It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic La Villita Historic Village gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in San Antonio, TX is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Amazing experience with the company. Love how it’s family owned and trustworthy. Highly recommend!”
“I can't say enough about how happy I am with the care that Best Care”
“Pat, Wendy, & their team are the BEST! I had a friend in need of”
“ABC was a tremendous help when my dad required additional care beyond Assisted Living. Wendy”
“They have good communication, and the aids have been very good.”
“Great facility for senior citizens, service you can count on”
“I Give My All When Caring For The Elder I Do It With A Passion”
“They were punctual and helpful. They did what they needed to be done, but I”
“They are very capable and love to care for my wife.”
“They are very capable and love to care for my wife.”
“ABC helped me place my relative in Memory Care. They are very knowledgeable about placement”
“Thank you all so much for the excellent care you gave Bill. I could not”
“Loved our caregiver. First time I felt comfortable enough to be able to leave the”
“I am a current client of this provider I signed up two agencies, one for weekdays”
“ABC helped me place my relative in Memory Care. They are very knowledgeable about placement”
“You have taken such good care of mom over the years. You made her very”
“ABC provided excellent service and I miss Always Best Care”
“From Barbara Randle - I wanted to let you know, first of all, how much”
“I have been working with Debbie Trone trying to find a Senior Living Home for”
“I was very pleased with them. I don't have any family here so when they”
“They are always there and consistent.”
“This place is absolutely amazing!!”
“The owners of ABC are wonderful caring people. They go above & beyond to make”
“Amazing experience with the company. Love how it’s family owned and trustworthy. Highly recommend!”
“I can't say enough about how happy I am with the care that Best Care has done for my father and soon my mother. The person that answers the phone is the best and the compassion they show along with their flexibility to help is uncommon these days. Check this place out for your loved ones!”
“Pat, Wendy, & their team are the BEST! I had a friend in need of their services and they were timely, attentive, and incredibly caring. They went above and beyond to make sure the best care was provided. They have a heart to care for those in need and it shines through everything they do! I HIGLY recommend using Always Best Care Senior Services! Best in town!”
“ABC was a tremendous help when my dad required additional care beyond Assisted Living. Wendy came out within minutes to assess my dad’s needs. The ABC caregivers went above and beyond, including staying with my dad when he had to be hospitalized. I’ve referred ABC to several families, all of which have shared our positive experience. Thank you, Pat and Wendy, for providing a service that makes a difficult time in the life of our loved ones so much easier to accept. Keep up the good work! Forever grateful!”
“They have good communication, and the aids have been very good.”
“Great facility for senior citizens, service you can count on”
“I Give My All When Caring For The Elder I Do It With A Passion From My Heart A Gift From God!! I Will Truly Miss You Mrs. Mary!!!”
“They were punctual and helpful. They did what they needed to be done, but I just have a husband who is a loner. They understood his condition and helped him to the bathroom. I wanted a male and they gave me a male.”
“They are very capable and love to care for my wife.”
“They are very capable and love to care for my wife.”
“ABC helped me place my relative in Memory Care. They are very knowledgeable about placement in San Antonio. They gave us 4 communities within our price range and actually got better prices than we received. We live out of town. They made our lives more relaxed since our Aunt has moved in and is not a wander risk. Thanks Debbie and staff.”
“Thank you all so much for the excellent care you gave Bill. I could not have made it without the help of your company. Thank you also for the gorgeous bouquet of roses, tulips and hydrangeas. I appreciate it so much.”
“Loved our caregiver. First time I felt comfortable enough to be able to leave the home and do stuff I needed to do. She was great.”
“I am a current client of this provider I signed up two agencies, one for weekdays and one for weekends. I dropped the weekend agency who is listed on this site because of lateness of caregivers and one caregiver left her shift and did not return. I have had very good service with Always Best Care. Caregivers arrive on time. IF ABC has a new caregiver start a shift , office staff does a meet and greet with client to introduce new caregiver and make sure its a good fit. Director Debbie did an excellant job explaining services plus she and the owner are Certified Dementia Practioner's. Patient has diagnosed dementia. Caregiver's do very well with interactions with family.”
“ABC helped me place my relative in Memory Care. They are very knowledgeable about placement in San Antonio. They gave us 4 communities within our price range and actually got better prices than we received. We live out of town. They made our lives more relaxed since our Aunt has moved in and is not a wander risk. Thanks Debbie and staff.”
