Happy New Year!

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!

5 teens charged with car burglaries ...

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.

East Montgomery County Meth Lab Shut Down

EAST MONTGOMERY COUNTY-- After receiving a tip regarding an active methamphetamine lab, Deputy Josh Bergland and other members of the Pct. 4 Constable’s Office went to a room at the Kingsway Inn Motel in New Caney around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, where they found two adults and a juvenile along with methamphetamine lab components as well as some finished product.

The DPS Methamphetamine Initiative Group (MIG) responded to the scene for the purpose of conducting safe collection, testing, documentation and removal of evidence.

Kerry Lee Datray, 34, of Cleveland and 38-year-old Wayne Paul Walters of Lufkin are each charged with two first degree felonies: Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Possession/Transport of Chemicals with Intent to Manufacture Controlled Substance. Datray also had multiple outstanding warrants from both Montgomery County and JP4.

Deputies contacted Child Protective Services who responded to the scene and took custody of the juvenile.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What's that smell?

TEXAS CITY, Texas — A smell similar to rotten eggs enveloped Texas City about 5 p.m. Monday afternoon after a leak from a subunit at BP’s Texas City refinery.

Workers were doing maintenance work on a sour water compressor on the refinery’s Power 2 unit when workers noticed a smell after a piece of equipment failed, company spokesman Michael Marr said. The odor, which forced some businesses on Palmer Highway about 13 blocks from the refinery to shutter their doors and close windows, lasted more than an hour.

The smell is believed to come from liquid in the subunit that contained hydrogen sulfide, which is a hazardous chemical that has a strong smell of rotten eggs, Texas City Homeland Security Director Bruce Clawson said. The Texas City Fire Department and BP industrial hygienists conducted ground-level air monitoring and did not find any readings of hazardous chemicals in the air, Clawson said.

Between one and two barrels of sour water — which is waste water that contains hydrocarbons and is pumped to an enclosed sewer system for disposal — spilled, causing the offensive odor, officials said.

There was not a shelter in place order for the city, but Clawson issued a phone and e-mail alert to residents notifying them of the situation.

There was a brief shelter in place order within the refinery for areas downwind of the leak, Marr said. BP set up an incident command center and the leak was contained at about 9 p.m.

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Illegal steroid operation busted

SPRING, Texas - Hey, did you have an illegal steroids manufacturing operation from your home in Spring, Texas? Bad news: The cops found it.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies found laboratory equipment and several containers of growth hormone at a residence in the 29000 block of West Pecos River Court.

The Special Investigations Unit received info regarding illicit drugs being manufactured and trafficked from the suspected residence, according to a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office statement. The unit served a narcotics search warrant against the residence around 10 a.m. on Monday.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Houston murders may be work of a serial killer

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

Burn ban in effect!

Harris County Commissioners Court approved a burn ban Tuesday, Oct. 26, following the lead of Montgomery County officials who announced a burn ban effective Oct. 25. Due to an increased threat of wildfires there are now 67 Texas counties with burn bans in effect, including Harris, Chambers, Grimes, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller counties.

No outdoor burning is allowed except in an enclosure which contains all flames and/or sparks, outdoor burning activities authorized by TCEQ, ceremonial fires, non-commercial cooking, and prescribed “hot work”. Backyard cook-outs and barbecues are also allowed, as is welding and other “hot work” performed in accordance with county fire code requirements.

Conroe police search for shooter.

CONROE, Texas – Police are searching for a suspect they say shot and killed a man in his home early Sunday in Conroe.

Police responded to a shooting in the 200 block of Oak just after 12:00 a.m. and found a 57-year-old man shot once in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a witness, a man in his late teens or early 20s knocked at the door of the victim’s mobile home. When one of the residents answered, the suspect shot through the glass window with a hand gun.

Police said a similar crime happened in the same neighborhood last week. In that incident, someone approached the home across the street and knocked. As a female resident answered, the suspect shot through the door, narrowly missing her.
The name of Saturday night’s victim was not being released pending notification of next of kin.
Police continued to investigate.

9-11 call - backfires because of open laptop.

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

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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Police chase ends at Walmart

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on October 6, 2010 at 7:50 PM
Updated yesterday at 12:58 AM

HOUSTON -- A police chase ended in a three-vehicle wreck Wednesday evening in The Woodlands.

The chase ended at about 6:20 p.m. in front of a Walmart store at the intersection of Interstate 45 and Highway 242.

Air 11 video showed three vehicles wrecked including a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office car. The video also showed a man slumped over on a steering wheel inside a black vehicle.

