The rise and fall of Hillcrest

Tpettis@foghornnews.com You’re going to get two things before you walk out of Sam’s Barber Shop. First, you’re going to hear “the good news,” and second, you’re going to get a great haircut. The rust-red building located in the middle of Hillcrest has long been a hotspot for the community. “Thank you Lord for giving us another day on this earth,” says Sam Johnson, also known as Sam the Barber. Johnson is the owner of Sam’s Barber Shop and has been cutting hair on the Northside since 1953. He has seen all the changes — from the good to the bad.…

Built on uncertainty: Bridge project, and lives, on hold

Travis Pettis tpettis@foghornnews.com As leaders of the African American community in Corpus Christi come together to meet at the Oveal Williams Senior Center, they file past a picture of former President Barack Obama hanging above the doors. Many see Obama as a symbol of hope, something this community needs more than ever right now. As with most events, it starts with hands linked and heads bowed in prayer. This community is held together with strong religious beliefs, which give them a foundation in times of uncertainty. Uncertainty would have to be the best way to describe what the Northside community…

Federal agents visit Del Mar College for recruiting event

Those interested in law enforcement get tips on how to apply Students interested in law enforcement careers with the government learned firsthand what it takes when several federal agents visited Del Mar College’s West Campus Nov. 30. Agents from the FBI and ATF, as well as immigration agents, came to share how to get into their agencies and also tell their personal experience going through the process of becoming being agents. Education was the most important issue that all the agents hit on at the event. Del Mar College alumnus Larry Gamboa, now a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or…

Bennett takes board seat from Boggs in election

Hutchinson, McCampbell hold on to their spots The 2016 Del Mar College Board of Regents races are officially over. Three out of the nine seats were up for grabs. District 2 incumbent Susan Hutchinson ran unopposed, while District 5 representative Jim Boggs ran against Ed Bennett and At-Large incumbent Trey McCampbell ran against Laurie Turner. Hutchinson, who ran uncontested, is ready to continue helping Del Mar grow. “I am honored to have the voters of my district confirm that they want my continued representation of their interests on the Del Mar College Board of Regents,” Hutchinson said. “The board is…

Many Vikings take advantage of free RTA bus rides

Some Del Mar College students are taking full advantage of their free bus rides, which may be a new experience for many. I have ridden the bus in Washington, D.C.; England; and Luxembourg, Germany and riding the bus in Corpus Christi is totally different. On the upper East Coast and in Europe everyone rides the bus. Business professionals wearing several-thousand-dollar suits can be seen riding the bus. You could be sitting next to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and wouldn’t even know. It’s just the culture of those places where people use public transportation. In Corpus Christi riding…

Guest speakers to make appearance for GIS Day

Del Mar College will host the 18th annual Coastal Bend GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Day, “GIS Technology is Changing our World,” on Nov. 16. The event organizers will be offering two tracks, which will be targeting middle through high school and college age students while also having a track for professionals already in the field. The GIS Day is part of the National Geographic Society initiative “Geography Action!” This is all part of a yearlong project using key educational achievements worldwide, including the Coastal Bend’s annual event, which is in partnership with Geography Awareness Week. GIS uses computer-based mapping tools…

Foghorn students attend convention, bring home 21 awards

Foghorn News staffers recently returned from one of their state conventions with more than 20 awards. A dozen students attended the Texas Community College Journalism Association conference and contest Oct. 14 in Kemah. The Foghorn News brought home 21 awards total, 19 from work published during the 2015-16 academic year and two from the live contest. Students started the day at NASA with half sitting in on a news conference about Mars and the rest receiving a tour of the full-scale mockup training facility. Associate Professor of Journalism Robert Muilenburg, who serves as one of the Foghorn’s advisers, was impressed…