Category Archives: Boca Chica Texas

Prosecutors refute claims made by Cesar Duarte in Florida courtroom, saying he's trying to avoid facing embezzlement charges

by: Julian Resendiz

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) Chihuahua officials on Thursday refuted claims by a former governor that he will be assassinated if a U.S. judge approves his extradition to Mexico.

In the absence of legal arguments, the ex-governors defense is resorting to unfounded arguments what we commonly call grasping at straws, said Jorge Espinoza, special counsel for the state of Chihuahua. His life is not at risk in any way here at whatever prison he is sent to once he is extradited.

Cesar Duarte Jaquez remains in a South Florida prison after being arrested July 8 outside a car shop near Miami International Airport. A federal magistrate in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant against Duarte last April for the purpose of his extradition to Mexico on aggravated embezzlement and aggravated conspiracy charges.

According to the complaint, Duarte used the power of his office to funnel some $100 million in state funds to his personal businesses, employees and associates while he was governor from 2010-2016.

Lauren F. Louis, U.S. federal judge for the Southern District of Florida, is presiding over the extradition request and has scheduled a Jan. 14 hearing.

Espinoza said Duartes lawyers have told the judge their client fears for his life if hes sent back to Mexico, citing last years murder of former Jalisco Gov. Aristoteles Sandoval and violence against other political figures.

Border Report reached out by telephone and email to the law firm of Bell, Rosquete, Reyes, Esteban in Coral Gables, the attorneys of record for Duarte, but did not receive a response.

He is portraying himself as a victim, hes trying to avoid extradition, said Luis Fernando Mesta Soule, the Chihuahua secretary-general. Of all the persons who have been arrested in this (case), none have lost their lives. [] Theres nothing to justify his claim; nothing is going on in the prisons to arrive at that conclusion.

He said 30 former state officials and other individuals have been arrested so far in connection with embezzlement and conspiracy charges going back to the Duarte administration.

Chihuahua officials last year seized 10 properties linked to Duarte, including homes, farm tractors, motor vehicles and a ranch.

Visit theBorderReport.com homepagefor the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the United States-Mexico border.

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Former Chihuahua governor fears assassination if returned to Mexico - WJTV

One unexpected development from Meghan Markle's post-royal life has been her involvement in US politics.

The Duchess of Sussex made history by voting in the US election, something royals don't typically participate in as they are supposed to remain politically neutral.

The spokesperson added that the coupe will continue to speak about politics after the election.

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However, the duchess likely wouldn't have spoken about the election if she had remained a senior working member of the royal family, according to royal experts.

Royal experts believe that Markle would have been able to vote in the US election even if she had never resigned. However, she wouldn't have been allowed to speak about it publicly.

"If Meghan and Harry hadn't stepped back from the royal family, it would have been very tough for her," Nigel Cawthorne, author of "Prince Andrew: Epstein, Maxwell and the Palace," told Insider. "The palace would not under any circumstances have allowed her to take a public stance on the US elections, given the hyper-sensitive role of the Queen as Britain's head of state and Britain's special relationship with the US."

"This time of year would have been extremely difficult for Meghan and she would have had to bite her tongue on many occasions," he added.

Markle's comment about the US election being "the most important election of our lifetime" was criticized by the British tabloids, and spurred President Trump to say that he is "not a fan of hers" back in September.

"The neutrality that the British sovereign and the HRHs have in the UK is for the British government. Voting in the US election does not violate that neutrality," Koenig said.

"The duchess believes that it is important to take part in the democratic process, that includes promoting civic engagement and voting in elections. That's what inspired her to encourage others, especially women, to make sure their voice is heard by casting their ballot," the source said.

A source close to Harry and Markle previously told Insider that they didn't endorse a political candidate because they are aware of "a line" that could be crossed as members of the royal family.

"It would be a change in the way the family has always operated," the source said.

It is unknown if the Duke of Sussex has plans to vote in the next UK election. Either way, royal expert Sydney Zatz believes Harry will keep his decision private.

"I think Harry will do the same as Meghan and continue to use his platform to be an activist. I think out of respect for his family, he will keep things hush but I do believe in his private life that he is going to have a more active role since he has stepped back," Zatz, a reporter at Royal Central, told Insider.

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Meghan Markle is encouraging women to get involved with politics but she had to step back from royal life fo - Business Insider India

Naval Air Station Key West officials honored military working dog Jessy for her service at a retirement ceremony on Nov. 5.

Capt. Mark Sohaney, commanding officer of NAS Key West, presented Jessy with a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and a Certificate of Meritorious Service at the ceremony held on the air stations Boca Chica Field, according to a news release.

Jessy received a standard MWD retirement certificate, said Danette Baso Silvers, an NAS Key West spokeswoman, in an email to Military Times.

