This category is for general business news stories local to San Antonio.
Bechard shared details on Kauffman’s renewed sense of urgency and a slew of new and updated programs aimed at business owners who traditionally have struggled to gain access to capital.
As part of his “Celebration of Texas” tour, Gov. Greg Abbott and his wife Cecilia made a pit stop at Smoke BBQ and Sky Bar on Saturday.
“Greg and I are so happy to be here in San Antonio,” Cecilia said, introducing her husband on stage.
He’s been spending a lot of time in South Texas after announcing his run for re-election a few weeks ago.
On Saturday, the governor spoke in front of an energetic crowd. Abbott touted his successes, including the state’s economic bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The numbers prove it because Texas now has replaced all of the jobs that have been lost during COVID and added even more,” Abbott said.
Abbott showed his support not only for the public school system in Texas but also for law enforcement, saying his niece is an officer with San Antonio Police Department.
He also touched on the situation at the border, emphasizing his stance on securing the border while using the time to hit at his opponent Beto O’Rourke.
“The worst thing that could happen to Texas is if you had a governor who was joined with Joe Biden and his open border policies,” Abbott said.
But similar to Abbott, O’Rourke understands the importance of getting voters here in South Texas.
He was in San Antonio this Wednesday and Austin on Friday. The Democratic challenger focused on the failed voting bills.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act were voted down Wednesday in the Senate after two Democrats refused to change party rules to overcome the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold.
O’Rourke said this is a failure for Texas in particular, one he hopes to overcome.
“Over the course of February, two million Texans will hear from somebody on this campaign to remind them about their right to vote, to help educate them about what it takes to vote in this state,” O’Rourke said.
Both Abbott and O’Rourke are hitting the campaign trails hard ahead of the March 1st primary, which if you haven’t registered to vote, there is still time. The deadline is January 31st.
The Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County has overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new five-year collective bargaining agreement with Bexar County, according to a news release.
This comes after the previous agreement expired in September 2021.
The DSABC voted late Friday evening 500-51 in favor of the new contract, which includes higher pay for deputies and the creation of a Citizens Advisory Board, among other items.
“We are pleased to provide a fair contract to the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and are so pleased that they accepted it,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said in a release.
According to the DSABC, the new agreement provides the following:
Establishes a minimum 15% pay raise through 2025.A lump-sum payment of $2,000 per deputy on the first pay period of the agreementThe creation of a Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) to “assure objective administrative review of complaints against deputies.”
“Last summer, the Court laid out priorities for a new collective bargaining agreement, specifically for higher pay and to involve our community in protecting public safety for all. I’m happy to see that these have been embraced,” Precinct 2 County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez said in a news release.
The CAB will be comprised of 10 Bexar County citizens. According to the agreement, two people will be appointed by each member of the Commissioners Court and one non-voting member will be selected by the DSABC.
Along with this new agreement is the elimination of the arbitration process. Instead, it will be replaced with an “enhanced Civil Service Commission process.”
The commission will be comprised of seven members, according to the DSABC. These members include: one appointed by the sheriff, one appointed by the district attorney, one appointed by the county judge and one appointed by each county commissioner.
The appointments of the CSC members will be effective 30 days after a new Civil Service Commissioner is appointed, but no later than July 1, according to a news release.
“The new agreement sets the right tone. We are making sure our deputies are paid fairly, while at the same time, we ensure fairness in the complaint review process,” Precinct 3 County Commissioner Marialyn Barnard said in a release.
The Commissioners Court will ratify the new agreement on Feb. 8.
NISD Natatorium was packed once again on Saturday afternoon for the District 27-6A swimming & diving championships, as area teams entered the water looking to punch their tickets to the Region VII-6A meet.
