For some University Place and Memorial area residents, Friday morning looked more like a movie in their neighborhood than a typical day.

Residents were greeted to the sounds of loud knocking and multiple vehicles simultaneously swarming homes at 2025 Albans near University Place and 411 Fall River Road in the Memorial area around 9 a.m.

TAPPS 5A District Three is pretty interesting.

It’s composed of four private school teams – three of which are in Harris County with the other in Beaumont –and it’s one of only a handful of leagues across the state of Texas, public or private, where everybody plays everybody twice under a home-and-away scenario.

And according to St. Thomas head coach Tim Fitzpatrick, forget its small size -- its strength is its stature.

Besides the Eagles, powerful St. Pius; Concordia Lutheran, which is in Tomball and two years removed from the 4A state runner-up spot; and Monsignor Kelly are the other three teams and they all get going Friday night with 3-0 St. Thomas going to Concordia Lutheran and winless Beaumont Kelly coming to town to face St. Pius.

Last season, for the first time since the late 2000s, the Eagles won the district and then went two rounds deep in the 5A playoffs. The district usually has two playoff teams – the winner and the runner-up – but the “wild card” team the TAPPS playoff system has involved the last few years has also given theleague three playoff squads a couple of times.

Fitzpatrick said the fact that nobody wants to be the one or two teams that get left out of the postseason makes every game that much dicier.

“It’s a tough district,” Fitzpatrick said. “There might not be many teams, but I think that makes it even more intense because we all know each other pretty well. St. Pius has great athletes and great tradition and they’ve won a lot of district and state championships over the years. And they lost some very good players from last year, but they lose very good players every year and remain strong, so I know they’re going to be very good.

“Concordia Lutheran runs the Wing-T (offense) and they run it very well and it’s hard to prepare for because so few teams run it. It’s so hard to get our scout team to really replicate it because of the timing involved, so they’re a tough team to not only play, but to prepare for. Maybe they don’t have the numbers the rest of us have, but they’re good and coach (Bobby) Lindquist does a great job. And just a couple of years ago they played in the 4A state championship game, so you know they expect big things from themselves. And Kelly has a new coach this year and I am sure Coach (David) Holmes will have them ready to go when district starts.

“So it’s a small district. But I think it’s pretty good. I think you have four teams that all feel like they have a chance to be pretty good and four teams that feel like if they play well and things break right, they could make the playoffs, which is what we’re all trying to do, so I think its small size with just the four teams makes it extremely intense.”

He said he believes the district is wide open.

“I think it’s going to come down to whom plays best in (these) six games,” he said. “You have to avoid the stupid penalties, although all penalties can be stupid. But they can kill drives and kill your momentum and we have to avoid that and I think the team makes the fewest mistakes and plays the best and keeps improving during those six games is the team everyone else will be looking up at.”

He said you have to take care of your own business in this district and that’s tough too do because its tough to beat a good team twice in just a matter of weeks and that’s what, in his mind, TAPPS 5A District Three is – four good teams.

FBI agents, an HFD Hazmat squad and Houston police are at a house in the 2000 block of Albans Street.

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It is October and that quickly, things have gotten very interesting in the Southwest Preparatory Conference South Zone.

The first of many big games for the seven schools in this district most likely comes this Friday night when archrivals Episcopal, which is 3-0 and 2-0 in the Zone, travels about three miles to Skip Lee Field to face St. John’s, which is 4-1 and 2-1 in the Zone after being stunned and shutout last Friday night in Fort Worth by Country Day, 29-0.

The other games at that same time have now 5-0 Kinkaid going to Austin to face St. Andrew’s and Houston Christian, which got into the win column in the Zone with its 47-14 victory on Trinity Valley, at home to take on Country Day.

For the longest time it looked like Friday night’s counter showdown between Episcopal and St. John’s would feature a pair of unbeatens, but Country Day ruined those plans with their performance against the Mavericks.

