NORTH CHANNEL✯STARYour News, Your Newspaper

VOLUME 8, NO. 30 (#334) THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020Serving all of the North Shore -- Channelview, Cloverleaf, Sheldon, Galena Park, Jacinto City

www.northchannelstar.com

Issue #334 OF THE STAR Turner Chevrolet, p. 8Carter~Conley, p. 3

CHANNELCURRENTS

HIGHLANDS – The En-vironmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) has just re-leased many volumes of re-ports from the GHDConsulting Engineeringfirm, detailing their ideas forhow to remove the toxicwastes from the North andSouth Impoundments alongthe San Jacinto River,known as the SuperfundSite.

The report is extremelylong and detailed, consistingof 10 volumes of informationfor the Northern ImpoundSite, and Two volumes forthe Southern Impound Site.In total, there are manythousands of pages withdata, drawings, boring logs,and most important a Work

EPA Releases Preliminary Design for Remediation

WASTE PITS REMOVAL WILL HAVEMAJOR IMPACT ON AREAPlan will cause Seven years of noise, dust, truck traffic

Plan on how to remove thewaste material, and how itwill impact the environmentaround the communities ofHighlands and Channel-view.

The engineers have pro-posed excavation within“cells” on the Northern site,encompassed by sheet piling,and on the Southern site re-moval without the piling en-closures. The full extent ofthe work includes drivingpiles to form five cofferdams,dewatering the soil, excavat-ing the material, and haul-ing it away to licensedlandfills approximately 100miles away. They envisionone year of preparation, fiveyears of excavation, and oneyear of clean-up and resto-

ration, for a total of sevenyears of work.

The report emphasizesthat it is preliminary in na-ture, and must be evaluatedand refined. It is written bythe GHD EnvironmentalEngineering firm, located in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, butreflects input from the EPA,the TCEQ, and the US ArmyCorps of Engineers. The re-port says that it will alsoneed the concurrence and co-ordination with the Port ofHouston Authority, Harris

County Flood Control Dis-trict, the TXDOT Texas De-partment of Transportation,and the Coastal Water Au

See WASTE PITS,Page 8

Removal method of dry waste inside cofferdam

HOUSTON & HARRIS COUNTY HEALTH DEPTS.

Health order requires no in-personinstruction until at least Sept. 8

Harris County, Texas -July 24, 2020, Umair A.Shah, MD, MPH, ExecutiveDirector of Harris CountyPublic Health (HCPH) andLocal Health Authority forHarris County, and DavidPersse, MD, FACEP,FAEMS, Local Health Au-thority for the HoustonHealth Department, signeda joint public health orderrequiring all public and non-religious private schools inHarris County to remainclosed to in-person instruc-tion until at least Septem-ber 8. The start ofon-campus instruction andactivity may be delayed fur-ther based on ongoing mon-itoring and assessment ofpublic health mitigationconditions.

The order follows the re-lease of a provision from theTexas Education Agency(TEA) permitting schools todelay in-person instructionand a letter sent to localschool districts from HarrisCounty Judge Lina Hidalgoand Dr. Shah on July 20strongly urging schools todelay in-person instructiongiven the ongoing public

health crisis. Over the pastseveral weeks, Harris Coun-ty authorities have consult-ed with local school officials,parents, teachers, and oth-er public health and safetyexperts on reopening plansand the most responsiblepath forward regardingschool operations.

“In order for students tobe able to learn and grow,they must also be healthyand safe,” said Harris Coun-ty Judge Lina Hidalgo.“Right now, we continue tosee a severe and uncon-trolled spread of this virusand it would be self-defeat-ing to reopen schools as usu-al for in-person instruction.We are all desperate to moveon from this crisis and getlife back to normal. Septem-ber 8 is still likely too soon,but the truth is, the fastestway we can all work togeth-er to bring this virus undercontrol, the sooner we willbe in a position to reopenagain for the long term.”

“We cannot talk aboutsending our children, teach-ers, and staff back to schoolwhen the virus is spreadinguncontrollably in our com-

See in-personinstruction delayed,

Page 2

AUSTIN - GovernorGreg Abbott announcedthat the grade promo-tion requirementrelated to the State ofTexas Assessments ofAcademic Readiness(STAAR) test forstudents in grades 5and 8 has been waivedfor the upcoming schoolyear. Typically, schoolsystems must take intoaccount a student’sscore on the STAARtest to determinewhether the studentcan be promoted to thenext grade level. Thetraditional A-F ratingsystem will remain inplace, albeit withcertain adjustmentsdue to COVID-19.

STAAR Testing:Governor Abbottwaives grade promotionrequirements for5th and 8th grades

Typically, studentsenrolled in grades 5and 8 are required tore-take a STAAR testlate in the school year,and sometimes againin the summer, if theydo not meet grade levelwhen taken during thespring. With thiswaiver, there will onlybe one administrationof the STAAR grades 5and 8 mathematics andreading assessmentsfor the 2020–21 schoolyear. The test will beadministered in May tocoincide with theadministration of otherSTAAR grades 3-8assessments.

See STAAR Test,Page 5

munity,” Houston MayorSylvester Turner said. “Weare at a critical moment inthe fight against COVID-19,and we must take a stepback and work to lower thepositivity rate and hospital-izations. It is important tokeep encouraging people tosocial distance, wear facecoverings, and get tested. Ina few weeks, we can lookagain at the data, see wherethings are, and graduallymove forward again.”

“Opening schools safely isa public health priority,“said Umair A. Shah, MD,MPH, local health authori-ty for HCPH. Harris Coun-ty schools must reopen in amanner that prioritizes thehealth and safety of chil-dren, staff, families and thecommunity. Consideringhow widespread this virusis in the community, we feelit is not safe at this time.”

“We’re in a critical timein our mission of workingtogether as a community toget COVID-19 under con

Teneshia Hudspeth, HarrisCounty’s first AfricanAmerican Chief Deputy Clerk

Congressman John Lewis,Civil Rights Icon, dies at 80By Allan Jamail

It was January 24, 2018at the Pleasant Hill Bap-tist Church in Houston’sFifth Ward, as a photojour-nalist for the North Chan-nel Star I got to meetCongressman John Lewisof Georgia. I was there cov-ering the Criminal JusticeForum (CJF) spearheadedby Congresswoman SheilaJackson Lee.

The North Channel Starput on its front page myarticle and photos of Lewisand the CJF. You can stillread the article by going to;www.northchannelstar.com,search for “crime forum”.

Hundreds gathered atthe church to hear Lewis’speech, here’s part of it,“You must find a way to getin the way. You must finda way to get in trouble,

Photo by Allan JamailJanuary 2018 - the late Congressman John Lewis gave arousing speech while in Houston attending a Criminal Justiceforum aimed at improving the nation’s Criminal JusticeSystem. Lewis emphasized the need to never use acts ofviolence to accomplish one’s goal. John Lewis said, “Thebest non-violent action we can take to correct the unfairCriminal Justice System is to VOTE! Vote like you’ve nevervoted before. Get everyone to VOTE!”

See Congressman JohnLewis, Page 6

CITY OF HOUSTON

HARRIS COUNTY

PRE-SCREENING

COVID-19RESOURCES

832-393-4220

713-634-1110ASK A NURSE

MOBILE TESTS713-439-6000

HARRIS COUNTY832-927-7575readyharris.org

METHODISTHOSPITAL BAYTOWNDownload mymethodist app.

MD MEDICAL1-888-776-5252

By Allan Jamail

Houston, TX. – July 28,2020 - Harris County’sClerk’s office has promot-ed Teneshia Hudspeth toChief Deputy. Hudspethbecame the first AfricanAmerican to this position.

