Barge strikes Galveston bridge, causing oil spill, power outage, and traffic shutdown



A barge has caused a major disturbance to those in the Galveston, Texas, area after it struck a bridge connecting Galveston to Pelican Island, leaving those on the island stranded and temporarily without power.

'Nearly seven miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway had to be shut down because of an oil spill from the barge.'

Just before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, a tugboat pushing two barges lost control, causing one barge — owned by Martin Petroleum — to strike the unused railroad track that runs along the Pelican Island Causeway as well as two telephone poles.

"The current was very bad, and the tide was high. He lost it," said David Flores, a bridge superintendent with the Galveston County Navigation District.

The causeway is the only means for motor vehicles to access Pelican Island, the home of Texas A&M University at Galveston.

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The collision caused a portion of the rail track to collapse onto the barge. Two individuals on the barge either fell or jumped into the water as a result of the accident, but they were quickly rescued. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.

The accident also caused a number of inconveniences for those on land. For one thing, the bridge had to be closed for hours, leaving Pelican Island residents stranded. Officials have considered evacuating the island by boat, though whether any residents have yet been removed from it is unclear.

Pelican Island also lost power for some time after the crash, though a secondary source soon restored power by 1 p.m. TAMU at Galveston likely has few people on campus, as graduation was held earlier this month, but the university did offer Captain’s Landing as a location where those still on campus can access food.

Finally, six and a half miles of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway had to be shut down because of an oil spill from the barge. The barge has an oil capacity of 30,000 gallons and was leaking what has been described as "vacuum gas oil." The extent of the oil spill has not yet been determined, but officials with the U.S. Coast Guard are assessing the situation and are expected give an update and a report about containment measures soon.

Folks in Galveston can still drive along Harborside Drive, though police are in the area to divert traffic from the bridge. One lane of the bridge has already reportedly been reopened, but officials with the Texas Department of Transportation will determine when regular traffic may safely resume.

Martin Petroleum Corp. did not respond to phone calls from Reuters seeking comment.

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Texas attorney arrested near border, cited for 4 cases of human smuggling



A Texas attorney was recently arrested near the Mexico border on suspicion of human smuggling.

Timothy Daniel Japhet — who goes by the name "Dan," according to the State Bar of Texas — was arrested on August 13 for four cases of human smuggling. He was then taken into custody and spent six days in jail. He is now out on $40,000 bond, according to KHOU-TV.

Word of the arrest went viral after Galveston County Constable Jimmy Fullen posted a message about it on Facebook.

"A licensed Texas attorney and Federally appointed immigration magistrate was recently arrested in Kinney County, Texas for Smuggling of a human and resisting arrest," Fullen wrote. "Great job Deputy Gonzalez and Troopers who were on scene assisting."



Though Fullen claims that the arrest occurred in Kinney County, other reports suggest Japhet was arrested in Del Rio, Texas, a border city located in Val Verde County.

Japhet, 51, admitted that he had been arrested and cited for human smuggling, but he also claimed that circumstances were not what they seemed. He lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, about four hours away, and told reporters that he was taking a brief holiday to gamble in Del Rio. He had rented a car to make the trip with his dog.

He stated that while he stopped briefly to allow his dog to go to the bathroom, a man approached him and asked whether Japhet would give his friend and him a lift. Japhet agreed, but soon saw that a total of four men were getting in his car. Japhet said he felt uneasy about the situation but that he also felt pressured to give all four men a ride.

"I thought, this is not looking good for me right now," Japhet said. "I made a bad decision."

Japhet said he then decided to drive at a high speed in order to attract the attention of law enforcement.

Japhet was then pulled over by police. Border Patrol then allegedly got involved as well.

Japhet told reporters that he has not been indicted and that he expects the case to be dropped. He also denied Fuller's assertion that he is a "Federally appointed immigration magistrate." He stated that he practices immigration law only as it pertains to those who own property in Mexico. His bio on the state bar website does not mention anything about immigration law.

Japhet also denied that he was charged for resisting arrest.

As of Sunday evening, Japhet said he still had not been given his dog or his rental car back.

"I'm missing my dog terribly," Japhet told reporters. "I'll go back to Del Rio, I'll get a car and go back [Monday] and get my dog and find out how much it's going to cost me."

Fuller's deputies from Galveston had been patrolling Kinney County, nearly six hours away, as part of Operation Lone Star, a task force created by Gov. Greg Abbott to combat illegal immigration.

The identity and legal status of Japhet's four passengers are unknown.


Police bodycam video shows officer forcibly arrest 65-year-old woman who refused to wear face mask



Police in Galveston, Texas, arrested a woman on Thursday because she refused to wear a face mask inside a bank that required patrons to wear face coverings.

An arrest warrant was issued for 65-year-old Terry Wright despite the Lone Star State's mask mandate officially ending on Wednesday, March 10.

What happened?

According to the Galveston Police Department, Wright entered a Bank of America in Galveston on Thursday without wearing a face mask, and refused to wear one when confronted by a manager. Wright was then asked to leave, but allegedly refused, prompting management to call police, the Daily News reported.

Police bodycam footage shows that an officer told Wright that private businesses are allowed to refuse service to customers who don't wear masks if they so choose.

"What are you going to do, arrest me?" Wright said. "That's hilarious."

When the officer took out his handcuffs, Wright began to walk away. The officer then forcibly grabbed Wright, who asked the officer not to touch her. That's when the officer grabbed Wright by the neck and forced her to the ground.

"Police brutality right here people," Wright said as she was being handcuffed.

As the officer escorted Wright out of the bank, she claimed the officer injured her foot when he forcibly arrested her.

VIDEO: Woman arrested for refusing to wear face mask at Galveston bank www.youtube.com

Police obtained an arrest warrant on Wright for resisting arrest and criminal trespassing.

"Wright suffered minor injuries during the struggle, police said. She was taken to a University of Texas Medical Branch hospital for treatment, police said," the Daily News reported. "Wright hadn't been charged or booked into the jail as of Friday afternoon because she was being treated for her injuries, police said."

Wright later told KRIV-TV that three bones in her foot were broken as a result of the officer forcibly arresting her.