In Eagle Pass, Texas, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents along with Texas Department Public Safety agents

arrested 35-year-old Hipolito Amaya, owner of AM-ROD Construction based in Eagle Pass, in connection with

an alleged bribery, kickback and bid-rigging scheme announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and FBI

Special Agent in Charge Armando Fernandez.

A federal grand jury indictment, returned yesterday and unsealed today, charges the Amaya with one count of

paying a bribe to an agent of an organization receiving federal funds. The indictment alleges that in May 2011,

Amaya submitted a $35,800 bid to Maverick County to construct a concrete sidewalk on Lago Vista in Precinct

4 of Maverick County. Maverick County issued him a $17,900 check to commence work and then a $17,900

check for the completion of the sidewalk. The indictment alleges that Amaya made cash payments to two

Maverick County employees so that he could be paid in full for a project he never completed. Additionally,

Amaya is alleged to have never constructed the sidewalk he was paid to build.

Upon conviction, Amaya faces up to ten years in federal prison.

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Texas Department

of Public Safety. Individuals who have first-hand information about corruption, fraud, or bribery related to

Maverick County are urged to contact the FBI at (210) 225-6741. Assistant United States Attorney Michael

Galdo is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is

presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Staff

-Eagle Pass

United Medical Centers is now offering online services giving patients direct access to their own health information. UMC has recently announced a significant upgrade to the online services that it will be providing for its patients. The new web portal will give unprecedented access to registered users with an initial registration at the clinic. UMC staff will be assisting patients in acquiring a secure PIN and website address that will allow them to access a wealth of features that pertain to their own health records. The online service will allow users to access follow-up visit forms, new patient forms, appointment requests, registration notification, account statements, billing questions, referral requests, update their personal information, as well as other features. 

The addition of an online portal for patients is a progressive upgrade designed for the meaningful use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) which UMC has transitioned into in the past several years in order to better facilitate the transfer and management of patient data. 

            George Kypuros, CEO, states, “Medicine is rapidly changing every day and UMC must keep up with all of the changes, particularly the changes that are occurring in technology. The implementation of an EHR system we initiated in August 2011 was a huge challenge for all of us, but it is something that was certainly worthwhile because it has improved the quality of care we offer and it has also prepared us to meet the many challenges and additional changes that we will be facing in the future.”

             UMC provides primary health care services to insured and uninsured patients in Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and Brackettville, Texas. Its eight service sites offer Pediatric, OB/GYN, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Podiatry and Dental Services. In addition, the sites offer in-house services such as Laboratory, Pharmacy, Radiology, Social Services, Family Planning, WIC, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling.

            For more information about this new service, patients can call the main UMC clinic located on Veterans Blvd. at 773-5358 or Eidson Road Clinic at 757-6946. Patients can also report to the clinic in person and staff will assist them in setting up their online patient web portal account.   

A.D. Ibarra

-Eagle Pass

Jorge Sanchez, Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department Director, informed The News Gram that his department will be conducting an event which coincides with Earth Day in which they will be planting trees at strategic areas around the city in an effort to give back to the land that gives us life, the water we drink and the air we breathe everyday.

"The mission of the Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department is to create, protect and beautify a diverse parks and recreation system for the entire community so they can have meaningful recreation experiences that will enhance their quality of life," stated the administrator.

A symbolic ceremony to landmark this national event will be held on Monday, April 22nd at 10:00 P.M. at San Juan Plaza in which children from neighboring Reedeemer Episcopal, their principal and school teachers will be on hand to witness the planting of trees in the plaza area.

The Honorable Ramsey English Cantú will be on hand along with city council members and PARD staff.

This type of event allows for the city to beautify its parks as well as to give back to Mother Earth and send a message to the community about the importance of trees in the scheme of preserving the environment in which we live.