STANDING AGAINST ELECTION INTERFERENCE | (A)MAR'S LOVE LETTER TO COASTAL CUISINE | BOYS FROM THE COUNTY BEXAR'S REBEL SONGS | OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 10, 2026
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Publisher Michael Wagner Editor in Chief Sanford Nowlin General Manager Chelsea Bourque Editorial Digital Content Editor Stephanie Koithan Contributing Arts Editor Bryan Rindfuss Staff Writer Michael Karlis
in this issue Issue 26-22/// October 28 - November 10, 2026
Contributors Abe Asher, Bill Baird, Ron Bechtol, Danny Cervantes, Amber Esparza, Brianna Espinoza, Anjali Gupta, Colin Houston, Kiko Martinez, Mike McMahan, Kevin Sanchez, M. Solis, Dean Zach Advertising Account Manager Parker McCoy Social Media & Marketing Coordinator Jehanna Pena Creative Services Lead Graphic Designer Ana Paula Gutierrez Events and Marketing Events Director Chelsea Bourque Chava Communications Group Founder, Chief Executive Officer Michael Wagner Co-Founder, Chief Marketing Officer Cassandra Yardeni Vice President of Operations Hollie Mahadeo Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon Revenue Operations Manager Rachel Gold Project Manager Megan Nally chavagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group 1-888-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com San Antonio Current sacurrent.com Editorial: editor@sacurrent.com Display Advertising: marketing@sacurrent.com The San Antonio Current is published by Chava Communications Group San Antonio Distribution The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.
19 Death Becomes Us
Five ways to celebrate Día de los Muertos in San Antonio
07News
The Opener News in Brief
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Preparing for the Worst
Civil rights advocates say they’re readying themselves for every move Trump might make to interfere with the midterms
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‘They Do Their Work in Quiet’
Ken Paxton created loophole for Texas’ payday lenders while raking in big donations from the industry
Bad Takes
Texas Republicans are robbing public schools to subsidize the rich
16 Calendar
Our picks of things to do powerful
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Seersucker Saint
Arts patron Mike Casey, the ‘Mayor of Southtown,’ has died at age 85
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On the Market
Curator Mia Lopez comes full circle 4
Antonia Padilla
CURRENT | October 28 - November 10, 2026 | sacurrent.com
with the Centro de Artes exhibition ‘Mercado/Material’
29Screens
STANDING AGAINST ELECTION INTERFERENCE | (A)MAR'S LOVE LETTER TO COASTAL CUISINE | BOYS FROM THE COUNTY BEXAR'S REBEL SONGS | OCTOBER 28 - NOVEMBER 10, 2026
Speak of the Devil
Texas filmmaker explores fascination with true-crime podcasts in horror flick Marrow
31Food
Mixed Catch
Fresh seafood shines at (a)mar while other dishes flounder
A Tasteful Arrangement
San Antonio’s Agarita chamber ensemble creates series pairing food and music
Survival Guide
How to get the most out of the San Antonio Beer Festival while dodging a hangover
34Music
Rebels With a Cause
Veteran SA rockers in Boys From the County Bexar draw on Irish inspiration
Critics’ Picks
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n the Cover: The Current’s Fall Guide offers a list of ways to celebrate Día de los Muertos plus a calendar of autumn arts events. The cover painting by San Antonio artist and author John Picacio was featured as a Current cover 20 years ago to the month. Picacio is the co-author and illustrator of The Invisible Parade picture book. Design by Ana Paula Gutierrez.
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A Russian disinformation group has thrust itself into Texas’ U.S. Senate election with the goal of boosting the chances of Republican Ken Paxton, the New York Times reports. Intelligence officials told the Times that the group has spread deepfake videos alleging misconduct on the part of Democrat James Talarico. The same group reportedly targeted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz when he was the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones last week asked the White House to reconsider the part of its immigration policy that’s enabled it to target family members of military personnel for deportation. “We fear such actions may dampen interest in military service, while introducing unneeded stress during a time of heightened military operations,” Jones wrote in a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. Half of Texas Latinos who had food stamp benefits prior to the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have lost those benefits, new estimates from progressive group Unrig Our Economy show. Some 1.5 million Latinos have lost access to SNAP benefits nationwide since passage of the bill, which added new work requirements, eliminated some noncitizens from eligibility and transferred more administrative duties to states. San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) is joining forces with Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to count how many dogs are roaming the streets of San Antonio. Beginning this month, ACS will deploy advanced machine vision technology developed and tested at SwRI to count the number of dogs on the streets of 32 different areas of the city using smartphone cameras and other automated equipment. — Abe Asher
YOU SAID IT!
“I see in him the qualities I admire most in public servants: integrity, civility, humility and a willingness to listen to those with whom he disagrees.” —Neil Bush, George W. Bush’s brother, on his decision to vote for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico
ASSCLOWN ALERT
Pretending you’re Texas governor with Don Huffines Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.
news
That Rocks/That Sucks
Looks like newly appointed Texas Comptroller Don Huffines has a new hobby: pretending he’s governor. Or is he cosplaying Donald Trump at the Resolute Desk? Either way, it’s as big a joke as the gubernatorial campaign that earned Huffines less than 12% of the vote in the 2022 GOP primary. For those who need a reminder: his showing was so pathetic that he finished third behind Tea Party feces-flinger Allen West. As the Texas Tribune reports, Huffines spent recent weeks firing off a flurry of what he calls “executive orders,” complete with grandiose announcements and oversized documents suitable for framing. (Then again, most things look oversized next to Huffines, but we digress…) Here’s the problem with that: Huffines ain’t governor, no matter how much he enjoys pretending otherwise. Instead, he’s the state’s chief financial officer — a job that involves collecting taxes, overseeing contracts and scratching out revenue forecasts. Sure, it’s necessary work, but it doesn’t entitle him to issue presidential-style proclamations. At least not ones anyone would take seriously. Adding to the absurdity, Huffines’ “executive orders” (notice the quotation marks are still there) are largely instructions to his own staff to begin the ordinary process of changing agency rules. In other words, Diminutive Don is dressing up routine administrative paperwork as bold exercises of executive power. It’s the bureaucratic equivalent of pretending you’re a cowboy because you put on a hat and some spurs. Kind of how Don pretends he’s a hunter by donning camo and carting around a small arsenal of firearms in his campaign commercials. So far, Huffines has issued four such “executive orders” (the quotation marks haven’t gone anywhere), targeting taxes on online marketplace fees and medical records, funding for surveillance cameras and, naturally, state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion programs — the ast because
he’s gotta throw red meat to insecure white men. Maybe some of those proposals — other than the anti-DEI one, of course — have merit. The jury’s still out, but that’s not really the point. The punchline here is that none of them requires Huffines to pretend he’s handing down stone tablets from Mount Sinai. University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus told the Tribune that Huffines’ orders amount to little more than internal housekeeping. Naturally, there’s political calculus behind the theater. Huffines, whom Gov. Greg Abbott appointed in August, faces Democratic state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt in November. With recent polls suggesting a close race, Huffines figures the best way to convince voters he’s, like, actually doing shit is to manufacture a steady stream of headlines. The whole exercise is especially amusing coming from a politician who campaigned on his purported expertise in rooting out government waste. Apparently, wasting everyone’s fucking time on performative paperwork doesn’t count. If Huffines wants to play governor, he can always challenge Abbott again. Oh, but that’s right, he tried that in 2022 and got his ass handed to him in a Styrofoam to-go box. Until then, someone should remind this assclown that a fancy signature on an oversized piece of paper doesn’t confer executive authority. Instead, it puts his incompetence on full display. — Sanford Nowlin
Our Lady of the Lake University has selected Morgan’s Wonderland CEO Brent Fields as interim president. Fields served as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and was vice president of research and strategic health alliances at the American Heart Association before arriving at Morgan’s Wonderland. He will temporarily replace outgoing OLLU President Abel Chávez, who announced his resignation.
