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$1 Kingsville • Texas • 78363
Change of venue denied in KPD officer’s case By Tim Acosta tacosta@king-ranch.com A district judge on Wednesday denied a request for a change of venue in the case of a Kingsville police officer indicted in December on charges related to domestic violence. Defense Attorney Scott Ellison, who is representing Joshua Grant, had filed the change of venue motion on Jan. 12, with the hearing taking place this week. Ellison had argued in his filing that media coverage in Kleberg County about the case would make it tough to find a “fair and impartial” jury. “Grant will not be able to receive a fair and impartial trial due to the prejudice against him by the pre-trial publicity,” Ellison wrote. “It will be extremely difficult to choose a fair and impartial jury from a pool of Kleberg County prospective jurors.” However, 105th District Judge Jack Pulcher on Wednesday denied the request, but a larger jury pool could be used during the jury selection process, officials said. Grant has been out on $75,000 bond following his indictment in early December on one count each of continuous family violence, obstruction and tampering with a witness, all third-degree felonies. He was arrested Nov. 21 as a result of an investigation into claims of (See Grant, Page 4A)
Alleged robber to remain jailed after giving birth By Tim Acosta tacosta@king-ranch.com 105th District Judge Jack Pulcher on Wednesday denied a request for a bond reduction from defense attorneys representing a woman accused of robbing a local insurance business at gunpoint while she was pregnant. Defense attorneys Nathan Fugate and Luis Garcia made the request to Pulcher on Wednesday, appearing with 33-year-old Monica Betancourt. She was jailed earlier this month after police said she robbed a local insurance business at gunpoint while eight months pregnant. Betancourt has since given birth to her child, and Fugate asked the court to give her a chance to be with the infant. “This is a humanitarian plea we’re making to the court,” Fugate said, pointing at Betancourt, who was in a wheelchair while wearing a pink jail uniform and handcuffs. “This mom needs to be with her child.” Betancourt reportedly walked into the business, located at the intersection of E. Fordyce Ave. and S. 13th St., just after 4 p.m. on June 30 wielding a handgun. She allegedly forced an employee into a separate office at gunpoint, and then stole an undisclosed amount of money from the business before fleeing the scene. She was arrested the next day after turning herself in at the Kingsville Police Department, authorities have said. Betancourt was later also charged with a separate (See Betancourt, Page 5A)
Ricaro ISD trustees vote for employee pay raises By Amber Aldaco aaldaco@king-ranch.com The Ricardo Independent School District’s Board of Trustees voted to increase the pay of teachers, counselors, nurses, administrators and auxiliary staff in the district for the 2015-16 school year during a meeting on Wednesday evening. Bettinae Kaiser, the director of business for Ricardo ISD, presented the proposal for a salary increase for the upcoming school year. “Included is Dr. (Superintendent Vita) Canales’ recommendation for the four percent increase to the teachers, nurses, counselors and administration, and five percent (increase) for auxiliary. I do feel comfortable with that; I do know we are getting some new money in. I know we are doing some building, but I also know that our employees work hard and we work hard to make sure we can afford to do some things for them, too,” Kaiser told the board. Board President Charles Saverline asked if property tax cuts from the state would affect the school district. “What I do know is that it won’t affect us right now… how it’s going to affect us personally with Ricardo, they haven’t come up with that yet. As soon as they do, we’ll have a new template,” Kaiser said. “I feel very firm about these numbers, with the exception of that, but everything (See Ricardo, Page 5A)
Weekend Edition July 19, 2015
Inside Local this New provost selected for Issue TAMUK
Bishop News Weekend Edition
D Vol 110 • Issue 5 July 19, 2015
Saturday • Sunday • Monday • Tuesday
Couple: Bees ‘came out of nowhere’ Local man had West Nile at time of death By Tim Acosta tacosta@king-ranch.com
Employees with Rudy’s Pest Control of Kingsville work to remove a large beehive found in the eave of a home in the 800 block of W. Ave. I last week. The hive was home to a swarm of bees that attacked one man and a small dog the week before. (Submitted photo) By Tim Acosta tacosta@king-ranch.com A little more than a week after a bee swarm attacked a man and killed a small dog in the 800 block of W. Ave. I, the homeowners of the residence where the hive was found are urging others to be cautious and check their own properties. Jason and Jessica Gonzalez have lived at their home in the 800 block of W. Ave. I for the past three years and are originally from Alice. Their time in Kingsville, they said, has been uneventful, but that all changed on July 8. That day, a bee swarm attacked a man next door, an incident that resulted in his
