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Fisherman Spots Gator On Pickens Lake

It made for interesting water cooler conversation Monday morning - an alligator spotted at Herman Baker Park.  KTEN’s Katy Blakey joins us now where the animal is still on the loose.

No sightings so far Monday afternoon, but the animal is out there. A fisherman first spotted it. He didn’t come back with any fish, but he did come back with quite a story.

“I was out there throwing my leer in and pulling it back in,” said Sherman fisherman Damon Stewart. ”I heard something come up behind me but I didn’t think much of it. I threw my leer back out and again and went to roll it back in I turned around. And he lunged at my leg. I jumped out of the way and threw all my tackle down and went out to the point and he went into the water.”

“I heard something creeping up behind me. Didn’t know what it was so I threw my lure out there and reeled it back in. I turned around and when I did he was lunging. I dropped everything and ran out to the point.”

Damon Stewart’s fishing trip quickly ended when he came face-to-face with an alligator. When he got to work Monday, his co-workers didn’t believe him. But animal control backed up his story.  Crews came out to Pickens lake Sunday and they spotted the six-foot-long alligator chomping on a fish. The park was roped off as a precaution.

Police and Stewart don’t think the alligator would attack park visitors, but it could harm a small child. Monday night game wardens will be laying out traps, using chicken fish and maybe marsh mellows to bring the gator to the surface.

Stewart says he will return to the park to fish, but he won’t go into that marshy area again even if they do catch the alligator.

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Five tornadoes hit Roberts, Gray counties

Storm spawns tornadic activity, knocks out power

At least five tornadoes touched down Friday in Roberts and Gray counties, the National Weather Service in Amarillo said.

One motorist was injured and scores of people in Pampa and Lefors had their power knocked out.

“Based on what we saw on radar, we were not surprised we had five tornadoes,” said meteorologist John Cockrell.

One tractor-trailer driver caught in a E2 tornado – winds between 111 and 135 mph – southeast of Pampa – suffered a broken shoulder and damage to his truck. Cockrell said the trucker may have been traveling on Highway 60 when the tornado passed right over him. The tornado was estimated to have been a half-mile wide.

The NWS found one tornado was on the ground for up to 20 minutes, officials said. The tornado was a quarter-mile wide with winds ranging from 86 to 110 mph. It carved a path of about six miles stretching from two miles northwest of Lefors to about four miles southeast of the city, officials said.

Robert Hines of Lefors said he was driving toward Lefors on Spur 398 near the path of the tornado Friday when he watched wind push a pickup traveling ahead of him around the roadway. The wind was fierce.

“It was freaky,” he said. “Just sucking everything off the ground. All I hear was bang, bang.”

Something cracked his windshield, but he said otherwise he was unharmed.

Three other tornadoes touched down nearby. The first hit about 4:45 p.m. 13 miles west of Miami in Roberts County and was on the ground for about a minute.

The second landed about a minute after the first about 14 miles west-southwest of the city. It was on the ground for more than 10 minutes.

The third landed about four or five miles northeast of Pampa, stayed on the ground about eight minutes and covered about three miles.

Xcel Energy spokesman Wes Reeves said crews spent most of Saturday working to restore power to residents. By midday Saturday, about 500 customers were without power and Xcel reported about 50 poles east and south of Pampa were lost during the storm.

He said the company had called in more than 70 employees from Pampa, Borger, Amarillo, Hereford, Plainview and Lubbock to rebuild the damaged lines.

He said the infrastructure damage appeared to be caused by straight-line winds.

By the end of day, outages in Lefors and Pampa were estimated to be less than 50 and local crews were expected to work overnight to fix the rest of the outages.

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NORTH AMERICA’S TOP SHARK-ATTACK BEACHES

Stephen RegenoldMay 13, 2009
 

 LAUNCH SLIDESHOW

Where to swim at your own risk in North America

 

The year was 1916, and a hot July had delivered thousands of beachgoers to the Jersey Shore. Waves shrugged on the sand, and swimmers bobbed in their bloomers and caps, escaping the heat in the surf and swells of tepid Atlantic waters.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

 What happened next—beginning with a death on Long Beach Island—would forever alter America’s collective consciousness toward swimming in the sea: In an unprecedented 11 days, five major shark attacks took place along the Jersey Shore, four of which were fatal.

Reports cited blood turning the water red and sharks following victims toward the beach. Dorsal fins spiked from placid water. Appropriately, a media frenzy ensued. Patrol boats were deployed to kill sharks offshore. Some beaches installed wire mesh to sequester swimmers from anything big and toothy out beyond the break.

 America has never recovered. Indeed, the Jersey Shore attacks of 1916—though an anomaly never seen before or since—branded an image of sharks as monsters that has trickled now through several generations.

