Karnes Co. TX - NEWS - September 2008 This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kimm Antell Copyright. All rights reserved. http://files.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com September 2, 2008 Pfluger to retire after 32 years of service As the youth across Texas are celebrating Texas' 4-H Centennial, one of the extension office agents will be retiring from the position he has held for over three decades. Charles "Charlie" Pfluger Jr. has announced his retirement with his last day on the job Sept. 30. After 32 years on the job, Pfluger will be remembered for helping many in Wilson and Karnes counties. "I enjoyed working with people and helping them with their problems and activities," Pfluger said. He has been involved with the youth of the county, in agriculture, assisting homeowners with horticulture, and is a supporter of economic and community development. Pfluger wants to be remembered for trying to treat everyone equally and for conducting a fair and honest program. He tried to help and assist the people of Wilson and Karnes counties in order that they could have a better quality of life, he said. Pfluger, a graduate of Canyon High School in New Braunfels, received his animal science degree from Texas A&M University in December 1975. Raised on a farm and ranch, and actively involved in the Comal County 4-H and Canyon FFA organizations, Pfluger knew he wanted to be involved in agriculture, but he never guessed he would devote his life as a county agent. On Feb. 1, 1976, Pfluger was hired as the Wilson County Assistant County Agent-Agriculture. He trained under Vernor Bippert, longtime Wilson County Extension Agent. He credits Bippert for helping him get off to a good start with his job. In 1979, Pfluger became the County Extension Agent-Agriculture in Karnes County. While in Karnes County, he was instrumental in the creation of the Karnes County Junior Livestock Show. Previously, each farm community in the county - Runge, Kenedy, Karnes County, and Falls City - had its own show. "This was not an easy task," Pfluger said, but he is especially proud the show continues to grow and flourish today. In 1986, Pfluger returned to Wilson County to replace Bippert, who had retired. Pfluger's main responsibility has been working with landowners and agricultural producers, but he still has stayed involved with the 4-H Club program. Since his return to Wilson County in 1986, the attendance at educational programs has tripled. He credits clientele involvement and sound programming for most of the increase. His association with fellow county agent Dennis Hale of Karnes County during the past 15 years has also helped. The Wilson-Karnes joint meetings are unique, he said. "Not many agents work together and have such success as Dennis and I have," Pfluger said. Pfluger remembers when he first started as a trainee in Wilson County, there were hardly any subdivisions to speak of. Along with the increase in population, he also has seen a change in land use for agricultural purpose - less row-cropping and more grass production for hay and livestock. Peanut production has also changed dramatically over the past three decades - going from 15,000 acres planted annually to about 1,000 acres today. Pfluger recalls the hard economic times of the '80s, when a number of ag producers suffered and faced financial ruin. "The profit margin today is slim with profitability the big thing," he said. A drought nearly every other year has intensified the problem the producers are facing today. In the 4-H program, the large diversification of project participation by our youth is another change Pfluger has noticed throughout the years. "In Wilson County, 4-H is much more than just livestock projects today," Pfluger said. The cost of youth livestock projects and the level of competiveness have also increased dramatically over the years. Pfluger takes pride in helping youth purchase animals at a reasonable price, do a good job of feeding and managing the project, and then place high enough to sell in a junior auction sale. After his retirement, he plans to move back to the ranch where he was raised, in the New Braunfels area, and ranch. He plans to continue raising show cattle and club calves. Pfluger has been married to his wife, Lindsay, for 31 years, and together they have two sons, Jason and Kevin Sr., and one grandson, Kevin Jr. Kevin Jr. will soon begin his 4-H adventure by becoming involved in stock shows, with proud grandpa Pfluger looking forward to assisting him. Pfluger has always been involved with youth in various capacities, either with show animals or on the baseball field. Now, however, that will be with his grandson. Pfluger has seen the name of the extension office change twice during his career. In 2001, the name was changed to Texas Cooperative Extension, and this year the name changed to Texas AgriLife Extension Service. The personnel in the Wilson County office will be quite different as Pfluger prepares for retirement. The 4-H and youth position is presently open and Julie Autry just started as the office's new full- time secretary. Marilyn Bullock continues to serve as the agent for family and consumer science, and Sandra Martinez is the part-time secretary. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 2, 2008 Advocate Honor Roll Whitney Neal, Edna - Was named the Outstanding MVP of the Edna Tournament as she recorded nine kills, seven digs and six service points in the championship game win over Cuero and four kills, four digs and three service points in a win over Bay City in the semifinals. Alyssa Dibbern, Bay City - Had 45 kills, 23 digs and 15 blocks in losses to Manvel, Edna and Industrial. Brenna Barnick, Gonzales - Finished with 15 service points, 15 kills and two assists in wins over Flatonia and Smithville and was named to the all-tournament team at the Schulenburg tournament after leading the Lady Apaches to a third-place finish. Jill McElroy, Shiner St. Paul - Tallied 21 kills with 29 digs, 10 points and six aces in wins over Fayetteville and Pettus. Kyla Schacherl, Shiner St. Paul - Served up 37 points with 11 aces, 33 assists and five digs in wins over Fayetteville and Pettus. Kellie Hairell, Hallettsville - Pounded down 53 kills with 32 service points and 11 aces in wins over Edna, Round Top-Carmine, Burton and Gonzales. Callie Herrington, Halettsville - Finished with 54 assists and 18 points in a win over Edna and added 66 assists and 15 points in wins over Round Top-Carmine, Gonzales and Burton. Brianna Pavlicek, Yoakum - Slapped down 53 kills with 19 digs in wins over Memorial and Calhoun and losses to Columbus, Dripping Springs and Lehman. Meredith Bard, El Campo - Was named to the all-tournament team at the Edna Tournament where she had 29 kills, 18 digs and 12 points in wins over Karnes City, Louise, and East Bernard and a loss to Industrial. She also had 12 kills, 10 digs, 14 points and six blocks in a win over Industrial and a loss to :Palacios. Kesha Jackson, Bloomington - Tallied 24 kills with 36 digs and five aces in a win over Tidehaven and a loss to Ganado. Kalli Mikulik, Schulenburg - Had 171 assists with 60 digs in wins over Flatonia, Sacred Heart and Gonzales, along with losses to Hallettsville and Salado. Sarah Tucker, St. Joseph - Pounded down 23 kills with 17 digs in a win over Cuero and a loss to La Grange. Megan Lange, Cuero - Named to the all-tournament team at the Edna Tournament. She tallied 36 kills with 57 digs and nine blocks in wins over Industrial and Stockdale and losses to St. Joseph and Edna. Chelsey Kubecka, Palacios - Recorded 15 kills with 16 digs, six blocks, 10 service points and two aces to help the Sharkettes win the bronze bracket with wins over Floresville, Lehman and Stephenville in the San Marcos tournament. Samantha Alvarez, Memorial - Finished with 32 kills, 35 digs and 13 blocks in wins over San Antonio Marshall and San Antonio Roosevelt and losses to Segion, San Antonio MacArthur, Bulverde Bracken, La Vernia and Yoakum. Kymber Blaschke, Yorktown - Had 37 assists, 17 digs, 12 aces and five kills in wins over Randolph and Tidehaven. Caitlyn Kalich, Shiner - Tallied 89 assists in wins over Faith Academy, Smithville and Burton and a loss to Salado. Ashleigh Gottschault and Ashley Hernandez, Calhoun - Finished one- two to lead the Sandies to the team title at the Palacios Invitational. Kelsie Merrit, East Bernard - Placed third with a time of 9 minutes, 50 seconds at the Palacios Invitational. Cory Barrientos and Oscar Gaona, Calhoun - Finished first and third respectively to lead the Sandcrabs to the team title at the Palacios Invitational. Patrick Pitts, East Bernard - Ran a 12:37 to finished second at the Palacios Invitational. Kevin Smith and Donovan Foster, Ganado - Combined to rush for 283 yards on 21 carries with two touchdowns in a win over Bloomington. Josh Greathouse, Shiner - Ran for 184 yards with touchdown runs of 15 and 88 yards in a win over Schulenburg. Grant Pustejovsky, Hallettsville Sacred Heart - Rushed for 140 yards with touchdown runs of 4 and 7 yards in a win over Yorktown. Hallettsville Sacred Heart defense - Allowed 56 yards of total offense while forcing three turnovers in a shutout win over Yorktown. Chris Carrera, Goliad - Threw for 230 yards and one touchdown in a loss to Sinton. Maverick Smith, El Campo - Had touchdown runs of 12 and 11 yards while rushing for 152 yards and added a 14-yard TD reception in a win over Brazoswood. Randy Solis, Runge - Ran for 159 yards with touchdown runs of 2 and 5 yards in a win over San Antonio St. Gerard. Sean Daniels, Tidehaven - Threw for 383 yards with TD tosses of 4, 20, 15, 66 and 7 yards in a loss to Brazos Consolidated. Zach Catillo, East Bernard - Ran for 126 yards on 17 carries with a 4-yard TD run in a win over Palacios. Adrian Lighteard, Flatonia - Rushed for 193 yards and a touchdown in a win over Nixon-Smiley. Josh McNickels, Memorial - Returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown in what proved to be the game-winning score in a victory over San Antonio Taft. Kyle Hendley, Refugio - Threw for 181 yards with TD tosses of 17, 14, and 8 yards in a win over St. Joseph. Brian Ramirez, Refugio - Ran 1-yard for a touchdown, had an 8-yard TD reception and returned an interception 29 yards for another TD in a win over St. Joseph. Travis Sauer and Gil Hodges, Shiner St. Paul - Combined to run for 286 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Pettus. Tyler Arndt, Cuero - Threw for 150 yards and a touchdown and ran 55 yards and a touchdown in a win over Beeville. James Ezzell Calhoun - Was named the MVP of the Texas Football Classic as he ran for 133 yards with TD runs of 17 and 6 yards in a win over Mercedes. Sterling Jones, Calhoun - Ran for 137 yards with a 71-yard TD run in a win over Mercedes. Ryan Lenzy, Hallettsville - Rushed for 153 yards on 12 carries with TD runs of 23 and 77 yards in a win over Edna. Colten Clay, Edna - Had four catches for 101 yards and TD receptions of 20 and 59 yards in a loss to Hallettsville. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com September 2, 2008 POTH - The Pirette volleyball team kept things close at home Aug. 26, but when the match came to an end, it was the Alamo Heights Mules taking home the victory. In the first game of the night, Alamo Heights won the first point and remained out front, never surrendering the lead. Poth stayed within striking distance, even as the game neared the end, but the Pirettes were unable to overtake the Mules. Alamo Heights won the first game, 25-20. A number of hitting and service errors cost Poth dearly in the second game. The Pirettes were the first to reach 10 points, and Alamo Heights was the first to 20. Trailing 20-16, Poth head Coach Patti Zenner called timeout. Whatever she said to her team must have made an impression, though. The Pirettes closed the gap to just 1 point, and later pulled ahead of the Mules, 23-22. Poth freshman Jordan Kotara played well during the closing points of the game, adding to her kill total on the night. It took a number of extra points, but Alamo Heights eventually outlasted Poth, taking the game 30-28. The Pirettes didn't play badly. Their play in the third game was improved on the night, but still, they couldn't overcome their opponents. Poth made a number of great plays throughout the night, while keeping some incredible rallies going. Quin Evans and Kelsey Mangum of Alamo Heights turned up the heat in the third game, though, helping the Mules to a 25-21 win over Poth. With the win in game three, Alamo Heights secured the victory over Poth. The Pirettes' record is not what they had hoped for at 3-7, but the caliber of their opponents has been very high. Despite remaining in Class 2A, Poth continues to face opponents in Class 3A, 4A, and 5A. The Pirettes will continue their strong nondistrict schedule until Sept. 23 when they open District 28-2A play at home against Kenedy. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 3, 2008 Changes in store for local elections Courthouse voting box will move to church on election day and Coy City area residents will vote in Karnes City Local election officials have announced some changes in the polling locations for the upcoming Nov. 4 general election. The voting box in the Karnes County Courthouse will be moved to the St. Cornelius Catholic Church CCD Building located at 605 E. Calvert in Karnes City. "Due to congestion in the hallway in the past, we found it necessary for the privacy and rights for the voters to move this location," said County Clerk Alva Jonas. "This is going to be a big change, but a welcomed one." Jonas said that another change will be the combination of precinct 13 Coy City and precinct 12 Karnes City. These two precincts will be voting at the city hall in Karnes City. Early voting will begin on Monday, October 20 and run through Friday, October 31. The courthouse will also be open for early voting October 25, which is a Saturday. This is to help accommodate the voters. Early voting will be held at the courthouse in the hallway as in the past. ************************************************ From seekingalpha.com September 4, 2008 U-turn: Uranium Begins Recovery Phase Excerpts from Hallgarten & Company's recent 'Metals Outlook' report by Christopher Ecclestone: • • • The Dynamics of Uranium It might be germane at this juncture to dwell upon the "metal" before we look at some relatively unnoticed but worthy names that might exploit the current situation. This "metal" bears closest similarity to the "by appointment" iron ore market than to the other publicly traded and liquid metals. The buyers are principally end- users (until recently) and they can easily short-circuit and go direct to the producers. Moreover the market is an extremely sensitive one in light of the other less pacific uses that the product, if enhanced, can be put to. So while it may be opaque as to who is really buying what at which price level, governments are constantly monitoring who has the product and what they doing with it. The product is not exactly a rare one. The fact that Wealth Minerals, a relative junior, can suddenly pop up with nine prospects in a few short months in Argentina shows that uranium is there for the finding and moreover it is not a product with a plethora of uses or consumption in the enormous quantities that other metals exhibit. The underlying production story is what fed the bullish trend. Current US production is 50 million pounds of U3O8 per annum, however US production is a minuscule 3-4 million pounds form four mills. The substantial shortfall is made up from old Cold War stockpiles (ironically probably including some of the ore from Monaro and UEC's mines in their heyday). The deficit is not only in the US. In 2006, the global consumption of U3O8 was 160 million and production was a mere 100 million pounds. Clearly such substantial shortfalls cannot go on indefinitely. It is hard to think of another "metal" that has such a "good" (meaning massively unsatisfied) supply/demand prognosis. While Monaro's mine's are on a relatively short time frame to production, massive mines to plug that gap would take years to develop. This is just not on the horizon. This is what propelled the price of uranium up, but probably two or three years before the real crisis was to impact. The revival of interest in uranium, which was largely spurred by the better pricing, has created a new generation of stocks in the sub- sector some of whom will prove to be additions of new resources and genuine producers broadening the number of sources of global supply away from the few mega- producing mines that dominated the scene during the low price phase. Many others will be mere cannon fodder that shall be blown away by the exigencies of Darwinian capitalism. The extinction phase for many of this species is now in full flight. Uranium Price Trends The price of uranium doodled about between a high of $17 in 1987 down to $7 in November 2000 before breaching the 1987 previous high in March 2004. The metal started a gradual glide upwards which might have genuinely been reflation-powered but then the riffraff jumped on board in late 2005, buckled their seatbelts and took everyone for a ride. The ramp out of relative obscurity was a debacle that could have easily been foreseen. One look at the dubious quality of those touting its virtues made clear that it was not a quality game with quality players. When the "ramp and dump" crowd move in then the dump is inevitable and the "metal" had a hefty 30% lopped of its valuation in a matter of weeks as boredom set in and the speculative forces tried to cover their losses elsewhere. It was a classic bear-trap. Its rise had nothing to do with gold, monetary issues or even supply and demand, so that its fall was similarly unfounded and should have come as no surprise. The price of uranium appears to have bottomed out in recent weeks. The spot uranium price has recovered by $7 in some recently reported spot trades to $64.50 a pound. However the term price for uranium, which is the price most of the utilities pay, has fallen by $10 to $80 a pound - the first such fall reported for an awfully long time. These are early days yet, but some forces in the market think that the term price may fall further as buyers, primarily utilities, look to contract term deals with a lesser premium to the lower spot price of recent weeks. Rather than holding to a set spread between the spot and term prices more deals will be done using spot, base-escalated prices, or a combination of these. At current uranium prices this has to perhaps be a negative income- wise for the major established producers but positive for the developing miners and explorers as it suggests spot prices may be beginning to close with term prices. Undoubtedly demand remains relatively high and the spot market Wednesday, September 3, 2008 sellers are reported to be raising prices and being matched by buyers with active interest in material above $60 a pound. While the recent price rebound is minor, it is unlikely to see a return to the heady days where the word "uranium" in the name of junior explorer meant an almost immediate stock price escalation. But the price, even at these low levels is still several times above the price which prevailed for several years up until 2004 and there's little doubt that the stimulation in exploration activity the big price increase engendered has thrown up some potentially really profitable deposits even at current price levels. Should the latest price move really suggest a bottom then it is probable that there could be some good bargains to be found in some of the juniors with good deposits, a decent cash position enabling them to ride out the recent downturn in interest, and with oversold stocks... Uranium Energy Corp (UEC) The uranium mining industry is one of the few areas where the US is up to speed on mining. While Australia and Canada also figure in the production mix these days, the US can still hold its own in uranium mining despite having slipped in almost every other class of mining activity. That is not to say they have the dominance they once did in the 1950s and 1960s. The potential remains for the US to recapture lost ground. As we noted with Monaro, the US has mothballed mines and extensive past exploration data that make it that much easier to move the ball forward in this mining province. Surprisingly even the NIMBY factor is scarcely evident, as yet... Uranium Energy Corp is an AMEX-listed junior that controls one of the largest historical uranium mining exploration and development databases in the US. The company feels that these databases, combined with a strong technical team, have been key in helping them acquire advanced uranium properties throughout the southwestern US. UEC has "focused" its property acquisition program primarily in the southwestern US states of Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. The company has a proliferation of sites, some may say too many. This region has historically been the most concentrated area for uranium mining in the US. With the use of historical exploration databases, Uranium Energy Corp has been able to target properties for acquisition that have already been the subject of significant exploration and development by senior energy companies in the past. The list of past owners reads like a Who's Who of US energy. Some have faulted this strategy on the grounds that "these experts have worked these over so there must be nothing there". This is extremely fallacious as it fails to put into context the wholesale exodus of majors from the uranium hunt over recent decades in the face of woefully low prices and the general fall from favor of uranium. Despite this surfeit of prospects, the company has of late focused on less than a handful. While it has extensive data on most these historical results are largely not up to 43-101 standards. However the company has in hand 43-101 reports on the Goliad prospect and strong historical data on the 49%-owned Cebolleta project showing resources of 6.9 mn lbs and 10.1 mn lbs (UEC's share) respectively. The active drilling campaign is now focused on the 100%-owned Nichols Project in Karnes County, Texas. The plan calls for 30 exploration holes for a total of approximately 18,000 feet of drilling. Permitting has been submitted and approved by the Texas Railroad Commission's Division of Surface Mining. Development of the Nichols Project is consistent with the stated plan to establish satellite facilities for the advanced Goliad ISL (in situ leaching) project. The draft mine permit has been issued for Goliad under an ISL mine plan. The company has drilled over 599 confirmation and delineation holes from May 2006 through December 2007 on top of the 479 holes drilled by Moore Energy in the 1980s. This work produced a 43-101 compliant resource of 6.9 million pounds U3O8, of which 5.4 million pounds is measured and indicated, and 1.5 million pounds is inferred. Moreover the mineralization remains open, laterally, in all directions giving the possibility of further resource expansion. The uranium is in sand horizons at depths of between 90 to 450 feet. The average thickness of these is 14.5ft with an average grade of 0.075%. Testing has indicated good recovery rates of 86-89%. The thickness compensates for a grade that could be more to our liking. The sheer volume of the resource is extremely encouraging and the amenability to ISL lowers the eventual extraction cost and reduces ramp up time. Plans are to begin production by the first quarter of 2010. The Nichols Project consists of 900 acres, and is located within the heart of the historic Karnes County uranium mining district. It was originally explored by Texaco Uranium (now ChevronTexaco), and reportedly contains an historic resource (not 43-101 compliant) of 1.2 million pounds of U3O8. The data reviewed to date, including Texaco data, indicates that the historic mineralization lies within the Tertiary Age Jackson Formation, and occurs at an average depth of 440 feet. Reports indicate that Texaco Uranium had planned to recover the uranium at the Nichols site using ISL. The other project with a well-documented resource is the Cebolleta uranium project of Cibola Resources, LLC (owned 51% by Neutron Energy Inc and 49% by UEC). It is situated in the Laguna mining district, about 45 miles west of Albuquerque in New Mexico. The mineral lease covers about 6,700 acres of privately owned surface and mineral rights and is the site of the formerly active St. Anthony and L-Bar uranium mines. The St. Anthony group of mines, which included two open pits and one shallow underground mine, was operated by several different companies since the discovery of significant uranium mineralization on that portion of the property in the 1950's. These mines are reported to have produced more than 2.5 million pounds of U3O8, while the L-Bar underground mine produced in excess of 1.75 million pounds of U3O8 prior to shutdown of mining and processing operations in mid-1981. At Cebolleta, the former project operators, Sohio Western Mining and United Nuclear/UNC Resources, outlined six separate uranium deposits. These are hosted in fluvial sandstones with individual deposits ranging in size from several hundred thousand tons to more than two million tons, and have grades ranging from 0.09% to nearly 0.20% of U3O8. The deposits range in depth from 200 feet to nearly 700 feet. The project is estimated to host mineral resources (not 43-101 compliant) of 12.6mn lbs at L Bar and 8.2 mn lbs at St Anthony giving a total resource of 20.8 mn lbs of which 10.2 mn lbs pertains to UEC's share of the jointly-owned company. For us the Cebolleta project of UEC is a project that generates considerable excitement mainly because it has a historical track record of production, like Monaro's properties. In summary, the Goliad property should start to throw of revenues in the not too distant future, Nichols looks prospective but is definitely a longer lead time, while the Cebolleta project has UEC in the back seat but is on highly prospective, and moreover, proven ground for production... Potential negatives The most obvious potential pitfall is the uranium price. As we noted earlier there is a general feeling that the froth has been blown off the beer with the retreat from the highs above $120. If anything the price has overshot to the downside with a discount to contract terms as hedge funds and other speculative forces got left holding the yellowcake. Not a nice situation if you aren't kitted out for it! We expect the price to fluctuate around in the $60-$90 range over the next few years with a potential for upside breakout should some of the talk of more nuclear power plant building in the West actually show signs of coming to fruition. The other potential negative is the perennial one of bad markets. We are here at the bad place already. It could get worse, but then again the metals, including uranium, could shake off the financial blues and start marching to the true beat, which is supply & demand considerations. Uranium may be the first swallow of summer in its recent move to the upside after a harrowing ride down. At the moment funding is tough and all the companies mentioned will need to get more financing in place to start themselves on the road to production. The key to this funding being successful or not depends on the uranium price moves over the remaining months of 2008. Conclusion Just as the rising tide of uranium prices in the middle of the decade created a plethora of uranium stock IPOs, the receding tide has left many of these names floundering breathless (and cashless) on the beach. The price of uranium seems to have stabilized giving hope that some of the long term fundamental bullish factors for the metal will come back into focus, without the frenzied hype that promoters had previously invested in it. This new landscape is tough going for the survivors of the shakeout but ultimately the cashed up or those with production shall quite literally "inherit the earth". Traditional mining investors largely got out of the way when it became clear in 2006 and 2007 that neophytes were rampaging loose in the uranium stock and spot commodity markets. If they did anything, the old timers focused on the tried and true producing names and avoided the proliferating juniors. This implies that there are investors out there who were waiting for the inevitable shakeout and are constantly testing to see if a bottom has been made after the froth has been blown off the spot market. As we have noted, the spot market is scarcely indicative of anything in uranium's case but it did provide the feedback loop that drove the stock price of the junior miners. Thus we would divide the uranium juniors into those on the cusp of moving from survival mode into expansion mode while the rest of the pack roam around shell-shocked at the fate that has befallen them. So if the potential survivors are not on the road to annihilation it would appear that their current valuations severely underestimate their potential worth. The grim reaper will carry away the lesser players leaving the playing field clearer over the next 12-months. Money will gravitate to the survivors. Important disclosures I, Christopher Ecclestone, hereby certify that the views expressed in this research report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject securities and issuers. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or view expressed in this research report. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 4, 2008 Yorktown city secretary resigns Loretta Thiele would not say why she resigned YORKTOWN - Loretta Thiele, Yorktown city secretary since Sept. 25, 2006, resigned Tuesday. "I loved what I did and have nothing but good things to say about Yorktown," Thiele said. "I appreciate the people making me feel welcome and the city has an excellent staff who knows what they are doing." Thiele would not say exactly why she resigned and has no immediate plans for another job. "I feel like I accomplished what I was hired to do and that is straighten out the city's financials. The city is now running smoothly in that area," she said. Yorktown Mayor Rene Hernandez said the city council would discuss advertising for Thiele's replacement at Monday's regular meeting. He also would not comment on why Thiele resigned. Thiele, who is also the former city secretary in Kenedy, is involved in an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit with that city. Thiele began work in the Kenedy's accounting department in 1996 and became city secretary in 1998. In 2003, she assumed the dual role of city administrator/city secretary. Her city administrator duties were taken away in July 2006, but she remained as city secretary. She resigned from Kenedy in August 2006 before accepting the job in Yorktown. ************************************************ From thecountywide.co September 3, 2008 Opiela attending RNC convention Karnes City resident will post online blog about his experiences at the Minneapolis convention By Joe Baker Karnes City resident Eric Opiela is attending the Republican National Committee Convention in Minneapolis this week as a national "at large" delegate. Opiela, who is also the executive director of the Republican Party of Texas, said he is excited about the opportunity to attend the convention and participate in the process of naming the Republican Party's candidate for election to the office of president of the United States. He said he is especially excited about the recent announcement naming Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as Senator John McCain's running mate in the November ballot. "I don't think he could have made a better choice," Opiela told The Countywide last week. Offering an "inside glimpse" of all the happenings at the convention, Opiela has begun an online blog where he and others will post information and photos related to many of the convention events. "Texas Republican Party Chairman Tina Benkiser and I have arrived in Minneapolis for the Summer Republican National Committee meeting," Opiela wrote in his first blog entry. "Also here are our National Committeeman Bill Crocker and National Committeewoman-elect Cathie Adams, who is also Texas' Representative on the National Platform Committee. Staff will begin flowing in over the next few days, with our 500 delegates, alternates and guests arriving on Sunday. Welcome to the Delegation Blog!" Anyone interested in reading the blog and viewing the photos can click http://texasrnc.wordpress.com/. ************************************************ From lonestarvarsity.com September 7, 2008 Area, Statewide High School Football Scores SATURDAY'S RESULTS Non-district CITY TAPPS Lubbock Christian 39, Baird 13 AREA Class 2A Eldorado at Slaton Class 1A Stratford 44, Sundown 10 -- FRIDAY'S RESULTS CITY Class 5A District 2-5A Monterey 21, Tascosa 14 Coronado 36, Amarillo 28 Non-district Class 4A Frenship 56, Dumas 14 Class 3A Snyder at Cooper, ppd., rescheduled for Oct. 3 Pampa 35, Estacado 14 Class 2A Brownfield 33, Roosevelt 27 TAPPS Benjamin 67, Christ the King 30 AREA Class 5A District 2-5A Midland 20, Midland Lee 13 Odessa Permian 46, SA Central 14 Non-district Class 4A Randall 37, Plainview 0 Denison 44, Big Spring 37 Abilene Cooper 42, Saginaw Boswell 21 San Angelo Lake View 42, Fort Stockton 29 Class 3A Midland Christian 52, Andrews 35 Sweetwater 29, Seminole 22 Caprock 28, Borger 7 Liberty Hill 28, Abilene Wylie 25 Glen Rose 24, Breckenridge 6 Waco La Vega 31, Brownwood 14 Clyde 33, Graham 14 Crane 27, Midland Greenwood 21 Dalhart 41, Guymon, Okla., 19 Class 2A Idalou 27, Levelland 7 Post 44, Lamesa 30 Childress 28, Iowa Park 7 Hale Center 34, Dimmitt 14 Littlefield 34, Friona 6 Muleshoe 63, Portales, N.M., 35 Canadian 41, Abernathy 20 Shallowater 21, Crosbyton 7 Bushland 39, Perryton 32 Class 1A New Deal 21, Tulia 7 Floydada 40, Lockney 16 Denver City 59, Tahoka 0 Sudan 22, Bovina 12 Boys Ranch 25, Am. Arbor Academy 14 Memphis 34, Claude 0 Nazareth 40, Olton 27 Clarendon 46, Vega 0 Panhandle 34, White Deer 19 Ralls 34, Anton 14 Texico, N.M., 34, Springlake-Earth 12 Farwell 16, Plains 13 Morton 43, Seagraves 41 Coahoma 21, Forsan 0 Reagan County 21, Stanton 6 Six-Man Meadow 70, Grady 20 Follett 57, Hart 6 Happy 26, Silverton 6 Ropes 58, Kress 12 Petersburg 47, Amherst 0 Loop 38, Whiteface 24 Whitharral 37, Wellman-Union 35 O'Donnell 18, Lorenzo 6 New Home 68, Dawson 44 Throckmorton 75, Waxahachie Eagle 26 Woodson 55, Newcastle 44 Vernon Northside 61, Valley 55 Aspermont 50, Paint Creek 0 Highland 36, Ira 30 Sterling City 40, Loraine 34 Spur 38, Motley County 30 Klondike 48, Cotton Center 13 Saint Jo 52, Chillicothe 6 Guthrie 39, Harrold 28 Jayton 79, Southland 31 Sands 47, Wilson 0 Imperial Buena Vista 45, San Angelo TLC 0 Sanderson 54 Grandfalls-Royalty 6 Westbrook 68, Lueders-Avoca 6 -- THURSDAY'S RESULTS CITY Class 5A District 2-5A Odessa 30, Lubbock High 0 AREA Non-district Class 4A Canyon 42, Hereford 33 Six-Man Patton Springs 39, Valley JV 19 - FRIDAY'S STATEWIDE RESULTS Class 5A Abilene 55, Plano East 17 Austin Bowie 38, Round Rock 21 Baytown Lee 17, La Porte 14 Baytown Sterling 36, Pasadena South Houston 0 Brazoswood 27, Angleton 25 CC Carroll 63, Laredo Nixon 14 Cedar Hill 34, WF Rider 27 Cedar Park 28, Temple 20 Conroe Oak Ridge 31, Tomball 28 Coppell 39, Dallas Jesuit 14 Copperas Cove 41, Waco 20 Cypress Ridge 41, Klein 21 Dallas Skyline 27, Dallas Kimball 0 Deer Park 52, Houston Aldine 14 Eagle Pass Winn 17, Crystal City 0 Edinburg Economedes 25, McAllen Memorial 22 EP Hanks 57, Gadsden, N.M. 0 EP Socorro 21, Onate, N.M. 14, OT Flower Mound 36, Keller Fossil Ridge 14 Fort Bend Elkins 35, Rosenberg Lamar 28 FW Paschal 38, Irving Nimitz 37 Galena Park North Shore 33, Aldine Eisenhower 14 Galveston Ball 35, La Marque 6 Garland 23, Duncanville 20 Garland Naaman Forest 35, Lewisville 7 Garland Sachse 47, McKinney 35 Georgetown 42, Seguin 21 Houston Clear Lake 28, Houston Strake Jesuit 3 Houston Lamar 27, Fort Bend Marshall 12 Houston Northbrook 48, Houston Milby 33 Humble Atascocita 40, Channelview 0 Hurst Bell 35, Haltom City 33 Justin Northwest 10, Burleson 3 Katy Cinco Ranch 34, Cypress Springs 15 Katy Mayde Creek 49, Richmond Foster 14 Katy Morton Ranch 23, Travis High School 20 Keller 48, Midlothian 34 Keller Central 42, Carrollton Smith 28 Killeen Ellison 59, Del Valle 19 Klein Forest 17, Houston Langham Creek 14 Las Cruces Mayfield, N.M. 35, EP Montwood 13 League City Clear Springs 14, Manvel 0 Lufkin 13, Tyler 12 Mansfield 33, Mansfield Legacy 7 McAllen Rowe 28, Mission Memorial 10 Mesquite 23, Lewisville Hebron 14 N. Richland Hills 36, Irving 14 New Braunfels 35, New Braunfels Canyon 0 North Mesquite 33, North Garland 14 Pasadena Memorial 35, Fort Bend Clements 21 Plano West 27, Flower Mound Marcus 23 Richardson Berkner 24, North Crowley 6 Round Rock Stony Point 33, Pflugerville Connally 17 Round Rock Westwood 45, Harker Heights 23 SA Brandeis 38, Fischer Canyon Lake 14 SA Jay 35, Del Rio 34 SA Johnson 15, Laredo Cigarroa 6 SA Marshall 10, SA Churchill 7 Smithson Valley 23, Converse Judson 13 South Grand Prairie 27, Arlington Martin 17 Southlake Carroll 44, Arlington St. Paul 10 Spring 35, Humble 7 The Woodlands 47, Katy 0 Wylie 52, Arlington Seguin 13 Class 4A Aledo 37, Grapevine 14 Austin Lake Travis 38, Austin Westlake 17 Beeville Jones 41, CC West Osos 26 Boerne 39, SA East Central 13 Bowie 41, FW Castleberry 14 Buda Hays 34, Austin Anderson 14 Castroville Medina Vallet 26, SA Houston 22 Conroe Caney Creek 21, Houston King 19 Corsicana 28, Jacksonville 21 Dallas Carter 23, Waco University 22 Dallas Highland Park 42, Frisco Liberty 14 Dallas Lincoln 47, Dallas Roosevelt 0 Dallas Samuell 28, Dallas Maceo Smith 26 Dallas South Oak Cliff 34, FW Wyatt 32 Dallas Wilson 19, Dallas Adamson 7 Denton Ryan 68, Richardson Pearce 37 Dripping Springs 35, Wimberley 28 Edcouch-Elsa 17, Harlingen 14 El Campo 38, Houston Westside 20 Ennis 40, Lancaster 36 Floresville 36, SA Lanier 0 Forney 42, Seagoville 27 Friendswood 42, Dayton 21 Frisco Wakeland 38, Saginaw 21 Galena Park 62, Montgomery 7 Greenville 43, Little Elm 7 Hewett Midway 38, Cedar Park Vista Ridge 0 Houston Davis 42, Houston Furr 32 Hutto 45, Austin Travis 3 Killeen 21, Killeen Shoemaker 13 Kyle Lehman 49, Austin Reagan 48 Lake Dallas 35, Red Oak 28 Lindale 51, Wills Point 0 Longview 21, Tyler Lee 0 Longview Pine Tree 29, Paris 21 Magnolia 30, New Caney 6 Marble Falls 27, Austin Crockett 14 McKinney North 23, Garland Lakeview Centennial 20 N. Richland Hills Birdville 41, Joshua 19 Pflugerville Hendrickson 18, Burnet 14 Pleasanton 41, SA Jefferson 13 Rockwall Heath 43, Sherman 27 Rosenberg Terry 20, Waller 6 Royse City 35, Atlanta 7 SA Burbank 13, SA Antonian 9 San Elizario 14, Chaparral, N.M. 0 