Category: San Antonio News

A woman in her 60s is dead following a house fire on the city’s North Side early Tuesday morning, the San Antonio Fire Department said.

The fire was called in around 4:40 a.m. at a home in the 9500 block of Mider Drive, not far from McCarty Road and San Pedro Avenue.

Firefighters said when the arrived, they found flames coming from the home. A bedridden woman inside was unable to make it safely out. The woman’s husband had minor smoke inhalation and is being treated at the scene by emergency crews, fire officials said.

The cause of the fire is not currently known. An arson investigation crew will try and determine an exact cause.

According to the San Antonio Fire Department website, as many as 14 units answered the call.

KSAT12 has a crew at the scene.

This is a developing story. Stay with KSAT12 both online and on-air for more information.

Mayor warns that the more than 90-year-old midtown venue is a “deteriorating jewel.”

A 16-year-old boy was taken to an area hospital after being shot twice in the backside outside a Northwest Side IHOP early Tuesday morning, San Antonio police said.

Officers were called just before 4 a.m. to the restaurant located on Interstate 10 near Vance Jackson after receiving word of a disturbance and a shooting.

According to police, the original disturbance involved the 16-year-old and a group of people at another table. That’s when, police say, they all went outside and witnesses heard the teen telling the group to get away from him. The boy was shot twice in the buttocks.

SAPD said the teen was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, with non life-threatening injuries. The shooter fled the scene.

Officers later found an abandoned car not far from the restaurant. They are now looking at it to determine if it is the one the shooter used to get away. So far, no arrests have been made in the case.

The name of the teen shot has not been released. Authorities did not say what the altercation was about.

This is a developing story. Stay with KSAT12 both online and on-air for more information.

Did you know there’s a 140-acre wildlife conservation preserve in the Texas Hill Country?

Founder Rick Barongi, a zoologist, director and conservationist founded Longneck Manor as a way to share his love of animals and Africa with people who may not otherwise get to go.

“Nothing can duplicate a real African safari and watching large herds of animals roam past you on a seemingly endless savannah,” said Barongi. “However, only a fraction of 1% of the American public will ever go on an African safari.”

Tours are available at Longneck manor for $95 a person and are limited to ten people per tour. Each tour is roughly 90 minutes and provides close-up encounters and photo opportunities with the giraffes and rhinos that live on the property.

Guests on the tour will be able to feed the giraffes and rhinos while they learn ways they can help save them from extinction, according to the manor website.

“After participating in more than 50 trips to over 18 African countries I have an in-depth knowledge of the challenges of wildlife conservation in many parts of Africa,” said Barongi. “Guests can be sure that the resources are going where they can have the most impact.”

Another option, albeit a more costly one, is an opportunity to stay in the giraffe suite. It’s a minimum two-night stay starting at $750 a night and accommodates up to five guests.

Windows in the master bedroom, living room and kitchen of the giraffe suite overlook the family giraffe stall, putting guests nose to nose with the animals. (Don’t worry, the air system is completely separate so you won’t have to smell the animals while you sleep.)

“I have had the distinct pleasure of getting to know these iconic animals of the African savannah intimately over the past 45 years through my work in some of the best zoos and safari parks in the country. Ever mindful of my deep admiration and respect for these endangered species and my fears for their survival, I now want others to share this emotional experience at Longneck Manor,” said Barongi.

He said he hopes everyone who visits will “leave with a renewed sense of purpose for saving animals in the wild and join in the fight to save our planet and all its inhabitants.”

For Barongi, he said it all comes down to one of his favorite quotes from Dr. Seuss — “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Longneck Manor is located at 1749 Beyer Road in Fredericksburg. It opened in July 2021.

In addition to the giraffes and white rhinos, Barongi is currently working to introduce cheetahs to Longneck Manor sometime this year.

Related:

Inside the effort to save the beloved Texas horned lizardBounty offered in two Texas counties for feral hogsPreteen rescued from drainage ditch after standoff with snake

Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal.

A Dallas-based entertainment company announced plans Tuesday to expand to San Antonio.

