Home > Waco Breaking News > Archives > 2008 > May > 05
Monday, May 5, 2008
Brazos Belle changes hands, is to be moved
The half-sunken Brazos Belle riverboat restaurant has a new owner, who will move it away within 90 days, City Manager Larry Groth said.
Groth said the new owner, a local investor who does not want to be identified, plans to move the 160-foot boat upstream outside the city limits and refurbish it.
Waco last year canceled its lease with the owner, Brazos Leisure Inc., after it quit operating a restaurant in the riverboat and became delinquent on its taxes and lease payments.The city has threatened to have the boat moved if no one claimed responsibility for it.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines
State tennis update: Robinson doubles team advances
Tribune-Herald youth sports editor Brice Cherry reports:
Robinson’s Tucker Mueck and Daniel Trayler defeated Wimberley’s Clark Myers and Cody Smith, 6-0, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Class 3A state tournament today at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
Mueck and Trayler will play Frisco Wakeland’s Aaron Chafee and Jordan Reed in the semifinals at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
State tennis update: Chilton boy loses in 3 sets
Tribune-Herald youth sports editor Brice Cherry reports:
Garden City’s Nick Sanchez defeated Chilton’s Brenton Hall in three sets, 8-6, 1-6, 6-4, today in the quarterfinals of the Class 1A state tournament at Lakeway World of Tennis in Austin.
In the Class 2A quarterfinals, Brittany Estes of Mason beat Academy’s Mallory Beach, 6-3, 6-2, at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
Earlier, Cameron’s Brittni Fausett won and Gatesville’s James Westbrook lost in the 3A quarterfinals.
The Robinson doubles team of Tucker Mueck and Daniel Trayler is warming up for its match against Wimberley’s Clark Myers and Cody Smith now.
Check back to wacotrib.com for more updates.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
State golf: Chilton girl leads after 1st round; Meridian boys in 2nd
Tribune-Herald staff writer Chad Conine reports:
Chilton’s Gabriella Dominguez holds a two-shot lead in the Class 1A state golf tournament after shooting 2-under 70 today at Morris Williams Golf Course in Austin.
Dominguez, going for her third straight state title, was tied with Petrolia’s Brittany Smith after the front nine. But Dominguez shot 3-under on the back nine to take the lead.
Dominguez and Smith were the only girls to shoot better than 82 and will be paired together Tuesday to battle for the individual title.
In the team race, the Meridian boys are in second, 20 shots behind Robert Lee.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
State tennis: Cameron girl advances, Gatesville boy falls
Tribune-Herald youth sports editor Brice Cherry reports:
Cameron’s Brittni Fausett breezed through her Class 3A quarterfinal match against La Feria’s Mia Villasenor, 6-0, 6-1, today at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
Fausett, a junior, won the Class 2A state title the last two years at Winona.
Vernon’s Nick Lehman defeated Gatesville’s James Westbrook, 7-6, 7-5.
Also, in an about face, the UIL has decided to postpone the semifinals until Tuesday. They will be played in the morning, with the finals in the afternoon.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
Victim from fatal wreck identified
From Tribune-Herald reporter Emily Ingram:
Police have identified a 25-year-old Lorena man who was killed in a rollover wreck Sunday.
About 2 a.m., Mathew Ryan Yow was driving a 2001 Ford Explorer when he collided with a 2001 Ford Ranger, driven by Coretta Shirley, 53, said Waco police spokesman Steve Anderson.
Both vehicles were southbound on State Highway 6 near the Waco Drive bridge when the accident occurred. Both vehicles rolled over several times, with the Explorer passing into the northbound lane, he said.
Yow was thrown from his truck and died at the scene, Anderson said.
