Category: San Antonio News

Update 1/18/2022: The site to order tests is live and some users are already able to order tests ahead of Wednesday’s official launch.

Some users who live in apartment complexes and other properties that have multiple units reported having issues with putting in an order, according to a report by the Associated Press. A spokesperson for the postal service recommended user submit a service request on the USPS website or call 1-800-ASK-USPS. Click here to access the USPS service request website.

Original Story

As the omicron variant of COVID-19 surges through the U.S. and with at-home testing kits in short supply, the government is stepping in to offer up to four free tests per household.

Starting Jan. 19, four free tests can be ordered through Covidtests.gov. There will also not be any shipping costs related to the COVID-19 tests.

“Testing is an important tool to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” the Biden administration said in a statement.

It is recommended that anyone who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 use an at-home test at least five days after coming in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

The Biden administration has purchased one billion at-home rapid tests to give out. Half of those will be available on the website starting Wednesday.

Tests are expected to ship within 7-12 days of ordering.

“To ensure equity and access for all Americans, the Administration will also launch a call line to help those unable to access the website to place orders, and work with national and local community-based organizations to support the nation’s hardest-hit and highest-risk communities in requesting tests,” according to a statement from the White House.

Private insurance companies are also required to cover the cost of at-home rapid tests, as of Jan. 15.

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A house fire on San Antonio’s North Side may have taken an even heavier toll on people in that neighborhood had it not been for a couple of passersby.

One neighbor, whose home was threatened by the Monday morning fire, said she woke up to a couple of newspaper delivery people banging on her door.

The neighbor, who did not reveal her name, told KSAT 12 News the pair was driving by the 100 block of Brightwood Place when they noticed the flames and then began trying to alert everyone in the area.

The neighbor said she and her family ran from their home as flames burned toward her backyard fence.

The fire, which broke out after 4:30 a.m., was coming from the house next door.

San Antonio firefighters arrived on the scene within minutes and learned that the couple who lives in the home was still inside.

They found the man, who is in his late 60s, suffering from injuries, possibly burns.

He was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

At some point later, firefighters pulled his wife, also in her late 60s, from the home, but they could not do anything to save her.

They also found the couple’s three dogs, dead and still inside the home.

For a time, firefighters feared there could be a third person, a relative of the couple, also trapped inside.

However, they later learned he was not there after all.

The home sustained extensive damage throughout it.

Firefighters called in an arson team to investigate the cause of the fire.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day seems a wonderful time to reflect on civil rights, how far our country has come, and how much work still must be done. And thanks to a local artist, San Antonians can engage in that reflection and celebrate African American culture through a new public art project on the city’s east side. The City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture has just unveiled Spheres of Reflection, a captivating…

Entry to all federal public lands is free on Jan. 17 in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

That means there is no cost to visit national parks, state parks and U.S.-owned wildlife refuges.

MLK Day is one of five days that entrance fees will be waived for federal public lands in 2022.

Free entry will also be offered on the following dates:

April 16 for the kickoff of National Park WeekAugust 4 for the anniversary of the Great American Outdoors ActSeptember 24 in honor of National Public Lands DayNovember 11 in honor of Veterans Day

“Whether on an entrance fee-free day or throughout the year, we encourage everyone to discover their national parks and the benefits that come from spending time outdoors,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “National parks are for everyone and we are committed to increasing access and providing opportunities for all to experience the sense of wonder, awe and refreshment that comes with a visit to these treasured landscapes and sites.”

Many national parks don’t have entry fees ever, but of the more than 400 national parks, roughly 110 have fees that range from $5 to $35. Daily entrance fees will be waived for all day-use visitors at parks where admission fees are required.

Reserving day passes for state parks ahead of time is still encouraged as some parks are expected to reach their capacity limit.

In 2020, 237 million people visited national parks and spent $14.5 billion in local communities. This supported 234,000 jobs across the country and had a $28.6 billion impact on the U.S. economy, according to the National Park Service.

Free annual passes to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks, are available for military members and their dependents, veterans, Gold Star Families, fourth-grade students, and eligible NPS volunteers. U.S. citizens with a permanent disability can also obtain a free lifetime pass.

The housing market in San Antonio and the surrounding areas has been hot for the last couple of years thanks, in part, to low interest rates.

Housing market analysis from the area has shown a steady increase in home prices over the past few years.

Here’s where the housing market in San Antonio currently stands:

For more housing market-related news, check out KSAT’s Real Estate section.

Monday’s in-person march in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. is virtual for the second year in a row due to rising COVID-19 numbers.

But there are still opportunities to commemorate the civil rights leader’s legacy — even if it’s just virtually.

