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Appointing people to various boards is a routine job that governmental entities normally rubberstamp with little or no discussion. That wasn’t the case Tuesday when the Brazos County Commissioners Court postponed reappointing Doug Bramwell and Dennis Hethcoat to the Brazos County Emergency Services District 1 board. Precinct 1 Commissioner Steve Aldrich made a motion to reappoint the men to the board when County Judge Duane Peters responded. “I would like to give the incoming commissioner on Jan. 1 the opportunity to have some discussion and input on who is on the ESD 1,” he said, referring to Bentley Nettles who will replace Aldrich on New Year’s Day. “I will say this, I sat down with the incoming commissioner ... and there was no expression of concerns as far as that goes. If you want to object to this, that’s fine,” Aldrich said. “Since your term will be ending in the next three weeks, I’d like to give the incoming commissioner the opportunity to have some participation in that discussion,” Peters reiterated. He then reminded the court that a motion had been made and a second was needed. After a brief silence, Precinct 3 Commissioner Nancy Berry, who also leaves the board at the end of the month, noted that the motion dies for lack of a second. “I’d just like to point out an irregularity here,” Aldrich said. “We made a reappointment for Precinct 3 when we replaced Doug Weedon last week, so I don’t understand why there’s an exception being taken here. But let me state that for the record, because there was a reappointment. If you go back and look at your agenda for last week for Precinct 3, and the Precinct 3 commissioner is also going out of office and this was not brought up.” Peters clarified that the appointment was to fill an unexpired term. “That was to serve an unexpired term from an ESD board member who resigned, which would have meant that board only had four members. So all that did was appoint that person for the remainder of that term. That’s different than appointing someone to a two-year term,” he said. Precinct 2 Commissioner Chuck Konderla noted that the commissioner precincts no longer align with the ESD precincts. “Just a point of fact, the ESD 3 overlaps with Precinct 3 and Precinct 2 county commissioners,” he said. “Most of (ESD) Precinct 3 is in Commissioner Precinct 2,” Peters noted. He also said that the men will continue to serve in their roles past their terms until they are formally reappointed or replaced. The next agenda item was the reappointment of Michael Herring and Larry West Jr. to the ESD 2 board for two-year terms. Konderla made the motion and Berry seconded it. The vote was unanimous in favor. Contacted after the meeting, Nettles said he would like a say in who is appointed to the board. “I don’t really know either of these individuals and would like to take some time to assess the ESD board and how its members interact and determine if they are the best individuals to move this board forward or if others might be more appropriate,” he said. Earlier in the meeting, commissioners approved a settlement with Kroger Co. in a statewide opioid case negotiated by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The $83 million settlement is being split three ways, with the state getting 70% of it and the political subdivisions (cities and counties) getting 15% and the remaining 15% going to an abatement managed by the Texas Opioid Council. According to Bruce Erratt, general counsel for the county, Kroger will pay out the settlement over 11 years. Brazos County will receive $25,764.49, which comes to $2,342.22 a year. “Additionally, Brazos County can apply for grant funds from the abatement share allocated to the county’s region (Region 17),” Erratt said.
J.K. Dobbins and Alohi Gilman are placed on injured reserve by ChargersThe Scotts Bluff County Planning Commission forwarded regulations for wind energy production projects to the county board on Tuesday. The wind energy regulations were nearly identical to the solar energy regulations approved by the county board in October , with changes to language and setback requirements specific to the different type of facility. Some changes included defining certain applicable terms, but the largest changes involved setbacks from neighboring properties, buildings, state parks and other historical sites. Most of those setback requirements are based on the height of the wind turbines themselves rather than using single measurements for projects of varying sizes. Examples of those requirements include necessary distance of 1.25 times the height of the structure from electrical transmission lines and neighboring non-participating properties. Distance from non-participating dwellings are a bit larger at .5 miles or 2.5 times the height of the turbine, whichever is greater. Attorney Phil Kelly and building and zoning director Bill Mabin told the board members that those setbacks fall within the range established in other counties, both in Nebraska and beyond. Other regulations were included to address issues like shadow flicker, a potential negative impact on neighboring properties. The regulations require project applicants to study and mitigate potential shadow flicker impacts — a strobe effect caused by the sun being horizontal to rotor blades — on nearby residences. The regulations also address noise impacts on nearby residents via a requirement that noise caused by turbines cannot exceed 50 decibels at the nearest residence. Most other requirements remained identical to the approved solar regulations, including the requirement for large scale facilities to host a public forum before applying a conditional use permit, meet all state and federal regulations, present a decommissioning plan and return to the county board for final approval before a building permit is issued. The planning commission unanimously forwarded the regulations to the Scotts Bluff County Commissioners. A second public hearing will be held when the county commissioners consider final approval of those regulations in January. Contact Fletcher Halfaker: fletcher.halfaker@starherald.com , 308-632-9048. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death rowWASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. An American Airlines employee wearing looks toward quiet check-in counters Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Travelers wait in line for security checks Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. Any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. An American Airlines employee wearing a Santa Claus hat walks through the American terminal Tuesday at Miami International Airport in Miami. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. Finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. American Airlines employees check in travelers Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. "Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation's highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. "It's not the destination, it's the journey," said American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ralph clearly was not among the travellers on one of more than 350 cancelled or 1,400 delayed flights after a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software in July of 2023. U.S. airlines carried nearly 863 million travellers in 2023, with Canadian carriers accounting for another 150 million, many of whom experienced lost luggage, flight delays, cancellations, or were bumped off their flights. It's unclear how many of them were compensated for these inconveniences. Suffice it to say, posting a crabby rant on social media might temporarily soothe anger, but it won't put wasted money back in pockets. Money.ca shares what to know in order to be compensated for the three most common air travel headaches. Bags elected to go on a vacay without you? Check off the following: If you expect a large payout, think again. Tariffs (air carrier contracts) limit the compensation amounts for "loss of, damage to, or the delay in delivery of baggage or other personal property." In the case of Air Canada, the maximum payout is $1,500 per passenger in the currency of the country where the baggage was processed. To raise that limit, purchase a Declaration of Higher Value for each leg of the trip. The charge is $0.50 for each $100, in which case the payout limit is $2,500. For Delta Air Lines, passengers are entitled to up to $3,800 in baggage compensation, though how much you'll receive depends on your flight. Delta will pay up to $2,080 for delayed, lost, and damaged baggage for international travellers, almost half of what U.S. domestic passengers can claim. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Different air carriers and jurisdictions have their own compensation policies when flights are delayed or cancelled. For example, under European Union rules, passengers may receive up to 600 Euros, even when travelling on a non-EU carrier. Similarly, the DOT states that travellers are entitled to a refund "if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel." However, US rules regarding delays are complicated. Some air carriers, such as Air Canada, do not guarantee their flight schedules. They're also not liable for cancellations or changes due to "force majeure" such as weather conditions or labour disruptions. If the delay is overnight, only out-of-town passengers will be offered hotel accommodation. Nevertheless, many airlines do offer some compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. In terms of cash compensation, what you'll get can differ significantly based on things like departure location, time, carrier, and ticket class. The DOT offers a helpful delay and cancellations dashboard designed to keep travellers informed about their compensation rights. The dashboard is particularly helpful because, as the DOT states on its website, "whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors—such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." The Canadian Transportation Agency is proposing air passenger protection regulations that guarantee financial compensation to travellers experiencing flight delays and cancellations, with the level of compensation varying depending on the situation and how much control the air carrier had. The proposed regulations include the following: The airline is obligated to complete the passenger's itinerary. If the new ticket is for a lower class of service, the air carrier would have to refund the cost difference; if the booking is in a higher class of service, passengers cannot be charged extra. If the passenger declines the ticket, the airline must give a full refund, in addition to the prescribed compensation. For overnight delays, the air carrier needs to provide hotel accommodation and transportation free-of-charge. Again, if you are unsatisfied, the Canadian Transportation Agency or Department of Transportation may advocate on your behalf. Passengers get bumped because airlines overbook. When this happens, the air carrier must compensate you. For international flights in the US, the rate is 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $675 maximum. If the airline does not make travel arrangements for you, the payout is 400% of your one-way fare to a maximum of $1,350. To qualify, you must check-in by the stated deadline, which on international flights can be up to 3 hours ahead. Keep in mind that if you accept the cash, you are no longer entitled to any further compensation, nor are you guaranteed to be rebooked on a direct flight or similar type of seat. Don't be too quick to give up your boarding pass. Negotiate for the best compensation deal that would include cash, food and hotel vouchers, flight upgrade, lounge passes, as well as mileage points. But avoid being too greedy—if the gate attendant is requesting volunteers and you wait too long, you'll miss the offer. According to Air Canada's tariff, if a passenger is involuntarily bumped, they'll receive $200, in cash or bank draft, for up to a two-hour delay; $400 for a 2-6 hours delay; and $800 if the delay is over six hours. (Air Canada was forced to raise its payouts in 2013 due to passenger complaints.) The new rules would raise the payout significantly: $900 for up to six hours; $1,800 for 6-9; and $2,400 for more than nine hours, all to be paid within 48 hours. Statistically speaking, Delta Airlines is the carrier most likely to bump. A few years ago, Delta raised its payout maximum to $9,950, while United Airlines tops out at $10,000. This story was produced by Money.ca and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!