hospitalization and the death of a small dog. Pest control experts later discovered a large beehive in the eave of the Gonzalez’s home, completely hidden from view. Jason said the day before the attack, he was stung by bees while cutting his yard. The attack revealed that he was allergic to bees, as it left him with one eye swollen shut, an ear that swelled to three times its normal size and a swollen arm. Due to his injuries, the couple was unable to find out where the bees had originated, Jessica said. “We didn’t know where they were,” she said. “The next day is when they just swarmed (See Bees, Page 4A)
City of Kingsville officials on Friday confirmed that a Ricardo man who passed away earlier this month tested positive for the West Nile Virus. Emilio Garcia, director of the City-County Health Department, said state officials notified him on Thursday that blood belonging to 79-year-old Agustin Hinojosa Jr. tested positive for the West Nile Virus. However, it is still unknown where Hinojosa contracted the virus, as local officials have not yet begun monitoring for the West Nile Virus in Kleberg County. That will begin before the end of the month, Garcia said. However, officials have said Hinojosa traveled to areas outside of Kleberg County prior to falling ill. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, only about 20 percent of those infected with the West Nile Virus (See West Nile, Page 4A)
Judge denies motion to suppress search warrant in bank robbery case By Tim Acosta tacosta@king-ranch.com Evidence gathered from a search warrant executed by Kingsville police last year while investigating a bank robbery in early September will be admitted in the trial of one suspect charged in the case, following a judge’s ruling on Wednesday. The hearing, held in the courtroom of 105th District Judge Jack Pulcher, was meant to address claims raised by Nathan Fugate, defense attorney for 23-year-old Mario Martinez. The defendant is accused of robbing the IBC Bank at the intersection of
Armstrong Avenue and Santa Gertrudis Avenue on Aug. 29 with a handgun. However, Fugate said Martinez’s arrest was the result of a faulty search warrant with no probable cause. “I don’t think the search warrant should have ever been signed or should have been issued,” Fugate said. “It would have been a better service to the police to sit them down and counsel them and say, ‘Hey, fix yourselves – you all are reaching on this one a little too far, and now you’re creating more work for all of us and possibly jeopardizing the results of this trial,’ because they took a few shortcuts.”
Fugate’s criticism centered on the KPD’s use of information provided by what police claim was a citizen informant. Fugate pointed to language in the police affidavit, which was presented to then-County Court-at-Law Judge Lupita Mendoza, that referred to police questioning the witness about his “possible involvement or knowledge of the robbery.” Fugate said at that point, police acknowledged the witness was being treated as a criminal, making the information he provided questionable at best. “By their own admission, they are treating him as a
suspected criminal at that point, so he cannot be a citizen informant,” Fugate said. “He is a snitch, he is a suspected criminal, and (the) information he gives them is not inherently reliable – it can’t be.” Police began their search for the bank robbery suspect, who was wearing a motorcycle helmet, long-sleeve shirt and gloves, shortly after the incident took place. According to the affidavit, a copy of which was obtained by the Kingsville Record and Bishop News, the witness told police he recognized the helmet used in the bank robbery as one he (See Martinez, Page 4A)
New Driscoll ISD school on track to open for students on Aug. 12 By Amber Aldaco aaldaco@king-ranch.com The Driscoll Independent School District’s Board of Trustees conducted a tour and discussion of the new Driscoll ISD campus on Thursday evening. The plans for the new campus started in 2013, after Driscoll voters approved a $7.6 million bond proposed by the Driscoll ISD for a new campus. The campus broke ground in May of 2014 and is scheduled to be open to students on the first day of school on Aug. 12. Construction consultant Richard Table and Superintendent Cynthia Garcia led the board through the new
campus, which is still under some construction. The interior of the new campus will feature both modern and vintage fixtures, Garcia said. “We got strips of wood from the old gym and used them throughout the new school, as beams and for the library, for example,” Board President Veronica Ramon said during the tour. The purple dragon seal from the old gymnasium floor was not demolished, but was salvaged, cleaned and found a new home inside the new library, something the trustees were happy to see. “So many of our students played basketball on that court,” Garcia said. “The beams that are up there, were
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Madrid sworn in for state commission
the beams holding up the gym. Now they’re holding up the new school.” Another interesting feature of the new campus is a collection of painted tiles located outside the library. The tiles are self-portraits of the students from the 2014-15 school year, as well as teachers, staff and school board members. The tiles were painted during art classes last year, Garcia said. “This is so nice,” said trustee Vanessa Silguero, looking for the tiles featuring her children. “It really shows how creative the children are,” trustee Lala Zuniga said. The new campus also features (See Driscoll, Page 5A)
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Bishop athletes take talents See Page 5A to Alaska
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