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Good Morning!
Thank you for reading
todays edition of
The Brownsville Herald
OBITUARIES
PAGE A8
The Rev. TJ Martinez has been busy
in the years since his ordination as
a Jesuit priest. To say the least.
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Vol. 122 | No. 14
SEALINGTHE
UT DEAL
GOVERNOR: EVERY DREAMCOULD BECOME A REALITY, A3
CREATING A NEWUNIVERSITY
Perry signs bill merging Rio Grande Valley universities
BY MELISSA MONTOYA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
R
ick Macias, a 21-
year-old senior at
the University of
Texas at Browns-
ville, patiently sat on a
bench with his grand-
mother and younger
brother and waited for
Gov. Rick Perrys bill
signing ceremony to
begin Tuesday afternoon.
They arrived more
than an hour early at the
Texas Southmost College
Arts Center, where the
ceremony took place, and
waited in the lobby where
a marimba band serenad-
ed those in attendance.
Macias, who studied
briefly at the University
of Texas at Arlington, said
he returned to the Rio
Grande Valley because
the cost of living away
from home was too high.
But now that Senate Bill
24 has created a new uni-
versity, merging UTB and
UT-Pan American, Macias
said he sees it as an oppor-
tunity to continue his edu-
cation in his hometown.
BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Texas Governor Rick Perry turns to University of Texas at Brownsville President Juliet Garcia and others after he signed a bill to create
a new university in South Texas that will merge the University of Texas-Pan American and the University of Texas at Brownsville.
BY STEVE CLARK
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
I
t certainly had the look of an his-
toric occasion: packed auditorium,
nice video presentation, enough dig-
nitaries to field a football team and
then some.
Even the governor showed up.
Surrounded by Rio Grande Valley legis-
lators, University of Texas System offi-
cials and local university heads onstage
at the Texas Southmost College Arts
Center, Rick Perry did what he came to
do: Affix his signature to legislation that
creates a new university and medical
school in the Valley via a merger
between the University of Texas at
Brownsville and UT-Pan American under
the UT System umbrella.
PLEASE SEE MERGER, A12
PLEASE SEE ECONOMY, A5
GOOD FOR BUSINESS?
Officials: University bodes well for economy
To see video from Perrys visit,
log on to our website at
www.BrownsvilleHerald.com
PAGE C1
WASHINGTON
Hundreds of thousands of
homeowners facing higher
federal flood insurance premiums
under reforms passed last year
would win a temporary one-year
reprieve under a measure that
began its advance through the
Senate on Tuesday.
INSURANCE
REPRIEVE
PAGE A14
WORLD
In one of the most harrowing
spacewalks in decades, an astro-
naut had to rush back into the
International Space Station on
Tuesday after a mysterious water
leak inside his helmet robbed him
of the ability to speak or hear
and could have caused him to
choke or even drown.
CLOSE
ENCOUNTER
PAGE A8
BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Perry sits with Eugene Powell, chairman of the University of Texas System Board
of Regents, and University of Texas Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa during the cer-
emonial bill signing.
PHOTO GALLERY
To see more photos from the bill
signing, log on to our website at
www.BrownsvilleHerald.com
YVETTE VELA/
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Valley native and UT Board of
Regents Chairman Eugene
Powell speaks before a crowded
room at the Texas Southmost
College Arts Center.
UT System Board of
Regents Chairman Gene
Powell called it a moment
that would change the
destiny of the region.
UTB President Juliet
Garcia called it a moment
that was long overdue.
Weve always felt and
we had made a case to the
system that this is wrong,
Garcia said. How can you
justify two universities
not being part of the PUF
(Permanent University
Fund) recipients?
But now, Garcia said,
that will change.
The new university
being established today
opens up a window of
opportunity for thousands
of students who come to
us having inherited their
parents hopes of achiev-
ing the American dream,
Garcia said during the
ceremony.
Powell recalled last
weeks Board of Regents
meeting when he looked
down at his script and
realized for the first time
in history UT-Brownsville
and Permanent Univer-
sity Fund were in the
same sentence.
The PUF, established
in the 1870s, is an
approximate $13 billion
fund that UT schools and
the Texas A&M System
have access to as a
resource. Until this bills
passing, both UTB and
UTPA were excluded
from those funds.
According to Powell,
system officials had
lengthy discussions about
how to bring the PUF
resources to South Texas.
The chancellor, to his
credit, every week had
meetings: How do we
take PUF money to the
Valley? Powell said.
At one point, Powell
said, lawyers cautioned
that if they kept doing
this, theyd end up in jail.
It wasnt until one sys-
tem lawyer, Powell said,
introduced the idea of
creating a new universi-
ty that with the two-
thirds support of the
Legislature would be
constitutionally allowed
to tap into PUF money.
A transition team led by
the UT System Office of
Academic Affairs and
including both schools
presidents Garcia and
Robert Nelsen of UTPA
has been established, UT
System Chancellor Fran-
cisco G. Cigarroa said.
We intend to open
doors of the university to
students in fall 2015,
Cigarroa said.
The next several
months will bring more
opportunities for the pub-
lics involvement and dia-
logue for all stakeholders
to share their vision of
what the new university
will be, Cigarroa said.
A search for the found-
ing dean of the medical
school is under way,
Cigarroa said. The med-
ical school was approved
in 2009. It is expected to
open its doors in the fall
of 2016, he said.
The system, Cigarroa
said, will begin having
town hall meetings with
faculty and staff.
It is critically impor-
tant that all stakeholders
voice their opinions and
their concerns, Cigar-
roa said.
The assets and the
resources of the current
institutions will be put
together to be part of the
new university, he said.
It is my very clear
expectation that both
campuses will grow,
Cigarroa said. He said
the current administra-
tions will continue with
their responsibilities.
Course credit and
transcripts will transition
appropriately, Cigarroa
said. Degrees for the new
university will begin to
be awarded in December
2015, he said.
Faculty members
will work with the UT
System-led transition
team over the next 18
months to determine
what exciting new
degree programs will be
offered at this new uni-
versity, Cigarroa said.
The name of the new
university hasnt been
determined, but could
come by the end of the
year, Cigarroa said. For
now, officials are referring
to it as Project South Texas.
Perry, who called for
access to the PUF for the
two Valley universities
during his State of the
State speech in January,
called it an honor to be
at the ceremonial signing.
He said the states bor-
der region has been over-
looked. He spoke about an
event in Starr County
where he met a group of
gifted students who were
reaching the end of their
secondary education in the
Valley. Only two of them
would remain at state
schools, Perry said. The
rest were headed for the
Ivy League and Stanford
University, he said.
That moment was
very clarifying for me
that here were these
amazing, bright, capable
young people and they
were headed off to differ-
ent schools, Perry said.
Why not keep them
here? he asked.
That was the clarify-
ing moment for me that
this state had the oppor-
tunity to really change
peoples lives.
Though Perry officially
signed the bill June 14
after a tumultuous discus-
sion to reach a compro-
mise on where the medical
school should be located,
many Valley lawmakers
and UT System officials
flanked the governor dur-
ing Tuesdays ceremony.
It took a decade to ful-
fill that quest, Perry said.
A lot of people get up
everyday and question
what we are doing,
What am I doing in life
that makes a differ-
ence? Perry said.
They dont have to
worry because they
know that what they
have done with this uni-
versity in South Texas is
forever going to make a
difference in the lives of
men and women that are
going to have the oppor-
tunity to go to school.
Perry praised Valley
lawmakers for their work
to get the legislation
passed in support of high-
er education in the state.
However, one proposal
that was not approved
during the regular ses-
sion was tuition revenue
bonds that would give
schools the funds to
improve infrastructure
and buildings on campus.
Lawmakers have
called for tuition revenue
bonds to be included in
the special session, with
the House Appropriations
Committee approving it in
committee last week.
However, Perry said
he would only begin a
discussion on the bonds
after abortion, trans-
portation funding and
legislation that would
establish a mandatory
life sentence with parole
for a capital felony com-
mitted by a 17-year-old
offender are complete.
There were three
things that I put on the call
and when all three of those
things are on my call and
on my desk, then we can
have a conversation about
TRBs, Perry said.
Included in the bills
language are funds of $100
million for UTBs new
campus and approximate-
ly $80 million for a new sci-
ence building at UTPA.
Although the PUF dol-
lars would buffer some
of the expenses UTB will
have for its campus,
Garcia said, the TRBs
would make a huge dif-
ference for the school.
Macias, the UTB stu-
dent, said he enjoyed
everything he heard.
It will be a great uni-
versity. It makes me feel
like it will be a good place
to study at, Macias said.
They sounded very moti-
vated and enthusiastic
about it.
However, Macias did
say he lamented the fact
that UTB and UTPA
were ineligible for the
PUF for so long.
Its kind of saddening
in a way to know our
schools could be better. I
dont know how much bet-
ter, he said, but we could
have had more funding.
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
PAGE A12 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013
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MERGER
FROM PAGE A1
YVETTE VELA/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Alexandra E. Rodriguez, vice president of the student body gov-
ernment, speaks on behalf of the students at the University of
Texas at Brownsville. Rodriguez expressed her excitement about
the merger of the two universities and the new medical center.
BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
An ongoing environ-
mental review so far has
found that no impacts
would occur that would
force the Federal
Aviation Administration
to deny SpaceX a permit
for rocket operations
near Brownsville.
The FAAs 350-page
draft environmental
impact statement on the
proposed SpaceX project
at Boca Chica beach was
released to the public
Monday, a little more
than year after officials
announced that Cameron
County could land a com-
mercial launch site.
After the review is
finalized, likely after a
May public hearing, the
FAA could issue a permit
to SpaceX, known also as
Space Exploration
Technologies, to launch
rockets from the site
near Boca Chica beach.
Good Morning!
Thank you for reading
todays edition of
The Brownsville Herald
OBITUARIES
PAGE A4
Harold Eugene Peer
Antonio Oliveira Jr.
Florinda Torre
Leslie Lucio
Carlota Vallejo Montes
Dora Mendoza
Marcial G. Oyervidez
Sacred Heart Church, a filial chapel
of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral, celebrated its centennial
on Saturday with a special Mass
by Bishop Daniel Flores and the
unveiling of renovations to an altar
that until recently, according to
parishioner John Kinch, held scars
left by Hurricane Beulah in 1967.
100 YEARS
POPULAR
ON THE WEB
BrownsvilleHerald.com
Vol. 121 | No. 286
HANNA
LOYALTY
PAGE B1
WASHINGTON
A bipartisan proposal to expand
background checks to more gun
buyers is in jeopardy.
