Police assault 12-year-old girl after mistaking her for a prostitute
Andrew McLemore
Published: Friday December 19, 2008
A girl's family has filed a lawsuit against Galveston police for their assault on their 12-year-old daughter after mistaking her for a prostitute.
As the girl, Dymond Milburn, walked in her front yard, three men jumped out of a van and beat her about the face and throat, one of them telling her, "You're a prostitute. You're coming with me."
Police attacked Milburn despite the fact that she didn't fit the racial description of their suspects: three white prostitutes and a black drug dealer.
Three weeks after Milburn was hospitalized for her injuries, police went to her school and arrested her for assaulting an officer during the incident.
The incident occurred two years ago, and since then, Milburn has suffered behavioral problems, nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Showing posts with label Galveston Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Galveston Texas. Show all posts
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Hurricane Ike problems go on long after storm gone
Storm over, but hunger, fear remain
Advocates push for food donations, day care support
By ALLAN TURNER
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 17, 2008, 11:14PM
Hurricane Ike was an ill wind for tens of thousands of Houston-area children, who, more than a month after the storm blasted the Texas coast, are still hungry, fearful and sometimes abused, a coalition of social service providers warned Thursday.
"Things are getting back to normal," said Bob Sanborn, president of Children of Risk. "The lights are back on and schools are open. ... But there are still problems, still needs. ... Children are still in poverty. They still have hardships."
The children's advocates gathered to call for support of the Houston Food Bank, which distributed 12 million pounds of food in the hurricane's wake, and area day care centers, many of which were damaged and have not reopened.
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6065373.html
Ike relief fund returns day care to Galveston
Many Ike victims still waiting for help from FEMA
Advocates push for food donations, day care support
By ALLAN TURNER
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 17, 2008, 11:14PM
Hurricane Ike was an ill wind for tens of thousands of Houston-area children, who, more than a month after the storm blasted the Texas coast, are still hungry, fearful and sometimes abused, a coalition of social service providers warned Thursday.
"Things are getting back to normal," said Bob Sanborn, president of Children of Risk. "The lights are back on and schools are open. ... But there are still problems, still needs. ... Children are still in poverty. They still have hardships."
The children's advocates gathered to call for support of the Houston Food Bank, which distributed 12 million pounds of food in the hurricane's wake, and area day care centers, many of which were damaged and have not reopened.
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6065373.html
Ike relief fund returns day care to Galveston
Many Ike victims still waiting for help from FEMA
Friday, September 26, 2008
Return to Bolivar Peninsula is slow-going for residents after Hurricane Ike
Return to Bolivar Peninsula is slow-going for residents
By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press
Sept. 26, 2008, 11:45AM
HIGH ISLAND — Residents of the Bolivar Peninsula crowded onto the only roadway back home today, the first day they were allowed to return and check out the massive wreckage left behind after Hurricane Ike roared through this thin strip of land along the Gulf of Mexico.
The peninsula's 4,000 or so residents are being allowed back on a "look and leave" policy, lining up to return despite warnings they could find snakes and alligators in the debris. The peninsula just northeast of Galveston was among the hardest-hit areas when Ike blasted ashore Sept. 13, with 110 mph winds and a storm surge that swept away homes and businesses.
In the small town of Gilchrist, what was once a field across the street from some vacation beach houses now looked more like a dump where the remains of the homes were scattered. Homeowners slowly wandered through the field, looking through chunks of wood, plates, VCRs, blinds and broken toilets.
Beth Varing, whose vacation home of 20 years was gone except for some wooden pilings, was making a small pile beside the road of items she recovered: a few unbroken dishes, some utensils, a fishing pole and some tile pieces.
"It's unbelievable. All I can do is cry," she said. "These beach houses have been here forever. I can't wrap my thoughts around this. I can't see how it picked up these beach houses and now there is nothing left."
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By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press
Sept. 26, 2008, 11:45AM
HIGH ISLAND — Residents of the Bolivar Peninsula crowded onto the only roadway back home today, the first day they were allowed to return and check out the massive wreckage left behind after Hurricane Ike roared through this thin strip of land along the Gulf of Mexico.
The peninsula's 4,000 or so residents are being allowed back on a "look and leave" policy, lining up to return despite warnings they could find snakes and alligators in the debris. The peninsula just northeast of Galveston was among the hardest-hit areas when Ike blasted ashore Sept. 13, with 110 mph winds and a storm surge that swept away homes and businesses.
