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Star-Courier News

Crosby Rodeo fetes, raffles and elects

September 17, 2020
At the September 14 Crosby Fair & Rodeo Membership Meeting voting members repeated Gene HIcks, Jr., Justin George, Michael Niemtschik, Ronny Erlich, Roger Boblick, Jr., Jared Prescott and Bradley Orn as board members. There are 21 board members elected on a three year cycle.

CROSBY – The Crosby Fair & Rodeo hosted themselves at the covered pavilion last Saturday and held a raffle draw for a John Deer Gator XUV590M, a Savage Bersa Thunder .380 pistol and a 6.5 Creedmoor rifle.

On Monday the membership turned out to vote back in the same guys to be one third of the board.

The raffle was done on Facebook without physical tickets being issued but each entry had their name placed on a poker chip, the poker ship placed in a drum and local newpaper guy, Lewis Spearman, draw out and announce the lucky winners.

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Highlands Rotary hosts District 5890 governor

September 17, 2020

HIGHLANDS – The Highlands Rotary Club held their regular weekly meeting last Tuesday, observing all COVID protocols. The featured speakers were District 5890 Asst. Governor Bryan Clements and Governor Scott Rainey. District 5890 is the Houston area Rotary group, with about 33 clubs and 3000 members.

Governor Rainey spoke on worldwide Rotary programs, including Polio Plus and clean water. He also complemented the Highlands club for their community accomplishments.

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Return to on-campus classes is different as schools fight pandemic

September 10, 2020
Social Distancing in the classrooms.

CROSBY ISD, GOOSE CREEK CONSOLIDATED ISD – Schools began face-to-face locally here last Tuesday under circumstances that are less than ideal, unprecedented and likely a logistical nightmare.

This week is an intensive experiment involving limited school bus occupancy, changed pick-up locations, new procedures in arrival, a bevy of new props like masks, shields, sanitizers, distancing and new rules to be enforced all in an effort to educate without infecting people with a virus that is undetected in nearly half of the cases that contract it.

A new phone application is ordered to better explain the bus situation. My Stop App from Versatrans is designed to notify parents of their child’s bus location and the estimated time of arrival at bus stops, allowing parents to plan accordingly, in Crosby ISD.

“With all the carefully prepared plans the district has put together, everything is new, most likely we will be adapting as we go,” said Crosby ISD Superintendent Scott Davis at a meeting.

There will be lightweight, portable sanitizer stands, desks divided by plastic partitions, plastic bagging for personal items, disinfectant spray as well as the required instruments to learn to write. Parents are asked to check for signs of illness and temperatures. Behavior monitoring on campus will need to be more strict. Every individual at the campuses will be asked to social distance.

Social Distancing in the Auditorium

Apart from all this, there will be differences from campus to campus in the same district dictated by circumstances. (more…)

Public input by ZOOM meeting for Pct 2 Parks & Trails Comprehensive Plan

September 10, 2020
A map of Precinct 2 shows the extent of population density, and location of parks as indicated by colored dots.

Harris County Pct. 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia held a Zoom meeting last Monday night, to get the public’s input and ideas on how to develop a Comprehensive Plan for Parks and Trails in Precinct 2.

About 100 persons participated in the session, which lasted about an hour, exceeding the time planned because of the enthusiasm of the callers and the commissioner.

Adrian Garcia said that he wants Pct. 2 to have a reputation for outstanding parks, that attract people and publicity, and where people can have a good time. He noted that good parks also increase property values.

Garcia revealed that he has an experienced architectural landscape and urban planning firm working on the project. This is Asakura Robinson, headed by Keiji Asakura.

Also participating in the Zoom meeting and the planning for the parks are representatives from Pct. 2 and also the Harris County engineering department. Another consultant is Jose Eduardo Sanchez, a community engagement specialist.

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Crosby Mail thieves delivered

September 10, 2020
Checks, letters and packages that were not in the mail found inside a white U-Haul truck alleged to be stolen and seen near where mail had been stolen.

CROSBY – Local neighborhoods have reported stolen mail from right out of mailboxes lately and on September 4, Precinct 3 Constable’s Deputies arrested two people in Summerwood for exactly that.

Crosby residents had video of a white U-Haul truck where mail was stolen from mail boxes and they posted this information on Facebook, Precinct 3 Deputy K. Hutcherson watches those posts for command as an anti-crime intelligence gathering source.

While patrolling in Summerwood, that deputy saw that familiar looking truck parked in the 13,400 block of Sandy Mountain Trail. Now that he was able to see the vehicle plates, and check with the Houston Police Departments records, the deputy received the report that this vehicle was stolen.

Moving in, the deputy detained driver, James South and passenger, Kassandra Ford. A check of the contents of the truck produced opened mail with other individual’s names, packages, prescription medication, and over 30 checks all belonging to Atascocita, Summerwood and Crosby residents.

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Hurricane relief to Disaster areas

September 3, 2020
President Trump, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, FEMA officials, and others walk through the debris of the hurricane Laura disaster that struck Lake Charles, and other portions of Southern Louisiana.

ORANGE – Texas Senator Ted Cruz capped a day of looking into the remnants of Hurricane Laura by saying, “Texans all across the state, Texans here in southeast Texas are breathing a giant sigh of relief right now. This hurricane could have been much, much worse. We just completed an aerial tour of the region and the damage is much more contained than prior hurricanes have been. Obviously, our hearts are heavy for our neighbors in Louisiana. We toured some of that damage as well. The damage in Louisiana is significantly greater, but given the magnitude of this storm, it could have been so much worse.”

And the storms will get worse: Hurricane Harvey almost exactly three years before holds the record for fastest and strongest intensifications in the Gulf of Mexico, for two weeks it held the record for fastest and strongest intensification anywhere then Hurricane Irma beat that. Laura went from tropical storm 35 miles per hour winds to 150 miles per hour overnight.