San Marcos 27, Bastrop 20 Santa Fe 17, Pasadena Rayburn 16 Schertz Clemens 26, SA Southwest 12 Sulphur Springs 52, Whitehouse 33 Texarkana Texas 30, Lake Hamilton, Ark. 22 Texas City 24, Alvin 17 The Colony 24, Richardson 21 Uvalde 21, Fredericksburg 7 Vidor 26, Houston St. Thomas 10 Waxahachie 42, West Mesquite 7 Class 3A Athens 21, Mabank 14 Bellville 26, Livingston 22 Brownsboro 48, Frankston 19 Bullard 38, Palestine Westwood 21 Burkburnett 26, Argyle 14 Caldwell 60, Shepherd 0 Carrizo Springs 13, Cotulla 12 Celina 28, Addison Trinity 7 Cleveland 48, Bryan Rudder 0 Cuero 42, Rio Hondo 7 Decatur 56, Gainesville 20 Devine 42, Comfort 19 Giddings 53, La Vernia 28 Gilmer 77, Emory Rains 21 Hamshire-Fannett 34, Liberty 20 Huffman Hargrave 28, Houston Kashmere 0 Llano 41, Bangs 0 Lorena 7, West 0 Navasota 49, Palestine 14 Needville 49, Splendora 7 New London West Rusk 29, Tyler Gorman 23 Paris North Lamar 25, Terrell 7 Port Isabel 17, Pharr Valley View 3 Prosper 43, Farmersville 6 Raymondville 54, Kingsville King 24 Sanger 52, Bonham 29 Sealy 43, Hempstead 8 Somerset 29, Hondo 28 Stafford 7, Houston Wheatley 6 Taylor 21, Manor 14 Tyler Chapel Hill 52, Kaufman 30 Van 31, Rusk 10 Van Alstyne 32, Quinlan Ford 23 Waco Connally 24, Marlin 10 Class 2A Alpine 56, McCamey 22 Altair Rice 35, Edna 0 Alvord 44, Petrolia 0 Arp 56, San Augustine 13 Blanco 42, Luling 8 Bruceville-Eddy 14, Centerville 7 Chico 14, Valley View 7 Cisco 49, Whitesboro 0 Danbury 27, Anahuac 13 Dilley 29, Poteet 26 Early 46, Wall 6 Harper 47, Brackettville Brackett 7 Hico 60, Palmer 26 Honey Grove 46, Wolfe City 24 Kermit 35, Pecos 20 Lago Vista 33, Bandera 31 Leonard 12, Celeste 2 Lexington 20, Mart 19 Maypearl 25, Blooming Grove 18 Melissa 33, Lucas Lovejoy 23 Natalia 39, Karnes City 24 Nocona 44, Muenster 0 Paris Chisum 28, Bells 0 Pattonville Prairiland 26, Collinsville 12 Pilot Point 59, Lake Worth 0 Pottsboro 37, Princeton 0 Refugio 28, Hallettsville 25 Rosebud-Lott 26, Moody 18 S&S Consolidated 28, Blue Ridge 14 SA Cole 25, SA St. Anthony 21 Salado 42, Franklin 14 Santa Teresa, N.M. 27, EP Burges 14 Stockdale 13, Jourdanton 6 Three Rivers 49, Yorktown 0 Tom Bean 8, Anna 7 Universal City Randolph 35, Ingram Moore 14 Whitewright 36, Cooper 28 Class 1A Ben Bolt 33, Leakey 31 Bosqueville 62, Waco Texas Christian 0 Center Point 37, SA St. Gerard 6 Chilton 28, Italy 26 D'Hanis 14, Johnson City 13 Falls City 7, Poth 6, OT Flatonia 34, Hallettsville Sacred Heart 0 Ganado 22, Nixon-Smiley 14 Grapeland 27, Tyler Grace Community 20 Gunter 36, Boyd 11 Hamlin 36, Quanah 32 Itasca 28, Rice 14 La Pryor 31, Charlotte 25 Menard 60, Cross Plains 0 Munday 31, Haskell 7 Perrin-Whitt 21, WF City View 0 Pettus 28, Kenedy 7 Riesel 34, Wortham 26 Roby 35, Bronte 0 Shiner 21, Wallis Brazos 20 Stamford 21, Tuscola Jim Ned 14 Timpson 54, Burkeville 14 Wellington 45, Hollis, Okla. 0 Windthorst 14, Lindsay 6 Wink 35, Jal, N.M. 0 Six-man Blackwell 58, Lohn 8 Brookesmith 60, Brownwood Victory Life 12 Fort Davis 48, Balmorhea 0 Gordon 76, Walnut Springs 28 Gustine 65, Morgan 20 Milford 70, Coolidge 0 Penelope 52, Kopperl 51 Richland Springs 62, Covington 0 Rising Star 60, Trent 36 Veribest 63, Novice 44 Other Schools Argyle Liberty Christian 45, Gainesville State School 0 Arlington Oakridge 55, FW Temple 7 Austin St. Andrew's 33, Austin Regents 7 Austin St. Stephen's 27, Tomball Concordia 21 Cedar Hill Trinity 35, Arlington Grace 8 Dallas Greenhill 42, Dallas Episcopal 0 Dallas Parish Episcopal 39, Kemp 0 Dickinson Pine Drive 57, Ladonia Fannindel 0 Flower Mound Coram Deo 20, FW Lake Country 14 Frisco Legacy 41, Garland Christian 6 FW All Saints 40, Gainesville Callisburg 24 FW Nolan 30, Dallas St. Mark 7 FW Southwest Christian 14, FW Country Day 6 Houston Kinkaid 27, Houston Northland Christian 6 Houston Lutheran North 62, Houston KIPP 0 Houston Lutheran South 36, Dallas Lutheran 21 Houston Second Baptist 29, Houston St. John's 20 Houston Westbury Christian 14, Bay Area Christian 7 Plano Prestonwood 21, Dallas Bishop Lynch 14 Rockwall Christian 25, Carrollton American Heritage 0 SA Central Catholic 36, SA Harlandale 21 SA Christian 34, Navarro 33 SA Holy Cross 31, SA Fox Tech 14 SA Texas Military 41, Medina 6 Texas School for the Deaf 26, Cypress Community Christian 19 Tomball Rosehill 50, Pasadena First Baptist 0 Austin 23, Austin McCallum 15 Caddo Hills 29, Nevada Community 19 Carrollton Prince of Peace 57, Dallas Prep 0 Columbia 16, Houston St. Pius X 7 Jay, Okla. 46, Clarksville 14 ************************************************ From caller.com September 9, 2008 Oil and Gas Report: 09.09.08 There were no new drilling permit applications for Aransas, Jim Wells or Kleberg counties. BEE COUNTY Enco Exploration of Corpus Christi has filed for a permit to drill a 5,000-foot wildcat well. The No. 1 McKay will be 7.2 miles west of Beeville in the R. P. Little Survey A-465. T - C Oil Company of Beeville has filed for permits to drill two 6,000-foot wildcat wells in the Michael Fox Survey A-24. The No. 1 Malone -B- will be 16 miles southeast of Beeville and the No. 1 Malone -C- will be drilled 15.25 miles southeast of Beeville. BROOKS COUNTY Newfield Exploration of Houston has filed for a permit to drill the No. 8 Skipper in the Lopez Ranch (Consolidated) field. With a proposed total depth of 13,000 feet, the well will be 20.5 miles southwest of Falfurrias in the J. M. and L. Chapa/La Encantada Survey A-97. DUVAL COUNTY Sendero Energy has filed for permits to drill four 1,300-foot wells in the Govt. Wells, N., field. The No. 4 Texaco Fee will be 6 miles north of Freer; the No. 5 will be drilled 5.5 miles northeast of Freer; the No. 6 will be 5.5 miles northeast of Freer; and the No.7 will be drilled 5.4 miles northeast of Freer. All of the wells will be in the J. Poitevent Survey A-916. Killam Oil of San Antonio has filed for a permit to drill the No. 1 Harville-State 186 to a depth of 13,500 feet in the West Tiger (Wilcox Consolidated) field. The well will be 11.1 miles southwest of Freer in Section 186 of the GB&CNG RR Co Survey A-2000. KENEDY COUNTY Headington Oil of Corpus Christi has filed for a permit to drill two wildcat wells. The No. 214 Mrs. S. K. East, with a proposed total depth of 17,000 feet, will be 14.7 miles southwest of Sarita and the No. 213 Mrs. S. K. East, which has a proposed total depth of 11,500 feet, will be drilled 16.9 miles southwest of Sarita. Both wells will be in the J. N. De La Garza Survey A-16. Headington Oil has also filed for a permit to drill the No. 67 John G. Kenedy, Jr., "E" in the El Paistle (Consolidated) field. With a proposed total depth of 11,000 feet, the well will be 4 miles southeast of Sarita in the J. A. Bailli Survey A-2. LIVE OAK COUNTY Burlington Resources O&G of Houston has filed for a permit to drill a 12,350-foot wildcat well. The No. 1 Olson Baker will be 14 miles southwest of Kenedy in Section 127 of the T. Jones Survey A-267. MCMULLEN COUNTY Swift Energy Operating of Houston has filed for permits to drill four more 12,500-foot wells in the A. W. P. (Olmos) field. The Nos. 31 and 32 R. Bracken will be 10.9 and 10.7 miles southeast of Tilden in Section 48 of the F. Gomez Survey A-204; the No. 249 SBR will be drilled 6.5 miles southeast of Tilden in Section 3 of the B&B Survey A-516; and the No. 14 Huff "C" will be 12 miles southeast of Tilden in Section 1 of the H. M. Brewer Survey A-69. Welhausen Operating of Beeville has filed for permits to drill two more wells in the A. W. P. (Olmos) field. Both the No. 6 and the No. 7 Lee Wheeler -B-, with proposed total depths of 12,000 feet, will be 7 miles southeast of Tilden in the E. Lockridge field A-299. NUECES COUNTY Sue-Ann Operating of Victoria has filed for permits to drill two more wells in the Minnie Bock, North, field. The Nos. 22 and 24 L. M. Dugger will be 1.2 and 1.1 mile southwest of Robstown in the J. L. De Herrera Survey A-6017. Cinco Natural Resources of Dallas has filed for a permit to drill the No. 7 State Tract 348 in the Red Fish Bay field. With a proposed total depth of 8,000 feet, the well will be 3.6 miles southeast of Ingleside in the Corpus Christi Bay, State Tract 348. Acock/Anaqua Operating of Corpus Christi has filed for a permit to drill the No. 3 Graham Cattle Co. to a depth of 5,700 feet in the Richard King (4400) field. The well will be 5.4 miles north of Agua Dulce in Section 17 of the J. J. and J. L. De La Garza Montemayor Survey A-221. REFUGIO COUNTY Sue-Ann Operating of Victoria has filed for a permit to drill an 8,300-foot wildcat well. The No. 1R C. F. Zarsky will be 3.1 miles south of Tivoli in the John Rainey Survey A-50. SAN PATRICIO COUNTY EOG Resources of Houston has filed for a permit to directionally drill the No. 2 State Tract 690/746&750 GU to a depth of 14,000 feet in the Nueces Bay Deep (Consolidated) field. The well will be 9.3 miles west of Portland in Section 4 of the J. N. Seguin Survey A-246. Source: RigMatch Information Services, Inc., Palestine ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 9, 2008 Advocate honor roll Jill McElroy, Shiner St. Paul - Finished with 33 kills, 26 digs, four blocks and five points in wins over Ganado and Runge. Laura Hahn, Cuero - Recorded 21 kills, nine blocks and two digs in wins over Tuloso-Midway and Woodsboro. Meredith Bard, El Campo - Slapped down 35 kills with 26 digs, 10 points, three aces and two blocks in a win over Angleton and a loss to Sealy. Chantal Beuadoin, Industrial - Tallied 25 kills, 29 digs, 18 blocks and six aces in a win over Louise and a loss to Schulenburg. Ashley Tyau, Faith Academy - Finished with 50 kills and 28 blocks in wins over Bloomington, Northeast Christian, Prairie Lea and Pettus and a loss to Runge. Anna Hemmi, Hallettsville Sacred Heart - Had 21 kills and 12 digs in wins over Fayetteville and Flatonia. Amy Jassen, Runge - Recorded 48 kills with 26 digs and 25 blocks in wins over Kenedy, San Antonio Sunnybrook, Faith Academy and Karnes City and a loss to St. Paul. Was also named to the all-tournament team at the Runge/Nordheim Tournament. Alyssa Dibbern, Bay City - Pounded down 60 kills with 35 digs, 26 blocks, four aces and three assists in wins over Calhoun and Stafford and losses to Brazoswood and Manvel. Lauren Martin, Goliad - Had 12 kills, six blocks and two aces in a loss to Karnes City. Bethany Burton, Gonzales - Recorded 50 digs in a win over Lockhart and a loss to Shiner. Ieisha Flowers, Shiner - Served up 11 points and had 15 kills and three blocks in a win over Gonzales. Larae Wieland, Yorktown - Had 16 kills and six digs in a win over Nixon-Smiley. Rachel Besetzny, Schulenburg - Had a double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs in a win over Industrial. Kayla Escalante and Haley Thomas, Faith Academy - Were named to the all-tournament team at the Runge/Nordheim Tournament. Amber Bain, Louise - Had 24 kills, 17 blocks and 18 digs in a win over Van Vleck and a loss to Industrial. Heather Reynolds, Wharton - Slapped down 45 kills with 22 digs and five blocks in wins over Palacios and Smithville. Jalessa Jones, Wharton - Finished with 48 assists, 14 digs, nine aces and four kills in wins over Palacios and Smithville. Kelli Miller, Edna - Served up 25 points and had 33 assists, five kills and three digs in wins over Weimar and Rice Consolidated. Tyler Arndt, Cuero - threw for 225 yards on 13 of 19 passing with two touchdowns and ran for another score in a win over Rio Hondo. James Ezzell and Sterling Jones, Calhoun - Combined to rush for 265 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Brazosport. Ezzell also threw for one touchdown. Maverick Smith, El Campo - Ran for 132 yards on 18 carries with touchdown runs of 10, 15 and 10 yards in a win over Houston Westside. Jordan Meredith, Gonzales - Threw for 107 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 91 yards in a loss to Lockhart. Josh Greathouse, Shiner - Rushed for 159 yards on 17 carries with a 1-yard TD run in a win over Brazos Consolidated. Brixx Hawthorn, Weimar - Ran for a touchdown and threw for two more in a win over Boling. Justin Hobbs, Boling - Threw for 214 yards with TD passes of 26, 15 and 6 yard sin a loss to Weimar. Zacchaeus Foster, Rice Consolidated - Rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Edna. Myles Dumont, Rice Consolidated - Threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Edna. Jordan Williams, Flatonia - Intercepted two passe and threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Hallettsville Sacred Heart. Travis Sauer, Shiner St. Paul - Rushed for 134 yards with TD runs of 26, 2 and 5 yards in a win over San Antonio Cornerstone. Kevin Daniels, St. Joseph - Kicked field goals of 28 and 27 yards and threw for 147 yards in a loss to Schulenburg. David Houston, Schulenburg - Had touchdown passes of 15 and 8 yards and ran 11 yards for another score in a win over St. Joseph. Kyle Hendley, Refugio - Had 196 yards passing with TD tosses of 49 and 30 yards in a win over Hallettsville. Terrence Smith, Refugio - Rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown and had 49 yards receiving and a touchdown in a win over Hallettsville. Ryan Lenzy, Hallettsville - Ran for 152 yards with TD runs of 70 and 4 yards in a loss to Refugio. Matt Anderson, Industrial - Scored on runs of 35 and 59 yards while rushing for 118 yards in a win over Louise. Chris Hicks, Louise - Returned a fumble 64 yards for a touchdown and caught a 23-yard TD pass in a loss to Industrial. Jairo Perez, Cameron Biffle, Rusty Kubecka, Julio Ramon, Taylor Turner and Vincent Martinez, Palacios - Offensive linemen who helped paved the way for the Sharks' 368 yards rushing in a win over Tidehaven. Alex Buckley and Juan Mata, Palacios - Combined to rush for 325 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Tideheaven. Corey Barrientos, Calhoun - Placed first with a time of 16 minutes, 44 seconds to lead the Sandcrabs to a first-place finish at the Calhoun Invitational. Albert Adame, Memorial - Finished third with a time of 18:06 at the Calhoun Invitational. Calli Barber, Beeville - Captured third place in the girls division at the Calhoun Invitational with a time of 13:37. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 9, 2008 Ike shuffles high school football schedules BY MIKE FORMAN Memorial and St. Joseph have rescheduled their football games because of the threat of Hurricane Ike. Memorial's game at El Campo has been moved from Friday to Thursday at 7 p.m. at Ricebird Stadium in El Campo. St. Joseph was scheduled to play Austin St. Andrew's Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Victoria. But the game has been moved to Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Beck Stadium on the St. Andrew's campus in Austin. A number of other Advocate-area games have also been rescheduled for Thursday, including Calhoun at Floresville, Cuero at Devine and Shiner's homecoming game against East Bernard. Some area teams, including Bloomington and Industrial, who are scheduled to play Friday in Bloomington, will wait until today to make a decision. The Woodsboro-Kenedy game at Kenedy has been moved to today at 7:30 p.m. Woodsboro and Kenedy each played last Friday and would normally have to wait until Thursday to play under the University Interscholastic League's five-day rule. But the UIL has made an exception to its five-day rule for varsity teams because of the threat of the hurricane, allowing them to play in four days. Memorial coach Mickey Finley dealt with a similar situation when he was at Cuero in 1998 and the Guadalupe River flooded much of the city. The Vipers are coming off their bye week and Finley believes they'll be prepared for El Campo. "We started looking at this storm probably back over the weekend thinking there was a possibility and having an off week last week, we're really kind of a day ahead right now," Finley said. "We're doing a Wednesday practice and we were prepared for this so it's kind of helped us out having an off date. We've moved our schedule up a little bit." El Campo traveled to Houston Westside last Friday night and the Ricebirds will have to shorten their preparations. "You never know what's going to happen," El Campo coach Bob Gillis said. "They've had two weeks to prepare and we've had three days. Everything is in their favor. We'll do the best we can." The Flyers were getting ready for their home opener, but will be on the road for the third straight week. "What it really means for us is that we have one less day to prepare," St. Joseph coach John Mares said. "We were fortunate that we went out in full pads when we went out on Monday. I think we're ready." NOTES: The Pettus (1-1)-Kenedy (0-2) game will be broadcast on KAML, 990 AM. Rescheduled Games Following are Advocate-area games rescheduled from Friday because of the threat of Hurricane Ike: Today Woodsboro at Kenedy, 7:30 p.m. Thursday Memorial at El Campo, 7 p.m. St. Joseph at Austin St. Andrew's, 7:30 p.m. Calhoun at Floresville, 7:30 p.m. Corpus Christi King at Beeville, 7:30 p.m. Wharton at Giddings, 7:30 p.m. Cuero at Devine, 7 p.m. Orange Grove at Goliad, 7:30 p.m. Brazos Consolidated at Palacios, 7 p.m. East Bernard at Shiner, 7:30 p.m. Tidehaven at Louise, 7 p.m. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 10, 2008 Karnes City schools close after water pressure drops Bad sensor, broken line to blame for loss of service Karnes City ISD implemented appropriate components of the district's emergency plan for an early release of students on Monday, September 8. Procedures were put in place when the district learned the City of Karnes City water department was experiencing problems which would result in sanitation problems for the schools. Student safety and security were of paramount importance. Campus administration coordinated the release of students to parents or designated family contacts. All support personnel coordinated efforts for meals, facilities and student transportation. Law enforcement and the designated evacuation site in Panna Maria supported the district's efforts. Superintendent Frances Penland applauds her KCISD team. "This situation will serve the district well in analyzing and improving emergency and crisis response procedures. We have excellent plans in place and were able to utilize our current resources, but every situation has unique concerns. Everyone pulled together for the benefit of our students and their families. We appreciate cooperation from students, staff, parents, and community." According to City Administrator Larry Pippen, the drop in water flow and pressure was a result of a defective sensor in the water system. This problem was compounded by another problem when an El Oso water line supplying water to the city was broken. Pippen said the repairs were made and service was fully restored by midday Monday. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com September 9, 2008 Bridger, Yosko engaged Larry and Cindy Yosko of Karnes City, Texas, are proud to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their son, Lance Jeremy, to Andrea Michele Bridger, the daughter of Gayle Bridger of San Antonio and Gary Bridger of San Antonio. Andrea is the granddaughter of JoNelda Zaiontz of San Antonio and the late John M. Zaiontz, and Darwin and Syble Bridger of San Antonio. Lance is the grandson of Alfred and Margaret Moczygemba of Hobson and Manuel and Mary Ann Yosko of Seguin. The bride-to-be is a 2000 graduate of East Central High School and a 2005 graduate of the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. She currently works in San Antonio as a registered nurse at Santa Rosa Children's Hospital. The prospective groom graduated from Karnes City High School in 1999 and attended Texas A&M University. He is currently employed at Hercules Inc. as a chemical plant operator. Lance and Andrea plan to unite in holy matrimony on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008, at 3 p.m. in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Panna Maria. ************************************************ From paranormalsoup.com September 10, 2008 Cat 2 Ike spurs evacuation planning As Hurricane Ike continued to gain strength over the warm open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, additional cities along the Texas Gulf Coast warned their medically fragile residents Wednesday to evacuate inland. School districts along the coast, including the one in Corpus Christi, also announced the cancellation of classes for the remainder of the week. Emergency management officials throughout the Texas Coastal Bend were meeting Wednesday to determine if mandatory evacuations were needed as Ike barreled toward them. Meanwhile, the city of San Antonio has called for an emergency meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday as fears of local massive flooding increase as Ike's projected path bring it close to South Central Texas. City officials were to meet at City Hall to consider the potential local impact from Ike, which could pass near San Antonio as a tropical storm. Jon Zeitler, with the National Weather Service's forecast office in New Braunfels, said for the first time since Claudette in 2003, a significant tropical threat existed for South Central Texas because of Ike. Zeitler said hurricane force winds, which exceeding 75 mph, were possible over Lavaca, DeWitt, Gonzales and Karnes counties, with tropical storm winds of up to 60 mph possible as far inland as Pearsall and Kerrville and Burnet, which would include San Antonio and Austin. He said tornadoes and flash flooding also were possible, with some areas receiving as much as 15 inches of rain. "All of that said, the track for Ike is very uncertain after landfall, and we consider all of our service area potentially under risk for heavy rain and flooding, and areas along and east of I-35 at risk for tornadoes and tropical storm force winds, regardless of the final track," Zeitler said in a prepared statement. Ike became better organized Wednesday morning as it moved away from Cuba and into the gulf, where it is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in the Rockport and Port Lavaca area around sunrise Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its impact is expected to be felt from Houston to Brownsville. Ike's maximum sustained winds had increased up to 90 mph this morning, up from 80 mph from Tuesday night. It continued to move toward the west-northwest at 8 mph. San Antonio's Office of Emergency Management also issued a public statement reminding residents to think first about the basics of survival by preparing a kit for their home, car and work. Closer to the Gulf Coast, Nueces County, the most populated county along the state's coastal bend, also was meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday to consider a mandatory evacuation order. Meanwhile, Laura Lopez of the Texas Department of Transportation's regional office in San Antonio said the state has opened up a third lane - an Evaculane - on northbound Interstate 37 for evacuees fleeing from the coast. The Evaculane on I-37 is the left shoulder and runs from Texas 358 to north of the Nueces River, where traffic is shifted to the right shoulder. From there, the Evaculane continues until it reaches U.S. 281 in Pleasanton. Lopez said there are currently no plans to switch to contraflow lanes on Interstate 37. But, she said, the department has staffed a comfort station at a picnic area in Pleasanton, near where an Evaculane ends, to help provide water, ice and rest room facilities to evacuees. She said other comfort stations are located at rest areas in Live Oak County and in Guadalupe County, near Seguin. As of midday Wednesday, officials in Aransas, Brazoria, Kleberg, Nueces and San Patricio counties were evacuating their special-needs residents. Kleberg County also called for a voluntary evacuation countywide, including for the city of Kingsville. Kleberg County Judge Pete De La Garza said he called for a voluntary evacuation at about 11 Wednesday morning, with transportation available only for the elderly, ill, or disabled. He said that in the case of a mandatory evacuation transportation would be available to all, but he didn't expect to make that call before Thursday. "This storm is still in limbo," he said. "We don't know exactly where it's going to hit. The next 36 hours is very crucial because once Ike gets within 36 hours they're in a much better position to tell us where it's going to hit." He said buses were ready. "Right now, they're just arriving," he said of people preparing to board. "Right now, we've got very few." Coastal counties farther south began to express relief as Ike's path remained unchanged Wednesday morning, heading toward the Corpus Christi area. "We dodged the bullet," said Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos. Cascos said the county was shutting down its Emergency Operations Center Wednesday, but would continue to keep an eye on Ike's movement. Neighboring officials in Kenedy County and Willacy County were still in a wait-and-see mode. Kenedy, a sparsely populated ranchland county, had no plans in place to evacuate. Willacy County Emergency Management Center staffer Isaac Olivarez said things were still under discussion with no decision expected before Thursday. It was a much different scene to the north, where Aransas County, which began evacuating its medically fragile residents Tuesday, also started evacuating inmates from its county jail Wednesday. San Patricio County Judge Terry Simpson also advised schools in his county to cancel classes as preparations began to evacuate special- needs residents. The Corpus Christi Independent School District decided Wednesday morning to cancel classes for Thursday and Friday, said district spokeswoman Lorette Winters. Winters said the district will follow a regular schedule Wednesday, but won't be open the remainder of this week. "Following the passage of Ike, we will open as soon as possible," she said, adding it was too early to say if classes would resume on Monday. Brazoria County Judge Joe King was the first along the Texas Gulf Coast to order a mandatory evacuation of all coastal residents, with a voluntary evacuation for the rest of the county. ************************************************ From chron.com September 10, 2008 Closures, evacuations in Texas Here's a look at some of the evacuations, updates and closures ordered by officials in Texas in advance of Hurricane Ike: MANDATORY EVACUATIONS: _ Brazoria County. _ West end of Galveston Island. _ Galveston Island State Park has begun a mandatory evacuation of campers and planned to have the park shut down by Wednesday evening. _ Lake Texana State Park has begun a mandatory evacuation and planned to have the park shut down by Wednesday evening. _ Goose Island and Mustang Island state parks were evacuating visitors and planning to close Wednesday evening. _ Low-lying areas of Chambers County. _ Areas south of Texas 35 and the Blessing area in Matagorda County. VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS: _ Voluntary evacuation ordered for areas of Galveston protected by the seawall. _ Voluntary evacuation ordered for areas north of Texas 35 in Matagorda County as well as for residents of low-lying areas of Bay City and Van Vleck. _ Brazos Bend and Stephen F. Austin state parks are on standby for a possible evacuation and have executed their hurricane preparedness plans. _ The city of Kingsville. _ The Texas Department of Criminal Justice evacuated 1,336 offenders from the Stevenson Unit in Cuero to the McConnell Unit in Beeville and Connally Unit in Kenedy, and another 597 offenders from the Glossbrenner Unit in San Diego to the Briscoe Unit in Dilley. Also, the TDCJ moved 12 female dialysis patients from the Carole S. Young Medical Facility Complex in Dickinson to the Estelle Unit in Huntsville. CLOSURES AND CANCELLATIONS: _ Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi closed its campus Wednesday. _ Galveston Island State Park has begun a mandatory evacuation and has closed until further notice. _ Lake Texana State Park has begun a mandatory evacuation and has closed until further notice. _ Brazos Bend and Stephen F. Austin State Parks are on standby for possible evacuation and have executed hurricane preparedness plans. All other state parks in the upper Texas coast are on standby and executing hurricane preparedness plans. _ Danbury, Hitchcock, Wharton, Bay City, El Campo and Boling-Iago school districts, Thursday and Friday. _ Houston school district athletic events and field trips scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Trips and events Thursday requiring travel outside Harris County. _ Brazosport College classes canceled through Monday. _ Sea Rim State Park has postponed planned youth alligator hunts until next weekend. The park remains closed to the public due to damage cause by Hurricane Rita. _ The Houston meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Texas Democratic Party Convention/Caucus System will be rescheduled for a later date. _ Amtrak has temporarily suspended service to and from parts of Texas. SPORTS SCHEDULE CHANGES: _ The football game between Arkansas and Texas in Austin has been postponed until Sept. 27. _ The football game between Trinity University and Texas Lutheran University will now be played at 7 p.m. Thursday. _ The Texas A&M-Kingsville University game against the University of Central Oklahoma will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in Edmond, Okla. _ The kickoff time for Saturday's TCU football game against Stanford has been changed from 6 p.m. to noon in Fort Worth. _ The football game between Air Force and Houston moved from Houston to Dallas to be played at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. _ The Texas MedClinic Regional Crossover women's volleyball tournament will now be played on Thursday and Friday at St. Mary's and Incarnate Word University to expedite completion. _ The football game between Mary Hardin-Baylor and Southern Nazarene University will now be played at 6 p.m. on Friday at Tiger Field in Belton. ROADWAYS: _ All tolls on the Harris County and Fort Bend County Roadway System will be waived, effective Wednesday, Sept. 10. All drivers should use the EZ Tag lanes for passage. _ Texas Department of Transportation officials canceled plans for contraflow on Interstate 37 north of Corpus Christi after Hurricane Ike took a more northerly track. ************************************************ From sanmarcosrecord.com September 11, 2008 Storm forces games to be rescheduled From staff reports Due to the eventual landfall of Hurricane Ike, there have been several postponements in the local sports scene. High school football games have been moved to earlier dates, while auto racing has been canceled. The San Marcos Academy football team, originally scheduled to play Runge tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., moved its game to tonight at the same time. The Bears will play at Runge. Across Ranch Road 12, the Wimberley football team was originally scheduled to play LaVernia on the road at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The game was moved to tonight at 7:30 p.m. Lehman, originally scheduled to play San Antonio-Edison on Friday night at Bob Shelton Stadium, are going to play tonight at 7:30 p.m. San Marcos and Hays High have yet to announce changes to their sports schedules. The Lady Lobo volleyball match against Elgin, originally scheduled for Friday night was moved to tonight at 6 p.m. The University of Texas football game against Arkansas was rescheduled for Sept. 27 in Austin. Thunderhill Raceway canceled its Saturday race due to the threat of Ike. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 11, 2008 Ike's fury will stretch inland Hurricane Ike gave San Antonio officials something new to worry about Wednesday. No longer is the city just a staging area to help evacuees flee from the Texas Coast, but San Antonio now finds itself in the path of a large cyclone that has the potential of packing winds of up to 60 mph as it moves inland. Jon Zeitler with the National Weather Service's office in New Braunfels, said that for the first time since Claudette in 2003, a significant tropical threat exists for South-Central Texas because of Ike. The threat prompted San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger to issue a plea of his own to coastal residents who are considering evacuating: "Don't wait until the last minute." Nim Kidd, the city's emergency management coordinator, said that without counties ordering mandatory evacuations, many coastal residents are waiting to decide whether to flee. Kidd also blamed the delay on the fact that Ike's projected landfall site is closer to San Antonio than previous hurricane hits. "That means our timeline of accepting people is going to be very compressed," Kidd told City Council members during an emergency meeting Wednesday. "It would be helpful to us if we knew when they would make their decision, time wise." As of late Wednesday, only two buses carrying special-needs evacuees had arrived at Port San Antonio, where all evacuees are received before being placed in shelters. Those evacuees arrived from Corpus Christi, which began evacuating its medically fragile residents earlier in the day and had ordered a voluntary evacuation for others. Buses to San Antonio were provided free of charge to anyone who couldn't make it out of town on their own. Hardberger said the city was "as well prepared as can be" to accept evacuees. "But obviously, if you have thousands of people coming in at one time, there will be some long lines," he said. District 8 Councilwoman Diane G. Cibrian said the city would rather avoid an onslaught of last-minute evacuees, especially when it's simultaneously facing the threat of widespread flooding from Ike. Zeitler said hurricane-force winds, those exceeding 75 mph, were possible over Lavaca, DeWitt, Gonzales and Karnes counties, with tropical storm winds of up to 60 mph possible as far inland as Pearsall and Kerrville and Burnet, which would include San Antonio and Austin. He said tornadoes and flash flooding also were possible, with some areas receiving as much as 15 inches of rain. "All of that said, the track for Ike is very uncertain after landfall, and we consider all of our service area potentially under risk for heavy rain and flooding, and areas along and east of I-35 at risk for tornadoes and tropical storm force winds, regardless of the final track," Zeitler said in a prepared statement. Hardberger said he feared flooding more than anything else. "We will have some flooding as we frequently do in heavy downpours," he said. "If the storm actually comes here with any strength you shouldn't be on the road anymore than you absolutely have to be. You should simply stay home until it blows over." He also reminded local residents to have survival kits with basic necessities ready for the weekend, and warned residents against driving into water crossings. City Manager Sheryl Sculley said the Public Works Department is scheduled to operate around the clock beginning Friday and that up to 20 spotters would be sent out throughout the city this weekend to monitor potential flood conditions. Kevin Dinnin, president of Baptist Child and Family Services, the agency that is preparing to care for up to 3,000 medical special- needs evacuees, said some self-evacuees already had arrived at Port San Antonio on Wednesday afternoon. However, no number was available late Wednesday. Meanwhile, in neighboring Atascosa County, Jourdanton Police Chief Ronnie Lawson said traffic had picked up along Texas 16 and Texas 97. He also said the newly constructed Holiday Inn was completely booked with evacuees.New Braunfels City Manager Mike Morrison said the county is prepared to take up to 2,500 evacuees and house them at area schools.The New Braunfels Independent School District will close New Braunfels Middle School and Oak Run Middle School today and Friday so the buildings can be used as evacuation shelters. Comal Independent School District officials announced that three schools - Church Hill Middle, Morningside Elementary and Freiheit Elementary - will be closed today and Friday because they'll be used as evacuation shelters for people fleeing from the coast. In Seguin, Emergency Management Coordinator Greg Dreiss said the City Coliseum is ready to host up to 150 evacuees from the coast, leaving room for hundreds more local residents if there is local flooding. ************************************************ From cnn.com September 12, 2008 Weather service warns of 'certain death' in face of Ike Residents living in single-family homes in some parts of coastal Texas face "certain death" if they do not heed orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Ike's arrival, the National Weather Service said Thursday night. The unusually strong wording came in a weather advisory regarding storm surge along the shoreline of Galveston Bay, which could see maximum water levels of 15 to 22 feet, the agency said. "All neighborhoods ... and possibly entire coastal communities ... will be inundated during the period of peak storm tide," the advisory said. "Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one- or two-story homes will face certain death." The maximum water level forecasts in nearby areas, including the shoreline of Matagorda Bay and the Gulf-facing coastline from Sargent to High Island, ranged from 5 to 8 feet. But authorities warned that tide levels could begin rising Friday morning along the upper Texas coast and along the shorelines of the bays. The advisory summoned memories of the language used to describe 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which devastated parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast. "Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks ... if not longer," an advisory issued at the time said. "The vast majority of native trees will be snapped or uprooted. Only the heartiest will remain standing." The Ike advisory follows comes on the heels of similarly urgent messages earlier Thursday from federal authorities, who warned of a "massive storm" that could affect roughly 40 percent of the U.S. Gulf Coast. "Do not take this storm lightly," Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Thursday afternoon. "This is not a storm to gamble with. It is large; it is powerful; it carries a lot of water." Chertoff and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said their efforts were focused on evacuations as Ike moved northwest at 12 mph across the central Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. Chertoff also urged people not to succumb to "hurricane fatigue," referring to concerns that authorities were overestimating Ike's potential impact. "Unless you're fatigued with living, I suggest you want to take seriously a storm of this size and scale," he said Thursday. Houston Mayor Bill White said he's heard that people who live in areas under a mandatory evacuation order say they plan to stay in their homes. He strongly urged against it. "If you think you want to ride something out, and people are talking about a 20-foot wall of water coming at you, then you better think again," White said. At 5 p.m. Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning was in effect between Morgan City, Louisiana, and Baffin Bay, Texas. A warning means hurricane conditions are likely within 24 hours. Ike's forecast track was through Galveston and the Houston metro area as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. Currently a Category 2 storm about 700 miles across, Ike could make landfall near Galveston Island as early as Saturday morning. Watch CNN meteorologists track Hurricane Ike » At 11 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 115 miles from Ike's center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 275 miles. The storm was centered 445 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and about 340 miles east-southeast of Galveston, and was moving west-northwest at near 10 mph. Watch: National Hurricane center predicts Ike's path » Roughly 3.5 million people live in the hurricane's potential impact zone, FEMA Administrator David Paulison said Thursday. In Galveston, Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas told the island's 60,000 people that they should leave. By 7:30 ET, the city had finished evacuating to Austin thousands of residents who needed assistance leaving because of age, disability or lack of reliable transportation. Mandatory evacuations remained in effect for low-lying coastal areas northeast and southwest of Galveston, in Chambers, Matagorda and Brazoria counties. Some Brazoria County residents said they didn't want to leave but realized it was in their best interest to do so. "You don't have a choice when you have kids," Deborah Davis of Freeport told CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston. Farther inland, about 100,000 residents in low-lying areas surrounding Houston began evacuating Thursday afternoon as Ike headed for the Texas coast, officials said. Watch Gov. Rick Perry warn residents of Ike's potential » But the remaining 4 million residents were told they could stay home, even as government offices and schools prepared to close Friday in Houston in anticipation of the hurricane. "We are only evacuating areas subject to a storm surge," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the county's chief executive officer. "Yes, we know you will lose electricity. But you're not in danger of losing your life, so stay put." Ships in port were told to leave, said Port of Houston spokeswoman Linda Whitlock. The area's two major airports, George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby, also halted all commercial flights. More than 1,300 inmates from the Texas Correctional Institutions Division's Stevenson Unit in Cuero were being evacuated to facilities in Beeville and Kenedy, Perry's office said, and 597 were transferred from the substance abuse Glossbrenner Unit in San Diego, in south Texas, to Dilley. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 10, 2008 Local firefighters battle 2 'suspicious' fires in Karnes City Second fire reported about an hour after first By Joe Baker Two structure fires started Saturday afternoon in Karnes City and local fire department officials say the similarities and timing make the fires appear "suspicious" in nature. A vacant house at 305 W. Houston (near Davidson Street) was completely consumed by the flames and described by Karnes City Fire Chief Charlie Malik as a "total loss". The fire was reported at 1:17 p.m. There was no electricity or gas connected to the property. It is not yet known who owns the house, or if the house was insured. A shed located on property at 302 E. Main (near Browne Street) caught fire and was reported at 2:27 p.m. Firefighters responded quickly and prevented an adjacent house from catching fire. Like the property on Houston Street, no utilities were connected to the structure. The shed was on property belonging to the Rhodes family. Malik said that officials with the state fire marshal's office will investigate the two fires. Malik said this is the fifth vacant house/structure fire that his department has responded to this year and he has noticed many similarities that may indicate arson as a cause. He said arson is a hard charge to prove and it has been more than ten years since a Karnes City arson case has been successfully prosecuted. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 10, 2008 Group of 16 contestants will compete for honors Once again it is time for the Miss Karnes City Pageant. This year, sixteen lovely contestants will vie for the position of queen. The queen and her court will represent the City of Karnes City at Lonesome Dove Fest and at various celebrations, parades and coronations held around South Texas. Along with this honor, the queen and her court will receive book scholarships upon proof of enrollment in college. This will be an exciting year for the new queen and the young ladies that will reign with her. To choose the queen and her court, the Young Progressives has enlisted the help of pageant judges from surrounding areas: Adam Hall from Elmendorf, Larissa Robertson from San Marcos, Karen Klesel from La Vernia, Wildon Rouse from Wharton and Debra Rouse from Wharton. The Miss Karnes City Pageant will take place Tuesday, September 16, at the Karnes City High School Auditorium. The pageant will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are $4 for adults and $2 for all school age children. Organizers are inviting the community to join with them in the opportunity to support the contestants and spend an evening of fun and entertainment together. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 17, 2008 Zaffirini announces funding for local colonias (AUSTIN) - Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, announced Tuesday that Karnes County will receive a $301,854 Colonia Construction Fund grant for housing rehabilitation for colonia areas. Construction will take place in Helena, Hobson, Choate, Panna Maria, Cestohowa, Coy City, El Oso and Rungecito. The project will include installing on- site sewer facilities and providing for persons with disabilities. "The Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA) was established to administer these funds and to provide these critical services," Senator Zaffirini said. "I am delighted that Karnes County will use these funds to rehabilitate existing homes, demolish and clear dilapidated, unsafe housing and construct new homes. "These significant grants will allow Karnes County to enhance the safety, health and well-being of Senate District 21 constituents. These funds will greatly improve the quality of life for the colonia residents." This program is administered by ORCA through the Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com September 16, 2008 Festival benefits youth of Karnes County KARNES CITY - Members of the Karnes City Rotary Club are busy preparing for the 16th annual Lonesome Dove Fest, scheduled to be held at the Karnes County Show Barn Sept. 19-20. Each year, Lonesome Dove Fest ushers in the opening of dove hunting season in the south zone of Texas. The festival offers fun and entertainment to hunters of the area, as well as educational opportunities to area youth. "It's going to be great again this year," said Larry Hedtke. "We have a lot of activities for the kids, and 'The Moods' will be performing this year. That's a really big attraction for us this year." In addition to various exhibits displaying everything from cars and motorcycles to rattlesnakes, there will be shooting competitions, a barbecue cook-off, auctions, and live music, highlighted, of course, by "The Moods." Activities are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19. A flag- raising ceremony will kick things off, followed by a number of youth activities. Music and fun will continue throughout the day and into the night, as Ritchie Albright and the "Whiskey Poets" take the stage at 9 p.m. until midnight. On Saturday, Sept. 20, the day's events will begin with a parade through downtown Karnes City. From there, events on the show barn grounds will begin. In addition to the annual clay-target shooting competitions, which will be held throughout the day, there will be inflatables, train rides, clowns, and a camo contest for the kids, as well as an Elvis look-alike contest. There will also be a drill team competition, jousting by the Knights of the Guild, and many other activities. "There really is something for everyone," Hedtke said. "And this is a big deal - air-conditioned tents. We really couldn't do something like this without having these tents. It allows people to get inside out of the sun and the heat, making everything that much more enjoyable." For more information about Lonesome Dove Fest, or any of the activities or attractions, see the Web site at http://www.lonesomedovefest.com, or send an e-mail to info@lonesomedovefest.com. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 17, 2008 Lonesome Dove Fest this weekend Sweet 16 By Joe Baker KARNES CITY, TX. - The Karnes City Rotary Club's Lonesome Dove Fest will celebrate sixteen years of family fun and philanthropic success on September 19 and 20. The theme this year is "sweet sixteen" and there will be music and other events reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s. Organizers say they try to have something for everyone at the annual event which takes place at the Karnes County Youth Show Barn grounds on Hwy. 181 between Karnes City and Kenedy. In its sixteenth year, the Lonesome Dove Fest has grown from a gathering of dove hunters in a Coy City hay patch to an event recently described as the "South Texas Expo" by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department's Education Coordinator Steve Hall. The annual festival combines education, outdoors activities and entertainment for nearly ten thousand visitors and begins on Friday, September 19 with Youth Day. Youth Day presents educational mini-seminars on a variety of different topics to over three hundred high school students from area schools. The success of Lonesome Dove Fest has allowed the Rotary to award twelve scholarships to seniors from each of Karnes County's four high schools, including two scholarships specifically dedicated to vocational students. The public events at the fest this year get going on Friday, September 19 (5 p.m. - midnight) and Saturday September 20 (10 a.m. - 1 a.m.). The Lonesome Dove Fest Parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Saturday morning and parade floats, bands and other participants will travel along Calvert Street through the heart of downtown Karnes City, weather permitting. The Lonesome Dove Fest Parade has become a traditional annual event enjoyed by folks of all ages. Local motorcycle club, the Thunder Riders motorcycle club of Karnes County will lead off the parade this year. Musical entertainment is always a big part of Lonesome Dove Fest. The stage comes alive Friday evening starting at 6 p.m. when Nashville tribute singer Richie Allbright and Whiskey Poets will provide music for visitors under a huge, 14,400 square-foot air- conditioned tent. Karnes County's Sean "Elvis" O'Brien & Ignition will perform on the Lonesome Dove Fest stage Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. The group will perform "Elvis Presley" songs as well as other country and rock and roll music. Richie Allbright will return to the stage in the afternoon between 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. where he will host the stage for a short afternoon live auction as well as local musical talent. The live auction will take place under the tent at 7 p.m. and The Moods will provide musical entertainment after the auction from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Moods played 50s and 60s rock and roll for many years throughout central and south Texas and decades later, they are still a very popular 9-piece rock and roll band featuring music from that era. Music is just part of the entertainment planned for the crowds. The Knights of the Guild will perform a live medieval-style jousting show featuring very large horses. Fest organizers say there is a positive message that goes with the jousting shows related to ethics, morals and good character. This show will happen Saturday at 4 p.m. Leslie Lane Llamas will bring their llamas to Lonesome Dove Fest this year. This special exhibit educates on how "fiber" is harvested from the llamas and used for different products. They will host shows at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday where the llamas will pull buggies, jump through hoops, and there will also be a petting zoo featuring llamas and goats. The A&J Snake Handlers, who have been featured at past Lonesome Dove Fests, will present live rattlesnake shows at.1, 3 and 5 p.m. Hollywood actor, stuntman and animal handler Greg Davis will show his steers and perhaps the white horse he owns who was featured in Lord of the Rings. Davis and his animals have had parts in Planet of the Apes, Lord of the Rings and many other movies. There will be a JROTC Fancy Drill Team competition in the parking lot at Otto Kaiser Memorial Hospital. This will take place between 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. The team shoot provides an opportunity for shooting teams to compete for prizes and bragging rights and, for those interested in hunting, a day hunt with area landowners. Team shoot results will be announced Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The traditional Celebrity Shoot will take place Saturday at 2 p.m. This year, there will be a Dove cook-off - returning to the "roots" of Lonesome Dove Fest. Prizes will be awarded for best dove dishes, but prizes will also be awarded for side dishes, as well. Awards will be presented at 6 p.m. Saturday. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department continues to support the Fest, providing competitive shooting equipment and Laser Shoot as well as exhibits for Youth Day. There will be two climbing walls for kids to enjoy this year as well as inflatables, clowns, train rides, miniature horses, and much, much more. Motorcycles will be on display, an antique car show and an art show in the exhibit hall. There will be quilting demonstrations, rock painting and crafting and heritage displays. There will be a petting zoo in the barn and a walkabout fashion show of the 50s and 60s. Traditional favorite Kids Camo Contest will happen under the tent Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. At 3 p.m. there will be the Boy Scouts vs. 4H Youth Shoot. There will be an "Elvis Look-A-Like" contest which will take place immediately following the Kids Camo Contest Saturday afternoon. "This is not just for hunters," Rotarian Randy Witte emphasized, "but for families - for everybody!" Organizers say they rely on some fantastic sponsors to have a festival on this scale. When sponsors come to the grounds and see entire families being entertained, they get very interested. Club members said that any success or growth the event has enjoyed over the years is directly associated with the generosity of these sponsors. This year's sponsors include Aggreko, Blackbrush Oil & Gas, Cabelas, HEB, The GEO Group, Inc. Tractor City County Store, Witte, Inc., AEP Texas and many others. Admission is just $5 this year ($10 after 8 p.m. Saturday), and kids under 12 get in free. For more information on the 16th Lonesome Dove Fest, including maps, schedules and applications for the team shoot and cook-off, go to www.lonesomedovefest.com. Also see the Lonesome Dove Fest special section in this newspaper. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 17, 2008 Local man killed in home invasion A Karnes County man was killed as a result of a home invasion that happened in his home near Lenz at 2463 County Road 167 on September 8 or September 9. The body of Robert Henry Bowman, 49, was found by laborers on his property on Tuesday afternoon, September 9. Police were called at 12:45 p.m. "They usually meet him at 8 o'clock in the morning," said Sheriff David Jalufka. "They walked up to his residence and knocked on the door and no one answered so they opened the door and saw Mr. Bowman lying on the living room floor." Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, Jalufka would not say exactly how Bowman was killed, but the incident is being characterized as a homicide. Officially, the cause of death is still unknown. Jalufka did not identify a suspect or suspects but said that there were "people of interest" connected with the investigation. Although it appears to be a home invasion, no property is missing, and it is unknown whether any cash is missing. "There is nobody to tell us what was there or not there," Jalufka explained. Jalufka's department is working with the Texas Rangers, who is the lead agency in the investigation. Chief Deputy A. C. Alonzo, who is a retired detective with the Houston Police Department and has expertise with these types of investigations, is assisting the Rangers with the case. The lead investigator is Ranger Rudy Jaramillo. "We've been doing interviews with people who had access to the place or have been on the place," Jalufka said. Jalufka said that the homicide likely occurred on the night of September 8 or the morning of September 9. "Through the investigation, we know that people had conversations with him in the afternoon on the eighth," Jalufka said. No arrests have been made in the case, but Jalufka said that his department and the Rangers are working on the case 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Crimes of this nature are a very rare occurrence in Karnes County, Jalufka said. They almost never happen and he has never worked a case such as this. The sheriff cautioned that it is important for people to pay attention to the people that they are around. "Out in the rural areas, you need to pay attention to what's going on in your surroundings," Jalufka said. "The big city is coming in on us." The sheriff described Bowman as philanthropist who gave generously large amounts of money at the Karnes County Youth Show on behalf of his ranch - Preter Natural Ranch. He has also donated generously to many other local causes. "This shouldn't happen to this man," Jalufka said. "Because he is a good man. He didn't want accolades. He just tried to take care of the people who couldn't afford to compete. He was a good guy." Jalufka said Bowman donated to the South Texas Children's Home and also helped send the Runge senior class to Washington D.C. The sheriff speculated that Bowman's open generosity may have made him a target. Ironically, his giving spirit and good heart may have drawn the attention of potentially violent criminals who intended to do him harm. "He was a good guy," Jalufka said. Obituary information shows that Bowman moved to Kenedy in 1974 from Corpus Christi and he graduated from Kenedy High School in 1977. He attended the University of Houston and Texas A&I University. He was an independent oil operator and rancher. He is survived by his mother, Jeanne Bowman of Kenedy; son, Andrew Bowman; sisters, Mary Bowman Campbell of Dallas and Nancy Bowman Upton of Kenedy; brothers, William F. Bowman of Dallas and Richard M. Bowman of Houston. See obituary in this newspaper for more information. