia en Tamaulipas inició la entrega de material didáctico a más de 70.000 alumnos de segundo grado de primaria, a fin de que aprendan, de manera atractiva y divertida, sobre la prevención de accidentes por quemaduras. El programa es coordinado con la Fundación Michou Mau I.A.P. para niños quemados, Delegación Tamaulipas. El material consiste en un disco compacto con canciones que hacen conciencia en las familias acerca de los riesgos de sufrir accidentes por quemaduras. En la imagen, de izquierda a derecha, la Presidenta de la Fundación Michou y Mau I.A.P. para niños quemados en Tamaulipas, Ana María Torre de Morris; Presidenta del DIF Tamaulipas, Mara del Pilar González de Torre; y, el titular de la Unidad Ejecutiva de la Secretaría de Educación en la entidad, Gerardo Terán Cantú, entre otros.

IRS

TAMAULIPAS

Prórroga para presentar y pagar está por vencer

Aplican guías de programa 2020

TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

WASHINGTON — El Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS) instó a los contribuyentes cuya prórroga para presentar sus declaraciones de impuestos se vence el 15 de octubre, que revisen sus declaraciones sobre beneficios que a menudo se pasan por alto y luego presenten su declaración electrónicamente usando e-file o el sistema de Free File .

Muchos de los más de 12 millones de contribuyentes que solicitaron una prórroga automática de seis meses este año aún no han presentado. Aunque el 15 de octubre es el último día para la mayoría de los contribuyentes, algunos todavía tienen mas tiempo, incluyendo miembros de las fuerzas armadas y otras personas que sirven en Afganistán u otras localidades de zona de combate que suelen tener hasta al menos 180 días después de salir de la zona de combate para presentar declaraciones y pagar cualquier impuesto adeudado.

Antes de presentar, el IRS exhorta a los contribuyentes a tomar un momento para ver si califican para estos u otros créditos y deducciones que muchas veces se pasan por alto: Beneficios para los trabajadores de bajos y moderados ingresos y las familias, especialmente el Crédito Tributario por Ingreso del Trabajo (EITC, por sus siglas en inglés).

El crédito de ahorro, que se solicita en el Formulario 8880, para los trabajadores de bajos y moderados ingresos que han contribuido a un plan de jubilación, como un IRA ó un 401(k).

El Crédito de Oportunidad Americana, que se solicita en el Formulario 8863, y otros créditos tributarios de educación para padres y estudiantes universitarios.

Para los trabajadores desempleados que presentaron el Formulario 1127-A y calificaron para obtener una prórroga para pagar sus impuestos federales del 2012, el 15 de octubre también es el último día para pagar lo que debe, incluyendo intereses a la tasa del 3 por ciento anual, agregado diariamente. El hacerlo evita la multa por pago tardío, por lo general un 0.5 por ciento por mes.

Los contribuyentes pueden pagar lo que deben electrónicamente, ya sea en línea o por teléfono, a través del Sistema Electrónico de Pago de Impuestos Federales (EFTPS, por sus siglas en inglés), mediante el retiro electrónico de fondos o con una tarjeta de crédito o débito. No hay cuota del IRS para cualquiera de estos servicios, solamente para pagos con tarjeta de débito y de crédito, los procesadores de tarjetas privadas cobran una cuota por manejo.

Los contribuyentes que tienen prórrogas deben presentar sus declaraciones para el 15 de octubre, incluso si no pueden pagar el monto total adeudado.

TIEMPO DE ZAPATA

CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — Una de las metas del Gobierno de Tamaulipas es el de reducir los costos de operación y contribuir a reducir la emisión de gases de efecto invernadero.

Esto forma parte del Programa conocido como 2020 que mantienen México y Estados Unidos.

A fin de lograr su meta, el gobierno estatal espera continuar la coordinación que realizan con la COCEF y CONAGUA “a fin de buscar un uso más eficiente de energía eléctrica en el funcionamiento de los organismos operadores de agua, dando con ello cumplimiento a los objetivos que en este sentido, se han alcanzado dentro del programa 2020 México-Estados Unidos”, dijo Humberto René Salinas Treviño, Secretario de Desarrollo Urbano y Medio Ambiente.

