EPA Recognizes Houston As A 'Green Power Partner'

The City of Houston, which was recognized earlier this week as a top local government purchasing green power, has also been named as a top green power purchaser among national entities. The Environmental Protection Agency ranked the Bayou City at No. 12 out of 25 on the National Top 25 list of green power partners for using wind power for 20 percent of its purchased-electricity needs.

"Texas leads the nation in wind power production, and Dallas and Houston are leading the way in showing other cities how green power can help protect the environment," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard Greene. "By shifting to wind and other renewable power sources, cities can cut greenhouse gas emissions and change the way we generate energy."

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and biogas, as well as low-impact hydropower.

Dead Infant Found In Galveston

Police began a nationwide search for the father of a 3-month-old baby boy who matches the description of a body found Tuesday near a child's car seat on the side of a road.

Galveston police want to question Travis Mullis, 21, after an Alvin woman viewed a photo and identified the child as hers, Detective Jeremy Schwartz said.

The discovery comes three months to the day after a fisherman found the remains of "Baby Grace," washed ashore inside a blue plastic box in West Galveston Bay.

Deadbeat Dads Arrested

I was so elated yesterday when I heard that deadbeat dads were being arrested for not paying child support. Perhaps this excerpt says it best:

State and county officials say they’re not going to stand for parents who don’t pay up. “People should take responsibility and take care of their kids,” Constable Victor Trevino said. Trevino said his office has teamed up with the Texas Attorney General to crack down on the 140 parents in his precinct who aren’t paying child support.

“Either they will be left in jail for up to six months, or they can pay a cash bond and the money they pay will go for past child support. It will be sent to the parents and children,” Dalia Perez with the AG’s office said. The constables went after parents who owe anywhere from $5,000 - $76,000 Monday, and they say they’re not done.

Well it is a good thing that one convicted felon does not reside here in Houston anymore. Stan "Pampy" Barre, III is a convicted felon and former Houston resident who knows that if he set foot back in Houston, he may face criminal charges.

Former Houston Mayor Dies

Houston’s former mayor Louie Welch has died. Welch, who served as mayor from 1964-1973, passed away at his Harris County home Sunday morning. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer in October.

Welch Middle School is named after the former mayor. After he left office, Welch maintained an active role in city affairs, serving as chairman of the Houston Chamber of Commerce for 12 years.

He is survived by his wife, nine children and 21 grandchildren.

Cases Against Baytown Rapist Dismissed

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office will not go forward with any more cases against the man known as the Baytown Serial Rapist. Nearly two weeks ago, a jury convicted Keith Hill, 20, of sexually assaulting a Baytown teen.

He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Hill stands accused of raping four other boys, but after talking with their families, prosecutors decided to dismiss those cases … at least for now. Hill has given notice of appeal and hired a new lawyer since his conviction.

Politically Connected Men Charged In Bribery Scheme

When I first heard about this story, it was like reliving the City of New Orleans' nightmare all over again. Well, New Orleans' nightmare goes like this: Politically connected businessman, Stan "Pampy" Barre admits to bribing New Orleans Council President, Oliver Thomas, in order to hold on to parking contracts he held under former New Orleans' Mayor Marc Morial's administration. Now we have these two wheeler dealers taking a page out of Stan "Pampy" Barre's notebook:

Federal agents arrested two of Houston's most politically connected developers in a bribery scandal. Until last month, one of them was the head of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, the group in charge of redeveloping the Astrodome. However, on Friday, Michael Surface and his business partner Andrew Schatte went before a federal judge.

He and Schatte were indicted on three counts of conspiracy and wire fraud. Surface is also accused of making false statements to authorities. The charges allege that the two coordinated payments to a city of Houston employee, including trips, football tickets and thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for the awarding of the contract to build the Houston Emergency Center and a downtown fire station.


Pure greed and a desperate need for power always lead to ones demise. I hope it was worth it gentlemen..or whatever you may call yourselves.
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Ministers Want Harris County Sheriff To Resign

Remember when the Sheriff's Department announced that they would be deleting their emails? Well, this may be the reason why:

Members of a black ministers group on Thursday called on Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas to resign for sending e-mails depicting national civil rights figures Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton getting zapped and reduced to a puff of smoke.

The e-mail, obtained by Channel 13 and aired on a recent news segment, includes a copy of an editorial cartoon that shows Jackson and Sharpton looking up at a star in the sky. A bubble over their heads reads: "Oh, wishing star, we wish for an end to racial strife and bigotry."