“The common public perception today of a shark is that of a man-eater,” said George Burgess, an ichthyologist at the University of Florida who maintains a database called the International Shark Attack File. “We have an innate fear for big predators and natural forces we can’t control.” But as Burgess and others point out, death by shark bite is extremely rare. Shark experts cite statistics to show you can swim and surf with nary a worry at almost any beach on the planet. You are not a seal. Sharks do not want to eat you.

Or do they?

The International Shark Attack File (ISAF), which relies on decades of data, cites more than 2,000 fatal encounters. At beaches like New Smyrna, the cold statistics can become frighteningly real. To date, 210 attacks have been reported there, and in 2007, three swimmers were bitten by sharks and hospitalized.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

 Despite the paranoia, millions of people each year surf and swim—literally—with the sharks.

 A top example is New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County, Fla., where Burgess said tiger and black-tip sharks thrive. “Most people who have swum in and around New Smyrna have been within 10 feet of a shark in their lifetime,” he said.

 In Northern California—where deep waters and seal populations draw great white sharks—surfers suit up at places like Stinson Beach to catch waves in a potentially deadly habitat. Patric Douglas, owner of Shark Diver, an ocean guiding outfit in San Francisco, calls Stinson “the granddaddy of all shark beaches.” He said, “It’s common to see 18-footers buzz by surfers bobbing in the waves.”

North America is home to dozens of beaches like New Smyrna where swimmers and sharks intermix, even though the humans may never know it. When the rare attack happens, Burgess said, it’s usually a predatory mistake. “In the surf zone, where many attacks happen, sharks need to make quick decisions,” he said. “Humans on surfboards—hands splashing, feet kicking—can trigger a shark to think there’s trouble or a wounded animal, and it looks like an easy meal.”

 With its thousands of miles of coastlines and millions of beachgoers, the United States sees more shark-human interaction than any other country. Search the ISAF database and you’ll find incidents at beaches from South Carolina to Oregon. There are so many reports, in fact, that California, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina and Texas each have dedicated sections in the ISAF.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

On the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, tiger and hammerhead sharks mix with dolphins and humpback whales. There are dozens of popular surf beaches there, including Velzyland Beach and the Leftovers Break to name two. Though untold thousands surf and swim there each year without incident, attacks do occur.

But according to Laleh Mohajerani, executive director of the shark conservation organization Iemanya Oceanica, sharks are not looking to interfere with humans in the water. Our shark-attack fears are irrational, she said. “You are more likely to be hit by lightning.”

 Indeed, there’s no arguing the numbers. Of the millions of people who enter the ocean each year, almost none are touched.

 But for most people, fiery emotions override even the coldest numbers. A single scary story—be it on the news or in an effects-heavy Hollywood production—will destroy the efforts of hundreds of scientists trying to communicate on research and logic.

From Hawaii to the Caribbean, there are 10 beaches among the most infamous for sharks on the planet. Take a dip if you dare.

See our slideshow of North America’s Shark-Attack Beaches.

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Pit bulls attack door-to-door salesman

Posted On: Thursday, May. 7 2009 06:10 AM

By Victor O’Brien
Killeen Daily Herald

Killeen Animal Control quarantined three pit bulls Tuesday after they attacked a door-to-door salesman.

Lillian Bruner, 11, heard loud screams and dogs barking when she was reading outside about 7 p.m. Three white pit bulls attacked and bit a door-to-door security systems salesman in the leg near her grandfather’s home on Shawn and Greenlee drives, Lillian said.

The bite drew blood and left deep bite marks near the victim’s ankle. Lillian ran inside, and yelled for her aunt to get a gun and call 911.

Anne-Marie Bruner, Lillian’s mother, drove up to the scene and helped the man, who was in shock, she said.

The pit bulls then ran after her while she helped the man. They stopped when she turned the corner to bring the man to the house of her father, Bill Kingston.

Killeen police arrived about 45 minutes later and boarded over a hole in the fence that allowed the dogs to escape from their home, Anne-Marie said.

“At that point, it was just kind of surreal,” she said.

The victim declined to be transported by paramedics, opting to have his own doctor provide care and a tetanus shot, said Carroll Smith, Killeen police spokeswoman.

The animals were detained and quarantined by Killeen Animal Control Wednesday night. Smith said a process was in the early stages to have the animals declared vicious or dangerous animals. If declared so, the pit bulls could be euthanized or their owners have heavy fines and regulations placed on the animals.

The pit bulls have been a constant nuisance to the neighborhood, escaping from their fence frequently, Kingston said. The pit bulls cornered him outside his truck one morning in December.

“I honestly feared for my life that morning. They had my back to my pickup,” he said.

Barking from his neighbor’s dogs distracted the pit bulls and allowed Kingston to escape. Now, he carries a golf club for protection.

