2018 HIGH SCHOOL
2018 Spring Edition
SPORTS PREVIEW THE In This Week’s Issue: The Complete Soccer, Baseball, & Softball coverage of SCHOOLS
BIG7
Friday, March 9, 2018
www.ptrgv.com | 50 Cents
Vol. 46 No. 30
Court records link former La Joya school board president to gambling raid By Dave Hendricks When investigators raided the Voodoo Lounge last year, what started as a standard gambling case took a strange twist. On paper, Adan Christopher Palacios owned the Voodoo Lounge — a nondescript bar at the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 495 and Veterans Boulevard in San Juan. He requested a permit from the city. He handled the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission paperwork. And when investigators raided the Voodoo Lounge in mid-November, they found him behind the bar. Investigators seized more than $12,000 and two dozen slot-machine style devices from the Voodoo Lounge on Nov. 11, according to court records. They accused Palacios of paying cash prizes, which violated Texas law. Palacios, though, told a different story. “Mr. Palacios went on to
say that it was a guy from Peñitas or Palmview by the name of Arnold Ochoa who assembled the business,” according to the civil forfeiture affidavit. “He also said that Arnold’s wife’s name is Claudia and that she is in politics.” Former La Joya school board president Arnold Ochoa worked for the Palmview Police Department for 18 years. His wife, Claudia Ochoa, currently serves on the school board. Arnold Ochoa said he knows Palacios and connected him with a business opportunity, but adamantly denied any involvement in illegal gambling. “That he feels he was betrayed or whatever he feels, that’s up to him,” Arnold Ochoa said. “I just hooked him up with those people. And if he felt that, I’m sorry.” The Voodoo Lounge Palacios had big plans for the Voodoo Lounge. Patrons would relax on couches while enjoying
glasses of wine, Palacios said, according to paperwork reviewed by the San Juan City Commission. Attempting to assuage any concerns, Palacios promised the Voodoo Lounge “will not be a typical bar.” He didn’t mention the slot-machine style devices, which became a major attraction for the Voodoo Lounge. The City Commission approved a conditional use permit in February 2017. Palacios started serving drinks two months later, when the Alcoholic Beverage Commission approved a beer and wine permit. Questions about the Voodoo Lounge surfaced during October, when someone called San Juan Crime Stoppers with concerns about illegal gambling. Undercover cops visited the bar. After the undercover cops handed Palacios cash, he provided them with PIN numbers to play the machines, according to the criminal complaint. When they won,
Palacios paid cash. After conducting three undercover operations, investigators started drafting a search warrant. Sweepstakes vs. Eight-Liners How, exactly, the slot-machine style devices at the Voodoo Lounge worked remains unclear. Investigators across the Rio Grande Valley routinely shut down underground game rooms, where customers play slot-machine style devices called eight-liners. They occasionally find virtually identical “sweepstakes machines,” which purport to comply with Texas law. Gambling must involve chance, said attorney Stuart Baggish, who represents an Austin-area sweepstakes company called Tejas Vending. Sweepstakes machines rely on something else: a limited number of entries with predetermined outcomes.
See GAMBLING RAID Pg. 7
Photos of slot-machine style devicA photo of the exterior of the Voodoo Adan Christopher Pala- es at the Voodoo Lounge. (Photos Lounge. Photo by Dave Hendricks. cios. Photo courtesy courtesy of the San Juan Police Deof Hidalgo Co. Sheriff’s partment.) Office.
Palmview, Agua SUD sign interlocal agreements
By Jose De Leon III Nearly two months after a workshop between the city of Palmview and the Agua Special Utility District concerning the incoming Agua SUD Wastewater Collection System, both entities signed two interlocal agreements needed for the project. At the Monday meeting with the utility district, Agua approved interlocal agreements for sanitary sewer connections for vacant lots and for the repaving of streets that were dug up to lay down sewer lines-items Palmview will pay for.
Palmview interim City Manager Leo Olivares told the Agua board of directors the funds raised by both projects would come from a $2.8 million bond the city issued last December that were fully funded as of Tuesday. The first agreement concerns the connections of nearly 330 vacant lots in the city that council is hoping will end up connecting to the wastewater system to prevent those same streets from being torn up to be connected to the wastewater system once the lots become occupied. The city is investing $950,000 for the project.