GUN CONTROL
PAGE A7
B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2
TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 75 CENTS
When the Hanna Golden Eagles
won the Region IV-5A
Tournament on Saturday in
San Antonio to qualify for state,
it was like living a glorious
moment all over again for the
soccer players from Hanna who
did it the first time.
BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ
AND MELISSA MONTOYA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Cameron County Sheriff Omar
Lucio called it a possible lovers
quarrel that ended badly when a man
was shot in the parking lot of El
Jardin Superette & Launderette just
before noon Monday. The building
houses a convenience store and a
coin-operated laundry.
Roman Garcia, 35, suffered a gun-
shot to the head. He was taken to Valley
Regional Medical Center, and later air-
lifted to a hospital in San Antonio.
According to Lucio, Garcia remained
in critical condition late Monday.
The shooting, which occurred
across the street from Vermillion
Road Elementary School and Rivera
High School, prompted the two
schools to go into security lockdown
for more than an hour.
Investigators from
the Cameron
County Sheriffs
Department
gather evidence
at El Jardin
Superette and
Launderette on
Monday in
Brownsville
where a man
man had been
shot, according to
Sheriff Omar
Lucio.
BRAD DOHERTY/THE
BROWNSVILLE HERALD
CRITICALLY SHOT
PLEASE SEE SHOT, A8
BOSTON BOMBINGS
TERROR
Explosions strike marathon and JFK Library
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Sheriffs deputies investigate;
victim airlifted to San Antonio
A White House official speaking
on condition of anonymity because
the investigation was still unfolding
said the attack was being treated as
an act of terrorism.
President Barack Obama vowed
that those responsible will feel the
full weight of justice.
FAA
shares
SpaceX
report
Abby ................................B4
Amusements ....................B4
Calendar ..........................B7
Classified ..........................C3
Comics..............................B6
Community ......................B7
Editorial ............................A6
Horoscope ........................B4
Sports ..............................B1
TV Listings ...................... B5
Weather ............................B8
High 89
Low 74
2013 The Brownsville Herald. All rights reserved.
BY JIMMY GOLEN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
T
wo bombs exploded in the packed streets near the finish line of the
Boston Marathon on Monday, killing at least three people and injuring
more than 130 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbs
that raised alarms that terrorists might have struck again in the U.S.
PLEASE SEE BOMBING, A5
RGV RUNNERS FINISHED RACE BEFORE BLAST , A3
Ecology study
scheduled for
public review
CHARLES KRUPA/
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ABOVE: Medical
responders wheel an injured
man away from the scene
of an explosion at the 2013
Boston Marathon following
bombings near the finish
line Monday in Boston.
For more photos, log on to
www.BrownsvilleHerald.com.
PLEASE SEE SPACEX, A8
PAGE A8 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013
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According to witness-
es at the laundry and con-
venience store, Garcia
was on his way to pump
gas when another man
stopped him and they
began to argue, then
fight, Lucio said.
We were inside of the
Laundromat when a girl
yelled, Someone has
been shot, said Roberto
Sanchez, who saw the
confrontation from inside
the laundry.
Sanchez said a white
sedan then took off and
drove west on Ruben M.
Torres Boulevard.
I went outside with
my wife to see if we could
help him, Sanchez said.
Another witness, Ninfa
Cisneros, said she saw
Garcia try to lift his head
as if he wanted to get up.
I wanted to see if he
was still alive, but they
told me not to touch him,
Cisneros said.
Numerous law enforce-
ment officers arrived on
the scene and canvassed
nearby neighborhoods.
According to Lucio, tips
led to the detainment of
two people of interest
one female and one male
in the case. He declined
to release their names.
Twenty-three-year-old
Laureano Ortiz, who has
worked at the gas station
for four years, said he
didnt see the shooting but
heard it.
It was loud, he said,
Goosebumps went up
my spine.
Lucio said as far as he
knows only one shot was
fired of an unknown cal-
iber gun.
When you get shot in
head, very few people
survive, Lucio said.
mmontoya@
brownsvilleherald.com
SHOT
FROM PAGE A1
VALLEY/TEXAS
PHOTOS BY PAUL CHOUY/THE
BROWNSVILLE HERALD
ABOVE: A pickup truck is
towed away after authorities
investigated the crime scene
where a man was shot on
Monday.
LEFT: Police officers conduct
a search behind a house on
Tallowood Circle after a man
was shot on Monday at the
nearby El Jardin Superette &
Launderette.
Although SpaceX has
not decided where it
will build its launch
site, the South Texas
location is one of four
locations under consid-
eration, with other con-
tenders in Florida,
Georgia and Puerto
Rico. However, SpaceX
founder and billionaire
Elon Musk has said
numerous times that
Texas is the leading
candidate for the pro-
posed venture.
The EIS draft
reviewed 11 resource
areas for potential envi-
ronmental impacts that
could result from the
proposed construction
and operations there.
The FAA looked at com-
patible land use; proper-
ties; noise; visual
resources and light emis-
sions; historical, archi-
tectural, archaeological
and cultural resources;
air quality; water
resources; biological
resources including fish,
wildlife and plants; haz-
ardous materials; socioe-
conomics; natural
resources; and second-
ary impacts.
Although the report
found no impacts would
occur that would result
in the FAA denying a per-
mit, it does provide a
summary of potential
environmental impacts
from the proposed action
by SpaceX.
The report summa-
rizes the following:
Compatible land:
No significant impacts to
farmland or coastal
resources.
Properties: FAA has
determined that tempo-
rary closures would not
reduce the enjoyment
because impacts from
closures would be inter-
mittent and temporary.
Noise: Small
increases in noise levels
along State Highway 4
because of delivery
trucks and other vehi-
cles. Short-term increas-
es in noise levels
received in the commu-
nity from the proposed
launch are anticipated to
be significant.
Visual resources:
Daytime operations
would not have an impact
because of light emis-
sions. Nighttime launch
operations would result
in considerably higher
levels of light emissions
than those present at
Boca Chica Village.
Historical: There
would be no significant
increase in noise com-
pared to current condi-
tions. Three historic
properties with the 5-
mile radius may be phys-
ically damaged from
vibrations caused by
high noise levels from a
rocket launch.
Air quality: Impact
on air quality would not
be significant.
Water resources:
Operations of vertical
launch would not result
in additional impacts to
surface water, ground-
water resources.
Biological re-
sources: Proposed action
may affect habitat for
the piping plover, aplo-
mado falcon, jaguarundi,
ocelot and sea turtles.
FAA is consulting with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Services, and more
details will be included in
the final report, the draft
report states.
Hazardous materi-
als: No significant impact
to the environment.
Socioeconomics:
Changes would affect
Boca Chica Village resi-
dents, but this would not
be considered a dispro-
portionate impact to
environmental justice
populations.
Natural resources:
No significant impacts to
the Brownsville munici-
pal water supply.
Secondary im-
pacts: No significant
secondary impacts to
public services.
The proposed site is at
the eastern end of State
Highway 4, about three
miles north of the
Mexican border and
about five miles south of
Port Isabel and South
Padre Island.
According to the
Federal Register, SpaceX
proposes to build a verti-
cal launch area and a con-
trol center to support as
many as 12 commercial
launches per year. The
vehicles launched
include the Falcon 9,
Falcon Heavy and small-
er reusable, suborbital
launch vehicles. Musk
said he hopes to pick a
site for the launch site
sometime this year.
A public hearing on
the draft EIS is sched-
uled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
on May 7, at the
International Technology
Education and Com-
merce Center or ITEC on
Mexico Boulevard in
Brownsville. At the hear-
ing, the public will be
able to make comments
on the draft.
Although it reviewed
the 11 resource areas,
the FAA is not expected
to make a ruling until the
final EIS is released later
this year.
Copies of the draft EIS
should be available at the
Brownsville Public
Library, 2600 Central
Blvd., Southmost Branch
Library, 4320 Southmost
Blvd., and at the
University of Texas at
Brownsville Oliveira
Library, 80 Fort Brown.
The draft is also avail-
able on the FAA website.
lmartinez@
brownsvilleherald.com
SPACEX
FROM PAGE A1
The FAA looked at compatible land use; properties; noise; visual resources and
light emissions; historical, architectural, archaeological and cultural resources; air
quality; water resources; biological resources including fish, wildlife and plants;
hazardous materials; socioeconomics; natural resources; and secondary impacts.
Gov. Perry calls for $1.6B
in tax cuts for business
BY WILL WEISSERT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN Gov. Rick
Perry called Monday
for $1.6 billion in busi-
ness tax cuts, renewing
his pleas for tax relief
that have largely been
ignored since the Texas
Legislature returned to
work in January and
conceding it may be
necessary to tap the
states once-untouch-
able cash reserves to
pay for them.
Addressing reporters
at the Austin Chamber of
Commerce, Perry en-
dorsed a 5 percent
reduction in business tax
rates and making perma-
nent a currently tempo-
rary exemption allowing
companies with less than
$20 million in gross
receipts to deduct their
first $1 million which
the governor said is
already keeping close
to $1 billion in the hands
of small and medium-
sized businesses.
He also urged moving-
expense tax deductions
for firms that relocate to
Texas and lower taxes for
companies that file tax
returns electronically.
Perry said as many as
100,000 businesses could
see lower taxes under
the plan, and noted that
the states skyrocketing
population growth now
means about 1,000 new
people are moving to
Texas every day.
Our low tax burden is
one of the main reasons
that Texas has been such
an attractive destination
for people chasing their
ambitions, Perry said,
adding that we are the
epicenter of job creation
in this country.
He acknowledged
that it might require
using some of the states
reserves, commonly
known as the Rainy Day
Fund, to cover the costs
of his proposed tax cuts,
but said he hopes the
money can be found
elsewhere in the budget.
The fund has a projected
value of $12 billion.
That concession was a
dramatic departure
from two years ago,
when Perry looking to
solidify his tea party cre-
dentials as he prepared
for an unsuccessful
presidential run said
state reserve funds
shouldnt be touched so
Texas would be fully
ready for a catastrophic
natural disaster.
Back then, however,
a still-sluggish econo-
my had the state look-
ing at a $27 billion
budget shortfall. Now,
Texas economy is hum-
ming and the state is
flush with tax revenue.
Perry even opened the
legislative session urg-
ing lawmakers to
reduce taxes by as
much as $1.8 billion.
www.brownsvilleherald.com
B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U LY 1 8 9 2 | T E X A S A P ME C L A S S A A N E WS P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 75 CENTS
The Los Fresnos Falcons and
the Lopez Lobos faced off
Friday night at Sams
Stadium in Brownsville.