Shortly after Gov. Greg Abbott’s re-election campaign put out a press release touting the endorsement of a dozen Democratic sheriffs, three of those officials denied they’d ever backed the governor. Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar, Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez and Zapata County Sheriff Ramon Montes either issued statements or told media they never endorsed Abbott. — Abe Asher
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Preparing for the Worst
Civil rights advocates say they’re readying themselves for every move Trump might make to interfere with the midterms BY MICHAEL KARLIS
A
s Texas and the rest of the nation head into midterm elections likely to prove punishing for the party in power, defenders of free and fair elections said they’re preparing for the worst. Civil rights organizations, elections watchdogs and constitutional attorneys are steeling themselves for attempts by President Donald Trump and his allies to stand in the way of U.S. voters. While some may assume the prepara-
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tions are overkill given Trump’s dismal record in court challenges involving the 2020 election, experts point to the Jan. 6 insurrection and the president’s continued lies about massive voter fraud as indicators of what’s to come. “We know that President Trump and his administration are terrified of losing the upcoming election,” Michael Sozan, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said during a recent press call. “They and bad actors are actively
CURRENT | October 28 - November 10, 2026 | sacurrent.com
attempting to sow confusion, fear and doubt about the election system. They appear to be continuing to manufacture lies about the integrity of the elections to enable them ultimately to dispute the valid election results later.” Democrat James Talarico, who is running against Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, told NBC DFW this week that his team is preparing for whatever his opponent and the GOP throw his way. “We have a lot of different scenarios prepared for, because we know that Ken Paxton has a history of going after people’s right to vote at the ballot box, and we know he has a history of trying to overturn election results,” Talarico said. “So, we’re ready for that, and we’re going to fight to defend Texans and their rights in the courthouse.” After the 2020 election, Paxton — a dogged Trump ally — sued the Jolt
Initiative, an Austin-based Latino civic engagement group, accusing it of operating an unlawful voter registration scheme. His office also devoted thousands of staff hours in 2020 and 2021 to searching for evidence of widespread voter fraud. The lawsuit against Jolt was thrown out, and Paxton’s office largely came up empty-handed in its quest to prove President Trump actually won the 2020 election. This week, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche raised alarms among democracy advocates after telling reporters he couldn’t rule out the Department of Justice weighing in on the election certification process. “It’s not the DOJ’s intention to, and it’s never our intention to improperly interfere with elections or the state confirmation process or certification process,” said Blanche, who’s faced repeated criticism for turning the DOJ
news into Trump’s personal legal team. “But, to say that there are no circumstances that we would ever do that — of course I’m not going to say that.” Experts such as Sozan said they’re preparing for scenarios that range from Trump sending ICE and National Guard troops to the polls to the president ordering the seizure of voting machines and disrupting the count by declaring a national emergency. However, experts who spoke to the Current, including Sozan, said they still expect a free and fair election because those scenarios are blatantly illegal. What’s more, U.S. elections are decentralized, with state and county officials responsible for counting ballots. That makes it exceedingly difficult for federal officials to manipulate the results. “There are huge preparations by pro-democracy forces and allies across the country at the national level, in states and localities, people who are preparing for a lot of these scenarios who have war-gamed this,” Sozan said. “So, as challenging as I think the next few weeks or couple of months might be, most of us are expecting that this election will be free and fair, and that the people’s will be expressed and exercised.” Sabotage scenarios Experts said sabotage attempts by Trump and those under his influence could start at polling stations during early voting. Indeed, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke during a San Antonio rally and voter-registration drive last month warned that Trump was likely to send federal immigration agents to intimidate Latino voters. “If you look Mexican — if your skin is a shade browner than mine — they’re going to stop you, ask you for your papers, send you back home and scare the rest of your family from even showing up,” the former U.S. Senate, gubernatorial and presidential candidate said. O’Rourke’s comments came after ICE and Texas DPS conducted a traffic stop at a Bexar County polling station on the West Side during the May primaries. Although authorities wrote off the location of the stop as a mere coincidence, civil rights advocates said it still stoked fear in many. Even so, such coordinated intimidation efforts have yet to materialize. A Brazilian national was recently
arrested and charged with felony voter intimidation over accusations that he wore an ICE hat and intimidated voters outside a Miami-Dade County polling station. He was not employed by the agency, however. Although the DOJ last week notified counties, including a handful in Texas, that federal agents will be deployed to monitor polling stations, ACLU Texas senior staff attorney Thomas Buser-Clancy said during a press call last week that deployment of ICE or the National Guard to polling sites is unlikely to occur because the legal prohibitions are so clear. “There are a multitude of statutes that would make that illegal,” Buser-Clancy said. “There are a host of other laws that prevent and prohibit voter intimidation, as well as specific laws that prohibit members of the military from interfering with elections. All of these laws act as safeguards and would render any attempt to have ICE at the polls illegal.” Another scenario discussed among civil rights watchdogs is the possibility that Trump could order the National Guard to seize voting machines or pressure local election officials to change or cancel the results. However, that also would be difficult to pull off, since county officials are clearly charged with counting the votes — regardless of Trump’s wishes. Although the MAGA movement has gained control of portions of the federal government, county election departments largely remain independent from the political pressures coming from Washington, advocates maintain. “County officials themselves — without state support — are preparing a great deal, and the Texas Association of County Elections Officials has been really at the forefront of making sure that its members, county election officials, are armed with all of the information and resources needed,” Sarah Xiyi Chen, a senior supervising attorney at the
Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Texas Civil Rights Program, recently told members of the press. Standing vigilant Mark Lindeman, a policy and strategy director at nonpartisan advocacy group Verified Voting, agrees that it would be nearly impossible for Trump to effectively interfere with local officials’ ballot counting and voting processes. “Presidents don’t run elections; he can’t snap his fingers and make things turn out the way he wants,” Lindeman said. “In the end, elections belong to voters, and I think election officials around the country are well prepared to tune out the noise and deliver trustworthy results.” He continued: “When you get down to it, it’s in local officials’ hands despite Trump’s objections to that.” Local officials are also acting as election watchdogs. State Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, told reporters last week that his office is in regular contact with Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew to report potentially concerning incidents at polling sites. “We need to be prepared, and the only way to be prepared is to have full documentation of everything,” Menéndez said. The state senator is also encouraging
anyone who encounters problems at the polls to contact his office. The presence of election monitors and legal safeguards don’t guarantee Trump won’t engage in a full-court press to upend election outcomes, however. The DOJ on Oct. 23 sued to preemptively block Alaska from certifying the results of its U.S. Senate race if the Republican incumbent loses by a narrow margin because two GOP candidates on the ballot have the same first and last name. Election experts predict the courts will reject that suit. However, they said the best way to counter Trump’s attacks is to refuse to be intimidated by them. The most effective way voters can push back is by getting out and casting their ballots — and doing so early. “The fact that we are preparing for a slew of threats doesn’t mean people should be so worried that they don’t exercise their rights — because that means those nefarious actors have won,” ACLU Texas attorney Buser-Clancy said. “I think for the voters getting excited about voting, getting excited about going with their family to vote is the most important thing I would emphasize.” Those who encounter issues at the polls or believe their rights are being infringed upon can call 866-OUR-VOTE to report the incident and receive legal advice.
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news ‘They Do Their Work in Quiet’
Ken Paxton created loophole for Texas’ payday lenders while raking in big donations from the industry BY STEPHANIE KOITHAN
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2019 legal opinion by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton enabling payday loan companies to charge skyhigh interest rates came after he raked in major campaign contributions from the industry, documents obtained by the Current show. Paxton’s ruling has been widely criticized by consumer groups, who argue it opened up a loophole in state law that subjected vulnerable borrowers to loans with annual interest rates (APRs) as high as 846%. That ruling came after lenders potentially affected by the rule change contributed more than $10,000 to the Republican AG’s election coffers. In the days after the ruling, the industry contributed nearly $24,000 in additional campaign funds to Paxton. “We know that the predatory lenders ... have a lot of political sway,” Ann Baddour, director of the Fair Financial Services Project for nonpartisan nonprofit Texas Appleseed, told the Current. “You know, they often don’t show up at hearings, but they do their work in quiet, in the backrooms, where they make big financial contributions.” Paxton’s 2019 ruling enabled payday lenders to skirt the state and local protections that apply to high-cost loans arranged under the Credit Services Organization Act, according to officials with Texas Appleseed. Consumer groups further argue that the loophole Paxton created hits veterans and military families especially hard by allowing lenders to avoid the protections of the Military Lending Act, which shields service members and their dependents from high interest rates by capping them at 36%. Paxton, who’s running as a Republican to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, didn’t respond to the Current’s request for comment by press time.
office received a request for an opinion from Harris County Republican State Rep. Jim Murphy, chairman of the Texas House’s Pensions, Investments and Financial Services Committee. In his letter, Murphy asked Paxton to weigh in on whether credit services organizations (CSOs) could offer “signature” loan products that weren’t subject to regulation. Prior to Paxton’s review, Texas payday and auto title loan businesses created loan products that skirted state licensing requirements, according to the Texas Fair Lending Alliance. Many of those proposed products had interest rates exceeding 500%. Examples of such products include an ACE Cash Express offering called the “Texas Flex” loan with an 846% APR. A “personal loan” offered by TitleMax had a posted APR of 651%. Another lender, Advance America, was subject to state regulatory action in 2018 for a loan that was structured to avoid regulations for payday loans under Texas law. Paxton’s ruling opened the gate for credit service organizations (CSOs) to compete with regulated lenders with “signature loans” of their own, including high fees that weren’t subject to Texas’ existing regulations for payday lending. The loophole was based on a 2004 5th Circuit ruling in the case Lovick v. Ritemoney Ltd., which asserted that as long as the CSO — serving as third-party loan broker — and the lender didn’t share money, such a loan product wasn’t legally considered usury. The lender could collect the interest and the CSO could collect the fees, without the fees being considered “disguised interest.” But the fees, which can run as high as $20 per every $100 borrowed and tacked on every two weeks, added up, and in turn, caused APRs to skyrocket.
