Cleanup under way in 462,000-gallon oil spill off Port Arthur

CNN) -- Crews removed about 46,000 gallons of oil from waters near Port Arthur, Texas, on Sunday, roughly 10 percent of the oil spilled a day earlier when a tanker collided with two barges, a U.S. Coast Guard officer said.

An estimated 462,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from barrels aboard the tanker, forcing the closure of the port in southern Texas, Petty Officer Larry Chambers told CNN. The Sabine Neches Waterway near Port Arthur also was closed. It was unclear Sunday when the port, about 100 miles east of Houston, Texas, will reopen or when crews will finish the cleanup, he said.

"We certainly want it to be done as soon as possible, but with that said, safety is the main issue," Chambers said. "We're not going to open the port until it's determined that vessels can pass through cleanly, safely and not cause any further damage."

No injuries were reported when the Exxon Mobile-chartered tanker -- the 807-foot Eagle Otome -- collided Saturday with two barges being towed by a tug boat. The tanker was carrying about 570,000 gallons of crude oil to Exxon's Beaumont refinery when it crashed, Exxon Mobile spokesman Kevin Allexon told CNN. The cause of the crash was unknown, but is under investigation, he said.

"We are very concerned about how this could have happened," Allexon said. "We are very concerned about the impact to the environment, to the community. No one wants to see this happen."

The port is primarily for industrial use, but it is not far from wetlands. None of the nearby marshes or sensitive wildlife were adversely affected, Chambers said, but one heron was "oiled." The bird was alive and undergoing treatment, he said.

An evacuation order that was imposed in a 50-block area around the port after the collision was lifted. That area was evacuated Saturday out of caution, as the tanker was carrying a type of oil containing sulfide.

Fifteen skimming vessels sailed the area recovering the oil and workers dropped more than 45,000 feet of boom -- fencing-like material -- to keep the oil from spreading, Chambers said. More than 500 people were involved in containing and cleaning the spill, said Darrell Wilson, spokesman for Malaysia-based AET Tanker Holdings, the owner of the tanker.

The biggest oil spill in U.S. history occurred in 1989 when the Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef in the Gulf of Alaska, resulting in the spill of 11 million gallons of crude.

Community builds home for injured soldier

Volunteers who are a part of the Homes For Our Troops build brigade raise a wall in the home being built for Anthony Thompson who was injured on his second tour of Iraq.


By JENNIFER SUMMER
Updated: 01.19.10
It took less than four days for volunteer and construction crews to put up the walls and seal the home in the Waters Edge subdivision for former Humble resident PO 2nd Class Anthony Thompson.

As a part of the Homes for Our Troops program, crews which included Kingwood resident John Lavezzari worked from Jan. 7 through Jan. 9 to assemble the home for the injured veteran.

Thompson was injured during his second deployment to Iraq in 2007 when a dump truck detonated improvised explosive devices at the post he was watching.

Due to the incident, he suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, a spinal cord injury, a punctured right lung along with other scrapes and bruises. Thompson’s wife, Ivonne, was put in touch with Homes for Our Troops and was immediately approved for a home after she submitted the application.

Established in 2004, Homes for Our Troops is an organization that receives donated materials and labor to build homes for veterans who have severe multiple injuries.

“When I called the organization for an application, I was told that they heard of Anthony and were waiting for me to call,” Ivonne said in an interview with the Observer in August. “This program is so wonderful because it helps wounded veterans like Anthony get a home, which takes the burden off of the family.”

The Build Brigade descended upon the plot of land where the Thompsons’ new home was scheduled to be built and were hard at work to build the family’s dream home.

Lavezzari first become involved with Homes for Our Troops in 2006 when he responded to an advertisement and offered his services. The first home build he was assigned to was in the Canyon Lake area outside of San Antonio and he was asked to evaluate the site.

“Soon after I helped evaluate the site, I was offered the position as the director of the San Antonio Homes for Our Troops,” Lavezzari said. “When this job in Waters Edge came up, I was ecstatic because this is the community I live and work in. My son, Brian Lavezzari, and I jumped on the opportunity to help the Thompsons.”

