Three die in MVA; 18-year-old charged

A PHI Air Medical helicopter lifts off at FM 1314 and South Loop 336 to transport one person injured in a multiple-vehicle wreck Friday morning. Three people were killed and two injured in the wreck, Conroe Police Sgt. Bob Berry said.

By Nancy Flake
Updated: 10.16.09
An 18-year-old East Montgomery County man is in jail and charged with three counts of manslaughter following a Friday morning multi-vehicle wreck at FM 1314 and South Loop 336 that killed three people in one car.

Casey McKinley was arrested after he was released from a local hospital for treatment of the injuries he suffered in the wreck, which occurred around 10:15 a.m.

McKinley, driving a Dodge Dually pickup, was eastbound on South Loop 336, allegedly at a high rate of speed, Conroe Police Department Sgt. Bob Berry said. Witnesses told police the truck was weaving in and out of traffic, he said, and McKinley allegedly failed to stop at the red light where the roads intersect.

His truck allegedly struck a Mazda passenger car traveling north on FM 1314 and driven by Craig Steven Rector, 50, of Splendora. Rector and his passengers, Felicia Hicks, 20, and Freedom Fitch, 24, also of Splendora, were killed, a Conroe Police press release stated.

At least one person had to be cut out of the Mazda with the Jaws of Life, Berry said. Hicks and Fitch were flown by PHI Air Medical helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston’s Texas Medical Center.

The car driven by Rector, which was allegedly T-boned by McKinley’s truck, slid east into traffic on South Loop 336, Berry said, where it hit two other vehicles.

Rector is Hicks’ stepfather, said a neighbor, who did not want to be identified. Hicks and Fitch have a young child, the neighbor said.

The driver of one of the other vehicles, which was traveling east on South Loop 336, was transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital, Berry said. The driver of the fourth vehicle was not injured.

McKinley was treated at the hospital and immediately arrested after he was released, Berry said.

“The (Montgomery County) District Attorney’s Office accepted charges on the scene,” Berry said. “We had officers waiting at the hospital; and when he (McKinley) was released, he was handcuffed and taken to jail.”

McKinley, a student at the University of Texas-Galveston, was home running errands, said Tay Bond, his attorney. He is “devastated mentally by the accident.”

“When I met with him, he was extremely somber and overwhelmed by the events,” Bond said. “His family understands three other families have been affected much more than they have. The concern is as deep for the other families as it is for their son.

“It’s absolutely a tragic event.”


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Chuck Norris Kickstarts Conroe

Martial arts legend and actor Chuck Norris was in Conroe on Saturday at the completion of a motorcycle ride to benefit KICKSTART, also known as Kick Drugs Out of America. The non-profit organization was founded by Norris in 1992, with the help of President George Bush, to encourage and assist inner-city kids by improving their discipline and self-respect through martial arts classes in place of physical education.

The program began in four schools and now serves 44 in the Houston, Dallas and Austin areas. There are currently 6,300 students enrolled in the program, which has helped over 60,000 at-risk students, many of whom have finished college. Sixth graders are recommended by their teachers and principals and if chosen, they remain in the class throughout middle school.

About 150 bikers participated in Saturday’s ride, which was led by Norris, leaving Houston’s Northwest Mall and traveling to Papa’s on the Lake at Lake Conroe, escorted by the Houston Police. An HPD Fox helicopter flew overhead as well.
The ride was to follow FM 149 to Montgomery then to Papa's but escort officers felt it would be safer taking IH45 due to the number of riders and the number of intersections on the SH249/FM149 corridor. Weather and the opening day of the Texas Renaissance Festival created additional traffic on that corridor.

For more information, visit www.kick-start.org

See video HERE

Thunder Over Houston Area May Be Jets!

The U.S. military has issued advanced warning that jet fighters could be scrambled in the Houston area on Oct. 6 as part of military exercises.

North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct the flights in the skies over Southeast Texas. The pre-planned flights will take place in the late morning and early afternoon and residents should expect to hear and see NORAD fighter jets as they practice intercept and identification procedures.

Although exact flight plans were not divulged, a NORAD spokesman at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado said Houston airspace “could be included” in the exercises.

NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the United States and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Thrift store at Peach Creek Baptist Church celebrates re-opening

Thrifty Peach thrift shop volunteers work together as a team to put clothes on hangers to be added to new clothing racks; price items; and sort CDs, DVDs and video cassettes as they prepare for the opening of the shop for the first time since all of the inventory and the building was destroyed by arsonists in July 2008.


By JENNIFER SUMMER
Updated: 09.23.09
After a fire set by vandals destroyed the interior of the annex building where the Thrifty Peach thrift store was located, volunteers are working hard to put it all together again.

The building and all of the clothing, home decor items, accessories and furniture in the store were destroyed in the fire in July 2008 at Peach Creek Baptist Church.