EventChampionTime200 yard Medley RelayClark1:53.81200 yard FreestyleAddy Wilson (Brandeis)1:57.98200 yard Individual MedleyAvery Faux (Clark)2:17.5250 yard FreestyleSydney Morison (Clark)24.851 meter DivingAllie Schulze (Holmes)338 pts100 yard ButterflyFranke Makilan (Health Careers)1:02.59100 yard FreestyleAvery Faux (Clark)56.86500 yard FreestyleParker Mandacina (Clark)5:10.71200 yard Freestyle RelayHealth Careers1:43.33100 yard BackstrokeAddy Wilson (Brandeis)59.79100 yard BreaststrokeParker Mandacina (Clark)1:08.58400 yard Freestyle RelayBrandeis3:46.48
EventChampionTime200 yard Medley RelayClark1:36.37200 yard FreestylePatrick Maldonado (Brandeis)1:48.75200 yard Individual MedleyMonty Yetter (Brandeis)1:57.0950 yard FreestyleZachary Jones (Health Careers)21.741 meter DivingLane Stallworth (Clark)448.10 pts100 yard ButterflyBrayden Mandacina (Clark)51.06100 yard FreestyleEvan Croley (Clark)46.55500 yard FreestylePatrick Maldonado (Brandeis)4:52.66200 yard Freestyle RelayBrandeis1:30.78100 yard BackstrokeEvan Croley (Clark)52.91100 yard BreaststrokeBrayden Mandacina (Clark)57.18400 yard Freestyle RelayBrandeis3:18.12
The District 26-6A swimming & diving championships featured some great performances, as the Reagan girls and Johnson boys take home team titles and clinch berths in February’s Regional meet at Bill Walker Pool on Saturday afternoon.
EventChampionTime200 yard Medley RelayJohnson1:46.71200 yard FreestyleCarli Cronk (Churchill)1:51.66200 yard Individual MedleyJada Scott (Johnson)2:03.4150 yard FreestyleSophia LaBeau (Reagan)24.391 meter DivingCaroline Holcomb (Reagan)397.05 pts100 yard ButterflyMontserrat Spielmann (Reagan)55.27100 yard FreestyleJada Scott (Johnson)51.16500 yard FreestyleCarli Cronk (Churchill)5:02.93200 yard Freestyle RelayJohnson1:36.69100 yard BackstrokeAmelia Pretli (Johnson)1:00.12100 yard BreaststrokeKaylee Coffey (Reagan)1:06.42400 yard Freestyle RelayReagan3:37.73
EventChampionTime200 yard Medley RelayReagan1:36.70200 yard FreestyleLuke Peterson (Churchill)1:42.57200 yard Individual MedleyKevin Cai (Reagan)1:54.6150 yard FreestyleGavin Moore (Johnson)21.651 meter DivingMarcel Mateos Santos (Reagan)543.35 pts100 yard ButterflyWilliam Turner (Johnson)52.90100 yard FreestyleGavin Moore (Johnson)47.02500 yard FreestyleTommy Erwin (Churchill)4:40.19200 yard Freestyle RelayJohnson1:27.36100 yard BackstrokeIan Stewart (Johnson)51.64100 yard BreaststrokeKevin Cai (Reagan)57.18400 yard Freestyle RelayJohnson3:13.07
It’s been a tumultuous two years since the COVID-19 pandemic changed many aspects of our everyday life. From going to the store to getting a bite to eat, we’ve had to evolve many of our pre-pandemic habits.
If you are feeling like many of the things you did pre-COVID feel odd to do now, you’re not alone. Buzzfeed compiled answers from a Reddit thread that posed the question, “What normal things pre-COVID feel weird now?”
This is what some Reddit users had to say:
“Sharing drinks with people. I use to never think twice of drinking after someone.” – u/gas_turbine_mechanic“Knowing what the lower half of faces look like. I imagine my own version, and then I see them without a mask and I get a sort of dissonance.” – u/Bingo_is_my_name_o“Coughing/Sneezing in public.”- u/ineedadownpayment“Buffets.” – u/NextFaithlessness471“Going to an empty drive thru and quickly getting fast food.” u/ulethpsn“Opening the door for the pizza delivery man. I love being able to have my food left at the door.” u/mtpockets4u“Going to browse around a store for no reason. I won’t go to stores anymore unless there’s something in particular I need.” u/Deondebomon”Going anywhere you want without thinking about it.” – u/Aruaz821“Blowing on a cake to take out the candles and then giving it to other people.” – u/Lucky_Wolf_03“Flying.” – U/MonkeyDeltaFoxtrot
What’s something that feels weird to you now? Let us know in the comments below.
A Texas Department of Public Safety special agent died Saturday morning at a San Antonio hospital following a traffic crash near Eagle Pass, according to DPS officials.
