Best Of Texas Blog: Humble

Humble Texas school plagued by bats

2012-02-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

HUMBLE, Texas

Some unwelcome visitors have been on hand near the entrance to a Houston-area school.

The Humble Independent School District this week notified parents of a bat colony that has been discovered near an entrance to Humble High School.

Principal Charles Ned says no bats have been found in the building and no students have come in contact with the animals.

Ned says pest management specialists have been working to remove and block the bats, which were discovered Tuesday. Students have been advised to use another entrance during the bat removal process.

Severe weather expected today in Houston area

2012-01-25T07:21:00.001-08:00

KRPC: You can see a wall of heavy rain," KPRC Local 2 meteorologist Anthony Yanez. "From 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock is the time to watch for these dangerous storms."

"Do not take these warnings lightly. Typically, whenever we get these and see a pattern like we had this morning, we'll see a handful of tornadoes," Yanez said.

Gusty winds and scattered showers moved through the area at 2 a.m., knocking out power to 30,000 CenterPoint Energy customers. As of 6:30 a.m., approximately 18,000 people remained without electricity.

"Earlier this morning, we had wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph," Yanez said. "That's what knocked down some of those trees and power lines. We could still see some 60 mph straight-line winds, hail and lots of lightning."

A low-pressure system is responsible for strong storms in central and northern Texas, which are expected to drench the Houston area most of the day.

"There's a couple of lines that we're tracking. The strongest one will arrive in Houston around noon. It's a concern for this morning until early afternoon. The radar is picking up a lot of twisting winds," Yanez said. "It's going to be wet from 8 o'clock all the way through 2 o'clock. By 5 p.m., this storm system will be in our eastern counties."

Yanez said south of Interstate 10 is not expected to see the strongest storms.

"It's a lot more scattered and not as well put together," Yanez said.

Power outages caused problems for some southwest Houston businesses.

Whataburger on the Southwest Freeway near Weslayan had to turn away customers when employees could not prepare food for the morning rush.

"Their lights just came back on (at 6 a.m.), but they weren't ready to serve yet," customer Carol Bennett said.

Many Houstonians were worried about flooding after severe weather left its mark on Jan. 9.

Houston firefighters performed about 140 water rescues when people became stranded in high water.

Officials warned drivers to "turn around, not drown" if they approached rising water.

Flooding is the most common hazard in Houston and many times, individuals are not able to judge the depths of water along roadways and find themselves in perilous conditions.

Officials said 6 inches of water can cause tires to lose traction and begin to slide, and 12 inches of water can float many cars. Two feet of rushing water will carry off pickup trucks, SUVs and most other vehicles.

Water across a roadway may hide a missing segment of road or a missing bridge, officials said.

In flash floods, waters rise so rapidly they may be far deeper by the time you are halfway across, trapping you in your vehicle.

Be especially cautious at night, when it's even more difficult to gauge the amount of water in a roadway.

The safest option is to simply avoid driving over water and find an alternate, safer route, or wait until the danger has passed.

Identity thieves sentenced

2012-01-19T08:34:00.003-08:00

Two men who, along with other conspirators, used the personal information of dozens of victims to obtain fraudulent credit cards have been sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson has announced.

United States District Judge Melinda Harmon sentenced Richard Gaylon Conatser, 47, of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Geoffrey Michael Wentzel, 34, of Kingwood, Texas, to 124 and 65 months without parole, respectively. Conatser and Wentzel both previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft along with Troy Jay Bird, 43, of Corpus Christi, who will be sentenced on Feb. 10, 2012.

Officers with the Houston Police Department (HPD) arrested Conatser and Wentzel at Wentzel’s home in Kingwood on Oct. 8, 2010. Officers had recognized Conatser from the surveillance video of a Best Buy, where items had been purchased using a credit card obtained in the name of a victim. At the home, police seized multiple laptop computers, flash drives, laminating machines, credit card magnet readers and other equipment used to make fraudulent forms of identification. Police also discovered the personal identification information of dozens of victims on the laptop computer and in credit applications from Kingwood Air Conditioning & Heating, which were also seized during a search of Wentzel’s house. Wentzel is a former employee of Kingwood Air Conditioning & Heating.

Conatser and Wentzel used the personal information and fraudulent forms of identification to open credit accounts in the names of at least 45 different individuals at more than a dozen different retail stores in the Houston and Dallas areas, including Kohls, Sears, Dillard’s, Home Depot and Bass Pro Shops. After being approved for credit in the victims’ names, Conatser, Bird and other conspirators purchased thousands of dollars of merchandise, often being captured on video surveillance in the process. In some cases, Conatser then sold the fraudulently-purchased items to Wentzel, who in turn sold the items within days using his eBay account.

Law enforcement agents connected Conatser and Wentzel to Bird, who was previously arrested on July 15, 2010, during a traffic stop in Coppell, Texas. Police in Coppell discovered several items related to identity theft in Bird’s vehicle and a hotel room where Bird and other conspirators were staying. Among the items discovered by police were fraudulent identifications and other person information belonging to victims whose information was later discovered at Wentzel’s home.
In addition to their sentences, the two men were ordered to serve supervised release terms of three years following their release from federal prison. They were also ordered to pay restitution to victims totaling $142,197.88. Conatser has been in custody since his arrest where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future. Previously released on bond, Wentzel was allowed to continue on bond and voluntarily surrender.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Houston Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney David Searle is prosecuting the case.

Identity thieves sentenced

2012-01-19T08:34:00.001-08:00

Houston skyscraper implosion ...

2012-01-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

by KHOU
KHOU
Posted on January 9, 2012 at 7:57 AM
Updated today at 8:14 AM

HOUSTON — A big boom could be heard on Sunday at the Texas Medical Center in Houston as demolition crews brought down a 20-story building that was once the home of KVUE's sister station, KHOU-TV.

Rare treat: Houstonians can watch as Space Station crosses Moon

2012-01-04T11:09:00.001-08:00

A slice of Houston will have a chance to view a rare treat this evening.

Not only will the International Space Station make an incredibly bright, six-minute track across the sky tonight, some observers will be able to see the orbital laboratory blink across the moon.

Beginning at 6:28 p.m. the station will rise above the northwest horizon in Houston, and disappear just above the southeast horizon some six minutes later. Skies are forecast to be partly cloudy.

Along this path, for some parts of Houston all the way to Galveston, the station’s track will bring it across the face of the moon.

The following map, made by Steve Clayworth of Observable Universe, shows the approximate area from which this will be visible.

Humble woman arrested in screwdriver attack.

2011-12-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

By STEFANIE THOMAS
In the heat of the moment, one may very well grab whatever weapon is handy. For Keilani Jean Wolfe, 27, of Humble, that weapon was a screwdriver.

Wolfe allegedly chased a male family member, tool in hand, and earned herself a spot in a Harris County Jail cell Dec. 12.

The object of her disaffection, Humble Police say, managed to escape and was not injured. Wolfe is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second degree felony that could result in 2-20 years in prison and carries a fine of up to $10,000. It is unknown what led up to the incident.

The family member in question was granted an emergency protection order against Wolfe. As of Tuesday morning, Wolfe remained jailed on a $30,000 bond.

Kingwood's "Mr. Love" - showered with love and respect after Facebook slur

2011-11-28T13:17:00.001-08:00

Originally posted: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 2:24 pm | Updated: 2:29 am, Thu Nov 24, 2011.
By JENNIFER SUMMER

It was a shock for Doug Love as he walked out of his front door and was greeted by more than 80 students clapping, cheering and singing.

The Kingwood High School students showed the substitute love and respect at his home Nov. 20 after a couple of students made rude remarks to him last week.

“I heard what the student told Mr. Love, that ‘you’re old and you’re going to die any day’ through Facebook. Since I am the student president with the school’s Just About Kids Foundation, I called the parent sponsor and she suggested we visit Mr. Love’s house to express our respect and thanks,” Kingwood High School student Jason Dayvault said.

The students organized the event within 20 hours by setting up a Facebook page for the event and sharing their disgust with the remarks that were made on their respective Facebook pages.

Affectionately called Mr. Love by students and faculty alike, the 87-year-old has served as a substitute teacher at the school since he first decided to give it a try after being laid off in the early 1980s.

He celebrated 23 years of substitute teaching in the Humble Independent School District December 2010 and is well known for his crazy hats and elaborate ties.

“I received a call from the parent sponsor to make sure I would be home Sunday evening to drop something off. My doorbell rang, they asked me to step outside and that is when I saw all of the students; I was blown away,” Love said.

More than 50 students carried flowers, balloons and signs thanking Love for all of his years serving as a substitute and even gifted him a frame signed by the students including a picture of him in one of his crazy hats.

The students also downloaded the Beatles song “All You Need is Love,” which they played and sang for him outside of his house.

“I had no clue the students would step up to do something like this. It goes to show you they were not going to ignore what happened and this is a marvelous group of students. They really took offense to the comments and wanted to take a stand,” Love said.

The students also gathered Nov. 21 at Kingwood High School to share their stories about Love with other students and community members who were not able to attend the Sunday night event.
Videos taken from Nov. 20 went viral and spread through Facebook as current and former students who had Love as a substitute shared their opinions over the situation and funny stories.

This is not the first time the students are showing love for the sub. A group of students created a Facebook fan page for Love which currently has 3,882 fans and several pictures students have snapped of him throughout the years.

In addition to his fan page, a student of his created a drawing of him for a contest and then presented a copy to him which now hangs in his television room at home.
“I love the students and the staff. I like to think that I have some affect on their lives and make a difference; that is one thing that keeps you going from year to year,” Love said.

Humble Police Get Recognition

2011-11-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 10, the Humble Police Department received a certificate of recognition from the Texas Police Chief’s Association.

Begun in 2007, the recognition program evaluates a police department’s compliance with over 150 best business practices for Texas law enforcement. These best practices were carefully developed over a 2-year period by Texas Law Enforcement professionals to assist agencies in the efficient and effective delivery of service and the protection of individual’s rights.

These best practices cover all aspects of law enforcement operations including use of force, protection of citizen rights, vehicle pursuits, property and evidence management and patrol and investigative operations.

“This voluntary process required a critical self-review of our agency’s policies, procedures, facilities and operations,” said Humble PD Lt. Quentin Sammon. “The department prepared proofs of compliance for each of the Texas best business practices for law enforcement and when complete, requested an outside audit and review.”

The result of this review was sent to the Texas Police Chief’s Association’s Recognition Committee for final analysis and decision to award “recognized” status.
“The Humble Police Department has always considered itself to be one of the best in the area,” Sammon said. “This process allows an independent review of the department’s operations and will assure the citizens of Humble that its Police Department is conforming to the current state of the art in law enforcement.”

Search resumes for missing SHSU student

2011-10-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

Authorities have stepped up their search for a Sam Houston State University student who went missing after visiting friends at a Montgomery County sports bar last week.

Texas EquuSearch is canvassing the area near I-45 and Sawdust road today, using all-terrain vehicles and conducting foot searches in wooded areas.

EquuSearch's Ken DeFoor said the search has not yet turned up new details.

Thomas Murray Jr., called "T.J." by family and friends, was last seen leaving On the Rocks sports bar on Sawdust Road just after midnight Oct. 19, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. Murray had just umpired a Little League baseball game and went to the club with his friends after the game.

Murray called his father on his cellphone about 12:30 a.m. to let him know he was leaving his father's truck at On the Rocks and was riding with friends to Rookies, another bar on Sawdust Road. He called his father again to let him know he had been separated from his friends but would leave the truck at Oak Ridge High School, investigators said.

Murray's cellphone was found in a ditch near the first bar, and his pickup was in the parking lot. Deputies said there appear to be no signs of foul play.

Murray is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with blue eyes and weighing 140 pounds. He was last seen wearing shorts and a red T-shirt with white lettering.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Keith Funderburk at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 936-760-5876 or the dispatcher at 936-760-5800.

Quake shakes South Texas ...

2011-10-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge:

A shallow, moderate earthquake struck southern Texas (TX) on Thursday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It was the strongest earthquakes to hit the U.S. state in 45 years.

The 4.8 magnitude quake, upgraded from 4.6mb, occured at 07:25 AM local time (13:25 PM GMT) and was recorded at an extremely shallow depth of 3km (1.9 miles). It struck below Fashing, but was felt as far as Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Austin.

The epicentre of the quake was located 22 km (14 miles) NW (321°) from Pawnee, TX; 23 km (14 miles) SSW (213°) from Falls City, TX; 26 km (16 miles) WSW (249°) from Karnes City, TX; 60 km (37 miles) NW of Beeville, TX; 76 km (47 miles) SSE (154°) from San Antonio, TX; 92 km (57 miles) E of Pearsall, TX; 166 km (103 miles) SSW of AUSTIN, TX; and 463 km (288 miles) SSW (197°) from Dallas, TX.

The last time Texas experienced a tremor similar in intensity to Thursday’s quake was on July 20, 1966. The magnitude 4.8 earthquake was centred in the Panhandle, near Borger and Amarillo.

The most recent earthquake to strike the region hit on 25 April, 2010. The 4.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded 56 km west of Corpus Christi.

Assistant principal at Humble school accused of assaulting student

2011-10-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

HUMBLE, TX (KTRK) -- The problem of bullying in schools has become a major issue over the past couple of years. We are hearing about a student at Humble Middle School who says he was being picked on by a bully. But he says it wasn't another student, it was the assistant principal.

Mother April Palmer said, "Well, he showed me. He just basically told me it was a push, like that, you know, unexpectedly."

Palmer is pretty upset right now. She says an assistant principal from Humble Middle School assaulted her eighth-grade child two weeks ago.

"His head was pushed into the table top, the cafeteria table top because he was talking," Palmer said.

The school district says the alleged incident happened during a lunch period on September 16. Palmer says she found out about the assault four days later when the school's principal called her home.

"He told me it was true, that the assistant principal was removed from the school, and that he wouldn't be there again," Palmer explained. "He apologized for what happened, and that he would look into it."

Palmer says her son didn't immediately tell her about the attack because he was afraid of that assistant principal. She says the boy claims it's not the first time the man has hit him.

"My son was explaining to me that he's been picking at him, pretty much bullying him for over the last year," Palmer said.

In a statement released by Humble ISD, spokeswoman Karen Collier says, "Whenever there is an allegation of a possible assault of a student by an employee, the accused is placed on leave with pay during the investigation. This is done to protect all parties until the allegation is thoroughly investigated and resolved."

Palmer says her son is still complaining of headaches. And she just wants to make sure it doesn't happen again.

For now, Humble ISD police are still investigating. No charges have been filed.

Tasty treats for a good cause:Senior living center hosts bake sale for children

2011-09-20T08:27:00.001-07:00

Despite memory-impairing conditions, people with Alzheimer’s disease still have much to offer society, including a delicious assortment of baked treats.
The Silverado Service Club at the Silverado Senior Living- Kingwood will join Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale to benefit under-privileged children across America.

Residents will create a rich menu of pies, cookies, breads and other baked goods to offer to friends, family and residents of Kingwood in exchange for a donation toward the cause. The event is open to the public and will be held on Alzheimer’s Action Day from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month to raise awareness of the disease, work to find a cure, and also to acknowledge and assist those already affected.

“This event not only will benefit a great cause, it will provide mouth-watering testament that people with Alzheimer’s disease still have a lot to contribute to society,” explains Chris Holland, Administrator at Silverado-Kingwood.

Silverado Kingwood is located at 22955 Eastex Freeway, Kingwood, TX; 281-312-2526. Contact Anne Abraham or Dean Goldman at the above emails and phone, or Chris Holland at the community.
Silverado Senior Living offers assisted living care for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory impairment as well as home care, care management, and hospice care through its Silverado At Home and Silverado Hospice. Silverado is based in Irvine, Calif. and operates in 35 locations across California, Texas, Utah, Arizona and Illinois. Its website is www.Silveradosenior.com

Bastrop is burning ...

2011-09-06T10:03:00.001-07:00

BASTROP

- The most destructive wildfire on record in Texas showed no signs of slowing down Monday, destroying 25,000 acres in Bastrop County and 476 homes, more houses than any single wildfire before and more than all other fires this year combined, according to the Texas Forest Service.

With more than 60 new wildfires raging across the state, Gov. Rick Perry left the campaign trail Monday in South Carolina to address the public and organize requests for more federal aid.

Closer to Houston, a fire in Magnolia burned 20 homes and more than 1,600 acres, and was threatening subdivisions in Montgomery and Grimes counties late Monday. It had moved southwest into Waller County last Monday.

It was one of several fires to hit the area, straining state and local resources as officials focused on the most dangerous blazes. One firefighter was injured and one fire engine burned in blazes in the Magnolia area, said Lt. Dan Norris, spokesman for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities did not yet know how much of the most dangerous fire had been contained Monday, but planned to continue fighting it "as long as necessary," Norris said.

Strong winds and dry conditions fanned the flames and aided the blaze's rapid growth, forcing the evacuation of more than 150 homes. Montgomery County officials were encouraging evacuations from the intersection of FM 1774 and FM 1488, about 42 miles northwest of Houston, up to the Grimes County line, an official said.

Magnolia fire

The Magnolia fire, located off FM 1774 and FM 1488, jumped FM 1488 late Monday and forced further evacuations, although some families were being allowed back to their homes. The Magnolia Independent School District canceled classes today because of the fires. Evacuation shelters were being set up throughout the area, including at Magnolia High School.

Another fire in the area had burned 100 acres and was 80 percent contained, Norris said. It had destroyed one structure and caused no injuries after 50 homes were evacuated.

A fire covering about 100 acres was burning in Oak Ridge North late Monday.

A fire near Nacogdoches that started Sunday night raged to 300 acres Monday and forced 60 families to evacuate their homes, said Ralph Cullom, a spokesman for the Texas Forrest Service. That fires grew with strong gusts of winds and fed off of dry conditions on the ground.

"This drought we're having is just unprecedented," Cullom said.

No injuries have been reported in Bastrop, but two people were reported killed in a North Texas fire Monday. A woman and her 18-month-old child died when a fast-moving fire near Gladewater, east of Dallas, set their mobile home on fire and they were unable to escape.

The Bastrop County Complex Fire, pushed by strong winds and fed by plenty of dry grasses, shrubs and trees, steadily moved south Monday and expanded throughout the day. It jumped the Colorado River twice.

"We will be working days on end," said Mike Fisher, the Bastrop County Emergency Management Coordinator. "The fire is so dynamic we really have no idea where it is."

'Lives at stake'

Perry said the wildfire burning in the central part of the state is "as mean looking" as he's ever seen.

Man arrested for taking cell phone photos under woman's dress.

2011-09-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

HUMBLE, Texas -- A man has admitted to taking inappropriate photos of a woman in a Goodwill store in Humble, police said.

Hector Casanova has been charged with improper photography.
"She said she came to a stop and, at that time, felt something touch the inside of her leg," said Lt. Quentin Sammon of the Humble Police Department. "She looked to the ground and observed this individual."

Detectives said Casanova was crawling below with a cellphone, taking pictures up the woman's dress.

"She confronted him, asked what he was doing," Sammon said. "He immediately tried to leave the store."

Casanova was arrested in the parking lot of the store. Police said he was trying to delete photos at the time of his arrest.

Police said they found photos of other victims on Casanova's phone.
Casanova pleaded guilty in court Monday and was sentenced to six months in jail.

Driest year on record plagues Texas ...

2011-08-29T08:37:00.001-07:00

VOA: Weather forecasters and agriculture experts in the southwestern U.S. state of Texas say there is no relief in sight for what already is the worst drought year on record. The searing heat and dry conditions have caused devastating wildfires in the western part of the large state and led to crop losses, cattle deaths and water rationing in areas of east Texas that are normally wet at this time of year.

Driving through the countryside northwest of Houston, one sees dried up fields, dying trees and livestock ponds that are not much more than a puddles of fetid, algae-covered water. In some towns, farmers' markets have been cancelled because local growers have little to offer. Those with wells for irrigation are struggling with the high cost of fuel to run their pumps.

Debbie Cross, who operates a farmers' market near Cypress, Texas, says people are becoming discouraged by the lack of rain and the high temperatures, which are around 40 degrees most days.

“The drought is hurting everything. It is hurting all the crops, the cattle, the hay. There is no grass. The chickens are miserable. I mean everybody is just miserable. We need water,” Cross said.

Cross says local farmers are unable to supply much fruit and vegetables and that she is getting by with produce trucked in from other states where conditions are better.

“We are getting it from the local southern states and southwestern states are kicking in -- Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma. Everybody knows that the Texas market is a great consumer market, so they are helping out a lot here,” Cross said.
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One of the hardest hit agricultural sectors is livestock. Texas is the biggest cattle producer in the United States and ships beef to many foreign markets. Earlier this year, ranchers endured one of the worst winters on record, with several days of subzero temperatures in a region where freezes are rare. The drought has made it even harder, driving up the cost of hay and leaving some areas so dry that cattle have died of thirst in their pastures.

One rancher who has managed to get through this crisis with most of her stock in fairly good condition is Dorie Damuth, owner of the Flying D ranch near Magnolia, Texas.

Damuth raises prize-winning Texas Longhorns for breeding and she has managed to find hay and enough water to keep them alive. She says she has seen dry spells before, but nothing that compares to this year.

“The drought is something I, as a cattle woman, and all of my fellow cattlemen and cattlewomen have never experienced before. This is probably the 100-year drought, just like you can have a 100-year flood. It is very devastating for all of us ranchers who work so hard to provide beef for our country as well as for around the world,” Damuth said.

In a dried up lake on her property, there is a Longhorn skull sitting on top of cracked earth that is muddy and soft underneath.

