Oct 7-20, 2020
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Cover Story
Locked in a tough race, Sen. John Cornyn tries to put on a moderate face. Don’t buy it, critics say.
Frank Sharry, executive director of progressive group America’s Voice, remembers when John Cornyn invited him to dinner shortly after the Republican senator’s 2002 arrival in Washington. The topic of conversation over their meal: immigration reform. Impressed with the rangy, white-haired Texan’s easy charm and apparent willingness to reach across the aisle, Sharry left thinking he…
South Texas blood shortage grows as pandemic cancels school donation drives
When students return to campus in the fall, blood banks normally count on a donation boom thanks to school-sponsored drives. This year, things are different. The pandemic-forced cancellation of campus drives has sent South Texas’ blood supply plummeting. San Antonio-based South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, which supplies blood to hospitals in 40 counties, estimates the…
San Antonio’s David Zamora Casas pays tribute to COVID-19 dead in Día de los Muertos art show
With paintings and multiple themed, devotional altars, San Antonio-based artist David Zamora Casas will tranform Bihl Haus Art Gallery into a large-scale Día de los Muertos ofrenda. Titled “Love and Death in Times of Pandemic/Amor y La Muerte en Tiempos de Pandemia,” the exhibition will open Monday, November 2. It will be available to view…
A third of Bexar County’s registered voters have already cast their ballots during early voting
As of Wednesday, 396,969 people have voted in Bexar County, meaning roughly a third of its 1.2 million registered voters has already cast a ballot in the November general election. Of the total, 288,460 cast ballots in person by the end of the day Tuesday. The department has also received 108,509 mail-in ballots as of midmorning Wednesday. Of the…
Ketel One vodka is latest beverage company to bring canned cocktails to San Antonio
Ketel One vodka has joined the growing number of distillers with ready-to-drink cocktails on the market. A bubbly tipple touted as “bright” and “blooming with real botanicals,” the company’s new Ketel One Botanical Vodka Spritz line is inspired by Ketel One Botanical, its recently released vodka. The canned cocktails are available at SA-area Spec’s stores and via…
New online tool lets Texas voters confirm their mail-in ballot got to their elections administrator
Let’s face it, this has been a scary election to vote by mail. First the president claims mail-in ballots are fraudulent, then the U.S. Postal Service slows down deliveries, then Texas’ governor limits counties to one ballot drop-off point. If you’re looking for some peace of mind that your ballot actually got where it needed…
San Antonio restaurants and bars now have access to another round of federal pandemic aid funding
Small business grant program Bexar County Strong has partnered with LiftFund to provide $4 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) from the federal government to restaurant and bar businesses in San Antonio and its surrounding areas. LiftFund, a San Antonio-based non-profit organization, helps finance women, startups and entrepreneurs through small business loans, SBA loans and…
San Antonio Zoo will hold fundraiser inspired by festivals cancelled in 2020
Missing Fiesta and other iconic Texas festivals this year? The San Antonio Zoo is counting on it. To offset its closure during the onset of the pandemic and lower attendance levels, the zoo will hold a two-weekend fundraiser billed as “On A Stick! Festivals You Missed.” The events will offer foods and beverages reminiscent not…
San Antonio activist named 2020 L’Oréal Paris Woman of Worth for work with female veterans
Beauty brand L’Oréal Paris has named San Antonian Stephanie Gattas, founder of veterans-aid group The Pink Berets, as a 2020 Woman of Worth honoree. Gattas’ Boerne-based nonprofit advocates for mental health awareness for female members of the U.S. armed services. Following the slaying of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillen, the group has been at the forefront of a…
National Democratic super PAC will double spending to $12 million to help flip the Texas House
National Democratic super PAC Forward Majority is boosting its spending to $12 million this election cycle to help turn the Texas House of Representatives blue, the Texas Tribune reports. In September, Forward Majority unveiled plans to spend $6.2 million to flip 18 Republican-held seats in the Texas House. The group is now pledging to double that…
While San Antonio’s COVID-19 hospitalizations plateau, Texas’ numbers are rising once again
Local officials said Monday that Bexar County’s COVID-19 hospitalization rate has reached a plateau, running counter to an alarming upward trend state- and nationwide. During a Monday briefing, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg reported an increase of 98 new cases and two new deaths, bringing the seven-day moving average of cases to 159. A total of 193…
Six of 2020’s top 50 wine counties are in the Lone Star State, according to study
Raise a glass to to Texas wine. Turns out the Lone Star State boasts six of the top 50 wine counties outside of California, according to a new study by lawn-care app developer Lawnstarter. The company compared 1,048 U.S. counties across 18 key metrics, including their number of wine producers, number of vineyards, number of…
San Antonio allergy center tests blood clotting drug that could mitigate COVID-19’s lethal impacts
A San Antonio allergy center is one of six U.S. research clinics offering free trial medication that may mitigate the lethal impacts of COVID-19. South Texas Allergy and Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP) is offering offering brand name anticoagulant Xarelto for free to patients who test positive for coronavirus and have an underlying risk factor, KSAT reports. The medication,…
Chili’s Grill & Bar to offer $5 Presidente Margaritas through Election Day
These days, it’s probably a safe bet that booze is something we can all agree on. Clearly, the fast-casual Chili’s Grill & Bar chain has taken that sentiment to heart, introducing a new campaign that features $5 Presidente Margaritas and a social media contest with a huge prize pack. Starting Tuesday, Chili’s locations nationwide are…
John Cornyn, who once backed Trump using defense funds for border wall, now says he opposes it
Facing a what may be the toughest reelection fight of his career, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is hedging his bets. Cornyn — once one of Donald Trump’s most steadfast defenders — this weekend told the told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial board he privately disagreed with the president’s diversion of billions in military funding to his…
Conservation Society’s NIOSA-style festival draws criticism from La Villita tenants, restaurant owners
After announcing its upcoming Fall Heritage Festival, an event meant to soften the fundraising blow suffered from Fiesta’s cancellation, the Conservation Society of San Antonio is taking criticism from local business owners concerned the group is hosting a “superspreader” event during the pandemic. Recently, as Covid-19 case numbers have plateaued and restrictions slowly eased, the Conservation…
San Antonio Zoo CEO discusses conservation work, new film Escape from Extinction
In the new documentary Escape from Extinction, filmmakers explore the incredible conservation efforts of zoological organizations across the globe that are trying to prevent what scientists are calling the “Sixth Mass Extinction.” Through interviews with some of the world’s leading animal welfare specialists and conservation scientists, the film highlights the work of the people who…