Special Agent Anthony Salas, 37, was conducting tactical operations in Maverick County and working with the US Border Patrol BORTAC when he was involved in a crash during the arrest of six migrants, DPS officials said.
Officers at the scene tried to resuscitate Salas before he was taken by EMS to the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center for treatment. Then, he was airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio.
Salas died from his injuries just after 11 a.m. Saturday while alongside his family, according to DPS officials.
DPS said Salas joined the department in 2013 and was stationed in El Paso. He began his career as a trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol before moving up in the ranks to a special agent in the Criminal Investigations Division.
He was also a member of the DPS West Texas Special Response Team and served with the U.S. Marine Corps before joining DPS.
Remodeling projects can be stressful enough, even without having to deal with the mess they tend to create along the way. That is why it is so important to prepare for a big remodeling project.
Bailey Carson, a home care expert at Angi tells us that dust, dirt and debris from construction mess can ultimately feel like glitter. It goes in every crevice and feels impossible to get rid of. To avoid this and keep your belongings clean, she says start by prepping the area really well. Remove everything you can – all your belongings – and even things that might be fixed to the wall like light fixtures, artwork and other valuables.
She advises protecting big expensive items that are stationary. Cover heavier furniture that cannot be moved with plastic to keep it clean. Also consider covering furniture in adjacent rooms to avoid the mess from spreading. If possible, seal off the area by hanging plastic sheets over windows and doorways. This will help contain the dust and dirt to one area.
Carson says, “Depending on where your project is in your home, you’re likely to have pros walking through multiple rooms every day. To keep the work boots and debris contained, create a designated walkway. You can use craft paper, tarps, plastic sheeting, or even old rugs and sheets to create a designated area that will stay clean as pros work throughout the house and also create a pathway to rooms they’ll need like the bathroom.”
She recommends creating a daily cleaning routine that will help avoid a major mess at the end of the project. You can ask contractors to move clutter before the end of each workday and to isolate construction materials to the remodeling area.
“You can prevent the buildup of any dust and debris by also cleaning regularly,” Carson says. “At the end of each workday, start at the top and use a cleaning spray and a soft cloth to wipe down any hard surfaces, and eventually get to the floor, where you’ll want to vacuum or sweep as appropriate.”
In addition to covering your windows with plastic film, try to remove screens and open the windows as much as possible throughout the project. This will avoid dry wall dust from sticking to the screens. If your screens get dusty, try to vacuum them or brush dust off with a soft-bristle brush.
Editor’s note: Each weekend, we share five stories that captured the attention of the Alamo City over the past seven days. Here are the most-read stories of the week. 1. Famous fried chicken and biscuit chain hatches 3 San Antonio locations. North Carolina-based Bojangles will bring the biscuits to Northeast San Antonio. 2. San Antonio suburb home to one of the hottest ZIPs for homebuyers. The New Braunfels ZIP code of 78103 was the fourth-hottest…
A man is in custody after allegedly confessing to San Antonio police that he fatally shot a woman leaving an East Side bar last month.
According to an affidavit, Aaron Jacob Gutierrez, 24, was arrested Tuesday for drugs and weapon charges. That’s when he confessed to officers he was the driver of a car who shot at and killed 35-year-old Marie Gonzalez.
The incident stems from Dec. 18, when officers were called around 1 a.m. to the 1300 block of Hays Street, near North New Braunfels Avenue, due to reports of a shooting.
When police arrived, they found Gonzales lying in the middle of the street with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, several people were leaving a bar and hanging out at a street corner while also heading to their cars when someone fired several gunshots.
That’s when, police say, Gonzales was struck by a bullet and killed.
A search warrant was issued for Gutierrez’s phone after he confessed to the crime. Officers said they found he was communicating with an unknown person about the murder.
The unknown person sent him a screenshot of a news article and said, “they have nothing to go on as evidence your good.”
Gutierrez responded by saying he was scared and the unknown person told him to leave the murder weapon and every gun with the same caliber at home.
Gutierrez is charged with murder and his bond is set at $250,000, Bexar County records show.
Woman killed in overnight shooting on East Side, San Antonio police sayWoman killed after leaving East Side bar identified
Member Sponsor
Member Sponsor
