DALLAS — Another senior employee at a chemical company is facing criminal charges connected to a 2017 explosion at a Houston-area plant following Hurricane Harvey.

Michael Keough, vice president of logistics for Arkema Inc.’s North American subsidiary, was indicted for felony assault over his actions ahead of a chemical fire and explosion at the company’s Crosby facility, the Harris County District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday. The company was also charged.

Keough falsely told officials that Arkema was monitoring potentially explosive chemical tanks in real time when the company had insufficient data to give early warning, according to District Attorney Kim Ogg. These “misrepresentations” led two sheriff’s deputies to drive directly into a toxic cloud, which then spread to exposing others, she said.

Keough is the third Arkema employee to be indicted since the hurricane knocked out power at the company’s Crosby facility. Without electricity, some of the chemicals at the plant caught fire and partially exploded, sending plumes of smoke skyward.

 

Trump EO to make it
harder to block pipelines

SAN ANTONIO — President Donald Trump’s support for shifting more power to states took a back seat Wednesday to his affinity for oil and gas production as he aimed to make it harder for states to block pipelines and other energy projects due to environmental concerns.

At the urging of business groups, Trump was to sign two executive orders designed to speed up oil and gas pipeline projects. The action comes after officials in Washington state and New York used the permitting process to stop new energy projects in recent years.

His administration insisted that it was not trying to take power away from the states but, rather, trying to make sure that state actions follow the intent of the Clean Water Act.

 

Stranded teens bound
for prom helped by couple

CORPUS CHRISTI — Some South Texas teenagers bound for prom but stranded along a highway made it to the dance thanks to a couple celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary.

The 14 students from Ben Bolt planned dinner Saturday night in Corpus Christi, 50 miles (80.46 kilometers) from home, then the prom in nearby Alice.

Their limo ended up disabled in Corpus Christi.

Sixteen-year-old Jewel Utley says some students called their parents, but only a couple of adults were able to pick up some youths.

Christina and Jacob Parks were driving by, saw the teens in formalwear and transported the rest to a restaurant.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports the Parks ate at the same place, plus paid for another limo.

KIII-TV reports the students picked up the tab for the couple’s anniversary dinner.

 

Texas men jailed
for murder of mother

SAN ANTONIO — An 18-year-old man has been arrested after authorities accused him and another man of beating his mother with baseball bats and then slitting her throat.

San Antonio police say Matthew Dempsey was arrested Tuesday for the death of his mother, Mary Dempsey. The second suspect, 18-year-old Daniel Saucedo, was arrested Wednesday.

Both are jailed on suspicion of capital murder.

An arrest affidavit says the young men attacked Mary Dempsey when she walked in on them burglarizing her home. The affidavit says they struck Mary Dempsey with baseball bats before using a kitchen knife to attack her. The documents don’t say which man had the knife.

According to court records, neither suspect has been assigned an attorney who could speak on their behalf.