San Antonio Botanical Garden presents ‘Bone Appetit,’ a virtual Día de los Muertos cooking class
The Alamo and the San Antonio Botanical Garden have partnered to offer Bone Appétit, an online Día de los Muertos cooking class led by Katrina Flores, a culinary and wellness programs specialist for the garden. The class will take place Tuesday, October 27, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Flores will be joined by Tim Hicks, the Alamo’s living history manager.…
Texas can reject mail-in ballots over mismatched signatures without giving voters a chance to appeal, court rules
Texas election officials may continue rejecting mail-in ballots if they decide the signature on the ballot can’t be verified, without notifying voters until after the election that their ballot wasn’t counted, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday. The appeals court halted a lower court’s injunction, which had not gone into effect,…
San Antonio’s Olla Express and Naco Mexican pair up for Dia de los Muertos event focused on molé
Mobile coffee purveyor Olla Express Café is teaming up with popular taco truck Naco Mexican to hold a Dia de los Muertos event embracing molé, the legendarily complex Mexican sauce. Molé can contain many ingredients, including chilies, nuts, spices and fruit — but the star of the show in many preparations is Mexican chocolate, which adds…
San Antonio’s Nina Diaz and Chris Perez team up on new music for virtual Día de los Muertos event
Iconic San Antonio musicians Nina Diaz and Chris Perez are collaborating on new music to commemorate Día de los Muertos. In a Facebook post Friday, Día de los Muertos Celebration revealed that Diaz of celebrated indie outfit Girl in a Coma and Perez — best known as guitarist and bandleader for his late wife Selena — are…
U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases on border wall funding, ‘remain in Mexico’ policy
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will hear cases challenging the Trump administration’s use of Pentagon funding to pay for a border wall and its policy that has kept tens of thousands of asylum seekers waiting in Mexico while their cases are pending. In the border wall funding case, the high court will consider…
San Antonio’s Mr. Juicy responds to ‘meritless’ cease-and-desist letter from Longhorn Cafe
The beef between two local restaurant concepts just keeps getting juicier. Andrew Weissman, owner of the Mr Juicy burger joints, last week received a cease-and-desist letter from local restaurant chain Longhorn Cafe. The letter ordered the chef to stop using the term “Mr. Juicy” and remove it from all internet listings and the signage at his…
At debate, San Antonio U.S. Rep. Chip Roy cites document signed by — giggle — Dr. I.P. Freely
When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, freshman U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-San Antonio-Austin, has repeatedly said he supports herd immunity, a controversial theory widely denounced as dangerous by public health experts. In defense of his position during a recent televised debate with Democratic opponent Wendy Davis, Roy talked up “The Great Barrington Declaration,” a petition…
Eateries SoHill Cafe and Julia’s reopen in San Antonio’s Beacon Hill with shared menu, new hours
SoHill Café owner Jean-Francois Poujol has made good on his promise to reopen the popular pizza and pasta eatery, but with a slight twist. SoHill, known for savory brick oven pizzas, will share a menu with Poujol’s adjacent French-American restaurant Julia’s. The Italian and French-forward establishments have created a new shared dinner menu, providing a…
San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing Co. snags silver medal for American pilsner at national beer competition
The 2020 Great American Beer Festival awarded a silver medal to San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing for their work on Imagine A World With Beer Cellars Instead Of 401Ks, an American Pilsner that prevailed over 118 other entries. Freetail was one of ten Texas breweries to receive medals at the 2020 competition, and the sole San Antonio…
San Antonio man goes viral with puro mode of transport: a motorized recliner
It looks like San Antonio finally has its answer to Nathan Apodaca’s viral Ocean Spray TikTok. Just take away the skateboard and cranberry juice and replace it with a motorized La-Z-Boy-style recliner and a beverage from SA taco chain Mama Margie’s. On Friday, Elizabeth Peralez Garza streamed live from the South Side on Facebook as…
New chef-prepared burger joint, Bunz Handcrafted Burgers, to open in downtown San Antonio this week
After two years of blood, sweat and renovations, Bunz Handcrafted Burgers is slated to open Thursday, bringing the burger life to a long-vacant deli space on Houston street, MySA reports. The downtown spot will feature handcrafted burgers from Thierry Burkle — chef at The Grill at Leon Springs and Alamo Heights eatery L’Etoile — and…
Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich has sold his San Antonio mansion for $3 million — finally
It only took two years and knocking $1.5 million off the price tag, but San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich has unloaded his 9,600-square-foot home in the Dominion. Pop recently sold the 2.6-acre property for $3 million, according to multiple media reports. Popovich purchased the home in 2005, shortly after snapping up a third title…
Analysis: Running government like a business — except for elections
Texas is operating absentee voting drop-off sites on the theory that McDonald’s would sell just as many burgers and fries if it had only one store in Harris County. That kind of thinking pervades the state’s 2020 election machinery. Gov. Greg Abbott, who initially took some middle-ground positions on voting practices this year, has buckled to…
Swamped with voter requests, the Texas secretary of state’s office has become a focus of frustration
It took more than two months of waiting, calling and emailing the Texas secretary of state’s office, but one Dripping Springs woman said earlier this week she and her sister finally received the mail-in ballot applications they requested because they are working out of state. When she called the state’s top office overseeing elections, she…
The Long Tail of Voter Suppression
This article was published in partnership with The Nation. Founded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism. Last month, cars snaked through the parking…
South Texas U.S. House candidate Tony Gonzales launched run before leaving Navy, filings show
Federal filings and statements at a recent debate raise questions whether Tony Gonzales, now running for the South Texas seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, launched his campaign before leaving the U.S. Navy. Under Defense Department regulations, active duty military personnel are prohibited from running for office unless they obtain special permission…
Why Marianne Williamson won’t let the haters stop her from casting her strange magic in America
When former Vice President Joe Biden went head-to-head with President Donald Trump in Ohio during the first of three scheduled presidential debates last month, there were a lot of things notably absent that evening. The debate, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic took the lives of more than 200,000 Americans, featured a sparse, silent, and…
San Antonio-area bar’s Stephen King-inspired menu offers up BOOzy cocktails