His passenger, 60-year-old Arvid Hand, was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center and was listed in good condition Monday afternoon, a hospital spokesman said. Shirley and her passenger, J.D. Kirkpatrick, 72, were taken to Hillcrest, where they were treated and released.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Hot stories
2 pm rain totals
The roof gauge shows around 0.85 inches (again, I don’t know when it got emptied last, but at least 0.4 inches of that happened today). Meanwhile, in the official NWS gauges:
Waco airport: 0.60 inches
McGregor airport: 0.71 inches
Temple airport: 2.06 inches
Fort Hood 0.82 inches
Gatesville: 0.39 inches
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Weather
State tennis under way in Austin
Tribune-Herald youth sports editor Brice Cherry reports:
The UIL state tennis tournament is under way at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
Gatesville’s James Westbrook and Cameron’s Brittni Fausett have begun their singles matches.
Robinson’s boys’ doubles team of Tucker Mueck and Daniel Trayler and the Groesbeck mixed doubles team of Keirsten Hamilton and Jordan Hamilton will play later today in the 3A tournament.
Academy’s Mallory Beach and Salado’s Kaitlyn Reed will compete in the 2A tournament.
Meet organizers have said they will still try to complete the semifinals tonight, even if that means starting matches in the evening.
The Class 4A and 1A tournaments are being held at Lakeway World of Tennis. Competitors include Copperas Cove’s Malika Bembridge, Chilton’s Brenton Hall and the Frost mixed doubles team of Travis Cassady and Haley Cagle.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
Campfire responsible for igniting bridge over Bosque River
From Tribune-Herald reporter Erin Quinn:
Waco Fire Marshal Jerry Hawk said a campfire is responsible for igniting parts of the Eichelberger Bridge in China Spring into flames early today.
Hawk said about 200 square feet of the 300-foot historic wooden bridge was burned. Fire crews responded around 6 a.m. to flames on the impassable bridge known for its great views of the North Bosque River. They used boats to extinguish the blaze a short time after.
Waco Fire Marshal Jerry Hawk said details are still coming into his office regarding the fire, and said he will have more information later this afternoon.
McLennan County Commissioner Ray Meadows said that about 15 years ago the bridge also caught fire because a fisherman left a campfire on the bridge.
The bridge, he said, was deemed historic because of metal trusses in the framework. A cement bridge was built parallel to Eichelberger for traffic. The older bridge is a popular spot to fish from, he said.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Hot stories
Chilton golfer 1-over through 9 at state tournament
Tribune-Herald staff writer Chad Conine reports:
Two-time state champion Gabriella Dominguez of Chilton shot 1-over for her first nine holes today at the Class 1A state golf tournament at Morris Williams Golf Course in Austin.
Dominguez bogeyed two of her first three holes, but got a stroke back with a birdie on the par-4 No. 7.
She is tied with Brittany Smith of Petrolia in her foursome through the front nine. It is not known where they stand against the rest of the field.
For more information, check out Chad’s golf blog, Teed Off.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
UIL state tennis moved back to 2 p.m.
Tribune-Herald youth sports editor Brice Cherry reports:
The start of the UIL state tennis tournament has been pushed back again because of rain.
Matches at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center will start at 2 p.m. Matches at Lakeway World of Tennis are still scheduled for 1 p.m.
Check back to wacotrib.com for more updates.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
Prom images on the Web
We had photographers out at five proms on Saturday - China Spring, La Vega, Mart, McGregor and West — and have a lot of pictures online from those proms at our prom pictures page.
You’ll also be able to view shots taken at the ever-popular Waco Suspension Bridge, like the one below.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Education
UIL state tennis to start at noon
According to the University Interscholastic League Web site, the state tennis tournament matches scheduled for 9 a.m. today at the Penick-Allison Tennis Courts at the University of Texas, have been moved back to noon because of the rain.
The quarterfinal matches at the World of Tennis at Lakeway have been postponed until 1 p.m., according to the site.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines
Eichelberger Bridge catches fire
From Trib reporter Erin Quinn:
The Eichelberger Bridge in China Spring caught fire early this morning, fire authorities are saying possibly from a campfire left on the 300-foot historic wooden bridge.