But that wasnt all.

At the discretion of Commanding Officer Capt. Mark Sohaney, she was presented with a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for her six years of outstanding performance and loyalty as a U.S. Navy Military Working Dog and her protection of her 10 handlers while at Naval Air Station Key West, Silvers said.

Jessy has worked with 10 different canine handlers in her time at NAS Key West on assignments including two overseas deployments, 38 presidential missions, and Fleet Week New York City.

In her most recent assignment, the nine-year-old Belgian Malinois and her handler were on standby in New York City to serve the hospital ship Comfort at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Before being stationed at NAS Key West in 2014, Jessy was trained for patrolling and explosives detection at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, the new release stated.

Jessys record is pretty standard for a MWD with her tenure and qualifications, said Silvers.

What stands out about Jessy is she and her then-handler, Master-at-Arms 1st Class Robert Calabro, were on a Presidential mission in New York City when COVID-19 hit the city, said Silvers. Their month-long assignment turned into two months. While they were in New York City, U.S. Navy Hospital Ship Comfort pulled into port and MA1 Calabro and Jessy were on standby if the ships crew needed their services.

Following her retirement, Jessy was adopted by canine handler Master-at-Arms 1st Class Joshua Schellenger, his wife Jessica and son Kyle.

My wife and I decided to adopt Jessy and blend her into our family, said Schellenger, who was never Jessys handler. We have a toddler and a 3-year-old German Shepard. We were nervous at first, but everyone is getting along great and Jessy is enjoying her retirement.

Jessy has been a blessing to our family and a joy to our lives, Schellenger added. We pray for many healthy and happy years to come.

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This very good girl was awarded a medal at her retirement ceremony at NAS Key West - NavyTimes.com

Television

Call Me by Your Name director Luca Guadagnino is the mastermind behind this poetic, eight-part, coming-of-age drama set on a US military base in Italy. It follows 14-year-olds Fraser Wilson (It star Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin Harper Poythress (Jordan Kristine Seamn) as they explore friendship, first love and the anguish of being teenagers.Tuesday 24 November, 10.45pm, BBC One

Anime streaming service Crunchyroll launches this latest foray into the Japanese artform: an Aztec-themed series created by the Mexican-American animator Sofa Alexander. Set in Mesoamerica, it tracks the journey of a boy called Izel, tasked by the Gods with saving humanity.Saturday 21 November, Crunchyroll

Arriving with perfect timing, series 11 of what has now been fully cemented as a national institution has been marked by its spectacular flops, from nightmare-inducing 3D cake busts to disastrous Sussex pond puddings. You sense the winner will be whoever can panic the least in the increasingly overheated tent.Tuesday 24 November, 8pm, Channel 4

High-school drug dealer Jared (newcomer Joel Oulette) is the focus of this new Canadian sci-fi drama based on Eden Robinsons novel. When a strange man from Jareds past arrives in town, he starts seeing visions that lead him to uncover some dark family secrets.Monday 23 November, 9pm, Syfy

Based on Robyn Carrs novels, romantic drama Virgin River returns for a second season. After fleeing the titular town at the end of last season, Alexandra Breckenridges Mel returns to confront her feelings for Jack, whose friend-with-benefits Charmaine is pregnant with his child.Friday 27 November, Netflix

The star of classics such as Animal House and The Blues Brothers, by 30 John Belushi was a comedy great. But three years later, a drug-related accident in LAs Chateau Marmont ended his life. Here, Penny Marshall, Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase recount his turbulent life.Friday 27 November, 9pm, Sky Documentaries

This compelling tale focuses on Elon Musks disrupted plans to colonise Mars. After Musk and his company, SpaceX, arrived in Boca Chica, Texas to test their rockets, they were confronted by retirees who felt they were being intimidated into leaving their homes.Thursday 26 November, 10pm, Vice

This documentary examines how, in 1971, an unidentified man, known by the alias DB Cooper, hijacked a plane, extorted a $200,000 ransom, and has escaped capture ever since.Monday 23 November, 9pm, BBC Four

Artist Christopher Spencers darkly comic collages have come to epitomise the melancholy mood of Brexit Britain, and in this documentary we follow Spencer as he stages a series of works on displays across the country.Tuesday 24 November, 9pm, Sky Arts

The extraordinary life of the multi-instrumentalist and Afrobeat pioneer is explored in this 90-minute documentary. Kuti who died in 1997 remains one of modern musics most influential figures: a counter-cultural revolutionary who was a target of Nigerias military junta and once married 27 women in one ceremony.Saturday 21 November, 9.30pm, BBC Two

Podcasts can be an immense source of new information, gripping storytelling, or distracting conversation, but in Field Recordings the medium is turned into something else entirely. Comprised of sensuous snippets of audio from various natural locales around the world, this podcast is a meditative hidden gem, perfect for playing when you might need a moments calm.Daily, widely available

