Category: San Antonio News

The Salvation Army is spreading cheer to local families and distributing gifts to thousands of children this holiday season thanks to its Angel Tree program.

“What’s great about this program is that the whole community gets involved with making an impact to help others,” said Brad Mayhar, public relations/ media manager for the Salvation Army.

The Angel Tree toy distribution event kicked off Thursday morning.

“It’s all about the community. When the angels go up for adoption. Members of the community, they go, and they adopt a child and they purchase those toys that are on the wish list, and they bring them back here. And then we we fill the boxes up,” Mayhar said.

Due to the pandemic, several volunteers didn’t participate last year, but things looked different today.

“This year is great because we’re able to see a lot of our corporate volunteers come back,” Mayhar said.

About 7,000 children will be receiving a gift this year.

The program impacting not just families, but volunteers too.

“You see tears of joy from people that, you know, they’re so elated that they were able to provide gifts for their family. And with our volunteers, you get a lot of them that come in each year and tell us that once upon a time, they were an Angel Tree recipient. So, they want to give back,” Mayhar said.

See how San Antonio’s luxury market stacks up statewide.

Business software provider Zoho Corp., whose U.S. headquarters is in Del Valle near Austin, has opened an office in New Braunfels that eventually could be home to more than 100 employees. Zoho recently set up shop in 10,000 square feet of office space at the historic Saengerhalle building. Twenty people currently work at the new office, and Zoho plans to expand the New Braunfels workforce to more than 100 people in the next couple of…

The brand prides themselves on strong ties to the technologically advanced island nation.

This week in San Antonio business bankruptcies include 120 Entertainment Group LLC, Flight Deck Trampoline Park and more. For the year, San Antonio has recorded 60 business bankruptcy filings.

The beloved “Big Enchilada” library in downtown San Antonio is undergoing a multi-million dollar facelift — literally, improvements include a new paint job.

The San Antonio Public Library system on Wednesday gave an update on the major renovations on the first and third floors as well as the building’s first fresh coat of paint in 11 years.

“Painting the library’s façade is a technical process that must be completed with a high level of precision to ensure the building is restored to its original brilliant red hue,” SAPL said in a news release. “The facility’s color is one of its most recognizable architectural details.”

The repainting is underway and is scheduled for completion in the spring. It was funded through the city’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget process.

The renovations on the first floor include a redesign of the main entrance for improved accessibility and security, the release states. The main service desk will also be redesigned.

On the third floor, the children’s area will be redesigned to include a new story room, early literacy play area, flexible programming space and computer lab for families.

The indoor renovations, totaling $3 million, were funded through the 2017-2022 bond program and also include improvements to the existing Texana/Genealogy Department on the sixth floor.

Work inside the building already started and should be finished by late 2022.

“Our services extend far beyond the walls of our Libraries, but our facilities are the home base,” Library Director Ramiro S. Salazar said in the release. “For over 25 years, Central Library has been the crown jewel of our Library system. These facility improvements will maintain Central Library’s status as a dynamic destination for information, imagination, and ideas for everyone.”

While construction is underway, a select browsing collection and computer access will be available on the first floor. The teen library on the third floor is available to teenagers, and the used book store in the basement is still open.

For more information, call 210-207-2500 or visit ask.mysapl.org or mysapl.org.

Read also: First draft of 2022 bond program heavy on basics: streets, sidewalks, bridges, drainage

T-Mobile announced Friday that every single employee, regardless of role, or full-time or part-time status, will earn a minimum of $20 an hour.

The mobile carrier’s CEO Mike Sievert said in a blog post that the “vast majority of our employees already earn well above this level, especially when including incentive pay.”

Sievert said the wage increase is about inclusion and ensuring no employee is left behind.

“This latest move to a baseline $20 minimum is about recognizing our hardworking employees who are the heartbeat of this company,” said Sievert.

T-Mobile landed at No. 51 on Fortune’s top 100 companies to work for in 2021.

The federally established minimum wage is currently $7.25, but many states have legislated minimum wages higher than the federal minimum. Texas has followed the federal minimum wage since 2009.

Access the T-Mobile career center here.

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The days ahead will be merry and bright thanks to fun happenings throughout the Alamo City. Head to Christmas at the Caverns or experience A Very Electric Christmas with the entire family. Check out the top five things to do in San Antonio this weekend. Thursday, December 16 Doc Watkins and His Orchestra: Holiday Big Band Show Doc Watkins, acclaimed pianist, vocalist, and owner of Jazz, TX, comes to the Tobin Center for the Performing…

Two San Antonio police officers who were fired last year due to excessive use of force are now facing criminal charges.

