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OBITUARIES

➤ PAGE A8

The Rev.TJ Martinez has been busyin the years since his ordination asa Jesuit priest.To say the least.

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B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2 | T E X A S A P M E C L A S S A A ‘ N E W S P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R ’WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013 75 CENTS

For two years running Neil Niñohad come close. This year heachieved his goal and becamethe 2013 SkillsUSA nationalchampion in precisionmachining technology. All ittook was a little dedication.

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Vol. 122 | No. 14

SEALING THEUT DEAL

GOVERNOR: ‘EVERY DREAM COULD BECOME A REALITY,’ A3

CREATING A NEW UNIVERSITY

Perry signs bill merging Rio Grande Valley universitiesBY MELISSA MONTOYA

THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Rick Macias, a 21-year-old senior atthe University ofTexas at Browns-

ville, patiently sat on abench with his grand-mother and youngerbrother and waited forGov. Rick Perry’s billsigning ceremony tobegin Tuesday afternoon.

They arrived morethan an hour early at theTexas Southmost CollegeArts Center, where theceremony took place, andwaited in the lobby wherea marimba band serenad-ed those in attendance.

Macias, who studiedbriefly at the Universityof Texas at Arlington, saidhe returned to the RioGrande Valley becausethe cost of living awayfrom home was too high.

But now that Senate Bill24 has created a new uni-versity, merging UTB andUT-Pan American, Maciassaid he sees it as an oppor-tunity to continue his edu-cation in his hometown.

BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Texas Governor Rick Perry turns to University of Texas at Brownsville President Juliet Garcia and others after he signed a bill to createa new university in South Texas that will merge the University of Texas-Pan American and the University of Texas at Brownsville.

BY STEVE CLARK


It certainly had the look of an his-toric occasion: packed auditorium,nice video presentation, enough dig-nitaries to field a football team andthen some.

Even the governor showed up.Surrounded by Rio Grande Valley legis-lators, University of Texas System offi-cials and local university heads onstageat the Texas Southmost College ArtsCenter, Rick Perry did what he came todo: Affix his signature to legislation thatcreates a new university and medicalschool in the Valley via a mergerbetween the University of Texas atBrownsville and UT-Pan American underthe UT System umbrella.

PLEASE SEE MERGER, A12

PLEASE SEE ECONOMY, A5

GOOD FOR BUSINESS?

Officials: University bodes well for economy

To see video from Perry’s visit,log on to our website at

www.BrownsvilleHerald.com

➤ PAGE C1

WASHINGTON

Hundreds of thousands ofhomeowners facing higherfederal flood insurance premiumsunder reforms passed last yearwould win a temporary one-yearreprieve under a measure thatbegan its advance through theSenate on Tuesday.

INSURANCE

REPRIEVE

➤ PAGE A14

WORLD

In one of the most harrowingspacewalks in decades, an astro-naut had to rush back into theInternational Space Station onTuesday after a mysterious waterleak inside his helmet robbed himof the ability to speak or hearand could have caused him tochoke or even drown.

CLOSE

ENCOUNTER

➤ PAGE A8


Perry sits with Eugene Powell, chairman of the University of Texas System Boardof Regents,and University of Texas Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa during the cer-emonial bill signing.

PHOTO GALLERY

To see more photos from the billsigning, log on to our website atwww.BrownsvilleHerald.com

YVETTE VELA/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Valley native and UT Board ofRegents Chairman EugenePowell speaks before a crowdedroom at the Texas SouthmostCollege Arts Center.

UT System Board ofRegents Chairman GenePowell called it a momentthat would “change thedestiny of the region.”UTB President JulietGarcia called it a momentthat was long overdue.

“We’ve always felt andwe had made a case to thesystem that this is wrong,”Garcia said. “How can youjustify two universitiesnot being part of the PUF(Permanent UniversityFund) recipients?”

But now, Garcia said,that will change.

“The new universitybeing established todayopens up a window ofopportunity for thousandsof students who come tous having inherited theirparents’ hopes of achiev-ing the American dream,”Garcia said during theceremony.

Powell recalled lastweek’s Board of Regentsmeeting when he lookeddown at his script and“realized for the first timein history UT-Brownsvilleand Permanent Univer-sity Fund were in thesame sentence.”

The PUF, establishedin the 1870s, is anapproximate $13 billionfund that UT schools andthe Texas A&M Systemhave access to as aresource. Until this bill’spassing, both UTB andUTPA were excludedfrom those funds.

According to Powell,system officials hadlengthy discussions abouthow to bring the PUFresources to South Texas.

“The chancellor, to hiscredit, every week hadmeetings: ‘How do wetake PUF money to theValley?’” Powell said.

At one point, Powellsaid, lawyers cautionedthat if they kept doingthis, they’d end up in jail.

It wasn’t until one sys-tem lawyer, Powell said,introduced the idea ofcreating a new universi-ty that with the two-thirds support of theLegislature would beconstitutionally allowedto tap into PUF money.

A transition team led bythe UT System Office ofAcademic Affairs and

including both schools’presidents — Garcia andRobert Nelsen of UTPA —has been established, UTSystem Chancellor Fran-cisco G. Cigarroa said.

“We intend to opendoors of the university tostudents in fall 2015,”Cigarroa said.

The next severalmonths will bring moreopportunities for the pub-lic’s involvement and dia-logue for all stakeholdersto share their vision of

what the new universitywill be, Cigarroa said.

A search for the found-ing dean of the medicalschool is under way,Cigarroa said. The med-ical school was approvedin 2009. It is expected toopen its doors in the fallof 2016, he said.

The system, Cigarroasaid, will begin havingtown hall meetings withfaculty and staff.

“It is critically impor-tant that all stakeholdersvoice their opinions andtheir concerns,” Cigar-roa said.

The assets and theresources of the currentinstitutions will be puttogether to be part of thenew university, he said.

“It is my very clearexpectation that bothcampuses will grow,”Cigarroa said. He saidthe current administra-tions will continue withtheir responsibilities.

Course credit andtranscripts will transitionappropriately, Cigarroasaid. Degrees for the newuniversity will begin tobe awarded in December2015, he said.

“Faculty memberswill work with the UTSystem-led transitionteam over the next 18months to determinewhat exciting newdegree programs will beoffered at this new uni-versity,” Cigarroa said.

The name of the newuniversity hasn’t beendetermined, but couldcome by the end of theyear, Cigarroa said. Fornow, officials are referringto it as Project South Texas.

Perry, who called foraccess to the PUF for thetwo Valley universitiesduring his State of theState speech in January,called it an “honor” to beat the ceremonial signing.

He said the state’s bor-der region has been over-

looked. He spoke about anevent in Starr Countywhere he met a group ofgifted students who werereaching the end of theirsecondary education in theValley. Only two of themwould remain at stateschools, Perry said. Therest were headed for theIvy League and StanfordUniversity, he said.

“That moment wasvery clarifying for methat here were theseamazing, bright, capableyoung people and theywere headed off to differ-ent schools,” Perry said.

“Why not keep themhere?” he asked.

“That was the clarify-ing moment for me thatthis state had the oppor-tunity to really changepeople’s lives.”

Though Perry officiallysigned the bill June 14after a tumultuous discus-sion to reach a compro-mise on where the medicalschool should be located,many Valley lawmakersand UT System officialsflanked the governor dur-ing Tuesday’s ceremony.

It took a decade to ful-fill that quest, Perry said.

“A lot of people get upeveryday and questionwhat we are doing,‘What am I doing in lifethat makes a differ-ence?’” Perry said.“They don’t have toworry because theyknow that what theyhave done with this uni-versity in South Texas isforever going to make adifference in the lives ofmen and women that aregoing to have the oppor-tunity to go to school.”

Perry praised Valleylawmakers for their workto get the legislationpassed in support of high-er education in the state.However, one proposalthat was not approvedduring the regular ses-sion was tuition revenue

bonds that would giveschools the funds toimprove infrastructureand buildings on campus.

Lawmakers havecalled for tuition revenuebonds to be included inthe special session, withthe House AppropriationsCommittee approving it incommittee last week.

However, Perry saidhe would only begin adiscussion on the bondsafter abortion, trans-portation funding andlegislation that wouldestablish a mandatorylife sentence with parolefor a capital felony com-mitted by a 17-year-oldoffender are complete.

“There were threethings that I put on the calland when all three of thosethings are on my call andon my desk, then we canhave a conversation aboutTRBs,” Perry said.

Included in the bill’slanguage are funds of $100million for UTB’s newcampus and approximate-ly $80 million for a new sci-ence building at UTPA.

Although the PUF dol-lars would buffer someof the expenses UTB willhave for its campus,Garcia said, the TRBswould make a huge dif-ference for the school.

Macias, the UTB stu-dent, said he enjoyedeverything he heard.

“It will be a great uni-versity. It makes me feellike it will be a good placeto study at,” Macias said.“They sounded very moti-vated and enthusiasticabout it.”

However, Macias didsay he lamented the factthat UTB and UTPAwere ineligible for thePUF for so long.

“It’s kind of saddeningin a way to know ourschools could be better. Idon’t know how much bet-ter,” he said, “but we couldhave had more funding.”

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

➤ PAGE A12 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013

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MERGERFROM PAGE A1


Alexandra E. Rodriguez, vice president of the student body gov-ernment, speaks on behalf of the students at the University ofTexas at Brownsville. Rodriguez expressed her excitement aboutthe merger of the two universities and the new medical center.

BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ


An ongoing environ-mental review so far hasfound that “no impactswould occur” that wouldforce the FederalAviation Administrationto deny SpaceX a permitfor rocket operationsnear Brownsville.

The FAA’s 350-pagedraft environmentalimpact statement on theproposed SpaceX projectat Boca Chica beach wasreleased to the publicMonday, a little morethan year after officialsannounced that CameronCounty could land a com-mercial launch site.