Spooky spirits aren’t the only ones making waves this month — boozy spirits are too! All Hallow’s Eve is quickly approaching, and Sidecar — the historic basement bar located beneath New Braunfels’ Prince Solms Inn — has crafted an entire cocktail menu inspired by iconic nightmare provider Stephen King, the creator of horror classics such…
San Antonio Housing Authority and critics feud over relocation of Alazan Courts residents
Olga Kauffman, a healthcare consultant, has seen first hand what happens to poor people when they’re displaced from public housing, which is then leveled to make room for mixed-income apartments. Families must locate a new school for their kids, a new doctor, they have to find the social services, if they even exist, in their…
Penguin-cam and chill: SeaWorld San Antonio and KSAT introduce 24/7 penguin livestream
Need a pick-me-up during these difficult times? SeaWorld San Antonio and KSAT came up with a way to bring happiness into our homes, no matter the time of day: a round-the-clock penguin cam. The streaming service will let viewers spy on the roughly the 250 birds at SeaWorld San Antonio, which includes four penguin species,…
San Antonio Express-News pulls endorsement of Commissioners Court Candidate DeBerry
The San Antonio Express-News has taken an unusual step weeks before an election and reversed an earlier endorsement of Bexar County Commissioners Court candidate Trish DeBerry, citing potential conflicts of interest. DeBerry, a Republican who heads the DeBerry Group public relations agency, reportedly told the daily during a summer runoff to represent Precinct 3 on the…
Wayne Holtz DJs final Friday night at closing San Antonio vegan bar and restaurant La Botanica
This weekend is the last chance for San Antonians to get in their goodbyes to St. Mary’s Strip staple La Botanica. At the beginning of October, the LGBTQ-friendly vegan restaurant and bar announced its impending closure. “We have reached the end of our building lease and have been denied a new contract. This means that…
Women’s March of Central Texas to hold ‘March. Vote. Dissent.’ event in San Antonio this weekend
The Women’s March of Central Texas will hold a ‘March. Vote. Dissent’ event this weekend, encouraging San Antonio women to join others across the country to march, vote and dissent ahead of the 2020 Presidential Election. “We are joining together as women from all walks of life to vote in record numbers and say with a…
Lick Honest Ice Creams says ‘cheers to 9 years’ with BOGO birthday offer at San Antonio shops
Austin-based Lick Honest Ice Creams will be holding a buy one, get one free event next week, in celebration of the company’s ninth birthday. On October 21, the two SA shops will offer the all-day BOGO special on any size ice cream order. The deal is good on scoops of any flavor, including the seasonal…
Gruene Hall welcomes Texas country music star Randy Rogers for an acoustic show October 30
Live music and large events may still be few and far between due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Gruene Hall in New Braunfels has announced an impressive lineup of shows to finish 2020 strong. In a Wednesday Facebook post, Gruene Hall announced that Texas country star Randy Rogers is going to perform an acoustic and…
Coronavirus hospitalizations are up in Texas as some fear the state is headed toward another surge
Hospitals in some parts of the state are filling with coronavirus patients, alarming health officials who say Texas could be on the brink of another surge after a relative plateau in September. The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients has swung upward in parts of the state including West Texas, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the Panhandle…
Your kids could receive a visit — and sweet treats — from the Spurs Coyote this Halloween
It’s official: Halloween is going to look different this year. But some families will receive an extra spooktacular Halloween treat, thanks to the San Antonio Spurs, who have organized a “kinda sorta super spooky” Halloween Candy Drop, featuring the one and only Spurs Coyote. The Halloween Candy Drop will include an in-person visit from the…
SOLI Chamber Ensemble opens season with outdoor performance at San Antonio Botanical Garden
San Antonio’s SOLI Chamber Ensemble returns to form this month with an outdoor concert at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The quartet will perform at the garden’s new Betty Kelso Center, with distanced patio and lawn seating available for attendees. Titled “Through the Eyes and Lens of the Beholder,” the concert “focuses on a composer’s…
San Antonio Poet Laureate Andrea ‘Vocab’ Sanderson and Agarita team up for two performances
Two heavy-hitters in the San Antonio arts scene are pairing up for a set of concerts at the end of October: SA Poet Laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson and local chamber ensemble Agarita. The quartet will perform a program inspired by Sanderson’s personal voice and vision, including works by Ludwig van Beethoven, John Adams, Paul Wiancko,…
John Cornyn retweets two-year-old pic of Democratic lawmakers, asks why they’re not wearing masks
Despite U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s love of Twitter, he sure does have a hard time figuring how to use the platform for his political benefit. Case in point: the Texas Republican this week shared a photo of three Democratic Senators huddled together and questioned why they weren’t wearing masks. Problem was, the snap was from…
Texas State University pauses diversity training after Trump executive order threatens federal funding
Texas State University said this month that it is “pausing” its employee diversity training, as it scrambles to understand the impact of a recent executive order by President Donald Trump to ban some forms of anti-racism programming among federal grant recipients that he calls “divisive” and “anti-American.” Employees were informed of the change in a October…
Bexar County must open more Election Day polling sites, judge rules
A Bexar County district judge has ruled that the county’s elections department must open 18 additional Election Day voting locations and post all polling sites on its website. Further, the ruling requires the department to reimplement its volunteer deputy registrar certification program and publicize the new polling locations within 21 days of the election. Without…
San Antonio voters can learn about state and district judge candidates in Thursday online forum
With the high-stakes presidential election consuming so much bandwidth, it’s been easy to forget that San Antonio voters are also picking a raft of state and district court judges in November. The winners of those contests will help determine the course of criminal justice reform, how laws are interpreted and how future elections are carried…
Bexar County Greenies Urban Farm hosts planting ceremony of inaugural crops
Thursday morning, the first plants were introduced to the soil at Bexar County’s new Greenies Urban Farm, a plot of land that will provide produce to the San Antonio Food Bank and local food pantries. A short distance west of the AT&T Center, the once-vacant, 10-acre span of land has been transformed into a greenspace…
Meals on Wheels San Antonio to break ground on $9.8 million facility in 2021
Last year, Meals on Wheels San Antonio purchased a 6-acre property on the city’s Northeast side with the intention to construct a 44,000-square-foot facility that will allow the nonprofit to significantly increase the number of meals it can produce in a day. Now, the San Antonio Business Journal reports, the organization has shared its plan…
Top Democratic super PAC boosts MJ Hegar in Texas’ U.S. Senate race with $8.6 million TV blitz
