In her 2003 memoir Dreaming Red, late San Antonio artist, collector, philanthropist and Pace Foods heiress Linda Pace chronicled her inspirations and goals for Artpace, the nonprofit residency program and contemporary art space she founded in 1993. “I wanted to bring artists to San Antonio to do the kind of work they had always wanted…
Through the hottest decade ever recorded, artist Sabra Booth has been compiling works which show the impacts of climate change and environmental destruction. She has now gathered these pieces into the retrospective “Hot Pursuit: A Visual Commentary on Climate Change,” which is currently on view at Bihl Haus Arts. The exhibition, which can be viewed…
After reopening in June but reversing course when COVID-19 cases surged later that month, Artpace is once again welcoming the public. San Antonio art lovers are now able to visit Artpace so long as they make appointments in advance, according to a Tuesday announcement on its social media pages. In addition to adhering to an appointment-only…
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has approved emergency rule changes letting bars partner with food trucks or sell pre-packaged food items from another business to qualify as restaurants and reopen amid the pandemic. Starting Tuesday, bars will no longer need to have commercial cooking equipment onsite to meet the reopening requirements in Governor Greg Abbott’s July order…
Not that we need an excuse to drink these days, but Tuesday, August 25, is National Whiskey Sour Day — and Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling is on top of things with an original recipe for its smoked whiskey sour. Ranger Creek bartender Josh Sotello provided the Current with the earthy and herbaceous recipe, which…
The University of Texas at San Antonio has spent the past few years amassing the nation’s biggest collection of Mexican cookbooks. Now, the school is making it easy for those of us outside the halls of academia to access those recipes and cook from them — maybe giving our abuelitas a break in the process.…
San Antonio soul and hip-hop artist Swanny Ivy has listeners feeling a little trippy, a little high and a bit laissez-faire with the re-release of his newly revamped song “Neon Cocaine.” Originally released back in 2018, the track got a production facelift from CLEF, who’s best known for his work with rapper Sno the Product.…
Suggesting that one more San Antonio-area congressional seat may be in play in November, the Cook Political Report has shifted the race for GOP U.S. Rep. Chip Roy’s Hill Country district from “leans Republican” to “toss up.” The move comes as the firebrand Roy, a House freshman, faces a challenge from Wendy Davis, a former…
The mayor of Galveston called for a mandatory evacuation of the city Tuesday morning after Tropical Storm Laura strengthened into a hurricane and its path shifted westward, increasing the chances that it could strike the Houston area. Galveston residents have until Wednesday morning to evacuate, but city services will be suspended Tuesday at noon, according…
Last week, businessman Jose Hoffman was arrested outside of his Eastside restaurant for failing to sign citations issued by plainclothes SAPD officers. Hoffman, since released, says police targeted him to make him into an example, News4 San Antonio reports. Officers told Hoffman they were following up on “quite a lot of complaints” received about his…
San Antonio’s drive-in theater renaissance continues with the announcement of a new South Side venue. Electric Fiesta, the organizers behind the EDM Drive-In music festival, will open a new venture at Brooks City Base in early September: a two-screen drive-in. The Mission Outdoor Theater, located at 8069 Challenger Blvd., will open Friday, September 4, providing another…
Let’s face it: 2020’s gone to the dogs. All the more reason to celebrate your canine companion with a special soirée on Wednesday — National Dog Day. At least three San Antonio businesses are pulling out all of the stops to celebrate our furry friends, who are legit the real MVPs of the pandemic. Northside…
Congress is investing a controversial Trump White House food-distribution program that awarded a $39 million contract to a San Antonio event planner with no previous experience feeding needy families. The U.S. House’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis launched a probe Monday into the USDA’s Farmers To Families Food Box Program, championed by Trump administration…
The Lonesome Lounge Sessions — the intimate concert series that brought together music venue the Lonesome Rose with Texas Public Radio and vintage store Period Modern — is back. After being shelved during the pandemic, the singer-songwriter showcase has been rebooted as a set of every-other-weekly concerts streamed on TPR’s Facebook page. While the original…
Northside ISD isn’t the only institution catching flak for how it’s starting off the school year amid COVID-19. Texas State University music student @DatAggie2021 tweeted a photo of an 8 a.m. Monday morning class, for which masked students sat in blue plastic chairs spaced out in a dingy parking lot. “This is what my $25,000…
Anyone who didn’t have their booty shaken by this this summer’s Drive-In EDM festival will get a second chance this fall. The socially distanced rave will return to SA over Halloween weekend. Organizers Electric-Fiesta announced via Twitter that the next installment will run October 30-31 in the Freeman Coliseum parking lot. Tickets are coming soon, according to…
San Antonio architectural firm Overland Partners has won the Design-Built Institute of America’s Merit Award in the Civic/Assembly category for its role in the installation Austin, which is located at the Blanton Museum of Art on the University of Texas at Austin campus. Austin was the last free-standing piece by American artist Ellsworth Kelly, who worked…
Turns out gators get the late-night munchies too. Aransas Pass police posted a video on Facebook of the detainment of a juvenile alligator outside the entrance of a local Whataburger last Friday. In the video, the small reptile reacts about how you’d expect anyone would if their pursuit of classic Texas fast food was rudely…
