Category: San Antonio News

A Fort Stockton man and his 9-year-old daughter were found “alive and well” more than two weeks after they were first reported missing in Big Bend National Park, according to the National Park Service.

Hector Flores Jr., of Fort Stockton, and his daughter, Luna, had disappeared on Jan. 28. Their truck was found abandoned on the northern end of Old Ore Road with all their belongings inside it.

On Sunday, residents of a “remote Mexican community” in the state of Coahuila notified authorities that a man and girl fitting their descriptions were in the area looking to buy food, according to the National Park Services news release.

Mexico State Police found the two individuals who were later confirmed to be Flores and Luna.

Both are in healthy condition and will be reunited with their family in Texas.

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Memories linger on anniversary of ‘Snowmaggedon’ as sun shines on San Antonio

Lawsuit filed against local day care after alleged sexual assault of 3-year-old

It may seem like romantic comedies may never go out of style, but in recent years there has been a definite shift. The type of cheesy, completely unrealistic rom-coms that were a staple of the late ’90s/early 2000s, in which Jennifer Lopez was often the primary offender actor, have more often than not moved to places like the Hallmark Channel or Netflix. But now J.Lo is back to try and prove that type of rom-com…

One year ago Texas experienced an unprecedented winter storm that brought single-digit temperatures to many parts of the state, including San Antonio.

Several inches of snow fell in the KSAT viewing area and, after enduring a brutally cold week, it warmed up several days later and people were wearing shorts as the last of the snow melted.

While there was horrible tragedy due to the failure of Texas power grid, there was also beauty in seeing a snow-covered city that’s known more for blistering hot summers than frigid winters.

Here’s a look back at the snowy aftermath of Texas’ 2021 winter storm:

A man who was in custody for a drug charge died Tuesday morning in a hospital due to a pulmonary illness, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

Daniel Maldonado, 31, first began reporting chest pains on Feb. 9, the sheriff’s office confirmed in a news release. The following day, he was taken to University Hospital.

His health continued to decline before he was pronounced dead at the hospital Tuesday morning around 7:30 a.m.

Though it is believed his death was due to natural causes, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. He did not test positive for COVID-19, officials said.

Maldonado had been in jail since Jan. 10, when he was taken into custody for possession of a controlled substance, a state jail felony. His death will be investigated by the Bexar County Precinct 2 Constable’s Office, along with a separate administrative investigation led by the BCSO internal affairs and public integrity units.

Maldonado is at least the second Bexar County Jail death reported this year. In January, a 40-year-old man identified as Vincent Garcia was killed in a gang-related assault in the jail.

In 2021, 17 inmates died while in Bexar County custody, according to the Texas Justice Initiative.

Read more:

Bexar County Jail inmate dies after alleged assault by gang members, sheriff’s office saysLawsuit filed against local day care after alleged sexual assault of 3-year-old

Sephora is heading to Kohl’s stores in the San Antonio area.

While the exact opening dates were not disclosed, Kohl’s says the beauty company will open inside four area locations sometime in 2022.

This is part of a major partnership that includes Sephora replacing all cosmetics areas at Kohl’s stores with 2,500-square-foot shops.

The partnership was announced in late 2020, and it started with 200 locations last year.

This year, 400 Kohl’s stores across the country are expected to add the new beauty departments. That includes the following stores in the San Antonio area:

Forum — 8098 Agora ParkwayNew Braunfels — 1050 N. Interstate 35Northwoods — 1950 N. Loop 1604 E.San Antonio West — 10838 Potranco Road

The partnership will expand to at least 850 stores by 2023.

A news release states that the shops will mimic “the look and feel” of a freestanding Sephora.

The deal upends Sephora’s exclusive relationship with J.C. Penney. The partnership is expected to wind down in 2023.

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Dutch Bros Coffee opening spots in South, Northwest and North San Antonio soon

Editor’s note: This story will be updated throughout early voting, which runs from Feb. 14-25 with the exception of Presidents Day on Feb. 21

Early voting is underway for the 2022 Texas primary elections. Voters can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries to decide who will be on the November General Election ballot.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and a third of the U.S. Senate seats are up for grabs. Bexar County voters will also vote in the gubernatorial race, decide a number of other state offices and choose a new County Judge.

There are 36 early voting sites in Bexar County and the nearly 1.2 million registered voters in the county can choose any of the voting sites, both during early voting and on Election Day.

Here are some other voting resources you may want to check out:

Here’s how, where to vote early in Bexar County for the 2022 Texas primary electionEverything to know about voting in the 2022 Texas Primary Election on March 12022 Democratic March Primary ballot for Bexar County2022 Republican March Primary ballot for Bexar County

For a list of all early voting locations and hours, click here.

