www.YictoriaAdvoeate.com 16A VICTORIA ADVOCATE, Wednesday, February 22, 2006 AccuVeather 5-day forecast for Victoria Jatiohal Cities Today Tonight Friday Saturday Sunday Thursday 4 Variable clouds; not as warm with a shower High 67 Low 51 RealFeel: 6645 aW, Occasional ram and drizzle High 65 Low 53 RealFeel: 5849 Variable clouds; breezy with a shower Winds at7-14mph. High 75 RealFeel: 79 Mostty cloudy and mild with shower; fog late Low 69, RealFeel: 57 Variable douds, a shower High 66 Low 52 RealFeel: 6447 Toaar Tmm la Prat HrteVW NVIV Andioraga 31 19 241 ODc ZiKht 2 S84 mot 50 21 4430 5130pc M)4Stl 75 MK 57 39 0.01 5440r 49 22'" 1 4O0MT 7 Chartesaxi.S.C.67 50 7052 6144A eaj it 'i43ffltc yt8e GncmaD 46 24 496DC Omlmt.Il.lV tit 4323 Detwer 42 10 0.02 4617pc 49Vpc tmmmz Detroit 38 25 431sf 71 68 0.3Q J068 81Wpe hdianapolit 44 21. 4628pc 5(V25pc Jadaw 77i2T rT5a 72fi3 KansasQty 54 17 5128s 527s LajVsgai a 6508-" The RealFeel Temperature a the exclusive AcaiWeether composite index of the effective temperature based on Local Weather Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. C2006 Weather (W): s-sunnv. ocoarttv doudv, c-doudv, (lumea, an-snow, Mce, prcp-preapitation, T-trace.
Map shows today's forecasts. Temperatures am today highs and tonight's lows. Sit El Campo i. v. 7 4.
-m 4 Edna MATACC Hnmsville 74. Conate 1 7 ftV-toria Local Almanac Statistics for Victoria through 6 m. yesterday. Temperatures Hightow 7746 Normal hightow 6848 Record high 89 in 1909 Record low 32 in 1939 Peak wind at 13 mph Precipitation Yesterday ending 6 p.m. 0.01' Month to date 0.31" Normal month to date 1.55" Last year month to date 2.24" Year to date 1.81" Normal year to date 3 99' Last year to date ...4,92" Relative Humidity Yesterday at noon 96 Sun Moon Sunrise today 7:00 a.m.
Sunset today 6:23 p.m. Moonrise today 2:26 a.m. Moonset today .....12:33 p.m. Sunrise Thursday 6:59 a.m. Sunset Thursday 6:24 p.m.
Moonrise Thursday 3:30 a.m. Moonset Thursday 1:34 p.m. New First Full Last (D Feb 27 Mart Mar 14 Mar 22 UV Index Today 10 am 3 Moderate Noon 4 Moderate 2 p.m 3 Moderate The higher the UV Index, the greater tne need for eye and skin protection. Victoria Rain Log war C.ty 7S 1 BeavllI V7462 -A Kam4 Yesterday's National Extremes for the High ta Haritoaeltaaa National Weather 4. r.Tt 5242 ci raw Chihuahua Stationary Precipitation Shoeni im T-Horme EZ3 F7j Flurriet rj SnoW EZ3ce Monteiii 8661 Mexico at 'Iff 4" Fronts eSBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBS ak AAA ia Guadalaji fx.
S24. Chilpancingi 8V5S Texas Weather Forecast -10s -OS 0a 10 20a 30a National Summary As another storm system moves across the southeastern part of the nation, more rain will wet areas from eastern Texas to the Carolinas today. At the same time, a parade of storm systems over the north will cause additional flurries to fly along the Canadian border. Weather Trivia What is an avalanche wind? Mon. 2006 2005 Avg.
Rec. 'Jan. 1.50 2.68 2.44 11.87(1934) Feb. 0.31 5.30 2.11 9.08 (1992) Mar. 4.76 2.25 11.61(1997) Apr.
