Then vs. Now: Photos show the transformation of Loop 1604 through the years

San Antonio has steadily grown in population over the past few decades and the roadways have grown along with it.

One of San Antonio’s most commonly traveled streets is Texas State Highway Loop 1604, also known as the Charles W. Anderson Loop.

It started as a two-lane highway in the 1970s and has morphed and expanded to include four lanes in some areas, while other areas have remained untouched for years.

TxDOT has already broken ground on a project that will increase capacity on Loop 1604 on the North Side. The $1.3 billion project stretches 23 miles from Bandera Rd. to I-35, and will expand the highway from four to 10 lanes, plus add one HOV lane in each direction.

KSAT spoke with transportation enthusiast Brian Purcell, also known as the Texas Highway Man, who shared photos of Loop 1604 that he digitized for the Texas Department of Transportation in 2017.

“The one that really blows people’s minds is Culebra and 1604,” said Purcell. That image can be seen in the photos below, along with other photos Purcell has obtained through his research.

He has a Facebook page and a website dedicated to information on highways in Texas, with a special emphasis on his hometown — San Antonio.

“I was doing mostly cursory research for the 20 years up until about five years or so ago, when I really started to dedicate a lot more effort to it,” Purcell told KSAT.

The photos show vast differences from before and after major construction projects like The Forum at Olympia Parkway, which was built in 2000 and Rolling Oaks Mall, which opened in 1988.

Take a look back at some past images of major intersections along Loop 1604 and what they look like in recent years:

Loop 1604 and I-10 West

Loop 1604 and I-35 North

Loop 1604 and Bulverde

Loop 1604 and Culebra Road

Loop 1604 and Falcon Wolf

Loop 1604 and Nacogdoches Road

Loop 1604 and Pat Booker Road

Loop 1604 and Redland

Spurs, Kultured Misfits release streetwear collection inspired by Fiesta-themed jerseys

The San Antonio Spurs on Thursday announced a new streetwear collection with the Black- and women-owned Kultured Misfits brand.

This is the first time Kulture Misfits has collaborated with an NBA team to make an assortment of items like shorts, T-shirts, sweatshirts and joggers, a news release states.

The items were inspired by the Fiesta-themed City Edition jerseys that feature the iconic turquoise, fuchsia and orange colors.

“We are incredibly excited to be partnering with the San Antonio Spurs on this collection where our imperfect worlds meet perfectly, that’s Kultured Misfits,” Lindsay Barnette, the owner of the Atlanta-based Kultured Misfits, said in a news release. “It is our reminder that, ‘We Were Never Meant To Fit In.’”

The release states the purpose of the brand is to empower Black culture through creative expression.

Becky Kimbro, the vice president of brand engagement for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, said the organization is “honored” to be the brand’s first partnership with an NBA team.

The one-time collection debuts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Spurs Fan Shop. It will be available through March 17.

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Man arrested for pulling out large knife in San Antonio Best Buy robbery, records show

Authorities have arrested a man accused of pulling out a large knife during a robbery at Best Buy.

Jail records show Oliverio Rogel, 24, was charged with aggravated robbery in the incident that happened on Dec. 29.

That day, the suspect went to the electronics store and stuffed unpaid merchandise in his backpack, police said.

When an employee confronted him, he pulled out a large knife and “held it up in a threatening manner towards the victim,” an arrest warrant affidavit states. Police said he also shouted “I have PTSD” and acted aggressively.

The store employee feared for his life and let the suspect leave the store.

The affidavit states the incident was caught on camera and officers received a tip about Rogel. In previous encounters with police, Rogel was aggressive and occasionally told officers that he has PTSD, the affidavit states.

He was already incarcerated on a separate charge when police went to interview him. Records show a warrant for his arrest on the aggravated robbery charge was issued on Wednesday.

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Millennials aren’t sipping as much wine as baby boomers and the wine industry doesn’t like it

Millennials aren’t popping wine bottles and instead they are choosing to crack open a seltzer or a craft beer, or even shake up a cocktail.

Now, the billion dollar wine industry is worried, because the people doing the majority of the sipping are baby boomers, not millennials.