Senate Majority PAC, the top Democratic super PAC in U.S. Senate races, is launching a major late investment in Texas, spending $8.6 million on TV ads supporting MJ Hegar’s bid to oust Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. The PAC will begin airing two anti-Cornyn ads, one in English and the other in Spanish, on Friday and…
San Antonio’s Bistr09 holding fashion brunch with New York-based designer Cesar Galindo
Fashion and food will collide later this month when Bistr09 and local boutique Sloan/Hall host a collaborative fashion brunch with New York City-based designer Cesar Galindo. Galindo, whose career in fashion began as a costume designer for the Miami City Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera before moving on to New York Fashion Week, will…
San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo to return to Joe & Harry Freeman Coliseum in 2021
In a Thursday morning Facebook post, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo announced its return to the Freeman Coliseum for 2021. The three week-long program of livestock shows, musical performances and carnival has taken place in and on the grounds of the much larger AT&T Center since 2003. “We’re excited to reveal that your…
Garrison Bros. Distillery to hold virtual cocktail contest between five Texas cities — and you’re the judge
Garrison Brothers Distillery will hold its statewide bartender competition, pandemic be damned. After being postponed several times due to COVID-19, the Garrison Brothers Bourbon Brawl 2020 finale will now take place entirely online. This year’s Brawl will pit cocktails representing each of Texas’ five biggest cities against one another. The bartending team that developed the…
Bexar County Judge Wolff says San Antonio bars can reopen at 50% capacity sometime next week
During a Wednesday night briefing, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said local bars that haven’t already reclassified as restaurants will be able to reopen at 50% capacity at some point next week. Most of the 3,000 bars in the county have already reclassified as restaurants, allowing them to reopen so long as they serve food. An…
Briscoe Museum celebrates the history of Black cowboys with latest addition to its collection
San Antonio’s Briscoe Western Art Museum is more accurately showcasing the diversity of the Wild West with the newest addition to its collection, which will debut at the museum’s upcoming seventh anniversary celebration. Western artist Mark Maggiori has donated his painting Once Upon a Time, which highlights the story of working Black cowboys, to the Briscoe’s permanent…
Federal regulators fine San Antonio’s USAA Federal Savings Bank $85 million
Federal regulators have hit San Antonio’s USAA Federal Savings Bank with a $85 million penalty for violations of federal banking laws that constitute a “pattern of misconduct.” In a federal consent order made public Tuesday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said the bank’s internal controls and IT systems failed to meet federal…
San Antonio grocer H-E-B latest to fire ad firm The Richards Group over founder’s racist remarks
San Antonio-based H-E-B, one of the nation’s largest grocery chains, has become the latest corporation to sever ties with ad agency The Richards Group over reports of racist comments by its CEO. Motel 6, Home Depot and Keurig Dr Pepper have all canned Dallas-based Richards Group in the wake of an Ad Age report that…
New exhibition at San Antonio Museum of Art highlights jewelry of Central and East Asia
Last week, the San Antonio Museum of Art debuted its latest exhibition, “Exquisite Adornment: Turkmen and Miao Jewelry from the Elizabeth and Robert Lende Collection,” which showcases a variety of silver jewelry from two distinct Asian cultural identities. On display through January, the collection is presented in honor of the museum’s fortieth anniversary in 2021.…
Texas’ illegal industrial air pollution doubled as Trump administration deregulated, new report shows
Illegal air pollution from Texas industrial facilities more than doubled during the Trump administration’s rollback of environmental regulations, according to a new report from the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center. The number of unauthorized emissions of industrial pollutants in the Lone Star State increased to 174 million pounds last year from 63 million pounds in 2017,…
Houston-based Pinkerton’s Barbecue to debut location near San Antonio’s Frost Tower
Pinkerton’s Barbecue — a Houston-based eatery named one of Texas Monthly’s 50 best barbecue joints — will open its Alamo City location later this year, according to the company’s social media feed. “We are so excited for our San Antonio adventure to start,” a Monday Instagram post read. “We are on the home stretch and extremely amped…
These San Antonio businesses are offering perks to folks who show their ‘I voted’ sticker
There are compelling reasons to get off your ass and vote: exercising your constitutional right, making a difference and deciding the direction of the country that could have an impact for generations to come. If those aren’t compelling enough on their own, some SA businesses are offering incentives to sweeten the pot. Now that early…
South Texas’ National Butterfly Center wins court victory over Trump administration’s border wall
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration’s work to build its border wall through a South Texas butterfly sanctuary violates the property rights of the conservationists who run it. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit revived the National Butterfly Center’s challenge to the White House’s authority…
San Antonio’s Sabor! Cocina Mexicana celebrating 6th anniversary with free eats
Sabor! Cocina Mexicana restaurant is offering free sopapillas to guests during the entire month of October, in celebration of its sixth anniversary. On the official anniversary date — October 24 — the Bandera Road eatery will also serve up a free bean and cheese taco with any taco purchase for breakfast or lunch. “It’s been…
Texas’ attempt to ban common abortion procedure blocked by appeals court
Women in Texas can continue to access the most common procedure used to end a pregnancy in the second trimester, after a federal appeals court Tuesday struck down a state law that would have curtailed its use. The law would have required doctors to stop the fetus’s heart before performing a dilation and evacuation abortion…
Care.com and Armed Services YMCA offering free childcare to San Antonio parents on Election Day
Care.com and the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) will offer free childcare to parents on Election Day at two San Antonio locations. Time is of the essence, however, because pandemic-related capacity guidelines and staffing limitations will only allow for the families of 20 children per facility — that’s 40 children total — to take advantage. Registration…
Nonpartisan political report shows race tightening between MJ Hegar and Sen. John Cornyn of Texas
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has shifted November’s U.S. Senate race in Texas from a “Likely Republican” rating to the less-of-a-sure-thing “Leans Republican” category. The change reflects a solid fundraising gain by Democrat MJ Hegar, a decorated Air Force helicopter pilot who faces Sen. John Cornyn, a three-term GOP incumbent. While Hegar initially faced an…
Selena podcast to examine Tejano star’s legacy, identity and impact on culture
The upcoming Selena series on Netflix isn’t the only Selena content fans will get in the coming months. This coming January, Maria Garcia, senior editor of arts and culture at WBUR, Boston’s NPR station, will host the new podcast Anything for Selena, on the late Tejano singer’s life and the impact she continues to have…