Army Sgt. Elder Fernandes, a 23-year-old Fort Hood Soldier, was reported missing last week after alerting authorities to sexual abuse at the installation, Waco’s KBTX reports. “We can confirm there is an open investigation of abuse sexual contact involving Sgt. Fernandes,” Fort Hood public affairs officer Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam said in a statement to…
Mondays, amirite? San Antonians were stopped in their tracks by a technical glitch this morning, as popular videoconferencing app Zoom — a virtual workplace necessity during the pandemic — was knocked out in a nationwide outage. KSAT reports that the outage affected Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio, based on data from downdetector.com. According to…
The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission has suspended Northside nightspot The Well’s alcohol permit for 30 days, following “multiple complaints about large crowds and insufficient social distancing,” the San Antonio Business Journal reports. Last Friday, a TABC press release said the organization received multiple reports of large crowds and guests without face masks — both prohibited…
If you’re into the idea of sipping wine in the sunshine while country, folk and Americana tunes flow, Culinaria’s Hospitality Tour may be where you want to be on Saturday, September 12. Restaurant-focused nonprofit Culinaria will host a day-long music festival at historic Freiheit Country Store in New Braunfels, featuring live music, guest bartenders and…
San Antonio-based financial services giant USAA will make a $30 million donation — the largest in its history — to benefit military families struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation, announced Friday, will be parceled out to 24 organizations that assist with financial emergencies, virtual schooling costs and college educational expenses via emergency grants and no-interest…
Last Friday, more movie theaters across the country started reopening, even though COVID-19 is still running rampant in many states. If you decide to take in a movie at the theater anytime soon, please wear a mask and practice social distancing. On that note, here are a few capsule reviews of movies that hit theaters,…
Four years prior to his recent termination for kneeling on a suspect’s neck, San Antonio police officer Michael Brewer was involved in the death of another suspect during a family disturbance call, the Express-News reports. Brewer repeatedly used a Taser on Ernesto Carraman after he tried to punch another SAPD officer and refused to follow…
So much for a smooth start to the new school year. On Monday morning, many Northside Independent School District students found that they couldn’t log in for their first day of online classes, KSAT reports. “We are aware of an issue affecting the MyNISD portal,” the school district said in a tweet. “We are working…
Shortly after Allen West took over as the Texas GOP chair last month, he gave the party a new slogan — “We are the storm” — and plastered it everywhere: fundraising emails, social media accounts, even on T-shirts and hats for sale. West, a former Florida congressman, indicated he drew inspiration for the slogan from…
Retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd of Helotes was one of only 26 Republicans to cross the aisle and vote for a House bill to flow $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service and temporarily halt changes that have slowed mail deliveries ahead of the election. Hurd was also just one of two Texas Republicans to…
The recount of the Republican primary runoff for the national battleground seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, has reached an end, and Tony Gonzales remains the winner. Raul Reyes, who finished 45 votes behind Gonzales in the July 14 runoff, announced Friday evening that he was abandoning the recount. “Without a sizable shift…
The reduction of public space in the $12 million Maverick Plaza renovation plan at La Villita drew sharp criticism from the Conservation Society of San Antonio during the Historic and Design Review Commission meeting on Wednesday. For more than 70 years during Fiesta, the group has held A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) at…
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is still fighting five-year-old felony securities fraud charges, has failed in his bid to kick a Democratic Harris County judge off his ongoing criminal case. An administrative judge in Houston, Susan Brown, denied Paxton’s motion to recuse Judge Jason Luong from the case, the Dallas Morning News first reported Friday. It’s…
Texas is gearing up for a monumental election in the middle of a pandemic. And while the state is one of just six that hasn’t opened up mail-in voting to any voter concerned about getting COVID-19 at a polling place, election officials expect a record number of people to vote by mail this year. Democrats,…
If margaritas are your jam but you’re trying to watch our figure, check out Mi Tierra’s weekend attraction: Patron and Casa Noble bikes that allow you blend your own marg with pedal power. MySA reports that each bike has a blender attached to the top of the handlebars, which will provide a perfectly-blended 20 ounce…
In a surprising move Thursday, the Texas Comptroller’s Office announced that alcohol sold in a curbside or delivery capacity won’t be subject to the mixed beverage tax. The change was apparently a recognition of the hardships the pandemic and its resulting shutdown have dealt to establishments that make the majority of their sales through liquor…
Mexico-based eatery La Laguna Mariscos & Sushi has opened its new San Antonio location, delivering its signature, over-the-top Micheladas to the masses. According to the restaurant’s Facebook page, the restaurant threw open the doors on the new Dominion-area location Wednesday. The extensive menu features tostadas, tacos, various seafood cocktails and — of course — extravagant Micheladas, which…