Pinstack, an upscale entertainment and dining chain — operated under parent company Entertainment Properties Group Inc. — announced in a press release its fifth Texas location will open in the Alamo City in the third quarter of this year. A specific date for a grand opening was not released.

The new local spot will be at 742 NW Loop 410 near North Star Mall.

“We look forward to being a great community partner and job provider. We will bring with us over 200 new jobs to the community,” Mark Moore, CEO of Entertainment Properties Group said in the release.

Construction is currently underway for the more than 54,000-square-foot space, which will offer 28 bowling lanes with food and beverage service, a game room, high ropes course, video games and virtual reality technology. The facility will also include a 24-feet tall LED-lit rock-climbing wall, laser tag and bumper cars.

Pinstack also offers a full-service “Bowl Bar” with a wine list, cocktails and 24 draft beers.

“We plan to open two to three locations each year. We are working multiple deals across the country but focused on San Antonio for now,” said Entertainment Properties Group, Inc. Director of Marketing Leigh Ann Hatchett. The company currently has operating locations in Plano, Austin, Irving, and Allen.

Click here to read this story and others on San Antonio Business Journal.

Also on KSAT:

SeaWorld makes $3 billion-plus offer to buy Ohio-based theme park company that owns SchlitterbahnFlorida-based childcare franchise announces expansion into San Antonio areaAmerican Airlines to cut 30-plus SA flights as omicron clouds spring recoveryFrost Tower, downtown San Antonio’s ‘crown jewel,’ is up for sale

The company said it would provide stock awards during the year to bring newly promoted employees into the new pay ranges.

Buying a vehicle isn’t what it used to be. Now, it might take you months to get the new vehicle you purchased, or you have to pay a lot more to get one that’s used right now.

April Ancira, chairperson of the Auto Dealers Association, says supply chain issues, chip shortages, and other factors have brought on these latest trends.

“People are now having to defer to used cars in order to get something pretty fast. So the problem with that that makes is now the used cars are a bit more expensive and I am actually saying bit a little bit lightly. A lot more expensive than they were in previous years,” Ancira said.

But she says those who are buying online and waiting are happier with what they get, although they might be paying more.

“Customers come in. They know what they want. They come in and purchase the vehicle and they are happier than they were pre-pandemic,” she said.

Sales are also up for dealers and, there’s less haggling, she said.

“There are tons of trucks and cars sitting at plants fully loaded, ready to go, just missing the chips. And the minute they get the chip in their pop, they’re on their way to the store,” she said.

She says it makes dealers nervous when they don’t see lots full of vehicles, but that’s just the way business is now. And she predicts it will be this way for a while longer.

“I’m just hoping in 12 to 18 months we’ll see some semblance of normalcy. So people are able to purchase a vehicle when they need to,” she said.

Commissioners are calling for quick release and transparency with body camera videos.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar says he’ll need more funding in order to make that happen on the 10-day deadline set by commissioners.

“If we’re able to get some of this technology on our side, some of these upgrades on our side, I’d like to get to the 10 days,” Salazar said on January 24th. He declined to speak with KSAT Monday, wanting to hold comment until after the commissioner’s meeting.

The technology mentioned would be upgraded body cameras and improved editing software to redact faces or license plates from videos that are released.

Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert says the additional funding isn’t necessary.

“I looked at the contract. Our contract already included an upgrade to the latest version of the Axon body camera,” Calvert, commissioner of precinct 4 said.

It allows them to use the “lightning” speed of the redaction technology displayed on Axon’s website.

“So what they were really asking for at the sheriff’s department were new tasers,” Calvert said. “They were asking for virtual training software.”

In a letter written Friday, Calvert wrote “the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department is seeking Axon’s OSP 7+ system which includes new tasers, the Axon Body 3, Axon VR Training, and Auto- Transcribe.”

Letter Body Cameras 2.4.202… by Emily Martin

Sheriff Salazar did mention the need to upgrade their tasers on the 24th but said Axon would offer a discount.

