Category: San Antonio News

Bexar County and University Health on Tuesday morning announced plans to create a Public Health Division within the hospital system.

The division will help address public health, population health and health equity for all Bexar County residents, according to the county’s public information office.

A news release from Univesity Health states that the division will work in collaboration with key partners including the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC), Bexar County, the City of San Antonio and education and health care organizations, without duplicating services.

“Over the past two years, we have learned a great deal about the important role of public health experts during a worldwide pandemic, and the significant responsibility University Health has to improve the good health of our community in collaboration with the county, the city and other health care providers,” George B. Hernández Jr., University Health president and CEO, said in the release.

It’s something of a clean sweep: For the second year in a row, San Antonio International Airport has been named one of the most hygienic airports in North America. Airports Council International World just crowned the San Antonio airport one of last year’s top eight airports in North America in terms of hygiene protocols. The San Antonio airport earned the same honor in 2020. The ASQ Award for Best Hygiene Measures is based on data…

San Antonio firefighters have responded to a reported fire on the city’s North Side early Tuesday morning.

The fire was called in around 8:15 a.m. in the 13300 block of Syracuse, not far from De Zavala Road and Clark High School.

At this time, not much information is known about the fire. It is unclear if anyone is hurt.

According to the San Antonio Fire Department website, as many as 10 units answered the call.

KSAT12 has a crew at the scene.

This is a developing story. Stay with KSAT 12 both online and on-air for more information.

Read also:

Chaotic scene unfolds on West Side after 3 SAPD officers shoot, kill manSAPD, Crime Stoppers searching for men who allegedly assaulted bar patron on St. Mary’s Strip

San Antonio police and Crime Stoppers are searching for a man who allegedly robbed a West Side food mart at gunpoint last month.

The incident happened at 10:40 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the NW Food Center in the 1200 block of NW 24th St., near West Poplar Street.

Police said the man approached an employee behind the counter with a gun and demanded money.

The man then took the money from the cash register and fled on foot.

Crime Stoppers is willing to pay up to $5,000 for information leading to a felony arrest in the crime.

Tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 210-224-STOP, texting “Tip 127 plus your tip” to CRIMES (274637), or using the P3 Tips app. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Read also:

Chaotic scene unfolds on West Side after 3 SAPD officers shoot, kill manSAPD, Crime Stoppers searching for men who allegedly assaulted bar patron on St. Mary’s Strip

Negative self-talk may seem harmless, but a study published in June of 2020 by the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Journal linked negative thought patterns to brain changes that could be associated with developing Alzheimer’s.

Older adults who were more likely to engage in negative thinking were more likely to experience cognitive decline.

Do you feel like your inner voice is always tearing you down? You’re not alone. Eighty percent of people’s thoughts per day are negative.

Negative self-talk can affect our mental and physical health by impacting our weight, control, and stress management.

“Every time that voice offers the negative dimension or a negative idea, it reinforces, and it becomes who we are,” David Baker, psychotherapist said.

According to a Harvard study, there are ten types of negative self-talk. Pinpointing the negative event that happened and not letting yourself be forgiven for it is the running theme among all types of negative self-talk.

So how do we put a stop to it?

“I think that’s really the wrong question, the right question is, why is it here. Negative self-talk is a symptom, so there’s something else going on deep in the psyche that’s driving that symptom to the surface and emerging as negative self-talk.” Baker said.

Identify what you need to change when your inner voice chimes in. Give yourself time to allow the thoughts, then move on to a new task to get your mind off of them. Talk to yourself the way you’d encourage a friend. And don’t think less of yourself, but think of yourself less.

Practicing affirmations help reject the pattern of negative self-talk. Try writing your affirmations on sticky notes and posting them in places you frequent like the bathroom or bedroom mirror.

Also limit your social media and take stock of how you are growing in small ways every day.

A massive overnight fire has destroyed a three-story building currently under construction just east of downtown, the San Antonio Fire Department said Tuesday.

The fire was called in around 3 a.m. in the 300 block of Center Street, not far from North Swiss Street and East Houston Street.

Firefighters said they arrived to find the three-story building fully-engulfed in flames. They fought the fire defensively and the building collapsed when firefighters put water on it, fire officials said.

The apartment building next door was also evacuated. The battalion chief said they evacuated about 20 people from their building during the height of the fire. The residents have all since returned to their homes. There was no damage to their building as as result of the fire.

Fire officials say the building that burned down was just a wooden frame, with no working utilities. Power lines came down in the fire and CPS Energy had to shut them off, authorities said. Many of the lines can still be seen stretched across the street.

At this time, the cause of the fire is not currently known. The building is considered a total loss. An arson investigation team will work to determine the exact cause.

As many as 20 fire units originally answered the call. No injuries were reported.

San Antonio-based Lewis Petro Properties Inc., a subsidiary of Lewis Energy Group, filed five applications last week to drill new horizontal gas wells in Webb County.

Stakeholders envision a destination district that could include a mix of office, retail, residential and hotel development in an area near the San Antonio River rife with economic opportunity.

The American Dream is getting more attainable for thousands of Texas families. On Monday, the University of Texas at San Antonio announced it’s expanding a program that makes college tuition-free for thousands of students.

The new program, Promise Plus, expands the Bold Promise program, which launched in 2019.

ALSO ON KSAT.COM: UTSA will cover tuition at 100% for more incoming freshmen starting in 2022

“Not only has it given me the ability to really kickstart my higher education, but it’s also opened the door to new opportunities,” said Gabby Palacios, a UTSA freshman and Pleasanton native.

Palacios is part of UTSA’s Bold Promise program. Her tuition is fully covered, and that’s a big deal for her.

She told KSAT she’s the first person in her family to attend college, and that without the program, that would have been out of reach.

“Not only did I not have the means and funding — I also didn’t know very much about the application process,” Palacios said.

The University of Texas System wants to help first-generation college students like Palacios. Its Bold Promise program makes college tuition-free for Texas students who graduate in the top 25 percent of their class and whose families make less than $70,000 a year.

With Promise Plus, more students will benefit from the program, which received more than $3 million in funding for this year.

“We will grow that over time so that we can address a growing population in Texas,” said UT Chancellor James Milliken.

Milliken also wants to make sure more families know about Promise Plus.

“We’re going around the state these [next] two weeks to visit campuses, UTSA and its sister campuses to make sure people know this is available.”

Palacios said the program changed her life. She has a 4.0 GPA and plans to become a teacher. She hopes more students take advantage of Promise Plus.

“It’s really a way to break through the barrier that had been previously set,” said Palacios.

You can read more about Promise Plus by clicking here.

A former Judson ISD police officer from New Braunfels was convicted Monday of making threats against then-presidential candidate Joe Biden in 2019, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Texas.

On Dec. 11, 2019, William Oliver Towery, 55, responded to a text regarding a campaign rally where Biden was set to appear.

The text message read: “I’ll be there and have been practicing my sniping skills all month just for this occasion. If you will be nell [sic] near him you may want to wear something dark to hide the blood splatter.”

Towery remains in custody while he awaits sentencing. He faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and a $100 mandatory special assessment.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 13.