Host Nick van der Kolk presents this spin-off from the ever-popular storytelling pod Love + Radio. In The Secrets Hotline, Van der Kolk provides a safe, discursive space for anonymous callers to share their troubles and experiences, sometimes picking up the odd celebrity guest, too. A pensive and affirming listen.All episodes available, Luminary

Following Maxwells arrest by the FBI this summer on charges of the sexual abuse of minors, investigative journalist John Sweeney explores the life of Jeffrey Epsteins alleged co-conspirator for a sobering six-part pod, fleshing out the circumstances that may have led the socialite into a demi-monde of money, power and horrific crimes.Weekly, widely available

Recently nominated for gongs in the Australian podcast awards, Guardian Australias flagship news podcast is fast becoming the go-to source for important news that might not always make the headlines on this side of the equator. Recent episodes have included Helen Garners diaries and the Covid-19 vaccine.Weekdays, the Guardian

Earlier this year, the journalist Gary Suarez created Cabbages, a weekly newsletter highlighting underground rap talent. He has now launched an offshoot podcast, co-hosted by Jeffrey Laughlin, in which rappers mix with film and food critics to chat about topics including Adam Sandlers latest film, Hubie Halloween.Weekly, widely available

(Alan Ball) 95 mins A fine performance by Paul Bettany is at the heart of this 70s-set South Carolina drama. As with Balls Six Feet Under, a death revives suppressed trauma when Bettanys Frank, a gay academic in New York, drives home for his bigoted fathers funeral, joined by his partner Wally (an effervescent Peter Macdissi) and niece Beth (Sophia Lillis from It).Amazon Prime Video, out Wednesday 25 November

(Yeon Sang-ho) 116 minsSet four years after his 2016 loco zombie thriller Train to Busan, Yeons sequel is an ebullient mashup of Escape from New York and Mad Max, as Gang Dong-wons ex-soldier returns to undead-infested South Korea to find a van full of cash. The bravura car chases all but make up for the loss of the originals tension.Digital platforms, out Monday 23 November

(Alexander Nanau) 109 minsMethodical but shocking doc following a Romanian newspapers investigation into the excessive number of deaths of burns victims after a club fire, which develops into an expos of vast corruption in the countrys healthcare system. Cameras also track a new health minister struggling to deal with the crisis.Digital platforms, out Monday 23 November

(15) (David Darg & Price James) 91 minsSelf-indulgent but entertainingly candid, this fly-in-the-ring doc follows the Scream actor as he returns to pro wrestling 20 years after being gifted a world title. The industry hates him but hes determined to do it right this time.Digital platforms, out Monday 23 November

(No cert) (Ron Howard) 116 minsAmy Adams gives it her all in this misery memoir taken from JD Vances tale of his working-class Ohio childhood, dominated by an unreliable, drug-addicted mother (Adams) and hard-nosed Mamaw (Glenn Close).Netflix, out Tuesday 24 November

Careworn Lynn (newcomer Roxanne Scrimshaw) and wild Lucy (Nichola Burley) are twentysomething wives and mothers, and lifelong best mates, but deep-rooted fears and a shocking incident test their friendship to breaking point. Writer-director Fyzal Boulifas debut is a wrenching tragedy, with electrifying central performances.Saturday 21 November, 10.55pm, BBC Two

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This week's home entertainment: from We Are Who We Are to Belushi - The Guardian

Recently, Blue Origin launched its New Shepard suborbital rocket into the skies over west Texas. The flight was the 13th time a version of the New Shepard flew into space, the 12th time it was entirely successful. The flight was one more small step toward making Blue Origin a major launch company that could compete with SpaceX.

The New Shepard contained several technology experiments, including a lunar landing system that contained a lidar suite, a computer and a terrain recognition system as well as a heat shield that could be used on the upcoming orbital New Glenn rocket. The spacecraft also contained several experiments that, according to the Verge, included a microgravity aquatic garden and a prototype system for asteroid mining. The capsule carried numerous postcards created by school children imagining what a space future might be like. The flight flew to an altitude of 66 miles and took just over 10 minutes.

One payload that the New Shepard did not carry was people. The spacecraft was originally envisioned as being a capsule that would take the well-heeled and adventurous past the edge of space, to briefly experience microgravity and a magnificent view of the Earth before landing again. The first launch of a New Shepard with passengers is currently envisioned for 2021.

Besides New Shepard, Blue Origin has two projects that, when brought to fruition, may make it a competitor to SpaceX, currently the most famous and likely most profitable entrepreneurial space launch company.

