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Friday * July 3, 2009

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NEWS: Beacon Deadline is 10 a.m. Mondays. / Email editor@palaciosbeacon.com

· TWO DRIVERS KILLED IN 2-VEHICLE ACCIDENT MONDAY ON FM 1862
· HOISTING THE FLAG FOR PALACIOS’ CENTENNIAL WEEK CELEBRATION
· ‘SHOP AT HOME’ PROGRAM AT PALACIOS CofC MEETING THURSDAY
· JACKSON COUNTY ESD #2 MEETS MONDAY AT CARANCAHUA VFD
· BILL TO EXPAND MCND #1 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SIGNED BY GOV.
· OPENING CEREMONY HELD FOR NEW BRIDGE SPAN AT MATAGORDA
· DPS CAUTIONS MOTORISTS TO TAKE ‘CARE’ OVER JULY 4TH HOLIDAY
· SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT’S UNIT 2 REACHES 20-YEAR MILESTONE
· PALACIOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISITORS’ GUIDE HOT OFF THE PRESS
· SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEEKING INFORMATON ON PALACIOS CEMETERY VANDALISM
· MCSO NARCOTICS OFFICERS SEIZE 50-LBS. OF MARIJUANA; ONE ARRESTED


TWO DRIVERS KILLED IN 2-VEHICLE ACCIDENT MONDAY ON FM 1862

Two people were killed in a near head-on collision on FM 1862 just north of Hwy. 35 in Jackson County at around 5 p.m. Monday (June 29).

Pronounced dead at the scene, according DPS Senior Trooper Gary Pflughaupt, were Larry James Erdelt, 63, of County Rd. 312, Palacios and Joseph W. Mielsch, 21 of Bay City.

Both men were driving 2007 GMC pickup trucks. There were no other occupants in either vehicle.

According to Trooper Pflughaupt, Erdelt was southbound on FM 1862 about 3.1-miles north of Hwy. 35 and Mielsch was traveling southbound on FM 1862. The accident occurred after one of the vehicles crossed over into the other lane with the left front of both vehicles colliding.

The two drivers, both of whom had been wearing seatbelts, were pronounced dead at the scene at by Jackson County Justice of the Peace Dwayne Taylor.

The accident was investigated by DPS Trooper Evan Nazareno based in Edna.



HOISTING THE FLAG FOR PALACIOS’ CENTENNIAL WEEK CELEBRATION

A FLAG raising ceremony to mark the start of the Palacios Centennial Week was held Sunday morning at the South Bay Park pavilion flag pole. The U.S. Flag had flown over the U.S. Capitol and was donated by John Toellner. Taking part in the ceremony were (l-r) Councilman Bert West, John Toellner, Mayor Joe Morton and Larry Griffin. (Beacon Photo by Nick West)




‘SHOP AT HOME’ PROGRAM AT PALACIOS CofC MEETING THURSDAY

JoAnne Estopinal, chairman of the Merchants Committee, will outline the committee’s forthcoming “Shop At Home” promotions at the Thursday (July 2) membership luncheon of the Palacios Chamber of Commerce.

The luncheon, open to public, begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Palacios Recreation Center. Those intending to eat the catered meal ($9 per person) are asked to call the Chamber office, 982-2615, by 12-noon Wednesday.



JACKSON COUNTY ESD #2 MEETS MONDAY AT CARANCAHUA VFD

The Jackson County ESD #2 will meet at 7 p.m. Monday (July 6) at the Carancahua Comunity VFD fire station. All interested persons are invited to attend and can address the board during ‘citizen comments’ portion of the meeting.


BILL TO EXPAND MCND #1 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS SIGNED BY GOV.

It’s official! Governor Rick Perry has signed into law the State Legislature bill that will add two more chairs to the Board of Commissioners for Matagorda County Navigation District (MCND) #1, effective with the November 2010 election.

Gov. Perry signed the bill (SB 2480) on June 19. The bill, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Kent Hegar and a companion bill sponsored in the House by State Rep. Randy Weber, had cleared the Legislature with no objections.

Three positions for what will become a five-member Board of Commissioners will be on the 2010 ballot, one for a four-year term and two for six year terms. After 2010, all future elections will for six year terms.



OPENING CEREMONY HELD FOR NEW BRIDGE SPAN AT MATAGORDA


HUNDREDS of people turned out last Wednesday (June 24) in Matagorda for the dedication and official opening for the massive span bridge over the Intercoastal Canal. Lifelong Matagorda residents Davant Sterry, 90, Alyne Cox, 92, and Geraldyne Havard, 93, had the honor of cutting the ribbon and were joined by Matagorda County Judge Nate McDonald. Following the ceremony, the public had the opportunity to walk across the bridge while Judge McDonald was given the honor of being first to drive over it. (Beacon Photos by Nick West)



DPS CAUTIONS MOTORISTS TO TAKE ‘CARE’ OVER JULY 4TH HOLIDAY

Make this Fourth of July holiday as safe as possible. Celebrating our nation’s birthday is exciting, but motorists who choose to consume alcohol, speed and disregard traffic laws may find themselves talking to a State Trooper.

Troopers of the Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) will be patrolling Texas roadways targeting speeders, drunk drivers and seat belt violators during the Fourth of July holiday period.

The DPS will be conducting two special emphasis programs to ensure public safety: Operation Holiday and Operation CARE from Thursday through Sunday (July 3-5).

