Suspect in September arson charged

It’s hard to imagine that last September, air traffic was snarled due to a fire at the Chicago Air Traffic Control Center. Now, the lone suspect in the case has been formally charged.

The September 26, 2014 fire cancelled thousands of flights across the country. Not only did it affect consumer travel, but it also affected the Valparaiso University football team’s chartered flight to North Carolina. Instead of flying out of Chicago, the fire forced the team to return to the university and wait for a flight out of South Bend Regional Airport.

The fire started in the early morning hours and quickly began crippling air traffic throughout the Midwest. While no one was hurt, one employee was treated for smoke inhalation.

At about 5 a.m., Brian Howard carried a black Pelican suitcase into the Air Traffic Control Center, say federal prosecutors. About 30 minutes after he arrived, Howard posted a message to his Facebook saying that he took a hard look in the mirror and that is why he took out the center and tried to also take his life. He told April and Pop that he loved them and he was sorry for leaving the big mess.

Workers discovered the fire several minutes later. Amid the dense smoke, emergency personnel found that a floor panel was lifted, exposing telecommunications cables, some of which had been severed and set on fire.

Howard, who was a contract worker at the Chicago Air Traffic Control Center, has been formally charged with one count of willfully setting fire to, damaging, destroying, or disabling an air navigation facility and one count of setting fire to commit a federal felony.

The fire cost the airline industry an estimated $350 million as more than 5,000 flights out of Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway International Airports were cancelled in the wake of the fire. Controllers from neighboring states pitched in while the Chicago Air Traffic Control Center was repaired.

The Federal Aviation Administration has asked for $8.8 million from Congress to improve FAA security. The FAA is also trying to organize communications and training to handle approximately 90% of flights within 24 hours of a catastrophic outage instead of the several days it took last September.

If convicted, Howard faces 20-30 years in prison. He also faces a fine of $250,000, or twice the amount in damage caused by the fire.

The charge of using fire to commit a federal felony carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Howard’s attorney, Ron Safer, says that Howard has “always accepted responsibility for his conduct” and they believe the charges are fair.

Tri County Wildfire almost contained

September 14, 2011

Strong winds from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, a crippling drought, dry vegetation, and very low humidity are just some of the obstacles the Texas Forest Service and many other volunteer firemen face in the battle to gain the upper hand.

The runaway, out of control wildfire, which started over Labor Day weekend, has already consumed more than 18,400 acres in Montgomery, Grimes, and Waller Counties. And according to the latest news reports, the fire is right at the Harris County line.

The fire has forced the evacuation of 4,600 residents in Grimes and Waller counties. According to the Texas Forest Service, 60 homes have been destroyed. So far, the fire is 75% contained, but that could change, depending on the wind speed and direction. Winds out of the south have allowed fire crews to gain the upper hand.

Bulldozers and other heavy equipment have been creating fire breaks in Montgomery County, and many areas also were showing signs of progress. Utility workers were finally allowed to enter and begin restoring service to those affected by the fire.

Many of the evacuation orders that were in place have been lifted. However, some residents still are not allowed back into their homes. The only two subdivisions in Grimes County that are still closed off are Plantation Lakes and Saddle Creek along Riley Road. Parts of these subdivisions are also in Waller County.

However, some residents chose to stay in their homes and ignore the mandatory evacuation orders. 

Some have even gone as far as to put sprinklers on their roofs. Others have cut their own firebreaks with tractors or skid-steer loaders.

Despite calls for help by Texas governor Rick Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, very little aid has been sent from Washington. Texans finally got a word of relief Friday night. President Obama declared that a major disaster exists in Texas. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs.

The declaration allows federal aid to be sent to Texas. State officials are now able to gain access to heavy equipment, personnel, supplies, and other types of support needed to help it respond. The fires have been burning for nearly 300 consecutive days. The problem has been going on since January, and has only gotten worse.

Almost 700 personnel, several aerial tankers, and many other pieces of equipment have been involved in the firefighting effort.

