March 3, 2018

Texas 130 builders concealed road's flaws, new owners say in lawsuit

The original owners of the Texas 130 tollway south of Mustang Ridge knew before the road opened that both its pavement and its finances were doomed, a lawsuit filed Thursday by the new owners alleges, yet concealed that information from its investors and paid almost $330 million to a company they had created to build the road.

The 41-mile road’s current owners — made up primarily of those who lent the Ferrovial S.A. of Spain and Zachry Construction Corp. of San Antonio about $1.22 billion to design and build Texas 130 and then took over the bankrupt road in 2017 — are asking a federal bankruptcy court in Austin to award them all money paid for construction between February 2011 and December 2012.

That current ownership group, who took over the road as it emerged from bankruptcy still owing much of what it had borrowed, includes the U.S. Department of Transportation, which had lent the project almost $500 million. The current owners estimate that repairing cracks and heaving pavement at multiple locations, both work that has already occurred and still to come, will cost $130 million.

The 14 defendants, all of them affiliates of either Ferrovial or Zachry, or both, includes Central Texas Highway Constructors, which according to the lawsuit was owned half and half by the two parent company. That company, known as CTHC in the lawsuit, had a contract for about $924 million to build four-lane tollway between Mustang Ridge and Seguin.

Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/texas-130-builders-concealed-road-flaws-new-owners-say-lawsuit/WsOyIytKbZouWGrdPEAYMK/

March 3, 2018

UIW football player arrested in connection to Alamo Heights bar fight that broke man's jaw

A University of Incarnate Word football player was arrested Thursday by Alamo Heights police after a bar fight that was caught on camera, officials said.

Police said Jamarkese Williams, 22, was seen on video punching a customer in the face up to 7 times on Saurday night at the 50/50 Bar. It's unclear what led up to the alleged fight.

According to the affidavit, another customer tried to intervene and "attempted to reason" with Williams.

Williams punched that man up to three times, police said.

Read more: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/crime/article/UIW-football-player-arrested-in-connection-to-a-12722671.php

March 3, 2018

Born This Gay: Randy Rainbow Does Texas

Randy Rainbow performs at House of Blues Houston on March 23.


During the 2016 presidential campaign, a strange new face popped into our Facebook feeds. There was a 30-something man with crystal-blue eyes, a golden voice, and a flowered bonnet singing some new lyrics he had written to the “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” tune from the film Mary Poppins. This rendition about Donald Trump described the unlikely (and unlikable) candidate as “super-callous, fragile ego, extra-braggadocious” in an impeccable imitation of Julie Andrews’ beloved Disney character.

Many viewers became instant fans, and the four-minute viral video received 28 million views in the two days after it was posted.

Since then, 36-year-old Randy Rainbow (yes, that’s his real name) has become an online star, creating approximately one new video every two weeks with Donald Trump and his cast of clowns as the subject matter.

To express their gratitude to the artist for helping them laugh through the tears and fears of the Trump presidency, Rainbow’s fans launched a line of T-shirts featuring an image of him in a nun’s habit. The tagline says, “Thank you Randy Rainbow for saving me!”

Read more: http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2018/03/born-this-gay-randy-rainbow-does-texas/

March 3, 2018

Anti-Gay Texas Official Caught Vandalizing Campaign Sign

Two years ago, Dallas County Justice of the Peace Bill Metzger made national news for his refusal to perform same-sex marriages.

Now, Metzger is making headlines again—for vandalizing a campaign sign—and he could soon face criminal charges.

Earlier this week, Metzger was caught on camera destroying a sign belonging to a Texas House candidate, Republican Jim Phaup. Coincidentally, Metzger’s wife supports Phaup’s opponent in the Distirct 113 GOP Primary, Jonathan Boos.

After Phaup’s signs were damaged nightly since mid-February, his campaign placed hidden security cameras nearby. The video below shows Metzger, cloaked in a hoodie, destroying one of Phaup’s signs in the early morning hours of Feb. 27.

Read more: http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2018/03/anti-gay-texas-official-caught-on-camera-destroying-campaign-sign/

March 3, 2018

Texas colleges are bleeding cash on athletics programs and you're paying for it

The on-the-court product at the Super Pit featured staples of a competitive, back-and-forth big-time college basketball game.

Coaches paced the sidelines and barked orders, players crashed into one another under the basket and a video board over center court pumped up the crowd during timeouts. There was even a game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation that sent the game into overtime.

But the scene inside the 9,800-seat arena was anything but big time.

Fans could easily find parking spots right next to the arena minutes before tip-off. Lines for tickets and concessions were virtually nonexistent. Inside the building, the 20-person band often drowned out the crowd.

That's because just 2,300 fans turned out for the Mean Green's Feb. 15 overtime loss to Western Kentucky, one of the best teams in Conference USA.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/college/article202356619.html

March 3, 2018

Deer semen donations among campaign contributions to South Texas candidate

"I gave at the office."


AUSTIN — Many political candidates accept political gifts like food for events or legal advice for their campaigns, but one candidate from South Texas reported receiving thousands of dollars worth of deer semen.

Ana Lisa Garza, a district court judge in Starr County, reported accepting at least 40 semen straws, doses valued at $51,000. According to a report filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, several of the in-kind donations were made as part of a Feb. 10 auction event.

Although deer have been bred for over a century, interest has spiked in recent decades, in part due to interest in a buck named Patrick that was kept as a pet in the Midwest and grew large and unique antlers in the 1980s.

The practice has since grown into a budding industry in Texas. The deer, with their attractive racks, are now largely used for hunting, venison or further breeding.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/politics/texas/article/Deer-semen-among-campaign-contributions-to-South-12717880.php

March 2, 2018

Happy Texas Independence Day!

Various celebrations are going on throughout the state ranging from concerts to car shows to margarita specials to barbecue cookoffs. So on this Friday afternoon, I'm wishing everyone well and hope that you find some reason to enjoy the day.

March 2, 2018

Texas early voting numbers a wake-up call for GOP as Democrats double their 2014 turnout

AUSTIN — With one day of early voting to go, turnout in the Democratic primary had nearly doubled since the last midterm election in 2014.

According to the Texas secretary of state’s website — which tracks only the 15 counties with the most registered voters — 161,607 people voted in the Democratic primary in 2014 during the first 10 days of early voting. This year, 310,275 people voted in the Democratic primary in the same span — a 92 percent increase. Polls were set to close Friday at 7 p.m.

On the GOP side, 273,293 people had voted in the Republican primary as of Thursday. That’s still an 18 percent increase from 2014, when 231,530 voted in the Republican primary during the first 10 days of early voting.

Democrats may hold a 36,982 vote lead, but that doesn’t mean all of those voters are Democrats. Since Texas has semi-open primaries, voters can choose which party’s primary to vote in. (There is a caveat to choosing: In a runoff, voters must stick with the same party.)

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2018-elections/2018/03/02/texas-early-voting-numbers-wake-call-gop-democrats-double-2014-turnout

March 2, 2018

Who's to blame as lawsuit persists that would kick 127 Dallas Democrats off the ballot

Those of you planning to vote Tuesday in the Democratic primary don't need to worry that you'll find candidates missing from your ballot.

Despite alarming headlines several weeks ago about a GOP lawsuit filed in state district court that aims to disqualify Democratic contenders, all 127 targeted candidates are safe.

For now.

The lawsuit is far from over, with the Republicans shifting the battle from March to November. Their latest strategy is to get the candidates who survive the primary tossed off the general election ballot.

At issue is the way in which Dallas County Democratic Party chairwoman Carol Donovan handled candidate petitions before they were sent to the Texas secretary of state's office.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2018/03/02/blame-lawsuit-persists-kick-127-dallas-democrats-ballot

March 2, 2018

Breakthrough in Maryland on Metro funding, as Hogan and legislature come together

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and the Democratic-controlled legislature came together Friday to support a bill that would give Metro permanent funding of $150 million a year on condition that Virginia and the District contribute the same or more.

The movement in Annapolis — in which Hogan shifted his position on the size and duration of the funding — marks a major step toward Metro’s goal of obtaining a substantial, dedicated revenue source in this year’s General Assembly sessions in Maryland and Virginia.

Maryland leaders expressed hope that their action would encourage Virginia to approve increased funding for Metro, as well. Lawmakers in Richmond will hold key negotiations next week that will determine how much their state will contribute, and with what conditions.

The District, an outspoken supporter of dedicated funding for the transit agency, is expected to go along with whatever the states decide.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/breakthrough-in-maryland-on-metro-funding-as-hogan-and-legislature-come-together/2018/03/02/ef1c5e7a-1e36-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html