City leaders kicked off the day’s events in a press conference at 9:30 a.m. on Monday. The kick-off and virtual MLK March will be available as a video-on-demand in the video player at the top of this article.

Here is a schedule of events with descriptions provided by city officials:

9:30 a.m. — SA MLK Press Conference at Pittman-Sullivan Park: Speakers include District 2 Councilman McKee-Rodriguez, Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Metro Health Director Claude A. Jacob and the San Antonio MLK March Keynote Speaker, Ms. Crystal Mason who is the founder of “Crystal Mason The Fight” Foundation, a foundation dedicated to fight voter suppression.10 a.m. — MLK Virtual March: Last year’s “Dream: Rising Up for Justice,” directed by Mr. Ya’Ke Smith, Associate Dean and Professor at the University of Texas Austin and independent filmmaker, has been updated to emphasize two significant needs: voting rights and halting the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our communities.

People are encouraged to share pictures and videos of them and their families commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by using #MLKDaySA on social media. The images may be used and shared by the MLK Commission.

Here are some in-person events taking place Monday in support of the SA MLK Commission’s goals of providing education and enhancing health:

Pop-up COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Davis-Scott Family YMCA, 1213 Iowa St. 78203.Dr. Charles Drew Mobile Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pittman-Sullivan Park, near the cross streets of Iowa and South Palmetto.

The SA MLK Commission hopes to hold two in-person events in April including a Youth Summit and Wreath Laying Ceremony.

Click here for more ways to commemorate MLK Day 2022 with city, DreamWeek events in San Antonio.

Also on KSAT:

A look back at the extraordinary life of Martin Luther King Jr., in photosNew sculpture at Martin Luther King Park pays homage to African American cultureStuck at home during MLK Day? No problem! Here are ways to serve, celebrate the holidayDo you know about San Antonio’s hidden black history? KSAT Explains

San Antonio police are investigating after a man was found dead in the driver’s seat of a car parked outside a South Side apartment complex.

A resident called 911 and reported the man just before 4:30 p.m. on Sunday in the 3700 block of Pleasanton Road.

SAPD and SAFD arrived at the scene and determined the man suffered a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man has not been identified but SAPD said he was in his 20s-30s.

Homicide detectives, crime scene investigators and the medical examiner’s office responded to the call.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.

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Jewish community leaders in San Antonio are adding security measures in the aftermath of the Colleyville synagogue hostage situation on Saturday. The situation ended with the suspect, 44-year-old British national Malik Faisal Akram, dead and four hostages unharmed.

Nammie Ichilov, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, explained that as things were unfolding they were checking in with local authorities to make sure the attack was isolated and not part of a bigger attack.

“They let us know that … this was a unique isolated incident in Dallas that we had no immediate threat to their knowledge here in San Antonio,” said Ichilov.

Even with authorities believing the threat was an isolated incident, Ichilov is increasing security at synagogues in San Antonio. He also spoke out on Dallas authorities saying that Akram was not targeting the Jewish community.

“The fact of the matter is he didn’t choose any other faith house, he didn’t choose another location, he chose a synagogue,” he said. “They attacked a moment of peace in the Jewish community on Saturday, the sabbath.”

KSAT also spoke to the American Jewish Committee-Dallas Director Joel Schweitzer, who agreed with Ichilov. He also cited data from a study they conducted this year.

“What we found in the fall of 2021, when we did our last report, is that 24% of American Jews reported that a Jewish institution that they affiliate with has been the target of antisemitic incident,” said Schweitzer.

Read also:

Texas rabbi: Security training paid off in hostage standoffSupport flows to ‘changed’ Texas synagogue after standoff

San Antonio police are investigating a shooting that sent one man to the hospital overnight.

Officers responded to the shooting call just after 1 a.m. Monday at an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Pleasanton Road, near Gerald Avenue.

They found a man, 31, shot in the arm and abdomen in front of a building in the complex. In a nearby building, they found a crime scene where blood covered the floor.

The man was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in critical condition. Police said he was uncooperative with officers, and he had a gun underneath him.

No information about the gunman or motive was released.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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A motorcyclist was killed after he crashed into the back of a TxDOT Highway Emergency Response Operator (HERO) patrol vehicle that was stopped on the side of the road.

San Antonio police said the man, 59, crashed at 2:40 a.m. Monday on Southwest Loop 410 and Old Pearsall Road, located on the Southwest Side.

The HERO patrol vehicle was at the scene of a separate accident that happened earlier, officers said.

Police believe the rider was intoxicated at the time of the incident. The man has not been identified.

The accident is under investigation.

Read also:

2 arrested after allegedly bringing gun into West Side Catholic church during service, Archdiocese says
Man shot, critically injured during robbery outside South Side brewery, police say