Whether cradling seitan or shawarma, San Antonio food trucks excel at filling flatbreads
“Nearly two-thirds of New York Restaurants may close by January,” announced a recent CNN headline about the pandemic’s sad economic fallout. Though San Antonio’s hospitality industry is hardly immune, in trying times it’s clearly better to be a Big Enchilada than a Big Apple. And, at least in theory, it also helps to be a…
1800 Tequila debuts gorgeous pop surrealist bottles featuring work by Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel
Jalisco, Mexico-based 1800 Tequila celebrates the tenth anniversary of its Essential 1800 Artists Series this year, and they’re going all out with six limited-edition bottles displaying original Pop Surrealism works by Spanish artist Okuda San Miguel. The Essential 1800 Artists Series has featured collaborations with many world-renowned artists and their estates. Past artists include Shantell…
Unwrapping tradition: 2020 Tamal Institute shares significance of tamales through free virtual series
While many San Antonians may have fond memories of making tamales with family during the holidays, the Tamal Institute — yes, that’s a thing — is unwrapping the significance and history of the masa-filled treat with a free virtual series. The City of San Antonio World Heritage Office — in collaboration with UTSA Libraries Special…
Bootanica returns to the San Antonio Botanical Garden for outdoor Halloween hijinks
Does frolicking through the flowers with the kiddos while celebrating Halloween sound like your idea of fall fun? If so, that’s exactly what the San Antonio Botanical Garden is offering during Bootanica — the garden enthusiast’s version of all things October. Scheduled for Saturday, October 24, the family-friendly Halloween celebration will include hands-on activities, trick-or-treating…
Back by popular demand, Taco Cabana’s Enchilada Fest returns to San Antonio this week
San Antonio-based Taco Cabana will usher in 2020’s Enchilada Fest this week, featuring TC’s cheese enchiladas and six new sauces including: Suiza, Ranchero, Green Chile, Tex-Mex, Sour Cream or Queso. “Not only has our internal TC family been asking for the return of our signature enchiladas, but more importantly, our … guests have been asking…
New Southtown concept, Bar Loretta, to take over Madhatters Cafe space in 2021
Madhatters Tea House and Cafe — known for its sizable food and coffee menu and kitschy decor — has permanently closed to make room for new concept Bar Loretta, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. The closure comes as the owners of the popular King William-area cafe retire. Bar Loretta founder Roger Herr told the…
Reels at the Ruin returns with iconic vampire film Nosferatu, enhanced with live music
Slab Cinema has teamed up with the Hot Wells Conservancy to bring back the film series Reels at the Ruin. This time, they’re throwing things back all the way to 1922. On Tuesday, October 27, horror movie fans and film history buffs alike can enjoy the iconic silent film Nosferatu. An unauthorized adaptation of Bram…
Mission Outdoor Theater bringing Child’s Play star to San Antonio for special screening
There’s plenty of ways to binge all the best horror movies in the run up to Halloween — lookin’ at you, Netflix — but the Mission Outdoor Theater is kicking things up a notch later this month. The drive-in theater, which opened at Brooks City Base in September, has a full slate of scary movies…
San Antonio-based Whataburger debuts free downloadable Lotería set with Whata-twist
Texas fast food giant Whataburger is putting some fun on the table by offering a free, downloadable Lotería set to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The PDF includes 36 Whataburger Lotería cards and four versions of the tablas, or playing boards, to add some spice to nights at home with the fam. Lotería, which means “lottery”…
San Antonio extends free COVID-19 tests to asymptomatic individuals this week
The City of San Antonio is offering free COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic residents in Bexar County this week, KSAT reports. A partnership between BioBridge Global and Community Labs has allowed the city to expand its testing capabilities. Before now, residents were required to show symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve…
Texas counties can offer only one drop-off ballot location, federal appeals court rules, upholding Gov. Greg Abbott’s order
Texas counties may collect mail-in ballots at only one location, a federal appeals court ruled late Monday, once again upholding an order from Gov. Greg Abbottthat restricts voting options. Abbott in July acted to lengthen the early voting period and allow voters to deliver completed absentee ballots in person for longer than the normal period.…
Early voting begins in Texas’ boisterous and competitive 2020 election
Early voting kicks off Tuesday for a high-stakes Texas election that has Republicans battling to maintain their dominance statewide and in a raft of down-ballot races centered on the suburbs — all amid a pandemic that has upended political normalcy. Democrats enter the early voting period brimming with optimism. Statewide, they believe their presidential nominee,…
Polls open for early voting in Bexar County Tuesday — here’s how to vote safely in person
Early voting begins Tuesday, October 13, and will last until Friday, October 30 this year. Amid the ongoing pandemic, some San Antonians are still navigating how to show up at the polls safely if they do not qualify for mail-in voting. To help, we’ve put together a short guide to voting in person. Before heading…
San Antonio glass-blowing studio hosting glass pumpkin patch this weekend
This isn’t your everyday pumpkin patch. This weekend, local glassworks studio Caliente Hot Glass will host what it’s calling the Caliente Calabaza Bash, where visitors can choose from an array of glass-blown pumpkins in the shade of a “pumpkin tree.” Alongside classic orange, the pumpkin collection includes unique themes ranging from Tim Burton’s Pumpkin King…
Glitter Political: MJ Hegar is a mama bear on a mission to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn
When she pops up on my screen, MJ Hegar looks every bit the friendly wife and mother she’s played on a couple of her TV spots. But despite that disarming appearance, she’s downright fearless, beyond the guts it takes to run a hotly contested race against one of the most powerful men in the U.S.…
Our Lady of the Lake University celebrates its first-ever on campus voting site
The first day of early voting is also a day of celebration for Our Lady of the Lake University. For the first time, OLLU will host an early voting site on its campus. The polling location in the university’s Library Community Room will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday. To celebrate, OLLU will start the morning with…
Black + White Modern Creamery, San Antonio’s newest artisan ice cream concept, to open this week
Highly anticipated artisan ice cream shop Black + White Modern Creamery will hold its grand opening Tuesday, according to local influencer — and San Antonio Current Best of SA winner — s.a.foodie. “My friends at Chocollazo have opened up Black + White Modern Creamery – an amazing ice cream shop with everything made in house,”…
Enjoy Jazz’SAlive at home with this package from the San Antonio Parks Foundation and Barbaro