The suspect reportedly shot himself. There was no word on why the suspect was being chased or how the three vehicles wrecked.
There were no other injuries reported.

No waiting: Houston ship channel back in business

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.

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!

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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Montgomery woman named top child advocate volunteer

By Brad Meyer
Updated: 10.03.10
For her work in organizing the efforts of government agencies, private sector groups and faith-based organizations supporting the 2,000 children needing assistance in Montgomery County, a Montgomery woman has been named the top child advocate volunteer in the state.

The Texas Council on Child Welfare Boards, a nonprofit network of child welfare advocates concerned with the protection of children, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services have named Terri Jaggers as the statewide 2009-10 Lucille Rocus Volunteer of the Year.

“It’s a great personal honor,” Jaggers said, “but I see this more as a tribute to the coordinated group effort of all volunteers than have made Montgomery County a model for child protection and foster care programs across the country.”

The award is named after 93-year-old Lucille Rocus for her lifelong commitment and advocacy for children in the state of Texas.

Jaggers joined the Montgomery County Child Protective Services/Child Welfare Board in 2009, but her commitment to helping children in need goes back to 1985 when she became active in child welfare and foster care programs.

Since then, Jaggers and her husband, Pat, an attorney specializing in adoption, have been foster parents to 25 children and formally adopted five children.

Most recently, Jaggers has focused her efforts on organizing the donations and contributions of private business, governmental agencies, churches and civic groups to minimize overlap and maximize productivity.

“Many kids need help with school supplies, but they don’t need three sets of the same thing,” she said. “We are coordinating needs and contributions to maximize the impact of volunteers and donations.”

Jagger says state agencies have good intentions, but they are bureaucracies that move slowly and don’t have the financial resources or personnel to fulfill all the needs of the communities they serve. Her goal is to supplement state resources with assistance from the private sector and faith-based groups.

“The state does a decent job with what they have,” she said, “but there is no way they can handle all of the day-to-day needs of children.”

More than 2,000 children in Montgomery County have some sort of reliance on state or private assistance, Jaggers said. Approximately 700 have a conservatorship relationship – meaning they rely totally on the state for support.

“Some people donate time, others volunteer money,” said Dr. Frances Brandau-Brown, a Montgomery County Child Welfare board member. “Terri does both.”

Brown said Jaggers has been active in local child advocacy programs for many years and has become an invaluable asset to the organization, while operating a health club in Houston, teaching at a local college and being a wife and mother.

Jaggers was named the 2005-06 Mrs. Texas U.S. and the 2008 Mrs. U.S. America.

“She’s a generous person in every sense of the word,” Brandau-Brown said. “I don’t know when she has time to sleep.”

Jaggers credits a strong network of support groups and her family for enabling her to maintain her hectic schedule.

“There are a lot of talented giving people in Montgomery County,” she said. “It’s a privilege to work with them on a project of this importance.”

Jaggers, herself a foster child, has no plans to scale back on her volunteer efforts.

“The point of life is figuring out what you’re good at and what your calling is,” she said. “I found mine and I’m committed to make life better for children.”

For information on how individuals or groups can assist in helping children in need in Montgomery County, e-mail Jaggers at tjaggs@aol.com.

Brad Meyer can be reached at bmeyer@hcnonline.com.


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MCABW Fashion Show Fundraiser

By J. Werner

MCABW's annual fundraiser will feature 'women of influence' and raise money for college scholarships.

'Looking Haute' Women of Influence Fashion Show to help women reach their full potential.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - Some of the community’s most influential women will take to the runway on Thursday, September 30, to help other women reach their full potential. The Montgomery County Association of Business Women (MCABW) will be featuring community leaders, successful fundraisers, and prominent business women, in a fashion show fundraiser at April Sound Country Club, to raise money for college scholarships.

The MCABW holds an annual fundraiser to benefit essential causes and non-profits in need. Every year’s fundraiser is a different concept, and each year there’s been a different beneficiary. The MCABW’s motto is “Women Helping Women,” and MCABW founder and executive director, Carol Gooch, said the organization is on a mission to help a diverse cross-section of the community. This year’s “Looking Haute” Women of Influence Fashion Show will provide scholarships for young women graduating from Montgomery County high schools in 2011, and women seeking to achieve or advance their college educations.

Past recipients for the annual fundraiser have been the Women’s Center, Children’s Safe Harbor, and the Friends of Montgomery County Texas Animal Shelter, all of which hold membership in the MCABW. Currently there are eighteen non-profits in the organization, and on a quarterly basis one is selected to receive a donation and in-kind services which include volunteerism, collection drives, and media exposure.