Carlos Castro and Thomas Villarreal were indicted Wednesday by a Bexar County grand jury. They are charged with aggravated assault by a public servant, a first-degree felony, sources confirmed on Thursday.

Records showed that neither had been arrested in connection with the charge as of Thursday morning.

The incident occurred on Jan. 16, 2020, during the arrest of Eric Wilson, who was taken into custody on suspicion of evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance. Court records showed both charges were dismissed later that year because Wilson was already serving time in federal prison on drug charges.

That night, officers pulled over a car that was traveling 48 mph on North Walters Street, where the speed limit is 35 mph. The car also failed to signal prior to turning onto Lamar Street, police said.

Officers activated their emergency lights and approached the car, which had pulled into a driveway.

Eric Wilson, who was driving the car, got out of the vehicle and walked away from officers, who noted that the vehicle was emitting a strong odor of marijuana, according to the police report.

Another man, Eddie Wilson, came out of the house to talk to the officers, according to the report. Officers told Eddie Wilson to stay away and warned him of hindering their arrest of Eric Wilson, according to the report.

As officers detained Eddie Wilson, Eric Wilson walked into the home and closed the door on the police officers, according to the police report.

Villarreal and Castro kicked in the door “in an attempt to force their way in,” according to the suspension document. The officers “entered a private residence without consent, without a warrant and without exigent circumstances for the purposes of effecting a misdemeanor arrest,” administrators wrote.

The officers said when they got inside the home, Eric Wilson continued to resist arrest, so Villarreal unsuccessfully deployed his taser, according to the police report.

As officers struggled with the suspect, Castro and Villarreal feared Eric Wilson might reach for a weapon, so they punched him repeatedly until they were able to handcuff him. Both officers had Eric Wilson’s blood on their bodies, according to the police report. Villarreal sustained a bruised hand from the incident.

In Eric Wilson’s mugshot, injuries were visible around both of his eyes.

Eric Wilson has a long criminal history in Bexar County, dating back to 1988, according to court records, including a murder conviction in 1988. At the time of his arrest, Wilson was on federal probation, according to the police report.

Villarreal and Castro were fired in July 2020 after their conduct was investigated by the department’s internal affairs unit.

“Excessive use of force will not be tolerated within this department. The actions that these four officers showed on two separate incidents are indefensible and do not align with our use of force policy, de-escalation tactics, and our guiding principles,” Police Chief William McManus said shortly after the officers were fired. “SAPD will continue to hold its officers to the highest standard of conduct and impose discipline when warranted in order to maintain the trust and confidence of our community.”

If convicted, the former officers could face up to life in prison.

Read more:

After firing 4 officers for excessive force, San Antonio police chief asks for FBI review

Authorities have arrested three men in connection with a fatal shooting during an alleged drug deal at an apartment complex on San Antonio’s Northeast Side.

Gary Eugene Clark II, 26, Deymont Anthony Franklin, 23 and Jamari Nickerson were charged with capital murder in the Sept. 30 death of Julian Nikolas Angelo, 23, according to court records. Jail records show Clark and Franklin were arrested on Wednesday, and Nickerson was booked Friday.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, all three suspects went to the apartment complex in the 8000 block of Bentley, not far from Midcrown Drive and Walzem Road, to buy drugs from Angelo.

Clark drove the two suspects to the location and waited in the vehicle while Nickerson approached Angelo’s vehicle and displayed a gun, the affidavit states.

Angelo got out of the vehicle to conduct the drug deal, but at some point, Nickerson and Franklin attempted to steal the narcotics, police said.

A shootout erupted, police said, and Angelo was shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nickerson called Clark to pick him up, but their car was stopped by police officers before they could exit the apartment complex.

Franklin fled on foot but was found by officers nearby.

Police said both Franklin and Nickerson had gunshot wounds and they were taken to area hospitals.

A warrant for their arrests was issued on Wednesday. Clark’s bond was set at $300,000, and Franklin’s bond was set at $450,000, records show.

Nickerson’s bond is set at $500,000, according to court records. All of the men are still being held in the Bexar County Jail.

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Woman killed in overnight shooting on East Side, San Antonio police say