CROSBY, Texas–Two workers were transported by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital Friday morning Dec. 24, 2010 after an explosion at a plant.
The incident happened around 6 a.m. at the KMCO plant at 16500 block of Ramsey Road.
Crosby Volunteer Fire Department officials said the explosion happened in Reactor 1 where the two men were working.
Of the two injured men, one is in critical condition and the other is stable.
HAZMAT crews responded to the scene to check air quality, and Harris County deputies had to close nearby roads. The rest of the employees at the plant were not evacuated.
The plant specializes in making brake fluid and anti-freeze.
Posts published in December 2010

HARRIS COUNTY The U. S. Attorney for Houston, Jose Angel Moreno, on Tuesday unsealed a federal grand jury indictment against County Commissioner for Pct. 4 Jerry Eversole and another, businessman Michael Surface.
The 31 page indictment lists conspiracy, receiving a bribe, and filing false income tax statements against Eversole. It lists conspiracy and paying a bribe against Surface.
Eversole and Surface appeared in federal court on Tuesday, bound in handcuffs and shackles, a pitiful site for a powerful office holder such as Eversole. Both defendants pleaded not guilty, and were released after posting $100,000 bond each.
The charges stemmed from a corruption investigation that has been ongoing for several years, and of which Eversole was aware. He commented to several media representatives this year that he expected to be indicted.
Eversole is charged in the detailed indictment, with receiving such things as vacations, clothing, antique firearms, and financial support for his home mortgage from Surface, and in return voting to award Surface and several of his companies with lucrative county contracts. He also appointed Surface to the Sports Authority Board, and even conspired to retire in favor of Surface assuming his commissioners seat, according to the indictment.
Eversoles attorney, Rusty Hardin, stated that the two men have been friends for over 25 years, and the dealings were personal and not related to county business or favors.
Eversoles trial is set for February 22 before Judge David Hittner. The government is asking for restitution of all monies, and punishment that could be as much as 20 years in jail.
HIGHLANDSEfforts to contain hazardous materials leaking into the San Jacinto River from waste pits could start in as soon as Jan. 5, says the Environmental Protection Agency.
Valmichael Leos, a project manager with the EPA Region 6 office said International Paper and McGinnes Industrial Maintenance Corporation, (the PRP or Primary Responsible Parties) have begun the site management work, which includes clearing away brush, installing a decontaminate line and setting up a trailer to serve as an on-site office adjacent to the waste pits.
Construction of the actual containment berm is scheduled to begin Jan. 5.
Status reports are available online at www.epaosc.org/SanJacWPremoval.
The berm, Leos said, would be a barrier designed to temporarily contain the contaminants until a permanent solution can be found. The EPA was successful in getting a barrier comprised of clean fill (earthen material, sand, rock and gravel) that can withstand a 100-year flood event.
Leos said that their primary goal is to stabilize the source and keep it from going into the river. He added that he suspected the PRPs reluctance has to do with the expense of the project. He estimated the cost for the containment the EPA is asking for would be in the $7 million-range. A cost the PRP would have to pay from their own pockets.
Once the construction begins, completion is expected between six and nine months depending on weather conditions.
Located in along the western bank of the San Jacinto River just north of I-10, dangerous waste contaminated with a hazardous substance commonly known as dioxin, lies partially submerged in waters from the 1960s when it was dumped there by a paper mill company.
The ingestion of dioxin is known to cause cancer, skin conditions, delay physical and neurological development and is known to have long-terms effects on the immune and reproductive systems.
By BOBBY HORN JR.
EAST HARRIS COUNTYHow efficient are school districts like Crosby, Goose Creek and Huffman spending their funds?
A new state report might just answer that question. The State Comptroller of Public Accounts has produced the first ever efficiency study of how effectively the states school districts utilize their monies.
The Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) was created to examine how school districts and campuses spend their money and how this spending translates into student achievement.
Each district and campus is assigned a FAST rating of one to five stars, indicating its success in combining cost-effective spending with the achievement of measurable student academic progress.
Five stars reflect the strongest relative progress combined with the lowest relative spending.
According to the report Crosby ISD earned three and half stars. The district, which has population of 4,793 students, has an adjusted spending of $5,969 per student. This is considered very low.
Districts earning the most stars are the ones with low or very low spending. This would indicate that the districts are able to achieve academic success while keeping costs in-check. Districts with high spending generally scored poorly on the FAST rating.
