Thursday News Rundown (12-4-14)

By Emily Parma
Assistant Web Content Manager

Attorney Gloria Allred has challenged comedian Bill Cosby to meet his accusers in court or cough up large amounts of money. CNN News reports Allred requested that Cosby go to court or set aside $100 million dollars to settle their claims. Because many of the claims are decades old, Cosby would have to agree to waive the statute of limitation, allowing his accusers to sue him. Allred made the offer at a news conference flanked by three women who said they were sexually assaulted by the entertainer. Already at least 20 women have gone public with accusations against Cosby.

Texas leads 17 states in a lawsuit against the Obama Administration. The Austin American-Statesman reports Texas, along with 16 other states, filed suit on Wednesday to block President Obama’s new executive order protecting the deportation of as many as five million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The suit took place in the U.S. District Court in Brownsville. Attorney General and soon-to-be governor next month Greg Abbott said he took the lead in the case because Texas has been at the epicenter of results in connection with the president’s order. Abbott predicts another wave of border crossings will occur if the presidential action is allowed to stand.

Several Texas State students are becoming the target of apartment burglaries. Burglars are targeting San Marcos residents, especially those of college age living in student housing apartments. Many of the situations have occurred when individuals are even at home during the time. Last month, two instances involving cases at The Retreat and Capstone apartments occurred because residents did not have their doors locked at the time. San Marcos Police are looking into the situation but believe this could have been solved if residents had just locked their doors. Individuals are being encouraged to lock their doors, document valuables and write down the serial numbers and take pictures of their valuable items.

As of now there is still no word if the Texas State football team will get a bowl game or not. RIght now, the three Sun Belt bowls have already been given to South Alabama, Arkansas State and Louisiana Lafayette. The team has been in contact with the Cactus Bowl and Armed Forces Bowl. The Bobcats will mostly likely have to wait until the weekend to find out their fate.

Though the fact that gas prices are reaching an all time low, many people are wondering how this could be possible, especially when prices haven’t been this low since 2010. Gas prices fell below $2 in Oklahoma City and many other convenience stores are looking to beat those rates. Oil prices are globally low due to many factors like the increased production of oil into the U.S. ABC News predicts that within the next two weeks, more than 10 states will have at least one station below $2 a gallon.

A Corpus Christi police officer has resigned after being recorded putting a woman in a choke hold during arrest. Gary Witherspoon, an off-duty investigator for the Nueces County Attorney’s Office, resigned Wednesday as a result of his involvement using a controversial neck restraint on a woman in a Whataburger parking lot in August. Lanessa Espinosa was questioned about involvement in a fight that had broken out and refused to show officers her ID. She was then restrained and arrested for “interference with public duties.” Espinosa recorded the struggle with the officer.

On Sunday, Dec. 11, a made-by-hand artisan market, Hecho a Mano Mercado Artisano, will be held at the Centro Cultural Hispano in San Marcos. The center is located at 211 Lee St., and the event will last from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Vender items include a children’s market, jewelry, various handcrafted items, unique christmas gifts, paintings and more.

The Center for P-16 Initiatives at Texas State will host its inaugural Girls Are Leaders, or GAL, conference Saturday, Dec. 6 in the LBJ Student Center. The GAL Conference will bring seventh and eighth grade girls from all over Central Texas for dialogue aimed to empower and inspire them in the key areas of self esteem, literacy, leadership development and career exploration in the STEM field. The conference is coordinated by Texas State social work undergraduate student Rachel Piortzkowski under the direction of her field instructor Liz Castaneda.

Finals week is approaching and Alkek Library has extended its hours. Alkek will also host a few activities to help keep students sane. Dec. 3-5 the library is open from 7 a.m. on Wednesday to Friday at midnight. On Saturday it is open from 10 a.m.-1 a.m. This Sunday it will open at 10 a.m. and close Friday at 5 p.m. For more information, visit the library website.

San Marcos’ first LGBTQIA bar is now open for business. Stonewall Warehouse is located on The Square in place of the former Bar One 41. Stonewall’s bartender Kyle Hughes said it’s very important for San Marcos to have a gay bar. Stonewall will officially have its grand opening tomorrow with Bobcat Ball, hosted by Texas State’s LAMBDA Alpha National Honor Society. The event will consist of a drag show, which is put on by the organization every semester to create a positive understanding of LGBT students and their issues, and it is the society’s main fundraiser, with proceeds funding the organization and local charities.