Tomball police on the hunt for suspect in Compass Bank heist

by khou.com staff

TOMBALL, Texas—Tomball police were on the hunt for a bank robbery suspect after a holdup at a BBVA Compass Bank Tuesday afternoon.

It happened around 1:20 p.m. at a bank in the 1100 block of West Main Street.

According to police, the suspect walked into the bank, approached a teller window and handed over a note demanding cash.

Bank employees complied, giving him an undisclosed amount of money, and the suspect left the bank on foot.

Tomball police are working with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Bank Robbery Task Force to identify and arrest the suspect.

Police said a similar robbery was reported in Montgomery County about an hour prior to the Compass Bank heist.

Investigators said the suspect is between 40 and 50 years old and stands about 5 feet, 6 inches tall. He was wearing what appeared to be prescription glasses at the time of the holdup.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Investigator Albert Chambers at 281-290-1390 or submit their tip online through the "silent hotline" at tomballpd.com.

Ike-damaged schools want insurance help

School districts affected by extensive property damage caused by Hurricane Ike in 2008 have seen their insurance premiums skyrocket and want the state to help pay for it.
District officials in Galveston County have had discussions with state Reps. Craig Eiland of Galveston and Larry Taylor of Friendswood, according to the Galveston County Daily News.
"There are a lot of us in the same boat south of Interstate 10," Paul McLarty, Clear Creek's chief financial officer, said. "We've got concerns here in Galveston County that districts in Montgomery County, for example, don't have to worry about when you look at our premiums."

Clear Creek in 2009 spent $3.6 million on property casualty insurance, which is driven up by windstorm coverage, McLarty said. The district receives a maximum of $50 million for windstorm coverage, but the district's assets are valued at about $1 billion.

Legislators who convene in January face a budget shortfall estimated at $18 billion.
The state should incorporate higher insurance premiums for school districts along the Gulf Coast when calculating school funding, said Eiland.
"We recognize and allocate funds in West Texas to rural districts for their excess transportation costs because they have to run buses over large stretches of the county to bring kids to school," he said.

Galveston ISD will spend $1.8 million on insurance this year. After Ike, which hit on Sept. 13, 2008, premiums increased by 40 percent, said finance director David Dworsky. Adjusters classified the damage at each Galveston campus as flood-related.
The district has spent about $42 million on Ike recovery, said Dworsky.
"You have to weigh the high cost of excess coverage versus when you think the next event will happen," he said.

Clear Creek's premiums increased by 230 percent in 2006, the year after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The state didn't provide additional funding that year for insurance spike, so the district began reserving funds to offset premium spikes.
Insurance premiums for Texas City Independent School District have increased by 825 percent in the past nine years, said district spokeswoman Melissa Tortorici. The district will pay $1.2 million on insurance this year.

"It would be nice for the state to at least take our location into account for funding issues knowing how high our insurance costs have gone," said Tortorici. "Every dollar we pay on insurance is $1 less we have to use for kids."


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Plane crashes in NW Harris County

HOUSTON—A small plane crashed Monday in a parking lot near Hwy. 290 at Telge Road in northwest Harris County, according to the Cy-Fair EMS.
Four people onboard the plane survived. They were treated at the scene and released.
The plane, however, was a total loss.

It went down around 1 p.m. in the parking lot of a business that sells used buses. The crash scene isn’t far from Weiser Air Park.

Officials said the plane apparently overshot the runway and crashed through a fence before coming to a rest in the parking lot.

The identities of the pilot and passengers were not known.

Breaking: Fire destroys Houston complex

by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on September 15, 2010 at 11:20 AM

HOUSTON—Eight units were completely destroyed and several families were displaced after a two-alarm fire damaged part of a southwest Houston apartment complex Wednesday morning.
Fire officials rushed to the burning apartments on Wilcrest at South Drive around 6:45 a.m.
HFD said they had a slight water pressure issue in the beginning, but managed to quickly get the fire under control. No firefighters were injured and all of the families got out safely.
One child standing outside was checked for smoke inhalation at the scene. He was determined to be OK.

Arson investigators do not know how the fire started at this time.


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