GAME OF
THE WEEK
PAGE B1
WASHINGTON
TEXAS
Time running short, the
Democratic-controlled Senate
passed urgent legislation Friday to
avert a government shutdown early
next week, and President Barack
Obama lectured House Republicans
to stop appeasing the tea party
and quickly follow suit.
More than a dozen womens
health care providers in Texas
sued the state Friday, attempting
to block as unconstitutional
key provisions of a strict
new abortion law.
COUNTDOWN
BEGINS
GROUP SUES
OVER ABORTION
PAGE A7
PAGE A4
Good Morning!
Thank you for reading
todays edition of
The Brownsville Herald
OBITUARY
PAGE A6
Julio Noe Serrano
The Cameron County District
Attorneys Office has set up a
Facebook page seeking the
whereabouts of convicted
murderer Amit Livingston in hopes
that someone will recognize the
international fugitive and notify
authorities.
LIVINGSTON
POPULAR
ON THE WEB
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Vol. 122 | No. 88
Abby ........................................B8
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Calendar ............................... A11
Classified .................................B5
Comics .....................................B9
Community ........................... A11
Religion ...................................A8
Horoscope ...............................B8
Sports ......................................B1
Washington .............................A7
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2013 The Brownsville Herald. All rights reserved
e =Lee: !c==ee eLvc.
956.504.2727
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Follow us on:
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BY MELISSA MONTOYA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
The Texas Southmost
College Board of Trustees
came close to leaving stu-
dents on campus without
security services after
failed attempts to negoti-
ate security with the
University of Texas at
Brownsville.
According to Chet
Lewis, vice president for
finance and administra-
tion at TSC, because of
the close proximity of the
college to UTB, the col-
leges administration
wanted to reach an agree-
ment with the university
to use the UTB security
services.
During the summer
we had some conversa-
tions with the UT System
and some representa-
tives of UTB and we
went through some dif-
ferent prices and sce-
narios and we kind of
went back to the board
and kind of ended up hit-
ting an impasse as to the
pricing, Lewis said.
A second round of
negotiations also failed to
deliver results, he added.
At this point, TSC admin-
istrators were moving
toward starting a search
for a security firm to pro-
vide college security.
According to Lewis,
because of a call from
the Southern Assoc-
iation of Colleges and
Schools on approxi-
mately the first day of
classes letting TSC
President Lily Tercero
know an application
needed to be submitted
to the SACS Commission
on Colleges, the col-
leges resources were
diverted to accomplish
the SACS project.
BY KARINA TAPIA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
A
fter a five-
year journey,
the Gladys
Porter Zoo
will make a
splash this weekend
when officials open the
Russell Aquatic Ecology
Center.
This new aquatic
ecology center is a good
tool to (allow) students
and the overall public to
learn about marine life
and get a hands-on
experience, said
Cristina Caballero, pub-
lic relations coordinator
for the Brownsville zoo.
Inside the dimmed
exhibit, a variety of
tanks display many
native sea creatures
that live in the Laguna
Madre and Gulf of
Mexico offshore from
the Rio Grande Valley.
BY MARK REAGAN
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
A science teacher
accused of an improper
relationship with a student
planned to divorce his
wife and marry his former
student when she turned
18 years old, an arrest
warrant affidavit revealed.
Aristeo
Gutierrez,
34, is
c h a r g e d
with having
an improp-
er relation-
ship with a
student that
b e g a n
when the
girl was in middle school.
He is a science teacher
and a volleyball coach at
Besteiro Middle School in
Brownsville. The investiga-
tion revealed that the improp-
er relationship with the stu-
dent began on or about when
she was a student in the eighth
grade, Cameron County
Chief Deputy Gus Reyna said.
Gutierrez remains
jailed on $150,000 bail and
has been on paid adminis-
trative leave from the
Brownsville Independent
School District since
Monday, BISD spokes-
woman Drue Brown said.
Seeing Life
Emergency deal OKd
Texas Southmost College seeks firm to keep students safe
CAMPUS SECURITY
PLEASE SEE DEAL, A4
Gladys Porter Zoo to open new aquatic center
PHOTOS BY BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Above: Dr. Pat Burchfield, director of the Gladys Porter Zoo, speaks about the many varieties of aquatic animals that are
on display at the zoos newest exhibit, the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center. Below: The invasive lionfish is not native to
the Gulf of Mexico, but its population has begun to expand, harming some native aquatic animals.
PLEASE SEE CENTER, A4 PLEASE SEE ARREST, A4
BISD
teacher
faces
charges
Educator accused
of improper
relationship
GUTIERREZ
A4 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
956-982-6664, or 956-982-6662
Monday - Friday, 6:30 am to 12:00 pm,
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We deliver a replacement to
your front door.
When we finished up
the SACS work, we had a
conversation and we
touched base with UT
System to see if we could
extend services a little bit
longer, Lewis said.
But the two adminis-
trations could not achieve
an agreement and securi-
ty services from the uni-
versity would end on
Friday, he added.
This put us in a situa-
tion where we needed to
make sure we had a
secure environment for
our students, Lewis said.
A statement by a UT
System spokeswoman
said security services
provided by UTB were
set to end Sept. 1, but
were extended to Sept. 20
to allow TSC more time
for transition.
The University of
Texas System has policies
and rules that govern
policing and security on
UT campuses. Services
were offered to TSC per
those standards until TSC
could organize its own
security service, Jenny
LaCoste-Caputo said.
Those services were not
accepted due to cost. UT
does not have the option
of scaling back security
services to save money,
as security measures
must meet the UT System
standard.
Because of the lack of
time, Lewis said that TSC
could not put in a request
for bid proposals from
security firms, but the
TSC administration con-
tacted some firms.
The college chose
Brownsville-based secu-
rity firm American
Investigations Security
International, one of the
only companies that could
immediately begin pro-
viding security services
for the Friday deadline,
Lewis said.
The recommendation
Lewis proposed to the
board was to keep AISI
for a 30-day contract and
renewal while the college
submits a proper request
for bid proposals, Lewis
said.
This is a situation that
kind of emerged after we
were not able to come to
any agreement with
UTB, TSC President Lily
Tercero told the board.
It was kind of an
emergency, she added.
Board Secretary Juan
Trey Mendez said he
would make the motion
because we dont have a
choice.
However, no board
member seconded the
motion toward a vote.
After a lengthy execu-
tive session behind closed
doors, during which pend-
ing real estate issues with
the city of Brownsville
were slated for discus-
sions, Tercero asked the
trustees to reconsider the
security recommenda-
tion.
The board then
approved it.
After the meeting,
Mendez said he was will-
ing to approve the origi-
nal recommendation, but
some of the board mem-
bers were concerned that
security personnel would
not be armed.
It was clear that we
needed some security
personnel on campus and
my concern was the safe-
ty of the students so I was
willing to approve it as is,
but apparently I was the
only one, he said.
Mendez said because
the motion passed with
the caveat of armed per-
sonnel, students would be
more secure.
Mendez said he pre-
fers having more security
options for proposals, but
understands why choices
were limited this time.
Considering that the
reason we were put in this
position was because of
UT Brownsville adminis-
tration not willing to work
with us on sharing cam-
pus police, I think thats
why we were put in this
position, Mendez said.
So I understand where
administration was com-
ing from as far as having
to do it last minute.
mmontoya@brownsvilleherald.com
DEAL
FROM PAGE A1
The center covers
6,535 square feet and
replaces the former
Aquatic Wing site and the
adjacent Bongo display
yard.
Visitors can come face-
to-face with local ham-
merhead sharks with
the glass in between, of
course and they can
meet Flippy, a Kemps rid-
ley sea turtle and member
of an endangered species
that can be found in the
Gulf.
X-rays have shown that
Flippy is living with an
under-developed lung,
causing him to float on his
right side. The rescued
sea turtle cannot be
released back into the
ocean because of his con-
dition and relies on the
tanks water circulation to
survive.
In the exhibit, a
30,000-gallon tank will
hold Atlantic and cow-
nose stingrays, which visi-
tors will be allowed to
feed and touch. Other fea-
tures include a shark dis-
covery exhibit, the Keppel
AmFELS moon jellyfish
exhibit, a mangrove tank,
and an exhibit on ancient
mariners and jetties.
Another tank contains
the invasive lionfish.
Despite their exotic beau-
ty, lionfish are extremely
harmful to the ecosystem
because they prey on
smaller fish but lionfish
have no natural predators
in the Gulf because they
wield venomous fin rays.
Researchers say these
tropical fish, descending
from the Indo-Pacific,
were released as pets into
the Gulf by aquarium
owners around the 1990s.
The fish then mated and
spread into the Gulf of
Mexico, the Caribbean
Sea and parts of the
Atlantic Ocean. These
threatening creatures
affect the food chain
because their aggressive
behavior runs out native
fish into unfamiliar water.
The lionfish is included
in the exhibit despite
not being native so it
can educate the public
about the threat they pose
to the ecosystem. Colorful
educational banners and
graphics will convey key
concepts concerning eco-
systems and the need to
preserve them locally,
officials said.
This is a great oppor-
tunity for the public to
see what is in their own
backyards, Caballero
said. Weve had this idea
for over five years now.
This aquatic exhibit is
going to be a different
experience when visiting
the zoo.
To raise funds for the
new aquatic exhibit,
Caballero said the zoo
organized fundraisers
including Zoofari. The zoo
received help from pri-
vate donors, including the
man whose familys name
is part of the aquatic cen-
ter, James Russell, who
contributed more than $2
million, Caballero
explained.
James Russells moth-
er, Martha Russell, was a
donor for the original
aquatic wing, and James
Russell wanted to contin-
ue the tradition of sup-
porting the zoo and its
mission, Caballero said.
Senior Aquarist Mike
Callahan, who studied
marine science at the
University of Miami in
Florida, has been work-
ing with the zoo since
March 2012 and took
charge of developing the
plans and arrangement
of the exhibit, as well as
organizing the fishing
trips. On these fishing
trips to the Laguna Madre
and offshore South Padre
Island, Callahan and
other fishermen caught
the creatures that are
displayed in the zoos
tanks. Catches included
the hammerhead sharks
and moon jellyfish.
Im very excited for
the grand opening,
Callahan said. I believe
everyone will be happy
with the results.
The public is invited to
attend the grand opening
ceremony at 9 a.m.
Saturday.
