Continue reading »]]> By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
repo...@sbnewspaper.com

Richard Martinez

A San Benito man is accused of attempting, and nearly succeeding, to steal a city vehicle from the City of San Benito Service Center early Friday morning.

At approximately 2:44 a.m., an officer with the San Benito Police Department observed a white F-150 pickup truck exit the service center located on the 900 block of West Stenger Street at a very high rate of speed. The officer engaged in a brief pursuit of the vehicle but the truck was traveling too fast.

“An officer just happened to be driving up to the area,” said San Benito Assistant Police Chief of Operations Michael Galvan. “If you look at the video, the truck comes out of the city shop, crashes through the gate right in front of the officer and he’s got his lights off. The officer just hit the lights and siren and the chase was on. It was just being in the right place at the right time. Because of the high speed that this person was going, the officer felt it was too dangerous to risk his life and other peoples’ lives.”

The suspect vehicle proceeded to travel at a high rate of speed towards Brownsville before it was found abandoned by the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department near Roberta Road. The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Richard Martinez, was also located walking away from the area.

“He’s actually a pretty small, thin guy. He managed to squeeze in through the fence and through a very small opening to gain access to where all the keys were at,” explained Galvan. “His size was basically on his side and got him in there.”

Martinez was arrested on one count of theft of a motor vehicle, evading arrest on a vehicle and burglary of a building. He remains in the San Benito jail pending an arraignment.

“I’m not sure if he was on anything. I don’t think he was. He was just desperate to steal everything that was inside the truck,” Galvan said. “You’re talking about all kinds of equipment and stuff that’s in (the truck). If he can get it from point A to point B and unload all that stuff he probably would have come out pretty good. If you steal a vehicle, even the battery alone could get you a pretty good nickel. You’d be surprised what they’ll do.”

Continue reading »]]> By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
repo...@sbnewspaper.com

Alexandria E. Gonzales

San Benito police reported Friday that a mobile number used to text a bomb threat at Rio Hondo High School has been linked to the highly-controversial teenage phone harassment case.

Assistant Operations Chief Michael Galvan of the San Benito Police Department said that the bomb threat, sent via text message on Wednesday, indicated that a bomb would be at the Rio Hondo High School gym on Thursday, June 13. Although Rio Hondo ISD officials have remained tight-lipped on the matter, summer school students attending RHHS reported Thursday that no explosive devices were found.

Galvan, meanwhile, said that the mobile number used to send the bomb threat was identified in the aforementioned phone harassment case, which lead to the June 6 arrest of Alexandria E. Gonzales, the 17-year-old Rio Hondo High School student accused of threatening to kill a fellow classmate and eat the victim’s organs. The family of the victim alleges that such threats came in the form of nearly 2,000 text messages sent in a three-week span.

According to Galvan, the number in question has also been linked to a 2012 RHHS bomb threat.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 16 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Continue reading »]]> By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
repo...@sbnewspaper.com

A recent county-wide crackdown on eight-liners by the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office has reportedly resulted in the closure of most, if not all, arcades in the San Benito area.

Questions have arisen regarding the lack of reports in reference to the efforts made by the DA’s Office to shutdown all eight-liner establishments in Cameron County, specifically San Benito, known as Operation Bishop.

“I think the reason there hasn’t been (any eight-liner raids in San Benito) is because many of them have closed voluntarily after being witnessed to our raids,” said Public Information Officer Melissa Zamora of the DA’s Office. “Right now what we’re finding is that some of them are moving into private residences and even hotels. We’re just trying to keep an eye on that sort of activity and documenting everything.”

Operation Bishop is the culmination of an 18-month criminal investigation of illegal gambling in Cameron County. Raids of illegally operated eight-liner and sweepstakes businesses have been numerous since April, when Operation Bishop went into effect.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 16 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

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(Courtesy photo)

The Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center in San Benito will host Teatro Luna, a Chicago-based theater company, on June 19.

