The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular fell 6.5 cents in the past week to an average of $3.56 per gallon as of yesterday.

The local price compares with a national average that has fallen 2.8 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.70, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

Senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said he expects gas prices to continue its downward trend, at least for the short term.

“Average gasoline prices will likely continue to decline in the days ahead of Memorial Day, but folks will still say come next year that prices went up over the weekend this year. It’s a sign of how sensitive motorists become to gasoline prices around the holidays, nothing more, and most of the time, the myth isn’t true,” DeHaan said. “This year will be one of those years- unless you’re on the West Coast, prices have been slowly coming down.”

Including the change in gas prices in West U during the past week, prices yesterday were 17.8 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 25.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.

The national average has decreased 15.1 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 13.7 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

Burglary of a Motor Vehicle 

At 07:58 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 5700 block of Simmons in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle that had already occurred. The complainant stated an unknown person rummaged through his vehicle and removed some change and a laptop.

05-21-12

Burglary of a Motor Vehicle 

An officer was dispatched to the 4000 block of Browning in reference to found property. The officer met with the reportee that located the property. During a vehicle check of the area, the officer located a burglarized vehicle. The owner was notified and a report initiated.

05-21-12

Burglary of a Motor Vehicle 

An officer was dispatched to the 4200 block of Judson in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Unknown person(s) entered the victim’s vehicle and removed money without consent.

05-21-12

Failure to Stop and Give Information

An officer was dispatched to WUPD in reference to a hit and run. The reportee advised his vehicle was hit and damaged in the 4100 block of Rice.

05-21-12

Theft 

An officer was dispatched to WUPD to meet with a reportee in reference to a theft. The reportee stated that an unknown person removed some jewelry from her home without permission.

The C-USA all-academic team consists of student-athletes with a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve for their team. The members were voted upon by the league’s sports information directors. The announcement is two days before play begins in the 2012 C-USA Championship this week in Pearl, Miss. As Rice clinched the C-USA regular-season title, its 17th consecutive season with a conference regular-season and/or tournament crown, it placed two members on the league’s all-academic team.

Rathjen, who earlier this year was also selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Team, made a comeback from a season-ending injury in 2011 to start every game in 2012. The redshirt junior leads the Owls in home runs (9) and doubles (13) and he is second in hitting (.338) and RBI (39). A Houston native from Memorial High School, Rathjen maintained a 3.52 grade point average in Economics.

Reckling is also a Houston native who stayed in his hometown to help the Owls earn a No. 4 national ranking by Baseball America. He is tied for the league lead in victories with eight. He averages 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings and has held all hitters to a composite .178 batting average on the season, lowest in the league. He was named C-USA Pitcher of the Week three times, more than any other player this season.

The Rice baseball team is 39-15 overall this season. With the C-USA regular season title the Owls also clinched the No. 1 seed at the upcoming C-USA Championship Tournament, scheduled to get underway on Wednesday (May 23) in Pearl, Miss. The tourney features four days of pool play followed by a single Championship Final on Sunday (May 27). Rice’s opening game in the tournament will be Houston starting at 3 pm.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued the watch as atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone pollution in the area.

Elevated concentrations of ozone can act as a lung irritant. Individuals with chronic lung disease such as asthma and emphysema, as well as the elderly and small children, are particularly sensitive to ozone and should attempt to avoid exposure.

To minimize exposure, those who may be affected by the elevated ozone levels are urged to minimize exertion outdoors during the midday to early evening hours or stay indoors or in an air conditioned area during these times.

Ozone reaching excessive levels may occur at any location throughout the greater Houston region depending on wind direction and other factors. Excessive levels may linger until sunset.

Ozone warnings will be issued if air pollution levels are detected at unhealthy levels.

The strong showing on the Washington Post High School Challenge rankings and Newsweek’s America’s Best High Schools of 2012 are the result of HISD’s Advanced Placement initiative that began with the 2009-2010 school year.  That was the year Superintendent Terry Grier called on all high schools to expand student access to college-level AP courses and the district agreed to pay the exam fees for all students in those classes.

“This is great recognition of the hard work being done by teachers and students at high schools across the Houston Independent School District,” Grier said.

Today, all HISD high schools offer a minimum of 10-15 AP classes, and the number of exams earning a score of 3 or higher, which is the score most colleges require for course credit, is up 35 percent.

HISD’s strong AP progress is one reason the district is among four finalists for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, which recognizes the top urban school district in America. This week, a Broad Prize panel of experts is touring HISD schools as part of the evaluation process.