“You have taken such good care of mom over the years. You made her very happy. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. It gives us some peace knowing she wanted to be with my dad on his birthday, the next day, and she was :)”
“ABC provided excellent service and I miss Always Best Care”
“From Barbara Randle - I wanted to let you know, first of all, how much we have appreciated the wonderful care, compassion, and love that you and all of your stsff have shown to me over the past month. We can never thank you all enough for your patience as we worked out a schedule, and for your dedication to truly best care. We are ever grateful to all of you. Please share our thanks with the lovely and tender hearted ladies who helped me after surgery.”
“I have been working with Debbie Trone trying to find a Senior Living Home for my 89 year old sister. Debbie has been exceptional in helping us navigate thru every detail of what we need to do to get her settled in. We know it will come together an want to thank her for assisting us.”
“I was very pleased with them. I don't have any family here so when they took me to the doctor, they would come in with me to see the doctor and communicate with my family.”
“They are always there and consistent.”
“This place is absolutely amazing!!”
“The owners of ABC are wonderful caring people. They go above & beyond to make sure you get whatever you need to help in your situation. Thank you Wendy & Pat & Kendra for all your help.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Brackenridge Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local SILO Elevated Cuisine - 1604 or visit Casa Navarro State Historic Site, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in San Antonio, TX, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in San Antonio, TX understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in San Antonio, TX 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
A planned outage from CPS Energy will impact hundreds on the Northeast Side of San Antonio on Thursday, May 15. The outage will last three hours, according to a Facebook post from the City of Live Oak on Monday, May 12.CPS Energy told MySA that the municipal electric utility scheduled the planned outage from 8:30 to ...
A planned outage from CPS Energy will impact hundreds on the Northeast Side of San Antonio on Thursday, May 15. The outage will last three hours, according to a Facebook post from the City of Live Oak on Monday, May 12.
CPS Energy told MySA that the municipal electric utility scheduled the planned outage from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Northeast San Antonio. The outage will affect approximately 249 customers, who were informed of the outage at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 9. CPS Energy said another notification is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14.
"The planned outage is necessary to ensure the safety of our crews as they set a new pole," CPS Energy said. "... We thank our customers for their understanding of our crews' work."
The outage is occurring amid an early heat wave arriving in San Antonio this week, according to the National Weather Service. Mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies are expected through the week, with abnormally hot high temperatures beginning Tuesday and continuing through the week.
On Thursday, temperatures will be in the low 70s but will reach triple-digit numbers during peak heat hours, which is not during the outage. Temperatures will likely be in the low 80s to low 90s during the time of the outage.
Planned outages have occurred before with CPS Energy. In August 2024, CPS Energy scheduled an outage in Fair Oaks Ranch that affected more than 1,300 customers. The company changed its outage plan after receiving backlash over the outage affecting customers who would lose their power all night. However, CPS Energy changed it to only leaving two customers without power for the entire duration, while the rest saw short outages for 10 to 15 minutes.
In the comments of Live Oak's post, some residents didn't love the idea of an outage during a hot day. Chris Bailey wrote, "Let's wait till the hottest day of the year." Krista Adkins added, "It's too hot for this." However, many residents were thankful for the notice of the upcoming outage. Charnell Lucich wrote, "As frustrating as outages are during the heat, I'm thankful we're getting a 72-hour notice to plan for it...Better to have early communication than a last-minute outage with no clue to why."
"At least it's happening in the early half of the day," Linda Bridges wrote.
"No problem. Just keep your house closed so it heats up slowly.. stays cooler than outside. It's just 3 hours," Glenn McKinney wrote.
To follow the progress during the outage or to contact CPS Energy, visit the CPS website and outage map.
Calling all dancers, gymnasts and competitive cheerleaders, a well-known choreographer is coming to San Antonio. Abby Lee Miller from Dance Moms will be hosting lessons at a gym in Alamo Heights on May 24, according to her Instagram."I'll see ...
Calling all dancers, gymnasts and competitive cheerleaders, a well-known choreographer is coming to San Antonio. Abby Lee Miller from Dance Moms will be hosting lessons at a gym in Alamo Heights on May 24, according to her Instagram.
"I'll see y'all in Texas," Miller wrote in her caption. "I'll be in San Antonio at the Alamo Heights Gym on Saturday, May 26...Everyone is welcome!"
The event will start at noon at the Alamo Heights Gymnastics Academy, located at 506 Sandau Road, San Antonio, TX 78216. All levels may attend, ranging from ages 7-18, according to Miller. The dance instructor plans on teaching a warm-up, technique tips and tricks, an audition workshop, an acrobatic class and more.
