Pancakes with Santa

It's a Christmas holiday tradition at San Angelo's Old Fort Concho. The pancakes with Santa breakfast will take place this year on December 8th. Tickets are five dollars for the breakfast or 10 dollars for breakfast and admission to the fort.

Scam alert

San Angelo police and the Tom Green County Attorney's Office have issued a scam alert. several citizens have called to report they have been contacted by individuals claiming to be a representative from the “County Attorney’s Office”. The scammers are demanding that people pay a sum of money to avoid being arrested on a warrant. The scammers will ask the victim to send a money order via Western Union to a location other than the County Attorney’s office. The Tom Green County Attorney’s Office does not conduct business this way. If you are contacted by scammers- hang up and add the number to your blocked calls list.

Couple found dead

San Angelo Police are investigating the death of an elderly married couple that were located inside their Southland residence Wednesday morning. The man and woman were found by their caretaker and both appeared to have died from gunshot wounds. They were identified as Clyde and June Bone, both 84 years old. The investigation which is being treated as a murder suicide. The bodies were transported to Lubbock for autopsy- official cause of death is pending.

Stolen vehicle arrest

Just after 2:00 p.m. Thursday, a San Angelo police officer was conducting patrol in the area of Glenna and Houston Harte when he observed a man sleeping inside a vehicle located in the Stripes Convenience Store parking lot on Glenna Street. A computer check of the license plate turned up a “Stolen Alert.” The man was identified as 40-year-old David Suddock of Sweetwater. The 1990 Chevrolet Silverado Truck was reportedly stolen from a dealership in Abilene. Suddock was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Tom Green County Jail.

AM2 Valenzuela appearance

City Manager Daniel Valenzuela will be the keynote speaker at the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce's monthly luncheon on December 11th. The luncheon will be from 11:30 AM to 1 PM at the McNease Convention Center, 500 Rio Concho Drive. Tickets are $15 per person. Reservations can be made online at san-angelo-dot-org. The luncheon will offer an opportunity to meet Valenzuela, who joined the City in October, and to hear his vision for San Angelo's municipal government.

ASU holiday concert

Angelo State University's San Jacinto Behavioral Health Center will present a family holiday concert by the Flying J Wranglers on Monday, December 17th, in the ASU Auditorium. Titled "White Mountain Christmas," the concert will feature the Flying J Wranglers and guest band Concho Grass performing a western music program of tradition holiday favorites and cowboy Christmas songs. Tickets can be purchased by phone by calling the ASU Student Accounts Office or the San Jacinto Center.

Powerball winning numbers

If you bought your Powerball tickets in Texas, you did not win the record jackpot. There were two winning tickets sold; one each in Arizona and Missouri. They will share an estimated 580-million dollars. The pay out would be just under 380-million if given as a lump sum. After last night's drawing, so many people went online to get the winning numbers that the Powerball-dot-com website crashed. Here now are the winning numbers: 5, 16, 22, 23, 29 and the Powerball number is 6.

Advisory board needs members

The San Angelo Civic Events Advisory Board is looking for members. Civic Events manages and operates venues such as the Coliseum, the Convention Center, the RiverStage and Pecan Creek Pavilion. A link to applications can be found on the city of San Angelo's Facebook page.

Chase and arrests

On Tuesday evening, a San Angelo police officer attempted to stop a violator for speeding. The vehicle refused to stop and a short case ensued, during which the driver, identified as 25-year-old Christopher Espinosa, made numerous turns through residential streets before coming to a stop on West Avenue L. After entering and then exiting a residence, Espinosa was arrested on various charges. It turned out that also inside the residence was his brother, 23-year-old Timothy Espinosa, who is wanted for injury to a child. After a brief standoff, Timohty Espinosa was also placed under arrest.

HEB food bank donation

H-E-B has announced that it is responding to the growing need for food this holiday season with a special delivery of cereal to the Concho Valley Food Bank in San Angelo. Later this morning, H-E-B will deliver one truckload of H-E-B Corn Flakes cereal to help provide much-needed nutritious breakfasts to families this holiday season. One truckload carries a donation value of 16-thousand-500 dollars and enough cereal to make 145-thousand bowls.

Powerball

Powerball fever is spreading: the current jackpot for the lottery, already a record, is now even bigger. It was at 425-million dollars but huge ticket sales in Tennessee and across the country have pushed it to 500-million dollars. A single winner choosing the cash payout will take home, before taxes, 327-million dollars. The next Powerball drawing is tonight at 9:59 Central Time.

I-20 closure

The two main lanes of westbound Interstate 20 at the US 84 overpass in Nolan County near Sweetwater are scheduled for another temporary closure starting today. The Texas Department of Transportation says that's to allow crews to demolish and remove a bridge that was damaged after a collision in late September. Signs, cones and message boards are in place to direct drivers on a detour. The closure is expected to last about a week.

SAPD Sector 1 meeting

The San Angelo Police Department along with Immanuel Baptist Church will be hosting a Sector 1 Community Neighborhood Meeting tomorrow evening at 6 PM. Immanuel Baptist Church is located at 90 East 14th StreetThe meeting will focus on Crime Prevention and Awareness. Citizens of Sector 1 are encouraged to attend to meet their Sector Officers and become partners with the Police Department in a joint effort to deal with crime issues within your neighborhood.

Wanted woman

San Angelo police are asking for the public's help in locating a woman wanted on an active warrant for interference with child custody. 44-year-old Elaine Zapata might have fled to south Texas and might be with a five-year-old girl named Julia O'Bryan, who has brown hair and brown eyes and a green cast on her right arm. If you have information concerning the whereabouts of Elaine Zapata, you are encouraged to contact San Angelo police or call Crime Stoppers at 658-HELP.

Ballet calendars

The San Angelo Civic Ballet has announced its upcoming 30th year anniversary with the unveiling of its 2013 Calendar. Calendars are available for purchase at 20 dollars each at the San Angelo Civic Ballet office located at 15 West Beauregard, at all Nutcracker performances December 14th through the 16th, as well as select venues around town.

Starting your own business

A free educational seminar is designed to provide you with the basic knowledge and tools you must know to start a small business. The ASU Small Business Development Center presents "Starting Your Own Business? What You Need to Know!" next Tuesday from 6 to 8:30 PM in the Business Resource Center Training Room on North Chadbourne Street in San Angelo. To find out more or to register, go to s-b-d-c-dot-angelo-dot-e-d-u.

Longmont, Colorado again

The city of San Angelo could soon lose another official to the city of Longmont Longmont, Colorado. It was that city which hired San Angelo City Manager Harold Dominguez to serve in that same position in Longmont. Now, Longmont has announced that it will interview four candidates for the job of assistant city manager candidates this week and one of them is Shawn Lewis, San Angelo's director of community and economic development

Gas price update

Tensions in the Middle East are blamed for a jump in retail gas prices just before the Thanksgiving holiday but Triple-A says prices will resume their downward trend following a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The nationwide average price of regular gas is three-41 a gallon, about the same as a week ago. Statewide in Texas, the average is three-15, also about the same as a week ago. According to gas-buddy-dot-com, the price of regular in San Angelo ranges from three-11 to three-29 a gallon.

