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Concluding that the child bride referred to in court documents as Jane Doe No. 4, “expressed her disdain, reluctance, opposition and total dislike of sexual relations,” Utah District Judge James Shumate ruled Dec. 14 that Warren Jeffs, the “prophet” leader of the polygamist Mormon breakaway sect the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will stand trial on charges of rape-as-accomplice. Jeffs, 51, is accused of abetting rape by arranging and presiding over the 2001 “spiritual marriage” of Doe, then 14, and her 19-year-old first cousin. Read More | Comment »

Today's article in the Times about an American contractor, Donald Vance, swept up during a raid in Iraq, is breathtaking in its nightmarishness. To call the legal system Kafkaesque is to diminish it almost entirely:

"At the hearings, a woman and two men wearing Army uniforms but no name tags or rank designations sat a table with two stacks of documents. One was about an inch thick, and the men were allowed to see some papers from that stack. The other pile was much thicker, but they were told that this pile was evidence only the board could see."

And this was an American detained over there. So is Mohammad Munaf, who was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by an Iraqi court. How is that even possible? Read More | Comment »

As a boon to all you last-minute shoppers, the Chronicle's crack team of reporters is assembling a holiday gift guide this week. Here's a quick preview for you procrastinators.

NewsMax Top 8 Bestselling Christmas Gifts:

Winger "news" Web site NewsMax declares victory in the War on Christmas with these thoughtless, ahem, thoughtful gifts. Get inspired by The Duke via "John Wayne: America, Why I Love Her," or listen in for signs of the Rapture on your Emergency World Band Radio.

Rummy's Forget Me (Not!) T-Shirt:

The curtains closed on Donald Rumsfeld's career last week, not a moment too soon. Here's a timely gift that fits the season to a T. Dreaming of a cathartic Christmas? Blaze the hike-and-bike trail in this little number and your endorphins will perk up faster than you can say "I don't do quaqmires." Rumsfeld Who? indeed. Fine this and other Rummy gems at CafrePress.com (search under Donald Rumsfeld).

Anything But Tofu and Soymilk:

Because as we all know, it makes you Teh Gay! Read More | Comment »

On Dec. 14, the Chronicle got word from Austin political consultant Mike Blizzard, who has stepped up to do some pro bono public relations consulting for Bexar Co. primate sanctuary Primarily Primates, Inc., that famed “Humanzee” Oliver, the chimpanzee cover boy for our feature on the battle over animal welfare at PPI, has moved into a new, larger enclosure at the 75-acre sanctuary. (See, “Famous Long Ago,” in this week’s issue.) It’s “really good news,” Blizzard said, and everyone at PPI is “really stoked about Oliver” being moved into an enclosure that Blizzard says is 10 times the size of his former home, a small red metal circus transport cage not much larger than a closet. In a phone message, Blizzard reported that Oliver is “very happy” with his new digs. By Thursday afternoon, he said, Oliver was kicking back and taking a nap – he’s “very tired,” Blizzard said, “because he’s been walking around” his new enclosure. Read More | 11 Comments »

With domestic production valued (conservatively) at just more than $35 billion, marijuana is the largest cash crop in the U.S. – worth more than the nation’s corn and wheat crops, which, combined, are valued at just more than $30 billion, according to a new report by Jon B. Gettman, a public policy and economic development consultant, posted to the nonprofit information site DrugScience.org. According to Gettman – a former national director of NORML, who started the Drug Science Web site to disseminate scientific information about marijuana and to publicize a petition seeking to reschedule marijuana within the Controlled Substances Act – there were some 67 million pot plants grown in the U.S. in 2006, making pot the top cash crop in 12 states. Read More | Comment »

Responsible Growth for Northcross isn't feeling Council's decision not to give Wal-Mart the boot. Their press release:

"Statement from Responsible Growth for Northcross regarding Austin City Council's Inaction on the Northcross Development:

Responsible Growth for Northcross (RG4N) is dismayed that the Austin City Council did not revoke or suspend Lincoln Property Company¹s illegally approved site plan. This inaction ignores the overwhelming evidence that Lincoln grossly understated the likely traffic impact of the development, was deficient in notification of citizens, and conducted deceptive filing practices. Furthermore, the Council is disregarding the voices of more than 3,600
petitioners (and hundreds more that contacted the Council individually) demanding action.

