After 30 sit-downs, the contract negotiations between the City of San Antonio and the union representing San Antonio Police officers are approaching the one-year mark.

But could those talks also be approaching a conclusion – in the form of a new police contract?

The city and the San Antonio Police Officers Association sat down for the first time on Feb. 12, 2021 to hammer out the next contract to cover San Antonio Police officers. The most recent contract expired Sep. 30, 2021, but an evergreen clause keeps its terms in place for up to eight years – giving the city and union plenty of time to talk over a replacement contract.

Progress on that next deal has been slow at times. But now, just a few issues stand between the two sides and a tentative deal.

“If, you know, stars align and rainbows come out… In a perfect world, maybe we’re one or two meetings away,” said SAPOA Treasurer Jason Sanchez on Monday, following the two sides’ 30th meeting.

The city made officer discipline its top priority going into the negotiations. The biggest part of that goal- limiting an arbitrator’s power to reinstate fired police officers – has largely been sorted out.

Other issues remain, though, such as defining the window of time in which the police chief is allowed to discipline an officer.

Under the “180-day rule” currently in place, the police chief and other administrators can only discipline an officer for a civil matter within 180 days of it happening. For possible criminal acts, they have up to 180 days after first learning of the incident.

City officials say this limits the chief’s ability to punish officers if he learns about their misconduct too late.

The city and union had been attempting to craft a system under which the chief would have 180 days from learning of “major misconduct” to discipline the officer for it. However, the two sides couldn’t reach a consensus on how to draw the line between “major” and “minor” misconduct.

So, the city negotiating team proposed a new set of disciplinary guidelines on Monday, which it says are similar to what it has in place with the fire union.

Instead of a dividing line between “major” and “minor” misconduct, the police chief would have 180 days from the point he knew, or should have known, about misconduct to discipline an officer. However, the conduct would also have to have happened within the previous two years.

The city says discipline for criminal conduct, such as domestic violence, wouldn’t be affected by the two-year statute of limitations, even if the officer isn’t officially charged.

The union has not offered a hard stance on that proposal yet.

Another issue the city and union have to hammer out is officer pay.

The city put forward a proposal Monday that would raise officer’s paychecks by nearly 11.5 percent over the course of four years, as well as provide a 2 percent lump sum payment at the start.

The union’s most recent wage proposal would increase officer’s pay by more than 17 percent in the same time frame.

In all, Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez, the lead negotiator for the city, said there are roughly five articles of the contract, which still have pending items.

“So, you know, hopefully within a few more meetings, we should be able to agree on a tentative agreement,” she said.

Once the city and union hammer out a deal at the table, it will still need to be passed by the union membership and the city council.

But there are no guarantees on the two sides reaching a deal – even tentatively – anytime soon.

“It just depends on on how much movement everybody makes along the way,” Sanchez said, making sure to couch his more optimistic estimate. “It could be six months. It could be two years. It could be eight years.”

At the very least, the negotiations have been going more smoothly than they did during the last contract. The city’s focus on driving down health care costs at that time put it at loggerheads with both the police and fire unions.

The negotiations — and lack thereof — that took place between March 2014 and September 2016, involved a court case over the evergreen clause and mediation.

This time, there’s little to indicate the two sides won’t be able to cut a table at the bargaining table.

Sanchez noted that both the city and union have new leadership this time around.

Mike Helle has stepped down from the helm of SAPOA since the last go-around, replaced by John “Danny” Diaz. On the city side, Erik Walsh has taken over from Sheryl Sculley as city manager.

“The leadership styles are definitely different, and with that different leadership style, you have different opportunities for success,” Sanchez said.

The two sides have not yet set a date for their next bargaining session, though they listed Feb. 11, 14, and 15 as possibilities.

The King William Association on Monday unveiled its official 2022 King William Fair Medal.

The medal showcases artwork by artist Kathleen Trenchard and features the “Big Pig,” an iconic historic piece of art in the King William neighborhood. The “Big Pig” represents programmatic artwork and was formerly located at the Pig Stand on Broadway and currently resides at 807 S. Presa in the King William neighborhood.