After the review isfinalized, likely after aMay public hearing, theFAA could issue a permitto SpaceX, known also asSpace ExplorationTechnologies, to launchrockets from the sitenear Boca Chica beach.

Good Morning!



OBITUARIES

➤ PAGE A4

Harold Eugene PeerAntonio Oliveira Jr.Florinda TorreLeslie LucioCarlota Vallejo MontesDora MendozaMarcial G. Oyervidez

Sacred Heart Church, a filial chapelof the Immaculate ConceptionCathedral, celebrated its centennialon Saturday with a special Massby Bishop Daniel Flores and theunveiling of renovations to an altarthat until recently, according toparishioner John Kinch, held scarsleft by Hurricane Beulah in 1967.

100 YEARS

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Vol. 121 | No. 286

HANNALOYALTY

➤ PAGE B1

WASHINGTON

A bipartisan proposal to expandbackground checks to more gunbuyers is in jeopardy.

GUN CONTROL

➤ PAGE A7

B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013 75 CENTS

When the Hanna Golden Eagleswon the Region IV-5A Tournament on Saturday in San Antonio to qualify for state,it was like living a gloriousmoment all over again for thesoccer players from Hanna whodid it the first time.

BY LAURA B. MARTINEZAND MELISSA MONTOYA


Cameron County Sheriff OmarLucio called it a possible “lovers’quarrel” that ended badly when a manwas shot in the parking lot of ElJardin Superette & Launderette justbefore noon Monday. The buildinghouses a convenience store and acoin-operated laundry.

Roman Garcia, 35, suffered a gun-

shot to the head. He was taken to ValleyRegional Medical Center, and later air-lifted to a hospital in San Antonio.According to Lucio, Garcia remainedin critical condition late Monday.

The shooting, which occurredacross the street from VermillionRoad Elementary School and RiveraHigh School, prompted the twoschools to go into security lockdownfor more than an hour.

Investigators fromthe CameronCounty Sheriff’sDepartmentgather evidenceat El JardinSuperette andLaunderette onMonday inBrownsvillewhere a manman had beenshot, according toSheriff OmarLucio.

BRAD DOHERTY/THEBROWNSVILLE HERALD

CRITICALLY SHOT

PLEASE SEE SHOT, A8

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Sheriff’s deputies investigate;victim airlifted to San Antonio

A White House official speakingon condition of anonymity becausethe investigation was still unfoldingsaid the attack was being treated asan act of terrorism.

President Barack Obama vowed

that those responsible will “feel thefull weight of justice.”

FAAsharesSpaceXreport

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Low 74°© 2013 The Brownsville Herald. All rights reserved.

BY JIMMY GOLEN

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Two bombs exploded in the packed streets near the finish line of theBoston Marathon on Monday, killing at least three people and injuringmore than 130 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbsthat raised alarms that terrorists might have struck again in the U.S.

PLEASE SEE BOMBING, A5

➤ RGV RUNNERS FINISHED RACE BEFORE BLAST , A3

Ecology studyscheduled for public review

CHARLES KRUPA/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ABOVE: Medicalresponders wheel an injuredman away from the sceneof an explosion at the 2013Boston Marathon followingbombings near the finishline Monday in Boston.

For more photos, log on towww.BrownsvilleHerald.com. PLEASE SEE SPACEX, A8

➤ PAGE A8 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2013

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According to witness-es at the laundry and con-venience store, Garciawas on his way to pumpgas when another manstopped him and theybegan to argue, thenfight, Lucio said.

“We were inside of theLaundromat when a girlyelled, ‘Someone hasbeen shot,’” said RobertoSanchez, who saw theconfrontation from insidethe laundry.

Sanchez said a whitesedan then took off anddrove west on Ruben M.Torres Boulevard.

“I went outside withmy wife to see if we couldhelp him,” Sanchez said.

Another witness, NinfaCisneros, said she sawGarcia try to lift his headas if he wanted to get up.

“I wanted to see if hewas still alive, but theytold me not to touch him,”Cisneros said.

Numerous law enforce-ment officers arrived onthe scene and canvassednearby neighborhoods.According to Lucio, tipsled to the detainment oftwo “people of interest” —one female and one male— in the case. He declinedto release their names.

Twenty-three-year-old

Laureano Ortiz, who hasworked at the gas stationfor four years, said hedidn’t see the shooting butheard it.

“It was loud,” he said,

“Goosebumps went upmy spine.”

Lucio said as far as heknows only one shot wasfired of an unknown cal-iber gun.

“When you get shot inhead, very few peoplesurvive,” Lucio said.

[email protected]

SHOTFROM PAGE A1

VALLEY/TEXAS

PHOTOS BY PAUL CHOUY/THE

BROWNSVILLE HERALD

ABOVE: A pickup truck istowed away after authoritiesinvestigated the crime scenewhere a man was shot onMonday.

LEFT: Police officers conducta search behind a house onTallowood Circle after a manwas shot on Monday at thenearby El Jardin Superette &Launderette.

Although SpaceX hasnot decided where itwill build its launchsite, the South Texaslocation is one of fourlocations under consid-eration, with other con-tenders in Florida,Georgia and PuertoRico. However, SpaceXfounder and billionaireElon Musk has saidnumerous times thatTexas is the leadingcandidate for the pro-posed venture.

The EIS draftreviewed 11 resourceareas for potential envi-ronmental impacts thatcould result from theproposed constructionand operations there.The FAA looked at com-patible land use; proper-ties; noise; visualresources and light emis-sions; historical, archi-tectural, archaeologicaland cultural resources;air quality; waterresources; biologicalresources including fish,

wildlife and plants; haz-ardous materials; socioe-conomics; naturalresources; and second-ary impacts.

Although the reportfound “no impacts wouldoccur” that would resultin the FAA denying a per-mit, it does provide asummary of potentialenvironmental impactsfrom the proposed actionby SpaceX.

The report summa-rizes the following:

➤ Compatible land:No significant impacts tofarmland or coastalresources.

➤ Properties: FAA hasdetermined that tempo-rary closures would notreduce the enjoymentbecause impacts fromclosures would be inter-mittent and temporary.

➤ Noise: Smallincreases in noise levels

along State Highway 4because of deliverytrucks and other vehi-cles. Short-term increas-es in noise levelsreceived in the commu-nity from the proposedlaunch are anticipated tobe significant.

➤ Visual resources:Daytime operationswould not have an impactbecause of light emis-sions. Nighttime launchoperations would resultin considerably higherlevels of light emissionsthan those present atBoca Chica Village.

➤ Historical: Therewould be no significantincrease in noise com-pared to current condi-tions. Three historicproperties with the 5-mile radius may be phys-ically damaged fromvibrations caused byhigh noise levels from a

rocket launch.➤ Air quality: Impact

on air quality would notbe significant.

➤ Water resources:Operations of verticallaunch would not resultin additional impacts tosurface water, ground-water resources.

➤ Biological re-sources: Proposed actionmay affect habitat forthe piping plover, aplo-mado falcon, jaguarundi,ocelot and sea turtles.FAA is consulting withthe U.S. Fish and WildlifeServices, and moredetails will be included inthe final report, the draftreport states.

➤ Hazardous materi-als: No significant impactto the environment.

➤ Socioeconomics:Changes would affectBoca Chica Village resi-dents, but this would not

be considered a dispro-portionate impact toenvironmental justicepopulations.

➤ Natural resources:No significant impacts tothe Brownsville munici-pal water supply.

➤ Secondary im-pacts: No significantsecondary impacts topublic services.

The proposed site is atthe eastern end of StateHighway 4, about threemiles north of theMexican border andabout five miles south ofPort Isabel and SouthPadre Island.

According to theFederal Register, SpaceXproposes to build a verti-cal launch area and a con-trol center to support asmany as 12 commerciallaunches per year. Thevehicles launchedinclude the Falcon 9,

Falcon Heavy and small-er reusable, suborbitallaunch vehicles. Musksaid he hopes to pick asite for the launch sitesometime this year.

A public hearing onthe draft EIS is sched-uled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.on May 7, at theInternational TechnologyEducation and Com-merce Center or ITEC onMexico Boulevard inBrownsville. At the hear-ing, the public will beable to make commentson the draft.

Although it reviewedthe 11 resource areas,the FAA is not expectedto make a ruling until thefinal EIS is released laterthis year.

Copies of the draft EISshould be available at theBrownsville PublicLibrary, 2600 CentralBlvd., Southmost BranchLibrary, 4320 SouthmostBlvd., and at theUniversity of Texas atBrownsville OliveiraLibrary, 80 Fort Brown.

The draft is also avail-able on the FAA website.

[email protected]

SPACEXFROM PAGE A1

The FAA looked at compatible land use; properties; noise; visual resources andlight emissions; historical, architectural, archaeological and cultural resources; airquality; water resources; biological resources including fish, wildlife and plants;hazardous materials; socioeconomics; natural resources; and secondary impacts.

Gov. Perry calls for $1.6Bin tax cuts for business

BY WILL WEISSERT


AUSTIN — Gov. RickPerry called Mondayfor $1.6 billion in busi-ness tax cuts, renewinghis pleas for “tax relief”that have largely beenignored since the TexasLegislature returned towork in January andconceding it may benecessary to tap thestate’s once-untouch-able cash reserves topay for them.

Addressing reportersat the Austin Chamber ofCommerce, Perry en-dorsed a 5 percentreduction in business taxrates and making perma-nent a currently tempo-rary exemption allowingcompanies with less than$20 million in grossreceipts to deduct theirfirst $1 million — whichthe governor said isalready “keeping closeto $1 billion in the handsof small and medium-sized businesses.”

He also urged moving-expense tax deductionsfor firms that relocate toTexas and lower taxes forcompanies that file taxreturns electronically.

Perry said as many as100,000 businesses couldsee lower taxes underthe plan, and noted thatthe state’s skyrocketingpopulation growth nowmeans about 1,000 newpeople are moving to

Texas every day. “Our low tax burden is

one of the main reasonsthat Texas has been suchan attractive destinationfor people chasing theirambitions,” Perry said,adding that “we are theepicenter of job creationin this country.”