1.24 2.97 11.70(1997) May 1- 4.74 5.12 14.66(1993) June 1.06 4 96 13 50(2004) July 4.86 2.90 13.59(1990) Aug 0.70 3.05 10 88(1914) Sept. 1.43 5.00 19.05(1978) Qct. 6 09 4.26 17.25(1960) Nov. 1.71 2.64 16.14(2004) Dec. 0.49 247 867(1923) Year 1.81 35.06 40.17 73.70(2004) or UBhRodi -Los Angeles NaarOrkara Newtbrk 42 32 OHataaOir I7 3BT Omaha 50 16 KmUtftU 45 25 i Phoenix 64 43 .41 22 Raleigh 62 39 StUulS 4(23 SaltLaxeCity 34 12 SanFranoats 57 39 Seattle 46 39T WaatLD.
SO 28 r-rain, sh-showers, t-thunderstorma, 48 Contiguous States Low -27 N) WUdhorae Raaenoir, Mev. Forecast Washington 484 New Orteana 746 Snown are noon positions of weather systems and preoprta-(m Temperature bands am highs lor the day. Forecast higMow tem-peratums am given lor selected cibes. City 80 90s 100 110 120 Gb A blast of wind in advance of a snow slide. It can level a house.
first-degree felony. No bail has been set, Officer Joe Harnsaid. Police in this Dallas suburb stopped Nixon on Monday night, who was unable to produce a driver's license. When he then began to drive away, Jones grabbed him and was pulled down the street before falling onto the road, police said. After midnight, Dallas police spotted the suspects car at a hotel and arrested Nixon.
include arranging for new signs at community entrances, and cleanups in three neighborhoods in the city: Queen City, Mayfair Addition, and the area bordered by Red River, Crestwood, Laurent and Ben Jordan streets, he said. Keep Victoria Beautiful is a committee of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce. The chamber revitalized the organization in September 2004 in response to complaints about the visual appeal in several areas of the city, Hunt said. Thomas Doyle is a business reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6511 or tdoylevicad.com, or comment on this story at www.V1ctoriaAdvocate.com.
lUtac. kVUW feVUnlf 40 25BM Ete 3 66 43 68464 7048 II 64 BltWt tSWx 31 19 35nSW 28 IT 3VWpe 2Brt2 SO 34 0.04 432 54pc 17 S1 4434 4734AK 511 4620S 424 72464 V2ft 4942 56321 5133 5528 3V24CC 4124AK SO'44 6V44A 4640r 4V32r 4V34 sf-snow 4. Ik. 9570 '1 Vtiir AccuWeather.com Atzenhoffer Weatherline: 572-9999 National Weather Service, Corpus Christi: 361-289-0959 NWS Web Addresses: Corpus Christi office: www.srh.noaa.govcrp Corpus radar: www.srh.noaa.govradarlatestds.p19r0si.kcrp.shtml Houston-Galveston office: www.srh.noaa.govhgx Austin-San Antonio office: www.srh.noaa.govewx NOAA Weather Radio frequencies: Victoria 162.400, LaGrange 162.500, Bay City 162.425, Port O'Connor 162.475, Gonzales 162.525 Officer dragged 200 feet by car; suspect arrested Colder with times of clouds and sun High 54 Low 47 RealFeel: 4939 eight weather Weather Reporters Bee County: Undy Blankenthip 6248. 0 03 Calhoun County: Port Lavaca Fin Dept DeWtt County: Gennle Gooly Fayette County: Leona B.
Rottsch 6248,0.03 Goliad County: CKy of Goliad Gonzales County: Robert Miller 5639,0.05 Jackson County: Robert Shebutk 7447, 0.00 Karnes County: KAML-AM Radio Lavaca County: Larry Rothbauer 6742,0.02 Matagorda County: Fed. Aviation Admin. 7552. trace Refugio County: Edward Marchak 7747, 0.00 Wharton County: Readings above am tor the 24 hours ending about 5 p.m. yesterday.