Harris County’s electedClerk Diane Trautman re-signed May 31st due to herhealth concerns. Monthsbefore Trautman resigned,in January 2019 she ap-pointed Hudspeth as her2nd in command.

Trautman in a tele-phone interview withNorth Channel Star writ-er Allan Jamail said shepromoted Hudspeth be-cause she was exceptional-ly qualified to run theClerk’s office in my ab-sence should the needarise.

Houston FoodBank Distribution Friday, July 31 from 4-7 p.m.at Sheldon ISD PantherStadium, 11433 East SamHouston Parkway N.

Harris County’s Chief DeputyClerk, Teneshia Hudspeth

Harris County is thethird largest county in thenation, this gives Hud-speth the responsibility ofadministering all the du-ties of County Clerk’s of-fice. Such as, supervisingthe Administrators of alldepartments and locationsof Commissioners Court,Elections, County CivilCourts, Probate Courts,Personal Records, RealProperty, Information/Records Archives, and An-nex Offices in operationalplanning, human resourc-es, financial, advocacy,community relations andrisk management.

Hudspeth a 15-yearmember of the HarrisCounty Clerk’s Office,served under three Admin-istrations, she has held avariety of positions thathave provided the exten-

See Chief Deputy Clerk,Page 3

HOUSTON AREA19 COUNTIES

TEXAS

UNITED STATES

WORLDWIDE

COVID-19Cases as of

July 28, 2020

104,645 POSITIVE1,129 DEATHS

41,346 RECOVERED

406,559 POSITIVE5,882 DEATHS

229,107 RECOVERED

16,605,067 POSITIVE657,643 DEATHS

9,667,033 RECOVERED

4,341,201 POSITIVE149,052 DEATHS

1,325,804 RECOVERED

Star ✯ Courier / Press / North Channel STARPage 2 THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

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Maximum Tax SavingsOpen for appointments

(AUSTIN) — With theTexas economy slowlyawakening from effects ofthe COVID-19 pandemic,Comptroller Glenn Hegarreminds shoppers they cansave money on clothes andschool supplies during thestate’s sales tax holiday onFriday, Saturday and Sun-day, Aug. 7-9.

The law exempts salestax on qualified items —such as clothing, footwear,school supplies and back-packs — priced below$100, saving shoppersabout $8 on every $100they spend. The date of thesales tax holiday and listof tax-exempt items are setby the Texas Legislature.

“Even though signifi-cant uncertainty remainsfor our public and privateschools as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, thesales tax holiday is a per-fect opportunity to savemoney on school suppliesand other tax-free items at

a time when many Texansare carefully monitoringtheir family finances,” He-gar said. “Online shoppingis covered, so I encourageall Texans to shop online orpractice social distancingwhen making in-store pur-chases. We want folks tostay safe while savingmoney.”

Apparel and school sup-plies that may be pur-chased tax-free are listedon the Comptroller’s web-site atTexasTaxHoliday.org.

To promote social dis-tancing, the Comptroller’soffice wants all taxpayersto know that during theannual sales tax holiday,qualifying items can bepurchased online or bytelephone, mail, customorder or any other means(including in-store pur-chases) tax free, when ei-ther:

• the item is both deliv-ered to, and paid for by, the

customer during the ex-emption period; or

• the customer ordersand pays for the item, andthe seller accepts the orderduring the exemption pe-riod for immediate ship-ment, even if delivery ismade after the exemptionperiod ends.

Texas’ sales tax holidayweekend has been an an-nual event since 1999, al-lowing Texans to savemillions of dollars in stateand local sales taxes eachyear. Uncertainty sur-rounding consumer activi-ty in the retail sectorcoupled with a lack of clar-ity regarding the timingand nature of schools re-opening prevents the agen-cy from producing anestimate for dollars savedby taxpayers during thisyear’s holiday. Last year’sholiday generated an esti-mated $102.2 million insavings for Texas taxpay-ers.

Texas Sales TaxHoliday is Aug. 7-9

“Notice of Public Meetingto Discuss Budget”

San Jacinto College District will hold a publicbudget hearing meeting by videoconference onMonday, August 3, 2020, at 7 p.m. in the BoardRoom, Suite A1.104, of the Thomas S. SewellDistrict Administration Building, located at 4624Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, Texas.

The purpose of this meeting is to discussthe College District’s budget that will determinethe tax rate that will be adopted. Members ofthe public may access the live-stream of thismeeting as follows: www.sanjac.edu/board-meeting-videos

Public participation in the discussion isinvited. Members of the public who desire toaddress the Board must comply with thefollowing registration procedures:

A link to a public comments form is availableat: www.sanjac.edu/request-speak-to-board. Theform must be completed prior to 6:50 p.m. onAugust 3, 2020, but members of the public areencouraged to complete the form an hour priorto the start of the meeting to allow time to receivecall-in information and sufficient time to join themeeting.

A regular meeting by videoconference of theBoard of Trustees will be held immediately afterat which time adoption of the 2020-2021 budgetwill be considered.

The proposed budget will be available forinspection beginning on July 31, 2020, in theoffice of the Vice Chancellor, Fiscal Affairs, RoomA1.202, 4624 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena,Texas.

Houston – The increasein COVID-19 cases andhospitalizations is so con-cerning Harris County andthe City of Houston areordering all public andnon-religious privateschools to be closed until atleast Tuesday, September8th. If the rapid spread ofthis dangerous virus con-tinues, schools may be or-dered to stay closed evenlonger. To prevent that,each of us must take thesimple steps to protect our-selves from contracting thedisease: stay home asmuch as possible, when inpublic wear a mask andstay 6 feet from others,wash your hands often andget tested.

Testing is important be-cause up to 40% of peoplewith COVID-19 have nosymptoms, but are stillcontagious. Knowing if youhave the virus benefits youand your family. If you do,your provider or healthdepartment will help youunderstand any symptomsthat may develop, advise

Help schools open inSeptember – Take precautionsand get tested for COVID-19July 27-August 1, Mobile Test Sites will be in new locations

you if you need medicaltreatment and tell you howto protect your family. Test-ing is free at Harris Coun-ty Public Health’s 7drive-through sites. Mobilesites move weekly andthere are two stationarysites: CyFair at the KenPridgeon Stadium, 11355Falcon Rd, Houston, TX77065 and Pasadena, onthe San Jacinto CollegeCentral Campus, 8060Spencer Hwy, Pasadena,TX 77505. Stationary sitesare open 6 days, Monday-Saturday and mobile sitesare open 5 days, Monday-Saturday and closed oneweekday. Due to extremeheat or storms, test sitesmay need to close tempo-rarily.

Sign up online atwww.hcphtx.org and takethe self-assessment or call832-927-7575. Results areavailable in 5-7 businessdays. You must take theself-assessment to get anauthorization code for atesting site.

Mobile locations for theweek of July 27 – August1, Monday-Saturday are:

•Garcia Middle School2369 W Mt Houston Rd,Houston, TX 77038

Closed Tuesday, July 28•Pasadena High School

206 Shaver St, Pasadena, TX77506

Closed Wednesday, July 29•Bear Creek Park

3505 War Memorial Dr, Houston,TX 77084

Closed Thursday, July 30•Legacy School of Sports

Science 2727 SpringCreek Dr, Spring, TX 77373

Closed Friday, July 31•Greater Pure Light Church

12330 Vickery St, Houston, TX77039

Open Mon-Wed, July 27-29

Sometimes testing ap-pointments fill up quicklysometimes. Some are free,but others are not, so callfirst. You can also be test-ed by your provider or clin-ic.

