New Firefighters for SAFD

Nine San Angelo Fire Department cadets kicked off the holiday weekend by graduating from the academy. The new firefighters went through 14 months of training, during which they underwent the equivalent of four years of college paramedic training in 10 months at Howard College, passed a national registry exam to earn emergency medical technician and paramedic certifications, attended fire school to learn proper emergency responses, and were taught basics of driving fire apparatus. Fire Chief Brian Dunn said the graduates are eager to begin serving the public, and we’re eager to have their help. The graduates will initially be assigned to Fire Station No. 1 downtown. While at “central fire,” they will receive additional fire training, intensive supervision and valuable experience before being assigned to one of the SAFD’s seven substations.

Memorial Day Closures and Observances

Most City offices will be closed today in San Angelo, in observance of Memorial Day. City offices will reopen at 8 a.m. tomorrow. There will be no interruption of garbage collection or landfill operations today, although the offices of Republic Services, which provides both services under a contract with the City, will be closed.


The Public Information Office of San Angelo released the following notice regarding today's Memorial Day activities: "Because of the weather and the condition of the parade grounds, Fort Concho's Memorial Day activities today will be moved into the fort's Commissary Building."


At Fort Concho, exercises to honor the nation's military who have made the ultimate sacrifice will be conducted at 9 a.m. in th fort's Commissary Building. The guest speaker will be Brian Campbell, a retired U.S. Army colonel of the Medical Corps. Campbell enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1976 and served in both the Army and Marine Corps at various posts until 2006.


During the program, the Harmony Belles will perform patriotic music, and the Fort Concho Living History Program and the Sons of the Confederate Veterans will provide the color guard and artillery salute. The program and reception are organized by the Pocahontas Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Rainy Weather for Memorial Day Weekend

Severe thunderstorms and flash flood warnings marked the holiday weekend in Tom Green County. Widespread flooding and driving hazards continue. As of early yesterday morning, The Concho River near Bell St had risen to 9 ft from 2 ft around 9 PM Saturday night. A record rainfall of 2.39 inches was set at San Angelo Saturday, which broke the old record of 1.49 inches set in 1919.

Storm Runoff Totals

The storm runoff certainly helped with the area's water supply situation. As of yesterday afternoon, the Middle Concho River had a streamflow of 844 cubic feet per second and sharply rising. The Ivie was up 1000 acre feet by yesterday afternoon. The Concho River at Bell St. was up 564 cubic feet per second. The North Concho River was up 200cfs, the South Concho River: 3090cfs, and Dove Creek into Twin Buttes: 161cubic feet per second. San Angelo uses around 750 acre foot per month for indoor use and typically around 1000 acre foot for outdoor use in the summer months.

Dog Bite Claims

Texas In Top 5 Nationwide for Dog Bite Claims


Texas is among the top five states for dog bite claims according to a survey by State Farm Insurance. In fact, the company says they paid 4 million dollars in dog bite claims in the state last year alone. State Farm says homeowners insurance can help protect you in damages if your pet bites or attacks another person on your property including if the animal escapes and strikes while away from your home. The City of San Angelo Animal Shelter oversees cases that occur within city limits, adding that once a report is made the animal must be quarantined and monitored for rabies and disease. For stray dog pick ups or to report a dog bite incident within city limits call the City of San Angelo Animal Shelter . If the case occurs outside of the city limits call the County Sheriffs Office.

San Angelo Unemployment Down

More good news regarding San Angelo's workforce.  The city's unemployment rate improved again in April. It was down to three-point-six percent compared to four-point-two percent the prior month and four-point-nine percent a year ago. That compares to four-point-seven percent statewide and five-point-nine percent nationally.