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 17, 2008 Karnes City: Lonesome Dove Fest is for the whole family In Karnes County they like to celebrate the opening of dove hunting season in style - and this year is no different. Live jousting, an Elvis look-alike contest, a petting zoo and a chili cook-off are scheduled for the 16th Annual Lonesome Dove Fest, organized by the Karnes City Rotary Club, which will be held at the Karnes County Show Barn on Saturday. "We try to have something for grandpa, grandma, babies, and everything in-between," said Randy Witte, one of the event organizers, who touted the festival as family-oriented entertainment. The event raises money for 14 scholarships for area students, Witte said, and has drawn 10,000 people in past years. This year the Rotary Club is rolling out new attractions to continue that trend and raise funds to provide academic and vocational scholarships for students from Falls City, Karnes City, Runge and Kenedy. Along with nontraditional attractions like jousting and llamas that jump through hoops, the Lonesome Dove Fest will host more traditional festival fare, such as inflatable moonwalks, a rock climbing wall, live music and dancing, arts and crafts, a children's zoo and train, and dove, bean and chili cook-offs. The parade featuring local towns and schools will begin at 10 a.m. in downtown Karnes City and a marching contest for local ROTC chapters will precede the other activities, Witte said. Entertainment starts at noon, he said, and will continue until 1 a.m. Another component of the annual festival is the Youth Day, held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, which consists of a series of seminars provided to area high school students. The agricultural science seminars are provided free of charge to students and are taught by local organizations, Witte said. For example, the Karnes City Police Department will cover drug awareness, Texas Parks and Wildlife will teach gun safety, Karnes Electric Cooperative will touch on electrical safety, and in past years students have also learned about Texas longhorns and llamas. The point is to teach children about subjects they may not encounter in school, but are still relevant to local culture and history. Karnes County Judge Alger Kendall, who is also a member of the Rotary Club, said the festival is a tremendous outpouring of community pride. People volunteer from all over the county and look forward to the festival each year, he said. "We're proud that people want to come here and hunt," he said of people who flock to Karnes County for dove hunting each year. The Lonesome Dove Fest is a celebration of that heritage, he said. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 17, 2008 Kenedy High School hosts 'Meet the Teacher' night Kenedy High School will open their doors to parents and the community during "Meet the Teacher" night on Thursday, September 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Parents will be greeted at the front doors by Mischellene Pemelton, new Kenedy High School principal and Pat Russell, new Kenedy High School counselor. Kenedy High School parents will be given their child's schedule, room assignments and three-week progress report by campus secretaries. Other new faces at Kenedy High School for the 2008 - 2009 school year include: Vernon Liverett, Math; Ruben Garcia, Government and Economics; Chris Startz, U.S. History; Jerry Connell, World Geography; Gary Richards, Science; Brian Fields and Robert Sager, Ag; Anna Martin, Health and Physical Education; Joel Ahumada, Band, Carolyn Condit, Campus Secretary and Michael Ramirez, Athletic Director. All parents are encouraged to tour the campus and visit with the teachers. Any questions concerning "Meet the Teacher" night may be answered by calling the school at (830) 583-4100 ext. 1221. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com September 16, 2008 Hurricane Ike a no-show in Wilson County FLORESVILLE - As Hurricane Ike bore down on the Texas Gulf Coast, Wilson County emergency officials and area residents prepared for a battering by wind and rain last Tuesday and Wednesday. Local events, including fund-raisers and football games, were canceled or postponed. People bought generators and stocked up on water, gas, and canned goods as meteorologists frantically worked to track the huge storm before it made landfall. Although Ike bypassed Wilson County and the surrounding areas, it has left its mark, with a number of evacuees seeking refuge in area nursing homes and church communities. The storm devastated Galveston, Houston, and adjacent communities. Ike came ashore in the early hours of Sept. 13 with high winds, rain, and a storm surge of 12 feet that, although substantial, weren't as devastating as originally predicted. In Ike's wake lay the wreckage of homes and businesses, and cities without running water or electricity. According to the Associated Press, there have been eight deaths in the United States attributed to Hurricane Ike and related storms: five in Texas, two in Louisiana, and one in Arkansas. A number of residents of nursing homes were evacuated from areas in the path of the storm to nursing homes in Floresville and Stockdale. "Some of the nursing homes have what they call sister nursing homes," said LeAnn Hosek, the Wilson County Emergency Management Agency coordinator. "These might be owned by the same company. They have an agreement to take care of each other's patients when they need help from each other." "We may be getting some more now," Hosek continued. These patients might be medical special-needs patients who had been staying in shelters or people not in need of constant hospitalization, just for someone to make sure they're adequately cared for with medication, accommodations, etc., she said. "Some of the people are from facilities that don't exist anymore or have been without power," Hosek said. The Floresville Christian Fellowship on U.S. 181 also opened its doors to those seeking safe havens as the storm veered from Corpus Christi toward Galveston late last week. "We had served as a shelter during Hurricane Katrina," said Jeannette Herrera, the wife of the church's pastor, Bennie Herrera. They opened their doors Sept. 11, and soon filled with evacuees from Galveston, Houston, Palacios, Baytown, and Port Lavaca. "One family stopped in Kenedy, and someone directed them to us," Jeannette said. "And the city police found some in the parking lot at Wal-Mart here and sent them to us. I guess they were just too tired to go on anywhere else." The staff of the Best Western motel also directed several people to the Floresville Christian Fellowship, where the Herreras had erected a sign, advising "Shelter open" for anyone in need. "We registered 108 people," Jeannette said. Some were still residing in the church shelter Monday, and the Herreras expressed thanks to all in the community who had given up time or made donations to help. Wilson County Health and Public Safety Office Coordinator Edwin Baker was at Port San Antonio Monday, serving as a deputy incident commander for staging. He was the only one on site from Wilson County; another person who was present was moved on, most likely to Galveston. Baker advised that Stockdale and La Vernia EMS crews were part of a task force that had been in Port Arthur, but returned home Sunday. "I'm in charge of getting people moved around San Antonio and back to the Coastal Bend area," Baker said. That includes Corpus Christi and other areas not directly affected by the storm. Baker was charged with getting the strike team to run smoothly and serving as a liaison between FEMA contractors and the state operation center. "We've learned from the lessons of previous storms. The organization is much better. The contractor stepped up and people are better taken care of." Baker said he expects to "be here possibly for the duration. There's no telling how long that might be." Baker advised the best method of help from the public is to "donate to the Red Cross and the local food bank. There's a lot of people in East Texas and along the coast who are hurting," he said. How can you help? Donate or contact these organizations: •San Antonio Red Cross, http://www.saredcross.org •USA Freedom Corps, http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov •Volunteer Match, http://www.volunteermatch.org ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 17, 2008 Karnes County death probed as homicide Karnes County Sheriff David Jalufka said his department and the Texas Rangers are investigating the death of Robert Henry Bowman, 49, as a homicide. Bowman was found dead on his living room floor by day laborers on Sept. 9. Jalufka received autopsy results this week but declined to release the results or say how Bowman died. Bowman was likely killed during a home invasion the night of Sept. 8 or the morning of Sept. 9 at the house on County Road 167, although there appeared to be no property missing, Jalufka said. Persons of interest had been identified in the investigation. The victim graduated from Kenedy High School in 1977 and is survived by an adult son, Jalufka said. Bowman was good-natured, a philanthropist and generous with his money, which likely caused his demise, Jalufka said. The crime is rare for the county - its first homicide in four years - and the sheriff's office is dedicating many resources to solving it, he said. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 17, 2008 Kenedy schools have three new principals KENEDY - Students enrolled in the Kenedy school district were met by 20 new teachers and faculty members. Of those, three are principals high school, middle school and elementary all have new principals. The principals are Mischellene Pemelton, high school; Randy Tiemann, middle school; and Melanie Witte, elementary. "We are very excited to have these new principals and know that the goals they have set will help improve the school district," Jan LaCour, Kenedy schools superintendent, said. Pemelton has been in education for 23 years and taught at Mercedes High School prior to coming to Kenedy. "No matter how routine your day may be there are always challenges that can alter the day," Pemelton said. She wanted to be the principal at a smaller school district so she could have better communication with the students, parents, faculty and staff, she said. "Parents and students have been receptive and supportive of the goals that I have for the high school," Pemelton said. She wants to improve student attendance and discipline by improving communication with parents and students, raise student test scores and grades and she would like to create a student center where students can socialize and study. "I want to inspire the students to be leaders the way that they inspire me," Pemelton said. Just across the parking lot from the high school is Tiemann and the middle school. He was a principal at Harlandale Special Education Center for five-years. "Given the chance to work directly with the students they will be able to reach any goals they have because this is a small school," Tiemann said. His goal is to bring the middle school up to exemplary rating in three years. He plans to do so by providing the students with positive leadership and assisting the teachers in all areas. "I look forward to the coming years. These students have a lot of promise," Tiemann said. Elementary principal Witte said she just didn't have time to be nervous on her first day of school. "There was just so much to do and it has just been so busy," she said. Witte taught elementary school in Kenedy for 26 years before becoming principal this year. During her 26 years in the classroom, she was also a grant coordinator for the district. "This is exciting because at the elementary level we are the foundation for the students' career in education," she said. Witte said would like to increase the parental involvement, meet the needs of each student, and improve the elementary to exemplary scores. "It's very rewarding when you get students to set and accomplish goals," Witte said. With the new principals and faculty the superintendent said the district can achieve new goals and looks to the community to join in the effort. "New issues always arise but we are up for the challenge," Witte said. NEW FACULTY Elementary has three new teachers Middle school has three new teachers High school has eight new teachers The high school has a new counselor Pat Russell New Athletic Director Michael Ramirez New Superintendent Jan LaCour ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 17, 2008 River authority OK's unchanged tax rate The board of the San Antonio River Authority on Wednesday approved a 2008 property tax rate that's unchanged from 2007, but taxes for the average homeowner will rise about 5.8 percent due to rising property valuations on tax rolls in the authority's four-county jurisdiction. The tax rate was kept at $0.015951 per $100 of value in Bexar, Goliad, Karnes and Wilson counties. It was approved by a vote of 8 to 2 with Bexar County representatives Roberto Rodriguez and Názarite Pérez in opposition. Average property values rose 13.68 percent across the four counties, raising the average homestead value from $136,774 to $144,415. With the authority's $5,000 general exemption, the tax on that average homestead will rise from $21.02 to $22.24. ************************************************ From sanmarcosrecord.com September 19, 2008 Scarlet's successful debut highlights our start of teal season Outdoors By Jim Darnell Daily Record Columnist We had just finished building a temporary cane blind in the dark, loaded our shotguns and took our positions. Five of us - Noah, James and Joseph Gallaher of New Braunfels, my son Tim and I - were eagerly waiting for the first flight of teal to swarm into our decoys. Last year, on the same lake near Kenedy, we all had our four bird limit only 30 minutes into the early teal season. But would we have birds this year? Normally, I always scout the lake a couple of days before the hunt. But busy schedules and the ominous approaching of Hurricane Ike prevented any scouting. Actually, Ike was just coming ashore and battering Houston as we waited for legal shooting time to arrive. The darkness slowly began to recede in the eastern sky when the first flight of teal zeroed in on our decoy spread. Unlike bigger ducks, like mallards, pintails and gadwalls, which glide in a graceful formation into a set of decoys, teal come in a darting mass. It looked like a scrambling midget hockey team. Steel shot began to fill the sky over the decoys to greet the little feathered rockets. One folded. Another wounded bird began to angle toward the shore, rapidly losing altitude. Noah's lab, Darby, bolted toward the dead bird while Tim took my retriever, Lady, to look for the cripple. Lady has a good nose and quickly located the downed bird. Somewhat unusual, both birds were green-winged teal. More of the teal harvested in the early September teal season are blue winged. They're the first migrants of the year and most are in Mexico by the arrival of the regular duck season in November. That's why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's give us the early season. But a few green wings usually follow their blue wing cousins on the early journey to Texas. That flight probably wished they had stayed up north a bit longer. Several more small groups of teal buzzed our decoys in that early light. Some died. Then it was over. No more birds and our limits were not yet filled. But we were still happy. Ike had not canceled our hunt. To miss opening day would rate as a near tragedy. Sunday morning Lady and I slipped out to a local lake near Buda for a brief hunt before church. There weren't many birds but I had opportunity to take my limit. But my shooting was lousy. I got one bird out of the first small group but should have nailed a double. Then a flock of more than 20 blue wings came down on the decoys like a flight of hornets. Three easy shots - one bird fell. Lady gave me an awful look. If she could have talked …. I just got too excited and shot into the flock instead of picking an individual target. But the day a group of 20 ducks over my decoys doesn't excite me, I'll quit hunting. Tuesday morning before work Tim and I hunted a local lake. It was a special hunt - the debut of his one-year-old lab, Scarlet. She had shown some indications toward being gun shy so we took light gauge shotguns. Tim brought a 20-gauge autoloader and I took my .410 automatic. We had hoped that the cold front might push some big numbers of teal into the area but, again, we didn't see lots of birds. A pair came into the decoys early and we both dropped one. But Tim's bird crawled to the shore in front of the blind and when Scarlet charged he experienced a resurrection. The bird flew about 30 yards before hitting the water again. But that duck was in big trouble. Scarlet is super fast and she was right behind him. He flew again across a cove and went down. She had the line on him and wouldn't give up. Eventually, she was about half way down the lake after that cripple. While she was gone, three more teal appeared and two fell. Scarlet was now charging back. I figured she heard the shots and gave up in her pursuit of the first bird. But, to our surprise, she emerged in the semi-darkness with a green wing teal in her mouth. Then she quickly retrieved the other dead birds that were floating among the decoys. Tim was ecstatic. Lots of training hours had preceded this first real hunt. She had made a remarkable retrieve on a cripple, brought in the dead birds, and paid no attention to the noise of the shotguns. I don't think a 12-gauge would have bothered her but we wanted to take no chances of ruining her. The early teal season continues through Sept. 28. Hopefully, more birds will show up soon. To hunt teal be sure you have both federal and state duck stamps. Jim Darnell is an ordained minister and host/producer of the syndicated outdoors show, God's Great Outdoors. His column appears every Thursday in the Daily Record. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 20, 2008 Yorktown 18, Kenedy 3 YORKTOWN - The Yorktown Wildcats captured their first win of the season with an 18-3 victory over the Kenedy Lions. Yorktown (1-2) went up 12-0 in the first quarter on Jordan Weise's 45-yard interception return and Loren Koehler's 35-yard run. David Arias' 25-yard field trimmed Yorktown's lead to 12-3 at halftime, but the Wildcats put the game away in the fourth quarter when Cliff Foulds scored on a 14-yard run with 11:52 left in the game. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 17, 2008 Karnes County death probed as homicide Karnes County Sheriff David Jalufka said his department and the Texas Rangers are investigating the death of Robert Henry Bowman, 49, as a homicide. Bowman was found dead on his living room floor by day laborers on Sept. 9. Jalufka received autopsy results this week but declined to release the results or say how Bowman died. Bowman was likely killed during a home invasion the night of Sept. 8 or the morning of Sept. 9 at the house on County Road 167, although there appeared to be no property missing, Jalufka said. Persons of interest had been identified in the investigation. The victim graduated from Kenedy High School in 1977 and is survived by an adult son, Jalufka said. Bowman was good-natured, a philanthropist and generous with his money, which likely caused his demise, Jalufka said. The crime is rare for the county — its first homicide in four years — and the sheriff’s office is dedicating many resources to solving it, he said. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 21, 2008 RICARDO ROMO UTSA CLASSIC At UTSA Saturday's results Gold boys team: Pharr-San Juan-Alamo 130; CC Carroll 150; FEAST 157; Del Rio 170; O'Connor 204; Churchill 209; Edinburg North 210; Mission Sharyland 256; Lufkin Hudson 282; Big Spring 312. Gold boys individual: 1, Paul Snyder, Churchill, 15:35.5; 2, Jordan Valle, Big Spring, 15:48; 3, Alex De La Garza, Mercedes, 15:50.7; 4, Jacob Benn, Stevens, 15:52.3; 5, Justin Adame, CC Carroll, 15:55.2; 6, Collin Smith, Austin High, 16:01; 7, Howard Gil, FEAST, 16:01.9; 8, Palo Ponce, Del Rio, 16:06.5; 9, Michael Medrano, Mission Sharyland, 16:08; 10, Ryan Elizalde, Laredo Alexander, 16:11.9. 5A boys team: P-SJ-A Memorial 68; Del Rio 80; CC King 84; O'Connor 165; CC Carroll 183; Eagle Pass 188; Weslaco 210; New Braunfels 2334; Health Careers 280; Holmes 304. 5A boys individual: 1, David Mis, New Braunfels, 17:06.6; 2, Davin Sanchez, CC King, 17:16.2; 3, David Rey Banda, P-SJ-A Memorial, 17:20.6; 4, Refugio Delgado, P-SJ-A Memorial, 17:23.2; 5, Roy Roman, Weslaco, 17:28.4; 6, Miguel Lloyd, Weslaco, 17:28.8; 7, Isaac Trevino, Del Rio, 17:36.2; 8, Raul Ramirez, Eagle Pass Winn, 17:38.1; 9, Adriel Govea, Del Rio, 17:38.4; 10, Jesse Cobarrubias, P-SJ-A Memorial, 17:43.3. 4A boys team: Boerne 19; Weslaco East 105; Brackenridge 119; Edcouch- Elsa 157; Port Lavaca 178; Gregory-Portland 249; Alice 256; Kerrville Tivy 269; Laredo Johnson 300; Fox Tech 330. 4A boys individual: 1, Ethan Doherty, Boerne, 16:13.4; 2, Colby McCune, Boerne, 16:21; 3, Travis Barclay, Boerne, 16:41.8; 4, Johnny Camacho, Brackenridge, 16:48.1; 5, Nathan Christianson, Boerne, 16:55.7; 6, Cory Barrientos, Port Lavaca, 17:03.7; 7, Edgar Diaz, Edcouch-Elsa, 17:11.4; 8, Will Mack, Boerne, 17:13.8; 9, Gabriel Cabajal, Austin Reagan, 17:15.9; 10, Ryan Miller, Boerne, 17:23.6. 3A boys team: La Vernia 27; CC Incarnate Word 88; La Feria 101; Zapata 102; Lytle 124; Carrizo Springs 190; TMI 252; Pearsall 268; Ingleside 327; Smithville 351. 3A boys individual: 1, Abrahm Leija, La Vernia, 16:57.5; 2, Trey Dunsirn, La Vernia, 17:12.2; 3, Matt Busker, CC Incarnate Word, 17:16.6; 4, Ricardo Gallegos, Carrizo Springs, 17:25.3; 5, Michael Dowd, La Vernia, 17:26.8; 6, Alfredo Duque, Fredericksburg, 17:39.1; 7, Alex Casas, La Feria, 17:42.5; 8, Raul Serna, Zapata, 17:49.7; 9, Brandon Lacy, Lytle, 17:54.2; 10, Charlie Bruner, La Vernia, 17:57.5. 2A boys team: Dilley 78; Wallis Brazos 83; Cole 118; Lexington 119; CC Incarnate Word 133; Nixon-Smiley 148; Bloomington 158; Randolph 191; Bishop 224; Odem 234. 2A boys individual: 1, Sam Gonzales, Bishop, 17:25.7; 2, Richard Well, Cole, 18:04.9; 3, Cody Carroll, Dilley, 18:16.4; 4, Stephen Flores, Comfort, 18:18.2; 5, Andrew Rodriguez, Dilley, 18:26.2; 6, Mosses Romo, Wallis Brazos, 18:26.7; 7, Mark Hopkins, Randolph, 18:29.1; 8, Mikey Baladez, Bloomington, 18:31.1; 9, Seth Lougee, Cole, 18:33.7; 10, Thomas Gonzalez, CC Incarnate Word, 18:41.3. A boys team: Mason 36; Stacey 44; Kingsville Academy 89; San Perlita 107; Knippa 142; Moulton 145; Rocksprings 150; Austwell-Tivoli 219. A boys individual: 1, Robert Hawes, Stacey, 17:16.7; 2, Tomas Callejas, Mason, 18:03.1; 3, Marcelo Segura, Mason, 18:11; 4, Enrique Castillo, Center Point, 18:49.4; 5, Thomas Medina, La Pryor, 18:52.5; 6, Sergio Obregon, Kingsville Academy, 18:56.4; 7, Pat Saenz, Kingsville Academy, 18:59.8; 8, Benjamin Morales, Mason, 19:01.8; 9, Dardo Salgado, Stacey, 19:15.7; 10, Ramiro Casas, Mason, 19:19.8. Gold girls team: FEAST 107; Bastrop 115; Zapata 221; P-SJ-A North 251; CC Carroll 261; Johnson 279; Giddings 286; NB Canyon 289; McAllen Memorial 293; Reagan 297. Gold girls individual: 1, Tricia Terry, McAllen Memorial, 11:30.3; 2, Janel Campbell, Ingram, 12:00.3; 3, Janessa Dunn, FEAST, 12:03.3; 4, Emily Dunn, FEAST, 12:04.7; 5, Samantha Fish, Los Fresnos, 12:10.2; 6, Cecilia Gonzalez, CC Carroll, 12:12.8; 7, Courtney Haass, Navarro, 12:13.5; 8, Ashley Maton, Austin Westlake, 12:15; 9, Gabriela Salazar, P-SJ-A Memorial, 12:15.7; 10, Samantha Barrientos, Jay, 12:17.8. 5A girls team: Del Rio 44; Austin Westlake 128; Rio Grande City 133; McAllen 137; New Braunfels 201; Austin Anderson 208; Phar-San Juan- Alamo 251; Highlands 277; Health Careers 296; Pflugerville 307. 5A girls individual: 1, Bianca Sigel, Austin Westlake, 11:39.7; 2, Beatriz Garza, Rio Grande City, 12:23.8; 3, Andrea Avila, Brownsville Pace, 12:35.3; 4, Alexis Alexander, New Braunfels, 12:37.9; 5, Candida Chairez, Del Rio, 12:47.6; 6, Vanessa Galindo, Del Rio, 12:47.8; 7, Katie Peimbert, Del Rio, 12:54.7; 8, Jourdan Doffeny, Highlands, 12:57.6; 9, Karla Lozano, Brownsville Pace, 12:57.8; 10, Leesa Morales, Victoria Memorial, 12:58.8. 4A girls team: Boerne 40; CC Tuloso-Midway 125; Kerrville Tivy 132; Gregory-Portland 141; Medina Valley 170; Bandera 183; Port Lavaca 193; CC Flour Bluff 25; Steele 257; Beeville 302. 4A girls individual: 1, Melissa Jones, Boerne, 12:08.4; 2, Connie Lidiak, Kerrville Tivy, 12:25.3; 3, Michelle Jones, Medina Valley, 12:25.8; 4, Kim Ward, CC Moody, 12:27.7; 5, Courtney Langdon, Gregory- Portland, 12:33.6; 6, Kate Corcoran, Boerne, 12:35.3; 7, Ruby Tellez, CC Tuloso-Midway, 12:38.5; 8, Katlyn Savage, Boerne, 12:40.2; 9, Kelsi Davis, Boerne, 12:44; 10, Kasey Alphin, CC Tuloso-Midway, 12:45.4. 3A girls team: Fredericksburg 45; La Feria 64; Lytle 115; La Vernia 1290; Orange Grove 146; Smithville 160; Devine 226; Pearsall 229; Mathis 250; TMI 259. 3A girls individual: 1, Stacey Ziats, Smithville, 13:04.1; 2, Miriam Vasquez, La Feria, 13:09.5; 3, Cara Patterson, Devine, 13:12.8; 4, Kayla Castillo, Fredericksburg, 13:13.3; 5, Briana Villarreal, La Feria, 13:21.1; 6, Cheyenne Mangold, TMI, 13:26.7; 7, Audrey Albritton, Fredericksburg, 13:31.9; 8, Yvette Villarreal, Lytle, 13:32.4; 9, Alex Boos, Fredericksburg, 13:41.5; 10, Robin Pittman, Lytle, 13:45.5. 2A girls team: Lexington 58; Poth 71; Wallis Brazos 80; CC Incarnate Word 91; Karnes City 171; Comfort 203; Three Rivers 214; Cole 235; Cotulla 243; Bloomingtno 246. 2A girls individual: 1, Regina Salinas, CC Incarnate Word, 12:51.3; 2, Lauren Losoya, Poth, 13:00.7; 3, Robin Garcez, Karnes City, 13:06.3; 4, Elena Gumbs, Randolph, 13:07; 5, Annie Bright, CC Incarnate Word, 13:10.4; 6, Lauren Johnston, Lexington, 13:17.8; 7, Alex Rossi, CC Incarnate Word, 13:30.1; 8, Darcy Orsak, Three Rivers, 13:39.3; 9, Ashton Johnston, Lexington, 13:42.5; 10, Kara Lucherk, Poth, 13:42.8. A girls team: Brackett 56; Guthrie 74; Mason 81; Stacey 103; Rocksprings 115; Port Aransas 154; Knippa 160; Moulton 181; Kingsville Academy 280. A girls individual: 1, Stephanie Glatt, Stacey, 12:48; 2, Kelsey Bruce, Brackett, 12:51.5; 3, Shaley Shipman, Guthrie, 13:16.1; 4, Brittany Estes, Mason, 13:20; 5, Rebecca Armanovs, Port Aransas, 13:23; 6, Katie Jones, Guthrie, 13:25.2; 7, Tawnee Wimsatt, Stacey, 13:38.6; 8, Harmony Pettett, Brackett, 13:45; 9, Lydia Bjork, Masno, 13:49.4; 10, Jennifer Zimmerman, Stacey, 13:54.1. ************************************************ From wilsoncountynews.com September 16, 2008 Pfluger's retirement celebration FLORESVILLE — A retirement celebration honoring Charles Pfluger Jr. will be held Thursday, Sept. 18, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the Texas AgriLife Extension office. The office is located in the basement of the courthouse at 1420 Third St. Anyone wishing to send a letter or card to honor Pfluger’s 32 years serving as an extension agent in Wilson and Karnes counties can e- mail to mj-bullock@tamu.edu or send to Texas AgriLife Extension- Wilson County, Marilyn Bullock, P.O. Box 278, Floresville, TX 78114. For more information, contact the extension office at 830-393-7357. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 18, 2008 Karnes City picks up win Karnes City rallied for a 24-26, 23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 15-10 volleyball win over Faith Academy. Haley Thomas had 31 assists and 10 digs and Ashley Tyau added 11 kills and 7 blocks for the Lady Cougars, who dropped to 9-11. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 22, 2008 No easy ride for Yorktown in Class 1A BY PAUL EBNER YORKTOWN – Even when you’re the big dog on the street it doesn’t mean everyone’s going to back down. Just ask the Yorktown Kitty Kats. After three consecutive trips to the Class 2A regional quarterfinals, the Kitty Kats found themselves as one of the top teams in Class 1A last fall after the biennial reclassification by the UIL. But in their first District 30-1A contest they quickly found out just how hard things would be when they dropped a five-game match to Ganado, a team that also dropped from the 2A ranks. “Ganado was definitely a wakeup for us,” Kitty Kats coach Diedra Alexander said. “That was a realization that no one was going to hand it to us and we were going to have to go out a play hard all the time.” The loss to Ganado also changed the Kitty Kats’ focus somewhat. “Now we’re just taking it one game at a time and not looking ahead to anybody,” Alexander said. Alexander will get a chance to see just how focused her team is over the next two weeks. The Kitty Kats visit Pettus today for a district matchup, then host Nordheim on Friday and Austwell-Tivoli on Sept. 30, before hosting a big match with district-leading Louise on Oct. 3. It may have been easy for the Kitty Kats to get a little complacent after having been ranked in the top 10 most of the season by the Texas Girls Coaches Association. Currently ranked No. 8 with an 18-10 record, the Kitty Kats have bounced back from the Ganado loss with district wins over Runge and Woodsboro, both playoff teams last season. “It was kind of a shock and made us realize we couldn’t take anyone lightly,” said senior outside hitter Larae Wieland on the loss to Ganado. “We knew we were still going to have to work hard because there are still a lot of good teams in 1A and that game showed us no one is going to be given to us.” Wieland and senior setter Kymber Blaschke have been the biggest one- two punch for the Kitty Kats this season and are two of the three starters returning from last year’s squad that fell to Poth for the second straight year in the regional quarterfinals. “We were excited about the move to 1A, but I don’t think we allowed ourselves to get the big head,” Blaschke said. “We’ve tried to stay focused because we knew the competition would still be tough and that loss showed us.” Wieland leads the team with 251 kills and 191 digs, while Blaschke has 422 assists, 191 digs and a team-leading 63 aces. Kelsey Sievers has chipped in with 137 kills and 163 digs, while Katie Niemeier has 176 assists, 98 kills and 68 digs. Casey Brysch has added 122 digs and Claire Schendel is second on the team with 56 aces. Refocused on how they are approaching the rest of the season, the Kitty Kats are also trying to use their playoff experience to their benefit as well. With 14 straight trips to the postseason the Kitty Kats know what it takes to win games. “I know it’s probably put some pressure on us because we don’t want to be the team that drops the ball and not make it,” Blaschke said. “We’ve all had experience in the playoffs and that has helped because we know what it takes to get there.” ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 23, 2008 Advocate honor roll Shaylyn Drozd, Memorial - Had 25 kills, 16 digs and four aces in a win over Converse Wagner and losses to Corpus Christi Carroll and South San Antonio. Briana Pavlicek, Yoakum - Finished with 20 kills, 29 digs and three blocks in a win over Goliad and a loss to Hallettsville Sacred Heart. Kellan Werner, Hallettsville - Served up 25 points with seven aces and added 25 digs in wins over Weimar and East Bernard. Shelly Bernshausen and Alyssa Strauss, Shiner - Combined for 45 points and 32 kills in wins over San Antonio Stacey and a loss to Poth. Katie Sherman, Ganado - Had 53 assists, 22 digs and three aces in a win over Woodsboro and a loss to Louise. Amber Bain, Louise - Pounded down 41 kills with 22 blocks and four aces in wins over Nordheim, Austwell-Tivoli and Ganado. Amy Janssen, Runge - 27 kills and 11 blocks in a win over Woodsboro and a loss to Yorktown. Larae Wieland, Yorktown - Slammed down 29 kills with 13 digs and four aces in wins over Runge and Woodsboro. Kymber Blaschke, Yorktown - Tallied 54 assists with 17 digs in wins over Woodsboro and Runge. Ashley Tyau, Faith Academy - Knocked down 24 kills with 15 blocks in a win over Kenedy and losses to Shiner St. Paul and Karnes City. Kaylie Steffek, Sacred Heart - Had 24 kills, six aces and 19 digs in wins over Bryan Allen academy and Yoakum. Amber Huvar, Rice Consolidated - Finished with 23 blocks, 20 kills and 18 digs in a win over Round Top-Carmine. Jill McElroy, St. Paul - Had 25 kills, 17 digs and seven blocks in wins over Faith Academy and St. Joseph. Meredith Bard, El Campo - Tallied 14 digs, 19 kills and 29 points in wins over Boling and Wharton. Jordan Milberger, Industrial - Had 31 digs, 19 kills and two aces in a win over Sealy. Alyssa Dibbern, Bay City - Finished with 24 kills, 15 digs and 15 blocks in losses to Needville and Bellville. Laura Hahn, Cuero - Had 18 kills, 12 blocks and four digs in a win over Smithville and a loss to Edna. Kelsie Angell, Edna - Served up 16 points and had 12 digs and eight kills in a win over Cuero. Regan Ballin, Edna - Served up 22 points and had 23 assists in a win over Cuero. Jenna Treybig, Palacios - Slapped down 19 kills with 22 digs, five blocks, three aces and 16 service points in wins over Gonzales and Van Vleck. Kesha Jackson, Bloomington - Tallied 102 digs with 27 kills and 10 aces in losses to Banquette and Tidehaven. Leesa Morales, Memorial - Placed 10th with a time of 12 minutes, 58.8 seconds in the Class 5A girls division at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Albert Adame, Memorial - Placed 13th with a time of 17:45.6 seconds in the Class 5A boys division at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Ashleigh Gottschalt, Calhoun - Placed 14th with a time of 12:49 in the Class 4A girls division at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Cory Barientos, Calhoun - Finished sixth with a time of 17:03 in the Class 4A boys division at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Robin Garcez, Karnes City - Took third in a the Class 2A girls division with a time of 13:06 at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Mikey Baladez, Bloomington - Placed eighth in the Class 2A boys division running an 18:31 at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Rolando Tovar, Chester Casas and Cory Rodriguez, Nixon-Smiley - Finished 12th, 15th and 20th respectively in the Class 2A boys division at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Taylor Dees, Moulton - Placed 16th in the Class 1A girls division with a 14:17 at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Brandon Rother, Moulton - Placed 18th with a 20:22 in the Class 1A boys division at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Garek Duenez, Austwell-Tivoli - Placed 19th with a 20:23 in the Class 1A boys division at the Ricardo Romo UTSA Six Flags Fiesta Texas Classic. Colby May, Goliad - Scored on runs of 2 and 8 yards while rushing for 95 yards in a win over Luling. Matt Stezel, East Bernard - Ran for 99 yards and threw for 40 yards while scoring on a 38-yard run and throwing a 12-yard TD pass along with kicking five extra points in a win over Boling. Abraham Escamilla, Pettus - Threw for 161 yards on 8 of 12 passing with touchdown tosses of 3 and 30 yards and ran 7 yards for another score in a win over Ben Bolt. Justin Duran, Pettus - Ran for 121 yards with touchdown runs of 30 and 3 yards in a win over ben Bolt. Eric Soza, Beeville - Had touchdown tosses of 29, 10 and 14 yards while throwing for 166 yards and ran 17 yards for another score in a loss to Schertz Clemens. Mikey Kinney, Karnes City - Scored on runs of 2 and 9 yards and returned a punt 60 yards for a TD in a win over San Antonio Cole. Landon Appling, El Campo - Ran for 210 yards with a 62-yard TD run in a win over Wharton. Adam Kalich, Shiner - Rushed for 105 yards on 10 carries with a 51- yard TD run in a win over Poth. Paul Saldana, Nixon-Smiley - Scored on runs of 97 and 12 yards while rushing for 163 yards in a win over Hallettsville Sacred Heart. Grant Pustejovsky, Sacred Heart - Threw for 249 yards with TD tosses of 16 and 24 yards in a loss to Nixon-Smiley. Adrian Lightard, Flatonia - Scored on runs of 10, 7, 2, 56 and 31 yards as he rushed for 344 yards on 41 carries, returned a block punt 35 yards for a touchdown and had a two-point conversion in a win over Shiner St. Paul. Josh Soto, Shiner St. Paul - Threw for 210 yards with TD tosses of 43, 35, 32 and 23 yards in a loss to Flatonia. Brixx Hawthorne, Weimar - Had 260 all-purpose yards as he threw for 147 yards and a 55-yard TD and ran for 113 yards with a 19-yard TD run in a win over Louise. Kyle Lawson, Louise - Rushed for 168 yards with scoring runs of 11 and 50 yards in a loss to Weimar. Randy Solis, Runge - Ran for 166 yards with TD runs of 5 and 9 yards in a win over New Braunfels Christian. Myles Dumont, Rice Consolidated - Threw for 139 yards with TD tosses of 57 and 43 yards, kicked a 32-yard field goal and three extra points in a win over Lexington. Damien Stevens, Rice Consolidated - Had 17 tackles including seven unassisted and three for losses, with two sacks and 10 first hits in a win over Lexington. Adrian Galvan, Palacios - Rushed for 133 yards with touchdown runs of 31 and 9 yards in a loss to Van Vleck. Trey Hights, Yoakum - Ran for 135 yards with scoring runs of 44, 3 and 9 yards in a win over Schulenburg. William Markert, Yoakum - Threw for 148 yards passing with a 29-yard TD pass and scored on a 1-yard run, kicked a 22-yard field goal and five extra points in a win over Schulenburg. D.J. Yendrey, Edna - Had nine unassisted tackle and five assisted tackles, while also knocking down a pass and having two catches for 16 yards in a loss to Brazos Consolidated. ************************************************ From thecountywide.com September 24, 2008 Should you vaccinate your child against the flu this year? The physicians of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) have an important message for parents as flu season approaches: Vaccinate your child against the flu regardless of whether he or she has chronic health issues or is perfectly healthy. This year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) newly recommends all healthy children aged 6 months through 18 years be vaccinated, as well as children with chronic health conditions such as asthma and heart disease. "Medicine has learned that the more people you safely vaccinate against disease, the greater likelihood of preventing anyone from contracting that disease," says Melissa Garretson, MD, Fort Worth, a Fort Worth pediatrician and advisor to TMA’s Be Wise — ImmunizeSM vaccination advocacy program. The CDC estimates that more than 20,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized annually