How it started
After being asked to weigh in on the matter, Paxton’s office took five months to issue the opinion. During that time,
In July 2019, the attorney general’s
Paxton’s payday
Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore
he received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from payday lenders before handing down a ruling in their favor. Many of the donations Paxton received from the payday loan industry in the five-month period while he deliberated were from first-time donors. Between Sept. 6 and Oct. 23 of 2019, Paxton received $10,200 from payday lenders, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics. Those donations included: • $1,700 from Clint Harris, an e-commerce entrepreneur with eMoney USA Holdings • $2,500 from Mark Curry, founder and CEO of financial company Sol Partners • $1,000 from Advance America Cash Advance Centers • $5,000 from David Johnson, a subprime lending czar based in the U.S. Virgin Islands In 2020, Johnson’s financial services company Cane Bay Partners VI faced a RICO suit accusing it of running a nationwide usury operation in which it used a Native American tribe as a “legal shield.”
Cane Bay Partners VI specialized in lending small sums over the internet at interest rates exceeding 800%, the suit alleges. After Paxton delivered his opinion in November 2019, he received another $23,500 in campaign contributions from the industry the following month, according to documents obtained by the Current. Those included: • An additional $10,000 from fintech entrepreneur Mark Curry • $2,500 from Michael Hodges, founder of payday lender Advance Financial • $1,000 from Sarah Cutrona, general counsel of Elevate, a Texas-based payday lender • $10,000 from Trevor Ahlberg, owner of payday loan chain Cash Store and a major GOP donor Ahlberg has donated close to $1 million to Texas politicians and causes since 2009 through his Irving-based firm Cottonwood Financial, including $25,000 to the Texas for Greg Abbott PAC in 2018. According to Texans for Public Justice’s Lobby Watch, Ahlberg is “the industry’s top contributor to most
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news of the politicians who are most indebted to the predatory-loan industry.” Texas families pay the price While Paxton deliberated and the money flowed in, consumer advocates cautioned his office that opening a loophole for payday lenders would be disastrous for struggling families. In September 2019, the Consumer Credit Commissioner, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, the Texas Christian Life Commission and the City of Austin filed briefs with the office asking to retain the existing limits on CSOs’ offerings. “This Attorney General opinion could open the floodgates for new uncapped lending with no state oversight, leaving Texans vulnerable to abusive lending practices,” Baddour said in a statement ahead of the opinion. “Payday and auto title loan businesses already charge rates in excess of 500% APR. Texas needs to rein in abusive lending, not open more loopholes.” The following month, the American Financial Services Association sent Paxton a letter warning him that if he affirmed the industry’s request, he would “foster unlicensed lending activity, increasing the risk [...] of predatory lending.” “This would not only put consumers at risk, but also create a competitive disadvantage for regulated lenders in Texas,” Danielle Fagre Arlowe, senior vice president of state government affairs for AFSA, wrote in the letter. A coalition called the Texas Fair Lending Alliance joined with Texas Faith Leaders for Fair Lending to push back on Paxton’s opinion once he finally issued it. The coalition argued the ruling appeared to contradict a 2011 law passed by the Texas Legislature that requires licensing of payday and auto-title loan businesses. The same law established basic oversight and transparency requirements for high-cost loans. Paxton’s 2019 opinion allowing for signature loan products didn’t require data reporting on such offerings. “And so it’s definitely hiding what’s happening in the market in some ways with the data reporting,” Baddour told the Current. “There’s this whole segment of the market that we don’t know about.” Baddour and other consumer advocates rely on a dashboard to monitor trends in the industry. The lack of transparency caused by the 2019 loophole
Wikimedia Commons / Tony Webster
makes it harder for them to analyze the data on signature loans and protect those affected, she added. “We know that these are really abusive products,” Baddour said. “Are they targeting the military? I don’t know. Nobody’s watching. Are they violating debt collection laws? I don’t know. Nobody’s watching.” The 2019 loophole also worked around existing local ordinances in 49 cities meant to protect residents from payday-loan-friendly state regulations. Following Paxton’s 2019 opinion, Austin, Dallas and the small North Texas municipality of Reno rewrote their anti-usury ordinances to close some of the loopholes Paxton opened. In Dallas, the fight over its anti-payday loan ordinance went all the way to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. San Antonio also had an existing anti-usury ordinance to protect its residents from payday loans, originally spearheaded in 2012 by then-Councilman Diego Bernal, who now serves in the Texas House. However, the city didn’t update the rules in time to account for Paxton’s new loophole.
The Texas Legislature’s 2023 “Death Star” bill blocked municipalities such as San Antonio from passing new ordinances that contradict state regulations, including those related to finance. In 2018, Texas Appleseed’s analysis of data reported to the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner — a state financial services regulator — found that the average APRs for payday and auto title loans ranged from 204% to 523%. On average, Texans who borrow from such lenders repay more than $1,200 when taking out a $500 loan, according to the analysis. Industry experts who spoke to the Current described situations in which customers borrowed small amounts of $500 or $1,000 to cover utility bills or groceries, only to end up owing more than $3,000 as the debt ballooned out of control. From 2012 to 2018, payday and auto title loan operations collected $11.2 billion in fees from struggling Texas families, according to Texas Appleseed. A 2018 survey of Texas veterans found that 76% who had obtained a payday or auto-title loan struggled to repay it when it came due, while 77% struggled
to pay other bills because of the outstanding uncapped loans. “As a Pastor, I have met hundreds of people in my church and community who were trapped in these unaffordable loans, losing cars, homes, and their mental and emotional well-being. This new opinion will likely make things worse for our community members,” Rev. Wes Helm, former faith in formation manager at Faith in Texas, said in a Nov. 2019 press release immediately denouncing the opinion. On the phone with the Current, Stephanie O’Banion, director of statewide initiatives for United Ways of Texas, said the problem has only gotten worse since 2019 as she and other consumer advocates continwwue to fight predatory lending at the state level. “What I’ve seen on the advocacy team for payday and auto title lending is that we find ourselves every session in a defensive position just trying to hold,” O’Banion said. “We’re just trying to hold and not let it get any worse. We’ve not been successful in making them better. And I think we will always be up against new loopholes.”
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Bad Takes
Texas Republicans are robbing public schools to subsidize the rich BY KEVIN SANCHEZ
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fter Democratic Gov. Ann Richards left office, Texas stood among the top tier of states in education. At that time, Texas 8th graders ranked 21st in math proficiency and 24th in reading, outperforming California, according to the Nation’s Report Card, the nation’s longest-running evaluation of academic achievement. However, our 8th graders now rank 34th in math and 44th in reading, and the state is among the bottom 10 in per-pupil funding — $6,000 below the national average. In short: the Texas GOP inherited classrooms filled with smart kids and turned them into a confederacy of dunces. The reason comes down to more than lawmakers’ neglect, though. The defunding has been premeditated. Gov. Greg Abbott actively purged his own party of the rural and moderate members of the Texas Legislature who refused to back his voucher scheme. The total estimated cost to public schools? A whopping $294 million, according to a recent report. With
annual public school funding directly tied to student enrollment, nonpartisan watchdogs Every Texan and Our Schools Our Democracy estimate that for every student who leaves a Texas public school, their district would lose $8,000 in state funding. “[T]he total estimated loss of $294 million in funding will mean real harm if districts must respond by cutting teachers, reducing student services, limiting extracurricular opportunities, or even closing more schools,” Texas Center for Voucher Transparency Director Dee Carney warned in a recent statement. Lexi Churchill, who covers Texas vouchers for nonprofit newsroom ProPublica, cautioned during a recent reporters roundtable about the lack of transparency when it comes to private schools accepting charter money. Numerous failed attempts to pass vouchers offered Texas lawmakers “plenty of time to look at what other states had done,” Churchill said. However, she added, the Lege fell short of “requiring private schools in any way to follow the same types of accountability
or transparency. Charter schools that fail three years in a row are automatically shut down under state law. But the state of Texas has none of those powers when it comes to private schools in the voucher program, even though they are receiving taxpayer dollars.” Sure seems like we could use a few more former teachers to teach the government a lesson or two. Katy Padilla Stout, who’s running as a Democrat to represent South Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, served as an Northside ISD elementary school teacher, and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico taught 6th grade language arts at the West Side’s Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School. Meanwhile, Gina Hinojosa, Texas’ Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has played second fiddle to no one in making public education central to her campaign. “The first thing I’m going to do is fire the Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath,” Hinojosa said in September on the Express-News’ Off the Cuff podcast. “We need an educator in that position to put us back on the right track.” Hinojosa also wants an evaluation of all independent contractors involved in education. “I know there’s a lot of grift there, because I see those bills pass out of the legislature. They’re just big vendor bills that go to some of Greg Abbott’s donors,” she said. “Take that money and use it to pay our teachers their worth.” An Oct. 22 Houston Chronicle report bolsters her allegation. “Texas Comptroller Don Huffines has refused to say how millions of dollars of state funds have been distributed to private schools and vendors through the voucher program” despite repeated public information requests, the paper reported. Although his office turned over a list of some 2,200 approved vendors, it provided “no information about how much money each has received.” Huffines’ Democratic challenger, state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, has vowed an audit. Meanwhile, she’s promised to end corporate getaways and put teachers back in control of classrooms. “We are just losing teachers. They’ve decided to leave the profession. They’re not paid. They’re not respected,” she said. “We have for the first time more uncertified teachers joining the profession than certified ones.” The more experienced educators Texas drives away, the greater the bu-
reaucratic tendency to idiot-proof the curriculum and teach to the test. But state-level candidates aren’t the only ones standing up for public schools. Democrat Kristian Carranza, who’s running to represent the South Side’s House District 118, where she grew up, has pledged to scrap the much-detested STAAR exam and increase the basic per-student allotment. On the other hand, her opponent in the race, Jorge Borrego, was one of the architects of the state’s voucher program under the auspices of a Koch-funded think tank innocuously named the Texas Public Policy Foundation. “There’s nothing wrong with private school. If you’re able to afford private school tuition for your child, that’s a blessing, and I truly believe that,” Carranza told Texas Public Radio’s The Source. “But we have to be very honest about this — the majority of children in Texas have never been able to access private schools and never will be.” Indeed, 98% of kids in District 118 attend public school, while three out of four voucher applicants have never attended a public campus, she added. That means vouchers are essentially gifts to upper-middle-class families who now get a taxpayer-funded subsidy to pay for pricey tuition. “If you look at my district, it’s very blue-collar,” Carranza said. “If the private school is on the other side of town, these are parents who have to be up and ready at work at 7 a.m. They don’t have the time to drive 40 minutes back and forth.” Far from promoting “school choice,” Texas has been raided by Robin Hood’s twisted twin who robs from the poor to give to the rich. As I write this column, Paris is burning. Young people there are protesting teacher and school nurse shortages, overcrowded classrooms without air conditioning and the rising cost of food, rent and basic necessities. Right-wingers online have made great hay suggesting voters should re-elect law-and-order Republicans to keep a lid on possible riots here at home. Except, under Emmanuel Macron’s presidency, France’s funding for secondary schools and universities has failed to keep pace with inflation, falling by €839 million, Reuters reports. Shouldn’t our takeaway be to elect leaders who audaciously invest in public institutions before students hit the streets in protest?