Lavezzari’s son is now the overseer of the Homes for Our Troops in San Antonio.

The event started with a ceremony where almost 125 people from the community showed up in support along with the Rolling Thunder motorcycle group and officers from U.S. Customs who are now the Thompsons’ neighbors.

Ivonne was escorted to the special event by both groups to the ceremony after she flew in to the Humble area since Anthony currently resides in New Jersey.

The Build Brigade consisted of several community members including Doug Stanley and Rick Alspaugh, who donated paint among other things to the build as well as representatives from Pulte Homes and other sponsors.

“The home will be completely finish and available for the Thompsons to move into near the beginning of March,” Lavezzari said. “It truly is amazing to see the community step forward to help build this home and honor Anthony and his family; it is very motivational.”

Upon completion, there is a key ceremony where the home will be dedicated to the family.

For more information about Homes for Our Troops, log on to www.homesfortroops.com.

Longtime East Texas pastor dies

By JIMMY ISAAC
Sunday, January 10, 2010

A HiWay 80 Rescue Mission former chaplain who was pastor of at least five East Texas Baptist churches has died.

The Rev. James Allen Kirkland died Tuesday at a hospice in Humble. He was 77.

During his 50 years in ministry, he was pastor at Greggton Missionary Baptist Church, Overton Missionary Baptist Church, White Oak Baptist Church, Parkway Missionary Baptist Church in Longview, Grapeland Missionary Baptist Church and Galena Park Missionary Baptist Church near Houston.

He also served as librarian at Texas Baptist Institute in Henderson for several years, and taught seminaries in Romania and Russia for a dozen years.

His daughter, Kelli Hines, said Kirkland spent three years at Greggton before working with Longview Missionary Baptist Church to establish a mission that became Parkway Missionary Baptist Church in 1977. He was pastor there for three years before beginning an 18-year stint as pastor in White Oak, she said.

Hines said it didn't matter what a person's circumstances were, but that if you were in need, her father would help. He was rescue mission chaplain for more than six years until 2007.

"He loved people because he loved God, and he knew that God had created each one of us for a special purpose here on this earth," Hines said. "His passion for people."

Kirkland is survived by his wife, Joanne Lewis Kirkland, who he met in a chemistry class at Kilgore College in 1951. He is also survived by their daughters and sons-in-law Jamie and Kurt Streck of Rockdale, Jena Crim of Austin, Ann and Kent Jerden of Humble, and Kelli and Todd Hines of Spring.

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Kingwood Funeral Home in Kingwood. For information about the services, to leave a note for the family or to make a donation to charities (in lieu of flowers) visit http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/Kirkland

Harris County Residents Should Prepare for Freezing Temperatures - Kingwood

By: Harris County Homeland Security & Emergency Management

The Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (OHSEM) reminds area residents to take precautions to protect life and property during the winter weather, including checking on elderly, taking care of pets and livestock, protecting plants and exposed plumbing.

Here are some tips for dealing with freezing temperatures (remember the four "P's"):

PROTECT PEOPLE
. Keep warm, stay inside if possible.
. If you need to go out, dress in layers and wear hats, gloves and an appropriate coat.
. Avoid overexertion, as cold weather puts added strain on your body.
. Observe heater safety:
o Never place a space heater on top of furniture or near water.
o Keep heat sources at least 3 feet away from furniture and drapes.
o Never leave children unattended near a space heater.

PROTECT PETS
. Bring pets inside, and move other animals or livestock to sheltered areas.
. Keep adequate food and water available.

PROTECT PIPES
. Disconnect outdoor hoses, drain and store in protected area.
. Wrap exposed faucets and pipes - including those outside the house or in unheated crawl spaces, attics, garages and other areas.

PROTECT PLANTS
. Bring potted plants inside or store in garage near interior wall to provide extra warmth and protection from wind.
. For cold-sensitive outdoor plants, put down extra mulch and consider covering with a cloth fabric of some kind to shield the plants from wind and frost.

Protect yourself from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning by installing a battery-operated CO detector and never using generators, grills, camp stoves, or similar devices indoors.

It is also recommended that you prepare your car for winter. Have your car serviced and add antifreeze as needed.