We appreciate the Council's commitment to hold Lincoln Property Company to no action whatsoever on the Northcross project for 60 days. We also appreciate the Council's commitment to prohibit 24-hour operation at Northcross as is currently planned.

RG4N is prepared to aggressively pursue all necessary measures to save our neighborhoods and to provide a better vision for redevelopment at Northcross Mall. Our goal is a meaningful partnership with Lincoln Property Company to develop a new site plan that ensures quality of life in our neighborhoods."

UPDATE: RG4N retracted the above statement, issuing a practically identical one that makes some small, but (legally?) important changes. Its second paragraph now reads, "This inaction ignores the mounting evidence indicating that Lincoln may have grossly understated the traffic impact of the development, that the city was deficient in notification of citizens, and that the city had no authority to approve the site plan as an administrative site plan without a public hearing. Furthermore, the Council is disregarding the voices of more than 3,600 petitioners (and hundreds more that contacted the Council individually) demanding action." Read More | 4 Comments »

Dig it: Today's the going-away party for Austin Police Association prez Mike Sheffield. Big Sheff's leaving to join state law lobbyists CLEAT, and show them how he got Austin cops the fattest salaries in the state. His influence will be felt for years to come, especially around budget time.

From the press release:

"You're invited to a retirement celebration in honor of APA President Mike Sheffield.

Friday, December 15, 2006 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m in the hospitality room of the Capitol Beverage Company. 10300 Metropolitan in Austin, Texas.

Mike will be retiring after 28+ years of service with the Austin Police Department and over 15 years of service to the Austin Police Association. He has served as the Austin Police Association President for over 8 years.

Cocktail/Refreshments Provided. Presentation to begin at 5:00 p.m." Read More | Comment »

Gov. Rick Perry has named one of a his favorite Texas Democrats as his new legislative director. State Sen. Ken Armbrister, a Victoria Democrat who spent much of his career bashing Austin's water-quality rules, is retiring from office at the end of this term and joining Perry's staff in January. Armbrister's new job will have him shilling for Perry at the Lege. Perry figures that Armbrister's Democratic ties, however threadbare, will help the governor win bipartisan favor on critical issues. But considering the number of times Armbrister has bailed on his Democratic colleagues, you have to wonder if he has anything left to collect from the old chit jar. Read More | Comment »

On Channel 6, of course.

Will Wynn is soundchecking. He's rocking a pale blue Austin shirt. Decidedly casual.

"Even though it's only 1,400 square feet, this is a very important project for us," says Wynn. Normally, it takes 214,000 square feet to get noticed, huh?

"Soon will be opening the Ruta Maya coffee house, on the western corner." WTF happened to Austin Java?

OK, he messed up. It's still Austin Java… eventually. God, how long has it been since that thing was supposed to open?

That was Woody Woods on the guitar, ladies and gentleman.

Toby Futrell is on about the "grand experiment" at City Hall. The jokes write themselves, people. "Those eclectic, special, local places" are getting her holidays bucks.

Holy smokes, there's an oversized novelty pair of scissors to physically cut the ribbon with. Must be what Futrell uses to castrate Council.