He acknowledgedthat it might requireusing some of the state’sreserves, commonlyknown as the Rainy DayFund, to cover the costsof his proposed tax cuts,but said he hopes themoney can be foundelsewhere in the budget.The fund has a projectedvalue of $12 billion.

That concession was adramatic departurefrom two years ago,when Perry — looking tosolidify his tea party cre-dentials as he preparedfor an unsuccessfulpresidential run — saidstate reserve fundsshouldn’t be touched soTexas would be fullyready for a catastrophicnatural disaster.

Back then, however,a still-sluggish econo-my had the state look-ing at a $27 billionbudget shortfall. Now,Texas’ economy is hum-ming and the state isflush with tax revenue.Perry even opened thelegislative session urg-ing lawmakers toreduce taxes by asmuch as $1.8 billion.

www.brownsvilleherald.com

B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2 | T E X A S A P M E C L A S S A A ‘ N E W S P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R ’SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013 75 CENTS

The Los Fresnos Falcons and the Lopez Lobos faced off Friday night at Sams Stadium in Brownsville.

GAME OFTHE WEEK

➤ PAGE B1

WASHINGTON

TEXAS

Time running short, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed urgent legislation Friday to avert a government shutdown early next week, and President Barack Obama lectured House Republicans to stop “appeasing the tea party” and quickly follow suit.

More than a dozen women’s health care providers in Texas sued the state Friday, attempting to block as unconstitutional key provisions of a strict new abortion law.

COUNTDOWN

BEGINS

GROUP SUES OVER ABORTION

➤ PAGE A7

➤ PAGE A4

Good Morning!Thank you for reading

today’s edition ofThe Brownsville Herald

OBITUARY

➤ PAGE A6

Julio Noe Serrano

The Cameron County District Attorney’s Office has set up a Facebook page seeking the whereabouts of convicted murderer Amit Livingston in hopes that someone will recognize the international fugitive and notify authorities.

LIVINGSTON

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Vol. 122 | No. 88

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BY MELISSA MONTOYATHE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

The Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees came close to leaving stu-dents on campus without security services after failed attempts to negoti-ate security with the University of Texas at Brownsville.

According to Chet Lewis, vice president for finance and administra-tion at TSC, because of the close proximity of the college to UTB, the col-lege’s administration wanted to reach an agree-ment with the university to use the UTB security services.

“During the summer

we had some conversa-tions with the UT System and some representa-tives of UTB and we went through some dif-ferent prices and sce-narios and we kind of went back to the board and kind of ended up hit-ting an impasse as to the pricing,” Lewis said.

A second round of

negotiations also failed to deliver results, he added. At this point, TSC admin-istrators were moving toward starting a search for a security firm to pro-vide college security.

According to Lewis, because of a call from the Southern Assoc-iation of Colleges and Schools on approxi-

mately the first day of classes letting TSC President Lily Tercero know an application needed to be submitted to the SACS Commission on Colleges, the col-lege’s resources were diverted to accomplish the SACS project.

BY KARINA TAPIATHE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

After a five-year journey, the Gladys Porter Zoo will make a

splash this weekend when officials open the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center.

“This new aquatic ecology center is a good tool to (allow) students and the overall public to

learn about marine life and get a hands-on experience,” said Cristina Caballero, pub-lic relations coordinator for the Brownsville zoo.

Inside the dimmed exhibit, a variety of tanks display many native sea creatures that live in the Laguna Madre and Gulf of Mexico offshore from the Rio Grande Valley.

BY MARK REAGANTHE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

A science teacher accused of an improper relationship with a student planned to divorce his wife and marry his former student when she turned 18 years old, an arrest warrant affidavit revealed.

Aristeo Gutierrez, 34, is c h a r g e d with having an improp-er relation-ship with a student that b e g a n when the girl was in middle school.

“He is a science teacher and a volleyball coach at Besteiro Middle School in Brownsville. The investiga-tion revealed that the improp-er relationship with the stu-dent began on or about when she was a student in the eighth grade,” Cameron County Chief Deputy Gus Reyna said.

Gutierrez remains jailed on $150,000 bail and has been on paid adminis-trative leave from the Brownsville Independent School District since Monday, BISD spokes-woman Drue Brown said.

Seeing Life

‘Emergency’ deal OK’dTexas Southmost College seeks firm to keep students safe

CAMPUS SECURITY

PLEASE SEE DEAL, A4

Gladys Porter Zoo to open new aquatic center

PHOTOS BY BRAD DOHERTY/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Above: Dr. Pat Burchfield, director of the Gladys Porter Zoo, speaks about the many varieties of aquatic animals that are on display at the zoo’s newest exhibit, the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center. Below: The invasive lionfish is not native to the Gulf of Mexico, but its population has begun to expand, harming some native aquatic animals.

PLEASE SEE CENTER, A4 PLEASE SEE ARREST, A4

BISDteacherfaces

chargesEducator accused

of improperrelationship

GUTIERREZ

� A4 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

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“When we finished up the SACS work, we had a conversation and we touched base with UT System to see if we could extend services a little bit longer,” Lewis said.

But the two adminis-trations could not achieve an agreement and securi-ty services from the uni-versity would end on Friday, he added.

“This put us in a situa-tion where we needed to make sure we had a secure environment for our students,” Lewis said.

A statement by a UT System spokeswoman said security services provided by UTB were set to end Sept. 1, but were extended to Sept. 20 to “allow TSC more time for transition.”

“The University of Texas System has policies and rules that govern policing and security on UT campuses. Services were offered to TSC per those standards until TSC could organize its own security service,” Jenny LaCoste-Caputo said. “Those services were not accepted due to cost. UT does not have the option of scaling back security services to save money, as security measures

must meet the UT System standard.”

Because of the lack of time, Lewis said that TSC could not put in a request for bid proposals from security firms, but the TSC administration con-tacted some firms.

The college chose Brownsville-based secu-rity firm American Investigations Security International, one of the only companies that could immediately begin pro-viding security services for the Friday deadline, Lewis said.

The recommendation Lewis proposed to the board was to keep AISI for a 30-day contract and renewal while the college

submits a proper request for bid proposals, Lewis said.

“This is a situation that kind of emerged after we were not able to come to any agreement with UTB,” TSC President Lily Tercero told the board.

“It was kind of an emergency,” she added.

Board Secretary Juan “Trey” Mendez said he would make the motion because “we don’t have a choice.”

However, no board member seconded the motion toward a vote.

After a lengthy execu-tive session behind closed doors, during which pend-ing real estate issues with the city of Brownsville

were slated for discus-sions, Tercero asked the trustees to reconsider the security recommenda-tion.

The board then approved it.

After the meeting, Mendez said he was will-ing to approve the origi-nal recommendation, but some of the board mem-bers were concerned that security personnel would not be armed.

“It was clear that we needed some security personnel on campus and my concern was the safe-ty of the students so I was willing to approve it as is, but apparently I was the only one,” he said.

Mendez said because

the motion passed withthe caveat of armed per-sonnel, students would bemore secure.

Mendez said he pre-fers having more securityoptions for proposals, butunderstands why choiceswere limited this time.

“Considering that thereason we were put in thisposition was because ofUT Brownsville adminis-tration not willing to workwith us on sharing cam-pus police, I think that’swhy we were put in thisposition,” Mendez said.“So I understand whereadministration was com-ing from as far as havingto do it last minute.”

[email protected]

DEALFROM PAGE A1

The center covers 6,535 square feet and replaces the former Aquatic Wing site and the adjacent Bongo display yard.

Visitors can come face-to-face with local ham-merhead sharks — with the glass in between, of course — and they can meet Flippy, a Kemp’s rid-ley sea turtle and member of an endangered species that can be found in the Gulf.

X-rays have shown that Flippy is living with an under-developed lung, causing him to float on his right side. The rescued sea turtle cannot be released back into the ocean because of his con-dition and relies on the tank’s water circulation to survive.

In the exhibit, a 30,000-gallon tank will hold Atlantic and cow-nose stingrays, which visi-tors will be allowed to feed and touch. Other fea-tures include a shark dis-covery exhibit, the Keppel

AmFELS moon jellyfish exhibit, a mangrove tank, and an exhibit on ancient mariners and jetties.

Another tank contains the invasive lionfish. Despite their exotic beau-ty, lionfish are extremely harmful to the ecosystem because they prey on smaller fish but lionfish have no natural predators in the Gulf because they

wield venomous fin rays. Researchers say these

tropical fish, descending from the Indo-Pacific, were released as pets into the Gulf by aquarium owners around the 1990s. The fish then mated and spread into the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and parts of the Atlantic Ocean. These threatening creatures

affect the food chain because their aggressive behavior runs out native fish into unfamiliar water.

The lionfish is included in the exhibit — despite not being native — so it can educate the public about the threat they pose to the ecosystem. Colorful educational banners and graphics will convey key concepts concerning eco-

systems and the need to preserve them locally, officials said.

“This is a great oppor-tunity for the public to see what is in their own backyards,” Caballero said. “We’ve had this idea for over five years now. This aquatic exhibit is going to be a different experience when visiting the zoo.”

To raise funds for the new aquatic exhibit, Caballero said the zoo organized fundraisers — including Zoofari. The zoo received help from pri-vate donors, including the man whose family’s name is part of the aquatic cen-ter, James Russell, who contributed more than $2 million, Caballero explained.

James Russell’s moth-er, Martha Russell, was a donor for the original aquatic wing, and James Russell wanted to contin-ue the tradition of sup-porting the zoo and its mission, Caballero said.

Senior Aquarist Mike Callahan, who studied marine science at the University of Miami in Florida, has been work-ing with the zoo since March 2012 and took

charge of developing theplans and arrangementof the exhibit, as well asorganizing the fishingtrips. On these fishingtrips to the Laguna Madreand offshore South PadreIsland, Callahan andother fishermen caughtthe creatures that aredisplayed in the zoo’stanks. Catches includedthe hammerhead sharksand moon jellyfish.