I guess they wanted to destroy this little gem after Chuck Rosenthal's emails were made public. I wonder what other types of emails they have. It is really pathetic that these adult do not have anything else better to do.

Former Grand Jurors Want to Offer Evidence

Those former grand jurors refuse to back down:

A day after finding out they didn't have the legal authority to indict Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina and his wife in an arson case, former grand jurors said Wednesday they plan to present their opinions to a new grand jury as ordinary citizens.

They won't be allowed, however, to talk about what they heard during most of their time behind closed doors.

Keeping silent on what they heard previously will probably thwart their efforts to present a concrete argument as to why a new grand jury should proceed.

Chuck Knoblauch Subpoenaed In Steroid Case

Houston resident Chuck Knoblauch, who was accused of doping in a federal agent's affidavit, was subpoenaed Tuesday by the congressional committee investigating steroids in baseball after he failed to respond to an invitation to give a deposition.

Knoblauch, who played at Bellaire High School and Texas A&M, was asked to appear Thursday for the first of five depositions scheduled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in advance of its Feb. 13 hearing.

Mary Kay conference to be held in Houston

This week's Mary Kay Inc. conference in Houston will pump $8.5 million into the city's economy, according to the company. The Dallas-based, direct-sell cosmetics company is hosting its annual leadership convention in Houston from Jan. 23 to 30 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

As part of the festivities, Mary Kay will make a $20,000 donation to The Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association in honor of its founder, Mary Kay Ash, who grew up in the neighborhood. The company also is making a $20,000 donation to the Houston Area Women's Center to aid in the prevention of domestic violence against women.

Grand Jurors jab at lawyer

The long weekend failed to quell the rhetoric as a lawyer for state Supreme Court Justice David Medina and two of the grand jurors who voted to indict the jurist continued to jab at each other.

Attorney Terry Yates continued to accuse the two grand jurors, foreman Bob Ryan and assistant foreman Jeffrey Dorrell, of breaking the law by publicly discussing the case outside the grand jury. Among the accusations was the suggestion by Yates that Dorrell was a gay activist and may have been trying to use the case to embarrass conservatives like Medina and Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal.

Cyber Crime Task Force - What Can We Do?

I was reading the Houston Chronicle, this morning, and I came across a Q&A with Randall Clark, an FBI special agent on the Houston Area Cyber Crimes Task Force. I found it very interesting and I tend to agree with him that parents have to know what their children are doing online. Myspace, however, has become the playground for criminal predators that has not been fully addressed:

Take for example this predator; Stan "Pampy" Barre, III has been using the social networking site to groom young women, who are not legally old enough to drink into engaging in drinking. He has also used the site to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims in order to victimize them later. Myspace did not appropriately address that issue. They only decided to delete his page when he used it to impersonate a famous rapper. If Myspace would have dealt with Stan "Pampy" Barre, III sooner, he would not have been able to carry out his reign of terror.

Two Grand Jury Members On The 'Hot Seat'

If you speak out against the actions of prosecutor, Chuck Rosenthal, you may find yourself in a whole lot of trouble:

The lawyer for Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina asked a judge Friday to sanction two grand jurors for discussing their secret proceedings, saying the two men brought about the indictment of Medina and his wife to embarrass District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal.

Medina's attorney, Terry Yates, said grand jury foreman Robert Ryan and assistant foreman Jeffrey Dorrell acted illegally when they told reporters Thursday that Rosenthal's unwillingness to prosecute was politically motivated. Ryan said the two broke no laws and were careful not to mention anything discussed in secrecy.

What power does Chuck Rosenthal hold here in Houston? There seems to be more to this story than we will ever know.

It Is Time For Chuck Rosenthal To Go

How much longer will we have to put up with Chuck Rosenthal? It is time for him to step down. I thought he would be gone after his scandalous emails but now he is dismissing the case against Medina.

What will it take to finally get rid of him?

Federal Probe of Brown Officials Widens

The federal corruption probe of former Mayor Lee Brown's administration has taken on a new twist. Federal prosecutors have now turned their attention to the deals to construct the $53 million Houston Emergency Center and two Fire Department facilities:

Prosecutors are seeking records on the involvement of several people, including Mike Surface, who resigned his Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. post three days after the subpoenas were served; his business partner, Andrew Schatte; and the former boyfriend of a former Brown administration official who worked as a consultant for them, Garland Hardeman.

Something smells rotten here in Houston; let's hope the feds can weed out the corruption. Jim Letten is trying to weed it out in New Orleans if Stan "Pampy" Barre continues to inform on those he bribed.