The report also shows that Crosby ISD is in the 35 percentile for combined math and reading progress.
The 20,519-student Goose Creek CISD earned three stars. Their adjusted spending of $7,076 is considered average.
The district is the 50 percentile for combined math and reading progress. Huffman ISD services 3,044 students. They earned three stars as well.
While they had a very low adjusted spending of 5,924 per pupil, their combined math and reading progress in the 14 percentile.
Academic Progress, Cost-Adjusted Spending and Spending Index measures are three-year averages through 2008-2009.
All other academic data, including accountability ratings, are from 2008-09. Through the State Comptrollers office, school districts can access advice on improving their ranking by studying financial allocation smart practice tips shared by school districts across Texas on a range of topics including instruction and staffing, financial management and technology solutions, purchasing and student services and facilities.
By BOBBY HORN JR.
CROSBYA report issued by the Texas Comptrollers Office shows positive growth for the local economy.
One of the factors used to determine fiscal health and the future financial health of a community is sales tax collection. A comparison of November 2010 state sales tax collection to November 2009 collection shows Crosby far exceeding the state average of an 8.7% increase.
The Harris County Emergency Services District #5 (the EMS) has a 1% sales tax. Their November collection was $1,26,598.09.
This is a 40.04% percent increase over November 2009, when revenue collected was $90,396.87. Year to date tax sales tax collection for the ESD has been $1,515,801.81, up 17.32% from 2009 figures.
The Harris County Emergency Services District 80 (fire department) also has a 1% sales tax.
They had a similar November to ESD 5. This year, their collection for the month was $131,857.04, up 43.69 % over 2009s $91.767.16. Year to state revenue is up 13.82%from $1,301,679/14 in 2009 to $1,481,701/17 this year.
In Highlands, the ESD #14 (fire and EMS) had a November collection of $46,432.82. On April 1, 2010 a 2% sales tax went into effect for the district. Since that time, they have collected $335,589.98.
(State) sales tax revenue has now grown for eight consecutive months compared to year ago levels, with recent gains above the five percent mark, said State Comptroller Susan Combs. Novembers monthly gain showed growth in a range of sectors like manufacturing, the oil and natural gas industry, retail trade and restaurants.
The Comptroller will send cities, counties, special purpose districts and transit systems $435.8 million in December sales tax allocations, up 4.5 percent compared to last December. The final sales tax allocation of 2010 brings local sales tax revenue for the year to $5.6 billion, a fraction of a percent less than in 2009.
November state sales tax collections and December sales tax allocations to local governments represent sales that occurred in October.
The next local sales tax allocation will be made on Jan. 14.

HIGHLANDS The program is called Christmas cards for our Troops. Its mission: to put smiles on the faces of as many of our U.S. troops from Texas as possible.
And no school in the 2nd U.S. Congressional District accomplished that mission better than Goose Creek CISDs Highlands Elementary School.
On Nov. 29, Congressman Ted Poe presented the student body and faculty of Highlands Elementary School with two trophies one for 2009, the other for 2010 for the most Christmas cards and for the Most Creative Cards for our troops.
The response to this project has been overwhelming, said Poe. I would like to give a special thanks to all those that took time to remember our troops and recognize their sacrifices this Christmas.
Poe singled out three Highlands Elementary School teachers behind the schools Christmas card drive: music teacher Donna Johnson, art teacher Sandra Marquez, and computer literacy teacher DAnn Gonzalez.
Each hand-decorated Christmas cards included a note from the teacher, and a CD of Christmas music sung by Highlands Elementary students.
I want to thank all those who made this year special for our troops it means the world to them, Poe said. Its a job well done.
For the past four years, Congressman Poe has been collecting Christmas cards to distribute to U.S. servicemen and women who are serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Poe said no school district in his district sends more Christmas cards than Goose Creek CISD.
This school district has been very, very energetic in producing these Christmas cards, Poe said.
Poe said he got more than 10,000 cards from Goose Creek CISD.
Goose Creek CISD board member Bob Hoskins, whose son served in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the Highlands Elementary students that letters from home are very important to the troops, and they cherish the words on the cards.
They really appreciate the support, he said.
Principal Ruth Perrin told the students and staff, I am so proud of you, holding both trophies high.