It sure looks like Sen. John Cornyn of Texas just wants this election-year pandemic thing to go away. After glibly tweeting “Be smart; don’t panic” and sharing a photo of a Corona beer, then falsely claiming we’re not sure whether kids can catch COVID-19, the three-term Republican ran a digital ad over the weekend playing up…
According to a recent, highly unscientific poll, the Alamo is considered the “worst attraction” in the state of Texas. Chart-making Instagrammer Matt Shirley polled his nearly 400,000 followers to see what they thought the worst attraction in every state was. The winner — or should we say, loser — for the Lone Star State? None…
Celebrating its most recent publication, Edward Viduarre’s Pandemia and other Poems, Aztlan Libre Press will host a virtual book launch on Sunday, August 30 that will include a reading and conversation with the poet. The poetry of Pandemia addresses the ongoing border crisis, the global pandemic and the racism and police brutality that have dominated…
The San Antonio Zoo started the Drive Thru Zoo to allow visitors to see the animals from the comfort and safety of their vehicles — now, you can add classic cars to the list of things to gaze upon while enjoying the socially distanced attraction. This weekend, Street Rods San Antonio Car Club is bringing…
As a general rule, the Current doesn’t give much ink to grand openings. Perhaps if more were like this we would. Kind Clinic, a north-of-downtown sexual health and wellness site, opened in March, meaning plans for its opening ceremonies were scuttled by the pandemic. So, earlier this month, the clinic finally held its socially distanced ribbon cutting,…
Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen are serious about wanting to stop cities from cutting or redirecting their police budgets, as the city of Austin recently did. But the slapdash plan they presented in Fort Worth isn’t the kind of serious policy you’d expect from any one of them, much less…
Anyone missing the pig roasts at the now-defunct Eastside Kitchenette take note: chef Jeff White is back with a new version of the Sunday event at outdoor space The Good Kind Southtown. Starting August 30, White will bring his Backyard BBQ Whole Hog Roast pop-up to the picturesque grounds of The Good Kind, offering fresh…
Despite being 111 years old, Spoetzl Brewery is determined to keep with the times. This week, the brewery launched Shiner Straight Shooter — its piece of the hard seltzer pie. The brewery, known for its line of Texas-brewed Shiner Beer products, will offer the new seltzer in four flavors: Wild Cherry, Lemonade, Mango and Grapefruit…
Two new exhibitions open at the McNay Art Museum this month, showcasing divergent approaches to visual art — “Folk Pop: Victoria Suescum’s Tienditas” and “Hockney to Warhol: Contemporary Drawings from the Collection.” “Folk Pop” opened on August 19 and will be available for viewing through January 10 in the museum’s Charles Butt Paperwork Gallery. The…
Lone Star State artists who thought they’d missed out on Artpace’s Texas Open Call for its 2022 International Artist-In-Residence program now have an additional month to get their applications in. On Thursday, Artpace announced that the deadline for applications has been extended to 5 p.m. CST on Friday, September 18. Additionally, it’s waived the usual $15…
After prosecutors indicted former Trump advisor Steve Bannon on fraud charges, the ACLU of Texas is demanding the White House turn over information clarifying its relationship with the alleged scheme. Yesterday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York charged Bannon and three others with misusing funds raised by We Build the…
Elizabeth Chambers, founder of Alamo Heights pasty staple Bird Bakery, has introduced a new treat, the Drew Monster Cookie, to raise money for families struggling with childhood cancer. Chambers partnered with nonprofit organization Salood, which provides financial assistance to families of pediatric cancer patients. All proceeds from the new cookie — which features gooey caramel, oats,…
Before the COVID-19 turned the restaurant world upside down, Bistr09 chef Damien Watel offered Paella on the Patio, as an immersive dining event where the Spanish rice-based dish was prepared in full view of restaurant guests. With a few adjustments to ensure social distancing, Watel is reintroducing the weekly fixture in the hope of reminding…
San Antonio City Council passed a resolution Thursday calling racism a public health crisis. The measure, co-drafted by District 2 Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan and District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, calls on city leaders to work with the community to end systematic disparities and racial barriers. It passes as Black Lives Matter activists have spent months protesting to demand…
This will be a school restart like no other, and the San Antonio Public Library wants to help ease the burden for local families. To that end, SAPL is offering online resources include free public WiFi, homework help, practice tests, FAFSA assistance and more. The free internet access is available outside of 29 of the…
During the pandemic, even a conventional weddings with guests, catering and dancing are out of the question. Yet, somehow, a San Antonio couple found a way to profess their love while the groom was hospitalized from COVID-19. A week before Carlos and Grace Muniz were to exchange vows, Carlos was hospitalized on July 15 and…
A Texas appellate court has rejected a lawsuit against the City of San Antonio by conservative activists angered by council’s decision not to allow Chick-fil-A to participate in an airport concessions contract. On Wednesday, the Fourth Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s ruling that allowed the suit move forward. The appeals court agreed with…
Socially distant city skyline views? Sounds like something plenty of tourists — not to mention San Antonians — would be on board for. The Fairmount Hotel, located just across the street from the Hemisfair entrance downtown, is now offering food on its rooftop terrace. The shaded bar occupies the rooftop space on the south half…
Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday said Texas will apply for the federal funding to provide an extra $300 every week for people who have lost their jobs. More than 10 states have already been federally approved for the additional jobless relief, providing an extra $300, and in some cases, $400 in unemployment checks. The directive…
The City of San Antonio has created a code-enforcement team to crack down on bars and restaurants violating pandemic protocols through random check-ins and by following up on complaint calls, KSAT reports. Following a troublesome live-streamed video showing overcrowded conditions at nightspot The Well last weekend, Development Services Director Michael Shannon said the new team…
NOLA native John Russ is holding a special takeout event Thursday to stave off his Big Easy blues. The team at his restaurant Clementine will offer a special New Orleans-themed menu, refreshing French 75 cocktails and live music on the patio from Chris Guerrero. The three-course Feed Me To Go menu will feature some of…
A San Antonio Police detective was suspended for 30 days over a social media post in which he asked when athlete and racial justice advocate Colin Kaepernick could be killed, KSAT reports, citing SAPD records. “When can we kill this terrorist sympathizer?” the station reports Detective Joseph Fech posted on social media after former NFL…
Anthony Michael Hall may have left the building, but EVO Entertainment is back with more ’80s celebrity goodness. Next in their lineup of celebrity-hosted drive-in events, EVO is bringing ’80s icon Deborah Foreman to host a weekend of double features at two EVO theaters in the San Antonio area. On Friday, August 28 at EVO…
Marcus Baskerville — founder of SA’s Weathered Souls Brewing Co., whose Black is Beautiful campaign for social reform has grabbed international headlines — is one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 Tastemakers for 2020. Wine Enthusiast defines its tastemakers as “people who are making change now, whether they’ve been working in the industry for six…
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro got a sanitized view of San Antonio’s U.S. Postal Service distribution center during his Wednesday fact-finding tour, a union official told the Express-News. Carlos Barrios, clerk craft director with American Postal Workers Union Local 195, told the daily that workers were ordered to remove large piles of mail before the Democratic congressman’s visit…
All the hemming and hawing about virtual learning may not have predicted a major problem allegedly faced by a teacher at Edison High School this week: sexual harassment. According to KSAT, an art class held on Zoom on Tuesday was derailed by appalling student behavior. The station reports that video of the session appeared to…
When San Antonio-based scenic designer Scott Neale decided to make an elaborate cat door in his kitchen, he wasn’t necessarily expecting to grace the pages of the Gray Lady — but that’s just what happened. Neale is far from the only theater professional to get bored this year due to cancelled performances and pandemic lockdowns.…
After touring San Antonio’s central post office, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said he wants to know many of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s recent cost cuts have come at the behest of President Donald Trump. “I would ask [DeJoy] what conversations he’s had with the president and what directives he’s gotten from the president or anyone at…
San Antonio quartet Agarita didn’t let the pandemic slow it down. Now, the ensemble is unveiling three fall collaborative concerts that can be enjoyed safely during the health crisis. First up is a streaming event that will let audience members sate their cravings for classical music and delicious food all in one go. Agarita teamed…
Craving La Panadería’s unique bread cultura, but don’t want to risk dining in? You’re in luck! La Panadería’s Broadway location has opened its newly expanded outdoor patio for al fresco dining. The renovated green space is one of La Panadería’s efforts to create a safe and socially-distanced environment where guests can enjoy the restaurant’s signature…
It’s hard to think of a more refreshing summer quencher than beer, but going back, folks have found ways to give water, barley, hops and yeast an even more summery twist. The shandygaff sprang forth in mid-19th century Germany as perhaps the first beer cocktail — a one-to-one mix of beer and ginger beer or…
The candy company responsible for providing SA with Mexican favorites such as Big Tex Dill Pickles in Chamoy, Tamarindo Candies and Chilito Straws has opened a new, bigger location on West Hildebrand Avenue. “We are excited to announce that due to our remarkable growth over the years we are expanding,” read an Alamo Candy Company Facebook…
Star chef Jason Dady will be at the helm of Jardín, a new Mediterranean-style concept inside the Sullivan Carriage House restaurant space at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, MySA reports. Jardín’s food and cocktail menus will be heavily influenced by what’s growing in the Botanical Garden, featuring ingredients harvested from the surrounding grounds, when available.…
It’s hard to find a more puro San Anto public service message than this, folks. Twitter user Robert L. Mueck shared a photo this week of a door sign at Ruthie’s Mexican Restaurant letting customers know in no uncertain terms that if they can’t follow pandemic protocols, they can fucking well forget about getting their…
With its summer Noir Mondays film series coming to a close, Slab Cinema will thematically shift gears for September — and up its events to two films a week. On Thursdays and Fridays throughout the month, Slab Cinema will screen French New Wave films for San Antonio classic movie buffs. The socially distanced outdoor film…
Brew Monkey Beer Co. will start pouring craft beer in Northeast San Antonio this month. The new, 2,000-square-foot facility will open August 29 with Benjie’s Munch Truck providing eats for the opening event, according to the upstart brewer’s website. The noon-to-10 p.m. grand opening will also allow Brew Monkey to show off its 15-barrel system, a…