New Glenn is a planned two-stage launch vehicle, said to have capabilities that are comparable to the Falcon Heavy and the Delta IV Heavy. Development of the heavy lift launch vehicle has been funded by Blue Origin CEO Jeff BezosJeffrey (Jeff) Preston BezosBlue Origin takes one small step toward being a competitor to SpaceX Democrats question Amazon over reported interference of workers' rights to organize Hillicon Valley: Twitter lacked adequate cybersecurity protection ahead of July hacks, regulator says | Twitter, Facebook clamp down on New York Post article about Hunter Biden | YouTube bans COVID-19 vaccine misinformation MORE, as well as the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force. The first stage will be reusable, so it will have to operate much like the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy first stage, in that it will return to Earth and land vertically. New Glenn is aimed at commercial, military and NASA markets. Currently, the first flight is scheduled for 2021.

The Blue Moon lunar lander has a cargo and a crew variant, the latter of which is Blue Origins entree into the Human Landing System competition. The lunar lander is a three-stage vehicle, consisting of a transfer stage, a descent stage and an ascent stage that could put both cargo and astronauts on the lunar surface. Blue Moon has received some NASA funding and, if it makes the further cut, will receive more. The lunar lander may become the vehicle that astronauts use to land on the moon as early as 2024.

Blue Origin is also considering getting into the commercial space station business. NASA has suggested that when the International Space Station (ISS) reaches the end of its useful life, it would like to be a customer of commercial space stations, creating a new industry in low Earth orbit.

Bezos is starting his version of SpaceXs Starlink, a satellite internet system dubbed Kuiper, under the Amazon corporate structure, the plan for which was recently approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

SpaceX is not the only commercial space company around, but it is the one that garners the most media attention and popular excitement. The companys development of a new spacecraft, known as Starship, in Boca Chica, Texas, has especially caught peoples attention. Elon MuskElon Reeve MuskBlue Origin takes one small step toward being a competitor to SpaceX Virgin Hyperloop to build new certification center in West Virginia SpaceX awarded contract to build US military tracking satellites MOREs ambitions for Starship include its use as a transport to build a city on Mars.

Bezos certainly has the deep pockets to make Blue Origin a peer competitor of SpaceX. Money buys engineering talent and everything else needed to create rockets. If the New Glenn and the Blue Moon can perform, Musk will have to look over his shoulder at Blue Origin coming up on his six, as they say in the military.

The idea that competition is a good thing in a capitalist system is something that has been understood as far back as Adam SmithDavid (Adam) Adam SmithBlue Origin takes one small step toward being a competitor to SpaceX Overnight Defense: Pentagon IG to audit use of COVID-19 funds on contractors | Dems optimistic on blocking Trump's Germany withdrawal | Obama slams Trump on foreign policy Watchdog to audit Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds on defense contractors MORE in the 18th century. One well-funded space launch company has captured the worlds imagination, pioneering rocket reusability and creating the first privately developed heavy lift vehicle. Two such companies, competing for the same customers, creating new space-based business lines, spurring one another on to innovate and cut costs, has the potential to change human civilization for the better.

Blue Origin vs SpaceX would be an open-ended space race that could help take humanity across the Solar System and, ultimately, to the stars.

Mark Whittington, who writes frequently about space and politics, has published a political study of space exploration entitled Why is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon? as well as The Moon, Mars and Beyond. He blogs at Curmudgeons Corner. He is published in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Hill, USA Today, the LA Times, and the Washington Post, among other venues.

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Blue Origin takes one small step toward being a competitor to SpaceX | TheHill - The Hill

SpaceX has been very busy lately with the development of its Starship prototypes. Based on recent activity at its Boca Chica facility, and recent images provided by Musk himself, it looks like they are about ready to make their biggest leap yet. Yesterday, on Oct. 14th, Musk announced that the eighth prototype of the Starship (SN8) has received the three Raptor engines it will use to make its planned 15.25 km (50,000 ft).

The addition of the three Raptor engines occurred after the SN8 underwent three rounds of cryogenic proof testing last week. The first was a success as per the test parameters, but as Musk indicated on twitter, a small leak opened up near the engine mounts, possible due to differential shrinking. After affecting repairs, a second and third round occurred over the next few days.

Similarly, the company tested its SN7.1 test tank to failure the evening of September 23rd, which came after two successful hop tests with the SN5 and SN6 prototypes both of which flew to 150 m (~500 ft) and safely landed. On Sunday, after the Thrust Rams were removed from beneath the SN8s fuselage, three Raptor engines (SN 39 models) were installed.

With these engines now integrated, its clear that SpaceX is gearing up for the first Static Fire test where multiple engines will be fired up simultaneously. In preparation for this, the ground crews will be running an extensive battery of tests with the SN8, which will consist of fueling tests, a spin prime test, and preburner tests.

