Latest news with #Caller-Times
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge denies Campos' restraining order request against KRIS TV, city of Corpus Christi
A judge has rejected a temporary restraining order requested by a Corpus Christi councilwoman that would have forced a local broadcast station and the city to take down content on their sites related to a human resources investigation. City Councilwoman Sylvia Campos earlier this month took legal action against KRIS TV and the city of Corpus Christi following publications of material about a medical incident she experienced on March 4 that became the subject of an employee grievance. The situation, as described in a summary of the investigation from the city's human resources department, had made the employee feel uncomfortable and disrespected. The summary shows that human resources recommended limiting how Campos interacts with city staff, saying Campos should meet with staff through videoconferencing when possible and that more than one staff member attend if a meeting is in person. The Caller-Times is not describing Campos' medical issue in greater detail because of the sensitive nature of the topic. Court documents filed by Campos' attorney, Matt Manning, describe Campos as experiencing 'a medical event of a highly sensitive, embarrassing nature for which she had previously sought and requested treatment' after a meeting with City Manager Peter Zanoni. The broadcast story, and the statement subsequently posted by city officials responding to the KRIS TV story, disclosed 'private details of Petitioner's health information,' Manning asserts in records as part of an argument to grant the temporary restraining order. In his April 8 denial of a temporary restraining order, County Court at Law 4 Judge Mark Woerner wrote that Campos had 'failed to meet the necessary burden to warrant injunctive relief.' In addition to the temporary restraining order, Campos had also initially requested an injunction, as well as taking depositions. While an injunction would likely not be sought or granted, there is work underway to request a hearing on a petition for taking depositions, Manning said April 16. The petition, if granted, would allow Campos' representation to take depositions from station and municipal staff to explore potential claims against the city, KRIS TV or both. While city officials and KRIS TV representatives declined comment on the denial of the temporary restraining order, court records shed light on their positions. Among arguments that had been made in court filings against Campos' requests were First Amendment questions, as well as the length of time the material had already been within public view. Although Campos had taken legal action as a private citizen, court filings against the temporary restraining order pointed out that Campos is generally thought to have less privacy because of her position as a councilwoman elected to her post. Manning has contended in records that the KRIS 6 publication 'had no bearing on Ms. Campos' fitness to serve or a substantial nexus to the communication issue with City staff; and publication of such fact stood only to embarrass her.' In an editorial posted April 3, KRIS TV senior director of local media content Jim Bob Breazeale wrote that what made it become a 'private matter into a newsworthy one was its impact on public resources, government operations, and proposed changes to how an elected official interacts with staff.' After the station's story publication March 28, the city posted a statement on its site the same day that officials said was needed to clarify misinformation. As part of the statement, it described the lodged complaint as 'behavior that is grossly inappropriate in a professional setting, even assuming that a medical incident explains what initially occurred in the conference room.' Earlier this month, city officials told the Caller-Times that the city had been 'careful to avoid violating anyone's potential privacy rights,' and denied that the municipality had 'unduly injured a person's reputation.' The response filed by the city, submitted by attorney Brian Miller on its behalf, described Campos' pleadings as 'unclear whether she asserts a defamation claim, an invasion-of-privacy claim, both, or neither.' The incident couldn't be considered as a 'purely personal matter,' Miller added in the city's response, 'because City employees witnessed various parts of the incident.' Miller noted that Campos had provided a statement for the KRIS TV story, as well as statements made in her court filings, which he asserted provided more medical information than the city's statement. He added that by attaching the KRIS TV story and the city's response as part of the legal documents, 'Campos has ensured public availability of the complained-of story and statement,' and noted that Campos had 'not sought injunctive relief against the Corpus Christi Caller-Times despite the newspaper twice mentioning more about Campos' medical condition than the City's statement.' In the KRIS 6 bench brief, attorneys with law firm Haynes & Boone LLP wrote that a temporary restraining order would have compelled 'KRIS to remove truthful reporting related to her interactions with the City Manager and his staff.' The document states that although Campos 'asserts that information in the KRIS story (and the City's statement) is harmful to her reputation—alluding to a claim for defamation—her potential claim appears to be one for invasion of privacy,' but did not plead either. Defamation claims fail 'because she has not alleged any statement made in the KRIS story is false—just that the statement in question is harmful, which she equates with being defamatory.' 'KRIS provided only the minimum amount of information about her medical condition,' KRIS TV's brief states, adding that the information was necessary to provide enough context for the story. There's an issue, also, for restraint on the First Amendment, according to its brief, which would 'compel KRIS to change its website and social media to take down speech with which Petitioner disagrees.' More: Corpus Christi rally attendees urge US Rep. Michael Cloud to attend town hall More: Corpus Christi councilwoman's legal action shifts from federal to state courts More: Corpus Christi councilwoman takes legal action against broadcast station, city This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here's what may be next in legal action against Corpus Christi, KRIS TV
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'An amazing man': Indigenous activist, educator Larry Running Turtle Salazar dies at 68