At the event, Miller will also be taking photos with dancers and conducting a Q&A. Tickets for the event are $59.99 for dancers, $69.99 for VIP and $24.99 for observers. Every dancer will be allowed to take a photograph with Miller, receive an 8x10 signed headshot and then learn all of Miller's top audition secrets in class, according to the event page. Tickets can be bought on showclix.com.
Official merchandise will be available for purchase at the event. If you attend and are wearing counterfeit merchandise, it will be seized, according to the event page.
Miller, the founder of the Abby Lee Dance Company, is best known for her time on the reality show Dance Moms from 2011 to 2019, which followed the lives of mothers and their daughters at the Abby Lee Dance Company. Miller rose to fame due to controversial coaching techniques and became a reality TV villain.
A global paper product manufacturer has been employing hundreds of North Texas workers since the early aughts, purchasing land east of Dallas for as late as 2008. Now, international capacity reductions are impacting Texas workers, leaving hundreds without jobs.The international...
A global paper product manufacturer has been employing hundreds of North Texas workers since the early aughts, purchasing land east of Dallas for as late as 2008. Now, international capacity reductions are impacting Texas workers, leaving hundreds without jobs.
The international company headquartered in Ireland announced it is shutting down its containerboard mill in Forney, Texas, which is just about 20 miles east of Texas on U.S. 80. If you’re wondering what containerboard is, it’s the denser, thicker (often brown) specialty paper product used for shipping or corrugated boxes and heavy-duty envelopes.
“While closing facilities is never an easy decision, it is based on a realistic expectation of current and future capacity needs, operating costs and an unrelenting focus on improving our business,” Tony Smurfit, President & Group Chief Executive Officer, Smurfit Westrock, said in a statement. “We are very grateful for the significant contributions made by the teams at these locations over the years and we will do all we can to support them throughout this process.”
Layoffs in the Lone Star State will take place over 14 days, beginning on June 30. By the end of it, 200 Texans will be without a job.
It’s not just Texas getting hit with the Smurfit Westrock cutbacks, either. Reductions at a coated recycled board mill in Minnesota are underway, and there are plans to shut down two facilities in Germany as well. In all, some 650 employees will be without a job across all the shutdowns. In Texas, some employees will be spared, though, as the company vows to continue operating its specialty coating facility at the Forney site.
A Smurfit Westrock spokesperson told MySA anyone impacted by the layoffs "may seek/apply for employment within Smurfit Westrock." They offered no additional comment when asked how many employees would remain on site in Texas for the specialty coating operation.
It’s the latest in a large wave of layoffs to hit North Texas over the past couple years. Amid a major acquisition, luxury retailer Neiman Marcus is moving its headquarters out of its hometown of Dallas, and Dickies Workwear is ditching its Fort Worth founding roots to move its headquarters to California. Defense contract nonrenewal and plant downsizing have also impacted the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metro area in recent months.
Though, just because this plant is cutting hundreds of jobs, that doesn’t mean there isn’t continued investment from the international corporation into Texas. Smurfit Westrock is part of a massive investment into renewable energy sources in Wharton County – just southwest of Houston – where ENGIE is installing almost 570,000 solar panes across more than 1,600 acres as the Bernar Creek Solar Project.
Smurfit Westrock was an early investor and supporter of ENGIE, the renewable resource company powering Texas, by entering a renewable power purchase agreement early on in the efforts.
Wikimedia Commons / Gage SkidmorePresident Donald Trump is accepting a luxury jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar this week, and the plane is currently in a hangar at San Antonio International Airport, the Express-News reports. What's more, the airliner awaits a makeover as a temporary Air Force One.The gifted airplane has been the subject of public scrutiny over the past fe...
Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore
President Donald Trump is accepting a luxury jet as a gift from the ruling family of Qatar this week, and the plane is currently in a hangar at San Antonio International Airport, the Express-News reports. What's more, the airliner awaits a makeover as a temporary Air Force One.
The gifted airplane has been the subject of public scrutiny over the past few days, with critics arguing that the plane amounts to bribery and a foreign power attempting to buy influence over the executive branch.
The 747 arrived at San Antonio International on May 8 and has been there since, surrounded by extra security and with its tail number hidden, according to the Express-News.
Defense contractor L3Harris Technologies is expected to transform the plane into a suitable Air Force One replacement, although the cost of the upgrades have yet been publicly revealed. The site of where the upgrades will be made is also unclear, though the Express-News reports they will take place "somewhere in Texas."
Trump previously toured the $400 million jet, known as a "palace in the sky," in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he voiced his displeasure with the current fleet, as well as with Boeing.
The president has gone on the record numerous times complaining about the age of the Air Force One fleet, which consists of two customized Boeing 747s built in 1990. Boeing is also overdue in fulfilling an order from the U.S. Air Force for two replacements, which they have been working on since the last Trump presidency.