He called Animal Control that morning, but it was unable to remove the pit bulls because he was not attacked.

The dogs cornered Kingston again just before Christmas. He fought them off with a golf club and called the police. The dogs returned to their yard and were not detained, he said.

Kingston believes city ordinances should allow dogs to be removed before they bite someone, but understands the current laws kept police from taking action that could have prevented Tuesday’s attack.

“I feel these dogs ought to be put down with no question, especially now with a serious bite. I’m glad they’re gone. I’m sorry somebody had to get bit,” Kingston said.

Smith said more information would be available on the animals once the case is processed further through Animal Control.

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND – A 17-year-old San Benito boy is dead, after drowning on South Padre Island.

Police say Matthew Cantu was swimming with a friend, when the two got caught in a rip current.

The other teen made it to shore, but Cantu vanished.

The U.S. Coast Guard searched for two hours after he was reported missing. His body was found two miles north of where he was last seen.

“It’s devastating.  That’s something we learn to deal with. We come across this a lot during Spring Break and the summer months. It’s very unfortunate that it happens, but it does happen,” says Captain Gary Wilburn of the South Padre Island Fire Department.

Officials tell NEWSCHANNEL 5 Cantu had been missing for 30 minutes before they recieved the emergency call. They say the best advice is to call immediately when someone goes missing in the water, because it only takes a few minutes to drown.

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Coach among injured in Cowboys’ roof collapse

By DAVID JIMENEZ and JAIME ARON Associated Press Writers © 2009 The Associated Press

IRVING, Texas — Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was among 12 people injured when winds just shy of tornado strength ripped through the roof of the team’s indoor practice facility during a rookie minicamp Saturday.

The storm hit while 27 players were going through workouts. There were about 70 people in the facility, counting coaches, other team personnel and media, officials said.

Ten of the injured were taken by emergency vehicles. Two others went to hospitals on their own.

“This worked out very, very well from a medical point of view,” said Dr. Paul Pepe, head of emergency medical services for Dallas County. “Right now, I think we don’t have anybody who is in a life-threatening situation.”

The white, tent-like building is large enough to be seen from miles away. It was built in 2003, for Bill Parcells’ first season as coach.

Storms often make loud noises inside the so-called bubble, but this time overhead lights swayed violently. One of the team’s video staff was the first out the door, followed by Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com. Eatman was hit by something and went down a few feet away, then heard someone screaming for help. He recognized it was Todd Archer of The Dallas Morning News.

Eatman and colleague Josh Ellis tried freeing Archer but the structure wouldn’t budge. “It was like a car,” Eatman said. Then safety DeAngelo Smith and linebacker Brandon Williams were able to get it up just enough for Archer to squirm out.

“All I saw was blue jerseys,” said Archer, whose right elbow and legs were scraped. “I was trapped, I couldn’t move. Then those guys lifted it up — not very far, but I was able to move from my side to my back. … Once I got out of there, I looked back and the whole thing was down.”

Archer said that as he fled for shelter, other players appeared to be stepping through the debris looking for others in need of help.

Eatman said one of the swaying lights wound up more than two football fields away. The giant blue star atop the building lay crumpled on the ground. The storm knocked out power at team headquarters and splintered trees across the property.

Larry Rodriguez, a local television cameraman who was in the news several years ago after he was attacked by Kenny Rogers while filming the former Texas Rangers pitcher, was treated with six stitches for a cut on a hand.

“We checked and we can’t find any other damage than this particular location,” said David Tull, an Irving police spokesman. “The nearby area didn’t have any reports of structural damage.”

Names and details of their injuries were not released due to privacy issues. DeCamillis was seen being removed on a stretcher wearing a neck brace.

“I saw it coming down and didn’t have time to react,” secondary coach Dave Campo said. “I hit the ground and was able to get back up.”

The storm was producing winds measured at 64 mph just before it struck the Cowboys facility, said National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Harris in Fort Worth. A weak tornado is in the range of 65-110 mph, according to NWS guidelines. Power was knocked out for less than an hour.

“We’re lucky no one got electrocuted with all the water in the building,” head coach Wade Phillips said. “A couple of players had minor injuries, but they were all right.”

This was the second of three scheduled days of practices, but Sunday’s session has been canceled.

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Riptides present danger at beaches

Don’t fight the tide

We may have lakes in North Texas but really big swimming holes require a trip to Florida or California, or a drive to the Texas Gulf Coast. With summer not far off, beach vacationers should keep in mind that ocean rip currents are dangerous and can be life threatening even for expert swimmers. Average rip tide speeds move at 1-2 feet per second; some even faster. Tips that could save your life:

Never struggle against the rip current. Try to be calm and conserve energy.

Swim out of the current following the shoreline, then when free, swim at an angle away from the current and toward shore.