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calendar FRI | 10.30 LECTURE
‘THE ETRUSCANS: FROM THE HEART OF ANCIENT ITALY’
Etruscan society, a pre-Roman civilization that lasted from 900 to 100 BCE, never formed a centralized city-state but had widespread influence on civilizations that flourished in its wake. Western culture was highly influenced by its innovations in art, architecture and engineering, not to mention urban planning. Much of that comes from Greco-Roman accounts. The civilization’s own records, for the most part, didn’t survive. “The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy” illuminates this important civilization by presenting recent archaeological discoveries and new scholarship delivered by Renée Dreyfus, curator in charge of ancient art at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. In-person tickets have sold out. But the lecture is still available by livestream. Sold out, 7-8 p.m., John L. Santikos Auditorium at the San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org. — Anjali Gupta
Facebook / Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
MON | 11.02 Courtesy / SAMA
TH EATRE
OPEN AUDITION: FADE
100A, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts’ resident theatre troupe, is a process-driven company dedicated to presenting innovative, compelling stories. Part of its mission is a heartfelt dedication to engaging the community through productions, live script readings and open calls for new talent that may lead to something spectacular. The present call is for a one-night staged reading of Fade by Tanya Saracho, which explores equanimity in the face of prescribed yet socially unstable gender norms and social status. While the audition does have prerequisites, none seem insurmountable. They are determined by an ability to follow protocol and follow your ambitions. Instructions are available at the webpage tobincenter.org/fade. Free, 100A at Carlos Alvarez Theatre at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter.org. — AG
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calendar
SAT | 11.07 - SUN | 11.08 COMEDY
NIKKI GLASER
Stand-up Nikki Glaser can roast with the best of them; just ask Tom Brady. But she’s also refreshingly down to earth. You’d have to be to sign on for Dancing with the Stars in 2018, as she did, only to be the first celebrity sent home. She podcasts, she acts, and earlier this year, she coached comics on the art of the roast on Netflix’s Funny AF. The extracurriculars haven’t slowed Glaser down, though. Quite the contrary, she’s at the top of her game. Her 2026 special Good Girl arrives two years after Someday You’ll Die earned her Emmy, Grammy, Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations and a WGA Award. Then came her return as Golden Globe host in 2026, where Rolling Stone said she “delivers a masterclass in awards show monologues.” Glaser’s CBS, Property Brothers and Leonardo DiCaprio jokes were scorchers. And despite her ability to get in jabs, she always leaves room for a few at herself. Glaser calls The Stunning Tour her biggest yet, and it has the polish of a pop star’s arena run. Maybe seeing Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour 22 times rubbed off. Pop polish aside, expect dark, twisted comedy. Just don’t expect her to go easy on anyone, San Antonio included. $39.50-$221.75, 7 p.m. Saturday, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — Valerie Lopez
Luke Schwartz
MON | 11.09 LECTURE
‘OBJECT LESSONS/HIDDEN STORIES: COLLABORATIVE CURATING IN THE 21ST CENTURY’
Curator and art historian Jonathan Prown will give the lecture “Object Lessons/Hidden Stories: Collaborative Curating in the 21st Century” as the final installment of Trinity University’s 2026 Lennox Seminar series. Prown is executive director and chief curator of the Chipstone Foundation, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving, interpreting and expanding the scholarship of American material culture and decorative arts. Prown, who will conduct a Q&A following the lecture, has published extensively on American furniture and decorative work and has curated or co-curated exhibits at the Milwaukee Art Museum and in Colonial Williamsburg. Free, 6-7 p.m., Dicke Hall at Trinity University, 1 Trinity Place, (203) 788-8679, events.trinity.edu. — AG Courtesy Photo / Trinity University
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arts
Death Becomes Us
Six ways to celebrate Día de los Muertos in San Antonio BY KAT MCKINNEY
I
n the U.S., few cities embrace Día de los Muertos quite like San Antonio. Every autumn, the city comes alive with vibrant tributes to the dead as community altars, mariachi performances, river parades and cultural festivals transform neighborhoods across town. While Muertos Fest, one of the largest Día de los Muertos celebrations in the city, is already behind us, these six events show why the Day of the Dead has become one of San Antonio’s most beloved traditions. Muertitos Fest
The City of San Antonio might have cancelled its official event, but our kids continue to show up especially when truly needed. Say Si, San Antonio’s premiere after-school arts program, celebrates Halloween and Dia de los Muertos in puro Westside style with Muertitos Fest. Expect art of all ilk up for sale, participatory craft booths, local food and drink as well as live music, DJs and spontaneous performances. This is an all-ages event where warm smiles and warm drinks are part of the fun. Free, 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Say Si, 1310 Brazos, (210) 201-4950, saysi.org.
Antonia Padilla
31st Annual Día de Muertos Celebration at the Esperanza Center For more than three decades, the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center has hosted one of the West Side’s most beloved Día de Muertos gatherings. Visitors can explore altars made by community members, enjoy live conjunto and mariachi performances, view MujerArtes clay works and join a neighborhood procession led by danzantes. Free, 4-10 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 1, Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, 816 S. Colorado St., (210) 228-0201, esperanzacenter.org. 30th Annual ‘La Vida de los Muertos’ performance Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center will celebrate 30 years of “La Vida de los Muertos” with a performance at the Plaza Guadalupe. The fest begins with a sugar skull and paper flower workshop, followed by a reimagined theatre and dance production fusing cherished stories and local legends with innovative Mexican-American artistry. The show is free, and the center encourages audience members to bring chairs and prepare for a memorable night. Free, 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 1327 Guadalupe St., (210) 271-3151, www.guadalupeculturalarts.org. Jardín de las Catrinas The San Antonio Botanical Garden’s annual Día de los Muertos installation is bigger and better than ever, according to officials. This year, the garden planted 10,000 marigold flowers and tapped local artist Regina Moya to create larger-than-life skeleton sculptures known as Catrinas to honor Mexican Ameri-
Antonia Padilla
can heritage. Regular garden admission required, garden hours daily through Nov. 2, San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, (210) 5361400, sabot.org. Culinary Spirits Presented by Hennessy This month-long culinary program turns participating River Walk restaurants and bars into stops on a Día de los Muertos-inspired tasting trail. Expect specialty cocktails and limited-time dishes, along with personal stories from local chefs and mixologists honoring their loved ones through food and drink. Free; food and drink purchases extra, daily Oct. 2-Nov. 2, San Antonio River Walk, (210) 227-4262, thesanantonioriverwalk.com. 49th Annual ‘Altares y Ofrendas’ Centro Cultural Aztlan will continue its decades-long tradition with the annual exhibition “Altares y Ofrendas,” which showcases altars created by community members. The opening celebration on Monday, Nov. 2, will include live music, a community mercadito, traditional foods and opportunities for families to learn more about the cultural roots of the Día de los Muertos holiday. Free, 6-9 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2 through Nov. 12, Centro Cultural Aztlan, 1800 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 4321896, centroaztlan.org.
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Seersucker Saint Arts patron Mike Casey, the ‘Mayor of Southtown,’ has died at age 85 BY SANFORD NOWLIN
M
ike Casey, a beloved figure in San Antonio’s art community known as the “Mayor of Southtown,” died last week in Mexico following a long illness. He was 85 years old. A retired attorney and longtime King William resident, Casey was an instantly recognizable neighborhood figure thanks to his seersucker suits, Venetian straw boater hats and bow ties. He was often seen bicycling around the neighborhood or cruising in his 1950s-era Nash Rambler, “Maude.” By choice, his Victorian mansion had no air conditioning. He simply slept on the upstairs or downstairs porch, depending on the weather. “He was kind of born in the wrong century,” said visual artist Gary Sweeney, who got to know Casey after moving to San Antonio in 1994. “At first, I thought it was an affectation, but you peel back the layers with Mike, you get the same person again. It was all genuine.”
