Spring Semester
By: Steve May
The body of an unidentified woman was found near the railroad tracks in southern Golan County Sunday. It was found by Byron Brown, who lives in the area.
“I saw something blue in the ditch, and stopped to see what it was. It was the girl’s blue jacket,” Byron stated.
Sheriff Butch Anderson stated that “We are doing everything we can to identify the body and the cause of death and will release that information to the public when we know.”
When asked if the woman was murdered, Sheriff Anderson replied, “We don’t know yet. It could have been some sort of animal attack. We just don’t know yet.”
The body has proven difficult to identify as the fingerprints are not on file and the head is currently missing from the scene. Anyone with information about this case is asked to immediately contact the Sheriff’s department at 409-555-1224.
Tags: Add new tag, Anderson, Body, Butch, Sheriff
Posted in Current Events (news), Sophomore | No Comments »
Spring Semester
By: Colleen Parker
Missing teenager Lateesha Wilson was found unharmed in nearby Cavalas, TX after a two week manhunt. An Amber Alert was issued for the missing girl 15 days ago when her mother reported that she never came home from school. The investigation quickly focused on a secret online relationship she had been having with someone claiming to be a 15 year old boy from Oklahoma. Police were forced to admit that that line of investigation had run dry four days later when it was clear that the boy was real and there was no evidence to indicate that they had met in person.
Volunteers with Texas Equine Rescue searching areas of the Big Thicket and boaters on Lake Greystone recently paused their efforts until more information might arise that would help them narrow their searches. The family never gave up hope and continued to canvass the area with photos of their missing daughter.
Wilson walked into the Cavalas dollar store wearing the same clothes as on the day of her disappearance. Her family says that their daughter is healthy and apparently unharmed. So far the teen has claimed amnesia, not even realizing that two weeks had passed. She has been unable to explain to authorities her whereabouts or how she ended up in Cavalas.
At a press conference earlier today, Golan County Sheriff Butch Anderson said “We’re just glad to have Lateesha back safe and sound. Now that she’s home where she belongs, there’s plenty of time to figure out whether this was a runaway case or something else.”
Posted in Freshmen, Local News | No Comments »
Spring Semester
By: Dorine Mercy
photo by: Wikipedia
Pinebox Elementary was temporarily evacuated yesterday afternoon because an unusual pest was discovered on the grounds. Yellow crazy ants, normally found in Australia, were found in the west end parking lot.
The yellow crazy ants, named for their erratic movements when disturbed, were seen and identified by Jennifer Lanhert a botany student at ETU.
“I was digging through my purse when I caught movement near my shoe. I have never seen any pests like that around here — and I grew up here.” Jennifer Lanhert stated. “In studying plants I have always looked also to the critters that affect plant life; I knew this one was unusual.”
Yellow crazy ants are one of the largest invasive ant species in the world, but are not often found in the United States. While these ants do not sting or bite, they protect themselves by spraying a formic acid. This acid is powerful enough to cause blindness in adults and especially in children.
Officials are unsure of where these particular ants came from but agree it might be possible it was deliberately planted on school grounds. Pest control and officials will continue to sweep not only the grounds of Pinebox Elementary but the surrounding areas for more evidence.
Posted in Local News, Sophomore | No Comments »
Spring Semester
By: Steve May
The longstanding tradition of Grad Party continues on May 16th. Every year since 1947, the ETU Ravens hold an all day party event at the Raven’s Basketball Sports Complex. There will be drinks (non-alcoholic until 9 pm), food buffets provided by Borden Chemicals and Tucker’s Sausage, as well as seven live bands with dancing.
The Spring Grad bands include Rocking 69s, Jury of Robots, Da Muffinmen, Tori and the Toads, Garth Tones, Snotbuckets, and the All Girl’s Band (AGB). Tickets are $20 in advance and $35 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at the Student Center, or from all English Professors, and Greeks.
See you there! Congratulations Seniors!
Posted in Local News, Senior | No Comments »
Spring Semester
By: Roy Ryder
On Tuesday, Golan County emergency personnel responded to a 911 call of an unconscious man on an electrical pole on county road 25, north of Pinebox. On arrival, they found Pinebox Electrical employee Devon Little unconscious and hanging from the pole where he had been conducting routine maintenance. EMTs called for support and fire-crew arrived and pulled Little down. Little was treated for burns at the scene and was rushed to the Golon County Hospital in Pinebox, where he remains in stable condition.
Although it was initially believed that Little was the victim of an accident caused by the power lines, it was learned that the electricity in the local area had been shut off for the maintenance. Upon looking at victim’s equipment, it was determined that Little had actually been struck by lightning.
“While getting him down, his helmet came off and it wasn’t until we found it that we saw the hole,” Pinebox Electrical manager Pete Boyd said. “It was a good three-inch hole burned right through the high-density plastic. Good grief but that must have been some shock.”
Little’s mother, Kendra Little, stated that this is not the first time her son has been struck by lightning. In 1996, he was hit by a bolt while camping in the Big Thicket with a group of friends. And again in 2003, Little was struck by lightning while playing softball at the Pinebox Sports Park.
“My son seems to draw lightning out of the sky,” Mrs. Little said. “Maybe the third time’s the charm and he won’t be hit no more.”
Posted in Local News, Sophomore | No Comments »
Spring Semester
By: Roy Ryder
Tyler Brown is used to finding surprises while working his land near Lake Graystone. However, yesterday he found that part of his land gone and several head of cattle with it. A 15 ft. wide sinkhole has opened up in the northeast corner of one of Brown’s pastures near an abandoned well. Three of cattle are missing and Brown fears that they might be lost in the hole.
“We live about a quarter-mile down the road and we felt something like a small earthquake during the night,” Brown said. “The next morning I came out to feed the cattle and noticed several missing. When I checked it out, I saw that the earth had subsided right near the trough. The animals must have been getting a drink and the ground gave way beneath them.”
No signs of the missing cattle can be seen in the sinkhole, but they could easily have been covered by collapsing dirt and debris. Sinkholes are not uncommon in Golon County, but it is unusual to lose livestock to them. Geologists at Eastern Texas University report that the recent drought has lowered the water table in the region, resulting in more sinkhole appearances. In addition, unusual seismic activity has been reported in the region, spurring an investigation by ETU grad students.
The Real Scoop
While it’s true that sinkholes are pretty common in Golon County, that isn’t the case here. A group of giant carnivorous worms have made their home in Golon County since before the dinosaurs. For the first time in a few hundred years they’ve got babies to feed. The “unusual seismic activity” that the ETU eggheads discovered is the result of the worms’ digging and occasionally breaching the surface to snatch a meal.
Use the stats for the Giant Worm in Chapter Seven of the Savage Worlds Explorer’s Edition for the adults. The dozen or so babies (use the Snake, Constrictor stats for these) are clustered in a large underground cavern and fiercely protected by the adults.
Posted in Junior, Local News | No Comments »
