Category: San Antonio News

In late 2021, KSAT revamped the South Texas Pride series to bring viewers more long-form content full-length Q&As. We highlighted some stories that made a difference to the local LGBTQ+ community, as well as state, national and even international communities.

Here’s a look back at some of what we covered in 2021 on our South Texas Pride series:

‘I couldn’t breathe anymore’: San Antonio drag queen hopes to grace stage again after long battle with COVID-19

San Antonio drag performer Alayna Marquez shared her recovery story in June after dealing with a months-long battle with COVID-19 and being put in a coma.

While Alayna recovered, she had a support system on the outside that was raising money to help with hospital bills and waiting for her to come back and find her spotlight once more.

Alayna has since returned to performing once again. She says she’s grateful for those who have supported her during a difficult time.

Click here to read and watch the story.

KSAT Explains: The history and legacy of the Bonham Exchange

As part of a KSAT Explains and South Texas Pride project, several of our journalists shared the story of the Bonham Exchange — a safe space for LGBTQ+ people for the past 40 years.

What we found was that the Bonham Exchange was more than just a spot for a fun night out. Baked into the building’s walls is a wealth of history. We explored that history and the Bonham’s impact in this episode of KSAT Explains during Pride Month in June.

Click here to read the story and watch the episode.

Creating an inclusive society, one non-binary pronoun at a time

In late June, producer Alexsis Page and photojournalist Joe Herrera reported on the importance of pronouns in the LGBTQ+ community and their significance for nonbinary, transgender, and cisgender people.

Click here to read and watch the story.

San Antonio’s Thrive Youth Center helping get LGBTQ+ homeless off streets

KSAT journalists highlighted San Antonio’s Thrive Youth Center in late August on an episode of KSAT Explains. The San Antonio facility helps local LGBTQ+ youth who have become homeless find shelter and a way off the streets.

Thrive has helped more than 100 young people move into an apartment they can call their new home and more than 200 people with emergency shelter. It continues its street outreach to find other LGBTQ+ youths experiencing homelessness.

Click here to read and watch the story.

KSAT 12 only Texas TV station to receive ‘excellent’ rating in GLAAD’s Local Media Accountability Index for 2021

In September, KSAT 12 was one of three Texas media outlets and the only TV station to receive an “excellent” rating in the latest report from GLAAD, a national media monitoring organization that works against discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community.

The outlets were assessed on various metrics, including fair, accurate, and inclusive reporting, among other factors.

Click here to read the story.

South Texas Pride Q&A Season 1

October ushered in a revamp of the South Texas Pride series to include Season 1 of its Q&As, bringing new long-form LGBTQ+ content to our viewers. The topics and subjects included local drag performers, San Antonio-raised singers, mental health resources, youth groups, network LGBTQ+ shows filming in Del Rio, and the fight for transgender student rights.

Stay tuned for a new season of South Texas Pride Q&As in 2022. To see more stories from the series, click here.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner has released the name of a man who was shot and killed during an alleged dispute with his neighbor on Christmas Day.

Trevor James Beeman, 24, died of a gunshot wound to his neck and torso, according to the M.E.

Mason Sayer Lubitz, 28, is charged with fatally shooting Beeman at an apartment in the 1900 block of Larkspur, not far from Lockhill Selma Road and West Avenue on the North Side.

Officers responded to multiple calls for shots fired at around 11:40 a.m. on Saturday. Both the victim and the alleged shooter were next to each other inside the same apartment, police said.

Lubitz eventually surrendered and Beeman was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

SAPD said the men were involved in an ongoing dispute, but additional details were not released.

Records show Lubitz was booked into the Bexar County Jail and his bond was set at $200,000.

Read also:

SAPD IDs man accused of fatally shooting neighbor on Christmas Day amid ongoing disputeMan shot while running after gunmen who stole his Christmas gifts in Stone Oak, police sayWomen shot on Interstate 35 near downtown after leaving bar, SAPD says

The 12,000 sq. ft venue combines an 8,000 square foot outside space and a 4,000 square foot interior

After a big win, you might hear a sports champion proclaim, “I’m going to Disney World!” as part of a Disney TV ad campaign. Now, Texas jewelry entrepreneur Kendra Scott can legitimately utter the same phrase. Next spring, the Austin-based Kendra Scott brand — a purveyor of jewelry and other fashion accessories — is opening a store at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Disney Springs is a retail,…

The property is part of a 10-office deal that Easterly Government Properties initially announced in October.

This is the first of a series of about the finalists in the 2022 Business of the Year Awards. Journal is taking a closer look at the companies that have been named the publication’s Business of the Year finalists.

Drugs may have played a part in a fire at the former San Antonio ISD headquarters near downtown early Tuesday, according to the fire department.

The fire happened at around 5:45 a.m. in a former mobile classroom unit in the 100 block of Lavaca Street, not far from South Alamo Street and Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard.

SAFD said people who are homeless may have played a role in the fire, and drugs may have been involved. No injuries were reported.

“Upon their investigation, they found a couple of crack pipes, some balloons, and some butane cans and some half-cut cans that folks are using to put their drugs in … so that’s all in that area in that corner where the fire started,” Battalion Chief John Castillo said.

No one was located or arrested, he said.

Castillo said the Pearl bought the property from SAISD. A Pearl representative said it is not the first time they’ve had an incident like this happen at the property.

Editor’s note: We’re looking back at the hottest San Antonio headlines of 2021, starting with the most popular travel stories of the year. San Antonians were drawn to getaways near and far, from magical Hill Country escapes to hot destinations just a nonstop flight away. 1. San Antonio travelers can embark on a fairy-tale getaway at this Hill Country castle. Falkenstein Castle, located on 133 acres near Lake LBJ, comes with a princely price tag….

Many companies made public commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion in 2020. In many cases, that momentum has faded. Here’s how companies can recapture that momentum.

We are just weeks away from 2022. The year has flown by, and you still haven’t gotten everything done.

What are the most important things that can save you time and money next year? What loose ends are the most important to tie up before Dec. 31? As 2021 winds down, what items on your to-do list would you like to get squared away?

Here is an end-of-year checklist to keep in mind:

Experts say before the end of this year, you might want to build a budget for next year. Analyze how you spent your money last year and make necessary adjustments.

It’s also a good time to organize your photos and e-mails. Delete the ones you don’t want and back up the ones you do.

And take a good look at the apps on your phone. Many subscription apps have automatic payment schedules. So, you might want to cancel the ones you don’t use. Services like Truebill and trim allow you to view all of your subscriptions in one list.

Now is also the time to get your receipts together for tax purposes. Having all of your paperwork in one place will make the process easier. You might want to make any last-minute donations to boost your deductions. If you didn’t see your doctor or dentist for a checkup, try to squeeze an appointment in before the year’s end.

Also, the end of the year is the perfect time to change the batteries in your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector.

Most importantly, don’t forget to use your vacation days before the end of the year if you can’t carry them over!

Sources: https://www.truebill.com/, https://www.asktrim.com/, https://www.brit.co/, https://www.popsci.com/ https://www.wisebread.com/

Contributor(s) to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Robert Walko, Videographer and Editor. To receive a free weekly email on Smart Living from Ivanhoe, sign up at: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk