Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - September 2006 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Copyright 2006 Victoria Advocate Online (http://victoriaadvocate.com) unless otherwise notated. ************************************************ Sep 2, 2006 216 Texas counties qualify for livestock assistance because of ongoing drought AUSTIN - Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs announced this week that livestock producers in 216 drought-stressed Texas counties may be eligible for $14.5 million in assistance under the recently announced federal Livestock Assistance Grant Program. The livestock block grant is part of a broad-based national drought disaster assistance program for American farmers and ranchers announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week. USDA will distribute $50 million in state block grants to 20 states to help livestock producers recover losses suffered because of the ongoing drought. Assistance may cover such items as the cost of lost forage, supplemental feeding, the cost of relocating livestock to new pastures and the cost of emergency water supplies. The Texas Department of Agriculture is working with statewide agriculture and livestock groups to establish the criteria for distributing the funds in Texas. "The funds released by USDA will provide a much-needed infusion of dollars to Texas producers devastated by the ongoing drought," Combs said. "With the entire state facing unprecedented economic setbacks because of this year's drought, I appreciate all that Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has done to help our hardworking producers recover some of their losses during these desperate times. "We will be working closely with our livestock groups, the Governor's Office and USDA to set up the criteria, announce a sign-up period and distribute the funds from the block grant to our producers as quickly as possible," Combs said. Only livestock producers in the eligible counties who suffered a loss of forage production because of the 2006 drought may receive assistance. Payments are limited to $10,000 and cannot exceed the amount of lost forage production and related losses. Livestock producers in the following Texas counties may be eligible for assistance: Anderson, Andrews, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Bailey, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Camp, Carson, Cass, Castro, Cherokee, Childress, Clay, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Dallam, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Delta, Denton, De Witt, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Foard, Franklin, Freestone, Frio, Gillespie, Glasscock, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Gregg, Guadalupe, Hale, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Harrison, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hockley, Hood, Hopkins, Howard, Hunt, Hutchinson, Irion, Jack, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, Lamar, Lamb, Lampasas, La Salle, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Lubbock, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Madison, Marion, Martin, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, Medina, Menard, Midland, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Moore, Morris, Motley, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Orange, Palo Pinto, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Rains, Randall, Reagan, Real, Red River, Reeves, Refugio, Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Shackelford, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Upshur, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Van Zandt, Victoria, Ward, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Wood, Young, Zapata and Zavala. For timely information on the Livestock Assistance Grant Program for Texas, please visit TDA's Web site at www.agr.state.tx.us under "New at TDA." © Copyright 2002-2006 by North Texas e-News, llc ************************* 09/07/06 Ron Henry Strait: Finding doves takes patience, practice and a bag of tricks Web Posted: 09/07/2006 07:43 PM CDT San Antonio Express-News A dove in the bag is worth an entire flock of the creatures soaring high overhead. How that bird gets from up there to down here and into the bag is the real trick of dove hunting, and if the place you're hunting is in eye-high grass and sunflowers, calling a limit of doves a "trick" is an understatement. The process of "limiting out" is complicated first by hunter impatience. We tend to set up a stand — usually a folding chair — in a likely looking spot in the shade and hope the birds come our way. When a bird falls, we mark it as being left or right of a certain point on the horizon, such as a telephone pole or windmill, and then we walk toward the downed bird, looking back to the starting point to keep us on track. But the best-laid plans of mice and dove hunters seem to go astray. Problems wing our way when the birds start coming in from another direction or fly over a fence 100 yards down the line and we move — then move again when that second setup doesn't put us in the action either. Finally, when a bird is hit and it tumbles to earth in the weeds, the shooter's exact starting point is lost as soon as we step toward the bird's impact zone. Losing sight of the impact zone happened to me three times last weekend in a field in Medina County, and the scenario was a familiar one. The 28-gauge Red Label rolled a whitewing, and I walked directly toward the impact zone. Then a dozen new birds came buzzing in about 20 feet high and off to one side. I changed my focus for a second and the impact zone was lost. Looking back for a starting point, I had not marked my shooting spot. I found one bird later, but two of the birds were lost. Not bueno. Patience and practice would have solved some of my problem. I kept moving positions from shade to fence line to open grass, hoping for more opportunities, although there were plenty of birds all afternoon if I had just stayed still. I'll blame opening-day jitters or excitement. Birds everywhere. I can't stand still, sometimes. And throw in a lack of practice. Most summers, I shoot clay targets a couple of times just for fun. I did not do that this summer and that cost me. Staying on familiar terms with a favorite firearm takes one-on-one contact. My first two shots at doves last weekend — both misses — went low. I had forgotten how light the little gun is and the stock came up and set high in shoulder. Bang. Bang. Bye, bye, birdies. Anyway, marking a shooting spot is a simple thing. Something like scraping a big "X" in the dust can work, but stacking two stones or standing a stick on the spot is better and easier to see from a distance when you need to look back. When the bird falls, mark the spot in your mind along with other information, such as: Was the dove flying away or toward you when it fell; was it going left to right and how fast; was it falling straight down? With that in mind, here is a personal note. Maybe it's just me, but when a bird can't be found where it supposedly fell, it's usually because I have not walked far enough out and I'm looking in the wrong place by 20 or more feet. A lost bird is not a good thing. What I do at that point is to drop a white handkerchief (or a piece of paper towel) on the suspected spot, not in surrender but, rather, to mark where I think the bird fell. Then it's the old circle game. Walk in ever-larger circles from the marker until the bird is found. The only other trick I have used for marking downed doves was passed along to me by the dearly departed Charly McTee, a fine hunting and fishing companion who also was my neighbor for many years. He carried a couple of large, heavy washers with short pieces of bright orange yarn tied to them. When he couldn't see a downed bird, he would throw the washer in the general direction the bird had fallen, then take his bearings off that mark. I skipped the yarn part, replacing the threads with pieces of surveyor's tape, but the idea is the same. And it works as well as dropping the white handkerchief. How long do you look for a lost bird? Losing a bird is not the end of the world, but it is the responsibility of the hunter to make a sincere effort to find it. The sad fact is, though, that some birds are lost, and it's not by the fault of the hunter. In one instance last weekend, two brothers were poking around in a stand of mesquites for 10 minutes looking for a bird they knew was down. There was some discussion as to where it had fallen, but the boys agreed it had gone down in the trees. I happened to be walking on a road along the other side of the mesquite trees when a dove with a broken wing walked out of the trees and across the ruts far up the road. It then wandered into the brush on a fence line and off into another pasture. I could have let the guys crawl through the mesquite thicket for a while longer — they only needed one more bird to make a limit and youngsters can always use a little more exercise — but I called over to them about the walking wounded bird. They looked along the road but couldn't follow the bird beyond a few feet. It was gone. As we were leaving, another wounded bird was walking along a road and went into the brush as the truck approached. One of the boys got out and picked it up. He had his limit after all. That's really a neat trick, but not one that is easily packed in a hunter's bird-finding kit. rstrait@express-news.net **************************** 09/09/06 Football: Week 2 schedule San Antonio Express-News All games at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Thursday's games 26-5A: Reagan vs. Churchill* (@Comalander), 7 p.m. Nondistrict: Lanier vs. Kennedy (@Alamo), 7 p.m.; Pflugerville Connally @Killeen Ellison, 7 p.m.; Hays @Cedar Park Friday's games 26-5A: Lee vs. Roosevelt (@Comalander), Madison vs. Wagner (@Judson) 28-5A: Jay vs. Holmes (@Gustafson), Warren vs. Marshall (@Farris) 29-5A: Laredo Nixon @Eagle Pass Winn, Laredo Johnson @Laredo Alexander, Laredo Cigarroa @Laredo Martin Nondistrict: Antonian @St. Anthony, 5 p.m.; River City @Christian Academy of S.A., 5:30 p.m.; Sunnybrook @Town East, 7 p.m. Austin Akins @Dripping Springs, Vista Ridge @Austin Anderson, Round Rock McNeil @Austin Bowie, Austin SFA @Round Rock Stony Point, Austin Westlake @A&M Consolidated. Round Rock @Bastrop, San Marcos @Pflugerville, Gregory-Portland @CC Carroll, CC King @Alice, CC Ray @ CC Flour Bluff. Alamo Heights @East Central, Southwest @Uvalde, Victoria Memorial @El Campo, Lake Travis @Round Rock Westwood, Lampasas @Taylor. Del Valle @Marble Falls, Edison @Kyle Lehman, Lockhart @Floresville, New Braunfels @Beeville, Boerne @Clemens. Steele @Harlandale, South San @Fredericksburg, Lake View @Kerrville Tivy, Memorial @Poteet, Medina Valley vs. Brackenridge (@Alamo). Burbank @West Campus, Fox Tech @Central Catholic, Sam Houston @Pleasanton, Southside vs. Jefferson (@SAISD), CC Tuloso-Midway @CC Miller. CC Moody @Kingsville, Port Lavaca Calhoun @Yoakum, Rockport-Fulton @Robstown, CC Calallen @La Joya, Cuero @Bandera. Blanco @Ingram Moore, Lexington @Llano, Wimberley @Luling, Somerset @La Vernia, Hondo @Marion. Lytle @Pearsall, Cotulla @Carrizo Springs, Jourdanton @Crystal City, Holy Cross @Devine, Goliad @George West. Gonzales @Hutto, Wallis Brazos @Palacios, Comanche @Brady, Navarro @Comfort, Junction @Eldorado. Johnson City @Mason, Sonora @Colorado City, Rice Consolidated @Brookshire Royal, Van Vleck @Edna, Danbury @Tidehaven. Ganado @Louise, Columbus @Hallettsville, Hallettsville Sacred Heart @Weimar, Karnes City @Falls City, Three Rivers @Nixon-Smiley. Poth @Refugio, Randolph @Cole, Yorktown @Flatonia, Sabinal @Dilley, Skidmore-Tynan @Natalia. Shiner St. Paul @Bloomington, Odem @Hebbronville, Taft (Tx) @Premont, D'Hanis @Center Point, Harper @Irion County. Nueces Canyon @Leakey, St. Gerard @Medina, Charlotte @Brackett, La Pryor @Cornerstone, Pettus @Aqua Dulce. East Bernard @Shiner, Woodsboro @Banquete, Prairie Lea @Winston, Brownsville St. Joseph @Raymondville, Progreso @Harlingen MMA. Victoria St. Joseph @Vanderbilt Industrial, Stockdale @San Antonio Christian, Austin St. Andrew's @TMI, TSD @Houston Mt. Carmel, San Marcos Academy @Runge. Saturday's games 26-5A: Smithson Valley vs. MacArthur (@Comalander), 7 p.m. 28-5A: Del Rio vs. O'Connor (@Farris), Taft vs. Stevens (@Gustafson) 29-5A: Laredo United @Eagle Pass Nondistrict: Austin Christian @New Braunfels Christian, 10 a.m.; Fredericksburg Heritage @Marble Falls Faith, 11 a.m.; CC Annapolis @FEAST, 1 p.m.; Bracken Christian @Lutheran, 2 p.m.; Beaumont Ozen vs. Seguin (Clear Lake ISD, League City), 6 p.m.; McCollum @Highlands (@Alamo); Burnet @Brownwood. *********************** 09/09/06 Medina alert sirens set for '07 Web Posted: 09/09/2006 10:42 PM CDT Zeke MacCormack MYSA090606. HONDO — A sophisticated array of emergency sirens should be operational early next year across Medina County, where government entities mobilized to upgrade public alert systems after being battered by tornados, hailstones and floods. Up to 75 percent of the county's 44,000 residents are expected to be within earshot of about 18 alarms to be installed around population centers at a total cost of about $300,000. "It will alert them that something is going on and they need to turn on the radio or television," County Judge Jim Barden said. Other counties have sirens in isolated areas, but he knows of none with a comprehensive, coordinated system as is planned here. A $135,000 homeland security grant passed through the Alamo Area Council of Governments is helping fund the project in the wake of a flood four years ago that revealed lapses in existing alert systems. "When they were saying the Medina Dam may break in the flood of 2002, that's how long this has been in the planning stages," said Reggie Winters, city administrator in LaCoste. Castroville has already spent $30,000 on two sirens, and Mayor Jesse Byars hopes to buy one more for residents on the city's southwest side where the alarm is dampened by trees. "It's something that's been a long time coming," he said of the countywide system that will be able to be activated at the sheriff's office or by local communities. Sheriff Gilbert Rodriguez said plans call for installing three in Devine, two in Natalia and one each in LaCoste, Castroville, Mico, D'Hanis, Yancey, Rio Medina, Quihi, Dunlay and Hondo, which already has three sirens in place. Each alarm makes varied tones, which residents can be trained to recognize as signaling different things, such as a tornado or dam break, said Robert Parsons of American Communications, the Fort Worth- based supplier. "This is something we all need," said Mayor Ruby Vera of Natalia. "With this system, we can warn the entire county, or just one area." AACOG also is helping Guadalupe and Karnes counties fund upgrades to emergency alert systems. The agency also has an "emergency call-out system" that will allow any entity in the 11-county region to send residents a customized telephone message if disaster strikes. AACOG soon will begin training officials on the telephone system that he said is similar to one already in use by Bexar Metro 911. With its $103,000 AACOG grant, Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke said sirens might be installed by the San Marcos River, Geronimo Creek or Cibolo Creek. They would complement six sirens erected along the Guadalupe River after flooding there in 1998. "We've used them several times," he said. "They work for the most part, but some people have well insulated houses and they don't hear them." As a backup, deputies are often sent door to door, and the county can access up to 96 telephone lines at Bexar Metro 911 to alert residents. In Karnes County, its $27,000 grant will help replace existing fire sirens in Kenedy, Karnes City, Falls City and Runge, said Shelby Dupnik, emergency management coordinator there. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- zeke@express-news.net ************************ Sep. 14, 2006 Texas Gov. Perry Requests Federal Drought Assistance for 20 Counties AUSTIN - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency provide disaster relief assistance for 20 additional counties where farms and ranches have experienced damage due to the effects of drought, including: Anderson, Baylor, Callahan, Cherokee, Cooke, Cottle, Crockett, Dallas, Eastland, Fayette, Henderson, Kaufman, King, Loving, Nueces, Reagan, Rusk, Throckmorton, Upton and Van Zandt counties. Texas has been suffering from severe and prolonged drought conditions for more than a year, resulting in an estimated $4.1 billion in losses to the agricultural industry. "Having grown up in a farming and ranching community, I know first hand how devastating a drought can be to individual farmers and ranchers and the agriculture industry statewide," Perry said. "We want to help get farmers and ranchers the federal assistance they deserve as quickly as possible." Perry’s previous requests for USDA assistance for 39 counties are pending approval. These include Bee, Blanco, Bowie, Brooks, Camp, Clay, Cochran, Coleman, Collin, Delta, DeWitt, Franklin, Gaines, Grayson, Gregg, Guadalupe, Haskell, Hood, Irion, Jack, Jim Hogg, Jones, Knox, Lynn, Martin, Montague, Morris, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Smith, Somervell, Titus, Tom Green, Upshur, Wise, Wood and Young counties. The USDA has already granted Perry's requests for assistance to 49 drought-stricken counties, including: Armstrong, Bosque, Brewster, Calhoun, Colorado, Dallam, Dimmit, Duval, Fannin, Foard, Frio, Gillespie, Glasscock, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hartley, Hopkins, Hunt, Jeff Davis, Jim Wells, Johnson, Karnes, Kenedy, Kinney, Kleberg, LaSalle, Lavaca, Live Oak, Llano, Lubbock, Mason, McLennan, McMullen, Nolan, Oldham, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Red River, Runnels, San Patricio, Stephens, Taylor, Terrell, Victoria, Wilbarger, Willacy, Wilson and Zavala counties. When a USDA request is approved, qualified farm operators in designated counties are eligible for low-interest emergency loans from the USDA's Farm Service Agency. Producers can borrow up to 100 percent of actual production for physical losses, or a maximum of $500,000. The