The COVID-19 pandemic may have put the kibosh on 2020’s Jazz’SAlive event, but Olmos Park-area pizza joint Barbaro has teamed up with the San Antonio Parks Foundation to bring a jazzy happy hour experience right to your home. For $100, the craft pizza joint will fill a special Jazz’SAlive tote with a curated bottle of…
North San Antonio development plants seeds of connectedness with new community gardens
The Crossvine, a residential development located just outside of San Antonio in Schertz, has unveiled a series of Community Gardens scattered throughout the property to promote connectedness and healthy living. The community gardens will allow residents to plant their own fruits and vegetables in an open, shared space, promoting ideals such as the cycle of…
Celebrate Día de los Muertos with an outdoor screening of The Book of Life at SAMA this month
Just in time for Día de los Muertos, the San Antonio Museum of Art is hosting a family-friendly outdoor screening of the 2014 animated feature The Book of Life. Held in collaboration with Slab Cinema, the free screening will take place on the museum’s campus on Friday, October 23. In order to keep attendees physically distanced,…
ReRooted 210, San Antonio’s first urban winery, wants to make tastings fun and accessible
For as long as Jennifer Beckmann can remember, Texas wine tastings generally involved one of two scenarios: straight-backed waiters pouring it in a dining room full of haughty guests or tipsy thirtysomethings posing for selfies with glasses of rosé. The sommelier wants to break Texas wine free from high-dollar restaurant tastings and bachelorette weekends, and…
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hired an inexperienced lawyer to investigate claims by his political donor
It was a baffling, perilous, perhaps unprecedented task. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hired an outside lawyer last month to look into a complaint of misconduct by a host of state and federal officials, including the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a U.S. attorney’s office. The claim had been made…
Democrats seek to undo San Antonio Senate slip-up
If elected to the Texas Senate, Roland Gutierrez promises not to end his tenure in federal prison. During a September phone call, the six-term state House rep assured me: “I’ve led my life as a responsible person; my parents raised me right.” It’s a low bar. But Democrats in state Senate District 19—a sprawling district…
Laredo campus quarantine fight shows municipalities’ tension with Texas officials during pandemic
San Antonio isn’t the only South Texas city where tensions are running high between municipal and state officials during the pandemic. A quarantine order by Laredo’s Health Authority last month became a public tussle after state officials overruled a local decision to close down two buildings at Texas A&M International University. Laredo Health Authority Dr.…
Downtown march scheduled for Monday, October, 12, San Antonio’s Indigenous People’s Day
Activists will stage a downtown march supporting human rights and indigenous dignity on Monday, October 12, which the City of San Antonio designated Indigenous People’s Day. Marchers will gather at Columbus Park, where the city this summer took down a statue of explorer Christopher Columbus. Activists called for statue’s removal due to Columbus’ history of…
Italian food truck and art gallery in San Antonio’s King William ‘crazy enough’ to open amid pandemic
After working together in the restaurant industry for 17 years as servers, managers and kitchen staff, a trio of colleagues planned to start their own food venture this spring. But when the March opening day arrived for their Vesuvio’s Pizzeria food truck, the partners woke up to news of a citywide COVID-19 shutdown. “The day…
Texas counties temporarily blocked from offering multiple mail-in ballot drop-off locations
Texas counties are currently blocked from setting up multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots heading into the November 3 general election due to a temporary order from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. That order came hours after top Texas officials on Saturday again sought to limit drop-off locations some voters use during the…
Texas counties can have multiple absentee ballot drop-off locations, federal judge says, blocking Gov. Greg Abbott’s order
A federal judge ruled Friday that Texas counties can have multiple drop-off locations for absentee ballots heading into the November 3 general election, blocking the enforcement of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent order that sought to limit counties to just one such location. Saying Abbott’s order confused voters and restricted voter access, U.S. District Judge…
As fears of election-related unrest rise, here’s what you need to know about poll watchers in Texas
Leslie Boykin received a message from the Travis County Democratic Party seeking lawyers to work as poll watchers. The Austin criminal defense attorney served as a precinct chair for nearly seven years, but had never considered volunteering as an election monitor. She said she signed up, in part, out of a feeling of democratic duty,…
San Antonio-raised CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell says November election will challenge media
Born into a military family, CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell grew up in San Antonio and attended Douglas MacArthur High School. In her current position, O’Donnell, 46, has covered the 2020 Democratic and Republican National Conventions and interviewed newsmakers including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, among others. After a…
As puro as it gets: South San Antonio snack shop introduces Fruit Roll-Up-wrapped pickles
Snack stand El Chango Loco may be known for mangonadas and chili-cheese Hot Cheeto fries, but when a video featuring a pickle wrapped in a Fruit Roll Up went viral recently, the owners knew they needed to jump on that, ASAP. Stephanie and Jesus Martinez, the sibling team behind the Pleasanton Road shop, told MySA…
Cinematic Spillover: Short reviews of The War with Grandpa, Yellow Rose and Siempre, Luis
Here are three movie reviews for audiences this week. Remember, if you decide to go to the movie theater, be safe and smart and wear a mask. Things aren’t going to get back to normal until this virus is under control. Siempre, Luis Loving father. Compassionate humanitarian. Engaged political consultant and activist. Proud Puerto Rican.…
San Antonio nonprofit Culinaria offering pandemic-safe alternatives to annual Hallowine Fun Run
Culinaria’s annual Hallowine Fun Run fundraiser has long been dependable for sips, bites and costumes galore. Now, to adjust to the runaway dumpster fire of 2020, the restaurant-focused nonprofit will serve up this year’s Fun Run as both a virtual platform and a scaled-down in-person event. While the 5K usually ends with a gathering of…
San Antonio bar owners vent about Conservation Society’s NIOSA-style Fall Festival on social media
Tickets went on sale Friday morning for a pricey, NIOSA-reminiscent Fall Heritage Festival produced by and benefiting the Conservation Society of San Antonio. Since many Alamo City bars sit idle because they don’t qualify to relicense as restaurants — or are still waiting for approval — some owners took to social media to express frustration that…
‘Creature Container’ show at San Antonio’s Clamp Light blends microorganisms, childhood fantasy
On road trips to San Antonio as a child, Mexico-born artist Guadalupe Quesada marveled at the city’s giant water towers and dreamed up an entire world of creatures that must be contained within. “I would imagine all sorts of creatures lived inside of them, I assumed they were secret bases for aliens or monsters,” she…
