Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS www.TheAustinVillager.com ASSOCIATION This paper can be recycled Vol. 45 No. 31 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] December 22, 2017 It’sIt’s ChristmasChristmas INSIDE TimeTime andand We’veWe’ve GotGot MusicMusic forfor Civil rights activist allegedly defamed RAPPIN’ by Fox News host. You!You! See PIRRO Tommy Wyatt By Naomi Richard | VILLAGER Contributor Page 3 Did 2017 go by really fast, or is it just me? It is hard to believe that we are coming to the end of another year. It seems to me BAD honors Meme Styles with Beacon that time just went into high of Light award. gear and the weeks are just See DEMOS zipping by. We are happy to Page 6 be still standing. And it seems that a lot of people are surprised that we are still, very much so, publishing THE VILLAGER. “How much longer do you plan to publish the paper,” is Media heads come a question that I hear a lot? together to discuss And it is one that I cannot East Austin ventures answer at this time. As the See FOX VP internet continues to expand Page 6 and new apps are being for Christmas” and an developed almost daily, one ethereal version of “O would think that the need for ‘Tis the season to care about; a time to share mended selections. 11 songs filled with happi- Holy Night.” newspapers is going out of celebrate the holidays with those less fortunate Grammy® Award- ness, joy and worship for Grammy® Award- style. But, nothing could be with family, friends, food than we, and a time to re- nominated singer, the season and beyond. A winner Fantasia stepped further from the truth. It and music. This year flect on the positive side of songwriter Kenny Kenny Lattimore Christ- ahead of the crowd this appears that more and more brings good times and life. Lattimore’s standout mas includes renditions of year, releasing her chart- people are looking forward bad, hurricanes, terror, As you make your fi- Christmas album, A Kenny holiday favorites “Have topping holiday project to getting their hands on a fires and much unrest. nal preparations for this Lattimore Christmas is a Yourself A Merry Little Christmas After Midnight newspaper weekly. Most of The holiday season pro- yuletide season, consider must-have this holiday Christmas,” a modern R&B October 6. The album con- those readers are in my age vides hope, love, joy and adding new Christmas season. This festive offer- interpretation of “God sists of 12 songs with im- group and are not constant peace. It’s a time to cel- music to your playlist. ing, released in 2016 on Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” users of the internet. See SMOKEY, page 2 ebrate those we love and Here we list a few recom- Motown Gospel, features a jazz-leaning “I’ll Be Home We also find that many of our readers like to clip Military Investigation Shows articles for their scrap book. TRUTH And some of our community Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson organizations compete in scrap book competitions OR each year to keep records of Fought Militants to the End their activities during the year. by: Lolita C. Baldor RETRIBUTION So, my answer to the Associated Press by: Darlene Superville question of “How much Associated Press longer do we plan to publish WASHINGTON (AP) the paper” is, as long as the — Army Sgt. La David T. WASHINGTON (AP) community needs it and Johnson died in a hail of — Former “Apprentice” continues to support it. I gunfire, hit as many as 18 star Omarosa is putting believe that our best years times as he took cover in the White House on notice are ahead of us. thick brush, fighting to the as she makes her exit: She In the meantime, we are end after fleeing militants has “quite a story to tell” in the middle of planning for who had just killed three about her time in Presi- 2018. The second week in comrades in an October dent Donald Trump’s ad- May will be our 45th ambush in Niger, The As- ministration and “the Omarosa Anniversary issue. We are sociated Press has world will want to hear it.” Manigault-Newman looking for suggestions on learned. Accustomed to the ways that we can celebrate A military investiga- spotlight, Omarosa percent false” and ques- this great occasion. If you tion has concluded that Manigault Newman ap- tioning why photos or have suggestions on how we Johnson wasn’t captured peared on national televi- video of her alleged mis- should celebrate, please send alive or killed at close sion Thursday to push behavior had yet to sur- them to us. We welcome all range, dispelling a swirl of back against reports that