agency offers additional programs, such as technical assistance, to eligible farmers. In 2005, Gov. Perry requested a statewide drought declaration to pave the way for federal assistance for all farmers and ranchers who suffered losses due to extremely dry conditions; the USDA approved assistance for 245 Texas counties last year. Source: Texas Governor's Office ************************ From: http://www.mysanantonio.com/ 09/17/2006 S.A. area's rural land now is hot property Jennifer Hiller Express-News Business Writer Buying and selling houses is so passé. These days in Texas, folks hankering for real estate have a new aim: land, and lots of it. A wave of retiring baby boomers and hunters setting their sights on weekend getaways have pushed demand for Texas land to an all-time high, an appetite that's fueling double-digit appreciation in the state's farm and ranch market. The land rush and the run-up in prices have given rise to a new breed of real estate investor, one who flips ranches instead of houses. One Texas-sized example: a 78,000-acre ranch in Maverick County that has changed hands three times since November. "We've had three years of double-digit increases in our median price statewide," said Charles Gilliland, research economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. "It's unprecedented." Statewide, land values are rising at an average of 1 percent per month. But the San Antonio region — Bexar, Atascosa, Comal, Guadalupe, Karnes and Wilson counties — enjoyed 32 percent appreciation last year to become Texas' hottest rural land market, Gilliland said. That's the kind of return real estate flippers love to see. But people who may have a long-simmering desire for rural land now see it as a good short- or long-term investment. Demand for rural land has surged thanks to baby boomers with bucolic dreams of owning land in retirement, developers creating "ranchette" subdivisions where sprawling acreage used to be, and a slew of out-of- state real estate investors cashing out of other markets and needing to park their money somewhere to avoid capital-gains taxes. And of course, there's the popularity of hunting, which continues to drive big-city Texans into the land market. "The market has swung to a different direction," said Cody Stewart with Stewart Ranches, a New Braunfels-based real estate company that specializes in rural land. "It's not the people who want to raise their kids the way I was raised, where I was gone outside from 9 a.m. to dark." Texas has caught the land bug before. Land prices rose with the cost of oil in the early 1970s. The oil and gas business swelled the Texas economy and lined the pockets of wealthy businessmen, who in turn bought ranches as showpieces. When a key tax law changed in 1986, however, many city-based doctors, lawyers, engineers and other weekend ranchers lost their ability to use their land as a tax shelter. Vast amounts of rural land went on the market and prices flattened for several years. But land prices started rising again in 1993, and by the mid-1990s, land was appreciating about 8 percent per year. Prices rose even higher by 2002. "In the last six months," Stewart said, "it's just gotten ridiculous." Hill Country land prices have doubled in the last two years, Gilliland said. In 2003, land typically sold for $1,000 to $6,000 an acre. By 2005, that had jumped to $1,500 to $10,000 an acre. "Part of that is an Enron effect," Gilliland said. "People are still fearful that a lot of the information they're getting in the securities market is not as reliable as they believed it was. When they buy a ranch, they can at least see what they have." Investors Clern La Fountaine, a Long Island resident who recently sold a couple of his family's beach rental properties on New York's Fire Island, initially looked to reinvest in the Hamptons, Florida or Maine. He found the Texas Hill Country instead. "It was a very pretty area and looked like it was very reasonably priced," he said. "Our market (in the Northeast) is so high. To go in and buy something like a strip center (there) is so difficult. The rural land in that area of the Hill Country of Texas at least still seemed to have a lot of potential." After land shopping for four hours, he bought 350 acres in Liberty Hill in Williamson County, north of Austin. For now, he'll lease the land for agriculture and wait for it to appreciate. "I'm hoping that we bought the property at a price where we can turn around and sell it in three to five years at a profit," La Fountaine said. Stewart said La Fountaine is typical of out-of-state investors who look at properties for two or three days, make a decision on one or several ranches, and then fly home. They lease the land for agriculture and might never visit before they sell it again. "It's an emotionless purchase," Stewart said. "It's not something that their kids would ever see. That's what's so weird about it." The payoff can be huge when an owner's timing hits a sweet spot with price appreciation. "They're making $200 to $300 an acre on thousands of acres of property," Stewart said. Texas buyers For many Texans, the lust for land is all about having a weekend ranch. The investment aspect just happens to be a nice added feature. Their land searches focus almost single-mindedly on hunting and fishing. Even if they want to hold the land for the long term, few want to live there full time, and fewer want to work the land themselves. In 2005, more than 75 percent of rural land buyers cited hunting and fishing as among their top motives, and 52 percent cited other recreation, according to Texas A&M. Just 13 percent were interested in agricultural production. The land rush represents a huge cultural shift and the loss of a way of life in rural Texas. "You have more and more absentee landowners," said Matt Brockman, executive vice president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, who attributes that trend to baby boomer buyers and an aging generation of ranchers. "You're seeing more and more people buying ranchland for recreational purposes." In the offices of Stewart Ranches, Stewart turns to his father, Michael, who has been selling Texas ranches since 1972. "I don't remember when somebody asked me how many cattle you could run on a piece of land," he said. "Can you?" The elder Stewart pauses for a moment, and then shakes his head. "No," he says. "I can't." Cattle production used to be a prospective buyer's first question about a ranch, Michael said. Now they want to know what they can hunt — if there are deer, turkeys, javelina or quail — and whether the property has high fencing. They have lots of questions about high- protein deer feed. Cashing out With prices high, ranching families can cash out quickly if younger generations don't want to take over the business, said Karen Kirk- Polan, a San Antonio real estate agent who specializes in farm and ranch sales. "It's part of Texas history," said Kirk-Polan, who grew up in Uvalde. "It's kind of sad to see. No one is ranching anymore. It's all going to commercial hunting. Or the developers are coming in and cutting it into 200 to 300 acres so the middle-class weekend warrior can buy it." Merrill Swanson, rural land appraiser with the San Antonio firm Dugger Canaday Grafe Inc., also has watched longtime and multigenerational owners selling their land in recent years. Although it's rare, some of the most exclusive land — such as pristine river or lake front — has sold as high as $50,000 an acre, while $5,000 an acre would have been a high price just a few years ago, said Rick Kuper of Kuper Sotheby's International Realty. The potential for development drives the pricing. The dissection of large ranches into smaller parcels has gone on for generations in Texas, but now it's starting to have a major impact on the availability of large tracts. Statewide, the average size of a property transaction was 140 acres in 1993. Ten years later, it had dropped to 100 acres. And in Caldwell County, for instance, the largest contiguous ranch is 1,100 acres. "To get to the larger ranches you're going to have to go farther east or west," Michael Stewart said. The search Phil Lamey, a Houston oil executive and avid hunter, scoured South Texas and the coastal prairies for a ranch last year, a venture that proved difficult because he wanted a lot of acreage and at least one house. "You couldn't look at a place and come back in a month and expect it to be there," he said. Several properties sold faster than Lamey could schedule a showing. Eventually, he found 2,730 acres in LaSalle County with bobwhite quail, blue quail, deer, javelina and doves. Lamey paid about $1,100 an acre and thinks he could sell it within 30 days for $1,400 an acre. But he won't. Lamey describes himself as a buy-and-hold kind of guy — not a land flipper. He visits his property nearly every weekend, often bringing clients along for hunts. With a familiar lament, he wishes he had bought two years earlier. "When I first got interested in South Texas, you could have bought land all day long for $500 an acre," he said. Lamey also owns land in Alabama. He thinks people have finally figured out the value of rural property. "All over the U.S., rural property has just gone out of control," he said. "I don't think these rural prices are going to come back down. I think they're here to stay." Not everyone thinks the land rush will last forever. Brockman, of the cattle raisers association, isn't alarmed by the rapidly rising land prices. "I don't care if you're talking cows or corn or cotton or oil or gold or any other natural resource, there's a cycle to all of it," Brockman said. "There's a cycle to real estate." High prices, he says, don't stay high. Only the land lasts forever. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- jhiller@express-news.net ************************ From: http://www.dailysentinel.com/ September 17, 2006 Antler restriction highlights list of new hunting laws The 2006-07 Archery Only season for white-tailed deer gets underway Sept. 30 in counties all across Texas. So listen up buck slayers. Things aren't like they used to be. In fact, they ain't even close. Beginning this year, the popular phrase "shooter buck" will take on a brand new meaning in 40 more counties in East and Central Texas. The change comes in lieu of a new buck harvest regulation put in place earlier this year by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Names on the list include Bell, Bosque, Bowie, Burleson, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Comal (partial), Comanche, Coryell, Delta, Eastland, Erath, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Hamilton, Harrison, Hays (partial), Hopkins, Houston, Lamar, Lampasas, Leon, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Somervell, Titus, Travis (partial), Upshur, Williamson, and Wood. The regulation is centered around antler dimensions. It is aimed at improving the age structure of a deer herd with a deep history of getting shot up at a very young age. Historically, 1½ and 2½ year old bucks have comprised more than 70 percent of annual buck harvest in East Texas. Here's the new deal: Deer hunters in the aforementioned counties can take two bucks this season. That is a one buck increase as compared to previous seasons. However, the extra buck in the bag comes with a catch. Antlers on buck deer must now meet a certain criteria to be considered legal. A legal buck must have at least one unbranched antler, OR and inside spread measurement between the main beams of 13 inches or greater. The buck bag limit is two bucks, no more than one buck with an inside spread of at least 13 inches. Violate the new law and you could wind up on the receiving end of a costly citation. TPWD's reasoning for implementing the antler restriction is to reduce the harvest pressure on young bucks and improve the overall age structure of the buck herd by allowing more deer to reach at least 3½ years of age before they become legal to shoot. Biologists believe a more natural, older age structure among the buck herd will breed some positive biological and sociological implications. Among them are a more defined rut, a shorter breeding season, increased fawn survival and, ultimately, increased hunter satisfaction. The experts are pretty confident about the claims, too. That's because the antler restriction has already worked wonders in a host of other counties. To wit: In 2002-03, an antler restriction went into effect in six counties (Austin, Colorado, Fayette, Lavaca, Lee and Washington) at the tip of the southern Post Oak belt. Quality bucks were scarce in those counties prior to the implementation of the antler restriction. In fact, a decade of harvest data indicated that only 20 percent of the approximately 5,000 bucks harvested annually by hunters were 3 1/2 years old or older. Sadly, yearling deer accounted for more than 50 percent of the annual buck harvest. Shift to the 2004-05 season. Hunters in the six counties shot about the same number of bucks as they were harvesting prior to the implementation of the experimental regulation. Difference is, 71 percent of those bucks were 3½ years old or older. "The regulation worked wonders," said Bob Carroll, the now-retired TPWD wildlife biologist who carried out the plan. "The people are very satisfied with the results. They are seeing more and better deer. Instead of shooting the first buck they see, they are looking longer, seeing more activity and having lots of fun doing it. That wasn't possible before the antler restriction went into place." Carroll subsequently pushed to make the regulation permanent and added 15 more counties to the list last year – Bastrop, Brazoria, Caldwell, DeWitt, Fort Bend, Goliad, Gonzalez, Guadalupe, Karnes, Jackson, Wilson, Matagorda, Victoria, Waller and Wharton. The most recent addition brings the total number of counties with antler restrictions on bucks to 61. While biologists contend the regulation will lead to a healthier East Texas deer herd and more dynamic hunting experiences afield, only a fool would believe that those things will occur overnight. So hunters shouldn't expect them to. The overall buck harvest in the new 40-county area is almost certain sure to take a nose dive this season as compared to the past. That's because hunters are going to be forced – by law – to lay off those young four and six pointers they are accustomed to shooting. In time, however, all those adolescent bucks will grow to be teenagers, and many of them will invariably make it to adulthood. That is when the good ol' days of East Texas deer hunting will roll around. Emory angler banks $25,000 on coin flip Quick. How would you cope with this fishy situation? You and another guy end the day tied for second place in a big bass tournament. The tournament director offers up two choices to break the deadlock. Keep in mind, the winner takes home a new Skeeter bass boat valued at $25,000. The choices are: 1.) A sudden-death fish off. First angler to make it back to the scales with a keeper wins. 2.) Flip a coin. The fish-off option seems like the most logical choice, but the idea obviously didn't sit too well with Glenn Todd of Graham and Billy Painter of Emory. The men elected to decide their fate on the flip of a quarter. Todd called heads, but the flip turned up tails. Painter took the boat. Todd earned a goose egg. Go figure. Todd and Painter were among the 665 amateur anglers who competed in the first annual Berkley Big Bass Tournament held earlier this month Lake Fork. Anglers anted up $100 to fish the one-day event that awarded 12 hourly cash prizes each hour, plus valuable tackle packs. There also were two boats on the line — one for the heaviest over- the-slot fish and one for the largest under-the-slot fish. Fork is governed by a 16-24 inch slot limit on largemouth bass. Only bass measuring 16 inches or less, or one bass measuring 24 inches or more can be retained per day. Longview angler Ted Robbins won the over-the-slot boat with the only bass he caught all day, a 10.10 pounder that ate a five inch Berkley Power Shaky Worm. Todd and Painter ended the day tied for the under-the-slot boat. Both anglers weighed in bass weighing 2.90 pounds. The two anglers did compete in a one-hour fish off to break the tie, but neither was able to manage a keeper. That's when tournament director Chad Potts suggested sudden-death fish off or coin flip to break the deadlock. Knowing most tournament anglers like he does, Potts was somewhat shocked by the outcome. "I couldn't believe they didn't do the fish off," Potts said. "That's a lot of money to be decided on the flip of a coin." Organizers are anticipating a big turnout for the upcoming JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge Education and Skills) youth event slated for Sept. 23 at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area in Houston County. Sponsored by the Pineywoods and April AWOL chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the U.S. Forest Service, the JAKES event will feature a variety of educational stations that will offer youths the opportunity to become familiar with different outdoor activities and conservation programs. “It's a perfect opportunity to create a better public understanding of hunting and fishing and to create a better public awareness of the important role that hunters and anglers have played in conserving and improving our natural resources,” said Dale Bounds, spokesperson for the Pineywoods Chapter of the NWTF. The event will run 9 a.m.