Category: San Antonio News

Uvalde CISD announced they will be temporarily canceling classes this week due to a staffing shortage.

According to the district’s website, classes will be canceled beginning Tuesday, Jan. 18 through Friday, Jan. 21.

Hal Harell, Superintendent of Schools, said this cancelation will give staff and students time away to restore their health.

“As always, the health and safety of our school community is our top priority. We continue to urge everyone to do their part in curbing the spread of the virus. Thank you for your continued support and partnership during this difficult time,” Harell said.

Classes are expected to resume Monday, Jan. 24.

Two people are dead after a crash on the Northwest Side Monday evening, according to San Antonio police.

The crash happened at the NW Loop 410 Access Road and Fredricksburg Road around 6:44 p.m.

Police said a sedan was stopped at a red light on the access road when another sedan traveling west struck the vehicle in the rear end.

A front passenger in one of the cars was taken to University Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

A pedestrian who was standing near the intersection was also hit due to the impact of the crash and died on the scene, police said.

Four other people in the two vehicles were taken to University Hospital in stable condition, according to officers.

Police said speed and alcohol are suspected to be factors.

The area is expected to be closed for several hours.

Further details are limited at this time. KSAT will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Four people are hospitalized after a person opened fire at a gathering on the East Side Monday evening, according to San Antonio police.

The shooting happened around 7 p.m. in the 400 block of Spriggsdale Boulevard near Interstate 10 and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to Cory Schuler, a spokesperson for San Antonio Police Department.

Schuler said around 30 to 60 people were gathered in a parking lot for a “peaceful” celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day when a man walked up, opened fire and ran away.

Two people were taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in critical condition, police said. Two other people were taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The shooting appears to be “random” and not targeted, police said, but details are preliminary.

The suspect fled on foot and officers are not sure whether he got into a car after the shooting.

The scene is still active and the investigation is ongoing.

KSAT will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Though Betty White died two-and-a-half weeks ago, fans in San Antonio and the rest of the country still gave gifts on Monday for what would have been her 100th birthday.

Not for the late actress, but in honor of her.

The San Antonio Humane Society and the Animal Defense League of Texas both told KSAT they had seen spikes in donations connected to the #BettyWhiteChallenge. The challenge, which was born out of social media shortly after White’s death on Dec. 31, urges people to donate $5 to an animal rescue organization for the Golden Girls star’s Jan. 17 birthday.

White was a well-known animal welfare advocate, and fans have taken up the call for donations as a way to pay her tribute.

“I just love Betty White. I can’t believe she didn’t make it to her 100th birthday, and I think this is just a great way to celebrate her,” said Tracey Moreno, who was dropping off a check Monday at the Humane Society.

By Monday evening, the Humane Society told KSAT it had received more than $10,000 in donations connected to the challenge since Jan. 1. More than $8,000 of that had come in on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Animal Defense League said it had received just over $13,000 since it began tracking donations related to the challenge on Dec. 31.

Neither donation total includes the value of in-kind donations like toys, treats, or blankets.

The Humane Society decided to name one of its puppies “Betty” in a show of thanks to the donors and the woman who inspired them. Betty and her litter mates will be up for adoption beginning Tuesday.

Humane Society spokeswoman Luci Almanza said the organization hadn’t made a big push for donations connected to the challenge – its Facebook page only shows a post shared from a radio station – and the donations were coming in spontaneously.

“We just want to say thank you to everyone for thinking of us, but we were not expecting this amazing response,” she said.

Animal Defense League of Texas Development and Marketing Manager Michelle Thorson said they had seen numerous donations in the $5 to $10 range, but also larger gifts of hundreds of dollars.

“What we’re also seeing is that these are new donors. They’re younger people that are really getting involved in the social media aspect of it,” Thorson said.

Other organizations found ways to mark White’s birthday, too.

The San Antonio Zoo offered $8 admission on Monday, and San Antonio Pets Alive, which was also looking for donations through the #BettyWhiteChallenge, lowered its adoption fees to $17 over the past weekend.

SNIPSA hosted a pop-up adoption event Monday afternoon, and is hosting another from 6pm – 10pm Monday evening at The Jewel on 1102 South Alamo Street.

A San Antonio couple is thanking their neighbors and community for the outpour of support after their home was destroyed by flames Thursday morning.

Guillermo Angel and Ashley Montelongo, his fiancé, escaped with their 2-month-old baby girl after the fire erupted in the back of their home.

Montelongo said her daughter saved their lives.

“I woke up because the baby woke up,” she said. “I changed and fed her and while I was feeding her, I heard something in the house. I just thought it was our family dog in the back but then I started smelling smoke. I put the baby down and when I looked into the kitchen, I saw smoke coming through the walls.”

Montelongo said that is when she woke Angel up and they all ran outside.

“It happened so fast,” she said. “We ran out. His mom ran out. And we went with whatever we had on with the baby. It was cold.”

The family said they got their first serving of community kindness when their neighbors gathered blankets for them while awaiting first responders.

The dog even survived but did suffer burns to his head.

Montelongo said she is sad that their family home is gone.