“I’m very excited forthe grand opening,”Callahan said. “I believeeveryone will be happywith the results.”

The public is invited toattend the grand openingceremony at 9 a.m.Saturday.

The zoo will have staffavailable to educate thepublic and answer ques-tions.

Because of the newexhibit, zoo admissionprices have changed.Children ages 2 to 13years old have increased50 cents, from $6.50 to $7.Adult tickets for 14 yearsand older also increased50 cents from $9.50 to $10.

The center will be openduring regular zoo hours.

The zoo’s annualZoofari fundraiser will beheld Oct. 4 and 5.

“In May of this year, the relationship built up to include sexual contact. Encounters occurred dur-ing and after school hours,” Reyna said.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Gutierrez was arrested Thursday outside of Besteiro Middle School and went willingly with investigators without ask-ing why they wanted to talk to him.

The girl, who is in high school now, told Gutierrez last Wednesday that her mother knew all about the relationship, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

The girl’s mother found out about the inappropri-ate relationship after finding several text mes-sages to her daughter from Gutierrez, who went by the name Ari, accord-ing to the arrest warrant affidavit.

“Complainant handed over the two cellphones that were given to her daughter by Mr. Gutierrez, two promise rings, a love letter, DVD’s, and a picture of Mr. Gutierrez,” the affidavit states.

But according to that document, the girl denies having sexual contact with Gutierrez and a

nurse at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen told the girl’s mother that her daughter did not appear to be sexu-ally active.

“(The girl) also stated to the nurse that her boy-friend tells her to play it safe and not to tell any-one, to be secretive because he would get in trouble and he is mar-ried,” the affidavit states.

The girl told investiga-tors she met the man four months ago and that when he picks her up from high school “they kiss and hold hands in the car, and then he takes her home,” the arrest warrant affidavit states.

But the document also indicates the girl felt like she did something wrong because she went out with a man who was older than

her.The relationship con-

tinued as the girl started her freshman year of high school, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

The girl told investiga-tors that during the sec-ond week of September Gutierrez picked her up from school and “drove her around her neighbor-hood in his black in color four-door vehicle with dark tinted windows, and suddenly stopped the vehicle by the side of the road and kissed her in her mouth. (The girl) alsostated that Aristeo Gutierrez touched her breasts on top of her shirt,” court documents show.

Reyna said the investi-gation is ongoing.

[email protected]

Through an open records request, The Brownsville Herald was able to obtain a copy of an arrest warrant affidavit for a Brownsville Independent School District science teacher accused of having an improper relationship with a student. The following is an excerpt of a “love letter” written to his former student.

�“When I dream about the great memories we had together the first time I held you and kissed you I will never forget. I can still remember the first time I saw you an angel that was brought before me. I will do everything in my power to be with you. �“Even if you may not believe me you are and will remain my first true love. My passion for your love and my heart will always be yours. You’re my soul mate and more. We’re meant for each other. I love you. I know if we both want it it will work and four years will be nothing. For our love to be together forever.”

SOURCE: Arrest Warrant Affidavit for Aristeo Gutierrez

BY JACOB FISCHLERTHE MONITOR

EDINBURG — A for-mer Edcouch-Elsa High School mariachi director pleaded guilty Thursday to having an improper sexual relationship with a student.

Homer Gutierrez, 38, who worked with the high school’s mariachi program for six years, received a sentence of 10 years deferred adjudica-tion, a program that allows first-time offend-ers to possibly have the guilty plea removed from his criminal record if he meets all the terms of his probation.

Gutierrez began a relationship with a stu-

dent during the summer of 2011. Elsa police arrested him this March. The girl was 16-years-old at the time of the arrest.

The sexual encoun-ters occurred at several locations, including the high school.

The girl’s parents brought allegations of the relationship to Edcouch-Elsa school district Superintendent Richard Rivera on Feb. 14, he told The Monitor in March. The next day, Rivera met with Gutierrez and discussed the allegations, at which point Gutierrez resigned.

Edcouch police received a report of the crime on Feb. 22. After a monthlong investigation,

police arrested Gutierrez March 21.

Prosecutors added a second count of improper relationship between edu-cator and student to Gutierrez’ indictment in July, though that charge was dropped in an agree-ment in which Gutierrez pleaded guilty to one count.

Gutierrez, a former professional mariachi violinist, taught students in fifth through 12th grade within the Edcouch-Elsa district.

He graduated from the McAllen school dis-trict orchestra program and taught in San Antonio for a time, before return-ing to the Rio Grande Valley in 2002.

CENTERFROM PAGE A1

ARRESTFROM PAGE A1

Former mariachi director pleads guilty to relationship with student


An alligator gar is one of the fresh water fish on display at the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center at Gladys Porter Zoo.

DON PEDRO SAYS

“I’ve been retired a while,” DonPedro said as he entered thenewsroom. “Can I come back as aconsultant?”

“I don’t know,” the city editoropined. “Maybe we can pay you towrite a couple of stories for us.”

“Forget it,” the don huffed. “If Iactually have to work for the money,I’m not interested.”

And out he stamped.

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➤ PAGE A2 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2013

PAGE 2BROWNSVILLE AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY

We asked: Do you wantpoliticians to press forward orback away from gun control

legislation?

ONLINE POLL

Online voters responded:

Yes.

No.

50 percent

50 percent

www.brownsvilleherald.com

BY CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN


A former U.S.Homeland Securityagent pleaded guilty Thursday toconspiring to fake investigativerecords, and details released dur-ing the hearing in Brownsville sug-gest he falsified documents at theurging of his supervisor.

Wayne Ball was a former spe-cial agent with the Department ofHomeland Security’s InspectorGeneral’s Office in McAllen. Hewas accused of falsifying records inan investigation into a customsofficer suspected of aiding in drugand human trafficking.

A gap in investigative activity inthat case — combined with anupcoming internal review of hisoffice — apparently led Ball’s super-visor to order the deception.Prosecutors believe that Ball initiallysuggested that a new agent focuson the case, but that his supervisorwanted documents that falsely sug-gested past work had been .

Prosecutors said they are notidentifying the supervisor or theother agent because they haven’tbeen charged.

Ball’s plea agreement requires hisfuture cooperation with prosecutors,and Ball “looks forward to this processand his opportunity at redemption forthe mistake he has made,” said hisattorney,Carlos A.Garcia.

Ball, 40, was charged Mondaywith signing and backdating falsifiedreports. He and unidentified otherswere accused of conspiring before aninternal agency review to fake recordsto show investigative work had beendone. He worked at the McAllenoffice between 2009 and 2012.

AROUND

THE VALLEY

Ex-agent pleadsguilty to allegedcover-up

GETTING

IT RIGHT

A front-page article in Thursday’sBrownsville Herald provided anincorrect number to call with infor-mation about the Jan. 11 packageexplosion at a Brownsville home.Anyone with information pertain-ing to this case is asked to call theBrownsville Crime Stoppers at(956) 546-TIPS (8477).Any infor-mation provided could earn up to a$1,000 reward and tipsters canremain anonymous.

It is the policy of The BrownsvilleHerald to correct errors in a timelymanner. Corrections and clarifica-tions will be published in this space.To inquire about corrections, readersmay call an editor.

982-6610 l 982-6681982-6609 l 982-6618

or e-mail us [email protected]

➤TEXASLOTTERYRESULTS

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Find past winning numbers atwww.txlottery.org

➤CORRECTIONS

Winning numbers,Thursday, Jan. 17:Pick 3: (D) 4-7-5

Daily 4: (D) 4-8-0-0PHOTO BY YVETTE VELA/THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Clear blue skies on Thursday morning highlighted jet contrails in scenes like this at the Dancy Buildling.

LOOK UP TO THE SKY

Tax assessor: Property payments due BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ


Cameron County resi-dents who have yet topay their 2012 propertytaxes have until the endof the month to do sobefore being penalized.

The CameronCounty Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office re-ports that 75,518 sec-ond-notice property taxstatements have beenmailed this week, total-ing $68,134,354.30 inowed property taxes.

Some 216,000 initial state-ments went out in October,totaling $264,709,387; thatmeans 76 percent of allproperty taxes have beenpaid, County Tax As-sessor-Collector TonyYzaguirre Jr. said.

Many paid their taxes

early, taking advantageof discounts offered inOctober, Novemberand December.

Yzaguirre said begin-ning Feb. 1 all taxaccounts that have notbeen paid in full or do nothave a special quarterlypayment code will accruea 7 percent fee for penal-ties and interest.

He encourages peo-ple who have problemspaying their propertytaxes to contact hisoffice to make paymentarrangements.

“We encourage peo-ple to make arrange-ments because theseparticular tax bills, ifthey are not paid by Jan.31, they become delin-quent Feb. 1 and startaccumulating penaltiesand interest,” he said.

Officials said taxpay-er advocates at theoffice can meet with tax-payers on an individualbasis and work out pay-ment plans for them.

“We don’t know whattheir (property owners)situations are or whatproblems they have,”Yzaguirre said. “Oncewe sit down with them,we can draw up a pay-ment plan, whether it issix months or 12months or an 18-monthpayment plan.”

Officials said anyproperty owner who hasnot received a tax billshould contact the TaxAssessor-Collector’sOffice immediately.

Payments may bemade at:➤Cameron County Court-house, 964 E. Harrison St.,

Brownsville.➤ Brownsville South-most Branch Office,2900 Southmost Road,Brownsville.➤Brownsville WestsideBranch, 1763 MilitaryHighway, Brownsville.➤Harlingen BranchOffice, 3302 Wilson Road.➤San Benito Branch Office,1390 W. Expressway 83.➤ Los Fresnos BranchOffice, 105 Ocean Blvd.➤ Port Isabel BranchOffice, 505 Highway 100. ➤La Feria Branch Office,200 Industrial Way.➤ Rio Hondo BranchOffice, 125 W. Colorado.

