He has a fool for a client

There is an old saying.

"Show me a man who represents himself at trial and you will see that he has a fool for a client"

Welcome to being a fool; soon you will get your 72 virgins.

Salaam!

Accused Fort Hood gunman plans to represent self at trial

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Accused Fort Hood gunman Major Nidal Hasan will ask a U.S. military court on Wednesday to rule he can represent himself at his trial this summer which could bring the death penalty on charges he killed 13 people in a 2009 shooting rampage.

Jury selection in Hasan's military trial at Fort Hood was delayed until next week after he asked the judge, Colonel Tara Osborn, to let him fire his lawyers and represent himself. The trial is scheduled to start July 1.

Hasan is accused of opening fire on a group of soldiers who were preparing to deploy to Iraq in November 2009 in the worst shooting rampage on a U.S. military post. In addition to the 13 people who died, 32 others were wounded.

The rest of the story:

The last man standing from the 19th Century

Wow.

He has seen man go from horses to outer space.

Walking to flying.

Writing to typing to the Internet.

Very amazing.

Outnumbered by the girls, he's the last man standing

Sydney Morning Herald -

With the death in Barbados on Thursday of James Emmanuel ''Doc'' Sisnett, at the age of 113 years and 90 days, Jiroemon Kimura, of Japan, has become the last man alive to have been born in the 19th century.

Literally the last man. There are, according to the Gerontolgy Research Group at UCLA, 21 women born before New Year's Day, 1901, who are still with us, most of them living in the United States or Japan, with others in Europe and Canada.

But while the females born in the reign of Queen Victoria strongly outnumber him, Mr Kimura, born on April 19, 1897, has one record the girls can't match - not just yet, anyway. At 116, the ''supercentenarian'' is the oldest human on the planet.

Supercentenarians are people who have lived past their 110th birthday, and while it's estimated that there may be 200 or 300 living today, only 60-odd have been verified by reliable birth records. Of them only two, Mr Kimura and Japanese woman Misao Okawa, are known to be still living aged 115 or older.

Being born in the year 30 of the Meiji period, Mr Kimura has lived in the reigns of four emperors, and through the premierships of 61 Japanese prime ministers, from Matsukata Masayoshi to Shinzo Abe.

Mr Kimura retired in 1962 aged 65, after working for 45 years in the Japanese post office. He now lives in Kyō¯tango, Kyoto Prefecture, with his eldest son's widow, 83, and his grandson's widow, 59, and attributes his long life to eating small portions of food, and admits to spending most of his time ''in bed''.

Memorial Day

Remembering those who served

I was going to say Happy Memorial Day however, I believe it is a solemn occasion.  A day spent honoring those who gave us the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, to defend Freedom, Liberty, and our way of life.

We also honor those who served in our military, those before us and those who serve amongst us.

To all, those who paid the ultimate price and to those who served and are serving, Man o' Law and millions of others salute you.

We are what we are and who we are because of you.

Salute.

Welcome Summer Madness

Ahh!  I see Summer Madness is back.

Texas man charged in deaths of mother, stepfather

Associated Press -

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting his mother and stepfather has been charged with capital murder.

Travis County authorities say 41-year-old Carlos Whitcomb was taken into custody Saturday and charged. It's too soon to say if prosecutors will seek the death penalty against him.

Travis County Sheriff's Office spokesman Roger Wade says a neighbor found 60-year-old Kenneth Payne and his 62-year-old wife, Phyllis Payne, dead in their home.

Wade says Whitcomb lived at the home with his mother and stepfather in the eastern part of Travis County in central Texas.

Authorities are still investigating and have not revealed a possible motive.

Sorely tired but its all good

Rocked out!

Dear Readers;

Yesterday Man o' Law and 2 of the Girls o' Law, and one of their boyfriends, who is from Pennsylvania, drove from San Antonio to Carlsbad Caverns and back in less than 24 hours.

The entire round trip was just under 1000 miles.

Yes, we saw and hiked the Caverns.  The last time I was there was 25 years ago or so.  Being 37 then and 62 now makes a big difference in how you feel when you've hiked down through the opening and walk down some 600 feet or so and hike around for a couple of miles.

Of course 25 years ago I did not have an artificial knee and diabetes either.

I am pretty sore this morning; but let's get busy!

Regards, Man o' Law

Git 'er done!

