New this week: Will Smith, 'Pinocchio' and 'George & Tammy'
This week’s new entertainment releases include Will Smith’s comeback campaign in the Antoine Fuqua movie “Emancipation,” a documentary about Broadway star Idina Menzel, the video game “Dragon Quest Treasures” and a TV series exploring the tumultuous relationship between country music stars Tammy Wynette and George Jones.
City slams ‘Ousted’ report on its code enforcement practices as ‘fundamentally flawed’
The report, “Ousted: The City of San Antonio’s Displacement of Residents through Code Enforcement Actions,” found 626 orders to vacate and orders to demolish occupied San Antonio homes between 2015 and 2020. Meanwhile, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin issued only 16 orders between them.
San Antonio displaces families, demolishes homes more than other major Texas cities combined, report says
San Antonio is more aggressive than all of the major Texas cities combined when it comes to displacing families and demolishing their homes due to code violations, according to a new report from the University of Texas Austin School of Law.
Val Verde judge says woman at Cowboys Dancehall concert over weekend had COVID-19
click to enlarge Screenshot / YouTubeThe Cowboys Dancehall saga continues.In a Sunday Facebook post, Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens had harsh words for a Del Rio-area resident who tested positive for COVID-19 yet attended a Cody Johnson concert at the San Antonio nightclub anyway, KSAT reports ”There’s Snapchat pictures evidently that y’all took with your mask on your wrist and y’all having a good time," the judge said in the post. "You’re positive. You should’ve never left, young lady.”Owens said after the picture surfaced, the woman lied to Del Rio city officials. "Then you have the nerve, the audacity, to lie to the tracers that you got in a fight with your mother and all this other stuff. That’s how come you weren’t home, and then you confess, you say, ‘Look, I messed up,’” Owens said.The judge said the woman was issued a citation.
sacurrent.comAfter COVID violation, Cowboys Dancehall gets final warning from San Antonio Code Enforcement
click to enlarge Screenshot / YouTubeSan Antonio earlier this week slapped country music venue Cowboys Dancehall with two citations for violating pandemic safety protocols during a pair of packed concerts over the weekend.Now, the city’s Code Enforcement Office has said the dance hall will have one more chance to get its act together before losing its certificate of occupancy, KSAT reports . The club received another five citations last year, city records show.”We issued two citations to the Cowboys Dancehall last night due to their event this weekend and clear lack of following any type of safety guidelines,” San Antonio Development Services Director Michael Shannon told the TV station.Shannon oversees Code Enforcement, which, he stressed to KSAT, never aspires to shutter local businesses in a struggling economy. When people's health is at stake, he added, something’s got to give.”You’ve got to change your ways, or you’re not going to be able to stay open,” Shannon said.Shannon told KSAT the club’s final warning would be issued Tuesday. Should Cowboys be found to be in violation of any other safety guidelines, its certificate of occupancy will be revoked, rendering it unable to legally open.
sacurrent.comSan Antonio official explains process for shutting down businesses due to COVID-19 violations
SAN ANTONIO – When businesses violate the city’s Emergency Health Declaration put in place to help slow the spread of COVID-19, they get cited. Huge crowds this past weekend for a two-day Cody Johnson concert have yielded big consequences for Cowboys Dancehall, which hosted the events. Shannon said Cowboys Dancehall has been issued seven citations since the pandemic began. ”There were other violations, other criminal activity violations, that also added up to creating a continued creation of an unsafe environment,” Shannon said. Once a certificate of occupancy is revoked, the owner must file for a new one in order to open back up.
Art world star gives back by buying work of the undiscovered
Painter Guy Stanley Philoche, a 43-year-old Haitian immigrant and star in the New York art world, sit among some of his latest work during an interview at his East Harlem studio, Thursday Nov. 19, 2020, in New York. "I'm not a rich man," he said, "but I owe a big debt to the art world." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)NEW YORK – Painter Guy Stanley Philoche, a star in the New York art world, had wanted to treat himself to a fancy watch after a hugely successful gallery show. “I'm not a rich man," he said, "but I owe a big debt to the art world. About half the artists Philoche has chosen are people he knows, many in New York.
Special city team begins crackdown on restaurants violating orders starting Thursday night
SAN ANTONIO – A special team led by San Antonio Code Enforcement will be monitoring bars and restaurants across the city on Thursday night. City of San Antonio Development Services Director Michael Shannon said the team was assembled due to issues brought to light by violations at The Well bar on the Northwest Side over the weekend. And we need to really go out and find those.”Recently, changes by the state allowed some bars to reopen as restaurants with a special certificate. Since March, according to online city data, of the roughly 90 encounters where citations were issued, 17 involved a restaurant or bar. A spokesperson says the sheriff’s office’s efforts are to inform businesses about the requirements made by the city and county.
San Antonio residents ready to report businesses not complying with new face mask rule
San Antonio The City of San Antonio said over 300 calls have come in, reporting businesses that are not complying with the face mask order since it took effect on Monday. We still have communication with that business owner or the business manager, just to let them know that we had a call come in, he said. I said, Its only hard the first time you remind somebody to keep their mask on to go to the bathroom, Stokes said. I think after about 10 days, people will get used to wearing their mask very religiously. To report a violation, call the San Antonio polices non-emergency line at 210-207-SAPD.
Tiny homes project meant to help homeless halted by city amid several issues
SAN ANTONIO - Tiny homes meant to house the homeless are sitting vacant while Last Chance Ministries works out issues with the city of San Antonio. Michael Shannon, development services director for San Antonio, said the city went out to inspect the construction when it saw the KSAT coverage, but no one had pulled permits for the construction. The city said the sheds, or tiny homes, need permits for the safety of the occupants and neighbors. No matter who's going to be inside these homes, these tiny homes, we want them to be safe, Shannon said. Shannon said theres no doubt the goal to build homes for the homeless is well intended, but regulations must be followed.