KAVU Local News

Highway 87 Rollover

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:22:29 -0500

Two men are recovering in a hospital Tuesday night after being in a rollover wreck on highway 87 near Kamey Road.

According to the DPS trooper working the accident, 19-year-old Justin Renfro was driving with his 14-year-old brother, Chris Frotner, from Texarkana when they became fatigued and ran off the road. Renfro then over corrected, colliding with the edge of a covert causing the car to flip four times before coming to a stop. Neither of the teens were wearing their seatbelts.

Renfro suffered severe head injuries and was transported to a hospital in Corpus Christi. Frotner only had minor injuries and was transported to Memorial Hospital in Calhoun County. According to the trooper, authorities will be citing them for not wearing seatbelts. The accident is still under investigation.

Victoria has a New Mayor

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:12:28 -0500

It was an exciting night for Victoria, as new leaders take the reins of the city but it wasn't an easy task to get here. After the cities general elections, many were expecting a run off race for mayor between Paul Polasek and incumbent Will Armstrong. After Armstrong dropped out, some thought Paul Polasek would automatically become mayor, but questions about the election code started to arise, and some council members wanted to see another run off with another candidate but Tuesday night, the dust has settled, and there's a new mayor in town.

After all the disagreeing between council members, former council member for district three and mayor elect is officially the mayor of Victoria. Also there's a new face on the council and some old members sworn in. Not all the candidates who won or went into a runoff were sworn in Tuesday night. The super district five seat is still up for grabs between incumbent Joe Truman and Andrew Young that takes place June 8th.

How to Donate to Oklahoma

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:04:26 -0500

Best way to help tornado victims is to donate to the Red Cross at http://redcross.org or text REDCROSS to 90999 - See more at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/05/celebrities-respond-to-oklahoma-tornado-on-twitter-pray-for-vict/#sthash.dr5sOkAv.dpuf

Our Nicole Hickl had Her Baby

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:01:45 -0500

Leamarie Presley has arrived early. The one pound-two ounce baby girl was born at 9:27 Tuesday morning at Citizens Medical Center in Victoria. Mom and baby are doing well.

Tornado Prayer Vigil

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:45:25 -0500

If you want to pay your respects to victims of Monday’s tornadoes: head to Telferner Wednesday.

A prayer vigil will be held Wednesday from noon to 1 at Telferner United Methodist Church. The event is open to the public. Monetary donations will be collected there to go to the United Methodist committee on relief, where 100% of the proceeds will go directly to the victims.

Organizers said they are hosting the event to pray for victims and help carry the burden of how they feel.

Tornado School Drills

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:44:14 -0500

Not one but two schools were hit by the deadly tornado, killing several innocent children and sparking concern among parents all over the country and even here in the Crossroads.

News Center 25's Janelle Bludau reported.

As of now, nine children have lost their lives from the deadly tornado; seven of them were at school when it happened. It’s a tragedy that has many parents wondering if their children are protected. VISD Officials said they also have alert systems throughout the campuses that tell the schools when to enact the drills. Fortunately, they've never had to use the alert system or drill for an actual incident.

Enhanced Fujita Scale

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:42:06 -0500

Monday's tornado in Moore was one of 22 reported by the Storm Prediction Center. Preliminary reports categorized it as an EF four, but Tuesday night we've learned it’s been ruled an EF 5 but what does that really mean?

EF stands for "Enhanced Fujita," named after Doctor Fujita, who created the scale to provide estimates of tornado strength. Originally known as the "Fujita Scale," it was revised in 2007, and is now referred to as the "Enhanced Fujita scale."

Tuesday, the National Weather Service has confirmed, Monday's twister was a very rare EF-5 tornado. EF-5 tornadoes have wind speeds of at least 200 mph, and is the highest category of tornado intensity. On average, over 1,000 tornadoes hit the U.S. each year, and only one might be an EF-5, according to data from the National Climatic Data Center. Since the early 1950s, only 59 EF-5 tornadoes have hit the us: Moore, Oklahoma has had two of those.

Vehicle Burglary Suspects Identified

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:40:22 -0500

A trio of out-of-town burglars who were caught swiping items out of cars parked at Victoria’s Youth Sports Complex Monday have been identified and charged and now we get to see the thieves.

Thirty-six-year-old, Eugene Estrada, 33-year-old Eric Esquivel, and 33-year-old Diana Hernandez, all from San Antonio were initially charged for engaging in organized crime and theft of property. Estrada and Esquivel were also later charged for credit and debit card abuse and evading arrest with a vehicle. Hernandez was charged for two outstanding warrants in Mason and Bexar County, possession of marijuana, on top of the initial charges.

Police arrived on the scene at the Youth Sports Complex after receiving an anonymous tip Monday evening that a man was looking into car windows. The trio led police on a chase and were found with various items ranging from purses to prescription drugs. All three burglars have bonds over fifty-thousand dollars and are still being held at the Victoria county jail.

Two Vehicle Wreck Causing Injury

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:39:24 -0500

A two vehicle wreck Tuesday afternoon sent a person to the hospital.

According to the Victoria Police Department, the crash happened at the intersection of East Rio Grande and Ben Wilson just after 2. A Plymouth car stopped on East Rio Grande was attempting to turn right on to Ben Wilson, but the driver failed to the yield right of way and collided with a Pontiac car traveling south on Ben Wilson.

A passenger in the Pontiac was taken to Citizens Medical Center with minor injuries. No citations were issued but the investigating is ongoing.

Holiday Closings

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:34:23 -0500

Many local businesses will be closing for the Memorial Day holiday in Victoria.

All non-emergency city offices will be closed on Monday, May the 27th. The library will also be closed for the holiday, and will return to regular business hours on Tuesday but garbage and recycling, and brush and yard waste will be collected on Memorial Day during normal operating hours. The landfill and compost facility will operate during regular business hours, as well.