Hawaii beats Pearland for Little League World Series title shot.

South Williamsport, PA (Sports Network) - Noah Shackles went 2-for-2 with a homer, two RBI and three runs scored to back Ezra Heleski's two-hitter, and the Waipahu, Hawaii little league team beat Pearland, Texas, 10-0, in the United States championship game of the Little League World Series.

In the international title game, Ryota Norimatsu tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth, and Ryo Motegi's run-scoring single in the seventh won it, leading Japan to a 3-2 victory over Chinese Taipei.

In addition to striking out six over five shutout innings, Heleski went 2- for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Kahoea Akau added three hits in the resounding win, helping Waipahu win its second U.S. title in three years. In 2008, this same Little League squad beat Matamoros, Mexico to win the championship.

Mason Van Noort had one of the two hits for Pearland, which came back against Georgia to reach this U.S. title game.

With two runners on and one out in the opening inning, Kaimana Bartolome opened the scoring with a two-run double. Shackles homered later in the inning to plate Bartolome for a 4-0 advantage.

Shackles scored in the third on a wild pitch, and Heleski's RBI single later in the same at-bat made it a 6-0 game. Akau's run-scoring double provided a seven-run cushion.

Three more runs from Hawaii ended the game in the fifth due to the 10-run rule. Shackles walked and scored on Cody Maltezo's triple, and Heleski followed with another RBI single. A wild pitch later scored Heleski to end the game.

Japan trailed, 2-1, heading to the bottom of the sixth, but Koutaro Kamikura singled to left to lead off the inning. Following a strikeout, Kamikura advanced to second on an error by the catcher before Norimatsu's hit tied the game.

Kamikura stayed on to pitch a scoreless seventh -- striking out two -- before Masaya Ishii singled with one down in the home half to start the winning rally. A wild pitch sent Ishii to second, and Motegi's two-out single to center won the game.


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3-alarm fire destroys part of SW Houston strip center

by Lisa Chavarria / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on August 25, 2010 at 8:23 AM
Updated today at 9:21 AM

HOUSTON—A three-alarm fire swept through parts of a southwest Houston strip mall, destroying several businesses in its path early Wednesday.
Houston Fire Department officials said the fire began inside the M. Trading Wholesale Shop on Fondren at Harwin just before 5 a.m.

The business houses wholesale supplies sold to dollar stores. HFD said there may have been hair products or chemicals on the racks that helped fuel the flames.
Two more businesses next door to the wholesale shop, Jessie’s Nail Salon and Sloreria Lee’s flower shop, were also destroyed.

The owner of Star Korean Karaoke Bar said he was inside his business when a man riding a bicycle knocked on his door and alerted him to the fire. He was able to get out safely and call 911. His business was not damaged by the flames, but may have smoke damage.

One firefighter was injured battling the blaze. He was treated at the scene for a laceration on his hand.


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NW Houston toddler found in hot car dead

by Courtney Zubowski / 11 News
Posted on August 19, 2010 at 7:32 PM
HOUSTON – A 2-year-old boy has died after being found locked in a hot car in northwest Houston, according to authorities.

The incident happened Thursday around 2:30 p.m. at 13813 Dentwood.
According to police, parents were arriving home from the grocery store when their 7-year-old child, who is autistic, began having seizures. While the parents went inside their home to tend to the 7-year-old, the 2-year-old boy was left locked inside the vehicle.

After going inside to help the 7-year-old , the parents realized their younger child was missing and eventually found him in the back seat of their SUV. Police said the boy was trapped inside the vehicle for about two hours.

One of the parents called 911 when they saw the toddler was not breathing. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators said the temperature inside the vehicle was 122 degrees when the toddler was found.
Neighbors of the victim’s family said it was an unfortunate incident that happened to good people.

"This is a good family, their children comes first with them," said Michael Carey. "I know for a fact that it was not intentional."

Investigators said the parents will probably not face charges, but the case will go to a grand jury.



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Houston Area Forecast: 100% Chance of Meteors

After a week-ling lead-up, tonight, August 12/13, 2010, is finally the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower. Wit this event, meteor season 2010 will kick off in a big way.