The zoo will have staff
available to educate the
public and answer ques-
tions.
Because of the new
exhibit, zoo admission
prices have changed.
Children ages 2 to 13
years old have increased
50 cents, from $6.50 to $7.
Adult tickets for 14 years
and older also increased
50 cents from $9.50 to $10.
The center will be open
during regular zoo hours.
The zoos annual
Zoofari fundraiser will be
held Oct. 4 and 5.
In May of this year,
the relationship built up to
include sexual contact.
Encounters occurred dur-
ing and after school
hours, Reyna said.
According to the arrest
warrant affidavit,
Gutierrez was arrested
Thursday outside of
Besteiro Middle School
and went willingly with
investigators without ask-
ing why they wanted to
talk to him.
The girl, who is in high
school now, told Gutierrez
last Wednesday that her
mother knew all about the
relationship, according to
the arrest warrant affidavit.
The girls mother found
out about the inappropri-
ate relationship after
finding several text mes-
sages to her daughter
from Gutierrez, who went
by the name Ari, accord-
ing to the arrest warrant
affidavit.
Complainant handed
over the two cellphones
that were given to her
daughter by Mr.
Gutierrez, two promise
rings, a love letter, DVDs,
and a picture of Mr.
Gutierrez, the affidavit
states.
But according to that
document, the girl denies
having sexual contact
with Gutierrez and a
nurse at Valley Baptist
Medical Center in
Harlingen told the girls
mother that her daughter
did not appear to be sexu-
ally active.
(The girl) also stated
to the nurse that her boy-
friend tells her to play it
safe and not to tell any-
one, to be secretive
because he would get in
trouble and he is mar-
ried, the affidavit states.
The girl told investiga-
tors she met the man four
months ago and that when
he picks her up from high
school they kiss and hold
hands in the car, and then
he takes her home, the
arrest warrant affidavit
states.
But the document also
indicates the girl felt like
she did something wrong
because she went out with
a man who was older than
her.
The relationship con-
tinued as the girl started
her freshman year of high
school, according to the
arrest warrant affidavit.
The girl told investiga-
tors that during the sec-
ond week of September
Gutierrez picked her up
from school and drove
her around her neighbor-
hood in his black in color
four-door vehicle with
dark tinted windows, and
suddenly stopped the
vehicle by the side of the
road and kissed her in her
mouth. (The girl) also
stated that Aristeo
Gutierrez touched her
breasts on top of her
shirt, court documents
show.
Reyna said the investi-
gation is ongoing.
mreagan@brownsvilleherald.com
Through an open records request, The Brownsville Herald was able to
obtain a copy of an arrest warrant affidavit for a Brownsville
Independent School District science teacher accused of having an
improper relationship with a student. The following is an excerpt of a
love letter written to his former student.
When I dream about the great memories we had together the
first time I held you and kissed you I will never forget. I can still
remember the first time I saw you an angel that was brought
before me. I will do everything in my power to be with you.
Even if you may not believe me you are and will remain my first
true love. My passion for your love and my heart will always be
yours. Youre my soul mate and more. Were meant for each other. I
love you. I know if we both want it it will work and four years will
be nothing. For our love to be together forever.
SOURCE: Arrest Warrant
Affidavit for Aristeo Gutierrez
BY JACOB FISCHLER
THE MONITOR
EDINBURG A for-
mer Edcouch-Elsa High
School mariachi director
pleaded guilty Thursday to
having an improper sexual
relationship with a student.
Homer Gutierrez, 38,
who worked with the
high schools mariachi
program for six years,
received a sentence of 10
years deferred adjudica-
tion, a program that
allows first-time offend-
ers to possibly have the
guilty plea removed
from his criminal record
if he meets all the terms
of his probation.
Gutierrez began a
relationship with a stu-
dent during the summer
of 2011. Elsa police
arrested him this March.
The girl was 16-years-old
at the time of the arrest.
The sexual encoun-
ters occurred at several
locations, including the
high school.
The girls parents
brought allegations of the
relationship to Edcouch-
Elsa school district
Superintendent Richard
Rivera on Feb. 14, he told
The Monitor in March. The
next day, Rivera met with
Gutierrez and discussed
the allegations, at which
point Gutierrez resigned.
Edcouch police
received a report of the
crime on Feb. 22. After a
monthlong investigation,
police arrested Gutierrez
March 21.
Prosecutors added a
second count of improper
relationship between edu-
cator and student to
Gutierrez indictment in
July, though that charge
was dropped in an agree-
ment in which Gutierrez
pleaded guilty to one count.
Gutierrez, a former
professional mariachi
violinist, taught students
in fifth through 12th
grade within the
Edcouch-Elsa district.
He graduated from
the McAllen school dis-
trict orchestra program
and taught in San Antonio
for a time, before return-
ing to the Rio Grande
Valley in 2002.
CENTER
FROM PAGE A1
ARREST
FROM PAGE A1
Former mariachi director pleads
guilty to relationship with student
BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
An alligator gar is one of the fresh water fish on display at the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center at
Gladys Porter Zoo.
DON PEDROSAYS
Ive been retired a while, Don
Pedro said as he entered the
newsroom. Can I come back as a
consultant?
I dont know, the city editor
opined. Maybe we can pay you to
write a couple of stories for us.
Forget it, the don huffed. If I
actually have to work for the money,
Im not interested.
And out he stamped.
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PAGE A2 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013
PAGE 2
BROWNSVILLE AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
We asked: Do you want
politicians to press forward or
back away from gun control
legislation?
ONLINE POLL
Online voters responded:
Yes.
No.
50 percent
50 percent
www.brownsvilleherald.com
BY CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A former U.S. Homeland Security
agent pleaded guilty Thursday to
conspiring to fake investigative
records, and details released dur-
ing the hearing in Brownsville sug-
gest he falsified documents at the
urging of his supervisor.
Wayne Ball was a former spe-
cial agent with the Department of
Homeland Securitys Inspector
Generals Office in McAllen. He
was accused of falsifying records in
an investigation into a customs
officer suspected of aiding in drug
and human trafficking.
A gap in investigative activity in
that case combined with an
upcoming internal review of his
office apparently led Balls super-
visor to order the deception.
Prosecutors believe that Ball initially
suggested that a new agent focus
on the case, but that his supervisor
wanted documents that falsely sug-
gested past work had been .
Prosecutors said they are not
identifying the supervisor or the
other agent because they havent
been charged.
Balls plea agreement requires his
future cooperation with prosecutors,
and Ball looks forward to this process
and his opportunity at redemption for
the mistake he has made, said his
attorney, Carlos A. Garcia.
Ball, 40, was charged Monday
with signing and backdating falsified
reports. He and unidentified others
were accused of conspiring before an
internal agency review to fake records
to show investigative work had been
done. He worked at the McAllen
office between 2009 and 2012.
AROUND
THE VALLEY
Ex-agent pleads
guilty to alleged
cover-up
GETTING
IT RIGHT
A front-page article in Thursdays
Brownsville Herald provided an
incorrect number to call with infor-
mation about the Jan. 11 package
explosion at a Brownsville home.
Anyone with information pertain-
ing to this case is asked to call the
Brownsville Crime Stoppers at
(956) 546-TIPS (8477). Any infor-
mation provided could earn up to a
$1,000 reward and tipsters can
remain anonymous.
It is the policy of The Brownsville
Herald to correct errors in a timely
manner. Corrections and clarifica-
tions will be published in this space.
To inquire about corrections, readers
may call an editor.
982-6610 l 982-6681
982-6609 l 982-6618
or e-mail us at
TBHCorrections@brownsvilleherald.com
TEXASLOTTERYRESULTS
LOTTO
Find past winning numbers at
www.txlottery.org
CORRECTIONS
Winning numbers,
Thursday, Jan. 17:
Pick 3: (D) 4-7-5
Daily 4: (D) 4-8-0-0
PHOTO BY YVETTE VELA/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Clear blue skies on Thursday morning highlighted jet contrails in scenes like this at the Dancy Buildling.
LOOK UP TOTHE SKY
Tax assessor: Property payments due
BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Cameron County resi-
dents who have yet to
pay their 2012 property
taxes have until the end
of the month to do so
before being penalized.
The Cameron
County Tax Assessor-
Collectors Office re-
ports that 75,518 sec-
ond-notice property tax
statements have been
mailed this week, total-
ing $68,134,354.30 in
owed property taxes.
Some 216,000 initial state-
ments went out in October,
totaling $264,709,387; that
means 76 percent of all
property taxes have been
paid, County Tax As-
sessor-Collector Tony
Yzaguirre Jr. said.
Many paid their taxes
early, taking advantage
of discounts offered in
October, November
and December.
Yzaguirre said begin-
ning Feb. 1 all tax
accounts that have not
been paid in full or do not
have a special quarterly
payment code will accrue
a 7 percent fee for penal-
ties and interest.
He encourages peo-
ple who have problems
paying their property
taxes to contact his
office to make payment
arrangements.
We encourage peo-
ple to make arrange-
ments because these
particular tax bills, if
they are not paid by Jan.
31, they become delin-
quent Feb. 1 and start
accumulating penalties
and interest, he said.
Officials said taxpay-
er advocates at the
office can meet with tax-
payers on an individual
basis and work out pay-
ment plans for them.
We dont know what
their (property owners)
situations are or what
problems they have,
Yzaguirre said. Once
we sit down with them,
we can draw up a pay-
ment plan, whether it is
six months or 12
months or an 18-month
payment plan.
Officials said any
property owner who has
not received a tax bill
should contact the Tax
Assessor-Collectors
Office immediately.
Payments may be
made at:
Cameron County Court-
house, 964 E. Harrison St.,
Brownsville.
Brownsville South-
most Branch Office,
2900 Southmost Road,
Brownsville.
Brownsville Westside
Branch, 1763 Military
Highway, Brownsville.
Harlingen Branch
Office, 3302 Wilson Road.
San Benito Branch Office,
1390 W. Expressway 83.
Los Fresnos Branch
Office, 105 Ocean Blvd.
Port Isabel Branch
Office, 505 Highway 100.
La Feria Branch Office,
200 Industrial Way.
Rio Hondo Branch
Office, 125 W. Colorado.
For more information,
contact the Tax Assessor-
Collector Office at (956)
544-0800.
lmartinez@
brownsvilleherald.com
Sheriff:
Meth found
in shampoo
bottles
BY MELISSA MONTOYA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Two women were arrest-
ed Wednesday night for try-
ing to ship nine pounds of
methamphetamines via bus
service traveling north
from Brownsville, Came-
ron County Sherif Omar
Lucio said.
