Catch up and get ahead with news about C.O.P.S. Metro Alliance; Zika Virus; Otherness + The Train to Crystal City and The Big Give.
C.O.P.S Metro:
On April 30, the members of COPS/Metro Alliance are celebrating more than 40 years of organizing for change in San Antonio.
Click here for the story on the event.
The group has transformed politics and continues to hold elected leaders accountable.
COPS/Metro Alliance says it brought $1 billion to the South and Westside neighborhoods for drainage systems, street improvements, public libraries, health clinics, housing for seniors and public parks.
NOWCastSA has a living history map so you can tour the rich history of change brought about by COPS/Metro. You can browse the interactive map for dozens of videos, oral histories, photos and documents. Click Here For The Map!
Zika Virus:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a total of 358 confirmed Travel-associated Zika virus disease cases in the U.S., while San Antonio Metropolitan Health District reports 4 confirmed Zika cases in Bexar County.
The virus can be spread through sexual contact, but its primary source is from mosquito bites.
Zika is expected to spread to US mosquitos as early as this summer. Mosquito abatement is the only way to effectively prevent the spread of the untreatable virus now known to cause birth defects in babies. It also is suspected of causing Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults, a rare condition in which a person’s immune system attacks their peripheral nerves.
A Train to Crystal City:
Jan Jarboe Russell’s book, Train To Crystal City, was just named the best non-fiction book of the year by the Texas Institute of Letters.
The San Antonio writer told the story of a secret FDR-approved American internment camp in at the southern tip of Texas during World War II. There, thousands of families—many US citizens—were incarcerated from 1942 to 1948.
During a recent panel discussion and author reading at the San Antonio Public Library, Jan Jarboe Russell talked about the plight of 'others' in America and why the issues explored in her book are so relevant today.
The Big Give:
Get ready to be a hero and help your favorite nonprofit during The Big Give S.A. on Tuesday, May 3.
This year, 1,054 nonprofits are participating in the 24-hour day of local giving that connects donors to the causes that matter to them the most.
And yes, NOWCastSA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a Big Give S.A. participant for the third year.