Airband Increases Bandwith In Houston

Airband Communications Inc. has increased its broadband presence in the Houston area by 50 percent, the company said Tuesday.

The Dallas-based wireless broadband provider said the increase was part of a nationwide expansion that also doubled the company's bandwidth.

In Houston, the company revamped base stations along U.S. 290, U.S. 59 South, the Westchase area and Sugar Land.

Each base station provides coverage for a three- to five-mile-radius area. In addition, Airband upgraded its existing network infrastructure to further broaden its service coverage and market reach.

Houston Tries To Boost Its' Image

Houston tries to boost its' image by "setting aside slogans in favor of a more personal pitch as it prepares to launch a $3 million campaign to enhance the city's national image".

The ads in the "My Houston" campaign will feature earnest testimonials from famous Houstonians, such as singer Beyonce Knowles, heart surgeon Denton Cooley and former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara.

After the Lisa Nowak scandal, it appears that Houston wants to drop the old slogan: "Space City: A Space of Infinite Possibilities". That slogan would only conjure up memories of "adult diapers" and "fatal attraction".

Roger Clemens Will Testify

It was absolutely ludicrous for anyone to suggest that Roger Clemens would not testify. When those allegations were made, Clemens came out swinging like I knew he would. According to the Houston Chronicle:

Clemens and former New York Yankees teammates and Houston-area residents Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch are scheduled to testify. The committee also wants to hear from former New York Mets trainer Kirk Radomski and former Yankees trainer Brian McNamee, who alleges in the Mitchell Report he injected Clemens and Pettitte with performance-enhancing drugs.

Go Roger go. Get that bastard for spreading lies.

Houston Toddler's Dad May Face New Charges

This Houston toddler's dad may face new charges, here in Houston, after he serves his home detention sentence in Federal Way, Washington. The convicted Katrina evacuee fled Houston after going on a crime spree after the hurricane. He has bragged about the various crimes he has committed here in Houston. The mother of his illegitimate son resides here in Houston and it is expected that he will probably be heading to her residence as soon as he completes his sentence. This criminal is very dangerous, therefore all Houstonians should be on guard.

Katrina Can't Be Blame Anymore

A lot of Houston residents love to throw stones at Katrina evacuees. They love to accuse the former New Orleanian for being responsible for Houston's crime problems.

There is only one evacuee who has done so much damage here in Houston, however he fled to Federal Way, Washington after committing those crimes. Maybe Houston can deal with him later when or if he returns.

Do Not Vote for Kelly Siegler

Kelly Siegler should not be elected DA, in Harris County, because she is no better than Chuck Rosenthal. She made the following comment last year after being challenged that her effort to strike the potential juror was based on his skin color.

“To start with, he's a member of Lakewood Church. And we have had a running agreement, my partner Luci Davidson and I have, since we started, that people who go to Lakewood are screwballs and nuts," Siegler is reported as saying in a court transcript. “I'm very familiar with that church. We try our hardest not to put anybody who goes to Lakewood regularly on any jury, he is a pretty devout member of Lakewood Church. That’s one reason that scared me about the man.”

It appears that she is a total flake.

Resign, Chuck Rosenthal

Houston do not need a racist and sexist prosecutor like Chuck Rosenthal. I totally agree with these two candidates:

Two GOP candidates for district attorney said Wednesday the disclosures of racist, sexist and sexually explicit items on Rosenthal's government computer, along with correspondence about his now-defunct Republican re-election campaign, strengthens the argument that the next district attorney should come from outside his staff.

The remarks came from former state District Judge Pat Lykos and defense attorney and former prosecutor Jim Leitner, whose other opponents include star prosecutor Kelly Siegler. Her husband, physician Sam Siegler, sent Rosenthal several e-mails, including a video showing an unidentified man publicly pulling away clothing from the bodies of unwitting women.

Chuck Rosenthal is an embarrassment to our state as well as his family. We do not need a psychopath in public office.

Luxurious Housing Sales On The Rise In Houston

It appears that luxurious home sales are out pacing others here in Houston. According to recent figures:

Sales of those priced between $80,000 and $150,000 are down 16 percent in the last year.

Ones from $150,000 to a quarter million are down 12 percent.

Homes selling from $900,000 to $999,000 are up 15 percent, and sales of homes priced at a million or more increased 25 percent.

Luxurious home sales' increase has been attributed to Houston's economy and job growth.

Looking To Buy A Home Here In Houston?

According to Metrostudy, a housing research and construction firm, home construction in 2008 is expected to fall for the second year in a row.

