News

Whether Mayor Julián Castro's Pre-K 4 SA early education initiative will pass or be voted down is too close to call at this point in early voting, but with all the debate over the issue, Castro doesn't seem surprised.

"I always assume that any election is going to be a close election," said Castro Monday at the steps of the Bexar County Courthouse. "I want folks to know Pre-K 4 SA is supported by our seven biggest Chambers of Commerce, by all seven living former mayors, by our biggest employers. There's a reason for that."

"The goal is to really create a vibrant, walkable, livable downtown area," said Tom Kennely of UTSA's Institute of Economic Development, who could be talking about any city in the United States, or even San Antonio.

Located on Hwy. 87 east of San Antonio, La Vernia is a community of about 1,000. UTSA is working with the City of La Vernia to bring people back to the community's downtown area, and the university also offers business development and community development for 79 counties from its San Antonio office.

It’s the first day of early voting and Bexar County Residents are flocking to the polls. TPR's Joey Palacios talked to a few voters outside the Wonderland Mall polling place about which presidential candidate they support and Pre-K for SA.

Panelists: Harley Eagle, Cecila Menjivar, Doris Marie Provine, and David Doerfler. It was moderated by Carolyn Turner. The Panel Discussion is a culmination of all the views and issues presented at the symposium, which focused on the U.S. criminal justice system and, in particular, racism, the "drug war",  immigration, and the concept of restorative justice.

Panelists Included

David Doerfler

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and CPS-Energy are responding to a CNN news story about a solar energy deal that casts the political rising star in a negative light.

When Mayor Julian Castro stepped onto the stage of the Democratic National Convention he was also stepping into a more critical arena of national politics where nearly every move is scrutinized.

And on Friday, a story on the CNN program "Erin Burnett’s Out Front" covered a CPS-Energy solar energy deal that Castro was involved in that went to a South Korean company and not a company in the United States.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Texas fell to 6.8 percent in September, down more than one point from last year.

Andres Alcantar, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission, said the Texas economy has been showing steady job growth for the past two years and seven major industries expanded in September.

"The highest growth came from the Professional and Business Services industry, which grew by 13,600 jobs in September. This industry has added 47,200 jobs over the past year," Alcantar said.

Harley Eagle is of Dakota and Anishinabe decent. He is the co-coordinator of Indigenous work for the Mennonite Central Committee Canada, a Restorative justice practitioner, and dismantling racism/oppression trainer. Harley will look to his Dakota traditions and experience in working with Indigenous and diverse communities in both Restorative Justice and dismantling oppression to explore what it might mean to address racial harms using Restorative concepts that embrace a fuller Indigenous worldview.

Big Tex is 60 years old this year, but instead of birthday candles to blow out, firefighters had a fully engulfed fire to extinguish.

State Fair Vice President of Marketing Mitchell Glieber said the fire ran up the electrical line to his jaw, destroying the 52-foot icon of the Texas State Fair.

"Probably within 5 minutes or so, all of his clothes were pretty much on fire," said Glieber. "It happened fairly quickly, but there weren't a lot of people in the park."

Drivers looking for a bargain will want to buy gas in San Antonio this week. AAA reports that prices fell a nickel per gallon in the Alamo City, more than the decrease statewide. A gallon of gas is averaging $3.46 in San Antonio, comparing to the national average of $3.74 per gallon and the statewide average of $3.51.