This year’s fundraiser fashion show will be held at April Sound Country Club on Highway 105, from 6 - 9 p.m. on September 30. The fashion show is being coordinated by Stacy Harris of Stacy Harris Images, and will feature the latest in fall fashions for what is comfortable for our local climate. Ten influential community women have been selected to model the fashions, but the MCABW is keeping the names of the models as discreet as possible in order to create sense of anticipation. The fashions are being provided by boutiques and stores throughout the county who are either owned by women, feature women’s attire, or who want to support future women leaders of the community.

Ladies Night Out Chairman, Donna Wick, of New Visions Communications Group, said the program is coming together nicely and that attendees will enjoy a sit-down dinner, beautiful fashions, and have an opportunity to win donated raffle items and door prizes.

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Conroe ISD middle school teacher accused of online solicitation of a minor

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:41 AM
Updated today at 10:41 AM
CONROE, Texas—A seventh-grade teacher from Conroe ISD has been charged with online solicitation of a minor.

Michael Brian Crawley, 30, was caught soliciting what he thought to be a 13-year-old girl over the Internet, prosecutors said. Turns out, that girl was an undercover officer in New Mexico.
According to prosecutors, Crawley discussed multiple sex acts with the officer via chat and webcam.

The first chat took place in early August, and the last on September 21.
Prosecutors said Crawley – who teaches math and science at Peete Middle School – was also actively involved with a national youth outreach group through the Methodist Church.
Investigators served a search warrant at Crawley’s home on September 24. He was taken into custody that day.

Crawley is the second Conroe ISD teacher to be arrested in the past three weeks.
Thomas Vickers, a seventh-grade history teacher, was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor, possession of child pornography and enticing a child on September 3.

9/11 contrail explained.

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

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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MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHERIFF’S BLOTTER

Updated: 09.02.10
District 1 – (North County)

A deputy was sent to the 13800 block of Henry Harris Road Aug. 26 in reference to a disturbance. A man said he was driving down the road when another man ran onto the road with a 2-by-4 board and swung the board at the complainant after getting out of his vehicle, striking him on the knee. The man then hit the complainant on the face with his hand. The man then went back into his yard and picked up a machete and started waving it. The complainant got back into his vehicle and went home. The man fled the scene. The deputy searched for the man and found him hiding under an abandoned mobile home. The 52-year-old Conroe man was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

District 2 – (South County)

Deputies responded to a robbery call at 25650 I-45 N. Aug. 26. While sitting in his vehicle, the complainant was approached by a black man wearing a security shirt. The man demanded his driver’s license and registration. The complainant exited his vehicle and produced his wallet to retrieve the requested documents. The man took the wallet out of his hands, put the complainant against the vehicle and left with the wallet. A deputy located a person fitting the description of the man, and the complainant positively identified him by his face and clothing. The 43-year-old man had lived on the property for approximately two weeks as the onsite security officer. He was wearing a T-shirt that said “police I am the law.” The sergeant conducted a lengthy interview with the man, as well as his family. There were numerous discrepancies in their stories. The man was arrested for impersonating a peace officer and theft from a person.

District 3 – (East County)

A deputy responded to the 20000 block of Mizell Road Aug. 26 in reference to a suspicious person call. A school district officer had observed a man loading a riding lawnmower from the woods. The deputy arrived and observed that the man’s vehicle had the inspection sticker from another vehicle on the windshield. The lawn mower was believed to be stolen but had not been reported or entered stolen at that time. The 29-year-old man was arrested and charged with fictitious inspection sticker.

District 4 – (West County)

A deputy was dispatched to the Turtle Creek subdivision Aug. 26 in reference to a family disturbance. The reportee said a man and his wife were arguing and the wife had started shooting a handgun into the air while standing in their back yard. Both parties told the deputy they had been drinking and began arguing. They said it had become a heated verbal altercation but did not get physical. The 58-year-old wife walked outside with a loaded Smith and Wesson 40-caliber handgun and fired it into the air while she yelled at her husband. The woman was arrested for discharging a firearm on less than 10 acres.

District 5 – (Northwest County)

A deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 16200 block of Texas 105 West Saturday. The male driver was suspected of being intoxicated. The man was administered several standard field sobriety tests and later arrested.

District 6 – (Woodlands)

A deputy responded to 1201 Lake Woodlands Drive Aug. 27 in reference to a 35-year-old Spring woman being detained for shoplifting. She allegedly attempted to steal $116.55 in merchandise from Macy’s.