For more information,contact the Tax Assessor-Collector Office at (956)544-0800.

lmartinez@

brownsvilleherald.com

Sheriff:Meth foundin shampoo

bottlesBY MELISSA MONTOYA


Two women were arrest-ed Wednesday night for try-ing to ship nine pounds ofmethamphetamines via busservice traveling northfrom Brownsville, Came-ron County Sherif OmarLucio said.

Seventeen-year-oldMayra Argelia Garciaand Cristina Ruby Casas,21, both face charges ofpossession of a controlledsubstance, Lucio said dur-ing a news conferenceThursday afternoon.

The arrests occurred atapproximately 9 p.m. Wed-nesday at Brownsville Multi-modal Terminal, he said.

“They looked kind ofyoung, so they (deputies)went over there to inter-view them,” Lucio said.

Deputies became warywhen they noticed thewomen had a box, Luciosaid. With the females’permission the deputiessearched it and found sev-eral shampoo bottles.

Nobody travels withthat many shampoo bot-tles, Lucio said.

The deputies asked thegirls what was in the bot-tles and they confessed itwas meth, he said.

Garcia and Casas, bothfrom Brownsville, facefive to 99 years in prison ifconvicted, and up to a$10,000 fine, the sheriffsaid. According to theCameron County website,Casas had an outstandingwarrant for aggravatedassault that dates to 2010.Details of that charge werenot immediately available.

Methamphetamine sellsfor about $22,000 per poundin Brownsville, but out ofstate can draw up to $30,000per pound, Lucio said.

The total amount held inthe bottles is worth at least$270,000 out of state, but inTexas can sell for $198,000to $234,000, he said.

Though there’s been arise in methamphetamineseizures, Lucio said, it’s notas common as marijuana orcocaine because the drug isprepared in a laboratory.

“It’s common in theMidwest; they have a lotof laboratories,” Luciosaid, “but we are seeing ita little bit more here.”

It is unknown whetherthe meth was made in theUnited States or if it wasbrought across the bor-der, Lucio said.

“It could have been fromacross the border, but notnecessarily,” Lucio said. “Weare talking to the girls to seeif it’s locally from here andthere’s a laboratory heremaking this methamphet-amine or they got it fromacross (the border).”

The investigation iscontinuing, he said, andcould lead to the seizureof more meth and extracharges for both women.

“I understand theywere going to get paid totransport this stuff,”Lucio said, “but was itworth it?”

Former drug unit members arraignedBY ILDEFONSO ORTIZ

THE MONITOR

McALLEN — Threeformer law enforcementofficers accused of pro-tecting drug loads plead-ed not guilty Thursdaymorning in federal courtafter the fourth formerlawman charged in thecase also pleaded notguilty Monday.

Al Alvarez, a defenseattorney in the case, saidit’s early in the case andthe charges would befought.

Jonathan C. Treviño,Alexis R. Espinoza andGerardo Duranappeared before U.S.Magistrate JudgeDorina Ramos for theirarraignment hearings

Thursday. FabianRodriguez, the fourthlaw enforcement officerfacing federal charges inthe case, was arraignedMonday because of ascheduling conflict,records show.

Each man faces onecount of conspiracy topossess with intent todistribute more than 5kilograms of cocaine.Espinoza and Duran facefour counts each of aid-ing and abetting the pos-session with intent to dis-tribute cocaine, andTreviño and Rodriguezeach face one count onthat charge.

Upon conviction, eachman could face 10 yearsto life in prison and amaximum fine of $10

million.Duran and Espinoza

both declined commentoutside federal courtThursday. Later in theday, Espinoza’s attorneytold The Monitor that thecase is just in the begin-ning stages and theywould fight all the waythrough.

All defendantsremain out on bond.

Jonathan Treviño, theson of Hidalgo CountySheriff Lupe Treviño,and Alexis Espinoza, theson of Hidalgo policeChief Rudy Espinoza,were investigators withMission police who havesince been terminated.Treviño worked in thePanama Unit andEspinoza was assigned

to a task force with U.S.Immigration andCustoms Enforcement.

Sheriff Treviño de-clined to comment on hisson’s arraignment hearingThursday afternoon.

The now-defunctPanama Unit, whichcomprised sheriff’sdeputies and Missionpolice officers, wastasked with fightingstreet-level narcotics.The indictment allegesthat the four menattempted to utilize theirpositions as law enforce-ment personnel to assistdrug traffickers in dis-tributing cocaine.

FBI and ICE agentscontinue to investigatethe case into the trou-bled ex-lawmen.

BY LAURA B. MARTINEZTHE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Cameron County health officials are urging resi-dents to be extra cautious when going outdoors dur-ing the dawn and dusk hours because of at least 14 cases of dengue fever reported in the county.

The Cameron County Department of Health and Human Services Thursday afternoon issued an advisory in an attempt to prevent future cases of the disease.

Hidalgo County has had three probable cases but no confirmed ones.

Although Cameron County health officials can-not say when the first case was reported, they did report they have been closely monitoring the situ-ation during the past two weeks.

County Health Adminis-trator Yvette Salinas said that the cases reported were “traveled-related” cases and cases that devel-oped within the county.

“That is what really caught our attention so we have been watching it more closely the last couple of weeks because some of the cases are not travel-relat-ed,” Salinas said.

Officials: Not all infections began

during travel

B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2 | T E X A S A P M E C L A S S A A ‘ N E W S P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R ’FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2013 75 CENTS

His personal and political credibility on the line, President Barack Obama reversed course Thursday and said millions ofAmericans should be allowed to renew individual coverage plans now ticketed for cancellation under the health care law.

HEALTH CARE REVERSAL

UT System talks STARGATE

➤ PAGE A7

NATION

For years, scientists have been dogged by this evolution question: Just where did man’s best friend first appear?

CANINE ORIGINS

➤ PAGE A5



OBITUARIES

➤ PAGE A6

Mary Bernal RayPedro “Pete” A. Hernandez Sr.

In a quiet courtroom, County Commissioner Precinct 2 Ernie Hernandez’s brother-in-law Roberto Cadriel took the stand and testified that Raul Garza Salazar provided him with answers to the civil service exam.

IN COURT

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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM

REGENTS OK $196MPermanent University Funds to fuel construction at UTB, UTPA


Almost $200 million in Permanent University Funds will be funneled to the new University of Texas school in the Rio Grande Valley with unanimous sup-port from UT System regents.

The funds will go toward construc-tion projects on both the University of Texas at Brownsville campus and UT—Pan American in Edinburg. An addi-

tional $69 million will go to other UT schools in the state.

UTB, which officials say is in need of extra space because of its separation from Texas Southmost College, will receive $54 million for a 140,000-square-foot academic building. An additional $18 million will pay for UTB costs related to the end of its partner-ship with TSC.

Santa’s HelpersBrownsville PD begins annual holiday toy drive


Police officers escort Santa Claus, dressed in blue suit, as they roll through the parking lot of Walgreens on Ruben Torres Boulevard on Thursday in Brownsville. The Brownsville Police Department began its annual toy drive, which ends Dec. 14.

The event, held at Walgreens Pharmacy on Ruben M. Torres Sr. Boulevard, ushered in the holiday season and the final month of the department’s yearlong effort to ensure presents for less-fortunate chil-dren of Brownsville.

The toy drive will con-

clude Dec. 14 at the police station where up to 4,000 children will receive toys either donated to the cause or purchased with funds raised year-round.

Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez said more than 3,200 toys were distributed during last year’s event.

Unwrapped children’s toys can be dropped off at Walgreens, Sports Clips, Gatti’s Pizza or at the police station, Rodriguez said, saying the police department was simply the mechanism that allowed members of the community to participate in making the holidays a little brighter for Brownsville’s children.

Parents of children can sign up to receive tickets at the police station.

HOW TO HELP

IN THE TOY DRIVE

➤ Toys can be dropped off at the Brownsville Police Department station on Jackson Street or at any Walgreens, Gatti’s Pizza or Sports Clips locations.

➤ Brownsville Police Department will hold a bowl-ing tournament Dec. 7 to ben-efit its toy drive effort.

For more information about the tournament, call Imelda Garza at (956) 548-7045.

Dengue fever cases in RGV

PLEASE SEE FEVER, A9

PLEASE SEE REGENTS, A9

PLEASE SEE TOYS, A9

The University of Texas System Board of Regents spoke with a Brownsville graduate student Thursday about the origins and poten-tial for a multipurpose science facility known as STARGATE.

➤ PAGE A3

BY TY JOHNSONTHE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Rolling up on a Brownsville Police Department Segway, Santa Claus made a special appear-ance at the kickoff of the department’s annual toy drive Thursday.

LOCAL

The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating a one-vehicle accident involving a bus used to transport Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees.

BUS WRECK

➤ PAGE A2

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The UTPA campus will receive $70 million for a science building and an additional $54 million, which is being adminis-tered by the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, for a building that will ultimately belong to the new medical school after its accreditation.

As regents prepared to approve the Permanent University Funds, many commented on the work it’s taken to find a way to share PUF with UTB and UTPA, which historically have been excluded from the fund composed of oil and gas revenues from property the system owns in West Texas.

“This is obviously a historic day in South Texas,” Regent Ernest Aliseda, of McAllen, said during the meeting. “These are projects that are critical to a new regional medical school and new university.”

Vice Chairman of the Board Eugene Powell said it’s been almost 13

months since the initial idea for a new university in the Valley was pro-posed by Chancellor Francisco G. Cigarroa.

The announcement of the new university came in December 2012, gained approval from the Legislature after com-promises, and was signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry in July. A search committee for the new school’s president has been convened, and there is a search underway for a dean to lead the new medical school. Earlier this week, the UT System released five possible names for the new uni-versity and has asked community members for suggestions.