The Mavs finished with a season-low 144 yards and just 210 yards in total offense against FWCD, which is now 1-1 in the Zone and definitely right back in the playoff picture. For the first month of the season, St. John’s quarterback Wes Wallacegashed defenses with his running, but CD held him to only 44 yards on 12 carries and, most importantly, kept him out of the end zone. Risher Randall in his second game at running back was the pace-setter for St. John’s with 64 yards rushing on 19 carries.

CD’s offense had a very good night, scoring at least one touchdown in each quarter while never really letting the St. John’s offense finding its footing.

Episcopal, on the other hand, continued its rampage on opposing defenses by scoring 54 points for the second time in four games and scoring the final 33 points in what became a blowout victory over St. Andrew’s, which is now 0-3 in the Zone and pretty much out of playoff contention.

Junior running back Tyreik Gray continues to be the man for Episcopal, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on just five carries against the Crusaders. But on a night the Knights picked up 499 yards in total offense, including 298 on the ground, running back Jimmy McCartney made a big splash himself, running the ball 16 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns.

Gray’s most impressive feats, besides a 62-yard scoring run, was catching two touchdown passes from quarterback Will Taussig, who was 14-of-21 throwing the ball for 186 yards and two scores. He also ran for two more short touchdowns and Brice Madison chipped in a 33-yard touchdown run as Episcopal scored at least two touchdowns in each quarter.

St. Andrew’s, which is still looking for its first SPC victory in three years, led 6-0 midway through the first period and were down just 21-20 midway through the second period before Episcopal won going away.

So both St. John’s and Episcopal have a lot at stake this week. Episcopal, with a win, would stay right where they are atop the South standings and give themselves a two-game lead over the Mavericks while a St. John’s victory would put them back above .500 in the Zone and pull them even with the Knights in the standings because each team would have a loss.

So it should be a very interesting evening Friday at Skip Lee Field.

Meanwhile Kinkaid, which now has a new head coach in Nathan Larned after the highly-successful Stephen Hill was relieved of his duties nearly two weeks ago, gets back into the Zone when they visit St. Andrew’s Friday night in the state capital.

The Falcons are 2-0 in the South and stepped out of the league last Friday night to give Larned an easy 40-4 conquest of Beaumont Kelly last week in his debut in the Golden Triangle. Kinkaid led 34-2 at halftime and all of Kelly’s points came on two safeties off returning a blocked extra-point kick and a punt late in the game.

Junior quarterback J.T. Granato continued to have an outstanding year, throwing for over 200 yards on 15 completions to five different wide receivers. Stephen O’Suji scored two of his team’s touchdowns while Sam Mays and Jacob Mathews also added scores.

Even the defense got into the act when safety Thomas Dillon returned an interception 25 yards for the Falcons’ final score of the night in the third period.

With a Kinkaid victory Friday night and an Episcopal loss, the Falcons could take over first place all by themselves and be the last undefeated team in the South. While if both teams could win, they could stay tied with each other.

It’s October and the SPC South Zone has suddenly gotten very interesting.

The eighth year of Challenger Football kicked off at Rice University on September 22 with St. Agnes Academy student Mia Simon singing the National Anthem, invocation by Challenger Football founder and board chair Joni Hruska Fichter, and coin toss by Coach David Bailiff.

The Rice Owls provided assistance as buddies to the Challenger Football players.

For week two, the Challengers took the field at Strake Jesuit College as Jesuit student Christopher Auchter sang the National Anthem and Coach Bill McDonald gave the invocation.

Just as the players and cheerleaders enter the field through the run through, a downpour became.

Used to adversity and being flexible, the Challengers and their buddies headed to the competition gym where they ran football and basketball drills prior to the Booster Club hosting a hot dog lunch.

For both games, the Strake Jesuit Cheerleaders taught the Challenger cheerleaders dances, stunts, and cheers from the sidelines and National Charity League volunteers provide assistance, posters, and goody bags.