“I’m not happy with the fact that it’s taken so long,” Trump told a press pool aboard Air Force One back in February. “There’s no excuse for it.”
The replacement Boeing 747s are expected to enter service in 2026, according to military publication Defense One, and this Qatari gift plane could serve as the interim fill-in until they're ready.
Trump's acceptance of the gift coincides with his visit to Qatar this week, marking the president's first foreign trip since taking office for his second term, ABC News reports. Rather than rejecting the apparent transactional nature of the gift, Trump has called the deal a "very public and transparent transaction."
Nonetheless, in anticipation of the eyebrows it could raise, the White House Counsel and Department of Justice preemptively drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth finding that the gift does not violate the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause, according to ABC.
Ethics experts disagree.
The president will be able to use the gifted plane until shortly before he leaves office, at which time the plane will be donated to the Trump presidential library foundation, ABC News also reports.
Boeing's long-awaited Air Force One replacement jets will come with a number of bells as whistles the gifted Qatar jet is unlikely to have, including aerial refueling capabilities, missile defense, heavy-duty airframe and electromagnetic blast protection.
In 2022, Boeing CEO David Calhoun admitted in a quarterly shareholders' meeting that the company had already lost $660 million outfitting the new Air Force One airliners and that it probably shouldn't have agreed to the deal, Defense One reports.
“Air Force One I'm just going to call a very unique moment, a very unique negotiation, a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn't have taken,” Calhoun said in the meeting, according to Defense One. “But we are where we are, and we're going to deliver great airplanes.”
It's unclear what will happen to Trump's "Palace in the Sky" when the long-awaited replacement fleet is ready to take flight. For now, Trump defends it as a smart deal.
"I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane,' " Trump told reporters on Monday. "But I thought it was a great gesture."
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Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston are also some of the ‘highest measured subsidence rates among all cities’SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio is considered among the fastest-sinking cities in the United States, according to a geologic study.The study, published May 8 in the journal Nature Cities, detailed the precarious positions of the 28 largest cities, per 2020 U.S. Census data, with high land subs...
SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio is considered among the fastest-sinking cities in the United States, according to a geologic study.
The study, published May 8 in the journal Nature Cities, detailed the precarious positions of the 28 largest cities, per 2020 U.S. Census data, with high land subsidence rates.
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Researchers described land subsidence as “a slow-moving hazard with adverse environmental and socioeconomic consequences worldwide.”
While land subsidence is typically thought of as a problem for coastal or coastal-adjacent cities such as Houston or New Orleans, land subsidence can also negatively affect “inland urban areas” such as San Antonio or Dallas, which can increase the likelihood of flooding, damage to buildings and disruption to mass transit systems.
Of the 28 cities included in the study, six cities — Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso — are located in the Lone Star State. Besides Texas, the other states with more than one city represented are California (four cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco) and Tennessee (two cities: Memphis and Nashville).
Researchers then generated “high spatial resolution” maps that help determine an equation for each city’s vertical land motion standards, or VLM.
According to the study, 25 of the 28 cities are considered sinking with negative VLMs measured in millimeters. Researchers said Houston is far and away the fastest-sinking city in the United States (-5.216 millimeters/year).
Among other large Texas cities, San Antonio is sinking at more than 1 millimeter per year (-1.099), but the Alamo City’s estimated sinking level does not compare to levels in Fort Worth (-4.366 millimeters/year) or Dallas (-3.846 millimeters/year).
Austin (-0.792) and El Paso (-0.754) are both considered sinking at less than 1 millimeter per year, researchers determined.
The only three cities the study does not consider to be sinking are Jacksonville, Florida (+0.452 millimeters/year); San Jose, California (+0.219 millimeters/year) and Memphis, Tennessee (+0.006 millimeters/year).
The study also evaluated the risk of land subsidence to approximately 5.6 million buildings in these cities. Based on researchers’ results, land subsidence appears to affect buildings in San Antonio worse than any other city surveyed.
Researchers said the Alamo City’s ratio of high/very-high-risk buildings to total buildings in the city is 1 to 45, which is considered the worst such ratio. Austin (1 in 71) and Fort Worth (1 in 143) had the second and third-worst ratios among the 28 cities surveyed, the study found.
The study is not all doom and gloom, however. While there is no cure-all to combat land subsidence and win, researchers said actions such as building restrictions in high-risk areas, reinforcing critical infrastructure and continuous monitoring of subsidence levels are effective ways cities can respond to help keep citizens and the environment safe.
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