-2 p.m. It is open to youths ages 6-16. The cost is $5 per child. A lunch and T-shirt will be provided. For more info, contact Bill Bartush, 936-639-8501. Texans Rick Hartman and Sean Hoernke registered second and ninth place finishes, respectively, at the third annual Field and Stream Total Outdoorsman Challenge held recently in Nashville, Tenn. The invitation-only competition pitted 12 professional sportsmen and four amateurs selected from F&S readership in a series of competitions including fly casting, bait casting, air rifle, shotgun, endurance, archery and ATV handling. Competitors earned points based on how they finished in a bracket-style format. Hartman, a fly fishing guide from Harlingen, earned $2,500. Hoernke won $600. The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens is hosting its annual bream fishing tournament on Oct. 7. The tournament will follow a team format; eligible teams must consist of an adult at least 18 years old and a youth under 18. The one-day event will be held at Lake Athens from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Teams will be allowed to weigh-in up to four fish. Trophies and prizes will be awarded for first through fifth places. Everyone who enters and attends the weigh-in will be eligible to win door prizes, including a grand door prize that includes a one-year family membership the American Fish and Game Club. The membership, valued at $400, provides access to private lakes at more than 100 sites across Texas. On-site registration begins at 6 a.m. on Oct. 7 at the TFFC. Entry fee is $15 per team. For more info, call 903-676-2277. Applications for series of draw hunts on the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge in Liberty County are currently being accepted. Hunt categories include waterfowl, big game, muzzleloader. Several tracts totaling 5,000 acres will be opened for hunting deer and hogs. Meanwhile, waterfowlers can apply for limited openings on 1,000 acre Champion Lake. A limited number of permits will be awarded for upland game hunts (squirrel and rabbit) and archery only hunting. Applications for waterfowl, big game and muzzleloader hunting will be accepted through Oct. 6. Application fee is $15 in each category. Successful applicants will be allowed to bring a limited number of guests, as specified by the draw format. Draw hunt applications can be downloaded via the Internet at www.southwest.fws.gov/refuges/texas/trinityriver. Completed applications along with a $15 check or money order should be mailed to Trinity River Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 10015, Liberty, Tx. 77575. Permits for the archery only and upland game hunts are now available on a first-come-first-served basis. Permits must be picked up in person at TRNWR office in Liberty. Pro angler James Niggemeyer of Lindale recently sealed a berth to the 2007 Bassmaster Classic scheduled for Feb. 23-25 on Lay Lake in Birmingham, Ala. Niggemeyer qualified for bass fishing's "Super Bowl" by fishing well enough to finish in the top three of the Bassmaster Southern Tour points race. He won the title by a 75-point margin. ************************ From: http://www.mysanantonio.com/ 09/17/2006 Uranium becoming Texas gold John MacCormack Express-News Staff Writer GOLIAD — In a rutted pasture just beyond Margaret Rutherford's fence line, a three-man drilling crew busily bored holes into the Goliad Aquifer, taking sand samples every 10 feet. "We drill it to 420 feet and then they come and log it. So far they have found very little uranium, not enough to produce," said Efrain Gutierrez, 39, a driller from Hebbronville. Across the field, a second mobile rig also punched holes into the aquifer sands. And according to Gutierrez, the search for uranium here will not end soon. "We did at least 20 holes last week. We'll be out here for a while; I don't know how long," he said earlier this month. The furious uranium prospecting by Uranium Energy Corp. in Goliad County is just one ripple of a broad wave sweeping through a 200-mile swath of the Gulf Coast. The boom is driven by a surge in ore prices that has yet to peak. In 2000, yellowcake uranium ore brought just over $7 a pound. Now it brings more than $50, and some experts think it could hit $80 or more. Across the field, a second mobile rig also punched holes into the aquifer sands. And according to Gutierrez, the search for uranium here will not end soon. "We did at least 20 holes last week. We'll be out here for a while; I don't know how long," he said earlier this month. The furious uranium prospecting by Uranium Energy Corp. in Goliad County is just one ripple of a broad wave sweeping through a 200-mile swath of the Gulf Coast. The boom is driven by a surge in ore prices that has yet to peak. In 2000, yellowcake uranium ore brought just over $7 a pound. Now it brings more than $50, and some experts think it could hit $80 or more. ************************ From www.woai.com 9/19/2006 New Technology Predicts Exact Locations Of Flooding By: Vickie Jean Summers San Antonio is flash flood alley, but now new technology may help save lives. The San Antonio River Authority is creating flood forecasting models that allow officials to plug in rainfall predictions and identify what areas are at risk of flooding hours before the storm. "This tool we've developed will tell you how wide the flooding will be, how deep it'll be, and will it be in your home or not," says Steve Graham of SARA. Three counties downstream from San Antonio--Wilson, Karnes, and Goliad--will get the new technology within the next month. Bexar County models are still in the works. News 4 WOAI's Jeff Coyle has been following this story. ************************ From www.themonitor.com September 20,2006 Sheriff: Circumstances surrounding prison escape “suspicious” Andres R. Martinez and Kaitlin Bell Monitor Staff Writers LA VILLA — Federal and local authorities are still looking for six men who escaped from a federal prison last night. The men escaped from the East Hidalgo Detention Center around 9:40 p.m. Tuesday by holding a foot-long, homemade knife to the neck of a prison guard, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Joe Magallan said. They then tied up the guard and locked him in a room before escaping through the backdoor of the building and using wire cutters to detach an electric fence from the anchor holding it to the ground, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said. Someone had evidently de-electrified the fence beforehand, Treviño said. The guard was unharmed. The men had been housed in a minimum to medium security building within the prison complex, said Richard Harbison, a spokesman for LCS Correctional Services, the company that runs the private facility. Harbison said this is the first escape from the facility since LCS took it over from the former management company in 2001. That company had gone bankrupt. Treviño recalled another escape about five years ago, when a drug smuggler eluded law enforcement officers for 24 hours before his recapture. The escapees included former McAllen police officer Francisco Meza- Rojas, who was awaiting trial on charges he and his four brothers ran a drug-smuggling operation from Mexico into the area south of Mission. The brothers are charged with nine federal counts, including conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine and possession with intent to distribute. Authorities have identified the five other inmates as illegal aliens from the Weslaco area detained on immigration charges. They were Fernando Garza Cruz, Joel Armando Mata Castro, Vicente Garcia Mendiola, Enrique Peña Saenz, and Saul Leonardo Salazar. Within five to 10 minutes of the escape, authorities had cordoned off a four-mile perimeter around the prison, which sits on Highway 107 in La Villa, Treviño said. Footprints show the men broke up into three pairs after scrambling under the fence, he said. One group went north, one east over a canal about a quarter-mile away and a third group went south. K-9 units traced them all to Highway 107, where the scent went dead. Authorities believe an unknown person picked the men up in a car on Highway 107 just east of the facility. Customs & Border Protection is maintaining its usual patrols and staff levels at border checkpoints, spokesman Felix Garza said. Garza said all the men are a clear flight risk to Mexico. "If we do run across them, and I think we probably will, we will apprehend them," he said. The search party includes the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks & Wildlife, the U.S. Marshals Service, agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Customs & Border Protection, the Elsa- Edcouch Police Department and various K-9 units and other local police departments, Treviño said. They have been interviewing family members of the escapees, as well as all employees of the prison and the assaulted guard. Treviño stopped short of calling the escape an inside job but said the circumstances were dubious. "From a law enforcement perspective, it appears to be highly suspicious," he said. Of Meza-Rojas, Treviño said, "He’s an extremely intelligent individual. I wouldn’t put it above Meza to use these gang members as his muscle and as a vehicle to escape." The La Villa facility has come under scrutiny before, Magallan said. "We have arrested other jailers from that facility before," he said. "Years back other jailers had been terminated for taking drugs in drugs, taking bribes." It was still unclear who made the decision to house Meza-Rojas in a medium security private prison. The other brothers are in Willacy and Karnes county jails, Magallan said. Jesus, the only brother to be released on bond, was initially held at the McAllen Police Department's jail. Marshals from Brownsville, Laredo and Houston have been called in to help the nine-man McAllen team. They have also enlisted the help of Mexican police, who now have photos of the inmates. "We