In the small town of Gilchrist, what was once a field across the street from some vacation beach houses now looked more like a dump where the remains of the homes were scattered. Homeowners slowly wandered through the field, looking through chunks of wood, plates, VCRs, blinds and broken toilets.
Beth Varing, whose vacation home of 20 years was gone except for some wooden pilings, was making a small pile beside the road of items she recovered: a few unbroken dishes, some utensils, a fishing pole and some tile pieces.
"It's unbelievable. All I can do is cry," she said. "These beach houses have been here forever. I can't wrap my thoughts around this. I can't see how it picked up these beach houses and now there is nothing left."
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Residents stream into Ike-battered Galveston
Residents stream into Ike-battered Galveston
45,000 islanders fled storm's wrath; hotels, shelters open up to residents
updated 7:14 p.m. ET, Wed., Sept. 24, 2008
GALVESTON, Texas - Ten days after Hurricane Ike, this devastated beach town reopened to residents Wednesday with stern warnings about what still lurks on the island — rotting cattle carcasses, snakes and swarms of mosquitoes — and what isn't there: drinking water, reliable electricity, medical care or sewer service.
After spending hours in traffic that backed up for 10 miles, some residents found their homes in ruins.
"I wasn't prepared for this," taxi driver Patricia Davis said as she waved away mosquitoes and surveyed the remains of her apartment, which had its entrance blocked by collapsed walls, wrecked furniture and sodden clothing.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26867313/
45,000 islanders fled storm's wrath; hotels, shelters open up to residents
updated 7:14 p.m. ET, Wed., Sept. 24, 2008
GALVESTON, Texas - Ten days after Hurricane Ike, this devastated beach town reopened to residents Wednesday with stern warnings about what still lurks on the island — rotting cattle carcasses, snakes and swarms of mosquitoes — and what isn't there: drinking water, reliable electricity, medical care or sewer service.
After spending hours in traffic that backed up for 10 miles, some residents found their homes in ruins.
"I wasn't prepared for this," taxi driver Patricia Davis said as she waved away mosquitoes and surveyed the remains of her apartment, which had its entrance blocked by collapsed walls, wrecked furniture and sodden clothing.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26867313/
Thursday, September 18, 2008
FEMA Says No to Ice For Hurricane Survivors
FEMA Says No to Ice For Hurricane Survivors
Under New Policy, FEMA Says Ice is Not Its Responsibility
By MEGAN CHUCHMACH
September 18, 2008
Hurricane survivors are being put at risk in Texas and other hot weather states because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is no longer providing ice in relief situations, say watchdogs, relief workers and local leaders in Hurricane Alley
"It's frustrating that the government can deliver $85 billion to bail out AIG, and they can't deliver ice in Texas," said Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the Disaster Accountability Project (DAP), a nonpartisan organization that monitors the nation's disaster response system.
In fact, while the federal government can deliver ice to disaster areas, it's chosen not to, under newly-revised FEMA rules. Instead, individual states and local governments are now tasked with purchasing, delivering and storing ice, even though they face tough logistical challenges in doing so, according to critics of the new policy.
"FEMA is effectively saying we can't guarantee you ice," said Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
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http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5828158&page=1
Linked from RawStory
Under New Policy, FEMA Says Ice is Not Its Responsibility
By MEGAN CHUCHMACH
September 18, 2008
Hurricane survivors are being put at risk in Texas and other hot weather states because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is no longer providing ice in relief situations, say watchdogs, relief workers and local leaders in Hurricane Alley
"It's frustrating that the government can deliver $85 billion to bail out AIG, and they can't deliver ice in Texas," said Ben Smilowitz, executive director of the Disaster Accountability Project (DAP), a nonpartisan organization that monitors the nation's disaster response system.
In fact, while the federal government can deliver ice to disaster areas, it's chosen not to, under newly-revised FEMA rules. Instead, individual states and local governments are now tasked with purchasing, delivering and storing ice, even though they face tough logistical challenges in doing so, according to critics of the new policy.
