Texas billionaire Michael Dell might not play basketball, but he and his wife, Susan, are becoming big players in the sport. Last year, the Dells bought a 10 percent share of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. At the same time, investment firm Sixth Street purchased a 20 percent stake. Now, the Dells are investors in the WNBA, the 12-team women’s league associated with the NBA. They recently chipped in an undisclosed sum as part of…

More customers are seeking out Black-owned businesses, but data shows many of those businesses are facing disproportionate challenges during the pandemic.

A man who died in a house fire on Wednesday morning in west Bexar County has been identified.

Bexar County officials on Friday said the victim was identified as Jimmy Anthony Dehoyos, 47.

Dehoyos owned a home in the 9800 block of Misty Plain Drive that caught fire around 6:50 a.m. — but officials said he wasn’t found during firefighters’ initial search of the home.

It wasn’t until a second search that Dehoyos was found in the home.

Neighbors told KSAT 12 News that the victim collected a lot of objects, and officials said that may have made it more difficult for the firefighters to make the discovery initially.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Also on KSAT.com:

Remodeling contractor killed by coworker at North Side apartment complex, police sayMan shot woman, dumped her body in front of vacant home north of downtown, SAPD saysSan Antonio Police Department fires officer who was arrested on suspicion of DWI, records show

The initial ART route would travel from the north to the south along the San Pedro corridor.

The land slated for development in Colorado was purchased by Buc-ee’s holding company Bucees Johnstown LLC for $9.4 million in late 2021.

Workers at a Starbucks store in San Antonio want their workplace to become the first of the coffee shop chain’s Texas locations to join a labor union. A letter posted February 7 on Twitter by the Starbucks Workers United union and bearing the names of nine employees laid out plans to unionize the store at Loop 410 and Vance Jackson Road in Northwest San Antonio. If the effort succeeds, the store would be the first…

Hello parents, teachers and students!

Wow, what a week it’s been. We’ve officially settled into the month of February. Both Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day are right around the corner.

But can you imagine being stuck inside a hospital instead of actually enjoying the holidays or being part of a class Valentine’s Day party? Well, for some children, that actually is the case.

So guess what? You can actually help make Valentine’s Day a little better for some young patients and their families that are currently at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.

All you have to do is go online and send a Valentine to a child at the hospital. There are four cards to choose from and your card and message will be delivered with a small gift on Valentine’s Day. How cool is that? Can you imagine the excitement from one of those kiddos? It would be a wonderful gesture.

You can click here to send a card.

Students can submit stories, art for Guinness World Record ‘I am Texas’ book

Texas students in grades 3-12 are being asked to submit fictional or non-fictional stories, poetry and illustrations that follow the “I Am Texas” theme so they can be part of a 7-foot-tall book titled “I Am Texas” –which will be displayed permanently at The Bryan Museum in Galveston.

Submissions are due by March 2, and they can be made online at iamtx.org.

The book — which will earn the Guinness World Record of the largest book in the world by kids for kids — will consist of work from 1,000 students.

There are also prize money and scholarships up for grabs.

KSAT Kids Student Spotlight

Also this week, we’re highlighting Leia, an eighth-grade student at Jackson Middle School in NEISD, who spent weeks creating a gold, sleeveless dress out of 200 pages of a “Harry Potter” book.

She used wire and hot glue to tie it all together, and she accentuated the flow with golden butterflies on rods.

Leia’s dress received praise when NEISD posted images of the creation on Facebook — praise that a veteran artist or designer would normally see.

In the Facebook post, Leia stated she created the dress because she enjoys books and wanted to make something unique.

“I love reading, and I use it as a way to escape reality and live in my own magical world,” Leia said. “So, I think that by creating a project in real life, something that can be seen and touched, I think that, in a way, it was like I was bringing the book to life. It was also like nothing I’d ever done before, so I think that I really didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to create something like this.”

Do you know of a student, classroom or school that is doing amazing work and deserves to be featured in KSAT Kids? Nominate someone by emailing ksatkids@ksat.com.

Kids wanna know: Why do people run for office? What type of education do you need to be an elected official?

And kids, in case you didn’t know, 2022 is an important election year with all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and a third of the U.S. Senate both up for grabs. In Texas, voters will also elect statewide leaders like the governor.

For candidates to make it to the November election ballot, they first have to be selected to represent their party (Republican or Democrat) by voters in an upcoming March 1 primary election.

In this week’s KSAT Kids edition of “Kids Wanna Know,” elementary students learn about what it’s like to be a state senator by interviewing California’s Bill Dodd. The state senator shares why he chose to run for election, what he is most proud of and how he works to serve the people he represents in his district.

Senator Dodd goes on to share what is expected of him, his roles and responsibilities and the type of education needed to become a State Senator. Watch the extended interview, use the worksheet and view the “shorts” for more information.

🚀 Kaiti’s Science Lab shoots film canister rockets at Thornton Elementary

Meteorologist Kaiti Blake and KSAT anchor/reporter David Sears went to Thornton Elementary School in Northside ISD a week ago for another live science experiment.

Kaiti and David – along with a class full of fifth graders – shot film canister rockets. And I can definitively say, they had a blast! Get it, hehehe…

The activity is courtesy of Sciencebob.com.

If you’re a teacher or administrator and would like Kaiti to visit your school, email Kaiti at: kblake@ksat.com.

Parents and guardians: upload a video of your child performing the activity by clicking here. Send it in and you might see it on GMSA @ 9 a.m.!

