News

San Antonio Independent School District has named Manuel Isquierdo, who is currently the superintendent of Sunnyside Unified School District in Tuscon, Ariz., as the finalist for the superintendent position.

It’s been more than a year, but trustees finally made the decision at a special board meeting on Monday night. Isquierdo was the only one of three candidates called back for a second interview.

In order to curb the amount of debt owed by the Texas Department of Transportation, Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, is proposing the state raise the sales tax by one-half cent.

"Over the past ten years a large part of funding for TxDOT projects has been done by issuing debt. TxDOT has outstanding debt exceeding $12 billion. If we continue down this path it will 2045 before all these bonds are paid off and it will cost the taxpayers about $28 billion including principal and interest," Eltife said.

An Article 32 evidentiary hearing is scheduled for this morning in the case against Senior Airman Christopher Oliver of the 324th Training Squadron.

The former military training instructor is charged with having unprofessional relationships with three basic trainees and a fourth woman who was a tech training student. Oliver also faces charges of sexual assault and sodomy against one of the trainees, as well as maltreatment of trainees, and obstruction of justice.

In The First Segment:

The health of San Antonio is gauged each year by the San Antonio Metro Health District's annual report. Bexar County and San Antonio have never been beacons of health, but the report details the specific issues that we are dealing with locally.  

From unprecedented levels of syphilis infections to amputations from diabetes at a rate four times the national average, the city still has major health problems.

Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston is going green. New electric vehicles have taken to the streets of the post to save money and reduce pollution.

On-post errands at Fort Sam Houston used to be done in large, multi-passenger or cargo vans, sometimes even when only a smaller vehicle was needed.

About six months ago the post acquired 36 Low-Speed Electric Vehicles that Army North spokesman Eric Lobsinger said are working out well in more ways than one.

The Mexican Government has agreed to release additional water into the Rio Grande from its tributaries outside of a 79-year-old treaty on water rights as both counties face a difficult drought.

The 90-day agreement will allow additional water from the San Rodrigo River to flow into the Rio Grande and be used by the two countries.

The agreement comes a few weeks after several South Texas congressmen voiced grave concerns about water shortages.

This is the sixth gambling bill that Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, has authored in the last decade and he is hoping for the passage of a constitutional amendment that allows Texas voters to decide on the issue of legalized gambling.

The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio are the only Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender organization of their kind in Bexar County to screen and endorse candidates for public office.

For endorsement consideration, candidates must fill out a questionnaire on issues like non-discrimination and during its recent review of candidates for the San Antonio City Council, 22 of the 39 candidates completed their questionnaires.