"FEMA is effectively saying we can't guarantee you ice," said Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
go here for more
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5828158&page=1
Linked from RawStory
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Ike's Missing May Have Just Washed Away
Ike's Missing May Have Just Washed Away
By JUAN A. LOZANO and MONICA RHOR, AP
GALVESTON, Texas (Sept. 18) - The death toll from Hurricane Ike is remarkably low so far, considering that legions of people stayed behind as the storm obliterated row after row of homes along the Texas coast. But officials suspect there are more victims out there and say some might simply have been swept out to sea.
Exactly how many is anybody's guess, because authorities had no sure way to track those who defied evacuation orders. And the number of people reported missing after the storm, whose death toll stands at 17 in Texas, is fluctuating.
Search-and-rescue crews cleared out Wednesday after plucking survivors from Galveston and the devastated Bolivar Peninsula, and authorities are relying on Red Cross workers and beach patrols to run welfare checks on people named by anxious relatives.
"We don't know what's out there in the wilds," said Galveston County medical examiner Stephen Pustilniks. "Searchers weren't looking for bodies; they were looking for survivors."
As the hurricane closed in, authorities in three counties alone estimated 90,000 people ignored evacuation orders. Post-storm rescuers in Galveston and the peninsula removed about 3,500 people, but another 6,000 refused to leave.
Nobody is suggesting that tens of thousands died, but determining what happened to those unaccounted for is a painstaking task that could leave survivors wondering for months or years to come.
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By JUAN A. LOZANO and MONICA RHOR, AP
GALVESTON, Texas (Sept. 18) - The death toll from Hurricane Ike is remarkably low so far, considering that legions of people stayed behind as the storm obliterated row after row of homes along the Texas coast. But officials suspect there are more victims out there and say some might simply have been swept out to sea.
Exactly how many is anybody's guess, because authorities had no sure way to track those who defied evacuation orders. And the number of people reported missing after the storm, whose death toll stands at 17 in Texas, is fluctuating.
Search-and-rescue crews cleared out Wednesday after plucking survivors from Galveston and the devastated Bolivar Peninsula, and authorities are relying on Red Cross workers and beach patrols to run welfare checks on people named by anxious relatives.
"We don't know what's out there in the wilds," said Galveston County medical examiner Stephen Pustilniks. "Searchers weren't looking for bodies; they were looking for survivors."
As the hurricane closed in, authorities in three counties alone estimated 90,000 people ignored evacuation orders. Post-storm rescuers in Galveston and the peninsula removed about 3,500 people, but another 6,000 refused to leave.
Nobody is suggesting that tens of thousands died, but determining what happened to those unaccounted for is a painstaking task that could leave survivors wondering for months or years to come.
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Galveston County Jail, no generators from FEMA causes major problems
Galveston officials: Feds blocking generators at jail
By TERRI LANGFORD Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Sept. 16, 2008, 11:59AM
GALVESTON — Frustration was brewing at the Galveston County jail this morning, but not from the inmates.
Dudley Anderson — the architect of the Galveston County Justice Center, which includes the jail, courts and law enforcement offices — said the Federal Emergency Managment Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are letting rule books get in the way of supplying generators and, thus, air flow to the estimated 1,000 inmates in the jail.
"We've been trying to get some power hooked up inside the justice center," Anderson said. "There's a small one in there now, but they need power."
While President Bush was inside the facility talking with officials this morning, Anderson and other contractors were outside complaining that the government is getting in the way.
Anderson said the only generator in the jail this morning was supplying a small operator area. He had another generator ready to help a bit with air flow, but the large generators expected from the federal government are what he's frustrated about.
"FEMA won't turn loose of the generators until they inspect the area themselves. They keep saying that will be tomorrow. I've heard that for days," he said. "We know the exact size we need. We told them. Apparently, that's difficult for them to accept."
Anderson said that, without air circulating in the closed facility in this climate, mold and mildew can start growing everywhere. The lack of water and properly working toilet facilities exacerbates the problem, he said.
go here for more
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6004686.html
By TERRI LANGFORD Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Sept. 16, 2008, 11:59AM
GALVESTON — Frustration was brewing at the Galveston County jail this morning, but not from the inmates.
Dudley Anderson — the architect of the Galveston County Justice Center, which includes the jail, courts and law enforcement offices — said the Federal Emergency Managment Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers are letting rule books get in the way of supplying generators and, thus, air flow to the estimated 1,000 inmates in the jail.