KSAT 12′s Educator of the Month Contest

And lastly, do you know someone or have a favorite teacher or educator who goes above and beyond in the classroom?

As a husband of a teacher, I know educators deserve more recognition.

To that end, KSAT 12 has launched the Educator of the Month Contest for our K-12 educators within the KSAT 12 viewing area.

One educator will be selected each month and receive a $500 Visa gift card presented by Firstmark Credit Union and a trophy that says “Educator of the Month” with the educator’s name. To nominate an educator, click here.

For the month of February, Ryan Fink, a teacher at BASIS San Antonio Shavano Campus, has been recognized as KSAT’S Educator of the Month. He says math is the “language of the universe,” and that he’s been teaching the “language” for the last 10 years.

From Algebra II to AP Statistics, Fink says he wants to make sure all his students not only get the practice but understand the process as well.

“I make them show work on everything,” said Fink. “It’s the process that counts. I don’t care about the end solution. It’s great if you get there, but I care about how you got there.” Well done Ryan!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ben Spicer

If you’re not subscribed to this newsletter or want to share it with a teacher or friend, sign up here.

Do you have an idea for a lesson or feedback? Email me at Bspicer@ksat.com with new content, lessons, story ideas or tips!

Related Links

COVID-19 stress, disruptions wreaking havoc on multi-child families, study saysCHEF program teaching students nutrition expands into more school campuses, gets teachers involvedEXPLAINER: COVID vaccines for kids under 5: What’s next?UTSA Urban Education Institute study finds STEM-related careers ‘pay exceedingly well’Fire program at East Central High School prepares students to become first respondersAs state mask rules end, school leaders are in the middle

Like this information? Want more?

Sign up for more great KSAT newsletters HERE

A mother trying to break up a fight between her two adult sons outside their apartment was cut on the hand during the altercation, San Antonio police said.

The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. in 1000 block of West Mistletoe Avenue, not far from Interstate 10 and Blanco Road on the city’s North Side.

According to police, the two men, one in their 20s and the other in their 30s, were fighting in front of their mom when one of them pulled out a knife. That’s when, police say, the mom tried to intervene, but she was sliced once in the hand.

The man who used the knife ultimately fled, but he was detained by officers a few blocks away, police said. The mother was treated on scene by EMS crews.

SAPD said the are now trying to determine who exactly started the fight and what, if any charges will be filed.

The San Antonio Police Department, the San Antonio Fire Department, and EMS all answered the call.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Do it scared. That is South Texas resident Kathryn Childers’ mantra.

When her father was teaching her how to shoot a 22 rifle as a little girl, she told her father “Daddy, I’m scared.”

His reply: then do it scared.

And she did.

It’s how she has lived her whole life, including being one of the first five women to become a Secret Service agent back in 1970.

“Any major federal service in the country, they had never hired women,” Kathryn Childers said. “And when they did, I think we all were frightened of the fact that if we failed, we would probably fail for all women because it was essentially an experiment.”

For the three years she spent being an agent she protected a wide range of people, from presidents to world leaders. She was fondly called the “Pistol Packin’ Nanny” when she was charged with protecting the Kennedy children — Caroline and John Jr. — while traveling with former First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

“To be in that position of responsibility for her, for the nation that had just been heartbroken for those children, it was it was quite an amazing assignment,” Childers said.

She recalls one of the last conversations she had with the former First Lady.

“Jacqueline Kennedy, the last time I saw her, she said ‘Miss Clark, (Kathryn’s maiden name) you live such an interesting life,’ because I had just returned from protecting the Queen of Spain at the Apollo 14 blastoff where Neil Armstrong was sitting to my right,” Childers said.

Childers’ life didn’t stop getting interesting just because she left the Secret Service in 1973. She moved to Corpus Christi, where she married her husband.

She became one of the first women in Corpus Christi to anchor a morning show and also hosted the show “South Texas People” on KIII TV 3News for 17 years.

Childers then started a number of charities in Corpus Christi and has since written a couple of books, including her newest one, “Scared Fearless’’ about her time as a Secret Service agent.

And by the way, those first five women didn’t fail.

“Fifty years later, we’re still alive,” Childers said. “The five of us still communicate, and they just celebrated the 50th anniversary of women. And there are now 500 women in the Secret Service, which started with the five. Are there enough now? Are there enough men now? Is there always the perfect situation? No, but we’ve we got the door open now. My message is keep going forward, keep being positive and work together to make the whole mission or whatever you’re doing better.”

Childers book is available now, you can check it out here.

An investigation is underway by Homeland Security officials and San Antonio police after the discovery of a suspected human smuggling operation on the city’s West Side early Friday morning.

Officers were called just before 4 a.m. to a shopping center on Loop 410 and Highway 151 after receiving word about a big rig with people pouring out of it.

According to police, officers arrived to find several people scattering in all directions. SAPD said they caught between 20 and 30 people, many hiding in dumpsters, and all are adults.

Police said some of the people caught were playing a role in the operation. Authorities say they believe they have the truck driver in custody, along with a couple of people assisting in the smuggling.

Police said they towed away at least one of the vehicles found at the shopping center. At this time, it’s unclear how many people were actually inside the truck, as they are unsure if they found everyone. SAPD said Homeland Security will now take over the investigation.

The SAFD treated a few officers on scene for cuts and scrapes and gave some of the individuals water.

This is a developing story and we’ll bring more updates as they become available.