UTPA President Robert Nelsen, who was at the meeting, said the decision by the regents

took his breath away. Nelsen said his stu-

dents will now have enough space to take their science lectures with labs concurrently. The science building was a project Nelsen had hoped would be funded by the state through tuition revenue bonds, but the bill failed to pass during the last legisla-tive session.

“The amount of research that will begin to happen will be expo-nentially greater,” Nelsen said.

Though UTB President Juliet V. Garcia had ini-tially asked for almost $100 million toward capi-tal improvements, she said she is satisfied with the amount of money UTB will receive.

“I hoped it would be more, but I also under-

stand that there are lots of competing needs in the UT System and I trust the chancellor to have made the best rec-ommendation he could, given all of the compet-ing needs,” said Garcia, who was also present for the meeting. “This is not the last, this is simply the first installment. I’m actually quite inspired by it. I’m inspired by the fact that we got $54 mil-lion dollars. I’ve never gotten $54 million before from the UT System, so how could I be disap-pointed?”

An additional $3.2 mil-lion from the Available University Fund will also be used for Project South Texas, the new school’s temporary title, for costs related to the transition.

[email protected]

REGENTSFROM PAGE A1

Parents can exchange those tickets for toys at the special event Dec. 14, when Santa will return.

“We reserve him early,” Rodriguez said about hav-ing Santa in Brownsville just days before Christmas Eve. “He’s usually busy that day.”

And having the event at the station allows chil-dren to associate the police with helping the community, Rodriguez said, planting the seed for positive relation-ships between citizens and law enforcement in the future.

But Rodriguez said the immediate result of the community’s efforts — putting smiles on the faces of thousands of chil-dren — is enough to con-vince him each year that the event is important.

“That’s what it’s all

about,” he said. “It makes it all so worth it.”

And with parents and grandparents lining up the day before the event, Rodriguez is con-vinced that the toy drive does good for the community.

Those toys aren’t for-gotten, either, he said, add-ing that he heard from at least one supporter of the event who said she remem-bers receiving a toy from the program while she was growing up — the only toy she received during the holidays.

Because of how much the program meant to her, she now contributes as much as she can to pass on that joy, Rodriguez said.

“It’s a worthwhile event,” he said.

For more information about the toy drive or to find out if your children are eligible to receive toys, call event coordina-tor Manuel Montes at (956) 266-9821.

[email protected]

TOYSFROM PAGE A1

Travel-related cases occur when the disease is contracted outside of the county or the country.

Dengue fever is a viral disease that people get from a mosquito. It cannot be spread person to per-son. The disease can be life threatening if not treated.

The people who con-tracted dengue fever vary from the young to the elderly, Salinas said.

“It’s not just teenagers (contracting the disease) because they are out play-ing baseball. It is a big range,” she said.

Cameron County Health Authority Dr.

James Castillo said symp-toms of the disease include high fever, bad headache, eye pain, body pains, rash and some-times infrequent bleed-ings such as nose bleeds.

If an individual has any of these symptoms, they are encouraged to immedi-ately visit their health care provider.

Dr. Brian Smith, direc-tor of the Texas Department of State Health Services, Health Service Region 11, said that while five of the reported cases in Cameron County have a history of travel, “What’s important to note is that we have some cases of dengue fever that is occurring close to the border.”

Hidalgo County Health Department Director Eddie Olivarez said his

county is investigating the number of cases reported in that county to see if they are valid.

“We’ve been working on these cases for a couple of weeks now. We’re wait-ing for official analyses to be done. We don’t have an answer yet that confirms whether these are dengue fever cases or not,” Olivarez said.

Meanwhile, in Cameron County health officials may go door-to-door in affected areas to tell resi-dents how they can protect themselves. Neighborhood area campaigns also will be coordinated.

Officials said resi-dents should remain on the alert and continue to rid their yards of stand-ing water in pots, plant holders, plastic swim-ming pools and old tires.

Mosquitoes most likely to carry diseases choose their breeding grounds in those conditions, officials have said.

Residents should still

practice the Four D’s that include using Deet insect repellant, dressing in long sleeves and pants while outdoors, staying indoors at dusk and dawn, and

draining standing water.

[email protected]

Monitor reporter Daniella Diaz contributed to this report.

FEVERFROM PAGE A1

BY DAVE HENDRICKSTHE MONITOR

McALLEN — Without expla-nation, the city placed Kristi Taylor-Salinas, assistant director of business management at McAllen-Miller International Airport, on paid administrative leave Tuesday.

What, exactly, prompted Airport Director Phil Brown to order Taylor-Salinas “not to report to work or contact the airport department without my approval” remains unclear.

Brown wouldn’t comment Thursday. Taylor-Salinas didn’t respond to a request for com-ment. And city paperwork docu-menting the paid administrative leave doesn’t provide further details.

“I’m not at liberty to comment on it,” City Attorney Kevin Pagan

said. “It’s a pending personnel matter.”

The city Audit Committee, though, held a closed-door meeting last week about air-port business and plans to meet again next week about the same agenda item. Pagan wouldn’t comment on whether the Audit Committee meetings were related to the airport personnel decision.

McAllen hired Taylor-Salinas in April 2007, according to city records. Taylor-Salinas worked closely with Brown and helped handle major projects, including the expansion of McAllen-Miller’s terminal. She earns nearly $66,000 annually.

Brown officially placed Taylor-Salinas on paid administrative leave with a one-page memo.

“Effective November 12, 2013, you are officially placed on admin-

istrative leave with pay pending further notice,” according to the memo. “You are instructed not to report to work or contact the air-port department without my approval.”

Taylor-Salinas refused to sign the document. A “Personnel Action Form” from the city Human Resources department doesn’t include any additional information.

With Taylor-Salinas removed from her position, McAllen’s air-port had significantly less upper-level management Thursday. Both Brown and Transit Director Elizabeth Suarez headed to San Luis Potosi — Aeromar recently began offering direct flights to the Mexican tourist destination — leaving Assistant Director of Operations and Maintenance Michael Fray to oversee McAllen-Miller until they return.

McAllen airport manager placed on leave


The Brownsville Police Deparment Blue Santa shakes hands with Josie Saaverda and gives her some candy on Thursday.

“This is not the last, this is simply the first installment. I’m actually quite inspired by it. I’m inspired by the fact that we got $54 million dollars. I’ve never gotten $54 million before from the UT System, so how could I be disappointed?”

Juliet V. Garcia,

UTB president


A Friday meeting of the TSC Foundation was can-celed late Thursday after the Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees voted earlier in the day to file a lawsuit to keep the foundation from changing its name and bylaws.

The lawsuit, filed in state district court in Cameron County, alleges that the foundation is try-ing to change its bylaws and name to benefit stu-dents of t h e University of Texas at B r o w n s -v i l l e instead of TSC stu-dents.

“ T h e D e f e n d -ants seek to change the name of the Foundation to the Historic Fort Brown Foundation for Higher Education, or another name, in an attempt to elim-inate any association with TSC,” the lawsuit states.

TSC Trustee chairmen Francisco Rendon said, “I’m glad the TSC founda-tion’s money is safe for now and look forward to pre-senting all the facts to dem-onstrate that Texas Southmost College Foundation was established and has always been for the purpose of advancing Texas Southmost College.”

Rendon said that throughout the partner-ship TSC helped UTB increase its endowment funds at the cost of its own.

Mary Ann Fore, who is named as a defendant in the suit, referred ques-tions to Msgr. Heberto Diaz, chairman of the foundation.

“We’re going to try to amicably come to some kind of resolution how to provide scholarships here in Brownsville,” Diaz told The Brownsville Herald on Friday. “The goal is to provide scholarships in Brownsville.”

B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2 | T E X A S A P M E C L A S S A A ‘ N E W S P A P E R O F T H E Y E A R ’SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013 75 CENTS

Less than 2½ months into the fiscal year, the federal govern-ment has reached its cap on a special visa offered to victims of certain serious crimes. The so-called U visas are a key instrument helping authorities investigate crimes, such as sex-ual assault and human traffick-ing, against those who do not have legal status in the country.

REACHING THE LIMIT

➤ PAGE A3

LOCAL

LOCAL

A state district court jury on Friday found Aroldo H. Cadriel of Brownsville guilty of the March 31, 2012, murder of 20-year-old Brisna Mireles of Harlingen. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College will hold separate com-mencement ceremonies Saturday, for the first time since UTB — and their partnership — were created.

CADRIEL

FOUND GUILTY

HONORING

GRADUATES

➤ PAGE A2

➤ PAGE A2



OBITUARIES

➤ PAGE A6

Matilde S. MercadoEvangelina Marroquin SandersEloisa G. SaucedaBaby Miranda Marie CervantesTabita Esther SerrataMyriam V. De AguilaPedro Torres

As technology failed and a shoddy connection threatened to derail the University of Texas at Brownsville watch party where faculty, staff and students gathered to hear the name of their future school, the news was delivered through a text message instead: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

NEW NAME

POPULARON THE WEB


Vol. 122 | No. 164

Abby ........................................B8Amusements ...........................B8Calendar ............................... A11

Classified .................................B5Comics .....................................B7Community ........................... A11

Entertainment .........................B9Horoscope ...............................B8Religion ...................................A8

Sports ......................................B1Weather .................................B10

High 73°


SOUTH TEXAS ENVIRONMENT

PLEASE SEE TSC, A10

CLEARING THE WAY

Project removes brush to help endangered falcon


A machine clears trees and brush Thursday, shredding the plants, as part of an environmental project to restore the prai-rie habitat around the Bahia Grande in an effort to help the aplomado falcon, which is endangered in the United States.

BY TY JOHNSONTHE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Jonathan Moczygemba looks out over the grass prairies of the Bahia Grande wetland area and smiles the way most hom-

eowners look out over their freshly cut lawns.

The land, a part of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, isn’t his, but as a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he has developed a deep respect for the once barren basin.