Early Christoval voting

Early voting for the Christoval ISD Board of Trustee election is underway. It began Monday and will continue through Friday. Ballots may be cast from 8 AM to 8 PM in Precinct 422 at the Christoval Community Center on Main Street and in Precinct 423 at the Knickerbocker Community Church on FM 2335. Early voting continues through Friday; election day is December 8th.

Democratic chairman stepping down

The Tom Green County Democratic Party will be looking for a new chairperson. Linda Shoemaker, who has held that post for a long time, announced in the party's newsletter that she will be stepping down. Shoemaker says she will call a meeting by early January to discuss the search for her replacement.

SABA presents Oliver!

The San Angelo Broadway Academy Youth Theatre will open its holiday musical, OLIVER! next month at the Coliseum and help a couple of good causes. On Friday, December14th, theatre goers can bring a non-perishable food item to the performance to help aid the Concho Valley Food Bank. And, on Saturday, the 15th, join the US Marines from Goodfellow AFB and bring an unwrapped toy or monetary donation for Toys for Tots. Find out more at s-a-broadway-academy-dot-org.

Native American celebration

In recognition of November as Native American Heritage Month, Angelo State University's Multicultural Center will host a Native American Celebration tomorrow in the Houston Harte University Center on Rosemont Drive. The celebration will run from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and is open free to the public. Information posters, artifacts and pictographs will be on display to pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of the Native American tribes that originally inhabited Texas.

Broken Lizard at ASU

Angelo State University's Club Café coffeehouse entertainment series will bring two members of the "Broken Lizard" comedy troupe to perform at ASU this Friday in the Houston Harte University Center on Rosemont Drive. Comedians Steve Lemme and Kevin Heffernan will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. in the UC's C.J. Davidson Conference Center. Admission will be two dollars for ASU students, faculty and staff, and 10 dollars for the general public.

Boys Ranch gift drive

The American Advertising Federation - San Angelo is in the final days of a gift drive benefitting the boys of the West Texas Boys Ranch. They're asking for donations of new and unused and unwrapped gifts for boys between the ages of 11 and 17. The gift drive ends tomorrow. Drop off locations include Townsquare Media on Abe Street and American Classifieds on NorthTyler. You can find out more at a-a-f-san-angelot-dot-com.

Driver arrested after San Angelo chase

City Police were led on a short vehicle chase that began in the 23 hundred block of North Bryant for a traffic violation early Saturday. The Officer tried to stop a Pickup for driving with no headlights. The vehicle chase ended when the driver stopped and tried to flee on foot in the 19 hundred block of North Poe, running into an open field. He was later caught with the help of a Police K9. The driver was identified as 38 year old Manuel Torres and he was charged with Evading in a Vehicle, and on Foot, Invalid license and City warrants. The passenger, 37 tear old Francisco Ibarra was charged with an outstanding County Warrant.

Two arrested for home burglary

Police took a report of a home burglary on Thanksgiving Day on Ranch Lane. Thirty thousand dollars worth of property had been taken. Items taken from the home included a Commemorative Winchester rifle, a large amount of jewelry, Two big screen TV's and an assortment of other property. After an investigation, police tracked the suspects to the 2
thousand block of Beacon Street. The property was found and returned, and 23 year old Michael Dan Martin and 32 Adolf Junito Herrera were arrested for the burglary.

House fire in San Angelo extinguished without injuries

No injuries were reported in a house fire the San Angelo Fire Department responded to shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday in the 200 block of Mocking Bird Lane.

"A passerby ... did the good Samaritan thing and called it in," said Battalion Chief Ricky Long.

A three-engine battalion responded and put out the fire, which was mainly on the outside of the house. Long said the blaze started on the back porch, which had a wooden deck and concrete path.

There was some smoke damage to the home's interior, and the heat broke the sliding glass door, Long said. Minimal damage was done in the kitchen. No people were in the house at the time of the fire.

Homeowner Earl Raynor lives there with his wife and three children and said he was traveling to Grape Creek when the fire started.

"I'm in shock right now," Raynor said Sunday. "I don't know where to begin."

Raynor said his son's new puppy was in the house at the time of the fire.

"They couldn't find him," Raynor said.

Fire Inspector Thomas Truett is investigating the fire. He determined a trash can in the back of the house was the point of origin, but has yet to determine the cause.

Santa appears in San Angelo

Saturday's Christmas in Olde Ballinger parade led off with a marching band and ended with the main event — Santa Claus.The annual parade made its way down Hutchings Avenue with about two dozen floats, vintage cars and Junior Miss Merry Christmas contestants.

Although Christmas in Olde Ballinger traditionally includes arts and crafts, food and entertainment, those aspects of the event were absent this year. That didn't stop residents from lining the street to get in the Christmas spirit.

Children grabbed handfuls of candy tossed from various floats with smiles on their faces and waved to Santa as the parade came to a close.

Lewis possibly following Dominguez to Colorado

Longmont will interview four assistant city manager candidates next week, including one from the same Texas city that City Manager Harold Dominguez came from.

The four are competing to be Longmont's first "external" assistant city manager, charged with overseeing economic development and services that interact directly with the public. That includes areas such as the airport, the senior center, the library and the museum.

The "internal" assistant city manager, Sandi Seader, began her position in August.

A total of 182 people applied for the job, more than twice the number that applied for Longmont's city manager job last year. Chief human resources officer Bobby King said the large pool was largely due to

Shawn Lewis Longmont's reputation, the fact that assistant manager jobs don't come open very often, and Dominguez's own standing.

"People know of him as a solid city manager," King said. "I think people want to be on his team. I think a lot of it is Harold Dominguez."

The candidates are:

Laura Fitzpatrick, the assistant city manager of Rio Rancho, N.M., population 87,521. She has held her current position since 2008; prior to that she was assistant to the city manager of Troy, Mich. (2001 to 2005) and then deputy city manager of Manassas Park, Va. (2005 to 2008).

Shawn Lewis, director of community and economic development for San Angelo, Texas, population 93,200. Lewis has worked at San Angelo since 2006 -- two years after Dominguez became city manager there -- and gained his current position in 2010. He was previously San Angelo's director of planning (2006 to 2007) and director of development services (2007 to 2010). Lewis has spent his entire career in Texas, working as an assistant to the city manager of Abilene (1999 to 2000), main street manager for Huntsville (2001-2003) and both business development coordinator and old town development coordinator for Lewisville (2003 to 2006).

