Wednesday News Rundown (9-10-2014)

By: Robert Nunez
News Reporter

Abner Dean Branch Jr., 52, was identified yesterday after he was hit by a semitrailer on I-35 near the San Marcos Outlet Malls going south bound. Branch was from Lockhart and was pronounced dead on the scene. The San Marcos Collision Investigation Team will continue to investigate the case.

Hundreds of organizers and some of the world’s largest technology firms, such as Netflix and Twitter, are participating in what they call an action of “Internet Slowdown,” which is a method used to convey to the American people what the Internet would look like without “Net Neutrality.” Net Neutrality is the concept that the Internet should be treated equally among the American people without discriminating and regulating its content.

Tomorrow students who commute to campus will be given the opportunity to purchase a limited number of Green Residence Hall parking permits. Permits being offered are  limited to 200 and are determined by space availability. The Green Residence Hall permit allows parking in any green or purple zoned parking lot or garage located on campus.

The San Marcos City Council passed a $173 million budget and came to a consensus on maintaining current tax rates of $53.02. The budget was passed Tuesday as part of the fiscal year 2015 budget.  First hearings of the proposed 2015 budget  were held on August 19. The approved tax rate remains the same as it has for the past seven years, but will raise 11.4% more revenue than last year’s collections due to an increase in property values.