Funeral, Motorcade for Officer Padron Today
Mayor Lee Leffingwell and Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo are among the scheduled speakers at the funeral of a fallen APD officer today.
APD Senior Police Officer Jaime Padron will be laid to rest today. Padron was killed Friday while responding to a call at an area Wal-Mart early Friday morning, April 6.
Funeral services for Padron start at 11 a.m. at Shoreline Church on Burnet Road. The funeral will be with complete police honors. At the conclusion of the services, Padron’s body will be taken to San Angelo for burial.
The APD Honor Guard will present flags to Chief Acevedo, who will then hand them to Padron’s two young daughters.
Santorum Bows Out, Paul Looks Ahead
Although Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has bowed out of the race, fellow GOP contender Ron Paul has decided to continue on.
With Santorum’s exit, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney – who has led throughout most of the primaries – became a clear candidate for nomination. However, the Texas congressman’s campaign remains positive. In a press release, the Paul campaign reacted to Santorum’s departure and the road that lies ahead of them.
“Dr. Paul is now the last – and real – conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. We plan to continue running hard, secure delegates, and press the fight for limited, constitutional government in Tampa.”
Currently Paul is on his “town hall” tour of Texas, which will conclude Thursday night in San Antonio.
Report Looks at Current Health of Gulf
The National Wildlife Federation issued a report today that examines the health of the Texas Gulf’s wildlife and wetlands two years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster – the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S history.The report assesses current wetland conditions as poor, and in need of “large-scale restoration.” For affected wildlife, such as the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, the future is just as bleak:
Recent studies projected that the 2011 adult population of Atlantic Bluefin tuna are 75 percent lower than the population in 2005 … Atlantic Bluefin tuna have little chance of recovery as long as heavy commercial over-fishing continues.
The NWF reports that certain wildlife, like the brown pelican, are faring better since the spill began. However, the report finds that the continuing decline in marshes and wetlands will have long-term damage for all Gulf wildlife.