“We are thrilled to have such an iconic piece of art represent our medal this year,” said Fair Director John Costello. “The Fair is back, and this year’s Fair will be the best one ever!”

Medals are on sale for $15 at the King William office at 122 Madison St. and online at the King William Fair website.

The King William Fair, a Fiesta favorite, will be Saturday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers hundreds of food and beverage booths, arts and craft vendors, live music, dance performances, a Kid’s Kingdom, plus a two-mile long parade to kick off the event.

General admission is $20 for ages 12 and up. Admission is free for children 11 and under. Admission wristbands can be purchased the day of the Fair, in advance at the KWA office, or online on the Fair’s website.

The Fair is going ticketless and using BlastPass, a cashless wristband to store credits for purchasing food, beverages, and Kid’s Kingdom activities.

The King William Fair is the primary fundraiser for the King William Association and welcomes more than 35,000 visitors to this fun-filled family event.

With the help and support of sponsorships, the King William Fair benefits numerous inner-city cultural organizations, educational opportunities, and community improvements.

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A teenager is facing murder charges after Live Oak police said he shot and killed his mother’s fiance on New Year’s Day.

According to an arrest affidavit, Austin James Markowski, 17, shot Jorge Luis Duran, 36, after he saw him pull out a knife and push his mother, Erica Renee Rendon, to the ground.

Rendon, Markowski, his brother and Duran were moving from San Antonio to a new home in Live Oak. Police said three days before the move, Markowski’s brother refused to help the family with packing and taking boxes to the new home.

Witnesses told police that Duran made it known to Rendon that he was not happy about her other son not helping. Rendon told Duran that her son had a mental illness and to “leave it alone,” the affidavit said.

Police also learned that Duran and the brother had gotten into a fight at their old home.

On New Year’s Eve, Markowski’s grandfather called him and said that his brother had torn up the new wood flooring in their mother’s bedroom, the affidavit said.

When Rendon and Duran came home, Markowski told police he was in the shower and heard a loud noise. He then grabbed a Glock handgun that belonged to his mother and went downstairs to investigate the noise, the affidavit said.

Police said the brother and Duran were fighting about the damage caused to the floors and for not helping. Once things calmed down, the brother slapped Duran in the face and cursed at him, the affidavit said.

Rendon and the grandfather attempted to separate the two. Rendon was able to push her other son into her bedroom and the argument continued. Rendon was holding the brother back when he reached around and slapped Duran in the face, the affidavit said.

Police said that the mother and brother fell or may have been pushed to the ground by Duran as he was attempting to get to the brother.

As this happened, Markowski came into the bedroom and also saw Duran push Rendon to the floor, the affidavit said. Markowski told police that Duran pulled a red knife with the blade not extended, and that’s when he shot him four times.

Duran was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center, where he later died.

Markowski is facing a murder charge and his bond is set at $300,000, court records show.

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Tensions are high inside the Bexar County Jail after a deadly attack of an inmate at the hands of two other inmates Sunday morning, according to the sheriff’s office.

“We’re waiting for retaliation. We’re waiting on the other shoe to drop,” Bexar County Sheriff Salazar said. “If there was ever a reason to increase safety and security, this is it. This is what our special operations groups trained for, and I can tell you our SWAT team is ready to respond.”

Vincent García, 40, was booked into Bexar County Jail in August 2021. He was accused of aggravated robbery and had an out-of-county warrant for assault causing bodily injury.

García was an identified Texas Mexican Mafia gang member, according to Salazar.

García had been assigned to a unit where fellow Texas Mexican Mafia members lived. The two inmates suspected of attacking García were identified as Ernesto Tavera, 50, and Brandon Lerma, 28.

“We house (gang members) together to avoid them going out and recruiting from within the rest of the inmate population, extorting other inmates out of commissary, assaulting other inmates, assaulting members of rival organizations,” Salazar said.