Here are the lists of Bexar County polling locations that have seen the most and least amount of voters each day of early voting so far:

Tuesday, Feb. 15

Polling places had a bit of a boost on the second day of early voting. On Tuesday, 3,506 people voted in the Democratic primary and 3,102 voted in the Republican primary, according to the elections department.

So far, 12,426 total voters have cast a ballot during the early voting period.

Busiest polling locations on the second day of early voting:

Brookhollow Library, 465 votesSemmes Library, 419 votesGreat Northwest Library, 355 votesIgo Library, 326 votesMaverick Library, 319 votes

Least busy polling locations on the second day of early voting:

Our Lady of the Lake University, 13 votersTexas A&M (Mays Center), 26 votersPalo Alto College, 27 votersSomerset City Hall, 39 voters(tie) New Covenant Baptist Church, Cortez Library, 50 voters

Monday, Feb. 14

Maybe it was due to it being Valentine’s Day, but some may consider the first day of early voting to have been a little heartbreaking.

Early voting got off to a slow start Monday with 3,189 people voting in the Democratic primary and 2,629 voting in the Republican primary, according to the elections department.

At that pace, voters won’t have to wait in any long lines during the early voting period, but here is a list of the busiest and least busy sites.

Busiest polling locations on the first day of early voting:

Brook Hollow Library, 376 total votersGreat Northwest Library, 328 total votersMaverick Library, 322 total votersIgo Library, 286 total votersCody Library, 281 total voters

Least busy polling locations on the first day of early voting:

Our Lady of the Lake University, 14 total votersPalo Alto College, 21 total votersTexas A&M (Mays Center), 25 total votersCortez Library, 33 total votersUTSA (Bexar Room), 49 total voters — TIE with — Somerset City Hall, 49 total voters

Many of the renovations are intended to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, such as expanded classroom seating to allow for continued social distancing.

A big fish in the world’s sushi scene is bringing its authentic Japanese concept to San Antonio, and it’s promising to hook local diners on its innovative revolving bar, tech-forward ordering options, and quirky prize machine. Kura Sushi, the interactive Japanese restaurant concept established in 2008 as an offshoot of 45-year-old Japan-based Kura Corporation, is rolling into the Alamo Quarry Market at 255 E. Basse Rd., suite 384, opening Wednesday, February 16. The new location…

The virtual event will start at noon on Feb. 28.

An elementary school in Somerset ISD was named among the five finalists for the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching Founders’ Award — and it was the only Texas school to make the list.

NIET on Tuesday announced that Somerset Elementary School earned $10,000 for its selection as a finalist, and it is in contention for the $50,000 grand prize.

The institute helps its partner schools like Somerset Elementary School with developing teacher leaders, creating successful curriculum and building educator capacity.

The school, which implemented NIET’s initiatives in 2009, was chosen as a finalist because it focuses on the real-time needs of students and teachers and cultivates a culture of collaboration, among other factors, a news release states. It was also recently named a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School by the Texas Education Agency.

“Somerset Elementary Principal Nieves Carrales understands the importance of effective teaching to student success. True to form, she has developed a team of instructional leaders who empower teachers and students alike to reach their highest potential,” NIET Chairman and Founder Lowell Milken said the release.

The release added that partner schools have access to tools, resources, coaches and a network of educators. Partner schools have also shown greater teacher retention compared to similar schools.

NIET Co-President Laura Encalade said the model teaches professional development and leadership for long-term success.

Somerset Elementary School serves nearly 590 students in the city of Somerset, southwest of San Antonio. About 93% of students are Hispanic, and about 86% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

NIET said Principal Nieves Carrales’ model helps ensure students have access to quality education.

“Our beliefs on our campus align with NIET’s idea that student success is truly tied to the quality of the teacher within the classroom,” Carrales said in the release. “At Somerset, we spend a great deal of time focusing on growing teachers, building capacity, and making sure we have instructional leaders throughout our campus because we know that, in turn, student success falls in line.”

Across the U.S., NIET has partnered with more than 9,200 schools.

The other four finalists for the grand prize include Brown County High School in Indiana; Southport 6th Grade Academy in Indiana; Logansport High School in Louisiana, and Cross County High School in Arkansas.

The winner will be announced on March 10 at the NIET National Conference in Dallas.

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8th grader makes dress out of ‘Harry Potter’ book, students can participate in Guinness World record and film canister rocketsUTSA Urban Education Institute study finds STEM-related careers ‘pay exceedingly well’