Visit www.hcphtx.orgfor COVID-19 updates andresources. In-person instruction

delayed until Sept. 8,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

trol,” said Dr. David Per-sse, local health authorityfor the Houston Health De-partment. “Sending stu-dents, teachers and staffinto classrooms while thisvirus is still spreading un-controllably is not only un-safe for the people in theschools, it’s dangerous fortheir families, friends andthe entire community.”

In addition to the suspen-sion of in person instruction,the order includes the fol-lowing:

• Virtual instruction isallowed consistent with in-

dividual district or schoolacademic plans. Instructorsmay use classrooms for vid-eo streaming if they arealone in the classroom andbuilding occupancy does notexceed 10%.

• All school sponsoredevents and activities, includ-ing but not limited to clubs,sports, extra-curricular ac-tivities, fairs, exhibitions,academic and/or athleticcompetitions, must not takeplace in-person, on or offcampus, until school sys-tems resume on-campus in-struction.

• By no later than Friday,August 21, 2020, eachSchool System shall devel-op and submit a writtenplan with safety and healthprotocols for resuming in-person instruction and ex-tracurricular activities tothe Local Health Authoritywith jurisdiction over theschool. School systems mustmake the plan available toparents and the generalpublic.

Additional informationregarding the joint orderwill be available onReadyHarris.org.

Star ✯ Courier / Press / North Channel STAR Page 3THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

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PASADENA, Texas –San Jacinto College hasmoved its Springcommencement online.The ceremony wasoriginally postponedfrom May to Augustdue to COVID-19, andwill now take placevirtually.

“We know this is nothow the class of 2020planned to celebratetheir graduation, butdue to COVID-19concerns we had tomake the decision to

Out of an abundance ofcaution, Sheldon ISDBoard of Trustees unani-mously voted to approvethe administration’s rec-ommendation to revise the2020-21 school calendar.Revisions provide a laterstart date Tuesday, Sept. 8(three weeks later than theoriginal date) and completeremote learning with no in-person instruction the firstfour weeks of school.

“Since the beginning ofthe pandemic in March, wehave dedicated our effortsto prioritizing the safety ofour students and staff,”said Superintendent Dr.King Davis. “Our schoolboard understands the im-portance of a delayed startto the school year. The ad-ditional three weeks allowmore time for social dis-tancing in our community,safety training for our staffand additional opportuni-ties for professional devel-opment.”

Revisions to the calen-dar include:

_ New start date ofTuesday, Sept. 8

Sheldon ISD Trustees vote torevise the 2020-21 calendar yearSept. 8 is Sheldon ISD’s new start date

_ Complete virtuallearning for all studentsthrough Friday, Oct. 2

Beginning Monday, Oct.5, SISD will begin offeringin-person instruction inaddition to Sheldon on De-mand (based on parentdeclarations made in Sky-ward). You will have theopportunity to change yourdeclaration mid-Septem-ber as we prepare to openthe doors in October.

_ There will be no schoolon Monday, May 31 (Me-morial Day)

_ The last day of schoolfor students will be Thurs-day, June 10.

Sheldon ISD adminis-tration has been preparingmultiple scenarios for thestart of the 2020-21 schoolyear, including providingon-site learning and re-mote learning (Sheldon OnDemand). In early July, thedistrict gave families theopportunity to declaretheir preference for theirchild’s education - online orin person. Currently, Shel-don ISD is finalizing plansfor Sheldon On Demand

(online learning) as well asSheldon ON Site (in-per-son learning) and willpresent the plans to thecommunity before we openthe school doors in October.

“We continue to learnsomething new each dayfrom the state, but wemust prepare and be readyto support our studentsacademically, socially andemotionally,” said Davis.“SISD is committed to ev-ery child, every day wheth-er they are learning athome or in our classrooms.We want to provide flexi-ble options to our familiesthat meet their individualneeds.”

Sheldon ISD will contin-ue to monitor develop-ments from healthofficials. To keep familiesinformed, the district haslaunched Start in Sheldon2020-21 as an informationhub for parents to findback-to-school informa-tion. The web page,sheldonisd.com/start2020,will be updated regularlyas decisions are made.

transition our ceremo-ny online,” said Dr.Brenda Hellyer, SanJacinto College Chan-cellor. “We invite all ofour graduates, alongwith their friends andfamilies, to gatheronline to honor andcelebrate their achieve-ments from the safetyand comfort of theirhome.”

The August 7 virtualceremony will be heldat 7 p.m., and will belive streamed on

YouTube. Each gradu-ate will be recognizedwith their photo andcredential information,and the ceremony willinclude remarks fromChancellor Hellyer andother College leaders.

For more informa-tion and for the You-Tube link when it isavailable, visitsanjac.edu/commence-ment. For informationabout the College’sCOVID response, visitsanjac.edu/coronavirus.

San Jacinto Collegetaking SpringCommencement virtual

Chief Deputy Clerk,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

sive knowledge necessaryto serve the public well,including AdministrativeAide of Public Affairs, Spe-cial Projects Coordinator,Voter Outreach Coordina-tor, Public Information Of-ficer, and Administrator ofCommunications & VoterOutreach.

Most of Hudspeth’swork while in the Clerk’sOffice focused on providingregistered voters the infor-mation, materials and as-sistance needed to access

the voting process. In thecommunity, she’s provid-ed leadership and informa-tion on voter registrationand voter turnout in Har-ris County, the City ofHouston, and the State ofTexas, and manages theAfrican American Elec-tions Advisory Committeefor the County.

Hudspeth said she’s cur-rently seeking to be on theNovember 3rd, 2020 ballotas the Harris County Dem-ocratic Party’s candidate to

fill the vacant CountyClerk’s position. She ismarried to Samson Ba-balola and together theyhave a three-year-old sonJosiah.

Harris County’s Com-missioners Court voted onJune 1st to approve Chris-topher G. Hollins, a 33 yearold Houston attorney tohold the Clerk’s job only inan interim role with theprovision he’ll not seek theelected position.

Star ✯ Courier / Press / North Channel STARPage 4 THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

✯ O P I N I O N P A G E ✯

Editor & Publisher..............................Gilbert HoffmanAssociate Publisher.....................Mei-Ing Liu HoffmanAssoc. Editor/Advertising Manager.....Lewis SpearmanAssistant Editor.........................................Julieta PaitaProduction Manager...........................Luis HernandezAsst. Production Manager............Gerardo HernandezEntered as Periodicals Class at Highlands Post Office, Highlands, TX 77562. Under the Actof Congress of March 3, 1879. Published 50 weeks per year, on Thursday, by GrafikpressCorp., 5906 Star Lane, Houston, TX 77057. Opinions in this paper are those of the au-thors, and not necessarily this newspaper’s. Any erroneous statement which may appearwill be corrected when brought to the attention of the publisher. Liability for errors islimited to the reprinting of the corrected version. Submissions are encouraged, in person,by mail, by Fax, or by email, to grafikstar@aol.com.

GRAFIKPRESS is publisher of community newspapers, including Highlands STAR-CrosbyCOURIER; Barbers Hill Dayton PRESS; Northeast NEWS; North Forest NEWS, North Chan-nel STAR. Combined circulation of these newspapers exceeds 50,000, Readership exceeds110,000 according to industry standards. We also print dozens of school, ethnic, andgovernment publications on contract. Call for information to 713-977-2555.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: In-county, $28.00 per year. Out of county, $35.00 per Year. POST-MASTER: Send address changes to Star-Courier, P. O. Box 405, Highlands, TX 77562

News and Ad Phones....713-266-3444FAX Line....713-977-1188email: grafikstar@aol.com

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Star✯CourierStar✯Courier

NEWSPAPERSBy Texas Press Association

✯

How much I wouldthink about bodies. Mybody. My children’sbodies. The way theygrow, stretch, scar andheal. Their softness andtheir strength. Throughpregnancy, birth andrecovery, I’ve becomemore forgiving towardmy body, though ithasn’t always felt likemine. Its changes aren’teasy to accept, nor arethe demands to share itso frequently. I marvelat my children, soawkward and elegant.Why are we drawn toembrace so often? Whydoes touch offer suchcomfort? I am notreligious, but sincebecoming a mother, Ihave learned to worship.Our bodies are holy. —Kristan Hoffman

One Thing IDidn’t ExpectAboutMotherhood

✯LITTLE

LOVE STORYBy KristanHoffman

This short story was orig-inally published in the NewYork Times on July 6, 2020in a regular column entitledLittle Love Stories.