During routine unit checks Sunday morning, García had asked to speak privately to the deputy on duty about his living situation. However, Salazar said García didn’t provide many details.

“All that he said was that he was uncomfortable in the living unit,” Salazar said.

The deputy removed García from the cell and escorted him near the security hub of the area.

“The secured area we call the picket, which is an enclosed area which houses all of the controls that control all of the doors for the for the living unit,” Salazar said. “(It is) where the deputies can maintain two-way communications with each cell.”

Moments later, a BCSO cadet noticed warning lights (inside the enclosed area) activate, indicating a cell door had been disabled.

“He observed that one of the warning lights on the control panel lit up, which indicated the door was opening,” Salazar said. “Prior to that point, all those lights had been off, which indicated that all the doors were secured. However, one light came on, and the cadet says that he looked up from the console and saw two inmates rushing out of the cell and rushing toward the deputy and the inmate.”

The cadet and deputy took cover inside the security control room.

“The cadet was able to open up the door, and the deputy retreated into the picket area,” Salazar said. “They were then able to secure the door (to the picket area). They then observed the two inmates (Lerma and Tavera). The suspects attacked the victim inmate and began what they believed was a fight. That assault moved back and forth from the area. The cadet was (later) able to open up another door, which let the victim escape that area. He then closed the door behind that victim.”

The BCSO Search Team was called for help.

“(The search team) made contact with the two suspects close to the bathroom shower area,” Salazar said. “They were taken into custody without incident at that point, and they were all brought down to the infirmary. The victim additionally was brought down to the infirmary, where a short while later he expired due to his injuries.”

García was stabbed multiple times.

“His injuries consisted of a series of stab wounds to the upper body, and at this point, we don’t have an exact cause of death,” Salazar said.

Lerma and Tavera were transferred to a higher security unit within the Bexar County Jail as the Texas Rangers took over the investigation.

The deputy and cadet that witnessed the attack were not identified. They’re on administrative leave as part of the investigation.

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Monday’s COVID-19 Numbers

Metro Health’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 2,983 new cases and a 7-day moving average of 4,311 cases. There were 2 new deaths reported, according to the data. Forty-nine new deaths have been reported over the past seven days, totaling 5,096 since the pandemic began.

Website live: Order free COVID-19 tests from the government

There are 1,196 COVID patients in local hospitals, with 293 in ICU and 135 on ventilators. Metro Health’s dashboard shows there are 12% of staffed beds available and 60% of ventilators available.

See more of today’s COVID-19 statistics and city resources for the public here.

City health officials offer the following testing guidelines

Consider using a self-test before joining indoor gatherings with others who are not in your household.A positive self-test result means that you have an infection and should avoid indoor gatherings to reduce the risk of spreading the disease to someone else.A negative self-test result means that you may not have an infection. Repeating the test with at least 24 hours between tests will increase the confidence that you are not infected.Ask your health care provider if you need help interpreting your test results.

Click here to access more information about city no-cost testing sites.

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It may seem like fewer people are wearing masks and less often, but health experts say they can be an effective way to help stop the spread of COVID-19 if they’re worn correctly.

“We know that masks at this point are a very important tool to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 in addition to hand hygiene and physical distancing,” said University Health Epidemiologist Dr. Jason Bowling.

Recently, U.S. health officials said Americans should wear N95 or KN95 masks like the ones used by health care workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus instead of cloth masks, which are less effective. But, the CDC still says any mask is better than no mask.

“They have to be worn regularly, so it’s really important that when you’re going out, in addition to remembering your phone and your keys to remember to take your mask with you,” said Bowling.

Bowling answered some frequently asked questions about the effectiveness of different kinds of masks. Watch the video in the player at the top of this article for answers to the following questions:

How are masks an important part of controlling the spread of COVID-19?Can you give us a quick review of mask etiquette?What is an N95 vs a KN95?How can I be sure I’m not getting a fake mask?Should I wear an N95 to go about my daily business?Do surgical masks work?Do cloth masks still work to prevent the spread of Omicron?Do masks with valves work?

