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Pre-K 4 SA
4:24 pm
Tue September 18, 2012

Rutgers Economist Says Pre-K 4 SA Investment Will Pay Off

Credit Ryan Loyd / Texas Public Radio
Dr. Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, says Pre-K 4 SA is a legitimate investment that will start children on the right path toward success

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro has gone national with his Pre-K 4 SA initiative, proclaiming at the Democratic National Convention that it’s one way he is invested in education for the youngest of his constituents. Castro is counting on the measure to pass in the general election to give thousands of four-year-olds a quality, full-day early education.

Rutgers University’s Dr. Steven Barnett, who is the director for the National Institute for Early Education Research, thinks the program will make a difference, despite what critics say.

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City Council Redistricting
4:06 pm
Mon September 17, 2012

City Council to Take Up Approval of New District Lines

Credit Ryan Loyd / Texas Public Radio
Austin attorney David Mendez shows the revised illustrative map he drew after gathering input from the community on new council district boundary lines.

“Simplistically said, San Antonio’s population growth during the decade is Hispanic, very much Hispanic," said David Mendez, who has been drawing redistricting maps for more than 30 years.

He said San Antonio is straightforward when it comes to redrawing city council district lines, but what was different for the Alamo City during this census round is where the growth was reported, and who was moving there.

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2013 City Budget
3:49 pm
Fri September 14, 2012

San Antonio City Council Adopts $2.3 Billion Budget for 2013

Credit City of San Antonio

District 2 Councilwoman Ivy Taylor said she wants to remain committed to code enforcement, as many residents had expressed during ten city-wide meetings to identify priorities in the budget.

However, during the voting process Taylor caused a little confusion when she motioned to adopt the budget, with the exception of the line item for Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

"She was just recently elected to the board," said City Clerk Leticia Vacek, "after this is voted upon we will have another motion voting for that particular funding."

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Early Education
3:45 pm
Fri September 14, 2012

San Antonio Business Leaders Back Mayor Castro's Pre-K 4 SA

Ramiro Cavazos
Credit Ryan Loyd / Texas Public Radio
Ramiro Cavazos with the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce speaks about the benefits of Pre-K 4 SA outside the Pearl Stables Thursday.

Business Leaders from San Antonio’s Greater Chamber, Hispanic Chamber, North Chamber and Women’s Chamber, say they are behind Mayor Castro’s Pre-K 4 SA program.

“And we’re behind it for one simple reason," said Richard Perez, "and that is that we want to be known as a city of education.”

Perez, along with Ramiro Cavazos, Larry Anthis, and Dr. Yvonne Katz, spoke of the advantages the program would have with thousands of four-year-olds in the Alamo City.

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Texas Matters
11:44 am
Fri September 14, 2012

Zombie Voters and Honesty in Politics

Credit Chris Eudaily / Texas Public Radio

Dead voter letters are one way that Texas scrubs its voter registration rolls. Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and voter registrar Don Sumners says he’s not going along with the Texas plan to scrub the voter rolls, and the state says he is violating the law. Gardner Selby with Politifact Texas talks about how they check statements made by politicians.

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City Council Debate
3:39 pm
Thu September 13, 2012

Capital Improvements Expansion Goes Forward Despite Chan Opposition

Elisa Chan
Credit Ryan Loyd / TPR
District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan looks frustrated at a city meeting discussing the proposed CIMS expansion.

The Capital Improvements Management Services Department (CIMS) could grow by eight project management positions under a plan devised by the city council.  

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Military Awards
3:06 pm
Wed September 12, 2012

Military Working Dog Awarded Certificate of Heroism for Bravery in Combat

Credit Ryan Loyd / Texas Public Radio
Layka, who is now retired, rests comfortably even though she is missing her front leg.

Like any other four-legged friend, she’s pretty happy and lovable, but Layka, a Belgian Malinois, is more than man’s best friend. She is literally a life-saver.

As the ceremony began, a serviceman read the award aloud to the crowd gathered to celebrate Layka.

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Pre-K 4 SA
2:58 pm
Wed September 12, 2012

District Support Vital for Pre-K 4 SA Program to Work

According to Interim Superintendent Rey Madrigal, Harlandale ISD is growing each year despite a lack of new housing developments. He said this year enrollment increased by 217 students.

For city council members, this means neighborhoods are being revitalized with younger families, and also more children to fill pre-K classes.

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Public Broadcasting
12:38 pm
Wed September 12, 2012

KLRN: 50 Years of Broadcasting PBS in San Antonio

Credit KLRN

Bill Moll, who today is KLRN’s president and CEO, was the first person to speak on the carrier wave half a century ago. He has a lot to think about since that first broadcast, and reflects on the past and future of KLRN – including what would happen to public broadcasting if the CPB federal funds are cut off.

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Remembering 9/11
2:45 pm
Tue September 11, 2012

On 9/11 Anniversary, San Antonio Firefighters Make "Remembrance Climb"

Tower of the Americas
Credit Ryan Loyd / Texas Public Radio
Tower of the Americas

Much like that fateful September day 11 years ago, the skies were blue and the weather nearly perfect. But today the sound of a waterfall, bagpipes and bells filled the air instead of the deafening sound of skyscrapers crumbling.

Firefighters climbed 65 stories twice at the Tower of the Americas to match the 110 floors of the World Trade Center towers that fell. It’s the first tower climb to remember and reflect on firefighters who perished in the 9/11 attack.

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