Hot topic headlines
— The national spotlight shined on the Coastal Bend several times this year — not always in the most flattering way.A longtime Corpus Christi used car dealer was accused in a bizarre international terrorist plot. An Aransas County judge drew the ire of Internet users around the world when a video of him whipping his daughter went viral. Refugio High School made national sports headlines for beating football opponents by as much as 91-6. And the Flour Bluff school district caused a stir when it initially refused to allow a Gay-Straight Alliance to meet on campus.
But the glare of the spotlight wasn’t always so harsh.
The Eagle Ford Shale has drawn job seekers to the Coastal Bend from around the country. The investments that companies have made to drill for oil and gas have helped fill local tax coffers, drop unemployment and rebound the area economy from recession.
The national stories were among the top 10 stories of 2011 chosen by Caller-Times editors. The others include the loss of a beloved barbecue joint in Robstown, the worst ice storm in Coastal Bend history, and a deal to revitalize the closed Naval Station Ingleside.
An anonymous whistleblower spills insider details, stealth shots reveal unchecked pollution, and excerpts from the 2005 Energy Act reveal a distrubing oil and gas exemption dubbed “the Halliburton Loophole,” implicating a recurring face of political
The bitter liquid brew of the mountain bean – reportedly discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder – seems to stirs up more drama, emotion and passion than all the crude oil, Type O blood and holy water on the planet. It helps to understand the lingo.