La misión del Programa

Frontera 2020 es proteger el medio ambiente y la salud pública en la región fronteriza México-Estados Unidos, de manera consistente con los principios del desarrollo sustentable.

“Estamos entrando a un proceso de eficiencia energética en todas las instalaciones que conforman los sistemas de abastecimiento de agua potable, así como de las plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales y cárcamos de bombeo”, estableció Salinas.

Hasta mayo del 2013, la COCEF había certificado 219 proyectos de infraestructura ambiental, 117 ubicados en México y 102 en Estados Unidos con un costo estimado en los 6.500 millones de dólares.

De los 117 proyectos para México, 20 corresponden a Tamaulipas, donde se han aplicado 865.26 millones de dólares. De estos, 11 se relacionan con servicios de agua y saneamiento.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A

ZARAGOZA RODRIGUEZ JR.

REYES Continued from Page 1A

May 31, 1928 – Oct. 5, 2013 Zaragoza Rodriguez Jr., 85, passed away Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, at Falcon Lake Nursing Home in Zapata.

Mr. Rodriguez is preceded in death by his parents, Zaragoza Rodriguez Sr. and Rosa G. Rodriguez; in-laws, Anacleto Nieto and Isidra Nieto; brothers, Victor M. (Doris) Rodriguez, Roberto Rodriguez; sister, Alicia Rodriguez; and a brother-inlaw, Eduardo Garcia.

Mr. Rodriguez is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Victoria N. Rodriguez; children: Zaragoza (Alicia F.) Rodriguez, Rosa Alicia Garcia, Gloria Irma Rodriguez, David (Martha) Rodriguez, Rebecca (Raymundo) Muñoz, Gerardo L. (Connie) Rodriguez, Diana L. (Norberto) Garza, Fernando (Janie) Rodriguez; 26 grandchildren; 22 greatgrandchildren; sister, Emilia R. Garcia; brother, Francisco J. (Raquel) Rodriguez; sisters-in-law, Ernestina V. Rodriguez, Juanita N. George; and by numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, friends and other family members.

Visitation hours were held Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a

Laredo, basketball team he was coaching led to a reprimand and Reyes’ placement on a job improvement plan.

Reyes resigned from United Independent School District in February

BUDGET rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home.

The funeral procession departed Monday, Oct. 7, 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.

TRIAL Continued from Page 1A convicted,” Peña said.

Lead investigator Sgt. Greg Gutierrez of the Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office declined to comment, citing the upcoming trial. He said the defense requested him as a witness.

During a taped interrogation, Alvarez-Briones confessed but later claimed he was threatened with the death penalty unless he confessed.

The taped confession has a gap of approximately two hours and 20 minutes, during which Alvarez-Briones claims he was coerced into a confession.

“He claims the investigators in Zapata threatened to implicate his wife and to arrest her for the same offense, and also threatened to have Child Protective Services take possession of their children. That’s the reason he said he made a false confession,” Peña said.

The defense team filed a motion to suppress the confession in May 2012, but it was denied by 49th District Court Judge Joe Lopez.

“I think what we have here is a false confession, especially in view of the fact that the mother of the child confessed to the detectives in San Antonio,” Peña said.

The 22-year-old mother, Celia Gonzales, later retracted her confession during a taped statement. She has since gone to Mexico since she was an illegal immigrant.

The child allegedly sustained the fatal injuries

after he was recommended for termination. He has also surrendered his teaching license for life.

In the past, Reyes has earned various titles as a coach, but his behavior has gotten him fired from three

while Alvarez-Briones’ wife was taking the child’s mother to work at a restaurant.

“The child became unresponsive and was lethargic.

It wouldn’t wake up,” Peña said.

The child was initially taken to Laredo Medical Center, but then airlifted to Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio.

“A couple of days later he died from what is described as blunt force trauma to the head,” Peña said. “If somebody struck the child, which is disputed, it was probably not with the intent to kill him.”

The child sustained “severe head trauma and had visible bruising on his torso area,” the indictment states.

Among the child’s numerous injuries were skull fracture, hyper enhancement of the brain stem and retinal detachment.

Alvarez-Briones was facing the death penalty, but it was later taken off the table

by District Attorney Isidro Alaniz.