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N95s have a tighter fit to your face than cloth masks and are made with a special material designed to block 95% of harmful particles. The fibers are pressed closer together than in cloth masks and have an electrostatic charge that attracts molecules to stick to the mask rather than passing through.

The CDC has warned there are a lot of counterfeit masks on the market.

You can check the authenticity of your N95 mask on the CDC’s alphabetical list of NIOSH-approved respirators or by checking the TC approval number on the certified equipment list. For KN95 masks, use this FDA list to find KN95 masks made in China, and this list for KN95 masks made in other countries.

The Biden administration is making 400 million N95 masks available for free to U.S. residents. Click here for information about where to get them from pharmacies and community health centers in San Antonio.

Can you reuse a N95 or KN95 mask? The short answer is, according to health experts — yes, you can reuse them if you take some precautions. You can read more about how to do it properly here.

Your next best option to an N95 mask is a disposable surgical mask. Those are meant for one-time-only use and should be disposed of properly after each wearing.

If you only have a cloth mask, it’s recommended that you wash it after every use.

Click here for information on the different kinds of masks from the FDA.

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A 28-year-old Hondo man was arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run crash in San Marcos.

Jordan Michael Sannicola was arrested Saturday by the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.

Sannicola was identified as the suspect involved in a crash on Jan. 3 that killed an 18-year-old woman from Houston.

According to San Marcos police, Sannicola was a contract worker for a North Carolina trucking company who was captured on surveillance video arriving at Amazon’s Kyle distribution facility about 15 minutes after the collision. The box truck Sannicola was driving when he arrived at the facility matched surveillance photos released by police.

San Marcos police obtained a warrant for Sannicola on a charge of accident involving death, a second-degree felony, and he was taken into custody without incident.

“After asking the public for help with identifying the suspect, our department received several tips to contact Amazon,” said San Marcos Police Sergeant Sam Myers. “Our investigators were able to positively match the truck as it pulled into the Kyle location. We greatly appreciate the public’s help with this investigation, which led us to ultimately identifying the suspect.”

At the time of his arrest, Sannicola had outstanding felony warrants from Kendall County for one count of evading arrest in a vehicle and two counts of abandoning/endangering a child. Sannicola was being held Monday in the Kendall County Jail on a $185,000 bond.

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UPDATE: Texas DPS has discontinued this Silver Alert.

(Original Story)

The Parker County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a missing 82-year-old man with a diagnosed cognitive impairment who was last seen on Monday morning, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety Silver Alert.

Robert Lee was last seen at 9 a.m in the 100 block of Saddle Club Road in Weatherford, Texas. He was in a brown 2006 Ford F-150 with Texas license plate DL14SH.

Lee is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, weighing 185 pounds, and has gray hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt and navy blue dress pants, DPS said.

Officials believe Lee may be in danger as his disappearance poses a credible threat to his health and safety. Anyone with information is asked to call Parker County Sheriff’s Office at 817-596-3131.

Despite a request for a lighter sentence, a man accused of causing a deadly crash while driving with a suspended license was sentenced to eight years in prison as part of a plea agreement on Monday.

Caesar George was charged with manslaughter in the March 4, 2020, crash that killed 79-year-old Eugene Roller.

It was revealed in court that George, who had 13 speeding violations and a suspended license, was speeding when he crashed into Roller on Kitty Hawk Road.

“I wasn’t intentionally that morning speeding, I was trying to get back to my wife who was pregnant and high risk,” George pleaded to the judge.

George had already agreed to a plea deal but was wanting 187th Criminal District Court Judge Stephanie Boyd to reconsider the eight-year sentence.

“You have 13 speeding convictions, that’s a problem,” Boyd said before agreeing to the terms of the plea deal.

George was immediately taken into custody after the hearing to begin his prison term.

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The $5 million facility will offer training and certifications for the manufacturing sector, including aerospace, robotics, automobiles and electric vehicles.