Holiday Closings

Most City of San Angelo offices will be closed next Monday in observance of Memorial Day. City offices will reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. There will be no interruption of garbage collection or landfill operations Monday, although the offices of Republic Services, which provides both services under a contract with the City, will be closed.  Love Municipal Pool opens for the Memorial Day weekend, with public swimming from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

Body ID Confirmed

The San Angelo Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is confirming that the body located Sunday in the Twin Buttes area is that of missing Staff Sergeant Stephen Burpee. Two motorcyclists had found a vehicle in a heavily wooded area and called 911 to report what appeared to be a body inside the vehicle.  Burpee was transported to Lubbock for autopsy. At this time, police do not suspect foul play. Burpee was the subject of a Missing Person Alert issued last Thursday, and had been missing since last Tuesday.

Holiday at Nasworthy

If you're making holiday plans to visit the parks or hit the water at Lake Nasworthy, here are a few things to know:  Day passes to Middle Concho and Spring Creek parks are available at the entrance gates for three dollars per vehicle for City residents and six dollars for non-residents. Camping permits are six and 12 dollars. Because of Nasworthy's declining level, only three public boat ramps remain open: at the northern end of South Concho Park, at the entrance of Middle Concho Park and northeast of the San Angelo Nature Center on Knickerbocker Road.

Small Business Seminar

Angelo State University's Small Business Development Center is hosting a free seminar this week.  It's called Sales Tax Basics: Do I Have to Collect Sales Tax?, and is scheduled from 6-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Business Resource Center on North Chadbourne Street. Registration is required. For more information, go online to sbdc-dot-angelo-dot-edu.

Unsolved Cases

The San Angelo Police Department is seeking the public's help in two unsolved Felony Criminal Mischief cases:  One occurred in the 500-700 blocks of Lake View Heroes Drive, possibly in April.  Someone used an unknown weapon, possibly an air gun or slingshot to shoot out four streetlights. The other took place along A & M Avenue, Sul Ross Avenue, Chatterton Drive, Tanglewood Drive, and Vista Del Arroyo Street, probably on the night of May 5th into the morning of May 6th.  Somone used an unknown object (possibly a firearm) to damage several vehicles' windows. If you have any information about these cases contact San Angelo Police or call the 24 hour Tip Hotline at 1-855-TIPS-24-7.

Farmers' Market

The Concho Valley Farmers Market’s thrice-weekly produce sales begin at 7 a.m. this Saturday with a spread of winter vegetables. Vendors, who come from a 75-mile radius around San Angelo, will be offering locally grown and seasonal fruits, vegetables and plants from 7 a.m. until they sell out (typically by noon) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday thereafter. The farmers market gathers under the pavilion at 609 South Oakes Street across from Fort Concho. The farmers market typically charges customers one dollar for a bundle or a bowl of produce.

Fishing Derby

The City of San Angelo's Parks & Recreation Department hopes to reel in novice and avid anglers alike at its annual Hooked on Fishing derby.  It's scheduled for the morning of Saturday, June 7th, along the Concho River downtown.  The free event will be from 7:30 a.m., when registration begins at Celebration Bridge, until noon. Fishing competitions for the biggest fish in terms of length and for the most fish will be conducted in three age groups: 7 and younger, 8-12 and 13-17. Awards will be presented to the winners. Anglers should bring their own fishing poles and bait. No fishing license is required.

Highway Taxes

The speaker of the Texas House wants legislators to stop pulling money from the state highway fund. Joe Straus is proposing to keep the over one-billion dollars in the fund for next year's budget to provide needed revenue without raising taxes.

University of Texas Tuition

University of Texas System regents are delaying a vote on whether to increase tuition for in-state students. Regents said Wednesday they'd wait until May 20th to see if they can find recurring funding which won't require students to pay more for classes. Governor Rick Perry sent the board a letter asking them to not raise tuition. Regents did approve raising tuition for out-of-state students.

Angelo State Civil Engineering

Angelo State hopes to offer a civil engineering degree by fall of next year.

The Standard-Times reports a Texas Tech University System committee approving the new degree program on Monday.

Final say on all this comes from the board of regents today.

ASU president Brian May considers such an approval a historic moment for the university.

