Post by ogeezer on Jan 12, 2007 10:10:05 GMT -6
for January 2007:
BAY CITY TRIBUNE
Matagorda County businesses saw a general drop in tobacco sales after the $1 cigarette tax increase took effect Jan. 1. Many people stocked up on several cartons of cigarettes before the year started to save a little money .
About 80 percent of past sales return is expected to return but of course a few people are probably going to opt to quit. Cost being the reason. A pack of name-brand cigarettes now costs about $5, bringing carton prices to the $40 and $60 range.
“Texas can expect a $1 per pack cigarettes tax increase to prevent some 284,200 Texas kids alive today from becoming smokers, save 129,200 Texans from smoking-caused deaths, produce $5.8 billion in long-term health care savings and raise roughly $756 million a year in new revenue,” reads a press release from William Corr, Executive Director of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
BRAZOSPORT FACTS
Early Thursday morning, Lake Jackson Sea Center Biologist Courtney Rhodes, affectionately called the “fish whisperer,” brought some of her good luck to Dow Chemical Co. employees who helped catch fish for Sea Center’s brood stock program, which places male and female fish in large tanks to increase the likelihood of spawning.
Dow Community Affairs Manager Tricia Rithaler caught a redfish in the 40-inch-long range. “The Dow people are some pretty good fishermen,” Rhodes said.
After fish are caught in a Dow canal fed from the Gulf, the fish are taken to brood tanks for spawning at Sea Center, then released back into the ocean once every four years. “Typically, the Sea Center people fish on their own at our canal, but sometimes our employees get to join them for the fun of it,” said Tracie Copeland, a spokeswoman for Dow.
The fish are mainly spotted sea trout, flounder and red drum. After the fish are taken to Sea Center, they are distributed into the 24 large metal tanks that each contain two males and three females. By manipulating the light and water temperature, spawning is induced.
A good thing about a program like this is, although Dow Chemical takes a lot of heat from environmental groups, employees of the company are doing something that helps our saltwater resources.
COLORADO COUNTY CITIZEN
Colorado County Attorney Ken Sparks reports that 1,197 new cases were filed in Colorado County in 2006. Compared to five years ago, case filings increased 33 percent; felony drug cases doubled; and misdemeanor driving while license invalid cases tripled.
An analysis of felony cases revealed 35 percent controlled substances and marijuana, 11 percent burglary, 9 percent aggravated assault, 7 percent forgery, 7 percent DWI 3rd, 3 percent theft, and the balance for various types of cases.
The breakdown of misdemeanor cases was 29 percent driving while license invalid, 19 percent marijuana and controlled substances, 12 percent DWI 1st or 2nd, 9 percent theft by check, 5 percent assault, 4 percent evading arrest with a vehicle, 4 percent unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, 3 percent trespassing, 1 percent theft, and the remainder for other crimes.
EL CAMPO LEADER NEWS
Farmers Co-operative of El Campo’s involvement with an ethanol plant project at the Port of Victoria has no bearing on its plans to build a biodiesel plant in Hillje. Lone Star Ethanol announced during a Monday press conference in Victoria its plans to build a 100-million-gallon per year ethanol production facility on land adjacent to FCEC’s grain handling facility at that city’s port.
The relationship between the co-op and Lone Star Ethanol is relatively simple at this time, said Jimmy Roppolo, FCEC general manager. “There’s a letter of understanding that, as of right now, we’d supply them with grain and sell our by-products and possibly have an ownership stake in their plant.”
“Agriculture producers will now have another market for their crops and that’s good for the area’s economy,” he added. Roppolo said that “there’s a lot of time to decide whether (FCEC will) have a closer relationship” with Lone Star Ethanol. “If they had all their permits today, it’d still be approximately two years before they’re up and running,” he said.
PALACOIS BEACON
“There has been a lot of interest in Palacios lately,” Port Director Tony Rigdon said as he spoke at the Jan. 4 monthly membership luncheon of the Palacios Chamber of Commerce. In his report about on-going and proposed activities within Matagorda County Navigation District (MCND)#1, Rigdon said the district has received a new proposal “from someone who wants to start a boat building business, to build 40 to 100-feet long recreational boats.”
Rigdon said the Palacios Shipyard has been “very busy” with its barge building and other work, and may add the building of tugboats to its operation. The Shipyard currently has 35 jobs, a number that Rigdon said “should double in three years and double again within five years.”
As the result of U. S. Senator John Cornyn adding $2-million to the Corps of Engineers (CoE) expenditure budget, Rigdon said “spot dredging” of the Palacios Channel should be accomplished sometime between this February and June.
“God willing, this will get us through our current problems,” Rigdon said, referring to difficulties shrimp boats have had in navigating the clogged-up channel. “We may have to prioritize the spots to be dredged, but due to the low bids the Corps (CoE) received, it looks like we’re going to be able to do twice as much dredging as originally hoped for,” he said, adding “and that’s really good news.”