The annual state of the wine industry report outlined this concern, pointing out that if this trend continues sales of American wine could plummet by 20% in the next decade.

“So part of wine’s problem is that it kind of has this air of snobbery about it, right? Like, you have to know all the fancy terms,” Arianna McFarland, a millennial and a craft beer connoisseur, said.

The former nightlife reporter for the Austin American-Statesman is currently traveling the country with her husband and stops at breweries along the way, with all of it documented on her social media.

She believes millennials are more attracted to craft beer over wine because the craft beer industry is more approachable. But she says the main reason is probably because of price.

“I graduated the year of the Great Recession,” McFarland said. “I think we’re just kind of more conscious of where our money’s going and getting a really, really good craft beer is just so much easier to do than getting a really, really good bottle of wine.”

Texas is number two when it comes to wine travel destinations in the U.S behind Napa, California, so will this daunting trend impact the blooming Texas wine industry?

The co-founder of Kuhlman Cellars in Stonewall Texas says he isn’t worried, since most Texas wineries operate on a much smaller local level.

“I actually feel really good, because I don’t aspire for us to be a $10 million case winery as a $10 thousand case winery,” Chris Cobb, the co-founder of Kulman Cellars said. “We’re doing really good out there.”

According to the report, millennials like a sense of community or connection to local products, and its why Cobb believes Texas wineries may have an advantage.

Cobb compares Texas wineries to the craft brewery communities. He believes millennials are attracted to farm to table businesses and is hopeful that their local community has its benefits with the millennial consumer.

“As wine becomes increasingly local, we have this great opportunity to shed those old rituals that are almost mystic in their opacity and instead we can create these new traditions,” Cobb said.

Dems vying to succeed Lloyd Doggett in Texas Congressional District 35

Get more election news on KSAT’s Vote 2022 page.

Two frontrunners have emerged in the Democratic primary for Texas Congressional District 35, a district that spans from Austin to San Antonio.

With U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett choosing to seek one of the new congressional seats created in Texas through redistricting, the reliably Democratic district is up for grabs.

Former Austin City Councilman Greg Casar has the fundraising advantage over his opponents, bringing in more than $467,000 in contributions over a two-month span between October and December. He has also racked up endorsements from nationally-known liberal figures, like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

But State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez has set himself up as an alternative to Casar, attacking him for his voting record on homelessness while serving on the Austin City Council.

Rodriguez has brought in more than $250,000 in contributions in the race.

Though this race has attracted a number of Republican challengers, the winner of the Democratic primary will be heavily favored in the November general election.

Another familiar name vying for the nomination is former San Antonio City Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran. She trails behind Casar and Rodriguez, reporting only $47,000 in campaign contributions.

If the candidates are unable to win more than 50% of the vote on March 1, the primary would be decided by a runoff between the top two contenders.

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FBI investigation, AOC-endorsed opponent pose challenges for Cuellar in March primary race for U.S. Rep. District 28

If U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar thought he saw his most serious challenge in the 2020 Democratic primary, he could be in for a bigger fight in the March 2022 primary for the District 28 congressional seat.

The Democrat from Laredo will be facing immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros in a primary rematch. The last time the two met Cuellar edged out Cisneros, winning 51.8% of the vote.

While Cisneros received backing from progressives the last time around, she got a huge boost to her campaign this year when she received an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a rally in San Antonio.

Cuellar, who is seeking his 10th term in office, also has an FBI investigation hanging over his campaign. FBI agents raided his home in Laredo in January. The investigation remains active although Cuellar denies any wrongdoing.

A third candidate, teacher and organizer Tannya Judith Benavides, is also running in the Democratic primary.

Republicans are also hoping to put up a competitive race in the district, as they have made progress with Latino voters in South Texas in 2020. Here’s a look at the crowded GOP primary field.

Cassy Garcia

Casandra “Cassy” Garcia is a political staffer, having served most recently as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s Deputy State Director. She was appointed by then-President Donald Trump in July of 2020 to serve as Commissioner for the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. According to her campaign website, her priorities include “creating jobs, protecting innocent life, and upholding our Constitutional rights.”