The program's first four years would cost $6.7 million.  That would include new faculty, more equipment, and new construction.  Private funding, federal grants, and institutional support would cover the cost.

May says ASU has received an anonymous $4.5 million donation for the program.

Hit and Run

San Angelo Police continue looking for a vehicle involved in yesterday's hit and run on North Bryant Boulevard.

The Standard-Times reports Officer Jimmy Byrne saying the search focuses on a white van.

The collision hospitalized a man and two women.  Their northbound Monte Carlo flipped into the median.

Byrne says this happened after a vehicle side swiped it.

This stretch of road has a speed limit of 65 miles per hour.

Military Appreciation Day

The Railway Museum in San Angelo tomorrow holds Military Appreciation Day.

The event coincides with national celebrations during Military Appreciation Month.

The museum offers free admission to all active-duty service members, retirees, and their dependents.  They simply need to show military identification at the depot.

Wanted Man

San Angelo Police continue looking for a wanted man.

Police want William Rees for burglary.

They describe the 28-year-old Rees as a white male standing 5'10" weighing 165 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Police warn people not to try to apprehend suspects themselves, as doing so may prove dangerous.  Anyone who sees Rees should call 1-855-TIPS-247.  People can also give tips over the Internet.

Water System

Next month, San Angelo's water department temporarily changes how it disinfects the water the public uses.

The department normally uses a mixture of ammonia and chlorine.  However, on June 2nd, it uses just chlorine.

This change may last all month.

The city calls this a normal procedure for municipal water systems, saying it ensures water safety by ridding mains of biological growths to produce the best drinking water possible.

The city says people may see more fire hydrant flushing next month.  Certain water lines with low flow must flush more often to ensure the water moves through the system properly.

People may also notice a chlorine odor and slight discoloration in the water.  The city says most symptoms less after a couple weeks, and they do not affect the water's safety.

Art Walk

The Downtown San Angelo Art Walk is coming up on Thursday.  The theme is a "Celebration of Girls and Women" with a fashion show taking place at 226 South Oakes.  The Art Walk will also feature San Angelo moms displaying In-Home Products and Services at the parking lot at 17 East Twohig.  And, starting at 7 PM, there will be music from "Sky Country" part of the United States Air Force Band of the West from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

Fatal Accidents

San Angelo Police are investigating two separate crashes involving fatalities late Sunday night and early Monday morning.  The first one occurred on South Abe Street, where a Toyota 4-Runner struck a pedestrian.  55-year-old Ruben Holguin was transported to Shannon Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.  The driver of the Toyota was not injured.  The second crash happened on West Loop 306, where the driver of a motorcycle had lost control, hit a guardrail and was ejected from the bike.  36-year-old Christopher Perez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lunch n Learn

The 2014 “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” Gardening Classes continue this week with advice on how to deal with the current drought and water restrictions.  Allison Watkins, AgriLife Extension Horticulturist, will be conducting the class on Turfgrass Care and Recovery. Learn how and when to replant, what grass works best for our area and how to maintain a healthy yard. The class is Friday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Court on the second floor of the Ed B. Keys building, on West Beauregard. Cost is only five dollars per class with proceeds going to The People/Plant Connection to start building the education garden in Padron Park, formerly Rio Vista Park.

Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day takes place on Saturday at Fort Concho.

People can see the fort's ambulance wagon, which the site's mules can pull to offer rides for guests.

Soldiers from the 344th Military Intelligence Battalion at Goodfellow Air Force Base bring their full battle gear to the fort for a demonstration.

The soldiers plan on bringing a humvee, too.  They can explain to people how it operates, as well as show its extensive weaponry.

The celebration runs Saturday at the fort from 10 to 3.

Dog Park Walkathon

A fundraiser takes place Saturday to help build San Angelo's first dog park.

The event runs from 10 to 2 at Unidad Park on Vista Del Arroyo Drive off College Hills Drive.

This dog park walkathon includes walks around the park trail.  A prize goes to the walker who completes the most laps.