The group of female performers is bringing their groundbreaking work to the Rio Grande Valley for free. Luna has been called “theatre that matters” by The New York Times and is America’s only Pan-Latina theatre company producing a full season of work. The Chicago Tribune says that Luna “…wears its Latina cultural specificity with an ease that is both rich and fully American” and that they are “hugely entertaining” by New City. Luna is currently touring throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California in preparation for their first appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

Luna’s performance at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, 225 E. Stenger St., San Benito, on June 19 is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 16 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Continue reading »]]> By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
repo...@sbnewspaper.com

Mary Rivas of San Benito waited four years to grow her hair 17 inches long so she could donate it to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children ages 21 and under who suffer from long-term medical hair loss. Courtesy photos

What better way to commemorate the commencement of a chapter in one’s life than to cut off all your hair and donate it to charity?

That is exactly what 18-year-old Mary Rivas did.

It was actually her second time donating her hair to charity, and it probably won’t be her last.

“The very first time that she did it I was furious because I love long hair on my daughters,” said Rene Rivas, Mary’s father. “She did it when she was about 8 or 9 years old. I kind of got really upset with her, but then she told me the reason she did it for.”

“It’s because I think of the little girls who are sick with cancer, they’re crying and losing their hair. I figured since I have a standard for having long hair, I could use it for good use,” Mary said. “I decided to donate it to the Locks of Love, that way they could use it to make a wig for a little girl and she can be happy and not feel self-conscious about her image.”

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 16 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

Continue reading »]]> By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
repo...@sbnewspaper.com

David Lee Garza

Johnny Canales

Juan Sifuentes

Mario Saenz

Ramon Medina

The Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum will host its 13th annual induction ceremony on Saturday, June 22, at the San Benito Community Building on 210 E. Heywood St.

This year, the Conjunto HOF will welcome five new members, each boasting prestigious statuses. Live music entertainment will also be provided.

The five inductees include Mario Saenz, Johnny Canales and David Lee Garza as well as Juan Sifuentes and Ramon Medina; Sifuentes and Medina are being inducted posthumously.

“Playing a few songs will be inductee Mario Saenz,” said Museum President Rey Avila. “Johnny Canales told me a month ago that since he is internationally known, he doesn’t know if he will be able to make it or not. We will find out probably four days before.”

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 16 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

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San Benito Elks Lodge No. 1661 will host a public Flag Day Ceremony this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Veterans War Memorial site at the intersection of Sam Houston Blvd. and Rowson Street.

The public is invited to attend to demonstrate their patriotism through their presence, and by flying the U.S. flag on Friday at their home and/or businesses. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Elks Lodge at 251 N. Reagan St.

The Flag Day ceremony also offers citizens the opportunity to properly dispose of their flags. Containers will be placed onsite where flags may be retired in a dignified manner and without disrespect to the flag of the United States of America. The U.S. Flag Code reads, “The Flag, when it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” After the ceremony in San Benito, the returned flags will be restored until they can be burned, according to Earl Groh, Elks exalted leader.

After a U.S. flag has been burned, the ashes should be buried. Persons unable to burn and bury the flag are invited to deliver their flags to the Veterans War Memorial and stay for a tribute to the flag.

Supporting the Elks in the Ceremony will be the San Benito Veterans Advisory Board, according to Chairman Victor Garza. “This is the first year we as a group have joined in the ceremony. We view this day as a time to encourage our citizens to visibly demonstrate their pride in their country, which is truly represented in our beloved flag which stands for the rights and freedoms we experience as citizens of the United States,” he said. “It offers us the opportunity to honor America, to celebrate our heritage in public gatherings and activities, and to publicly recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America,” he added.

The ceremony will include a presentation by Elks officers on the “History of the 11 Flags that Have Flown over the USA.” “It is an interesting presentation that tells of what was going on in our history at the time each flag was flying,” Groh said.

To commemorate the adoption of the U.S. flag, the Congress, by joint resolution approved August 3, 1949, as amended (63 Stat. 492), designated June 14 of each year as “Flag Day” and requested that the President issue an annual proclamation calling for its observance and for the display of the flag of the United States on all Federal Government buildings.