Adam Miles, city manager

Adam Miles of Hewitt, Texas, population 13,368. He has been city manager since 2008. He began his career as a disaster assistance employee for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (1996 to 1997) before working for Cleburne, Texas, as a planning and zoning project coordinator (1997 to 2000), assistant to the city manager (2000 to 2002) and assistant city manager (2002 to 2008). He briefly left the town for five months in 2000 to be a planner in North Richland Hills, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth.

Angela Montgomery, the former deputy city manager of East Point, Ga., population 33,712. Montgomery took the position in 2010 -- East Point's first black deputy manager -- and was briefly interim city manager after East Point's city council terminated

Angela Montgomery the contact of Crandall Jones in December 2011. Her 20-year career began in Dayton, Ohio, where she was director of race relations for the Greater Dayton Christian Council (1992 to 1993), assistant housing manager for the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority (1994 to 1996), minority business assistance program coordinator (1996 to 1999), community development analyst (1999 to 2001) and financial services supervisor (2001 to 2005), as well as the acting revenue and taxation division manager (2003 to 2004). She then moved to Richmond, Va., as assistant to the chief administrative officer (2005 to 2006) and council policy analyst (2007 to 2009), before becoming assistant to the city manager of Dunedin, Fla. (2009 to 2010).

Residents can meet the four candidates at a reception starting 4 p.m. Monday in the civic center, 350 Kimbark St. The reception will run until 5 p.m. and will not include a question-and-answer session.

The four will be interviewed Monday and Tuesday.

The hire will be made by Dominguez; King said the a decision will be made late next week, after which the city will enter negotiations. The final hire may take weeks, King said.

Whoever gets the job will start no sooner than January.

"Trying to uproot your family between now and Christmas -- that's not going to happen," King said.

One person killed in 2-vehicle crash

All four occupants of a two-vehicle crash involving alcohol were transported to Shannon Medical Center, one of whom was pronounced dead shortly after arrival Wednesday night.

The crash was reported about 11:05 p.m. in the 3100 block of West Houston Harte Frontage Road.

There were two occupants in each vehicle, said Lt. Mike Hernandez with the San Angelo Police Department.

One of the vehicles was traveling east at high speed on Houston Harte Frontage Road when it collided with the other vehicle, which was exiting a private driveway, the SAPD release states.

Alcohol and speed both appeared to be contributing factors in the crash, Hernandez said.

Officials have not released the names of the occupants or vehicle models because the case still is under investigation.

Next of kin to the deceased, residents of Coke County, were notified Thursday by the county sheriff's office, Hernandez said.

A mandatory blood draw was performed on the driver of the first vehicle.

No further information has been given.

According to the release, the on-call traffic investigator and crime scene unit were called to the scene because it was a major collision.

Officer Ed Hunger with the SAPD is leading the investigation.

Officials will release more information as the investigation progresses.

Collision sends one man to hospital

A 30-year-old San Angelo man was sent to Shannon Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening after a two-vehicle crash shortly before 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Lino Borrego, driving a Honda Accord, was waiting at a stop sign at Clare Street to turn onto Sherwood Way when a Buick Century headed east on Sherwood Way jumped the curb and collided with the Honda.

The impact sent the Honda spinning into the front yard of a house, and the Buick traveled several feet before stopping to the side of Sherwood Way.

Officer Ed Hunger, who was at the scene, said the driver of the Buick, San Angelo man Alex Cano, 65, said the car had mechanical problems that caused it to veer off the road.

Hunger said Cano will be cited for unsafe speed.

Hit-and-run injures 2

Two people were transported to Shannon Medical Center with non-life-threatening neck injuries from a hit-and-run crash about 8:15 p.m. Thursday.

The first vehicle, the make and model of which are not known at this time, was stopped headed north at the Chadbourne and 19th streets when a GMC truck rear-ended it.

The driver of the GMC truck, a 22-year-old San Angelo man, took off headed east.

Officer Charles Barker said he found the suspect, who had parked his truck down the road, walking about a block from the scene.

San Angelo police conducted a sobriety test and arrested him on a charge of driving while intoxicated. He was also cited with failure to control speed and driving without a valid license.

Memorial prayer service on cable

The San Angelo Hunt for Heroes memorial prayer service held Wednesday will air on Suddenlink cable Channel 17, the City of San Angelo’s government access channel, at 2:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. daily through Dec. 5th. About 200 people attended the service at Santa Fe Park to honor the four Hunt for Heroes participants killed when a train collided with their parade float in Midland. The victims were wounded military service members who were to spend the following weekend hunting in the San Angelo area. The Reverend Bill Proctor of First Presbyterian Church delivered the message at the service.

City council hears retirement concerns

The city of San Angelo is primed for business, with plenty of discussion but not much action from the City Council on Tuesday.

The council discussed benefits for retirees, renting space in City Hall to an arts coalition and preparing to prioritize which capital projects need improvement.

It was a day "of dutiful follow-up on actions and activities," Mayor Alvin New said.

The City Council heard, without action, about raising benefits for city retirees through the administrating Texas Municipal Retirement System. New suggested making it a priority for the following year's budget.

The increase would bring in an additional $1 million for retirement benefits to the city's approximately 500 retirees by giving them higher adjustments for cost of living.

"Retirees ... in general receive an increase in their benefit equal to 50 percent on the consumer price index," Assistant City Manager Michael Dane said.

The consumer price index is a measure of the average change of prices on a range of goods, according to the U.S. Department of Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A few years ago, the city decreased benefit levels from a 70 percent benefit level to a 50 percent benefit level to control growing contribution-rate requirements from the Texas Municipal Retirement System. The TMRS is a statewide government board that manages retirement plans.

The decrease in benefit levels had the side effect of changing previous retirees' benefits as well because of the mechanics of the TMRS formula.

"They were affected, some of them to the point that they weren't going to get cost-of-living adjustments," Dane said.

Councilwoman Charlotte Farmer said she hoped for a regularly updated COLA benefit.

"We've got to seriously consider this," Farmer said, although she didn't think it could go into effect this year.

Dane said the question for a COLA benefit is "how do you fund it?"

Nothing had been set aside for a COLA benefit change in the last approved budget.

City Manager Daniel Valenzuela said the city could hold a workshop on COLA benefits in January.

Councilman Dwain Morrison wanted more action, and Farmer told city staff to get a committee going.

"Let's quit talking about it" and be a support to employees, Councilman Johnny Silvas said.

New said he wants to commit to dental and COLA benefits for the fiscal year 2013 budget since it is early in the budget year.

Retired Police Chief Russell Smith said the city should be careful because legislators in Texas could change the system or lose it altogether.

"We have policemen retired at terrible rate," Smith said. "Every time you raise something $10, what's $10 for some of y'all is real money for some of these people."

Gregg Mackey, in public comment, said he started at $3.50 an hour, and at that time the contribution was 3 percent. He asked that the council do what it could to improve the situation for retirees.

