Warnings and watches
A flash flood watch remains in effect through tomorrow morning for McLennan, Bell, Falls, Limestone, Hill and Bosque counties.
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News report: Truett’s David Garland is Baylor’s interim president
A local news report says David Garland, dean of Baylor University’s Truett Seminary, will be Baylor’s interim president.
Garland, contacted by the Tribune-Herald Tuesday night, denied he had been interviewed for the post and said Baylor regents had not voted to make him interim president.
He said any report about his becoming interim president is “premature.”
“Nobody’s talked to me about it,” he said.
Garland did say, however, that Baylor would likely make an announcement Wednesday about the post.
In its 10 p.m. broadcast, KXXV-TV, Channel 25, said its sources at Baylor stated Garland would be announced as interim president on Wednesday.
Baylor has been overseen by acting president Harold Cunningham, former regent chairman, since the board dismissed John Lilley as president earlier this summer.
According to a 2007 biography in the Associated Baptist Press, Garland came to Truett in 1997 after a 20-year career teaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He and wife, Diana, left that school after leaders there decided to close the school of social work, where Diana Garland was dean.
Diana Garland is now dean of the Baylor School of Social Work.
David Garland is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and a Navy veteran, the Associated Baptist Press bio says. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees from Southern Seminary and has done postgraduate work at universities in Germany and Australia.
The Garlands have two adult children and belong to Calvary Baptist Church in Waco.
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Power restored to 1,800 who lost it during the storms, officials say
Power has been restored for 1,800 Waco area residents who lost it during the storms earlier this evening.
Update: Waco firefighters have performed at least one high-water rescue due to flooding on Waco streets.
See photos from a high-water rescue, more city flooding
Firefighters tied a rope to a BMW that was submerged at least halfway in the 2000 block of Herring Avenue. A group of people trapped inside used the rope to walk to safety.
The Trib is getting reports that numerous streets are impassable due to high water.
Among streets reportedly underwater are Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Waco Drive and Herring Avenue.
A line of thunderstorms is pushing through Waco about 6:30 p.m., and the Trib is receiving scattered reports of power outages.
1,800 residents of Woodway and West Waco are out of power tonight, as Oncor spokesman Mike Cain says a circuit breaker in the area’s substation is out. Oncor crews are on the scene, he said.
Some streets are also reportedly beginning to flood as heavy rains fall in areas that got record rains Monday. The Trib is also getting reports of a possible water rescue underway in the 2000 block of Herring Avenue.
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Waco under flash flood warning
UPDATE 3: The flash flood warning for McLennan County has now been canceled.
UPDATE 2: Waco airport now at 3.67 inches so far today. The total for the month, by my reckoning, is 9.19 inches, making this the second wettest August on record for Waco (No. 1 is August 1914, with 9.98 inches). And there’s still 12 days to go for this August…
Morning breaking-news blogger Ken Sury reports 1.9 inches at his house in Woodway; the gauge on the Trib roof has 2.5 inches.
UPDATE: Waco Regional Airport is reporting 3.25 inches of rain in the last hour. The gauge on the Tribune-Herald roof has 2 inches of rain.
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Record rain again for Waco
Waco saw a second day of record rain, but the record’s not as impressive today. This morning’s rainfall of 0.41 inches at Waco Regional Airport broke the record of 0.29 inches set only four years ago.
There’s a pretty good chance that will be added to as a line of storms is just starting to move into McLennan County now:
Those storms have already sparked an urban and small streams flood advisory for Bosque County.
Yesterday saw 3.48 inches of rain, breaking the earlier record for the date of 3.04 inches, set in 1915.
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Council eases up on new trash rules proposal
Waco city staff proposals to change rules about trash collection drew a flood of concern from citizens today, and the city is answering by changing some of those plans.
The council was set to vote today on regulations for trash carts and alley Dumpsters. Instead, they decided to discuss the measures and delay a vote.
Under the new rules, residents would have had to put out their garbage carts no sooner than 6 p.m. the evening before pickup and bring them in no later than 6 p.m. the day after their collection day.
