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The future of state Sen. Carlos Uresti is now in the hands of 12 jurors who began deliberating Tuesday whether to convict the San Antonio Democrat of conspiring to defraud investors or to pronounce his innocence. In closing arguments Tuesday, federal prosecutors portrayed Uresti as a desperate man, financially strapped and willing to lure unwitting investors to a fledgling oilfield services company that later collapsed under the weight of lies and debt.
https://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/Lawyers-give-closing-arguments-in-state-Sen-12626947.php
Just three months after the mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, the community is expressing its sorrow and empathy for the victims and survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting. Sutherland survivors talk about the importance of their religious beliefs in coping with the tragedy and say they are praying even more for the families in Florida.
https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/South-Florida-shooting-trauma-felt-in-Sutherland-12628789.php
Meanwhile, in San Antonio, many local students are joining a growing movement of teenagers who are calling for gun control in the wake of the Parkland shooting. About three dozen students from MacArthur and other schools in North East Independent School District are crafting letters articulating their emotions, fears and views about the shooting, with the intention that they will eventually be sent to elected officials in Washington, DC and Texas.
https://www.expressnews.com/news/education/article/Florida-shooting-prompts-letter-writing-campaign-12628742.php
The San Antonio Professional Fire Fighters Association on Tuesday kicked off a petition drive to change the city’s charter that could have long-term ramifications on how the city operates. The firefighters want to cap the city manager’s salary and impose a term limit. But some local leaders are concerned about two other proposed amendments that they say could leave city leaders without the wherewithal to effectively manage the city. https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/S-A-firefighters-union-targets-city-manager-12627289.php
Top stories we are working on:
A jury of eight women and four men could reach a verdict as early as Wednesday in the trial of state Sen. Carlos Uresti, accused of defrauding investors in an oilfield services company. Uresti’s defense team has painted him as a careless, foolish and negligent man who believed FourWinds Logistics would make him and investors lots of money. The attorneys argued that he shouldn’t be convicted, since he didn’t realize the CEO and others at the company were committing fraud. Prosecutors say it didn’t matter whether Uresti knew it was a scam, he’s still guilty of conspiring to defraud others through deceit, half-truths and failing to disclose important information.
The number of traffic fatalities in San Antonio fell from 193 in 2016 to 143 in 2017, a 26 percent decline. But city officials are concerned by another related statistic: a full third of all fatal and serious pedestrian crashes occurred on just 1 percent of the city’s roadways.
Mystery solved: The two peregrine falcons that made downtown San Antonio their winter home have names — Radisson and Triumph. Since early January, the pair of migrating peregrine falcons have perched on the circular spiral tower on top of the Drury Hotel, attracting admiring gazes from bird enthusiasts, downtown dwellers and curious tourists. The identity of the birds of prey was a mystery until local bird enthusiasts sent out inquiries to fellow birders across the country. Our story retraces the birds’ shared history.