"It's open, now go shop!" Read More | Comment »

With the city manager's Wal-Mart conflict-of-interest rapidly receding into the rear-view, garnering the hearty shrug at City Hall we feared it would, comes word of a different type of conflict-of-interest, this too involving the rapacious retailer. Yesterday, the Austin Business Journal described local advertisers GSD&M's decision not to again pursue Wal-Mart's newly open advertising contract. The offending passage:

"GSD&M had long handled the retailer's advertising account, along with independent Bernstein-Rein Advertising Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., but the Wal-Mart account came up for review in May. Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) chose Interpublic Group of Companies' Draft FCB and Aegis Group's Carat for the account, but recently reopened the bid for its $580 million creative and media account because of a scandal involving a top Wal-Mart executive who was fired for inappropriate behavior, including accepting gifts from companies vying to become Wal-Mart's advertising agency."

Oops!

UPDATE: Here's GSD&M's Roy Spence, in a story in today's New York Times:

“We helped build Wal-Mart from $11 billion in sales to $312 billion,” said Mr. Spence, who worked closely for many years with Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart.

“We declare victory,” he added. “And we are moving on.”

Excuse us while we go projectile retch. Read More | Comment »

Austin City Council forms 2006 Bond Oversight Committee:

"The Austin City Council today established a 2006 Bond Oversight Committee, setting up the framework for the public to monitor where, when and how $567.4 million in recently approved bonds are spent."

Austin City Store to Open Doors:

"Join City officials as they host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the Austin City Store at 2 p.m., Friday. Dec. 15... The ceremony will begin with music and refreshments at 1:30 p.m."

City proclaims Dec. 15, 2006 as Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos Day:

"Retiring State Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin received a proclamation today from the City of Austin honoring him for his three decades of public service in the Texas Legislature." Read More | Comment »

Wow, yesterday's meeting sure had it all – protests, lots of citizen input, and even a hint of danger what with the fire department stomping around city hall and all. I laughed, I cried, I kissed 10 hours goodbye. For a recap of the Northcross debate, revisit the liveblog here, and for more on the Redeemer saga (which apparently ended in agreement between the church and the neighbors), click here. Read More | Comment »

The hour is late, and Council finally wrapped up Item 82, the Northcross discussion. I didn't hear anything about revocation of the site plan per se, but lots of noise about directing Lincoln/Wal-Mart to work with the neighbors and city, plus a hardcore traffic analysis, in light of some screwy trip numbers. How much that actually signifies, we'll have a better idea tomorrow.

Big Box is on now, but this kitty cat ain't scratchin' on all three readings until January. Read More | Comment »

Just when you thought the evening couldn't get any weirder. And no, we're joking; there is no fire, at least not that we know of, but everyone has been evacuated out of City Hall until the fire department figures out what's causing the smoky smell in chambers.

OK, the scare's over. People are filing back in, but I'm so going home. Hello, Channel 6! Read More | Comment »

Thank God. It is finally upon us. A few considerations, before we get underway:

–The previous speaker sign-up numbers got blown out of the water, with the arrival of a large post-work Northcross crowd. Hopefully, the 45-minute limit still stands.

– Will Futrell even rear her head? She's been in and out all day, appearing to pose with Barrientos, but assistant CM Michael McDonald currently sits in the city manager's chair. Maybe the rumors of her recent vacation time burn-through are true.

Tammy Williamson will be "walking us through the site plan," says Laura Huffman. For now, Huffman is going through the ultra-lax zoning standards the original mall has.

"We did find a mistake which we made, which is notice," says Huffman. Goes over the "interested party" requirement detailed here. Translation: we're sorry, Wal-Mart! Don't hit us!

"The site plan review was solid." TA-DOW!

Tammy Williamson is going over the proposed site plan. Ooh, pretty pictures!

Wow. Remember the Fed Ex speed talker? She's kinda like him.

Numbers everywhere. 375,000 total space at Northcross, only 269,000 currently used. Will be 424,000 square feet after Wal-Mart's built. Damn, that was hard.