Bexar County has approved three of four planned mega-voting sites to handle the high turnout expected for the November 3 election, County Judge Nelson Wolff said during a Tuesday evening briefing. The sites will be located at the AT&T Center on the East Side, Alzafar Shrine Temple on the North Side and Mission Concepción Sports…
Sorry to bear bad news, boozehounds, but Twin Liquors has called off its Fall Dollar Sale due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-day booze bonanza was set to take place August 29-31, and has drawn big (and thirsty) crowds in prior installments by offering bottles marked down to the retailer’s lowest possible price with just a…
Don’t measure the political color of Texas by the wins and losses at the top of the ballot this year. The more interesting changes are local and regional, best viewed through congressional and legislative results. A change in the political tide will fill the basement before it reaches the roof. Those contests are less expensive,…
Texas is among the top 10 states where residents are scouring for information on loans during the pandemic’s economic fallout, according to a new study by financial site WalletHub. To make its determination, the site compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia by the number of online searches residents are making for the…
Veteran Tejano-Norteño band Intocable is the latest act to bring a drive-in concert to San Antonio. Unlike Metallica, though, the group will actually perform live rather than beaming the show onto outdoor movie screens. Intocable will hold a concert in the Freeman Coliseum parking lot on Sunday, August 30, allowing fans to take in chart-topping…
San Antonio’s Dellview Music launched its intimate Little Stage concerts in August of 2019, but was forced to halt the monthly series when COVID-19 hit U.S. shores in March. Now, the proprietors of the 56-year-old instrument shop have rebooted the intimate performance series as a virtual show. The first installment will take place Wednesday, August…
Gov. Greg Abbott said he and other state GOP leaders will seek a measure during the 2021 legislative session to freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut their police budgets. Abbott made the announcement at a press conference Tuesday, less than a week after Austin’s city council approved a budget that slashed police funding…
To curb the spread of COVID-19, much of the globe hunkered down. That inactivity helped slow the spread of the virus and, as a side effect, kept some climate-warming gases out of the air. New estimates based on people’s movements suggest that global greenhouse gas emissions fell roughly 10-30%, on average, during April 2020 as…
Amid the COVID-19 health crisis, Texas has lost 4.3% of its total education jobs, according to a new analysis of federal data by job-search firm Zippia. From June 2019 to June of this year, the Lone Star State has jettisoned 74,600 jobs in the education sector, Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers show. As states reacted to…
The City of San Antonio has slapped popular Northside nightspot The Well with a pair a citations for violating both state and local pandemic safety orders, KSAT reports. The city received complaints about the UTSA-area bar and restaurant and saw video shot Saturday night that showed overcrowded conditions, according to the TV station. Each of…
HealthTexas Medical Group has signed up to provide more than 80 volunteers to help the San Antonio Food Bank with a massive food distribution planned for Friday, August 21. The Food Bank expects more than 1,000 families to show up at the distribution, slated for the Northside ISD’s Gustafson Stadium, 7001 Culebra Road. As the…
Freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy and well-known Democratic rival Wendy Davis are both launching TV spots Tuesday as they run to represent a district that includes San Antonio and the Hill Country. On Tuesday, the two sides will debut their first ads of the election, according to the Texas Tribune, which first reported the…
The alarming slowdown of the U.S. Postal Service weeks before the presidential election is affecting mail deliveries in San Antonio, local union officials say. Members of the American Postal Workers Union Local 195 told Texas Public Radio that USPS has removed four of the 32 mail-sorting machines in its Perrin Beitel Road distribution facility. Each…
Voters will decide in November whether to approve a $1.3 billion bond issue to fund San Antonio ISD campus renovations and technology upgrades. The package, which is split into separate ballot propositions, isn’t projected to increase taxes for residents, according to district officials. The first ballot measure requests $1.21 billion for major renovations to 36…
Between unclear and ever-changing state rules, nationwide supply issues and a lack of government relief, Texas craft breweries are struggling to survive the COVID-19 crisis. Faced with those hurdles, two out of three Texas breweries don’t believe they’ll make it to 2021, according to a recent survey by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. And that’s not…
In response to a letter by Democratic state senators urging the removal of Confederate monuments and symbols at the Texas Capitol, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blamed Democrats on Monday for past discrimination in the state and said the party is not committed to a “sincere” or “serious conversation” about the future of the monuments. He did…
SAFOTO, the San Antonio-based artist community responsible for the annual Fotoseptiembre USA festival, will kick off online exhibitions for its 2020 installment on September 1. Fotoseptiembre is a media festival focused on showcasing photographic work in venues around San Antonio and the Texas Hill Country during the month of — you guessed it — September. While…
Due to reduced business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, donation-based Comfort Café has turned to crowdfunding site GoFundMe to continue its mission of helping those recovering from drug dependency. The restaurant operates in a pay-what-you-can capacity, funding addiction recovery center Serenity Star’s mission of providing transformational programs for people on the road to recovery. “Covid has…