Developers are expected to build about 35,000 homes, down more than 11 percent from the 39,500 constructed in 2007.

Most of the drop in construction will be in those properties priced below $175,000. That segment of the market, which includes so-called "starter homes" for first-time buyers, has felt the brunt of the downturn from the fall-off in subprime lending aimed at borrowers with spotty credit histories.

Suspect Eats Girlfriend

Some strange news is coming out of Tyler this morning that gives new meaning to the phrase "murder most foul".

A man arrested in the death of his 21-year-old girlfriend tried to cook parts of her body and may have eaten some of them before deputies arrived, authorities said Sunday.

Christopher Lee McCuin, 25, called 911 on Saturday and told an emergency dispatcher he had killed his girlfriend and was boiling parts of her, said Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith.

When authorities arrived at the home, they found Jana Shearer's mutilated body, one ear boiling in a pot of water on the stove and a fork sticking out of some human flesh sitting on a plate on the kitchen table.

What do you think his defense will be at his arraignment today?

Job Before Degree!!!

Getting the job before getting the degree: What An Interesting Concept

Brenda Hellyer, a 43-year-old accountant by education, will become San Jacinto College next chancellor under one condition: that she would earn a doctorate before taking the reins in 2009.

Some people can't get the job even with the degree.

Hellyer's engaging personality, political skill and public speaking ability also make her an ideal modern chancellor, more CEO than scholar, say trustees and colleagues.

Her political skill is probably what cinched the deal. (All about the world of politics.)

City Corruption Probe In Houston

Are you sure New Orleans' corrupt kingpin Stan "Pampy" Barre did not have his greedy paws in this? I know his illegitimate grandson, William, lives here. Maybe he needed child support.

Federal investigators who began looking into city corruption during the administration of former Houston Mayor Lee Brown — and bagged guilty pleas from two of his top officials — are continuing to press for information about several city-owned facilities and the process by which they were built.

In late December, the city received several federal subpoenas asking for material related to the design and construction of the Houston Emergency Center and the architecture and construction of the fire training academy and new downtown fire superstation, Patrick Trahan, a spokesman for Mayor Bill White, confirmed Friday.

It also asked for documents related to the Hermes architecture firm, the Keystone Group (which built the emergency center) and, finally, expenses from a trip to Los Angeles by the former director of building services, Monique McGilbra.

Oh no; he wasn't involved in this. I forgot that he was so busy kissing the feds ass in order to get a reduced sentence.

The Pesky Critter

Chuck Rosenthal is like a pesky critter who won't go away:

Just when it started to look like a normal day in Harris County politics, District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal acknowledged Thursday he may jump back on the ballot for re-election, even as one of his best-known assistant DAs, Kelly Siegler, has become a candidate in the March 4 Republican primary.

Bow out gracefully,, Chucky Boy.

Drivers On Cell Phones

According to a news report, in the Houston Chronicle, "drivers talking on cell phones are probably making your commute even longer."

Motorists yakking away, even with handsfree devices, crawl about 2 mph slower on commuter-clogged roads than people not on the phone, and they just don't keep up with the flow of traffic, said study author David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah.

If you commute by car an hour a day, it could all add around 20 hours a year to your commute, Strayer said.

The information provided by this study is nothing new, but the real problem with cell phone drivers is the life threatening risk they pose to others. It is well known that cell phone drivers are responsible for taking the lives of other motorists as well as pedestrians. We need to address that fact by demanding severe penalties for those who drive while talking on cell phones. Wake up people. We can do it. There are so many bans against smoking, why not ban cellphone driving!!!

Decrease in Houston's Crime Rate reported

Can we trust the numbers?

After two consecutive years of increases, the number and rate of Houston homicides dropped in 2007.

The city had 351 homicides through Dec. 31 down from 376 in 2006, HPD spokesman John Cannon said.

That's 14.4 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2007, compared with 15.9 during 2006. In 2005, Houston recorded 336 homicides, a rate of 14.3 percent.

HPD homicide Capt. Steve Jett credited an increase in patrols as well as overtime dollars for the decrease in overall crime, which affects the homicide rate.

What happened to the news story where it was reported that Houston was down playing its' crime statistics? Perhaps this is it.

Stubborn DA Refuses To Back Down

It has been reported that Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has "rejected calls by the county Republican Party to give up his 2008 re-election campaign because of a scandal over affectionate e-mails he sent to his secretary."

Maybe he does not feel that this is a serious matter but it is time for the citizens of Houston to show him that it is. If he won't step down, then we still can show him that his behavior will not be tolerated by not re-electing him.