Seventeen-year-old
Mayra Argelia Garcia
and Cristina Ruby Casas,
21, both face charges of
possession of a controlled
substance, Lucio said dur-
ing a news conference
Thursday afternoon.
The arrests occurred at
approximately 9 p.m. Wed-
nesday at Brownsville Multi-
modal Terminal, he said.
They looked kind of
young, so they (deputies)
went over there to inter-
view them, Lucio said.
Deputies became wary
when they noticed the
women had a box, Lucio
said. With the females
permission the deputies
searched it and found sev-
eral shampoo bottles.
Nobody travels with
that many shampoo bot-
tles, Lucio said.
The deputies asked the
girls what was in the bot-
tles and they confessed it
was meth, he said.
Garcia and Casas, both
from Brownsville, face
five to 99 years in prison if
convicted, and up to a
$10,000 fine, the sheriff
said. According to the
Cameron County website,
Casas had an outstanding
warrant for aggravated
assault that dates to 2010.
Details of that charge were
not immediately available.
Methamphetamine sells
for about $22,000 per pound
in Brownsville, but out of
state can draw up to $30,000
per pound, Lucio said.
The total amount held in
the bottles is worth at least
$270,000 out of state, but in
Texas can sell for $198,000
to $234,000, he said.
Though theres been a
rise in methamphetamine
seizures, Lucio said, its not
as common as marijuana or
cocaine because the drug is
prepared in a laboratory.
Its common in the
Midwest; they have a lot
of laboratories, Lucio
said, but we are seeing it
a little bit more here.
It is unknown whether
the meth was made in the
United States or if it was
brought across the bor-
der, Lucio said.
It could have been from
across the border, but not
necessarily, Lucio said. We
are talking to the girls to see
if its locally from here and
theres a laboratory here
making this methamphet-
amine or they got it from
across (the border).
The investigation is
continuing, he said, and
could lead to the seizure
of more meth and extra
charges for both women.
I understand they
were going to get paid to
transport this stuff,
Lucio said, but was it
worth it?
Former drug unit members arraigned
BY ILDEFONSO ORTIZ
THE MONITOR
McALLEN Three
former law enforcement
officers accused of pro-
tecting drug loads plead-
ed not guilty Thursday
morning in federal court
after the fourth former
lawman charged in the
case also pleaded not
guilty Monday.
Al Alvarez, a defense
attorney in the case, said
its early in the case and
the charges would be
fought.
Jonathan C. Trevio,
Alexis R. Espinoza and
Gerardo Duran
appeared before U.S.
Magistrate Judge
Dorina Ramos for their
arraignment hearings
Thursday. Fabian
Rodriguez, the fourth
law enforcement officer
facing federal charges in
the case, was arraigned
Monday because of a
scheduling conflict,
records show.
Each man faces one
count of conspiracy to
possess with intent to
distribute more than 5
kilograms of cocaine.
Espinoza and Duran face
four counts each of aid-
ing and abetting the pos-
session with intent to dis-
tribute cocaine, and
Trevio and Rodriguez
each face one count on
that charge.
Upon conviction, each
man could face 10 years
to life in prison and a
maximum fine of $10
million.
Duran and Espinoza
both declined comment
outside federal court
Thursday. Later in the
day, Espinozas attorney
told The Monitor that the
case is just in the begin-
ning stages and they
would fight all the way
through.
All defendants
remain out on bond.
Jonathan Trevio, the
son of Hidalgo County
Sheriff Lupe Trevio,
and Alexis Espinoza, the
son of Hidalgo police
Chief Rudy Espinoza,
were investigators with
Mission police who have
since been terminated.
Trevio worked in the
Panama Unit and
Espinoza was assigned
to a task force with U.S.
Immigration and
Customs Enforcement.
Sheriff Trevio de-
clined to comment on his
sons arraignment hearing
Thursday afternoon.
The now-defunct
Panama Unit, which
comprised sheriffs
deputies and Mission
police officers, was
tasked with fighting
street-level narcotics.
The indictment alleges
that the four men
attempted to utilize their
positions as law enforce-
ment personnel to assist
drug traffickers in dis-
tributing cocaine.
FBI and ICE agents
continue to investigate
the case into the trou-
bled ex-lawmen.
BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Cameron County health
officials are urging resi-
dents to be extra cautious
when going outdoors dur-
ing the dawn and dusk
hours because of at least 14
cases of dengue fever
reported in the county.
The Cameron County
Department of Health and
Human Services Thursday
afternoon issued an
advisory in an attempt
to prevent future cases of
the disease.
Hidalgo County has had
three probable cases but no
confirmed ones.
Although Cameron
County health officials can-
not say when the first case
was reported, they did
report they have been
closely monitoring the situ-
ation during the past
two weeks.
County Health Adminis-
trator Yvette Salinas said
that the cases reported
were traveled-related
cases and cases that devel-
oped within the county.
That is what really
caught our attention so we
have been watching it more
closely the last couple of
weeks because some of the
cases are not travel-relat-
ed, Salinas said.
Officials: Not all
infections began
during travel
B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U LY 1 8 9 2 | T E X A S A P ME C L A S S A A N E WS P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013 75 CENTS
His personal and political
credibility on the line, President
Barack Obama reversed course
Thursday and said millions of
Americans should be allowed
to renew individual coverage
plans now ticketed for
cancellation under the health
care law.
HEALTH CARE
REVERSAL
UT System talks STARGATE
PAGE A7
NATION
For years, scientists have been
dogged by this evolution
question: Just where did mans
best friend first appear?
CANINE
ORIGINS
PAGE A5
Good Morning!
Thank you for reading
todays edition of
The Brownsville Herald
OBITUARIES
PAGE A6
Mary Bernal Ray
Pedro Pete A. Hernandez Sr.
In a quiet courtroom, County
Commissioner Precinct 2 Ernie
Hernandezs brother-in-law
Roberto Cadriel took the stand
and testified that Raul Garza
Salazar provided him with answers
to the civil service exam.
IN COURT
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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
REGENTS OK $196M
Permanent University Funds to fuel construction at UTB, UTPA
BY MELISSA MONTOYA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Almost $200 million in Permanent
University Funds will be funneled to the
new University of Texas school in the
Rio Grande Valley with unanimous sup-
port from UT System regents.
The funds will go toward construc-
tion projects on both the University of
Texas at Brownsville campus and UT
Pan American in Edinburg. An addi-
tional $69 million will go to other UT
schools in the state.
UTB, which officials say is in need of
extra space because of its separation
from Texas Southmost College, will
receive $54 million for a 140,000-square-
foot academic building. An additional
$18 million will pay for UTB
costs related to the end of its partner-
ship with TSC.
Santas Helpers
Brownsville PD begins annual holiday toy drive
BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Police officers escort Santa Claus, dressed in blue suit, as they roll through the parking lot of Walgreens on Ruben Torres Boulevard on
Thursday in Brownsville. The Brownsville Police Department began its annual toy drive, which ends Dec. 14.
The event, held at
Walgreens Pharmacy on
Ruben M. Torres Sr.
Boulevard, ushered in
the holiday season and
the final month of the
departments yearlong
effort to ensure presents
for less-fortunate chil-
dren of Brownsville.
The toy drive will con-
clude Dec. 14 at the police
station where up to 4,000
children will receive toys
either donated to the
cause or purchased with
funds raised year-round.
Police Chief Orlando
Rodriguez said more
than 3,200 toys were
distributed during last
years event.
Unwrapped childrens
toys can be dropped off at
Walgreens, Sports Clips,
Gattis Pizza or at the
police station, Rodriguez
said, saying the police
department was simply
the mechanism that
allowed members of the
community to participate
in making the holidays a
little brighter for
Brownsvilles children.
Parents of children
can sign up to receive
tickets at the police
station.
HOW TO HELP
IN THE TOY DRIVE
Toys can be dropped
off at the Brownsville Police
Department station on
Jackson Street or at any
Walgreens, Gattis Pizza or
Sports Clips locations.
Brownsville Police
Department will hold a bowl-
ing tournament Dec. 7 to ben-
efit its toy drive effort.
For more information
about the tournament, call
Imelda Garza at (956) 548-
7045.
Dengue
fever
cases
in RGV
PLEASE SEE FEVER, A9
PLEASE SEE REGENTS, A9
PLEASE SEE TOYS, A9
The University of Texas
System Board of Regents
spoke with a Brownsville
graduate student Thursday
about the origins and poten-
tial for a multipurpose science
facility known as STARGATE.
PAGE A3
BY TY JOHNSON
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
R
olling up on a Brownsville Police Department
Segway, Santa Claus made a special appear-
ance at the kickoff of the departments
annual toy drive Thursday.
LOCAL
The Texas Department of Public
Safety is investigating a
one-vehicle accident involving a
bus used to transport
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement detainees.
BUS WRECK
PAGE A2
COUPONS
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RIO GRANDE VALLEY
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | A9
The UTPA campus will
receive $70 million for a
science building and an
additional $54 million,
which is being adminis-
tered by the UT Health
Science Center in San
Antonio, for a building
that will ultimately belong
to the new medical school
after its accreditation.
As regents prepared to
approve the Permanent
University Funds, many
commented on the work
its taken to find a way to
share PUF with UTB and
UTPA, which historically
have been excluded from
the fund composed of oil
and gas revenues from
property the system
owns in West Texas.
This is obviously a
historic day in South
Texas, Regent Ernest
Aliseda, of McAllen, said
during the meeting.
These are projects that
are critical to a new
regional medical school
and new university.
Vice Chairman of the
Board Eugene Powell
said its been almost 13
months since the initial
idea for a new university
in the Valley was pro-
posed by Chancellor
Francisco G. Cigarroa.
The announcement of
the new university came
in December 2012, gained
approval from the
Legislature after com-
promises, and was signed
into law by Gov. Rick
Perry in July. A search
committee for the new
schools president has
been convened, and there
is a search underway for
a dean to lead the new
medical school. Earlier
this week, the UT System
released five possible
names for the new uni-
versity and has asked
community members for
suggestions.
UTPA President
Robert Nelsen, who was
at the meeting, said the
decision by the regents
took his breath away.
Nelsen said his stu-
dents will now have
enough space to take
their science lectures
with labs concurrently.
The science building was
a project Nelsen had
hoped would be funded
by the state through
tuition revenue bonds,
but the bill failed to pass
during the last legisla-
tive session.
The amount of
research that will begin
to happen will be expo-
nentially greater, Nelsen
said.