Hurricane relief is needed by neighbors in eastern Louisiana area who are recovering from Hurricane Laura. The following items are needed: 1. Tarps, 2. Non-perishable food items , 3. Batteries, 4. Water, 5. Diapers (size 3, 4 and 5), 6. Baby wipes, 7. Disinfectant wipes.

Private efforts including Project Hope (844) 349- 0188, supporting healthcare workers worldwide, Samaritan fund, and others like the Red Cross re gathering donations.

Saturday, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner indicated the city is partnering with several local businesses and entities to gather donated supplies for residents who were hit by Hurricane Laura.

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Hurricane revives talk of Ike Dike

September 3, 2020
The IKE DIKE would include two huge swinging gates, that would block the storm surge from a Hurricane, and protect the development around Galveston Bay.

HURRICANE LAURA BRINGS RENEWED PITCH FOR IKE DIKE

As thousands fled southeast Texas ahead of Hurricane Laura, Texas A&M promoted an Ike Dike as a critical way to protect the region from devastating damage.

Texas escaped a direct hit from Laura, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, just east of Port Arthur. Despite the state’s luck this time, Texas A&M marine scientists urged action on their proposal to build a series of barriers, levees and gates that would close off Galveston Bay from storm surge.

William Merrell, a professor at Texas A&M-Galveston and a former president of the school, helped develop the plan after Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston in 2008, resulting in $30 billion in damages and killing more than 50 people.

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Crosby ISD changes athletics, bus policies

September 3, 2020

Athletic physicals at Crosby ISD this year have undergone policy changes related to the COVID 19 outbreak, UIL has modified the requirements for students who are involved in extracurricular activities to the following:

All incoming 7th graders who are interested in athletics are required to get a physical.

All incoming 9th graders who are interested in band are required to get a physical.

All students who did not have a physical for the 2019-2020 school year are required to get a physical.

All students who have a physical on file with the Athletic Trainers for the 2018- 2019 (band only) and 2019-2020 school year are only required to complete a medical history form.

In addition to the requirements listed above, Crosby ISD and UIL have additional steps that must be completed by students to be eligible for participation in extracurricular activities.

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New Principal at Highlands Junior

September 3, 2020
DR. BERNIE MULVANEY

HIGHLANDS – Dr. Bernie Mulvaney, is the new principal at Highlands Junior School. Mulvaney began his career in education in 1997 as a U.S. History teacher and coach at Furr High School. His experience at Channelview, Houston Christian, Clements, George Bush and Alief Taylor high schools further established him as an instructional leader focused on student success, teaching AP Economics and AP Government and serving as Social Studies Department Head and Senior Team Leader. He also was selected by his teaching peers as leader of the Campus Based Leadership Team. At Aldine MacArthur High School, he served as summer school principal, athletic coordinator and head football coach and was honored by the Aldine ISD Board of Trustees for exemplary leadership.

Mulvaney came to Goose Creek CISD in 2013, where he has served as director of athletics and physical education as well as interim principal. Among his responsibilities as director were overseeing the construction of 10 athletic turf fields, working with the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee and developing a walkthrough protocol for gathering data for physical education. He received the Joe Bill Fox Distinguished Service Award from the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association and has served as UIL District Executive Committee Chair. Mulvaney also has served as an adjunct professor at Lee College and the American College of Education.

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Laura shows pollution mounts in Gulf Coast

September 3, 2020

The security of petrochemical plants during hurricanes comes into question even as some predict more powerful and frequent storms.

Hurricanes Laura and Harvey set records for fastest and strongest intensification for the Gulf Coast from 35 miles per hour to 150 miles per hour winds, also both initiated significant releases of pollutants.

Laura’s are estimated at about 4 million pounds and Hurricane Harvey had over twice that amount. Many will remember 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused French-owned Arkema plant in Crosby, to lose power, igniting a fire and produce a large pillar of acrid, black smoke; residents within a 1.5 mile radius were evacuated.

This time most of Texas was spared although Beaumont and Port Arthur plants had to prepare for and shut down before the storms. Louisiana was hit by intensive winds, flooding, and a chemical fire was recorded in Westlake.

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HURRICANE LAURA HEADS FOR TEXAS

August 27, 2020
This map from the National Weather Service shows the likely path of Hurricane Laura, and how it is gaining strength as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to be a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of at least 75 mph with gusts to 115 mph. The expected landfall is the border between Texas and Louisiana, but the cone of possibility indicates Houston may feel some or all of the effects of the storm.

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today held a press conference at the Alternate State Operations Center in Austin where he provided an update on the state’s response to Hurricane Laura. This hurricane is expected to bring heavy rainfall, flooding, high winds, and storm surge. He announced that he has added 36 counties to his State Disaster Declaration due to the threat of severe rain, wind, and flooding.

During the press conference, Governor Abbott announced that reception centers in San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Austin are open. The state is providing buses to transport Texans that are evacuating. There are also over 225,000 hotel rooms available across the state to provide shelter to evacuees. A full list of mandatory and voluntary evacuations can be found on the Texas Hurricane Center web page. Governor Abbott urged Texans to take action now to protect themselves and their property.

“Hurricane Laura is rapidly intensifying and poses a major threat to communities in Southeast Texas and along the coast,” said Governor Abbott. “Texans in the path of this storm should waste no time preparing for the impact of Hurricane Laura and take immediate action to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. I urge our Southeast and coastal communities to heed the guidance of local officials, follow evacuation orders, and remain vigilant as we brace for the impact of Hurricane Laura. The State of Texas will continue to monitor this storm and provide the resources needed to keep Texans safe.”

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