“Seeking the death penalty is a very difficult decision, a very careful decision that a DA has to make,” Alaniz said in March 2011.

“We felt that at the end of our analysis this case is not a death penalty case. We will be seeking the highest possible punishment.”

Alvarez-Briones is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

(Matthew Nelson may be reached at 728-2567 or mnelson@lmtonline.com)

members on both sides of the aisle.”

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said the meeting was “clarifying for both sides” and that following negotiations, “hopefully we can see a way forward.”

The talks were held shortly before a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll was released bearing ominous news for the

GOP. It showed more people blaming Republicans than Obama for the shutdown, 53 percent to 31 percent. Just 24 percent viewed the GOP positively, compared with 39 percent with positive views of the Democratic Party.

Boehner, R-Ohio, brought a proposal to the White House meeting to extend federal borrowing authority through Nov. 22,

Continued from Page 1A conditioned on Obama’s agreeing to negotiate over spending cuts and the government shutdown. But participants said the discussion expanded to ways to quickly end the shutdown, which entered its 11th day Friday.

“It’s clear he’d like to have the shutdown stopped,” House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky.,

SUPERINTENDENT That role of caregiver is a constant in her life, she said, because it is part of her culture.

“It’s embedded in you,” she said. “Family comes first.”

During that time, her family continued to travel into the U.S. to work in the fields, she said.

When family later moved to Brownsville, Rodriguez-Casas struggled in school as other students teased her with name-calling as well as made fun of her heavy accent and language barrier.

She failed sixth grade in the U.S. after she was placed in that grade level when she moved to Brownsville. She excelled in sixth grade classes while in Mexico, but because she was considered an English language learner she was placed in her previous grade level when she moved, she said.

Why not share our stories so we have a deeper understanding of ourselves?

Rodriguez-Casas also was considered an at-risk student, but she got involved in school youth programs as a teenager, when she spent some summers at home with some of her siblings and mother.

In high school, teacher Robert Horne pushed her to concentrate on her education. He wouldn’t allow her to use Spanish in the classroom.

“And it changed my life,” she said.

She graduated from James Pace High School in 1985 ranked third in her class, she said. She also was the first in her family to graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree.

She takes pride in her doctorate of philosophy in education degree from the University of Texas that she prominently displays the 2004 diploma in her Mathis ISD office.

Rodriguez-Casas often tells others her story because it details her struggles and where she is now.

Maybe the tale will inspire others, she suggested.

“Why not share our stories so we have a deeper understanding of ourselves?” she asked.

She recently held an impromptu question-and-answer session with some middle school students during a visit to the school.

She asked students to tell her what migrant work is and what it means to be Mexican-American.

Rodriguez-Casas, who grew up Catholic, said she embraces her heritage, which is a common thread in Mathis ISD where 85 to 88 percent of students are considered Hispanic.

Rodriguez-Casas’s openness about her background helps to teach the district’s students that it doesn’t matter where you come from.

“You can still succeed and achieve,” said Yolanda Dominguez, a sixth-grade English language arts teacher at Mathis Middle School.

Parents, especially those in the district’s migrant program, said they feel a connection to RodriguezCasas, who hosts forums and training opportunities for parents.

She also has provided laptops and school uniforms for migrant students so they can better succeed in their education.

There is a sense of comfort knowing the district’s top administrator knows some families are obligated to travel north to pick cotton, sorghum, corn and pinto beans, said Norma Champion, whose seventh-grader is a Mathis ISD migrant student.

“That’s our living right there, so she under-

of four school districts he has worked in, including UISD and Roma independent school districts.

(Matthew Nelson may be reached at 728-2567 or mnelson@lmtonline.com)

said of Obama. “And we’re trying to find out what he would insist upon” to reopen the government “and what we would insist on.”

Boehner’s offer represented give on the part of Republicans, who had been insisting on cuts to Obama’s 2010 health care law and other programs as the price for reopening government and extending the debt limit.

Continued from Page 1A

stands,” Champion said.

Education has been at the forefront of RodriguezCasas’ life even before she could recognize it.

Her mother would take her children to the library at Southmost College in Brownsville where they could delve into books.

Rodriguez-Casas soon realized the school offered more than just books.

“That was the first time someone planted the seed,” she said.

