OCTOBER 19, 2006
PHI AIR MEDICAL PICK UP ASSAULT VICTIM IN RIVER PLANTATION
OCTOBER 19, 2007
DOUBLE STABBING STONEBRIDGE
OCTOBER 19, 2007
US HOLCOMB FUNERAL
OCTOBER 19, 2013
HOUSTON COACH BUM PHILLIPS REMEMBERED
Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips was one of the winningest coaches in history. He coached the Houston Oilers from 1976 to 1981 and twice in consecutive years brought the Oilers to the playoffs only to lose both times to the Steelers. But the fans still loved him. After the last run at the championship, the bus left the airport and arrived at the Houston Astrodome. The stands were full of cheering fans there to welcome the team home.
Phillips had talked with his family who also lives on the ranch near Goliad, Texas close to 8 p.m. on Friday. His son-in-law said they then left so Phillips’s wife Debbie could spend some time with him. He passed away just after 8:30 p,m.
News around the nation broke with the story just after 10 pm.
Saturday, former tight end and dear friend of Phillips talked about the life of Phillips and some of the memories. Barber said, “nothing is really lost if you really know where it is and Bum got his heart right a number of years ago with the Lord and truly lived a very strong Christian life the last 12 or 13 years so he won his best most important game, the game of life”.
Barber, who had been at Phillips bedside for the past three weeks said he and the players owe him. He was our best friend.
Barber remembers his rookie year when he really screwed up, he said, “Bum was up in the tower where he always was, he saw him climbing down and heading my way, I dug my cleats cause I knew I was getting a butt chewing. All he did is walked up to me, using his thumb and index finger he picked at my jersey and told me he wasn’t much of a coach if he couldn’t get all that athletic ability out of me. He then turned around and walked away.”
Barber, who also founded Barber Prison Ministries said he and Bum visited many prisoners over the years and made so many new friends that it could fill Reliant Stadium.
OCTOBER 19, 2015
OLD HIGHWAY 105 FATAL CRASH
Thomas Lavora, 17, of Conroe was pronounced dead on the scene of a single-vehicle crash in East Montgomery County Monday night.
Around 9 p.m., authorities say the victim was eastbound on Old Highway 105 E. near Faulkner Rd. in a Chevy Cobalt when he lost control of the vehicle. The car first traveled through a ditch on the south side of the highway beside the railroad tracks, before going airborne and rolling multiple times. The car continued between two trees, striking both of them, and coming to rest on the driver’s side, facing west, just beyond those trees. The driver was partially ejected and beyond help.
The crash left a large debris field, with some hanging approximately 30 feet high in surrounding trees. The vehicle left marks on a tree approximately 10 feet off the ground.
Lavora was pronounced dead at 9:36 p.m. by Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace James Metts who conducted an inquest and called for Eickenhorst Funeral Directors to transport the victim to Montgomery County Forensic Services for autopsy.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash.
OCTOBER 19, 2015
WALKER COUNTY WILDFIRE
Over twenty fire department s responded Monday afternoon to a wildfire in north Walker County. The fire started after a trailer of hay being pulled down 980 had a mechanical failure which caused the tires to catch fire. This then spread to the load of hay which ignited the grass on the side of the road. From there conditions were just right, low humidity, winds, and dry fuel to increase the blaze quickly. Over 700 acres were burned by late Monday night.
As crews responded to the staging point at the Northside Baptist Church on FM 980 volunteers poured in with snacks and water for the firefighters. Lone Star Task Force, a search and rescue team from Conroe transported a truckload of bottled water to the scene.
Helicopters found any pond or pool possible for water and dropped water at many locations along with the fire with extreme precision. In one instance a fire broke loose next to the command post. Before crews could get to it, two helicopters made drops on it. One of those drops included getting the fire and a Houston news photographer.
As dark set in and air support was lost crews went to work on a section of the fire as it neared a subdivision and the Trinity River Authority Water Plant. With an all out effort, they stopped it.
Tuesday morning some crews remain including the Texas Forest Service as they hit spot fires.
Texas Forest Service damage assessment teams are in place looking at a damage total as some structures were damaged.
The dry weather continues for the next few days as rain is forecast for Thursday. During this time is likely to fire departments will be once again be running multiple fires.
OCTOBER 19, 2018
PLANE DOWN IN PINEHURST
Just after 11 am a Piper Cherorokkk Warrior single-engine aircraft developed engine trouble while on a training flight. The aircraft had been up about 2-hours after leaving David Wayne Hooks Airport in Tomball. The instructor, Matt Duggan, spotted along the muddy road just off Goodson Loop and SH 249, lined by a barbed-wire fence and decided to attempt a landing. The wing just mere feet from the fence as the aircraft landed without any damage. The student, Laura Bigler, said she has been in the air since 10-years-old and wasn’t scared at all. Mechanics responded to the scene and we’re going to try to do a repair. It is believed to possibly been carburetor icing that caused the issue. The FAA, Magnolia Fire, and MCSO responded to the scene.
Carb ice forms because the pressure drop in the venturi causes the air to “cool,” and draw heat away from the surrounding metal of the carburetor venturi. Ice then can begin collecting on the cooled carburetor throat. This is the same principle that makes your refrigerator or air conditioner work.
Meanwhile, fuel being drawn through the fuel discharge nozzle into the airflow atomizes into very fine droplets that evaporate easily. When the fuel changes from a finely atomized liquid to a vapor it, too, cools—stripping more heat from the surrounding metal.
The result is that the carburetor’s internal temperature may drop below freezing, even on a warm day. If the ambient air contains sufficient moisture (which can be the case even in seemingly dry air), frost (carburetor ice) can form on the inside of the carburetor.
OCTOBER 19, 2020
JOES ITALIAN FEEDS 500 FOR A TOTAL OF 50,000 MEALS
When the COVID started and restaurants closed and were cut back Joe with Joe’s Italian Restaurant on North Frazier in Conroe kept all his employees on. They went to drive up service and several delivery options. With a large amount of food he had and some of his vendors with food that would not be selling Joe bought it up. He started with free meals for First Responders, then nurses, then entire hospital staff but he still wasn’t satisfied. Conroe has helped his business since 2006 when he accidentally ran up on Conroe while heading to Beaumont. He loved the city and found a building and opened up. Today with many local officials on hand and his entire staff Joe served just over 5,000 free meals to anyone who could drive up. A few people insisted on giving a small donation. Joe said the meals were free so those donations he gave his employees as a tip. District Attorney Brett Ligon, Judge Phil Grant, and Wanye Mack, Constable Phil Cash, Gene DeForest, and Chris Jones, County Attorney Robert Walker, and many others volunteered their time to help serve. Joe’s crews started cooking just after 9 pm when they closed. All night food was cooked. Over 40 cases of chicken, cases upon cases of heavy cream, pasta, salad, and bread. At 10:30 this morning they started to serve. It continued to just before 2 pm when the last car drove up. During the noon hour, vehicles have lined both directions on waiting to get in, however, the lines moved quickly. After today’s 5,000 meals Joe has served a total of just over 50,000 free meals.
