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Posts published in “Day: January 14, 2015”

Rancor continues in Galena Park; Council walks out

Jan 14, 2015
WALKING OUT –– Galena Park commissioners Juan Flores, right, Lois Killough, city attorney Jim DeFoyd, and city administrator Robert Pruett stand and prepare to leave the special called council meeting, after arguments about how the meeting was being run by Mayor Moya brought the proceedings to an unproductive halt. Monday’s special meeting had been called to resolve the problem created when the Mayor’s special counsel, attorney Edgardo Colon, had issued a letter to Galena Park’s bank ordering the checking accounts to be frozen.
WALKING OUT –– Galena Park commissioners Juan Flores, right, Lois Killough, city attorney Jim DeFoyd, and city administrator Robert Pruett stand and prepare to leave the special called council meeting, after arguments about how the meeting was being run by Mayor Moya brought the proceedings to an unproductive halt. Monday’s special meeting had been called to resolve the problem created when the Mayor’s special counsel, attorney Edgardo Colon, had issued a letter to Galena Park’s bank ordering the checking accounts to be frozen. (Photo courtesy of KPRC)

Mayor attempts to freeze bank checks

GALENA PARK – A special called city council meeting dissolved into near chaos on Monday afternoon, when members of the city commission or council, and the Mayor were unable to resolve a dispute over authority to sign checks for city obligations.

This is the latest disagreement that Mayor Moya has had with council members and the city administrator Robert Pruett.

The mayor has claimed, since taking office in January, that the council and administrator have been conducting city business in a way that violates the city charter. She has presented copies of the charter at council meetings, highlighting instances of non-compliance.

Mayor Moya also claims her signature was illegally removed from the accounts, but city officials say she refused to put her name on the document.

The bank, Comerica, requires checks to have two authorized signatures to be honored and paid. In order for the city to continue paying its bills, Council voted a resolution in July to allow the mayor-pro tem, Danny Simms, to sign the checks in lieu of the mayor. This arrangement was approved by the city attorney, Jim DeFoyd, and accepted by the bank. The city secretary must also sign, or as a backup the city administrator.

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East Freeway bank robber threatens to have bomb

Jan 14, 2015
Suspect wanted for bomb threatened in Bank of America robbery.
Suspect wanted for bomb threatened in Bank of America robbery.

The FBI needs the public’s help identifying a bank robber who threatened to have a bomb during a midmorning robbery of a Bank of America branch located inside an office building at 12605 East Freeway in Houston, Texas. Surveillance photographs of the bank robber are being released and a Crime Stoppers reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the bank robber’s identity and arrest.

At approximately 10:05 a.m., the man entered the bank and approached a teller. He passed the teller a note threatening to have a bomb. Tellers gave the man an undisclosed amount of cash which he placed inside a blue vinyl zippered bag. He left with the cash bag in his hands. Several customers were inside during the bank robbery, but no one was physically hurt.

The bank robber was described as a Hispanic male, about 5’3” – 5’5” with a stocky build. He wore a dark colored leather-type jacket with a grey hooded sweatshirt underneath, a blue colored knit hat, reading glasses with wired frames, and one white glove covering his right hand during the robbery. He also carried a blue vinyl zippered bag into the bank and left with the bag full of cash.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000.00 for information leading to the charging and arrest of this robber. If you have information about this case, please call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 713-222-TIPS (8477), or the Houston office of the FBI at 713-693-5000.

CONGRESS UPDATES: Rep. Gene Green named Ranking Member of Health Subcommittee

Jan 14, 2015

gene green(Washington, DC) – On Thursday, January 8, Representative Gene Green was elected by unanimous consent to serve as Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health for the 114th Congress.

“It is an honor to serve in leadership on the Health Subcommittee on behalf of our District and all Americans,” Green said. “We’ve made great strides in health care reform, but some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens still lack access to the care they need. This Congress, one of our top priorities will be to address these gaps and foster a better system that will provide accessible, world-class care for all, regardless of age, gender, or income.”

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Getting Rid of Clutter

Jan 14, 2015

Whether you plan to stay in your home forever or sell it and move to smaller accommodations, getting rid of clutter can make your life easier and safer.

Here are a few very good reasons to declutter:

• Fewer opportunities to trip and fall. Consider what happens when a senior falls and breaks a bone: hospital, rehab and the question of where to go afterward. Can the senior go home and live independently again? Sometimes the answer is no.

• Organizing makes things easier to find.

• Clutter can be dangerous. If emergency services have to come to your house, will they be able to get to you? Or are pathways in rooms too narrow? Taken to an extreme, holding on to too many possessions can be called hoarding, and sometimes social services will step in to deal with it. Your best bet is to declutter long before it gets to that point.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Magazines and newspapers: Allow yourself three of each. When a fourth monthly magazine or daily paper arrives, throw out the oldest one in the stack.

• Keep incoming bills or correspondence in one spot, perhaps a basket or folder on the dining-room table, until you write checks or reply.

• Instead of viewing it as an overwhelming task, work on decluttering for an hour a day. (more…)