That experience has led Rodriguez-Casas to ensure Mathis ISD students traveling to other cities include mentions of and stops at colleges and universities so students can become familiar with higher education.

Higher education also is an expectation RodriguezCasas has for her own children, who were told college is a standard and the premier avenue to independence, her eldest daughter, Vanessa Casas, 24, said.

Casas said she and her middle sister, Jennifer, 15, saw firsthand their mother’s dedication and passion for education when Rodriguez-Casas moved the family to Austin to pursue her doctoral degree.

During that time, their mother — who was pregnant with her youngest daughter, Karina — traveled to San Antonio daily for her business and management job at Edgewood ISD and drove back to Austin to attend night classes at the University of Texas.

Vanessa said she and her sister learned if their mother could attain her goals, they also could.

“There’s no excuse for us,” Vanessa said.

As the oldest child, Rodriguez-Casas always took on a role of being a second parent and teacher to her younger siblings, her

mother, Juanita Garcia de Rodriguez, said.

Rodriguez-Casas said she still considers her siblings her babies — in addition to her own three daughters.

That sense of providing love and care also translates to how she treats her Mathis ISD students, who sit up a little straighter when she walks into a classroom.

“Her passion really is education,” Rodriguez-Casas’ daughter Vanessa Casas said.

Her mother has driven students to football games and stayed up until 3 a.m. to make a homecoming mum for a student who couldn’t afford one.

“That’s just the kind of person she is,” Casas said.

“She’s dedicated.”

Garcia de Rodriguez, who calls her daughter Mari, said her eldest child always is working — even when Rodriguez-Casas visits her. She spends hours on the computer and on her cellphone talking about projects and issues.

“I know that Mari is used to working hard and takes pride in her work,” Garcia de Rodriguez said in an email. “I know that we always told our children to do a good job and not be afraid to work hard.”

Rodriguez-Casas’s mother said she always wanted to be a nurse but she barely went to first grade.

“I did not finish school, but I wanted for all my children to graduate and have a good job,” she said.

Rodriguez-Casas said her mother encouraged her and her siblings to find a path other than migrant work.

“She had the dream,” Rodriguez-Casas said.

“And I’m telling you none of us are migrant workers.

We all have careers.

“It’s something to be proud of.”

12A THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM

Sports&Outdoors NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS A&M AGGIES

Ole Miss next Photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP

Texas quarterback Case McCoy will start under center in place of David Ash, who’s still battling concussion-like symptoms.

With 1,489 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has put himself back in the Heisman conversation a year after winning the award.

McCoy-led ‘Horns take on Sooners

Manziel, Aggies head to Oxford

Texas looking for first win over Oklahoma in Red River Rivalry since 2009

Photo by Beth Hall | AP

By DAVID BRANDT ASSOCIATED PRESS

OXFORD, Miss. — Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze is trying to think of some creative ways to stop Texas A&M’s prolific duo of Johnny Manziel and

Mike Evans.

He admits it’s not easy. Nobody’s been able to do it so far.

Manziel is having a stellar encore season after winning the Heisman Trophy, completing 71.4 percent of his passes for 1,489 yards, 14 touchdowns and

four interceptions through five games.

Freeze said Manziel is more apt to stay in the pocket this season and deliver quality throws — especially to the 6-

See TEXAS A&M PAGE 2B

By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS

DALLAS — All that matters to Texas coach Mack Brown this week is trying to win a game.

That hasn’t always been an

easy task the second Saturday in October in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma.

With so much speculation about whether Brown’s job is in jeopardy, a win by the Long-

See TEXAS PAGE 2B

‘Cats next for Bears

By DAVE SKRETTA ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo by Stephen Spillman | AP

Davis Webb (7) could start at quarterback for the Red Raiders against Iowa State Saturday if Mayfield isn’t ready to go.

Tech could secure bowl bid

By BETSY BLANEY ASSOCIATED PRESS

LUBBOCK — Texas Tech could be bowl eligible at the earliest date in

five years if it beats Iowa State on Saturday.

In his first season as coach of the No. 20 Red Raiders, Kliff Kingsbury might equal what his for-

mer coach did in 2008.

