San Antonio Tx

Bill Day doesn't fancy himself an outlaw -- and with his Mr. Rogers demeanor, he definitely doesn't look the part. But soon the 73-year-old lay chaplain could spend up to a year in jail for breaking a law that he considers immoral. Day hands out clean needles to drug addicts on some of the seediest streets in this south Texas city.

Next to the Mexican market that lures tourists with ponchos, sombreros and jalapeno jelly, the new Museo Alameda opens today as a showcase for Latino arts, culture and history at Market Square. The museum, a Smithsonian affiliate, offers 11 galleries exhibiting American art and artifacts "as seen through the eyes of Latinos," said Henry Munoz III, chairman of the Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, the nonprofit behind construction of the just-under-$15-million facility.

In 1975, Rosie Castro took her baby twins, Julian and Joaquin, to a farmworkers' rally. They slept in strollers while she handed out union fliers. The boys have grown up to become two of the more recognizable faces in San Antonio. Julian is a member of the City Council, Joaquin is a state legislator, and both are seen as modern-day successors to Chicano leaders like their mother -- as comfortable in a boardroom as a barrio. They are just 30 years old.

The race for San Antonio mayor appeared headed for a runoff Saturday night, with 30-year-old Councilman Julian Castro the front-runner. With 76% of precincts counted, Castro had 41% of the vote. Councilman Carroll W. Schubert, 57, had about 27% of the vote, and Phil Hardberger, a 70-year-old retired appeals court judge, had about 30%.

Phil Hardberger, a former judge drafted into politics while he was trying to retire to his sailboat, was elected mayor of San Antonio on Tuesday night, outpacing a young city councilman billed as a rising political star. Hardberger, 70, beat 30-year-old Julian Castro, 51.5% to 48.5%. Hardberger declared victory shortly after midnight, taking the stage at an election-night rally held at a former downtown rail depot.

The New Orleans Saints, displaced by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, are weighing contingency plans in the likely event that the Superdome will be unusable this NFL season. The club already has temporarily moved its headquarters to San Antonio, where players will begin practicing at the Alamodome next week. It is possible that stadium could be used for the Saints' Sept. 18 home opener, and perhaps for the rest of the season.

A city councilman in San Antonio said Thursday that the Alamodome has cleared almost all of the necessary dates to play host to each of this season's eight home games of the New Orleans Saints, displaced by Hurricane Katrina. "The citizens of San Antonio are ready to offer their facilities in all availability to the New Orleans Saints organization," Councilman Roger Flores said in a telephone interview.

Two freight trains collided Monday in a rural area, killing an engineer, derailing 40 cars and releasing clouds of chlorine and ammonium nitrate that drifted for miles. About 50 people were hospitalized after being exposed to the chemicals, said Fire Department spokesman Randy Jenkins. The gas clouds dissipated by late morning, after drifting up to 10 miles to San Antonio's Sea World amusement park, where six people were treated for minor respiratory irritation.

A San Antonio hospital placed a pathologist on administrative leave Tuesday after The Times reported accusations by former colleagues and California regulators that he had misdiagnosed patients at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center. Baptist Health System took the action against Dr. Dennis G. Hooper "as a precaution," the hospital said in a written statement, while it investigates material contained in the article.

Strippers in this city will soon have to put on something they can't take off -- a business license. The City Council on Friday approved a measure requiring exotic dancers to apply for permits and wear them while performing. Law enforcement authorities said the rule, which was unanimously approved by the 11-member council and goes into effect in 10 days, will allow them to quickly identify dancers who are breaking nudity ordinances.