Homer Drew gets 600th win in blowout in 2009

After five tries, Homer Drew picked up career win number 600 at the ARC Friday night.

“The guys did great, said Associate Head Coach Bryce Drew.  “We are excited for the win.  Good things can happen if we get a streak going.”  When asked what the 600^th win meant to Homer, “I am very excited for him,” Bryce stated after the game.  “It was a great night. If we can get some wins, we will improve our chances of hosting a first round game in the tournament,” Bryce stressed.

After the game, the fans heard head coach Homer Drew talk about the milestone. “600 to me is just a number,” he said.  “I want to thank the loyal fans who have come out to the games.  We are young, but we are improving. I would also like to thank our loyal students,” he stated. 

Howard Little shook up the Ramblers’ offense most of the night.  The sophomore guard had 17 points, 4 steals, and 5 rebounds in the win.  “It feels great to give Homer his 600^th win,” he said.  "Any win is great, but it even greater when you show it just for the coach,” he told me after the game.

With the Crusaders right now in seventh place and only two games behind Youngstown State, a win on Sunday is important if Valparaiso wants to host a home game in the first round of the tournament. 

Riding a 33-19 halftime lead, the Crusaders fired up all cylinders in the second half en route to a 71-47 victory.  Despite the Ramblers’ attempts to come back, Valparaiso made sure that did not happen. 

“It feels pretty good to get that win,” freshman guard Erik Buggs said.  “A win on Sunday would give us a look at where we stand.  Stats do not matter.  If you come out on top, you know that you have done your job.”  He also grabbed six rebounds in the win. 

Freshman walk-on Andrew Ferry had 7 points in 11 minutes.  “It was good to get 600 wins,” he said after the game. “It gives us a lot of relief.  We are ready to move on.” 

When asked what the chances are of hosting a first round game, “Anything can happen.  Winning at home is key since we have to defend our turf.” 

Freshman forward/center Cameron Witt had six points for the Crusaders as well as one rebound. “The win tonight takes a monkey off of your back,” he said in a post game interview.  “We can start to relax a little bit now.  It takes a lot of hard work to knock off a team that toppled you earlier,” he said. 

Next up for the Crusaders are the Flames of UIC who come into the ARC only a half game behind.  UIC won the last meeting back in January at the Pavilion. 

Valpo puts up tough fight against #13 Butler in 2009

After suffering a tough loss to Green Bay, the Crusaders hoped to pull a stellar upset against the #13 ranked Bulldogs Friday night in Indianapolis. 

The tenacious Crusaders earned their first lead of the night with just over six minutes to play. This was after Butler went on an 11-0 run. With 90 seconds to play, Valparaiso fought back to pull within two. 

After the first ten minutes of the first half, the Bulldogs had a commanding 10-0 lead and would eventually take the lead at 19-8 with 5:18 to play in the first half. But over the next three minutes, Valparaiso answered with eleven points of their own.

“I was very impressed with our defense in both halves,” Head Coach Homer Drew said. “We just gave up too many second chance points.”

With 11:29 to play, Butler led by eight before surrendering an eight-zero run to force a tie at 37.

From 8:00 until 2:15, neither team could manage to hold onto the lead as the teams traded possessions.

With 2:00 to play in the game, Butler had a seemingly insurmountable 52-43 advantage. But the Crusaders would not give up without a fight.

With 91 seconds to play, Valparaiso could have pulled the upset if they had converted their free throws. Down by six with ten seconds to play, Butler made it 57-51 to erase any hopes of a Crusader upset.

Freshman Logan Jones came off the bench and had his first double-double of his career. He contributed ten points and had 5-6 from the free throw line. 

“I really thought Logan had the best game of his career so far,” Drew said. “He did a great job handling the ball, as well as getting into the lane, drawing fouls, and converting at the line.”

Senior forward/center Urule Igbavboa led the Crusaders with 15 points while Jones chipped in 10 of his own. 

Next up for the Crusaders is the Raiders of Wright State in Dayton, Ohio. 