"We've been trying to get some power hooked up inside the justice center," Anderson said. "There's a small one in there now, but they need power."
While President Bush was inside the facility talking with officials this morning, Anderson and other contractors were outside complaining that the government is getting in the way.
Anderson said the only generator in the jail this morning was supplying a small operator area. He had another generator ready to help a bit with air flow, but the large generators expected from the federal government are what he's frustrated about.
"FEMA won't turn loose of the generators until they inspect the area themselves. They keep saying that will be tomorrow. I've heard that for days," he said. "We know the exact size we need. We told them. Apparently, that's difficult for them to accept."
Anderson said that, without air circulating in the closed facility in this climate, mold and mildew can start growing everywhere. The lack of water and properly working toilet facilities exacerbates the problem, he said.
go here for more
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6004686.html
Monday, September 15, 2008
Ike victims search streets for food, water, gas
Ike victims search streets for food, water, gas
60 survivors found on isolated peninsula; death toll at 37 in 9 states
MSNBC News Services
updated 1 hour, 52 minutes ago
HOUSTON - Thousands of victims of Hurricane Ike settled in at shelters for what could be weeks, and others waited wearily in line for food, water, ice and gasoline Monday as it became increasingly clear the disaster along the Texas coast would be measured not by its death toll but by the misery it spread.
Almost three days after the storm steamrolled the coast, the extent of the damage was still coming into focus, with rescue teams finally reaching some of the hardest-hit and most inacessible places, including Bolivar Peninsula, a resort on Galveston Bay where entire neighborhoods were obliterated.
While the number of confirmed deaths was still remarkably low at 37 in Texas and eight other states, the distress was considerable.
Nearly 37,000 people were in shelters in Texas, and there was no word on when those living in the most devastated towns, such as Galveston, might return. An estimated 2.2 million people in Texas alone remained without power. Many service stations had no gasoline, or no electricity to pump it. With no running water, some residents were dumping toilet waste directly into the sewers. Major highways were still under water.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26695458/
60 survivors found on isolated peninsula; death toll at 37 in 9 states
MSNBC News Services
updated 1 hour, 52 minutes ago
HOUSTON - Thousands of victims of Hurricane Ike settled in at shelters for what could be weeks, and others waited wearily in line for food, water, ice and gasoline Monday as it became increasingly clear the disaster along the Texas coast would be measured not by its death toll but by the misery it spread.
Almost three days after the storm steamrolled the coast, the extent of the damage was still coming into focus, with rescue teams finally reaching some of the hardest-hit and most inacessible places, including Bolivar Peninsula, a resort on Galveston Bay where entire neighborhoods were obliterated.
While the number of confirmed deaths was still remarkably low at 37 in Texas and eight other states, the distress was considerable.
Nearly 37,000 people were in shelters in Texas, and there was no word on when those living in the most devastated towns, such as Galveston, might return. An estimated 2.2 million people in Texas alone remained without power. Many service stations had no gasoline, or no electricity to pump it. With no running water, some residents were dumping toilet waste directly into the sewers. Major highways were still under water.
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26695458/
Officials say they fear more bodies may be in Texas debris
Ike blamed for 27 deaths from Texas to Midwest
Story Highlights
NEW: At least 500,000 Houston area customers get power back
Officials say they fear more bodies may be in Texas debris
Texas governor: Galveston residents may not be able to return for "weeks"
Winds, floodwaters take toll in Midwest
GALVESTON, Texas (CNN) -- The remnants of Hurricane Ike moved into Canada early Monday after the storm left a trail of destruction and 27 people dead from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes.
Hurricane-force winds from the storm were felt as far north as Kentucky, and heavy rains flooded streets in Chicago, Illinois.
Deaths related to the storm were reported in Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio as well as Texas.
The toll could go higher. Chambers County, Texas, Judge Jimmy Sylvia told CNN late Sunday that there is nothing left of Oak Island, a city on the coast in Galveston Bay. Smith Point, to the south, has "mounds and mounds of debris," the judge said, and he fears they may find bodies in the rubble.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Monday it could be "weeks" before residents can return to Galveston, the island city that Hurricane Ike devastated when it made landfall early Saturday.
click post title for more
Story Highlights
NEW: At least 500,000 Houston area customers get power back
Officials say they fear more bodies may be in Texas debris
Texas governor: Galveston residents may not be able to return for "weeks"
Winds, floodwaters take toll in Midwest
GALVESTON, Texas (CNN) -- The remnants of Hurricane Ike moved into Canada early Monday after the storm left a trail of destruction and 27 people dead from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes.
