Category: San Antonio News

Hotel Emma, arguably the crown jewel of San Antonio’s Pearl district, sits high on U.S. News & World Report’s new list of the best hotels in the country, ranking as the No. 7 top hotel in the U.S. and the No. 1 Texas property. The 146-room riverfront property, which opened in 2015, repeatedly appears at or near the top of rankings for the state’s best hotels. “Hotel Emma stands out among travelers for its cool…

2020 was tough for a lot of philanthropies around the country and in the San Antonio area, but last year was filled with generosity for the Alzheimer’s Association San Antonio & South Texas Chapter.

The organization is back on track and a big fundraising effort for the group all started as a sibling rivalry on social media.

“Our grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease and so did my brother’s grandmother and grandfather, and we’ve had a family and friends with it. So it’s really affected our lives, kind of growing up and and growing older with each other,” Matthew Skinner said.

It was Matthew and his brother Miguel Martinez who turned a hatred over beans and a reluctancy to shave their beards into a huge fundraiser.

“I decided, let’s turn it into a competition. Whoever raises the most wins and whoever raises the least amount of money will have to pay the consequences — either eating beans or shaving my beard,” Skinner said.

It started in the hundreds and soon grew to the thousands of dollars. The best part: They donated all of the proceeds to the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Every dollar that’s raised donated to the association goes to provide care and support to those living with Alzheimer’s dementia, so those living with the disease today. But it also helps to fund and accelerate research on a global scale, so ultimately to end the disease so others don’t have to live through it,” Greg Sciuto executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association said.

The brothers said their main goal is to tell families in and around the community about all the resources available, and, if any money is raised, it’s just icing on the cake.

“I think we’re at 70K right now,” Skinner said.

On top of these challenges, there are other ways of helping out. The “Run to Remember” is coming up during Fiesta, and the Longest Day 5K-10K takes place during the late spring or early summer.

“I would like help from whoever’s watching this to find out what the next punishment for ‘Beard versus Beans’ round five is going to be as our fifth year. We’re going to do it super huge,” Skinner said.

If you are interested in the “Beard vs Beans” challenge and fundraiser you can go to their website by clicking here. And if you are looking for help to fight Alzheimer’s, click here.

It’s not news that the San Antonio real estate market is red-hot (here’s proof), but it is noteworthy when there’s a better way to buy and sell your home. The Listing Firm has combined a full-service brokerage with a seller-friendly commission model of 4.5 percent that will put more money back in their clients’ pockets at closing. Compare that to the traditional 6 percent commission that most real estate firms charge, and it adds up…

San Antonio arson investigators have been going through a North Side home, looking for clues about the cause of a deadly fire.

Fire crews initially were called to the scene in the 9500 block of Mider after 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

They found flames and smoke throughout the home, but with a heavy concentration of fire in a back bedroom.

RELATED: North Side house fire kills ‘bedridden’ woman, 67

Joseph Arrington, a public information officer for SAFD, says a man who lived in the home had escaped.

However, he told firefighters that his wife was still inside.

“Reports we had is that she was bedridden, so she was stuck in that bedroom where it appears the origin of that fire was,” Arrington said.

Firefighters had to battle the intense smoke and flames before they could get inside the home.

Still, it was too late when they reached the woman.

”They did unfortunately find on individual, a 67 year old woman, deceased in that back bedroom,” Arrington said. “A sad day obviously for us but, again, crews made every effort they could to get in.”

The woman’s husband suffered minor smoke inhalation and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Arson investigators were called in to determine how the fire started.

A man accused of trying to steal a car was rushed to the hospital in critical condition Tuesday morning after he was shot by a security guard on the Southeast Side of San Antonio, according to police.

Officers were called to the 1100 block of Southeast Military Drive around 9 a.m. in response to a shooting.

Police spoke to a security guard, who told them he was patrolling the shopping plaza when he heard his car start, according to Officer Nicholas Soliz.

The security guard confronted the man, and a physical struggle ensued, he told police. When the man “brandished a weapon,” the security guard opened fire on him, Soliz said.

Soliz did not provide details on what kind of weapon the man had, and it is unclear how many times he was shot.

No arrests have been made as of Tuesday morning as investigators continue looking into the case, Soliz said.

Read more:

North Side house fire kills ‘bedridden’ woman, 67Teen shot twice during altercation outside NW Side IHOP, police say

Adults ask kids for their opinions all the time, but the kids’ answers don’t always hold their intended weight. “Did you like that movie?” can be a bit of a leading question from adults who expect an energetic affirmation over a thoughtful critique. Forming an honest answer — something kids are both famous and infamous for offering — gives kids a chance to connect more deeply with what they saw, and gives grown-ups a fun…

The family of a Northwest Side home has been displaced following a house fire early Tuesday morning, the San Antonio Fire Department said.

The fire was called in just before 5 a.m. at a home in the 9200 block of Braswell Street, not far from Guilbeau Road and Bandera Road.

Firefighters said when they arrived, they found flames coming through the roof of the single-story home. The family inside all made it out safely, fire officials said.