Sandra Whitten

Whitten, a youth and preschool director, was the Republican nominee for the district in 2020, but lost to Cuellar in the general election. On her campaign website, Whitten said the fact that she received almost double the number of votes than any other GOP candidate in the district’s history propelled her to run again. Her priorities include border security, jobs and healthcare.

Steven Fowler

Lt. Col. Steven Fowler flew dozens of combat missions over Afghanistan for the U.S. Air Force and is a small business owner. On his campaign website, Fowler said he plans to “fight like hell against radical Democrats in Washington, D.C.” His campaign priorities include border security, job security and police funding.

Ed Cabrera

Cabrera is a rancher and small business owner who said he is running for office because he “has experienced the issues that are challenging the area” and his business background can help solve those issues. According to his campaign website, Cabrera’s priorities include a secure border, defense of family values and job creation.

Eric Hohman

Hohman, a management analyst, served 15 years in the Air Force where he served as a military police officer. According to his campaign website, he is running for office “to stand up to the DC politicians who are taking our country in the wrong direction.” His priorities include border security, defending the Second Amendment and stopping human trafficking.

Willie Vasquez Ng

Ng is a former Bexar County Sheriff candidate who lost in the Republican primary in 2020. He worked in various capacities in the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. He owns a security firm. According to Ng’s campaign website, his main priorities include protecting the Second Amendment, border security and backing police.

Rolando Rodriguez

Rodriguez has owned several small businesses over the years. Rodriguez said he is running for office “to protect my country from socialist democrat policies that are designed to harm and not to help us.” According to his campaign website, Rodriguez’s priorities include banning abortion, fair imports and exports tax, and religious freedom.

Also on KSAT.com:

The races to watch in Bexar County for 2022 electionsFULL BALLOT: 2022 Democratic Party March Primary ballot for Bexar CountyFULL BALLOT: 2022 Republican Party March Primary ballot for Bexar CountyEverything to know about voting in the 2022 Texas Primary Election on March 1

Suspicious fire at Northeast Side commercial facility prompts heavy response, SAFD says

Firefighters are working to extinguish a suspicious fire at a commercial facility on the Northeast Side, San Antonio Fire Department officials said.

The fire happened around 9:30 p.m. Thursday in the 12500 block of O’Connor Road.

SAFD said the location of the fire was in a series of metal buildings that are connected. No one was inside.

Crews had to call a second alarm due to the size of the area they were trying to extinguish and attacked the fire using ladder trucks.

SAFD said it was a challenge to get water to the location since it was far from the road.

At one point, the fire posed a danger to surrounding neighborhoods, but firefighters were able to mitigate the danger, SAFD said. They are still working to put out hotspots.

Officials with SAFD said police were speaking with someone with possible information about the suspicious fire.

No injuries were reported.

KSAT will update you on air and online with any new information.

Harlandale ISD pushes for $125 million bond package in upcoming May election

Harlandale ISD school leaders hope the community will see the need for a $125 million bond package and vote yes to three propositions in May.

The three-part bond is broken down into Propositions A, B and C.

Prop A is a $93.5 million bond that would include many upgrades and construction, including a new multipurpose building for the entire district and a new ROTC building for McCollough High School students.

The ROTC program is limited on growth, says principal Richard Marroquin.

“We have a lot of students who want to be in ROTC, but it’s just crowded in there. And so we need a place, a better instructional facility, a place for them to be able to do exercise,” he said.

The money would also go toward lighting and field improvements and a new facility to support programs to help students graduate career-ready in plumbing, HVAC, welding and other trades.

A bond committee would also decide how to spend more than $30 million as part of Prop A.

Prop B sets aside $22 million to refund the maintenance tax obligations. It’s money used for improvements to high school auditoriums, roof replacement and other improvements.

Prop C is a $9.5 million bond to complete phase 2 of Memorial Stadium.

Educators say the community knows there’s a great need to support students’ futures, and they hope they will get behind this 10-year bond package.

If approved, the tax rate increase would go from $0.4306 to $0.4968. The average homestead value in the district is $87,844.

The increase would not impact homeowners over 65 years old.

Election Day for these propositions is May 7, 2022. Early voting starts on April 25.