face. suggestions and should be rumors about how he she was fired from her job Better known by just able to make a decision died. as a Trump assistant and her first name, Manigault sometime in January. We The report has deter- director of communica- Newman told ABC’s “Good invite your participation. mined that Johnson, 25, tions for a White House Morning America” that In the meantime, let’s of Miami Gardens, office that deals with con- she resigned this week af- get ready to celebrate the Florida, was killed by en- stituent groups. ter discussing some of her holidays before we take on emy rifle and machine She also denied re- concerns with White this task. So from all of us gun fire from members of ports that she made a House chief of staff John to all of you, an Islamic State offshoot, spectacle of herself while Kelly. The Secret Service MERRY CHRISTMAS according to U.S. officials being escorted from the said it had deactivated a AND Sgt. La David Johnson White House grounds, See AMBUSH, page 2 See TELL-ALL, page 5 HAPPY NEW YEAR! (U.S. Army Special Operations Command via AP, File) calling the stories “100 Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/December 22, 2017 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com Smokey Robinson releases first Christmas album of 60 year career CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 peccable vocals, con- Christmas Everyday, a Chance the Rapper re- taining smash hits like 10-song holiday LP exclu- veal a holiday project in “This Christmas,” “Halle- sively via Amazon Origi- the works with singer, lujah” and one of my fa- nals. The album contains songwriter, producer and vorites, “Baby It’s Cold three originals plus seven Def Jam artist Jeremih. Outside” featuring CeeLo classic renditions, includ- The two made a free Green. Produced by Ron ing “Santa Claus Is Coming SoundCloud project last Fair (of Christina Aguilera To Town,” “Silent Night,” year, and now a full project and Keyshia Cole fame), “Please Come Home For may soon be released. this project will easily be- Christmas,” and “O Holy “Me and @Jeremiah qui- come a new tradition for Night.” etly made a free Chicago your Christmas celebra- Co-produced with Christmas SoundCloud tion! Adam Anders (“Glee”), project last year and it With a career span- Robinson enlists multiple was so fun we just ran it ning 60 years, it’s hard to guests, including Take 6, back,” Chance wrote on fathom that multi- the Dap-Kings, Mindi his page. Keep an eye out! Grammy® Award winner Abair, and Trombone We’ve had a great Smokey Robinson has Shorty. year and hope you’ve en- never released a holiday Social media joyed our entertainment solo album. The Motown postings on Instagram by reporting. Merry Christmas icon now delivers his first, Grammy® Award-winner and Happy Kwanza! As news of the ambush came out, the U.S. military sent in rescue teams to search for Johnson CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 familiar with the find- Johnson was struck According to the offi- ings. The Oct. 4 ambush as many as 18 times from cials, a medical examina- took place about 120 miles a distance by a volley of tion concluded that (200 kilometers) north of machine gun rounds, ac- Johnson was hit by fire Niamey, the African cording to the U.S. offi- from M-4 rifles — probably nation’s capital. Johnson’s cials, who said he was fir- stolen by the insurgents — body was recovered two ing back as he and two and Soviet-made heavy days later. Nigerien soldiers tried to machine guns. It is be- U.S. officials familiar escape. lieved he died in the at- with the findings spoke to All told, four U.S. sol- tack. the AP on condition of ano- diers and four Nigerien The officials said nymity to describe details troops were killed in the Johnson was found under of an investigation that ambush. Two U.S. and thick scrub brush where he has not been finalized or eight Nigerien troops were tried to take cover. There publicly released. wounded. were no indications he was shot at close range, or A 12-member Army The bodies of three Army Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35; ; Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39; had been bound or taken special forces unit was U.S. Green Berets were lo- Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29; and Sgt. La David Johnson, 25, were killed prisoner, as several media accompanying 30 Nigerien cated on the day of the during an ambush on October 4th during an exercise in Niger. Photos reports have suggested. forces when they were at- attack, but not Johnson’s courtesy of the U.S.