🌱 Mental Health Clinics For Teachers + Raccoons Invade Apartments

Good morning, and Happy Friday, neighbors! I'm back with your new edition of the San Antonio Patch newsletter. Come along to find out everything you need to know that's happening in town, including:

• Raccoon families made homes within the walls of a San Antonio apartment complex.
• The City of San Antonio proposes a stricter code to keep apartment complexes in check.
• School district works to get teachers the mental health help they need.

But first, today's weather:

Cloudy, a shower; not as warm. High: 70 Low: 62.

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Here are the top stories today in San Antonio:

1. Raccoons have caused a ruckus at O'Connor Oaks Apartment Homes for years now. At least four renters made comments about their encounters with or suspicions of raccoons living in the ceilings of their units. A former resident, Jenna Drake, said her apartment was damaged by a burst pipe and ceiling that fell through, revealing what she believes was raccoon feces. Other residents who wish to remain anonymous in fear of retaliation by the complex, all reported similar accounts: They can hear the animals scratching, playing and fighting at night. To read more about resident stories, check mySA.
2. San Antonio plans to take action against apartment complexes that repeatedly violate code enforcements. The Proactive Apartment Inspection Program, which still needs city council approval, "would require at least half a year’s worth of extra inspections at frequently-cited apartment complexes." After 24 citations were delivered to Seven Oaks Apartments, this code was born and includes a probation-like technique to hold property owners and landlords responsible for providing adequate and safe living conditions for tenants, on a consistent basis. View all of the details on this proposed code at KSAT San Antonio.
3. School districts are hastily brainstorming ways for teachers to get mental health help. After everyone came out of their caves of the pandemic, people acknowledged that students weren't okay and could use more mental health care, but adults and teachers didn't receive the same focus. Dr. Kimberley Ridgley runs the district's THRIVE clinic: "It's free counseling services, six to eight sessions, with a licensed professional counselor," Ridgley said. Mental health check-ins for teachers could mean long-term staff retention. More on this story at FOX 29.
4. A local family is seeking justice for their loved one found shot and killed behind a Northeast Side complex. Police said that Zachary Leard was found on the 6900 block of North Vandiver Road. Leard was the primary caretaker of his mother, and dearly loved by his family and Chick-Fil-A coworkers. His sister, Joslin Leard, is continuing to spread the word until justice is served for her brother. For more details on this ongoing investigation, visit KSAT San Antonio.

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Today in San Antonio:

• Home & Garden Show San Antonio 2023 at the Alamodome (All-day)
• NEISD Family Engagement Training at 8750 Tesoro Dr. (9 AM)
• Eat and Play at Main Street Plaza (11 AM)
• Live Trivia at San Antonio Public Library (7 PM)
• Young Adult Bowling Night Covid-19 Update at Bowl & Barrel (7 PM)
• "The Servant of Two Masters" at Crystal Sea Drama Company Fine Arts Studio (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Tacos B4 Vatos needs your help! "Taco trucks are so embedded with San Antonio culture that it's hard to imagine someone committing a crime against one. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened to a local truck." (mySA)
• San Antonio schools beef up security: "The Alamo Heights School Foundation is spending $184,000 to fund new security measures which involve a badge and a button in the classroom." (KENS5.com)
• Warmer winter brings blooms sooner: "Bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas, usually start popping up across the state in late March or early April but that's not the case this year." (FOX 29)
• Cheers to a notable San Antonio poet: "Andrea 'Vocab' Sanderson is a poet, performer, and educator. She was appointed as San Antonio’s Poet Laureate in 2020, making her the first Black woman to hold the position." (WOAI)
• San Antonio local bakery stands for Ukraine: "Laika Cheesecake and Espresso, a bakery shop in Alamo Heights, plans a fundraising event this weekend to gather more donations to aid Ukraine forces." Last year, they raised $72,000! (Texas Public Radio)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— Elaine Thompson

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming San Antonio Patch newsletter? Contact me at sanantonio@patch.com