City leaders stand at the Dog Park at Bannworth Park ground breaking ceremony.
City of Mission Unveils First Dog Park By Jamie Treviño Hoping to instill an appreciation for the city’s animals and promote growth in the area, two new dog parks will be built in Mission’s Bannworth Park and Bentsen Palm Community Park. This Wednesday, the City of Mission held a ground breaking ceremony for their first dog park, located in Bannworth Park. City Manager Martin Garza Jr. spoke at the event, and said that the city was incredibly excited for these new projects. “There’s always a start, a beginning for a new project,” Martin Garza, Jr. said. “And before a ground breaking actually starts, you’d be surprised the amount of time and effort. People coming together in meetings actually make a project happen.” Martin Garza. Jr. credited two people in particular, as well as the entire Mission Pawsible board, for being responsible for the motivation to build these dog parks:
Cathy Garcia and Homer Garza. Garcia, a pastor from Freedom Life Church, blessed the park at the beginning of the ceremony. “It’s a place where families and children and neighbors can come together and enjoy the area,” Garcia said. “It’s a place where we can enjoy and make new friendships.” Homer Garza, a board member of the Mission Pawsible board, first came to the city’s attention because of his defense of Mission on social media. He was happy that the city responded positively to all the ideas Mission Pawsible has brought up in their new capacity. He hopes other cities may follow suit. He credits Mission Pawsible for lowering the city’s euthanasia count, and that it is important to take care of the region’s furry friends. “We’ve saved hundreds of dogs’ lives,” Homer Garza said. “It started out with a
See DOG PARK Pg. 7
Former incumbents fail to gain traction in March primary
“Palmview is funding it and we’re accommodating it and having a separate invoice apart from the Texas Water Development Board for the other connections,” Agua interim Executive Director Eddie Saenz said. “So it’s something that we’ll help them with.” The agreements came nearly two weeks after the city of Palmview filed a lawsuit against the utility district. As previously reported, Palmview is constructing a water lift station to service areas not included in the project. However, Agua is
See AGUA SUD Pg. 7
By Jose De Leon III With a total of 55,277 votes cast during the March 2018 primary election, down by more than 26,000 voters from the March 2016 primary, we’re taking a look at the results impacting western Hidalgo County. Hidalgo County voters overwhelmingly re-elected Ricardo Rodriguez to a second term as district attorney Tuesday. Rodriguez received nearly 80 percent of the vote, or 35,481 votes compared to Rene Guerra’s 9,717 according to results from the Hidalgo County elections website.
Incumbent Rodriguez faced off against former DA Guerra for a second time after unseating Guerra’s 32 year run as district attorney in 2014. Former McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez defeated his Democratic opponent, former county judge Eloy Pulido in the race for Hidalgo County Judge by nearly 5,000 votes. With more than 55 percent of the vote, Tuesday night’s results showed that 24,897 ballots were cast in Cortez’s favor to Pulido’s 20,058. This now clears the path for a race pitting Cortez against Republican nominee
Jane Cross, who ran unopposed in the March 6 primary. Arnoldo Corpus, who previously served as Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Place 1, attempted to return to the bench but lost to La Joya School Board Trustee Juan “J.J.” Peña who won the Democratic primary with 71 percent of the vote, or 6,880 votes compared to Corpus’ 2,787 votes. Peña will face Republican nominee Arminda “Mindy” Garza-who ran unopposed-at the Nov. 6, 2016 Texas general election.
INSIDE Daylight Saving Time Reminder: Sunday, March 11
Pioneer FFA at the STAR Show
17 Powerlifting Athletes being sent to State
In 2018, Daylight saving time in Texas will begin at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 11. This weekend, remember to “spring forward” one hour and change your clocks!
With the recent happening of the 15th Annual South Texas Agricultural Roundup, Luciano Guerra writes about some of Pioneer High School’s competitors and their experience in FFA and the STAR Show.
The Palmview Lady Lobos and the Sharyland Lady Rattlers are sending 17 students to the state competition to be held March 16 and 17 in Waco. Bryan Ramos has more details, inside.
See Pg. 6
INDEX
Entertainment | pg.2
Lifestyle | pg.3
Sports | pg. 6
See Pg. 8
Obituaries | pg. 9
Classifieds | pg. 11