Clear Lake News
By Mary Alys Cherry
Webster police officers indicted
Three Webster police officers have been indicted on official oppression charges for allegedly using excessive force while attempting to arrest a suicidal man in Nassau Bay Sept. 27.
All three, who were charged with kicking, hitting and stomping a man while he was on the ground, and tasering him, have been suspended with pay.
Officers Daniel Bassett, 27; Peter Behler, 25; and Colin Murphy, 25, had been called to assist the Nassau Bay police with a man who was walking around outside with a gun threatening suicide and pointing a gun at the officers.
“This guy is yelling ‘Kill me! Kill me! Shoot me! Shoot me!’ And he has a handgun,” Assistant Police Chief Thomas Claunch said, explaining that is was a suicide by cop situation “and it went downhill from there.”
Pearland names interim manager
Pearland City Council has named Assistant City Manager Jon Branson as interim city manager. Branson moved into the post Dec. 31 when City Manager Bill Eisen retired after 12 years with the city.
Prior to joining the City of Pearland, Branson was director of community services for the City of Friendswood.
Lewis Jewelers gala nets $73,000
Lewis Diamonds & Timepieces celebrated its 32nd anniversary with a white-themed party titled Frost Yourself Nov.14, at its Gateway store adjacent to Big Buy in Webster.
Guests were encouraged to dress all in white, and enjoy live entertainment from Pampoline, cocktails and appetizers from Red River Barbeque, and peruse the latest and greatest from the designer lines. The event included a silent auction as well as a raffle with proceeds benefiting the renal department at Texas Children’s Hospital.
This year, for the first time, they ran a raffle through the pending LD&T Foundation, which featured a stainless steel Rolex Submariner, donated by Rolex. “Through the generosity of vendors and our amazing community, we raised over $73,000 for TCH! We are still pinching ourselves over here!” Tara Hilton said afterwards.
Space Station Marks 15 years
The International Space Station turned 15 in December. NASA astronaut Robert Cabana and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev became the first humans to enter the early habitable modules of the new International Space Station. “It was an International Space Station, and I felt it very important that we enter as an international crew,’’ reflected Cabana, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center director.
Funding OK’d for Port study
Port Commissioners has approved the immediate funding of an additional $100,000 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for economic study and analysis. That study will focus on the feasibility of the federal government taking responsibility for the maintenance of its federal channels alongside the berths at Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals.
The Port Authority has committed to self-fund the estimated $150 million it will cost to dredge those channels to 45 feet, matching the depth of the Houston Ship Channel. By doing so, the expectation is that the federal government will pay for ongoing maintenance.
The Commission also approved Memorandums of Agreement with the Corps for maintenance dredging and deepening of the nonfederal channels at the Port Authority’s Care and Jacintoport terminals for up to $1.3 million; maintenance dredging at Turning Basin, Woodhouse and Sims Bayou terminals for up to $5.4 million and Bayport Container Terminal for up to $1.1 million.
NASA Developing legs for Robonaut 2
NASA engineers are developing climbing legs for the International Space Station’s robotic crewmember Robonaut 2 (R2), marking another milestone in space humanoid robotics.
The legless R2, currently attached to a support post, is undergoing experimental trials with astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory.
These new legs, ready to head to space early next year, will provide R2 the mobility it needs to help with regular and repetitive tasks inside and outside the space station. The goal is to free up the crew for more critical work, including scientific research.
Once the legs are attached to the R2 torso, the robot will have a fully extended leg span of 9 feet, giving it great flexibility for movement around the space station. Each leg has seven joints and a device on what would be the feet called an end effector, which allow the robot to take advantage of handrails and sockets inside and outside the station.