“We have had lakes and stock ponds on the ranch that have dried up because of no rain, no rainfall. They will dry down to a little mucky place in the middle that is still wet and the cattle will sometimes go down and try to get water and they can't. And they step into that mucky mud and it is kind of like quicksand, and they can't get out.”

Lately, there have been beautiful fluffy clouds floating over the area. But ranch hand Chris Quinters is not encouraged by them.

“Those are some nice clouds, but it don't look like they are going to bring any rain,” Quinters said.

Police arrest trucker in woman's abduction ...

2011-07-11T07:46:00.001-07:00

KTRK: According to police, Joseph Reeves of Gulfport, Mississippi, is accused of abducting a Liberty County woman early Saturday.

Police discovered the alleged kidnapping after motorists on U.S. 59 called 9-1-1 to report that the drivers of an 18-wheeler and a pickup truck were driving recklessly.

Liberty County Sheriff's Office officials said Humble Police Department officers stopped the vehicles just north of Rankin Rd.

That's when the people in the pickup told police they were following the driver of the 18-wheeler because he had kidnapped a female from an unknown location on U.S. 59 in Liberty County, officials said.

The victim, whose name has not been released, suffered unknown injuries.

READ MORE HERE

Houston Area 4th of July Celebrations ...

2011-06-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

by Stacy Morrow / khou.com staff
khou.com

The Houston area is buzzing with activities for the celebration of our nation's independence. You can find events from fireworks displays to parades, in just about every city and community. Here's a list we've compiled of the things we have heard about so far. If you see we have missed anything, or if you want to add something, let us know in the comments below!

HOUSTON
Freedom Over Texas
Houston will set the stage for an extraordinary patriotic celebration at Mayor Annise Parker’s official Fourth of July event, Freedom Over Texas. The annual event is held at Eleanor Tinsley Park from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and culminates with a fireworks extravaganza set to a perfectly timed bed of patriot and current musical selections. Free with a can of food benefiting the Houston Food Bank or $8 per person (children under 2 free) Information from: http://www.freedomovertexas.org

ExxonMobil Star-Spangled Salute, Miller Outdoor Theatre
Enjoy an evening with Michael Krajewski and the Houston Symphony. Astronaut and vocalist Chris Hadfield will also sing Big Smoke, a song inspired by his first shuttle mission.

Make sure to stay until the end for the 1812 Overture—complete with booming cannons! This celebration concludes with a magnificent display of fireworks provided by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board. Hours: 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. at 6000 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030, Phone: 281-FREE-FUN or 281-373-3386 Information from: http://milleroutdoortheatre.com/events/133/

Bayou Bend Family Days Independence Day Celebration
Start your Fourth of July at Bayou Bend, where America's Colonial era is celebrated in patriotic style. Ring in the holiday with an extravaganza of Americana—performers, crafts, activities, refreshments, and more—and don't forget to sign the Texas-sized Declaration of Independence before you leave! With its unique blend of the arts and American history, Bayou Bend is the perfect place to spend Independence Day. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. FREE! Information from:
http://www.mfah.org/visit/bayou-bend-family-days/

Kidpendence Celebration | Children's Museum of Houston
Friday, Jul 1 2011 6:00 AM to Monday, Jul 4 2011 10:00 PM CDT
We’re seeing stars and stripes at this special Independence Day celebration! Join us for a patriotic 21-soda geyser burst salute on the 4th of July and plenty of fun-filled activities that will cover you in red, white and blue! Claim Your Independence Discount: We know rising gas prices are making you see stars and stripes, so it is time to claim your independence from them! Receive up to $12 off/ 6 people on July 1 - 4. Special Activity - 21 - Soda Geyser Burst Salute: Celebrate America with a CMH tradition - 21 patriotic bursts of soda that will help you get excited for the rest of the day's activities. 1500 Binz, Houston TX 77004. Phone: (713) 522-1138 Informaton from: http://www.cmhouston.org/en/cev/2570

BELLAIRE
July 4th Parade and Festival
The parade begins at 9:30 am and the festival runs from 10 am to 1 pm. The parade route begins at the Bellaire Triangle and travels down Bellaire Blvd. and S. Rice Ave. A children's parade leads the big parade. Kids are encouraged to decorate trikes, bikes and wagons and meet by Community National Bank at Bellaire Blvd. & Fifth Street. No need to enter the children's parade ahead of time, just show up at 9 a.m. in the CNB parking lot. The festival begins in Bellaire Town Square immediately after the parade. Enjoy live entertainment, carnival games, food, a mini ferris wheel, petting zoo, moon jumps, dunk tank and much, much more! Admission into the festival is free, but games take tickets and the food is an additional cost. Join us for some home town fun! Information from: http://www.ci.bellaire.tx.us/index.aspx?nid=879.

CITY OF EL LAGO
July 4th Picnic
For this year’s July 4th Picnic, we are going to take it down home with a parade and then bar-b-que at the pool. Join us at 10:00 a.m. at McNair Park for the annual non-motorized parade around the park. Prizes will be awarded in the following three categories: Most Sparkling, Most Creative and Most Patriotic. After the parade, we will retire to the El Lago Swim and Racquet Club to visit with friends, listen to some music and enjoy a burger together. The City will provide the drinks, burger, bun and burger fixings; we are asking residents to bring a side dish and/or desert. You will also want to bring your lawn chair or blanket for relaxing around the pool and spray ground in the afternoon. Information from: http://www.ellago-tx.com/events.html#july4

CONROE
July 4th Walden and Bentwater Fireworks Show
Fireworks will be shot off at Dusk from the Marina near the Walden Yacht Club, 13101 Melville Dr, Montgomery. Parking at the Yacht club is reserved for dinner guests. There is limited parking on the streets. Suggested viewing is from the water. Information from: http://www.conroetoday.com/evps/evitem.cfm?evid=4548

FORT BEND
Freedom Rings Concert featuring the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra
Program includes Star Spangled Banner Finale with soloist, Armed Forces Salute, America the Beautiful – Dragon, God Bless the USA, Liberty Fanfare -Williams/Aguero, Joplin Rag, You're a Grand Old Flag, Variations on a Shaker Melody – Copland, Strike Up the Band, Sousa Marches, Gems of Stephen Foster and 1812 Overture. Event will be at the Stafford Centre from 7p.m. to 9 p.m. and a fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m. Location:10505 Cash Road, Stafford, TX 77477. Information from: http://www.fbso.org/
KATY
Annual Freedom Celebration at Katy Mills Mall
The 22nd Annual Katy Freedom Celebration fireworks display will be held at Katy Mills Mall on Monday, July 4. The fireworks are launched between the east side of the mall and Katy Fort Bend Road. The display begins at dark (approximately 9:00 p.m.) and can be viewed from several miles around the mall area. Information from: cityofkaty.com/katy-freedom-celebration-july-4/
KEMAH
Kemah’s Independence Day Parade
Kicking off the Independence Day Celebration activities is the Kemah 4th of July Parade, Monday, at 11:00 a.m. with the Children’s Parade starting at 10:30 a.m. The parade line up is behind the Kemah Visitor Center at 9:00 a.m. with the parade route travelling along the Kemah Lighthouse District. The theme for the patriotic parade this year is “The Spirit of Volunteerism.” The parade is open to all and easy to enter with no registration fee. Monday evening is the July 4th Kemah Boardwalk Fireworks, “Star Spangled Skies” extravaganza. From the Kemah Boardwalk and surrounding areas all will be able to see the fantastic light show over Galveston Bay. The annual fireworks display scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. For more information on these activities or lodging needs contact the Kemah Visitor Center at 281-334-3181. Information from: http://www.kemah.net/July_4_2011_Kemah_press_release.pdf

LEAGUE CITY
July 4th Citizen Appreciation Day
Mayor, City Council, Parks Board and staff will be serving free refreshments in appreciation of the citizens of the City of League City at League Park from 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. There will be live music and other entertainment. FREE. Information from: http://www.leaguecity.com/calendar.aspx?EID=1348

NASSAU BAY
July 4th Parade and Fireworks Show
Decorate your bikes, floats, baby strollers, cars, or just yourself! Various prizes will be awarded. Join your friends and neighbors for a fun-filled evening. Bring a picnic dinner and a blanket for the fireworks show. Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. from Gloria Dei and ends at Lake Park Nassau. Activities at the park including bounce houses, food vendors, face painting, and live music. Fireworks Display begins at 9 p.m. Information from: http://www.nassaubay.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=48

PASADENA
Pasadena's Annual 4th Fest Event will take place Monday, July 4th, 2011
from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Pasadena Convention Center.
There will be a 20-minute long fireworks show, live music by “The Slags,” a car show, kidzone, USMC Toys for Tots BBQ Cook-off, games, prizes, vendors, water balloon war zone, sports and other entertainment. Information from: http://www.ci.pasadena.tx.us/default.aspx?name=prk.event-4thfest

PEARLAND
Celebration of Freedom
This year's program will begin with an explosion of patriotic excitement! A full-size carnival will be on site at noon on Monday. Stadium and Field seating will be available at no charge beginning at 6 PM on Monday. A VFW military salute will begin the evening's entertainment, followed by the National Anthem. The stadium will be filled with the tunes of Texas country recording artist, Hamilton Loomis. At sundown, enjoy a spectacular 20-minute fireworks display from your seat inside the stadium.. For more information, call 281-412-8900. Information from: http://www.pearlandparks.com/celebration_of_freedom.html
SUGAR LAND
Celebration of Freedom
The City of Sugar Land’s 26th annual Red White and Bluefest will set the skies ablaze over Oyster Creek Park. Celebrate America’s 235th birthday with family, friends and fellow residents while enjoying new main stage performances, delicious county fair-type goodies and numerous children’s activities. A free shuttle service will be provided from Mercer Stadium, 16403 Lexington Blvd., to Oyster Creek Park, 4033 State Highway 6 South, from 4:30-11 p.m. Information from: www.sugarlandtx.gov
THE WOODLANDS
South County Fourth of July Parade “Celebrating the American Dream”
On Sunday, July 3, stroll through Market Street - The Woodlands for its Fourth of July parade, “Celebrating the American Dream” starting at 9 a.m. The festivities continue later that evening when the Houston Symphony performs its Star Spangled Salute, a free concert at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion starting at 8 pm. Information from: http://www.4thofjuly.org/

Houston Symphony presents Star-Spangled Salute
The Pavilion dons red, white and blue July 3 for the return of the Star-Spangled Salute. This free Independence Eve spectacular features the Houston Symphony in a selection of patriotic favorites under the direction of Michael Krajewski. Don’t miss commemorating the birth of our nation by joining the Symphony in this grandiose celebration. It’s an evening of good, old-fashioned family fun complete with cannons blasting from the top of the hill during Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture." Pre-concert activities begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Fidelity Investments Plaza.FREE event. Information from: http://www.woodlandscenter.org/tourarchive.html?n_id=346

Red, Hot & Blue Festival
The Woodlands will celebrate July 4 weekend with one of the largest firework displays in the greater Houston area, hot dog and watermelon eating contests, live entertainment, and more! Now in its 14th year, the annual Red, Hot & Blue Festival will be held Monday, July 4, 2011 from 6 - 10 pm at Town Green Park and Waterway Square, both located along The Woodlands Waterway. Admission to the event is free and tickets for food concessions and games may be purchased on-site. Information from: http://www.thewoodlandscvb.com/redhotblue/

Alvin woman jumps on hood of beer thieves ...

2011-06-23T07:37:00.001-07:00

Wild fires plaguing Texas

2011-06-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Firefighters from Cut and Shoot, Caney Creek, Splendora, Montgomery County and Bear Creek fire departments were still at work by deadline Monday trying to put out a nearly 200-acre wildfire about 10 miles northwest of Cleveland.
No structures were harmed.
Four bulldozers, including one from the Texas Forest Service, worked to set up a fire perimeter to keep the fire contained.
Helicopters made 38 drops of water to squelch the flames. The cause was undetermined Monday night.

Texas Local Web Site Blooms into a Flower for the Community

2011-06-15T05:51:00.001-07:00

New exciting things are developing in the Summer of 2011 for ExploreHouston.com

Best Publications wants to welcome the public to this new web business directory and informational mecca for ExploreHouston.com that will continue to be filled with. . . Community Links and Events, Guide Pages for Restaurants, Weddings, Florist, Services, Auto Sales, Entertainment, Real Estate, Eye Care, Dental, Medical, Employment, Shopping! Read a variety of Articles | Forums Topics | Daily Deals | Coupons | Directory Hot Links | Interact Page to Join the Community Fun!

Register with ExploreHouston.com site so you can gain the benefits. User can post Social and Public Events.

Take the opportunity for High School and University Students to announce Sports and School Events, Professional Sports Links and Ticket Information | Post a photo or comment on other people’s Photos, Comment of Articles or Forum Topics | Post a Scan of your Child’s Artwork | Free Classified Postings & Add Your Own

The staff of ExploreHouston wants the community to benefit from the information we can share... as well as encourage you to participate. Send us a comment.

Post your event or Your Organization Benefit in ExploreHouston.com Event section. We want our information to accurate, so we depend on our community to help us stay in touch.

Are you a writer that wants to be published? Got an article? Send it in a word document to info@ExploreHouston.com

Engage! Enjoy! Grow with us!

~ ExploreHouston.com Staff

Drowned swimmer washes ashore in Galveston ...

2011-05-25T08:03:00.001-07:00

GALVESTON, Texas — The body of a man that washed ashore late Tuesday is believed to be a swimmer presumed to have drowned in rough rip currents, authorities said.

Galveston police responded about 9 p.m. to a report of a body washed ashore in the 400 block of East Beach Drive, police Capt. Jeff Heyse said.

The body is believed to be that of Michael Fasola, 23, of Houston. He was tentatively identified by skin moles and his tall and thin body type, Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis said.

Conroe teen dies after high speed chase ...

2011-05-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

HUNTSVILLE, Texas—A 14-year-old driver was killed and his 13-year-old passenger injured after their joyride led to a high-speed chase, then a horrific crash near Huntsville early Tuesday, according to authorities.

Authorities said a State Trooper attempted to pull over the two Conroe teens after spotting them joyriding in downtown Willis around 1 a.m., but the driver refused to stop.

Instead, he floored it and led authorities on a high-speed chase up Highway 75.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies joined in the chase, which ended after the teen failed to negotiate a sharp curve on Highway 1374.

"The suspect was traveling over a 100 miles an hour," said Sgt. Terry Barnhill. "He came through about a 45 degree turn, lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a telephone pole."

The impact of the crash nearly split the vehicle in two.

The passenger, Gustavo Roberto Casillas, was ejected from the vehicle and broke his leg. He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in stable condition.
The driver, Collin Johnson, had to be cut from the floor panel. He died at the scene.
The family Johnson lived with said they took the teen in when he had nowhere else to go. They confirmed the vehicle was taken from their property.

Conroe ISD confirmed the teens were junior high students, but would not reveal which school they attended. They will, however, provide grief counselors to students in need.

Humble family of Quints have hands full on Mother's Day ...

2011-05-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

HUMBLE, Texas—At the Mayorga household in Humble, there’s no such thing as a typical day. That’s because Veronica Real-Mayorga delivered quintuplets in August.
With three boys and two girls all born on the same day, it seems the fertility drugs she had been taking really worked.

"I cried because I was overwhelmed with the news of five," said Mayorga. "I wondered how I was going to handle it."

Then she remembered something she’d heard in church.
"God will not give you anything you cannot handle," said Mayorga. "So I said, OK, I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’ll be fine.
And fine she is, with five nine-month-olds and one nine-year old.
So it makes sense that on Mother’s Day Veronica felt five times the love.

"Yes," said Mayorga, "as well as the work."
Work that includes 40 diaper changes a day.

"She’s the best of the best," said her eldest son, 9-year-old Fernando Mayorga. "She takes care of everybody."

READ MORE HERE AT KHOU

Texan heads Bin Laden raiders

2011-05-04T05:37:00.001-07:00

The commander of the U.S. military unit responsible for killing elusive al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden — Vice Adm. William H. McRaven — is a San Antonio native and graduate of the University of Texas in Austin.

McRaven, 55, earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1977, although a campus dean said a computer listing didn't indicate whether the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps member had an interest in the print side of news coverage, broadcast or public relations.
A fellow ROTC member recalled McRaven as eager for military service.

"He was extremely focused on preparing for special forces details," said Curtis Raetz, of McKinney, who majored in engineering at UT, served in the Marine Corps and now works in private business.
'He had drive.'

Raetz, who graduated a year before McRaven, said the ROTC program included required courses such as naval science.

James Gruetzner, who served in the same Navy ROTC batallion as McRaven, told Cox Newspapers, "He had drive. He went on extraordinarily long runs to stay in shape. He was very dedicated."
McRaven's Navy biography states he attended the Naval Postgraduate School and was its first graduate in Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict. In 1995, he wrote a book called Spec Ops: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare Theory and Practice.

McRaven became commander of the U.S. military's Joint Special Operations Command in 2008.
In that role, he reportedly led the planning and execution of bin Laden's death Sunday at the hand of Navy SEALs, an acronym that stands for Sea, Air and Land.

Texas Independence will be celebrated at two sites

2011-04-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

LA PORTE
San Jacinto Day
This year’s edition of the San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment, planned for Saturday, commemorates the 175th anniversary of the battle.
During the event at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site in La Porte, hundreds of history re-enactors will dramatize events that led to Texas winning independence. The festival also includes entertainment, food, games and other fun in a historic setting.

The Battle of San Jacinto is considered the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Gen. Sam Houston and the Texas army defeated the Mexican army April 21, 1836. The next day, Mexican Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna was captured, and later he signed a peace treaty.

The state’s annual “official” ceremony honoring the anniversary of the battle occurs April 21, as it will this year at 11 a.m. La Porte is 22 miles east of downtown Houston.
Contact: 281-479-2421; www.sanjacinto-museum.org.
Historic site: 281-479-2431; www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

CONROE
Lone Star flag park finally a reality
Many cities and historic sites in Texas are honoring their heritage this spring as the state celebrates the 175th anniversary its independence, and the city of Conroe is unveiling a new park dedicated to state history. It’s doing so April 21, San Jacinto Day, the anniversary of the 1836 battle that led to Texas independence.
For years, Conroe has dreamed of a monument to honor Montgomery County as the birthplace of the Lone Star flag. Dr. Charles B. Stewart, a Montgomery County resident who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, designed the flag at the request of Mirabeau B. Lamar, president of the Republic of Texas. The banner was officially designated the state flag in 1839. It became the official state flag in 1845, when Texas joined the union.

In 1997, the Texas House of Representatives passed a resolution designating Montgomery County as the birthplace of the Lone Star flag. And this month, Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park will open next to Montgomery County Central Library in Conroe.

The monument at the 3.5-acre park is a circular landscaped plaza surrounded by 13 flags that flew in Texas as the region fought for independence during the Texas Revolution. At the center of the plaza is The Texian, a 14-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Conroe artist Craig Campobella. The statue depicts an everyman volunteer soldier of the Texas Revolution.

The dedication starts at 5:30 p.m. April 21. Afterward, a free concert will star country singer Gary P. Nunn and other musicians. The park is at I-45 and FM2854.
Contact: 713-410-6076; www.texasflagpark.org or www.cityofconroe.org.

4-year-old witnesses mom's shooting

2011-03-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

By Allison Triarsi/ KHOU 11 News
khou.com
Posted on March 29, 2011 at 7:05 AM
Updated today at 8:59 AM

HOUSTON—A 4-year-old was found wandering alone in a south Houston apartment complex Monday evening after witnessing a deadly shooting, according to Houston police.
It happened in the Belfort Pines apartments on Canyon at Shelby Circle.

Police said a female neighbor saw the young boy walking around the complex crying around 6:30 p.m. She knew where he lived and took him home to find the door ajar.
The neighbor looked inside the home and saw a man lying on the floor with what appeared to be an injury to the head.

She then entered the home to find the mother lying in the hallway. She was also wounded, but was still alive.

Police said the mother and her boyfriend were arguing over another man when the boyfriend pulled out a gun and shot the woman, then turned the gun on himself.
The boyfriend died at the scene.

READ MORE AT HOUSTON 11

"Poop" not funny to TxDot.

2011-03-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

by Tiffany Craig / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on March 14, 2011 at 4:54 PM

HOUSTON—A detour sign downtown has been getting a lot of attention over the past few days, but it’s sending the wrong message.

A prankster managed to hack into the electronic sign and change the message.
Britnie McFadden works in a building at Louisiana and Prairie.

"This morning when I came into work, I saw the LOL and smiley face and I thought it was hilarious," said McFadden. "I took a picture and posted it on Facebook."
The Monday morning message attracted plenty of attention, but it was the four-letter word a few days ago that really had people laughing out loud.

"Friday night it said ‘POOP,’" said Mustafa Guner. "I was coming back from a workout and I was shocked. Make a left turn if you need to poop!"
A similar prank happened in Austin two years ago. Somebody rigged a warning sign to say "Caution: Zombies Ahead," "Run for Cold Climates" and "The End is Near."
The sign is owned by a TxDOT contractor. They told us somebody broke into the guts of the trailer and hacked the system.

A man who goes by the name "John" believes it was all in good fun.
"You can’t get any better than that, you know what I mean," he said.
By Monday afternoon, the intended message was back, along with a new lock.
McFadden was a little upset to see the fun was over.

"I just think that somebody actually took the time to do it has given everybody a good laugh," said McFadden. "I mean, it’s all in good fun—not very legal -- but good fun nonetheless."

If caught, the hacker could be fined $500.
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NORAD exercise tomorrow over Houston

2011-03-14T14:57:00.001-07:00

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will conduct exercise flights tomorrow morning as they practice intercept and identification procedures. Exercise flights will take place over Southeastern Texas. Although they are scheduled for mid-morning, the exercise flights could be delayed due to weather concerns.

