Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Alvin man arrested for being fake cop ...


FRIENDSWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- An Alvin man has is facing charges after investigators say he drove recklessly and when stopped, had the appearance of a law enforcement officer.

Acosta was stopped in the 100 block of W. Willowick for reckless driving. Police say Acosta was seen turning off his headlines and tail lights while making a high speed turn and driving 50 miles per hour in a 20 miles per hour zone. They say he also ran two stop signs.

Police say when an officer pulled him over, Acosta was wearing a pistol on his hip and had on a black jacket with the word 'police' on the front and back. The jacket also reportedly had a badge for an Army MP on it. Police say Acosta had a police badge on his belt and blue police lights on his car.

Acosta was disarmed until other police units arrived. He told investigators he believed he was being followed by someone.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

New animal shelter opens.


Friendswood: New animal shelter opened
by Christopher Smith Gonzalez/ The Daily News
khou.com


FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — The city is still waiting on a few more cages, but Friendswood’s new animal control center is up and running.

The city’s old facility had about 1,000 square feet, said Animal Control Supervisor Craig Baker. The new building has 5,500 square feet, and once all the cages are in place the facility’s capacity for holding cats and dogs will triple.

But the city is looking for a little help.

The new facility, 3000 W. Parkwood Ave., can hold 18 dogs and 21 cats with its current kennels, Baker said. But officials are hoping to get more cages and kennels for the holding, isolation and receiving rooms, he said

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Kids caught on video stealing toys from church.


ABC: Some might call it cutting out the middleman. The police call it theft.
A group of youths stole two bags’ worth of donated toys from St. Helen Catholic Church, in Pearland, Texas, during Mass on Sunday, police said. A similar theft had occurred at Mary Queen Catholic Church, in nearby Friendswood, said police.

“You’d think toys for the needy would be safe at a church,” said Lt. Onesimo Lopez of the Pearland Police Department.

Lopez, who belongs to St. Helen, said parishioners had been leaving brand-new, unopened toys at a designated area in the church’s foyer to be given to needy children at Christmas. There was an estimated $600 worth of toys in the two bags, he said.

According to a police news release, just before 11 a.m. Sunday, two girls and a boy were filmed outside the church by surveillance cameras. After Mass began at 11 a.m., the suspects were seen entering the church and walking out with the two large bags. One bag was being carried by a girl whom police estimated was between 8 and 10 years old.

They were also seen panhandling outside the church, with at least one woman giving them money.
The video shows the trio getting into a gold Chrysler minivan with tinted windows and no front license plate.

Police suspect they are part of an itinerant group of thieves targeting holiday toy donations, Lopez said. The kids didn’t look familiar to the priest or anyone else police interviewed, he said.

Lopez said no similar burglaries had occurred during the holidays in recent years. The last time police caught itinerant thieves was last summer, when two men and a woman were arrested for stealing from cars outside day care centers, he said.
Lopez said none of the tips called in had proved useful.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Friendswood teens face charges in Thanksgiving Day vandalism spree



by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:15 PM

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas—Three teenagers are facing felony criminal mischief charges after Friendswood police say they went on a Thanksgiving Day crime spree.

Officers were called to the Wilderness Trails Subdivision for a report of vandalism around 2:30 a.m. Thursday.

Police said they found they found three boys, ages 14 and 15, who admitted to damaging property.
The boys are suspected of hitting 17 vehicles and five mailboxes, but that number is expected to rise as people arrive home from the holiday weekend.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Father arrested for child abuse in Friendswood


FRIENDSWOOD, Texas – Police say an 8-month-old girl could be permanently disabled from injuries she suffered at the hands of her father.

Anthony Michael Pittman, 23, is charged with injury to a child.
According to police, Pittman was home with the victim and a 2-year-old child on October 29, 2011, while the baby’s mother went to the store.

Pittman and the victim’s mother were dating at the time.
At some point while the mother was gone, Pittman said he found the baby lying on the bed.