Mike Leach had Texas Tech at 6-0 three weeks before the Red Raiders rose

See RAIDERS PAGE 2B

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Leave it to coach Bill Snyder, the wizard who turned around the moribund program at Kansas State, to come up the most logical way to slow down No. 15 Baylor’s high-flying offense.

“We’re going to take the first snap,” Snyder said in his deadpanned manner, “and run into the locker room and stay there until halftime.”

The Bears (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) are averaging 779.5 yards per game, an absurd number even in an era of prolific scoring.

They’ve piled up more than 70 points per game, lead the nation in pass offense at more than 430 yards per game and are

Photo by Rod Aydelotte | AP

Quarterback Bryce Petty and the Baylor offense has posted video game numbers and are undefeated through four games. second in rushing at more than 340 yards.

They’ve been at their best early, too. Baylor scored 28 first-quarter

points against Wofford, Buffalo and West Virginia and 35 against

See BAYLOR PAGE 2B

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS

RGIII TO TEST ‘BOYS D Dallas will try to slow Redskins QB Sunday

By CLARENCE E. HILL JR. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

Photo by Ben Margot | AP

Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III is the centerpiece of the Redskins’ zone-read attack.

IRVING — After being lit up through the air by the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos the past two weeks, the Dallas Cowboys must prepare to stop the run in Sunday night’s game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium.

To do that, they must be ready for quarterback Robert Griffin III and the zone read as well as conventional runs from running back Alfred Morris.

Coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys spent extra time this off-season preparing for the zone read, which gives the quarterback an option to read the defense and either run or hand off.

In addition to Griffin burning them with it last year, the Cowboys will face several other teams that use the zone read this season, including the Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders.

They will need to be better against the Redskins than they were in a 1716 loss to Kansas City in Week 2,

when quarterback Alex Smith gashed the Cowboys for 57 yards on eight carries.

"Like most teams in the NFL we worked on it because teams are using this, and it was an effective tool for a few of the offenses. You’ve just got to make sure you have good answers for it," Garrett said.

Being effective, according to Garrett, is stopping Griffin and Morris, not one or the other. Griffin had offseason knee surgery and wears a

See COWBOYS PAGE 2B

PAGE 2B

Zscores TEXAS Continued from Page 1B

Photo by Charlie Neibergall | AP

A victory over the 12th-ranked Sooners would surely calm the waters for Texas coach Mack Brown. horns (3-2, 2-0 Big 12) over Bob Stoops and the 12thranked Sooners (5-0, 2-0) on Saturday at the State Fair of Texas would certainly settle things down — at least temporarily.

“None of that is a factor,” Brown said. “None of that matters. Winning matters.”

A fourth straight loss by the Longhorns to Oklahoma, especially another lopsided one like the last two years, would only accelerate a burnt orange panic.

This will be the 15th meeting between Brown and Stoops, already five more than Fred Akers and Barry Switzer in what had been the previous longest coaching rivalry in the series. They would need to meet four more times after this weekend to match the 19 years in a row that Texas’ Darrell Royal went against Arkansas’ Frank Broyles.

Oklahoma is 9-5 in the series under Stoops, with wins by 38 and 42 points the last two seasons and a 52-point victory 10 years ago.

“Anytime you win, there’s positive memories,” Stoops said. “Over 15 years, we’ve won our share here, so those are always fun. I’ve got probably too many to say one.”

For the second year in a row, neither team is ranked in the top 10. Before last year, that hadn’t happened since 1999, the first in the series matching Stoops against Brown.

The Big 12 title is still a legitimate goal for both teams. But only the Sooners, who are favored by nearly two touchdowns, can still think about the possibility of a national championship this season.

Asked if the bigger challenge was facing Oklahoma or his own team, Brown quickly responded, “It’s with us. We have got to continue to get better. ...

We have got a lot of things we have got to fix.”

Besides Brown’s future, here are five things to watch when Texas plays Oklahoma for the 108th time.

BELL AND CASE Blake Bell is in his first season as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback and Case McCoy is filling in at Texas because David Ash has lingering concussion symptoms. But Bell and McCoy have both already had significant moments in the Red River Rivalry.