“I feel like this is what it should look like,” he says as he scans a portion where controlled burns two years ago have restored the plains to their grassy equilibrium.

The Brownsville Ship Channel dredging in the 1930s and later construction of Highway 48 slowly transformed the bay from a wet-land rich with life into acres of mudflats before the USFWS and others began a project in the mid-2000s to flood the bay, restoring its capacity for vegetation and marine life.

But resetting the impact of decades of development at the 11,000-acre reserve has proven to be more complicated than simply flooding the bay, as overgrown vegetation around the bay has sig-nificantly altered the habitat of the aplomado falcon, a bird of prey that is endangered within the

United States.Although globally the falcons

are classified as a species of least concern, South Texas – where all of the American birds are located — is estimated to have only 28 breed-ing pairs left.

Previous uses of the land creat-ed areas of brush, Moczygemba said, which harbor avian predators that would be just as happy among the groves of mesquite trees anywhere else in the Rio Grande Valley.


Manmade nesting platforms, shown here at left, provide additional shelter in the Bahia Grande for the aplomado falcons.

PLEASE SEE FALCON, A10

AT A GLANCE

NOAA

Appearance: The aplomado falcon has a steel grey back, red breast and striking black markings on the top of its head, around its eyes, and extending down its face.

Nesting: These falcons are often seen in pairs. They do not build their nests, but use stick nests built by other birds. They require grassland or savannah habitat.

SOURCE: TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE

TERCERO

Lawsuit: Keep funds at TSC

College alleges foundation seeks

to help UTB

The foundation was established in 1984 when the Department of Education double-matched $1 million that was raised by the commu-nity and was given to TSC. The then-TSC Board of Trustees gifted the money

to the foundation. “The TSC board of

Trustees gifted all that money to the foundation for the purpose of schol-arships for the students in higher education,” Diaz said. “At that point it was only TSC, but a few years after that UTB and TSC went into partnership. Because they went into partnership for 20 years, the foundation has grant-ed scholarships to stu-

dents in UTB and TSC.” “My dream is that the

money will not be locked up in litigation and that students will continue to benefit from scholarships to attend higher learning here in Brownsville, whether it be just TSC or UT students,” Diaz added.

Fore said the proposed change to the bylaws is to continue to “support and enhance the role and mis-sion of supporting higher

education through schol-arships for students who attend TSC and UT-RGV.”

UT-RGV is the name chosen for the new entity that combines UTB and UT-Pan American in Edinburg.

“Changing the purpose of the Foundation so that it no longer exists for the sole purpose of support-ing TSC will cause irrep-arable harm to TSC because the assets of the Foundation will be avail-able for non-TSC purpos-es in direct violation of the purpose of the Foundation,” the lawsuit states.

It also states that by changing the name and expanding scholarship

opportunities, the founda-tion board is breaching its fiduciary duty to the com-munity college.

Additionally, the law-suit claims, the founda-tion board is trying to eliminate four board posi-tions that are filled by representatives of the Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees.

TSC President Lily Tercero filed the petition on behalf of the college. Tercero also sits on the foundation’s board.

“It is extremely disap-pointing that we have been forced to take legal action to preserve the intent and purpose of a foundation that was origi-nally created to support

only TSC,” she said. According to the

Foundation’s bylaws, “the corporation is organized for education and charita-ble purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distribution to organiza-tions that qualify as exempt organizations under sec-tion 501(c)(3)” of the Internal Revenue Code, which governs nonprofit organizations.

The bylaws state the foundation’s purpose is to “support and enhance the role and mission of Texas Southmost College.”

It is unknown when the foundation meeting will be rescheduled.

[email protected]

� A10 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013

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But for the aplomados, the coastal prairies are home.

Between the draining and flooding of the area and grazing from cattle, the ecosystem in the area has been knocked off-kilter, leading to an increase in mesquites and a decrease of the wide-open grass-lands the aplomados prefer for hunting.

Moczygemba and Refuge Manager Boyd Blihovde have overseen new developments at the Bahia Grande reserve to restore the grasslands, usu-ally through controlled burning and the use of chemicals to prevent the growth of brush, but the area remained fragmented by tiny forests of thick brush that broke the land into territories too small to make aplomado couples comfortable. The birds pre-fer to have about 2,000

acres of uninterrupted grasslands for nesting.

Peregrine Fund wildlife specialists said the recent work at the reserve had piqued the falcons’ interest in the area, noting the return of the birds for hunt-ing purposes.

“They’re starting to see aplomados there in areas where they haven’t seen in about five years,” he said.

But getting the falcons to stay would require more work, he said.

And that’s when the Peregrine Fund really sunk its talons into the project.

Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge received a $75,000 grant from the group, with two-thirds of the amount earmarked to improve the conditions of the grass-lands at the reserve through removing the brush that the falcons find so unsavory.

Contractors from Georgia brought their mas-sive brush-chewing machinery to the reserve and began grinding through the mesquites and other shrubs while leaving yucca plants, a favorite roosting spot for the birds.

The remaining $25,000 is reserved for clearing brush on private land around the reserve, Moczygemba said, which would help enhance the efforts to restore the aplomado popu-lation in the area.

The brush-clearing

comes with a caveat, though: The landowners must maintain the area for a decade.

Moczygemba said theintensity of maintenance needed would depend on specific conditions, but noted that it is arguably even more important than removing the brush initially.

He said that while fal-cons may not immediately flock back to the refuge when work finishes up there in the next month, it’s important to maintain opti-mal conditions for the aplo-mados in case they’re dis-placed.

Since USFWS has nocontrol over adjacent lands, he said, a wind farm or some other development could lead to the uprooting of the area’s few mating pairs.

Without somewhere togo, it’s possible that the birds could leave the region forever.

“If we weren’t doingthis,” he said of the habitat restoration, “they wouldn’t come back.”

Overall, the project willrestore about 1,500 acres of habitat for the falcons, he said, far exceeding the grant’s 1,000-acre goal.

And while that goal is ameans to an end, Moczygemba said he won’t consider the project a suc-cess until the aplomados come back home to roost.

[email protected]

TSCFROM PAGE A1

FALCONSFROM PAGE A1

BY LAURA B. MARTINEZ


Forget about lightingup a cigarette on SuperBowl weekend.

Brownsville’s revisedsmoking ban takes effectSaturday, prohibitingsmokers from lightingup at virtually any publicplace, including bars andsports arenas.

The ordinance alsobans smoking in bingohalls, convention centers,educational facilities,health care facilities,game rooms, shoppingmalls, city buildings andbus stops.

The revised ordinanceis bound to put a damperon one of sports’ biggestdays — Super BowlSunday — when manyfans gather at establish-ments to watch the biggame, perhaps drinksome beverages andsmoke a cigarette or two.

The city’s PublicHealth Department hasbeen trying to educatethe public and bar own-ers during the past 50-plus days to get themready for Saturday,department Director ArtRodriguez said.

City employees havebeen handing out “NoSmoking” ordinance signsto business owners fordisplay.

While city health work-ers will not be workingSaturday or Sunday, theywill visit bars and busi-nesses Monday to see ifbusinesses comply withthe revised ordinance,Rodriguez said.

Good Morning!



OBITUARIES

➤ PAGE A6

Emelia MartinezFelicitas Barron VillarrealMario Alberto Marti GonzalezConsuelo MosallamGuadalupe G. Moreno

First responders heading to ahome on Resaca Vista Drive onJan. 11 thought they wereresponding to a routine structurefire, but once at the scene manyrealized the situation was moredisturbing, dangerous and differentthan any they had ever seen.

INVESTIGATION

POPULARON THE WEB


Vol. 121 | No. 212

PEMEXEXPLOSION

➤ PAGE A12

BUSINESS

After a decade spent “experiencinggreat architecture,” Javier Huertafaced a crossroads: Should hekeep working for Lake/Flato, aninnovative, A-list architecturefirm, or head back south and dohis own thing?

BRAIN GAIN

➤ PAGE C1

B O R N O N T H E F O U R T H O F J U L Y 1 8 9 2FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013 75 CENTS

An explosion at the main headquarters of Mexico’s state-owned oil company inthe capital Thursday killedmore than a dozen people andinjured 80 as it heavily damaged three floors of thebuilding, sending hundreds intothe streets and a large plume ofsmoke over the skyline.

Abby ................................B6

Amusements ....................B6

Calendar ........................A13

Classified ..........................C2

Comics..............................B5

Community ....................A13

Editorial..........................A10

Horoscope ........................B6

Sports ..............................B1

TV Listings ...................... B7

Weather ............................B8

High 74°


HOGGING THE

LIMELIGHT

LOS FRESNOS

Local students gear up for livestock show

The squeals came from theYorkshire pig that 17-year-oldTruett Cawlfield of Los Fresnoshas raised since October andwill present during one of themany livestock show events thisweekend during the 2013Cameron County Fair &Livestock Show and Los FresnosPRCA Rodeo.

To avoid possible complica-tions, the students breed multiplepigs, which came in handy lastyear for Truett when his prizedhog hurt a leg. Truett ended uppresenting the runt of the two.

“This pig was being so diffi-cult,” Truett said. “The more youhave to hit a pig to get it to gowhere you want, the more diffi-cult they get.”

BY MELISSA MONTOYA


Two-hundred poundsof pink flesh rolledaround in a pig penon Thursday andsquealed at the

sight of strangers in the agri-cultural barn at Los FresnosHigh School.

Do you enjoy going to the Cameron County Fair & Livestock Show?To respond, log on to www.BrownsvilleHerald.com.ONLINE POLL

PLEASE SEE SHOW, A4

SUPER BOWLWEEKEND

Publicsmokingofficiallysidelined

Brownsville’s extended ban set to begin

PLEASE SEE SMOKING, A4


Above: The notched ears of a pig stand alert at the livestock barn at Los Fresnos High School. Ear notching is used to identify thepigs and can also help provide other information about the pig. Local students are preparing for the Cameron County Fair &Livestock Show, which begins today in Los Fresnos.