He said when he picked her up, she got sick and stopped breathing, so he called 911.
The baby’s mother and a friend got home before paramedics arrived and started CPR.
Police and EMS responded to the home around 6 p.m. that day.
Paramedics called for an air ambulance, and the baby was rushed to Memorial Hermann.
The 2-year-old was put in CPS custody.

Later that night, Pittman was arrested trying to get the toddler back.
During a jailhouse interview several days later, police said Pittman told officers that he was tossing the baby into the air when he accidentally dropped her.

But investigators said Pittman’s account of what happened was not consistent with the injuries the child sustained.

Doctors believe the girl was shaken and may have suffered blunt-force trauma to the head.
She remained in the hospital on Monday with severe head injuries.
Pittman was being held in the Harris County Jail on $50,000 bond.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Seven sent to hospital from tanker crash


From staff reports
A tanker that allegedly ran a red light in Friendswood damaged four other vehicles and sent seven people to the hospital, including four children, Friendswood police said Tuesday.

At about 1 p.m. on Saturday, a 10-wheel tanker truck was traveling westbound on FM 528 at Moore Road when it ran a red light and struck a Suburban that was turning eastbound onto FM 528, police said.

The truck then collided with a Dodge pickup truck headed eastbound on FM 528. A Toyota passenger car and a Toyota pickup truck were also involved in the accident, as a result of the impact of the Dodge and tanker collision.
Although no injuries were reported to be life-threatening, four children and three adults were sent to the hospital. The driver of the tanker truck is charged with running the red light, police said.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Coach busted for selling steroids and cocaine


FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (AP) — Police say a veteran Southeast Texas teacher and volleyball coach has been accused of selling steroids and cocaine.

Friendswood police Chief Bob Wieners says there's a possibility that some of the customers were students.

Timothy Todd Porter of League City is jailed on charges of delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. Authorities say oral steroids were confiscated Wednesday when the 45-year-old Clear Springs High School educator was arrested at his home.
Bond was set at $10,000. Friendswood jail officials Thursday did not have any information on an attorney for Porter.

A district spokeswoman says Porter, who taught physics and astronomy, has been suspended. He's been with the district for 22 years.
Two other men also have been arrested in the drug trafficking investigation.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Friendswood schools rated Superior Achievement” under Texas’ School FIRST financial accountability rating system


Friendswood Independent School District officials announced that the district received a rating of “Superior Achievement” under Texas’ School FIRST financial accountability rating system. The Superior Achievement rating is the state’s highest, demonstrating the quality of FISD’s financial management and reporting system.

Schools FIRST (Financial Accountability Rating System of Texas), is a financial accountability system for Texas school districts developed by the Texas Education Agency in response to Senate Bill 875 of the 76th Legislature in 1999.

The primary goal of School’s FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts’ financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas’ school finance system.

“We are very pleased with FISD’s School FIRST rating”, said FISD’s Assistant Superintendent of Administration Thad Roher, “as it shows that our district is making the most of our taxpayers’ dollars. This shows that FISD’s schools are accountable not only for student learning, but also for achieving these results cost-effectively and efficiently.”

The Schools FIRST accountability rating system assigns one of four financial accountability ratings to Texas school districts, with the highest being “Superior Achievement,” followed by “Above-Standard Achievement,” “Standard Achievement” and “Substandard Achievement.” Districts with serious data quality problems may receive the additional rating of “Suspended - Data Quality.” Districts that receive the “Substandard Achievement” or “Suspended – Data Quality” ratings under Schools FIRST must file a corrective action plan with the Texas Education Agency.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Bastrop is burning ...

BASTROP

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

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

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

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

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

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

Magnolia fire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Lives at stake'

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

Friday, September 2, 2011

Anonymous hackers expose racism in Friendswood police force ...


Anonymous, the world’s most famous hacktivist coalition, has attacked Texas law enforcement, specifically the higher-ups at the Texas Police Chiefs Association.