Upcoming Challenger Football games included: Wednesday, October 2 at 6:00 pm at Episcopal High School, Thursday, October 10 at halftime of their 5:30 JV game so roughly 6:00 p.m. at St. Thomas High School, and Sunday, October 27, at 2:00 p.m. at Southwest Football League.

For more information, please contact Joni at cptemps@aol.com.

She had no close family and had been told by doctors she couldn’t get pregnant.

When she walked out of the clinic, “completely shocked and scared” by the news, Lucero was greeted by anti-abortion protestors who directed her to LifeHouse, a Christ-based housing ministry that assists women with their unplanned pregnancy.

After an hours-long phone call and an interview with LifeHouse volunteers the same day, Lucero packed her bags and moved into LifeHouse two days later.

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Greater Houston area residents should prepare for potentially heavy rainfall tonight as well as throughout the weekend.

According to Brian Kyle from the National Weather Service, a cold front is slowly moving through northern parts of Texas to the coastal areas. While rainfall has been sporadic throughout the day, it’s expected to start again at around 7 p.m. However, Kyle said that the heaviest rains could hit any time from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

“Expect some showers and isolated thunderstorms ahead of [the front],” Kyle said.

As always, large amounts of precipitation could mean flooding in different parts of Houston. Kim Jackson, spokeswoman for the Harris County Flood Control District, said that there could be anywhere from 2-4 inches of rain widespread, and as much as seven inches in some isolated areas.

These conditions could affect both Harris and Fort Bend counties, but areas inside the urban center of Houston could see the possibility of more serious flooding, according to Jackson.

Jackson reminded residents to take proper precautions while out and about.

“Do not drive or walk into standing water because you never know how deep it is,” Jackson advised. “Just a very small amount can knock you off your feet or stall out your car. If you don’t have to go anywhere [tonight], stay at home.”

Earlier Friday, Houston Fire Department found a woman that had been helped out of Buffalo Bayou by a good Samaritan. Rescuers brought both individuals out of the bayou embankment. The woman was then taken to a nearby hospital.

Local school districts Spring Branch ISD and Houston ISD have not made any changes to their athletic schedules at this time. Katy ISD will monitor the situation, and if a change is necessary the game tonight between Mayde Creek and Katy may be postponed until tomorrow at 10 a.m. That change will be listed at www.katyisd.org/dept/athletics.

South Mayde Creek is the only local water source to come close to filling its bank, Jackson said. While it rose about 4-feet from the bank this morning, levels have since receded. If severe rains were to arrive, that level would rise again, she said.

A benefit Texans may see from the weekend rain could be an improvement in drought conditions. Houston’s water levels are better than the rest of the state, but still below average, said Ruben Solis, director of surface water resources for the Texas Water Development Board.

“It looks like there’s going to be an uptick in storage,” Solis said. “The real question is ‘how much?’ It really depends on how consistent- how long these rains last and how heavy they are. We’re in a wait and see mode at this point.”

Tim Heller, chief meteorologist at news partner KTRK Channel 13, said he believes the rains may bring some moderate “ponding” as opposed to flooding. “It’s been so dry that I think most of the rain should be soaked up,” Heller said.

The city now limits elected officials to two consecutive terms on council.

Among the other five proposed charter amendments on the ballot are proposals to increase the percentage of signatures required on residents’ petitions to propose legislation or to repeal laws.

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Houston Independent School Districts is launching a new online application system for parents and students wanting to attend any of the district’s 115 magnet programs. While paper applications will still be accepted, HISD is hosting a series of orientation sessions to familiarize parents with the new online option and outline the multitude of school choices available. The first session will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Burbank Middle School, 315 Berry.

“By making our magnet application, lottery and parent notification systems available online, we are streamlining the process and making it easier and less time consuming for parents,” said Assistant Superintendent of School Choice Dave Wheat. “We are also ensuring that it is fair and equitable for all of our families regardless of their income, language or what part of town they live in.”

As part of the new online process, students may apply to a maximum of 10 magnet programs, and of those, as many as five vanguard magnet programs for gifted and talented students. Magnet applications for the 2014-15 school year will be accepted from Nov. 4 to Dec. 20 for guaranteed consideration in the first round of applicants.