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Hawaii beats Pearland for Little League World Series title shot.

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.

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.

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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Montgomery County Sheriff's Bust Illegal 8-Liner Gambling Operations

Fri, 08/20/2010 - 16:55 | by The Editor

On Thursday, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Special Investigations Unit served search warrants at businesses located in the 23600 block of Hwy 59 Porter, Texas and the 24100 block of Loop 494 in Porter, Texas. These businesses were operating as illegal 8-liner gambling places.

The warrants were served at approximately 3:00pm. The Loop 494 location was operating under the name “Casa Blanca”. 3 arrests were made of employees on location and 17 citations were issued to customers found gambling during warrant service. In addition 45 mother boards were seized along with approximately $13,000 dollars.

The second location on Hwy 59s “Seven Swords” had 5 employees arrested and 29 citations issued to customers. In addition 90 mother boards were seized along with approximately $15,000 dollars.

Many of the customer citations listed occupations as unemployed, retired, on social security and disabled.

The SIU was assisted by the MCSO D-3 Patrol Division, MCSO CID Auto Theft, and the MCSO PCT 4 Constables Office.

The following were arrested and charged with Engaging in Organized Criminal Activities (SJF), Gambling Promotion, Keeping a Gambling Place and Possession of Gambling Paraphernalia.

Heather Shaw w/f 10/30/86 New Caney
Armando Silva w/m, 08/26/1986 Cleveland
Jean Marie Parnell w/f, 09/10/1962 New Caney
Timmy Lynn Leong w/m 08/23/1961 Montgomery
Bille Jo Bertrand w/f, 02/12/1969 New Caney
Julietta Carrena w/f, 05/06/1979 Kingwood
Douglas Roark w/m, 09/16/1959 Splendora
Maria Silva Gonzales w/f, 09/14/1983 Porter


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NW Houston toddler found in hot car dead

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

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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Truancy taken seriously in E Montgomery County

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on August 5, 2010 at 7:37 AM

EAST MONTGOMERY COUNTY – School-skipping teens and their parents were rounded up and hauled off to jail late Wednesday to face charges ranging from contempt of court to blue felony warrants. Constables arrested 19 in all and said the sweep was part of an ongoing effort to clear a backlog of outstanding warrants in the courts.

Judge James Metts held truancy court for teens that skipped school last month. Only half of the nearly 250 offenders showed up. Contempt of court charges were filed against the no-shows and the warrants were executed throughout the area Wednesday evening.
"Many of the folks here tonight had ongoing obligations to the court and they refused to take care of those obligations," said Judge Metts. "They’ve had many opportunities in the past to do so, but have blatantly refused, which resulted in their arrests here this evening."

The constables were aided by the Splendora Police Department and New Caney ISD police who helped serve warrants on juvenile offenders accused of refusing to go to court or disobeying court orders.

The cells became so crowded that extra offenders were put in the office area. Police said one teen girl who decided she did not want to stick around, thought she’d make a break for it and leave.
She was captured about 30 minutes later across the freeway and now faces escape charges.
Judge Metts said they still have many open warrants and will continue to work until they bring them all to a close. He suggests offenders come in and take care of their matters quickly. Metts said it is probably not as bad as they think.

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Montgomery County creates public health district

Change comes after UTMB shifted its focus
By RENÉE C. LEE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Montgomery County has created a public health district to ensure that residents continue to have access to vaccines, immunizations and screenings for communicable diseases that once were provided by the University of Texas Medical Branch.
County commissioners formally approved the new district during a special meeting Friday. The Montgomery County Hospital District, which provides health care assistance to indigent residents, is now in charge of those public health services. The hospital district began serving patients July 1.

The change is in response to UTMB's decision to focus primarily on maternity care and the Women, Infants and Children program, said Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler. UTMB had served the county's public health services needs on a contract basis since 1991, when the county got out of the public health business, he said.

County and hospital district officials began discussions of forming a public health district about six months ago. Allen Johnson, the hospital district's chief executive officer, said the agency has been coordinating and planning regional responses to public health outbreaks, such as bioterrorism and smallpox. Overseeing public health services will enable the hospital district to streamline and conserve resources, Johnson said.

Sadler said the transition should be seamless, and residents can expect the same level of services under the hospital district.

State law allows a county, municipalities and political subdivisions, such as a hospital district, to enter an agreement to form a public health district. In this case, the cities of Conroe and Panorama Village have joined with the county and the Montgomery County Hospital District.