Dubbed operation “Texas Takedown Thursday,” the group defaced the texaspolicechiefs.org and exposed the slew of private email communications between members of various state police departments.

Yesterday evening, Anonymous tweeted about their exploits, announcing the website defacement as well as linked to a release on the operation.

They give multiple reasons for the attack – first, as a retaliation for arrests of alleged Anonymous suspects all over the world. Second, “Ch*nga La Migra,” as they take issue with Texas law enforcment continuing to “harass immigrants and use border patrol operations as a cover for their backwards racist prejudice.”

Also:

"We are doing this in solidarity with the “Anonymous 16″ PayPal LOIC defendants,
accused LulzSec member Jake Davis “Topiary”, protesters arrested during #OpBart
actions, Bradley Manning, Stephen Watt, and other hackers and leakers worldwide."

A little later, they announced the pastebin leak of the alleged emails: You can see the e-mails at this link - but warning - they contain explicit language.

According to AnonymousIRC, the texaspolicechiefs.org site was defaced for over 3 hours before it was restored. Apparently, it was defaced again.




Monday, August 29, 2011

Driest year on record plagues Texas ...


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Family struggles to keep roadside monument alive in Friendswood


FRIENDSWOOD, Texas—It happened in the 3500 block of West Bay Area Boulevard in Friendswood on the night before Thanksgiving. Keith Vargas was riding the motorcycle that once belonged to his father, when a truck pulling a trailer drove into his path. Vargas, 30, was killed instantly.

"There’s a void that will never be filled," said Stacie Burcl, Vargas’ sister. "There’s a holiday that will never be the same, and there’s a 4-year-old little girl that will never have her father again."

That little girl helped her family erect a memorial cross honoring Vargas on the roadside. That was on Easter. The following day, Burcl said she received a phone call from the nearby HOA’s management company.

"I was instructed that I had 24 hours to remove the cross that was called a distraction," said Burcl.

Burcl opted not to remove the cross, but just a few days ago, someone else did.

"Some people ask why do we have this cross here," said Diane Vargas, the victim’s mother. "It’s to honor where my child died."

The HOA said if the city doesn’t object to the cross, it doesn’t either. Some residents in the area, however, do.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Friendswood schools "Exemplary"

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

When the Texas Education Agency released the accountability ratings for 8,526 public schools and 1,228 school districts, Friendswood ISD had reason to celebrate. Once again all six campuses are rated Exemplary along with the district being Exemplary.

This is the district’s third consecutive year to obtain the highest ranking awarded by the state.

“Even though this is the third consecutive year for an Exemplary rating, this year, it is more significant,” Friendswood Superintendent Trish Hanks said. “Despite the distractions caused by unprecedented state funding reductions and a last minute increase in the accountability standards, our teachers kept their focus where it needed to be.”

The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test ratings are based on passing rates, dropout rates and high school completion rates. For 2011, standards were increased and the Texas Projection Measure (TPM) was eliminated. These changes resulted in fewer districts and schools earning the top Exemplary rating for the year.

The number of Exemplary districts decreased from 241 in 2010 to 61 for 2011 and Exemplary campus numbers dropping from 2,637 in 2010 to 1,224.

Friendswood joins 44 other districts excluding charter operators (61 with charter operators) in reaching the Exemplary status. FISD is in the top 5 percent of schools to reach this. Out of the 61, only 5 others are as large or larger than FISD who has 6,000 students. The other five are Frisco ISD, Lake Travis ISD, Eanes ISD, Carroll ISD and Highland Park ISD.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Friendswood Mustang tickets go on sale Monday!

Season ticket sales for Friendswood Mustang varsity football games will begin next Monday.
Renewals for season ticket holders will be from 9-11 a.m., and 3-5 p.m., Aug. 1-5 at the athletic director’s office.

New ticket sales will be offered Aug. 8-12 at the same hourly increments, also at the athletic director’s office.