Reprinted here by per-mission of the New YorkTimes.

Kristan Hoffman is thedaughter of this newspa-per’s publishers, an author,and a columnist for thisnewspaper.

By Jim IovinoWest Virginia University

M.E. Sprengelmeyer called himself a“hired gun” at big-city newspapers formore than 20 years, including the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News, where hewas the Washington correspondent.

But he didn’t like the directionnewspapers of that size were going. Staffswere getting squeezed, and he said hewasn’t sold on working for a publiclytraded company that was making movesbased on profits.

So he left.

M.E. Sprengelmeyer talked on thephone as he supervised work

on his weekly. (Photo by Rick ScibelliJr., The New York Times)

He took his severance and some savingsand started a search that would help himcontrol his own journalistic destiny. Heended up in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, in2009, where he purchased a weeklynewspaper called the Guadalupe CountyCommunicator.

“It was awesome,” Sprengelmeyer said.“I say this to anyone who asks me. Icovered wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, wason the presidential campaign trail for ayear. Coverage of sex trafficking in thePhilippines. But the stuff I did in the middleof nowhere in New Mexico was the mostimportant work I had ever done. It was themost satisfying. It was also the mostfrightening.”

Sprengelmeyer gained nationalrecognition for his career path, includingbeing featured in the New York Times. Healso turned his weekly paper into ajournalistic powerhouse in New Mexico,winning numerous awards and shininglight on local issues like never before.

Oh, it was also profitable. While storiesof major metro newspapers are filled withfinancial doom and gloom, that’s not so formany weekly newspapers across thecountry – his included.

That’s not to say hard work wasn’tinvolved. There were many thingsSprengelmeyer had to learn in real time,including how to get over the fear of beingthe person in charge of not just anewsroom, but also payroll and taxes.

“In 21 years of being in corporatepapers, I had never been an editor,” he said.“I hadn’t supervised anyone. … The otherstuff (payroll, ad sales, circulation, etc.)seems like a drag. The truth of the matter isthat kind of takes care of itself. Just do it.You learn it on the job.”

Due to family health issues,Sprengelmeyer eventually sold the paperand moved to North Carolina after runningthe Communicator for more than eightyears. He hopes more journalists follow hispath to ownership. It may not be somethingmany realize they can do – or even want todo, for that matter. But he said there is greatsatisfaction personally and an even greaterimpact on a community.

You will never have more fun and neverdo more important journalism,” he said,“than when you’re in a small town runningthe show.”

Jim Iovino is director of NewStart, aprogram at West Virginia University’sCollege of Media to develop the nextgeneration of community newspaperowners.

A metronewspaper refugeefound successat a weekly

Let's search togetherfor capital ideas

Ed Sterling wrote thiscolumn for almost threedecades, so let's open bycelebrating his contribu-tions to the Texas PressAssociation and itsmembers. Ed was thecalm, steady voicekeeping us informed andinterested.

I am honored to havebeen asked by MikeHodges, TPA executivedirector, and DonnisBaggett, executive vicepresident, to continue theimportant work ofkeeping Texans up todate on what's happeningin Austin. The world haschanged dramaticallysince Ed started writingin the early 1990s, butthe need for beinginformed remains greaterthan ever.

The “Capital High-lights” column appears inmore than 100 newspa-pers across Texas,reaching all the way fromthe Rockport Pilot to theMoore County News-Press and from the BowieNews to the SeminoleSentinel. From his manyyears of traveling aroundTexas and talking toeditors and publishers,Ed carried in his head theknowledge of each paperand its readers.

Please help me helpsniff out the most usefulnews to you. Via email atccobler@texaspress.com,tell me about the stateagencies and topics youwant monitored mostclosely. Are you concernedmost about the largeplayers like the TexasEducation Agency, or doyou want me to report thelatest buzz from moreobscure agencies like theTexas Apiary InspectionService?

Despite my penchantfor dad jokes, I pledge tokeep playing this columnstraight, as Ed did sowell. We need morenonpartisan news, whichis why you read andsupport your localnewspaper.

The pandemic re-mained the theme of thenews in July, much of itcentering on the economyand education. The weekopened with ComptrollerGlenn Hegar's forecastthat Texas faces a $ 4.6billion budget deficit andclosed with the first

Let's search togetherfor capital ideas

hurricane of the season,Hanna, making landfallSaturday night near PortMansfield.

ELECTRIC NEWS FORTHE ECONOMY

A jolt of good newscame late in the weekwhen Tesla announced itwould build an electric-vehicle manufacturingplant in Travis County,bringing at least 5,000jobs and $ 1 billion incapital investments.

Austin, offering about$ 60 million in local taxbreaks, beat out Tulsaand other American citiesvying for the prize. Thefactory will produceTesla's Cybertruck, Semiand Models 3 and Y andbe built on 2,000 acresnear the Austin-Berg-strom InternationalAirport

“We're going to make ita factory that is going tobe stunning,” Tesla topexecutive Elon Musk said. “It's right on theColorado River. So we'reactually going to have tohave a boardwalk overyou, hiking, biking trail.It's going to basically bean ecological paradise. ”

GETTING RID OFGOBBLEDYGOOK

Jargon isn't just hardon readers. It also can bebad for business, Texas'insurance commissionerwrote in a column lastweek.

Kent Sullivan said hehas been promoting plainlanguage since becominginsurance commissionerthree years ago. Oneexample of policy legalesehe noted: “You mayqualify for a contingentnon-forfeiture benefit.”

Instead of this gobble-dygook, Sullivan wrote,“Why not just say you can

still receive benefits evenif you stop paying for thispolicy?”

The coronavirusoutbreak has spotlightedpotential confusion andcostly legal fallout causedby bewildering insurancepolicy language, Sullivansaid. “We need a coordi-nated effort to strengthenand enforce plain lan-guage requirements instate laws,” he added.

ADA TURNS 30

July 26 marked the30th anniversary of theAmericans with Disabili-ties Act. The US CensusBureau estimates thatone in four Americans, or61 million adults, have adisability.

The Governor'sCommittee on Peoplewith Disabilities willhave its quarterlybusiness meeting from 8am-5 pm July 30 and 8am-noon July 31. Becauseof the pandemic, themeeting will be via Zoom.

One agenda item: Howeducators wearing facemasks affects studentswho are deaf or who havehearing loss. The fullagenda and Zoommeeting information maybe found at bit.ly/disabilities0730

LOOKING AHEAD TOTAX SAVINGS

Texas' annual sales taxholiday is Aug. 7-9. Theholiday exempts sales taxon qualified items - such

as clothing, footwear,school supplies andbackpacks - priced below$ 100, saving shoppersabout $ 8 on every $ 100they spend. Qualifyingitems are listed atTexasTaxHoliday.org.