Every August, Earth passes through the stretch of space junk shed by comet Swift-Tuttle, reaching the deepest concentration of debris tonight. According to some estimates, under ideal conditions (dark country skies), one can expect to see 60 meteors per hour. The reason the meteors are called Perseids is because the meteors seem to radiate from the constellation Perseus. The best time to view the shower is in the pre-dawn hours, with 3-5am being best.

Don't want to stay up that late? Don't worry, Perseus rises in the Northeast around midnight and will climb higher as the night progresses. However, unless one lives out in the country, the early post-midnight hours will probably involve Perseus being low in a light pollution dome. To improve odds of seeing meteors, travel out of light-polluted Cleveland and to the suburbs or, even better, the country if you can. In the suburbs, just going from the front to back yard can make a dramatic difference as this will eliminate glare from those pesky street/house lights to a large extent.

Two things can ruin the meteor shower: clouds and the Moon. The clouds? Well, that's a regional thing. Check your local Clear Sky Clock to see what the clouds have in store for your location tonight. For us Northeast Ohioans, tonight is looking good. As for the Moon, that's an Earth-wide issue. The good news is that, this year, the Moon is just a few days past new, which means that there will be no Moon up during the time of the meteor shower. There will be a slight lunar glow in the South (opposite Perseus), but this will disappear about midnight, which is about the time Perseus clears the Northeast horizon.

So how about viewing tips?

First, plan to stay out awhile, as it takes the human eye about 15 minutes to get optimal night vision capability. The bad news is that, even one bright flash of white light will wipe out night vision, requiring you to start the process all over again. Next, grab a lawn chair or, even better, a lounge-type chair. Trying to lean back with a straight-back lawn chair can be a pain in the neck, literally! Eyes ready for dark and with something to sit/lay on, settle in for a night of hopeful meteor watching (or at the very least, stargazing), just try not to fall asleep and don't forget the bug spray!

Besides meteors, tonight can be a great time for binocular viewing, owing to your use of a chair. Under suburban (maybe) or rural skies (definitely), a pair of medium power (10x50) binoculars can yield some stunning wide-angle sights. For someone truly dedicated, why not try and keep a tally of how many meteors you see for every complete hour? Really ambitious? Why not try photographing the meteors?

Whatever you plan to do tonight, good luck and clear skies!

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XXXL bandit strikes again!

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on August 11, 2010 at 3:17 PM
Updated today at 3:17 PM

HOUSTON—The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force is on the hunt for one really big suspect who allegedly robbed at least two Houston banks. The FBI said they nicknamed the suspect the XXXL Bandit because of his uniquely large stature.

The latest robbery occurred at the Associated Federal Credit Union located in the 16400 block of El Camino Real in southeast Houston on August 5.

Authorities said in the latest offense, the suspect entered the bank and struck up a conversation with one of the tellers shortly after 1 p.m. He then handed the teller a threatening note demanding money.

The teller handed over the cash and the suspect fled through an emergency exit in the rear of the Kroger store, where the bank was located. Authorities said they do not know if he used a getaway vehicle when he left. No one observed a weapon or was physically hurt.

Authorities said the XXXL Bandit is between 28 to 35 years old, stands 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall and weighs 245 to 270 pounds. They describe the suspect as overweight with an unkempt appearance. He wore a dark baseball-type cap, blue tee-shirt, jeans and sunglasses.

The XXXL Bandit is also suspected in the robbery of the Wells Fargo located inside the Randall’s store located in the 2300 block of Clear Lake City Boulevard on July 12.

Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the charging and arrest of this robber, or any felony suspect. If you have information about this crime, please call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 713-222-TIPS (8477)


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Firefighter In Uniform Arrested At Walmart

Jane Draycott Accused Of Trying To Steal DVD Player

HOUSTON -- A female Houston firefighter who accused co-workers of harassment was arrested Monday night in Spring.

Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables said Ena Jane Draycott was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting at a Walmart in the 21100 block of Kuykendahl Road at 9:30 p.m.
Court documents said Draycott tried to steal a DVD player.

Detectives said Draycott was at the checkout counter and left the line to go to the ice machine. She then walked toward the door with unpaid items and was stopped by loss prevention officials, investigators said.

Draycott was in uniform at the time of her arrest, officials said. She was charged with misdemeanor theft between $50 and $500.
She has bonded out of jail.