Those living southeast of Houston, specifically near Ellington Airport, may hear and/or see NORAD-controlled fighter jets in close proximity to a military or military contracted aircraft, which will be taking on the role of a Track of Interest (TOI).

In order to test responses, systems and equipment, NORAD continuously conducts exercises with a variety of scenarios, including airspace restriction violations, hijackings and responding to unknown aircraft. All NORAD exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled.

NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout Canada and the U.S. since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.

18 charged in rape of 11 year old girl.

2011-03-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

(CNN) -- Thirteen adults and five juveniles have been arrested as part of an investigation into the alleged rape of a Texas girl, police said.

Darrell Broussard, assistant police chief for the Cleveland, Texas, police department, said Monday that the investigation into the incident "is continuous," with more significant developments possible. Cleveland is about 50 miles northeast of Houston.

"There have been leads during our investigation that have alerted us to other possible persons of interest," Broussard told CNN. "The investigation is ongoing."
The 18 individuals charged thus far are between 14 and 27 years old, he said.

On Friday, the Cleveland police department announced that four students in the Cleveland independent school district had been arrested on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.

They appeared Monday in a Liberty County court, in the town of Liberty, to face the charges.
Police noted that some but not all suspects are students at Cleveland High School, though all those named thus far are from the town.

Mike Little, the district attorney in Liberty County, said police would likely decide whether more people would be charged. He offered few other details, saying, "We are very careful about pretrial publicity."

The incident allegedly happened late last year in Cleveland. The case has sharply divided the community, according to CNN affiliate KHOU.

"It just seems like a dream," said Sherry Fletcher, whose 20-year-old son Devo Shaun Green is among those charged according to Cleveland police. "I just hope everything comes out well, because some of these kids are innocent."

Those adults arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony in Texas, could face 25 year to life in prison if convicted, according to the police department.

More arrests made in alleged gang rape of 11-year-old Cleveland girl

2011-02-23T15:39:00.001-08:00

More arrests made in alleged gang rape of 11-year-old Cleveland girl

Jamarcus Norris Napper (top left); Jared Glenn McPherson (top center); Kelvin Rashad King (top right); Marcus Anthony Porchia (bottom left); Xavier King (bottom center); Devo Shaun Green (bottom right)

by Alex Sanz / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Updated today at 5:04 PM

CLEVELAND, Texas – More arrests have been made in connection with the alleged gang rape of an 11-year-old Cleveland Middle School student, according to the Cleveland Police Department.
Six more suspects are in custody bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 11.

The suspects named Wednesday are: Jared Glenn McPherson, 18, of Cleveland; Kelvin Rashad King, 21, of Cleveland; Marcus Anthony Porchia, 26, of Cleveland; Devo Shaun Green, 20, of Cleveland; Xavier King, 17, of Cleveland, and Eric Bernard McGowan, 19 of Cleveland.

McGowan was in custody prior to the indictment in the Liberty County Jail for other non related charges. There have been 10 suspects arrested thus far in the investigation.

Cleveland Police have arrest warrants and are still searching two other suspects in the case, 22-year-old Carlos Bernard Ligons and 27-year-old Cedric De Ray Scott.

Only 11 News was in Cleveland on Wednesday when angry family members gathered outside the police department to complain about the arrests.

One woman, who said her nephew was among those arrested, said the community has been torn apart by the case.
"It's upsetting everybody," said the woman, who didn't want her name used. "It ain't nobody in this community not upset behind this. It's pitiful."
"They have no proof of anything," said another man who said his cousin was in custody.

Last week, the Cleveland Independent School District said the girl reported the alleged assaults to her principal’s office in early December.
Court records obtained by 11 News suggest other assaults took place between mid-September and December 1.
The girl told school officials she was raped by as many as 20 men in an abandoned mobile home in the 1700 block of Ross Street.

The men arrested earlier this month were identified as Jared Len Cruse, 18; Rayford Tyrone Ellis, Jr., 19; Timothy Daray Ellis, 19 and Isaiah Rashad Ross, 21.

All four are from Cleveland and live within a few blocks of the trailer, police said.

Cruse is a graduate of the Douglass Academy and his graduation photo is still posted on the Cleveland ISD website.

Cruse was also accused of a being a part of a home invasion where a Sheppard woman was shot in January.

Breaking: Explosions rock Belvieu plant!

2011-02-08T11:58:00.001-08:00

Multiple explosions, fire at Mont Belvieu plant

Credit: AIR 11
A fire at Enterprise Products in Mont Belvieu was burning out of control more than an hour after witnesses heard multiple explosions.

by Michelle Homer / khou.com
khou.com
Posted on February 8, 2011 at 1:05 PM
Updated today at 1:39 PM

MONT BELVIEU, Texas – Several explosions at a Mont Belvieu plant were followed by flames that could be seen from miles around.
The explosions happened at Enterprise Products at 135 Sun Oil Road around 12:25 p.m.

Witnesses reported seeing workers fleeing from the Chambers County plant. Other workers were being told to stay inside.
The company hasn't released any details about injuries. An employee, who didn't want to be identified, said at least one contractor has not been accounted for.

The employee said the explosion happened in a subsection of the plant.
Chambers County officials say there's no known threat to the public at this time.

They have not called for evacuations.
State Highway 146 is closed near the plant.

The fire was still burning out of control nearly an hour after it began. The flames could be seen 25 miles away in Houston.

A Houston caller named Pat said she was talking by phone to a relative inside the plant when the first set of explosions happened. There were three more explosions while they were still on the phone. "Anywhere from eight to 11 explosions," according to Pat.

READ MORE AT KHOU

Controversy surrounds teen beating by Houston police

2011-02-05T18:58:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- Houston's mayor and police department were on the defensive Friday, two days after graphic video came out showing several police repeatedly kicking and beating a 15-year-old burglary suspect as he lay on the ground.
An internal police investigation of the incident last March led to the firing of seven police officers, said spokesman John Cannon of the Houston police department.

Two successfully appealed and returned to their jobs, said Houston NAACP President D.Z. Cofield.

Five other officers were disciplined in other ways, Cannon said. And a Harris County grand jury indicted four of the officers this summer, based in part on the video.
Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos opposed the video becoming public and felt doing so might prejudice potential jurors and force the indicted officers' trials to be moved out of the county.

Quanell X, a local activist, got hold of the surveillance tape showing the scene outside a storage facility and gave it to the media.
He said he had every right to obtain the footage and make it public.

"I will show my people what they deserve to see, and let the public see what you don't want them to see," Quanell X said.
Mayor Annise Parker said the police leadership and city acted properly.

"I resent any implication that we were trying to hide the tape," she said.
After viewing the footage, Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland Jr. fired the seven officers and a grand jury called for misdemeanor charges against four of them in June.

Lykos told reporters Thursday there was not sufficient evidence to pursue more serious charges, such as aggravated assault.
"Without revealing what was presented to the grand jury, in order to have aggravated assault you have to have serious bodily injury or impairment or use of a deadly weapon," she said. "None of that was apparent in this case."

The tape, first shown Wednesday on CNN affiliate WTRK, shows the 15-year-old boy -- being chased by police and falling to the ground after being upended by a moving police car. He then falls face first and places his hands on the ground.

A disciplinary letter from McClelland, dated June 23 and posted online less than two weeks later by CNN affiliate HTRK, says that the boy had his hands behind his head and neck area, in an obvious position of surrender.

Then, the letter adds and the tape shows, Officer Raad Hassan "then ran toward (the boy) and kicked him a total of 15 times," then later kicked him more times in the groin area even after he "was handcuffed and no longer a threat."

READ THE FULL STORY ON CNN

Bay

2011-01-27T11:24:00.001-08:00

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Updated today at 11:23 AM

BAY CITY, Texas – A substitute teacher has been arrested and charged in connection with death threats made to students in Bay City ISD, the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

Paul Nolen May, 41, was arrested on Wednesday.
He’s charged with 12 counts of making a terroristic threat – all of which are third-degree felonies.

The threats began on December 28 when the district received a hand-written, profanity-laced letter, purportedly from the parent of a student.

In the letter, the sender expressed anger over their child being disciplined at school. The letter detailed new "rules" for the school to follow regarding discipline and threatened to "kill a random student" if the demands were not met.
About a week later, a second threat was sent via text message.

The message, sent from an anonymous source and forwarded among Bay City ISD students, said this: "Hey! Forward this to everyone…1 rule broken, two girls dies at the jr. high and 2 from high school, dnt go! The school will be on lockdown."

It was not clear if May was suspected in both threats. Investigators declined to release any additional information Thursday.

May was being held in the Matagorda County Jail on bonds totaling $240,000.

Tomball man gets 10 years for fatal DWI

2011-01-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

A Tomball man who said he’s turned his life around after a drunk-driving wreck that has left one man in a vegetative state will spend 10 years in prison.
Judge K. Michael Mayes, of the 410th state District Court, sentenced Stephen Burks, 39, to 10 years in prison Friday for one count of intoxication assault. The accident injured Carlo Lujan, 21, also of Conroe.

Burks also received 10 years’ probation for injuring Aurelio Iglesias, 47, of Conroe, during an August 2009 accident at the intersection of Texas 105 East and Millmac Road.
Burks will have to serve at least five years in prison before being eligible for parole.

“I am happy (about the sentence),” Assistant District Attorney Tyler Dunman said. “This has been a case that has really impacted me because sometimes it may be easy if someone is killed by a drunk driver (because) the family can move on. But in this case, the good Lord left Carlo Lujan to really show the impact of drunk driving in our county.”
Lujan, a 2007 graduate of Caney Creek High School, played football for the Panthers.
DPS troopers who responded to the Aug. 15, 2009, accident testified during Burks’ sentencing hearing.

Burks was driving a pickup truck that ran into the back of Lujan’s passenger vehicle, which rear-ended a second vehicle that Iglesias was driving.

Lujan was airlifted to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston, where doctors determined his head had dislocated from its spine during the accident, leaving him in a minimally-responsive state.

Iglesias, a preschool teacher with the Conroe Independent School District, testified how he was trapped inside his car for at least 30 minutes and suffered injuries to his knee, groin and ribs.

“At first, I was really scared ... I thought my car would explode,” Iglesias said. “Now, I’m like an old man; I’m still scared when I’m driving.”
Armida Lujan, the mother of Carlo Lujan, told Mayes about her son’s life before the crash.

“Carlo loved to be in church. ... He was a youth minister,” Armida Lujan said. “He had preached that night (of the accident) about faith.”
Carlo Lujan’s caretakers wheeled him into the courtroom on a stretcher during the hearing to let Mayes see his vegetative state.
“The doctors never gave us any hope,” Armida Lujan said. “I thought he just had injuries like broken ribs and he’d recover. But time passed, and he didn’t look good.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

Michael Jackson's Doctor Clueless

2011-01-05T08:13:00.001-08:00

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- The pretrial hearing for Dr. Conrad Murray continues Wednesday as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge decides whether there is "probable cause" to try him on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of pop star Michael Jackson.

The hearing, which began Tuesday, is expected to last two or three weeks, with 20 to 30 witnesses testifying.
On Tuesday, Jackson's former security chief testified that Murray seemed not to know how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation as he waited for paramedics to arrive at the singer's house.
Faheem Muhammed said he and and guard Alberto Alvarez saw Murray crouched next to Jackson's bed "in a panicked state asking, 'Does anyone know CPR?' "

"I looked at Alberto because we knew Dr. Murray was a heart surgeon, so we were shocked," Muhammed said.

Jackson's doctor heads to court Murray faces court hearing Events surrounding Jackson's death

When defense attorney Ed Chernoff asked if perhaps Murray was asking for help because he was tired, Muhammed said, "The way that he asked it is as if he didn't know CPR."

Jackson appeared to be dead at that time, with his "eyes open and his mouth open, just laying there," Muhammed said.

Prosecutor David Walgren earlier said that Murray used "ineffectual CPR with one hand while the patient was prone on a soft bed." Two hands with the patient prone on a hard surface is the proper method, he said.
Muhammed, the third witness on the opening day of the hearing, said he never saw

Murray performing CPR on Jackson before paramedics arrived and carried him to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Jackson's mother, Katherine, sister La Toya and brothers Randy and Jackie sat in the second row of the courtroom during Tuesday's opening session.
Jackson's two oldest children, Prince and Paris, were at their father's bedroom door as the drama unfolded just after noon on June 25, 2009, Muhammed said.

"Paris was on the floor on her hands and knees and she was just crying," he said.
The children would learn two hours later that their father had died when Murray and Jackson manager Frank Dileo talked to them in a hospital room.
"Frank blurted out and said, 'Your daddy had a heart attack and died,' " Jackson personal assistant Michael Williams testified.

At the start of the hearing Tuesday, the prosecutor said that Murray waited at least 21 minutes after he found Jackson unresponsive before calling for an ambulance.

"By all accounts, Michael Jackson was dead in the bedroom at 100 North Carolwood prior to the paramedics' arrival," Walgren said.
The coroner concluded Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with "the contributory effects of the benzodiazepines," Walgren said.
Propofol is a powerful anesthetic used to "put people under for surgery," and the benzodiazepines were sedatives Murray later acknowledged giving Jackson in the morning before his death, he said.

"Michael Jackson was preparing for one of the most important tours of his life" in the months before his death, Walgren said.
Murray's defense team has hinted it would argue that Jackson was under pressure from the concert promoter, which led him to demand treatments to help him sleep.
Kenny Ortega, who was directing what would have been Jackson's comeback concerts, was the first of about 30 witnesses the prosecution is calling.
Ortega described Jackson as "involved, active, participating" at his last rehearsal, which ended 12 or 14 hours before his death.
"He was in a delightful mood, and we had an absolutely fantastic day," Ortega testified.

But Ortega described a different, "scary" Jackson at the Staples Center rehearsal on June 19, six nights before his death.
"I just felt that he appeared, you know, really lost," Ortega said. "It was scary. I didn't know what was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it."

READ THE FULL STORY AT CNN

Humble Hospital Sold

2011-01-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

Humble (Texas) Surgical Hospital has sold its property to Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II, according to a Grub & Ellis news release.

The physician-owned hospital will lease the facility for 15 years. The facility includes includes six state-of-the-art operating rooms and two procedure rooms in which a variety of surgical services are performed, including: orthopedics, ophthalmology, podiatry, plastic surgery, pain management, chiropractics, spine and gastroenterology.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T07:27:00.001-08:00

The old give way to the young. New thoughts sprout from fertile ground.

While the New Year beckons us with many promises, don't forget to give the old year its due.

Learn from past mistakes and carry the lessons of time with you.

This year resolve to laugh more, love more, forgive more, friend more and learn more.

May 2011 be your best year yet!

Police seek gas station robbers

2010-12-05T12:17:00.001-08:00

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on December 3, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Updated Friday, Dec 3 at 10:58 AM

HUMBLE, Texas – Police were on the hunt Friday for two robbery suspects who were caught in the act by a surveillance camera.
Investigators said the suspects hit two gas stations overnight.
First, police said the suspects robbed a Valero station on Atascocita Road.

The suspects then hopped in a minivan, drove down the street to a Shell station and robbed it, too.

But that time, surveillance cameras captured the crime.
Police said the suspects took off on foot after the Shell robbery.
They were still at large Friday morning.

5 teens charged with car burglaries ...

2010-12-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

TEXAS CITY, Texas — Five teenagers have been charged with stealing property from about 10 vehicles early Saturday on 15th Avenue North.

Around 4:23 a.m. Saturday, officers responding to a burglary call saw a young man running to a house near the 1500 block of 15th Avenue North, according to a police report.

Officers checked all the cars parked near the street and found about 10 cars that had been burglarized.

All the cars had been left unlocked by their owners, police said.

Three young men were arrested after officers searched an apartment at Tradewinds Apartment Complex and recovered stolen property.

A fourth teenager arrived at the apartment riding a bicycle, which had been reported stolen, and was taken into custody, police said.

At 7 a.m., another officer responded to a call of an intoxicated man at Burger King on 2500 Palmer Highway.

The young man was charged in the car burglaries, police said.

All five are younger than 17 and have been taken to the Juvenile Justice Center. They are facing charges of organized criminal activity.
This story was brought to you thanks to khou.com’s partnership with the Galveston County Daily News.

Old bones need your help..

2010-11-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

HUMBLE, Texas - A Harris County forensics team needs your help in putting a name on some old bones.

A passerby found the skeletal remains of man in a wooded area in the 13900 block of Smith Road in Humble back on Sept. 11. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences claims the man could have been dead anywhere from one to five years.

The deceased is described as a while male, 18-25 years of age and 5’7” to 6’1”. Both of his upper front teeth are crowns and his left first molar appears to be infected. The man may have also just healed from a nasal bone fracture.

He was wearing an Old Navy-brand XXL shirt and jeans from Ralph Lauren, but the size could not be determined. A watch and a white belt buckle were also found on the body.

If you have any information that could lead to this man’s identification, you are urged to call the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences at (713) 796-9292.

SEE PHOTOS AND THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

ATM stolen in Humble

2010-11-23T06:13:00.000-08:00

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on November 23, 2010 at 7:46 AM

HOUSTON—Authorities are searching for one suspect who got away after a brazen smash-and-grab robbery at convenience store in Humble early Tuesday.

Humble policed said two suspects backed a flatbed truck into the Get-N-Go convenience store on S. Houston at Memorial Glen around 1:30 a.m. After smashing through the wall, the suspects hooked chains to the ATM and yanked it out of the store.

A police officer spotted the truck heading toward the beltway and attempted to pull it over, but the driver refused to stop. The suspects led police on a short chase before bailing out at the Knight's Inn near Green’s road. One of the suspects was captured immediately.

Houston murders may be work of a serial killer

2010-11-01T12:03:00.001-07:00

by Michelle Homer / khou.com
khou.com
Posted on November 1, 2010 at 1:38 PM
Updated today at 1:42 PM

HOUSTON – Police are looking into a possible link between the strangulation murders of at least three women since June.
The most recent cases involved homeless women. The body of Carol Flood, 62, was found on Oct. 10 in a stairwell behind the old YMCA building. She was partially nude. On Sept. 30, Retia LaFaye Long, 52, was found dead behind the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at 1700 San Jacinto.

Now police believe the same killer may have strangled Raquel Mundy last June 17, then dumped her body in a field in the 300 block of St. Charles.
Mundy, 24, was murdered after accepting a ride from a stranger when she was stranded downtown.

She had dropped her mom and two kids off at the Greyhound bus station downtown around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. She then discovered her car had been towed from a McDonald’s parking lot across the street.
Mundy tried to call friends and relatives, but couldn’t find anyone to give her a ride to the tow lot. Witnesses saw her get into a grey car with an unknown man, according to police.

Mundy later sent a text message to her mother saying she thought she was in danger and feared the man was going to hurt her.
Angela Collins was still on the bus to California with her two grandchildren when she got the disturbing message.

She tried frantically to reach Mundy. Collins then called several relatives and asked them to try to find Mundy.
By the time the bus arrived in California, there was still no sign of her daughter.
"Next call we got, they had found the body. It was my baby, Collins said as she choked back tears. "This man took away my baby."
An autopsy revealed Mundy had been strangled.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE AT KHOU

Humble missing girl found/police seek suspect

2010-10-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

by Marvin Hurst / KENS
Posted on October 26, 2010 at 7:11 AM
Updated Tuesday, Oct 26 at 9:02 AM

SAN ANTONIO -- Detectives said a girl faced extreme danger in an abduction, but the Amber Alert was canceled at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday.

The 4-year-old, Robin Alissa Longnon, has been found safe in Humble, Texas.
The suspect took her around 11 p.m. Monday night from the Cleveland, Texas, area, located northeast of Houston.

Detectives also said the suspect, Jorge Arturo Rodriguez, has done something like this in the past.

The 39 year old had dated the girl's mother. He has been described as 5-foot-4, 145 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

He reportedly drives a 2005 white Mazda van with a Louisiana license plate, RWG 618.

Because Rodriguez is a Mexican national, officers feared he could be headed to Mexico. He is now being questioned.

9-11 call - backfires because of open laptop.

2010-10-13T08:47:00.001-07:00

by Courtney Zubowski / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on October 12, 2010 at 11:37 PM
Updated today at 9:54 AM

HOUSTON -- A woman who called 911 to anonymously report a crime says she’s in fear for her life after the man she turned in called her just minutes after she placed the call.

According to the woman, who does not want to be identified, on Oct. 1, she was driving near Beltway 8 and Veterans Memorial Drive when she witnessed a man in the car next to her beating his passenger. She did not know either one of them.

“I saw him hitting her and he was taking his fist and he was just hitting her, aside her, just hitting her and I’m like this is crazy,” said the woman.

She placed the 911 call at 1:28 p.m. and thought that would be the end of her involvement, but 30 minutes later she learned it was just the beginning.

“About 1:54 p.m. my phone rang back and it was the suspect,” she said. “He was asking me ‘Who was this, who is this’ and I am like, ‘Who is this, you called my number,’ and then he hung up."

After that call came another, and this time it was a woman’s voice, she said.

“She called me just as he hung up and it was like, ‘Ma’am, are you the concerned lady that called about my welfare,’ and I am like,

‘Excuse me,’ and she said, ‘Well I’m OK,’ and I said, ‘Excuse me,’” said the woman.

She received another call the next morning from the Harris County Jail where the suspect was in custody. He was arrested for outstanding warrants, but never charged with assault.

“My phone rings again and it says, ‘You have a call from Harris County processing jail,’ and I immediately hung up,” she said.
“I will never, ever get involved with anything else again, not when it comes to me being fearful of the surroundings in my life.”

A spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office says as far as she knows, this is the first time something like this has happened in their department.

HCSO spokesperson Christina Garza said the suspect was put in the back of a Harris County patrol car while the deputy talked to the woman he was accused of hitting. It was then he was able to read the woman’s phone number off of a laptop computer the deputy had left open in the front seat.

“It’s a very unique situation,” Garza said. “It’s never happened and we certainly don’t want this to discourage her, or anybody, from reporting crime to authorities.”

Garza said it’s common practice to keep laptops closed, but it’s not policy. In some situations, deputies are forced to rush out of cars quickly.

”If anyone is to blame in this situation, it’s the suspect who violated such important information and took it upon himself to do this,” said Garza.

Garza said the department is sending out e-mails to all deputies to remind them to keep their laptops closed.

The suspect is not facing charges for memorizing the information, or calling the woman. Garza said there is no proof that he ever threatened the woman.

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The 911 caller disagrees.

“I was threatened,” she said. “I was threatened when he received my information. My information should have been protected. I was threatened at that point, so what point of threat do they not understand?

13 Houston schools receive powder letters

2010-10-12T06:01:00.001-07:00

by khou.com staff
Posted on October 8, 2010 at 8:09 PM

HOUSTON – At least 13 HISD schools received envelopes Friday containing a white powdery substance, according to an HISD spokesperson.
A Houston Fire Department Hazmat team was sent to each school to collect the envelopes.
Preliminary testing showed the substance appeared to be non-hazardous. The powder was tested for radiation, explosives and volatile chemicals. Further tests are being conducted.

The schools were Alcott Elementary, Almeda Elementary, Anderson Elementary, Ashford Elementary, Attucks Middle School, Barrick Elementary, Bastian Elementary, Black Middle School, Blackshear Elementary and Browning Elementary.
Fonville Middle School, Briar Meadow Elementary School and Bellaire High School were added to the list Friday evening.
HISD said its top priority is making sure all schools are safe before students return on Monday.

"All of our school administrators are going through their mail and are trying to identify any envelopes that may look suspicious," said HISD Police Chief Jimmie Dotson.
The typewritten envelopes were addressed to the schools, not individuals, and contained no notes. Each contained about a teaspoon of white powder.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Service, HPD and HFD are assisting HISD with the investigation.

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No waiting: Houston ship channel back in business

2010-10-07T07:34:00.001-07:00

UPDATE 1-Coast Guard says no wait to exit Houston Channel

HOUSTON Oct 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Coast Guard said no ships were waiting Thursday morning to leave the Houston Ship Channel, and 33 ships were lined up to enter the waterway to the busiest U.S petrochemical port after a three-day outage, which ended on Wednesday.

As many as 67 ships were waiting to enter or exit the waterway by the time early on Wednesday that workers had removed a leaning electrical highline tower that threatened to tumble into the waterway after being struck by a barge on Sunday morning.

Four Houston refineries were unable to receive crude oil by ship during the closure, but none said prodcution was cut during the wait that ended Wednesday when the first ships up the channel were crude tankers.

About 44 ships were waiting to enter the channel when it reopened on Wednesday morning and it might appear only 11 have moved up the channel, but the Coast Guard said several ships were added to the line waiting in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday.

"It's a consant flow," said a Coast Guard spokesman.

There are about 12 ships more than on a average day waiting to move into the channel, the spokesman said. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by John Picinich)

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Drug deal goes bad - two shot - one dead.

2010-10-07T07:27:00.001-07:00

khou.com
Posted on October 7, 2010 at 7:26 AM
Updated today at 8:45 AM

HOUSTON—A 24-year-old man was killed and his brother injured after the two were shot in what appears to be a drug deal gone bad Wednesday evening, according to HPD Homicide detectives.
Police officers responded to a home on Winter Briar at Winter Seasons in southwest Houston for reports of a drive-by shooting.

They arrived around 9 p.m. to find two brothers had been shot. They said the actual shooting took place at another location about a half-mile away, but the brothers somehow made it back home.
Police believe the brothers drove their Cadillac a few blocks from their home to meet a group of men and purchase drugs. Some sort of altercation occurred and one of the men opened fire on the brothers.

"The exact circumstances are unclear as to what transpired a t the two locations, but we have one dead," said Sgt. Thomas Biggs, HPD Homicide Division. "We believe we have all of the players in custody.

The bullet traveled completely through one of the brothers. Police said he was shot in the chest or the back, but it is unclear which point is the entry and exit.
The other brother was shot in the foot. He was taken to Southwest Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was treated and released. He returned to the scene to talk to police.
Several suspects were taken in for questioning and police said they definitely know one of them is the shooter.

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Breaking: Houston Ship Channel Closed!

2010-10-04T12:14:00.001-07:00

HOUSTON, Texas

—A four-mile stretch of the Houston Ship Channel remained closed to marine traffic Monday after a barge slammed into a tower supporting a high-voltage electric transmission line, threatening to topple it into the channel.

Coast Guard officials said a towing vessel named Safety Quest was pushing three barges loaded with scrap metal about 6 a.m. Sunday when it smashed into a Baytown power line, which remained upright only with the support of one of the barges.
No injuries were reported, but the six-member boat crew moved to another vessel and to safety.
Officials said the section from Crystal Bay to the Blackwell Peninsula would remain closed until at least Tuesday night.

"The situation is a little bit unstable right now," said Capt. Marcus Woodring. "The lines are sagging and we cannot allow any vessels to pass underneath with the unstable situation and chance of those lines falling in the water."
Centerpoint Energy officials said the power had been shut off to the line because crews had previously been working on a nearby tower. They said no customers had lost electricity following the crash.
Eighteen inbound vessels attempted to get into the port early Tuesday afternoon, and many remained anchored off the coast of Galveston. Twelve outbound commercial ships were also stuck.
The 25-mile waterway is lined by the nation’s biggest complex of petrochemical plants. The Port of Houston ranks first in the nation in foreign waterborne tonnage and imports and second in U.S. export tonnage and total tonnage.

"Anytime you see something like this, you hate it, because it’s affecting people and how they make their money," said Richard Zeno, a tugboat captain who was not involved in the crash but watched the teetering tower as he was fishing with his family Sunday.

Coast Guard officials said the ship channel handles more than $320 million in cargo and crude daily, meaning the Port of Houston would lose about $1 billion if the waterway stayed closed until Tuesday night.

"Commerce, of course, is very, very important," said Chief Warrant Officer Lionel Bryant. "But we don’t want to put lives in jeopardy doing so."

"This is actually very difficult because the tower is actually sitting on the barge," Bryant said.
The Coast Guard said the boat’s owner is St. Louis-based AEP River Operations.

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Kingwood Park coach reaches win milestone

2010-09-28T07:05:00.001-07:00

White secures 200th victory as volleyball coach
By JASON MCDANIEL CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT

"It's still so hard to believe that I've been in that many game situations over the course of 10 years," White said. "It's kind of hard when you start putting the numbers down on paper, but time flies by fast and along the way I've worked with a lot of great coaches."
Some coaches will say milestones are just numbers that usually say more about longevity than anything else. But White admitted reaching 200 wins was special to her, and something worth celebrating.

"Ideally, we're out there because we love kids and we're good with teenagers, but still deep down we have a competitive nature, and winning is always a fun thing," White said. "That's what we strive for, to bring our teams to that point, or that level, and so I was excited about it."
After three years as an assistant coach, White got her start as a head coach at small TAPPS school East Texas Christian. She spent two season there and four at Huffman Hargrave before K-Park.
White's first win was against Evadale, another small TAPPS school north of Beaumont. East Texas went 30-3 that season and advanced to the TAPPS 1A state tournament.
"It got me hooked," White said.

On the same night White reached win No. 200, senior libero Nausheen Merchant surpassed 1,000 career digs, which White compared to a pitcher's 1,000th strikeout or a basketball player's 1,000th point.

"She's an extremely talented athlete and we knew she was going to get it," White said. "She came in as a freshman and played varsity when we opened the school, so we knew that she would get it and she did."
K-Park took a 26-2 overall record into the weekend, and sitting at 4-0 in district, White admitted she was starting to allow herself to think about winning the school's first district championship.

She also was well aware there's a long way to go. K-Park finishes out the first round of district this week before starting Round 2 on Oct. 5 at Willis.
"We still have to stay the course and be fiery and fired up, ready to win, and just go out and play our best," White said.
"If we focus more on playing consistently across the board, the winning part will definitely take care of itself."

Kings of region, sort of
The Kingwood boys and girls cross country teams swept the top varsity races at the Region III preview last week at Atascocita, where area teams got their first look at what it will take to get to Austin.

Only, the teams the Mustangs saw won't be at their regional meet.
Kingwood's harriers are in Region II for the next two seasons after the most recent UIL realignment, but they opted to race at the regional preview in Atascocita because it was much closer.
And either way, they're in good shape.

The Kingwood boys won the 5K gold varsity race with an average time of 16:29.20. They placed six harriers in the top 15, led by Justin Brinkley (fifth, 16:12), Travis Beck (seventh, 16:28) and Logan Terry (eighth, 16:30).

The Kingwood girls won the 3,200-meter gold varsity race in 12:13.60. They placed five runners in the top 15, led by Sandie Raines (fourth, 11:56), Catie Daigre (12:03) and Laura Craig (12:04).
Kingwood's depth also was on display. It won the boys and girls junior varsity divisions and placed third in the boys freshman race.
In the JV girls race, Claire Hodges, Sarah Bradley, Malia Sewrdloff and Delaney Gusdorff filled the top four spots, respectively. Sergio Rodriguez won the individual title in the boys JV race.

Best of rest
Kingwood Park was third in the boys 5K gold varsity race with an average time of 17:14.20. The only teams ahead of it were Kingwood and College Park, two Class 5A teams from Region II.
The Panthers placed three runners in the top 25. Kwame Jackson (16:32) was ninth, Michael Lindberg (16:57) was 16th and Juan Zambrano (17:03) was 24th.
Atascocita's boys and girls teams also fared well. The girls took sixth place in the 3,200 gold varsity race with a time of 13:44 and the boys took seventh in the 5K gold run with an average of 17:42.
Summer Creek's Jake Bootz won the boys 3,200-meter freshman division with an 11:10.

9/11 contrail explained.

2010-09-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

No - it wasn't aliens - or "chemtrails" or fighters on patrol on the anniversary of 9/11 - but rather a NASA high altitude research aircraft that caused the "mysterious" contrails over the Houston area Saturday.

Houston Airport Systems spokeswoman Marlene McClinton told Local 2 that NASA's WB-57 is a high-altitude aircraft, operating out of Ellington Field.
"It is taking air samples between 45,000 and 51,000 feet," said McClinton.

According to McClinton, it was a normal operation, but due to atmospheric conditions, the contrails were extremely visible.

Many callers said the plane looked like a big commercial passenger plane with the NASA oogo on it.
"It was just circling," said Cindy Hamilton who lives in Friendswood.
She saw the plane around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

"It would go north and just circle back to the south. I was just concerned because of what day it is. Seeing the plane brought back memories," Hamilton said.
Karon Wisdom saw the plane in Channelview circling for hours.

"Because its 9/11, everyone's keeping their eye on the sky," she said. "I thought either someone was watching out for us on the Gulf Coast, or something weird was happening."

NASA officials said the aircraft was testing out a new instrument and that "they have made several flights this week. It's unfortunate for the atmospheric conditions that made it very visible on 9/11."
Officials said it was nothing to be alarmed about.

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Breaking: Fire destroys Houston complex

2010-09-15T12:44:00.001-07:00

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on September 15, 2010 at 11:20 AM

HOUSTON—Eight units were completely destroyed and several families were displaced after a two-alarm fire damaged part of a southwest Houston apartment complex Wednesday morning.
Fire officials rushed to the burning apartments on Wilcrest at South Drive around 6:45 a.m.
HFD said they had a slight water pressure issue in the beginning, but managed to quickly get the fire under control. No firefighters were injured and all of the families got out safely.
One child standing outside was checked for smoke inhalation at the scene. He was determined to be OK.

Arson investigators do not know how the fire started at this time.

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Constables: Ex Stabbed Boyfriend While He Slept

2010-09-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

Updated: Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 4:49 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 2:46 PM CDT

HUMBLE, Texas - One man is in custody and another is in the hospital after he was stabbed in the chest while sleeping in a northeast Harris County home.

Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables were called to a home on Fox Trot Drive near Foxvista Lane in Humble around 3:30 a.m. Thursday. They found a man stabbed in the chest.

Deputy constables say the ex-husband of the woman who owns the home entered the property and stabbed her boyfriend as he slept.

Two children were in the home when the attack took place but were in another room and not hurt.

Deputy constables found the ex-husband hiding in the attic as they searched the house.

The man who was stabbed was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital in serious but stable condition.

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Woman who fired at robbers hailed as a hero

2010-09-03T07:13:00.001-07:00

By T.J. Aulds
The Daily News
Published September 3, 2010
LA MARQUE — The woman who fended off a pair of robbers by opening fire on them in a Walmart parking lot Wednesday was hailed as a hero by many. As police search for the robbery suspects, the 56-year-old woman is “very shaken” and “obviously scared,” a La Marque police investigator said.

Police believe the La Marque robbery suspects are the same men who robbed a woman at gunpoint in Friendswood earlier in the day.

Friendswood police were working with Houston police to develop leads Thursday afternoon, and it appears the Galveston County robberies are related to three similar incidents that happened in Houston within the last week, Friendswood Police Chief Bob Wieners said.

Victim Fought Back

The La Marque shooting happened in the parking lot of Walmart, 6410 Interstate 45, at 2:47 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

The woman had been shopping at Walmart and was getting back into her car when a man pushed a pistol to her stomach and took her purse. The Santa Fe-area resident, who has a concealed handgun license, reached into the center console of her car and pulled out a revolver, police said.

The armed robber backed away and jumped into a waiting SUV that sped off. La Marque police Detective Danielle Herman said the woman managed to fire five shots, hitting the SUV’s tailgate at least once.

At least one other person was in the SUV, but police did not have a description of the getaway driver, Herman said. The armed man was described as Hispanic, 25 to 35 years old, clean shaven with short, dark hair. He stood from 5-feet, 4-inches to 5-feet, 9-inches tall and had a stocky build, Herman said.

Reached by phone Thursday afternoon, the woman said she still was shaken by the episode and did not want to talk about the incident because she was busy canceling her credits cards and mobile phone, which were in the purse.

Escape Vehicle

The robbers’ escape vehicle was a newer-model, silver or gray Nissan Pathfinder, with Texas license plate NMG-714, Herman said. Police had several addresses for the vehicle’s owner, all in Southwest Houston.

State records show that license plate is registered to a Chevy Suburban and not a Nissan. Police also were checking to see whether the plates were from a different vehicle, Herman said.

La Marque police were scheduled to meet with Friendswood investigators Thursday afternoon to compare notes related to an armed robbery of a woman in an H-E-B parking lot that happened about an hour and a half before the La Marque robbery. The robber’s description was similar for both crimes, Herman and Wieners said.

The Houston Police Department is assisting in the investigation, Wieners said.

Hero Or Risk Taker?

Online and on talk radio, the woman in the La Marque robbery was being hailed as a hero.

One online comment at galvnews.com said: “Well, here’s a wake-up call for me and possibly some other women. I keep resisting carrying, but the way things are going I think I will be locked and cocked at all times. If enough women start taking these macho clowns down, maybe we can go back to some semblance of a peaceful life.”

Others were grateful the victims were not hurt but questioned the shooting.

Another comment on galvnews.com said: “Thank God the two women (in the La Marque and Friendswood robberies) are OK and no innocent bystanders were injured or killed by a stray bullet at the Walmart incident. I know, under the circumstance, her adrenaline must have taken over, but shooting at a moving vehicle in a parking lot seems a bit drastic.”

Handgun Training

Her action was not that drastic, considering the training concealed handgun license holders get, said Tom Estep, one of the first handgun license instructors certified by the state when the concealed handgun laws were approved in 1995.

Estep said handgun license classes review different scenarios, including those in which the gun owner might be in a public place like a parking lot, when firing a weapon.

“I make it clear to (students) that every round they shoot is their responsibility,” Estep said. “They are responsible for that bullet. (Instructors) want to caution them to be absolutely certain what’s beyond your target.”

Estep said the first rule is always personal safety.

“If there is even the slightest chance that someone will hurt me or someone else, then the shooting starts,” he said. “Still, I also tell people I am not going to shoot someone over a few bucks in my shirt pocket.

“You have to evaluate the situation you are in.”

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Hawaii beats Pearland for Little League World Series title shot.

2010-08-28T16:45:00.001-07:00

South Williamsport, PA (Sports Network) - Noah Shackles went 2-for-2 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored to back Ezra Heleski's two-hitter, and the Waipahu, Hawaii little league team beat Pearland, Texas, 10-0, in the United States championship game of the Little League World Series.

In the international title game, Ryota Norimatsu tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth, and Ryo Motegi's run-scoring single in the seventh won it, leading Japan to a 3-2 victory over Chinese Taipei.

In addition to striking out six over five shutout innings, Heleski went 2- for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Kahoea Akau added three hits in the resounding win, helping Waipahu win its second U.S. title in three years. In 2008, this same Little League squad beat Matamoros, Mexico to win the championship.

Mason Van Noort had one of the two hits for Pearland, which came back against Georgia to reach this U.S. title game.

With two runners on and one out in the opening inning, Kaimana Bartolome opened the scoring with a two-run double. Shackles homered later in the inning to plate Bartolome for a 4-0 advantage.

Shackles scored in the third on a wild pitch, and Heleski's RBI single later in the same at-bat made it a 6-0 game. Akau's run-scoring double provided a seven-run cushion.

Three more runs from Hawaii ended the game in the fifth due to the 10-run rule. Shackles walked and scored on Cody Maltezo's triple, and Heleski followed with another RBI single. A wild pitch later scored Heleski to end the game.

Japan trailed, 2-1, heading to the bottom of the sixth, but Koutaro Kamikura singled to left to lead off the inning. Following a strikeout, Kamikura advanced to second on an error by the catcher before Norimatsu's hit tied the game.

Kamikura stayed on to pitch a scoreless seventh -- striking out two -- before Masaya Ishii singled with one down in the home half to start the winning rally. A wild pitch sent Ishii to second, and Motegi's two-out single to center won the game.

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Houston man charged in cold case murders.

2010-08-25T14:01:00.001-07:00

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on August 25, 2010 at 10:22 AM
Updated today at 10:54 AM
HOUSTON – A man long-suspected of killing a Houston woman and an infant in 1984 was finally arrested and charged this week.

Charles Leon Smith, 56, is charged with capital murder in the slayings of 23-year-old Pamela Clarence and 1-month-old Tashona Clarence.

Twenty-six years have passed since the young mother and her baby were killed in their home in the 4300 block of Rogers, but even after the case went cold, investigators never gave up.

The murders occurred on August 2, 1984. Police said Smith and Clarence were in a relationship at the time and had recently had a child together.
But that night, when Smith went to visit his girlfriend, investigators believe Pamela Clarence confronted Smith about another relationship.
Police said Clarence had discovered Smith had another girlfriend, who’d just given birth to Smith’s son.

When Clarence told Smith they should end their relationship, police believe he snapped.
Investigators said Smith strangled Pamela Clarence with an electrical cord and then smothered Tashona with a pillow.

The bodies were later found by concerned family members.
From the beginning of the investigation, police said they thought Clarence knew her killer, and they originally identified Smith as one of two suspects in the murders.
But investigators were unable to collect enough evidence to charge either suspect, and case went cold, lost among more than 700 other killings in Houston that year.

Then, when HPD cold case investigators reviewed the murders this year and again identified Smith as a suspect, things changed.
Police said Smith was taken into custody on August 23 and confessed to his role in the crimes.
He was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday morning, and was behind held in the Harris County Jail without bond.

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Houston stripmall destroyed in blaze.

2010-08-25T13:47:00.001-07:00

by Lisa Chavarria / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on August 25, 2010 at 8:23 AM
Updated today at 9:21 AM

HOUSTON—A three-alarm fire swept through parts of a southwest Houston strip mall, destroying several businesses in its path early Wednesday.
Houston Fire Department officials said the fire began inside the M. Trading Wholesale Shop on Fondren at Harwin just before 5 a.m.

The business houses wholesale supplies sold to dollar stores. HFD said there may have been hair products or chemicals on the racks that helped fuel the flames.
Two more businesses next door to the wholesale shop, Jessie’s Nail Salon and Sloreria Lee’s flower shop, were also destroyed.

The owner of Star Korean Karaoke Bar said he was inside his business when a man riding a bicycle knocked on his door and alerted him to the fire. He was able to get out safely and call 911. His business was not damaged by the flames, but may have smoke damage.

One firefighter was injured battling the blaze. He was treated at the scene for a laceration on his hand.

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Tragedy adds to family's grief

2010-08-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

Girl takes own life after alleged drunken driver kills sister, friends
By PEGGY O'HARE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Bennisha Davis, 14, of Humble, who shot herself to death last week because of grief over her 13-year-old sister and 2 best friends dying in a car crash caused by a drunken driver. Bennisha and her mother survived the wreck.

The devastation, which happened in an instant, was powerful — three 13-year-old girls killed by an alleged drunken driver who later fled the country.

Now the impact of that tragedy has widened with the suicide of a 14-year-old girl who survived the wreck.

Bennisha Davis was haunted by last month's deaths of her sister and two best friends in the northeast Houston crash. The 14-year-old Humble girl could not understand why she had survived while they had not.