Leaders in Texas’ most populous counties say they’re not ready to open bars despite governor’s order
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff wasn’t alone in saying “not so fast” to Gov. Greg Abbott’s Wednesday order that lets Texas bars in many Texas counties reopen at 50% capacity. Judges in nine of the state’s 10 most populous counties have either said they won’t opt in or that they’re waiting on a public health…
In new email, senior aides say Ken Paxton used power of his office to benefit political donor Nate Paul
Five senior officials in the Texas Attorney General’s Office accused their boss, Ken Paxton, on Wednesday of subverting his office to serve the financial interests of a political donor, according to an email obtained by the Texas Tribune. The aides are doubling down on accusations they made last week to law enforcement — that Paxton…
Fredericksburg’s Kuhlman Cellars kicks off Texas wine month with release of rare red
Located in the heart of the Lone Star State’s wine country, Kuhlman Cellars has been producing tasty Texas vino since 2014. None of the previous releases, however, come close to the 2017 Ignis in terms of rarity. Ignis is a blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec that’s spent 21 months in French Oak barrels…
Conservation Society of San Antonio to hold NIOSA-style fall celebration in November
The Conservation Society of San Antonio will hold a “Fall Heritage Festival” at La Villita on Friday, November 6, featuring NIOSA-adjacent food, booze and entertainment. “This is not a NIOSA celebration, but San Antonians will notice many welcome comparisons to NIOSA in food and drink,” Conservation Society President Patti Zaiontz said in a release. “The spread-out nature of…
AARP blasts Sen. John Cornyn of Texas for using its name and logo in new political ad
Part of Sen. John Cornyn’s ad blitz to recast himself as a moderate has drawn the ire of the AARP, which says the Texas Republican used its logo in a new TV spot without permission. In the ad, which touts Cornyn’s healthcare record, a headline flashes onscreen saying, “AARP thanks Senator Cornyn for voting for…
Esperanza’s OUT & PROUD showcases queer Latinx artists in virtual performance on Saturday
The term intersectionality broke out of academic discourse and into the mainstream during this summer’s protests for racial equality. Now, the duality is even more apparent at the intersection of Hispanic Heritage Month and National Coming Out Month. In the spirit of intersectionality, the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center will celebrate the confluence of Latinx…
San Antonio’s Longhorn Cafe chain has a beef with Mr. Juicy’s name
In today’s silly food news, San Antonio-based Longhorn Cafe served restauranteur Andrew Weissman with a legal document demanding that he stop using the term “Mr. Juicy” in connection with his two Monte Vista-area burger restaurants of the same name. Longhorn Cafe — which operates multiple locations in SA, Boerne and New Braunfels — holds trademarks…
University of Texas at San Antonio closes Blue Star art gallery Terminal 136
After six years at the Blue Star Art Complex, the University of Texas at San Antonio’s satellite gallery Terminal 136 has permanently closed its doors. A staple of First Friday since 2014, Terminal 136 balanced a slate of exhibitions showcasing both UTSA students and a bevy of artists from the Alamo City and beyond. The…
Former San Antonio resident recalls late husband in docuseries Challenger: The Final Flight
Challenger: The Final Flight, a four-part Netflix docuseries on the 1986 NASA space shuttle disaster, revisits the ill-fated launch that took the lives of all seven crew members and the impact it had on the country. Through rare archive footage and interviews with astronauts, space-program experts and family members who lost loved ones that day,…
Port Aransas closes to vehicular traffic from Thursday to Saturday due to Hurricane Delta
With Hurricane Delta closing in, Port Aransas will be closed to vehicular traffic from 8 p.m. on Thursday to 9 a.m. on Saturday, MySA reports. The National Hurricane Center has classified Delta as a category 2 storm with 100 mph winds, and it’s expected to strengthen as it moves up the Gulf Coast. According to…
SoHill Café in San Antonio’s Beacon Hill temporarily closes due to staffing issues
SoHill Café owner Jean-Francois Poujol on Wednesday temporarily closed his popular Beacon Hill pizza and pasta eatery. “We made a tough decision today to close SoHill Café until further notice,” Poujol wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “We are hoping to restructure and reopen again. Please accept our thanks for any of you who supported…
How down-ballot candidates could help Democrats flip Texas
Like many others in Texas politics, Wendy Davis spent much of 2018 scratching her head over fellow Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s insurgent campaign against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Just four years earlier, Davis lost her bid for governor to Republican Greg Abbott by 20 points, a margin of defeat shared by several other Democratic statewide candidates that year. It…
Buffalo Wild Wings to bring smaller, takeout and delivery-only concept to San Antonio
Atlanta-based Buffalo Wild Wings plans to build a branch of its new takeout-only concept — the redundantly named Buffalo Wild Wings Go — in the Alamo City, the San Antonio Business Journal reports. The first and so far only Buffalo Wild Wings Go — now open in Sandy Springs, Georgia — serves sides, wings and…
San Antonio Metro Health offers Halloween COVID-19 safety guidelines
During the city’s COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, San Antonio Metro Health released recommendations for households hoping to trick-or-treat or pass out candy on Halloween this year. The guidance was released as the cumulative number of cases for San Antonio nears 60,000 with a current average of 156 daily cases. Trick-or-treaters are encouraged to maintain six feet of…
Exhibition at San Antonio’s Centro Cultural Aztlan pays homage to healthcare workers
An exhibition titled “SKY 10: The Nurses and Healthcare Workers of University Hospital” by artist Mario Garza opens this week at Centro Cultural Aztlan. Organized by Malena Gonzalez-Cid and Ruth Guajardo, the exhibition gathers nearly 60 graphite on paperboard drawings and mixed media works. “When the city was reaching its highest COVID numbers and hospitals were at…
Owners of San Antonio live music venue Picks Bar purchase the Amp Room on the St. Mary’s Strip
Picks Bar co-owners Jessica Marinez and Amber Hernandez have been busy this summer. In a new move amid their whirlwind expansion, the pair snapped up the Amp Room, a five-year-old live music venue on the St. Mary’s Strip. With the backing of partner Danny Badiola, managing partner of classic diner Earl Abel’s, Marinez and Hernandez this…
During interview, congressional candidate Tony Gonzales declines to call the KKK a terrorist group
Republican congressional candidate Tony Gonzales has been eager to align himself with Donald Trump during his campaign, even picking up an endorsement from the president during his primary runoff. Now, Gonzales appears to have echoed one of the president’s most controversial recent statements. During an interview last week, Gonzales repeatedly refused to identify the Ku…
San Antonio man awarded $25K grant for local nonprofit via 2020 Coors Light Líder of the Year award
In its 14th year of empowering Latino leaders, Coors Light has named San Antonio native Richard Montez its 2020 Líder of the Year. Along with the title, Montez, director of Member Services for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), received a $25,000 grant from the beer brand to implement a new project with his…
