Business should be in full swing for Angela Martinez. After a dormant winter, her small business Slab Cinema had lined up a slate of outdoor movie screenings for the spring. The venture accounts for more than half of her family’s annual income and also supports a handful of part-time employees. But instead of projecting films…
San Antonio officials confirmed Tuesday that five more residents of Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center have died following a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, bringing the total number of fatalities there to eight. Local health officials had previously announced three COVID-19-related deaths had occurred from the outbreak. All of those individuals died at local hospitals.…
The Texas Democratic Party filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to force the state to expand vote-by-mail access during the coronavirus pandemic. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, names Gov. Greg Abbott, Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen and Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir. Texas Democrats want…
While we try to find stability and normalcy in our new home-based lives, it’s good to know organizations are working to aid some of the folks most affected by the pandemic. Here in the Lone Star State, one of those organizations is the Texas Cultural Trust, which has compiled a list of resources for creatives…
Experts warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a rise in family violence. Now, new San Antonio Police Department statistics bear that out. SAPD has reported an 18% increase in family violence-related calls in March, compared to the same period of last year. Stress over the outbreak, job loss and economic strain, coupled with families…
Turns out, Culinaria is about more than just Restaurant Week. After pivoting its March marquee event into the ongoing Restaurant Week To Go, the organization has also launched three tiers of aid for local hospitality workers who lost jobs during the pandemic. “This is definitely an unprecedented time for us all, and our hope is…
Seen any Uber drivers around lately? Chances are you haven’t. In this climate of social distancing, not many folks want to pile into a car and sit a couple feet away from a stranger. That has spelled problems for San Antonio’s gig economy. One ride-share driver who declined to give his name said he’s witnessed a 75%…
A Texas Hill Country winery is trying to make things a little bit easier for people on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic. Signor Vineyards of Fredericksburg is sending free bottles of its wine to frontline employees around the U.S., from the general manager of an H-E-B grocery to a COVID ICU nurse at…
Even though Gov. Greg Abbott has held almost daily briefings to trumpet his actions to contain COVID-19, a new study ranks Texas near the bottom in taking bold steps to curb the outbreak. The Lone Star State is the 10th least aggressive state in making efforts to limit exposure to coronavirus, according to an analysis by…
Nine Texas legislators have asked Amazon and other top online marketplaces to crack down on price gouging that’s exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 350 lawmakers representing 45 states joined consumer watchdog group TexPIRG Education Fund in sending a letter urging Amazon, Craigslist, eBay, Facebook and Walmart to take immediate steps to ensure vendors aren’t…
After the news broke that a Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo has been infected with COVID-19, some zoos added additional safety measures to their animal care routines. The San Antonio Zoo isn’t one of them — but it’s not what you might think. The reason the local zoo didn’t have to implement changes is…
Bored in quarantine? San Antonio tabletop game dev Swordfish Islands has the cure. For any geeks that failed to stock up on sufficient gaming material before sheltering in place, the devs behind system neutral tabletop adventures including The Dark of Hot Springs and The Tomb of Black Sand have released. a quarantine-themed digital bundle of…
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness — the latest Netflix true crime docuseries to enter the cultural zeitgeist — has elicited intense reactions on social media, and even has a San Antonio connection. Naturally, it didn’t take long for a puro meme about the series to pop up, and the Alamo City is shook. Over the…
A funny thing is happening to many of us that are stuck in our houses right now: we’re starting to miss the places we used to go every day — even for boring stuff like school or work. One local high school student decided to act on that feeling. Fabian Medina, 15, virtually recreated his…
While the physical health effects of COVID-19 are increasingly well documented, many of us may not be considering the toll that staying home for extended lengths can have on our mental health. One San Antonio therapist says our ability to deal with this new reality may be improved by creating structures for ourselves and striking…
Nearly half of all pot users nationwide created a stash stockpile to get through coronavirus outbreak, according to a new survey of 990 pot consumers. An AmericanMarijuana.org survey discovered that 48.7% of marijuana users purchased extra cannabis before shit got heavy. Of those stocking up, 55% said they did so to calm themselves during the pandemic,…
Like many other Aries right now, Lucky the Asian Elephant’s birthday plans had to be changed a bit as we all shelter in place. Luckily (see what we did there?), she lives with her two best friends Karen and Nichole at the San Antonio Zoo. And while they didn’t get to go on a walkabout…
