WEDNESDAY VOLUME XXVIII NUMBER 30 Section 1 8 pages
July 26, 2023 Home of the ‘Lone Star Flag’ and Donna Price
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Texas Chemistry Class Collaborates Weekly with Huntsville PD Gas Prices Average gasoline prices in Texas have risen 9.2 cents per gallon in the last week, a v e r a g i n g $ 3 . 2 3 / g t o d a y, according to GasBuddy's survey of 13,114 stations in Texas. Prices in Texas are 2.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 58.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has risen 2.7 cents in the last week and stands at $3.83 per gallon. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Texas was priced at $2.45/g yesterday while the most expensive was $4.17/g, a difference of $1.72/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.45/g while the highest was $4.17/g, a difference of $1.72/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 2.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.55/g today. The national average is down 0.4 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 78.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. Historical gasoline prices in Texas and the national average going back ten years: July 24, 2022: $3.82/g (U.S. Average: $4.33/g) July 24, 2021: $2.83/g (U.S. Average: $3.14/g) July 24, 2020: $1.89/g (U.S. Average: $2.18/g) July 24, 2019: $2.49/g (U.S. Average: $2.75/g) July 24, 2018: $2.63/g (U.S. Average: $2.84/g) July 24, 2017: $2.09/g (U.S. Average: $2.27/g) July 24, 2016: $2.00/g (U.S. Average: $2.15/g) July 24, 2015: $2.51/g (U.S. Average: $2.73/g) July 24, 2014: $3.40/g (U.S. Average: $3.54/g) July 24, 2013: $3.54/g (U.S. Average: $3.66/g) Neighboring areas and their current gas prices: Midland Odessa- $3.08/g, up 12.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.96/g. San Antonio- $3.23/g, up 14.9 cents per gallon from last week's $3.09/g. Austin- $3.27/g, up 14.2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.13/g. "For another week, we saw little meaningful change in the national average, which has been stuck in the same 10 cent range we're in today since April. It's been a remarkably quiet summer for gas prices, which have been far less active than normal," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "However, with tremendous heat gripping much of the country, I remain concerned about the fuel that such high temperatures will provide for tropical systems that venture into the Atlantic and Caribbean. For now, I don't expect much change in the toss up that has been gas prices for weeks on end. But, with gasoline demand now hitting its summer high, there remain some risks that could disturb gas prices in a significant way before summer's end." SOURCE GasBuddy
At Sam Houston State University, professors can provide students with firsthand experiences thanks to community collaborations. Chemistry professor Darren Williams has partnered with Huntsville Police Department (HPD) for 10 years, allowing his students to benefit from meeting and interacting with crime scene investigators and learning about the resources the department uses for real investigations. Williams was able to establish the partnership thanks to a gap between his third and final exams for the forensic chemistry course he leads. Instead of cramming in more textbook chapters and other material, he decided to look outward. A chance encounter
with then-sergeant Ken Foulch at a local event led to the professor and sergeant discussing his course and the possibility of a tour of HPD. Williams knew this would offer his senior-level students a great opportunity to be exposed to a potential career environment. “My students will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Forensic Chemistry and will probably be in the lab,” Williams said. “I think it is great for them to connect with the police, who are the first to encounter the forensic evidence to get their perspectives and level of care of the crime scene.” As Williams explained, students get to connect with numerous aspects of the work handled by the police
department. Their tour encompasses the divisions of patrol, training, victim services and investigations. They also are taken to the evidence storage facility, to understand the chain of custody and how it moves through each of the divisions before ending in storage. “ We d i s c u s s t h e essential importance of the chain of custody in class, and then the students get to see the detailed procedures surrounding the handling of evidence in real life,” Wi l l i a m s s a i d . “ T h i s external reinforcement of class material greatly increases the students’ perception of the value of their degree and field of study.” Overall, students throughout the years have
expressed gratitude for the opportunity to tour HPD. In the end-of-semester student feedback, they refer to the tour as a positive experience for learning real-life applications of lessons and for giving them a break from the standard lecture. Williams, though, has had the joy of witnessing their appreciation of the trip firsthand. “The reactions are evident in the faces of the students when we take photos with the canine police officer, the riot response vehicle or inside the facility,” Williams said. “This tour is a highlight of their final semester at SHSU.”
Grant Program Offers Boost As Rural Fire Departments Battle Recruitment Challenges
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The PlantersvilleStoneham Volunteer Fire Department sits across from the town’s Baptist church on F.M. 1774 and is otherwise surrounded mostly by pastureland. The c o m m u n i t y, a q u i e t railroad town in southern Grimes County, measures its population in the hundreds. But Plantersville isn’t isolated. The nearby Texas Renaissance Festival draws thousands of people each fall. Sprawling Conroe is only a 30-minute drive away, and urbanization is just down the road in other parts of neighboring Montgomery County. Fire Chief Jessica Bomar believes the growth may be moving toward the community faster than many people realize, and Community............2, 3, 4, 8 she is working to position Commentary.......................3, 4 h e r d e p a r t m e n t t o b e prepared for the additional S t a f f i n g t h e r u r a l became chief in December, Devotional..........................5 calls for service the future department hasn’t always t h e r e w e r e e i g h t Legals.............................6, 7 holds. been easy. When Bomar volunteers. In just a few
Index Business Directory.............8
See VFD, page 2
PRE-SRT POSTAGE PD #80 MONTG. TX
Coushatti Trace Chapter, NSDAR Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the NASA Space Shuttle Program Coushatti Trace Member and Retired NASA Engineer Susan Hutchison-Johnston shared her presentation “Space Shuttle Experiment Highlights and Technology Spinoffs” at a recent chapter meeting. Susan worked for NASA from 1983 to 2021 and retired in 2021, after 37 years of service. Prior to her retirement, she managed the refrigerated assets used for scientific research on the International Space Station. The Space Shuttle program began in 1972, with the first launch in 1981, and final flight in 2011. The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Commemorative Events Committee has selected the 50th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program as a milestone event for members to commemorate through significant programs and events. S u s a n ’s p r e s e n t a t i o n highlighted thirteen experiments that not only flew on space shuttle missions but continue to benefit society today. During the meeting, the chapter also honored Vietnam Era Veterans with Welcome Home greetings, a certificate of appreciation for their service and a Vietnam Veterans Lapel Pin. The veterans were especially interested in Susan’s program because some shuttle missions supported the DOD with military applications and topographical mapping. Mrs. HutchisonJohnston shared space themed refreshments with members and guests after her presentation. These included cookies cut in the shape of the shuttle, and M & M’s which were often used to demonstrate microgravity. Since the shuttle crew would celebrate a successful launch with beans and cornbread, cornbread was served. Susan’s display included a photo taken in space and signed by the astronauts thanking her for the delicious Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies she made, so of course we had her famous chocolate chip cookies. Other decorations included a small shuttle model, 4 mission flags, a NASA patch, and a shuttle program commemorative patch. Susan wore a polo shirt gifted to her by Astronaut Janice Voss. Janice was wearing this shirt in the appreciation photo the astronauts signed for the cookies. Also, on d i s p l a y w e r e framed patches and flags that flew on the Space Shuttle, pieces of the shuttle tile material as well as some photos taken on shuttle missions. If you missed Susan’s recent presentation, mark
See NASA, page 8