Home games will be played against Angleton, Houston Stratford, Galveston Ball, La Marque, Santa Fe and Texas City.


Friendswood posted a 13-2 record last season, advancing to the Class 4A Division I state semifinals where it lost to eventual four-time defending state champion Austin Lake Travis.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Friendswood Makes Top Ten Family- Friendly List




KTSM
By Lauren Zimmerman - Web Producer
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - 12:00pm


FRIENDSWOOD, TEXAS- Friendswood, Texas has been named #5 on the list of 10 best towns for families in the United States, according to Family Circle magazine.
Friendswood is the only town in Texas to receive this designation.

Family Circle initially assembled a list of 2,500 cities and towns with populations between 15,000 and 150,000. and assessed which places best met the family-friendly criteria- including low crime rate, affordable homes, quality schools, financial stability, access to health care, green space and volunteerism.

Rounding out the top ten are :

1. St. Charles, Illinois
2. Peachtree City, Georgia
3. Liberty, Missouri
4. Fairhope, Alabama
5. Friendswood, TX
6. Novi, Michigan
7. Trumbull, Connecticut
8. Germantown, Wisconsin
9. Oviedo, Florida
10. Maple Valley, Washington

The article describes Friendswood as a community rich with academic ambition, support for our kids, beautiful neighborhoods, and specifically cited Friendswood’s new Veterans Memorial adjacent to City Hall as an example of one of the community’s “good deeds”.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Shrimp boat captain charged with murder

GALVESTON — A shrimp boat captain surrendered at the Galveston County Jail after he was charged with murder in the June 3 shooting of long-time friend and fellow captain, Texas City police said Wednesday.

James Michael Morris, 59, of Dickinson, surrendered Tuesday and his bond was set at $75,000, police spokesman Cpt. Brian Goetschius said.

Goetschius said police believe Morris shot Kelly Sumner, 41, of Friendswood, in the back after an argument over shrimp sales. Morris's .44-caliber pistol discharged during a struggle, striking Morris in the leg, he said. Morris dropped the pistol, then regained control and shot Sumner once.


Read more: HERE

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Texas Local Web Site Blooms into a Flower for the Community




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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Engage! Enjoy! Grow with us!

~ ExploreHouston.com Staff

Monday, June 6, 2011

Neighborhood Almost Deserted 10 Years After TS Allison


FRIENDSWOOD, Texas - On a warm summer day in Friendswood, nothing could look less menacing, less capable of harm than the gentle Gulf-bound flow of Clear Creek.
It wasn't always so.

On June 5, 2001, in just three hours time, Tropical Storm Allison unloaded more than ten inches of rain fall on Friendswood and the worst was yet to come.
"Allison backed down on us with another 17 inches of rain," recalls Terry Byrd, Friendswood Fire Marshall and Emergency Management Director.

By the time the storm mercifully moved on close to five hundred homes in the town of 35,000 had flood damage.

Most of the water having burst over Clear Creek's swollen banks.
No where was the damage greater than Imperial Estates - a neighborhood where homeowners knowingly traded flood risk for natural beauty.

"There are going to be pros and cons to living anywhere and I guess this is the con of living here," said flood stricken resident Mike Stacy in a 2001 interview with Fox 26.
A decade ago when Allison unloaded on the Gulf Coast there were hundreds of residents living in Imperial Estates, but these days you can count the number of homes on one hand.

"They kind of merge, all of the messes and you kind of remember the highlights of them," says long time resident Janice Frankie who continues to make her home in Imperial Estates.
Frankie says she once had plenty of neighbors, but not any more, not since Allison.
''They were really lovely homes that people had put a lot of their selves into and it was really a shame that they had to lose them," said Frankie.

Deemed almost certain to flood again, Friendswood gave Imperial Estates homeowners a choice - raise their houses substantially or accept a federally funded buy-out.
Nearly all took the cash.