If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim toward shore.

If you are unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help.

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Tornado hit eastern Williamson County

By Claire Osborn | Monday, April 27, 2009, 05:40 PM

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado hit eastern Williamson County early this morning, damaging more than 20 structures near Jonah.

There were no injuries reported. The tornado had winds of 85 to 95 mph, said Steve Smart, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

It formed three miles west-southwest of Jonah and moved northeast, dissipating about one mile west of Jonah along Texas 29, Smart said. The tornado had a two-mile path and was 50 yards wide, he said.

It was classified as an F1 tornado, which is the weakest category.

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Watch live! … tornado chasers hunt for storms in Oklahoma

Reported by: ABC15.com staff  Last Update: 6:13 pm

Tornado activity is picking up in Western Oklahoma and southern Kansas according to the National Weather Service.

You can follow the action with our storm chasers all day long from the comfort of your computer.

Live video on an interactive map … check out our new Tornado Alley section and watch the chase live.  

Today’s severe-weather forecast calls for the ’ramping up’ of severe weather over the western half of Oklahoma and neighboring slices of Kansas and Texas.   

A much broader area labeled “slight risk” covers a large swath of the Midwest from the Texas Panhandle to Michigan, including Kansas City and Chicago.

Our interactive map always updates as the storms and the chasers move about Tornado Alley.  Click on any chaser’s vehicle to watch a live video stream.

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Pizza Hut files suit over sinkhole

The Times/LUCY SCHALY The Pizza Hut restaurant in East Rochester is suing the owners of the Evergreen Restaurant over the sinkhole, which is growing where the Evergreen used to be.

Published: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:08 PM EDT

Bill Vidonic, Times Staff

BEAVER — The operator of the Pizza Hut restaurant in East Rochester says in a lawsuit that the restaurant could close if a growing sinkhole isn’t fixed soon.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Beaver County Court, seeks more than $25,000 in damages from the owners of the former Evergreen Restaurant in East Rochester, Argyrios and Stella A. Apostolis, and demands that they fix the sinkhole next to Pizza Hut.

Earlier this month, the state Department of Environmental Protection said it would take over efforts to fix the sinkhole, a process that could cost up to $5 million.

Aurora Huts, based in Texas, leases and operates the East Rochester Pizza Hut at 810 Route 65. The Apostolises operated the Evergreen at the adjoining property, 816 Route 65.

According to the lawsuit, a 10-foot culvert ran directly beneath the Evergreen, part of a privately owned storm-water drainage system that carried water from properties by the Riverview Plaza under Route 65 and into the Ohio River.

The culvert under the Evergreen collapsed or became clogged in 2007, and a sinkhole developed alongside the Evergreen.

According to the lawsuit, written by Pittsburgh attorney Beth A. Slagle, Argyrios Apostolis tried to fill the sinkhole with gravel and other debris between August and September 2007.

The Apostolises closed their restaurant in September 2007, as the sinkhole grew beside and beneath the restaurant. As the building collapsed, according to the suit, the additional debris caused further damage to the culvert, allowing the sinkhole to get bigger. The building was condemned and demolished in January 2008.

The Apostolises reopened the Evergreen in Chippewa Township last year.

The suit estimates the sinkhole as now being 80 feet deep and about 140 feet wide, and Pizza Hut says that a “significant portion” of its adjoining property is unstable and unusable. Portions of the property are barricaded to keep customers away.

According to the suit, the pizza restaurant has lost business, and if the sinkhole continues to grow, it might be shut down and the building abandoned.

The lawsuit accuses the Apostolises, along with their business corporation, Tria Adelphia Inc., of negligence and trespass.

Argyrios Apostolis said Wednesday that trying to fill what was initially a small hole didn’t create additional problems.

“These guys don’t know what they’re talking about,” he said. “This is not my fault. I lost my business, I lost my property.”

He added, “I lost everything. I don’t have any money. Pizza Hut, they do a good job, but they should look a little bit further than to look at one individual.”

Earlier this month, Beaver County Emergency Services Director Wes Hill said that initial work to fix the sinkhole and unclog the culvert would cost $1 million. To fix the entire drainage system under the shopping plaza would cost an additional $4 million or $5 million.

At the same time, state Sen. Elder Vogel Jr., R-47, New Sewickley Township, said that he, state Rep. Jim Marshall, R-14, Big Beaver, and the DEP were working to find $1 million in funding to begin repair work.

One of the Apostolises’ attorneys, Beverly Block of Pittsburgh, said Wednesday that she hoped to soon file paperwork in Beaver County Court outlining her clients’ position on who is responsible for the sinkhole and its repairs.

As to the Pizza Hut suit, Argyrios Apostolis said, “I tell them what everybody tells me: Good luck.”