Fire crews responded around 6 a.m. to about a 40-foot stretch of flames on the impassable bridge known for its great views of the North Bosque River. They used boats to extinguish the blaze.
Waco Fire Marshal Jerry Hawk said details are still coming into his office regarding the fire, and he will have more information later.
McLennan County Commissioner Ray Meadows said the bridge caught fire about 15 years ago, also because a fisherman left a campfire on the bridge.
The bridge, he said, is deemed historic because of metal trusses in the framework. A cement bridge was built parallel to Eichelberger for handling traffic. The older bridge is a popular spot to fish from, he said.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Police & crime
Looking for a dress, just in case
Reporter Erin Quinn hasn’t given up hope that she will receive an invitation to Jenna Bush’s wedding on Saturday (though you’d think RSVPs should be returned by now), so in her latest “In Like Quinn” video our intrepid reporter is hitting the bridal shops in search of a dress.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Around Central Texas
Flood advisory for Waco area
A slow-moving line of thunderstorms continues to drop moderate to heavy rain on the Waco area, bringing a National Weather Service flood advisory for the usual prospect of flooded intersections, underpasses, etc. Be careful driving today.
As of 11 am, Waco airport had reported 0.37 inches of rain. The gauge on the Trib roof has 0.6 inches, but since I don’t think it ever got emptied from last week’s rains, I don’t honestly know how much of that is from today — at least a tenth of an inch, though, since it was a bit under 0.5 inches when I looked around 9:30 am).
Here’s the NWS text:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED AN
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR… NORTHEASTERN BELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS SOUTH CENTRAL BOSQUE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS EASTERN CORYELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS EAST CENTRAL HAMILTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS WESTERN MCLENNAN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
UNTIL 145 PM CDT
AT 1049 AM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A LINE THUNDERSTORMS WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL FROM CRANFILLS GAP TO GATESVILLE TO TEMPLE.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS…HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY…COUNTRY ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. TURN AROUND…DONT DROWN.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Weather
Komen Race for the Cure pics galore
A lot of people braved the chilly winds downtown for Saturday morning’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and we have lots of shots on our Komen page of those folks, whether they were taking part in the run or cheering on family and friends.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines
Accident on northbound I-35
Trib reporter David Doerr reports that a car has been involved in a minor accident on the slick northbound I-35 lanes near the University-Parks Drive exit and it’s causing traffic to back up.
Be careful out there with the wet roads.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Traffic
ABC News does story on teen with cancer
We recently did a story about Kristin Elliott, a high school student in Katy battling a rare cancer who asked the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help her establish an AIDS orphanage in Zambia.
ABC News’ “World News” program has done a story on her as well. It did make an error, though, calling the orphanage Faith West Academy, which is actually Kristin’s high school in Katy.
Kristin hopes to attend Baylor like her older sister Mandy.
Kristin, a senior at Faith West Academy in Katy, Texas, has been battling a rare form of cancer for more than two years, a disease with only a 50 percent survival rate after five years.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Education, Nonprofit news
Indian politicians upset over Bush comments
Indian politicians have lambasted President Bush for saying the South Asian country’s increasing prosperity is partly to blame for the rising price of food around the world.
The defense minister called Bush’s comments a “cruel joke” and the Hindu nationalist opposition, the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, threatened today to force a parliamentary debate on the matter.
Bush, in comments that praised the growing prosperity of countries like India, said Friday that “when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food.
“And so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up,” Bush said.
That Bush was expressing a view held by many economists — and that he called India’s growing prosperity “good” — wasn’t addressed by the South Asian country’s indignant politicians.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: World news
Pics online from Mother-Daughter Spring Tea
With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend (hope that no one has forgotten), it was time for the annual Mother-Daughter Spring Tea on Sunday at the Carleen Bright Arboretum. We have photos like the one below from the event.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, This, that
UIL state tennis delayed by rain
We’re seeing at least drizzle here in Waco now and that’s also the case in Austin, reports Trib sports writer Brice Cherry, who says that the start of matches at the University Interscholastic League state tennis tournament has been delayed because of the weather.