Twenty-one HISD high schools earned recognition in the Washington Post High School Challenge, a list of 1,800 schools representing the top 9 percent in the nation when it comes to preparing graduates for college. Only 125 Texas high schools made the list, and HISD campuses – Carnegie Vanguard, Eastwood Academy, and DeBakey High School for Health Professions – represent three of the national top 100.

HISD high schools that made the Washington Post list include:

2012 Rank         School Name

10                    Carnegie Vanguard

23                    Eastwood Academy

96                    Challenge Early HS

114                  DeBakey HS for Health Professions

153                  Bellaire

161                  High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

168                  East Early College

194                  Furr

228                  High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

267                  Lamar

275                  Westside

548                  Westbury

553                  Lee

833                  Chavez

1,001               Milby

1,062               Reagan

1,121               Scarborough

1,158               Washington

1,205               Davis

1,377               Waltrip

1,571               Austin

HISD high schools also occupy 9 out of 1,000 positions on Newsweek’s list of America’s Best High Schools.  Only 86 Texas high schools made the Newsweek list. HISD schools on the list are:

2012 Rank       School Name

13                    Carnegie Vanguard

72                    Eastwood Academy

75                    DeBakey HS for Health Professions

162                  High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

439                  Bellaire

446                  Challenge Early College

685                  High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice

883                  Lamar

957                  Mount Carmel Academy

Burglary of a Motor Vehicle 

At 4:42 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 5300 block of Mercer in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Upon arrival of the officer, the complainant stated that an unknown person smashed his rear window and removed two items.

05-18-12

No crimes reported.

05-19-12

No crimes reported.

05-20-12

Traffic Violation 

An officer observed a vehicle make an illegal turn in the 4100 block of Judson. The vehicle also had an expired registration. A traffic stop was initiated, and the officer discovered the driver had a suspended license and no insurance. The driver was arrested.

05-20-12

Criminal Mischief 

At 10:10 a.m., an officer arrived in the parking lot of WUPD and discovered a red fender placed on the hood of a police car. The police vehicle sustained minor damages. This case is under investigation.

The campaign kicks off today in an effort to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up.

“The goal of HISD’s Police Department is to ensure the safety of all our schools, but we need the help of the community when it comes to seatbelt safety,” HISD Police Chief Jimmy Dotson said.  “Drivers need to ensure that they wear a seatbelt at all times for their own safety, and our officers are committed to enforce seat belt laws at all times.”

Seat belt use saves thousands of lives across America each year and HISD’s Police Department is helping spread the word.

NHTSA statistics show that in 2010 alone, seat belts saved an estimated 12,546 lives nationwide.  However, in that same year 22,187 passenger vehicle occupants were killed in motor vehicle crashes, according to NHTSA, and 51 percent of them were not wearing seat belts at the time of their fatal crashes.

“School will be out for the summer very soon so it’s important we are aware of more children playing in neighborhood streets,” said Dotson.  “We ask that all drivers take extra precaution when driving in their neighborhoods to ensure the safety of all our students during the summer break.”

While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 21 through June 3, motorists should know that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.

After posting three dominant relief appearances, including two that helped secure the regular season Conference USA title over the weekend at UCF, Duffey has been named the league’s Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career. In his three outings the Owl right-hander totaled 5.1 innings pitched and did not allow a run nor a hit. More impressive, he struck out 13 of the 17 batters that he faced, including nine in a row at one point.

Duffey fanned three batters in 1.2 innings in a shutout victory on the road at Southland Conference champion Sam Houston State on Tuesday (May 15). The Houston native then turned in a pair of brilliant performances in the two Owl wins at UCF. In the game two win on Friday he struck out all five batters he faced. On Saturday, Duffey struck out the side in the eighth and fanned the first batter in the ninth to give him nine-straight strikeouts of nine batters over a two-game span. The streak was snapped with a base-on-balls, and after an Owl fielding error on a fielder’s choice play, UCF suddenly had two men on base and the potential tying run at the plate. Duffey was able to get the Knights to fly out, and he then fired a game-ending strikeout to preserve the 5-2 victory to help Rice take the regular season conference championship. The 2012 C-USA title is the program’s 17th- consecutive conference championship going back to 1996.

Duffey’s Owl teammates who have won or shared the league’s weekly hitting/pitching honor include Matthew Reckling (pitcher, three times), Michael Fuda (hitter, Feb. 27), Jordan Stephens (pitcher, Mar. 12) and Ford Stainback (hitter, May 13).