“When proud patriots took up the fight for independence, they came together under a standard that showed their common cause,” said President Barack Obama in the official proclamation issued for Flag Day 2013. “When the wounds of civil war were still fresh and our country walked the long road to reconstruction, our people found hope in a banner that testified to the strength of our Union. Wherever our American journey has taken us, whether on that unending path to the mountaintop or high above into the reaches of space, Old Glory has followed, reminding us of the rights and responsibilities we share as citizens,” he said.

Continue reading »]]> By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
edi...@sbnewspaper.com

Antonio G. Limón

The common theme concerning the future of the San Benito CISD superintendent position, at least according to two members on the Board of Trustees, is uncertainty.

As an investigation remains pending into matters she said are of “concern,” Board Secretary June Aguilera said on Tuesday she was “not sure” when or if the board would begin discussing the future of the superintendent post, which is currently being filled by Alfonso Obregon in an interim capacity. In the meantime, Antonio G. Limón remains on paid administrative leave as the district’s Superintendent of Schools following a controversial 4-3 split vote at the May 23 special meeting.

“I’m not sure,” Aguilera said when asked about Limón. When asked if board members have already looked into a replacement for Limón, she added, “Those are just rumors. We haven’t talked about anything yet, but I do know the last time we were looking into certain things that were a concern for us.”

Hector Leal, a fellow trustee and longest serving member of the board at 21 years, said the future of the superintendency depends largely on the will of four board members, including Aguilera.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 12 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

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Seen outside the San Benito High School varsity gym on Friday are disappointed family members of graduating seniors who were unhappy that the graduation ceremony was moved indoors. (Staff photo by Francisco E. Jimenez)

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
edi...@sbnewspaper.com

There were many lessons to be learned from Friday evening’s San Benito High School Graduation Ceremony debacle, but officials may revisit a past concern in an effort to prevent another “chaotic” situation from occurring.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for 8 p.m. on June 7 at Bobby Morrow Stadium, that is before a thunderstorm swept across the area, bringing with it heavy rain, wind and lightning that prompted San Benito CISD officials and high school administrators to go with “plan B” – otherwise known as the varsity gymnasium.

With just two individuals per graduate allowed in the gym due to accommodation restrictions, not to mention many seniors failing to give their parents the tickets needed for entry, nearly 200 people found themselves outside the facility and peering into its glass doors in hopes of catching a glimpse of the proceedings. Many in attendance, including students, expressed frustration over the situation by heckling school board members, district officials and faculty. Some even encouraged graduates to walk out on their own ceremony while, in at least one case, a complaint was made that the gym exceeded its maximum occupancy and constituted a fire code violation.

School board members then decided to postpone the event until 9 a.m. Saturday at the original site, Bobby Morrow Stadium. The decision was better received as the second attempt at holding the ceremony did not experience any of the previous evening’s problems.

Still, there are some who argue that the gym, which was built to accommodate 4A events when the high school was erected in 1978, requires an expansion.

The idea of expanding the gym to more adequately accommodate a graduation ceremony, if needed, is one that Board of Trustees Secretary June Aguilera is willing to consider.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 12 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.

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Children at the Boys and Girls Club of San Benito are seen participating in the summer activities at the Club on Tuesday. (Staff photos by Francisco E. Jimenez)

By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
repo...@sbnewspaper.com

The Boys and Girls Club of San Benito has commenced its summer program, this coming just six months following uncertainty regarding the club’s future.

According to Club Chief Professional Officer Mario Cervantes, the organization has already reached its maximum limit of participants registered for the summer program.

“We already have our 125-maximum limit that we could afford to run our summer program with the staff available,” said Cervantes. “We’ve already had to turn some kids and parents away because we are at the max. In that part it is a big success. The program started out really smooth. The staff that I have is working really well with the kids. It’s just been great for the first two days.”

Questions arose in January concerning the club’s financial status and future. Since then, many in the community have contributed to the “Save the Club” campaign through various fundraisers and donations. Perhaps the most notable donation came from the City of San Benito, which after a few months of discussions OK’d a $45,000 contribution to the club. HEB also aided in the club’s efforts to stay open by donating $8,500.

Want the whole story? Pick up a copy of the June 12 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.