Once the Static Fire test has been completed, the ground team will review the data to determine the performance of the engines and related systems. This will be followed by the integration of the nose cone, which is currently having its aerodynamic surfaces (its forward fins, or canards) attached similar to how the fuselage received the two large flaps attached to its sides.

On-site footage captured by NASA Spaceflights Mary McConnaughey (aka. @BocaChicaGal) showed the Starships nosecone getting its fins and then being moved into the facilitys Windbreak (video below). Once the entire fuselage is stacked and combined, a second Static Fire test is expected only this time, the propellant will be kept in the Header Tank inside the nosecone.

Should everything go according to plan, the SN8 will attempt to make the highest hop test to date. So far, the highest altitude achieved by a prototype was 150 m (~500 ft), which was first achieved by the Starship Hopper, followed by the SN5 and SN6. The ~15.25 km hop test will also involve a bellyflop maneuver that will test the Starships aerodynamic surfaces.

This maneuver will begin once the SN8 reaches its peak altitude and starts descending, at which point the ground team will cut the engines and tilt the prototypes fuselage towards the ground. The SN8 will then rely on its maneuvering fins to control its descent and its engines will be reignited at the last second so it can pull up and touch down safely.

Meanwhile, the SN9 prototype is currently located inside the Mid Bay at Boca Chica while preparations are underway to stack the SN10 in the opposite bay. The SN11 is also getting ready for stacking operations, and sections have been seen arriving at the facility that are expected to be used to fashion the SN12, SN13, and SN14 prototypes (video below).

Back in August, Musk tweeted that the newer SN40 Raptor engine is being tested at the companys testing facility in McGregor, Texas. In addition, work is almost complete on the High Bay facility where the Super Heavy will be stacked sections of which have also been seen around Boca Chica. This is all in keeping with SpaceXs policy of rapid-prototyping and testing to failure, which requires that backup prototypes be in place.

It remains unclear when this high-altitude hop test will take place, but Musk has indicated several times over the past month that it will be happening soon. Musk has also said that hopes to accomplish an orbital flight with one of his prototypes next year, which will be the final hurdle before commercial space launches with the vehicle can be conducted.

Further Reading: Teslarati, NASA SpaceFlight

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Elon Musk Shares a View of Starship With Three Raptor Engines Installed - Universe Today

The U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) has partnered with Elon Musks SpaceX and two Texas-based companies to develop the potential use of rockets to rapidly deliver cargo around the world.

The aim is to use commercial space rockets, including SpaceXs Starship, to move cargo 10 times faster, U.S. Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, commander of USTRANSCOM, said during the National Defense Transportation Associations fall meeting on Oct. 7.

Think about moving the equivalent of a C-17 payload anywhere on the globe in less than an hour, Lyons said, according to a release. Think about that speed associated with the movement of transportation of cargo and people.

A Boeing C-17 has a maximum payload capacity of 170,900 pounds and top speeds of 518 miles per hour, according to the U.S. Air Force website.

There is a lot of potential here and Im really excited about the team thats working with SpaceX on an opportunity, even perhaps as early as 2021, to be conducting a proof of principle, Lyons said.

USTRANSCOM has signed a no-cost cooperative research and development agreement, known as CRADA, with SpaceX and San Antonio-based Exploration Architecture Corp. (XArc) and Houston-based engineering firm KBR.

Initially, the CRADA will study using space rockets to deliver cargo for time-sensitive military incidents or humanitarian assistance, Lyons said.

SpaceX is based in Boca Chica, Texas, along the Gulf of Mexico about 25 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. The SpaceX South Texas launch site is a private rocket production facility, test site and spaceport.

XArc and KBR will research the type of rocket landing areas that could be feasible for the program, including rugged sites with no infrastructure, remote sites with limited support and mature sites that have established capabilities.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.

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Military, SpaceX studying rockets to move cargo around the world - FreightWaves

Other than a few framed photos of family and friends who had passed away over the years, there wasnt much in the way of decorations when my family set up our first Da de los Muertos altar. Later came the banner of papel picado, and the year after that tiny sugar skulls. But no matter how our family altar has changed, it always begins with the same centerpiecea grapefruitthat takes us back to a faraway memory of how it all began.

Its 1938 and my father is a young man. He lives in Donna, just a few miles north of the Rio Grande, where he works at a packing shed. One afternoon, hes loading crates of grapefruit onto the back of a truck when he spots a group of high school girls walking by. He tries to make eye contact with one of them and has no luck. Then he sees a little boy playing near the packing shed and has an idea. He tosses the boy a grapefruit and tells him to run over and give it to the girl in the gray gingham skirt. Tell her theres someone who wants to meet her, he says. ndale. The little boy delivers the gift, and this is how my parents become my parents and why every year a Ruby Red grapefruit sits on the altar.