Annual Tree of Angels on Dec. 6

As Thanksgiving happens, the Tom Green County Coalition Against Violence continues planning for the Eleventh Annual Tree of Angels Ceremony. It takes place two weeks from today at Stephen's Central Library. Those violent crime has affected can bring angel ornaments to place on a tree. That tree goes on display at the library for the entire month. It starts at six-thirty on Thursday, December sixth.

Cook safely on Thanksgiving Day

The San Angelo Fire Marshal’s Office is asking residents to be safe this holiday season by practicing some simple safety precautions when preparing Thanksgiving Day meals.


Check your smoke detectors and make sure they are working properly. Smoke alarms save lives.

Make sure you have a minimum of two ways out of every room.


Facts from the United States Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association:


Cooking is the leading cause of home fires on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day home fires cause more property damage and claim more lives than home fires on any other day.

Water utilities director retires

Water Utilities Director Will Wilde has retired from the City of San Angelo, effective immediately.


City Manager Daniel Valenzuela named Operations Director Ricky Dickson to be the interim director of the Water Utilities Department. Water Utilities consists of eight divisions: Customer Service/Water Conservation, Twin Buttes, Utility Maintenance, Water Distribution/Collection, Water Utilities Engineering, Water Reclamation, Water Production, and Water Quality.


Shane Kelton, assistant director of the Operations Department, will serve as the interim director of Operations, which includes Lake Nasworthy, Parks, Stormwater, Street and Bridge, Traffic, and Vehicle Maintenance.


Wilde joined the City as an engineer on Oct. 4, 1977. He served as Public Works director from 1989-2004, when he was named Water Utilities director.


Tom Kerr, the assistant director of Water Utilities, also submitted his retirement, effective immediately. Kerr joined the City in 1990 as an engineer. He had served as assistant director of Water Utilities since 1994.

Thanksgiving meal at Goodfellow

Goodfellow Air Force Base has a Thanksgiving Day meal today. Several commanders and sergeants serve the food to junior service members today from eleven to twoat the Western Winds Dining Hall. Military retirees and their immediate families can also partake.

Teen curfew extended by city council

After a review by San Angelo City Council members, the current teen curfew for the city has been extended for another 3 years. The curfew prohibits teens under the age of 17 to be outside after 11 pm to 6 am from Monday through Thursday, and from midnight to 6 am on weekends. There are certain exceptions, such as a teen with parents or guardians, or for an emergency or other exceptions. The curfew has been in effect for several years already.

Family Dollar robbery

Last Friday morning, San Angelo police responded to a robbery call at the Family Dollar Store located at 8 West Avenue L. While officers were enroute they were told that a store clerk was robbed by a man who displayed a knife while demanding money from the clerk. The suspect was said to have fled the area on foot with an estimated 260 dollars. Thanks to information from witnesses, police were able to track down the suspect exiting the Victory Temple church on South Irving. They say 22-year-old Raul Medel, Junior, was in possession of the stolen money and was arrested.

Prayer service for vets

In the wake of the tragic accident involving veterans in Midland last week, a community-wide prayer service is scheduled for 12:15 tomorrow in Santa Fe Park adjacent to the pavilion near Kids Kingdom playground. There will be special focus on the families of the four veterans who died and also on all the veterans and their spouses who were riding on the parade float hit by a train, many of whom were injured. The vets were to have been guests in San Angelo this past weekend for the ninth annual Hunt for Heroes.

Goodfellow Thanksgiving

Leadership at Goodfellow Air Force Base will serving up Thanksgiving dinner to junior service members. The wing commander, along with various group commanders, chief master sergeants and first sergeants will be working Thursday from 11 AM to 2 PM at the Western Winds Dining Hall on Farrow Street. The meal is also open for military retirees and their immediate families.

ASU award

Angelo State University's student affiliates chapter of the American Chemical Society has received an Honorable Mention Award from the national ACS for the chapter's activities during the 2011-12 academic year. This marks the seventh straight year the ASU chapter has received a year-end award from the national ACS. The ASU group was also highlighted as a "Spotlight Chapter" in the November/December issue of inChemistry, the ACS student member magazine.

City holiday hours

City of San Angelo offices will also be closed both days. Garbage will not be collected and the landfill will be closed Thanksgiving Day. Trash for those customers will be picked up on the next regularly scheduled day. Garbage collection and the landfill will resume normal operations Friday.

Fort Concho will be open 9 to 5 tomorrow, closed Thanksgiving Day, then back open 9 to 5 Friday and Saturday, and one to five on Sunday. And the San Angelo Nature Center on Knickerbocker Road, will be closed Thursday and Friday but will be open from noon to 5 on Saturday.

School closed

Just in case there was any doubt, the San Angelo Independent School District has announced that it will be closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Campuses will have early release tomorrow and the SAISD Administration Building will close tomorrow at 3 PM.

Gas price update

Triple-A says gas prices are expected to fall throughout the Thanksgiving holiday, but the rate of decrease is expected to slow as violence in the Middle East has raised concerns of a disruption of the region's oil supply The national average price of regular gasoline is three-42 a gallon, two cents less than last week. Texas average of three-16 is down by three cents. According to gas-buddy-dot-com, the price of regular in San Angelo ranges from three-11 to three-16 a gallon.

New firefighters

Eight men formally joined the ranks of the San Angelo Fire Department Friday night. The recruit graduation was held at the West Texas Training Center. The new firefighters are Justin Kinney, Bradley Matthews, Jake Fullerton, Timothy Bosworth, Jeffery Earnshaw, Derreck Murphy, Ryan Lee and Patrick Boyd.

Transportation grant application

San Angelo' sCommunity and Economic Development Department has submitted a nearly one-point-two million dollar grant application to the Texas Department of Transportation. If funded, the grant will pay for 36 miles of bike lanes, 15 bike racks, 493 street trees along roadways downtown and in north San Angelo, and more than 156 benches and trash cans in the Central Business District. The city says the application is the product of hundreds of man-hours from City staff, Downtown San Angelo, Incorporated, numerous partnering agencies and organizations, with approval by the City Council and Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Shannon donations

A reminder from Shannon Medical Center that the hospital is accepting durable medical equipment donations year-round. Any and all durable medical equipment including, but not limited to, is accepted: wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, tub transfer benches and three-in-one chairs. . Monetary donations are also accepted. You can find out more about making donations at shannon-health-dot-com.

ASU appointments

A couple of major appointments have been announced at Angelo State University. President Brian May has named Doctor Nancy Allen as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs until a national search can identify a permanent successor to the position. And May named Doctor Paul Swets, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since September of 2011, to that position permanently.