22 Point Loss Considered a Moral Victory in 2008

In only the second meeting between the number one ranked Tarheels of North Carolina and the Valparaiso Crusaders, a lopsided score only showed the positives.  Last year in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Valpo let UNC go on a 29 and two run to close out the game.  This year, that was not the case.  Despite losing by twenty two points to the top team in the nation, Valparaiso did not let that faze them. In an 85-63 loss, the Crusaders led in the first ten minutes before pulling within ten points at the half with the score being 41-31 Tarheels. 

In the second half, Valpo managed let UNC go on a 44-32 run to close out the game.  Considering the fact that UNC beat Michigan State by 35 points in Detroit earlier this season, a 22 point loss is proof that a mid-major team like Valparaiso can take on a perennial powerhouse and keep the score close. 

One would think that playing the game at the United Center in Chicago would give the Crusaders an advantage.  Unfortunately, UNC found a way to take apart the Crusaders bit by bit.  Also the return of Brandon McPherson should have given that extra boost that has been missing since the season began. 

Field-goal and three-point shots led to the demise of Valparaiso.  One cannot expect to win a game making 46% of your shots and 33% from beyond the arc.  Hopefully the Crusaders will learn from this as they prepare for conference play in January.  It’s these games that really count. 

Next up is the Knights of Central Florida in Orlando whom Valpo beat earlier this season. 

Crusaders unable to beat Central Florida in 2008

Playing their second road game in three days, the Crusaders did not play at all like they did against UNC on Saturday.  In what was supposed to be another win for the Crusaders in Orlando, things did not turn out that way.  The Crusaders fell 85-60 against the same team they beat one month ago, falling to 3-8 on the season. 

Not once did Valparaiso lead in the game.  At one point, they managed to pull within ten before letting the Knights put the game out of reach.  Once again, shooting woes came back to haunt them.  Shooting only 60% cost the Crusaders the game.  Fouls also were a problem for Valparaiso as they allowed Central Florida to get the bonus early and remained there until the end. 

“We knew they would come out aggressive.  They had a lot coming into it.  We just weren’t sharp.  He did a great job.  Somehow he was able to not commit a turnover.  We’re trying to get the most out of what we’ve got,” said Associate Head Coach Bryce Drew. 

With Horizon League action just around the corner, Valparaiso had better find a way to step on the gas before it is too late.  These games ultimately determine who gets home advantage during the playoffs.  If the Crusaders do not turn things around, many teams will find it easy to pull away with huge leads.

Volleyball posts 20+ wins again

Coming off a successful pre-season tournament run, it looked like the Valparaiso University Volleyball team would contend for a top two seed in the conference. When the final standings were revealed, the Crusaders had locked up a three seed and would play the University of Illinois at Chicago in the opening round. I sat down with Lexie Bouza and Rachel Bruinsma to get their take on how the season went and what could be improved.

The first thing I asked was how it felt being a three seed when the team thought they could win the regular season and host the conference tournament. "I thought it was possible to get higher, but once the season started winding down, the seeding was pretty much set," sophomore right side/defensive specialist Lexie said. Outside hitter Rachel said that getting the third seed was good.

The biggest problem was the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee Panthers. In the three meetings, the Panthers walked away victorious every time. "We really need to work on the mental game in the offseason," Lexie said. "There are a lot of little things that need to be worked on and improved in the offseason," Rachel told me.

When asked about what it was like to not win the regular season after a succesful preseason start, Lexie told me that anyone could win the season. Rachel said that there wasn't much change over the course of the season.

The biggest letdown had to be not winning conference. Since joining the Horizon League, the Crusaders have never made the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Lexie said that it sucked, but that they will work hard in the offseason. Rachel said that it was a good season overall.

Losing the seniors is always hard. But one player that will be missed is senior Right Side Morgan Beil. "There are a lot of good freshmen coming in, so I think it won't be that big of a loss," Lexie said. "We have a good group of freshmen coming, so it shouldn't be hard to replace her," Rachel told me.

Will the team finally end the drought and advance to the NCAA Volleyball tournament? The answer remains to be seen.