McCoy started the 2011 game, when he was sacked

three times while completing 9 of 16 passes for 116 yards in a 55-17 loss. He threw two touchdowns in the final 5 minutes of last year’s game while Bell ran for four scores in the first half of Oklahoma’s 63-21 win. Bell is 3-0 as a starter this season, throwing six TDs without an interception — or a rushing TD. SOONERS STREAKING Oklahoma has won 10 straight Big 12 games. It is the Sooners’ longest conference winning streak since winning 17 in a row from 2003-05, a span that ended with a loss to Texas after the Longhorns had fallen twice in that streak.

The Sooners aren’t quite halfway to the Big 12 record of 21 consecutive conference victories by Kansas State from 1997-99. Oklahoma also had 13 Big 12 victories in a row from 1999-2001, another stretch when the Sooners beat Texas twice.

QUITE A SCENE The Red River Rivalry has been part of the State Fair of Texas since 1929.

The game is played at the Cotton Bowl, where the crowd is split 50-50 in burnt orange and crimson.

The winner gets The Golden Hat, the rotating trophy in use since 1941. “It’s always exciting. It’s a great experience,” Stoops said.

“It’s really special. It’s always kind of a bowl game in the middle of the year.

It’s a great game.” Texas holds a 59-43-5 series lead and is the only Big 12 team with a series lead over the Sooners.

OH SO CLOSE Oklahoma and Texas are both coming off victories that were close. The Sooners had their closest game of the season last weekend, pulling out a 20-17 victory over TCU. Brennan Clay’s 76-yard touchdown run with 41/2 minutes left provided the winning margin for OU. The Longhorns won 31-30 at Iowa State, scoring in the final minute after a disputed near-fumble when it appeared that the Cyclones had recovered.

ALMOST THE MOST Now in his 15th season at Oklahoma, Stoops has 154 victories, which is one more than Brown has in his 16th season at Texas.

Stoops is three wins shy of matching Switzer for the most in Oklahoma history, a mark that could be easily attainable this year.

Brown’s 153 wins have him 14 behind Royal for the most in Longhorns history.

COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B brace. The Redskins are coming off a bye week.

"You can’t let teams run the ball on you, and certainly you can’t let the quarterback impact the game," Garrett said. "Those two things pretty much week in and week out are things you’re trying to do to stop opposing offenses."

Defensive end DeMarcus Ware was admittedly fooled

by Griffin and the zone read last season.

"I think sometimes now, just having the opportunity to see it two times last year, this is our third time, you get used to what they’re doing," Ware said.

Bryant vs. Hall Receiver Dez Bryant said he is ready for a battle against Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, but he doesn’t expect the fisticuffs that nearly broke out between the two last year at AT&T Stadium.

On Thanksgiving Day

Hall escalated an argument by taking a swipe at Bryant.

Bryant raised his fist as if he was going to punch him but was pulled away.

"There’s no issue between us," Bryant said. "I just think it’s the competition of the game. We have mutual respect for one another."

Bryant said he has matured and he believes Hall has too. He also pointed out that nothing arose between the two in last year’s season final against the Redskins.

"I think I’m kind of past that and I think he thinks that too. Last game that we played, we didn’t say a word, as far as disrespect," Bryant said. "It was more, ’Let’s go. Let’s play.’ Basically competing against one another."

Austin update Receiver Miles Austin has practiced each of the past two days after missing the past two games with a hamstring injury.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

TEXAS A&M Continued from Page 1B foot-5 Evans, who towers over most defenders and is averaging nearly 25 yards per catch.

The Rebels (3-2, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) host No. 9 Texas A&M (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday. It’s the first of six straight home games for Ole Miss.

Freeze said slowing the Manziel-Evans connection may mean being a little unorthodox.

“We’ve thought about a lot of crazy things,” Freeze said. “We’re trying to think out of the box a little bit on who we might put on him in some situations that could compete for a jump ball with him.”

But Freeze said the Rebels also had to be careful about paying too much attention to Evans because Manziel has plenty of options around him and can also run the ball himself if needed.

Sumlin said Manziel continues to improve.

“Everybody sees that he’s improved as a quarterback,” Sumlin said. “What one person sees as an improvement is different than someone else. It all gets back to what is the best thing for us to be successful on that play. It’s about not giving the other team the ball and not giving up negative plays. We’re not telling him every play ’you need to do this and this and this.’ That limits his game.”