Parents and students may also attend any of the following school choice orientation sessions from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at five campuses across Houston to learn more about the online option and the new application guidelines:

• Sept. 19 – Madison High School, 13719 Whiteheather

• Sept. 24 – Stevenson Middle School, 9595 Winkler

• Sept. 26 – Revere Middle School, 10502 Briar Forest

• Oct. 1 – Pershing Middle School, 3838 Bluebonnet

• Oct. 3 – Forest Brook Middle School, 7525 Tidwell

Austin Kimbrough bagged the gator at the Guadalupe Wildlife Management area near Tivoli.

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West University Place’s city council took a unanimous record vote to keep the proposed 2013 tax rate the same as 2012.

The present tax rate is $0.374 per $100 of property value.

If West U were to adopt the effective tax rate of $0.366 per $100, taxes would increase by $84,686 when compared to 2012.

Depending on budget needs, the 2013 tax rate could be the same or lower than 2012’s tax rate.

Council also set two public hearings for residents to discuss the proposed tax rate. The public hearings are scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 26 and Sept. 30.

Council also moved their Monday, Sept. 23, meeting to Thursday, Sept. 26, to coincide with the public hearings.

Council member Dick Yehle was absent.

Sixty seniors from six high schools in the Houston Independent School District have qualified as semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program. HISD had 56 semifinalists last year.

The students are among 16,000 from across the country to earn the semifinalist designation, allowing them the opportunity to continue in the academic competition and vie for more than 8,000 college scholarships worth roughly $35 million.

They hail from Bellaire, Carnegie Vanguard, Lamar and Westside high schools, as well as DeBakey High School for Health Professions and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

“We’re so proud of the academic success these students have achieved,” HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said. “It’s an incredible honor for our students to be recognized by a program that is as rigorous and competitive as the National Merit Scholarship Program.”

Roughly 1.5 million high school juniors from across the country took the 2012 Preliminary SAT, which serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Less than 1 percent — about 16,000 students — were named semifinalists.

Ninety percent of semifinalists — about 15,000 students — are expected to advance to finalist standing. To do so, they must write an essay, score well on the SAT, have an outstanding high school academic record and obtain a recommendation from a high school official.

More than half of the finalists — about 8,000 students — will go on to win a National Merit Scholarship and the accompanying National Merit Scholar title. Final results will be announced next year between April and July.

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Bellaire High School

Rihab R. Fahad

Emma C. Foster

Patrick D. Girardet

Deedee T. Han

Michelle Huang

Rachel M. Lee

Hanying Li

KangDi Li

Bowie R. Lin

Ridge Liu

Daniel S. Luo

Aman Narayan

Alan E. Perel

Colin Shi

Rachel M. Smith

Jackson H. Su

Weiyi Wang

David Wu

Cicilyn L. Xie

Anna L. Xu

Phillip Z. Yuan

Laura Y. Zhang

Laurence Zhang

Mayline P. Zhong

Jinchen Zou

Carnegie Vanguard High School

Jeremy E. Davet

Japhethe M. Eernisse

Maya C. Fletcher-Bai

Scott C. Greenberg

Sergio D. Infante

Jinah Kim

Amanda R. Larsen

Jessica Marino

Michael Marino

Adam N. Morrison

DeBakey High School for Health Professions

Shveta M. Abraham

Edgar A. Avina

Anjay Batra

Sawan R. Dalal

Anam Q. Haque

Sharon G. Huang

Nanaki G. Kaur

Tristan L. Lim

Nadine J. Lo

Alina Mohanty

Vi K. Nguyen

Russell M. Tan

Christin Thomas

Yimeng Wang

Christopher K. Wong

Victoria K. Xie

High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

Chandler J. Dean

Adam J. Elkhadem

Rebecca R. Maset

Cassie M. O'Sullivan

Lamar High School

Lyndsey M. Lafitte

Laura E. Motard

Gregory B. Ross

Westside High School

Stephanie M. Forsberg

Daniel P. Johnson

Jamerson’s wish came true, with Lamar sweeping Westbury 25-6, 25-4, 25-4 in its league opener last week to move to 5-10 overall and 1-0 in District 20-5A. It’s the biggest highlight to date for the Redskins, aside from their Silver consolation bracket trophy at the Cinco Ranch Tournament.

