NORAD exercise tomorrow over Houston

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will conduct exercise flights tomorrow morning as they practice intercept and identification procedures. Exercise flights will take place over Southeastern Texas. Although they are scheduled for mid-morning, the exercise flights could be delayed due to weather concerns.

Those living southeast of Houston, specifically near Ellington Airport, may hear and/or see NORAD-controlled fighter jets in close proximity to a military or military contracted aircraft, which will be taking on the role of a Track of Interest (TOI).

In order to test responses, systems and equipment, NORAD continuously conducts exercises with a variety of scenarios, including airspace restriction violations, hijackings and responding to unknown aircraft. All NORAD exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled.

NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout Canada and the U.S. since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001.

18 charged in rape of 11 year old girl.

(CNN) -- Thirteen adults and five juveniles have been arrested as part of an investigation into the alleged rape of a Texas girl, police said.

Darrell Broussard, assistant police chief for the Cleveland, Texas, police department, said Monday that the investigation into the incident "is continuous," with more significant developments possible. Cleveland is about 50 miles northeast of Houston.

"There have been leads during our investigation that have alerted us to other possible persons of interest," Broussard told CNN. "The investigation is ongoing."
The 18 individuals charged thus far are between 14 and 27 years old, he said.

On Friday, the Cleveland police department announced that four students in the Cleveland independent school district had been arrested on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14.

They appeared Monday in a Liberty County court, in the town of Liberty, to face the charges.
Police noted that some but not all suspects are students at Cleveland High School, though all those named thus far are from the town.

Mike Little, the district attorney in Liberty County, said police would likely decide whether more people would be charged. He offered few other details, saying, "We are very careful about pretrial publicity."

The incident allegedly happened late last year in Cleveland. The case has sharply divided the community, according to CNN affiliate KHOU.

"It just seems like a dream," said Sherry Fletcher, whose 20-year-old son Devo Shaun Green is among those charged according to Cleveland police. "I just hope everything comes out well, because some of these kids are innocent."

Those adults arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony in Texas, could face 25 year to life in prison if convicted, according to the police department.

More arrests made in alleged gang rape of 11-year-old Cleveland girl

More arrests made in alleged gang rape of 11-year-old Cleveland girl

Jamarcus Norris Napper (top left); Jared Glenn McPherson (top center); Kelvin Rashad King (top right); Marcus Anthony Porchia (bottom left); Xavier King (bottom center); Devo Shaun Green (bottom right)

by Alex Sanz / 11 News
khou.com
Posted on February 23, 2011 at 3:21 PM
Updated today at 5:04 PM


CLEVELAND, Texas – More arrests have been made in connection with the alleged gang rape of an 11-year-old Cleveland Middle School student, according to the Cleveland Police Department.
Six more suspects are in custody bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 11.

The suspects named Wednesday are: Jared Glenn McPherson, 18, of Cleveland; Kelvin Rashad King, 21, of Cleveland; Marcus Anthony Porchia, 26, of Cleveland; Devo Shaun Green, 20, of Cleveland; Xavier King, 17, of Cleveland, and Eric Bernard McGowan, 19 of Cleveland.

McGowan was in custody prior to the indictment in the Liberty County Jail for other non related charges. There have been 10 suspects arrested thus far in the investigation.

Cleveland Police have arrest warrants and are still searching two other suspects in the case, 22-year-old Carlos Bernard Ligons and 27-year-old Cedric De Ray Scott.

Only 11 News was in Cleveland on Wednesday when angry family members gathered outside the police department to complain about the arrests.

One woman, who said her nephew was among those arrested, said the community has been torn apart by the case.
"It's upsetting everybody," said the woman, who didn't want her name used. "It ain't nobody in this community not upset behind this. It's pitiful."
"They have no proof of anything," said another man who said his cousin was in custody.

Last week, the Cleveland Independent School District said the girl reported the alleged assaults to her principal’s office in early December.
Court records obtained by 11 News suggest other assaults took place between mid-September and December 1.
The girl told school officials she was raped by as many as 20 men in an abandoned mobile home in the 1700 block of Ross Street.

The men arrested earlier this month were identified as Jared Len Cruse, 18; Rayford Tyrone Ellis, Jr., 19; Timothy Daray Ellis, 19 and Isaiah Rashad Ross, 21.

All four are from Cleveland and live within a few blocks of the trailer, police said.

Cruse is a graduate of the Douglass Academy and his graduation photo is still posted on the Cleveland ISD website.

Cruse was also accused of a being a part of a home invasion where a Sheppard woman was shot in January.

Kingwood woman caught bringing grass into LA prison

RICHWOOD, La. — Richwood police have arrested a Texas woman on charges of intent to bring contraband into Richwood Correctional Center.

The News-Star reports that 20-year-old Kyera Elizbeth Rowe, of Kingwood, Texas, was arrested Saturday after jail officials found a bag of suspected marijuana in her coat pocket. Officials said she was visiting an inmate at the correction center.
Rowe was booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center and released on a $2,500 bond.

It was not immediately known whether Rowe has an attorney.

Breaking: Explosions rock Belvieu plant!

Multiple explosions, fire at Mont Belvieu plant

Credit: AIR 11
A fire at Enterprise Products in Mont Belvieu was burning out of control more than an hour after witnesses heard multiple explosions.

by Michelle Homer / khou.com
khou.com
Posted on February 8, 2011 at 1:05 PM
Updated today at 1:39 PM


MONT BELVIEU, Texas – Several explosions at a Mont Belvieu plant were followed by flames that could be seen from miles around.
The explosions happened at Enterprise Products at 135 Sun Oil Road around 12:25 p.m.


Witnesses reported seeing workers fleeing from the Chambers County plant. Other workers were being told to stay inside.
The company hasn't released any details about injuries. An employee, who didn't want to be identified, said at least one contractor has not been accounted for.


The employee said the explosion happened in a subsection of the plant.
Chambers County officials say there's no known threat to the public at this time.

They have not called for evacuations.
State Highway 146 is closed near the plant.

The fire was still burning out of control nearly an hour after it began. The flames could be seen 25 miles away in Houston.

A Houston caller named Pat said she was talking by phone to a relative inside the plant when the first set of explosions happened. There were three more explosions while they were still on the phone. "Anywhere from eight to 11 explosions," according to Pat.

READ MORE AT KHOU