Texas A&M has been great on the road during Sumlin’s two-year tenure, winning all nine games away from Kyle Field. Sumlin has a personal 14-game road winning streak dating back to his tenure at Houston.

——— Five things to watch as No. 9 Texas A&M visits Ole Miss on Saturday: MANZIEL-EVANS DUO Ole Miss is trying to figure out a way to slow down Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. The Heisman Trophy winner is having another spectacular season, and might be even more efficient at delivering good passes this season — especially when the 6-foot-5 Mike Evans is his target. Evans is averaging nearly 25 yards per catch and is virtually unstoppable on jump balls because of his height and athletic ability.

THE TURNOVERS Texas A&M needed a fourth-quarter rally last season to beat Ole Miss 30-27. The Aggies should have won the game by much more, but six turnovers hurt the offense and allowed the Rebels to hang around the entire night.

Texas A&M can’t afford to be that generous again.

OLE MISS OFFENSE The normally efficient Ole Miss offense has been inconsistent the past few weeks. The Rebels were shut out in a 25-0 loss to Alabama and then sputtered early before a late rally fell short in a 30-22 loss to Auburn. During those two losses, the Rebels had a six-quarter streak

Photo by Beth Hall | AP

Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans has been Manziel’s favorite target all year and has 28 receptions for 691 yards. without a touchdown. Texas A&M is almost certain to put up points on Saturday so the Rebels must keep pace.

ROAD WARRIORS Texas A&M is a good team anywhere, but they’ve been particularly impressive on the road. The Aggies have won nine straight away from Kyle Field, which is the longest road winning streak for the program since a 10-game stretch in 1939 and 1940.

RAIDERS Continued from Page 1B to their highest ranking ever, No. 2, after toppling No. 1 Texas to reach 9-0.

Kingsbury, who said he expects to win every game, sees beyond Texas Tech (5-0, 2-0) becoming bowl eligible should the Red Raiders come out on top of the Cyclones (1-3, 0-1).

“Being bowl eligible means in December, you get to practice with those young guys and get them more reps,” he said. “I think that’s what all coaches look forward to.”

Iowa State is eyeing its first Big 12 win after falling 31-30 to Texas on a final-minute score last week.

The Cyclones’ loses have come by a combined 15 points.

“I know this may surprise some of you, but we’re pretty emotional and passionate every football game,” said Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads, who launched into a fiery postgame tirade about what he believed was a bad call near the goal line in the closing minutes of the

Photo by Orlin Wagner | AP

Texas Tech quarterback Baker Mayfield is recovering from a right knee injury and it’s still not clear if he will play Saturday.

Texas loss. “Win or lose, 10 or 20, last second or a game that’s decided in the third quarter, one of the challenging things in athletics is overcoming both wins and losses.”

Kingsbury also could become the first Texas Tech coach to win his first six games in his first season.

Rhoads thinks highly of the former Red Raiders quarterback, noting that Kingsbury’s team was down 10 points early at Kansas last week.

“Winning on the road is hard, especially in this league, and they did it with a great sense of poise, and I think that comes from the very top,” Rhoads said.

Here are five things to watch when Iowa State plays Texas Tech: QB QUESTION FOR RED RAIDERS: There is uncertainty about starter Baker Mayfield, who is 132 for 201 for 1,488 yards passing with five interceptions to rank 18th in the nation. His

right knee, which was twisted on a tackle last week, has no structural damage but it might be too sore for the freshman sensation to start or play.

Backup Davis Webb has had some playing time but has thrown four picks.

Rhoads said Baker’s been “marvelous: but that it won’t matter who plays QB for the Red Raiders.

FUMBLES—RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME Iowa State is the only team in the nation with three players — DEs Nick Kron and Cory Morrissey and DB Deon Broomfield — with two fumble recoveries each. The Cyclones have recovered seven fumbles to rank second in the Big 12. “It’s never an easy game, by any means,” said Texas Tech DE Kerry Hyder, who has 18 total tackles and two sacks. “They always come out ready to play. So I expect them to come out with a chip on their shoulders as usual.”

PENALTY PROBLEM Texas Tech is near the bottom (tied for 118th) in penalties per game.