Woman injured in fire

A woman was seriously injured in a house fire in north San Angelo last night. The fire broke out around 7 o'clock. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in the the 400 block of East 24th and found a woman unresponsive and not breathing at the scene. She was reportedly was resuscitated by EMTs and transported to Shannon Medical Center. The cause of the blaze is unknown; the fire marshals office is investigating.

Pool break-ins

We told you about two 15-year-olds being caught after allegedly breaking into the Love Municipal Pool early Wednesday morning. A total of four windows were broken with the damage estimated at a thousand dollars. Some items were taken and the boy and girl were arrested on charges of burglary of a building with the boy also charged for kicking an officer. This is the third such incident of vandalism at Love Municipal Pool this month. Anyone with information about the other two break-ins is asked to call San Angelo police. To remain anonymous, call CrimeStoppers at 658-HELP.

Stolen vehicle found

On Tuesday morning, a San Angelo police officer observed a red Honda Civic weaving in and out of traffic as it traveled on Beauregard. He followed the vehicle which was occupied by three men to the parking lot of the CVS Pharmacy on West Beauregard. A check of the license plate which showed the vehicle was reported stolen from Paint Rock Road one year ago. The three men who had been in the car were located inside the store and taken into custody without incident. 21-year-old Justin Westerman of San Angelo was arrested for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. 18-year-old Jimmie Hageman of San Angelo was arrested for outstanding City Warrants. The third man was identified and released at the scene.

ASU Turkey Trot

Angelo State University's ASUFit fitness and wellness program will host its fifth annual Turkey Trot fun run/walk tomorrow, beginning at 9 a.m., on the ASU campus. The event is open free to ASU employees and students, San Angelo Independent School District employees, walkers and children younger than 12. A five dollar entry fee will be charged to the general public with proceeds benefiting the ASU Sports Medicine Club. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in the Houston Harte University Center on Rosemont Drive.

Nature Center Donation Day

Visitors to the San Angelo Nature Center are encouraged to feed the animals on the center's Donation Day, which is tomorrow. Free entry to the center will be granted to each person who brings one donated food item for its animals. The Nature Center is located at 7409 Knickerbocker Road and is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. You can find a donation list for the animals on the City of San Angelo's Facebook page.

Electronics recycling

You have one more day this week to recycle old electronic equipment. The Concho Valley Council of Governments continues an electronics recycling cleanup event today from 9 AM to 6 PM Friday in the ASU parking lot and at their offices on West Loop 306. Electronics being recycled include TV's, telephones, computers and batteries.

Winter weather awareness

In cooperation with The Texas Division of Emergency Management and The Department of Public Safety, Wednesday was officially Winter Weather Awareness Day. While not known for winter weather, West Central Texas does experience occasional impacts from hazardous winter precipitation events. These weather events can range from a light glaze of freezing rain, to heavy snowfall, to blizzard conditions. These events are relatively rare given the usual warmer climate but knowing how to prepare for winter weather in advance can save you from a potentially big headache! You can find tips on getting ready for winter weather at the San Angelo-Tom Green County Emergency Management Facebook page.

Goodfellow exercise

The San Angelo-Tom Green County Emergency Management office says it has been notified by officials at Goodfellow Air Force Base that they will be conducting an exercise this morning. If you live near the base, visit the base, or deal with the base you may encounter delays and hear or see strange things happening. The Emergency Management Office reminds you that this is only an exercise; do not be alarmed.

Aggravated assault arrest

San Angelo Police were called to the 600 block of Koberlin Street Tuesday evening to investigate a report of shots fired. Officers arrived to find two men in the driveway of a residence and they appeared to have been struggling. The incident allegedly started as a verbal argument and led to one othe men pulling out a handgun from his waistband area. A brief struggle ensued and the handgun was reported to have been fired two times in the direction of the victim. The shots missed the victim and no others were injured as a result of this incident. The suspect was identified as 36-year-old Carlos Rosales of San Angelo. Rosales was arrested for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and transported to the Tom Green County Jail without incident.

Juveniles arrested at pool

Early Wednesday morning, a San Angelo police officer, patrolling the area of the Municipal Pool on East Avenue A, noticed lights on inside the building. A security check turned up a 15-year-old boy and and a 15-year-old girl inside and it turned out that they had forced entry and caused extensive damage, which was estimated at a thousand dollars. Both juveniles were arrested for Burglary of a Building and transported to the Tom Green County Juvenile Justice Center. The male was also charged for kicking an officer during the course of the investigation.

ASU fall commencement speaker

Angelo State University has chosen an alumnus to deliver the commencement address during fall graduation ceremonies. A. Mario Castillo is founder and president of The Aegis Group in Washington, D.C., a prominent government lobbying and public relations firm. Castillo will address graduates of the Colleges of Education and Health and Human Services at 10 AM and grads of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Business at 2 PM. That will be on Saturday, December 15th, in the Junell Center/Stephens Arena.

ASU Choir program

Angelo State University's Concert Chorale will present "A Baroque Holiday" for its annual Holiday Concert next Tuesday in the sanctuary of the First Christian Church at 29 North Oakes Street. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is open free to the public. Musical highlights will include sacred works by Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel and Antonio Vivaldi.

Hazardous weather outlook

The National Weather Service at San Angelo has issued a hazardous weather outlook for West Central Texas, including the Concho Valley. A freeze warning remains in effect this morning for the northern Edwards plateau and Northwest Hill Country, where a hard freeze has not been experienced this fall. Temperatures will climb above freezing by mid-morning.

Teacher grants

Some three dozen teachers in the San Angelo ISD will be surprised today with money. The San Angelo Schools Foundation is delivering more than 19 thousand dollars in grants as board members travel to 17 different campuses to hand out the funds. Earlier this year teachers had the opportunity to apply for grants to enhance and enrich classroom learning. This year’s awards include a campus grant for one school and four campuses are receiving special grants for technology.

ASU Turkey Trot

Angelo State University's ASUFit fitness and wellness program will host its fifth annual Turkey Trot fun run/walk beginning at 9 a.m. this Saturday, on the ASU campus. The event is open free to ASU employees and students, San Angelo Independent School District employees, walkers and children younger than 12. A five dollar entry fee will be charged to the general public with proceeds benefiting the ASU Sports Medicine Club. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in the Houston Harte University Center on Rosemont Drive.

Business Resource Center

The staff of the City of San Angelo Development Corporation is moving into the newly renovated Business Resource Center at 69 North Chadbourne Street. The BRC will house all of San Angelo’s major economic development partners. The city says the “one-stop shop” will allow for greater coordination among economic development agencies and greater convenience for commercial developers. The building formerly housed the offices of Coca-Cola. Its one-point-three million renovation was funded with the half-cent sales tax for economic development.

Nature Center donation day

Visitors to the San Angelo Nature Center are encouraged to feed the animals on the center's Donation Day, this Saturday. Free entry to the center will be granted to each person who brings one donated food item for its animals. The Nature Center is located at 7409 Knickerbocker Road and is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. You can find a donation list for the animals on the City of San Angelo's Facebook page.