Rebecca Mae had been feeling sick for days when she was sent home from her job as a San Antonio respiratory therapist, and told not to return until she tested negative for the novel coronavirus. Though she immediately called her doctor, it took five days to schedule a test, four to find out she was…
Director and San Antonio native Adelina Anthony is racking up some accolades. Anthony’s short film “La Serenata” — or “The Serenade” — has been named one of three winners of the HBO Latinx Short Film Competition, and will receive distribution through HBO’s platforms. The competition is a partnership between HBO and the Official Latino Film…
Another resident of the Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has died from COVID-19, bringing the number of Bexar County fatalities from the respiratory disease to 12. The latest death marks the third fatality from the nursing home outbreak that’s sickened around 80 people. Authorities say the deceased individual is a man in his 60s with underlying…
Trinity University professor Erin Sumner doesn’t like the term “social distancing.” As a scholar of interpersonal communication, she knows that for us to thrive during this time of physical separation, we can’t stop being social animals. “Let’s call it ‘physical distancing,’ which is a better description for what we should be doing,” Sumner said. “Socially,…
Comedy is all about the timing. And so, apparently, are alumni fundraising emails. The University of Texas at San Antonio appeared to learn that Friday when it sent out a message urging alumni to remember the school in their wills. “An important time to create your legacy: Consider a gift in your will,” reads the…
San Antonio has landed $93.3 million in federal funding to keep public transportation running during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds come through a $25 billion package approved for the Federal Transit Administration to aid cities’ transit systems during the crisis. No local matching funds are required to access the dollars. Amid the pandemic, San Antonio’s…
The city’s rental assistance program, which was created in 2018 partly to combat displacement due to gentrification, is now taking on a larger importance as many San Antonians struggle to pay rent during the coronavirus outbreak. Since last week, the city’s housing department has become inundated with inquiries from residents who recently lost their jobs…
San Antonio health officials are warning that two infected staffers at the local nursing home where 67 people tested positive for the coronavirus also worked at other facilities. Between them, the employees did work for at least seven other sites around the city, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said at a Friday morning news…
San Antonio-born soft rocker Christopher Cross has announced via social media that he’s suffering from COVID-19. “I’m sorry to report that I am among the growing number of Americans who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus,” the Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist posted Friday morning. Cross hasn’t been hospitalized. However, he added “this is possibly the…
In keeping with his new Trump-approved persona, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas has dismissed calls for a national shelter-in-place order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as an “overreaction.” “Not every place is the same,” the three-term GOP senator told The Hill. “We’ve had the same conversation in Texas, but some places we have more…
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any wackier at the Bexar County Jail, a sheriff’s deputy has been suspended for striking up “personal relationship” with a murder suspect, KSAT News reports. The county handed Deputy Amanda Ferguson a 20-day suspension over the relationship, according to documents obtained by the station. The inmate has since been transferred…
There’s something about warmer South Texas weather that beckons for a salty rim on a cold beverage. But with bars closed, the thirsty are dependent on home bar stashes to create that sweet-and-sour kick to a frozen margarita or tangy michelada. Beer salt masterminds Twang have got you — and the brim of your glass…
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has confirmed what most San Antonians already know: that our fair city is one of the worst places in the nation for seasonal allergies. Using data including pollen counts, the use of allergy medicine and the number of board-certified allergists in a given area, the AAFA concluded…
Sixty-six of the 84 residents at a San Antonio nursing home at the center of a COVID-19 outbreak have tested positive for the disease, according to city officials. One resident of Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions, died earlier this week from COVID-19. Shortly after, 13 others associated with…
With the number of COVID-19 cases steadily rising, Mayor Ron Nirenberg plans to extend San Antonio’s stay-at-home order through the end of April, a spokesman for the mayor confirmed. City council is expected to vote on the extension at its April 9 meeting. Nirenberg’s existing order, which became effective on March 25, is set to…
For all the doom and gloom on the news right now, a lot of Texans sure don’t seem to understand the point of social distancing. First, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg had to scold the city for crowding the parks under the current shelter-in-place order. Now, H-E-B President Scott McClelland is wagging his finger at…
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on city services is already becoming apparent. It will mean less work on local streets, not to mention funding cuts for anything from after-school programs to bus service. At Thursday’s city council meeting, Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez advised that the city is suspending $82 million in programs so it can have cash…
Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson probably didn’t expect to begin her term as San Antonio’s new Poet Laureate in a video message, but she’s certainly rolling with it. As the city shelters in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, the multi-talented musician and spoken word poet released a video today inviting locals to participate in this year’s…
After handing down an executive action Tuesday rife with verbal gymnastics to avoid being called a “stay-at-home order,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has since posted an online video trying to explain exactly what he meant. In the clip posted lated Wednesday afternoon, Abbott displays the document on his desk and explains that it “requires all…
The San Antonio nursing home where a coronavirus outbreak lead to one person’s death and at least 13 other infections received federal citations for infection control deficiencies last October. What’s more, the facility, Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, was recently given the lowest possible federal rating — a one-star rank signifying “much below average” — based…
The number of Texans applying for unemployment relief continues to climb as more workers are laid off or furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, 275,597 Texans applied — a 1,604% increase over the 16,176 Texans who filed in the week ending March 14. The week ending March 21 saw the first spike of…
Hear ye, hear ye! Anyone looking to get medieval while stuck in quarantine need look no further than Sherwood Forest Faire. After the pandemic forced the popular renaissance faire that takes place in McDade, Texas, each spring to close its grounds, organizers converted the fest into an online affair. The first episode of the Virtual…
Chalk one up to the San Antonio Zoo. Both local and national news outlets got taken in by its April Fool’s Day joke. Unlike some publications we know, local TV outlet KSAT and national political site The Hill were briefly bamboozled by the zoo’s fake press release, which announced that its three Asian elephants had…
Those looking to support local restaurants through this tough time now have another option beyond takeout and delivery: browsing the refrigerator case at H-E-B. The San Antonio-based grocer launched a pilot program to get restaurant-prepared meals onto its stores during the COVID-19 crisis, MySanAntonio.com reports. Jewish deli Max & Louie’s New York Diner already has…
Public health experts and city officials are warning everyone to limit person-to-person contact as much as possible to slow the rate of COVID-19’s relentless spread. But all that time alone doesn’t need to be so lonely. Online services such as Discord and Google Hangouts offer free and easy ways to make voice calls and enjoy…
It’s the first of the month — due date for anything from rent and utilities to credit card and student loan payments. Many of us are staring at that stack of bills right now as we face layoffs or lost wages from the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, TexPIRG Education Fund has released a guide…
Just because a pandemic’s on doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of April Fools’ Day fun. In honor of the occasion, the San Antonio Zoo shared a news release and social media posts saying it had taken its elephants on a walkabout, throwing caution and quarantine to the wind, and let them swim at Brackenridge Park.…
Looks like the San Antonio Spurs’ Dejounte Murray and Trey Lyles are among the handful of NBA players who aren’t sweating a drastic pay cut from the league’s coronavirus-forced shutdown. The New York Times’ Marc Stein reports the NBA paychecks issued Wednesday could be the last for a while. It’s unclear when, or whether, the season can…
San Antonio loves to party, and that’s good. But, apparently, San Antonio also loves to drive after partying, which isn’t good at all. In fact, let’s go on the record saying the latter is a lousy fucking idea. Now, a new study shows that Alamo City residents aren’t just a little in love with that…
The San Antonio Symphony has a gift for those of us missing the beauty of its orchestral stylings. With concerts canceled and its musicians stuck at home along with the rest of the Alamo City, the ensemble joined in on the latest trend among musicians: virtual performances. On Tuesday, the Symphony’s principal trombonist — and…
With panic shopping clearing out grocery shelves, profs and students at the University of Texas at San Antonio have launched a website to help residents track down needed supplies. The COVID-19 Resources & Recovery Site, developed by UTSA’s Matrix AI Consortium for Human Well-Being, went live March 15. A Spanish-language version is also in the works, and developers hope to…
The fund launched last week by the Luminaria Foundation and San Antonio’s Department of Arts and Culture to offer relief for local artists has yielded an overwhelming response. So overwhelming, in fact, that the flood of applications forced organizers to move the deadline up from April 14 to this Friday, April 3. Fortunately, that means anyone with a…
When Anderson County told residents not to assemble in groups with more than 10 people, officials got some pushback from churches. County Judge Robert Johnston said that was partly because residents wanted to meet on Sundays like they always have, but it was partly because they don’t have a way to meet online. “A lot of…
On Tuesday night, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg confirmed three more local COVID-19 related deaths, the highest number announced in a single day. That brings the total number of Bexar County deaths from the disease to nine. There are a total of 207 confirmed infections in Bexar County, according to Metro Health data. All three…