Liveblog continued inside… Read More | Comment »

To answer to our earlier question, no, it wasn't incriminating, lascivious photos attorney Richard Suttle draped across each council member's seat earlier this afternoon (so that's what council did at the Crossings); it was letters from several local musical and audio wonks begging them to let Redeemer Presbyterian Church go to 60 feet in order to build a "reverberant, modest-sized room, which has been carefully planned not only to have beautiful acoustics but to have a quiet ventilation system." (Almost as nefarious, we know.) Sweet – who needs bus stops and rail when you've got that? Council's currently trying to hack the zoning case out.

The transit oriented development controversy enveloping the project will likely continue on into next year, as Council looks likely to punt their third and final decision into their next meeting, in 2007. Suttle, of course, will return momentarily to deliver Lincoln Property's side in the Northcross Wal-Mart hearing.

Audience's first audible groan of the night: Suttle telling council a more binding agreement between Redeemer and the neighbors isn't needed, because it's "a letter from a church."

UPDATE: Vote is tabled after Redeemer threatens to pull their application and go home if they don't get all three readings tonight. WAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Read More | Comment »

"There is no place like Austin, Texas," says the outgoing senator. Read More | Comment »

Twas some hours before Northcross
And all through city hall
The AC was cranked up
So asleep we would fall

The 2 o'clock briefing
On homelessness canned
To make room for zoning
20 cases, goddamn!

Richard Suttle rounded
The dais with care
At each members place
Placing a dossier
(What the shit is it? Naked pictures?)

Council finally emerged
From Executive Session
To yet another presentation
On upcoming legislation (yawn)

With proclamations and more
To still come, we're quite right
To say No-Doz for all,
It'll be a long night. Read More | Comment »

A few random musings:

– They really are sticking to their own 45-minute limit: On Item 81, the Big Box ordinance, 15 are signed in to speak, 123 signed in but not speaking; on Item 82, the Northcross discussion, 23 signed in to speak, 115 signed in but not speaking.

– Aside from its size and intensity, the noon protest was interesting for exposing some of the fault lines between the anti-Wal-Mart crowd and the Big Box ordinance's true believers. In passing the bullhorn around, some speakers had to be reminded that Big Box was up for passage tonight, and you could tell some Responsible Growth for Northcross members were a little confused to the whole thing. Council too, apparently – word was a late welter of amendments, some which would have gutted the ordinance's effectiveness, were being considered, but smart money has council just passing it on first and saving the rest for later.

– The Austin City Store is open for business today, a day early. No word on if Richard Suttle's infamous Austin Monopoly board game is up for sale. (Passed around City Hall as presents from his law firm, city legal said council had to return them.) Any readers with access to one, give it here. You can buy us off cheap! Read More | Comment »

At 2pm, two hours after more than 150 protesters descended on City Hall, it's finally quiet. Council has temporarily absconded behind closed doors into executive session, following a whirlwind of action and new developments in the Northcross/Wal-Mart saga. Not that it's over by half; with Supercenter foes Responsible Growth for Northcross still signing in to speak by the dozen, discussion of Wal-Mart's expansion plans, scheduled during council's 6pm public hearings, will likely stretch long into the night. This even despite a self-imposed 45 minute time limit, plus response, on the protesters' part – it's just that there's so much to say.

The biggest news currently is an announcement from Lee Leffingwell's office that Northcross developers Lincoln Property Group has joined Wal-Mart in their 60-day moratorium on building at Northcross. Wal-Mart's moratorium announcement yesterday left RG4N members cold, as it was developer Lincoln who stood to swing the wrecking ball. Their fears were seemingly confirmed by a story in today's Statesman, announcing Lincoln filed another site plan yesterday "to basically lock in the one it already has." The 60-day moratorium could conceivably grant Lincoln and Wal-Mart enough time to nullify neighbor's shaky legal arguments by renotifying all groups of the refiled site plan, this time with every conceivable legal failing fixed. But any hopes they had of the moratorium serving as a cool-off period look unfounded; if anything, judging from earlier, the heat can only build. Read More | Comment »