Housing grant

The City of San Angelo will assist in the repair or replacement of 60 roofs in four neighborhoods targeted for revitalization, thanks to a 100-thousand dollar contribution from the San Angelo Health Foundation. The City’s Neighborhood and Family Services Department applied for the grant which will be matched with 100-thousand dollars in affordable housing funds from the City. The homes are in the Blackshear, Fort Concho, Reagan and Rio Vista neighborhoods.

Drug Collection Unit

You'll soon have a safe way to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired medications. The Concho Valley CARES Coalition, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council for the Concho Valley and the San Angelo Police Department are providing a permanent Prescription Drug Collection Unit. It will be located at the San Angelo Police Station on East Beauregard Avenue. A ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the new unit will be held next Monday morning at 10 o'clock.

Freeze warning

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WARNING FOR THIS MORNING. A HARD FREEZE IS POSSIBLE AS CLEAR SKIES AND VERY LIGHT WINDS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20S ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS, INCLUDING THE CONCHO VALLEY. SENSITIVE PLANTS MAY DIE. UNPROTECTED WATER PIPES MAY EXPAND AND BURST. AND EXPOSED LIVESTOCK AND PETS COULD HAVE COLD RELATED INJURIES.

Diversity Awards Luncheon

The San Angelo Chamber of Commerce will host the annual Diversity Awards Luncheon at the McNease Convention Center from today from 11:30 a.m. to 1: 15 p.m. They'll be honoring three organizations in the community whose owners or managers have demonstrated a spirit of achievement and ethnic or gender diversity. Donna Fujimoto Cole, President and CEO of Cole Chemical and Distributing, will be the featured speaker for the event.

Winter preparedness

Officials at the City of San Angelo-Tom Green County Emergency Managment urge you to prepare for winter weather, especially when it comes to your vehicle. Plan your travel and check the latest weather reports to avoid a storm. Fully check and winterize your vehicle before winter begins. And carry a winter-storm survival kit, including blankets and sleeping bags, flashlights with extra batteries and first-aid kit. For a complete list, go to Emergency Management's Facebook page.

Free city wi-fi

Ener-Tel has teamed with the City of San Angelo to offer free, high-speed public wireless connections at a dozen City facilities. These freeWAVE hotspots, which allow Internet browsing, social networking, enhanced e-mail and text messaging, can be accessed by smart phones and tablets. Locations include the Coliseum, McNease Convention Center and Texas Bank Sports Complex. For a complete list, go to the city of San Angelo's Facebook page.

Water adjustment

The City of San Angelo is adjusting the chemicals it uses to disinfect drinking water after receiving a notice that the level of trihalomethanes, or THMs, an organic compound, exceeded EPA standards. The City is reducing the THMs with the additive sodium hydroxide during the treatment process and is informing customers of the development in their November statements. The notices state that customers do not need to use an alternative water source.

Credit card theft arrests

San Angelo police arrested two people suspected of credit card theft last Thursday. A woman at D-Rays Restaurant on South Chadbourne told officers that her card had been stolen and that a purchase had been made at the restaurant without her consent. A man and woman seen making that transaction on surveillance footage were later spotted entering the Family Dollar Store on West Avenue L. Police arrested 17-year-old Kaila Gomez, who allegedly had the stolen card, and 21-year-old Eduardo Gutierrez of San Angelo. Both are suspected in other credit card thefts.

Identity thieves sought

San Angelo police are asking for your help in identifying a man and woman who used a stolen credit/debit card to make unauthorized purchases at various stores across town. The female subject was recorded on surveillance video stealing purses from Fuentes Restaurant downtown. You can view the images on the San Angelo Police Department's Facebook page. If you have information on the suspects, you're encouraged to call San Angelo police or, remain anonymous and call Crime Stoppers at 658-HELP.

Gas price update

If you're planning to travel over Thanksgiving, you can budget a little less money for fuel. Triple-A reports gasoline prices continue to drop and are expected to fall for the rest of the month. As of today, the average price of regular gas in Texas is three-19 a gallon, down six cents from a week ago. According to gas-buddy-dot-com, the price of regular in San Angelo ranges from three-11 to three-21 a gallon.

Vehicle burglaries

San Angelo police are investigating four vehicle burglaries that occurred Wednesday night; two in the 100 block of Stoneham and two in the 1000 block of Stonewall. Vehicles appeared to have been left unlocked, with no forced entry. Police remind you to always lock your vehicle with the windows up. Take the keys. More than 25 percent of all stolen vehicles had the keys left in the vehicle. The most effective way to prevent becoming a victim of burglary of a motor vehicle is to make sure valuables are removed or secured in the trunk. Don't just hide property under the seat, because if the item is left inside the car it might still be visible from some angle.

O Negative blood needed

United Blood Services of San Angelo has issued an emergency critical appeal for O Negative Blood Type. UBS says it currently has less than one day's supply of O Negative, the eight hospitals UBS services have a very limited amount on their shelves and, if there was emergency, there would not be enough blood on hand. United Blood Services is located at 2020 West Beauregard and you can find them online at united-blood-services-dot-org.

Young Artist Competition

The San Angelo Symphony will be hosting the 53rd Sorantin International Young Artist Competition a week from tomorrow--Saturday, November 17th--at the CJ Davidson Center on the Angelo State University campus. This competition will bring 12 semi-finalists from all over the world to San Angelo to compete in either strings or piano divisions to compete for cash prizes totaling up to 10-thousand dollars. Semi-finals on Saturday morning will be open and free to the public.Tickets are available now for the Finals to be held that evening..

Motel pot bust

Saturday night, San Angelo police were at the Super 8 Motel on West Avenue L on an unrelated call when they detected the odor or marijuana coming from a guest room. Officers observed a man approaching the room. He was identified as 56-year-old Willie Cross of Alpine. A search of the room search turned up a bag of marijuana and more than 57-hundred dollars in cash. Cross was arrested for possession of marijuana.

Traffic stop and drug bust

A traffic stop turned into a drug bust in San Angelo. Friday night, an officer stopped a vehicle in the 1100 block of Wright Street. for a traffic violation. The driver, 64-year-old Pedro Quiroz, was allegedly discovered to be in possession of a substance that field tested positive for Heroin and approximately 12-hundred dollars in cash. A K-9 unit turned up more heroin and more than eight-thousand dollars in cash. Quiroz was arrested on a felony drug charge. His passenger, 45-year-old Edward Renovato was found to have outstanding arrest warrants and he was taken into custody without incident.