The 52nd annual San Antonio Auto & Truck Show will scrap its 2020 installment, becoming the latest high-profile event to announce its cancellation by the COVID-19 pandemic. The show, hosted by the San Antonio Auto Dealers Association, was to have taken place November 13-15. It will now run November 11-14, 2021. “While this is a…
Texas cookie-delivery business Tiff’s Treats has partnered with nonprofit Soldiers’ Angels on a new technology billed they’re billing as “Cookie Vision.” The initiative will allow deployed military personnel to send free Tiff’s Treats to their loved ones and accompanying the gift with a video message recorded via cell phone. “We created CookieVision for moments just…
A South Texas resident’s tweet has gone viral because of how accurately it sums up the meat-and-tortilla zeitgeist for the region that extends from San Antonio on down to the border. Showing a photo an entire brisket stuffed into a flour tortilla, @JayJaySkate of Weslaco tweeted that “this and a Mexican Coke is all I…
Augie’s Alamo City BBQ, which has served smoked meat to SA’s downtown area for more than 20 years, has added a new beer- and whiskey-focused outdoor bar, Brazed. The Boulevardier Group, which operated craft cocktail havens the Brooklynite and Still Golden Social House, is at the helm on the new project, which will feature an…
A recent spate of CD and vinyl reissues has introduced a new generation to West Side soul, a San Antonio-born sound that emerged in the early ’60s when Mexican American teens blended R&B and doo-wop with Latin music influences. Now, Sunny Ozuna — a key figure in that homegrown movement — is the subject of a forthcoming tribute…
San Antonio techie-turned-Trump campaign honcho Brad Parscale may owe much of his White House influence to a protective relationship with the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, New York magazine reports. In a lengthy story throwing back the curtain on Trump’s chaotic reelection bid, sources told New York that Parscale’s ability to shield Kushner from his many…
Pop star Rihanna visited Amarillo this weekend, spray painting “Fuck Trump” in all capital letters onto a vehicle out at the iconic Cadillac Ranch. The singer has been a frequent critic of the Trump administration, and took to Instagram to share her addition to the sculpture. She also included a hashtag counting down the days…
Five people were wounded, including one in critical condition, in a shooting Sunday at a South Side flea market, according to the San Antonio Police Department. The shooting occurred around 11:30 a.m. at the Mission Open Air Market, 207 W. Chavaneaux Road, a popular weekend shopping destination, according to multiple media reports. SAPD Chief William McManus told…
Over the weekend, Laredo residents painted a “Defund the Wall” mural on the street in front of that city’s federal courthouse to protest additional funding for a Texas-Mexico border wall. The mural is the first its kind in the Rio Grande Valley protesting against the Trump Administration’s much-touted border barrier. Volunteers who helped paint the…
Like other Texas courts, San Antonio’s Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace has gone on Zoom. On a recent Tuesday, Judge Rogelio Lopez Jr. presided over his Southeast Side courtroom, working to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. However, the bailiff and I were the only people in the actual courtroom. A large TV screen…
Hills & Dales Icehouse and Babcock Social Pub, two bars within the same hospitality group, have reopened nearly two months after voluntarily closing in June as COVID-19 cases began to spike. According to Facebook posts Friday, the establishments are taking advantage of the recently amended Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission guideline that lets certain bars be…
A unique collaboration between two local artists has been showcased in a profile by Texas Public Radio. During principal cellist of the San Antonio Symphony Ken Freudigman’s college days at the Eastman School of Music, one aspect of instrumental performances stood out to him — unlike many other instruments, the cello is doesn’t have the…
This article is co-published with ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for ProPublica’s Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox as soon as they are published. Guards in an immigrant detention center in El Paso sexually assaulted and harassed inmates in a “pattern and practice” of…
On Saturday, August 22, the San Antonio Botanical Garden will bring the heat with a special event inspired by chili peppers from around the world. Pequeño Pepper Day will feature food from Jason Dady Catering, culinary demonstrations, a pepper plant sale, culinary garden tours and — for those who need to cool their tongues — a…
Swine House and the Box Street Social have joined forces to create the Butcher Series, a new initiative meant to promote locally raised and butchered specialty meats. Native San Antonian and Chef Joe Saenz spent nine years in New York City’s bustling restaurant and food-retail industry before returning to his hometown to open up Swine…
The U.S. Postal Service has warned Texas officials that some ballots cast by mail may not arrive in time to be counted for the November election thanks to certain state deadlines for mail-in ballots being incompatible with its delivery standards. “This mismatch creates a risk that ballots requested near the deadline under state law will…
Award-winning food truck Ay Que Rico is partnering with a downtown-area bar to provide stationary eats to an already-established patio area, MySA reports. Starting in September, Ay Que Rico will sling tacos, quesadillas and grilled cheeses from a location truck owner Mike Gutierrez has yet to disclose. Gutierrez told the news site he wants to keep…
Last month, restaurant-focused nonprofit Culinaria announced the expansion of Restaurant Weeks to a full Restaurant Month, from August 1 to 31. Typically, the Autumn iteration of Restaurant Weeks is a two-week event that encourages diners to get out and explore the city through food. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has all but foiled most food-focused…