At this afternoon’s work session, Alice Rodriguez said she’d been hearing from constituents all day about the proposed rule changes — as had other city officials departments. And they were ready to pull back on some of the plans.
For instance, now the amended proposal will call for residents to put out their garbage carts no sooner than 6 a.m. the day before pickup and bring them in no later than 8 p.m. the day after collection.
Watch wacotrib.com for more on the trash talk and other issues before the council.
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Last alternate juror selected in Coble retrial
The second of two alternate jurors was selected this afternoon for the capital murder retrial of Billie Wayne Coble.
Testimony in the case has been set to begin Monday, 19 years after Coble shot and killed his estranged wife’s parents and her brother at their homes in Axtell.
Another alternate juror as picked earlier today. The 11th and 12th jurors for the case in Judge Matt Johnson’s 54th State District Court were picked Monday.
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Tropical Storm Fay — aka ‘The Joker’ — continues to astound
Tropical Storm Fay — dubbed “The Joker” by Weather Underground hurricane blogger Dr. Jeff Masters for its unpredictable behavior — continues to astound forecasters. Traditionally, storms weaken over land, but Fay has actually shown signs of strengthening since its landfall near Destin, Fla., as it crosses the Everglades, and it’s now expected to reach hurricane strength once it gets back out over open ocean tomorrow.
What happens after that it anyone’s guess. The current forecast track — and let me reiterate that even the National Hurricane Center itself is considering this forecast iffy — has high pressure to the north pushing Fay into a sharp U-turn, bringing it back into northeast Florida Thursday afternoon.
Where’s the Batman when you need him?
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MCC president Michaelis announces intention to retire
McLennan Community College president Dennis Michaelis announced today that he will retire next summer after more than 20 years at the helm of the school.
Michaelis is only the second president in MCC’s 42-year history, having succeeded Wilbur Ball in 1988.
Under Michaelis’ leadership, MCC’s enrollment has grown to more than 8,300 students, with a record enrollment of 8,547 in the spring 2005 semester.
As a result of the booming enrollment, the school’s campus is undergoing a major facelift, with several new buildings under construction, including a new, state-of-the-art science building, a classroom building and an emergency services training center.
The building projects are funded by a voter-approved $74.5 million bond issue.
Michaelis came to MCC from Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas, where he was president for five years. Prior to Paris Junior College, Michaelis was president at Colby Community College in Colby, Kan., for five years after holding a number of teaching positions.
“My career in higher education has been entirely dedicated to the community college philosophy,” Michaelis told the Highland Herald, MCC’s school newspaper, when he was hired in 1988. “The community college is America’s foremost contribution to the world of higher education.”
Michaelis will retire Aug. 31, 2009.
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Tossed can of beer KO’d Pat Green
Waco native Pat Green reportedly got cold-cocked by a cold beer during a performance last weekend after NASCAR’s Carfax 250 race at the Michigan International Speedway.
According to this story from the Jackson Citizen Patriot, late into Green’s show, he shouted, “Anyone got a beer?”
Someone from the audience tossed a can onto the stage, the story said. But then came another, which hit Green between the eyes and knocked the singer out.
He was treated by medical personnel at the track, but there’s no other update.
Boy, talk about needing to be careful what you ask for.
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Road closed in Robertson County
The Texas Department of Transportation has closed part of Farm-to-Market Road 46 south of Bremond because of water on the roadway.
Thornton police had reported earlier that several bridges were covered by water around its town as well as Groesbeck and Kosse, which has several roads and some houses flooded.
Farm-to-Market Road 339 near Groesbeck had water covering several stretches of the road, according to another report.
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Actress Applegate had double mastectomy
Actress Christina Applegate is taking the long view of her battle with breast cancer — the really long view.
Speaking on ABC News’ “Good Morning America” in her first interview since announcing her diagnosis earlier this month, the “Samantha Who?” star said she had a double mastectomy three weeks ago. She’ll undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months.