This thing has been environmentally examined to death.

Get it done already.

Because he ain't going to do it.

House Passes GOP Bill To Bypass President To Speed Approval Of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline

CBS-DC -

WASHINGTON — House Republicans pushed through a bill Wednesday to bypass the president to speed approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas. Democrats criticized the legislation as a blatant attempt to allow a foreign company to avoid environmental review.

The bill was approved, 241-175, largely along party lines.

Republicans said the measure was needed to ensure that the long-delayed pipeline, first proposed in 2008, is built.

The rest of the story:

Cashing out

Because nothing says corruption more than boxes full of cash.

Boxes of cash seized in Mexico corruption probe

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO, Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities on Wednesday seized five boxes filled with cash as part of an investigation into alleged embezzlement by a former governor of southern Tabasco state, in what could become the latest test for President Enrique Pena Nieto to act against corruption.

Tabasco state prosecutor Fernando Valenzuela said bundles of 500- and 1,000-peso bills were found in an office of Jose Saiz, who was finance secretary under former Gov. Andres Granier of Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party, known as the PRI.

Investigators are still counting the money, but a witness told them the cache contains from 90 million to 100 million pesos, Valenzuela said. That would between $7 million and $8 million.

The rest of the story:

Killer President

A pretty amazing admission eh?

4 Americans killed since 2009 in US drone strikes

LARA JAKES, Associated Press, By LARA JAKES and PETE YOST, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that four American citizens have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen since 2009. The disclosure to Congress comes on the eve of a major national security speech by President Barack Obama in which he plans to pledge more transparency to Congress in his counterterrorism policy.

It was already known that three Americans had been killed in U.S. drones strikes in counterterrorism operations overseas, but Attorney General Eric Holder disclosed details that had remained secret and also that a fourth American had been killed.

In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Holder said that the government targeted and killed U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki and that the U.S. "is aware" of the killing of three others who were not targets of counterterror operations.

The rest of the story:

Not welcome here

Not a very friendly joint eh?

Hotel bans kids with Down syndrome

ALMERIA, Spain, May 20 (UPI) --

A hotel in Spain has come under fire for refusing to let a group of children with Down syndrome stay the night because they "might annoy other guests."

Hotel CaboGata Plaza Suites in Almeria refused a reservation for a group of children with Down syndrome who were planning on celebrating the end of their school year, The Local.es reported.

The hotel said it would not board the children because "these kinds of people might annoy other guests."

Management at the hotel has apologized for the incident, saying it was "a misunderstanding," adding, "In 35 years of business we have never refused access to guests with Down syndrome," who the hotel management said, "have been, are, and always will be very welcome."

However, Down Espana, the group that organized the event for the kids, reported the incident to a public prosecutor because it felt that there was "a clear case of discrimination against disabled people that breaks the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by Spain."

The international law prohibits "all discrimination on the grounds of disability."

"We haven't gone public with this incident to victimize anyone but to educate the public," said Agustin Matia, head of Down Espana.

Only an Ass Clown would do this

A fitting punishment would most likely encompass chaining him or her to the same interstate guardrail in the heat of the day.

Going all "Old Testament" style this a.m.

Pup chained to interstate guardrail; ACS seeks culprit

By Sarah L. Tressler, Staff Writer

Animal Care Services is asking for help in identifying a man who chained a pit bull puppy to a guardrail on a freeway access road Sunday.

A witness reported seeing a man believed to be in his late 30s or 40s driving a red 2004-2008 Dodge Ram extended-bed pickup with paper license plates pull over on the West Avenue access road at Interstate 10 East and use a heavy chain to tether the pup to a guardrail with a padlock. The chain was attached to 35 pounds of barbell weight plates.

The call from the witness came in shortly before 9 a.m. An animal care officer arrived at the scene around 9:05 a.m. The dog was found to be in good health.

Read more:

Weep for the children

A horrible tragedy.

At least 20 children dead, 51 confirmed dead with pronouncements that this figure will eclipse 100+ fatalities.

We, all Americans, stand with Moore, Oklahoma and they are in our prayers.

In tornado's wake, worried parents seek out kids

By NOMAAN MERCHANT, Associated Press

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — The parents and guardians stood in the muddy grass outside a suburban Oklahoma City church, listening as someone with a bullhorn called out the names of children who were being dropped off — survivors of a deadly tornado that barreled through their community.