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton releases new documents shedding light on criminal allegations
Working to clear his name in the face of fresh criminal allegations, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released new information Wednesday addressing the claims seven senior aides made last week that he ran afoul of the law. At the center of those allegations, according to reports in the Houston Chronicle and Austin American-Statesman, is Nate Paul, a Paxton…
Mexico-based snack maker Takis breaks out of its shell to offer new line of hot nuts
Takis — the Mexico-based snack maker known for bringing spicy rolled tortilla chips to convenience stores everywhere — is branching out. The beloved brand has introduced a new line of spicy peanuts now available at retail locations across Texas. Takis Hot Nuts are available in three super-seasoned flavors: Fuego, Flare and Smokin’ Lime, each of which provides…
San Antonio’s Pearl complex to welcome new spot with accessible approach to French comfort food
The Pearl will add some European panache to its dining options this fall with the addition of Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, a casual eatery with a classic and accessible approach to French fare. Unlike pricey, upscale French restaurants, brasseries are more informal, and they’re known for providing a more casual atmosphere where guests can enjoy a…
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff won’t opt in on governor’s order reopening bars — for now
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said Wednesday night that he’s not ready to swing open the saloon doors following Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order clearing bars to return to business. Abbott issued an order earlier in the day allowing bars and similar establishments to open at 50% capacity in municipalities with low COVID-19 hospitalizations. However,…
San Antonio piano madman Harvey McLaughlin’s new LP is packed with soul, memorable characters
Singer-songwriter Harvey McLaughlin combines a highly stylized vibe with a strong melodic sensibility on his new album Rascality, which drops October 16 on Saustex Records. Though the San Antonio-based piano pounder owes more musically to Randy Newman, it’s easy to imagine videos for his songs being shot in the style of the Greg Kihn Band’s…
Gov. Abbott gives Texas counties option to reopen bars at 50% capacity on October 14
Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order Wednesday paving the way for bars and similar establishments to reopen at 50% capacity as early as Wednesday, October 14. The reopenings can only take place in hospital regions where coronavirus patients make up 15% or fewer of the total people hospitalized, and counties also must opt in to…
Texas politicians fueled criticism of ‘Cuties.’ Now, Netflix is facing criminal charges in a small East Texas county.
A grand jury in a small East Texas county has indicted media giant Netflix for promoting Cuties, a French film about an 11-year-old Senegalese immigrant who joins a dance group. The Tyler County grand jury indicted the company, not its executives, on charges of promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child, a state jail…
San Antonio’s new Cuishe Cocina Mexicana offers 150 bottles of agave spirits — and toasted insects
Cuishe Cocina Mexicana has opened in Stone Oak, offering a menu inspired by Central Mexico plus a collection of more than 150 spirits distilled from agave, MySA reports. That abundance of bottles certainly makes since, seeing that the restaurant is named for an agave plant used to make mezcal. A new concept from the minds behind tapas…
San Antonio home prices have increased twice as fast as local wages, study shows
As if anyone needed further evidence of a local housing affordability crisis, a new study found that home prices in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area rose at double the speed of wages over the past five years. The average price for a house in San Antonio grew by 32.2% during that time, compared to…
San Antonio River Walk business district opens for kayakers for the first time in three decades
For the first time in 30 years, kayaking is allowed on the business district portion of San Antonio’s River Walk, MySA reports. Arguably the most photographed section of the famed River Walk, the business district is home to the hotels and restaurants that pepper the banks with brightly colored umbrellas and glowing patio lights. Previously…
San Antonio chefs behind Mixtli unveil Kumo, contemporary Mexican with a Japanese twist
Award-winning chefs Diego Galicia and Rico Torres have thrown back the curtain on their newest concept, Kumo, a seasonal Mexican restaurant with a strong Japanese influence. The pair bill Kumo as a “contemporary Mexican omakase.” The latter word, which means “I leave it up to you” in Japanese, refers to a style of service in…
Texas Supreme Court pitches out Republicans’ request to delay early voting in the state
In a defeat to members of the right flank of the state’s Republican Party, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that early voting in the state can move ahead on October 13. This summer, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order adding six days to early voting for the November general election due to the COVID-19 pandemic.…
Specialty ale from San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing Co. raises $10,000 for elephant conservation
Freetail Brewing Co.’s Conserveza Blonde Ale is more than an easy-drinking brew — it’s a way for the San Antonio-based craft brewery to raise money for animal conservation efforts. This month, Freetail and Silver Eagle Beverages, the brewer’s distributor, joined together to donate $10,000 to the International Elephant Foundation (IEF), a portion generated by sales of Conserveza.…
Texas tenants are still struggling to stop evictions a month after federal moratorium was announced
At her eviction trial conducted via video conference on Sept. 23, Amanda Murray asked Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Ralph Swearingin Jr. for more time to give her landlord more than $4,000 in back rent. Murray had just found a job as a medical assistant and thought she could maybe get the money before…
San Antonio voter mobilization groups sue Bexar County, saying it must expand polling locations
A suit filed Tuesday in Bexar County District Court asks a judge to force the county to expand its number of polling places before the November 3 election and make it easier to bring on new election registrars. Voter mobilization groups Texas Organizing Project and MOVE Texas Civic Fund as well Jennifer K. Falcon, a local…
Iconic comedian Dave Chappelle spotted at San Antonio’s Pearl on Tuesday
Apparently, in 2020 anything really can happen. On Tuesday, comedian Dave Chappelle made an appearance in San Antonio, but not quite in the same way as his last visit to the Alamo City, when he performed three pop-up shows at the Aztec Theatre. Since a sold-out surprise show at a large venue obviously isn’t in…
Artists Richard Armendariz and Andrés Ferrandis find unlikely common ground in ‘Manos’
In his 1872 book The Birth of Tragedy, iconic philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche built a framework around Apollo and Dionysus, mythical Greek gods with wildly different personalities. While Apollo represents light, truth, logic and reason, Dionysus symbolizes wine, festivities, fertility and chaos. Employed as a means to analyze Greek tragedies and other forms of ancient art,…