Name: Mike Gutierrez Job/Title: Co-owner and pitmaster of Ay Que Rico food truck Birthplace: San Antonio Years in food service: Nine Little-known fact: Ay Que Rico sponsors a local boxer who does a Thanksgiving food drive each year. Money quote: “I think the key to smoking [meats] is being able to manage a good fire.…
The San Antonio Public Library is offering online tutors to help kids with their homework as they attend school from home amid the pandemic. The library offers elementary, primary and college level assistance with math, science english and social studies through an online homework help portal. Powered by Brainfuse, an online tutoring company, the portal allows students…
Having a romantic night with your boo may seem next to impossible under the shelter in place order, but Paesanos Riverwalk has got you covered. On Friday, Paesanos’ Riverwalk is reopening its kitchen doors to offer its signature Shrimp Paesano dinner for two for $50. The one-day pop-up menu will be available from 12-7 p.m.…
On Tuesday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus demanded the Trump Administration release low-risk immigrants from federal custody as the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies. Lawmakers including Caucus Chairman Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York; and Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, warned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s overcrowded facilities are a ticking time bomb for spreading the coronavirus. As…
Well, that didn’t last long. A day after a federal judge blocked Gov. Greg Abbott’s coronavirus-related abortion ban, an emergency stay from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated the order. The court voted 2-1 for the stay so it could give consideration to an emergency appeal from Republican Texas Attorney General Ken…
TV viewers will get to watch a nimble San Antonio kid make his bid for American Ninja Warrior fame this week. SA’s Kaleb Perez will be featured on the next episode of the kid-themed spinoff of the obstacle course game show, which airs Friday at 5 p.m. American Ninja Warrior Jr.’s obstacles include favorites seen…
The nation is catching on to what San Antonians have known for ages — that H-E-B is the bomb. And celebs are getting in on the action too. While the cast of feel-good Netflix series Queer Eye shelters in place in Austin, where they were filming the latest season of the show, grooming expert and ice-skating…
The U.S. military says it will no longer report the number of COVID-19 diagnoses at its bases, triggering cover-up accusations by San Antonio and Bexar County officials. On Friday evening, a coronavirus webpage set up by Joint Base San Antonio confirmed 28 local military personnel, dependents and retirees had tested positive for COVID-19. However, shortly…
A San Antonio Pizza Hut manager was shot during a robbery at her restaurant late Monday night, local authorities report. Officers arrived around 11:45 p.m. at a Pizza Hut on the 14600 block of Nacogdoches Road after receiving a call that someone had been shot, according to a KSAT-TV report. The manager, 46, had just…
San Antonio graphic artist — and frequent Current cover illustrator — Ray “Tattooed Boy” Scarborough has a message for anyone caught up in pandemic panic: “Don’t ever give up hope.” As the Alamo City shelters in place to try to flatten the curve of coronavirus infections, we’ve had plenty of time to trawl social media…
San Antonio punk outfit Fea will stream a live show on Tuesday, April 7 with a twist befitting its riot grrrl inspiration and Chicana roots. The concert, available via the StageIt online platform, will feature two sets from the all-female quartet. One will feature the band’s original music, while the other will showcase it covering…
As if Texans needed another reason to praise H-E-B after its work to keep shelves stocked through the pandemic, the grocery chain last week announced a $190,000 gift to EarthShare of Texas. Earthshare is a national nonprofit that connects environmental organizations with employers willing to provide funding and volunteers. The gift part of an annual April campaign…
Stuck inside with nothing to do, but have the attention span of a dog chasing squirrels? You can conquer cabin fever by watching previously recorded lectures and storytelling series that shine the light on San Antonio speakers. Usually ongoing throughout the year, these lecture and storytelling series promote creativity, positivity and perseverance in oral form.…
A federal judge has blocked a temporary ban on abortions Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered last week, purportedly to free up medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel said the ban — whatever its announced justification — violates a woman’s access to abortion under the Constitution’s 14th…
San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B is racking up effusive praise for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. And not just from loyal local shoppers. In the past week, both Texas Monthly and hipster news outlet Vice have penned glowing profiles of the company, and one-time California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger took to social media to extol…
After Millennial Loteria’s viral success, it’s no surprise that someone thought to make a coronavirus version. While sheltering in place, San Antonio artist Rafael Gonzales Jr. created Pandemic Loteria, featuring cards like “La cabRona,” “El Hoarder” and “El Homeskool.” Since he started posting the cards on Instagram last week, he’s already made 13, and shows no…
