Texas Comptroller Susan Combs recently announced that the "new" appliance rebate program will start on Monday, December 20th. Texans who want to save money on ENERGY STAR® appliances will soon have another opportunity to apply for mail-in rebates on those purchases. Approximately $10 million is available for the traditional mail-in rebate program, which will remain open until all funds are distributed.

To participate, first research and select a new appliance. Then, on or after Dec. 20, 2010:
1. Purchase a qualifying Energy Star appliance from a Texas retailer or contractor and retain your receipt;
2. Install the new, qualifying appliance in your valid Texas residential address;
3. Either properly dispose of or recycle the old appliance being replaced;
4. Completely fill out a rebate application form, including the appliance disposal or recycling information;
5. Mail in the completed application form with your receipt and any other required documentation (for example, disposal or recycling verification) to the address that will be available before the start of the purchase period on Dec. 20, 2010;
6. Application forms will be ordered by the postmark date on the envelope of the application. If a postmark is missing, the application will be placed in the order based on the day it arrives at the processing facility.
Rates will be offered for appliances in eight categories, including: air-source heat pumps, clothes washers, freezers, room air conditioners, central air conditioners, dishwashers, refrigerators and water heaters.

To view the details on eligible appliances (including rebate amounts), find out more information about the program and get a rebate application form, please visit http://www.texaspowerfulsmart.org/rebate/appliances.php.

Go, Diego, Go! until Cop orders "Stop, Diego, Stop"

 

SEATTLE (AP) -- Diego was a model passenger, sitting quietly with seat belt buckled, never fidgeting. But it was the huge, unblinking eyes that made a Washington state trooper suspicious.

The state patrol says troopers were stationed Nov. 29 along an Interstate 405 onramp, pulling over people who were driving in the high occupancy lane with only one person in the car. That's when the odd "passenger" drew one trooper's notice.

The patrol says the trooper stopped the car and found the driver had placed a stuffed Diego doll from the Nickelodeon children's show "Go, Diego, Go!" in the front passenger seat. The unidentified driver said he was late for work so he drove off with his daughter's doll so he could use the HOV lane.

The driver was cited for the HOV lane violation.

In what head does it fit?? ( A que cabeza le cabe?)

From the McAllen Monitor Dec15th

WESLACO — A woman who was allegedly driving while intoxicated with a five year-old girl passenger was arrested after crashing twice, according to a news release from the police department.

Yvette Joy Flores, 18, was arrested at her home Tuesday night after leaving the scene of both accidents, police said. Flores apparently hit another vehicle with the 1998 Ford Explorer she was driving shortly before 10:30 pm. The victim of the accident followed Flores after she refused to stop.

While she was being followed, Flores lost control of her vehicle after striking a curb, police said. The Explorer rolled over, but landed back on its four wheels. At that time, a male passenger and a 5-year-old girl exited the vehicle, police said. Flores then continued to her residence, where she was later arrested.
The 18-year-old woman was charged with DWI with a child under 15 and failure to stop and give information. Her bond was issued for a total of $17,500.  

TAMIU research: depression, not violent video games, may cause aggression

 
Editor's Note:
This next story comes from the Times of India, what's surprising is that it seems to reference research done here at TAMIU and possibly on Laredo's youth. The report is as follows:

A new research has suggested that violence in video games or on television is not related to serious acts of youth aggression.

In fact, how depressed young people are strongly predicts how aggressive and violent they may be or may become, says Dr. Christopher Ferguson from Texas A and M International University who carried out the research.

Ferguson recruited 302 mainly Hispanic youth between the ages of 10 and 14 years, from a small Hispanic-majority city population on the border of Mexico, as part of a larger study of youth violence.

They were interviewed twice – once at the start of the study and again 12 months later. Ferguson looked at their exposure to violence both in video games and on television as well as negative life events, including neighbourhood problems, negative relationships with adults, antisocial personality, family attachment, and delinquent peers.

He also assessed the styles of family interaction and communication, adolescents' exposure to domestic violence, depressive symptoms, serious aggression, bullying and delinquent behaviour.

His analyses show that 75 per cent of young people played video games within the past month on computers, consoles or other devices, and 40 per cent played games with violent content. Boys were more likely than girls to play violent games.

One year later, 7 per cent reported engaging in at least one criminally violent act during the previous 12 months, the most common being physical assaults on other students or using physical force to take an object or money from another person. Nineteen percent reported engaging in at least one non-violent crime during the same period, with shoplifting and thefts on school property at the top of the list.

In addition, Ferguson found that depressive symptoms were a strong predictor for youth aggression and rule breaking, and their influence was particularly severe for those who had pre-existing antisocial personality traits.

However, neither exposure to violence from video games or television at the start of the study predicted aggressive behaviour in young people or rule-breaking at 12 months.

Ferguson concluded: "Depressive symptoms stand out as particularly strong predictors of youth violence and aggression, and therefore current levels of depression may be a key variable of interest in the prevention of serious aggression in youth.

The current study finds no evidence to support a long-term relationship between video game violence use and subsequent aggression. Even though the debate over violent video games and youth violence will continue, it must do so with restraint."

New Bridge joins Rio Bravo, Mex and Donna, Texas

Artist's rendering of new Donna, Texas land port entry

Bloomberg.com is reporting that Mexican President Felipe Calderon has inaugurated a new border bridge linking the Mexican city of Rio Bravo with Donna, Texas. The 300 million peso ($24 million) bridge crosses the Rio Grande, and is one of 17 spans linking Texas and Mexico's northern Tamaulipas state. Two are railway bridges.

Mexican officials expect the six-lane bridge to handle about 3,000 vehicles a day.Calderon said Tuesday that the bridge will handle passenger cars at first, but may later handle freight traffic.Tamaulipas state has been battered by drug-related violence, and U.S. and Mexican officials acknowledge that driving on many of the state's highways can be risky.

Of the 17 bridges connecting the US and Mexico, 2 are for train traffic and the 3 newest ones for vehicles are the Anzaldua bridge in Mcallen, another one in Arizona and now, one in Donna. The Valley keeps moving ahead with it's bridges while Laredo continues to stand idly by.

You're in good hands, well in good, rich hands- with Allstate

HoustonChron.com
Allstate will greet its Texas customers with an insurance rate increase in the new year. The insurer plans to increase rates 5.4 percent statewide for 450,000 Allstate Texas Lloyds customers starting Jan. 20. That’s about a $64 increase for the average policyholder.Those customers’ rates last rose 18 months ago, by 5.5 percent.

Rates for about 175,000 homeowners insured by Allstate Texas Fire and Casualty will rise 9.7 percent. That’s an average $115 increase annually, according to the company.Those rates rose 9.8 percent in late 2009.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of Insurance said state insurance regulators are reviewing the filing. In Texas, insurers raise rates upon notifying regulators, but the Insurance Department can order a reduction and repayment of overcharges if it finds the rates are unjustified or excessive.

Republicans stall spending bill containing pork for Laredo, SA, South Texas

Jim DeMint of the Grand Obtructionist Party surveys his minions

Henry Cuellar is responsible for earmarks that would be used to build a $5 million South Texas training center at a yet to be determined location. Cuellar,D-Laredo, was also instrumental in a $475,000 earmark to build a military hangar in the border city of Laredo.

The GOP continued to stand in opposition Wednesday to the year-end $1.1 trillion spending bill in the Senate . The bill not only contains pork barrel projects for Laredo, but also high-dollar earmarks for San Antonio and the surrounding area.

South Texas military installations would see $46 million in construction projects, and San Antonio would benefit from $8 million in bus improvements, cyber security training and other programs in the 1,924-page spending bill.