GPS finds stolen vehicle

On Monday morning, San Angelo Police located a stolen vehicle in the backyard of a residence in the 500 block of West 17th Street. Officers were led to the area through information they received from the vehicle’s OnStar GPS. The vehicle, which was being concealed by a cover, had been reported stolen from a residence in the Brown Street area earlier that morning. As police removed the cover, they located a 15-year-old female and an 18-year-old male identified as Michael Contreras of San Angelo. Contreras was arrested, the girl was released to a family member and the vehicle was released to its owner.

Fort Concho veterans observance

Fort Concho will be open during the Veterans Day weekend. Prior to its involvement in a downtown Veterans Day parade on Saturday, the Fort Concho Cavalry will gather at around 8:30 AM at the Medal of Honor recipients area next to the Headquarters Building. A trooper will read the poem "Fiddler's Green," a canteen of water will be poured over each site, the name of each Medal of Honor recipient will be read, and a trooper will place an American flag at the stone, step back and salute.

City closed Monday

City of San Angelo offices will be closed Monday, November 12th, in observance of Veterans Day. Garbage collection will not be affected for customers whose refuse is normally collected on Mondays. Landfill hours also will remain unchanged. All City offices will reopen at 8 AM on Tuesday..

Traffic death anniversary

Wednesday marked a somber anniversary in Texas. November 7th, 2000--12 years ago--was the last day in the state without a single traffic fatality. Since that date, at least one person has died every single day on a Texas highway or roadway, bringing the total to 41-thousand-252 fatalities. Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw urges Texans to drive responsibly, eliminate distractions, adhere to the posted traffic signs and ensuring everyone in their vehicle is buckled up.

HEB helping Red Cross

H-E-B is donating 50-thousand dollars to the American Red Cross and is accepting customer donations for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Customers are encouraged to donate now through Monday, December 3rd, as part of an in-store donation campaign. All monies received will benefit the American Red Cross, and will be directed towards relief efforts on the East Coast. 100 percent of all funds received will go towards providing safe shelter, consistent food supplies and clean drinking water.

Election results

President Obama has been re-elected to a second term, although his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, was the clear choice in Texas. Romney got 57 percent of the vote statewide and earned 38 electoral votes. In Tom Green County, Romney took 73 percent of the vote to 25 percent for Obama.

There were only two contested local elections on the Tom Green County ballot.
Republican Ralph Hoelscher won re-election to serve a second term as Tom Green County commissioner for Precinct 1, defeating Democrat Jesse Martinez. Hoelscher with 52 percent of the vote.

In the race for sheriff, Republican David Jones got 69 percent of the vote to win easily over Democrat Walter Bryant and Libertarian David Benton.

More than 36-thousand ballots were cast in Tom Green County; that's a turnout of 59 percent.

Republican Ted Cruz, a Tea Party favorite, defeated Democrat Paul Sadler for election to the U.S. Senate. Cruz will replace another Republican, Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is retiring.

Election day

Polling locations in Tom Green County will be open today from seven in the morning until seven in the evening. Elections officials say you can expect long lines. Be sure to bring a voter registration card or ID. Some 24-thousand Tom Green County residents won't have to show up--they cast early ballots over the past two weeks. That's about a third of the registered voters.

Crash causes power outage

Alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor in a crash that knocked out power early Sunday morning to as many as 10-thousand San Angelo residents. It happened in the 700 block of Knickerbocker Road. Police say 34-year-old Ruben Serna, Junior, had driven his 2005 Dodge Ram pickup into several parked U-Haul vehicles and then into a utility pole. Charges are pending against Serna, who was transported to Shannon Medical Center for treatment of unknown injuries.

Staggering suspect

San Angelo police arrived early Saturday morning to a residence in the 1400 block of Paseo de Vaca where someone was seen staggering from house to house and rummaging through a mailbox. The man was found in a detached garage on the same road and appeared to be intoxicated. He was later identified as 18-year-old Richard Michael Garcia III of San Angelo. Officers say they found Garcia to be in possession of items that turned out to have been stolen from a vehicle and he was arrested.

Egg-tossers

Somebody was tossing eggs at cars and people in San Angelo on Saturday morning. An officer was interviewing one of the victims near Sherwood Way and Oxford Street when the vehicle from which the eggs were being thrown took off, committing several traffic violations and almost colliding head on with another vehicle before stopping on Arden Road. The driver, 18-year-old Hunter Holbert of San Angelo, was arrested for reckless driving. Holbert and his three passengers, all teens, were cited for criminal mischief. It turns out that the the pedestrian targets of the egg-tossing were U.S. Marines collecting donations for Toys for Tots.

ASU Vets Day celebration

Angelo State University's Multicultural Center will host a Veteran's Day Celebration complete with a memorial wall and patriotic presentations this Thursday. The celebration will run from 11:30 to 1 PM at the Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive, and is open free to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Vets' free oil change

With Veterans Day coming up, those who have served our country in the armed forces can get a free basic oil change. That offer is from Meineke to retired and active military and the spouses of those currently deployed. To receive their free oil change, veterans should call their local Meineke Car Care Center at 3201 Knickerbocker to schedule an appointment for next Monday, November 12th.

AM2 ASU student showcase

Angelo State University's Center for Community Engagement will highlight its new "CONNECT!" program with a student showcase next Monday in the Houston Harte University Center on Rosemont Drive. The Student Showcase will run from 3-5 PM and is open free to the public. The "CONNECT!" initiative involves five courses, each of which includes activities that allow students to engage with the community.

Wall gets grant

Wall ISD in Tom Green County has been selected as a 10-thousand dollar winner in the Monsanto Fund’s America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education. The program gives farmers the opportunity to nominate their public school district to apply for a merit-based grant to enhance math and science education. After a three tier grant review process, Wall ISD was selected as one of 9 winners in Texas. A check presentation will take place Friday morning at Wall High School.

AM1 Early voting totals

Election day is tomorrow, but a lot of people have already voted. Early voting in Tom Green County was higher this year than it was four years ago. After two weeks of early voting at five locations, some 23-thousand-800 people voted early. That's out of more than 62-thousand registered voters in the county. If you haven't voted, polls across the state open at 7 tomorrow morning. Votes will be cast in the race for President and for a Texas U.S. Senate seat, between Republican Ted Cruz or Democrat Paul Sadler.

Xmas at Old Fort Concho

Christmas at Old Fort Concho tickets go on sale this today. So if you want to check out Miss Birdie's Tea Party or Santa's Workshop, buy your tickets at the Visitors Center in Barracks One at the fort on South Oakes Street. This year's Christmas at Old Fort Concho will take place December 7th, 8th and 9th..

Gas price update

While you might expect gas prices to increase after a storm like Hurricane Sandy makes landfall, Triple-A reports the opposite has occurred. The average price of regular in Texas is three-25, down seven cents from a week ago. Gas-buddy-dot-com reports the price of regular in San Angelo ranges from three-14 to three-32 a gallon.