“I’m going to have cute boobs ‘til I’m 90, so there’s that,” she joked in the interview, which aired today. “I’ll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I’ll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table.”
The 36-year-old actress elected to remove both breasts even though the disease was contained in one breast. She said she is now cancer-free.
She said she’s starting a program to help women at high risk for breast cancer to meet the costs of an MRI, which is not always covered by insurance.
Applegate is scheduled to appear on a one-hour TV special, “Stand Up to Cancer,” to be aired on ABC, CBS and NBC on Sept. 5 to raise funds for cancer research.
— Associated Press
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Woman pleads guilty to stealing missing woman’s ID
A Montana woman has pleaded guilty to stealing the identify of a missing South Carolina woman to get into an Ivy League school.
Esther Elizabeth Reed pleaded guilty to fraud and identity theft charges today in federal court in Greenville.
The 30-year-old faces up to 47 years in prison and $1 million in fines for ID theft, mail fraud, wire fraud and loan fraud charges. A sentencing date was not set.
Reed was indicted last year for using Brooke Henson’s identity to get into Columbia University.
Prosecutors have said Reed juggled six false identities to attend California State University at Fullerton and Columbia. In 2004, she used Henson’s name to get student loans.
Investigators do not think Reed was involved with Henson’s 1999 disappearance.
— Associated Press
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Wholesale prices hit high annual rate
CNNMoney.com reports that wholesale prices increased in July to the highest annual rate in 27 years, according to a government report released today. That’s another indication of growing inflation.
The annual Producer Price Index for finished goods rose 9.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in July.
The jump in wholesale prices is the fastest rate of increase since a 10.4 percent bump-up in June 1981, according to Joseph Kowal, economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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First alternate juror picked for Coble trial
The first of two alternate jurors was selected this morning for the capital murder retrial of Billie Wayne Coble.
Testimony in the case has been set to begin Monday, 19 years after Coble shot and killed his estranged wife’s parents and her brother at their homes in Axtell.
One more alternate juror needs to be chosen to serve along with the woman picked this morning. The 11th and 12th jurors for the case in Judge Matt Johnson’s 54th State District Court were picked Monday.
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Tokio Store loses out on proposal
A proposal this morning that tried to solve a neighborhood dispute about traffic and noise outside the Tokio Store was shot down with a “no” vote by County Judge Jim Lewis.
The store last month lost its beer permit because of protests by area residents who claim the bar is a public nuisance, with loud music and rowdy patrons. They also say the traffic and parking situation around the bar is dangerous, with patrons frequently blocking the road with their vehicles.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Joe Mashek proposed abandoning a 55-by-240-foot section of Tokio Loop that runs in front of the store and allowing store owners Charles and Deborah Kirkpatrick to purchase that section and use it for parking.
The rest of Tokio Loop would be tied into adjacent Old Railroad Road, according to the proposal.
Commissioners Mashek, Ray Meadows and Lester Gibson voted in favor of the proposal (Wendall Crunk was absent), but Lewis voted against it, which killed the proposal because a state statute requires the vote be unanimous.
Lewis said he had safety concerns about a road that suddenly stopped and would have parked cars there.
Also during the meeting, patrol Sgt. Mylie Hudson read a letter of support for Sheriff Larry Lynch in response to negative publicity the sheriff received in recent weeks over county discussions about privatization of the jails.
Hudson touted improvement under Lynch’s watch as well as his honesty and integrity. The letter was signed by about 75 McLennan County Sheriff’s Office employees.
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Waco chef wins state honor
The Texas Chefs Association has awarded Mark R. Schneider of the Heart of Texas Chapter its highest honor of Texas Chef of the Year 2008, it was released in an e-mail this morning.
This award has been given each of the 50 years of the association’s history at the Annual Chef’s Convention. This year the convention site was Lubbock.
