November 28, 2018

State Rep. Larson files bill to revive Texas A&M-Texas football rivalry

For four decades, one of college football's premier rivalries -- Alabama and Auburn -- refused to meet on the football field because of disputes in game contracts.

Lyle Larson, a Texas state representative and Aggie, is doing his part to make sure that a similar headline doesn't describe the football rivalry between Texas A&M and the University of Texas.

Tuesday, the Republican representative from San Antonio and a member of A&M's class of 1981 filed House Bill 412 for the 86th Legislature, which requires the two universities to schedule an annual nonconference football game on the fourth Thursday, Friday or Saturday of November.

"That rivalry is embedded into Texas football folklore for a century, and I think the people ... there's a lot of Aggies and Longhorns that don't want to play the game, but they are depriving generations of folks that are going to school now of something that they experienced when they were in school," Larson said.

Read more: https://www.theeagle.com/news/local/state-rep-larson-files-bill-to-revive-texas-a-m/article_496aad1f-c4c6-5571-90fe-5b484284535f.html

November 28, 2018

Follow-up: Coastal Bend College president questions Facebook group's intent

BEEVILLE – Coastal Bend College administrators say that a group of “disgruntled former employees” prompted the state’s multi-month investigation of the college and its recommendation that CBC pay back $260,287.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board released a 33-page report Monday afternoon, Nov. 12, citing multiple concerns at CBC, including staff members fearful of losing their jobs if they voice concerns.

Dr. Beatriz Espinoza, college president, in a written response to this report, placed blame of this investigation onto a group known as Rebuild CBC.

Rebuild CBC operates primarily through the social media platform Facebook.

Read more: https://www.mysoutex.com/karnes_countywide/news/features/coastal-bend-college-president-questions-facebook-group-s-intent/article_6ab8aee4-eda8-11e8-9e66-7717812f3946.html

Related article:
Coastal Bend College former VPI and student accuse administrators of fraud, coercion

Inflating grades for students in the nursing program and the president of the college hiring her unqualified sister as a dean are just two examples of the problems plaguing the college.

November 28, 2018

Government ups ante in effort to seize La Lomita Mission land for Trump's border wall

The federal government is demanding "immediate possession" of the site of a historic South Texas mission for use in the planned wall along the border with Mexico, escalating a battle the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville has framed as an infringement on freedom of religion.

"Time is of the essence," the government said in a document filed in the federal court in McAllen just before Thanksgiving. The filing notes that Congress authorized the taking of private land for border security more than a decade ago. "The United States needs immediate possession of the subject property in order to meet this congressional directive."

The land in dispute is about 66 acres in the town of Mission that beginning in the mid-19th century was home to chapels and living quarters for priests that became known as La Lomita, or "the little hill."

The existing chapel, which replaced one destroyed by a flood, has been on the property since 1899.

Read moe: https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/texas/state-bureau/2018/11/27/eminent-domain-fight-escalates-over-south-texas-la-lomita-mission-border-wall-fight/2126168002/
(Corpus Christi Caller-Times)

November 28, 2018

Prosecutors: Judge Guy Williams stalked woman at apartment complex before latest arrest

CORPUS CHRISTI -- A Nueces County district court judge pleaded with another judge to release him from jail following his latest brush with the law.

Judge Guy Williams — wearing an orange Nueces County Jail jumpsuit — appeared before Bexar County visiting Judge Sid Harle on Tuesday.

The hearing dealt with his bond conditions for a May arrest on suspicion of resisting arrest. He was also arrested for public intoxication, but that case is in municipal court, prosecutors say.

Prosecutor Jane Starnes requested Williams, 68, be fitted with a GPS monitor and be prohibited from drinking alcohol, if he is released. Williams, however, told the court he wants to go into treatment, but doesn't need an electronic monitor.

Read more: https://www.caller.com/story/news/2018/11/27/visiting-judge-ponders-conditions-guy-williams-pretrial-release/2094717002/
(Corpus Christi Caller-Times)

November 28, 2018

An Irving Man's Fight Against Red-Light Cams Is in the Hands of the Texas Supreme Court

In 2014, Irving resident Russell Bowman received a mail-order fine. Someone in his car had run a red light in Richardson. Four years later, and the fate of that fine and the future of thousands more like it hang in the hands of the Texas Supreme Court.

Bowman, a lawyer, sued Richardson for various violations of the Texas Constitution. Ticketing by license plate without knowing for sure who is behind the wheel, say opponents of these auto-ticketing mechanisms, violates a citizen’s rights. There are also safety concerns, including studies that have shown red-light cameras can actually increase rear-end collisions (they’re sold to cities by the private companies in charge as a way to boost revenue while decreasing accidents).

Bowman won his suit but lost an appeal at the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas. Then it went to the Texas Supreme Court, which heard arguments on Nov. 1. Along the course of the legal proceedings, people have jumped in from municipalities across the state.

