Tug Engine Hits the Pavement: Literally
An 8,000-pound tugboat engine crashed to the pavement yesterday when a truck flipped shortly after 10 a.m., according to a report on the Galveston County Daily News. The paper quoted Charlie Russell, of Marine Systems, as saying that the engine was a 2,000-hp Detroit Diesel engine, being hauled to Galveston for an overhaul, he said. The engine reportedly landed in the road and slid a few yards before coming to rest in the south median of the two-lane highway.
Port, Chouest Pretrial Hearing Set
Attorneys in a dispute between the Port of Galveston and a Louisiana offshore industry company will meet Feb. 22 to set the stage for trial. In February 2005, the port filed a $91 million breach of contract lawsuit against Edison Chouest. The port claimed Edison Chouest reneged on a proposal signed in 2000 to construct an offshore energy industry service terminal on Pelican Island. Edison Chouest, which did not begin work on the proposed CPort Galveston terminal, asked the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees, which oversees the port, in 2004 to get out of its agreement. The trial is set for July 10 before Judge David Garner in the 10th State District Court. At the Feb. 22 jurisdictional hearing, attorneys will present arguments, and Garner will rule on a key technical issue.
Cruise Ship Shelter Plan Dropped
According to a published report in the Galveston County Daily News, federal officials have abandoned plans to house more than 4,000 Hurricane Katrina survivors on luxury liners in Galveston, based on the fact that no one displaced by Hurricane Katrina seemed interested to move aboard. The decision ended a chaotic week for city officials, who for four days raced to sort out the logistics of providing transportation, water and school buses to cruise ships that would essentially house small cities on public docks. The federal government’s reportedly paid Carnival Corp. $192 million to provide the temporary housing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency last week also agreed to pay Carnival $44 million for fuel reimbursements related to the shelters for an agreement worth $236 million…