“Looks like we’re in for a long day,” said Robinson tennis coach Jack Gregory, who has the boys doubles team of Tucker Mueck and Daniel Trayler in the Class 3A tournament at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center on the University of Texas campus. They were scheduled to play at 10:15 a.m., but since none of the 9 a.m. matches are under way, the match will no doubt be pushed back.
He wasn’t sure if matches at Lakeway World of Texas in Austin were similarly affected, but the light rain appears to be widespread. And with no wind or sun, it’s unlikely the courts will dry quickly, Cherry notes.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, High school sports
Myanmar dead now believed to be 4,000
A devastating cyclone in Myanmar now has a revised death toll of 3,939, which had previously reported 351.
Nearly 3,000 others are unaccounted for after a devastating cyclone in Myanmar, a state radio station said today.
Foreign Minister Nyan Win told foreign diplomats at a briefing that the death toll could reach 10,000, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was held behind closed doors.
Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit the Southeast Asian country, also known as Burma, early Saturday with winds of up to 120 mph, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
Here’s some general information on the country.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Weather, World news
Man wants to change name to ‘In God We Trust’
Here’s a interesting choice for a name change. Steve Kreuscher of Zion, Ill., wants a judge to allow him to legally change his name to “In God We Trust.”
Kreuscher says the new name would symbolize the help God gave him through tough times.
The 57-year-old man also told the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald he’s worried that atheists may succeed in removing the phrase “In God We Trust” from U.S. currency.
He recalls that the phrase “God Reigns” was removed from the Zion city seal in 1992 after courts deemed it unconstitutional. Zion was founded as a theocracy — by a sect that believed the Earth was flat.
The school bus driver and amateur artist in the northern Chicago suburb says he has filed a petition to change his name in Lake County Circuit Court.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Weird & wacky
Looking at Crawford, Jenna’s wedding
Last week we had our story about Crawford apparently not getting real worked up about Jenna Bush’s wedding in town this Saturday.
Today’s Dallas Morning News has a story in a similar vein about Crawford’s nonchalant approach to the big day.
We have a Brazos Living feature today about the hazards of outdoor weddings, tied to the Jenna Bush nuptials.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines
Rhode Island zoo to get 2 animals from Waco
Near the end of a story in today’s Providence Journal about the Roger Williams Park Zoo in that Rhode Island city losing two young giraffes is a note about some new arrivals coming, including two animals from our Cameron Park Zoo.
According to the story, a pair of Patagonian cavy, which are those large South American rodents that can grow up to 15 pounds, which will be coming in June.
The story mistakenly refers to them coming from the “Cameron Zoo” in Waco.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Around Central Texas
Another earthquake in Midwest
Residents are waking up to an earthquake in St. Louis County, Mo.
There are no reports of damage from the early morning temblor, and the Associated Press report didn’t include its magnitude. It struck about 6:25 a.m. in Fenton, which is in the central part of the state.
Last month, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake shook much of the Midwest. Its epicenter was near West Salem, Ill., near the Indiana border. More than two dozen aftershocks followed that quake, some registering 4.0 magnitude and higher.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, National news
Could be a wet Cinco de Mayo
Good morning, Waco. Today is May 5, which means it’s Cinco de Mayo, the holiday that commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
Here’s more information about it, compliments of Wikipedia.
It looks OK to start this morning, but forecasters are calling for a 90 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today, with the possibility of heavy rain.
The high should be around 75, with an east wind of 5 to 10 mph increasing to between 15 and 20 mph.
That 90 percent chance of rain continues into the evening hours.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Headlines, Weather