“Even though signifi-cant uncertainty remainsfor our public and privateschools as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, thesales tax holiday is aperfect opportunity tosave money on schoolsupplies and other tax-free items at a time whenmany Texans are careful-ly monitoring their familyfinances, ”ComptrollerHegar said. “Onlineshopping is covered, so Iencourage all Texans toshop online or practicesocial distancing whenmaking in-store purchas-es. We want folks to staysafe while saving money.”Chris Cobler is a boardmember and pastpresident of the Freedomof Information Foundationof Texas. He welcomesemail atccobler@texaspress.com.

STATE CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTSBy Chris Cobler

✯

Kristan Hoffman Butler, author of “Little Love Stories” withReed Butler and Iris Butler.

This article is one of a series distributed by the Texas PressAssociation for its members. If you wish more information, call713-266-3444 or email grafikstar@aol.com

Star ✯ Courier / Press / North Channel STAR Page 5THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

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There is no fear in love. Butperfect love drives out fear,because fear has to do withpunishment. The one who fears isnot made perfect in love.

-- 1 JOHN 4:18

For the Spirit God gave us does notmake us timid, but gives us power,love and self-discipline.

--2 Timothy 1:7

✯ L I F E S T Y L E P A G E ✯

BIBLE TRIVIAby Wilson Casey---

1. Is the book of Titus inthe Old or New Testamentor neither?

2. From Joshua 10, thesun stood still whileJoshua's army destroyed

what people? Amorites,Midianites, Egyptians,Philistines

3. In Genesis 9, who sawa rainbow in the sky?Adam, Moses, Noah, Abra-ham

4. From 1 Samuel 2, howmany children did Hannahhave? 5, 10, 15, 20

5. In which city did KingAhasuerus live? Corinth,Gath, Berea, Shushan

6. Who was David's old-est brother? Jonah, Eliab,Joel, Agrippa

ANSWERS: 1) New; 2)Amorites; 3) Noah; 4) 5; 5)Shushan; 6) Eliab

Nelda Ann Tosh

Nelda Ann Tosh, 77,passed away peacefully athome on July 23, 2020 inCrosby, Texas. Nelda wasborn on December 20,1942 in Bremond, Texasto parents Newel andBerta (Hailey) Hamilton.She was a loving sister,mother, grandmother andfriend. Nelda was a mem-ber of Dell Dale BaptistChurch where she trea-sured the fellowship ofher church family as well.She enjoyed sewing andmaking handmade quiltsthat she loved sharingwith her family. Neldawill be dearly missed andwill remain in the heartsof those who knew her.

Jimmy Cain

Jimmy Cain, 85, ofHighlands, Texas went tobe with the Lord on July19, 2020. He was preced-ed in death by his lovingwife, Mary Cain anddaughter, Karen Schop-pa. Jimmy is survived bydaughter ChristinaAnderson and husbandGlenn of Crosby, TX.Grandchildren ShannaWiggins and husbandMichael of Crosby, TX.Jeromey Anderson andwife Julie of Highlands,TX. Amanda Duda andhusband Zack of Crosby,TX. Brent Shoppa ofPasadena,TX. JamesShoppa and wife Misty ofWebster,TX. Great grand-children Jared Wiggins,Maddie Wiggins, Colton

AUSTIN - GovernorGreg Abbott and theTexas Military Depart-ment (TMD) today an-nounced Joint TaskForce Texas, a newlyformed partnership be-tween the Texas Na-t i o n a l G u a r d a n dActive Duty and Re-servists to strengthenCOVID-19 response ef-forts in Texas. Morethan 1 ,200 servicemembers have come to-gether from the TexasNational Guard and theactive and reserve com-ponents of the U.S.Army, U.S. Navy andU.S. Air Force to sup-port hospitals in Hous-ton, San Antonio, DelRio, and the Rio GrandeValley.

"This formal part-nership will help en-sure a more effectivecollaboration amongstate and federal re-

ments. "As always, our goal is

to provide a high qualityeducation for every Texasstudent," said GovernorAbbott. "This will be auniquely chal lengingschool year, therefore, thisyear is about providingstudents every opportuni-ty to overcome the disrup-tions caused by COVID-19.By waiving these promo-tion requirements, we areproviding greater flexibil-ity for students and teach-ers, while at the same timeensuring that Texas stu-dents continue to receive agreat education — whichwe will continue to mea-sure with high quality as-sessments."

"Parents deserve toknow how well their chil-dren have learned gradelevel knowledge and skillsin reading and math, espe-cially in a time when edu-c a t i o n h a s b e e n

substantially disrupted,"said Texas EducationCommissioner Mike Mor-ath. "And educators usethis valuable informationto make adjustments tosupport students the fol-lowing year. But there isno benefit to our childrenby requiring them to re-peat a year based on a sin-gle test score given thedisruptions of COVID, sowe are waiving the gradepromotion requirementsfrom STAAR this year forour students."

"Parents rightfully ex-pect our schools to contin-ue to meet a high bar andit is critically importantthat teachers and parentsknow how each child isprogressing and whetheror not they need addition-al help. A-F ratings willprovide us with importantinformation about schoolperformance and, while wewon’t use the STAAR test

to determine promotions,it will continue to provideus with assessment datathat we need. We facesome unprecedented chal-lenges in the upcomingyear, but we must contin-ue to keep our schools ac-countable and on track,"said Lieutenant GovernorDan Patrick.

"With this waiver, weare ensuring that the suc-cess of Texas students re-mains the focus of thisschool year. These unprec-e d e n t e d t i m e s h a v ebrought much upheaval tothese students’ lives andthis is one thing we can doat the State level to helpease them back into theireducational routines whilestill ensuring the institu-tions of education remaina c c o u n t a b l e , " s t a t e dChairman of the HousePublic Education Commit-tee, Dan Huberty.

STAAR Test,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

www.starcouriernews.comwww.northchannelstar.com

OBITUARIES✯ Governor Abbott, TMD Announce

Texas National Guard PartnershipWith Active Duty, Reservists InSupport Of COVID-19 Response

sources, and allows us tobetter meet the needs ofTexans across the state,"said Governor Abbott. "Ithank our federal part-ners at the U.S. Army,U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air-force for continuing toprovide crucial supportto the Lone Star State.The State of Texas re-mains committed toworking alongside ourfederal partners to keepTexans safe and combatthe spread of COVID-19in our communities."

"We are proud to workwith our brothers andsisters in arms from theactive duty and reserveforces to help our fellowTexans in need," saidTexas Adjutant GeneralMaj. Gen. Tracy Norris."The units of the TexasMilitary Department arenot authorized withenough medical profes-

sionals to meet the cur-rent demand. Therefore,the Governor requestedmedica l ass i s tancethrough FEMA. That re-quest is being met fromthe Department of De-fense with active dutyand U.S. Army medicalprofessionals. By part-nering with the activeduty and reserve compo-nents, we will be able toprovide this much need-ed support and relief tot h e T e x a s c i v i l i a nhealthcare workers whohave been working tire-lessly to care for the peo-ple of our great state."

Texas Air NationalGuard Brig. Gen. Tho-mas Suelzer, appointedas the dual-status com-mander, serves as thecommander of both Tex-as National Guard andfederal service mem-bers.

She is preceded in deathby her parents; husband,Thurman Leo Tosh, Sr.;son, Thurman Leo Tosh,Jr.; as well as numeroussiblings. Nelda is sur-vived by her daughterand son-in-law, Deanaand John F. Peek, Jr.;

grandchildren, TiffanyGoines and husband Fre-drick, John Forrest Peek,III; great-grandchildren,Ransom Goines, Faith-Marie Goines; her onlyliving sister, DorothyRisenhoover; as well asnumerous nieces andnephews who loved herdearly. Due to the currentpandemic, services tohonor Nelda’s life will bepostponed until a laterdate.