For many families, the ordeal ended in bear hugs and tears of joy as loved ones reunited. Others were left to wait in the darkness, hoping for good news while fearing the worst.

At least 20 children are among the more than 50 reported dead so far in Moore, the Oklahoma City suburb ravaged by Monday's tornado that packed winds of up to 200 mph. The twister reduced one elementary school to a heaping mound of rubble and heavily damaged another while also flattening block after block of homes. Officials said early Tuesday the death toll could rise by as many as 40.

The rest of the story:

Don't Taze me Bro! LVII

Another tasing death.

300-pound Texas man dies after police use stun gun

Associated Press -

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A 300-pound Fort Worth man died shortly after police fired a Taser stun gun at him during a drug raid.

Fort Worth police used the stun gun on 34-year-old Jermaine Darden Thursday because they say he was resisting arrest. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (http://bit.ly/18SQQJX ) Darden died a short time later at a local hospital.

Darden's mother Donna Randle says she and several others shouted at officers that Darden wasn't resisting arrest, but rather was trying to turn onto his side from his stomach because he couldn't breathe. Randle says police put Darden on his stomach, but he is asthmatic and struggles to breathe in that position.

The rest of the story:

Who do you trust?

This from the Washington Post Blog

Obama’s trust-in-government deficit

By Dan Balz -Washington Post

Whatever else happens as a result of the multiple controversies that have engulfed the administration, one thing is clear: President Obama has failed to meet one of the most important goals he set out when he was first elected, which was to demonstrate that activist government could also be smart government.

Six weeks after winning the presidency in 2008, Obama reflected on the meaning of the election. He was reluctant to claim, as some others were, that his victory marked the beginning of an era in which Americans would embrace bigger government. Suspicion of command-and-control, top-down government, he said, was “a lasting legacy” of Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

So rather than portraying his first election as the end of a long period of conservative ascendancy, Obama called it “a correction to the correction.” As he put it then: “I think what you saw in this election was people saying: ‘Yes, we don’t want some big, bureaucratic, ever-expanding state. On the other hand, we don’t want a state that’s dysfunctional, that doesn’t believe in its mission, that can’t carry out some of the basic functions of government and provide service to people and be there when they’re hurting.’ ”

He then described what that meant for the government he was beginning to assemble. “What we don’t know yet is whether my administration and this next generation of leadership is going to be able to hew to a new, more pragmatic approach that is less interested in whether we have big government or small government [but is] more interested in whether we have a smart, effective government.”

The rest of the story:

Strutting Peacocks

Well, I think its relevant.

So do many others.

Obama Aide: 'Irrelevant Fact' Where President Was During Benghazi Attacks

The Weekly Standard -

Obama aide Dan Pfeiffer said it's an "irrelevant fact" where the president physically was during the Benghazi terror attack on September 11, 2012:

Host Chris Wallace reminds Pfeiffer that Obama didn't really talk with Secretary Clinton, Secretary Panetta, or Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that night. "He was talking to his national security staff," Pfeiffer insists.

Asked about whether the president entered the Situation Room, Pfeiffer says, "I don't remember what room the president was in on that night, and that's a largely irrelevant fact."
Pfeiffer then argues that Wallace's questions about the president's handling of the Benghazi terror attack are "offensive."

The rest of the story:

I certainly appreciate your patience

Dear Readers

I am sorry to have been gone so long but with Oral Arguments in the Court of Appeals and Faculty Meetings I have been a little busy.

I will try to endevour to be better and post as often as possible

Regards;

Man o' Law

WTH??

I just heard about it this morning as I've been working to get ready for oral argument on an appeal in a murder case before the Third Court of Appeals in Austin.

WTH is going on?

19 New Orleans shooting victims included 2 kids

By CHEVEL JOHNSON - Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Gunmen opened fire on people marching in a neighborhood Mother's Day parade in New Orleans on Sunday, wounding at least 19.

The shooting — described by the FBI as a flare-up of street violence — shattered the festive mood surrounding the parade that drew hundreds of people to the 7th Ward neighborhood of modest row houses not far from the French Quarter. Cell phone video taken in the aftermath of the shooting shows victims lying on the ground, blood on the pavement and others bending over to comfort them.

At least three of the victims were seriously wounded. Of the rest, many were grazed and authorities said that overall most wounds were not life threatening. No deaths were reported.