Jacob Wilson batted .381 on the week as the Tigers went 4-0. He hit .412 and collected four doubles and seven RBI for a C-USA series sweep lastweekend. For the week, he had eight hits, eight RBI and five runs scored, while adding two steals. He also blasted his league-best 16th home run against Tennessee-Martin last Tuesday.

Rice is 39-15 overall this season. With the C-USA regular season title the Owls also clinched the No. 1 seed at the upcoming C-USA Championship Tournament, scheduled to get underway on Wednesday (May 23) in Pearl, Miss. The tourney features four days of pool play followed by a single Championship Final on Sunday (May 27). Rice’s opening game in the tournament will be Houston starting at 3 pm.

HISD’s non-teaching staff last received a pay raise in 2009-2010, and some, but not all, teachers received a raise in 2010-2011. No employees received raises this school year. Superintendent Terry Grier asked the board to consider the pay increases in an effort to remain competitive with surrounding Houston-area school districts that have already proposed doing so.

The teacher pay issue is especially critical as HISD seeks to compete with other school districts who are attempting to fill teaching vacancies caused by resignations and retirements. Each year, HISD loses about 1,000 teachers through attrition.  Under the proposal, teachers with 10 years or less of experience would receive a 2.25 percent pay raise, which would increase beginning teacher pay in HISD from $44,987 to $46,000.  Teachers with more than 10 years of experience would receive a 1.75 percent pay raise.

Other employee groups would receive the following salary increases under the compensation proposal:

• School bus operators, hourly food services employees, and salaried departmental employees on the lower end of the pay scale: 2.25 percent
• Substitute teachers, hourly employees, principals, assistant principals, and deans: 2 percent
• Professional employees and upper-level administrators: 1.75 percent

HISD began the budgeting process facing a $43.6 million shortfall caused primarily by the Texas Legislature’s decision last year to reduce public education funding by $5.3 billion.  HISD is among many Texas school districts that have filed a lawsuit seeking to force the state to fund schools at the constitutionally-mandated level.

The budget proposal includes maintaining HISD’s current tax rate, which is the lowest among all Harris County school districts.

The district would pay for the $20 million compensation proposal in part with $8.9 million from the district’s savings account, which currently stands at about $257 million.  About $17 million of the shortfall would be covered by reducing the amount of general fund money that is normally transferred to HISD’s debt service fund to help repay loans.  This reduction is a one-time option that will not be available in future years.

HISD has also identified several areas of potential savings for the upcoming school year. These include:

• $3.5 million in reduced employee healthcare costs through increased efficiencies that should not impact quality of service.
• $1.7 million less in special funding for six unique schools.
• $2.5 million in non-campus departmental cuts, primarily through eliminating positions and layoffs.  Last year, HISD eliminated 221 non-campus positions.

The Board of Education is expected to adopt the 2012-2013 budget at a public meeting in June.

Game times with the Knights are set for 5:30 pm on both Thursday and Friday, and 12 p.m. in Saturday’s series finale (all times listed are Central Time).

Rice and UCF are tied atop the C-USA standings and the winner of this series clinches the No. 1 seed of the upcoming Conference Championship next week in Pearl, Miss.

No crimes reported.

05-15-12

Warrant Arrest 

At 01:00 a.m., a WUPD officer met a Pasadena Police Officer in the 1200 block of Davis to take custody of an individual with WUPD warrants. The individual was transported to WUPD Jail and booked in.

Benak scattered five singles with no walks while striking out nine in a career-long 7.1 frames. By the eighth inning only two Bearkat runners reached scoring position off the junior right-hander. It was the kind of start Rice head coach Wayne Graham wanted to see in a key midweek contest against a Bearkat team that had already clinched the Southland Conference regular season championship.

“Benak pitched a great game,” said coach Wayne Graham. “He had three good pitches. He had the best change-up he’s had this year.”

“We weren’t very lucky hitting,” coach Graham added. “We got five runs, but we hit a lot more balls hard then that. It’s a good RPI (Ratings Power Index) win, on the road.”

Rice challenged for runs in the first and second inning before finally breaking through in the top of the fourth. J.T. Chargois and Shane Hoelscher started the inning off with singles through the right and left sides, respectively. The runners advanced on a text-book sacrifice bunt by Michael Aquino. Chargois trotted home on a single to left by Geoff Perrott for a 1-0 advantage.

The Owls scored two more in the top of the sixth. Designated hitter Keenan Cook drew a one-out walk and stole second to move into scoring position. In Craig Manuel’s pinch-hit at bat, the Bearkats had a wild pitch that allowed Cook to advance to third. Manuel was hit by a pitch then surprised the home team with a steal of second base that two men in scoring position. Christian Stringer followed with a two-out single to left-center to score both runs and extend the Owls’ lead to 3-0.