still believe they are in the area," he said. "It’s a possibty that they went to Mexico." The La Villa school district remains closed today, although businesses and roads in the area are open. DPS helicopters patrolled the Cowley Sugar House, sugarcane fields to the east of the prison, for hours Tuesday night. But the infrared radar detected nothing. Miguel Hernandez, who lives near the field, awoke to the sound of helicopters at midnight. He loaded his 22-caliber gun, he said. Hernandez was eating breakfast and discussing the previous evening’s escapes at a nearby Quik-Mart Tuesday morning with friend Jose Luis Guzman, Jr. "How can it be so easy for these guys to get out," Guzman said. "We’re worried that one day someone who’s a killer or a truly dangerous person is going to escape, and we’re all going to be at risk. "The people in La Villa are up in arms," he added. "They want to know why it’s easy for someone to get out. The facility is obviously run in a very, very bad way." The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s office handled operations Tuesday night, but the U.S. Marshals Service has assumed control of the investigation. They ask anyone with information about the escapees’ whereabouts to call (956) 618-8025 _____ Monitor Staff Writer James Osborne contributed to this story. _____ Andres R. Martinez covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434. Kaitlin Bell covers Mission, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4446. ************************ From mysanantonio.com 09/20/2006 San Antonio Express-News Dove gumbo? That just might be on the menu at the 14th annual Lonesome Dove Fest today and Saturday at the Karnes County Youth Show Barn in Karnes City. The event, which celebrates today's opening of the South Zone dove season, will include a gumbo cook-off to round out the Cajun theme honoring victims of Hurricane Rita, which prevented many Louisiana and Houston area festival fans from attending last year. The Saturday evening dance will serve up zydeco with Bubb Brown featuring Sean O'Brien. Along with a number of outdoor-related booths and family activities, sharks — that's right, as in "Jaws" — will swim around in a 5,000-gallon educational exhibit. The dove festival is conducted by the Karnes City Rotary Club to raise funds for scholarships and youth programs. Call (830) 780-3314 or visit www.lonesome dovefest.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- jgoodspeed@express-news.net ************************ From brownsvilleherald.com September 21, 2006 Six inmates escape Valley prison Group included five suspected gang members, former McAllen police officer BY ANDRES R. MARTINEZ AND KAITLIN BELL The Monitor LA VILLA, Septebmer 21, 2006 — U.S. Marshals from Brownsville, Laredo and Houston have been called in to help capture five suspected prison gang members and a former police officer facing drug charges who escaped from a troubled private prison facil-ity Tuesday. The six men escaped from the East Hidalgo Detention Center in La Villa around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, after one of them held a foot-long, homemade knife to the neck of a prison guard, U.S. Marshals Service spokesman Joe Magallan said. They then tied up the guard and locked him in a room unharmed before escaping through the back door of the building and using wire cutters to detach an electric fence from the anchor holding it to the ground, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said. Some-one had evidently de- electrified the fence beforehand, he said. The inmates had to get past three other fences before reaching the electrified one. “From a law enforcement perspective, it appears to be highly suspicious,” Treviño said. The escapees are considered armed and dangerous. They were housed together in a single cell. On of the inmates, former McAllen police officer Francisco Meza- Rojas, 41, was awaiting trial on charges he and four of his brothers ran a drug-smuggling operation from Mexico into the area south of Mission. The brothers are charged with nine federal counts, including conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine and possession with intent to distribute. Authorities have identified the five other inmates as undocumented immigrants from the Weslaco area detained on immigration charges. They were Fernando Garza-Cruz, 20; Joel Armando Mata-Castro, 31; Vicente Mendiola-Garcia, 34; Enrique Peña-Saenz, 38; and Saul Leonardo Salazar-Aguirre, 24. The men had been housed in a minimum to medium security building within the prison complex, said Richard Harbison, a spokesman for LCS Correctional Services, the company that runs the private facility. Harbison said this is the first escape from the facility since LCS took it over from the former management company in 2001. That company, named Texson, had gone bankrupt, he said. The five undocumented immigrants are members of La Raza Unida, a prison gang based out of Corpus Christi that is tied to drug smuggling, Treviño said. MANHUNT BEGINS By 10:17 p.m. Tuesday authorities began cordoning off a four-mile perimeter around the prison, which sits on Highway 107 and FM 491 in La Villa. Sheriff’s deputies initially led the manhunt and set up two command centers, one at the prison and the other on Highway 107, Treviño said. Footprints show the men broke up into three pairs after scrambling under the fence, he said. One group went north, one east over a canal about a quarter-mile away and a third went south. Texas Department of Public Safety helicopters patrolled the Cowley Sugar House, sugarcane fields to the east of the prison, for hours Tuesday night, but the infrared radar detected nothing. K-9 units were able to trace them all to Highway 107, where the scent the six inmates had left went dead, said the sheriff. Authorities believe an unknown person picked the men up in a car on Highway 107 just east of the facility. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is maintaining its usual patrols and staff levels at border checkpoints, spokesman Felix Garza said Wednesday. Garza said all the men are a clear flight risk to Mexico. “If we do run across them, and I think we probably will, we will apprehend them,” he said. When Meza-Rojas was denied bond in April, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent testified that the family drug operation’s leader posed a threat to the Rio Grande Valley community and that he could easily escape into Mexico where he’d be protected. The search party Tuesday night included the Texas DPS, Texas Parks and Wildlife, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug En-forcement Agency, Customs and Border Protection, the Edcouch and Elsa police departments and various K-9 units and other local police departments, Treviño said. More than 30 sheriff’s deputies and another 30 state and federal officers spent Tuesday night and Wednesday morning interview-ing people who live near the detention center. The escapees’ families, as well as all employees of the prison and the assaulted guard were also interviewed. The La Villa elementary campus and a small neighborhood are less than a half mile away from the prison. The La Villa school dis-trict canceled classes Wednesday, but businesses and roads in the area were open by early Wednesday morning. SUSPICOUS ESCAPE Sheriff Treviño stopped short of calling the escape an inside job but said the circumstances were dubious. Of Meza-Rojas, Treviño said, “He’s an extremely intelligent individual. I wouldn’t put it above Meza to use these gang members as his muscle and as a vehicle to escape.” Treviño first came across the Meza-Rojas family more than 10 years ago when he led the Hidalgo County drug task force. The task force worked with the DEA to track the family’s movements, but the scope of the investigation required officers from the local task force to keep a distance and not make arrests or risk spooking the Meza family, he said. Tuesday’s escape is not the first time La Villa and LCS have been put in the spotlight. Two inmates escaped from La Villa Center in 2000 before LCS took over in 2001. Another two inmates escaped from an LCS facility in Brooks County in 2002. More recently, a La Villa inmate escaped as he was transported to McAllen Medical Center in 2005. Then another did the same Wednesday, when he tried to escape the back of an ambulance transporting him to the hospital before guards quickly recaptured him near Jackson Road near Expressway 83. Guards at La Villa have also been accused of taking bribes and smuggling drugs in, said Magallan, the Marshals spokesman. PLACING INMATES The U.S. Marshal Service is tasked with detaining, transporting and choosing where federal inmates are housed before and dur-ing trial. A supervisor takes into account each case and decides where that inmate is placed, Magallan said. “The supervisor, depending on high threat level of prisoner, decides why they send them to certain facilities,” he said. “This par-ticular brother (Francisco) didn’t seem as dangerous as other brothers,” he said, “but I don’t know who decided to send him there. “ The other brothers are in Willacy and Karnes county