Over the years, Casey emerged as one of the neighborhood’s principal patrons of the arts, offering up affordable rentals in a cluster of homes he owned dubbed the Compound on Stieren Street. The enclave became home for experimental contemporary art space Sala Diaz, founded by artist Alejandro Diaz, along with Casa Chuck, a guest house and residency program dedicated to the memory of the late artist Chuck Ramirez. Visual artist and Sala Diaz Director Ethel Shipton, one of the dozens of artists who passed in and out of the Compound before Casey sold it in 2020, said his willingness to provide an inexpensive place for creatives helped change the face of the downtown San Antonio art scene. When she moved in, she paid just $250 a month. “His generosity sure was infectious,” Shipton said. “A lot of us who were in contact with Mike Casey took him as an inspiration to pay it forward. ... He gave a lot of people a place to grow.” Beyond offering inexpensive rent, Casey provided many in the community with pro bono legal aid. He was also a fixture at art openings and neighborhood parties, where his positive spirit livened up the proceedings. Shipton recalls trying to help Casey clean up after he served margaritas for a group of artists at his home during a gallery afterparty. He shooed her back to the gathering, saying, “Oh, honey, just dim the lights and dance.” The “Mayor of Southtown” reflected Casey’s long roots in the King William neighborhood. His involvement in
Bryan Rindfuss
the community dates back to the early 1970s upon his return from the Vietnam War. He served as a member of the King William Association Board, Blue Star Contemporary, Sala Diaz and as president of the King William Fair. Casey married his longtime partner, visual artist Jose Chapa, about three years ago and subsequently relocated to coastal Mexico. This spring, about 20 friends traveled south to attend his 85th birthday celebration, according to Angela Martinez of Slab Cinema, who was in attendance.
In 2021, Martinez helped put together an 80th birthday party for the retired attorney, which featured Casey-related creations by nearly 30 local artists plus a fashion show inspired by his attire and a performance by Buttercup, his favorite band. Martinez said the celebration, held at the Espee Pavilion, ended up growing quickly because so many people wanted to be involved. “He was always so kind and so exuberant,” Martinez said. “There was so much love for him.”
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arts
Bryan Rindfuss
On the Market Curator Mia Lopez comes full circle with the Centro de Artes exhibition ‘Mercado/Material’ BY BRYAN RINDFUSS
T
he colors, flavors and textures of Latin American markets get a conceptual spin in “Mercado/Material,” a vibrant new Centro de Artes exhibition on view through March 7, 2027. Billed as a “commentary on the evolutions of shopping culture across Latinx communities,” the group show unites more than a dozen artists from San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Chicago and New York. While there’s plenty of eye candy to
be found among the assembled photographs, paintings, sculptures, installations and mixed-media works, seasoned San Antonio viewers will likely pick up on some less-obvious factors at play. In addition to the slightly meta nature of market-inspired artwork being displayed in a gallery located in Market Square, there are some satisfying full-circle moments. For starters, “Mercado/Material” brings to mind the short-lived heyday of the Museo Alameda, which inaugurated this space in 2007. When it opened, the Alameda was both the largest Latino art museum in the country and the first Smithsonian affiliate outside Washington, D.C. By the time it shuttered in 2012 amid financial woes, the museum had showcased esteemed San Antonio artists and hosted world-class exhibitions. After a stint under the umbrella of Texas A&MSan Antonio, the space was reborn as the city-owned Centro de Artes, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall. Years in the making, “Mercado/Material” is the brainchild of Mia Lopez, a San Antonio native who joined the Alameda as a museum educator in 2007, earned
multiple masters degrees from the Art Institute of Chicago, and is currently serving as the McNay Art Museum’s first Curator of Latinx Art. During her Alameda years, Lopez worked on the Vincent Valdez and Alex Rubio collaboration “San Anto: Pride of the Southside/En El Mero Hueso” and the Jesse Treviño retrospective “Mi Vida,” among other exhibitions. “All of those exhibitions were hugely influential to me,” Lopez told the Current. Feeling the pull of graduate school, Lopez departed the Alameda and relocated to Chicago. “I left the museum when they were having their financial issues and started a new chapter,” she added. “I [later] realized what an incredible educational experience it was for me. It’s full circle in that it’s in some ways bizarre to be back working in the space, and yet it feels very natural. The city has done such a wonderful job of preserving the idea of an artistic creative space right here in downtown — and making sure that we have access to the arts for everybody.” The curatorial spark for “Mercado/Material” arrived after Lopez returned home from Chicago.
MMia Lopez amid works by Josue Rawmirez and Sarita Garcia. “I wanted to immerse myself back into the local arts community and I was thinking about exhibition-making from a different perspective,” she said. “The city had an open call and I was really inspired because I had seen some incredible exhibitions in this space. I thought about site specificity, the history of the market and all of the joy and exuberance. [I also thought about all] the labor that goes on behind the scenes — the stories that are told and untold.” As luck would have it, Lopez’s invitation to organize “Mercado/Material” came just as she was accepting her role at the McNay. “I was like, ‘I’ll figure out how to juggle these two things,’” Lopez recalled. What ended up happening was that they actually fed into each other. The work that I do is really about working with living artists [and] thinking about the cultural fabric of San Antonio — but also how that relates to the larger art world. So the artist list that I came up with three years
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arts ago shifted.” Informed by her hometown and her 11 years in the Midwest, that artist list comes to light cohesively in “Mercado/ Material.” Fittingly, the show begins in a room highlighting works by two kindred spirits: fast-rising painter Eva Marengo Sanchez and late local legend Chuck Ramirez. Effortlessly falling into conversation with one another, Ramirez’s stark photographs of bedraggled piñatas are cut from the same cloth as Sanchez’s photorealistic paintings of fruit cups. “Eva was somebody I knew I wanted to feature because of the photorealistic approach that she takes and her very specific lens on food items from San Antonio. It speaks so much of the market,” Lopez said. “And of course Chuck is somebody who is not only an iconic San Antonio artist but has had a great impact on the way that we think about Latinx esthetics.” While Ramirez’s and Sanchez’s poppy celebrations of everyday objects will be familiar to San Antonio art fans, “Mercado/Material” does a commendable job of bringing unusual suspects into the fold. Born in San Miguel de Allende and now based in Houston, Guadalupe Hernandez puts an unexpected spin on the decorative art of papel picado. Although familiar at first glance, his hand-punched paper panels swap out traditional imagery for everyday items such as household cleaners and tools. “I had seen how Guadalupe wasn’t just commissioning papel picado … he actually immersed himself into learning this craft,” Lopez said. “A lot of [his projects] are about labor. Conceptually, I felt that that was also an important gesture — to train himself into this craft, which is time-consuming [and] physically demanding.” Mirroring Lopez’s own trajectory, San Antonio-born, Chicago-based artist Sarita Garcia draws creative inspiration from the markets, panaderías and hand-painted signage that can be found in both cities. For her area of “Mercado/ Material,” Garcia created a silkscreened textile installation titled El Swap-O-Rama that functions as a vivid backdrop for ceramic vessels adorned with images of local landmarks, including the bygone treasures Karam’s and Randy’s Rodeo. “When I first met Sarita, she was primarily working in printmaking, [but] as time progressed she began to experiment with ceramics,” Lopez said. “It’s always incredible when an artist is able to
take two completely different mediums and excel in both of them — but also translate the aesthetics and the concepts fairly seamlessly across mediums.” New York-based Jesus Benavente, another San Antonio export, had been on Lopez’s radar long before “Mercado/ Material.” Informed by pop culture, his projects frequently involve performative elements. When Lopez invited him to be a part of the exhibition, he accepted but couldn’t give her a clear idea of what he’d be contributing. “I trusted him and let him have free rein to create something that was truly site-specific and site-responsive,” Lopez said. Inspired by viral TikTok videos of people dancing with abandon at the Poteet flea market, Benavente created Me Buscas, Te Miro, Baila Con Migo — a makeshift stage surrounded by mirrors. “[The people in those videos] are literally performing for the camera, kind of peacocking,” Lopez said. “[Benavente’s installation] makes you want so badly to enter the dance floor yourself.” Similarly performance-minded, Rio Grande Valley-based Mexican artist Josue Rawmirez coined the term piñatabstract to describe the sculptures he builds from discarded piñata scraps. Nodding to Chicago art star Nick Cave’s elaborate “Soundsuits,” Rawmirez’s “Piñata People” come to light at Centro de Artes in the form of life-size creatures dripping with tissue paper. “I love what Josue has done by taking the broken piñata pieces and transforming them — literally turning trash into treasure,” Lopez said. “[His work] speaks to the idea of the market itself as material, the idea of there being many layers to the story, and a life for these objects beyond their original function. [But it also speaks] to the aesthetics of rasquachismo, which has been a major influence for me. [It’s] also synonymous with San Antonio: the idea of embracing and making do with what you have.” Ask any old-school San Antonio art scenester what their favorite memory of the Alameda is and they’ll likely mention local artist Franco Mondini-Ruiz’s long-lasting installation Botánica. Packed with votive candles, milagros, religious figurines and mystical tchotchkes salvaged from bygone botánica Casa Mireles, the installation encapsulated the strange magic Mondini-Ruiz conjured in his legendary South Flores gallery-shop Infinito Botánica. Although esteemed San Antonio photographer
Bryan Rindfuss
MDaniela Oliver de Portillo stands next to her interactive Mercado de Flores installation. sacurrent.com | October 28 - November 10, 2026 | CURRENT
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arts
Courtesy Image / Centro de Artes
Courtesy Image / Centro de Artes
MSarita Garcia’s piece Randy’s, LosGlobos, LasPalmas.
