High_flyer's Blog

We all know the power was out all over our area for quite a few days, and it’s still a major issue.  My question is this:  When the grocery stores had their power restored, do we know for sure that they checked any products that needed refrigeration or freezing before they opened their doors?   Do we know for certain that any products that may have been thawed (and perhaps spoiled) were removed from the shelves?

The Wal-Mart nearest to me (Beltway 8 and Beechnut) is notorious for keeping expired products on the shelves.  So, I know to check for these.  What I’m concerned about are things like eggs, dairy products, and meat.

Does anyone know if there are safety checks in place for this, or if the stores have inspectors to ensure what we purchase after something like a prolonged power outage is safe? 

Reported by Allison Triarsi / 11 News

Houston - Investigators are lookiing for a woman who's accused of locking dozens of animals in cages, and then abandoning them without food and water.

Animal Cruelty investigators said the conditions inside a southwest Harris County mobile home were the worst they've seen in years.

"Since 2003, this has got to be the most appalling conditions I've ever experienced in an animal cruelty case,” said Lieutenant Mark Timmers, Animal Cruelty Investigator.

According to the investigators, the woman who owned the sweltering mobile home left behind 40 or more sick and starving animals, and inches of feces on the floor.

"Usually we don't have to wear breathing masks, but this is one of those cases where you can't even enter without having a mask over your face," said Timmers.

The smell was so strong it burned your eyes.  "It's pretty sad. It's the worst I've seen ever," said Timmers.  More than a dozen of the animals that were trapped inside didn't survive.

Masilda Deats lived next door for thirty years. She said her neighbor took in strays and never asked for help. “She never told me about the animals dying inside, but I did know she had a lot of animals,” said Deats.

Investigators said the woman didn’t sleep in the filthy trailer, and she used a hose for a shower. She lived like this until last Friday when she disappeared, leaving the animals with no food or water in the Texas heat.

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Reported by  By MARI ALVAREZ / KVUE News

A 3-year-old Austin pup has been through a lot.

Burned in his own back yard, Mister Z, a beagle mix, would have died if it weren't for the help of some generous volunteers with “Austin Pets Alive,” a non-profit animal advocacy group.

One month ago he was set on fire, receiving severe burns to almost a third of his body.

“We feel pretty sure that this was intentional animal cruelty,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, the veterinarian caring for Mister Z.

She says his injuries show an accelerant was poured on him before he was set on fire.

Animal cruelty investigators say Mister Z's owners told them it happened in their backyard, but they didn't do it. The owners did call animal control for help.

Mister Z was brought to Town Lake Animal Shelter where his owners gave him up.   Doctor Jefferson knew Mister Z needed a special foster parent.

“It was just heart breaking to see,” said Jodi Park, Mister Z’s foster mom.

Park has fostered dozens of dogs, but says Mister Z is one of a kind.

“This dog is awesome, he really is - I have not met a dog with a better personality than this pup right here,” said Park.

Right now Mister Z requires an hour and half of special care every day, including hydrotherapy to help the burns.  Park will take care of Mister Z until Austin Pets Alive can find him a permanent home.

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Reported on KHOU - 8/26/08

KATY, Texas—A group of Katy cheerleaders were in big trouble Tuesday morning – so much trouble, in fact, they’ll miss the school’s first game of the year.

Katy ISD suspended all varsity cheerleading activity at Morton Ranch High School while they investigate allegations of hazing.

A parent said the girls bound junior varsity cheerleaders with duct tape and pushed them into a swimming pool.

The school’s football team will play its first game Friday.

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Again, the first thought that comes to my mind is;  what were they thinking???  Didn’t they realize someone could die?  Did they see the movie ‘Mean Girls’ just once too often?   What kind of person thinks this type of torture is acceptable?  Do these kids just have too much time on their hands?   Whatever happened to reading a book, tutoring, or doing some volunteer work if you have extra time?

