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KPAC Blog:
8:40 am
Wed March 27, 2013

Dvorak Dazzles With Cypress Quartet's New Release

The Cypress String Quartet has been together for over 15 years, and the latest project shows their roots - and their uncanny charm in Antonin Dvorak's "Cypresses," & "Opus 106." The album also marks their first recording with Avie Records, having previously produced their own albums and worked with Naxos and Summit Records.

The Cypress Quartet's playing is refined and passionate. Both works on the album are highly crafted, although they come from different times in Dvorak's life, and the quartet allows each to shine. 

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Bexar County Sheriff
5:07 pm
Tue March 26, 2013

Pamerleau Says Hiring Emergency Is Leveling Off, Other Priorities Get Attention

Credit Eileen Pace / TPR
Sheriff Susan Pamerleau waits to give her jail overtime presentation to Bexar Co. Commissioners in Jan. 2013

Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said the overtime problem at the county jail is just about a thing of the past.

Pamerleau asked for an additional $500,000 in late January to cover overtime hours that had backed up due to understaffing before she took office. She asked for another $500,000 last month to continue paying overtime as she worked on filling vacant slots through training and hiring new detention officers.

"We need to get to the point to where we have the same number of faces as we have spaces," Pamerleau said.

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The Source
4:22 pm
Tue March 26, 2013

Updated: Federal Judge Lifts City's Ban Against Cuellar

Credit Chris Eudaily / TPR
The Texas Civil Rights Project is taking up the case of Michael Cuellar, who was banned from going to City Hall and other city buildings.

* This is an update on an episode of "The Source" that aired in early January, Banned From City Hall. In order to provide some background on this latest development we are airing the original episode for the March 27 edition of "The Source."

(Update: March 27, 2:16 p.m.) The City of San Antonio lost in federal court today in its effort to permanently ban a former city employee from going to City Hall and attending city council meetings.

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City Council Elections
4:03 pm
Tue March 26, 2013

Medina Challengers Voice Concerns At District 5 Town Hall

Credit Ryan Loyd / TPR
Voters will decide who will fill the district 5 seat on May 11

The five candidates challenging incumbent David Medina for City Council District 5 - Richard Cardenas, Shirley Gonzales, John Carlos Garcia, Ricardo Briones, and Frank Ramirez - all say the representation in the district has been sub-standard.

They talked about their ideas at a town hall meeting on March 16 on the stage of the Guadalupe Arts Cultural Center in the heart of district 5, but Medina was missing.

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Arts & Culture
2:32 pm
Tue March 26, 2013

'America's Got Talent' Showcases City And Local Production Talent

NBC’s "America’s Got Talent" wrapped up a week’s stay in San Antonio on Friday for the taping of the popular TV show, and the city's contributions to the show are being hailed as a success.

The show auditioned 100 competitors from all over the country, not just San Antonio.

Drew Mayer-Oakes with the San Antonio Film Commission said the show brought dozens of its own producers and staffers, but hired some local talent as well.

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City Council Elections
2:30 pm
Tue March 26, 2013

Nirenberg Suggests To District 8 Constituents He's Ready For The Job

Credit Ron Nirenberg for City Council District 8 Facebook Page
Ron Nirenberg speaks to people at the Hunters Creek meet and greet

With a month and a half to go until the city elections, candidates are defining themselves in different ways. For District 8 candidate Ron Nirenberg, the associate general manager of jazz station KRTU, that means attacking the issues head on.

"At the end of the day, this council race should be about how can we help our community, and how can we do the right thing. It doesn't have to be after the election," said Nirenberg.

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Border & Immigration
1:33 pm
Tue March 26, 2013

Lamar Smith Has His Own Litmus Test For Immigration Reform

Credit Joey Palacios / Texas Public Radio
Rep. Lamar Smith could be a deciding vote if immigration reform is to pass.

As different political voices in Washington D.C. lay out their views for what immigration reform should look like, San Antonio Congressman Lamar Smith described his litmus test for viable immigration reform. 

Smith is seen an influential vote needed for immigration reform to pass the House and said there are three elements that must be included in any proposal.

"First of all we need to secure both our border and our interior," he said.

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World Music At SXSW
12:43 pm
Tue March 26, 2013

Kao=S Mixes Traditional & Modern Japan To Make Music & Visual Art

Tokyo-based Kao=S (pronounced 'kaus' - like house) mixes modern acoustic rock guitar riffs with the tsugaru syamisen - a traditional Japanese string  instrument - accompanied by the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) and Japanese sword performance.

The band is made up of Kaori (vocal/sword performance), Shuji (guitar/vocal), Jack (tsugaru syamisen and Daisuke (shakuhachi).

"Me and Jack played together in a different [group] and I met Shuji [when] I went to Shuji's live show and I talked to him [and said], 'Let's play together,'" Kaori said.

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World Music At SXSW
10:02 am
Tue March 26, 2013

Japan's Shugo Tokumaru Is In Control And 'In Focus'

For his latest album, "In Focus?," Shugo Tokumaru maintained complete control over the creative process and played all the instruments on the recorded disk. In order to perform live, however, he needed some help, and had his band to back him up.

While the band delivered the songs with energy, complete with the subtle textural nuances that give Shugo's songs a little something special, he was visibly focused on the other two musicians during their performance the afternoon of March 14.

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Career Education
9:52 am
Tue March 26, 2013

Doctors Visiting Area Schools To Dispel Myths, Encourage Medical Field

Credit UT Health Science Center
Radiologist Darlene Metter, M.D., (second from right) of UT Medicine San Antonio, shows a photo of an X-ray to fifth-graders at a local elementary school on National Doctors’ Day 2011.

Tomorrow, 25 schools across San Antonio will have special visitors to talk about the medical field. Dr. Pam Otto is one of the visiting doctors and said she has talked to students in the past who have plenty of questions about what it takes to become a physician.

"You know, 'How long are you in school?’ and, 'What does all that take? What kind of grades do you have to have?' The cost always comes up. For the women, a lot of times – even though half the medical school class is women now – the young ladies often ask, 'Can I still have a family?'" Otto said.

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