Where prime dwellings once stood only grass and timber remain.
The buyouts have proven a genuine relief for Friendswood's emergency manager.
"They are not there to flood anymore and that really has been a key factor in lessening the impact of flood waters," insists Byrd

With more than her share of hurricanes and high water in the rear view of 76-years of living Janice Frankie refuses to run from Clear Creek.
"Any place you go you are going to have some kind of a mess and I know what these messes are," says Frankie with a smile.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Friendswood teacher put on leave for making Osama comment ...


THE STIR:

It seems this 9th grade math teacher from Clear Brook High School in Friendswood, Texas hasn't been in touch with the real world lately. Except that he has. He is a teacher. Of students. Who happen to be people. With feelings. But let's just say any footing this guy might have in reality totally doesn't show ...

The day after Osama bin Laden was killed, this teacher, who the school district has chosen not to name, took it upon himself to prove himself a complete out-of-touch ignoramus. He walked up to American-born girl of Muslim faith during class and said to her, "I bet you're grieving." Uh, what?

When the student looked at him like he was crazy, he said he heard about her "uncle's" death. Her response, upon realizing he was talking about Osama bin Laden, was a perfectly appropriate, "Wow."

I can't think of a more apt initial response myself. I mean, who in their right mind would assume a person would have some loyalty to a murderous, extremist terrorist just because you share the same religion. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Especially from an educated educator!

The girl ended up bursting into tears in class a little later (which makes me want to crush his skull) -- because OUCH, it's such a racially insensitive and downright cruel comment from one's own teacher. That's got to hurt. A classmate of hers stood up for her when the teacher inquired about the girl's tears, and still, he didn't backtrack or apologize for his comment but smirked, laughed, and walked away!

The school district announced that the teacher has been "placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a personnel investigation."

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Friendswood considering banning faux-marijuana



FRIENDSWOOD — The city of Friendswood might soon join other cities in Galveston County in banning products that advertise a marijuana-like high when smoked.

The city council on Feb. 28 unanimously approved an initial vote to outlaw products marketed as incense or potpourri made of plant material doused in synthetic chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

Brands include K2, Spice, Blonde, Summit, Standard and Citron, which are sold for up to $50 a package at smoke shops and convenience stores. A final vote on the law is scheduled for March 21.

Friendswood’s proposed law would prohibit the use, possession and sale of synthetic cannabinoids not yet categorized as illegal controlled substances under federal or state law and the devices used to consume the substances.

Possession of fake marijuana would result in a Class C misdemeanor, the same offense as a traffic violation, police Chief Bob Wieners said.

Santa Fe, Texas City and Dickinson have passed similar laws.

Friendswood police officers have encountered people in possession of synthetic marijuana at least four times a week for the past six months.

Police are awaiting toxicology tests of a 19-year-old Friendswood woman, who authorities said overdosed in December from smoking Spice, Wieners said. Packages of the substance were found in the woman’s house, he said.

Synthetic marijuana likely was a factor in the death of a man who crashed his motorcycle in November on West Bay Area Boulevard, Wieners said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration on March 1 exercised its emergency scheduling authority to control five chemicals used to make fake marijuana. The action makes possessing and selling the chemicals or products that contain them illegal in the United States.

The federal ban of the substances will remain in effect for at least year with a possible six-month extension while the DEA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study whether the chemicals should be permanently controlled.

People wrongly equate the products’ legal retail availability with safe use, DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart said in a statement.

The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the chemicals for human consumption, and there is no oversight of the manufacturing process.

The Texas Poison Center Network has received 546 calls regarding exposure to synthetic marijuana since Jan. 1, 2010.

Ten of those calls came from Galveston County, said Jon Thompson, director of the Southeast Texas Poison Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

“That’s relatively up there,” Thompson said. “The only counties we receive more calls from are Harris, Bexar, Travis, Dallas and Tarrant. We don’t get a call about every exposure, so there could be many more cases out there.”

