News

Most of us have had or know someone who’s had the experience of standing in a long line – sometimes up to two hours – to apply for a new driver’s license or take a new photo.

Now, officials at the Texas Department of Public Safety are promising shorter lines for those and other services at their new "Mega Center" in Leon Valley, which opened on Friday, January 18.

The DPS Driver’s License Mega Center is the state’s answer to long lines in six locations, including Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, two in Houston, and San Antonio.

Pothole filled roads, bumpy highways and shaky bridges in Texas are posing mounting challenges to Texas drivers, according to a new report from TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation research organization.

Of the 100 transportation challenges identified in the report, five out of the top 50 are located in the San Antonio area.

Each week on World Music (Saturday nights from 8-10 on KSTX 89.1 FM), I take a look at celebrations happening around the world. This week, there'll be a painful march in Singapore, a burning hill in Japan, and a cow race in Australia! Read more about these unique festivals below, and see video of past celebrations!

THAIPUSAM

The Presidential Inauguration is Monday and Washington D.C. is ready for the massive celebration.

Also celebrating will be San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, and many other Latino celebrities, public officials and community leaders who worked on the Obama campaign. People who now hope to be rewarded with comprehensive immigration reform.

The Latino Inaugural Ball will be more like a star-studded extravaganza concert at the Kennedy Center and hosted by star Eva Longoria. Mark Anthony is performing, Jose Feliciano will jam and Rita Moreno will entertain.

The San Antonio Children’s Shelter is memorializing former leader Glenda Woods by renaming its campus in her honor.

At a dedication ceremony next week, the new Glenda Woods Campus for Children and Families will honor the service and leadership of the board member who molded the shelter into a multi-service facility.

Standardized testing in Texas: Are changes on the way? And what happens to the test papers when students have filled in the last bubble? How do you teach the bible in public schools without promoting a religious viewpoint? The Texas Legislature tries to figure out education funding (again), and now that the president has been re-elected for a second term, Latinos are asking about immigration reform.

A bill filed by State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D) of Houston would allow liquor stores to join its supermarket brethren in allowing alcohol sales after 12 p.m. Liquor stores across Texas must lock their doors on Sundays, and grocery stores cannot sell alcohol before noon.

A wave of great young pianists crashes into the Alamo City every three years to compete in the San Antonio International Piano Competition. Last October 11, aspiring artists arrived and prepared themselves to impress the judges at the usual venue - the Ruth Taylor recital hall. Luckily for all of us it was all recorded by John Coker.

During the cold months of January and February, five downtown bars and businesses are trying to keep the homeless of San Antonio warm with a collective donation drive through their shop fronts.

Overnight temperatures in San Antonio have dipped into the 30s in recent days. That concerns Lesa Ammann, the owner of Club Sirius on Losoya Street, who sees the homeless of San Antonio with nowhere to go.