The Latest News Headlines From Across South-Central Texas

Topping our list of South-Central Texas news: Seguin Firefighters are taking the civil service issue back to the voters, despite a failed effort several years ago. We’ll also look at a 6-year South-Central Texas drug-bust operation, the Texas Attorney General is warning parents about a dangerous website for kids, and San Marcos is the home this weekend of the “World Series of Barbershop Singing.”

Starting in Seguin: The Gazette reports that the issue of Civil Service for Seguin city firefighters will be headed to a vote this May, after the Seguin Professional Firefighters Association successfully turned in enough signatures on a petition before yesterday’s 5pm deadline. Voters in Seguin have already turned down civil service once before in 2004, when the issue was defeated by nearly 750 votes. And firefighters may be climbing an uphill battle this time around, with Seguin officials fighting the proposal, saying it would cost between 600 and 700-thousand dollars to implement, and would put 50 city employees in a different class than the rest of the city’s 300 workers. And city officials say that if voters approve civil service for firefighters, it would amount to a 6-cent increase on their city property tax rate. But firefighters maintain that civil service is the best way to create fairness for department employees when it comes to hiring, firing, and promotions. Seguin City Council will now have to formally approve the May 8th special election, which will likely come at their March 16th regular council meeting.

Now to Austin: The American Statesman reports that Operation Kumbaya is nearing its end. The 6-year, multi-agency operation has made 17 arrests over the years, plus 14 kilograms of cocaine, multiple firearms, and nearly 400-thousand dollars in cash. A total of 13 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies have helped throughout the 6-year operation, and now a federal grand jury has issued indictments for the 17 people that have been arrested, as part of a drug operation that moved the cocaine and cash through Austin, Dallas, Mexico, and Birmingham Alabama. The operation also uncovered 13 safe-houses through South and Central Texas, including 11 in Austin, 1 in Pflugerville, and 1 in Hays County.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office is warning parents about an increasingly popular website that gives users, including possible sex offenders, the opportunity to video chat live with randomly selected participants. Officials say ChatRoulette.com users are paired with a random stranger for a video chat, and a login and registration are not required to come face-to-face with a total stranger. The AG’s Cyber Crimes Unit investigation revealed that nearly half of the randomly selected users immediately expose themselves and conducted sexually explicit acts on camera. The Texas Attorney General’s Office says parents should prohibit their children from accessing ChatRoulette.com.

And finally, out of San Marcos: The Daily Record reports that a host of barbershop quartets and other choral groups will gather this weekend at Texas State University for the Heart of Texas Chorus convention and competition. This Friday and Saturday, the 12th and 13th, at Evans Auditorium at Texas State, you’ll be able to hear dozens of choral groups trying to harmonize their way to a win in what’s often called the “World Series of Barbershop Singing.” The highlight of the convention and competition is Saturday night’s Showcase of Champions featuring the winners of the quartet and chorus contests. That show starts at 7:30 Saturday night at Evans Auditorium on the Texas State University Campus. Tickets are $15in advance, $20 at the door. Log on to swd.org for more information.