A Texas Commission on Environmental Quality site review has been completed at Movac Service Co. in Kenedy, indicating several specifics and violations the business is disputing.

The investigation concludes the Movac yard spilled around 7,200 gallons of diesel fuel some time before Aug. 6 this year and that during the cleanup process Movac "had not initiated proper procedures and efforts to manage, abate, contain, and remediate the spill."

The leak was slow and the fuel seeped out of its container over a month’s time, the investigation report said. The report also alleges Movac did not notify the TCEQ upon discovering the problem.

"We are alleging that they did know prior to our investigations and did not report it," TCEQ representative Andrea Morrow said. "We were there on Aug. 6 and documented it. Prior to that time, we don’t know when they knew what, but it’s obvious that they knew something."

The completion of the investigation is about three weeks away, Morrow said. Several items such as the extent of the spill’s environmental impact have not yet been determined.

By Cathy Passmore

A resolution authorizing signatories for contractual documents for the Orca-El Oso grant was approved at the October 31 Commissioners Court meeting after discussion between county officials and "Punch" Humphries, speaking on behalf of the project.

Along these lines, Humphries said that the Harold Brown & Sons Engineering Firm from Lampasas is their choice for the water construction project.

The project which has been approved by ORCA will help the El Oso Water Supply Corporation extend their water lines into areas near FM 1144 to better serve rural water customers.

The recommendation for the engineering firm was approved. Commissioner Isidro "Stormy" Rossett asked about preconstruction conferences to be held in November. County Judge Alger Kendall, Jr. said, "They will have meetings in San Antonio." He also said that after additional study, the acceptance to indemnify the insurance policy with Orca-El Oso had been made.

Falls City’s band placed 13th out of 16 bands in the class 1A state competition Monday, besting a school that previously placed higher than them at area.

Beaver Band Director Steven Wolf said it was an honor for the band just to be able to go to state competition and he praised the band for their performance.

"I thought they did very well. When you’re talking about that level (of competition), there’s just minute details that can take you anywhere from seventh down to 13th. Minute detail is what ended up getting us," he said.

James Bowman, known as the "Walking Preacher" recently walked through Karnes County and while he was here, he stopped to share his message with the congregation of the First Baptist Church in Kenedy.

Bowman, who grew up in Las Vegas, was addicted to drugs until a life-changing moment in 2002. Dying in a ditch in Las Vegas, he noticed a pastor’s business card on the ground beside him. He said he held the card and prayed to God, asking for help. He passed out and when he woke up, the pastor whose name was on the card, took him in and cared for him and eventually he overcame his problems with addiction.

In 2005, Bowman said God appeared to him in a dream and told him he should walk across the country, sharing God’s will and his testimony.

"On March 10, 2005, I set out walking across the United States," Bowman said. "I have been to all 48 states and I have walked 23,000 miles in the past two and a half years."