jails, Magallan said. Jesus Meza, the only brother to be released on bond, was initially held at the McAllen Police Department’s jail. Marshals from Brownsville, Laredo and Houston have been called in to help the nine Marshals in McAllen. They have also en-listed the help of Mexican police, who now have photos of the inmates. “We still believe they are in the area,” Magallan said. “It’s a possibility that they went to Mexico.” NEIGHBORS Miguel Hernandez, who lives near the field, awoke to the sound of helicopters at midnight. He loaded his 22-caliber gun, he said. Hernandez was eating breakfast and discussing the previous evening’s escapes at a nearby Quik-Mart Tuesday morning with friend Jose Luis Guzman, Jr. “How can it be so easy for these guys to get out,” Guzman said. “We’re worried that one day someone who’s a killer or a truly dangerous person is going to escape, and we’re all going to be at risk. “The people in La Villa are up in arms,” he added. “They want to know why it’s easy for someone to get out. The facility is obvi-ously run in a very, very bad way.” The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department handled operations Tuesday night, but the U.S. Marshals Service has assumed control of the investigation. They ask anyone with information about the escapees’ whereabouts to call (956) 618-8025. ************************ September 23, 2006 Uranium mining is not risk free BY SONNY LONG - VICTORIA ADVOCATE GOLIAD - As the two-day uranium educational conference in Goliad ended and people began to file out of the meeting room, Luann Duderstadt fought back tears. "I can't wait to get in the truck so I can cry all the way home," she said. Luann and husband Craig live adjacent to the uranium drilling test sites in Goliad County and attended both morning and afternoon sessions of the two-day conference. "I am right across the road. Our property is only a couple of hundred feet away from where they are drilling. Our house is only 300 feet away," said Craig. "And we are downwind. I'm just wondering if I have to abandon ship. What if there is no quick response on the cleanup. What happens if we have to vacate, and we don't get a dime out of it?" Noting that the uranium company offered to conduct baseline tests on nearby water wells, Craig said, "But what about the six or eight months or longer between now and when they do tests? They are moving stuff around over there right now. How long will we be drinking contaminated water before it's even tested? I am not sure I really trust them testing it." "A water sample would need to be sent out of state before I would trust it," said Luann. "This is a third-generation family farm that we are on. The thought of moving is unbelievable," she said. "But we probably won't be able to stay." Craig added, "We have three water wells. We have a stock pond. We have 15 percent of our property set aside untouched for wildlife. We don't know what's going to happen. We can monitor the water, but you can't see the radon gas (a byproduct of uranium mining) that's coming out of there." "We're weeding our tomatoes with that, we're watering our garden, taking a shower," Luann said. "And our cattle are out there and our pigs ... everything. Our farm is worth zero now. Who would want it?" The Duderstadts said their only recourse may be to fight the permitting process. "We just want to take care of where we live. It's already affected Goliad County," Craig said. The conference concluded Thursday after two days and more than a dozen speakers. One of Thursday's highlights was a presentation by Victoria lawyer Sandra McKenzie who spoke on the risks of uranium mining. "I feel it is my civic duty to share my knowledge on this topic. People need this information," said McKenzie. This is not McKenzie's first encounter with the uranium mining industry. She was contacted by a family from Hebbronville in the 1980s concerning birth defects which the family thought might be related to in-situ uranium mining near them. McKenzie did not end up representing the family, but her two-decade interest in the industry began. "Sometimes the science and the law don't match," McKenzie said. "It is heartbreaking to me. I honestly believe there is a connection. It's so sad to see environmental pollution that causes health problems." McKenzie made reference to several studies linking health risks to nearby uranium mining, including the 1998 study conducted in Karnes County by William W. Au of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The crux of Au's study says in part, "... it seems reasonable that the exposed population is at a greater risk for developing health problems as a result of living near the uranium mining/milling facilities ... this level of exposure will cause those residents to have health risk equivalent to those of nuclear workers." McKenzie has also been contacted recently to look into the situation in Goliad County, and she is passionate about the issue. "I love our area so much. What we have is a precious resource," said McKenzie. "What I have been told by scientists is that the mining company can't control the uranium once it is made mobile. Mobile uranium can migrate, not to mention all the other chemicals like arsenic and radium-226. Also, an enormous amount of water is required to do remediation, if remediation can be accomplished at all. They don't know how much water they are going to use. Our groundwater is a precious commodity as it is." McKenzie cited a Uranium Resources, Inc., report that showed it used 192 million gallons of water for a restoration after it had estimated it would only use 36 million gallons. During her remarks at the conference, McKenzie presented studies concerning the history of the uranium mining industry, including other projects done by URI, the company Harry Anthony helped found and worked for more than 20 years. Anthony is now the chief operating officer of the company mining uranium in Goliad County, Uranium Energy Corporation. "If you look at the history of in-situ mining, you'll see that contamination occurs," said McKenzie. "You have to look at the history of the industry, see what the possible risks are, and guard against them. The technology hasn't changed that much. In-situ mining is not a completely closed and controlled process. That is simply impossible." She also cited financial reports from the Security and Exchange Commission that showed UEC only forming a couple of years ago and not yet showing any profits. "My concern is that they are a young company with no revenues since formation," she said. "They are selling stock to earn capital." McKenzie also quoted Albert Einstein on radiation. "Einstein said, 'What are you going to do with the waste?' I don't think UEC has figured it out." McKenzie said that during his presentation at the conference on Tuesday, Anthony asked for the trust of the people of Goliad County. "He said 'trust me.' I say you need to have a strong prenuptial agreement and an environmental assessment," said McKenzie. "The government may not be there to help you, and the company may not be able to afford the clean up costs. I know they say they have a bond in place to cover clean up costs, but there are a lot of ways to litigate a bond." The two-day educational conference was organized by Uranium Information at Goliad, a committee of concerned citizens. Other speakers on the second day included representatives from Texas A&M-Kingsville, Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the San Antonio River Authority. During the morning session, two protesters briefly shouted, "Stop the Toxic Legacy" and "Stop Uranium Contamination" inside the meeting hall then outside, and held hand made signs with slogans against uranium mining in South Texas. In closing the conference, Goliad County Extension Agent Brian Yanta, a committee member, said, "I don't know if this committee will evolve into a citizens' review board similar to the one in Kleberg County. I do know we need to keep the dialog open, that's for sure." "Stay informed. Be educated. Work with us on establishing that baseline data. Every speaker talked about establishing baseline data. If you are really concerned and don't think our state standards are adequate, call your state representative," said Yanta. Committee chair Margaret Rutherford had the final words. "I beg you, stay open. Educate yourself. Learn. Don't form your opinions until you've done your research," Rutherford said. Rutherford emphasized the role of the citizens committee. "This committee is an informational group, formed to educate our community," she said. "We want to protect our air, our land, our groundwater, not for ourselves, but for generations to come. I feel like we all need to work together." Committee representatives will make a report on the conference to the Goliad County Commissioners Court on Monday, and will meet again soon to dissect all the information heard Wednesday and Thursday. For more information on the citizens committee, contact Rutherford at 361-645-2083. Sonny Long is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-275- 6319 or cueroadv@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com. ******************************* 09/23/2006 From mysa.com Outside help seen in Valley jailbreak Jesse Bogan Rio Grande Valley Bureau McALLEN — The six federal fugitives who escaped this week from a Valley detention center near here had help from the outside, according to the company that owns and operates the facility. "At this point, we believe someone cut from the outside in," Richard Harbison, spokesman for Lafayette, La.