In Dallas, the fines cost $75, with a $25 fee if they’re paid late. The city has collected more than $14 million in red-light camera fines since 2007, according to the Texas Tribune.

Read more: https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2018/11/an-irving-mans-fight-against-red-light-cams-is-in-the-hands-of-the-texas-supreme-court/

November 28, 2018

Plan seeks to designate Route 66 as National Historic Trail

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A new proposal would designate Route 66, the Mother Road that connected Chicago to Los Angeles, as a National Historic Trail.

U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Jim Inhofe recently introduced a bill that would amend the National Trails System Act in an effort to help revitalize cities and small towns that sit along the historic Route 66 corridor.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar bill in June.

Route 66, one of the first roads in the U.S. highway system, spanned more than 2,400 miles (4,020 kilometers). It ran through eight states, connecting tourists with friendly diners in small towns.

Read more: https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/ap/business/plan-seeks-to-designate-route-as-national-historic-trail/article_f24486b8-f1ef-586d-affa-c77adeb5b2f7.html

November 28, 2018

Vermont couple looking for family peacock among the turkeys

This undated photo taken from video provided by Rene Johnson, shows the peacock known as Pea. The bird belonging to Rene and Brian Johnson in Springfield, Vt., has been missing for six weeks since it ran off with a flock of turkeys. On Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018 the Johnson's posted a message on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Facebook page: "My peacock has run off with the turkeys. Do you have any suggestions on how to catch the little twerp?" (Rene Johnson via AP)


SPRINGFIELD, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont woman whose family peacock ran off with a flock of turkeys says she's hopeful to get close enough to catch it with a net.

The peacock belonging to Rene and Brian Johnson has been on the run for six weeks.

On Wednesday, the Johnsons posted a message on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Facebook page: "My peacock has run off with the turkeys. Do you have any suggestions on how to catch the little twerp?"

Rene Johnson told WCAX-TV she thinks the bird she calls Pea was lonely so it sought turkey companions.

Read more: https://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/strange_news/vermont-couple-looking-for-family-peacock-among-the-turkeys/article_bc703222-d6cf-5e7a-a7db-348b2bfcebc1.html

November 28, 2018

Shipping companies to pay $4M for dumping oil in SETX water

BEAUMONT -- Two Greek shipping companies pleaded guilty to illegally discharging oil in Texas port waters and to giving false information to authorities during the investigation process, according to information from the United States Department of Justice.

Avin International LTD and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises pleaded guilty in Beaumont Monday to one count of obstruction of an agency proceeding, one count of failure to report discharge of oil and three counts of negligent discharge of oil.

Court records say the companies dumped oil when en route to the Port of Port Arthur from the Port of Houston in the summer of last year.

Under a plea agreement the companies will pay $4 million in criminal fines and serve four years probation, during which time they will be required to implement an environmental compliance plan and undergo inspections.

Read more: https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Greek-shipping-companies-to-pay-4-million-for-13425797.php

November 28, 2018

Write then run: Democrats pen books while weighing 2020 campaigns

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaking to a packed auditorium of enthusiastic young people Tuesday night, Bernie Sanders already seemed to be campaigning for the White House again. But the Vermont senator was appearing at George Washington University as an author — not a presidential candidate.

Sanders' new book, "Where We Go From Here," went on sale Tuesday, giving him a fresh opportunity to promote his ideas without going through the formality — yet — of launching another presidential campaign.

"What I believe from the bottom of my heart is that it is absolutely imperative that Donald Trump not be elected president of the United States of America. And I'm going to do everything that I can to make certain that that does not happen," Sanders said.

He later added that if he concludes he is the strongest candidate to take on Trump, he'll jump into the race.

Read more: https://www.oaoa.com/people/entertainment/article_126a6b94-ae77-54e5-81ce-04942faa612d.html
(Odessa American)

November 28, 2018

US waived FBI checks on staff at growing teen migrant camp

TORNILLO, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration has put the safety of thousands of teens at a migrant detention camp at risk by waiving FBI fingerprint checks for their caregivers and short-staffing mental health workers, according to an Associated Press investigation and a new federal watchdog report.

None of the 2,100 staffers at a tent city holding more than 2,300 teens in the remote Texas desert are going through rigorous FBI fingerprint background checks, according to a Health and Human Services inspector general memo published Tuesday.

"Instead, Tornillo is using checks conducted by a private contractor that has access to less comprehensive data, thereby heightening the risk that an individual with a criminal history could have direct access to children," the memo says.

In addition, the federal government is allowing the nonprofit running the facility — BCFS Health and Human Services — to sidestep mental health care requirements. Under federal policy, migrant youth shelters generally must have one mental health clinician for every 12 kids, but the federal agency's contract with BCFS allows it to staff Tornillo with just one clinician for every 100 children. That's not enough to provide adequate mental health care, the inspector general office said in the memo.

Read more: https://www.oaoa.com/news/us_news/article_1c67e4eb-5bf0-56db-8b7c-61bab50d4c91.html
(Odessa American)