The first number is yesterday's high temperature, the second is yesterday low. The third number is yesterday's total rainfall. missing. Yestekdw HI UPrec. 70 33 76 50 74 35 62 46 0.21 63 35 002 66 40 75 34 58 43 0.01 49 41 47 34 Toom HtLoW 6740 8467pc 6845sh 7356sh' 7356sh 7747st) 69484C 7455sl) 66467stl 5235r City Maria McAllen MttfJand Orange Port Arthur Presidio SanAngek) San Antonio Waco Wichita Falls HVUW 6740pc 8363sh 6544 '6453r 645! 7748pc 6143 6150r 5544 5738sh River Stages (through 7 am.
yesterday) Flood 24-hr Stage Yest Change Guadalupe Gonzales 31.0 12.3 Cuero 20.0 8.2 -0 04 Victoria 21.0 7.0 ..0.00 Near Bloomington 20 0 10.3 0 12 San Antonio Fast City 12.0 1.0 0.01 Goliad 25.0 3.9 0.01 Navidad SuMma 27.0 5.3 0.04 Speaks 24 0 3 7 -001 Morales .29.0. ..7.4 21.0 5.0 Colorado Wharton 39.0 8.9 Bay City 44.0 2.7 0 35 La Grange 26.0 3.0 -021 International Trucks of Victoria for a dump (ruck. Agreed to support the Thomas Ninke Senior Village proposal tax credit application filed with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The Victoria Housing Authority development would be built in the 1900 block of Lova Drive. Approved and adopted an investment policy and a list of qualified brokers authorized to engage in investment transactions with the city.
Authorized the city to pay $900,000 for the land at 7803 N. Navarro St. for a new city street connecting Navarro to Hathaway Street near the Target store. The land is owned by Jerry and Bonnie M. Fortenberry and includes the Kwik Kar Oil and Lube.
Endorsed the South Texas Aggregation Project Inc's commitment to a long-term contract with an electricity generator. The contract is designed to provide members of the aggregation, which includes the city of Victoria, with less expensive power. Met in a work session after the regular meeting to discuss proposals for improving the Victoria Fire Department's response times. David Tewes is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6515 or dtewesvicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
gram open in any county of the state that I'm aware of," Williamson said The cattle industry is in a particularly difficult position right now because ranchers typically prairie graze their cows all winter. But because rain has been so scarce, there has been little for the animals to eat, and ranchers have turned to expensive hay feeding. Hay is being trucked in from states such as Kansas and Nebraska and prices have almost doubled due to demand because Texas produced so little hay last year. Only half of the 2005 crop was harvested. March will be crucial The next month is critical in Texas because it marks the beginning of spring planting.
Already, the Texas Department of Agriculture estimates that drought cost the state $1.5 billion last year. Ex Allergen Count Victoria Allergy and Asthma Clinic As of Tuesday, Feb- -m cubic rvary21 R.te meter Mold .....99 Algae 3 Total ..102 Council Continued from Page 1A But Armstrong has asked the council to consider an alternative that would scrap the community center location in favor of a plan he said would be less costly and more centrally located. Under that proposal, five softball fields would be built next to the Deer Chase subdivision in east Victoria. They would be along Lone Tree Creek between Miori Lane and Airline Road. The softball fields in Riverside would be turned into Little Leape fields and the remaining substandard fields in the park would be refurbished to bring them up to standard.
There would be a total of seven baseball fields in Riverside. It would cost about $8.4 million to build the community center fields and about $6.7 million to build the fields near Deer Chase. Armstrong said the latest proposal could be done in phases using money from the city's normal operating budget. He also said that the school district might be persuaded to help with the cost since the softball fields will be near the Memorial High School Senior Campus. He said the community center fields would require a bond issue election in November and would use money from the Victoria Sales Tax Development Corp.