“I am going to miss the memories,” she said. “Us being in our home. Bringing our little girl home for the first time. This is our first home together, so it is hard to see it go.”

They also lost sentimental items.

“Her sonogram pictures we got are gone,” Montelongo said. “All her 3D photos of her throughout our pregnancy are gone.”

Despite having this loss, the family said the community has been great at filling their void.

“They have given her so many clothes and diapers and toys she lost,” Montelongo said. “They helped a lot with her. Got her a crib and even brought us clothes.”

Fire officials believe the fire may have been electrical and the family said they were told it started near their washer and dryer.

While they continue to figure out how to get back on their feet, the family said they are extremely grateful for any help they can get, and they are even more thankful to be alive.

“Things can get rebuilt,” Angel said. “That is my job is to rebuild everything back up as a family.”

As is typical for a winter in San Antonio, it’s been up and down the temperature rollercoaster for those of us around South Central Texas.

Another strong cold front will move through San Antonio this week, arriving Wednesday (1/19), cooling things down from near 80° into the 30s. After it gets chilly, an upper-level disturbance will bring a chance for a wintry mix Thursday (1/20).

With the memory of the February 2021 winter storm fresh in our minds, the prospect of an icy mix may seem a little daunting, but this week’s chance for winter weather will be very different from last year’s deep freeze. That being said, there could be some travel impacts to be on the lookout for Thursday.

Here’s what you need to know:

TUESDAY

It’ll start off chilly but with plenty of sun, we’ll warm up into the mid-70s in the afternoon

WEDNESDAY

Cool in the morning (50s) with a few morning cloudsIt’ll warm up quickly to near 80° in the afternoon

WEDNESDAY EVENING

A cold front will sweep through South Central Texas, making it breezy and dropping temperatures into the 30s overnight

THURSDAY

Cloudy, chilly, and breezy all day with temperatures in the 30sA light wintry mix is possible (see Futurecast image below)

ICY IMPACTS THURSDAY?

At this point, we believe impacts will be minimal.However, if any ice does accumulate on elevated surfaces, travel may become hazardous in spots

We’ll continue to keep you updated! You can keep up with your local weather forecast by downloading the KSAT Weather Authority App for Apple or Android. 📱 Be sure to allow notifications for updates – including livestreams from KSAT meteorologists.

If you end up wanting to share weather pictures with the weather team, you can submit photos and videos here, and your submission may get featured on KSAT.com or on air.

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

Cold rain may linger into FridayChilly into the weekend, with mornings in the 30s and afternoons in the 50s

7 DAY FORECAST

The man known locally as “Hispanic Elvis” continues to fight a serious infection that forced him to be hospitalized more than a week ago.

His brother, George Cisneros, told KSAT on Monday that Hispanic Elvis is recovering in the hospital after an infection in his esophagus and testing positive for COVID-19.

Since news spread of his condition, fans of Hispanic Elvis have sent in several photos to KSAT 12 News showing their support and well wishes for the man who has entertained thousands of people at Market Square for more than two decades. Below are some photos sent to ksat.com/pins. If you have a memory or picture with Hispanic Elvis, you can share them here.

(His brother also spoke with KSAT about the impact Hispanic Elvis has had on San Antonio and his early days as a musician and song writer on the West Side. You can see that story in the video player above.)

Galveston’s historic hotel Grand Galvez is in the midst of a massive renovation and remodel, and future guests can now get a sneak peek of the updates to the Gulf Coast’s 110-year-old, 4-star landmark. Grand Galvez owner Mark Wyant recently revealed his new plans and renderings for the iconic hotel and spa. Sneak peek imagery includes the music hall, terrace ballroom, lobby entrance with the 44-foot “Queen of the Gulf” mosaic, Coffee Cafe, and the…

Did you know that full moons have names that were bestowed on them based on both Native American and ancient cultures?

According to National Geographic, ancient cultures would give each full moon a different name based on the behavior of the plants, animals or weather during that month.

Jan. 17 is the Wolf Moon, it will appear full for roughly three days from Sunday evening through Wednesday morning, according to NASA.

The Wolf Moon was given its name from Native Americans who heard packs of wolves “howling outside the villages amid the cold and deep snows of winter,” NASA’s website states.

More names for the January full moon include the Moon after Yule, Old Moon and Ice Moon.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which you can learn more about here, the popular names of the full moons for the year are:

January – Wolf MoonFebruary – Snow MoonMarch – Worm MoonApril – Pink MoonMay – Flower MoonJune – Strawberry MoonJuly – Buck MoonAugust – Sturgeon MoonSeptemeber – Corn MoonOctober – Hunter MoonNovember – Beaver MoonDecember – Cold Moon

“The Moon names we use in The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from Native American, Colonial American, or other traditional North American sources passed down through generations,” according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac website.

If you have to pick a layover city for your next cross-country flight, there’s a new reason to choose Houston. William P. Hobby Airport has just scored a prestigious 5-Star Airport status in the Skytrax World Airport Star Rating for 2022. That makes Hobby the first airport in Texas, the U.S., and North America — and one of just 16 airports across the world — to land the rating. A little about this ranking: The…