We didnt celebrate Da de los Muertos as a family when I was growing up. All I knew when I set up my first altar seven years ago was that it honored the memories of the dead. But I didnt know that the holiday dates back to Aztec times or that what I sometimes call an altar is actually known as an ofrenda, and that offering food and drinks, along with photos and mementos, is part of a ritual meant to welcome back the souls of the departed every year in early November.

The truth is, I didnt start celebrating it for cultural reasons; I began the tradition so my two kids would remember the people they had little to no memory of. My son, Adrian, was born three months before my father died, and my daughter, Elena, was entering kindergarten when my mother passed away. I wanted them to know who my parents were and where they were born. Most importantly, I wanted them to understand what mattered to my parents: whom they loved and how they died.

Then, earlier this year the pandemic hit South Texas and some of the people my parents loved were not spared. This years ofrenda, we realized, would include not only our distant past but also the very sorrow that were living through now.

The authors father (head of the table) and aunts and uncles together at a restaurant in Brownsville in 1996.

Courtesy of Oscar Casares

I was born a couple of months after my parents celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. By that point, they werent going out so often, but when they did, it was either to a dance or to a funeral. In Brownsville, in the seventies, Saturday nights meant dances at the Civic Center or the Friendship Garden. If they went to a funeral or rosary during the week, it was at Trevio, Garza, Delta, or Darling-Mouser funeral home. Not that they had that many relatives and good friends who were dying off. It might be a lady from church they knew only from saying hello to her after Mass every Sunday. It might be the husband of the woman my mom bought her tamales from at Christmas, or the sister of a man my parents used to have coffee with at the Whataburger on Boca Chica Boulevard, or the man at the end of our street who had repaired my fathers lawn mower a few summers back.

After a while, I gave up asking them why they had to go to another rosary, why they couldnt just skip this one. Id always get the same answer: para cumplir, which essentially meant to do our part. That, or para acompaar, to be with the family. It didnt matter if the grieving wife or husband or in-law even knew who my parents were or how they knew the deceased. They werent going there to be seen or recognized. They showed up because thats just what they did.

If it was a family friend who died, Id have to tag along with my parents at least to the rosary. But if it was one of their friends Id never met and shaken hands withsomething my father put a lot of stock inthen it was okay for me to stay home. Once, though, when I was ten, my dad took me to a rosary for the father of a friend of mine from the Boys Club. The man had been killed in a bus wreck coming back from Ciudad Victoria, something that I still remember any time Im traveling in Mexico and pass another roadside shrine.

These flowers often adorn ofrendas, as their petals are believed to lead the souls of the dead back to the altars.

Family was different. Losing someone close to us also meant being with those we hadnt seen and held in years. While these funerals were sad occasions, a part of me looked forward to having my uncles and aunts and cousins pour in from Chicago and Fresno and Grand Rapids. Then, after the burial, we would gather in someones kitchen or backyard to hear the stories we hadnt heard since the last time we were together. My to Nico would tell one about the afternoon he was in his backyard, in Houston, working under his cara buttercup-yellow 1969 Chevrolet Bel Airtrying to loosen a bolt. Then, just as he turned onto his side, the car suddenly wobbled off its blocks and fell on him. It sounds awful, but not when he reenacted the whole scene, including the way he yelled for helpBELIA, AYDAME . . . AYDAME!!!and then told us how he was saved, miraculouslyno other way to put itwhen my ta Belia and my cousins Hilda and Rosy grabbed hold of the bumper and raised the car just enough for him to scoot out.

Then there was the one about the blowout my to Hctor had in the middle of the King Rancha good twenty miles from the nearest service stationonly to discover his spare tire was flat. He and my ta Nena and my ta Lilia hitched a ride with an eighteen-wheeler, but there was room only for him in the passenger seat, so my tas had to climb behind the seats and lie down in the sleeper cab, staring up at themselves in the truckers mirrored ceiling. Or the story about my father driving a taxi one night in downtown Brownsville, around Market Square, circa 1944, when a guy backed out of one of the cantinas swinging a bar stool at two other men. When my dad got closer, he realized the guy with the bar stool was my mothers younger brother, scar (my tocayo!), so he slowed down enough to reach over and push open the passenger door so his cuado could hop in. Those kind of stories.

After seeing my parents attend so many rosaries and funerals, I guess it shouldnt have surprised me years later when my father, already in his eighties and a full decade after retiring, took a part-time job at a funeral home. He had spent most of his life laboring under the South Texas sun as a farmworker, a delivery man, a fireman, and then a cop, and a tick inspector for the USDA, which he did for 33 years, much of that time riding horseback across long stretches of the Rio Grande to make sure livestock werent crossing over from Mexico and spreading cattle fever in this country (this explains why his belt buckle of a quarter horse also has a spot on our ofrenda).

