October 29, 2021

Buc-ee's sues Houston-area man for opening 'Buky's' convenience stores

Some say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Buc-ee's would beg to differ. Texas' largest convenience store, known for espousing its clean restrooms and road trip snacks, is suing a man from Sugar Land for ripping off its brand with his own "Buky's" convenience stores.

The trademark lawsuit, filed Wednesday, alleges Buky's owner Saarim Damani of Sugar Land capitalized on Buc-ee's namesake and likeness by using comparable branding and bold, red lettering on his stores in El Campo and Rosenberg, according to the Houston Chronicle. Damani is accused of trademark infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition, among other claims.

Damani denies copying Buc-ees and told the Chronicle he chose the name "Buky's" because it was a childhood nickname.

Buc-ee's, owned by Arch "Beaver" Alpin III, opened its first store in 1982 in Lake Jackson and today has 40 locations open in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and its home state of Texas. The chain currently has expansions planned in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Bucees-Bukys-knockoff-store-lawsuit-16565302.php

October 29, 2021

Ex-USBP agent guilty of sexually assaulting migrant while on duty

A former U.S. Border Patrol agent accused of sexually assaulting a migrant has pleaded guilty, according to court documents.

David Villarreal, 36, pleaded guilty on Oct. 18 to sexual assault and tamper, fabricate physical evidence with intent to impair.

Villarreal was sentenced to serve two years in the Texas Department of Corrections as to the sexual assault charge with credit for time served and 10 years of probation as to the tampering charge. Villarreal was turned over to the Webb County Jail to start his 2-year sentence.

When released, Villarreal will register as a sex offender and attend sex offender classes. In addition, he is to complete 200 hours of community service at a rate of four for one.

Read more: https://www.lmtonline.com/insider/article/Ex-USBP-agent-guilty-of-sexually-assaulting-16569421.php
(Laredo Morning Times)

October 29, 2021

Texas GOP Belongs to Donald Trump

From top to bottom, Republican elected officials in Texas have abandoned any semblance of self-respect or independence. They have caved on their principles and values and now simply do the bidding of the orange-faced traitor who incited a mob attack on our nation’s Capitol. Take a look at how these spineless politicians have chosen Trump over Texas.

Abbott the Obeyer

Texas has never had a weaker or more incompetent Governor than Greg Abbott, so watching him abdicate to Trump is no surprise. However, Abbott started out in Trump’s pocket long before he became a lapdog.

Abbott was in Trump’s Pocket Early

While Attorney General, Abbott’s office investigated Trump University for fraud but dropped its probe after Trump agreed to end its operations in Texas. Trump subsequently donated $35,000 to his gubernatorial campaign.

Followed Trump’s Lead on COVID

While Trump was president, Abbott echoed his extreme rhetoric that has divided the country and followed his reckless COVID-19 response that has caused hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths and preventable damage to the economy.

Read more: https://lonestarproject.net/2021/10/28/texas-gop-belongs-to-donald-trump/

October 29, 2021

Texas A&M students sue fraternity for hazing after experiencing alleged severe burns

Two students at Texas A&M University are suing a fraternity after they say they faced serious bodily injury when industrial strength cleaner was poured on them.

The students, Patrick Close and Jose Figueroa, filed a complaint in state District Court in Harris County against Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity Inc., Texas A&’s chapter of SAE, and members of the Texas A&M fraternity at the time for violation of the anti-hazing statute in Texas.

Close and Figueroa were chosen to pledge SAE after going through rush at the beginning of the spring 2021 semester, according to the lawsuit, filed last week. In March, the lawsuit alleges that they were forced to do “various kinesthetic activities” and escorted to a barn, where fraternity members poured “foreign substances” on the two freshmen, including human spit, raw eggs, paint, food condiments and an industrial strength cleaner. Close and Figueroa experienced severe burns as a result of the high alkaline cleaner being poured on them, the lawsuit states.

“As a result of the burns they endured, Close and Figueroa were transported to Houston, Texas, to undergo emergency skin graft surgery and eventually underwent a second skin graft surgery,” the suit states. “Close and Figueroa are both permanently disfigured as a result of the burns they endured at the hands of the Defendants.”

The two students are seeking at least $1 million in damages and a jury trial.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/10/28/texas-am-sae-fraternity-hazing/6177727001/

October 29, 2021

A former professor files free speech lawsuit against Collin College over tweets about Mike Pence

A year ago, Texas history professor Lora Burnett fired off an angry tweet from her private social media account about then-vice president Mike Pence. It landed during the vice presidential debate, prompting news coverage from conservative media, an angry response from at least one Texas lawmaker and a series of disciplinary actions from her employer, the publicly funded Collin College in North Texas.

This week, Burnett, who was eventually terminated from her job at Collin College, a community college in McKinney, filed a federal lawsuit against the college, its president, H. Neil Matkin, and the board of trustees.