The grief was apparently too much for the Ross Sterling Middle School student to bear. Davis fatally shot herself in the chest Thursday inside the family's home in the 15800 block of Marsh Hawk while her mother was at work.

Her sister, Detrihanna Davis, and her two best friends, Avianca Cortez and RaShaunda Raleigh, had died after suffering fatal injuries in the wreck.
"Bennisha took it real hard when she found out about it," said her grandmother, Diane Blakes of Houston. "It just did something to her, I guess — and we weren't really aware. Well, we knew she was hurting, but we didn't know she was hurting that bad."

Blakes said she later found a note Bennisha had typed on a computer which stated she missed her sister and friends and wondered why they had died when she survived. Her note also lamented that justice might never be served since the driver who caused the crash had fled the country.

That driver, Sajan Timalshina, 26, of Spring, ran a red light just before striking the teens' car around 1:30 a.m. July 9 as they were returning home from a "teen night" event at a nightclub on FM 1960, police said. He is wanted on three charges of intoxication manslaughter, but is believed to have fled to his home country of Nepal.

Houston police detained Timalshina after the wreck, but did not immediately arrest him because they wanted to gather more evidence. Officers mistakenly believed his claim that he drank only a quarter of a beer, something that toxicology tests eventually proved false, a police supervisor later revealed.

Timalshina's blood alcohol level at the time of the wreck was between .127 and .162. The legal limit is .08.

Timalshina, who had been in Houston on a foreign student visa, remains at large. The U.S. Justice Department would not comment Tuesday on the progress of their efforts to find him.
The U.S. has no formal extradition treaty with Nepal, but Timalshina could be caught if he ever travels to a country that does have an extradition treaty, said Capt. Bill Staney of the Houston Police Department's Vehicular Crimes Division.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee has publicly brought pressure on the U.S. Justice Department to bring Timalshina back to Houston. The Houston Democrat said the department could negotiate for Timalshina's return.

Though Davis was openly grieving, she never expressed a desire to harm herself or end her life, according to her grandmother and her mother, Chanel Blakes, 40, another survivor of the crash.
The girl's mother could not afford counseling, but Diane Blakes said the entire family needs it now. Davis' mother and brother are unable to stay at night in the Humble house where the girl died.

Blakes said if the police or the state had offered victims' services to the survivors of the crash and gotten Davis counseling, her granddaughter might still be alive.
Staney said his department did its best to provide the families with victims' services through the Texas Attorney General's Office.

"Everybody is so sad about this, particularly the officers who were on the scene and saw the carnage," he said.

NW Houston toddler found in hot car dead

2010-08-20T16:40:00.001-07:00

by Courtney Zubowski / 11 News
Posted on August 19, 2010 at 7:32 PM
HOUSTON – A 2-year-old boy has died after being found locked in a hot car in northwest Houston, according to authorities.

The incident happened Thursday around 2:30 p.m. at 13813 Dentwood.
According to police, parents were arriving home from the grocery store when their 7-year-old child, who is autistic, began having seizures. While the parents went inside their home to tend to the 7-year-old, the 2-year-old boy was left locked inside the vehicle.

After going inside to help the 7-year-old , the parents realized their younger child was missing and eventually found him in the back seat of their SUV. Police said the boy was trapped inside the vehicle for about two hours.

One of the parents called 911 when they saw the toddler was not breathing. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators said the temperature inside the vehicle was 122 degrees when the toddler was found.
Neighbors of the victim’s family said it was an unfortunate incident that happened to good people.

"This is a good family, their children comes first with them," said Michael Carey. "I know for a fact that it was not intentional."

Investigators said the parents will probably not face charges, but the case will go to a grand jury.

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Houston Area Forecast: 100% Chance of Meteors

2010-08-12T07:00:00.001-07:00

After a week-ling lead-up, tonight, August 12/13, 2010, is finally the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower. Wit this event, meteor season 2010 will kick off in a big way.

Every August, Earth passes through the stretch of space junk shed by comet Swift-Tuttle, reaching the deepest concentration of debris tonight. According to some estimates, under ideal conditions (dark country skies), one can expect to see 60 meteors per hour. The reason the meteors are called Perseids is because the meteors seem to radiate from the constellation Perseus. The best time to view the shower is in the pre-dawn hours, with 3-5am being best.

Don't want to stay up that late? Don't worry, Perseus rises in the Northeast around midnight and will climb higher as the night progresses. However, unless one lives out in the country, the early post-midnight hours will probably involve Perseus being low in a light pollution dome. To improve odds of seeing meteors, travel out of light-polluted Cleveland and to the suburbs or, even better, the country if you can. In the suburbs, just going from the front to back yard can make a dramatic difference as this will eliminate glare from those pesky street/house lights to a large extent.

Two things can ruin the meteor shower: clouds and the Moon. The clouds? Well, that's a regional thing. Check your local Clear Sky Clock to see what the clouds have in store for your location tonight. For us Northeast Ohioans, tonight is looking good. As for the Moon, that's an Earth-wide issue. The good news is that, this year, the Moon is just a few days past new, which means that there will be no Moon up during the time of the meteor shower. There will be a slight lunar glow in the South (opposite Perseus), but this will disappear about midnight, which is about the time Perseus clears the Northeast horizon.

So how about viewing tips?

First, plan to stay out awhile, as it takes the human eye about 15 minutes to get optimal night vision capability. The bad news is that, even one bright flash of white light will wipe out night vision, requiring you to start the process all over again. Next, grab a lawn chair or, even better, a lounge-type chair. Trying to lean back with a straight-back lawn chair can be a pain in the neck, literally! Eyes ready for dark and with something to sit/lay on, settle in for a night of hopeful meteor watching (or at the very least, stargazing), just try not to fall asleep and don't forget the bug spray!

Besides meteors, tonight can be a great time for binocular viewing, owing to your use of a chair. Under suburban (maybe) or rural skies (definitely), a pair of medium power (10x50) binoculars can yield some stunning wide-angle sights. For someone truly dedicated, why not try and keep a tally of how many meteors you see for every complete hour? Really ambitious? Why not try photographing the meteors?

Whatever you plan to do tonight, good luck and clear skies!

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Thousands sign on for $10 billion BP suit

2010-08-06T07:06:00.001-07:00

By MONICA HATCHER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

TEXAS CITY — The revelation that BP's Texas City refinery emitted toxic benzene for more than a month has ignited a furor in the port community that has suffered its share of deadly industrial accidents and toxic spills.
Thousands of residents who fear they may have been exposed to the known carcinogen released at the oil refinery from April 6 to May 16 have been flooding parking lots and conference halls where local trial attorneys hosted information sessions and sought clients for class-action lawsuits against the oil giant.

BP faces the new challenge just as it is reaching a key milestone in another crisis — plugging the Gulf of Mexico well that blew out in an oil spill disaster that is costing the company billions of dollars.

On Wednesday, more than 3,400 people lined the hallways and sidewalks around the Nessler Center to sign on to a $10 billion class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday in Galveston federal court by Friendswood attorney Anthony Buzbee.
The lawsuit alleges the release of 500,000 pounds of chemicals - including 17,000 pounds of benzene - has jeopardized the health and property values of people who live and work in the area.

At the nearby College of the Mainland, a separate town hall meeting drew a crowd of 600.
"I've never seen anything like this," Buzbee said, looking at the lines waiting to enter a large room at the civic center where lawyers helped people fill out paperwork. "I can't believe this is mass hysteria and that everybody here is a faker," Buzbee said.
Webster-based lawyer Chad Pinkerton said he's met with about 8,000 residents over the past week. "I believe this is probably the largest prolonged release in Texas history and many, many people are sick," he said.
Word of the lawsuits spread this week, propelled in part by rumors that BP was cutting checks to head off the benzene claims from the $20 billion fund established to pay claims related to the oil spill.

BP spokesman Michael Marr said those rumors are untrue.
On Wednesday afternoon, a family used a convenience store copy machine to make dozens of copies of legal contracts. A clerk said the machine had been in constant use by would-be plaintiffs.
Lluvia Briones, 19, who signed up to join the lawsuit, said her colleagues at a Texas City fast-food restaurant were caught up in the fervor. "Everybody at work was like, 'go, go, go,' " she said.

Dozens of people the Chronicle interviewed complained of allergic reactions, sinus infections, headaches, nosebleeds and other symptoms consistent with exposure to noxious substances.
Linda Laver, 55, a former nurse, said she's enjoyed near-perfect health until she recently suffered an abscessed sinus infection, gall bladder failure and pneumonia.
"I told my doctor, 'You've known me for all these years and now all of a sudden I'm having all these things,' " Laver said as she stood in line at the Nessler Center.
Laver said she "freaked out" when she saw a Buzbee Law Firm newspaper ad describing the symptoms of benzene exposure. "It confirmed all my suspicions," she said.

Only two weeks before the well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers and triggered the oil spill, BP was experiencing problems with a hydrogen compressor at the Texas City plant - itself the site of a deadly explosion in 2005 that killed 15 people.
The trouble started April 6, when the company said a fire compromised a seal on an ultracracker's hydrogen compressor. The malfunction forced the company to flare off gases. It reported the "emissions event" to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality the following day. As it worked to fix the unit over the next 40 days, the plant released 538,000 pounds of pollutants into the air, BP told regulators.

BP said it operated the ultracracker at minimal capacity, reducing production and emissions. Buzbee says the unit should have shut down completely.
Information about the release became public when BP submitted a final incident report to regulators June 4.

After investigating, the environmental commission cited BP for an "excessive release" and, two weeks ago, referred its findings to the state attorney general for possible litigation.
"Based on a review of the incidents that occurred during the past year, there appears to be a pattern of poor operation and maintenance practices" at the plant, the report said.
The report said chemical concentrations in the air did not exceed state or federal standards, but that the commission could not determine the short-term health effects of the chemicals.

Coming on the heels of the oil spill, the lawsuits add new woes for BP and may aggravate an old one: BP North America - the company's refining division - is on federal probation for a felony environmental conviction related to the 2005 explosion, which also caused a massive release of benzene and other toxins.

Any further violations could be grounds for prosecutors to ask a judge to revoke BP's probation.
Already, lawyers representing victims of the 2005 blast have said a court should revoke BP's probation based on a complaint by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that BP has failed to comply with safety agreements it made after explosion.
The company denies OSHA's claims, and a hearing is scheduled for later this month.

As to the recent emissions, BP's Marr said in an e-mail that community air quality and fence line monitors, which measure for the presence of benzene and other substances, did not show elevated readings or ground-level impact.
Other monitoring by environmental specialists similarly found that the emissions did not exceed exposure limits set by the government, he said.

"BP does not believe there was a health impact associated with this event," Marr said.
Many residents are skeptical of that claim, and are angry that the chemicals were released for 40 days without public disclosure, even to Texas City's emergency management coordinator, Bruce Clawson. Even though BP complied with state reporting requirements, under an agreement with the city, the company should have alerted officials to the situation. Clawson said he's now dealing with irate residents calling the city for details he doesn't have about the release.
Chronicle reporter Lise Olsen contributed.

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Test your hurricane IQ.

2010-08-02T07:44:00.001-07:00

By GREG AINSWORTH

This year's hurricane season in the waters adjacent to the Southeastern United States is drawing more attention than usual, thanks to the oil spill in the Gulf. The National Hurricane Center expects a busier than average year, so it's time to energize our hurricane IQ.
Whether you call them hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones, they are the scourge of tropical locales worldwide. Ocean water temperatures of at least 80 degrees seem to be one of the key ingredients in their formation. Think hot and muggy -- and lots of evaporation. If other conditions are favorable in the atmosphere, winds near the surface may begin to converge, and a low-pressure system may form.

In the Northern Hemisphere, those cyclonic winds spiral in a counter-clockwise direction. All of that water vapor in the atmosphere rises and condenses inside thunderstorm complexes, releasing a great amount of energy in the process. Bands of thunderstorms stretching from the system's outer margins to the center of circulation help feed the massive heat engine with warm, moisture-laden air.

As the system matures, the characteristic cloud-free and relatively calm eye may form at the center of circulation. But surrounding the eye is the eyewall, where the most intense convection and highest wind speeds occur.

Hurricanes pose a major threat to life and property because of their ability to wreak havoc in so many different ways. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is wind damage -- not surprising since a storm isn't called a hurricane until it has sustained winds of at least 74 mph. In August 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall along the Mississippi coast with sustained winds estimated at 200 mph.

An important, but often overlooked hurricane impact is the storm surge. This refers to the ocean water pushed onshore into low-lying areas by hurricane-force winds. Depending on the status of the local tides during landfall, storm surges of 15 to 20 feet are not out of the question. If you happen to live in a near-shore area at say, 10 feet above sea level, the surge can be bad news indeed. Hurricane Opal caused a 24-foot storm surge near Pensacola, Fla., in September 1995.

Even days after landfall, hurricanes, or their remnants, are still capable of producing tornadoes and flooding rains. After slamming into the coast of south Texas in September 1967, Hurricane Beulah spawned more than 100 tornadoes. Tropical Storm Claudette, whose winds didn't reach hurricane strength, nevertheless dropped 45 inches of rain on Alvin, Texas, in 1979.

For further information about these storms, check out the website for NOAA's National Hurricane Center.

Greg Ainsworth keeps an eye on local weather and climate issues. Contact him at ainsworth@theglobal.net.

Tar balls found on Texas beach

2010-07-06T06:39:00.001-07:00

(CNN) -- Texas authorities have traced a small number of tar balls found near Galveston to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Coast Guard and state officials said Monday.
The tar balls collected from beaches in Galveston County over the weekend could fit in a five-gallon bucket, but have been confirmed to have originated from the ruptured BP well off Louisiana, said Jim Suydan of the Texas General Land Office.

Galveston is about 400 miles west of the site of the worst oil spill in U.S. history, which began in late April with the sinking of the offshore drill rig Deepwater Horizon. Coast Guard Capt. Marcus Woodring said authorities weren't sure how the tar balls made it that far, but tests confirmed that at least the first batch collected Saturday came from the Deepwater Horizon spill off Louisiana, he said.
None were found Monday, and the area's beaches and waterways remained open.
"Until we see a greater sum of oil, I can be cautiously optimistic that maybe this is something that will pass," Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski told reporters.

Tar balls occasionally strike the Texas coast, in part because of seepage from undersea oil deposits or from sunken vessels, Woodring said. "Seventeen or 18" cases of tar balls unrelated to the

Deepwater Horizon disaster have been reported to Woodring's Houston-Galveston Coast Guard sector since the spill erupted in April he said.

And though the ones found Saturday and Sunday were confirmed to have come from the ruptured well off Louisiana, they were less weathered than officials would have expected -- leading the Coast

Guard to suspect the oil was either stuck to the side of a ship's hull or mixed in with ballast water from a passing vessel, he said.

Ships passing through the spill are are supposed to be decontaminated before they head into port, he said.

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Freedom Over Texas Fireworks Show!

2010-07-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

Houston will set the stage for an extraordinary patriotic celebration at Mayor Annise Parker’s official Fourth of July event, Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell. Texas singer-songwriter Pat Green will headline the annual event held from 4 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, with his performance culminating in the nation’s largest land-based fireworks show, presented by Shell Oil Company. Admission to the event is FREE with the donation of one canned item per person to the Houston Food Bank.

"As Americans, I believe it is our civic duty to celebrate the birth of our nation and reflect upon those brave men and women who have made great sacrifices for us to live in a free country," said Mayor Annise Parker. "I invite fellow Texans to join us in honoring our country, respecting the values of the founding fathers and instilling pride in our diverse community.”

Headlining the evening’s celebration on the Freedom Stage is Pat Green (with Cowboy Mouth and Little Big Town), an artist who has blazed his own trail and recorded a total of 10 studio albums. Fifteen of his singles have charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which the highest-peaking is the #3 "Wave on Wave" from his gold-certified album. Green has toured with many popular country music artists including Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Kenny Chesney, and many more. At this year’s event, Green will be presented by the Texas Music Charts with an award recognizing him as the “Most Played Texas Artist” of the last decade.

When the concert comes to a close at 9:30 p.m., eyes will turn skyward for an extraordinary fireworks spectacular perfectly set to a selection of America’s favorite tunes, from patriotic songs to rock ‘n’ roll hits to classic bestsellers. Shell Oil Company is the underwriter of the 2010 fireworks show for the fifth consecutive year, and with their contribution, the city’s official fireworks show will enliven Houston’s skyline. Producing the show will be world-renowned fireworks artists from Pyro Spectaculars North by Souza.

"For more than 80 years, Shell has been a strong supporter of the Houston community and our nation. As a country, we have much to celebrate, and we at Shell are thrilled to participate in the festivities this year,” said Ben Dillon, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Shell Oil Company.

In addition to this year’s entertainment headliner, the festival will also spotlight a top-notch selection of local and regional music. Throughout the day, four stages will keep toes tapping with music ranging from country western and rock 'n' roll to Latin, R&B, and oldies.

Booth exhibits and family friendly patriotic activities will encompass Buffalo Bayou and Eleanor Tinsley Park:

KBR Liberty Park

Encompassing more than three football fields in length, KBR Liberty Park will showcase military artifacts and vehicles including representation from all five military branches and more. The branches and the Houston Police Department will offer recruiting on site.
The U.S. Army will showcase an Apache Helicopter flight simulator and a 55-ton M-60 Battle Tank.
The Museum of Printing History and the Military Museum of Houston will exhibit historical items that have helped shape our nation’s history in this area.
Bud Light Zone

Cool off with a cold one at the Budweiser Beer Garden, and enjoy a prime view of the sixth annual Bud Light Texas Volleyball Championship Series Finals.
Make a rest stop at the Bud Light Build-A-Bar, which will offer a shaded sitting area equipped with plasma TV screens. Also, don’t miss a sneak peak of an event performer during their official Bud Light Sound Check.

Be sure to stop by the Budweiser Good Sport’s Booth and learn how you can save lives by being a designated driver.

Walmart All American Kids Zone

More than 30,000 square feet of free educational programming and entertainment await children.
Houston Public Library’s HPL Mobile Express computer lab, will teach child how to use a computer.
Houston Fire Department’s Smokehouse will teach kids the importance of fire safety.
Historical costumed characters will talk with children about the documents that defined our government.

Juno Baby will have sing-a-long activities for children and little aspiring stars are invited to perform in the Rising Stars Search contest for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to San Francisco and be featured in the next Juno Baby production.
Free games, rides, face painting and interactive activities will be open to children of all ages.
Additional activities:

Gexa Energy will be giving US Flag hand fans to the first 30,000 people who enter the gates. Booths will be setup for families to take fun photos with Shrek The Musical characters, enter for a chance to win a trip for two to Hawaii or Cancun, and also for a chance to win a Home Theater System, which includes a Sony Bravia 40’ LCD TV.
Visit KBR’s five primary beneficiaries on site: Career and Recovery Resources, Goodwill Industries, Houston Community College, Soldier’s Angels and Wreaths Across America-Houston.
The 2010 Land Rover models will be on display including the all new 2010 Land Rover LR4 and award winning Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.
Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell will be simulcast on ABC-13/KTRK-TV from 7-10 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, and will be syndicated statewide from 8-10 p.m. In addition, KILT 100.3 FM will simulcast the music medley specially choreographed for the fireworks spectacular.

With the donation of one canned item per person to the Houston Food Bank, admission for the event is FREE. Without the donation, tickets will be $8 per person. Children two years and under will be admitted free. In keeping with last year’s theme, Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell will expand its offering of recycling receptacles, encouraging all patrons to recycle.

Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell sponsors include: Fireworks sponsor: Shell; Anchor Sponsors: Gexa Energy, Bud Light/Silver Eagle Distributors, KBR, Houston Area Land Rover Centres, and Walmart; Co-producers: City of Houston/Mayor’s Office of Special Events; Additional sponsors include Doubletree Hotel Houston Downtown; Houston Chronicle; 100.3 KILT; HOT 95-7; Mix 96-5; SportsRadio 610 and Mega 101 FM; Texas Lottery; Juno Baby; Enterprise Rent-A-Car; Texas Southern University and LifeGift. In-kind sponsors include Houston Dynamo, Houston Rockets, Houston Astros, Houston Aero and Metro. The event benefits Houston Central Improvement, Inc.

For more information, call 832.393.0868 or visit the Freedom Over Texas with Fireworks Presented by Shell Web site at www.freedomovertexas.org or www.houstonspecialevents.org.

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Teachers prevail in grading law suit

2010-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

AUSTIN — Texas school districts no longer can force teachers to give students higher grades than they earned on class assignments or on their report cards, a Travis County judge ruled Monday.
Eleven districts — mostly in the Houston area — had sued Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott over his interpretation of the so-called truth-in-grading law that was passed last year. They argued it applied only to assignments and exams and were fighting to keep their policies that ban cumulative report card grades lower than a certain number, typically a 50.

The school districts suing were Aldine, Alief, Clear Creek, Deer Park, Dickinson, Fort Bend, Humble, Klein, Anahuac, Eanes and Livingston.

The superintendents say their minimum-grade policies help discourage students from dropping out by giving them a mathematical chance at passing a class, even if they blow one grading period. But teacher groups and the bill’s author, Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, counter that such policies are dishonest and don’t prepare students for college or the work force.
State District Judge Gisela Triana-Doyal ruled against the districts’ reading of the law, which effectively means that schools across Texas must abolish minimum-grading policies unless the decision is appealed and overturned. The state does not track how many districts have such policies.

May appeal
Richard Morris, the attorney for the school districts that filed the lawsuit, said he would consult with the superintendents about pursuing an appeal or trying to lobby the Legislature for a change.
The judge said the statute was “not ambiguous,” even though it didn’t specifically mention that it applied to cumulative six- or nine-week grades that appear on report cards. But Triana-Doyal emphasized she wasn’t opining whether the law was good or bad education policy, noting that both sides made valid points.

