News

San Antonio Deputy City Manager Pat DiGiovanni has opened an investigation into his own conduct after concerns were raised about a potential conflict of interest.

The city's ethics review board will look at the case, which stems from DiGiovanni's new employment with the non-profit Centro Partnership, whose goal is to revitalize the downtown San Antonio area, and his role at the city.

Nationwide Insurance is opening a new green building in San Antonio near Sea World with the hopes of hiring an additional 500 employees in the coming years. 

Nationwide previously had four call centers in San Antonio. Now the insurance provider is opening a single 280,000 sq ft. building for its 1,400 San Antonio employees. Regional Vice President Terrance Williams says the company chose to stay in San Antonio due to a friendly business climate and the skills job seekers here have to offer.

He fears being identified will put his kidnapped girlfriend in even more danger, and it may also get him killed. The veteran labor activist in Tamaulipas State in Mexico said that for the last two years, he and many colleagues have had to go in hiding.

"Pues la lucha por la justicia amenaza cualquier interés."

One-year-old Wesley and three-year-old Walter Maspero were killed after a suspected drug dealer that police were staking-out fled; David Rodriguez hit the vehicle that the youngsters were in at 80 mph.

Days later, 55-year-old Pedro Tenorio was killed when suspected burglars making a getaway crashed into his motorcycle.

"In both those instances, the officers had completely disengaged from the chase," said Police Chief William McManus.

If ChildSafe operated completely on heart and soul, this organization would be rich, but money keeps this non-profit alive, and allows them to help local children.

"If we have to cut our budget, that means we have to serve less children, and we're already not serving enough children," said ChildSafe San Antonio CEO Kim Abernethy.

San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE) has announced its first music festival will take place next month.

On Oct. 20, San Antonio's Eastside will be flooded with Jazz, R&B, Salsa, Tejano, Blues, Country and just about every other type of music.

SAGE is hosting the festival that touts itself as a celebration of diversity on the Eastside. SAGE executive director Jackie Gorman said that while recognizing culture, the festival will also be a fundraiser for the non-profit.

The Department of Education grant is part of $223 million presented to historically black colleges and universities. Grant monies are awarded based on each school’s enrollment and the 11,000 students at St. Philip’s College make it the second largest recipient.

St. Philip’s President Adena Willams Loston said the college will receive this grant for several years.

“They come to us in a five year cycle," said Williams. "We’re starting a new cycle this year from 2012 to 2017 and we do expect that our allocation in the next four years will be roughly about $5 to $6 million."

From his stance that big banks are his opponent's focus and not small business, State Representative Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, said U.S. Congressman Francisco "Quico" Canseco, R-Texas, went to Washington, D.C. and became a part of the problem. Canseco said he wants growth in the private sector, where his opponent would destroy the country's economic force.

Each of the candidates argued back and forth on a stage at Palo Alto College Tuesday night. The debate was hosted by Univision and AARP, and conducted entirely in Spanish.

After working with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation on a national testing tour two years ago, the San Antonio AIDS Foundation received a mobile testing unit for use in Bexar County. The van has two cubicles for rapid 20-minute HIV testing.

During the 2010 tour, Jill Rips, deputy executive director of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, said they found a few positive results.

Congressman Charlie Gonzalez is retiring from the seat that represents central San Antonio – and now there’s a race to determine who will claim the post. Republican small businessman David Rosa is facing off against Democrat State Rep. Joaquín Castro.

This race is being called a David and Goliath match up, as GOP delegate and political behind-the-scenes man Rosa goes up against the Castro camp, but the voters will decide who will win the open seat.