Al Rendón contributed a wealth of images that fit perfectly into the context of “Mercado/Material” — including vintage slices of life captured in Market Square — his photograph of Mondini-Ruiz’s Botánica feels particularly relevant here. Nodding to that installation and its brilliant blurring of the lines between art and commerce, Mexico City-born San Antonio artist Daniela Oliver de Portillo took over the same corner pocket of the gallery with Mercado de Central de Flores. Drawing from childhood memories of her mother’s flower shop in Mexico, de Portillo created an interactive installation that invites gallery-goers to pick out a laser-cut paper flower, adorn it with a message, and leave it in a vase affixed to the wall. “An everyday purchase can hold a whole history of belonging,” de Portillo said. “What resonates with me is how a place of commerce can go beyond that and become a symbolic space for cultural expression. Everything becomes
MWorks on display include Gregory by Chuck Ramirez (left) and Canel’s by Eve Marengo Sanchez (right). deeply personal and deeply universal at the same time. Isn’t that the type of connection Franco inspired and we all seek?” “That’s another full-circle moment. It’s bringing this idea of commerce into the gallery,” Lopez said of Mercado de Central de Flores. With a window that looks directly onto Market Square, de Portillo’s contribution to “Mercado/Material” drives the exhibition concept home while providing space for the narrative to evolve. And like Mondini-Ruiz’s Botánica, it will likely emerge
as a fan favorite thanks to its participatory nature and camera-ready setting. “There’s been a really positive response to this work and I think that speaks to the community’s desire to see these stories, to hear from these artists,” Lopez concluded. “And I think the fact that we have in dialogue artists that are based in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Chicago and New York — all in one space — speaks to how pervasive these themes are. It resonates with our community, but it goes so, so far beyond that.”
Mercado/Material
Free, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday through March 7, 2027, Centro de Artes, 101 S. Santa Rosa Ave., (210) 206-2787, sa.gov.
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Texas filmmaker explores fascination with true-crime podcasts in horror flick Marrow BY KIKO MARTINEZ
H
orror filmmaker and Texas native Mitch McLeod got chills as he read a series of emails a stalker sent his mentor, the late writer and funeral industry professional James Foster, whose pen name was “Distal Marrow.” But turning that unsettling correspondence into a horror movie proved tricky. “They terrified me when I first read them,” McLeod told the Current during a recent interview. “But I could not figure out how to turn them into an interesting film.” When his wife, actress Jessica Dawn Willis, suggested centering a script on a true-crime podcast, the idea for his next horror film fell into place. In Marrow, Willis stars as Jamie Foster, a podcaster who invites her own stalker onto her show — even though she suspects he may be the serial killer behind the murders of other social media influencers. McLeod said most of the stalker’s dialogue was taken straight from the emails. During our interview, McLeod, who was born in Garland, discussed society’s fascination with serial killers and whether a podcast like the one featured in the film would attract listeners or cross an ethical line. Marrow makes its debut on VOD platforms on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
I’m being facetious, but doesn’t it worry you that your wife loves true crime so much?
Oh, of course! [Women] are the craziest [fans]. She’s a very intelligent woman and a terrific writer, and her fascination with the macabre sometimes matches my own. There’s a very specific audience among women who enjoy true crime. We have a moment in the film where we break down those statistics.
Do you recognize your Texas upbringing at all in your work as a filmmaker?
I’ve traveled, but I haven’t really experienced growing up elsewhere. So, it’s difficult for me to say whether or not my Texas upbringing has influenced anything. There are parts of Texas I’ve been to that influenced some of the locations in Marrow. If you look at some of
screens
Speak of the Devil
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my past work, they all do take place in small, secluded areas. So, maybe I do have a propensity for that. While that is a factor, I think seclusion lends itself to horror.
What is your earliest horror movie memory as a kid?
I remember my mom showed me Wes Craven’s Scream, and I just loved it. I could not get enough of it to the point where she took me to the theater to see Scream 2 on the night it was released. She’d hate me telling you this because she’d call herself a bad parent or whatever. I remember in the first Scream, they’re watching Halloween. So then [my mom] showed me Halloween, and I went insane. I wore out the VHSs when I was a kid.
What were the challenges in balancing your mentor’s experience and the demands of what a horror movie required?
My biggest concern was keeping true to what happened, but also taking a supernatural approach to it. Obviously, I took liberties, but I wanted to make sure that we captured the spirit of the story. Some of the supernatural elements were things [James] talked about.
Did making the film change the way you think about society’s fascination with serial killers? I’ve never been a big true crime fan … but I’ve always had a fascination with serial killers, and I’ve read a lot of books about them. It’s a fascinating and terrifying psychology … even if I didn’t necessarily watch true crime before diving into this film. So, I’m not sure it’s changed anything about the way I feel about it, but it certainly has opened up new horizons to explore.
Since Jamie gives her stalker a platform on her podcast, do you view her as a cautionary figure or someone who’s complicit in the media culture she’s caught up in?
I think that opening up her platform to bring
somebody like that onto the show is a commentary on society. I think that we’re living in an age where people are more fascinated by clicks than anything else. In the social media age, I can understand why, but it’s still terrifying. We’re living in a world right now where people are more concerned with audience engagement than anything else. I think it becomes irresponsible because they’re not really caring about what else happens as long as someone is engaging.
If Jamie were a real podcaster today, do you think her listeners would recognize the danger she’s in, or would they reward her for getting closer to it? I think both. People these days are so hungry for content. I think if this were to happen in real life, there would be a morbid fascination by audiences. I think a lot of the audiences would call it fake. They’re always looking for the smoke and mirrors. I think it would also raise a really interesting discussion online between the people who believe it’s real and tune in, the people who think it’s a hoax and the people who recognize what is happening and think it’s wrong.
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food
food Mixed Catch
Fresh seafood shines at (a)mar while other dishes flounder BY RON BECHTOL
I
t’s alleged that more than 500 tons of debris, including oddities such as baby dolls and piggy banks, washes up on Texas beaches per year — more than any other coastal state. San Antonio’s metaphorical shores have lately seen a wave of upscale Mexican seafood restaurants which bring up similar trash-or-treasure quandaries. Among the newest is Báltico Seafood & Grill, out of Torreón, Mexico, which is said to be opening soon in Stone Oak. Aguazul recently put down anchor on Loop 410. And (a)mar, a locally owned concept, has taken over the former Allora space adjacent the high-profile Pearl. Regulars of the old Allora — of which there apparently weren’t enough — will recognize the basic shape of things. The bar, for example, retains its distinctive arches. But the finishes have been refreshed, decorative items such as a dead tree and faux cacti abound. Furnishings are new. And large basket-like light fixtures now dominate the space. The room isn’t necessarily better for all that, but owners Carlos and Clarece Clavijo have made it their own. Though neither has a culinary background, the couple’s travels to places such as Oaxaca and Tulum have also apparently influenced the menu. Breaded tuna on grilled panela is the only appetizer item that suggests the coast, but when you arrive at the Ceviches de la Casa listings, the theme emerges with a bang. The Ceviche Tradicional cried out for a sampling. The centerpiece is lime-cured redfish — points immediately awarded for it not being tilapia. The menu does state that the diced fish is marinated for six hours, along with the usual chopped tomato, onion and cilantro. Surely not — especially given the small size of the chunks. A more traditional curing time might stop at an hour, after which the seafood tends to get mushy. Despite the long soak, the mix tasted fresh, though more sharply tart than briny. And the accompanying tortilla chips were appealingly crunchy. We next moved on to the Seafood Cocktails. Here, the seafood is cooked, so resting time is not an issue. (a)mar’s version con-
Ron Bechtol
tains both shrimp and octopus. The classic recipe for the sauce might be as simple as tomato juice, ketchup and lime, or might get more complex with the addition of Clamato, Salsa Maggi and more. Whatever their baroque-leaning recipe, the “tangy special sauce” served here is just special enough, and the seafood is both bountiful and beautifully prepared. Add fresh oysters to this, and it becomes a Vuelve a la Vida — familiar to denizens of San Antonio’s cohort of long-lived, and not obviously upscale, Mexican seafood joints. The zarandeado grilling tradition highlighted on the menu comes from Mexico’s west coast. As tempting as it was, the Huachinango Zareandeado weighs in at $60, a dollar more than a 12oz. grilled ribeye provided for landlubbers. Pass. The House Special Seafood Paella has little to do with Mexico, but it was a comparatively more modest $48. It also took 30-40 minutes, according to our accommodating waitress. How to fill up the time? Not with Chipotle Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops, I’d suggest. Oh, the pasta was passable — if a little chewy, and the sautéed shrimp and seared scallops were both on point. But the chipotle cream, which should have been a slam-dunk, managed to be both
boring and weird. Fortunately, the paella arrived pretty much when promised. There’s no use whining about how hard it is to find a really good version in San Antonio. (a)mar’s suffers the fate of many a restaurant rendition: at least in the for-two portion it appears to have been reheated, but not cooked, in its presentation pan and thus lacks the prized bottom crust. If you can get over this—or don’t care in the first place, the short-grain rice may be just a tad overcooked, but the saffron-led flavors struck just the right tone, and the seafood medley itself — there were clams and mussels in this mix — further reflected the kitchen’s comfort in simple mariscos. The kitchen appears to be less confident so far when it comes to dessert. Sounding promising, the Corn Cheesecake with corn syrup and dulce de leche ice cream was, once more, simply strange. Dense, not especially corny and not wellserved by an indifferent crust, it was also a visual dud. If a corn dessert is wanted, maybe take a look at the famous pie served on the beaches of Yelapa in Jalisco. It’s more of a custard but might serve as inspiration. Or, should the tucked-away mezcaleria be open, finish the night with a dependably authentic tipple.