Though UTB President
Juliet V. Garcia had ini-
tially asked for almost
$100 million toward capi-
tal improvements, she
said she is satisfied with
the amount of money
UTB will receive.
I hoped it would be
more, but I also under-
stand that there are lots
of competing needs in
the UT System and I
trust the chancellor to
have made the best rec-
ommendation he could,
given all of the compet-
ing needs, said Garcia,
who was also present for
the meeting. This is not
the last, this is simply
the first installment. Im
actually quite inspired
by it. Im inspired by the
fact that we got $54 mil-
lion dollars. Ive never
gotten $54 million before
from the UT System, so
how could I be disap-
pointed?
An additional $3.2 mil-
lion from the Available
University Fund will also
be used for Project South
Texas, the new schools
temporary title, for costs
related to the transition.
mmontoya@brownsvilleherald.com
REGENTS
FROM PAGE A1
Parents can exchange
those tickets for toys at
the special event Dec.
14, when Santa will
return.
We reserve him early,
Rodriguez said about hav-
ing Santa in Brownsville
just days before Christmas
Eve. Hes usually busy
that day.
And having the event
at the station allows chil-
dren to associate the
police with helping the
community, Rodriguez
said, planting the seed
for positive relation-
ships between citizens
and law enforcement in
the future.
But Rodriguez said the
immediate result of the
communitys efforts
putting smiles on the
faces of thousands of chil-
dren is enough to con-
vince him each year that
the event is important.
Thats what its all
about, he said. It makes
it all so worth it.
And with parents and
grandparents lining up
the day before the
event, Rodriguez is con-
vinced that the toy
drive does good for the
community.
Those toys arent for-
gotten, either, he said, add-
ing that he heard from at
least one supporter of the
event who said she remem-
bers receiving a toy from
the program while she was
growing up the only toy
she received during the
holidays.
Because of how much
the program meant to
her, she now contributes
as much as she can to
pass on that joy, Rodriguez
said.
Its a worthwhile
event, he said.
For more information
about the toy drive or to
find out if your children
are eligible to receive
toys, call event coordina-
tor Manuel Montes at
(956) 266-9821.
tjohnson@brownsvilleherald.com
TOYS
FROM PAGE A1
Travel-related cases
occur when the disease is
contracted outside of the
county or the country.
Dengue fever is a viral
disease that people get
from a mosquito. It cannot
be spread person to per-
son. The disease can be life
threatening if not treated.
The people who con-
tracted dengue fever vary
from the young to the
elderly, Salinas said.
Its not just teenagers
(contracting the disease)
because they are out play-
ing baseball. It is a big
range, she said.
Cameron County
Health Authority Dr.
James Castillo said symp-
toms of the disease
include high fever, bad
headache, eye pain, body
pains, rash and some-
times infrequent bleed-
ings such as nose bleeds.
If an individual has any
of these symptoms, they
are encouraged to immedi-
ately visit their health care
provider.
Dr. Brian Smith, direc-
tor of the Texas
Department of State
Health Services, Health
Service Region 11, said
that while five of the
reported cases in Cameron
County have a history of
travel, Whats important
to note is that we have
some cases of dengue
fever that is occurring
close to the border.
Hidalgo County Health
Department Director
Eddie Olivarez said his
county is investigating the
number of cases reported
in that county to see if they
are valid.
Weve been working
on these cases for a couple
of weeks now. Were wait-
ing for official analyses to
be done. We dont have an
answer yet that confirms
whether these are dengue
fever cases or not,
Olivarez said.
Meanwhile, in Cameron
County health officials
may go door-to-door in
affected areas to tell resi-
dents how they can protect
themselves. Neighborhood
area campaigns also will
be coordinated.
Officials said resi-
dents should remain on
the alert and continue to
rid their yards of stand-
ing water in pots, plant
holders, plastic swim-
ming pools and old tires.
Mosquitoes most likely to
carry diseases choose
their breeding grounds in
those conditions, officials
have said.
Residents should still
practice the Four Ds that
include using Deet insect
repellant, dressing in long
sleeves and pants while
outdoors, staying indoors
at dusk and dawn, and
draining standing water.
lmartinez@Brownsvilleherald.com
Monitor reporter Daniella Diaz
contributed to this report.
FEVER
FROM PAGE A1
BY DAVE HENDRICKS
THE MONITOR
McALLEN Without expla-
nation, the city placed Kristi
Taylor-Salinas, assistant director
of business management at
McAllen-Miller International
Airport, on paid administrative
leave Tuesday.
What, exactly, prompted
Airport Director Phil Brown to
order Taylor-Salinas not to report
to work or contact the airport
department without my approval
remains unclear.
Brown wouldnt comment
Thursday. Taylor-Salinas didnt
respond to a request for com-
ment. And city paperwork docu-
menting the paid administrative
leave doesnt provide further
details.
Im not at liberty to comment
on it, City Attorney Kevin Pagan
said. Its a pending personnel
matter.
The city Audit Committee,
though, held a closed-door
meeting last week about air-
port business and plans to meet
again next week about the same
agenda item. Pagan wouldnt
comment on whether the Audit
Committee meetings were
related to the airport personnel
decision.
McAllen hired Taylor-Salinas
in April 2007, according to city
records. Taylor-Salinas worked
closely with Brown and helped
handle major projects, including
the expansion of McAllen-Millers
terminal. She earns nearly $66,000
annually.
Brown officially placed Taylor-
Salinas on paid administrative
leave with a one-page memo.
Effective November 12, 2013,
you are officially placed on admin-
istrative leave with pay pending
further notice, according to the
memo. You are instructed not to
report to work or contact the air-
port department without my
approval.
Taylor-Salinas refused to sign
the document. A Personnel
Action Form from the city
Human Resources department
doesnt include any additional
information.
With Taylor-Salinas removed
from her position, McAllens air-
port had significantly less upper-
level management Thursday.
Both Brown and Transit Director
Elizabeth Suarez headed to San
Luis Potosi Aeromar recently
began offering direct flights to
the Mexican tourist destination
leaving Assistant Director of
Operations and Maintenance
Michael Fray to oversee McAllen-
Miller until they return.
McAllen airport manager placed on leave
BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
The Brownsville Police Deparment Blue Santa shakes hands
with Josie Saaverda and gives her some candy on Thursday.
This is not the last, this is simply the first installment. Im
actually quite inspired by it. Im inspired by the fact that we got
$54 million dollars. Ive never gotten $54 million before from
the UT System, so how could I be disappointed?
Juliet V. Garcia,
UTB president
BY MELISSA MONTOYA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
A Friday meeting of the
TSC Foundation was can-
celed late Thursday after
the Texas Southmost
College Board of Trustees
voted earlier in the day to
file a lawsuit to keep the
foundation from changing
its name and bylaws.
The lawsuit, filed in
state district court in
Cameron County, alleges
that the foundation is try-
ing to change its bylaws
and name to benefit stu-
dents of
t h e
University
of Texas at
Br o wn s -
v i l l e
instead of
TSC stu-
dents.
T h e
De f e n d -
ants seek to change the
name of the Foundation to
the Historic Fort Brown
Foundation for Higher
Education, or another
name, in an attempt to elim-
inate any association with
TSC, the lawsuit states.
TSC Trustee chairmen
Francisco Rendon said,
Im glad the TSC founda-
tions money is safe for now
and look forward to pre-
senting all the facts to dem-
onstrate that Texas
Southmost College
Foundation was established
and has always been for the
purpose of advancing Texas
Southmost College.
Rendon said that
throughout the partner-
ship TSC helped UTB
increase its endowment
funds at the cost of its
own.
Mary Ann Fore, who is
named as a defendant in
the suit, referred ques-
tions to Msgr. Heberto
Diaz, chairman of the
foundation.
Were going to try to
amicably come to some
kind of resolution how to
provide scholarships here
in Brownsville, Diaz told
The Brownsville Herald
on Friday. The goal is to
provide scholarships in
Brownsville.
B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U LY 1 8 9 2 | T E X A S A P ME C L A S S A A N E WS P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013 75 CENTS
Less than 2 months into the
fiscal year, the federal govern-
ment has reached its cap on a
special visa offered to victims
of certain serious crimes. The
so-called U visas are a key
instrument helping authorities
investigate crimes, such as sex-
ual assault and human traffick-
ing, against those who do not
have legal status in the country.
REACHING
THE LIMIT
PAGE A3
LOCAL
LOCAL
A state district court jury on
Friday found Aroldo H. Cadriel
of Brownsville guilty of the
March 31, 2012, murder
of 20-year-old Brisna Mireles
of Harlingen. He was sentenced
to life imprisonment.
The University of Texas at
Brownsville and Texas Southmost
College will hold separate com-
mencement ceremonies
Saturday, for the first time since
UTB and their partnership
were created.
CADRIEL
FOUND GUILTY
HONORING
GRADUATES
PAGE A2
PAGE A2
Good Morning!
Thank you for reading
todays edition of
The Brownsville Herald
OBITUARIES
PAGE A6
Matilde S. Mercado
Evangelina Marroquin Sanders
Eloisa G. Sauceda
Baby Miranda Marie Cervantes
Tabita Esther Serrata
Myriam V. De Aguila
Pedro Torres
As technology failed and a shoddy
connection threatened to derail
the University of Texas at
Brownsville watch party where
faculty, staff and students
gathered to hear the name of their
future school, the news was
delivered through a text message
instead: University of Texas Rio
Grande Valley.
NEW NAME
POPULAR
ON THE WEB
BrownsvilleHerald.com
Vol. 122 | No. 164
Abby ........................................B8
Amusements ...........................B8
Calendar ............................... A11
Classified .................................B5
Comics .....................................B7
Community ........................... A11
Entertainment .........................B9
Horoscope ...............................B8
Religion ...................................A8
Sports ......................................B1
Weather .................................B10
High 73
Low 61
2013 The Brownsville Herald. All rights reserved
SOUTH TEXAS ENVIRONMENT
PLEASE SEE TSC, A10
CLEARING
THE WAY
Project removes brush to help endangered falcon
BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
A machine clears trees and brush Thursday, shredding the plants, as part of an environmental project to restore the prai-
rie habitat around the Bahia Grande in an effort to help the aplomado falcon, which is endangered in the United States.
BY TY JOHNSON
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
J
onathan Moczygemba
looks out over the grass
prairies of the Bahia
Grande wetland area and
smiles the way most hom-
eowners look out over their freshly
cut lawns.
The land, a part of the Laguna
Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge,
isnt his, but as a wildlife biologist
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, he has developed a deep
respect for the once barren basin.