because of the flu. People need flu shots every year because the vaccination targets the strains expected to cause the most illness during the upcoming flu season. People, especially those in higher-risk categories, can begin receiving the flu vaccine as early as September. Flu vaccinations continue through peak flu season, into the early months of 2009. "Ensuring children receive a flu vaccine — and those for other vaccine-preventable diseases — is a simple way to protect their health," says Dr. Garretson, summing up the mission of TMA’s Be Wise — Immunize program. TMA physicians and volunteers created the program to ensure children are vaccinated against potentially deadly diseases, such as whooping cough and chicken pox. In August, volunteers from TMA’s Be Wise — Immunize program vaccinated more than 5,700 Texas children at free or low-cost back-to- school vaccination clinics. Nearly 17,200 shots were given to kids in clinics across the state. "The medical community worked hard throughout August to ensure as many children as possible children received their vaccinations to help them stay safe and healthy," says Dr. Garretson. TMA’s and Texas families’ efforts are paying off for the state, which traditionally ranks dismally among the 50 states in vaccination rates. Earlier this month, the CDC had good news for Texans. The CDC’s new 2007 data showed Texas increased to a 77.3 percent vaccination rate. The 3.5-percent increase over 2006 moved Texas up to a ranking of 22nd in the nation, according to the CDC’s National Immunization Survey. "While I’m excited that the Texas immunization ranking has improved, we need to remember that helping Texas families ‘Be Wise’ about the importance of timely vaccinations for their children is a long-term commitment," says Dr. Garretson. TMA started its Be Wise program only four years ago. Since its inception, the program has administered more than 118,000 shots. Be Wise also provides free educational materials in addition to conducting immunization clinics. TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 43,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 25, 2008 High school football report: Week 4 schedule District 26-5A: Churchill at New Braunfels, Smithson Valley vs. Johnson (Comalander), both 7:30 p.m. District 27-5A: CC Carroll at Victoria Memorial, Highlands at East Central, Judson at South San, Wagner vs. CC King (Cabaniss), all 7:30 p.m. District 28-5A: Brandeis vs. Holmes (Gustafson), Marshall vs. Clark (Farris), both 7:30 p.m. District 29-5A: Del Rio at Laredo Alexander, Eagle Pass at Eagle Pass Winn, Laredo Martin at Southwest, all 7:30 p.m. District 27-4A: Boerne Champion at Kerrville Tivy, Clemens at Alamo Heights, San Marcos vs. Steele (SCUCISD Stadium), Seguin at New Braunfels Canyon, all 7:30 p.m. District 28-4A: Burbank vs. Lanier (Alamo), Edison vs. Fox Tech (SAISD Complex), Jefferson vs. Kennedy (Mata), all 7:30 p.m. District 29-4A: McCollum at Floresville, Medina Valley vs. Harlandale (Harlandale), Pleasanton at Uvalde, all 7:30 p.m. District 30-4A: CC Ray at Beeville, 7:30 p.m. District 29-3A: Carrizo Springs at Bandera, Crystal City at Devine, Lytle at Hondo, all 7:30 p.m. District 26-2A: Hempstead at Schulenburg, 7:30 p.m. District 27-2A: Brooks Academy at Johnson City, Comfort at Cole, Randolph at Blanco, all 7:30 p.m. District 31-2A: George West at Freer, Jourdanton at Cotulla, Natalia at Three Rivers, all 7:30 p.m. District 29-A: Christoval at Rocksprings, Menard at Mason, both 7:30 p.m. District 30-A: Center Point at La Pryor, D’Hanis at Nueces Canyon, Leakey at Brackett, Medina at Sabinal, all 7:30 p.m. Non-district: Town East at Corpus Christi Annapolis, 4 p.m.; Fredericksburg Heritage at Bracken Christian, 5 p.m.; CASA at Uvalde Tafolla, 7 p.m.; Bloomington at Runge, Charlotte at TMI, Cuero at La Vernia, Danbury at Ganado, Granger at Burton, Karnes City at Falls City, Kenedy at Hallettsville Sacred Heart, La Grange at Goliad, Lehman at Gonzales, Louise at Boling, Luling at Columbus, New Braunfels Christian at San Marcos Academy, Nixon-Smiley at Woodsboro, Plano John Paul II at Victoria St. Joseph, Poteet at Navarro, Poth at Odem, River City Christian at Winston, Shiner at Palacios, Thrall at Flatonia, Vanderbilt Industrial at Refugio, Yoakum at Marion, Yorktown at Stockdale, all 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s games District 26-5A: Madison vs. MacArthur (Comalander), 7 p.m. District 28-5A: Jay vs. Warren (Gustafson), Stevens vs. Taft (Farris), both 7 p.m. District 28-4A: Memorial vs. Brackenridge (Alamo), 7 p.m. TAPPS District 2-Div. I: St. Anthony vs. Holy Cross (SAISD Complex), 2 p.m.; Antonian at Brownsville St. Joseph, 3 p.m. Non-district: Skidmore-Tynan vs. Pettus, 7 p.m. Week 5 schedule Thursday, Oct. 2 District 26-5A: Johnson vs. Churchill (Comalander), 7 p.m. District 28-4A: Kennedy vs. Edison (Alamo), 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 District 26-5A: MacArthur at Smithson Valley, New Braunfels vs. Lee (Comalander), both 7:30 p.m. District 27-5A: East Central vs. CC Carroll (Buccaneer), Judson vs. Wagner (Rutledge), Victoria Memorial at South San, all 7:30 p.m. District 28-5A: Holmes vs. Stevens (Gustafson), Warren vs. O’Connor (Farris), both 7:30 p.m. District 29-5A: Eagle Pass Winn vs. Laredo United (Student Activities Center), Laredo United South at Del Rio, Southwest at Eagle Pass, all 7:30 p.m. District 27-4A: Alamo Heights at Boerne Champion, Kerrville Tivy at Seguin, New Braunfels Canyon vs. San Marcos (Bobcat), Steele vs. Clemens (SCUCISD), all 7:30 p.m. District 28-4A: Brackenridge vs. Jefferson (Alamo), Fox Tech vs. Burbank (SAISD Complex), Lanier vs. Memorial (Mata), all 7:30 p.m. District 29-4A: Floresville at Medina Valley, Harlandale at Southside, Uvalde vs. McCollum (Harlandale), all 7:30 p.m. District 30-4A: Beeville at Gregory-Portland, 12 a.m. District 29-3A: Bandera at Crystal City, Devine at Pearsall, Hondo at Carrizo Springs, all 7:30 p.m. District 26-2A: Schulenburg at Wallis Brazos, 7:30 p.m. District 27-2A: Blanco at Comfort, Brooks Academy at Cole, Johnson City at Harper, all 7:30 p.m. District 31-2A: Cotulla at Dilley, Freer at Natalia, Three Rivers at Jourdanton, all 7:30 p.m. District 29-A: Mason at Eldorado, Rocksprings at Irion Co., both 7:30 p.m. District 30-A: Brackett at Center Point, Nueces Canyon at Medina, Sabinal at Leakey, all 7:30 p.m. Non-district: Town East at Prairie Lea, TBA; Boerne Geneva at CASA, 7 p.m.; Austin Hill Country at Fredericksburg Heritage, Hallettsville Sacred Heart at Somerville, Holy Cross at San Antonio Christian, Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills at Cedar Park Summit, Plano John Paul II at St. Gerard, Refugio at Edna, Sam Houston at Lytle, San Marcos Academy at Shiner St. Paul, Smithville at Yoakum, Somerset at Navarro, Waco Parkview at Winston, all 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 District 26-5A: Reagan vs. Roosevelt (Comalander), 7 p.m. District 27-5A: CC King vs. Highlands (Alamo), 7 p.m. District 28-5A: Clark vs. Jay (Gustafson), Taft vs. Marshall (Farris), both 7 p.m. District 29-5A: Laredo Alexander at Laredo Martin, 7:30 p.m. District 30-A: La Pryor at D’Hanis, 7:30 p.m. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 26, 2008 No groundwater plan yet Better data and modeling needed before estimate can be established BY TARA BOZICK The Victoria Groundwater Conservation District did not adopt its management plan and rules on Friday, as originally scheduled. Because of additional comments from the city and a full hydrology report submitted by the Victoria County Navigation District, groundwater district board members thought it prudent to take another week to review the material and make necessary changes. The board hopes to adopt the plan and rules on Oct. 3. The district hopes to prepare and publish changes on the Web site by Monday so the public can review them before that meeting, general manager Tim Andruss said. The city would like the district to not establish an estimate of available groundwater until better data and modeling comes along or until the Groundwater Management Area determines the number as its state function, Jerry James, director of environmental services, stated in the written comments. The management area comprises 12 counties from Karnes County to Refugio County. A proposed district rule that limits the terms of operating permits to five years may not be feasible to attract economic growth, James’ comments continued. The city recommended extending that limit so that companies willing to invest considerable amounts of money will have a dependable water supply. The Navigation District mainly agreed with the city’s comments and seconded not putting an estimate of groundwater availability in the plan, Consulting Engineer Billy Settles, said. Or, establish the availability at 60,000 acre-feet a year instead of the proposed 35,000 acre-feet, the navigation district’s written comments stated. The navigation district hired Norwest Corp. in Denver to conduct groundwater analysis using the same model that developed the district plan. The district’s technical consultant, Venkatesh Uddameri, used the most conservative estimate of Victoria County’s aquifer recharge rate, the comments stated. A Norwest model run found availability to be 58,900 acre-feet. But Bill Richter, a Victoria County resident in favor of the current draft plan, warned that opening up more groundwater now would be dangerous. Growth in the Hill Country beats Victoria County growth many times over, he said, adding the district cannot prevent the export of water. “They can out-permit us,” Richter said. Before the meeting ended, board secretary Barbara Dietzel voiced her concerns with setting the availability too high. The district doesn’t want to “restrict” the resource, but wants to “protect” the resource, she said. “We run the risk of depleting the resource, which is irresponsible and unacceptable,” she said, reading from her written comments. ************************************************ From victoriaadvocate.com September 28, 2008 Salute Navy Seaman Recruit Cassie M. Villanueva recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Villanueva is the daughter of Ruby A. and Eugene Villanueva of Kenedy and a 2000 graduate of Kenedy High School. Navy Seaman Recruit Cody R. Nettle recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Nettle is the grandson of Margret Falks of Bay City and a 2008 graduate of Timpson High School in Timpson. Navy Seaman Apprentice Zach A. Orsak recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Orsak is the son of Sheila M. and Gary L. Orsak of El Maton and a 2008 graduate of Tidehaven High School of El Maton. United States Marine Corps Sgt. Rosalinda Anna Vasquez deployed to Iraq on Sept. 25. Vasquez graduated in May with a degree in communications. She is the daughter of Genoveva Cortez and granddaughter of Maria Angela Vasquez of Tamaulipas. Mexico and a 2003 graduate of Memorial High School and attended The Victoria College. Airman Sarina A. Murphy recently completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. She is the granddaughter of the Rev. and Mrs. C. L. Foley of Hallettsville and Walter Foster of Eagle Lake. Murphy is a 2008 graduate of Hallettsville. Marine Corps Cpl. Alexander Garcia recently began a seven-month deployment to the Navy's 5th and 6th Fleet area of operations in support of Maritime Security Operations and the Global War on Terror. Garcia is the son of Maria and Freddy Garcia of Victoria and a 2005 graduate of Memorial High School. Garcia joined the Marine Corps in July 2005. Navy Seaman Ricardo Martinez recently completed U. S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Martinez is the son of Donna L. and Ricardo D. Martinez of Beeville and a 2008 graduate of A. C. Jones High School of Beeville. ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 25, 2008 High gas prices and tough times have prompted some area school districts to outsource one of childhood's most memorable staples: the school bus driver. In August the Karnes City Independent School District board approved a shared services agreement with three other school districts to lease buses to Student Transportation Specialists and let the private firm maintain and operate them. Ralph Williams, the company's director of operations, said such arrangements have been popular in northern states such as Ohio, but have only recently been picked up in South Texas. “You're saving resources, you're saving time, and your buses are in good shape,” said Vicki Wehmeyer, superintendent of the Stockdale Independent School District, which also joined the agreement this year. “The kids are on the same buses, have the same drivers — you just really don't see a big surface change,” she said. “It's just paperwork.” Cutting costs is key to providing efficient transportation services, Williams said. Besides drivers, his company is responsible for the buses' insurance and maintenance, and even discipline for misbehaving students. Using economies of scale — buying spare parts in bulk for less, computerizing routes and maintenance, training drivers — Williams said he always has helped school districts save money, or at least break even. “We cut the fat out; we don't waste money,” he said. “Most of your superintendents, their job is to teach students — their job is not transportation.” Floresville Independent School District started using Student Transportation Specialists three years ago, said Superintendent David Vinson. Last year the district contracted with Poth's schools in a service sharing agreement and added Karnes City and Stockdale this year, he said. “Initially we saved $80,000 right off the top,” Vinson said. The transition has been smooth, Vinson said. All four superintendents said most bus drivers who'd worked for the districts were hired by the firm but acknowledged that some of them, or their supervisors, lost their jobs. Williams said most of his new hires ended up with 30-to 40-cent-per- hour raises compared to the wages they earned from the districts. Privatizing transportation worked so well, the Floresville district recently decided to outsource food services too, Vinson said. But saving money isn't the only reason districts made the switch, Karnes City Independent School District Superintendent Frances Penland said. “This was not done primarily for a cost-saving reason, it was mostly done for safety and efficiency,” she said. Vinson said Floresville was able to buy newer buses and add security cameras to its fleet. And Wehmeyer in Stockdale said the most tangible benefit thus far has been a reduction in paperwork and more time for staff to dedicate to district business. “I'm not going to say that you're saving as much money as time,” she said. “It's a time saver, and when you're a small district and don't have many employees, it's definitely a way to help us.” ************************************************ From mysanantonio.com September 30, 2008 High school rewind/fast forward FOOTBALL Offensive Player of the Week Noah Copeland, Brandeis running back, junior: Set career highs with 359 yards and six touchdowns in a 47-29 victory over Holmes. Five of Copeland’s touchdowns came in the second half to break open a one- point game. Defensive Player of the Week Aaron Durke, Clark safety, senior: Made 10 tackles and forced three turnovers — two interceptions and one fumble recovery — as the Cougars beat Marshall 45-0. Clark held the Rams to 90 yards and seven first downs. Game balls RB Doug Helmke shouldered the offensive load with 196 yards and a TD, and La Vernia’s defense was dominant (152 yards, six first downs allowed) in a 21-6 upset of state-ranked Cuero. .?.?. Kerrville Tivy QB Johnny Manziel dominated in place of missing starter Colton Palmer, leading the Antlers to a 50-20 rout of unbeaten Boerne Champion with 384 yards of offense and six total TDs. .?.?. Stevens RB Jon Tyson sparked the Falcons’ 34-26 comeback against Taft with 200 yards and two long TDs (80, 51) in the second half. Observation Known more for dominating in the regular season before faltering in the playoffs, La Vernia could use its upset over Cuero as a blueprint to advance past the second round for the first time since 1987, a span of 14 consecutive trips. The Bears have been built to do so by third-year coach Bo Robinson, who has emphasized defense and weight training since arriving in 2006. Robinson had success with a similar formula at Bangs, leading the school to consecutive appearances in the Class 2A finals within four years of taking over. While it would be presumptuous to expect a similar outcome at La Vernia, the Bears are headed in the right direction. This week’s best bets Clemens vs. Steele, 7:30 p.m. Friday, at SCUCISD Stadium: Cruising along, the Knights take aim at their neighborhood rival. Floresville at Medina Valley, 7:30 p.m. Friday: Pits two of the area’s top all-purpose QBs (see statistics). O’Connor vs. Warren, 7:30 p.m. Friday, at Farris Stadium: A key matchup of District 28-5A powers. - Dan McCarney VOLLEYBALL Player of the Week Jasmine Garcia, Jay outside hitter, senior: Had 18 kills, 31 digs and four aces combined as the Mustangs defeated Stevens and Marshall in District 28-5A play — the first time in at least six seasons they’ve won back-to-back district matches. She had seven kills, 20 digs and three aces against Stevens, and 11 kills and 11 digs against Marshall. Game balls Tara Dunn had 25 kills, 18 digs, six aces and three blocks combined as Poth claimed a District 28-2A victory against Kenedy and a non- district triumph against Cuero. .?.?. Monica De La Cruz had 21 kills and 20 digs, and Lauren Pyka tallied 51 digs as Fredericksburg defeated 4A’s No. 11-ranked Liberty Hill in five games. .?.?. Desirea Aguilar had 13 kills and 23 assists as Southwest defeated Del Rio to stay within a game of first place in District 29-5A. .?.?. Emily Moravits had 57 combined assists as East Central won crucial District 27-5A matches against South San and Judson. Observations If a monument were built to honor the Greater San Antonio area’s top coaches, the list would be as long as it is illustrious. It would have to include Harlandale’s Hattie Mae Kerbel, Churchill’s Wanda Bingham, former Lee and McCollum coach Lupe Ruiz, Clark’s Kirby Jameson, New Braunfels Canyon’s Donna Boehle and Jefferson’s Delo Dyer. It might be time to make room for Reagan’s Mike Carter. With his team’s victory against Madison on Friday, Carter earned his 500th career victory. He is 500-137 in 19-plus seasons, including stints at Randolph and Holmes. His teams have made the playoffs 13 times, including two Class 5A state tournament berths and five regional finals. This week’s best bets Alamo Heights at New Braunfels Canyon, 6:30 tonight: If nothing else, District 27-4A produces some prime matchups. This one, with first place on the line, is the latest. Churchill vs. Reagan, 6:30 p.m. Friday, at Littleton: The District 26-5A title — and Reagan’s three-year reign — could be decided in this one. - Terrence Thomas CROSS COUNTRY Boys runner of the week Howard Gill, FEAST, senior: Ran the second-fastest time (9:12) in the FEAST Flight Score meet at Brooks-City Base. Girls runner of the week Connie Lidiak, Kerrville Tivy, sophomore: Ran the winning time of 12:33.9 to help Tivy tie with Medina Valley atop the standings in the UIW Cardinal Invitational at Incarnate Word. - Chad Peters