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food
Agarita
A Tasteful Arrangement
San Antonio’s Agarita chamber ensemble creates series pairing food and music BY KAT MCKINNEY
S
an Antonio chamber ensemble Agarita is inviting audiences to indulge more than just their ears this fall. The nonprofit arts organization has launched Music, Food & Wine at the Agarita Loft, a three-part series that kicks off this Friday. The series pairs live performances with curated culinary experiences from acclaimed restaurant Clementine and will take place at the Agarita Loft in the King William neighborhood. Agarita’s executive director and violist Marisa Bushman said the series feels like a natural extension of the ensemble’s long-standing commitment to artistic collaboration. “We’ve always been open to this kind of cross-pol-
lination in our city,” Bushman said, recalling the organization’s past partnerships with local chefs and a pandemic-era project that paired a Clementine takeout menu with a custom music video experience. The series’ inaugural event, “American Desserts & Champagne,” took place last Friday, featuring a diverse range of classic American music paired with desserts created by Clementine chef and co-owner Elise Russ, accompanied by Champagne service. The second event, “Agarita Celebrates America 250,” will take place Nov. 18 and will feature works by U.S. composers in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Clementine chef and co-owner John Russ will prepare the accompanying food. “He’s listening to the pieces that we’re actually playing and curating the specific little bites to go with each of the pieces,” Bushman said. “He’s a creative mind that’s really playing off the energy of the music.” The series will conclude on Dec. 18 with “A Taste of Florence,” which will pair Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence” with Italian cheeses selected by Russ and wines from Alexander Vineyards. Bushman said the setting in the Southtown neighborhood plays a major role in the audience experience. Located above Belgian bistro La Frite, the Agarita Loft serves as the ensemble’s rehearsal space and performance venue all at once. “It has this really unique feeling,” Bushman said.
“Part gallery, part social club, part concert hall.” Tickets for the events are $75 and available online. While Agarita is best known for presenting free performances throughout San Antonio, Bushman said the concept is an opportunity to offer audiences a new experience. “This gives them a true date night,” she said. “They’re getting their meal, their music and their entire evening with Agarita.”
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music
Courtesy Photo / Boys From County Bexar
Rebels With a Cause Veteran SA rockers in Boys From the County Bexar draw on Irish inspiration BY SANFORD NOWLIN
S
an Antonio has Tex-Mex music in its DNA. Now, a group of local alt-rock veterans is adding a little Irish whiskey to the mix. Boys From the County Bexar — an ensemble featuring members of Coyote Dreams, the Infidels, Los Mescaleros and West of Rome — is releasing an album featuring their takes on seven Irish tunes. The compositions range from the Pogues favorites “A Pair of Brown Eyes” and “Lorca’s Novena” to “Back Home in Derry,” an Irish rebel song penned by Bobby Sands, the Provisional Irish Republican Army member who died in prison on a hunger strike. The band features acoustic guitars, mando-
lin and accordion backed by drums and electric bass, giving the songs a Pogues-like feel — reverent of the source material, but with a contemporary, rough-and-ready energy. “These songs, some of them have been sung around the pubs, the tables for years,” singer-guitarist Mike Ryan said of the recording. “They’re not meant to be recorded against a metronome. … With the recording, there was a spirit of let’s just do it and have fun.” The band will celebrate the release of the album with a party Thursday, Nov. 5, at the new Ludivine’s Foxy Saloon in St. Paul Square. To clear up any potential confusion, the Mike Ryan in Boys From the County Bexar is the former frontman and principal songwriter behind San Antonio ’90s alt-rock staple Coyote Dreams, not the like-named San Antonio country singer. Indeed, the former Coyote Dreams frontman enjoys dealing out good-natured ribbing to those who show up for his singer-songwriter performances expecting to see the other guy. Boys From the County Bexar also includes two other former Coyote Dreams members — accordionist Michael Galindo and bassist Blake Smithson — along with Michael Martin of the Infidels on mandolin and Jamie Roadman, who’s done time in Buttercup, Los Mescaleros and more, on drums.
The band came together after Ryan, Galindo and Martin performed a series of shows together focused on their interpretations of Irish pub songs. As they prepared to record, they added a rhythm section at the urging of Blue Cat Studios honcho Joe Treviño. “Jamie and I just did it cold over the course of two days,” Smithson said of their addition. “It wasn’t songs that Jamie or I had ever played on, so it was interesting having to adapt.” While Ryan’s work in Coyote Dreams tended to draw from a wide range of influences, from Tex-Mex to bluesy jams, he began to lean hard into Irish music after penning a play called Borderland Rogues. The play, which incorporated both Mexican and Irish songs, documented Saint Patrick’s Battalion, a group of Irish immigrants who fought alongside Mexican troops during the Mexican-American War after experiencing mistreatment in the United States. “A lot of this music was completely inspired for me from trips to Ireland and Mexico,” Ryan said. “They’re fighting the same struggle, and they always will, and they’ll always express it through their music and their poetry. And that’s what this album’s about — and it’s a big nod to [late Pogues singer] Shane MacGowan.” Naturally, the Pogues’ influence is front and center in the recording, and the band’s name even draws on the Irish band’s song “Boys From the County Hell.” However, the Boys From the County Bexar largely keep the album on the mellow and reflective side. The only number that veers toward the Pogues’ marriage of Irish reels with punk tempos is “Paddy Public Enemy No. 1,” a composition MacGowan recorded with his post-Pogues band the Popes. It’s unclear how frequently the full band will perform in the future since Elon Musk’s DOGE assault on federal workers forced Galindo, a remote employee, to relocate from San Antonio to D.C. Ryan said he doesn’t see the members putting down the songs or abandoning their inspiration anytime soon. “Well, I’m always going to have these songs in my pocket,” he said. “I haven’t ever been able to crack that touring thing where it’s anywhere close to profitable. But what I have been doing though is working with this informal collective of artists, and it’s morphed into something that’s really cool the way we go to different towns singing, doing a reading of my play — an abbreviated reading of my play — mixed with their projects.” In other words, as long as there’s a pub, a willing audience and a few pints to go around, these songs will find a home. $5 admission or $10 admission plus CD, 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, Ludivine’s Foxy Saloon, 1160 E. Commerce St., (210) 233-6256, Instagram.com/ baludivine.