The rest of the story:

Well? Explain yourselves

Can't wait to find out what these morons got into a fight over.

A woman?

Donuts??


Fight between jailers sends one to hospital
By Michelle Mondo - Express-News

A fight between two jailers Sunday morning left one hospitalized and both under investigation by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, a spokesman said in an emailed statement.

The names of the detention officers weren't released.

“What began as a disagreement between the two officers escalated into a physical altercation,” Sheriff's Office spokesman Paul Berry's email said about the 10 a.m. fight.

The rest of the story:

Keep on spinning, Liars

Cover-ups are always bad.

But, this one is a doozy.


Spinning Benghazi
Alex Koppelman - New Yorker magazine

It’s a cliché, of course, but it really is true: in Washington, every scandal has a crime and a coverup. The ongoing debate about the attack on the United States facility in Benghazi where four Americans were killed, and the Obama Administration’s response to it, is no exception. For a long time, it seemed like the idea of a coverup was just a Republican obsession. But now there is something to it.

On Friday, ABC News’s Jonathan Karl revealed the details of the editing process for the C.I.A.’s talking points about the attack, including the edits themselves and some of the reasons a State Department spokeswoman gave for requesting those edits. It’s striking to see the twelve different iterations that the talking points went through before they were released to Congress and to United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, who used them in Sunday show appearances that became a central focus of Republicans’ criticism of the Administration’s public response to the attacks. Over the course of about twenty-four hours, the remarks evolved from something specific and fairly detailed into a bland, vague mush.

From the very beginning of the editing process, the talking points contained the erroneous assertion that the attack was “spontaneously inspired by the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and evolved.” That’s an important fact, because the right has always criticized the Administration based on the suggestion that the C.I.A. and the State Department, contrary to what they said, knew that the attack was not spontaneous and not an outgrowth of a demonstration. But everything else about the changes that were made is problematic. The initial draft revealed by Karl mentions “at least five other attacks against foreign interests in Benghazi” before the one in which four Americans were killed. That’s not in the final version. Nor is this: “[W]e do know that Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qa’ida participated in the attack.” That was replaced by the more tepid “There are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations.” (Even if we accept the argument that State wanted to be sure that extremists were involved, and that they could be linked to Al Qaeda, before saying so with any level of certainty—which is reasonable and supported by evidence from Karl’s reporting—that doesn’t fully explain these changes away.)

The rest of the story:

This shit is bad

Well, well,well; IRS as political hitmen.

Who knew?


AP exclusive: IRS knew tea party targeted
Associated Press -

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Internal Revenue Service officials knew agents were targeting tea party groups as early as 2011, according to a draft of an inspector general's report obtained by The Associated Press that seemingly contradicts public statements by the IRS commissioner.

The IRS apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. The agency blamed low-level employees, saying no high-level officials were aware.

But on June 29, 2011, Lois G. Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, learned at a meeting that groups were being targeted, according to the watchdog's report. At the meeting, she was told that groups with "Tea Party," ''Patriot" or "9/12 Project" in their names were being flagged for additional and often burdensome scrutiny, the report says.

The rest of the story:

Nowhere left to go but up

Message of hope; I hope went out and was received.



Jailed Moms get inspirational words from former inmates
By Ana Ley - Express-News

Caroline Reyes was willing to give up everything to feed her heroin addiction — even her three sons.

“I gave them up because I wanted dope,” Reyes, 37, told a room full of mothers incarcerated at the Bexar County Jail. “I saw mothers selling children for a bag of crack. I saw them say, 'Here, rape my child.' I gave them to my mom because I didn't want that for them.”

Reyes, formerly a crack dealer and madam in the gang-riddled Lincoln Courts area, is now president of Lakeview Baptist Church and is a motivational speaker for women who face some of the same challenges she did. She was one of five speakers who shared their troubled pasts with the inmates on Friday during an event coordinated by jail employees in observance of Mother's Day.

The rest of the story:

Got Gun? Get lock

You got little kids?

You want to keep tham alive?

Put a damn lock on your damn guns!

Capiche?


Boy, 2, dies after shooting self in Corsicana
Express-News -

CORSICANA, Texas (AP) — Police say a 2-year-old boy has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head at a North Texas home while his father was in another room.

Corsicana police on Thursday confirmed the child's death. The boy's name wasn't immediately released.