As an attendant at the Trevio Funeral Home, he was expected to answer the phone, greet and direct people to one of the two chapels, encourage them to sign the guest book, and give directions to guests coming in from out of town. If someone called in sick, he might need to assist one of the funeral directors at the church and burial. He loved getting dressed up for work in one of his dark suits, then slipping on a tie from the half dozen he kept hanging on a belt rack. He loved wearing real lace-up shoes, not the ones with the Velcro straps my mother had bought him when he retired and stopped wearing his work boots. He loved being the first one to work and the last one to leave, and he especially loved helping people whose families he had known for ages.

My father died in 2007, but I wonder how he would have reacted to seeing all the parents and grandparents, tas and tos, and primas and primos who have fallen to COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valleyespecially in Hidalgo County, which is more than 90 percent Latino and became the epicenter of the crisis in Texas this summer: The county represents only 3 percent of Texass population but accounted for 21 percent of its coronavirus deaths then. It was here in late July that we lost my fathers favorite nephewmy cousin, A.C. Beto Jaime. A couple of days later, his wife of 63 years, Dora, also passed away from the coronavirus.

After a lifetime of civic involvement, including his time as the first Mexican American mayor of Pharr, from 1972 to 1978, Beto was well-known in the area. But due to social distancing mandates, his and Doras combined funeral service was limited to immediate family, all of them wearing masks and discouraged from hugging and crying on each others shoulders. I cant imagine how my father would have made sense of the restrictions that prevented family members from being with Beto inside the ICU, holding his hand as he took his last breath. What would my father say if I told him that we could only watch the livestream of the funeral, on my laptop, the same one Im using to type these words now? If he had watched a pair of attendants wheel the two caskets up the aisle and place them near the altar, side by side, would he have felt a terrible sob catch in his throat, as it did in mine?

Of the many ways this pandemic has felt so unfair, it sometimes feels as if the cruelest part has been how it has deprived us of this ritual of grieving our losses together. Growing up along the border, we were all reminded of how precarious life could be, but also of how we would always be there for one another. We understood that, no matter what, those of us left behind wouldnt carry this loss by ourselves.

Accepting these recent deaths in isolation has been even more difficult since were a family of touchy-feely people. We hug, we kiss, we cry, we hug some more. No one cries as long and passionately as my ta Minerva, who, six years ago at my mothers burial, had to be held back from clinging to the casket as it was lowered into the ground. I still remember the abrazo Beto gave me at my fathers rosary, patting me on the back as he squeezed me a little tighter, reminding me over and over that I wasnt going through this alone.

Many peoples ofrendas this fall will no doubt memorialize family members who have died from the coronavirus. So now, alongside my fathers belt buckle and the grapefruit, Ill need to add a photo of Beto and Dora dancing, something they loved to do at every wedding and family reunion. I can see that irrepressible smile on Betos face as he spins Dora one way and then right back into his arms, like the song might never end.

The gravesite of the authors grandparents in Donna, located less than a mile from where his parents, Everardo and Severa, first met.

Joel Salcido

Since Beto and Doras burial itself wasnt livestreamed, I had to hear about it from their eldest son, Bert, who works as a chaplain at a nearby hospital and served as an acolyte during the Mass. Bert had planned to deliver the final prayers at his parents burial, and when the moment came, he walked toward the gravesite, past his five siblings and their families and the musician they had hired to serenade their parents.

They were all waiting for Bert to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he choked up, unable to get the words out. He thought of how his father had died, and then his mother, within 48 hours of each other. He thought of the two weeks that had passed before the memorial service could take placethe funeral homes schedule had been overwhelmed by the number of COVID-19 deaths in the area. He thought of how accepting his parents death felt like a test of his faith in Gods will, and he wondered if he would even be able to make it through the final prayer. And then he felt someone lay a hand on his left shoulder, and then another hand rest on his right shoulder. He turned to see his youngest brother, Kevin, and his own son, Andres, standing behind him, steadying him. It was all he really needed to make it the rest of the way.

This article originally appeared in the November 2020 issue of Texas Monthlywith the headline Beyond the Grave. Subscribe today.

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This Year, Our Familys Da de los Muertos Altar Will Memorialize Those Who Have Died From the Coronavirus - Texas Monthly

SN5 blasts off earlier in August.

If you missed it the first time around, there may be another opportunity, in the coming days, to see an early version of Elon Musk's Mars rocket take a very short flight.

SpaceX has been working at its Boca Chica, Texas, site to develop Starship, its next-generation spacecraft designed to eventually take people to the moon, Mars and even farther.

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Earlier this month a single-engine Starship prototype labeled SN5 successfully made its first "hop," which was a short flight of nearly 500 feet in altitude, followed by a controlled landing not far from the launch pad.