Side effects of smoking the product include seizures, anxiety attacks, dangerously elevated heart rates, increased blood pressure, vomiting and disorientation, Thompson said.

State lawmakers during the current legislative session have introduced five bills that would make the possession, manufacture and sale of synthetic marijuana illegal.

“It had already been banned in several European countries when it began showing up in the U.S. at the end of 2009,” Thompson said. “People are sick as dogs after smoking this stuff.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Mushrooms and pot laced candies found in bust in Friendswood.


A narcotics search warrant turned up hydroponic marijuana and psychedelic mushroom-laced chocolate candies at a Friendswood home, police say.

Friendswood Police were investigating a residence in the 800 block of Briarmeadow Avenue on suspicion marijuana and other narcotics were being sold in the area.

When officers executed the search warrant on Feb. 11, they found:

-- 333.5 grams of chocolate candies containing Psilocybin, a hallucinogenic similar to LSD.

-- 1.215 ounces of hydroponic marijuana. Several small plastic baggies were also found indicating the marijuana was ready for distribution.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Breaking: Explosions rock Belvieu plant!



Multiple explosions, fire at Mont Belvieu plant

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

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


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


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


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

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

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

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

READ MORE AT KHOU

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Controversy surrounds teen beating by Houston police



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

READ THE FULL STORY ON CNN

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Friendswood home invaders sought


Authorities in Friendswood, Texas are on the lookout for a faction of armed bandits accused of a home invasion incident that left three teenage brothers shaken, though they were lucky not to be hurt.

The incident occurred at approximately 8pm last Wednesday, at the brothers’ residence, located in the 500 block of Heather Lane.

The brothers were home alone when three male subjects broke into the house and went into their bedrooms, according to Friendswood police. At least one of the men was armed with a pistol. The robbers compelled the victims into one of the bedrooms and ordered them to stay there.

Police say that the robbers rummaged through the house, and the invasion lasted for nearly a half-an-hour, until they finally ran off.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE at the Examiner

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Bay City Substitute Teacher Arrested For Making Death Threats



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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, January 10, 2011

No one said criminals were smart ...


FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — Police didn’t have to go far to serve a felony theft warrant after the suspect called to ask when he could pickup the electronic equipment authorities claim was stolen.

Jonathan Robert McMinn, 25, of Bayview, was charged with theft and jailed on a $5,000 bond, Friendswood police said in a statement released Thursday.

Friendswood police stopped McMinn on Sept. 7 on a traffic violation and seized an iPod, camera and Wii game components found in the car, Karen Peterson, a police spokeswoman, said.

Police arrested McMinn on a charge of driving with an invalid license and stored the electronics at the police department.

“A routine review of the property led police to believe that the property did not belong to McMinn,” Peterson said. “The subsequent investigation led to the location of property owners in Sugar Land, College Station and League City.”

The owners suspected their property had been stolen or was lost, Peterson said.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for McMinn on Dec. 13, Peterson said.

Police arrested McMinn on Wednesday when he came to the Friendswood Police Department to retrieve his property, Peterson said.

“He called, asking to pickup the property,” Peterson said. “We knew we had the warrant, so we told him ‘yes.’”

McMinn remained jailed Thursday in Friendswood, awaiting transfer to the Galveston County Jail.
This story was brought to you thanks to khou.com’s partnership with the Galveston County Daily News.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Michael Jackson's Doctor Clueless


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


READ THE FULL STORY AT CNN

Monday, January 3, 2011

Sick patient turned away by Kingwood doctor


KINGWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- No six-year-old wants to be sick on Christmas, but when Carson Seiber tried to see a doctor in Kingwood, the doctors office said no.

The situation is very frustrating for U.S. Army Lt. Col. Patrick Seiber, who's a soldier currently serving in Afghanistan and can only do so much because of his location.

Six-year-old Carson is visiting his grandparents in Kingwood from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and he needed to see a doctor.
His dad is in the Army and the Army insurance company sent them to a Kingwood doctor -- who wouldn't let them in. So on Thursday morning, we heard about it from a frustrated father spending Christmas fighting in a war zone.