Participants should donate 10 dollars for the walk and may bring their dogs.

The fundraiser includes a silent auction, a fashion show for the dogs, and dog photos.

People can also donate 50 dollars towards pavers to memorialize and honor dogs.

An anonymous donor wants to match donations up to $15,000 through Saturday.

The dog park would include a fenced area for larger dogs and a separate one for smaller ones.  It would sit on city land, most likely as part of the larger Red Arroyo hike and bike trail project.

Construction cost estimates run between $75,000 and $150,000.

Tom Green Co Jail OT

Tom Green County has approved overtime pay for jail staff.

The Standard-Times reports the sheriff saying his office has lost three employees to oil field work in the last 10 days.

Sheriff David Jones says the law requires the jail to have 15 staffers for each shift.  Because of last year's 46 percent turnover rate, he says many workers have had to report for duty outside their normal shifts to meet that mandate.

SAPD Officers PC

San Angelo Police say three members of the department's pistol team has traveled to Charleston, South Carolina for this year's Palmetto State Pistol Match.

Sixty officers from around the country have participated in this year's match, including officers Brandon Farris and Brian Gesch and Sergeant Rusty Herndon.

Farris has won first place in nine categories, including the grand aggregate combined scores from all matches.

Gesch has taken first place in four events, and Herndon has won three events.

The police department says the team has raised money to pay for the competition's entry fees.  Several fundraisers continue as it prepares for the National Police Shooting Championship in September in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Farmers Market

The Concho Valley Farmers Market's thrice-weekly produce sales begin later this month.  The Market will open at 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 17th.  The vendors, who come from a 75-mile radius around San Angelo, will be offering locally grown and seasonal fruits, vegetables and plants from 7 a.m. until they sell out every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday thereafter. The farmers market typically charges customers one dollar for a bundle or a bowl of produce. The market gathers under the pavilion at 609 South Oakes Street across from Fort Concho.

ASU ROTC

Angelo State University's Air Force ROTC Detachment 847 will host its Spring Commissioning Ceremony for eight graduating cadets this Friday in the Houston Harte University Center on Rosemont Drive. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in the University Center's C.J. Davidson Conference Center and is open free to the public. The guest speaker will be Air Force Lieutenant General Ronnie Hawkins, an ASU alumnus.

Neighborhood Blitz

Most City of San Angelo offices will be closed a week from Friday, May 16th, as City employees participate in the annual neighborhood blitz. They will spend their work day painting and making minor repairs to 26 selected homes in the Rio Vista neighborhood, cleaning alleyways and streets in the area, and attending to special projects. Those special projects include waterproofing the wooden playground structures at Kids' Kingdom Park, painting part of the pavilions at El Paseo de Santa Angela, repairing porches at Fort Concho, and replacing traffic signs. 

Bradford School Meeting

City of San Angelo officials will continue discussing the renovation of the Bradford Elementary School park with neighborhood residents at a meeting at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, in the Bradford cafeteria, on East 22nd Street. The public is encouraged to attend. Parks and Recreation Director Carl White and Construction Manager David Knapp will talk about the design of the park’s renovations based on input received from the public last spring.

Fleeing a Traffic Stop

San Angelo Police continue looking for someone who escaped a traffic stop Saturday.

Police had stopped a vehicle on Walnut Street for an expired registration sticker.

As the officer approached the vehicle, a man ran out of it.  Despite police quickly setting up a perimeter, they could not find him.

The officer found an empty handgun holster on the passenger seat.

Police arrested 25-year-old Lydia Tanguma of San Angelo for driving with expired registration, as well as without a license or insurance.

Park Meeting

Discussion continues Thursday on renovations to the park at Bradford Elementary School.

The meeting begins at 5:30 in the school cafeteria.

Parks and recreation director Carl White and construction manager David Knapp intend to talk about the renovations' designs.

The meeting may help solidify direction for the design.  Officials expect the project to start this summer and finish in a year.