I feel like this is what it should
look like, he says as he scans a
portion where controlled burns two
years ago have restored the plains
to their grassy equilibrium.
The Brownsville Ship Channel
dredging in the 1930s and later
construction of Highway 48 slowly
transformed the bay from a wet-
land rich with life into acres of
mudflats before the USFWS and
others began a project in the mid-
2000s to flood the bay, restoring
its capacity for vegetation and
marine life.
But resetting the impact of
decades of development at the
11,000-acre reserve has proven to
be more complicated than simply
flooding the bay, as overgrown
vegetation around the bay has sig-
nificantly altered the habitat of the
aplomado falcon, a bird of prey
that is endangered within the
United States.
Although globally the falcons
are classified as a species of least
concern, South Texas where all of
the American birds are located
is estimated to have only 28 breed-
ing pairs left.
Previous uses of the land creat-
ed areas of brush, Moczygemba
said, which harbor avian predators
that would be just as happy
among the groves of mesquite
trees anywhere else in the Rio
Grande Valley.
YVETTE VELA/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Manmade nesting platforms, shown here at left, provide additional shelter in
the Bahia Grande for the aplomado falcons.
PLEASE SEE FALCON, A10
AT A GLANCE
NOAA
Appearance: The
aplomado falcon
has a steel grey
back, red breast
and striking black
markings on the
top of its head,
around its eyes,
and extending
down its face.
Nesting: These falcons are often seen in
pairs. They do not build their nests, but
use stick nests built by other birds. They
require grassland or savannah habitat.
SOURCE: TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE
TERCERO
Lawsuit:
Keep
funds
at TSC
College alleges
foundation seeks
to help UTB
The foundation was
established in 1984 when
the Department of
Education double-
matched $1 million that
was raised by the commu-
nity and was given to TSC.
The then-TSC Board of
Trustees gifted the money
to the foundation.
The TSC board of
Trustees gifted all that
money to the foundation
for the purpose of schol-
arships for the students in
higher education, Diaz
said. At that point it was
only TSC, but a few years
after that UTB and TSC
went into partnership.
Because they went into
partnership for 20 years,
the foundation has grant-
ed scholarships to stu-
dents in UTB and TSC.
My dream is that the
money will not be locked
up in litigation and that
students will continue to
benefit from scholarships
to attend higher learning
here in Brownsville,
whether it be just TSC or
UT students, Diaz added.
Fore said the proposed
change to the bylaws is to
continue to support and
enhance the role and mis-
sion of supporting higher
education through schol-
arships for students who
attend TSC and UT-RGV.
UT-RGV is the name
chosen for the new entity
that combines UTB and
UT-Pan American in
Edinburg.
Changing the purpose
of the Foundation so that
it no longer exists for the
sole purpose of support-
ing TSC will cause irrep-
arable harm to TSC
because the assets of the
Foundation will be avail-
able for non-TSC purpos-
es in direct violation of
the purpose of the
Foundation, the lawsuit
states.
It also states that by
changing the name and
expanding scholarship
opportunities, the founda-
tion board is breaching its
fiduciary duty to the com-
munity college.
Additionally, the law-
suit claims, the founda-
tion board is trying to
eliminate four board posi-
tions that are filled by
representatives of the
Texas Southmost College
Board of Trustees.
TSC President Lily
Tercero filed the petition
on behalf of the college.
Tercero also sits on the
foundations board.
It is extremely disap-
pointing that we have
been forced to take legal
action to preserve the
intent and purpose of a
foundation that was origi-
nally created to support
only TSC, she said.
According to the
Foundations bylaws, the
corporation is organized
for education and charita-
ble purposes, including, for
such purposes, the making
of distribution to organiza-
tions that qualify as exempt
organizations under sec-
tion 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code,
which governs nonprofit
organizations.
The bylaws state the
foundations purpose is to
support and enhance the
role and mission of Texas
Southmost College.
It is unknown when the
foundation meeting will
be rescheduled.
mmontoya@brownsvilleherald.com
A10 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013
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99
But for the aplomados,
the coastal prairies are home.
Between the draining
and flooding of the area and
grazing from cattle, the
ecosystem in the area has
been knocked off-kilter,
leading to an increase in
mesquites and a decrease
of the wide-open grass-
lands the aplomados prefer
for hunting.
Moczygemba and
Refuge Manager Boyd
Blihovde have overseen
new developments at the
Bahia Grande reserve to
restore the grasslands, usu-
ally through controlled
burning and the use of
chemicals to prevent the
growth of brush, but the
area remained fragmented
by tiny forests of thick
brush that broke the land
into territories too small to
make aplomado couples
comfortable. The birds pre-
fer to have about 2,000
acres of uninterrupted
grasslands for nesting.
Peregrine Fund wildlife
specialists said the recent
work at the reserve had
piqued the falcons interest
in the area, noting the
return of the birds for hunt-
ing purposes.
Theyre starting to see
aplomados there in areas
where they havent seen in
about five years, he said.
But getting the falcons
to stay would require more
work, he said.
And thats when the
Peregrine Fund really sunk
its talons into the project.
Friends of Laguna
Atascosa National Wildlife
Refuge received a $75,000
grant from the group, with
two-thirds of the amount
earmarked to improve the
conditions of the grass-
lands at the reserve
through removing the
brush that the falcons find
so unsavory.
Contractors from
Georgia brought their mas-
sive brush-chewing
machinery to the reserve
and began grinding through
the mesquites and other
shrubs while leaving yucca
plants, a favorite roosting
spot for the birds.
The remaining $25,000 is
reserved for clearing brush
on private land around
the reserve, Moczygemba
said, which would help
enhance the efforts to
restore the aplomado popu-
lation in the area.
The brush-clearing
comes with a caveat,
though: The landowners
must maintain the area for
a decade.
Moczygemba said the
intensity of maintenance
needed would depend on
specific conditions, but
noted that it is arguably
even more important than
removing the brush initially.
He said that while fal-
cons may not immediately
flock back to the refuge
when work finishes up
there in the next month, its
important to maintain opti-
mal conditions for the aplo-
mados in case theyre dis-
placed.
Since USFWS has no
control over adjacent lands,
he said, a wind farm or
some other development
could lead to the uprooting
of the areas few mating
pairs.
Without somewhere to
go, its possible that the
birds could leave the region
forever.
If we werent doing
this, he said of the habitat
restoration, they wouldnt
come back.
Overall, the project will
restore about 1,500 acres of
habitat for the falcons, he
said, far exceeding the
grants 1,000-acre goal.
And while that goal is a
means to an end,
Moczygemba said he wont
consider the project a suc-
cess until the aplomados
come back home to roost.
tjohnson@brownsvilleherald.com
TSC
FROM PAGE A1
FALCONS
FROM PAGE A1
BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Forget about lighting
up a cigarette on Super
Bowl weekend.
Brownsvilles revised
smoking ban takes effect
Saturday, prohibiting
smokers from lighting
up at virtually any public
place, including bars and
sports arenas.
The ordinance also
bans smoking in bingo
halls, convention centers,
educational facilities,
health care facilities,
game rooms, shopping
malls, city buildings and
bus stops.
The revised ordinance
is bound to put a damper
on one of sports biggest
days Super Bowl
Sunday when many
fans gather at establish-
ments to watch the big
game, perhaps drink
some beverages and
smoke a cigarette or two.
The citys Public
Health Department has
been trying to educate
the public and bar own-
ers during the past 50-
plus days to get them
ready for Saturday,
department Director Art
Rodriguez said.
City employees have
been handing out No
Smoking ordinance signs
to business owners for
display.
While city health work-
ers will not be working
Saturday or Sunday, they
will visit bars and busi-
nesses Monday to see if
businesses comply with
the revised ordinance,
Rodriguez said.
Good Morning!
Thank you for reading
todays edition of
The Brownsville Herald
OBITUARIES
PAGE A6
Emelia Martinez
Felicitas Barron Villarreal
Mario Alberto Marti Gonzalez
Consuelo Mosallam
Guadalupe G. Moreno
First responders heading to a
home on Resaca Vista Drive on
Jan. 11 thought they were
responding to a routine structure
fire, but once at the scene many
realized the situation was more
disturbing, dangerous and different
than any they had ever seen.
INVESTIGATION
POPULAR
ON THE WEB
BrownsvilleHerald.com
Vol. 121 | No. 212
PEMEX
EXPLOSION
PAGE A12
BUSINESS
After a decade spent experiencing
great architecture, Javier Huerta
faced a crossroads: Should he
keep working for Lake/Flato, an
innovative, A-list architecture
firm, or head back south and do
his own thing?
BRAIN GAIN
PAGE C1
B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013 75 CENTS
An explosion at the main
headquarters of Mexicos
state-owned oil company in
the capital Thursday killed
more than a dozen people and
injured 80 as it heavily
damaged three floors of the
building, sending hundreds into
the streets and a large plume of
smoke over the skyline.
Abby ................................B6
Amusements ....................B6
Calendar ........................A13
Classified ..........................C2
Comics..............................B5
Community ....................A13
Editorial..........................A10
Horoscope ........................B6
Sports ..............................B1
TV Listings ...................... B7
Weather ............................B8
High 74
Low 58
2013 The Brownsville Herald. All rights reserved
HOGGING THE
LIMELIGHT
LOS FRESNOS
Local students gear up for livestock show
The squeals came from the
Yorkshire pig that 17-year-old
Truett Cawlfield of Los Fresnos
has raised since October and
will present during one of the
many livestock show events this
weekend during the 2013
Cameron County Fair &
Livestock Show and Los Fresnos
PRCA Rodeo.
To avoid possible complica-
tions, the students breed multiple
pigs, which came in handy last
year for Truett when his prized
hog hurt a leg. Truett ended up
presenting the runt of the two.
This pig was being so diffi-
cult, Truett said. The more you
have to hit a pig to get it to go
where you want, the more diffi-
cult they get.
BY MELISSA MONTOYA
THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
T
wo-hundred pounds
of pink flesh rolled
around in a pig pen
on Thursday and
squealed at the
sight of strangers in the agri-
cultural barn at Los Fresnos
High School.
Do you enjoy going to the Cameron County Fair & Livestock Show?
To respond, log on to www.BrownsvilleHerald.com.