The fire was knocked down quickly and without incident. Officials describe the damage to the home as being “extensive.” No injuries were reported.

According to the San Antonio Fire Department website, as many as 12 units answered the call.

The cause of the fire is not currently known.

Students, faculty and staff at several San Antonio universities and colleges can use VIA services for free this spring and summer.

VIA Metropolitan Transit said with the VIA U-Pass, students and employees have unlimited access to bus service anywhere in the VIA network.

The VIA U-Pass is available for more than 90,000 students and employees at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Alamo Colleges, Our Lady of the Lake University, the University of the Incarnate Word and CodeUp.

“The VIA U-Pass is designed to provide convenient access to public transportation and to help address the challenges of growing student populations with limited and paid parking options on or near campus,” VIA said in a news release.

The passes do not need to be purchased as they are provided upon class enrollment.

Riders can access the U-Pass through the VIA’s goMobile+ app, or by showing their school ID card. University students who do not have smartphones can present their school ID with a VIA sticker provided by their school.

For more information, click here.

Read also:

University of Texas at San Antonio is now a Tier One school

Editor’s note: Watch the latest episode of Whatever the Weather video podcast above or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get notified when new episodes publish each month by signing up for the free newsletter here.

The Big Freeze. The Arctic Blast. The Winter Storm. Whatever you call it, there’s no doubt you remember the cold, wintry weather that crippled San Antonio and Texas in February 2021. In the newest episode of the Whatever the Weather podcast, KSAT meteorologists Kaiti Blake and Sarah Spivey look back at the historic event as the anniversary approaches. Here’s a preview of what’s covered in the episode:

1. The Timeline

KSAT meteorologists had an understanding a week before the historic storm that we were going to get some kind of cold, wintry precipitation around Valentine’s Day. However, it wasn’t until Thursday, Feb. 11, that we had a clear understanding that South Central Texas would spend several days below freezing.

After the first round of snow fell around San Antonio on Sunday night, CPS Energy started issuing “rolling blackouts” by early Monday morning. Later, all Texans would discover that the ERCOT power grid failed.

After a final round of snowfall on Thursday, Feb. 18, San Antonio finally started thawing out Friday with sunshine and a high in the 40s. Find a full timeline here.

2. Temperatures

San Antonio first dipped below freezing on Friday night, Feb. 12. The temperature wouldn’t get above freezing until Wednesday, Feb. 17, so in total, we spent 107.5 hours below freezing during the event. The coldest air temperature recorded in San Antonio was 9 degrees on Monday, Feb. 15. That was one of five record low temperatures set during the Big Freeze.

What’s more, the wind chill in San Antonio got as low as -8 degrees at one point — the second coldest wind chill on record for the city.

3. Snowfall

During the winter weather event, there were four days in which San Antonio received measurable snowfall at the airport — a first for the city! Regardless, in terms of total snowfall, the winter of 2021 wound up being the third-snowiest winter since records have been kept. See photos here.

4. Damage

It’s believed that the Winter Storm resulted in at least 210 deaths across Texas, according to a study by the University of Houston. The same study also states that most fatalities could be attributed to hypothermia, vehicle crashes, carbon monoxide poisoning and chronic medical conditions complicated by the weather.

On top of the loss of human life, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service reports that there was nearly $608 million in agriculture losses, including livestock and crops.

RELATED: February’s arctic blast in San Antonio has few historical comparisons

About the podcast

Whatever the weather, Meteorologists Kaiti Blake and Sarah Spivey have it covered on the local news – for about three minutes, in between commercial breaks.

Rarely, though, do they have time to explain weather phenomena in depth. On “Whatever the Weather,” Kaiti and Sarah dig deeper and tell you all you want to know about Mother Nature – from tornadoes, to freezing rain, to climate change. They also chat about what it’s like to be broadcast meteorologists and the challenges they sometimes face in day-to-day TV life.

So put on your nerdiest glasses, pop on your best headphones, and enjoy…Whatever the Weather!

How to stream, listen

You can find the Whatever the Weather video podcast the following ways:

On KSAT.comOn KSAT Plus, a free streaming app that works with most smart devicesOn KSAT’s YouTube pageBy signing up for the Whatever the Weather newsletterOn your favorite podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple and more

Past episodes

Ask questions

Have a question for Sarah and Kaiti? Ask in the form below and you could get your answer on the next episode!

If you’re in the market for new electronics or home goods.. you’re in luck. February is a good month to get deals in-stores and online.

Deal News is out with a round-up of all of the best bargains and deals for the month.

Televisions, clothing, and mattresses are a few of the things you’ll likely find on sale.

You’ll also want to keep an eye out for a wide range of electronics sales leading up to President’s Day. Deal News says to expect savings of close to 70% on laptops and desktops from Dell, Lenovo, and H-P.

Retailers like best buy and E-Bay are expected to offer potentially even bigger discounts. Watch for markdowns on winter clothing as well as retailers look to clear out space for spring apparel.

And of course, be on the lookout for jewelry deals leading up to Valentine’s Day. Some retailers will offer big deals.