Area teams head deep into playoffs, Sports, 8A
Remember to thank a Veteran and Serviceman every day!
$1.00 Vol. 162, No. 19
coloradocountycitizen.com
32 pages, 3 inserts
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
SKULL CREEK AT THREE MONTHS
COLORADO RIVER at Columbus
BANKFULL
30
FLOOD
34
STAGE
23.67
FLOW
17759
Levels are as of 11:15 a.m. May 7, 2019.
As pollution continues...
NO END N SIGHT Pollution worst in county history BY VINCE LEIBOWITZ
Administration and police promptly react to student concerns
vince@coloradocountycitizen.com
LaCourse places at state
A Columbus High School senior medaled at the UIL State Academic Meet this weekend, 7A. APPLAUSE
Scholastic honors listed
Prom king and queen, honor rolls, and more can be found in this week’s Applause, 5A. AROUND THE COUNTY
Rabies clinic offered The Bernardo Volunteer Fire Department is offering a rabies clinic May 11, details in Around The County, 6A.
T
oday marks the three-month anniversary of the first incident of contamination at Skull Creek near Altair in south central Colorado County. What was initially a large, dark cloud of pollution migrating through the creek and killing fish in its wake has become a constant flow of smelly, black-as-ink, contamination running all the way in to the Colorado River. The situation at Skull Creek the greatest environmental calamity in the history of Colorado County, and has become a daily part of life for residents along the creek and county officials grappling with the pollution. In three months of investigating this incident, The Citizen has brought to light many previously unknown facts about both the contamination incident and Inland Environmental, the company alleged by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to be responsible for the contamination. This is a brief history of the incident since Feb 8., including new information The Citizen has learned during its investigation.
ARTS & LEISURE
publisher@coloradocountycitizen.com
Weimar Independent School District issued a parent alert Thursday at 7:28 p.m. via a mobile phone app that administration was made “aware of an individual that has made statements and threats toward the school.” “Students came forth with a concern and comments that were made and we are taking it seriously to ensure the safety of all students,” Superintendent Jon Wunderlich said late Thursday. “Praise goes to the kids who bring it forward and who speak up when something isn’t right. I’m hoping it is nothing and we can handle it. I take every one (threat) very seriously.”
■ WEIMAR, 7A
Law enforcement memorial ceremony next Wednesday
■ SKULL CREEK, 18A
Gedenke!
Gedenke! is set this weekend in Weimar. See Around Weimar for more info, 15A.
BY MICHELLE BANSE STOKES
2016 In 2016, The Texas Railroad Commission sealed a well on the Inland site belonging to Boundary Ventures. The commission sealed the well for failure to report the amount of discharges being made in to the well, which was a required condition of the well’s permit.
AROUND WEIMAR
Graphic by Orlando Rojo-Buendía
LCRA LAWSUIT, 18A The Lower Colorado River Authority has joined the state’s lawsuit against Inland Environmental over alleged water pollution at Skull Creek.
DSHS LOOKS AT TESTING, 7A After last week’s Citizen story, the state agency responsible for fishing advisories now says they are looking at water test results taken by TCEQ.
GAPS EXPOSED, 16A The state’s lead agencies for investigating fish kills and chemical spills have no protocol in place to notify the agency responsible for issuing fishing bans of their findings.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ Big weekend
Live Oak Art Center and Courtyard Wine Bar have a big weekend of exhibit openings and more planned. Read more in Arts & Leisure, 1B. ALSO INSIDE Amusements ........................................ 19A A Look Back ............................................ 3A Applause ................................................ 5A Around Columbus................................. 13A Around Eagle Lake ............................... 19A Around The County ................................. 6A Around Weimar ................................... 15A Arts & Leisure ......................................... 1B Church Page ........................................... 4B Classifieds .......................................20-22A Recipes .................................................. 5B Sports ...............................................8-10A Obituaries .............................................. 2A Police & Courts ....................................... 6B Viewpoints ............................................ 4A
Threats made to Weimar students, faculty
Special To The Citizen | Mary DiGiovanni
A truck blows smoke from its exhaust as it prepares to pull a tractor during the annual Thunder On The Colorado truck and tractor pull this weekend at the Colorado County Fairgrounds. The two-day event brings thousands of spectators to the fairgrounds.
COLUMBUS — Colorado County will conduct its annual law enforcement memorial ceremony next Wednesday afternoon, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. on the lawn of the Colorado County Courthouse in Columbus. The ceremony will be conducted in memory of the fallen and in honor of the peace officers and law enforcement of Colorado County. Citizens are invited to attend the ceremony on the west side of the Colorado County Courthouse on Wednesday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. to honor and show our appreciation and support for the Peace Officers and Law Enforcement Officials of Colorado County. The ceremony will include participants from the Colorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department, Weimar Police Department, Eagle Lake Police Department, and Colorado County EMS as well as local precinct constables. Potential attendees are reminded that, although the ceremony in previous years started
■ CEREMONY, 2A
Tornado, rains cause damage in county Severe weather hit the Colorado County area in a big way throughout the day Friday, spawning a tornado in Rayner Junction and flooding in Eagle Lake, as well as damage to buildings near Columbus. A tornado of unknown size touched down
Columbus Christian Center Pastor Neftali DeJesus and his family would love for you to join them for worship every Sunday at 10:30 am
LAGRANGEFORD.COM 800.375.6461 | 979.968.6461 1605 W. Travis St. | La Grange, Texas
979-732-2433 1503 Bowie Street, Columbus ColumbusChristianCenterTX@gmail.com www.ColumbusChristianCenter.org
near County Road 102 in the Rayner Junction Area south of Eagle Lake at 1:23 p.m. on Friday, according to a spokesperson for the National Weather Service’s Houston-Galveston office. A spokesperson for the Colorado County COUPON
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34
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Sheriff’s Office said some of the heaviest damage they were aware of was at a private residence along County Road 103 behind Robert J. Wells Airport, where a barn was damaged.
■ WEATHER, 2A
WINDSHIELD XPRESS AUTO GLASS
“Where quality makes the difference”
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P. O. Box 548 • 2024 Highway 71 • Columbus, TX 78934 • (979) 732-2304 • publisher@coloradocountycitizen.com