Rice added two more runs on two hits and a couple of wild pitches in the top of the eighth to make it 5-0. There was still some drama to fight through in the bottom of the eighth. Bearkat right fielder Greg Olson led off with a single and Benak hit a batter with one away. The Owls went to the bullpen and issued a walk that loaded the bases.

The Blue & Gray brought in a second reliever, Tyler Duffey, who ended the threat with a total of four pitches to get a strikeout and fly out. With a scoreless ninth Duffey was back in form.

“It felt great out there,” Benak said. “I thought I had command of all my pitches and I got the change-up working early which was nice. It was tight there, but we got some runs and it took a little pressure off. Our offense can come up big at any spot in the lineup.”

The Owl duo of Stringer and Chargois each had two hits on the night. Rice is now 37-14 overall with six wins in the last seven games. The Bearkats are now 34-17 on the year.

The Owls’ road swing continues. Rice next plays a three-game Conference USA series at league co-leader UCF May 17-19. Rice then competes in the C-USA Tournmanent May 23-27 in Pearl, Miss.

The Owls first play at longtime state rival Sam Houston State (34-16 this season) on Tuesday at 6:30 pm.

Rice travels to Orlando, Fla., to meet conference foe UCF on May 17-19 and finish the C-USA schedule and regular season.

Game times against the Knights, 40-12 and co-leading the league with Rice at 15-6 are set for 5:30 pm on both Thursday and Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday.

All classes are held at the Community Building and Senior Center, 6104 Auden Street, unless otherwise noted.

New this summer, the 55 And Alive group is sponsoring a Hula Hoop Dance class and a Zumba Gold class. Both classes offer an excellent source of exercise, social interaction and a comfortable environment in which to participate. Hula Hoop meets on Mondays from 12 –1 p.m., and the fee is $18 per month. Zumba Gold will begin in July and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 – 5 p.m., with a $42.50 fee. For those interested in Zumba Gold, call 713-662-5895

For residents who are morning people, join the Early Riser Exercise class that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 – 10 a.m. This class is guaranteed to give you an excellent work out and the opportunity to make some new friends. The fee is $8 per month.

A mid-day Water Aerobics class is available at the Recreation Center. Non-swimmers are welcomed and encouraged; class begins in the shallow end with dumbbells and then moves into the deep end with a water belt (depending on the skill level/and comfort of participants). Equipment may be brought or purchased from the instructor upon first class. Instructor Paula Feinman has been teaching water aerobics for Senior Services and other locations for many years. Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. and the monthly fee is $45. A separate Friday-only class is also offered from 12 – 12:45 p.m. for $23.50.

For those who prefer evening classes, Thursday nights offer some great options. Classes are ongoing and can be joined at anytime. Classes include Line Dancing from 6:15 – 7:15 p.m. and Tai Chi 5 – 6 p.m. The classes are six week sessions, and just began this month. There is a small fee associated with each class to cover the expense of the instructor only.

For more information about these programs or any of the other programs offered through Senior Services, call 713-662-5895.

Stainback had a strong week to help Rice grab a share of first place in the C-USA standings. In four games, the true freshman shortstop went a combined 9-for-18 (.500) with three doubles for a .667 slugging percentage. The Dallas native scored five runs, drove in three, and also drew a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch for a .571 on-base average. In the C-USA weekend series against UAB, he had three hits in a game-one win and went 4-for-4 in a game two victory with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored.

The weekly C-USA hitting honor is the first of the Stainback’s career. His Owl teammates who have won or shared the league’s weekly hitting/pitching honor include Matthew Reckling (pitcher, three times), Michael Fuda (hitter, Feb. 27) and Jordan Stephens (pitcher, Mar. 12)

Andrew Pierce threw his second complete game of the year and his first shutout with a three-hitter vs. East Carolina in the series opener on May 11. He fanned 11 and only one opposing runner reached second base.

Rice is now 36-14 on the season and in a tie for first place in the C-USA standings with UCF at 15-6 overall. The Owls have closed out the home portion of its regular season schedule and plays each of the next four games on the road. Rice is at Sam Houston State on Tuesday (May 15) followed by a three-game C-USA series at UCF on May 17-19. The Blue & Gray competes in the C-USA Tournament in Pearl, Miss., on May 23-27.

As of yesterday, the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular was $3.63.

