Nine people are in custody and several others are detained following a human smuggling operation at a home in southwest Bexar County, according to Sheriff Javier Salazar.

The arrests, made Thursday afternoon in the 11200 block of Briggs Road, are the result of an ongoing investigation from the last couple of weeks.

The area is rural and typically quiet. However, during the last few weeks, there have been reported running gun battles and vehicle pursuits, among other organized crimes, Sheriff Salazar said.

BCSO’s organized crime group did surveillance in the area, eventually leading deputies to the home on Thursday.

Salazar said several stolen vehicles were being brought to the home, gutted and then used as transport for human smuggling from further south to northern states, such as New York.

Five vehicles caught leaving the residence were stopped, according to deputies. This included an 18-wheeler, trucks, SUVs and sedans.

Twenty-four people were detained, nine of which were deemed suspects in the smuggling operation, according to Salazar. Deputies also seized about $60,000 in cash.

The home was a “stash house” and had no furniture. But, Salazar said deputies found a sizeable altar to Santa Muerte, a known saint that is worshipped by drug cartels. He added that the altar finding could be indicative that the suspects are also smuggling drugs.

No drugs have been found at the site as of yet.

Deputies are still working the scene and further details are limited at this time.

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Your neighbor’s renovation work shouldn’t wake you up — or keep you up — any longer.

The San Antonio City Council amended the city’s noise ordinances on Thursday to limit the hours during which construction crews can do any exterior building construction work, including demolition and excavation. The council also approved more stringent penalties for violations.

Whereas the city used to allow construction work on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., the updated ordinance now limits it to:

Weekdays: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.Saturdays: 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.Sundays: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

There are exceptions for pouring concrete and a limited amount of repair work on heavy machinery or construction equipment.

Contractors can also apply for permission from the city to work outside of those hours, but they have to inform nearby residents at least three days in advance.

Multiple violations of the ordinance could result in the construction permit being suspended, or even revoked. Under the previous ordinance, citations were the only punishment.

The change is the result of a request that Councilman John Courage (D9) made in August 2019 to prohibit any overnight construction work near occupied homes, which he called “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site.”

Courage’s request was prompted by resident complaints about overnight construction work. In one case, his office confirmed work was happening between midnight and 5 am.

The San Antonio City Council approved a half-dozen contracts worth $185 million Thursday that will allow the city’s long-awaited job training and education program, “SA Ready to Work,” to get off the ground.

The city expects to place more than 28,000 people into either certification and degree programs through Ready to Work and subsequently get at least 15,700 of them into “high-quality,” in-demand jobs.

Along the way, participants will have access to support services and emergency assistance to help them finish their training, and then help with getting and staying in a new, full-time job paying at least $15 per hour with benefits.

City officials, particularly Mayor Ron Nirenberg, have championed the program as a “game changer” for the city and low-income residents.

“We know that there is great talent in our city, and we know that employers are searching near and far for employees. Now, we can connect the two for a win-win for San Antonio,” Nirenberg said from the dais Thursday.

Voters approved using a 1/8 cent sales tax to fund the program in November 2020. The tax is expected to bring in about $200 million before it expires at the end of 2025.

Although the city is bankrolling the program, it won’t be handling the day-to-day management.

Instead, city council approved $183.3 million worth of contracts with Workforce Solutions Alamo, Project Quest, Restore Education, and the Alamo Colleges District to handle the intake and case management process. Each contract is for three years, with up to three, one-year extensions.

Council members also approved a $100,000 contract with SA WORX to engage with employers and a $1.6 million contract with Creative Noggin for community outreach and marketing work.

The city has trumpeted its partnerships with local employers, who have pledged to hire program graduates and helped determine upon what kinds of training and jobs the program should focus.

“The businesses that have signed the pledge are going to be engaging in talent pipeline management process with us — as we call it, demand planning — as they begin to tell us ‘here are the occupations that are most critically in need. Here are the skill sets, the credentials that…need to have to obtain those jobs,’” said the city’s executive director of workforce development, Mike Ramsey. “And then we’ll take that information back to our training providers and ensure that there’s alignment that exist and build that catalog around that input.”

HOW MANY WILL IT HELP?

Though council unanimously passed the contracts on Thursday, at least one councilman was still wary.

“I still go back to, you know, we were talking about 40,000 people that we were going to run through this program, be successful and get higher paying jobs, so on and so forth,” said District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, referencing the number that was often used to pitch the program to voters ahead of the November 2020 election.

“Well, you know, now we’re looking at the intake is only about 38,000. And then when you consider dropouts that don’t complete the program, people that don’t get jobs or people that don’t get jobs at higher pay. You know, what’s my concern still is how many are we really going to help on our initial criteria that we’re going to help 40,000 people get higher paying jobs?”

The city anticipates 39,269 people will go through the intake process, but only 28,085 will actually end up in case management and enrolling in a program.

Out of that, the city is aiming for at least a 70 percent completion rate — about 19,660 people.

From there, the city wants at least 80 percent of those who completed a program — about 15,728 — to find a job within six months, and at least 80 percent of that number — about 12,582 — to still be in that job a year later.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg, though, doesn’t think these targets represent a any diminishing of what voters were promised.

The “promise of this program,” the mayor said, is that it will change the trajectory of families who have previously struggled to make ends meet. Enrollment estimations fluctuate, he said, but the city has more certainty now.

“This program now, as we put it together, is going to support a generation of change in terms of our economic trajectory as a city, and I think that’s something worth celebrating,” Nirenberg said.