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critics’ picks Wednesday, Oct. 28 Squirrel Flower, Sour Widows Squirrel Flower is the project of Ella O’Connor Williams, who writes slow-burning indie folk songs that every so often stomp on the fuzz pedal and blow the roof off. Hushed, careful verses regularly give way to grungy, Crazy Horse-style guitar squall. Williams writes about weather, water and impending doom in a way that somehow feels cozy rather than bleak. Bay Area trio Sour Widows open with their own slow-building, harmony-heavy guitar rock. $20, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — Bill Baird
Stray Cats
Thursday, Oct. 29 Little Big Town, Waylon Payne Little Big Town’s four-part harmonies have made it a regular presence on country music charts for the past two decades. Founded in Nashville in 1998, the group survived early turmoil to release its second studio album The Road to Here in 2005, which included the breakout hit “Boondocks.” Since then, Little Big Town has racked up multiple albums go platinum, and its single “Pontoon” won the 2013 Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. $72.59-$279.50, 7:30 p.m., Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (210) 226-5700, majesticempire.com. — Danny Cervantes
Saturday, Oct. 31 Old Crow Medicine Show, Ken Pomeroy Grammy-winning Old Crow Medicine Show’s latest album, Union Made, leans into a blend of folk, bluegrass and alt-country that harkens back to the group’s Appalachian roots. Bandleader Ketch Secor’s timeless songwriting evokes imagery of the Civil War on this latest effort. $53.69-$76.21, 8 p.m., Stable Hall, 307 Pearl Parkway, stablehall.com. — DC
Monday, Nov. 2 hemlock, Elnuh, Rachel Toups hemlock is the project of Carolina Chauffe, who describes her music as “swamp-raised, phone-fi alt-folk.” The act occupies a wondrous gauzy space, like music one might hear in dreams. The project started with Chauffe laying down bare-bones demos of her voice and acoustic guitar, recorded with whatever background noise happened to be in the room. On her album 444, those same songs got the full-band treatment, plus the fuzz, atmosphere and dynamics they seemed to be hinting at. San Antonio’s Elnuh promises “elevator music to sigh to,” while San Francisco’s Rachel Toups rounds out the bill. $10, 8 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerose.com. — BB
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Courtesy Photo / Stray Cats
The Story So Far Formed during the 2000s pop-punk boom, the Story So Far manages to offer a unique spin on a well-worn genre by leaning into raspy vocals and fast-paced melodies. But the California act released heartbreak-themed acoustic songs that single people can cry to alongside its angrier tracks. The band’s been pushing into indie-rock territory these days — as heard on 2024 album I Want to Disappear. $82, 7 p.m., Aztec Theatre, 104 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 8124355, theaztectheatre.com. — Brianna Espinoza
Thursday, Nov. 5 Ceremony Ceremony started out in Rohnert Park, California, in the mid-2000s as a ferocious hardcore and powerviolence band — the kind whose songs end in 90 seconds and leave bruises. Then the band did something few of its genre brethren do: it grew. Records such as Zoo and The L-Shaped Man traded blast beats for moody post-punk, and 2019’s In the Spirit World Now went full-on new wave, with synths and a jittery Devo-esque bounce. Price TBA, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — BB JD Simo, Black Joe Lewis Nashville guitar-slinger JD Simo plays blues the way it’s supposed to be played: loud, loose and a little bit dangerous. He’s put in time with Jack White, Tommy Emmanuel and, somehow, Beyoncé. His solo work mixes Hill Country blues grooves with psychedelic detours that run as long as they need to. Expect Austin-based opener Black Joe Lewis to bring the garage-soul howl he’s been perfecting since his Honeybears days—part James Brown,
part punk rock. $48 and up, 7:30 p.m., Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater at the Tobin Center, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 223-8624, tobincenter. org. — BB
Friday, Nov. 6 Acid Bath Louisiana sludge-metal act Acid Bath is playing yet another one-off show — this time in San Antonio. Active in the early to mid-’90s, the band drew a cult audience based on its amalgam of death metal riffs, grungy vocals, gothic vibes and bluesy guitars. The group disbanded in 1997 after the untimely death of bassist Audie Pitre, but reunited almost 30 years later and has gone on to play a string of one-off shows and festival appearances. $64.61, 6:30 p.m., Boeing Center at Tech Port, 3331 General Hudnell Drive, (210) 600-3699, boeingcentertechport.com. — BE Dinosaur Jr., Stef Chura Dinosaur Jr. has endured changing musical tastes and lineups to maintain its status as one of the pioneering groups of the alt-rock genre. Formed as Dinosaur in 1985 by guitarist-frontman J Mascis, the band reveled in feedback and distortion while annoying club owners across the Northeast. Mascis and a revolving cast of sidemen carried on, finally breaking through on college radio with a cover of the Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ and later scored another hit with ‘Start Choppin’’ from 1993’s Where You Been. In August, the band released its 13th studio album There Near. $45.80, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s St., papertigersatx.com. — DC Doja Cat, Latto
Doja Cat has emerged as one of the bestselling women rappers of all time. Her most recent release, Vie, drew praise from critics as a return to her pop roots as she dabbled in genres such as R&B and new jack swing. $62.75-$408.10, 7:30 p.m., Frost Bank Center, One Frost Bank Center Drive, (210) 444-5140, frostbankcenter.com. — DC
Sunday, Nov. 8 Joe “King” Carrasco, Hickoids, Krayolas, Garrett T. Capps Joe “King” Carrasco, the self-crowned King of Tex-Mex rock & roll, has earned the title and the cape he wears onstage. In 1979, Carrasco and his band, the Crowns, mashed up garage rock, cumbia and polka into one sweaty party, becoming one of the first U.S. acts signed to Stiff Records. The rest of the bill, comprised of SA roots-rocking heavyweights speaks to Carrasco’s continued influence. $10, 7 p.m., The Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 455-0233, thelonesomerose.com. — BB
Tuesday, Nov. 10 Stray Cats Stray Cats became the most successful act of the ’80s rockabilly revival thanks to frontman Brian Setzer’s adept guitar work, the rhythm section’s infectious backbeat and a stylishly pompadoured look. The trio’s best-known tracks, “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut” and “(She’s) Sexy + 17” broke the top 10 and became rock-radio staples of their day. After a breakup at the height of their success, the members are back together and sticking to a rocking and stripped-down sound that transcends the decades. $60.39-$408.75, Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston St., (888) 811-5040, us.atgtickets.com. — Sanford Nowlin
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SATURDAY 11/14/26 • 12 PM - 6PM MUSIC • FOOD • FAMILY FUN VETERAN RESOURCE FAIR
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NOTICE OF PROPOSED ACTION ON APPLICATION FOR CONVERSION OF BASE IRRIGATION GROUNDWATER TO UNRESTRICTED IRRIGATION GROUNDWATER The General Manager of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (“EAA”) proposes to grant applications to convert Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater under § 711.342(c) of the EAA’s Rules. A copy of the applications, the technical summaries, the General Manager’s proposed actions, and the proposed amended regular permits are available for public inspection at the EAA’s offices at 900 E. Quincy Street, San Antonio, Texas Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Electronic copies may also be obtained by request to Jennifer Wong-Esparza at jesparza@edwardsaquifer.org or (210) 222-2204. “Against the Grain”--a few special breakfast items. by Matt Jones ©2026 Matt Jones Across 1. Component of some salads 6. An HMO may require you to have one 9. Fall blossom 14. Nomo in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame 15. “The Serpent and the Rope” novelist Raja ___ 16. Get going 17. Mischievous visages 19. Airport circlers 20. Breakfast maker’s reattempt? 22. Annoying one 23. Furtive 24. Personal emanation 25. Sigourney Weaver sequel of 1986 27. AMA members 28. Pac-Man enemy 29. Archbishop Desmond 32. Montreal baseball player, once 35. Integra maker 38. Detergent brand formulated for baby clothes 40. Pursue office 41. Late 1990s toy fad 42. Blunder 43. Ripening element 45. “Come Back, Little Sheba” playwright 46. Like most toothpaste 48. Have lunch 50. British mathematician and author (and “Celebrity Traitors” player) Fry 52. Daily Planet reporter Clark
54. Principle of Eastern religion 57. “___ all possible ...” 58. Obvious pop-up observation at breakfast? 61. Pumbaa’s pal 63. Classification for yttrium or ytterbium 64. Blintz relative 65. Vat contents, maybe 66. Beach 67. “Siddhartha” author Hermann 68. Little ___ (viral late 2000s pitchman for Starburst Berries and Cream) 69. Grad student job Down 1. Processes food? 2. Opponent 3. Impart knowledge to 4. ___-driving vehicle 5. “Great news!” 6. Earlier in time 7. Graphic design software company based in Australia 8. Be a model 9. ___-J (indie rock band) 10. Part of a maritime breakfast? 11. April filing 12. Aquafina competitor 13. Sits for a bit 18. Upcycle, maybe 21. Cheerleader’s cheer 26. Bakery purchase 27. Comment about a breakfast item being the best? 28. Not there anymore 29. QB stats 30. Decorative server 31. Pub quiz creations 33. Revealing picture 34. Pooch with a curly tail
36. Late SCOTUS member 37. Yes vote 39. Subway option 44. “Cold Mountain” star Zellweger 47. Shakespearean pronoun 49. Bear witness 50. Sudden snag 51. Blazing 52. ___ Lumpur, Malaysia 53. Messed up 54. Judgement deck? 55. Jetson family pet 56. “Everything else” category 59. Like folk traditions 60. Diamond Head’s island 62. “Born,” in some announcements Answers on page 29.
The General Manager proposes to approve the following applications to convert Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater under § 711.342(c) of the EAA’s Rules: KC Belgian Farms Land, LLC, a Texas limited liability company – Filed application on August 25, 2026. The application seeks to convert 8.912 acre-feet of Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater based on the development of the Historically Irrigated Land (HIL). KC Belgian Farms Land, LLC, a Texas limited liability company – Filed application on August 25, 2026. The application seeks to convert 9.272 acre-feet of Base Irrigation Groundwater to Unrestricted Irrigation Groundwater based on the development of the Historically Irrigated Land (HIL). The applicants or any other Edwards Aquifer permit holder may file a written request for a contested case hearing on the proposed action with the EAA by no later than Monday December 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in accordance with § 707.603 of the EAA’s Rules. The EAA’s Board of Directors will consider approval of the applications and issuance of the proposed amended regular permits within 60 days of publication of this notice unless a request for contested case hearing is timely filed. If no timely requests for contested case hearing are filed, the applications will be presented to the EAA’s Board on the date of the hearing for final action. This notice is issued pursuant to § 707.525 of the EAA’s Rules.
ISSUED THIS 28th DAY OF OCTOBER, 2026
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