The county will give the hospital district $90,000 a year to provide health services, the same amount it paid UTMB. The county will continue to provide other health services, such as environmental health services, restaurant inspections and animal control services.
Public health districts can receive state and federal grants. The Montgomery County Public Health District will get about $350,000 in grant money that UTMB used to receive to cover staff salaries, equipment and supplies, Johnson said.

The eight employees who used to work for UTMB in Conroe now work for the public health district. The hospital district also has leased added space at its headquarters in Conroe to set up a public health clinic.

Johnson said a side benefit of having the clinic has been that some low-income residents coming in for public health services have had the opportunity to be screened for eligibility for the hospital district's health care assistance program, which helps people who do not have medical insurance.

Tar balls found on Texas beach

(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!

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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Killer of 12-year-old girl set to die in Texas

By MICHAEL GRACZYK / Associated Press


Condemned prisoner Jonathan Green faces lethal injection for the abduction, rape and strangling of a 12-year-old girl near Houston 10 years ago.

Green is scheduled to die in the Texas death chamber in Huntsville on Wednesday evening. The 42-year-old inmate would be the 14th killer Texas has executed this year and the first of two on consecutive nights in the nation's most active death penalty state.

A Montgomery County jury sent Green to death row for the June 2000 slaying of Christina LeAnn Neal, who lived across the road from Green in the Dobbin community, west of Conroe. She'd been reported missing after not returning home from a friend's house nearby.

Green was arrested a month later when police cadaver dogs led authorities to her body in his home.



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Recovery Effort in Gulf Expected to Continue Despite Storm

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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Alex may effect Gulf oil production ..

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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DPS suspends probe of minor parking lot crashes

By Matt Stephens
Updated: 06.14.10
The Texas Department of Public Safety is suspending the investigation of minor car collisions in parking lots in Montgomery County beginning July 1.

Now whenever minor wrecks occur in parking lots, it will be the motorists’ job to pick up a crash form, or CR-2 form, fill out the information and return it within 10 days.

DPS Trooper Erik Burse said the forms are required only if both parties have insurance, are not injured and are able to drive their cars away from the scene of the accident.

“If someone’s injured or doesn’t have insurance, it needs to be investigated,” Burse said.

The change in policy was made to ensure troopers focus their time on wrecks that occur on public roadways, which are more dangerous and require more attention. Roughly 30 percent of all accidents investigated in Montgomery County are minor crashes in parking lots, Burse said, and the new policy will help improve DPS response time on crashes that involve serious injuries or intoxicated drivers.

“If you have an accident while you’re driving home on Interstate 45 and get rear-ended at 65 mph, I might not be able to get to you because I’m responding to an accident in the Target parking lot,” he said.

Montgomery County was mandated by legislation to investigate all motor-vehicle crashes, including those that occur in parking lots. Burse said the information was brought to the state level in Austin, which allowed the county to adopt the new policy. Other areas in Texas have been allowed similar changes to the law, although Burse did not know the specific cities.

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Now when drivers call DPS regarding an accident, they will be asked the extent of the accident and their location to determine whether the crash needs to be investigated or the driver needs to pick up a crash report form.

The form can be picked up at any local law enforcement office or on the Department of Transportation’s website at www.dot.state.tx.us.

by Alex Sanz / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on June 1, 2010 at 7:39 PM
WILLIS, Texas -- Willis firefighters are bracing for a tough summer as Montgomery County prepares to deal with prolonged and near-record drought conditions.


The biggest fear is a repeat of last year, according to Jimmy Williams, the Montgomery County Fire Marshal.


He said 2009 was an especially dry year in Montgomery County and the fire danger was exceptionally high. One in ten trees was dying and firefighters were brought in from out of state to battle forest fires.


"There is no moisture left in the ground," Williams said. "At this point [the dead, dry material] will readily ignite and burn."

Firefighters had responded to several grass fires by Tuesday, including one at the home of Wayburn Castleschouldt.


"[It's] the driest I've seen it this early," he said. "I imagine somebody threw a cigarette out."


Castleschouldt, who has lived in the same home outside of Willis since 1985, said he'd seen bad conditions before, just not this bad.


"We haven't even had a sprinkle," he said. "People say there is no such thing as global warming. Hell, I can plant a garden in January now."


Forecasters at the National Weather Service in League City said long-range models predicted a dome of high pressure would move over the area as early as this weekend and keep conditions dry.


Williams said Montgomery County would likely have to consider a burn ban by mid-June if conditions stayed dry.


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Texas Gulf Waits & Worries

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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