This week, Austin enacted drastic cuts to its police budget, ratcheting up pressure for San Antonio’s city council to take activists seriously as it ponders a proposed SAPD budget increase. Austin’s council voted Thursday to slash that city’s police budget by $150 million, or roughly a third. Over time, that money would be reallocated to…
Captain Jack Sparrow isn’t necessarily the best role model for a slew of reasons, but we can agree that the man knew a good tipple when he tasted it. While Sparrow drank his rum from questionable, sand-covered vessels rather than at craft cocktail establishments, we still think he’d appreciate that there’s a national holiday dedicated…
The Spurs got bounced from the playoffs for the first time in 22 years and we’re still stuck in a pandemic bubble, so what else are you gonna do this weekend except watch some movies? Here are three flicks opening today from which you can choose. Boys State If any readers have ever participated in…
Here’s good news for anyone who ever wanted to be on American Idol but could never get past the butterflies to show up for an in-person audition: the singing contest’s next Texas open audition is via Zoom. That’s right — due to the pandemic, the long-running reality TV competition is shifting into cyberspace for Idol…
Sometimes it feels like everyone in authority positions has abandoned us during this pandemic and left us on our own to figure out how to stay safe. But that is just not true. Scientists in St. Louis and across the country have been working hard to find ways to fight this thing — and just over…
Apparently not satisfied with blowing up the small Texas town of Boca Chica, SpaceX seems to be planning to gentrify it, too. According to MySA, the commercial space travel company helmed by billionaire and father of X Æ A-Xii Elon Musk is seeking a “resort development manager” to help turn its facility on the Texas coast into…
In March, San Antonio International Airport’s foodservice provider, HMSHost, furloughed more than 120 employees. Now, the company expects to turn those furloughs into permanent layoffs, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. Maryland-based HMSHost — part of one of the world’s largest providers of travel industry-related food services — told Texas officials the temporary job reductions…
For the past 30 years, the San Antonio Museum of Art has grown its Latin American Popular Art Collection, making it one of the most in-depth and varied of its kind in the U.S. On Saturday, September 12, SAMA will open an updated installation of that collection in what the museum is billing as “the…
San Antonio mobile ceviche and birria outfit El Remedio is moving forward with plans for a new truck and a new brick-and-mortar location, MySA reports. El Remedio has been located at 2534 Babcock Road for years, but later this month, after an upgrade to its truck, it will move to a spot on Culebra Road on the…
National chain AMC Theatres announced Thursday it will sell tickets for 15 cents a pop when it reopens more than 100 of its movie houses next week. “As our guests return on our first day of resumed operations on August 20, we invite them to join us in celebrating a return to the movies, and…
Described in the political documentary Boys State as a “Reagan-loving arch-conservative,” San Antonio native Ben Feinstein has been on a journey of self-discovery since filming wrapped two years ago. In Boys State, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, filmmakers follow Feinstein and a group of young men…
The first of Bexar County’s virtual civil jury trials has been put on hold as the court waits for consent from lawyers on both sides, according to a KSAT report. Jurors were summoned and confirmed last month, and 57th District Court Judge Antonia Arteaga was scheduled to oversee the start of the trial Wednesday. “Things…
Black members of the Texas Legislature have introduced a police-reform proposal to ban chokeholds, require officers to intervene when a colleague is using undue force and limit individual cops’ immunity from lawsuits. The legislation, championed by members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, is dubbed the George Floyd Act, after the Black man who died…
The San Antonio Spurs went a respectable 5-3 during the NBA’s final eight Seeding Games, but it wasn’t enough to put the Sliver and Black into the playoffs for a record 23rd straight season. Instead, the Spurs, who finished the season 32-39, were bounced from the post season late Thursday afternoon even before they took…
We still don’t know when it’ll open, but now we know what it’ll look like! Haute South, the new “fine casual” concept from the team at Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery, has released architect renderings of the new space, slated to open next month. Situated at The RIM development on the Northwest side of San…
For those sick of being cooped up at home but still wary of hopping on a plane, San Antonio’s Hotel Valencia has got you covered. The downtown hotel has rolled out a Tango in the Courtyard room package for exclusive, socially distant outdoor entertainment, inspired by Buenos Aires and its passionate style of dance. Throughout…
Council on Thursday approved a plan to let voters decide whether to use the 1/8-cent sales tax that now funds aquifer protection for retraining workers displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 9-2 vote will put the proposal on the November 3 ballot, the same election where local voters will decide whether to renew a separate…
If you’re not making crafts and drinking wine, are you even quarantined? San Antonio-based retailers Niche at Pearl and High Street Wine Co. think not. The two businesses, both located in the near-downtown Pearl retail complex, have launched initiatives to meet changing customer needs during the pandemic. For its part, Niche launched The Stitch at…
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff has ordered all county parks to close over Labor Day Weekend to curb the spread of COVID-19. The closures, which will run September 4-7, are meant to avoid a spike in infections over the long weekend by deterring family barbecues and other large gatherings. San Antonio and Bexar County officials…