Kidnapping

San Angelo Police say a man kidnapped a woman and transported her to Rowena last week.

Police have accused 26-year-old Michael Mendoza of abducting a woman at gunpoint from north San Angelo.

Mendoza allegedly used a stolen vehicle to take the 22-year-old woman into Runnels County.  Sheriff's officials there asked SAPD to help with the investigation.

Mendoza reportedly kept the woman in a residence in Rowena.  Someone reported the vehicle stolen from the Sandpiper Apartments on North Bryant Boulevard in San Angelo on Friday.

After searching the 2012 Mitsubishi Galant, police found the handgun Mendoza apparently used to kidnap the woman.

ASU ROTC

Angelo State's Air Force ROTC detachment holds its spring commissioning ceremony on Friday.

The ceremony for eight graduating cadets starts at 10 o'clock at the University Center.

Davis Spokesperson Resigns

Wendy Davis has lost her spokesman.

Bo Delp has resigned, although he says the work he has done for the gubernatorial candidate has made him happy.  He claims he still supports Davis in her run.

Delp also says he continues considering "a number of other opportunities in Texas Democratic politics."  The campaign calls him very talented with a bright future.

Bobcat Chase

San Angelo Police say a chase in Santa Rita yesterday followed the discovery of a stolen vehicle.

Officers raced to Vaughn Street, and one of them found a man running from the vehicle toward Fairmount Cemetery and Angelo State.

The man found a parked Bobcat vehicle at the cemetery belonging to maintenance staff.  Police say he drove it through the fence and then into the neighborhood.

When the Bobcat approached Santa Rita Elementary, SAPD asked the school to go into lockdown mode.

The chase continued onto South Bishop, where the man hit a patrol car with the Bobcat.  He kept going at 25 miles per hour, driving through alleys on several streets before hitting a tree at Yuca and Jefferson.

Police took the man into custody, but he had to go to the emergency room at Shannon Hospital.  They say when Shannon clears him, he goes to the justice center on a litany of charges.

Women Build Week

Preparations continue for National Women Build Week in San Angelo.

A women's luncheon on Tuesday includes a women's panel.  It begins at Stephen's Central Library at 11:30.

On Thursday, a free clinic shows how to use hand and power tools safely.  That begins at 6:30 at Lowe's on Sherwood Way.

The WOMEN'S Work Day with the Lowe's Team comes on Saturday.  That happens at 8:30 at the corner of West 13th Street and Martin Luther King Drive.

Embezzlement

Perez Search

San Angelo Police continue looking for Daniel Perez.

The 15-year-old disappeared late Monday afternoon.

Police have searched the ground and water near the Irving Street Bridge. People last saw Perez there.

Officers from Lake Patrol and the Texas Game Wardens have helped by searching an expanded area along the river.

Detectives in SAPD's criminal investigation division have interviewed Perez, faculty at his school, and other people who know him.

Anyone with any information should call police at 657-4315. People can remain anonymous by calling 1-855-TIPS-247. They can also text TIP SAPD with a message to 888777.

Trash Audit

City staff in San Angelo continue working to finalize an internal audit of a trash company.

The study concerns customer fees with Republic Services. Staff ultimately present the audit to the city council.

Meanwhile, negotiations continue between the city and Republic on a new contract.

Like Republic, Texas Disposal Systems has also turned in a bid to the city. TDS president CEO and president Bob Gregory says Republic has charged San Angelo commercial customers 32 to 35 percent of their bills for a fuel and environmental recovery fee.

The city has not given such authorization.

The Standard-Times reports city manager Daniel Valenzuela saying if the audit shows an incorrect charge, then those accounts would see some compensation.

Davis Wants Less Testing

Gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis wants less testing of high school students.

The state Senate Democrat says the standardized tests put too much pressure on students instead of support them.

Davis also says the preschool education plan from fellow candidate Greg Abbott could lead to the testing of four-year-olds.

Abbott calls those claims absurd.