“What we’re doing is we’re just looking to, to accelerate that replacement process and save ourselves some money in the process,” Salazar said.

At their meeting Tuesday, county commissioners will decide whether or not to grant the sheriff’s request for additional funding.

If so, instead of $6,376,756 over five years for the current contract, it’ll be increased to $9,441,514.

“I think it’ll probably pass, but I’m not sure that it’s a wise decision to. I don’t think without the assurance that we’re going to get it in 10 days,” Calvert said.

That 10-day release after a critical incident has been a real sticking point. The sheriff says 30 days at this point is more feasible until they can work down to 10 days.

Other surrounding departments follow a similar timeline.

Austin Police Department releases video after 10 days, and Dallas Police Department releases video 72 hours after a critical incident.

A 29-year-old man and a 13-year-old boy were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds after someone opened fire into a crowd on the city’s East Side, San Antonio police said.

The shooting happened at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of Rigsby Avenue on Monday night.

Police said some teenagers were fighting outside when a group came to aid the assailant, and a 29-year-old man went outside to try to break it up.

While that transpired, a blue sedan pulled up, with one man in his 30s coming out holding a shotgun and firing at the crowd, police said.

The shooter then left the scene, and police say he may have been with another person in the vehicle.

The 29-year-old man and 13-year-old boy were shot in the leg and taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. A 19-year-old was injured but not shot and did not require hospitalization.

Police said detectives were speaking with witnesses to get more details about the shooting. They ask anyone with information to call the Homicide Unit at 210-207-7360.

As the City of San Antonio launches the sales-tax-funded workforce training program, which voters approved in November 2020, officials say employers’ participation is vital to its success.

More the 70 employers have signed onto a pledge supporting the upcoming “SA: Ready To Work” program, which will provide tuition for certification programs or associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields. The goal of the $200 million program is to help participants get and keep jobs paying at least $15 an hour with benefits.

The program will include wraparound support, emergency assistance, and job placement and retention services. It’s open to San Antonio residents who aren’t currently enrolled in college and whose household income is less than 250 percent of the federal poverty guidelines — $33,975 for an individual or $69,375 for a family of four in 2022.

Though the program isn’t expected to start until April, the city says residents can preregister by calling 311.

City officials and business leaders gathered Monday on the City Hall steps to herald its launch.

Executive Director of Workforce Development Mike Ramsey told KSAT he’s “extremely optimistic” about the program’s success.

“I think the employer response has been key,” Ramsey said. “You saw here today the very, you know, solid, high-quality employers that have been long-standing stalwarts of this community, standing behind this program. That gives me the confidence that we’re going to have the alignment necessary for what their jobs are, so we can build the program that when people finish, we haven’t built the bridge to nowhere. We’ve built them a bridge to a good-paying, high-quality job.”

The city is coming off of the debatable success of a previous workforce training program, “Train for Jobs SA.”

Approved by the city council in June 2020 to combat the sudden spike in unemployment, the $65 million program was focused on job training and high school equivalency programs. It did not include degree programs as Ready to Work does.

Train for Jobs SA, however, included stipends for its participants, whereas SA: Ready to Work will not.

The goal of Train for Jobs SA, according to a city document from July 2020, was to serve up to 10,000 people by September 2021, with 75 percent of them finishing training programs.

As of Jan. 31, the city was still conceivably on track to meet that benchmark, although later than expected. Just 2,257 people had actually completed their training program, while another 2,383 were still in progress. Another 2,933 were pending enrollment in a program.

Altogether, that would be 7,575 people somewhere along the training pipeline.

Another 411 people dropped out of their programs, and 2,323 people completed the preliminary intake process but have not enrolled in a program.

Though enrollment for Train for Jobs SA closed at the end of 2021, training will continue through 2022.

Asked about the program and how its outcomes inform his expectations for Ready to Work, Mayor Ron Nirenberg told KSAT, “We need to continue to invest in human capital in our city, to close the gap between skills and the employment opportunities that are available in our city. If we don’t do that, we’re going to continue to suffer with the lack of economic mobility that we’ve seen over years.”