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Anderson, BraydonAnderson, Elijah Duda,Gabriel Duda, CullenSchoppa, Luke Schoppa,Travis Schoppa, Ethanand a granddaughter-in-law from a previous mar-riage, Tricia Meador. He

also leaves behind a life-long friend, James Nor-wood.

Friends are invited tovisit with the family from9:00am to 11:00am onThursday, July 30, 2020at Sterling White FuneralHome. Funeral serviceswill follow at 11:00am.Interment will follow inSterling White Cemetery.Arrangements have beenentrusted to SterlingWhite Funeral Home,11011 Crosby-LynchburgRd., Highlands, Texas77562.

Star ✯ Courier / Press / North Channel STARPage 6 THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

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Gilbert Hoffman..................................................Editor & PublisherMei-Ing Hoffman...............................................Associate PublisherJulieta Paita..............................................................Assistant EditorWillie Glasgow....................................................Marketing DirectorLewis Spearman...............................................Advertising DirectorLuis Hernandez.................................................Production DirectorGerardo Hernandez................................Circulation/Mail Director

Published each Wednesday by GrafikPress Corp. Any erroneous statementwhich may appear will be corrected when brought to the attention of thepublisher. Liability for errors is limited to the reprinting of the corrected ver-sion. Submissions are encouraged, in person, by mail, by Fax, or by email, to:northchannelstar@gmail.com

Member North Channel Chamber of CommrceMember Texas Press Association

CHARLOTTE’SWEB

good trouble, and neces-sary trouble.” “I’ve beenarrested about 50 times forgetting into good trouble.”“Use what you have to helpmake our country andmake our world a betterplace, where no one will beleft out or left behind... Itis your time.”

After the event I madeit a point to meet Lewis, Iwanted to have a fewwords with him. As weshook hands and ex-changed a few words, I toldhim he delivered a goodspeech. And I told him howI respected and admiredhim for his achievementsand his relentless effort tomake improvements in civ-il rights, voting rights andcriminal justice reforms. Itold him how I hoped myarticle would help his ef-forts, he thanked me. Be-fore parting I then told himI’d be praying for him andhe thanked me again.

Congressman Lewisserved Georgia's 5th con-gressional district from1987 until his death Fri-day, July 17th at age 80.Known as a civil rightsicon he was one of the gi-ants in the historic strug-gle for equal rights inAmerica.

His death came sevenmonths after his publicannouncement in late De-cember 2019 after a rou-tine examination he hadbeen diagnosed with ad-vanced stage 4 pancreaticcancer. He said then, “Ihave never faced a fightquite like the one I havenow.”

Lewis, who was born onFeb. 21, 1940 to sharecrop-pers in Troy, Alabama, at-tended segregated publicschools and gives credit tothe Montgomery Bus Boy-cott and Dr. Martin Luth-er King Jr.'s radiobroadcasts which inspiredhis work as an activist.

At 18, he wrote a letterto King, who responded bypurchasing a round-tripbus ticket to Montgomeryfor Lewis so they couldmeet. "Dr. King, I am JohnRobert Lewis," he recalledsaying to King. "And thatwas the beginning." Lewiswasted no time organizing,quickly finding himself onthe front lines of the civilrights movement.

As a student at FiskUniversity, he led numer-ous demonstrations inNashville against racialsegregation, including sit-ins at segregated lunchcounters as part of theNashville Sit-ins.

Starting in 1961, hetook part in a series ofdemonstrations that be-came known as the Free-dom Rides, in which he andother activists -- Black andwhite -- rode together inbuses through the South tochallenge the region's lackof enforcing a SupremeCourt ruling that deemedsegregated public bus rides

unconstitutional.Upon stopping, the ac-

tivists on these rides oftenwere arrested or beaten,Lewis included. In his sec-ond-to-last tweet before hisdeath, Lewis tweeted, “itwas 59 years ago today Iwas released from Parch-man Farm Penitentiaryafter being arrested inJackson, MS for using a so-called "white" restroomduring the Freedom Ridesof 1961.”

And on March 7, 1965 inwhat would become knownas "Bloody Sunday," Lewis,was in the process of lead-ing hundreds of demon-strators in a march forvoting rights from Selmato Montgomery when theywalked across The Ed-mund Pettus Bridge, whichcrosses the Alabama Riverin Selma.

They were greeted by a"sea of blue" of Alabamastate troopers who beatand tear-gassed the dem-onstrators. One of thosetroopers fractured Lewis'sskull, scarring his head forthe rest of his life. Thetroopers acts of violencehelped make that demon-stration a pivotal one inthe fight for African-Amer-ican suffrage.

Often called , "One ofthe most courageous per-sons the Civil RightsMovement ever produced,"Lewis dedicated his life toprotecting human rights,securing civil liberties, andbuilding what he calls "TheBeloved Community” inAmerica. His dedicationto the highest ethical stan-dards and moral principleshas won him the admira-tion of many of his col-leagues on both sides of theaisle in the United StatesCongress.

This past Sunday, July26th a horse drawn car-riage carried Lewis’ casket,draped with the UnitedStates flag across the sameEdmund Pettus Bridge forthe last time.

Sunday Lewis body liedin state in the Alabamastate capitol, Monday hisbody arrived in the na-tion’s Capitol Rotunda tolie in state. Thursday itwill make its final stop ata private funeral service inAtlanta, Georgia.

President BarackObama in 2011 awardedLewis the PresidentialMedal of Freedom for hislifetime of advocacy andactivism.

During that Februaryceremony, Obama said ofLewis: "And generationsfrom now, when parentsteach their children whatis meant by courage, thestory of John Lewis willcome to mind -- an Ameri-can who knew that changecould not wait for someother person or some oth-er time; whose life is a les-son in the fierce urgency ofnow."

CongressmanJohn Lewis,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

This year is proving tobe a year filled withchanges and learning toadapt. Resilience willprobably be one of bestdeveloped characteris-tics to describe ourcommunity members.And at the same time,there are some thigsthat will stay the same.August traditionallybrings about Back-to-School Immunizationand Resource Fairs aswell as many SchoolSupply Give-a-Wayevents. This year, theywill still happen, despitethe pandemic, but therewill be changes. Thosechildren returning toschool on campus, willhave supplies providedby the school.

Parents will still needto purchase clothes andschools but perhaps notuniforms. Those whoreceived stimulus checksmay have saved thatmoney to do the tradi-tional “free-tax holiday”in early August. Manyfamilies did not take anytype of a summervacation, so the moneythey saved will be ablessing to help with theback to school shopping.

Many parents havemade the choice to keeptheir children at homefor online instructions.Who is going to be homewith the children? Mostfamilies have bothparents working and ifthey are fortunateenough to work fulltime, they still need tofigure out the upcomingschool year. I havetalked to many grand-parents as well as great-grandparents who havebeen helping withwatching the childrenduring the summer, yetthey are not prepared tohelp provide at homeinstruction.

There are homeswithout internet connec-

AUGUST BIRTHSTONEWe have a birthday

present for those bornin August: the stun-ning spinel has beenadded to your month’sbirthstone lineup!August now joins Juneand December as theonly months represent-ed by three gems. Theoriginal birthstone forAugust was Sardonyx,and then peridot wasadded, becomingAugust’s primary gem.Now spinel adds itsmultitude of colorchoices!

PERIDOT OVERVIEWThough peridot is

widely recognized byits brilliant lime greenglow, the origin of thisgem’s name is unclear.Most scholars agreethat the word “peridot”is derived from theArabic faridat whichmeans “gem,” but somebelieve it’s rooted inthe Greek word perido-na, meaning “givingplenty.” Perhaps that’swhy peridot is associat-ed with prosperity andgood fortune. Rarely,peridot is also foundinside meteorites.