Neitsch said he is concerned about the latest proposal Palecloa YesnHMr Towr Hi UPrec HVLoW Thursday HiLoW Tiwpe 6540po 65sh 6254r 6749 7759sh 7254.. 5342r 546f 5545r City Del Ok) El Paso 63 46 68 49 65 52 62 47 59 43 75 48 68 49 46 36 0.07' 69 25 56 39 7957c 6339sh 7160sh 7456sh 7454c 8163sH 82A33A: 5744r 5938sn 6649r Houston KerrvUte Kingsville Laredo Longview Lubbock Uifkm Offshore (Port Arthur to Port O'Connor) Inner Waters Wind south at 5-10 knots today. Waters smooth. Visibility low irrfog and drizzle. Outer Waters Wind south at 5-1 0 knots today.
Waves 2-4 feet. Visibility low in areas of fog and drizzle. (Port O'Connor to Port Brownsville) Inner Waters Wind southeast at 10-20 knots today. Waters a moderate chop. Visibility low in fog and drizzle.
Outer Waters Wind southeast at 10-20 knots today. Waves 2-4 feet. Visibility low in fog and dnzzle. Port O'Connor Tides High Low Today 0.8ft. 6:32 a.m.-O 5 ft.
Thu. 813pm 08ft 7 53 am -0 5 ft murder." Council Member Jim Wyatt said he's not stuck on a particular location, but he's been told by his constituents they want the fields at the community center. He also noted that splitting up the field locations would make it difficult for parents who have boys playing Little League and girls playing softball. "I'm ready to turn dirt," he said. "I pray that we stay at the community center." In other business, the council: Postponed action on helping the Victoria Park Improvement Association build concrete golf cart paths at the Riverside Golf Course.
The city is waiting for the association to ratify the terms of that agreement Authorized the city manager to seek $119,877 in grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Se curity and the Governor's Division of Emergency Management Approved a change in the city's paving contract with Bran-nan Paving Co. Inc. of Victoria. Among other things, the change will pay Brannan to seal cracks in John Stockbauer Drive between the Houston Highway and Miori Lane.
Although the street was recently repaved, Public Works Director John Johnston said the drought has caused the ground to shift and the roadway to crack. Awarded a $44,178 contract, including a trade-in credit, to Gulf liquidations of herds by ranchers. "People are selling their first cull cows, some older cows, open (not bred) cows, problem he said. He does believe the time is getting close for some total liquidations to start "We need some rain," Heller said A government program, should it be implemented that could prove useful to ranchers in this area is the Livestock Assistance Program, which assists ranchers with buying feed Williamson said "It's paid on a per head basis on what your expected stocking rate was, not what you actually have out there," he said "That would be more in tune to where we're heading. But so far, neither the Livestock Assistance Program nor the Livestock Indemnity Program is in effect in Texas.
"There is no pro- Vestbuw Hi Lo Free 68 39 69 47 0 02 67 19T 55 43 0.01 63 35 0.03 82 53 58 42 82 51 Toon MLoW 5840sfl 7762sh 5531pC 7253sh 7356sn 8166pc 6752stl 7963sh 5242sh 536pc Thursmt HlLoW S441A 7658sh 5428r 6249r 64V55A- 8165sh 5948 745aSh 5241r 5327pc CHy Abilene Alice Amartto Austin Beaumont Brownsville BryanC.S. Corpus Christi Dalhart 46 37 0.01 64 10 Marine Statistics Lake Forecast Lake Texana Variable douds today with a stray shower areas of fog and dnzzte in the morning. Wind south-southeast at 10-20 knots. Lake Coteto Variable douds today with a stray shower areas of fog and drizzle in the morning. Wind south-southeast at 10-20 knots.
Lake Levels (Asof7a.m. yesterday) Normal Level Canyon 909.0 Texana 44 0 Coieto 98.5 Travis 681.0 Actual Level .906.19 ...41.29 ....95.31 663.37 Release (cfs) 130 215 0 0 Water temperatures Port O'Connor water temperature 59 Port Aransas water temperature 59 Port Arthur water temperature 55 "My concern is that if we're going to nickel-and-dime it like the mayor said, how long is it going to take?" Neitsch asked. "We're frag-mentingit." Mayor Pro Tem Bill Russell said he's talk to Little League representatives who said they like the idea of staying in Riverside if the fields are redone. "There's some difficult questions and the answers are going to be difficult to see," he said. "But I think the community would not be in favor of the parks commission plan." Council Member Tom Halepas-ka said he believes the city needs to go through the public input process again if it wants to change its mind on the ball field locations.