The Grand Hyatt Hotel, adjacent to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, will reopen September 1, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. “As one of downtown’s largest convention hotels, we hope that the availability of more than 1,000 additional guest rooms and 115,000 square feet of meeting spaces helps to further support the rebuilding process…
The San Antonio Police Department has terminated two officers for using excessive force on a handcuffed suspect who wasn’t resisting arrest, KSAT reports, citing disciplinary records. Officers Michael Brewer and Andre Vargas were both given indefinite suspensions over an arrest that occurred on Nov. 26 of last year, according to the documents obtained by the…
Feeling Extra Fine this morning? Jess and John Philpot — the pair responsible for the delectable sweets at Barbaro — should be. On Thursday, the couple opened the doors of Extra Fine, their new brick and mortar space in the same Monte Vista neighborhood as the gourmet pizza restaurant. The new bakery-cafe offers a menu…
A week ago, Kamala Harris dipped a toe into the effort to flip Texas. The California senator penned an open letter posted on the state Democratic Party’s website, urging Texans to donate to the party and stressing that “if we work together, we can turn this great state blue.” Now she’s a central part of that…
La Cantera-area raw juice bar JUICEssential has added what many consider the nectar of the gods to its menu: cold-pressed coffee. The advantage of coffee at a juice bar isn’t obvious at first, but the team at JUICEssential treats every coffee order much like a smoothie, offering add-ons such as antioxidant-rich turmeric and anxiety-relieving CBD.…
The latest clutch of eggs to hatch at the San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research marks a new breakthrough for the organization’s Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project. While the lizards are far from the first of their species to hatch at the zoo, this latest bunch brings the total of captive-born horned lizards…
Assclown Alert is a column of opinion and analysis. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, indicted for felony securities fraud more than five years ago, last week sought yet another delay to the protracted prosecution of his case. Paxton’s attorneys argued that Judge Jason Luong should recuse himself from presiding over the case because the AG’s…
Sometimes, one party bus just isn’t enough. Picks Bar, a North Side live music hotspot, has added a second bus to the cocktail delivery fleet it launched earlier this summer to pandemic-proof its business model. Back in June, co-owners Jessica Marinez and Amber Hernandez unveiled Billie the Bus, a refurbished short school bus with a…
A new artwork highlights San Antonio’s most unique intersections — or biggest traffic clusterfucks, depending on your perspective. Inspired by a year-long, 11,000-mile bicycle trek across the United States that he took a few years ago, Hawaii-based artist Peter Gorman launched Barely Maps, a minimalist design project that reimagines how we map cities across the…
The nonpartisan public health group Covid Exit Strategy warned Wednesday that Texas and other Southern states are falling woefully behind on COVID-19 testing, hindering their ability to contain the pandemic. Texas is one of 18 states, largely in the South, that Covid Exit Strategy considers to have “uncontrolled spread” of the coronavirus. Over the past…
Jump-Start Performance Co.’s annual 8 X 8 Cabaret du Jump will highlight Black artists in a variety show curated by San Antonio poet-laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson. The 8 X 8 performance series, which Jump-Start cheekily describes as “theatre for short attention spans,” features eight-minute performances in an eight-by-eight foot cube. This year’s installment, taking place virtually via Zoom, is billed…
Days after offering an online sneak peak of its pending City Base Commons location, San Antonio’s Deco Pizzeria has unveiled plans for yet a third location via a Facebook post. The Fredericksburg Road pizza spot said the first iteration of a new pickup and delivery-only model will be located in the East Side’s Denver Heights…
With polls suggesting a tight race between Joe Biden and President Donald Trump in the Lone Star State, the Texas Democratic Party has kicked its voter-mobilization efforts into hyperdrive. Working with get-out-the-vote group Vote Save America, the Texas Dems contacted more than 2 million voters over the weekend via phone calls and texts — its…
Two former employees of Lion & Rose British Restaurant & Pub have sued in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, alleging they were sacked after experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. In a filing made Monday, general manager Gary Bruce claims to have been terminated for confronting restaurant owner Allen Tharp about sick pay he should have been…
Put on your tinfoil hats quickly. Duncan, a low-budget horror comedy that describes itself as a “grindhouse Pizzagate satire,” is on its way. And it stars former San Antonio native and current Austin resident Alexandria Payne. The movie, which was shot in Austin and prides itself as being “turned down by every [film] festival,” follows…
After several top-billed country artists tested the waters, Metallica has become the first major rock draw to broadcast a live performance to a few hundred drive-in theaters around the country. Fiesta Texas in San Antonio and the Stars and Stripes in New Braunfels will air the concert Saturday, August 29. The veteran metal act will be gigging…
When Dr. Colleen Bridger pops up on my computer screen, her curiously shaped earrings immediately catch my eye. “They’re meant to look like ginkgo biloba leaves,” she says, gently trailing the one on the right. The medicinal herb seems like an appropriate fashion choice for the interim director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District…