This type of behavior is how serial killers start ... mutilate or kill some helpless animals, then move on to bigger targets...

I wonder how many of these ‘proud parents’ are seeing an attorney right now, to see what they can sue for, as I’m sure, not one of them is going to take responsibility for raising this type of sadistic monster ….   Any bets they will get some sort of a settlement???

And, the school year has just begun.... 

Second case in as many days happened at hospital – Reported by KHOU HOUSTON --

A small child has died after being left in a hot car at a northwest Harris County hospital. A security guard found the victim in the parking lot of the North Cypress Medical Center in the 21000 block of Highway 290. The guard at the Cypress hospital tried to revive the 4-year-old child, but it was too late.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. A hospital employee drove to work and forgot about the child in the car, according to Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. John Denholm. This is the second time in as many days that a small child has died in a scorching car.

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I would have thought, after hearing of yesterday's tragedy when another child was left to die in a car, that everyone would be more careful.... 

I wonder just what it will take to get people to remember their kids?  

HOUSTON  --  A 3-year-old Seabrook boy died after police say he was forgotten and left for more than 10 hours inside a hot car parked at business center in Webster.

A family member of the child was supposed to drop the boy off at day care but forgot the child inside the car and went directly to work, officials said.

Police said the family member arrived at work at 7:30 a.m. and didn't go back to the vehicle until 5:45 p.m. By then, the boy had already from the car's temperature, which may have exceeded 150 degrees.

"This is one of the hardest things that anyone could ever go through," Webster Police Department Capt. Thomas Claunch said. "Anyone who is a parent, grandparent, like I am, it's devastating."

The mother of the child was not at the scene, police said.

A woman who identified herself as the aunt of the child said this was an accident. However, she said she still wanted to warn parents to always look in the backseat of vehicles.

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What a senseless tragedy.  My heart and prayers go out to this innocent child, and the family.

I’m sure we are all asking; how can anyone forget you have a child in the backseat?  Anyone can forget their keys, sunglasses, or maybe even your purse.  But, a child??  Most 3 year olds I’ve been around chatter endlessly, and make all sorts of silly noises.  How could anyone just forget?

There will be numerous questions like, why didn’t the day care center call to see why the child didn’t show up?  Why didn’t the parents call to make sure the child got to the day care okay?  The car was parked in the front of the store, in a public parking space.  No one else noticed a child, alone in the car?  The finger pointing will be endless, trying to lay blame on everyone else.  The sad truth is, the woman simply ‘forgot’ her grandchild in the back seat of a hot car.  It’s not the first time this type of tragedy has happened, and sadly, we all know it won’t be the last.

Several weeks ago, I pulled into a Walgreens parking lot to fill prescriptions.  The car next to me was an older Civic, with the windows down, and a toddler was strapped in a car seat the back.  No one else was in the car.

I immediately went to the store manager, asking them to do an announcement that if the owners of the car didn’t attend to the child within 5 minutes, the police would be called.  We then waited by the car.  The ‘mother’ came out to the car a few minutes later.  She proceeded to yell at us that she was only gone a few minutes, and it was none of our business.  There were other words spoken, but, not being fluent in Spanish, I couldn’t make them all out.  But, I could certainly tell that she was mad at US, for not minding our own business.  She got in the car, slammed the door, and peeled out of the lot.

It was a little embarrassing, but I still know we did the right thing.  I’d rather be embarrassed for a few minutes, than try to live with myself knowing I should have done something, but didn’t.   

In the past few months, we've seen numerous reports reports of apartment complexes being unsafe or below standards.  We've seen on the news people being left with nothing when their complex goes up in flames, or a sewage problem ruins their belongings.

Why not make it mandatory for all renters to have Rental Insurance?  Homeowners have insurance on their property and belongings.  Most of us even carry flood insurance just to be safe.  

When I rented, I had rental insurance, and it wasn't that expensive.  Especially when you consider what it would cost to replace everything.