-based LCS Corrections Services Inc., said of the Tuesday escape from the East Hidalgo Detention Center in the rural community of La Villa. The breakout's suspected leader is a former McAllen cop facing drug charges. Five Mexican nationals held on repeated immigration violations escaped with him. An electric fence, one of four barriers cut through, apparently was disarmed after a control box on the outside perimeter was tampered with, Harbison said. "It's a weak point in the system," he said. "Now, if the box is tampered with, the alarm is supposed to go off, but we still don't know why the alarm didn't go off." Harbison said the fugitives were able to get out of the building because of "human error." "A control operator opened the door that he is not supposed to open," he said. Two guards remain on administrative leave, including 18-year-old Enrique Zepeda, who said in an interview that he was fooled by a distraction. Officials don't believe he was involved in the escape. Zepeda said Thursday that he took the job because he needed "to help my parents out, save up money for college." He said he wants to be a theater teacher. The inmates overpowered Zepeda around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, and apparently tied him with bed sheet scraps. He wasn't injured. "The guard that was overpowered did pass an FBI polygraph test, so we don't think it was intentional," Harbison said. The U.S. Marshals Service said it had no significant leads, but the search has expanded nationwide. Agency officers at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City have contacted Mexican law enforcement officials to be on the lookout, said a McAllen-based spokesman for the service, Jose Magallan Jr. He said investigators believe Francisco Javier Meza Rojas, 41, orchestrated the breakout. "The only reason why we think he was the ringleader was because he had the money," Magallan said. "He could have arranged everything. He was (in the narcotics business) and a former cop." A federal indictment from April alleges Meza, also known as "El Ocho" and "Chacho," led a drug trafficking organization that included his three brothers. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane on Thursday revoked the bond of one of them, Jesus Meza, a former Edinburg police officer. The three now are being held in jails in McAllen, Raymondville and Karnes County, Magallan said. The Mezas, along with other defendants, are scheduled to be tried in October on drug charges that include trafficking cocaine and marijuana from a rural area near Mission. McAllen police spokesman Joel Morales Jr. declined to comment about Francisco Meza's track record with the department, other than that he was employed between 1989 and 1992. It's unclear what jobs he has held since then, but officials said he has a wife and three kids, including a son who's bedridden and disabled. His family lives in McAllen in a large, two-story home surrounded by a 6-foot brick fence topped with gold-painted concrete lions. The Hidalgo County Appraisal District assessed the property at $19,179 in 2005, but it only takes into account the land and a small shed. A district spokeswoman said no house was listed there. "What's so interesting about our lives?" a teen who identified herself as Meza's niece asked at the front door. She declined to give her name or to comment further. "Why would everybody want to know?" The home was well furnished, adorned with large pictures and handicrafts. Scores of trophies lined a long staircase. Meza's former attorney Rene Flores wouldn't say whether he was surprised Meza escaped, but added, "It's surprising that the facilities can be broken out of." --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- jbogan@express-news.net ************************** September 27, 2006 From Orange County News Out & About Antler restriction highlights list of new laws for 2006-07 deer season Matt Williams The 2006-07 Archery Only season for whitetailed deer gets underway Sept. 30 in counties all across Texas. So listen up buck slayers. Things aren't like they used to be. In fact, they ain't even close. Beginning this year, the popular phrase "shooter buck" will take on a brand new meaning in 40 more counties in East and Central Texas. The change comes in lieu of a new buck harvest regulation put in place earlier this year by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Names on the list include Bell, Bosque, Bowie, Burleson, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Comal (partial), Comanche, Coryell, Delta, Eastland, Erath, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Hamilton, Harrison, Hays (partial), Hopkins, Houston, Lamar, Lampasas, Leon, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Somervell, Titus, Travis (partial), Upshur, Williamson, and Wood. The regulation is centered around antler dimensions. It is aimed at improving the age structure of a deer herd with a deep history of getting shot up at a very young age. Historically, 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 year old bucks have comprised more than 70 percent of the annual buck harvest East Texas. Here's the new deal: Deer hunters in the aforementioned counties can take two bucks this season. That is a one buck increase as compared to previous seasons. However, the extra buck in the bag comes with a catch. Antlers on buck deer must now meet a certain criteria to be considered legal. A legal buck must have at least one unbranched antler, OR and inside spread measurement between the main beams of 13 inches or greater. The buck bag limit is two bucks, no more than one buck with an inside spread of at least 13 inches. Violate the new law and you could wind up on the receiving end of a costly citation. TPWD's reasoning for implementing the antler restriction is to reduce the harvest pressure on young bucks and improve the overall age structure of the buck herd by allowing more deer to reach at least 3 1/2 years of age before they become legal to shoot. Biologists believe a more natural, older age structure among the buck herd will breed some positive biological and sociological implications. Among them are a more defined rut, a shorter breeding season, increased fawn survival and, ultimately, increased hunter satisfaction. The experts are pretty confident about the claims, too. That's because the antler restriction has already worked wonders in a host of other counties. To wit: In 2002-03, an antler restriction went into effect in six counties (Austin, Colorado, Fayette, Lavaca, Lee and Washington) at the tip of the southern Post Oak belt. Quality bucks were scarce in those counties prior to the implementation of the antler restriction. In fact, a decade of harvest data indicated that only 20 percent of the approximately 5,000 bucks harvested annually by hunters were 3 1/2 years old or older. Sadly, yearling deer accounted for more than 50 percent of the annual buck harvest. Shift to the 2004-05 season. Hunters in the six counties shot about the same number of bucks as they were harvesting prior to the implementation of the experimental regulation. Difference is, 71 percent of those bucks were 3 1/2 years old or older. "The regulation worked wonders," said Bob Carroll, the now-retired TPWD wildlife biologist who carried out the plan." The people are very satisfied with the results. They are seeing more and better deer. Instead of shooting the first buck they see, they are looking longer, seeing more activity and having lots of fun doing it. That wasn't possible before the antler restriction went into place." Carroll subsequently pushed to make the regulation permanent and added 15 more counties to the list last year - Bastrop, Brazoria, Caldwell, DeWitt, Fort Bend, Goliad, Gonzalez, Guadalupe, Karnes, Jackson, Wilson, Matagorda, Victoria, Waller and Wharton. The most recent addition brings the total number of counties with antler restrictions on bucks to 61. While biologists contend the regulation will lead to a healthier East Texas deer herd and more dynamic hunting experiences afield, only a fool would believe that those things will occur overnight. So hunters shouldn't expect them to. The overall buck harvest in the new 40-county area is almost certain sure to take a nose dive this season as compared to the past. That's because hunters are going to be forced - by law - to lay off those young four and six pointers they are accustomed to shooting. In time, however, all those adolescent bucks will grow to be teenagers, and many of them will invariably make it to adulthood. That is when the good ol' days of East Texas deer hunting will roll around. MATT WILLIAMS is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail at mattwilliams@netdot.com.