Larry Running Turtle Salazar, a local Indigenous activist and educator, died early Sunday. He was 68. Salazar suffered from chronic pain, according to Michael Broken Horn Gomez. After several knee surgeries, a snowball effect of complications is what took him away, Gomez said. "He treated me like the son he always wanted," Gomez, who is in a relationship with Salazar's daughter, Yvette Salazar, said. "He was an amazing man." In the mid-1990s, the Texas Department of Transportation began work on upgrading Ennis Joslin Road. During the construction, workers found evidence of Native American use, including burials. In 1996, an archeologist was hired to conduct test excavations in this new section, and eventually TxDOT and the Texas Historical Commission determined portions of the area had been used as burial grounds sometime between 1000 B.C. and 1000 A.D. Salazar did not receive notice about the remains until nearly a decade later. Angered by the disturbance of the burial grounds, Salazar made requests to stop the disturbance and to rename the road in honor of the Native Americans. Both were refused. The park now houses a medicine wheel where Salazar would host a blessing of sacred grounds along with a community march, a tradition he started in January 2005, according to a past Caller-Times article. Vonnie Lynn, Salazar's niece, said she was with her uncle when he died. "There were so many family members there," Lynn said. "He gave everyone their final blessings and told us he loved us all. The energy was so palpable in the room because there was so much love. He told us to be kind to one another, to love ourselves and to walk in beauty." Lynn said Salazar was always there to give her guidance, empathy and love. She said she will continue to spread his kindness and hopes the community remembers her uncle for his passion, love and commitment to Native American culture. Salazar was present during the annual mile-and-a-half walk along Ennis Joslin Road to the Ishka Sacred Site, a Native burial ground. He also initiated a prayer before the journey and helped with ceremonies afterward. In 2023, Salazar told the Caller-Times he was diagnosed with kidney cancer, but felt best when he was at site. 'There are times recently when I am hurting so much and I am not feeling well, but when I am out there, I feel like I am reverberating with the spirit people,' Salazar told the Caller-Times. 'It puts me in a different mood. It kind of keeps me going.' Gomez said information regarding services for Salazar will be shared at More: Corpus Christi City Council approves agreement with non-profit for Indigenous art at park More: Reclaiming heritage, some in the Coastal Bend fight to preserve Karankawa land, history John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at or Bluesky @ Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times. This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Indigenous activist, educator Larry Running Turtle Salazar dies at 68
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Yahoo
Owner of San Antonio nonprofit that led search for Caleb Harris dead at 47
Nina Glass, the owner of Search and Rescue SATX, a San Antonio-based nonprofit whose team searched last year for missing 21-year-old Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student Caleb Harris, died on Monday. She was 47. An announcement of her death was published on her organization's website, along with a message to "Rest in Paradise." 'It is with a very sad and heavy heart that we have to announce that the owner of Search and Rescue SATX, Nina Glass, has unexpectedly passed away on Jan. 27, 2025. No details are available at this time, and when more information is obtained and the family wants, it will be released. Please keep Nina and her family in your hearts and prayers. The family is also asking to please respect their privacy at this time. Thank you everyone for your support for Nina and her organization.' Search and Rescue SATX could not be reached for further comment on Wednesday. Glass founded Search and Rescue SATX in 2019. The group collaborates with law enforcement and the community to find missing persons through 'comprehensive search techniques.' On Monday, the creator of the Facebook page 'Talk of Caleb Harris,' Nicole Owens, also wrote a post about Glass. Owens told the Caller-Times that she met Glass through the search for missing person Jason Landry, who disappeared from Luling in December 2020. Through TikTok, they organized a search effort for Harris together, encouraging people to volunteer to look for the student, who was last seen at his off-campus apartment on March 4, 2024. Glass came to Corpus Christi on March 9 and stayed until sometime in April. She traveled from her hometown of San Antonio throughout the year to conduct more searches for the missing student, Owens said. With the help of countless volunteers whom she'd found through the Facebook page and word-of-mouth, Glass' team searched the heavily vegetated areas, fields and drainage ditches around Harris' residence after his disappearance. The group expanded their effort to the Oso Bay Wetland Preserve, Flour Bluff and North Padre Island, bringing in underwater drones to search bodies of water. Owens said she spoke to Glass almost daily, especially during the Caleb Harris search, and helped set up volunteers. She described helping Glass behind the scenes by providing volunteers with meals. 'She worked really hard at trying to find missing people,' Owens said. 'She put everything into it and didn't stop until she knew they had to stop.' People also made donations through social media to cover the cost of hotels and other expenses so that Glass could stay in Corpus Christi, Owens said. 'She raised funds to go down there,' she said. 'I had people in the group who would take turns supplying the food and coffee. People bought things for her — radios, a metal detector, probably a few other things like life jackets and new boots. 'Corpus Christi was super-supportive,' she said. 'They were actually amazing. She grew pretty close to a group of them from Corpus Christi.' Owens said Glass took it personally and felt as if she were 'failing' when she didn't find Harris. Harris' remains were later found in a wastewater station in June and positively identified on July 17. His case is under investigation by the Corpus Christi Police Department. While Glass' cause of death is not known, her daughter found her mother in bed, according to Owens' post on Facebook. She had been sick with the flu and went to lie down, dying in her sleep. Glass' daughter could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. More: Investigation of missing Texas A&M student enters eighth week More: Search for missing Texas A&M student deepens in Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve More: Search for missing Texas A&M student Caleb Harris expands across North Padre Island This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Woman who led search for missing student Caleb Harris dead at 47