"Parks and recreation went through a lot of work, with the parks commission asking groups what they want," he said. "Now it seems like we're going to chunk this plan without any comment from the groups." Council Member Shirley Buck-ert said she thinks the community center plan is flawed, mainly because of the proposed parking. She said it would require fans and children to walk three or four blocks to get to the fields. She said she supports the location near Deer Chase because it's centrally located. "So, I'm pleased to see what's happening here," she said.
"But I think those people (in Deer Chase) are going to scream bloody burned by wildfires and had to be destroyed would be eligible for compensation, should the program be implemented Congress would have to instruct the USDA to implement the program. "In 1998, when we had the high floods in Gonzales County, those ranchers came under the Livestock Indemnity Program based on death loss," Williamson said The government won't pay for cattle that are simply left to starve to death due to drought, he said "There are auction sales every day of the week within a 60-mile radius, so you can sell your cattle. I had to get rid of 29 head myself, so I'm aware of what's going on," he said Mike Heller; one of the owners of the Hallettsville livestock Commission, which holds a sale every Tuesday, said his commission company has yet to see any total GARLAND (AP) Police arrested a man early Tuesday who was accused of driving a car that dragged an officer 200 feet following a traffic stop. Garland Police Officer Reccus Jones was taken to Baylor University Medical Center after suffering multiple cuts, scrapes, bruises and a severe concussion. Herman Nixon, 25, was being held at the Garland Detention Center and charged with aggravated assault of a police officer, a Rio Grande Continued from Page 1 A "The businesses that are doing something are businesses where the ownership is from outside of Victoria," Hill said, which leads him to ask what local businesses are doing.
As more people improve the appearance of their facilities, the more likely it is other businesses will take similar steps, Cusack said, comparing the situation to a sort of positive peer pressure. Keep Victoria Beautiful plans to conduct several other efforts this year to improve the appearance of the city as a whole, Hill said. Under the Adopt-A-Spot program, the committee plans to plant gardens at various intersections across the city. Other plans perts worry that is only the beginning. "We are just now getting into the planting time for spring crops, and we don't have good ground soil moisture," says Mark Waller, a grain-marketing expert at Texas University in College Station.
"That current $1.5 billion loss could get a whole lot bigger in a short period of time." He calls the current soil conditions poor to very poor, and says a large part of the state's moisture usually comes during the winter months something that did not occur this year. The Texas drought began in the Rio Grande Valley almost a decade ago and has since spread to the rest of the state. While some years have been wetter than others, this year left experts worrying that the worst is yet to come. In fact, parts of the western United States have been suffering Drought Continued from Page 1A program, called the Livestock Indemnity Program, which provides partial reimbursem*nts for livestock losses due to a natural disaster. "We don't need to borrow more money," says Bill Hyman, executive director of the Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas.
"Don't get me wrong, any help is better than no help. But if we wait 90 days, there won't be anybody left to help." Rusty Williamson, Victoria County executive director for the Farm Service Agency, said Tuesday that the Livestock Indemnity Program, which isn't in effect in Texas at this time, would be of no use to ranchers in this area. He said livestock has to actually die from a natural disaster before this program would pay. Ranchers who had cattle that were badly from drought for the past five to seven years, says Donald Wilhite, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Causes of drought Wilhite blames the current problems, in part, oh the position of the jet stream and a developing La Nina in the Pacific Ocean, which usually results in drought in the south-central United States.
One bright spot is that cattle prices have remained high, despite more cows being sent to slaughter, says Dr. Waller. But if ranchers don't restock their herds, there may be fewer cows in the future and higher prices. Advocate reporter Marsha Moulder contributed to this report Contact her at 361-580-6504 or mmouldervicad.com, or comment on this story at www.V1ctoriaAdvocate.com..