“People have different opinions about what’s in the best interest of kids,” she said.
Nelson, a former teacher, said the ruling was “a victory for Texas teachers, students and parents because now all grades — on class assignments and report cards — will accurately reflect how well students have mastered their course work.”

She said she doubted her colleagues would retreat from the law next session after unanimously passing her bill last year.
Dropout strategy

Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Greg Smith, the only school chief to testify, said the district’s minimum-grading policy has been an effective dropout strategy over the last 13 years. At one high school last year, he said, more than 30 students benefited from the policy and were able to pass.

Without the policy, he said, “I think you close the light at the end of the tunnel for some students.”
For example, if a student earned a 20 grade during one six weeks, he still would fail the semester if he earned a 90 the next two grading periods.

The Texas chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, which intervened in the case on the side of the Texas Education Agency, argued that minimum-grading policies take important authority away from teachers and are “not in the best interest of students in the long run.”
“I feel like it’s unethical,” Mary Roberts, a teacher in Humble ISD, testified about her district’s policy, which bans report card graders lower than a 50.
ericka.mellon@chron.com

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Recovery Effort in Gulf Expected to Continue Despite Storm

2010-06-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

By JOSEPH BERGER

A tropical storm moving across the western Gulf of Mexico that is likely to strengthen into a hurricane is not expected to seriously disrupt efforts to capture oil gushing from the stricken BP well, officials of the Coast Guard and BP said Monday.

Adm. Thad W. Allen, of the Coast Guard, who is commanding the federal response to the disaster, said at an afternoon press conference that high seas produced by Tropical Storm Alex should not force the evacuation of rigs and other equipment from the blowout site, which is 50 miles off the Louisiana coast. Should an evacuation take place, he said, it could halt the work of collecting oil and drill relief wells for about 14 days.

“As it stands right now, absent the intervention of a hurricane, we’re still looking at mid-August," to have relief wells shut off the gusher entirely, Admiral Allen said.

However, BP officials said that what could be delayed, even by current wave heights, is an effort to prepare what is known as a “floating riser system” that will help raise the daily total of collected oil from, about 25,000 barrels to as much as 50,000 barrels. At a briefing Monday morning, Kent Wells, a senior vice president of BP who is overseeing BP’s efforts, said the storm is expected to follow a track that will take it well west of the blowout site, but it may produce waves of 10 to 12 feet, which Mr. Wells said was too high for the “very precise work” on the surface needed to prepare the floating riser system.

Mr. Wells said the containment cap and a second system that are collecting 25,000 barrels of oil a day would not need to be disconnected and the drilling of two relief wells should continue on schedule. The first relief well is supposed to pump in heavy mud and shut off the gusher sometime in August.

Tropical Storm Alex is on a course heading for northeastern Mexico and a stretch of Texas. Meteorologists at Accuweather.com said they are anticipating a landfall between Tampico, Mexico and Brownsville, Tex. Wednesday night or early Thursday.

Meanwhile Associated Press reported that BP had filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission that indicate the cost of capping and cleaning the spill have reached $2.65 billion. BP has lost more than $100 billion in market value since the drilling platform the company was operating blew up April 20. The costs include spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs, but not a $20 billion fund for damages the company created this month.

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Recovery Effort in Gulf Expected to Continue Despite Storm

2010-06-28T14:32:00.001-07:00

Alex may effect Gulf oil production ..

2010-06-28T14:25:00.001-07:00

HOUSTON (Dow Jones)--Tropical Storm Alex, expected to become a hurricane Tuesday, seems to be headed on a path away from the bulk of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico's oil and gas production and refining infrastructure. But some production impact will be felt as one of the largest energy producers in the Gulf said Monday it was shutting down several platforms as a precaution.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) said it had pulled 700 workers from its Gulf operations, and some 835 workers remained offshore. The company is shutting in production from its Western and Central Gulf of Mexico assets to prepare for the potential full evacuation of personnel Tuesday. The company started pulling workers from the Gulf over the weekend. The company didn't specify how much production would be shut or how many platforms were being evacuated.

At 11 a.m. EDT, Alex was located about 85 miles west-northwest of Campeche, Mexico, in the western Gulf of Mexico, and was heading towards southern Texas and northern Mexico. Most U.S. offshore oil and gas platforms are located in the eastern part of the Gulf, far from Alex's forecast path.

Alex "is not likely to have a major impact on production or refining in the U.S.," Doug MacIntyre, senior analyst at the Energy Information Administration, told Dow Jones Newswires Monday. "Alex's current path appears to avoid most of the oil and gas production platforms and any of the major refining centers."

Energy markets Monday seemed to take the storm in stride. Light, sweet crude for August delivery ended 61 cents lower at $78.25 a barrel a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Natural gas for July delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange settled 2.96% lower at $4.717 million British thermal units.

Gulf producers Apache Corp. (APA), Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC) also said Monday they have started evacuating non-essential workers from the offshore facilities expected to be in the path of the storm but none have so far reported any impact to their production.

BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) said Monday it pulled non-essential personnel from three offshore facilities in the the Gulf, and that production was not affected. The company evacuated workers from Atlantis, Mad Dog and Holstein platforms.

Alex may delay BP PLC's plans to increase the amount of oil collected from a leaking well in the Gulf by a week, a company official said Monday.

While the storm's winds are expected to stay far to the west of the Deepwater Horizon spill, high seas are likely to become an issue this week, said Kent Wells, a senior vice president with BP, in a press briefing. Waves up to between 10 feet and 12 feet would prevent BP from hooking a third rig up to an underwater containment system, a process that needs three days of good weather, Wells said.

Two rigs, the Discoverer Enterprise and Q4000, are already collecting between 20,000 and 25,000 barrels of oil a day from the well, which has gushed ever since a rig working at the site caught fire and sank in April.

Chevron Corp. (CVX) and ConocoPhillips (COP) said that they have not evacuated workers, but that they are closely monitoring the forecast for Alex.

A hurricane watch was issued for parts of the south Texas Gulf coastline area and parts of northern Mexico, the National Hurricane Center reported Monday on its website.

The NHC, in its advisory, also said Alex likely will become a hurricane Tuesday and has increased in strength, now with winds of 60 miles per hour.

The watch area for the U.S. extends from south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande in Texas, with Mexico issuing a hurricane watch from the Rio Grande to La Cruz.

-By Isabel Ordonez, Dow Jones Newswires; 713-547-9207; isabel.ordonez@dowjones.com

(Brian Baskin and Angel Gonzalez contributed to this article

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Humble needs volunteers

2010-06-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

A star-spangled time is in store for volunteers helping make downtown Houston's Freedom Over Texas celebration on July Fourth a big success. Afternoon or evening assignments can include assisting with admissions or tending any of the many booths that make up the festival's infrastructure. Volunteers will be treated to world-class entertainment, refreshments and dazzling fireworks displays.

Camp for cancer patients
Kids with cancer will have the benefit of a fun-filled summer camp experience July 11-16 at a recreational facility near Tyler. Volunteers are vital to the camp, some serving as one-on-one companions to the campers, others managing day-to-day logistics involving food preparation, supervision of the youngsters and organizing activities. The roster for female volunteers has been filled, but more male volunteers are still very much needed.

Count library patrons
Do the numbers as a volunteer participating in a patron-census count at a county library in Humble, June 14-19. The work will be easy: You'll keep a head-count of people entering the library during your personal three-hour shift. Morning, afternoon and early evening shifts are available. Volunteers will receive snacks to help keep them properly energized and alert. The minimum age for volunteers is 16.

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Humble Dr tops DPS list at prescribing addictive drugs

2010-06-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON – A Texas Department of Public Safety tracking system shows that Harris County doctors rank at the top of the list in writing prescriptions for three highly addictive drugs that officials say give users a "heroin high" when taken together.

Over a 15-month period ending in March, one Houston doctor wrote more than 43,000 prescriptions for the drugs, the Houston Chronicle said. That doctor is one of six in Harris County topping the list of those writing the most prescriptions in Texas for the ingredients for the potent drug cocktail. Authorities have withheld the doctors' names.

DPS records show the top six doctors had each written between 23,907 and 43,383 prescriptions for the three drugs during that 15-month period.

After a new state monitoring law took effect 20 months ago, pharmacies were required to report to the state all prescriptions that doctors write for those controlled substances.

Investigators are using those records to look at pain management clinics writing frequent prescriptions for the cocktail.

Dr. C.M. Schade, a former president of the Texas Pain Society, said he knows of no legitimate medical reason for a doctor to prescribe all three together.

"It's a red flag that can be seen across the country," he told the newspaper.

The three drugs include: hydrocodone, a narcotic known by brand names such as Vicodin ; alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug known as Xanax; and carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant known as Soma.

Authorities say that in Houston, customers can often be seen lining up around the block at such clinics.

"Sometimes they hire security officers to handle the crowd. I'm not kidding," said Schade, who said such clinics can easily earn $1 million to $3 million a year.

Louisiana adopted stringent laws from 2007 to 2009 to regulate and monitor pain clinics there.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Wendell Campbell said that's when Louisiana customers, many times by the van load, started coming into Texas for the drugs.

Records show customers are also coming from states including Arkansas and Mississippi.

"You can find one of these pain clinics in a strip center in five minutes," said Tommy Hastings, a Houston attorney representing the families of four people who died of drug overdoses after going to Houston-area pain clinics.

Since Texas began monitoring prescriptions, five Houston doctors have been accused of conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances at a dozen area clinics.

One of them, Dr. Christina Clardy, had dispensed more than 3.5 million tablets of Vicodin, Xanax and Soma in one year.

Investigators allege that Clardy was paid thousands of dollars a month for pre-signed prescription pads used by operators of two clinics. Both clinics where she served as medical director – one in Humble, the other in Houston – have since been shut down.

Clardy's attorney, Chris Downey, told the newspaper she looks forward to proving her innocence.

Schade said that a new state law taking effect in September will help cut down on the pain clinics that are churning out prescriptions for the drugs.

The law will require that clinics be certified by the Texas Medical Board if 50 percent of their patients get prescriptions for controlled substances. It also requires the clinics to be owned by a Texas doctor who must be on the premises for at least a third of the facility's operating hours.

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Texas Gulf Waits & Worries

2010-05-28T06:17:00.001-07:00

LAPORTE -- Richard Arnhart spends much of his days monitoring wind trajectories, scientific bulletins and TV newscasts.

Parts of an oily blob three times the size of Rhode Island -- and growing -- are believed by many experts to be lumbering closer to the Texas Gulf, and Arnhart is part of the first line of defense.
As a regional director for the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Program in the Texas General Land Office, Arnhart is paid by the state to fight oil spills, and he's heavily involved in state and federal contingency planning for any possible impact on Texas from the massive oil spill lurking in the Gulf of Mexico.

Communities all along the Texas coast are making similar preparations as they join the rest of the world in tracking daily developments in one of the worst oil spill disasters in history.
No one knows for sure if remnants of the spill, which was about 160 miles east of the Lone Star State late last week, will reach Texas waters. The consensus seems to be that if there is an impact it will be in the form of tar balls or a frothy substance resembling chocolate mousse. Experts don't expect any residue to hit this far west for several weeks.

Beyond that, just what threat the spill poses for a region of the state whose economy and culture is tied to the gulf is difficult to gauge. Environmentalists warn of possibly irreversible damage to the state's fragile ecosystems and endangered wildlife. Others worry about potential losses to fishing and tourism, though local officials say they have yet to see any signs of an economic backlash.
"It's going to have an impact one way or another," said state Rep. Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg, chairman of the state House Select Committee on Emergency Preparedness, which has scheduled a Monday hearing in McAllen to examine Texas preparations for the spill. "We swim in that ocean. We eat the food that comes out of that ocean. It's part of our [committee's] charge to be prepared for emergencies, and this is certainly an emergency that Texas should be prepared for."
'No news is good news'

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, whose office would be in charge of fighting residue from the spill and enforcing the cleanup, took steps late last week to calm fears about the oil slick.

"We're watching and waiting, but it's just not time to go to general quarters," said Patterson, who is scheduled to testify at Monday's hearing. "No news is good news."

Patterson sought to dispel TV reports that tar balls from the spill are already showing up on Texas beaches. Although tar balls occasionally wash ashore along the Texas Gulf, they may be decades old and could come from natural seepage or earlier spills, the land office said. An analysis on tar balls collected from Jamaica Beach on Galveston Island last week proved conclusively that the substance did not come from the oil slick in the gulf, said Cmdr. David Berliner of the Coast Guard.
Nevertheless, an out-of-control underwater gusher dumping more than thousands of barrels of oil into the gulf each day is impossible for Texans to ignore. Houston area residents watching TV last week, for example, might have seen ads aired by attorney Jim Adler offering his service to victims of the spill.

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Ice Cream for everybody!

2010-05-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

HUMBLE, TX – Rewards can come in many forms, and that includes ice cream! Blue Bell Creameries will honor Ms. Nancy Mahlstadt, regional finalist of Texas Teacher of the Year and Splendora High School teacher, by treating the entire student body and staff of her school to Blue Bell Ice Cream, while celebrating the end of the school year. Blue Bell employees will arrive at Splendora High School, 23747 FM 2090, Splendora, on Tuesday, June 1, at 10:50 a.m. with a truck full of ice cream.

In addition, Blue Bell Creameries will present Mahlstadt with a cooler of her favorite Blue Bell flavors, natural Vanilla Bean and Dutch Chocolate, as well as a congratulatory letter from Paul Kruse, CEO and president of Blue Bell Creameries.
“At Blue Bell, we believe there is no finer work you can do in this world than be a teacher,” says Kruse. “The finalists for Texas Teacher of the Year are among the most outstanding members of their profession. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to honor Ms. Mahlstadt for her wonderful work.
“We want to recognize not only Ms. Mahlstadt, but the entire student body and staff at Splendora High School. Part of our purpose is to remind all the students how fortunate they are to have Ms. Mahlstadt and such dedicated teachers with them every day.”

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Oil spill threatens already weakened wetlands

2010-05-17T20:01:00.001-07:00

by Brad Woodard / 11 News
khou.com

Crews depart with giant box to help Gulf oil leak
With millions of gallons of oil already in the gulf and massive underwater plumes that could poison and suffocate sea life across the food chain, experts say the damage from the spill could endure for a decade or more. For Galveston, however, the picture isn't quite as bleak.

"There may be some kind of effect coming this way, some little tarballs, but we'd be talking about almost three weeks into the future, which gives it more time to break up. More time to sink," said Peter Davis, chief of the Island's Beach Patrol.

If Davis doesn't seem overly concerned, it's because he's seen it all before.

"I've worked here for almost 30 years, and before that I was on the beach all the time," says Davis. "I remember in the 80s when there was less regulation; there was tar around a lot more."

Long before the Deepwater Horizon explosion, in fact, long before offshore drilling, tarballs were washing up on Texas beaches. The state estimates as much as a million barrels of crude oil leaked into the gulf through natural seepage in just the last year.

Although the coast is clear in Galveston, at least for the moment, some business owners along the seawall worry all the news surrounding the spill with scare off tourists.

"They don't know if there is oil or no oil," says Izzy Wolraich, the owner of four businesses on the Island. "And we know there's no oil.

There're afraid about poisoned fish and dirty water, but there's not a panic yet."

And that's what he fears the most.

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Texas All-Star Wrestling this Saturday (5/15) in Humble, TX

2010-05-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2010
TASW returns to Humble this Saturday night May 15th, for "Beat Down".

All the action will be at Magnolia Ballroom located at 2725 Wilson road in Humble. Easy to get to from either FM1960, Will Clayton, or Beltway 8.

This Saturday night the doors open at 6pm. Matches start at 7pm.

In the main event you will see an 8-Man Tag Team match.

Plus 4 other exciting matches....

Check out the TASW website for information on this card.

(Card subject to change)

Ticket Info: General Admission Seating.
Adults $15.00, Kids 12 and under $10.00.
Get there early to get front row seats.

Tickets will be available at the door this Saturday night starting at 6:00pm.

NO BEER AVAILABLE AT THE BUILDING BUT YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN BEER. (CANS ONLY).

For more information on this event check out our website: www.TASWwrestling.com

TASW's 24hr. Event line number is (281) 548-5856.

If you have any questions about this event you can email us at TASWwrestling@yahoo.com
Join the TASW Wrestling school today!
Low down payment to get started. Low monthly payment. Call TASW at (281) 548-5856 to make an appointment, and start making your dreams come true today.

www.TASWwrestling.com
www.ProWrestlingWarehouse.com

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12 year old leads police on high-speed chase!

2010-05-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

According to Humble, Texas Police, a 12 year-old boy was the driver of a car that lead police on a high-speed chase.

The chase started around midnight of Monday morning and reached speeds of 90 miles per hour and lasted for about seven miles. Due to the time of night and lack of traffic when the chase happened, no one sustained any injuries.

There was a second boy in the car with the 12 year-old driver. Both boys attend Ross Sterling Middle School

The chase began when police received a call about a suspicious vehicle. Police tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver refused to stop for police. The chase went through several neighborhoods and finally ended on a dead-end street in Humble, Texas.

The driver was arrested and charged with evading officers in a motor vehicle and was then taken to a juvenile detention facility. The passenger was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing and subsequently released to his parents.

The parents of the passenger had reported him missing earlier in the day. Humble, Texas Police said that no charges would be filed against any of the parents involved, but Child Protective Services would investigate the incident.

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OIl spill threatens Gulf Coast

2010-04-29T19:30:00.001-07:00

(CNN) -- A huge oil spill oozing toward the Gulf Coast on Thursday threatens hundreds of species of wildlife, some in their prime breeding season, environmental organizations said.
The Coast Guard said Wednesday that the amount of oil spilling from an underwater well after an oil rig explosion last week has increased to as many as 5,000 barrels of oil a day, or 210,000 gallons, five times more than what was originally believed.

Although efforts to minimize the damage are under way and options under consideration include asking the U.S. military for assistance, wildlife conservation groups say the oil could pose a "growing environmental disaster."

"The terrible loss of 11 workers (unaccounted for after the rig explosion) may be just the beginning of this tragedy as the oil slick spreads toward sensitive coastal areas vital to birds and marine life and to all the communities that depend on them," said Melanie Driscoll, director of bird conservation for the Louisiana Coastal Initiative, in a statement.
Coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida could be at risk, the organization said.

"For birds, the timing could not be worse; they are breeding, nesting and especially vulnerable in many of the places where the oil could come ashore," she said. "The efforts to stop the oil before it reaches shore are heroic, but may not be enough. We have to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, including a true catastrophe for birds."

"The best case is, the wind shifts and the oil doesn't hit," said Tom MacKenzie of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "I'm not real confident about that. ... We're doing everything we can to prevent it, but it could be a bad one."

It's not just birds that could be affected, although they are usually the first to feel the effects, said Gregory Bossart, chief veterinary officer for the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The birds are right at the surface, get covered in the oil and swallow it, causing liver and kidney problems.

"They need to be rescued and cleaned," he said.
But the coastline of Louisiana, with its barrier islands and estuaries, "is a very unique ecosystem. It's very complex," Bossart said.
Plankton found in the estuaries nourish organisms all the way up the food chain. Crabs, mussels, oysters and shrimp feed on the plankton, he said. Oil smothers the plankton, meaning they cannot eat.

Also, "the estuaries here are a nursery ground, literally a nursery ground, for the entire fish population in this area," Bossart said.

River otters in the region eat mussels and other animals. And "we know, in this area right now, that there are sperm whales. There are dolphins right in the oil slick," he said.
If an oil spill is small enough, animals can leave the area.
"Some of them can get away," Bossart said. "It's totally dependent on the size of the slick, and this is huge."

Exposure to the oil for a prolonged period of time can result in a toxic effect on the skin, and mammals can suffer lung damage or death after breathing it in, Bossart said.
"When the oil starts to settle, it'll smother the oyster beds. It'll kill the oysters," he said.

The Audubon Society, which is affiliated with the Louisiana Coastal Initiative, is recruiting volunteers in Florida and making its Center for Birds of Prey available for bird cleansing and rehabilitation. Elsewhere, Audubon said it was gearing up to mobilize volunteers and provide assistance as the oil reaches land.

The spill also threatens the Louisiana and Mississippi fishing industry, as crab, oysters and shrimp along the coast could be affected, along with numerous species of fish. Gulf shrimp are in their spawning season.

More than 400 species are threatened by the spill, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Thursday, citing the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
"When you stop and begin considering everything that this could impact, it really is stunning," Karen Foote, biologist administrator with the department, told the newspaper.

A handful of "Important Bird Areas" -- designated because of their value to bird species -- face immediate threat from the oil, the initiative said. They include the Chandeleur Islands and Gulf Islands National Seashore areas in Louisiana and Mississippi, along with the Active Delta area in Louisiana, which includes Delta Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area.

Several species of birds are cause for special concern, the Louisiana Coastal Initiative said. They include the brown pelican, the state bird of Louisiana, which nests on barrier islands and feeds near shore. The brown pelican's breeding season just began, according to the Initiative, and "many pairs are already incubating eggs."

The species was taken off the federal endangered species list last year, but "their relatively low reproductive rate means any disruption to their breeding cycle could have serious effects on the population."

More than 800 brown pelicans died when a smaller oil spill hit Louisiana's Breton Island National Wildlife Refuge a few years ago, MacKenzie said.

Species of beach-nesting terns and gulls, beach-nesting shorebirds, large wading birds, marsh birds and ocean-dwelling birds are also at risk, along with migratory shorebirds and songbirds, the Initiative said.

