Welcome to TPR's new roundup of the latest headlines and news developments. It is designed to provide a succinct and clear summary of the stories TPR is following.
Today's weather: The week continues to be sunny and warm in San Antonio, with an expected high of 95 and a low of 74. The rest of the week will see similar temperatures, with sunny skies and clear nights.
Uvalde school officers in first pretrial conference
The first pretrial conference of two former school officers took place Monday afternoon in Uvalde in connection to the botched police response to the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting.
Earlier this year, Pete Arredondo, the former chief of police for schools in Uvalde, and former officer Adrian Gonzales pleaded not guilty to a combined 39 charges of child endangerment in connection with the shooting.
On the day of the shooting, officers waited more than an hour to confront and kill the gunman. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed.
Arredondo was the presumed incident commander on that day and was highlighted in the Department of Justice report for his lack of active shooter and incident command training.
Earlier this month, Arredondo asked a court to dismiss the charges. He said the school children and teachers were already in danger before he arrived.
After the meeting, the men were escorted outside as victims' families surrounded their cars and called them cowards. The attorneys settled on a December date for the next pretrial conference.
SAISD asks public for input on planned land sale for baseball stadium
San Antonio ISD will seek input next month on the sale of 2.3-acres of land near Fox Tech High School for the City of San Antonio's proposed downtown baseball stadium.
The $160 million ballpark would rely on developing the land near the high school.
SAISD currently uses the space for parking.
The board took no action after discussing the issue in a closed executive session during a board meeting Monday night.
The district said it plans to schedule and coordinate a public meeting on the matter sometime in October.
H-E-B and San Antonio team up to help residents with insulin
The City of San Antonio and H-E-B have launched a Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program.
The initiative aims to support people who struggle with the cost of diabetes insulin prescriptions.
The program will cover up to $100 for each insulin prescription, including refills, until allocated program funds are exhausted.
It's open to anyone living in Bexar County and having difficulty affording insulin, with or without health insurance.
The program will involve 19 area H-E-B pharmacy locations.
Customers need to complete a consent form at a participating H-E-B pharmacy or online at SA.gov/Health.
They can send or drop off prescriptions in person. The program also offers free insulin delivery.
Firefighters union and city approve new contract
The San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association has approved a new union contract with the City of San Antonio.
Representatives reached a tentative agreement last month that would see firefighters earn 20% raises over three years.
The Express-News reported that about 97% of the 1,300 union members voted to approve the contract.
The City Council was expected to vote and officially authorize the contract during a meeting on Thursday.
The three-year contract is the first the two sides have agreed on since 2009.
Palo Alto College celebrates voting rights champion Willie Velásquez
Palo Alto College will officially declare today as Willie Velásquez Day in honor of the voting rights activist and to commemorate National Voter Registration Day.
Velásquez founded the Southwest Voter Registration Project 50 years ago in San Antonio to mobilize and empower the Latino community to vote.
Palo Alto will host a proclamation ceremony followed by a voter registration panel.
It will feature a special exhibition of national awards and personal memorabilia from Velásquez, provided by his family.
The panel begins at 2 p.m. at Palo Alto's Performing Arts Center.
RGV is now home to one of nation's best public speakers
A Rio Grande Valley resident became the first Latina to win an international public speaking competition hosted last month by Toastmasters International.
Luisa Montalvo of San Juan delivered a speech titled "37 Strangers." It recounted her experiences after a near-fatal car wreck that left her confined to a wheelchair.
The 65-year-old Valley resident shared in her award-winning speech a made-up conversation between St. Peter and God that she would have liked to have experienced in the six minutes her heart stopped beating.
"'St Peter, was this a car accident?' St. Peter says, 'yes it was.' 'Luisa Montalvo, makes sense. Have you ever seen her drive?' "
More than 30,000 people from around the world competed in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking.