Police Chief Randy Bratton says the father called 911 on Wednesday night to report the shooting. The wounded boy was transported to a Corsicana hospital and then on to a Dallas hospital where he died later Wednesday.

The rest of the story:

Master-mind of highway ambush trial begins

Shouldn't take long I imagine.


Trial begins in fatal I-35 'highway ambush'
By Craig Kapitan - Express-News

For nearly three years after allegedly orchestrating a “highway ambush” that resulted in the slaying of an Interstate 35 motorist, Latray “Pooh” Whitley was a free man, prosecutors acknowledged as his murder trial began Wednesday.

There's a reason no witness stepped up to help police, allowing the case to initially go cold, Whitley's cousin explained to jurors.

“It ain't what we do,” Alvin Clark mumbled from the witness stand in 186th state District Court, reluctance evident in his voice as he pointed out his relative as the killer.

The rest of the story:

Sorry, I couldn't call you back, my #@%^&! iPhone EXPLODED!!

Great!

Something else to worry about.


Experts warn against exploding iPhones
WOAI.com -

Could your cell phone be a ticking time bomb? It may sound like a crazy experiment, but some smartphones are, in fact, suddenly exploding.

Electronics experts say this is happening especially with older iPhones, tablets and laptops. They say lithium batteries expand, because people overcharge them. They become too hot, take in too many charges, gets bigger and then pushes the phone's other components right out of the phone -- causing them to explode.

Luckily, experts say there is something you can do to protect yourself. They recommend not using generic chargers. When the battery is full, a good charger will cut off power. Cheaper chargers, on the other hand, may continue to push through voltage and potentially lead to an exploding electronic.

No political scandal

Nothing to see here, move along.

She got time off for good behavior. 

Nothing more sinister than that, meaning anyone else could have gotten the same consideration, so no need to think she, or anyone else, did anything more than that.


Travis County DA jailed for DWI gets early release
WOAI.com -

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A Central Texas prosecutor serving 45 days in jail after pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated has been freed early due to good behavior.

Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg was released early Thursday from jail in Austin.
   
Lehmberg was arrested April 12 following a report of a vehicle swerving in traffic. Her blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit for driving. Lehmberg served about half of the jail term ordered April 19 after she pleaded guilty to DWI.

The rest of the story:

Nightmare on Seymour Avenue

Rejoice in their safe return.

Now comes the hard part.

Putting as much of this behind them that they can and moving forward in their lives with family and friends to surround them and protect them.

Nightmare of rape & torture

Beasts beat pregnant captives * 10 years of hell in Ohio dungeon 

By ERIN CALABRESE in Cleveland, Ohio, and LARRY CELONA and KATE SHEEHY in New York

NY Post -

 Three kidnapped young women were starved, repeatedly raped — and then beaten when they got pregnant — in a basement Cleveland dungeon run by three twisted brothers, law-enforcement sources said yesterday.

The tortured victims were imprisoned in a dilapidated, white-clapboard home with chains mounted to the ceiling for about 10 years before finally escaping Monday evening.

Michelle Knight, 32, Amanda Berry, 26, and Gina DeJesus, 23, were treated as sex slaves — kept chained and taped in separate rooms, sources told the local ABC affiliate.

The rest of the story:

WTH??

This. is. just. wrong.

Get it under control.


Military sex assaults jump by more than 1/3
By Sig Christenson - Express-News

The Pentagon estimates in a new report that the number of troops who were sexually assaulted last year jumped by 7,000 from the previous year.

An annual Defense Department report on sexual assaults in the services estimates 26,000 troops had been victimized in fiscal 2012, which ended Sept. 30.

That was up by more than a third — from 19,000 in fiscal 2011. Most of the assaults go unreported, but the number of troops who reported assaults also increased, to 3,374 from 3,192 the previous year.

The rest of the story:

Love hurts and sometimes it kills

Til death do us part.

Pretty much true here eh?


Man who died chasing common-law wife ID'd
By Michelle Casady - Express-News

A man who died one week ago in a traffic accident while chasing after his common-law wife was identified by the medical examiner Tuesday as Louis Celestino, 55.

According to a police report, the woman told authorities Celestino had been arguing with her and following her as she walked south on South Presa Street near Fair Avenue so she flagged down a passing pickup driven by a friend and hopped into the bed to get away.