PORT LAVACA WAVE
An Alcoa worker died at 9 p.m. Tuesday in a Houston hospital after inhaling hydrogen fluoride gas. John Dorton, 37, who had worked at the Point Comfort plant since 2004, was working in the area where Aluminum Fluoride is made when the accident occured at approximateley 2 p.m.
He was initially treated at Memorial Medical Center and then life-flighted by Houston Hermann Hospital where he died several hours later.
Since the incident, the first level of the plant has been shut down, according to Amy Louviere of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, that is investigating the incident. Louviere said Dorton, an instrument and electrical technician in the chemicals department, was near a valve when the incident occurred, and was hit in the face with hydrogen fluoride, a caustic chemical which causes severe burns. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
ROSENBERG HEALD-COASTER
Authorities with the Sugar Land Police Department have obtained an arrest warrant for a Houston man believed to be involved in a shooting at a Sugar Land Chuck E. Cheese Restaurant nearly two weeks ago.
Brandon Deris Glover, 26, is wanted for aggravated assault after he shot an acquaintance several times while arguing in the parking lot of the restaurant, located at 2303 Town Center Dr., on the night of Dec. 31. Both Glover and the victim appear to have known each other, and both had been inside the restaurant before the altercation, said Doug Adolph, spokesperson for the SLPD.
Glover reportedly shot the victim several times before fleeing the scene. The victim was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital - The Medical Center with non-life-threatening wounds, Adolph said.
Glover is described as a black male about 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding Glover's whereabouts is asked to contact the SLPD Criminal Investigations Division at 281-275-2540 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477).
SEALY NEWS
A small caliber unloaded handgun was found on the Sealy High School campus early Jan. 9. According to SHS principal Pamela Morris and SISD superintendent Thomas Price, no one was in danger at any time and it appears there was no intent for the student to use the weapon.
Price said the safety systems in place are working and once campus officials had knowledge of the weapon, immediate action was taken and disciplinary procedures were implemented.
WHARTON JOURNAL-SPECTATOR
When it comes to the Wharton County Courthouse restoration, project officials no longer specify a completion date. They anticipate one instead. After several past “deadlines” have come and gone and still the project rumbles on, choosing a conclusion gets to be something of a guessing game.
At Monday’s commissioners court meeting, for example, Ray Bailey architect Gerald Moorhead hesitated when asked by the court for a completion date.
Last summer, architects had said that they planned to beat an Oct. 31, 2006 deadline. After that fell through, it was estimated that the project would finish by the end of 2006, or the first of 2007. Drop by the site today and it’s easy to surmise that the first of 2007 has come and gone, and there’s still plenty left to do.
Moorhead said Monday that architects are now “anticipating” the project will end in April.
BAY CITY TRIBUNE
Matagorda County businesses saw a general drop in tobacco sales after the $1 cigarette tax increase took effect Jan. 1. Many people stocked up on several cartons of cigarettes before the year started to save a little money .
About 80 percent of past sales return is expected to return but of course a few people are probably going to opt to quit. Cost being the reason. A pack of name-brand cigarettes now costs about $5, bringing carton prices to the $40 and $60 range.
“Texas can expect a $1 per pack cigarettes tax increase to prevent some 284,200 Texas kids alive today from becoming smokers, save 129,200 Texans from smoking-caused deaths, produce $5.8 billion in long-term health care savings and raise roughly $756 million a year in new revenue,” reads a press release from William Corr, Executive Director of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
BRAZOSPORT FACTS
Early Thursday morning, Lake Jackson Sea Center Biologist Courtney Rhodes, affectionately called the “fish whisperer,” brought some of her good luck to Dow Chemical Co. employees who helped catch fish for Sea Center’s brood stock program, which places male and female fish in large tanks to increase the likelihood of spawning.
Dow Community Affairs Manager Tricia Rithaler caught a redfish in the 40-inch-long range. “The Dow people are some pretty good fishermen,” Rhodes said.
After fish are caught in a Dow canal fed from the Gulf, the fish are taken to brood tanks for spawning at Sea Center, then released back into the ocean once every four years. “Typically, the Sea Center people fish on their own at our canal, but sometimes our employees get to join them for the fun of it,” said Tracie Copeland, a spokeswoman for Dow.
The fish are mainly spotted sea trout, flounder and red drum. After the fish are taken to Sea Center, they are distributed into the 24 large metal tanks that each contain two males and three females. By manipulating the light and water temperature, spawning is induced.
A good thing about a program like this is, although Dow Chemical takes a lot of heat from environmental groups, employees of the company are doing something that helps our saltwater resources.
COLORADO COUNTY CITIZEN
Colorado County Attorney Ken Sparks reports that 1,197 new cases were filed in Colorado County in 2006. Compared to five years ago, case filings increased 33 percent; felony drug cases doubled; and misdemeanor driving while license invalid cases tripled.
An analysis of felony cases revealed 35 percent controlled substances and marijuana, 11 percent burglary, 9 percent aggravated assault, 7 percent forgery, 7 percent DWI 3rd, 3 percent theft, and the balance for various types of cases.