Last year, Draycott said she and another female firefighter at Station 54 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport were the targets of racist and sexist graffiti found scrawled on their lockers.
The city conducted an investigation into the graffiti, but it was inconclusive.

Heat Alert for Houston Area

HOUSTON CHRON

Put on your tank tops, shorts and sandals and grab your sunscreen. Muggy, searing heat will grip the Houston region for the most of the week and through the week.

A strong ridge of high pressure is parked above the area, sending temperatures near 100 degrees and the heat index near 105.

The high pressure area will keep rain at bay for days until it weakens slightly by the weekend, and a chance of showers is possible, according to the National Weather Service .

Today, the high temperature will top out near 100 under sunny skies. The low will be in the upper 70s.

The heat index (how hot the air feels when temperature and humidity combine) will be 106 degrees.

No rain is forecast.
The broiling heat and dry conditions have prompted the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality to issue an air quality alert today because of increase ozone levels in the Houston, Galveston and Brazoria areas.

Elevated ozone can be a lung irritant and officials warn children and the elderly as well as people with chronic respiratory ailments, such as asthma and emphysema, to stay inside air condition rooms.

Everyone should avoid physical exertion outdoors in the later afternoon and early evening.
The scorching heat continues Tuesday and throughout much of the week. The high temperatures each day will be in the upper 90s and the lows will be in the upper 70s.

The heat index each day will top out between 103 and 109 degrees. No rain is forecast. Slightly cooler temperatures are likely along the coast.

A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is forecast Friday through Sunday when the high pressure ridge weakens. The showers may develop late in the day with afternoon heating and will be very scattered.

The temperatures each day will be in the upper 90s; the lows will be in the upper 70s under partly cloud skies.

Forecasters said they are watching a low pressure area that is about 950 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Island in the Atlantic. The system of thunderstorms is moving west-northwest at about 10 mph to 15 mph and is likely to develop into a tropical depression within a few days and could later become more organized.

Test your hurricane IQ.

By GREG AINSWORTH


This year's hurricane season in the waters adjacent to the Southeastern United States is drawing more attention than usual, thanks to the oil spill in the Gulf. The National Hurricane Center expects a busier than average year, so it's time to energize our hurricane IQ.
Whether you call them hurricanes, typhoons or cyclones, they are the scourge of tropical locales worldwide. Ocean water temperatures of at least 80 degrees seem to be one of the key ingredients in their formation. Think hot and muggy -- and lots of evaporation. If other conditions are favorable in the atmosphere, winds near the surface may begin to converge, and a low-pressure system may form.


In the Northern Hemisphere, those cyclonic winds spiral in a counter-clockwise direction. All of that water vapor in the atmosphere rises and condenses inside thunderstorm complexes, releasing a great amount of energy in the process. Bands of thunderstorms stretching from the system's outer margins to the center of circulation help feed the massive heat engine with warm, moisture-laden air.

As the system matures, the characteristic cloud-free and relatively calm eye may form at the center of circulation. But surrounding the eye is the eyewall, where the most intense convection and highest wind speeds occur.

Hurricanes pose a major threat to life and property because of their ability to wreak havoc in so many different ways. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is wind damage -- not surprising since a storm isn't called a hurricane until it has sustained winds of at least 74 mph. In August 1969, Hurricane Camille made landfall along the Mississippi coast with sustained winds estimated at 200 mph.

An important, but often overlooked hurricane impact is the storm surge. This refers to the ocean water pushed onshore into low-lying areas by hurricane-force winds. Depending on the status of the local tides during landfall, storm surges of 15 to 20 feet are not out of the question. If you happen to live in a near-shore area at say, 10 feet above sea level, the surge can be bad news indeed. Hurricane Opal caused a 24-foot storm surge near Pensacola, Fla., in September 1995.

Even days after landfall, hurricanes, or their remnants, are still capable of producing tornadoes and flooding rains. After slamming into the coast of south Texas in September 1967, Hurricane Beulah spawned more than 100 tornadoes. Tropical Storm Claudette, whose winds didn't reach hurricane strength, nevertheless dropped 45 inches of rain on Alvin, Texas, in 1979.

For further information about these storms, check out the website for NOAA's National Hurricane Center.

Greg Ainsworth keeps an eye on local weather and climate issues. Contact him at ainsworth@theglobal.net.