The woman told police Celestino ran after the pickup and grabbed onto the tailgate in an attempt to jump in but slipped and landed face down on the road and died there.

Stupid is as stupid does

Stupid and apparently drunk.

Never a good combination.

Gets two drunk thumbs up!

Police: New Braunfels man arrested after assaulting cop

By Dalondo Moultrie New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung
 
A New Braunfels man at Saturday’s Wein and Saengerfest wound up jailed for allegedly assaulting a cop, driving drunk and other offenses, a New Braunfels Police Department Spokesman said.

Police arrested David Ben Shefman, 45, on charges of assaulting a public servant, unlawful carrying of a weapon, driving while intoxicated and possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana, NBPD Capt. John McDonald said. Shefman’s actions led to a police officer going to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels for treatment of minor injuries.

About 10:40 p.m. Saturday, an NBPD officer working traffic detail for Wein and Saengerfest in the 300 block of West San Antonio Street saw Shefman speeding in a vehicle toward her while she sat in a patrol car, McDonald said. Shefman nearly rear-ended the officer’s patrol car, so she got out and tried to talk to him.

The rest of the story:

Mopery and Dopery?

What a racket I guess.

What's he charged with?


Undercover operation busts sex offender in Beaumont
By Tim Monzingo - Beaumont-Express

A China, Texas, resident and registered sex offender was jailed Monday after authorities conducted a sting operation on a fake modeling company being run out of a Beaumont hotel room.

John Brenton Daigre, 30, was arrested in a joint effort by the Beaumont police, Jefferson County Adult Probation Office and the Jefferson County Sheriff Department's Sex Offender Registration Unit, according to a news release from the Beaumont Police Department.

A Beaumont detective was alerted to a fake business, called "Pastry on Wheels," advertising online for female models. Authorities said in the release that Daigre would interview the applicants and take their pictures for the business.

The rest of the story:

The dice are being rolled

The question is are they, the jury, going to believe he no longer presents a threat even if locked up.


Defense gets final shot to save life of courthouse gunman
By Sarah Moore - Beaumont-Enterprise

The defense will get its last chance to save courthouse shooter Bartholomew Granger's life today after jurors listened to an hour and a half of profanity-laden recorded jailhouse telephone conversations on Thursday in the penalty phase of his trial.

Granger, 42, of Houston, was found guilty on Tuesday of capital murder in the March 14, 2012 shooting death of Minnie Ray Sebolt in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse.

Prosecutor Ed Shettle explained to the jury that the question of whether to assess the death penalty, which the state is asking for, comes down to answering the questions of whether Granger is a future danger to society and whether there is mitigating evidence to justify sentencing him to life with parole instead.

The rest of the story:

Who blinked first?

I guess good for the Judge to stop this however, why did she?

Why would the State enter into an agreement in the first place?

Could it be because as the DPS Troopers said at the scene that alcohol was not a contributing factor?

Certainly excessive speed was a major factor but how could they determine alcohol played no part in this?  Did the State blink because of this?


Judge rejects guilty plea in triple fatal crash case
By Ben Lloyd - KRIS-TV

SINTON - A judge in Sinton has rejected a guilty plea entered this morning by Hannah Roberts on charges of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. The defense attorney and prosecutor had reached the agreement before today's hearing.

As Roberts moved to leave the courtroom she was confronted by victims' family members. State Troopers had to rush into the courtroom to get control of the situation.

Roberts is accused of killing three people and injuring two others when she crashed her car while heading south on Interstate 37 near Mathis last September.

The rest of the story:

Law suits to follow in ...3 ... 2... 1...

Horrible, horrible story.

God rest their souls.


Bride, 4 others die in limo fire on Calif. bridge
By John S. Marshall - Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — When one of the nine women in his limousine complained about smoke, Orville Brown pulled to the side of a San Francisco Bay bridge to check. As he got out, the back of the vehicle became engulfed in flames.

A newlywed bride and eight of her friends were still inside, but passersby quickly pulled three from the burning Lincoln Town Car late Saturday night. And one woman managed to reach safety by squeezing through the partition from the passenger section to the driver's compartment, Brown told authorities.

But five others, including the bride whose marriage they were celebrating on a girls' night out, became trapped.

The rest of the story:

Stop being the Campaigner-in-Chief

Don't come to New Braunfels or San Antonio.

Go home.

