AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today met with state officials to discuss Texas’ response to last night’s explosion and fires at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas. State officials worked through the night and this morning to assist local emergency management and law enforcement with health and medical resources, incident management, search and rescue and environmental quality monitoring, which are ongoing.

“We are blessed in Texas to have the best emergency response teams in the nation, and they were certainly at their best last night, quickly and efficiently taking control of the situation, tending to the wounded and helping keep a bad situation from getting worse,” Gov. Perry said. “Anyone who grew up in a small town understands that this tragedy will touch every family in West and the surrounding communities in some way. I urge all Texans and Americans to join me in keeping the people of West and our first responders in your prayers as this situation continues to unfold.”

“Once again, our state’s first responders have run toward disaster, putting their lives on the line for those they protect and serve,” Lt. Governor David Dewhurst said. “We will continue to pray for them and the countless Texans whose lives have been forever changed by this tragedy.”

Activated state resources include:
Texas Department of Public Safety: Helping secure the area for law enforcement personnel to conduct business and maintain public safety.
Texas Task Force 1 & 2 (TTF1 and TTF2): TTF1 urban search and rescue team, including damage assessment personnel for collapse structure assessment, and a search and rescue K-9 Team. TTF2 search and rescue task force has also been deployed.
Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS): Ambulance buses, two medical incident support team members and mental health and other resources have been deployed. The DSHS State Medical Operations Center has also been activated.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ): Providing air monitoring and technical assistance.
Texas Military Forces (TXMF): The 6th Civil Support Team, with approximately 21 personnel, has been deployed to support of first responders. Additional resources and personnel from the Texas National Guard Homeland Response Force (HRF) remain on alert and ready to assist if needed.
Communications Coordination Group (CCG): Activated to provide additional emergency communication resources and/or support as needed.
Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT): Two 300-gallon fuel trailers from the TxDOT Bryan District have been sent to West, along with four personnel and four trucks to assist with mobile fueling; 18 personnel and nine trucks are closing city streets to block off the affected area. Other available sites for refueling are the TxDOT Waco District Office and TxDOT Hill County Area Office in Hillsboro.
Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC): Providing support personnel.
Texas Railroad Commission: Monitoring pipelines in the affected area.
Texas Education Agency: Working with the local school district to coordinate any immediate needs. Schools in West are closed for the remainder of the week.
Texas Forest Service: Incident Management Team assisting the Texas Division of Emergency Management with planning and logistics.
Texas Department of Insurance: State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting on-site. Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) is also actively assisting individuals affected by this tragedy. Two members of TDI’s Consumer Protection Division will be on site to assist individuals as soon as it is safe to do so.

Individuals looking for information or assistance may dial the Texas Information Referral Network at 2-1-1. To donate to the Texas Disaster Relief Fund, please visit www.texasdisasterrelieffund.orgor call 1-866-463-7982.

The State Operations Center has been activated to support emergency response operations, and will continue to monitor the situation.

For information about how you can help, medical and shelter information and helpful numbers please visit http://governor.state.tx.us/disaster/.

A.D. Ibarra

-Eagle Pass

Enrique Montalvo, President of the Eagle Pass ISD Education Foundation Board of Directors, informed The News Gram of their highly successful gala celebrated on Friday, April 12th at El Residencial Reception Hall.

"We made history and we're very excited about it," stated Montalvo, of the event which is the culmination of the work of many and the vision of former EPISD Superintendent Jesús Sanchez, who along with Montalvo saw what would eventually be the cuts in State and Federal funding for different aspects of education, "Special Education funding was and is getting very competitive as well as most federal grants, so with this in mind, we wanted to provide small grants for teachers to be creative and innovative in enhancing the educational process of the students."

Current Federal Programs Director Rolando Salinas, VP for Programs in the grand scheme of the Education Foundation, graciously informed The News Gram last week that they had managed to raise funds to give a little less than ten $500 grants to teachers last year.

That figure should significantly change this year as the foundation managed to raise about $40,000.00 with the assistance of many corporate sponsors including HEB who presented them with a check for $25,000.00 and the Mullen Pension Group donated $4,000.00 along with $1,500.00 Escamilla, Poneck & Cruz, LLP, and $1,000.00 Linebarger, Gogan, Blair, Simpson and Group Pension Administrators and other local sponsors added to the total amount of monies raised which will be put back into the classrooms of the EPISD in the forms of many creative ways for students to be motivated to achieve academically.

"Federal funding is going to be very limited," added the former Mayor of Eagle Pass who has always had an eye out for monies to enhance programs in our fair city including the funds provided the EPISD by President Barack Obama in 2008 when we received millions of dollars which were specifically earmarked for technology to go directly into our classrooms, "These funds are specifically for teachers.  That in itself enhances and gives teachers a new tool to motivate our students to achieve."

"With the support of many including Mr. Sanchez who got this project off the ground, we will continue holding these events to generate funds and we thank all those who exercise their time and commitment to these teachers and students."

Montalvo feels that if schools and school districts buy into this type of events, it  will generate interest around the area for other districts to do the same. 

"I would like to give our thanks to all those who put it together and we can only hope it continues to grow."

The Eagle Pass News Gram salutes the men and women of the Education Foundation and especially to the teachers of the EPISD who touch the future every day, they teach.