"I am very proud of my daddy," Carson said. "He fights for our freedom."
When Carson got to his grandparents in Kingwood a few days ago, he didn't feel well.
"He started running a fever and not feeling well on Saturday," said his mother, Heather Seiber.

So the Army's insurance company sent them to Pediatric Associates of Kingwood. But when Heather called first thing Monday, the doctors there said no, we don't see one-time patients, even though they knew the situation.
"I did politely tell them he was in Afghanistan," Heather Seiber said. "Because sometimes I feel people look at that and want to help this military family."
"To find out something like this happens, it's darn irritating. It takes me away from my focus, what I have to do, day in and day out, to keep us on the ball as far as on the frontline of the War on Terror," Lt. Col. Seiber said in a phone interview.

The doctors who wouldn't see Carson wouldn't talk to Eyewitness News either. A public relations spokesperson for the clinic's owner, Texas Children's Hospital, sent us conflicting statements trying to explain why the door was shut to a soldier's sick child.

Their first statement said they were at maximum capacity Monday. But when we pointed out no one ever said that to Heather, the story from Texas Children's changed, and all of a sudden they remembered they don't see patients on a one-time only basis.

Carson got in to see another doctor in Porter later that afternoon, and hopefully by Christmas he'll be all better. His mother realizes this isn't the biggest thing in the world, but also wonders why this doctor's office couldn't bend the rules for a son whose father is in Afghanistan for Christmas.
"He puts his life on the line and a doctor here can't help my son," Heather Seiber said.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

Friendswood mulls plans for 40-acre lake




By Hayley Kappes
The Daily News
Published January 3, 2011
FRIENDSWOOD
— Longtime residents always tell Penelope Burke they had no idea a crystal clear lake sat less than a mile south of FM 518 on the southeastern edge of Friendswood.

Burke, a member of the city’s parks and recreation advisory board, has worked for more than 20 years to develop what locals have nicknamed Lake Friendswood.

The lake has a convoluted history, Burke said.

In the early 1970s, the landowner used the 47-acre property as a sand excavation pit where developers extracted materials to level land in preparation for subdivisions that boomed with the opening of the Johnson Space Center.

After digging down 100 feet, a natural spring began to gradually fill the pit, Burke said.

Once developers exhausted the sand pit, the landowner sold it.

The city in 1993 bought 42 acres at the site, most of which encompassed the lake and planned to make it a public park with a $500,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Plans halted, however, when a Friendswood resident filed a lawsuit against the city claiming he owned a five-acre part of the property adjacent to the lake.

A jury ruled that the resident had the rights to the five-acre parcel, leaving the city with a divided interest in the lake.

Since it didn’t own the entire tract of land, the city had to return the grant to the state.

“This is a 30-year conversation that’s gone on without resolution about what to do with the lake,” Burke said. “The intent is what matters. When the city acquired the lake, it was to be open to the public.”

The spring-fed lake is not accessible to the public, city spokesman Nick Haby said.

Broken concrete and rebar leftover when the Texas Department of Transportation widened FM 518 was placed on one side of the lake to prevent erosion. The material makes it unsafe to swim.

“There is no good access to the lake right now,” Haby said. “There is a dirt road that leads back to it blocked by a gate. There are parking issues and amenities that we would want to put there and safety issues that have to be considered.”

Members of the parks and recreation advisory board want to build a paved road to the lake on Windemere Road off FM 518 and fence off the property.

The board has discussed installing bathrooms and a floating dock anchored over the concrete and rebar to prevent access to the potentially harmful material.

Swimming and motorized watercrafts would be prohibited.

Board members have also discussed the possibility of a hike and bike trail around lake that would connect to the West Ranch Subdivision.

The city hasn’t pinpointed an amount to spend on the lake’s development.


READ THE REST OF THE STORY HERE

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin