Tolls could rise .50 pending approval by City Council

A.D. Ibarra

-Eagle Pass

The International Bridge Board unanimously approved increasing fees for both bridges in search of more revenue for the city's general, and operation

both junctions.

Mario Diaz, International Bridge Manager, presented the proposal which in essence would raise the toll by .50 cents for cars and trucks, which could generate up to an extra  $750,000 per you.

Pedestrians may be facing an increase of .25 cents and increase the tolls of commercial vehicles and buses $3.50 per axle.

He said that these are rates that most borders have been raising their tolls for several years and the City of Eagle Pass' tolls have remained the same for quite some time.

A comparative study by administration revealed that even with these changes that have been contemplated for commercial traffic, local bridges will remain lower than others.

All proposed changes to bridge tolls are still pending approval by city council.

During Thursday's meeting, Lorena Ruiz, was appointed Secretary, Kimberly Cantu was named Vice-President and local accountant Jesus Casas was named Chairman of the Board.  Local attorney Victor Perry was not present.

Former JP Cesar Perez found guilty and charged in indictment

A.D. Ibarra

-Eagle Pass

A seven woman-five man jury convicted former Justice of the Peace Cesar Perez of theft by a public servant of $1,500-$20,000 after a four-day trial where both prosecution, Lead Prosecutor Lance Kutnick and Assistant Prosecutor Jonathan White, who were sworn in as Assistant District Attorneys by D.A. Roberto Serna, and Defense Counsel Rogelio Muñoz and Earl Herring, duked it out in what was clarified by DA Roberto Serna to be the 293rd District Court before The Honorable Amado Abascal, 365th District Judge in a solemn, but patient courtroom late Thursday evening.

Perez who was indicted in December of 2012 along with his two secretaries at the time, Elisa Martinez and Martha Zamarripa charging them on counts of engaging in organized criminal activity and theft by a public servant. After dismissing the first count the trial was focused on the second count of theft. 

UIL issues reprimand, suspensions for Eagle Pass High School Baseball Coach Reynol Mendoza

Press Release

-Austin, TX

The State Executive Committee of the University Interscholastic League has issued Eagle Pass High School coach Reynol Mendoza a public reprimand and a three-year probation for discrepancies in the acquisition of officials during the 2013 baseball playoffs. Mendoza was also issued a suspension for the first six district games of the next baseball season.

The decision stems from last years playoff game against Mission Sharyland High School in the Regional Quarter-Final Championship where the then coach of the Rattlers, Coach Barton Bickerton, filed a formal complaint against Coach Mendoza siting that he did not follow the appropriate protocol in choosing the four umpires for the teams.

Representatives of the Eagle Pass Independent School District were contacted for a statement regarding this issue but as of press time those requests were not answered.