Not subscribed to local news but still want to stay up-to-date on the happenings around town? Look no further. Highlighting notable stories from external San Antonio news sources, State of the City summarizes the most captivating news headlines of the week. This week’s topics range from the current presidential race to two men’s robbing spree.
Kamala Harris leads in the race for president among Bexar County registered voters
An online poll conducted by the UTSA Center for Public Opinion Research (CPOR) asked Bexar County residents who they expect to vote for ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The survey ran from Sept. 11-16, just after the second presidential debate. The results showed that of the 692 Bexar County residents who participated in the poll, 53% plan to vote for Harris as the next president, while 35% plan to reelect Trump.
Compared to a poll in June by CPOR, Harris has outperformed Biden by 13%, while Trump has remained steady at 35%. There has also been a fluctuation in the number of undecided voters, with 10% declaring they are currently undecided, a 5% decrease from the June poll. CPOR plans to release another Bexar County poll during early voting in October, which will be published in November.
Southwest Airlines and the City of San Antonio standoff
Southwest Airlines and the city of San Antonio are currently at odds ahead of a new lease agreement set to go into effect Oct. 1. The stalemate is based around an incoming Terminal C to San Antonio International Airport that will be double the size of both its current terminals. Southwest states that San Antonio repeatedly promised that all or most of its 10 gates would move into Terminal C, which was no longer the case as of May. According to the city, the airline would remain in Terminal A, prompting Southwest to state it would have “no realistic option” other than to decline to sign the new lease.
City officials are hopeful however, believing Southwest will remain at SAT regardless of whether they sign the new lease or not. The city attempted to entice the airline by explaining the $200 million plan that would include many upgrades, however, it wasn’t enough to halt Southwest’s holdout, stating the terminal was “not sufficient to support Southwest’s passenger volume.” The airline accused the city of unjustly prioritizing other airlines that offer premium service and that the decision would cause “significant harm to Southwest’s competitive position.”
Despite this, the city of San Antonio is standing firm in their position, with San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh saying “As the fastest growing City in America we remain committed to doing what is best for San Antonio International Airport and the millions of passengers that use it each year.”
19 and 20 year old arrested in robbing spree across San Antonio
At noon on Friday, Sep. 28, SAPD received a call reporting a robbery at Rolling Oaks Mall. 20-year-old Austin Mendoza robbed a jewelry store, grabbing multiple items until he fled with Marcelo Ojeda, 19. An unidentified individual attempted to stop them and was cut with an unknown object.
Around 3 p.m., Mendoza and Ojeda drove over 20 miles to Ingram Park Mall and were spotted attempting to break into multiple vehicles. The suspects then ran inside the mall briefly before returning outside into their getaway vehicle. Mall security followed the men into the parking lot as the suspects continued to flee. According to police, Mendoza aimed what appeared to be a handgun at mall security, threatening to kill the security officer as they fled the parking lot.
The two pulled into a convenience store a few hundred feet down the road at 3607 Wurzbach Road where Mendoza entered the store and grabbed multiple items before attempting to leave without paying. The store employee confronted Mendoza as he left, prompting Ojeda to reveal a weapon, threatening the employee.
After realizing their car had broken down, the two fled on foot where Mendoza was caught in a brief chase and Ojeda was later detained with help from SAPD’s EAGLE helicopter. Mendoza faces charges of aggravated robbery, evading arrest and possession of a controlled substance as Ojeda is charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest for Friday’s robbery spree.