Operation Holiday allows the assignment of other departmental uniformed personnel from the Driver License Division to supplement Highway Patrol traffic enforcement. Operation Holiday is a nationwide campaign by state police agencies to reduce fatalities during holiday periods.

“The summer months are generally when we see the most alcohol-related fatalities in Texas,” said Senior Highway Patrol Trooper Gary Pflughaupt. “A number of crashes can be avoided by using common sense and practicing safe driving.”

Here are some driving tips DPS recommends for travelers during the holiday weekend:
•Do not drink and drive; rather, find a designated driver.
•Have everyone in the vehicle properly secured, either with a safety belt or in an appropriate car seat or booster. Remember, “Click It or Ticket.”
•For long trips, have the car checked to make sure it is roadworthy.
•Slow down, especially if weather and road conditions do not allow for the designated speed limit.
•Save your phone calls for home or find a safe place to pull over to place or answer mobile calls.
•Be polite and courteous while driving.



SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT’S UNIT 2 REACHES 20-YEAR MILESTONE

Unit 2 of the South Texas Project (STP) nuclear power plant reached 20 years of clean, safe, and reliable commercial operation on June 19.

The state-of-the-art facility – one of the youngest among the nation’s 104 commercial reactors -- has produced a total of 178 billion kilowatt-hours of carbon-free energy, enough to power approximately 650,000 homes annually for two decades.

STP Unit 2 has established several national and industry production records. It first became the highest-producing reactor in the U.S. in 1992, and consistently ranks in the top three nationally. It led the country and ranked third among all 439 reactors worldwide in electrical generation in 2006.

For five consecutive years, the plant has produced more energy than any other two-unit nuclear facility in the country.

“Our commitment is to provide clean, safe, and reliable energy to millions of Texans every day,” said STP Nuclear Operating Company Chief Nuclear Officer Ed Halpin. “For two decades, our two units have achieved high levels of safety and reliability while keeping production costs low.”

The baseload facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During the past three years (2006-2008), STP led all multi-unit sites in the country with a net capacity factor – a measure of reliability – of 98.87 percent. By comparison, solar energy has an average capacity factor of 20 percent and wind energy maintains an average capacity factor of 30 percent.

Unit 2 produced two breaker-to-breaker production runs by operating continuously between refuelings, which are about 18 months apart. Unit 2 completed its first breaker-to-breaker run on March 26, 2007 and its second on Oct. 5, 2008.

The two breaker-to-breaker runs, combined with two intervening ones by STP Unit 1, have set an all-time record in the industry’s 50-year history. Unit 1 reached its twentieth operational anniversary on Aug. 25, 2008.

“Our state’s economy depends on energy,” said Halpin. “We believe nuclear energy will play a critical role in securing our state’s long-term energy future. Nuclear energy is not only our nation’s largest source of carbon-free energy, it is also the most efficient form of generation available – operating day and night throughout the year to serve that steady base of growing demand that’s always there.”

Earlier this year, STP achieved a Total Industrial Safety Accident Rate of 0.0 (based on 18-month average) and is now in the top 10- percent of all U.S. nuclear power plants for personal safety.




PALACIOS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISITORS’ GUIDE HOT OFF THE PRESS

THE Palacios Chamber of Commerce’s first Visitors’ Guide in many years will officially be unveiled July 2 at the CofC membership meeting. Members of the CofC Visitors’ Guide Committee (seated l-r) Peggy Hafernick and Jessica Jackowski, along with CofC secretary Patsy Gibson looked through the 28-page guide after it was delivered fresh off the presses last week. Other members of the Visitor Guide Committee included Linda Parker, Ann Cooper, Gayle Ayers, Edith Gower and Jan Pierce. Most of the photos in the Guide were taken by Parker and many of the articles written by Hafernick. The Guide will be available at the Chamber office as well as many CofC businesses. (Beacon Photo by Mary West)




SHERIFF'S OFFICE SEEKING INFORMATON ON PALACIOS CEMETERY VANDALISM

THE Matagorda County Sheriff's Dept. is seeking the public's help in identifiying the individuals responsible for vandalism at Palacios Cemetery between June 20-21. More than two dozen granite and marble headstones and monument markers were toppled, and some broken, in one section of the cemetery. Anyone having any information regarding this crime, please contact Sgt. Pruitt at 979-245-5526 or Crime Stopper’s at 1-800-299-BUST (2878). You may be eligible for a Crime Stopper’s Reward up to $1,000 if your information helps solve this crime. (Beacon Photos by Nick West)




MCSO NARCOTICS OFFICERS SEIZE 50-LBS. OF MARIJUANA; ONE ARRESTED

Officers arrested one individual and seized 50-lbs. of marijuana at a residence in El Dorado Subdivision last Friday (June 26).

Arrested and charged with Felony Possession of Marijuana was Myra Lopez, 32, of Markham. He was released from jail after posting a $100,000 bond.

According to the MCSO, the marijuana was transported from the Valley to be distributed in Matagorda and surrounding areas. Also seized was $8,146 and a weapon.

“This is the largest amount of marijuana seized in Matagorda County in several years,” said Lt. Frank Craft.

“This lengthy investigation has been on-going for several months and more arrests are expected,” Capt. Richard Rooth said.

“The Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division has been working hard this year to combat our drug problem," Sheriff Gary Mathis said. "This arrest and seizure has kept about $30,000 worth of drugs off the streets of Matagorda County.”




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