Health officials have confirmed a sixth COVID-19 related death in Bexar County. The victim was a male in his 50s with underlying health conditions, according to details released Monday afternoon by Metro Health. The man was receiving treatment at Methodist Northeast Hospital for an unrelated health issue and died while under care. On Monday, the…
At first Chris Woodruff thought it was a routine asthma attack. But when the North Texas businessman started running a fever, he moved out of the house and eventually got tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Last week, he got his results back — positive — and went on “extreme” lockdown…
A new study suggests San Antonio’s current shelter-in-place order, which runs through April 9, may not be long enough to ride out the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. Texas is more than a month away from the peak of the crisis, which is likely to hit the state May 2, according to a state-by-state analysis…
An iconic local mural has received a timely tweak. Voted “Best Mural” in the Current’s 2019 Best Of issue, the patented “Eeeoowww!” of Colton Valentine’s Cardi B mural is no more. Inspired by a viral Instagram video from March 10 — in which Cardi B bequeathed unto us the memetastic phrase “Coronavirus! I’m telling you,…
Mayor Ron Nirenberg has a message for San Antonians: Stop gathering at local parks if you want to keep them open through the coronavirus pandemic. “We have observed congregating in our public parks this weekend,” Nirenberg said at a Sunday press conference covered by the Express-News. “That’s not good. It’s not allowed. You should get…
Chances are you’ve already seen — or at least heard about — Tiger King, the new, batshit-crazy Netflix docuseries that follows the strange story of Joe Exotic, a former roadside zoo owner currently serving 22 years in federal prison on animal abuse charges and for masterminding a murder-for-hire plot. The woman he wanted dead was…
It’s hard not to panic when we’re stuck inside reading news about the COVID-19 pandemic all day. But the San Antonio Zoo is here with a cure. To stay connected with the public while its doors are closed — and help us calm the fuck down while they’re at it — the zoo has launched…
Since Wednesday, March 25, when local officials ordered San Antonians to stay home during the coronavirus outbreak, sales at Maria’s Cafe on Nogalitos Street have plummeted. “Yesterday it went down, big time,” owner Maria Beza, 59, said Thursday morning. “We came in at 7 a.m. and we left at 10 a.m. There was nobody.” “Everybody…
Like many San Antonio creatives, self-taught artist Audrya Flores believes strongly in rasquache — a DIY practice rooted in repurposing whatever materials might be at hand. “I believe in using what you have right at your fingertips to make what you want to see,” Flores explained. A self-described “nature nerd” raised in a family of storytellers,…
Imagine Books and Records is a crown jewel of Northwest San Antonio’s live music scene. In addition to hosting the weeklong Imagine Fest, which attracts national and even international acts, the retail shop-slash-venue has served as a DIY platform for up-and-coming local musicians for nearly 10 years. But with San Antonio in virtual shutdown to…
San Antonians are being asked to leave their homes next week, but it’s to take in a movie or dine at their favorite restaurant. Although everyone is supposed to hunker down due to the shelter in place order, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center is asking locals to make an important exception: to come…
The Texas Public Utility Commission has voted to stop utilities from cutting off services to people who lose their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. The order, passed by unanimous vote Thursday, will stay in place for at least six months. While PUC’s action halts disconnections, it doesn’t provide financial assistance for residents struggling to pay…
Believe it or not, it’s still Contemporary Art Month. The wave of event cancellations — and then a shelter in place order — brought on by the coronavirus pandemic turned CAM on its head this year. Exhibition openings were cancelled en masse, and the CAMMIE Awards, which were originally scheduled for March 27th, were converted…
Do you suspect that you have the new coronavirus? Confirming your suspicions — and knowing how many other Texans have been tested — may be difficult. Texas Department of State Health Services data released March 26 shows that as of 8 p.m. March 25 there were at least 1,396 coronavirus cases in Texas. That’s a…
San Antonians may be hunkered down in our homes right now, but it’s a safe bet we haven’t lost our appetite for outstanding local food. The Current’s restaurant listings have always let you know where to find great dining options. Now, this week, we’ve rolled out a new feature called Good To-Go San Antonio that…
The San Antonio Book Festival was among the many local events canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its organizers aren’t going to let that slide by without a few choice words. To keep local readers entertained while we shelter in place, SABF put together a reading list split into categories based on what we…
The COVID-19 pandemic may have us all at a standstill, but life doesn’t stop because we do. Our families still need to eat, and bills keep coming in even if we’ve lost all or part of our incomes. If you’re one of the many Texans suddenly out of work because of the crisis, here are five…
The pandemic can’t stop the music, ya’ll. Many Texas music teachers resigned themselves to the fact that their ensembles were toast when public schools closed down due to the COVID-19 crisis. But Roma Independent School District’s mariachi program wasn’t about to let a little thing like not being able to rehearse in the same room…