The e-mail notes that in order to win the chef of the year title, each of the 14 local chapters awards its own chef of the year and then the state board of directors makes their selection, through silent vote. Criteria for this award are chapter involvement, association state level dedication, and national American Culinary Federation participation. Chapter Chefs of the Year are then further separated by association by-laws. To be considered for state Chef of the Year, candidates must be in good standing and be certified by the national organization.
Schneider has served as the Heart of Texas director for two terms. The chapter serves the Waco, Temple, and Killeen area. The chapter sponsors national certification practicum and competitions that are housed at Texas State Technical College Culinary Arts Waco. It also holds biannual fundraiser dinners and their annual chili cook off.
Schneider is also a national culinary arts competitor. In the last three years he has earned four gold medals, four silver medals, and two bronze medals in various hot food and cold food competitions. In addition he has been awarded best in show in two of the competitions he has performed in and has also received the Bernard Urban Judges Award from Ben E. Keith Foodservice Distributors at its Fort Worth 2008 Competition.
Schneider is currently employed with Texas State Technical College Culinary Arts Waco. He has been employed with the college for six years and is proud to serve on the faculty senate and especially proud of all the graduating students from the culinary arts program.
“I am delighted to bring this prestigious award to TSTC and to show the students what can be accomplished with professional dedication,” said Schneider.
Schneider graduated from the Greater Cincinnati Culinary Arts Academy in 1993 with a one-year culinary arts diploma and from TSTC Waco with an Associate of Applied Science degree with Board of Regents (4.0) honors from Food Service/Culinary Arts. He is due to receive his bachelor’s degree of Applied Science in Business Administration in the summer of 2009.
He’s been cooking professionally 18 years for various restaurants, private clubs and hotels. He was certified by the American Culinary Federation as a Certified Executive Chef in 2002, Approved Certification Evaluator 2005 and Certified Culinary Educator in 2008.
Schneider lives in Waco with his wife, LeAnn, daughter Olivia, and son William, who “have allowed me the time and given me the support I needed to reach this point in my career.” He specializes in both hot food competitions and cold food salon competitions, but loves to cook Italian and Asian.
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Suicide attack at Algerian police academy kills 43
A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-rigged car into a police academy as recruits lined up to register for classes, killing at least 43 people. It was the deadliest attack in recent years in the North African country.
The Interior Ministry said 42 civilians and a police officer were killed in the attack early today in the town of Les Issers, some 35 miles east of the capital, Algiers, the state-run APS news agency said.
The blast ripped off parts of the policy academy’s roof, and damaged its facade. Photos transmitted by APS showed bodies wrapped in yellow plastic bags or blankets lying amid the rubble. Nearby houses and passing cars were also damaged.
— Associated Press
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Russian soldiers take prisoners at Georgian port
Russian soldiers took 20 Georgian troops prisoner at a key port in western Georgia on today, blindfolding them and holding them at gunpoint, and commandeered American Humvees awaiting shipment back to the United States.
The move came as a small column of Russian tanks and armored vehicles left the strategic Georgian city of Gori in the first sign of a Russian pullback of troops from Georgia after a cease-fire intended to end fighting that reignited Cold War tensions. The two countries today also exchanged prisoners captured during their brief war.
However, Russian soldiers took Georgian servicemen prisoner in Poti on the Black Sea and commandeered the U.S. Humvees. An Associated Press photographer saw Russian trucks and armored personnel carriers leaving the port with about 20 blindfolded and handcuffed men riding on them.
Port spokesman Eduard Mashevoriani said the men were Georgian soldiers.
— Associated Press
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Sanya Richards wins bronze in women’s 400
Sanya Richards, the former University of Texas track star who trains in Waco under coach Clyde Hart, won the bronze medal at today’s 400-meter women’s final in Beijing today.
Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain hit the tape in 49.62 seconds, ahead of Jamaica’s Sherica Williams (49.69) and Richards (49.93).
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Wariner wins his 400 semifinal
Former Baylor track star Jeremy Wariner won his 400-meter semifinal race at the Beijing Olympics today.
Wariner qualified for Thursday’s final with a time of 44.15 seconds, finishing ahead of Bahrain’s Christopher Brown, who was clocked at 44.59 seconds.