Left: TruettCawlfield worksin the livestockbarn at the LosFresnos HighSchool onThursday.

For a CameronCounty Livestock

Show and LosFresnos PRCA

Rodeo schedule,see PAGE A4.

PHOTOS View more images in an online gallery:


LOCAL

A jury was selected Thursday infederal court for the trial ofAustin attorney Marc Rosenthal.

JURY SELECTION

➤ PAGE A3


AUSTIN — Thousandsof Texans spend millionsevery year on specialtylicense plates believingthe extra fees they paywill help support suchthings as state parks,environmental groups orarts organizations, butinstead lawmakers havebeen diverting more thanhalf of those funds to bal-ance the state budget

instead of raising taxes.In the 2012-13 budget

cycle alone, theRepublican-controlledLegislature diverted $4.9billion in dedicated fundsderived from special feesand taxes to help pay thestate’s $80 billion in routineexpenses. A bipartisangroup of lawmakers wantsthat practice to stop.

“The Legislature collec-tively over the years hasfallen into a bad habit of

fee diversions,” said Sen.Craig Estes, R-WichitaFalls, who helped writelast year’s budget and hasserved in the Senate for 12years. “What do you dowhen you develop a badhabit? You break it.”

Estes speech promot-ed a bill Thursday thatwould stop the diversionof parks and wildlifefunds collected through aspecial sales tax. In the2012-13 budget, the statecollected $250 million inthese dedicated fundsbut only spent $50 mil-lion on the Parks andWildlife Department.Estes said he has alsointroduced legislation to

stop all such diversionsby taking dedicatedfunds out of the appro-priations process so law-makers can’t touch them.

The state comptrollerreported in Decemberthat the Legislature raid-ed dedicated funds forhighways, regional trau-ma centers, medical edu-cation programs, cleanair projects and even vol-unteer fire departments.

Lawmakers divert themoney every session bypassing a funds consolida-tion bill, which eliminatesall the strings attached todedicated accounts andputs all the money one bigpot, explained Sen. KirkWatson, D-Austin, whohas been fighting thepractice for five years. Hepraised the apparentbipartisan support forending diversions andbudget gimmicks.

“At this point we areworking toward compli-ance. There is a probabili-ty that on Monday we aregoing to be visiting estab-lishments throughout thecity that just need to bereminded that the ordi-nance is in place,” he said.

The city wants to edu-cate all business ownersand get them in compli-ance, Rodriguez said,before it will issue cita-tions to those found inviolation of the ordi-nance.

“We are really justtrying to educate every-one. … At this point weare taking baby steps andstarting out withnotices,” he said.

The ordinance hasupset some bar owners,who say it could forcethem out of business.

“This means we aregoing to have to go out ofbusiness. There is not adoubt in my mind thatmy place will end upclosing… The pity is ouremployees,” MurnaPark, owner of Trails InnSaloon at 6705 ParedesLine Road, said when thecity passed the ordinancein December.

Lisa Mitchell, a

concerned resident,had said she waspleased with the CityCommission’s deci-sion and believes itdid what is best forthe community.

“I think it is definitelya step forward and it isgoing to benefit business-es, families, individualsand employees and any-one that has been exposedto secondhand smoke,”Mitchell said when theordinance was passed.

The city’s currentsmoking ordinancepassed in July 2008 pro-hibits smoking in restau-rants and all other com-mercial businessesexcept those that operate

primarily as bars andwhose gross sales of alco-hol exceed 51 percent oftotal business revenue.

The city worked onrevising the ordinancefor about a year.

Rodriguez said busi-ness owners have untiltoday to go by the PublicHealth Department topick up “No Smoking”signs before the ordi-nance takes effectSaturday. They can alsodownload and print a highresolution copy of the signfrom the city’s website athttp://health.cob.us/smok-ing-ordinance-2012-1556.

[email protected]

SMOKINGFROM PAGE A1

However, this yearTruett’s No. 1 pick ishealthy. He plans to sellthe runtier of the two inthe next few weeks.

“This one looks like ahotdog,” Truett said ofhis least favorite hog.“It doesn’t have theshoulders and the butt.See how muscular thatone looks, this one iskind of ‘eh.’”

Because he knowsboth pigs are headed toslaughter, he doesn’tname them.

“Some people getattached and namethem,” the senior said.“But then it’s like you’retaking your pet to themarket.”

The city of LosFresnos has about 5,500residents, but the schooldistrict serves morethan 10,000 students,said Ronnie Zamora,spokesman for LosFresnos ConsolidatedIndependent School Dis-

trict. The district coverswide expanses of ruralareas, home to manyranches.

Donald Wernecke,who teaches the live-stock and wildlifecourse, said the projectsare a form of disciplinefor many of his students.

“It’s intensive work,”Wernecke said. “Threetimes a day cleaningyour pig, feeding, water-ing, walking, workingout your animal, lettingthem get to know you.It’s a five-month projecton hogs.”

The class, affiliatedwith FFA, formerlyknown as Future Farmersof America, meets once aday, but students areresponsible for feedingtheir animals at leasttwice daily to keep themgrowing.

According to Wer-necke, a pig can consumethree to four pounds offood every day.

Truett spends anadditional 45 minutescaring for his pig everyday and returns to theschool on weekends tomake sure the animal is

fed properly.Mike Cargill, 16, of

Los Fresnos, will showthree lambs, one goatand two steers, whichare castrated male cat-tle.

He said he spendsabout 10 hours a weekgrooming and caring forhis animals, and heloves the chaos of live-stock shows.

For Truett, the timespent with his swine hastaught him how to readits mind.

The exercise willhelp him when he goes

to Texas TechUniversity to studywildlife biology.

“Wild animals, they allhave their own way ofthinking,” Truett said.“Despite the fact thatthese pigs are domesti-cated, it gives me a littlebit of a window into theway that wild animalsthink. Because eventhough they are domesti-cated, they’re still a littlecrazier than your aver-age house dog.”

[email protected]

➤ PAGE A4 | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013

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➤ 8 a.m. - Judging of Jr. BeefCattle, Heifers & Bulls➤ 9 a.m. - Los Fresnos PRCAslack performance (if necessary)➤ 9 a.m. - Judging of HomeShow Arts & Crafts

➤ 10:30 a.m. - Judging of LambsPeewee Lamb Showmanshipimmediately following (ages 3-7)

➤ 4 p.m. - Heart of AmericaCarnival opens.➤ 4 p.m. - Chamber of CommerceArts & Crafts Show opens

➤ 5:30 p.m. - Comedy & magic byOscar Muñoz

➤ 7 p.m. - Los Fresnos PRCARodeo Bullfighting CompetitionCalf Scramble (Grades 9-12) &Mutton Bustin' (ages 4-7)Performance by Texas Wild Bunchduring intermission Fireworks

➤ 10 p.m. - Solido concert imme-diately after rodeo➤ 11 p.m. - Chamber ofCommerce Arts & Crafts Showcloses➤ 12 a.m. - Heart of AmericaCarnival closes

Saturday, Feb. 2

➤ 8:30 a.m. - Judging of MarketHogs

➤ 9 a.m. - Los Fresnos PRCA SlackPerformance (if necessary)➤ 9:30 a.m. - Judging of HomeShow Baked Goods➤ 11 a.m. - Los Fresnos PRCARodeo Parade➤ 12 p.m. - Heart of AmericaCarnival opens➤ 12 p.m. - Chamber ofCommerce Arts & Crafts Showopens➤ 3 p.m. - Comedy & magic by

Oscar Muñoz➤ 4 p.m. - Live Auction and Sale ofHome Show Baked Goods

➤ 5 p.m. - Los Fresnos PRCARodeo Bullfighting CompetitionCalf Scramble (Grades 6-8) &Mutton Bustin' (Ages 4-7)Performance by Texas Wild Bunchduring intermission Fireworks

➤ 6 p.m. - Judging of MarketSteers➤ 8 p.m. - Kevin Fowler concertimmediately after rodeo➤ 11 p.m. - Chamber ofCommerce Arts & Crafts Showcloses➤ 12 a.m. - Heart of AmericaCarnival closes

Sunday, Feb. 3

➤ 9 a.m. - Judging of Rabbits➤ 10:30 a.m. - Livestock JudgingContest➤ 12 p.m. - Heart of AmericaCarnival opens➤ 12 p.m. - Chamber ofCommerce Arts & Crafts Showopens➤ 12 p.m. - Comedy & magic byOscar Muñoz

➤ 1:30 p.m. - Scholarship AwardPresentationLivestock Judging Contest Awards

➤ 2 p.m. - Los Fresnos PRCARodeo Bullfighting CompetitionCalf Scramble (Grade 3-5) &Mutton Bustin' (Ages 4-7)Performances by Texas Wild Bunchduring intermission

➤ 2 p.m. - Removal of all animals& home show exhibits➤ 2 p.m. - Comeron CountyLivestock Show closes➤ 6 p.m. - Chamber of CommerceArts & Crafts Show closes➤ 11 p.m. - Heart of AmericaCarnival closes

LIVESTOCK SHOW & RODEO

SHOWFROM PAGE A1

STAAR ‘15percent’ rulebill sent tofull Senate


AUSTIN — TheEducation Committee hasreferred to the full TexasSenate a measure allow-ing local school districtsto decide how much theywant STAAR examresults to count towardhigh school students’grades.

Texas law requiresthat scores on the State ofTexas Assessment ofAcademic Readinessexam count 15 percent ofhigh school students’grades in core courses.

But the rule has beenwidely criticized by par-ents and district superin-tendents. It has been sus-pended each of the firsttwo years the STAAR testhas been administered.

Education CommitteeChairman Dan Patrickproposes allowing localschool districts to decideif, and how much, theywant STAAR results tofactor into final grades —from zero to 15 percent.

The committee votedunanimously Thursday tosend the bill to the Senate.

Bipartisan group promises end to diverting funds

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