The West U price compares with a national average that fell 3.3 cents in the last week to $3.73 per gallon, according to gasoline price website HoustonGasPrices.com.

Despite the recent drop in prices, senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan said supply remains tight.

“While gasoline prices east of the Rockies have been falling, the West Coast remains at the mercy of refinery production. The entire West Coast right now is looking for any reason for a continuation in the price rally we’ve seen in the last week as supply remains tight and stakes high as Memorial Day weekend is just two weeks away,” DeHaan said. “While pump prices may continue their decline outside the West Coast, any refinery blip certainly has the potential for localized hotspots, and motorists should be aware of that.”

Including the change in gas prices during the past week, prices in West U yesterday were 22.9 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 22.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.

The national average has decreased 16.5 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 20.3 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

West U Senior Services took 14 active older adults to the West Houston Commemorative Air Force Museum and Hangar on May 8.

The seniors were brought to the museum by Harris County Precinct 3 transportation services and were greeted by several enthusiastic and passionate volunteers who shared their stories, knowledge and history.

After the museum, the group was allowed to enter several of the historical planes on site. The next stop was the Premier Outlet Malls where everyone was allowed some shopping time.

Each month West U active adults utilize the bus services offered by Harris County Precinct 3.

The upcoming scheduled trips are as follows:

June 5: Alpaca Farm Tour along with a live working farm

July 26: Galveston Pleasure Pier and Moody Mansion

August 14: Schulenburg Painted Churches

For more information on any of these scheduled trips or to be placed on our mailing list, call 713.662.5896 or stop by the Community Building, 6104 Auden Street.

The redevelopment of McGovern Park represents a historic collaboration between three youth sports leagues –HESC, West University Little League, and West University Softball – and Annunciation Orthodox School, a private school serving children through Grade 8.

“Nothing like this exists in Houston or surrounding areas that is dedicated to youth soccer,” said HESC president Bob Corrigan.

Under the agreement, the club and AOS will share a championship-caliber stadium with artificial lighting, covered spectator seating, concessions, bathrooms and locker rooms, and an auxiliary field adjacent to the stadium.  West U Softball and AOS will have a similar arrangement with respect to a softball field also located in the park.

“This first-class facility, when coupled with the club’s other field complexes, will give the club the absolute best facilities for youth soccer in the Greater Houston area and perhaps the state,” Director of Coaching Mark Gibbs said.

“Our club has nearly doubled in size over the last five years, to approximately 2,500 boys and girls,” HESC Vice President Adrian Crespo said. “McGovern Park will allow the club to absorb this growth and plan for future growth while ensuring that the club’s young athletes continue to have the best training environment in which to hone their skills.”

McGovern Park will be ready for competition beginning in fall 2012.

The Fab 5 kicks off the Party on the Patio concert series with the first show of the season at Colonial Park Pool on Friday, June 1.

The Fab 5 kicks off the Party on the Patio concert series with the first show of the season at Colonial Park Pool on Friday, June 1.

The Friends of West University Place Parks Fund concerts will be held on four consecutive Fridays in June from 7 – 9 p.m. on the Colonial Park Deck, 4130 Byron.

Blankets and lawn chairs are permitted, and concessions will be available for purchase.

Party on the Patio is a complimentary concert event for West U residents and their guests. For those who wish to swim, regular pool admission is required.

The full concert schedule is as follows:

June 1: The Fab 5

June 8: Checkered Past

June 15: The Quality Blues Band

June 22: The Ezra Charles Band

For more information, visit the Parks & Recreation Special Events page on the city’s website at www.westutx.gov/events or call 713-662-5383.

Warrant Arrest

At 11:01 a.m., an officer was dispatched to 2605 W. Holcombe in reference to a warrant pickup. WUPD Officer met with a HPD Officer to take custody of the individual.

05-11-12

Shop Lifting

An officer was dispatched to the 5600 block of Kirby in reference to possible shop lifting. The officer met with the reportee who advised that an individual removed items without their permission.

05-11-12

Burglary of a Motor Vehicle

At 12:49 p.m., an officer was flagged down in the parking lot of 4210 Bellaire. The reportee advised that someone entered her vehicle and removed her purse without permission.

05-12-12

Fraud

At 10:21 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 3000 block of Amherst in reference to a fraudulent check. The reportee advised that someone forged her signature on the check.

05-13-12

Theft

At 5:14 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 3200 block of Robinhood in reference to a theft in progress. Reportee observed a black male remove a bicycle from a driveway and leave. Officers were able to locate and the suspect with the stolen bicycle. The suspect was arrested.