Wariner’s chief rival, U.S. teammate LaShawn Merritt, also won his semifinal, with a time of 44.12, slightly faster than Wariner.
They will be joined in the final by American David Neville, who placed second in his semifinal (44.91) behind France’s Leslie Djhone (44.79).
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Weather Service: Flooding in Falls County
Our Joe Weather tells us that the National Weather Service has reported there’s flash flooding around Marlin and about a foot of water covering the State Highway 6 and Farm-to-Market Road 46 intersection at the eastern edge of Falls County.
There’s also a report of water covering State Highway 14 at the Falls and Limestone county lines.
Be careful where water covers the roadways. It’s often hard to tell how deep the water is and it doesn’t take much depth to sweep a vehicle off the road.
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And off to the east, Fay soaks parts of Florida
Tropical Storm Fay moved inland today after making landfall in southwest Florida, bringing soaking rains and gusty winds but failing to reach the minimal hurricane status that had been predicted.
Streets were largely deserted in the early morning hours in Naples. Rain swept across desolate streets that were littered with palm fronds and other minor debris, and there was street flooding in spots but no immediate reports of storm surge damage.
Diana Eslick, an assistant manager at a 7-Eleven near the beach in Naples, said the storm hadn’t disrupted her morning at work.
“So far it’s going good. We have power and everything,” she said. “It’s just been windy and rainy.”
— Associated Press
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It’s thankfully another wet day
The forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of rain today, and it appears most of Waco has already seen early morning showers. The official rain gauge at Waco Regional Airport has recorded another 0.37 inches this morning.
Yesterday we saw a record high rainfall for the date of 3.48 inches.
My rain gauge in Woodway had less — 1.8 inches when I arrived home yesterday, but it had another four-tenths this morning before I left for work.
Thunderstorms are possible during the day and we should reach only 85 degrees for a high.
So much for any thoughts I entertained about holding soccer practice this evening
Tonight there’s a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms and some of the storms could produce heavy rain.
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Flash flood warning — record rainfall in Waco
UPDATE 2: The flash flood warning for McLennan County has now expired.
The rain total at Waco Regional Airport as of 6 pm was 3.39 inches, with rain still falling.
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Police identify four of five arrested in shooting
Four men are being held today at the McLennan County Jail in the Sunday evening drive-by shooting at the Central Texas Marketplace shopping center, which sent one man to the hospital.
Vicente Garcia, 23, of Bellmead, Daniel Hernandez Delacruz, 21, of Waco, Valente Jimenez Delacruz, 17, of Waco, and Jose Cruz Garcia, 18, of Bellmead, are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity - aggravated assault, police said. Each of their bonds is set at $25,000. All but Vicente Garcia are also being detained on an immigration hold, a jail spokeswoman said.
A 15-year-old man was also arrested in the shooting, said Waco police officer Steve Anderson.
At 7:40 p.m. Sunday, the department received several 9-1-1 calls from the West Loop 340 and Bagby Avenue shopping center about several men in a white Chevrolet pickup truck shooting at a white Pontiac Grand Am.
Witnesses told officers the vehicles were driving slowly near Kohl’s and the Zales outlet store, when the driver of the truck leaned out the window and shot at the car.
Witnesses reported three shots.
Police stopped the Pontiac at Bagby Avenue and Holly Vista where one of its occupants, Angel Oballe, had been shot in the left side of his face and lower right back. Oballe was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, where Anderson said he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Anderson did not know Oballe’s age, or where he is from.
The pickup was stopped at Loop 340 and West Waco Drive, where the five were arrested.
Anderson said today he was not aware of whether Oballe knew his alleged shooters.
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Wrecks slowing traffic on I-35
Highway authorities are working two accidents that have slowed Interstate 35 traffic.
Both accidents were reported within minutes of each other, about 3:15 p.m.
The first was a two-to-three car pile-up in the northbound lane at the 347 mile marker north of Bellmead, said a Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman. T