BAYLOR Continued from Page 1B Louisiana-Monroe.

Hence, Snyder’s suggestion that the Wildcats (2-3, 0-2) take the ball and run.

“The concept isn’t complex but they execute it so very, very well,” he said. “They’re a big-play offense and if you breakdown in the back end they’ll find a way to get it over the top of you. They’ve done that consistently this year and they did that against us last year.”

Last year, the Wildcats were unbeaten and barreling toward the BCS title game when they headed to Waco, Texas. But they couldn’t slow down Baylor’s speedy offense, led by running back Lache Seastrunk, in a 52-24 loss that knocked K-State from contention.

“Going into that game, we were very confident that we could beat them,” Baylor linebacker Eddie Lackey recalled. “We were just really confident in the game plan and executing it. We had all the motivation possible to go into that game and do what we did.”

Now, the Wildcats have that motivation heading into Saturday afternoon.

Here are five things to keep in mind as they try to turn the tables and spoil Baylor’s perfect season: STOPPING SEASTRUNK The Bears’ star running back

File photo by Rod Aydelotte | AP

The Bears are averaging 779.5 yards and 70 points per game. ran for 185 yards in last year’s win. He’s averaging 147.3 yards per game, second nationally, even though he’s carried just twice in the second half of blowout wins.

“If you watched the West Virginia game you saw (the offensive line) pushing bodies out of the way for me to do what I do,” he said. “In order for me to do well, I have to thank the guys up front.”

SAMS I AM Kansas State’s Daniel Sams appeared to take over the starting job from Jake Waters in a loss to

Oklahoma State last week. The dual-threat quarterback threw for 181 yards and ran for 118 more, but also threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. “Each one of them has their own strengths, both of them have their weaknesses as well that they need to build upon, so we’ll continue to let the two of them compete during the week of practice,” Snyder said, “and most importantly, improve upon some of the mistakes that we’re making.”

NOT SO PETTY Move over RG3. Junior quarterback Bryce Petty has helped make him a distant memory. Petty leads the Big 12 in yards passing (337 per game) and completion percentage (72.8), and leads the nation in yards per completion (20.12), helping the Bears extend their winning streak to eight consecutive games dating to last season.

WIDE RECEIVER WOES The Wildcats could be without their top two wide receivers because of injuries.

Tramaine Thompson did not play last week, and Tyler Lockett left the Oklahoma State game with a hamstring injury. “Whether or not they’ll be unable to go is an uncertainty,” Snyder said. “It’ll be through the course of the week that we’ll be able to determine that.”

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013

THE ZAPATA TIMES 3B

HINTS | BY HELOISE Dear Readers: Wow! Are my readers super! A reader had a problem: How to FRAME A PUZZLE? Here are just a few of the hints you shared: Elaine in Alabama wrote: “You can find tons of good frames, all kinds and all sizes, at thrift stores. Some will be empty, and some will have pictures in them. Just take out the pictures. They will be very inexpensive.” (I agree! — Heloise) Frank in Arkansas wrote: “Find a carpenter, as they always have a lot of scraps left over. They have saws and could cut pieces at the end of the day. Buy glue at the hardware store to finish. Use books as weights to hold pieces in place while glue sets.”

Marillyn in Texas wrote: “After assembling, coat the front of the puzzle with glue (Heloise here: They make special glue for puzzles, or use any that dries clear) and slide a squeegee or plastic ruler over the puzzle to

“

HELOISE

work the glue into puzzle pieces. It will dry clear.

After it has dried, turn the puzzle over and repeat the process on the back.

Cut a piece of poster board to fit, and glue in place.”

Marie, via email, wrote: “Picture frames do not come in the sizes that puzzles are made in. Buy a frame that is larger and use pretty paper or pieces of fabric to cover the edges where the backing shows.”

All of these are great hints! Thanks for writing in! — Heloise SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise P.O. Box 795000 San Antonio, TX 782795000 Fax: 1-210-HELOISE Email: Heloise(at)Heloise.com

DENNIS THE MENACE

FAMILY CIRCUS

PEANUTS

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DAILY CRYPTOQUOTES — Here’s how to work it:

DILBERT

4B THE ZAPATA TIMES

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2013