Hurricane-force winds from the storm were felt as far north as Kentucky, and heavy rains flooded streets in Chicago, Illinois.
Deaths related to the storm were reported in Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio as well as Texas.
The toll could go higher. Chambers County, Texas, Judge Jimmy Sylvia told CNN late Sunday that there is nothing left of Oak Island, a city on the coast in Galveston Bay. Smith Point, to the south, has "mounds and mounds of debris," the judge said, and he fears they may find bodies in the rubble.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Monday it could be "weeks" before residents can return to Galveston, the island city that Hurricane Ike devastated when it made landfall early Saturday.
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Sunday, September 14, 2008
Rescuers saved almost 2,000 in Texas after Ike
Swamped survivors sort through rubble
Rescuers searching flooded streets and ruined houses left behind by Hurricane Ike said they saved nearly 2,000 people in the largest search-and-rescue operation in Texas history. Survivors, meanwhile, begin to take stock. "I've never seen water like this," said a 30-year Galveston resident. full story
Rescuers searching flooded streets and ruined houses left behind by Hurricane Ike said they saved nearly 2,000 people in the largest search-and-rescue operation in Texas history. Survivors, meanwhile, begin to take stock. "I've never seen water like this," said a 30-year Galveston resident. full story
Texas after Hurricane Ike
'I've never seen water like this'
Wanda Collins has lived four blocks from Galveston's seawall for 30 years, and though she's seen hurricanes hit coastal Texas before, she's never had 5 feet of water collect in the garage under her home. "I've never seen water like this," she said after Hurricane Ike hit. full story
'Lot of cleaning up to do' Ike videos
iReport.com: See images of Ike's aftermath
CNN Wire: Houston under nighttime curfew
iReport.com: Ike evacuee, pets ready to go home
Time: What it felt like to ride out Ike
Blog: Coping with Hurricane Ike's aftermath
Wanda Collins has lived four blocks from Galveston's seawall for 30 years, and though she's seen hurricanes hit coastal Texas before, she's never had 5 feet of water collect in the garage under her home. "I've never seen water like this," she said after Hurricane Ike hit. full story
'Lot of cleaning up to do' Ike videos
iReport.com: See images of Ike's aftermath
CNN Wire: Houston under nighttime curfew
iReport.com: Ike evacuee, pets ready to go home
Time: What it felt like to ride out Ike
Blog: Coping with Hurricane Ike's aftermath
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Survivors beg for help as Ike ravages Texas
Survivors beg for help as Ike ravages Texas
About 250,000 refused to flee Category 2 hurricane.
NBC News and news services
updated 24 minutes ago
GALVESTON, Texas - Massive Hurricane Ike crashed into densely populated southeast Texas early Saturday, battering the coast with driving rain and ferocious wind gusts as residents who decided too late they should have heeded calls to evacuate made futile calls for rescue.
Though it would be daybreak before the storm's toll was clear, already, the damage was extensive. Thousands of homes had flooded, roads were washed out and several fires burned unabated as crews could not reach them. But the biggest fear was that the nearly 250,000 people who defied orders to flee would need rescue from submerged homes and neighborhoods.
The eye of the storm powered ashore at 3:10 a.m. ET at Galveston with 110 mph winds, a strong Category 2 storm.
About 250,000 refused to flee Category 2 hurricane.
NBC News and news services
updated 24 minutes ago
GALVESTON, Texas - Massive Hurricane Ike crashed into densely populated southeast Texas early Saturday, battering the coast with driving rain and ferocious wind gusts as residents who decided too late they should have heeded calls to evacuate made futile calls for rescue.
Though it would be daybreak before the storm's toll was clear, already, the damage was extensive. Thousands of homes had flooded, roads were washed out and several fires burned unabated as crews could not reach them. But the biggest fear was that the nearly 250,000 people who defied orders to flee would need rescue from submerged homes and neighborhoods.
The eye of the storm powered ashore at 3:10 a.m. ET at Galveston with 110 mph winds, a strong Category 2 storm.
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