The migratory songbirds move across the Gulf during a two-week period from late April to early May, for instance.

"The journey across 500 miles of open water strains their endurance to its limits," the Initiative said. "They depend on clear skies and healthy habitats on both sides of the Gulf in order to survive the journey."

According to a 1998 study by Louisiana State University, more than 500 million birds fly over the Gulf and enter the United States along coastal areas in Louisiana and Texas each spring.
The barrier islands east of Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain have still not recovered from the blow dealt by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Bossart said, and a spill such as this one could seriously threaten their recovery.

"I think at this point it would be wrong to say it's catastrophic, because it really hasn't hit any area except out in the Gulf proper," he said. But "it's certainly a very serious thing" that could pose a long-term environmental challenge.

Plans have been under way to protect wildlife since the spill was discovered, MacKenzie said. "We know what we're doing to try to protect those key assets. ... A lot of people are leaning forward in the foxhole to address this."

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Rumble returns to Humble

2010-04-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

APR 15) Local boxing promoters Joe Dumas of Dumas Productions and Hit Gyms in Humble are proud to host “Rumble Returns to Humble II” PRO/AM Boxing Show. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with the first fight scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 16, 2010 in the Humble Civic Center at 8233 Will Clayton Parkway Humble, Texas 77338.

The event will showcase young talent with six professional match-ups headlined by Texas heavyweight champion Eugene “Mean Gene” Hill (20-1, 15 KOs) versus Jonathon Felton from Virginia. Dickenson’s “MEAN GENE is known throughout the Lonestar state for his thunderous knockouts which has made him amongst the most popular athletes in the local boxing scene.

Along with Hill, the card will feature all-action Carlos Patina, Jr. from Galveston (2-0, 2 KOs) and the professional debuts of Houston area amateur standouts Ashley Alvarado and Rogelio De La Torre. Weigh-In: Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 1:00 p.m.; at the Hampton Inn Humble 20515 Hwy 59 North Humble, Texas 77338 (Texas Room). Official Venue: Humble Civic Center 8233 Will Clayton Parkway Humble, Texas 77338. Ticket Info: Tickets start at $35 for general admission, $100 for VIP seating, or a 10 seat VIP table for $700.

Pro-Am boxing benefits area amateur boxers to raise funds to attend the annual Texas vs. Hawaii tournament. H.I.T. Gyms fighters include: Anthony Domino, Nick Howe, Smith Gonzalez, Curtis Johnson and OShea Johnson.

MORE INFO: For ticket info or to schedule fighter interviews, please contact Lynn Collins by phone at 281-570-3204 or via e-mail at lynnroncollins@yahoo.com.

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Harris County deputy fatally shoots Atascocita man, pit bull

2010-04-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

KHOU:

ATASCOCITA, Texas—A Harris County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed an armed suspect early Friday morning in Atascocita.
A Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Christina Garza said deputies responded to reports of an assault at Mulligan’s, a bar on FM 1960, shortly after midnight. The investigation took them to a home in the 3800 block of Beckett Ridge, just south of Will Clayton Parkway.
Garza said when one of the deputies, a 19-year veteran, knocked on the front door of the home, the homeowner came to the door armed with a rifle.

The deputy was able to get the suspect to put the rifle down, but the two men began to argue.
Garza said the deputy then reached for his Taser and fired it at the man, but it had no effect on him.
As the struggle continued, Garza said the suspect gained control of the Taser and tried to place it against the deputy’s shoulder. According to the sheriff’s office, that’s when the deputy stepped back and fired several shots from his service weapon in self-defense.

The suspect collapsed and died near the front doorway of the home.
Garza said the homeowner’s large pit bull, agitated by the confrontation, became aggressive, and the deputy was forced to shoot and kill the dog as well.
The deputy was not injured.

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Anthony Kim Wins Shell Houston Open

2010-04-06T05:54:00.001-07:00

Anthony Kim holds the championship trophy as former President George Bush (right) looks on after Kim won the Houston Open PGA Tour golf tournament in Humble, Texas on Sunday. /AP-Newsis
Korean-American Anthony Kim took home his third PGA tour title at the Shell Houston Open in Texas on Sunday (local time).

It wasn't an easy win as the 25-year-old was jockeying for the lead with U.S. golfer Vaughn Taylor in a fierce final round at the Redstone Golf Club.

Kim began the back nine of his final round sharing a 54-hole lead with American Bryce Molder at 10 under par.

On the final hole, however, Kim missed a 6-foot par putt, tying him with Taylor at 12-under 276 and forcing a sudden-death play-off.

As the two rivals replayed the 18th hole, Kim held his nerve to play the par-four hole to perfection while Taylor found himself in one bunker after another, finally failing to hole out.

Kim clinched two victories in 2008 but recently had been struggling with injuries and inconsistent play.

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Bank Robber sought in Kingwood.

2010-03-10T14:51:00.001-08:00

The man in this image, taken from surveillance video, reportedly robbed the Smart Financial Credit Union in Kingwood

A man initially portrayed himself as a customer before pulling a pistol on a teller during a bank robbery in Kingwood, FBI officials said today.

The robber struck about 11:20 a.m. Tuesday at the Smart Financial Credit Union, 1120 Kingwood Drive, FBI officials said.

After first asking a teller about making a withdrawal from his account, the robber produced a silver revolver and demanded money, FBI officials said.

When the teller gave him an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber fled into a nearby residential neighborhood. There were no reported injuries, FBI officials said.

The robber is 30-35, about 6-feet, with a thin or medium build. He wore a black sweatshirt, blue jeans and a white cap during the holdup, FBI officials aid.

Crime Stoppers will offer up to $5,000 for information leading to his capture. Call 713-222-TIPS (8477).

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Warrant roundup begins ...

2010-03-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

Thayer Evans wrote:
If you have any tickets you haven't gotten around to paying, this is the week to take care of them.

League City, Friendswood, Houston and other cities around Clear Lake will join hundreds of jurisdictions participating in the Great Texas Warrant Roundup this weekend.

Starting Saturday, March 6, police will be visiting homes, schools and workplaces to arrest those with outstanding warrants from municipal courts.

Most of the offenses involve unpaid traffic or parking tickets but more serious violations are included, and no amnesty is being offered. Those with outstanding warrants can be arrested at any location.

Cities are mailing notices to the last known address of those with warrants.

League City Police Chief Mike Jez said those with warrants needs to resolve them before the roundup. His police department will have “quite a few” officers participating in it this year, he said.

“The message to folks right now is avoid getting arrested on your job site or an embarrassing moment,” Jez said. “Come take of things. It’ll save you time, money and embarrassment. It’s something that’s easily avoidable. Most of them are minor offense violations anyway.”

If you think there may be a warrant out on you, contact your local municipal court to find out how to post a bond.

Clear Lake's Houston residents can call 713-731-3950 or visit the city's Clear Lake police station at 2855 Bay Area Blvd. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Man Helps Shooting Victim Get Medical Attention

2010-03-02T07:23:00.000-08:00

HUMBLE, Texas - Investigators say a good samaritan picked up a woman who had been shot in northeast Harris County and drove her to a convenience store to get help.

Harris County Sheriff's deputies say the shooting took place at approximately 11:45 p.m. Sunday at The Park at Stone Creek apartments on Mesa Drive near Audubon Forest Drive.

The woman was apparently driving her car out of the complex when someone opened fire on her. She was shot at least twice and crashed her car at the main entrance of the complex.

The good samaritan found her at the entrance, put her in his car and drove her to a convenience store at the intersection of Beltway 8 at Old Humble Road to call 911.

The woman was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center in serious but stable condition.

Investigators have not revealed if they were able to find any witnesses to the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

LA Times: Capybara puts Alvin on map

2010-02-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

LA TIMES:

It's one thing to get a goldfish because your daughter begs for one. It's quite another to end up with a 100-pound rodent who has more than 2,700 Twitter followers.

Caplin Rous is a capybara. Related to the guinea pig, the capybara is the largest species of rodent. Though they're native to South America, Caplin was born in Texas and lives in the town of Buda with Melanie Typaldos, who never expected this animal to take over her life quite the way he has.

Typaldos says it all started on a trip to Venezuela, when her daughter Coral got to hold a young capybara and "fell in love."

"After we got back, she pretty relentlessly pestered me about getting one for a pet," Typaldos says. "Since Coral lived in an apartment and was planning on spending a year in Asia, she couldn't have a pet capybara herself so, she felt, it was up to me to fulfill her capybara vision."

Even capybaras that are bred in captivity like Caplin are not domesticated animals, so early handling and contact is critical for them to be comfortable living with people. Typaldos got Caplin when he was only 11 days old, and took him to work every day for the first three months. Then, "someone complained there was a furry, pig-like animal in the building," and she took a month of vacation and stayed home with him.

Caplin Rous is now 2 1/2. The second part of his name, which Typaldos pronounces like "rose," stands for "Rodent of Unusual Size" (a reference to the movie "The Princess Bride"). He's also a rodent of unusual abilities. He can walk on a leash and even do some tricks, but Typaldos says it's important not to exaggerate any similarity to a dog doing tricks.

"Dogs have thousands of years of being trained to be subservient to people," she says. "A capybara will not do a trick just to make me happy. The quality of the trick is very dependent on the quality of the treat."

Most people who keep capybaras keep them as farm animals, like a sheep or goat, but Caplin basically lives indoors with Typaldos (he eliminates in a pan of water in her bathroom). Outdoor space is necessary as well for grazing and swimming in his pool; in the wild, capybaras are semi-aquatic, diving into rivers to escape predators. Somewhat ponderous on land, capybaras are surprisingly graceful in the water.

"On land he's not very active," she says. "When he's in the water he's like another animal. That's where he's really the happiest."

There's no way of knowing how many private individuals own capybaras, but Justin Damesta, a breeder in Alvin, Texas, says that he sells five to 10 of them a year as pets.

Damesta recommends that a pet capybara be raised indoors for the first few months and then kept outdoors with sturdy fencing, a heated shelter and a pool. Potential buyers who contact him are usually fairly well informed, but, he says, "I have and will turn down people I don't consider qualified or capable."

Some other pet capybaras also can be followed on the Internet, such as Dobby in Seattle. But Typaldos is probably unique in the way she has made the capybara her mission: She spends a couple of hours a day updating Caplin's Internet presence on a blog and social networking sites.

When asked how much time it takes to care for a capybara, she says, "I spend all my time with him, but that's a matter of choice."

Caplin's Web activities are partly fun -- such as interactive games of "Rodent Jeopardy" -- with a serious educational purpose, too. "When I was thinking of getting him, there was nothing on the Web about getting a pet capybara," says Typaldos. "That was a large impetus for the blog. They're not the right pet for most people."

Typaldos has a background in biology, and also keeps horses and reptiles. Her property is big enough that Caplin can graze and swim, and she lives in a climate appropriate for a tropical animal.

On her blog, she's honest about the problems in caring for a capybara. When people ask her about getting one, she tells them first to read her whole blog, including the entries about when he has bitten her.

But Typaldos also sees Caplin as an ambassador of sorts.

"People don't like rodents," she says, but many rodents make good pets. Her kids had pet rats when they were young. "If someone says something bad about rats, on the blog or Facebook, he'll always step in and say something."

LINK TO ORIGINAL STORY WITH MORE PHOTOS

Atascocita growing by leaps and bounds!

2010-02-03T10:49:00.001-08:00

Business Week:

Tired of reading about how rotten the real estate market is? Here's some good news that shows that even during the worst of the recession plenty of American cities, towns, and suburbs continue to grow.

One such place is Atascocita, Tex. A mostly residential community 20 miles from Houston, it gained more than 1,800 households in 2009, an 8% year-over-year increase, according to new data from Little Rock-based data firm Gadberry Group. Over the decade, amenities that have helped attract residents to this wooded locale include Lake Houston, just east of the city; the school district; and proximity to the city of Houston. With new roads in the area under construction, "we're starting to see major industry start to take a look at the area," says Mike Byers, president of the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce.

Migration levels nationwide stayed low last year as homeowners saddled with pricey mortgages stayed put—but there are some positive trends. Research by the Gadberry Group shows that some areas, resisting the effects of the recession, continue to attract both domestic and foreign migrants and, as an effect, bring in new businesses to provide services. While other cities across the U.S. have contracted, these have continued to grow.

Some states are better off than others, though. As thousands of people left places such as New Orleans and Flint, Mich. (the country's two fastest-shrinking cities), in the last decade, communities with the best mix of economic activity, proximity to job centers, and a good environment for families continued to grow. While not entirely spared by the economic downturn (some homes in these areas are now in foreclosure), people continued to move in during 2009.
Texas Grew the Most

Texas came out on top of Gadberry's survey, with four high-growth cities: Atascocita, Katy, Mansfield, and Wylie. The report only included areas larger than 10,000 occupied households that met requirements for growth rate, household income, length of residence, and other factors.

Larry Martin, principal of the Gadberry Group, says many of the places with the biggest housing growth at the beginning of the last decade, such as Nevada, Florida, and Arizona, also saw the biggest drop-off since the economy sank. Texas, however, enjoyed relatively strong housing and job markets over the last 10 years, thanks in large part to the presence of major employers in the robust energy business. As of December, the state unemployment rate was 8.3% (lower than the national rate of 10%), according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also had the largest state population growth between July 2008 and July 2009, according to a December release by the Census Bureau. "New homes are still being built and people are still moving into these homes" in Texas, says Martin.

Part of the state's strength, says Mark Mather, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C., is its diversified economy. Main industries include petroleum refining, chemical production, aerospace, and information technology.

Meanwhile, areas that depended on the housing boom are now dealing with high foreclosure rates. Places such as Summerlin South, Nev., which appear in Bloomberg BusinessWeek's slide show of fast-growing cities, gained population but, like the rest of the state, may be dealing with high mortgage default rates.

"If you live by migration, you also die by migration," says Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute. "It doesn't guarantee continued growth."
New Business Opportunities

Migration is typically highest among people in their 20s seeking jobs near large urban cores, but employment opportunities are not the only draw. "Amenities are also important in migrational decisions," says Johnson. Many families consider factors such as schools and recreational amenities like scenic areas and parks.

This is a consideration now in Spring Hill, Tenn., which gained 7,645 households since 2000 as many young families moved to the town for affordable housing and work at the General Motors plant, which is now idle. Dustin Dunbar, chairman of the Spring Hill Economic Development Commission, says this has created demand and opportunity for businesses that provide youth activities and entertainment. "We hope to recruit some businesses to cater to our largest demographics," he says.

While migration in 2010 may remain sluggish, "we'll see a continuation of urban sprawl once the economy bounces back," says Mather.

Dr. Conrad Murray to surrender today.

2010-02-03T06:31:00.000-08:00

Dr. Conrad Murray is expected to surrender to authorities in Los Angeles this week on charges related to Michael Jackson's death, according to The Associated Press and CNN. Murray arrived in Los Angeles recently from Houston in anticipation of a decision from the district attorney's office, spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik told the AP..

"Dr. Murray is in Los Angeles for a dual purpose — on family business and to be available for law enforcement," Sevcik told the AP. "We're trying to be as cooperative as we can."

"Dr. Murray is more than ready to surrender and answer to any charges," Ed Chernoff, one of Murray's lawers, told CNN, adding that prosecutors have not announced any charges, and Murray has not been told how or where he should surrender.

No official comment has been made about when charges might, come; David Walgren, the deputy district attorney handling the case, declined to comment to the AP on Tuesday (February 2).

Law enforcement officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the AP that Murray is likely to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's June 25 death from an anesthetic overdose. Murray has denied criminal wrongdoing.

"We continue to maintain that Dr. Murray neither prescribed nor administered anything that should have killed Michael Jackson," Sevcik said.

Earlier this year, TMZ reported that the Los Angeles Police Department had completed its investigation into Jackson's death and was preparing to send the case to the DA's office within weeks.

Murray has told investigators that he administered the surgical anesthetic propofol, as well as other tranquilizers, to Jackson several times in the hours leading up to his death, and the coroner has ruled the singer died of lethal levels of the drug. Involuntary manslaughter charges would require prosecutors to show that Murray engaged in gross negligence in his actions but did not intend to cause harm or death to Jackson.

Cleanup under way in 462,000-gallon oil spill off Port Arthur

2010-01-25T06:09:00.001-08:00

CNN) -- Crews removed about 46,000 gallons of oil from waters near Port Arthur, Texas, on Sunday, roughly 10 percent of the oil spilled a day earlier when a tanker collided with two barges, a U.S. Coast Guard officer said.

An estimated 462,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from barrels aboard the tanker, forcing the closure of the port in southern Texas, Petty Officer Larry Chambers told CNN. The Sabine Neches Waterway near Port Arthur also was closed. It was unclear Sunday when the port, about 100 miles east of Houston, Texas, will reopen or when crews will finish the cleanup, he said.

"We certainly want it to be done as soon as possible, but with that said, safety is the main issue," Chambers said. "We're not going to open the port until it's determined that vessels can pass through cleanly, safely and not cause any further damage."

No injuries were reported when the Exxon Mobile-chartered tanker -- the 807-foot Eagle Otome -- collided Saturday with two barges being towed by a tug boat. The tanker was carrying about 570,000 gallons of crude oil to Exxon's Beaumont refinery when it crashed, Exxon Mobile spokesman Kevin Allexon told CNN. The cause of the crash was unknown, but is under investigation, he said.

"We are very concerned about how this could have happened," Allexon said. "We are very concerned about the impact to the environment, to the community. No one wants to see this happen."

The port is primarily for industrial use, but it is not far from wetlands. None of the nearby marshes or sensitive wildlife were adversely affected, Chambers said, but one heron was "oiled." The bird was alive and undergoing treatment, he said.

An evacuation order that was imposed in a 50-block area around the port after the collision was lifted. That area was evacuated Saturday out of caution, as the tanker was carrying a type of oil containing sulfide.

Fifteen skimming vessels sailed the area recovering the oil and workers dropped more than 45,000 feet of boom -- fencing-like material -- to keep the oil from spreading, Chambers said. More than 500 people were involved in containing and cleaning the spill, said Darrell Wilson, spokesman for Malaysia-based AET Tanker Holdings, the owner of the tanker.

The biggest oil spill in U.S. history occurred in 1989 when the Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef in the Gulf of Alaska, resulting in the spill of 11 million gallons of crude.

Committee discusses farmers market improvements

2010-01-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

By JENNIFER SUMMER
Updated: 01.19.10
To accommodate the vendors and guests at the Humble Farmers Market, the Lake Houston Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee is making a few changes to the hours of operation and expanding to Kingwood.

The committee approved the decision to make the hours of operation for the market every Wednesday from 3 until 7 p.m at the group’s monthly meeting Jan. 11.

When the weather is warmer, the committee knows there will be more vendors and guests than there currently are.

“Despite the weather, we have great vendors and the community is very receptive to the farmers market. In the spring, we will have even more vendors and more people visiting the market so we are very excited about what is to come for the Humble Farmers Market,” Tom Cook, chairman of the committee, said.

The Beautification Committee recently hired Lois Bean as the market manager and she is responsible for making sure the market runs smoothly and everything is set up properly.

The committee also discussed the possibility of expanding the farmers market to include a second location in Kingwood.

Tony Austin of the Town Center Park Association talked about the second location of the farmers market being held in Town Center Park in Kingwood.

According to city of Houston laws and regulations, the farmers market vendors must be set up on pavement, so the committee is going to look into how they may be able to work out the farmers market for it to be held in Town Center.

“What we are trying to figure out is what constitutes as pavement and what are our options for us to have the farmers market here,” Cook said.

“The idea for having a farmers market in Kingwood is not to hurt the market in Humble but to offer a place for Kingwood residents, who may not be able to get to Humble, a place where they can buy fresh produce and other items.”

The Beautification Committee and Austin will work together to figure out if it will work out for the farmers market to be held in Town Center Park in Kingwood every Thursday.

If the Kingwood farmers market is approved and the plans are worked out, the market would not be started until the weather was warmer around March.

Additionally, the committee is working on banners for the farmers market which will give it more publicity and remind the community when the market is held.

In other business, the Lake Houston Chamber’s Beautification Committee will partner with Keep Kingwood Green in recognizing businesses in the Humble, Kingwood and Atascocita areas who are “green” and eco-friendly.

Keep Kingwood Green would recognize “green” businesses in the area while the Beautification Committee would hand out awards for the most eco-friendly businesses.

The two groups will develop the requirements and list of businesses which fit in this category.

The next meeting of the Lake Houston Chamber of Commerce Beautification Committee will be Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. at the chamber offices.

For more information, call 281-446-2118.

Two students hospitalized after stabbing at Humble High School

2010-01-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

By STEFANIE THOMAS
Updated: 01.12.10
Two Humble High School students were hospitalized after a stabbing that occurred on school grounds around 4 p.m. Jan. 12.

According to Karen Collier, spokeswoman for Humble Independent School District, a 15-year-old girl attacked a 17-year-old fellow student with a double-edged cutting instrument, inflicting injuries to the victim’s face and upper torso and cutting her own hands in the process.

“It appears [the suspect] used a double-sided razor implement, something you might use to cut carpet or sheet rock,” Collier said. “I think this is something the student may have brought from home. There is no indication at this time that she got it at school.”

Collier said the two students had problems in with each other in the past but the reason for the stabbing is presently unknown.

According to Collier, the victim was transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital downtown, while the juvenile suspect is being treated at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital. The victim’s condition is unknown at this time.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim tonight. It is a shock for everyone at a campus when violence occurs because students and employees see it as a protected environment,” Collier said. “Sadly, that was not the case today. I want to urge students to tell an adult when they have conflicts because help is available.”