Now playing: Watch this: SpaceX Starship prototype takes first 'hop'

1:01

We saw the same feat performed by a smaller prototype dubbed Starhopperin 2019, but the far larger SN series is designed to be capable of orbital flight. It's not clear when we might see that, but Musk has said the plan is to do a series of hops in order to work up to higher altitude flights.

Cameron County, Texas, where the development site is located, has issued an all-day road closure for this Friday, with backup dates on Saturday and Sunday, suggesting that SpaceX hopes to hop SN6, its next prototype, this weekend.

Of course, we've seen these closures issued and then canceled before, and there's some nasty weather nearby. Still, fingers crossed. Anything that looks like progress is a welcome diversion these days.

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SpaceX hopes to 'hop' another Starship prototype this weekend - CNET

By Chris Cobler Capital Highlights

A Texans speeding ticket put her in the legal history books last week.To combat the backlog in criminal cases created by the pandemic, a Travis County justice of the peace conducted the nations first virtual criminal trial. The case was livestreamed on YouTube, and the jurors deliberated in a private Zoom room.Legal experts debated whether trial by Zoom properly balanced constitutional concerns such as the right to a speedy trial and the right to confront witnesses.The test case? A nurses misdemeanor ticket for speeding in a construction zone. The jury found the nurse, Calli Kornblau, guilty of speeding but acquitted her of the construction zone violation. She received a deferred sentence and was ordered to pay a $50 fine, plus court costs.The jury is still out on whether Zoom is the courthouse of the future. The Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association had some fun on Twitter with the practice: A JP is having a virtual jury trial this morning on a speeding ticket. Does that mean the JP will have to have virtual coffee with the police officer before the trial starts, too?

Texas docs: Get your shotsTexas doctors are taking their best shot at encouraging people to get immunized.August is National Immunization Month, and the Texas Medical Association is distributing a series of columns by physicians in support of vaccinations.Vaccines are among the safest and most effective tools available to and used by physicians. Yet vaccine hesitancy and even refusal are increasing, Dr. Sue Bornstein, a Texas Medical Association board member, wrote in her column.Doctors should make recommending vaccinations a part of routine patient visits, she said. The pandemic makes this even more important as researchers race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, she added.

This job will take you placesSpaceX aims to put people on Mars from its launch site near Brownsville. First, though, the spaceport needs an out-of-this-world resort.The company placed an unusual help-wanted ad last week: for a resort manager in the tiny unincorporated Boca Chica Village near Brownsville on the mouth of the Rio Grande River. The right candidate will develop the resort from inception to completion, according to the ad.The job requires a bachelors degree and five-plus years of experience in construction management. One additional requirement: Must be able to travel for short and extended trips as needed.SpaceX, which made history recently as the first private company to send astronauts safely to space and back, also released footage of a successful 150-meter hop Aug. 4 by its Starship SN5 prototype.

Ports-to-Plains planThe Ports-to-Plains corridor study of Interstate 27 will be navigated during a virtual public hearing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Wednesday, Aug. 26.Texas Department of Transportation officials will make the presentation and allow time for public comment. People also may mail or email comments about the study until Sept. 10.The Legislature approved last session a study of expanding I-27. The interstate runs from Amarillo to Lubbock. The plan calls for extending the road north of Amarillo and south about 500 miles from Lubbock to Laredo.To join the WebEx public hearing, go to TxDOT.gov. For questions, call 512-486-5106.

How many hats can a Texas deputy wear?People who live in Texas small towns are used to wearing a multitude of hats.But the Culberson County attorney isnt sure a chief deputy also can serve as an elected alderman, or city council member. County Attorney Stephen Mitchell filed a request last week for an opinion from the Texas attorney generals office. He attached a 1975 AG opinion that such wearing of multiple hats was not legal.The deputy ran for and was elected as an alderman in Van Horn, the Culberson County seat in West Texas. He has since been promoted to chief deputy.Issues have been raised about dual-office holding, inasmuch as both offices pay sums of money to the deputy on a monthly basis, the county attorney wrote. Additionally, there appear to be issues regarding common law or constitutional conflicts of interest.

The yin and yang of ranchingThe Future of the Wildlife Enterprise will be at your fingertips through a free Zoom symposium offered by two departments at Texas A&M-Kingsville.The Oct. 29-30 sessions will highlight the challenges and opportunities of balancing ranching and wildlife resources. Registration is required and free. Visit krirm.tamuk.edu/symposium to register and download the complete agenda.

CorrectionThe Texas Primary Care Consortium sent an open letter to Gov. Greg Abbott to ask him to take a variety of steps to increase residents access to health care. Last weeks column incorrectly reported the organizations name.Chris Cobler is a board member and past president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. He welcomes email at ccobler@texaspress.com.

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Texas tries nation's first virtual criminal trial - Sealy News