ASU jazz master class

Two icons of the jazz world will conduct a master class at Angelo State University this Friday. The master class by pianist John di Martino and trumpeter Warren Vaché will begin at 1 PM in the Carr Education-Fine Arts Building, on Dena Drive. It is open free to the public.

AM1 ASU brass concert

Angelo State University's Brass Choir will present its annual fall concert "Night of Brass" on this Thursday in the University Auditorium. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and is open free to the public. The Auditorium is located in the ASU Sol Mayer Administration Building, on West Avenue N. For more information, visit the Brass Choir's website at angelo-dot-e-d-u-slash-brass.

Turkey-shoot free-throw contests

The City of San Angelo's Recreation Division will sponsor two "turkey shoot" free-throw contests at each of its recreation centers on Tuesday, November 13th. The competitions will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Southside Recreation Center on Ben Ficklin Road, and the Carl Ray Johnson Recreation Center on North Farr Street. Registration begins at 6 PM. There is no entry fee. Winners will receive frozen turkeys. Find out more at san-angelo-texas-dot-u-s-slash-recreation.

Juvenile arson arrest

The City of San Angelo Fire Marshal's Office arrested a juvenile last Thursday in connection with an October 15th fire at the San Angelo Visitors Center on West Avenue B. After reviewing surveillance tapes from the Visitors Center, fire investigators recognized the juvenile, who was on probation for arson in connection with a December 2011 fire at an abandoned hotel on Rio Concho Drive. The suspect was taken into custody following an interview.

Vets honored

The annual tradition of placing American flags on the graves of the approximately 14-hundred veterans interred at Fairmount Cemetery will take place Sunday at 2 PM. The public is invited to assist in the effort at the City-run cemetery at 1120 West Avenue N. Following a short ceremony, volunteers - including Boy Scouts and members of the Civil Air Patrol - will place a flag on each grave that has a military service marker.

Farmers Market

A reminder that the Concho Valley Farmers Market is now open on Saturdays only and will have one final sale this year after the first fall frost. The Farmers Market continues to sell locally, home-grown tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, okra, pumpkins, farm-fresh eggs, goat cheese, honey and native plants from 7 AM until noon Saturdays under the pavilion at 609 South Oakes Street across from Fort Concho. The market features farmers who come from a 75-mile radius around San Angelo.

Early voting

Early voting in the November 6th election continues for one more day today in Tom Green County. The polls are open until 7 PM. You can cast ballots at the Edd B. Keyes Building on West Beauregard , Station 618 on South Chadbourne, Victory Christian Center on Sunset Drive, First Assembly of God Church on Edmund Boulevard and Plaza del Sol Apartments on Oak Grove Boulevard. If you miss out on early voting, of course, you can still vote on Tuesday, election day.

Benefit soccer tourney

The City of San Angelo and La Liga Hispana are sponsoring a soccer tournament on Saturday, November 17th, to benefit United Way of the Concho Valley. Games will be played from 9 AM to 6 PM at the fields at 1501 Glenna Drive. The entry fee is 100 dollars per team. You can find out more and how to register on the City of San Angelo's Facebook page.

Shannon diabetes update

Shannon Medical Center will host the 2012 Diabetes Update one week from tomorrow, Saturday, November 10th, at the McNease Convention Center. The seminar, featuring expert speakers on various topics, is free of charge and is open to anyone affected by diabetes or interested in learning more about the disease and pre-registration is required. To register, call (325) 659-7194.

Toys for Tots

Toys for Tots will have its first 24-Hour Toy Drive of the season from 5 PM today to 5 PM tomorrow, located at HEB in San Angelo. Nearly 50 Marines from Goodfellow AFB will be collecting donations for 24-hours straight to show their dedication to their community and their mission. The pinnacle of the event will be on tomorrow between 3 and 4 PM when some 100 Motorcycles from the Green Knights' Motorcycle Run at Sealy Flats will ride to ASU's Military Appreciation Game at San Angelo Stadium, pick up Santa, and head to HEB to drop-off their toys.

Red Cross Sandy assistance

The San Angelo branch of the American Red Cross is sending an emergency response vehicle to aide victims of Superstorm Sandy. The vehicle will be manned by a local volunteer and provide assistance including meals and other necessary items. That volunteer is very experienced; Ray Favre has volunteered with the Red Cross since the 1950's,.

Trash fee increase

City of San Angelo trash pickup and landfill fees are increasing slightly as of today, with most residential customers paying an additional 65 cents per month for garbage collection. The City Council approved ordinance changes that raised fees for residential and commercial garbage collection and for landfill charges. The increases were necessitated by increasing operating costs at the city's landfill, which is managed by Trashaway Services.

Water restrictions

A reminder for residents of San Angelo. As of today, in accordance with Drought Level One restrictions, outside watering is limited to once every two weeks. However, watering can occur at any hour of the day. Those restrictions will remain in effect through March. There is also an additional surcharge for residents using more than 25-thousand gallons of water in a month. That is two dollars for every one-thousand gallons over the limit.

Submerged stolen car recovered

San Angelo police say a kayaker discovered a submerged stolen vehicle on Tuesday evening. Officers responded to the portion of the river near Bell Street and South Concho Drive to investigate. Additional emergency crews as well as Home Motors personnel were called to the scene to assist in the recovery process which took about one hour. The vehicle was unoccupied. The 2009 Silver Dodge Avenger was identified as being reported stolen from the Lithia Autoplex, on Sherwood Way, last December. Police believe the vehicle has been submerged for some time because it was covered in moss and debris.

ASU jazz concert

Angelo State University's Jazz Ensemble will present a free concert featuring songs from contemporary artists and composers next week. The show will feature selections by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea and others. It will begin at 7:30 PM on Tuesday evening at the ASU Auditorium in the Mayer Administration Building on West Avenue N.

ASU Vets Day ceremonies

Angelo State University's Air Force ROTC Detachment 847 will recognize Veterans Day and honor the nation's military veterans next week. The public is invited to a flag retreat ceremony and candlelight vigil scheduled for Wednesday beginning at 5 PM at the ASU flagpole and then moving to Memorial Oak Grove. That's in front of the Meyer Administration Building on West Avenue N.

Feast of Sharing

In what has become an annual tradition in San Angelo, H-E-B presents the Feast of Sharing. This year’s event will take place on Sunday from 11 am – 2 pm at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 50 East 43rd Street. The event is free and open to anyone who wants to attend. H-E-B says hundreds of volunteers will serve a feast to more than 92-hundred San Angelo residents. The menu includes turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, a vegetable medley and dessert.

Shannon award

San Angelo-based Shannon Home Health earned a spot on the HomeCare Elite 2012 list which recognizes the top 25 percent of home health agencies nationwide based on performance measures in quality, improvement and financial performance. This is the seventh consecutive year for Shannon Home Health to receive the honor. Additionally, the program earned a spot in the Top 500 agencies for the second time in seven years.