Work, stop campaigning.  Get results.

Try leading for a change.

You're welcome.


Obama to launch series of trips on economy
By Josh Lederman - Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration, guns and national security are dominating the discussion on Capitol Hill, but Americans by and large are still focused on their bottom line. So President Barack Obama is launching a series of quick jaunts around the country to remind Americans he's still got jobs and the economy on his mind.

Obama will kick off the effort Thursday with a trip to Austin, Texas, the White House said. While in Texas, the president will visit a technical high school and meet with entrepreneurs. He'll also drop in on a tech company and talk with blue-collar workers.

The trips come as Obama, less than four months into his second term, is facing increasing skepticism from political allies and foes alike that he still has the clout to get big things done before the 2014 midterm elections creep up and his ability to set the agenda diminishes. Those concerns have been compounded by a failed push on gun control and a similarly unsuccessful effort to avert automatic spending cuts that took effect in March. Obama traveled repeatedly outside Washington to rally Americans to urge Congress to act on both fronts, but with questionable results.

The rest of the story:

Lost life

Folks drive much too quickly in this area and the Parkway ends at this area.

I am sorry she died, much too young.


Woman killed in North Side wreck ID'd
By Ana Ley - Express-News

A woman killed in a wreck on Wurzbach Parkway late Sunday has been identified.

Nancy Solis, 25, had been traveling in the road's eastbound lanes at the Blanco Road exit when she hit a curb and slammed into a pole about 10 p.m. She appeared to have lost control, possibly as she was exiting Wurzbach Parkway.

Police said she died at the crash site.

Please help us locate Devon

Call the New Braunfels Police, please, if you see this young woman at 830-221-4100.


New Braunfels Police looking for missing person
By Dalondo Moultrie New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung 

By distributing photographs and disseminating information to the public, investigators and officers with the New Braunfels Police Department are doing what they can to try to help find an 18-year-old autistic woman who went missing recently.

“We need to get her picture to the public so if anybody sees her we can get her to safety,” Capt. John McDonald with the New Braunfels Police Department said.


Parents of Devon Nicole Gadsby reported her missing in the early hours of Thursday, McDonald said. He said she was last seen about 7 a.m. Thursday in the 12700 block of Terrace Hollow Drive in San Antonio.

The rest of the story:

Forget something Buddy?

Pants are like an American Express Card.

Why how?  You say.

Don't leave home without them.


Ex-cop takes plea for bizarre pantless wreck
By Craig Kapitan - Express-News

A former San Antonio police sergeant has pleaded no contest and requested deferred adjudication probation for a bizarre incident last year in which he was found roaming the streets in his underwear near his wrecked city-issued pickup.

Joseph Earl Myers, 53, reached a plea agreement last week for misapplication of fiduciary property involving the $7,165 in damage to the vehicle.

State District Judge Melisa Skinner is set to decide later this month whether he'll serve a two-year term at a state jail facility or on probation.

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A stupid idea

A really, really, really stupid idea in my opinion.

You know, like a "cutting off your nose to spite your face" idea.


Bill would open Loop 1604 to private companies
By Vianna Davilla - Express-News

The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would open the door to a private developer one day building a toll road project on Loop 1604.

If the bill becomes law, state or local transportation officials would have the option to partner with a company or other private entity that could front the money to develop, finance, build, maintain and operate the toll road.

The northern half of Loop 1604 would be the first Bexar County highway eligible for what's called a “concession comprehensive development agreement.”

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Crossing the line

So, there you go.  the Comission will oppose the plan which will intergrate the entire building into the Tower.

You nix the plan and the building stays empty until torn down.

Yeah, that doesn't make much sense to me either.


Line in the sand to be drawn on issue of tower near Alamo
By Scott Huddleston - Express-News

The city preservation staff will oppose the new design for a high-rise on top of a historic building near the Alamo at a public meeting Wednesday.

After negotiating for three months with the developer, the Historic and Design Review Commission is expected to vote on a tower to stand up to 26 stories high atop the four-story Joske's building for a hotel and timeshare units.

BC Realty Partners of Dallas had proposed a single 23-story structure, but since has worked with a local design team at Overland Partners to produce a two-tier structure, standing 10 and 26 stories tall. Shanon Miller, the city's historic preservation officer, said the Office of Historic Preservation “does not recommend conceptual approval as submitted.”

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