If rental insurance were mandatory, there wouldn't be any more renters left with nothing when tragedy strikes   And, think of the money it would save us all in the long run!

Yet another preventable tragedy.  As reported by KTRK News this morning:

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3 Year Old boy pulled from pool late Wednesday-reported by KHOU

HOUSTON -- A 3-year-old boy was pulled from a northwest Harris County pool late Wednesday. The toddler was not breathing when rescue workers arrived on the scene.

It is not clear how the boy ended up in the water at a home on Memorial Pines Way and Edenwalk. He was discovered in the pool about 8:30 p.m.   The Harris County Sherriff's Office was investigating and did not have an update on the boy's condition by 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Has anyone heard anything further about this child?  I saw it on KHOU, but nothing further. 

I’m part of the team that monitors our neighborhood pool, and we have very stick rules. We constantly check to ensure they are being adhered to.  I wanted to know more details, like:

• Did the child survive, and if so, how is he?

   

• Was the pool fenced, and were the gates locked?

   

• How did a 3 year old get into the pool that late, with no one noticing?

   

• Where were the Parents???? 

   

Hopefully, they are in police custody.

HOUSTON -- A 4-year-old boy was reunited with his parents after two men steal the sport-utility vehicle he was sitting in.  At about 8:30 a.m., a man stole a Ford Expedition that had the keys left inside the vehicle in the 2600 block of Airline.  Also inside the SUV was a 4-year-old Peter Garcia.  "I cried and I screamed. I said, 'God please give me my baby," said Amber Garcia, the boy's mother.

Thank goodness the thief dropped the child off unharmed.  NOW --- What about the neglectful mother?  Leaving a 4 year old inside a vehicle while she ran into a convenience store???

Will CPS be investigating this woman?  I would think this is a crime on her part.  The next time, she may not be as lucky.  And, we all know, unfortunately, there will be a next time.

Well, it’s the first Holiday Weekend of the summer season, and it’s going to be a hot one.   People are going to be celebrating, partying, drinking, and many of the area pools are going to be open.

Let’s just hope and pray that all of the parents and care-givers out there are going to keep a close eye on all of their children this weekend. 

There was another drowning in SE Houston last night (reported by Channel 13).  A man was on his upstairs balcony, smoking a cigarette, and saw a small body of a 5 year old boy at the bottom of the pool.  Evidently, no one even missed him.  HPD is investigating the drowning.

PLEASE --- make sure your children are supervised!  This holiday is to Honor and remember our fallen heroes, who gave their lives to protect us all.  Let’s not make it a holiday to remember our dead and neglected children as well.

Happy Memorial Day to all, and let's remember what this Holiday is really all about.  

I saw this story on Channel 11 News, but haven't seen anything further on it.  This is in regards to the fire in SW Houston last week that left 8 families homeless.

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Thank you for posting the laws concerning Dangerous Dogs.  Where can I find the information about what constitutes a 'Dangerous Dog'?  Do these regulations refer to  specific breeds (Pit Bulls, Rotweilers, dobies, etc), or is it any dog that has bitten or attacked someone? 

I'm a dog lover myself, and help foster and rescue stray animals.  But, in my neighborhood recently, it seems everyone has a pit bull or doberman, and not many of these owners seem to understand the leash laws.  Many of these dogs just run loose, making it very unsafe for anyone to be outside, especially when trying to walk your own dog on a leash.

My dog and I were recently attacked (not savagely, thank goodness) by a loose pit.  I called the police, filed a report, and put up flyers in the neighborhood, warning of this loose dog.  But, when we eventually found out who owned it, not only was nothing done, but the dog is still loose in their yard, confined by a loose, rickety fence. 

I certainly don't want to target any breed of dog, as we all know that a mean little 5 pound dog can cause some serious damage when riled.  But it's become evident lately that some have a greater propensity to do harm than others, especially if not raised properly, and allowed to run loose. 

So, what is legally considered a 'Dangerous Dog'?