IJR News

Regional School Start Dates Set for 2026-27

Across the country, school districts are unveiling 2026-27 start calendars, with some August openings and varied schedules as districts from Socorro ISD in Texas to San Antonio, Metro Atlanta, New York, and Colorado coordinate back-to-school timing. Socorro ISD highlights a strong financial turnaround, new programs such as the Team SISD Senior Pass and P-TECH, and celebrates thousands of graduates, while New York districts are moving start times earlier to cope with bus-driver shortages and Colorado districts list staggered or delayed starts due to local issues.

Jul 27, 2026

Cycling

Cyclist seriously injured in Varadero–Cárdenas crash

Cyclist crashes and injuries span Cuba, Texas, Colorado and New Hampshire, with one fatality in San Antonio and several others involving vehicle collisions, gravel patches, and hit-and-run incidents. The incidents highlight ongoing risks faced by bicyclists and the varied contributing factors—from high-speed roads and unsafe intersections to road surface conditions and driver behavior—increasing attention to cyclist safety nationwide and abroad.

Jul 27, 2026

Soccer

Wembanyama Spotted Playing Pickup Soccer Across Texas

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama joined a casual pickup soccer game in Katy, Texas, wearing a Paris Saint-Germain jersey and reportedly scoring multiple goals while showcasing impressive footwork. The appearances, captured in videos and posts, generated widespread social-media buzz about the 7’4” rookie’s off-season soccer forays and the mystery behind his visit.

Victor Wembanyama

Jul 26, 2026

Fort Sam Houston relocates 5,200 medical trainees

The Defense Department is relocating about 5,200 METC students at Joint Base San Antonio–Fort Sam Houston due to climate-control failures and foundational defects in the dormitories, moving them to on-base hotels as a long-term recapitalization plan unfolds. The Pentagon is funding construction to replace the barracks, with demolitions of five buildings planned and a long-term project that could cost over a billion dollars, targeting start by year-end.

Jul 25, 2026

Smuggling

11 indicted over Texas boxcar deaths of migrants

A federal grand jury indicted 11 people in a coordinated human-smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of seven migrants found inside a sweltering boxcar on a freight train from Del Rio to San Antonio; they are charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death and aiding and abetting transport of illegal aliens resulting in death, with potential life terms. The defendants include a mix of U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non-U.S. citizens, and authorities say the organization operated since at least 2023, charging thousands in smuggling fees through the Del Rio/Laredo route.

United States Texas

Jul 24, 2026

Crime

Drug, gun busts hit California, Texas, Georgia

Multiple arrests across California, Texas, and Sumter County involve drugs and firearms, including a Thousand Oaks case where a man was found with meth, a fake driver’s license, and an unregistered firearm, and separate charges tied to possession with intent to sell and gun possession. Additional cases include a San Antonio man facing narcotics and weapon charges and a Sumter County man charged with possession of a stolen handgun and narcotics distribution, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and gun violence.