Peridot’s signaturegreen color comes fromthe composition of themineral itself—ratherthan from trace impu-rities, as with manygems. That’s why thisis one of few stonesthat only comes in onecolor, though shadesmay vary from yellow-ish-green to olive tobrownish-green,depending how muchiron is present. Most ofthe world’s peridotsupply comes from theSan Carlos Reservationin Arizona. Othersources are China,Myanmar, Pakistanand Africa.

SARDONYX OVERVIEWSardonyx combines

alternating layers ofsard and onyx—twotypes of the layered

Diamond Jim:"What is thebirthstone

for August?"mineral chalcedony—tocreate a reddish zebra-striped stone withwhite bands. Sardonyx,like onyx, shows layersof parallel bands—instead of the chaotic,curved bands thatcompose agate, anothertype of chalcedony.

The finest examplesof sardonyx, whichdisplay sharp contrastsbetween layers, arefound in India. Othersources include Brazil,Germany, Czechoslova-kia, Madagascar,Uruguay and theUnited States.

SPINEL OVERVIEWThe spinel is often

assumed to be othergemstones because ittends to resembleeither a ruby or sap-phire. In fact, some ofthe most famous rubiesin history have turnedout to be spinel. But itsdistinguishing fea-tures, like its octahe-dral crystal structureand single refraction,are what sets it apartfrom other gems.Significant deposits ofspinel have been foundin Cambodia, Myan-mar, Sri Lanka, andThailand. It has alsobeen found in Afghani-stan, Australia, Brazil,Madagascar, Nepal,Nigeria, Tadzhikistan,Tanzania and the U.S.

Thank you forreading the “AskDiamond Jim” columnand for supporting theNorth Channel StarNewspaper!

Diamond Jim is adiamond dealer andprecious metals brokerof NTR Metals. Seemore at:www.pineforestjewelry.com.

If you have questionspertaining to jewelry,watches, diamonds,precious stones, pre-cious metals, and otherquestions related to thejewelry industry, emailjmills@pineforestjewelry.com.

Even with Changestivity as well as thosewithout computers.Fortunately, many ofthe school districts willbe providing computersto the students for theyear. Yet, if those whowill be home with thestudents do not under-stand the technology,there will be challenges.There will be challengesbut children are resil-ient, especially if theyhave seen the adults intheir lives model it.

There are manystudents who do nothave someone to help athome. What willhappen to them? We asa community are goingto have to pull togetherand see what we can do.Does your child havefriends who cannot stayhome for school? Per-haps you can meet withtheir parent and see ifan agreement can beworked out.

As a grandmotherwho has worked full-time since before herfirst son was born, I canonly imagine the frus-tration of trying to findsomeone to help withtheir children while theparents work. Ourpublic schools are asafety net for many.There are many servicesprovided on campus thatthe children need as wellas the comradery ofother students. Chil-dren have a need to bephysically active.Children need to be ableto learn to expressthemselves when calledupon, not just controlthe room. One grand-parent shared with methat his grandsondominates the room, yetin a classroom, he learnsto take his turn.

The next few monthswill be challenging butwe will adapt, worktogether and learn to bebetter communitymembers.

www.facebook.com/NorthChannelStar

Star ✯ Courier / Press / North Channel STAR Page 7THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

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Harris County ESD No. 50 is selling a 2006 Ferrara Intruder II Pumper from theChannelview Fire Department’s fleet through sealed bid process with a minimumstarting bid of $50,000. ESD 50 will be accepting sealed bid from August 3rd until3pm CST on August 17th. The bids will be opened at a public meeting on August17, 2020 at 6pm at the Channelview Fire Department located at 1210 Dell Dale,Channelview, TX 77530. The bidding process is being hosted by Brindlee Moun-tain Fire Apparatus. Further details are available athttps://www.firetruckmall.com/AvailableTruck/13663/2006-Ferrara-Intruder-II-Pumper or by calling 256-776-7786. Bids may be hand delivered or mailed to:

Channelview Fire DepartmentATTN: Truck Bid1210 Dell DaleChannelview, TX 77530

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF JACINTO CITY WILL MEETIN SPECIAL SESSION ON THURSDAY AUGUST 13, 2020 AT5:30 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER , 10301 MARKET STREETFOR THE PURPOSE OF A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ANTICI-PATED BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2020/2021. THIS BUD-GET WILL RAISE MORE PROPERTY TAXES THAN LASTYEAR'S BUDGET BY $237,072 OR 6 PERCENT.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS ENCOURAGED.

LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE

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Harris County Emergency Service District is so-liciting resumes/applications to fill a vacant-un-expired position on the Board of Commission-ers. Applications/resumes will be accepted until5 p.m. August 15, 2020 at P.O. Box 96, High-lands, TX 77562, 1500 E. Wallsiville Road, High-lands, TX 77562 or at either fire station in High-lands at 2301 E Wallisville Road, or at 123 SanJacinto, Highlands. Applications are not required,but can be picked up at 123 San Jacinto, or at1500 E. Wallisville Road. A simple resume willbe sufficient.

A person is disqualified from serving asan emergency services commissioner if that per-son:(1) is related within the third degree ofaffinity(blood) or consanguinity(marriage) to:

(A) a person providing professional ser-vices to the district;

(B) a commissioner of the same district;or

(C) a person who is an employee or vol-unteer of an emergency services organizationproviding emergency services to the district;(2) is an employee of a commissioner of the samedistrict, attorney, or other person providing pro-fessional services to the district;(3) is serving as an attorney, consultant, or ar-chitect or in some other professional capacity forthe district or an emergency services organiza-tion providing emergency services to the district;or(4) fails to maintain the qualifications required bylaw to serve as a commissioner.

Star ✯ Courier / Press / North Channel STARPage 8 THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2020

COMMUNITY NEWS

thority. The latter twohave work projects in thearea that might conflict withthe Waste Pits remedial ac-tivity, they said.

The conclusions delineat-ed in the report indicate thetoxic material is deeper andwider than originallythought, and qualities willbe larger and time to removethe material extended overthe original schedule. In ad-dition, these factors are ex-pected to increase the costsan unknown amount.

It is expected that theEPA will have to negotiatewith the PRP (Potential Re-sponsible Parties) to come toan agreement on the cost ofthe work which they will beresponsible for.

In the narrative accompa-nying the reports and theWork Plan, the consultingengineers say that the size,location, and required tech-niques for removal may bebeyond reasonable construc-tion parameters, and may infact not be feasible. They in-dicate further study is need-ed in this regard.

Some details from the re-port emphasize the scopeand difficulty of the project.Due to poor soil conditions,the engineers say the steelsheet piling must be 109 feetlong in some situations, andhave a cross section of a 41”I-beam, or a 5’-6” tubularcross section, and weighthundreds of pounds per footof length. These structuralmembers are not normallyavailable, and may have tobe fabricated overseas. It isobvious that their transpor-tation will be very difficult,too.

The Northern site isabout 14 acres, with morethan half of it normally un-der water. The report saysthat another site of about 10acres must be located as astaging area, and a gravelroad built to access thewaste pits site. This gravelroad would be in TxDOTright-of-way of I-10, andthere is a strong possibilitythat a new bridge for I-10will be under construction at

Waste Pits removal will havemajor impact,CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the same time, creating pos-sible conflicts for workcrews.

The waste material soilmust be dewatered prior toexcavation the report says,and this will require build-ing a temporary water treat-ment plant. Its plan is verylarge, about 75’ x 150’ andconsists of either 24 or 16stages of treatment, depend-ing upon the scheme select-ed. The Work Plan calls forall materials to be removedthat test above 30 ng/kg intoxicity, and this meanssome of the excavation willbe 25 feet or more deep.