Collier said there are no metal detectors at Humble High School to deter students from bringing weapons to school, but a police officer is on site during school hours as a safety precaution.

District says list is unfair

2010-01-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

Four Humble ISD schools were included on a list of the “worst schools in Texas” released by the Texas Education Agency Dec. 15.

North Belt, Park Lakes and Whispering Pines elementaries and Humble High School were listed on the report released by the state agency. All four are campuses where half or more of the student population failed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests. TAKS is the statewide test to measure competencies in a number of subject areas. The list, the 2010-2011 Public Education Grant List, shows all schools in Texas with 50 percent or less of the students passing any reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, or science TAKS test, were rated “academically unacceptable” in 2007, 2008 or 2009.

Humble ISD Superintendent Dr. Guy Sconzo defended the district’s placement on the list and explained contextual inaccuracies.

“I think it was the most ridiculous and totally unfair headline and article I’ve ever seen,” Sconzo said of a blog entry on Chron.com.

“Any campus that has been identified as ‘academically unacceptable’ in one of any of the past three years is on that TEA list. Hence, I see no reason for anyone to put any credence in the article. We actually have campuses on that list that were ‘academically recognized’ since Park Lakes’ rating for 2009 increased to ‘acceptable’ and Whispering Pines has progressed to ‘recognized,’” Sconzo explained. The 2009 ratings for North Belt Elementary and Humble High School were ‘unacceptable.’ Students at North Belt fell below the state standard in one of 25 scores, and therefore failed to meet state ratings. Humble High School failed to meet the standard due to a completion rate, rather than test scores. Results of the Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, which were released in August, indicate that the district as a whole has met the required federal criteria and was rated ‘acceptable.’

Established in 2001 under the No Child Left Behind Act, all public schools are evaluated for annual progress. Federal regulations are based on participation and passing rates on state math and English tests, high school graduation rates and attendance rates from elementary and middle schools.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Lufkin hit by tornado.

2009-12-24T07:37:00.001-08:00

By Whitney Grunder -
LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) - Severe storms ripped through parts of East Texas Wednesday evening. Some Lufkin neighborhoods sustained extensive damage from a possible tornado.

Among them is the Lufkin VFW, which is now gone. The damage comes right after 10,000 dollars worth of recent tile work. A check for the construction was written Wednesday, before the storm hit.

One resident living near Gipson Funeral Home on Chestnut Street even reported seeing caskets in his backyard.
Jakoia Grimes and her children were happy to have made it safely out of their Lufkin apartment, before their entire roof collapsed. "I looked up and I just saw the light from outside and I had my girls come and sit by the door, and within minutes the entire roof caved in," said Grimes, who is now staying with family members.
Jennifer Mays watched the tornado touch down right outside Stephens Court Apartments. She described it as "massive." She said, "I couldn't believe it was so powerful to the point that it just opened up my door."
Next door, owners sifted through what remained of their welding business, part of Lufkin for 25 years. Max's Welding Shop on Denman Avenue was completely destroyed.
Owners said they can't blame God for the severe weather, and that fortunately another shop behind the building stands untouched by the storm.

"I think we're going to be able to salvage some of our equipment. I think we're going to be alright," said co-owner Betty Purgahn.
Cheddars employees also witnessed a tornado touch down in the middle of the Olive Garden parking lot. "I heard a bunch of commotion and they were talking about the patio chairs were nearly about to hit some cars so we ran to try to help," said Cheddars employee Brad Barrow.

According to witnesses, other than damaging a few of the vehicles parked in the Olive Garden parking lot, the tornado did not affect any of the buildings. The Department of Public Safety reported that the tornado lifted back up, and did not cause any injuries.
Utility crews were also working to remedy power outages caused by toppled power poles. Thursday morning, thousands of residents were without power. An Oncor spokesperson said approximately 2,500 customers were without power in the Lufkin area.

So far no severe injuries have been reported.

Captured escapee says prison staff helped him

2009-12-09T06:43:00.001-08:00

by KHOU.com Staff

Posted on December 9, 2009 at 6:50 AM

CONROE, Texas—The escaped prisoner who was the focus of a week-long manhunt told a local activist that he had help from the inside. Convicted child rapist Arcade Comeaux said the weapon he used to hijack guards was in his cell for at least three weeks.

Questions still surround the prison system that allowed Comeaux to dupe authorities for years. The supposedly partially-paralyzed man managed to walk away from the guards and right into controversy.
Authorities are asking two questions; why didn’t prison officials realize Comeaux was faking his medical condition, and where did he get the gun?
Local activist Quanell X said Comeaux told him he had help from the inside.

“He named that guard and he also named someone who is involved in medical who had been giving him medical assistance,” Quanell X said.

But prison officials said Comeaux has not shared that information with investigators so there are no arrests at this time.
“This feels like the inmate is running the asylum,” said a former TDCJ staff member who remembers Comeaux clearly.
“He would sit in the food. Of course it would dry and start smelling. He refused to shower, refused to clean himself, basically saying ‘I’m immobile, I need someone to do this for me.’”

The former staff member said Comeaux orchestrated a deliberate campaign of extortion, despite medical reports that he was able to care for himself. He said Comeaux manipulated the system to get health assistance and better housing.
A grand jury on Thursday will hear the case against the convicted sex offender who was captured in northeast Houston Monday morning.
Comeaux is now facing aggravated kidnapping and felony escape charges. He was in custody in the Montgomery County Jail Tuesday, awaiting his hearing. Comeaux, who is currently serving three life sentences, was found when a salesman saw him trying to hitchhike in front of a business on East Little York.

The salesman called HPD, who came and took Comeaux into custody without incident.
Investigators said Comeaux escaped during transport from a prison unit in Huntsville to one in Beaumont.
As the prison van passed through Conroe, investigators said Comeaux pulled out a gun, held two transport guards hostage, handcuffed them in the back of the van, drove the van to Baytown, took the guards’ weapons, put on one of their uniforms and escaped.

Officials launched an extensive manhunt, but Comeaux managed to elude them for seven days before he was captured.
He had been confined to a wheelchair since 1997 when a stroke purportedly left him partially paralyzed, but when he was taken into custody, Comeaux was walking.

He has been in and out of the Texas prison system for 30 years.
Comeaux was first sent to prison in 1979 on three 10-year sentences for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child and burglary of a building—all out of Harris County. He was paroled four years later.

His parole was revoked and he returned to prison in 1984 to serve a 20-year sentence on a new charge of indecency with a child out of Harris County. He was paroled in 1991 but was in and out of prison for parole violations until 1996.
In June 1998, he was given a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault in Brazos County.
Comeaux was given two extra life sentences after he was convicted of stabbing his wife and another person in 1999. That attack occurred in the Jester III Unit in Fort Bend County when his wife came to visit him. The other person stabbed was a man who tried to stop the attack.

Still, those at the top want to correct the miscommunication between the workers inside prison walls.

“If you are in charge of a prison, and you see there is a disputes between medical’s and correction’s, come to us and ask for laws that would eliminate the controversy, ”said John Whitmire, chairman of the senate criminal justice committee. He is calling for a full investigation of prison and medical staff.

WATCH KHOU VIDEO REPORT HERE

News Alert: Comeaux now on most wanted list

2009-12-06T06:32:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- A Texas inmate in a wheelchair, who escaped on foot from two armed guards as he was being transferred between prisons, is now on the U.S. Marshals' list of the 15 most-wanted fugitives.
Arcade Comeaux Jr., 49, "produced a weapon and fired upon two correctional officers, took them hostage and forced them to drive to Baytown, Texas," the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement.
He then put the officers in the back of the van and took their weapons and one of their uniforms, the statement said.

Comeaux was serving three life sentences for aggravated sexual assault and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He escaped Monday during transport from Huntsville, Texas, to Stiles, Texas.
The 6-foot, 200-pound man was shackled and in a wheelchair, "which he had claimed was needed for mobility," Michelle Lyons, director of public information for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Huntsville, said in a statement.

About 45 minutes into the trip, as they were driving through Conroe, 40 minutes north of Houston, the prisoner pulled out a pistol and ordered the guards to drive south to Baytown, east of Houston.
He fired once, but hit no one during the escape about 9 a.m., officials said.
Law enforcement officers found the unharmed officers an hour later.

Comeaux was being transferred so he could be near John Sealy Hospital in Galveston for treatment of the supposed paralysis he had suffered during a reported stroke, officials said.

At least $16,000 in reward money has been offered for information leading to Comeaux's rearrest and a task force of more than 100 investigators is searching for him, focusing on the Houston area, where he grew up and has family.
His escape has led the man who oversees Texas' criminal justice system to call for a shakeup of the prison system.
"I just think enough's enough," said Sen. John Whitmire, the Texas Democrat from Houston who is chairman of the state Senate's Criminal Justice Committee.

"We need a complete shakeup of the leadership of our prison system and/or an outside review by third parties," he told CNN by phone Wednesday. "We just can't have security breaches of this nature."
Whitmire said the guards had failed to pat down Comeaux while he was in his wheelchair and before they began the trip.
"Sure enough, he has a firearm," he said. "The question is, are there others (in the prison system)? I think you have to assume that there are until you find out differently."

So far this year, more than 900 cell phones have been confiscated from the 112 locations that house the state's 158,000 prisoners. "It's pretty rampant," he said.

"I want the director to come forward and tell us what it's going to take" to solve the problem, he said.
John Moriarty, inspector general of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said such lapses are highly unusual in the state's penal system. "We have no open gun investigations other than this one," he said. "The last one was several years ago."
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Executive Director Brad Livingston, who has been in the job since 2005, did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.

Snow forecast in Houston area !

2009-12-04T05:36:00.000-08:00

On average, once every four years even Houston gets visited by the Snow Gods. Although, this could be the second year-in-a-row for Houston snow. And if snow does indeed fall this Friday as forecasted, it would be the earliest snowfall on record.

Fred Schmud of ImpactWeather said to the Houston Chronicle, “Most of our forecasting data is caught right in the middle, meaning any subtle change in the position of the upper level disturbance will have huge consequences on how much, if any, snow falls across the Greater Houston area."

Right now NOAA is predicting a 70% chance of snow on Friday.

Man assaults sister with hot pie/ faces charges

2009-12-02T07:24:00.001-08:00

GALVESTON — A man who smacked his sister in the face with a piece of hot pecan pie on Thanksgiving Day may end up in jail on an aggravated assault charge, a Galveston County sheriff's spokesman said Tuesday.

The hot pie caused first- and second-degree burns and required medical treatment, sheriff's spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said. A warrant for the brother's arrest was expected to be issued today, he said.
Tuttoilmondo said he could not release the names of the siblings until the arrest warrant was issued but gave this account: The

26-year old brother from Texas City and 23-year-old sister from Alvin began arguing at their parents' home in Algoa about 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Tuttoilmondo said he could not release the names of the siblings until the arrest warrant was issued but gave this account: The 26-year old brother from Texas City and 23-year-old sister from Alvin began arguing at their parents' home in Algoa about 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

As the dispute grew, the brother threatened to heave a piece of pecan pie that he was warming in a microwave oven, Tuttoilmondo said. An attempt by the mother to calm the argument failed and the brother carried out his threat, shoving the pie in his sister's face.

Sheriff's deputies were called and the sister sought medical treatment for burns to the left side of her face and neck, Tuttoilmondo said. She later tried to have the case dropped, but under Texas law, family violence cases must be prosecuted.

“One thing that gets lost in a story like this, beyond the humor of someone getting hit in the face with a pie, is that this is an issue of family violence,” Tuttoilmondo said.

“This is the type of thing that law enforcement takes seriously.”

Police seek suspect in driveway robbery

2009-12-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

By STEFANIE THOMAS
Updated: 12.01.09
Police say an armed suspect who robbed a man in the driveway of his residence may have followed his victim home from a gas station.

According to Humble Police Detective Duke Caruthers, the 31-year-old resident of the Meadowbrook Mobile Home Park in the 2700 block of Wilson Road, accompanied by another male, had just turned into his driveway around 10:30 p.m. Nov. 30 when he was confronted with a “long, black shotgun” pointed at his face.

“The suspect demanded money and, fearing for his life, the [victim] complied by giving him his wallet,” Caruthers said. “The suspect then told the two men not to look at him as he left the scene.”

Caruthers said both men told police the suspect fired a warning shot as he fled the scene on foot, running east on Wilson.

“The [victim] said just prior to the robbery he saw a man who looked like the suspect at the Valero gas station at Will Clayton at Wilson,” Caruthers said.

The suspect is only described as a black male who was wearing a black hoodie. His face was covered by a black bandana.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Humble Police Department at 281-446-7127.

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Christmas in Humble begins with lights, annual parade

2009-12-01T06:43:00.000-08:00

The city of Humble's 19th annual Christmas Parade of Lights is on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. on Main Street. This year's theme is the “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Humble Observer

By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
Updated: 12.01.09
Standing on both sides of Main Street, spectators will greet participants in the 19th annual city of Humble Christmas Parade of Lights on Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. “This event is just a good way for the community to come out and it is Humble’s way to kick off the holiday season,” Sgt. Perry Burkeen, chairman of the city’s Christmas Parade Committee, said.

The parade will have more than 20 participants, either on a float or walking, that will begin marching east of the rail road tracks on Main Street towards Avenue H where it will turn left towards Higgins. Main Street near U.S. Highway 59 will be closed on Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. and will re-open at 7:30 p.m.

Each entrant will be judged by local residents and winners will be announced within 72 hours of the parade. Applications are accepted until Nov. 30. The entry fee is $35 and a new toy donation per entrant.

“The new toy will be collected the night of the parade and given to the Humble Police Department to deliver to children who are less fortunate,” Chris Green, committee member, said.

After the parade, the committee will hold its annual tree lighting ceremony at Uptown Park. Once the tree is lit, children will be able to sit on Santa Claus’ lap and tell him what they want for Christmas.

In addition to the event, community residents will be able to purchase city of Humble Christmas ornaments from 2005 to 2009 for $10 each. The 2009 ornament is of the old Humble Depot. Ornaments prior to 2005 are $5 each.

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Twelve Days of Christmas,” the committee has listed holiday activities that are taking place around the community. Along with the parade and the decoration contest, other activities include the Kingwood and Kingwood Park high schools’ FFAs’ Santa’s Farm Dec. 4, Christmas in the Park in Kingwood’s Town Center Dec. 5, Old Fashioned Christmas at Jesse Jones Park Dec. 5, Humble High School holiday choir concert Dec. 10, Jesse Jones Park’s Christmas Cheer Dec. 12, First United Methodist Church’s choir program Dec. 13 and 14, and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church of Kingwood’s Live Nativity Dec. 17-19. The committee is looking for three more events it can highlight.

Christmas Lights

The city of Humble’s Christmas Parade Committee will officially start the Christmas season this year with its first ever Humble Christmas Lights and Decoration Contest Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. People can still sign up for the decorating contest and the entry fee to participate is free.

Residential and commercial properties on Main Street, Higgins Street and Granberry Street will be judged based on the festive lights and other holiday-related displays.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Girl’s family files civil suit following sex assault at Humble daycare

2009-11-06T07:46:00.001-08:00

An 11-year-old boy was arrested for the sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl at Delk's Happy Times daycare in Humble. The facility has now become the center of a lawsuit brought by the girl's family.

By STEFANIE THOMAS
Updated: 11.05.09
The family of a 6-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by an 11-year-old boy at Delk’s Happy Times Learning Center on Isaacks Road in Humble has filed suit against the childcare facility and its owner, Carole Delk.

Court documents show that the lawsuit, dated Nov. 4, requests compensation in the form of actual and punitive damages, as well as medical and counseling expenses on behalf of the little girl and her mother. No dollar-amount is specified in the lawsuit. The court documents only identify the young victim as “Jane Doe” to protect her privacy.

The lawsuit was filed after an 11-year-old boy at the daycare fondled the child under a blanket while watching television in June. A report by the Department of Family and Protective Services, which launched an investigation into the incident, stated that the two children were “unsupervised by daycare staff” and that “the caregiver stepped out of the classroom and attended other children in the area.”

Matt Mussilla, the family’s attorney, said the incident should never have happened and that his young client may be left with emotional scars into adolescence and possibly adulthood.

“She had some bruises [after the assault], but aside from the physical pain, there is emotional suffering,” he said. “After this happened, the little girl had difficulty sleeping, a lot of nightmares. She’s been under the care of a therapist. There is no telling how this may affect her in terms of relationships in the future. She is old enough to remember what happened.”

A 2-year DFPS compliance check history shows that a total of five high-risk violations were found at Delk’s, including failure to conduct background checks on employees in Dec. 2008 and again in February of this year. In April 2008, DFPS found that the caregivers in two classrooms could not provide an accurate head count of the children in their care. In Nov. 2008, it was determined that the daycare director herself did not have the required FBI fingerprint check on file. Most recently, a July 21 evaluation again found a medium- to high-risk violation when two children were not strapped into their high chairs properly at feeding time. The results of an Oct. 23 evaluation are still pending.

The lawsuit claims that the sexual assault on Jane Doe is “a case involving profound neglect of a minor,” and that the young victim “was subjected to an unreasonably dangerous condition and activity due to, among other things, woefully inadequate supervision on the part of Defendants and suffered bodily and emotional injuries as a result.”

The petition further states that, “To add insult to injury, even after learning of the events, Defendants denied that they occurred and further denied any wrongdoing.”

In the days following the incident, Carole Delk, who has directed the daycare center for more than a dozen years, decried the DFPS’ official findings saying that the long-time family-operated facility had been “cleared of any wrongdoing.”

“We are not at fault,” Delk told The Observer in June. “When this happened, the teachers were sitting right there in the room, not four feet from the children. Our supervision is perfect. As far as I’m concerned, we don’t even know if this really happened until it’s proven.”

Delk could not be immediately reached for comment regarding the civil suit brought against her and her childcare facility.

Brick House Tavern and Tap brings ambiance to Humble

2009-10-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Brick House Tavern and Tap will open its doors to the Humble and surrounding communities on Nov. 4. The restaurant will serve American-style cuisine seven days a week.

By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
Updated: 10.27.09
Humble residents and those from surrounding communities will soon have a new place at which to eat and relax.

Opening to the public on Nov. 4, Brick House Tavern and Tap plans to provide the ideal environment for hardworking individuals.

“We designed this restaurant with the concept of making it a place that people will want to come no matter what environment or atmosphere they are in the mood for,” Modesto Alcala, chief concept officer of Brick House Tavern and Tap, said. “The restaurant is set up for customers to migrate from one experience to the next.”

Brick House Tavern has a variety of seating it feels will accommodate every type of patron. Its booths are made of leather and upholstery. It has a dining area for large groups and a recreation area with recliners and two televisions for those who want to watch a sporting event while they eat or drink.

“We are a great restaurant with a great bar. The colors and lighting along with our fireplace makes this restaurant really warm,” Alcala said. “We do not have any neon lights that you might see in some bars, but we do have televisions that are operated individually, meaning each television can show a different game.”

The restaurant has a full-service bar that features more than 70 different types of beer and offers beer bongs to be brought to the table for four or more people at a table.

The outside of the restaurant is complete with tables, a fire pit and an outside bar.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Dump truck, SUV flip on Highway 59

2009-10-28T06:14:00.001-07:00

By STEFANIE THOMAS
Updated: 10.27.09
Police say a major 2-vehicle accident that left motorists stuck on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 59 just south of FM 1960 on the morning of Oct. 27 was caused by an SUV losing the tread on one of its tires.

The accident occurred around 9:15 a.m. when the tread peeled of the right rear tire of a Ford Explorer, causing the driver to lose control of his vehicle, hit a retaining wall and careen across three lanes of traffic, according to Humble Police accident investigator Officer David Meyers.

“The Explorer hit the front end of a dump truck loaded with sand,” Meyers said. “The truck driver tried to avoid the collision but wasn’t able to. The Explorer flipped and the dump truck rolled onto its side.”

READ MORE HERE

Meyers said both Diesel tanks on the dump truck were punctured. The Humble Fire Department responded and decided to use the load of sand the truck was carrying to soak up the spill, he said.

The driver of the Ford Explorer, a 52-year-old Houston man, was transported to Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital with back and neck pain by ground ambulance. The owner of the dump truck, a 58-year-old independent contractor from New Caney, refused treatment at the scene, Meyers said.

Fault lies with the driver of the Ford Explorer who, Meyers said, will be cited for failure to maintain a single lane of traffic as well as defective equipment.

All lanes of Highway 59 had to be closed periodically to allow for first responders and cleanup crews, resulting in a major traffic snarl throughout most of the morning. Two lanes were still closed by noon, but traffic was able to navigate around the lane closures fairly smoothly by that time.

Driver hits school bus head-on

2009-10-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

By STEFANIE THOMAS
Updated: 10.19.09
Police say a 51-year-old Kingwood woman crashed into an Humble Independent School District bus head-on Monday morning after she veered into the oncoming lane on Wilson Road.

According to Humble PD accident investigator Officer Jack Burt, the accident occurred at 7 a.m. in the 2700 block of Wilson, in front of the Meadowbrook mobile home park.

Burt said it is unclear at this time why the woman, who was traveling southbound on Wilson in a Buick Century, crossed the center lane and subsequently clipped an oncoming Lincoln Towncar before crashing into the school bus. A citation for failure to maintain a single lane is pending, he said.

“The driver of the Buick was transported to [Memorial Hermann] Northeast Hospital by ground ambulance,” Burt said. “The driver of the Lincoln and the bus driver were uninjured.”

Humble ISD spokeswoman Karen Collier said no children were on the bus at the time of the accident.

“That’s definitely something we’re grateful for,” Collier said.

Burt said the Buick was totaled in the wreck and the bus suffered moderate damage.