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Bags, black tar heroin miss their flight

A man fled the San Antonio airport after security officials found about 2 pounds of black tar heroin buried inside bags of grease and pickle juice in his luggage. Because he used his own name to check the luggage, authorities were able to track the suspect to his hometown of McAllen.

The 210 take: Marks of a great criminal: (1) Puts his own name on bags carrying drugs; (2) Flees to McAllen, but doesn't cross the border; (3) Pickle juice plays a key role in the smuggling operation.
 

News flash: Folks like to live by the beach

Soaring prices for beachfront property in first-tier areas like Galveston and South Padre have created value in off-the-beaten-path markets. But development comes at a price for folks who live in the sleepy fishing villages: higher property taxes and a changing way of life. Pro-development forces point to polling that shows a majority of residents are either neutral or positive about the changes.

The 210 take: So that's what my college roommate meant when he said he was cruising for beetches.
 

Emergency room has emergency situation

Over the past several weeks, University Hospital — South Texas' only civilian Level I trauma center — has seen record overcrowding in its emergency room. Though it's essentially always full, or 95 percent to 100 percent “saturated,” the center has hit 300 percent saturation rates on several recent days.

The 210 take: According to what I've learned on the reality medical show “Grey's Anatomy,” if those doctors would just quit having sex for like 10 straight minutes, they might get a lot more done.

Mexican trucks coming to a lane near you

Mexican trucks delivered goods beyond a border region of the U.S. for the first time, under a long-delayed test program by the two governments. In an unrelated story, a dynamite-laden truck exploded after colliding with another vehicle on a busy highway in northern Mexico's coal country, killing at least 34 people.

The 210 take: Oh boy.
 

Petraeus indulges both fight and flight instincts

In a much-anticipated report, the top American commander in Iraq told Congress that he envisions the withdrawal of roughly 30,000 U.S. troops by next summer, reducing troop strength there to about 130,000 — or what it was before the recent “surge.” Gen. David Petraeus said the surge had met its military objectives “in large measure.”

The 210 take: Not since prom night has the pullout of 30,000 men been so eagerly anticipated.

With staff and wire reports