The breakdown of misdemeanor cases was 29 percent driving while license invalid, 19 percent marijuana and controlled substances, 12 percent DWI 1st or 2nd, 9 percent theft by check, 5 percent assault, 4 percent evading arrest with a vehicle, 4 percent unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, 3 percent trespassing, 1 percent theft, and the remainder for other crimes.
EL CAMPO LEADER NEWS
Farmers Co-operative of El Campo’s involvement with an ethanol plant project at the Port of Victoria has no bearing on its plans to build a biodiesel plant in Hillje. Lone Star Ethanol announced during a Monday press conference in Victoria its plans to build a 100-million-gallon per year ethanol production facility on land adjacent to FCEC’s grain handling facility at that city’s port.
The relationship between the co-op and Lone Star Ethanol is relatively simple at this time, said Jimmy Roppolo, FCEC general manager. “There’s a letter of understanding that, as of right now, we’d supply them with grain and sell our by-products and possibly have an ownership stake in their plant.”
“Agriculture producers will now have another market for their crops and that’s good for the area’s economy,” he added. Roppolo said that “there’s a lot of time to decide whether (FCEC will) have a closer relationship” with Lone Star Ethanol. “If they had all their permits today, it’d still be approximately two years before they’re up and running,” he said.
PALACOIS BEACON
“There has been a lot of interest in Palacios lately,” Port Director Tony Rigdon said as he spoke at the Jan. 4 monthly membership luncheon of the Palacios Chamber of Commerce. In his report about on-going and proposed activities within Matagorda County Navigation District (MCND)#1, Rigdon said the district has received a new proposal “from someone who wants to start a boat building business, to build 40 to 100-feet long recreational boats.”
Rigdon said the Palacios Shipyard has been “very busy” with its barge building and other work, and may add the building of tugboats to its operation. The Shipyard currently has 35 jobs, a number that Rigdon said “should double in three years and double again within five years.”
As the result of U. S. Senator John Cornyn adding $2-million to the Corps of Engineers (CoE) expenditure budget, Rigdon said “spot dredging” of the Palacios Channel should be accomplished sometime between this February and June.
“God willing, this will get us through our current problems,” Rigdon said, referring to difficulties shrimp boats have had in navigating the clogged-up channel. “We may have to prioritize the spots to be dredged, but due to the low bids the Corps (CoE) received, it looks like we’re going to be able to do twice as much dredging as originally hoped for,” he said, adding “and that’s really good news.”
PORT LAVACA WAVE
An Alcoa worker died at 9 p.m. Tuesday in a Houston hospital after inhaling hydrogen fluoride gas. John Dorton, 37, who had worked at the Point Comfort plant since 2004, was working in the area where Aluminum Fluoride is made when the accident occured at approximateley 2 p.m.
He was initially treated at Memorial Medical Center and then life-flighted by Houston Hermann Hospital where he died several hours later.
Since the incident, the first level of the plant has been shut down, according to Amy Louviere of the Mine Safety and Health Administration, that is investigating the incident. Louviere said Dorton, an instrument and electrical technician in the chemicals department, was near a valve when the incident occurred, and was hit in the face with hydrogen fluoride, a caustic chemical which causes severe burns. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
ROSENBERG HEALD-COASTER
Authorities with the Sugar Land Police Department have obtained an arrest warrant for a Houston man believed to be involved in a shooting at a Sugar Land Chuck E. Cheese Restaurant nearly two weeks ago.
Brandon Deris Glover, 26, is wanted for aggravated assault after he shot an acquaintance several times while arguing in the parking lot of the restaurant, located at 2303 Town Center Dr., on the night of Dec. 31. Both Glover and the victim appear to have known each other, and both had been inside the restaurant before the altercation, said Doug Adolph, spokesperson for the SLPD.
Glover reportedly shot the victim several times before fleeing the scene. The victim was taken by Life Flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital - The Medical Center with non-life-threatening wounds, Adolph said.
Glover is described as a black male about 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information regarding Glover's whereabouts is asked to contact the SLPD Criminal Investigations Division at 281-275-2540 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477).
SEALY NEWS
A small caliber unloaded handgun was found on the Sealy High School campus early Jan. 9. According to SHS principal Pamela Morris and SISD superintendent Thomas Price, no one was in danger at any time and it appears there was no intent for the student to use the weapon.
Price said the safety systems in place are working and once campus officials had knowledge of the weapon, immediate action was taken and disciplinary procedures were implemented.
WHARTON JOURNAL-SPECTATOR
When it comes to the Wharton County Courthouse restoration, project officials no longer specify a completion date. They anticipate one instead. After several past “deadlines” have come and gone and still the project rumbles on, choosing a conclusion gets to be something of a guessing game.
At Monday’s commissioners court meeting, for example, Ray Bailey architect Gerald Moorhead hesitated when asked by the court for a completion date.
Last summer, architects had said that they planned to beat an Oct. 31, 2006 deadline. After that fell through, it was estimated that the project would finish by the end of 2006, or the first of 2007. Drop by the site today and it’s easy to surmise that the first of 2007 has come and gone, and there’s still plenty left to do.
Moorhead said Monday that architects are now “anticipating” the project will end in April.