ELIGIBILITY

To apply for SA Ready to Work, you have to be:

At least 18 years old when applyingSan Antonio residentPermitted to work in the United StatesHave a household income under 250% of the federal poverty guidelines ($33,975 for an individual, $69,375 for a family of four)Not currently enrolled in college courses

HOW TO SIGN UP

Residents who want to take part will be able to sign up through any of the four partners handling the program: Workforce Solutions Alamo, Project Quest, Restore Education, and the Alamo Colleges District.

Official enrollment is not expected to begin until April, but you can preregister through 311.

Predicting further growth is inevitable, the South San Antonio Chamber Commerce has changed its name after 40 years to South Texas Business Partnership.

Its slogan, “All roads lead south,” speaks to its new outlook, said Connie Gonzalez, chair of the organization. “It was time to expand and start really talking to our neighbors.”

At its gala earlier this month, mayors from Castroville, Floresville and Somerset joined San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg celebrating the chamber’s rebranding.

Although the Southside of San Antonio remains its priority, Gonzalez said the partnership, including surrounding communities to the South and West, will be asking, “How we can bring more economic development to this region of San Antonio?”

“I think collectively, we all know that we have a responsibility to do it well, to plan it well, and working together is going to get that done,” said STBP President and CEO Al Arreola.

Andrew Anguiano, the chamber’s former economic development director, said he was surprised to learn it hadn’t been done until now.

Anguiano said the partnership “doesn’t step on anybody’s toes.”

Now a small manufacturer of craft sodas, Anguiano said the partnership will try to make the most of San Antonio’s relationship with its neighboring communities.

He said the question will be, “How do we kind of connect our commonality for economic prosperity?”

Anguiano said helping create and grow businesses can mean better wages for their employees, their families and the communities where they live.

“When you’re able to connect those dots, you’re able to create a more prosperous region,” he said.

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As we consider February’s American Heart Month activities for good heart health, a group of parents would like for you to also be aware of their battles fought by their children with heart issues.

University Health has begun a special program just for these pediatric families called Beads of Courage.

The Nelson family joined that program back in July.

“It’s pretty long, longer than you would think. Two weeks,” said Kara Nelson of her family’s string of handmade beads that represent her two-week struggle with heart issues after birth. She continued, “I wouldn’t trade those two weeks for anything in the world.”

There are 118 beads that were gifted to her family, one by one, for each milestone, decision, diagnosis, procedure and more that newborn Mackenzie Jane Nelson experienced in her short life.

Her father Joshua Nelson is proud of that difficult period, saying, “We have beads on there that represent the first time I held her, the first time my wife held her, the first time her brother held her.”

When she died on July 29th, 2021, the family received another bead — a large glass butterfly to signify the moment.

“It actually represents what we feel. It’s the heaviest emotion in the whole process,” said mom Kara.

Beads of Courage came to University Health nine months ago. It’s a nationwide organization currently at children’s hospitals across the country and is coordinated by the Child Life Department at University.

Child Life Specialist Jessica Luna has been at University for 14 years and says there are hundreds of beads for an assortment of moments that a family or child will go through in the pediatric heart treatment.

For example, a rainbow bead is for a therapy session, a fish bead is for a child who has had an upstream battle or challenge, and a smiley face bead is for a special accomplishment.

Luna said, “There are special beads for each and every thing that a child goes through, whether that’s just an overnight stay in the hospital or an x-ray.”

She says for those who have lost their child, the beads help the grieving process for the parents and siblings.

The Nelsons have a special bead for their act of courage, making the difficult decision to accept that there was nothing more that doctors could do to save her. Instead of it making them sad, it’s something they’re proud of.

Luna says that having that tangible proof of the struggle for good heart health, whether it’s a day or years is good therapy.

“The moms and dads are able to see, we made it through this, we did this. You know, I had a fighter and we got through this together as a family and that’s remarkable,” she said.

Beads of Courage is available to any family with a child going through pediatric cardiac treatments or surgeries.

Each bead is handmade by artists around the country, so each is unique. Some families have a small strand, but others have hundreds upon hundreds representing their journey.

The program itself is funded by donations through University Health and the Beans of Courage organization. Beadsofcourage.org.

The Islamic Center of San Antonio has increased its reward for the safe return of missing 3-year-old Lina Sardar Khil by $20,000.

On Wednesday, the Islamic Center upped its reward to $120,000 and the Crime Stoppers reward remains at $50,000, bringing the total combined reward to $170,000.

Lina disappeared on Dec. 20 from a playground in the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road.

If you have a tip, call SAPD’s Missing Person’s Unit at 210-207-7660.

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The San Antonio Police Department is seeking the public’s help in finding a missing 15-year-old girl.

SAPD is searching for Angelina Medina, who was last seen Wednesday in the 200 block of Merida Street.

Angelina is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 90 pounds. She has straight, shoulder-length brown hair and is right-handed.

The teen was last wearing a maroon hoodie that says Marshall High School in the front, jeans and pink Crocs.

If you know the whereabouts of Angelina, call SAPD’s Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660.

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Luxury brands are now viewing the once underdog San Antonio as a worthy investment.

Fire crews are currently battling a large grass fire in south Bexar County.

The fire broke out Thursday afternoon in the 1500 block of Sea Spray.

San Antonio police, the Texas Air National Guard, Emergency Services Districts 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, Wilson County Fire, and Ata-Bexar Fire are all working on the fire response.

Officials said the fire currently spans 25 acres and there is also a downed power line in the area.

The fire is posing a threat to some nearby structures as well. Damages and injuries are currently unknown.

We’ve reached out for more details and will bring more fire updates as they become available.

Founded in 2014, Foresite is one of the largest property management firms in San Antonio.