Joey Palacios

‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ 19th Annual San Antonio Film Festival Begins Wednesday

Joey Palacios — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:41:21 +0000

The Alamo City is rolling out the red carpet for independent film makers this week during the annual San Antonio Film Festival. For nearly 20 years, fans of indie films have attended the San Antonio Film Festival for both short- and feature-length movies.

"It’s films that you’ll never see -- for the most part -- on Netflix or the movie theater," said Executive Director Adam Rocha.

SAISD Launches Book Mobile To Help Encourage Summer Reading

Joey Palacios — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:33:58 +0000

Elementary students on the near Eastside are getting access to free books during summer vacation thanks to a roaming book mobile.

In the lobby of Herff Elementary -- a dual-language school -- sit 1,500 books in different boxes marked by grade level and language. Principal Tracy Smith is trying an experiment to get these books in the hands children in the neighborhood over the summer.

"This is the maiden voyage – maiden voyage of the Herff Book Mobile," Smith said.

Study Finds Less Access To Supermarkets In Latin And Low-Income Neighborhoods

Joey Palacios — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:45:00 +0000

According to an aggregated study by the UT Health Science Center, people have a better chance of finding a fast food establishment than a supermarket in many Latin neighborhoods across the country.

Dr. Amelie Rivera is the director for health promotion research at the UT Health Science Center and said Latin and low income neighborhoods have about one third the number of supermarkets or grocery stores than others, but the more common bodegas, which are like a small market, are usually lacking in healthier options.

'Merry Christmas' Bill Will Allow Religious Holiday Observance In Public Schools

Joey Palacios — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:47:15 +0000

It’s nearly the start of summer but a law about to come out of the Texas Legislature has a yuletide mission to provide protections to public schools who want to offer religious celebrations during the winter.

Citizenship Status Could Be Delayed With Cornyn Amendment

Joey Palacios — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:14:55 +0000

The Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill is set to hit the floor next week with an anticipated lengthy debate and amendment process. One Texas senator is calling for a complete border security before many of the provisions in the bill can take effect.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, calls it the Results Amendment. It’s a long list of provisions that must be met before green cards and citizenship can be offered to undocumented immigrants. He said the key is 100 percent situational awareness of the southern border

Hellcab: A Rough Ride Into The Psyche Of Chicago

Joey Palacios — Fri, 31 May 2013 20:04:00 +0000

It’s the final three days for a stage production at Trinity University that follows the single day of a cab driver in Chicago as he picks up fares in the racially tense and sometimes seedy areas of the Windy City.

While the play calls for 36 characters, Attic Rep took on the challenge of using only seven actors.

The play, "Hellcab," takes place on the day before Christmas in Chicago. The weather is brutally cold, and a cab driver is reporting in at 6:30 a.m. for what will be a 14-hour shift.

Turning Northwest Plaza Lot Into City Park/Flood Control Plain

Joey Palacios — Thu, 30 May 2013 12:24:41 +0000

As the flood waters recede and evaporate from Saturday’s rains, Bexar County is breaking ground on a flood control project on Fredericksburg Road.

The Northwest Plaza Shopping Center at Fredericksburg and Gardania was condemned and torn down a few years ago and is now a concrete slab. The 26-acre plot of land just a few blocks south of loop 410 and Wonderland Mall will now become two large detention ponds about 8 feet deep to alleviate flooding.

The $28 million Laddie Place flood control project is part of the county’s 10-year $500 million flood plan.

Spurs Fans Rush Downtown Streets To Celebrate Western Conference Victory

Joey Palacios — Tue, 28 May 2013 22:07:49 +0000

The San Antonio Spurs are once again the Western Conference Champions and last night hundreds of fans flooded many of San Antonio’s major streets in celebration of the Spurs’ win against the Grizzlies.

Commerce and Market Streets were packed end to end with people in their cars honking horns, waving Spurs flags and sticking brooms out the window to mark the sweeping 4-0 victory in the series.

Fans like Mario Soza and Bianca Garcia said the team is going to bring home another title.

After Firing Search Firm, SAISD Names Interim Superintendent As Finalist

Joey Palacios — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:20:02 +0000

The San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees has voted 5-0 to name interim superintendent Sylvester Perez as the lone finalist for the full-time position.

Perez was not initially in the running for the permanent position, but eventually changed his mind. He is the former superintendent of Midland ISD and has been serving in the interim since Robert Duron left in Feb. 2012.

He said his focus will be to ensure students are at the proper reading level:

In Pictures: Edison Students Mobilize Emergency Response For Mass Casualty Drill

Chris Eudaily and Joey Palacios — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:05:08 +0000

Nearly 300 Edison High School students got hands-on experience with triage and search-and-rescue on Monday morning. A simulated school bus "explosion" was part of a four-hour training exercise at the Public Safety Magnet school. The students played the role of first responders.

It's a scenario that no one wants to see happen: An I.E.D. explodes on an SAISD school bus, injuring several dozen students--followed by a second blast a few minutes later.