With everyone hunkering down at home waiting “for this whole thing to blow over,” as Simon Pegg’s title character says in 2004’s Shaun of the Dead during a zombie apocalypse, we’ve got plenty of time to explore the countless movies available on streaming services. Since most social gatherings around the country have been canceled or…
Bexar County reported its fourth and fifth coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday evening as the number of positive diagnoses for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, hit 113. One of the new deaths was a woman in her 40s and the other was a woman in her 60s, according to Metro Health. Both patients…
Mexican street food outpost La Gloria wants to help San Antonio medical professionals as they battle the pandemic. To that end, the eatery at the Pearl has added special shopping hours at its onsite market from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. exclusively for health care personnel and first responders. All they’ll need to do is present a valid…
San Antonio City Council unanimously approved Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s shelter-in-place order Thursday, formalizing the requirement for most residents to stay home through April 9. Nirenberg’s order went into effect Wednesday, issued alongside a similar measure by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff to slow the spread of COVID-19. The mayor needed council’s OK to extend his…
Restaurants and the Food Bank aren’t the only ones helping San Antonians stay fed during the coronavirus lockdown. The San Antonio Botanical Garden has repurposed the winter and early spring produce it grows on-site and donated it to communities with the help of the San Antonio Food Policy Council. The bounty from the Botanical Garden’s…
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I’m sitting six feet away from Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia in the sparsely populated Plaza de Armas. We’re practicing the social distancing guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Although Lackland Air Force Base is a federal compound, it’s…
San Antonio-area movie lovers now have a way to return to the cinema while keeping their social distance. EVO Entertainment Group has converted the parking lot of its Schertz location into a drive-in theater that will offer nightly film screenings. Friday’s opening night show — Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far From Home — will begin at sunset,…
Democrats and Republicans across Texas are settling in for the new normal that is campaigning in the time of the novel coronavirus. Not only has the pandemic upended how candidates campaign for the foreseeable future, it has also caused the May runoff election to be pushed back seven weeks, adding more uncertainty to a high-stakes…
Women’s health providers have sued Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Texas officials to halt the state’s restriction of abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Austin, the providers argue the order passed Sunday by Abbott, an outspoken abortion opponent, violates Texans’ right to equal protection under…
As San Antonio shelters in place, the opportunity to catch live theater — or live comedy for that matter — seems pretty close to nil. But that’s where we’re wrong. Because local improv theater Bexar Stage has found a way to put on its regular programming for San Antonians to enjoy from the safety of…
I wasn’t going to write about Nina Díaz’s solo show on March 22 at Limelight and the April 4 one-time-only concert by her former band Girl in a Coma at Taco Fest — both now canceled in the wake of the pandemic. Been there, done that. Many times. Then my wife, local artist Guillermina Zabala, asked…
Add the restaurants at The Pearl to the list of pickup and delivery options as San Antonio continues its shelter-in-place order. The near-downtown development has launched a new website, Pearl On The Go, to make it easier for diners to order meals, family packages and beer to go. Initially, the site is focused on eateries…
On Wednesday evening, local health officials confirmed a third COVID-19 related death in Bexar County. The patient, a woman in her 50s, had chronic underlying health conditions, according to a statement from San Antonio Metro Health. She was receiving treatment at Mission Trail Baptist Hospital, where she succumbed to the disease. According to the most…
In times of crisis, personal and pandemic, it’s only natural that people would seek some kind of comfort in familiar foods — the ones we grew up with or have come to love over the years. For many in San Antonio, that means tacos.While there may always be carne guisada or papa con chorizo tacos,…
Assuming you aren’t an absolute idiot, you’re staying home right now as much as possible. Many of us are now unemployed and completely quarantined, while others still have jobs but are going home right after clocking out. If you’re still partying in large gatherings somehow, frankly I’m surprised you figured out how to open this…
We’ve known for nearly two months that COVID-19 presents a threat to San Antonians. Last week, gyms, theaters, schools, bars, restaurants and other non-essential venues were closed by decree too late to halt community spread. But the belated actions taken by the city government appear to have left one vulnerable group behind: salon workers. At…
Editor’s Note: The following is CityScrapes, a column of opinion and analysis. In these fraught and uncertain times, the measure of a community is how it deals with its neediest and most vulnerable. As we face the impact of the novel coronavirus, we need to recognize the lessons and failures of the past and consider…
