HPD officer run over by his own patrol car

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on July 14, 2010 at 4:55 PM
Updated today at 5:15 PM

HOUSTON — A Houston police officer was rushed to the hospital after a bizarre accident on I-10 Wednesday afternoon. He was run over by his own patrol car.
The officer was holding a radar gun near the West Loop interchange when the car began moving.
It rolled over part of the officer’s leg.
He was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in stable condition.
I-10 was briefly shut down to allow an ambulance to reach the officer. It has since reopened.

Switch to chloramine concerns residents

By JENNIFER COGAN
Updated: 07.10.10
The state-mandated switch from ground water to surface water was supposed to begin taking place in NW Houston in December of 2009 and be complete by 2011. Residents initially expressed concern regarding the new way the water would be treated.

“We’ve always had very good, clean ground water right here,” said resident Sue Arkell, “and it’s always been treated with chlorine.”

Arkell, along with several other residents, are concerned that the water is now being pumped in from Houston and is being treated with chloramine, which is essentially chlorine and ammonia.

“We get this letter, that looks like an ad with very small print, saying that it can kill fish, it can be harmful to people on dialysis, it can hurt kids or people with low immune systems; I don’t want to drink that stuff,” she said.

Arkell and her husband Ken immediately bought a home filtration system to prepare for the switch that was supposed to happen by Dec. 16, 2009. Now the couple is concerned with what’s being filtered out.

“The filters are supposed to last three to four months, and I have to change it roughly every ten days,” said Ken Arkell.

The home filtration system the couple purchased is a carbon-based system. It’s hooked up to the ingoing water line. Water is then pumped through a pre-filter and then two large carbon filters before being pumped out their taps.

Arkell held up a brown, sludgy filter.

“This can’t be good. I’m glad I have the filter, otherwise this is what I’d be drinking. It smells horrible, like chlorine, and it’s very expensive to change the filters,” he said.

The Arkell’s are concerned that the sludge from the filter is from the miles of pipe the water must go through in order to get to their tap, but Barbara Payne, spokesperson for the North Harris County Regional Water Authority, explained that new pipe was installed to avoid that problem.

“It was a huge and amazing undertaking. We replaced over 75 miles of pipe (in Northwest Houston),” she said.

Payne, who lives in the same area as the Arkell’s, said that she hasn’t noticed any particulate in her water and feels very comfortable drinking it.

“Now the pipes in their neighborhood haven’t been replaced and they’re 30 years old, but like I said, I live there and I feel perfectly safe drinking the water,” said Payne.

Arkell has sat in on board meetings and called Water District 52 to voice her concerns. She has also requested to have her water tested.

“But no one’s ever come out. I even left water samples outside for them to pick up and no one ever came,” she said.

Though Arkell’s neighborhood was supposed to switch from ground to surface water in December, Delise Keim, vice president of communications for Southwest Water, said that the switch hasn’t been made yet.

“They are not yet using surface water. They have switched over the chloramine, though,” she said.

A chemist at Lone Star College, who asked that her name not be used, explained that chloramine is formed when ammonia bonds to chlorine. It’s an inexpensive way to kill bacteria in the water, but, she said, it cannot be filtered out.

“It can be treated out with metabisulfite, which is what a lot of home brewers use, but it cannot be filtered out,” she said.

The Sun asked the chemist what it could do to a human body. Ultimately, while communities across the country have been using chloramine in small doses for years, no studies regarding long-term effects have been done and so the Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t gotten involved.

“I don’t know what it can do to humans,” she said, “but I can tell you what (chloramine) does to pipes. It erodes them; it separates the metal. While it’s not an acid, it does have acidic results, so you can imagine what it could do to the intestines.”

The metabisulfite, she said, turns the chloramine into a semi-solid, a gel-like substance, and that allows for it to be filtered out.

She did say, however, that her water comes from the City of Houston, and she feels comfortable drinking the water.



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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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