Tag Archives: Texas

Texas leaders order “surge” to secure border

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texdpsTop Texas officials directed Department of Public Safety troopers late Wednesday to begin a surge to secure the Texas-Mexico border in the wake of a growing number of immigrants flooding into the southern part of the state.

Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus signed off on a plan to spend $1.3 million a week to try to combat the problem, even as a group of conservative state lawmakers asked them to call the legislature back to work in a special session to address the situation.

“Texas can’t afford to wait for Washington to act on this crisis and we will not sit idly by while the safety and security of our citizens are threatened,” Perry said in a statement. “Until the federal government recognizes the danger it’s putting our citizens in by its inaction to secure the border, Texas law enforcement must do everything they can to keep our citizens and communities safe.”

Perry, Dewhurst and Straus released a joint letter directing DPS officials to move forward with surge operations through at least the end of the calendar year, using any money allocated for the agency. They noted that previous law enforcement surge operations in the border proved effective.

This came as a number of state legislators asked for a special session to try to find their own solution.

Read more at the Star-Telegram

Chipotle Mexican Grill bans firearms

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chipotleDALLAS – Chipotle Mexican Grill is the latest large chain to prohibit firearms into their restaurants after the Dallas chapter of Open Carry Texas stopped to eat after a demonstration. The carrying of firearms into the store was not a part of the demonstration according to an article on the Forbe’s web site.

Facebook image showing men carrying arms not in compliance with Open Carry Texas (Forbe's Photo)

Facebook image showing men carrying arms not in compliance with Open Carry Texas (Forbe’s Photo)

A Facebook (Facebook page has apparently been banned by Facebook) photo, according to the Forbe’s article, shows two-men unrelated to the Open Carry Texas event carrying “…SKS rifles, semi-automatic weapons of the kind once used by both the Soviet Army and the Viet Cong.”

A previous incident apparently occurred at a Jack-in-the-Box in Forth Worth. Open Carry Texas member Edwin Harros stated in an interview that their members are required to carry their semi-automatic rifles on their backs. Jack-in-the-Box, to date, has not issued a statement banning firearms in their establishments.

An anti-gun activist group called “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America” began a Twitter campaign on Monday against customers bringing guns into Chipotle. The gun control group is backed by billionaire Michael Bloomberg.

The company responded with a statement that read in part,

“The issue of gun ownership or gun rights has become one of the most contentious debates in the country. Chipotle has never taken a position on this issue, as we focus instead on our mission to change the way people think about and eat fast food.

“Recently participants from an “open carry” demonstration in Texas brought guns (including military-style assault rifles) into one of our restaurants, causing many of our customers anxiety and discomfort. Because of this, we are respectfully asking that customers not bring guns into our restaurants, unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.”

Arizona Revised Statute 4-229 requires any establishment not allowing firearms to post a sign in a conspicuous location containing a pictogram of a firearm with a red circle and diagonal red line across the firearm with the words, “no firearms allow pursuant to A.R.S. section 4-229.” A person is allowed to enter a posted establishment in order to seek emergency aid or to determine if the sign is posted pursuant to this law. Any private property owner is allowed to prohibit firearms on their property.

Starbucks also asked people not to bring firearms into their establishment or outdoor seating areas in 2013 which represents a ban on firearms, but did not specifically call it that.

Arizona-based Sprout’s Market is also backing their ban on firearms fifty-percent. They have banned firearms, but apparently do not feel comfortable with conforming to Arizona Revised Statute by posting the required signs.

Discretion being the better part of valor, if a person with a firearm enters an establishment without the required signage and is asked to leave, it is best not to get into an argument. Simply remind them that they are not in compliance with A.R.S. 4-229 and leave the store. Report the violation to the appropriate authority.

Arizona does have so-called Constitutional concealed carry, which means any legal US citizen of Arizona may carry concealed, but only persons with a concealed carry permit may enter an establishment that serves alcohol and no one may drink while carrying a firearm.

According to the article, the anti-gun group stated they

“…support the Second Amendment… In states where no background checks or training are required to buy semi-automatic rifles and carry them openly in public, businesses have a duty to protect their employees and patrons.”

Federal law requires a background check for any person purchasing a firearm in any gun store in the nation.

Arizona Revised Statue 15-714.01 allows schools to conduct firearms safety courses. The courses may provide instruction which includes the rules of firearm safety, basic operation of firearms, history of firearms, marksmanship, the role of firearms in preserving peace and freedom and the constitutional roots of the right to keep and bear arms…

Houston SPCA awarded for murdering pit bulls

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8f5ee725c7022bc49e95756d6a0dd256How many dead pit bulls does it take to win an award? The Better Business Bureau Awards for Excellence luncheon was held Wednesday to recognize quality in the workplace. Businesses and nonprofits were touted by the BBB for ‘service excellence.’

“The BBB Awards for Excellence recognizes businesses and nonprofits for their achievements and commitment to overall excellence and quality in the workplace. Proceeds from the event help fund the BBB Education Foundation, which educates consumers about scams and fraudulent business practices in the Greater Houston area.”

According to Houston SPCA’s own website, “When asked what it means to the Houston SPCA to receive this recognition, Patricia Mercer, President, said: “We work hard to provide top notch service to our customers and clients, and it is truly an honor to be recognized for our efforts.”

Read more at The Examiner

A funny thing happened on the way to Home Depot in Fort Worth

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See story and video at NBCDFW.com Channel 5.

See story and video at NBCDFW.com Channel 5.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – Members of a group in Texas to promote an open carry law in Texas got a little more attention than they bargained for according to a report by NBC 5 in Fort Worth.

open-carry-texas-01The demonstrators of Open Carry Texas—a group promoting an open carry law—were on the way to Home Depot and stopped off at a Jack-in-the-Box to order food. Edwin Harros said that they had a polite exchange as they ordered food.

After they left the restaurant, the employees were apparently frightened enough to call police and lock themselves in a cooler even though no aggressive action whatsoever was indicated. Police, of course, responded in force to confront the five demonstrators.

The police stated that they have no problems with protests or open-carry, but the demonstrators were not carrying an signs or indications of a demonstration and they were not notified that Open Carry Texas planned a demonstration. The group said they would seek advise of police in the future.

Home Depot spokespersons stated that they have no problems with guns or demonstrations either so long as the guns are carried in compliance with the law.

Texas is one of the few states that does not permit open carry of firearms.

Homeowner’s son shoots, kills burglary suspect in Van Zandt County

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DALLAS, Tx.—A man suspected of burglarizing a homeowner in Van Zandt County was shot and killed early Tuesday morning by the homeowners son.

The homeowner woke up to see a man burglarizing his pickup truck that was parked in his front yard. He approached the man with a rifle, intending to hold him until law enforcement could arrive, but the man fled the scene, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.

The homeowner fired at the man and then noticed a truck parked in the dark near the roadway, which he believed belonged to the man so he got in the truck and took the keys out of the ignition to prevent him from leaving the scene. The man confronted the homeowner and disarmed him, assaulting him with the rifle, authorities said.

The homeowners son saw the man raising the rifle and, fearing the man was about to shoot his father, shot the suspect, killing him instantly.

More at Dallas News

2 arrested at Texas border linked to Target breach, credit card fraud

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illegals-arrested
McALLEN, Texas—Police in South Texas arrested two people trying to enter the U.S. from Mexico who may be connected to the massive data breach at Target.

27-year-old Mary Carmen Garcia and 28-year-old Daniel Guardiola Dominguez, both of Monterrey, Mexico, were arrested Sunday at the Anzalduas International Bridge on fraud charges. The duo had 96 fraudulent credit cards with them when they tried to re-enter the U.S., according to officials.

Police said the cards the two possessed bore the names of Mexican banks, but the numbers matched account information of South Texas residents affected by the Target data breach. Police said many of the cards had been used to buy tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from national retail outlets in the area, including Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Toys ‘R’ Us.

Investigators are working to determine whether Garcia and Dominguez are involved in organized crime in Mexico, but McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez let slip that they appeared to have been dealing directly with the hackers and that the stolen account information appears to have been divvied up and sold off regionally — right down to the ZIP code.

KMSP-TV

More at KMSP Fox 9

HISD school bus drivers disciplined for praying after child’s death

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HOUSTON (KTRK) — Houston ISD bus drivers came together to support a coworker and to protest a move by the school district.

Several drivers were reprimanded for praying with that coworker, after she lost a child. In response to that — they’re praying even more.

On December 16, a 12-year-old girl was struck by a car as she walked home from school in north Harris County. She would later die from her injuries. She was the daughter of an HISD bus driver, whose coworkers rallied around her.

Bus driver Cynthia Cormier said, “From a parent’s point of view and from a grandparent’s, prayer is the answer.”

As news of the tragedy spread among the community of HISD school bus drivers, they spontaneously prayed for one of their own who was grieving. They joined not holding hands, but by using a back channel on the bus radio system.

Wretha Thomas, with the Educational Support Union, said, “Somebody else heard it and called in and reported it to the administration and they chose to write them up.”

Read more at ABC 13

12-year-old drug smuggler reignites immigration debate

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122_2013_cruz-iowa-20168201_s160x107The U.S. Border Patrol earlier this month arrested a 12-year-old illegal immigrant smuggling 80 pounds of marijuana from Mexico into Texas, reigniting a debate over controversial comments made by a Republican congressman earlier this year about children’s involvement in the cross-border drug trade.

Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican who has called for a crackdown on illegal immigration, had said there were more young illegal immigrants smuggling drugs than there were ones who were valedictorians of their classes in U.S. high schools.

In the Texas incident earlier this month, Border Patrol agents arrested six Mexicans — two adults, two 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old and the 12-year-old — smuggling more than 300 pounds of marijuana.

“They were carrying the marijuana on their backs and when arrested it was discovered that the 12-year-old boy had the heaviest load at 80 pounds,” the Border Patrol said in a statement describing the arrest.

Read more at The Washington Times

Does God Love Online Poker? Texas Congressman Has Shocking Answer

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Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas) at the Congressional hearing regarding the Internet Poker Freedom Act

Congressman Joe Barton (R-Texas) at the Congressional hearing regarding the Internet Poker Freedom Act

By Katherine Weber, Christian Post Reporter
December 12, 2013|8:56 am

During a Congressional hearing earlier this week concerning the new Internet Poker Freedom Act, Texas Rep. Joe Barton, a staunch supporter of online poker, argued that God enabled him to travel to the congressional hearing in Washington D.C., and therefore the Almighty must be in support of online poker and the passing of the online gaming bill.

Barton, speaking during the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing Tuesday in D.C., said that “God must be for this bill because I got up this morning at four o’clock in Texas, outside Dallas, and braved icy roads and 20 degree temperatures to get to DFW airport where my good friends at American Airlines left exactly on time. God put a 200 mile tail wind behind our plane, and I got here an hour early. So that tells me that God is for this bill,” Barton, a Republican, said jokingly, garnering laughter from those attending the subcommittee hearing.

The Internet Poker Freedom Act, also known as House Bill 2666, would allow more people to play internet poker by setting certain regulations to the online game, including establishing a program for states and federally recognized Indian tribes to license the game. The legality of online poker in the U.S. folded in 2011 after the Department of Justice ended many online gaming operations, and earlier in 2006 Congress passed a law banning the use of credit cards for illegal internet gaming.

Barton, who is backing the Internet Poker Freedom Act , went on to argue at Tuesday’s congressional hearing that he believes fans of poker should be able to play online, saying the game is superior to other games such as slots or roulette, because it requires skill and not just luck. “Now we have the Internet and iPhones and iPads and apps and all these things,” he said. “Just about the only thing you can’t do [online] anymore is play poker. And that is changing.”

Read more at The Christian Post

San Marcos, Texas police seek suspects

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63f3f70debcdcda0955119146d5e0b01_500SAN MARCOS, Texas — Police in San Marcos have released composite sketches of three men they say kidnapped a woman and her four-year-old child, then sexually assaulted and beat the woman.
The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 on the east end of McKie Street near the I-35 access road, west of the highway.

The woman was driving on McKie when her vehicle was bumped from behind by another vehicle. When she got out to check for damage, she was forced into the back seat of her own vehicle by two suspects and a third followed.
The woman’s head was covered and she was taken to an unknown location where police say she was sexually assaulted, strangled, and eventually lost consciousness.

The unconscious victim and her child were later left in their vehicle parked on the side of a road outside of San Marcos. When she regained consciousness, she was able find her way home where she called police.
SMPD says investigators are following numerous leads, and tips continue to come in on the case, but they hope the drawings will help further develop tips on the suspects.

The suspects are described as follows:
Suspect 1: Hispanic male, possible nickname “Dago,” late 30s to early 40s, medium olive complexion, six feet tall, stocky build, shaved or bald heat, dark eyes, small goatee, possible diamond stud earring in left ear, tattoos of crosses on left and right forearms, wearing white shirt with blue trim and blue jeans.

Suspect 2: Hispanic male, possible nickname of “Chico,” 18 to 20 years old, light olive complexion, 5’8” to 5’10” in height, thin build, closely cropped black hair, dark eyes with long eyelashes, slightly protruding ears, possible diamond stud earring in left ear, tattoo of cursive writing at base of neck, wearing loose fitting white T-shirt and blue jeans.

Suspect 3: Hispanic male, late 30s, dark olive complexion, 5’6” to 5’7” in height, medium build, thick arched eyebrows, slight acne scars, hair styled into a “faux-hawk,” wearing gray T-shirt and blue jeans.

PLEASE CALL the San Marcos Police Department –
Criminal Investigation Division at 512-753-2300 if you recognize these individuals.
After 5 p.m. call San Marcos police at 512-753-2108.
Or call Crime Stoppers at 512-353-TIPS or 800-324-8477.

NOTE: RACIST REMARKS/COMMENTS WILL NOT HELP & ARE UNWELCOME HERE, SO PLEASE REFRAIN!!