Environmental groups in-cluding THEA’s JackieYoung Medcalf, have ques-tioned whether the 30 ng/kgcriteria is safe enough. Shealso thinks the plan to usesome of the rock materialthat forms the present “cap”is not a good idea since itmay be contaminated. She isalso worried about workersafety, and neighborhoodsafety as the excavationwork and transportationpresent opportunities for es-cape of toxins.

Jackie Young Medcalfalso takes issue with theGHS/EPA determinationthat the waste material canbe classified as “non-hazard-ous industrial waste” allow-ing it to be handled andremoved at lower limits ofsafety. The material wastested for “ignitability, corro-sively, reactivity, and toxici-ty to arrive at thisconclusion, GHD said.

The report points outsome of these problems, say-ing that driving the sheetpilings would be very noisy,cause vibrations, and last forfive years. Impact hammersmight have to strike thepiles 1500 to 2500 timeseach, the report said. It isexpected that the noisewould bother nearby resi-dences, and distract driverson I-10 who were not expect-ing it. Work would be con-fined to the November toApril calendar months, toavoid floods or hurricanesthat might affect the site

and release toxic material.In addition, excavationwould probably release dust,that must be contained bythe contractor with somemethod.

The material to removedfrom the Northern site isnow calculated to be 212,000cubic yards, not 162,000 asoriginally figured in theROD, or Record Of Decisionof 2017. This would require15,000 truck loads of mate-rial to be hauled away fromthe site. This means thesetrucks would enter I-10 atthe Monmouth ramp, if Tx-DOT would allow this. TheSouthern site would have anadditional 26,000 cy of ma-terial transported, with30,000 cy stored on-site forreuse. The Southern Im-pound site is approximately20 acres.

The majority of the workwould be scheduled from No-vember to April, to avoid thehigh water periods in theSan Jacinto River, and toalso avoid the hurricane sea-son. High Water could great-ly affect the safety of the siteand the exposed material.However, the report notesthat the Coastal Water Au-thority is constructing 10new gates in the dam atLake Houston, and thiswould allow greater dis-charge rates, and could af-fect the height of the riverin a rainy season. The sheetpiling is designed to extend9 feet above average waterlevel, but the report says itis not known if future waterevents might exceed thisheight.

In a word of caution thatmight be understated, thereport concludes for theNorthern Impoundment, thefollowing uncertainties:

“Uncertainties… couldrender the remedial alterna-tive outlined in the RODtechnically impractical andnot implementable.” Theseinclude the following factors:

— Uncertain Depth— Pile types… are not

conventional— Possible slope failure…

releasing toxic material intothe river

— Logistics of (pile)transportation

— Inability to remove thepiles after completion, leav-ing an obstruction in the riv-er

— Overtopping (flooding)possible in a storm

— Coastal Water Author-ity (CWA) water releases atthe dam

— Water treat ability, sothat it may be returned tothe river. At present thetreatment is only theoretical

— Trucks entering I-10.May need a TxDOT permitand traffic control if allowed

— Release of greenhousegases due to heavy truck vol-ume.

In the report, the SSA orSand Separation Area wasfound to have toxicity belowthe allowable levels, and thereport recommended that notreatment other than MNR(Monitored natural remedi-ation) be needed for thisarea.

In the Southern Im-poundment, some demoli-tion of existing structureand concrete slabs are re-quired to allow excavation,and sheet piling 55’ long and180’ long is planned for thewestern edge of the im-poundment site to hold backriver water. Criteria for thissite is 240 ng/kg, and muchof the material is below thatcriteria, the GHD reportsaid. The plan is to excavateand dewater the areas thattested above that figure, andthen backfill and restore thesite.

Due to the Pandemic fromCOVID-19 virus, the EPAhas not been able to presentthis information in a publicforum as originally planned.You can read the reportsyourself, at https://semspub.epa.gov/src/collec-tion/06/SC32193. The con-sultant, GHDEnvironmental Engineers, iscontinuing to work on theRemedial Design and thenext report will be the 90%RD.

Removal of waste in water areas; then treatment of water and return

Backlog ofcriminal casesimperils justice

HARRIS COUNTY –Local government is tryingto catch up an extremebacklog of cases threaten-ing destruction of the crim-inal justice system.

While a backlog of felo-ny and misdemeanor cas-es is nothing new in thecounty, several factorshave made the situationcritical. Nearly 81,000 cas-es are now pending, a dou-bling of last year.

The criminal courthousewas water damaged byHurricane Harvey, theCOVID-19 pandemic ren-dered housing inmates, se-lecting juries, and the haltof trials problematic. Addto that since the 2018 elec-tion more than 140 law-yers no longer work for theprosecutor’s office.

District Attorney KimOgg discharged some of thelawyers after taking office,others quit citing low payand the progressive agen-da she has initiated. Morethan a million and a halfdollars in compensationand vacation time wentwith them.

All jury trials and juryselection were stopped bythe Supreme Court of Tex-as due to precautions overCOVID-19, that order wasextended until September1. Special permission fromregional judges and thestate Office of Court Ad-ministration can providethe rare exceptions.

A Harris County Com-missioners Court meetinginvited the Justice Man-agement Institute, (JMI) anonprofit organization toaddress the county’s prob-lems over the last fiveyears. Commissionersheard from Thomas Eber-ly, “inability to handle thevolume of felony cases,”causes delays and long pre-trial incarceration.

JMI projections indicateinmate populations couldreach 10,000 by Labor Dayfor a jail with normal ca-pacity of 10,500. Almost90% of those incarceratedare being held in pre-trailactivities. So, persons notconvicted of a crime facepretrial delays in a settingof social distancing thatcould impact them muchlike solitary confinement.

So, the Justice Manage-ment Institute recom-mended dropping chargesfor arrestees accused ofnonviolent felonies.

Sheriff Gonzalez hadasked for a “compassionaterelease” plan for nonvio-

lent offenders, and HarrisCounty Judge Lina Hidal-go moved quickly to put itinto action.

An administrativejudged over ruled the planbefore it could be imple-mented. Gov. Greg Abbottissued an executive orderthat halted release of cer-tain inmates and HoustonPolice Chief Art Acevedoand the union expressedthat the plan was a risk tothe general community.

Harris County Sheriff ’sEd Gonzales created a so-called “Zoom Team” to helpkeep cases moving throughthe courts.

The extreme dispositionof cases has had the coun-ty take special measures tobegin assembly and selec-tion of juries. Through De-cember 16 the NRG Arenawas leased to be a tempo-rary criminal courthousejury assembly area.

The folks that could be-come jurors will be re-quired to have theirtemperature checked andwear masks. Six foot inter-vals will be required. Thenthey will submit to unrea-sonable search and seizureby a metal detector. Doorswill regulate the flow offoot traffic. Then they willbe verbally screened for ill-ness. The main arena willhost the assembly and peo-ple will sit three seatsapart.

Does anyone doubt thatdefense lawyers are notgoing to like the new set-tings? Given they couldlook at obtaining dismiss-als for their clients sincethe constitution requires afair and speedy trial mightmean automatic dismiss-als in many cases.

District Attorney KimOgg expressed that thecommunity should be con-cerned that a functioningcriminal justice systemhas not been in place sinceHurricane Harvey. Whichsounds much like the “Actof God” defense of attor-neys for Arkema Chemical.

The Arkema criminaltrial is being held now onthe second floor of the are-na. Criminal charges werebrought against decisionmakers for Arkema relat-ed to post Hurricane Har-vey explosions that injuredfirst responders. Arkema’sattorneys are arguing thatthe nearly 50 inches of rainthat fell causing the flood-ing that shorted refrigera-tion was an “Act of God”meaning out of theirhands.