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Friends, family and colleagues gathered Friday afternoon to remember the life of Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson.

More than 1,200 people packed the First Presbyterian Church of Houston, remembering Anderson for his friendliness, compassion and humor.

Life-long friend and retired Pasadena Police Chief Mike Massey kept the congregation laughing with stories about growing up with Anderson.

But his kindness towards others is what Massey will remember most about Anderson, a fighter who taught him how to live, he said.

“Who can you really say made an impact on your life?” Massey asked “Mike Anderson did.”

Colleague and friend Paul Schiffer recalled how smart and well-read Anderson was and called him down-to-earth. Schiffer said Anderson enjoyed a good prank and was a great guy to be around, whether in the office or out hunting.

Despite their differences, Schiffer said he and Anderson were close friends. Anderson looked for what you had in common, and it was never about the differences, Schiffer said.

“He thought he was ordinary,” Schiffer said. “We … realized he was extraordinary.”

Friend and First Assistant Belinda Hill remembered learning to moonwalk with Anderson, as well as his compassion with victims and dedication to his work.

Hill said she felt like his little sister and trusted his judgment and wisdom.

“He made work fun; he made it enjoyable,” Hill said.

Despite his titles, Hill said Anderson was “passionately proud” of his kids, his wife and his family.

“Mike’s legacy is not about a building or a courtroom or a monument or a banner or a bunting,” Hill said. “Mike’s legacy is about a great mind, a great heart that made life better for each and every person he touched.

“The sadness is lessened slightly by the comfortable thought that we knew a truly remarkable man.”

Born Oct. 27, 1955, Anderson grew up in Pasadena, Texas. He attended Sam Rayburn and Pearland high schools and graduated from Texas Lutheran College and South Texas College of Law.

Anderson was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and was active in several organizations, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Bellaire Little League and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.

Anderson, who was elected DA this past November, announced he had cancer in May. He died Saturday, Sept. 1, and is survived by his wife, Devon Ward Anderson, and children, Sam and Brynn.

But for some parents, it also means time to volunteer and get involved with their child’s parent teacher organization.

“The purpose of the PTO and parent involvement is to foster a relationship between the school and families who attend it,” said Chris Cander, the public relations chair for West University Elementary School’s PTO.

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More than two years ago, the Friends of West University Place Parks Fund decided it was time to honor their donors.

And on Thursday, their donor wall project was revealed at a private event at the West University Place Recreation Center.

The donor wall recognizes those who have given more than $5,000 cumulatively since Friends began more than 20 years ago and includes more than 50 individual and corporate sponsors.

“It’s a great way to say thanks to everyone,” said Ting Bresnahan, a Friends executive board member and donor wall chair.

The donor wall is “dynamic” and can expand to include future events and donors, said Steve Primrose, a member of the Friends Advisory Board and donor wall chair, before the unveiling.

Friends intends to update the wall with new donors every two years.

Several past and present Friends board members also spoke about the project before the unveiling:

West U Director of Parks and Recreation Tim O’Connor called West U the envy of peers and said Friends’ fingerprints are on “just about every recreational facility in the city.”

And Leah Ragiel, a past Friends chair and current advisory board member, thanked the donors for “leaving your mark on our neighborhood.”

Also announced at the event was Direct Energy’s corporate sponsorship for 2014.

Direct Energy, a platinum sponsor of Friends, is owned by a West U resident, and the company has sponsored several events, including the Parks Lovers Ball, Fathers and Flashlights event and summer concert series.

Direct Energy has been the Friends’ corporate sponsor for the past three years.

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