The Thrifty Peach still collected items after the fire and will re-open at the beginning of October in a much larger space than they had previously.

“The fire burned the whole building we were located in and it consisted of five different rooms. They gutted the first floor and built this from the floor up so we can have enough room for customers to shop our items,” Bonnie Langston said.

The group of volunteers started working Sept. 7 to assemble clothing racks, more shelves, a peg board where their purses and accessories can be displayed, and place all of their items they have had donated throughout the new Thrifty Peach.

There will be a grand opening celebration Oct. 1, 2 and 3 and the community is invited to join them.

“We are very excited to have the Thrifty Peach open again and we have all worked very hard to have the shop open again. The fire helped to unite all of the ladies as we have all gathered to work, as a team to put everything back together,” Langston said.

The fire was almost a blessing in disguise for the church. The Thrifty Peach now has more space and the church’s insurance was able to pay for the damages and pay everything off on their buildings.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Actor Patrick Swayze Dies; Houston Native Had Battled Cancer

LOS ANGELES (September 14, 2009)—“Dirty Dancing” actor Patrick Swayze, 57, has lost his yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer.

Swayze died Monday with his family at his side, his publicist Annett Wolf said.

In March 2008, it was disclosed that the Houston native had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Despite the grim prognosis, Swayze continued to work on the A&E series “The Beast,” in which he starred, although he said the cancer put him “through hell.”

Swayze became a star in 1987 with his performance in the coming-of-age classic “Dirty Dancing.”

Three years later, his role in “Ghost” made him a big screen favorite.

Patrick Swayze was born on August 18, 1952 in Houston, Texas, the eldest child of Patsy Yvonne Helen (née Karnes; b. 1927), a choreographer, dance instructor, and dancer, and Jessie Wayne Swayze (1925-1982), an engineering draftsman.[6][7] He had two younger brothers, actor Don (born 1958) and Sean Kyle (born 1962), and two sisters, Vicky Lynn (1949-1994) and Bambi, who were adopted into the family.[8] His surname originated with an English immigrant ancestor named "Swasey".[7]
Until the age of 20,

Swayze lived in the Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, where he attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, Oak Forest Elementary School,[9] Black Middle School,[9][10] and Waltrip High School.[9] During this time, he also pursued multiple artistic and athletic skills, such as ice skating, classical ballet, and acting in school plays. He studied gymnastics at nearby San Jacinto College for two years.

Patrick Swayze on Wkipedia.

Pit bull mauls child

KHOU:

The child was visiting her aunt's house on Sweet Gum near Live Oaks.

She went in the backyard to help feed her aunt's three dogs and that's when the pit bull attacked, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department.

The little girl was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital. She's being treated for multiple puncture wounds and is in critical condition, according to Detective Mike Landrum.

The aunt suffered minor injuries when she intervened to stop the attack.

She was taken to Kingwood Medical Center.

The dog was taken into custody by Montgomery County Animal Control.

Landrum said they found no history of prior problems with the dogs.

LINK

TV Tip leads to drug arrest.

EAST MONTGOMERY COUNTY - An alert citizen tipped off the office of Montgomery County Pct. 4 Constable Rowdy Hayden after recognizing a fugitive featured on a Houston television station. The information led to four arrests, including the suspect at a home on Fostoria Road west of US 59.

KPRC, Channel 2 in Houston airs a “Wheel of Justice” segment during their newscast, which shows a fugitive’s photograph and provides details of their alleged crime, along with information about reporting their whereabouts. On Wednesday, the program spotlighted 21-year-old Crystal Deann Kimberlin of Splendora, whose probation was revoked. Her alleged victim was interviewed for the segment and described a brutal attack by two women who she identified as Kimberlin and 33-year-old Patricia Ann Quintanilla, who was not wanted because she had not been caught violating the terms of her probation.

On Wednesday night, the “Men in Black” arrested Kimberlin, whose current address is 11581 Fostoria Rd. near Splendora; Quintanilla, address unknown (last known address was east of Conroe); Anthony Shane Sustaita, 25, of 21433 Towerwood Drive in EMC; and 31-year-old Edward Garcia Jr. of 1250 Meekins Rd. in Splendora were all charged with first-degree felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).

A 15-year-old who was also present was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and will appear before Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace James Metts.

Sustaita was also charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution of a known felon and multiple JP4 warrants, including no driver’s license; three warrants for failure to appear; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Garcia, who surrendered to authorities at the Pct. 4 Constable’s Office while deputies processed the first three suspects, was also charged with evading arrest/detention.

In addition to the drug charge, Kimberlin was arrested on a motion to revoke warrant which is the reason for her unexpected appearance on television. The program showed an interview with the female victim of the crime for which Kimberlin was convicted who detailed her assault/robbery at the hands of Kimberlin and Quintanilla. There was no warrant to revoke Quintanilla’s probation because was not caught violating the terms – that is, until Wednesday night…

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