In the Tuesday filing, she claims that the school’s decision not to renew her three-year contract was retaliation for those comments, as well as her public criticism of the school’s COVID-19 reopening plan, and violated her First Amendment rights.

In her lawsuit, Burnett argues that Collin College leaders use “a custom or practice of terminating professors who speak out on matters of public concern” and that the school's practices are unconstitutional.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/28/collin-college-lawsuit/

October 29, 2021

Rep. Cuellar urges Biden administration to prepare for next caravan to cross into US

Laredo Democrat Henry Cuellar is often at odds with congressional colleagues in his party on issues related to immigration and border security.


AUSTIN — Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar of Laredo warned the Biden administration Thursday not to get caught flat-footed as a caravan of migrants is assembling in southern Mexico and appears to be headed for the United States.

Cuellar, who has taken a more hawkish stance on illegal immigration than many of his Democratic colleagues, said the growing number of migrants joining the caravan could lead to a repeat of the humanitarian crisis that stemmed from the crossing of the Rio Grande in Del Rio by Haitian refugees in September.

"The problem was that the administration couldn't decide what to do," Cuellar told Texas reporters reporters in a conference call from Washington, D.C., referring to the Haitian asylum-seekers. "They hesitated, and then we saw before they knew it, they had almost 15,000 Haitians."

"And they knew about it. And just like the caravan, they know about it. So the question is ... what do we do?"

Read more: https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/texas/state-bureau/2021/10/28/texas-democrat-biden-listen-experts-not-immigration-activists/6178610001/
(Corpus Christi Caller-Times)

October 29, 2021

Rep. Cuellar urges Biden administration to prepare for next caravan to cross into US

Laredo Democrat Henry Cuellar is often at odds with congressional colleagues in his party on issues related to immigration and border security.


AUSTIN — Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar of Laredo warned the Biden administration Thursday not to get caught flat-footed as a caravan of migrants is assembling in southern Mexico and appears to be headed for the United States.

Cuellar, who has taken a more hawkish stance on illegal immigration than many of his Democratic colleagues, said the growing number of migrants joining the caravan could lead to a repeat of the humanitarian crisis that stemmed from the crossing of the Rio Grande in Del Rio by Haitian refugees in September.

"The problem was that the administration couldn't decide what to do," Cuellar told Texas reporters reporters in a conference call from Washington, D.C., referring to the Haitian asylum-seekers. "They hesitated, and then we saw before they knew it, they had almost 15,000 Haitians."

"And they knew about it. And just like the caravan, they know about it. So the question is ... what do we do?"

Read more: https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/texas/state-bureau/2021/10/28/texas-democrat-biden-listen-experts-not-immigration-activists/6178610001/
(Corpus Christi Caller-Times)

October 29, 2021

ADA complaint: Detroit voters with disabilities barred from accessing election info on city website

Detroit voters with disabilities are unable to access crucial information about Tuesday’s election through the city Department of Elections website, according to an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint filed by Detroit Disability Power (DDP).

DDP, a disability rights organization, said in a statement Thursday that it filed the complaint with the city of Detroit after repeatedly reaching out to Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey about accessibility issues on the city website and receiving no adequate response.

Winfrey, Detroit’s longtime city clerk, is running for reelection against Denzel McCampbell, a voting rights activist who has worked as a communications director for U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit). Winfrey did not respond to a request for comment about the ADA complaint.

Specifically, DDP noted in its complaint that the list of satellite voting locations for Tuesday’s election has only been available through a downloadable PDF, which people who are visually impaired and blind cannot access through screen readers.

Read more: https://michiganadvance.com/blog/ada-complaint-detroit-voters-with-disabilities-barred-from-accessing-election-info-on-city-website/

October 29, 2021

AG's office: Former Hazel Park treasurer charged with embezzlement, misconduct in office

Hazel Park’s former treasurer is facing felony charges for allegedly stealing residents’ property tax payments.

Jo Ann Hubbs, formerly Jo Ann Hubbs-Reeves, is charged with one count of embezzlement by a public official or agent, $50 or more, one count of official misconduct in office and one count of embezzlement by an employee or agent, $1,000 to less than $20,000. Embezzlement by a public official or agent is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The other two charges carry penalties of up to five years in prison.

The Michigan Attorney General’s Office announced the charges on Oct. 26, with arraignment set for Oct. 28 in 43rd District Court.

Tubbs was fired from her treasurer job with Hazel Park in 2018 after an investigation by the FBI Detroit-Area Corruption Task Force allegedly discovered that Hubbs used two checks meant for resident property taxes, totaling $4,656.98 to pay personal expenses.

Read more: https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2021/10/26/ags-office-former-hazel-park-treasurer-charged-with-embezzlement-misconduct-in-office/

October 29, 2021

De Blasio & Romney's Halloween Fails, Trump's Election Fraud Grumbles & Last Minute Costume Ideas!