ONLINE POLL
PLEASE SEE SHOW, A4
SUPER BOWL
WEEKEND
Public
smoking
officially
sidelined
Brownsvilles
extended ban
set to begin
PLEASE SEE SMOKING, A4
YVETTE VELA/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
Above: The notched ears of a pig stand alert at the livestock barn at Los Fresnos High School. Ear notching is used to identify the
pigs and can also help provide other information about the pig. Local students are preparing for the Cameron County Fair &
Livestock Show, which begins today in Los Fresnos.
Left: Truett
Cawlfield works
in the livestock
barn at the Los
Fresnos High
School on
Thursday.
For a Cameron
County Livestock
Show and Los
Fresnos PRCA
Rodeo schedule,
see PAGE A4.
PHOTOS
View more images
in an online gallery:
BrownsvilleHerald.com
LOCAL
A jury was selected Thursday in
federal court for the trial of
Austin attorney Marc Rosenthal.
JURY SELECTION
PAGE A3
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN Thousands
of Texans spend millions
every year on specialty
license plates believing
the extra fees they pay
will help support such
things as state parks,
environmental groups or
arts organizations, but
instead lawmakers have
been diverting more than
half of those funds to bal-
ance the state budget
instead of raising taxes.
In the 2012-13 budget
cycle alone, the
Republican-controlled
Legislature diverted $4.9
billion in dedicated funds
derived from special fees
and taxes to help pay the
states $80 billion in routine
expenses. A bipartisan
group of lawmakers wants
that practice to stop.
The Legislature collec-
tively over the years has
fallen into a bad habit of
fee diversions, said Sen.
Craig Estes, R-Wichita
Falls, who helped write
last years budget and has
served in the Senate for 12
years. What do you do
when you develop a bad
habit? You break it.
Estes speech promot-
ed a bill Thursday that
would stop the diversion
of parks and wildlife
funds collected through a
special sales tax. In the
2012-13 budget, the state
collected $250 million in
these dedicated funds
but only spent $50 mil-
lion on the Parks and
Wildlife Department.
Estes said he has also
introduced legislation to
stop all such diversions
by taking dedicated
funds out of the appro-
priations process so law-
makers cant touch them.
The state comptroller
reported in December
that the Legislature raid-
ed dedicated funds for
highways, regional trau-
ma centers, medical edu-
cation programs, clean
air projects and even vol-
unteer fire departments.
Lawmakers divert the
money every session by
passing a funds consolida-
tion bill, which eliminates
all the strings attached to
dedicated accounts and
puts all the money one big
pot, explained Sen. Kirk
Watson, D-Austin, who
has been fighting the
practice for five years. He
praised the apparent
bipartisan support for
ending diversions and
budget gimmicks.
At this point we are
working toward compli-
ance. There is a probabili-
ty that on Monday we are
going to be visiting estab-
lishments throughout the
city that just need to be
reminded that the ordi-
nance is in place, he said.
The city wants to edu-
cate all business owners
and get them in compli-
ance, Rodriguez said,
before it will issue cita-
tions to those found in
violation of the ordi-
nance.
We are really just
trying to educate every-
one. At this point we
are taking baby steps and
starting out with
notices, he said.
The ordinance has
upset some bar owners,
who say it could force
them out of business.
This means we are
going to have to go out of
business. There is not a
doubt in my mind that
my place will end up
closing The pity is our
employees, Murna
Park, owner of Trails Inn
Saloon at 6705 Paredes
Line Road, said when the
city passed the ordinance
in December.
Lisa Mitchell, a
concerned resident,
had said she was
pleased with the City
Commissions deci-
sion and believes it
did what is best for
the community.
I think it is definitely
a step forward and it is
going to benefit business-
es, families, individuals
and employees and any-
one that has been exposed
to secondhand smoke,
Mitchell said when the
ordinance was passed.
The citys current
smoking ordinance
passed in July 2008 pro-
hibits smoking in restau-
rants and all other com-
mercial businesses
except those that operate
primarily as bars and
whose gross sales of alco-
hol exceed 51 percent of
total business revenue.
The city worked on
revising the ordinance
for about a year.
Rodriguez said busi-
ness owners have until
today to go by the Public
Health Department to
pick up No Smoking
signs before the ordi-
nance takes effect
Saturday. They can also
download and print a high
resolution copy of the sign
from the citys website at
http://health.cob.us/smok-
ing-ordinance-2012-1556.
lmartinez@
brownsvilleherald.com
SMOKING
FROM PAGE A1
However, this year
Truetts No. 1 pick is
healthy. He plans to sell
the runtier of the two in
the next few weeks.
This one looks like a
hotdog, Truett said of
his least favorite hog.
It doesnt have the
shoulders and the butt.
See how muscular that
one looks, this one is
kind of eh.
Because he knows
both pigs are headed to
slaughter, he doesnt
name them.
Some people get
attached and name
them, the senior said.
But then its like youre
taking your pet to the
market.
The city of Los
Fresnos has about 5,500
residents, but the school
district serves more
than 10,000 students,
said Ronnie Zamora,
spokesman for Los
Fresnos Consolidated
Independent School Dis-
trict. The district covers
wide expanses of rural
areas, home to many
ranches.
Donald Wernecke,
who teaches the live-
stock and wildlife
course, said the projects
are a form of discipline
for many of his students.
Its intensive work,
Wernecke said. Three
times a day cleaning
your pig, feeding, water-
ing, walking, working
out your animal, letting
them get to know you.
Its a five-month project
on hogs.
The class, affiliated
with FFA, formerly
known as Future Farmers
of America, meets once a
day, but students are
responsible for feeding
their animals at least
twice daily to keep them
growing.
According to Wer-
necke, a pig can consume
three to four pounds of
food every day.
Truett spends an
additional 45 minutes
caring for his pig every
day and returns to the
school on weekends to
make sure the animal is
fed properly.
Mike Cargill, 16, of
Los Fresnos, will show
three lambs, one goat
and two steers, which
are castrated male cat-
tle.
He said he spends
about 10 hours a week
grooming and caring for
his animals, and he
loves the chaos of live-
stock shows.
For Truett, the time
spent with his swine has
taught him how to read
its mind.
The exercise will
help him when he goes
to Texas Tech
University to study
wildlife biology.
Wild animals, they all
have their own way of
thinking, Truett said.
Despite the fact that
these pigs are domesti-
cated, it gives me a little
bit of a window into the
way that wild animals
think. Because even
though they are domesti-
cated, theyre still a little
crazier than your aver-
age house dog.
mmontoya@
brownsvilleherald.com
PAGE A4 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013
WORK IS
OUR WORK
546-0595 423-7469
2404 Boca Chica Blvd.
BROWNSVILLE
823 Ed Carey Dr.
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GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE
Sponsored by the Hidalgo Coin Club
February 2 & 3, 2013
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Nomad Shrine Hall
1044 W. Nolana Loop - McAllen/Pharr Tx
$3 Admission - FREE Parking
Hourly Door Prizes
$1 Students under 17
BUY SELL
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NOW SHOWING

VALLEY/TEXAS
Friday, Feb. 1
8 a.m. - Judging of Jr. Beef
Cattle, Heifers & Bulls
9 a.m. - Los Fresnos PRCA
slack performance (if necessary)
9 a.m. - Judging of Home
Show Arts & Crafts
10:30 a.m. - Judging of Lambs
Peewee Lamb Showmanship
immediately following (ages 3-7)
4 p.m. - Heart of America
Carnival opens.
4 p.m. - Chamber of Commerce
Arts & Crafts Show opens
5:30 p.m. - Comedy & magic by
Oscar Muoz
7 p.m. - Los Fresnos PRCA
Rodeo Bullfighting Competition
Calf Scramble (Grades 9-12) &
Mutton Bustin' (ages 4-7)
Performance by Texas Wild Bunch
during intermission
Fireworks
10 p.m. - Solido concert imme-
diately after rodeo
11 p.m. - Chamber of
Commerce Arts & Crafts Show
closes
12 a.m. - Heart of America
Carnival closes
Saturday, Feb. 2
8:30 a.m. - Judging of Market
Hogs
9 a.m. - Los Fresnos PRCA Slack
Performance (if necessary)
9:30 a.m. - Judging of Home
Show Baked Goods
11 a.m. - Los Fresnos PRCA
Rodeo Parade
12 p.m. - Heart of America
Carnival opens
12 p.m. - Chamber of
Commerce Arts & Crafts Show
opens
3 p.m. - Comedy & magic by
Oscar Muoz
4 p.m. - Live Auction and Sale of
Home Show Baked Goods
5 p.m. - Los Fresnos PRCA
Rodeo Bullfighting Competition
Calf Scramble (Grades 6-8) &
Mutton Bustin' (Ages 4-7)
Performance by Texas Wild Bunch
during intermission
Fireworks
6 p.m. - Judging of Market
Steers
8 p.m. - Kevin Fowler concert
immediately after rodeo
11 p.m. - Chamber of
Commerce Arts & Crafts Show
closes
12 a.m. - Heart of America
Carnival closes
Sunday, Feb. 3
9 a.m. - Judging of Rabbits
10:30 a.m. - Livestock Judging
Contest
12 p.m. - Heart of America
Carnival opens
12 p.m. - Chamber of
Commerce Arts & Crafts Show
opens
12 p.m. - Comedy & magic by
Oscar Muoz
1:30 p.m. - Scholarship Award
Presentation
Livestock Judging Contest Awards
2 p.m. - Los Fresnos PRCA
Rodeo Bullfighting Competition
Calf Scramble (Grade 3-5) &
Mutton Bustin' (Ages 4-7)
Performances by Texas Wild Bunch
during intermission
2 p.m. - Removal of all animals
& home show exhibits
2 p.m. - Comeron County
Livestock Show closes
6 p.m. - Chamber of Commerce
Arts & Crafts Show closes
11 p.m. - Heart of America
Carnival closes
LIVESTOCK SHOW & RODEO
SHOW
FROM PAGE A1
STAAR 15
percent rule
bill sent to
full Senate
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN The
Education Committee has
referred to the full Texas
Senate a measure allow-
ing local school districts
to decide how much they
want STAAR exam
results to count toward
high school students
grades.
Texas law requires
that scores on the State of
Texas Assessment of
Academic Readiness
exam count 15 percent of
high school students
grades in core courses.
But the rule has been
widely criticized by par-
ents and district superin-
tendents. It has been sus-
pended each of the first
two years the STAAR test
has been administered.
Education Committee
Chairman Dan Patrick
proposes allowing local
school districts to decide
if, and how much, they
want STAAR results to
factor into final grades
from zero to 15 percent.
The committee voted
unanimously Thursday to
send the bill to the Senate.
Bipartisan group promises end to diverting funds

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