By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – A sheriff's official says a natural gas pipeline exploded in a remote part of the Texas Panhandle, leaving several people missing and three injured.
Vickie Nelson of the Lipscomb County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday's blast occurred around 4 p.m. near the small town of Darrouzett, a few miles from the Oklahoma line. Nelson said at least one person was taken to a burn unit, but she had no other details on the injured or missing.
The blast about 270 miles northeast of Lubbock is the second natural gas line explosion in Texas in as many days.
A line exploded in Cleburne, south of Dallas, on Monday as utility workers were digging in the area. One worker was killed in that blast.
White profited from co. hired during Rita
Former Houston Mayor Bill White tells The Associated Press he's made money by investing in a company that was hired to help the city recover from Hurricane Rita.
White is the Democratic candidate for Texas governor, and he was widely praised for guiding Houston through Rita and its aftermath in September 2005.
As mayor, White helped line up private companies to provide goods and services as part of a massive relief effort. One of those companies was Btec Turbines, where he had served on the board of directors. The company won an emergency contract with the regional Coastal Water Authority.
A little more than a year later, White says he invested about $1 million in the privately held Btec and has since reported more than $500,000 in profit.
Another Delay For Dallas Trinity River Recreation
Forget about whitewater kayaking on the Trinity River in Dallas this summer, as planned.
The recreational feature called the "standing wave" has hit another delay.
Trinity Project director Rebecca Rasor says the latest problem for the contractor is high water levels because of heavy spring rains.
Rasor: He's working on an alternative method for constructing in the floodplain by creating a diversion channel. We're waiting on Corps approval to get started on that. Once he gets started, we expect that to take no more than six months. Of course, weather and flooding permitting on that.
Rasor did not tell the City Council Trinity River Corridor Committee on how long it might take to get Corps of Engineers approval.
The "standing wave" is supposed to be the first major recreational amenity inside the banks of the Trinity River.
Re-opening of Dallas County Records Building Delayed
The saga of the flooded downtown Dallas Records Building drags on ... Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield says it will now be the END OF THE MONTH before it re-opens.
A broken city water main flooded the basement Memorial Day and knocked the county's entire computer system offline.
County Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield says the hold-up is a critical "fire panel" that was submerged in six feet of water.
Mayfield: And it's taking some time to get that replaced, although we're looking to see if that can't be done sooner. It's two weeks, or something is what they're told, before they can get that replaced.
Mayfield says the "million dollar" estimate for repair and re-opening appears to be holding.
Meanwhile county property deed, marriage license, and probate court business is being conducted in the nearby George Allen Courts Building. Vehicle registration can be done at satellite County tax offices.
Hurricane Drill in North Texas Could Impact Traffic
DPS troopers and several other agencies are participating in a hurricane drill Wednesday morning in NORTH Texas.
Trooper Lonny Haschel says three separate convoys will leave Arlington this morning: the first at 8AM. Each convoy of about 50 vehicles will travel south on 360, east on I-20 to Tyler, then south on US 69 to the coast.
The convoys will be escorted by marked police units with lights flashing. State Police say several weeks ago they did a similar drill in South Texas and 9-1-1 systems were overloaded with calls from citizens wanting to know what was going on.
The convoys should clear metroplex highways by 11 am.