This is TPR's roundup of the latest headlines and news developments. It provides a succinct and clear summary of the stories TPR is following.
Today's weather: The morning will start off in the 30s but temperatures will warm up throughout the day for a sunny high of 65. Mostly cloudy tonight, with a low around 56.
Bexar County Criminal Justice System faces backlog
Bexar County Commissioners discussed this week the ongoing case backlog at the District Attorney's Office.
District Attorney Joe Gonzales acknowledged the challenges facing his office, including staffing shortages, a new case computer system, and the time it takes for prosecutors to review the ever-growing amounts of body cam footage now used as evidence.
"I just want to make sure the public knows that we're doing everything we can to tackle those issues that we're confronted with," he said.
Commissioners continued funding for the DA's office to work overtime on the backlog, which includes high-risk criminal cases.
City Council to vote on horse-drawn carriage phase out
San Antonio City Council meets this morning to vote on a timeline to phase out horse-dawn carriages in downtown San Antonio.
There are currently five permitted carriage companies operating in the city.
The phase-out would give the carriage industry three years to shut down operations. Council members may change that timeline when they convene to vote this morning.
NCAA Men's Final Four looks for local volunteers
San Antonio will welcome around 100,000 visitors during the NCAA Final Four events next year from April 4th through 7th. The event is expected to pump more than $400 million into the local economy.
Event organizers are looking for nearly 2,500 volunteers to help greet visitors and work at fan and music festivals.
Volunteers must be at least 18 and pass a background check. They must also take on three work shifts between March 31 and April 7.
Interested volunteers can apply at Volunteer | 2025Men's Final Four.
How to navigate disagreements about politics this holiday season
Family gatherings during the holiday season can be a context for heated debates about politics.
The book Bridging Our Political Divide explores how we can live with each other peacefully, despite our differences.
Psychologist and author Kenneth Barish said the best way to approach difficult conversations at the family table is to focus on having a dialogue, not a debate.
Barish encourages people to be good listeners and try to understand the reason why someone is passionate about their cause.
New Braunfels confirms latest rabies case
The City of New Braunfels and Comal County are urging residents to be cautious with unfamiliar animals on the heels of another confirmed case of rabies.
Twenty-four rabies cases have been confirmed in Comal County this year — the highest number since 2018.
Comal County Public Health officials say the latest case was detected in a fox outside the New Braunfels city limits.
Health officials remind everyone to be cautious around wild and feral animals like foxes, raccoons, bats, skunks, and stray dogs or cats.
Witte hosts 17th annual tamalada
The holidays are the season for tamales. San Antonio's Witte Museum will give local residents the opportunity to learn how to make tamales during its annual tamalada on Dec. 14.
The Witte's Cassandra Santillan said the event brings people together during the holiday season.
“Since it's so labor intensive, the best way to do it is to kind of share the work," she said. Families and friends will get together and they will, we like to say, get their hands in the masa and make tamales together.”
Participants in this weekend's tamalada get to take a dozen of their masterpieces home. Registration ends midnight tonight WitteMueseum.org
