Latest news with #GLO
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Approves $12 Million For Urgent Disaster Recovery Projects
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced that $12 million in disaster recovery funds will be approved for infrastructure and housing projects across four Texas communities. The money comes from reallocated federal grants originally designated for previous disasters. The funding represents a last chance for cities still rebuilding from the 2015 floods. Federal deadlines loom for spending these disaster recovery dollars, creating urgency for communities with unfinished projects. 'Texans impacted by disasters deserve real solutions,' said Commissioner Buckingham. 'The GLO is making sure every dollar is put to work for the people who need it most.' Harris County will receive the largest share, with a $7.35 million split between Jacinto City and Tomball. Newton County secured $3.95 million for street and sewer improvements, while Brazoria was awarded $700,000 for sewer line replacement. The money comes through the Disaster Recovery Reallocation Program, which repurposes unused federal disaster funds. The Texas General Land Office received $1.4 billion in project requests but had only $140 million available across six disaster programs. Jacinto City's $6 million allocation addresses critical infrastructure needs from the 2015 flooding. The city will upgrade sewer lines, improve emergency communications systems, and enhance its wastewater treatment plant. Newton's projects focus on street repairs and sewer improvements in flood-damaged areas. Tomball will use its $1.35 million for channel improvements to reduce future flood risks. Federal regulations impose strict completion deadlines on these projects. Communities that fail to finish work on time must repay the funds to Washington. Still, the program offers vital support for Texas cities struggling with disaster recovery costs. The selected projects underwent rigorous eligibility reviews based on federal grant requirements and completion feasibility. That said, the funding falls far short of the requested needs. The $1.4 billion in submissions highlights the extensive damage Texas communities still face from multiple disasters spanning more than a decade.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas Secures $382K Grant To Boost Beach Water Quality Monitoring
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced Wednesday that her agency has secured $382,000 in federal funding to monitor bacterial levels at Texas beaches. The EPA grant will support the state's Texas Beach Watch program through the 2025 swimming season. The funding comes as millions of Texans prepare for summer beach trips along the Gulf Coast. Rising concerns about water quality have made bacterial monitoring increasingly critical for public health officials. 'The GLO is proud to monitor the water quality up and down our beautiful Texas coast for the well-being of beachgoers, our shoreline communities, and the marine life across various beach habitats,' said Buckingham. 'As someone who lived on the coast for over a decade, I want to thank President Trump's EPA for the issuance of this grant that will assist the Texas Beach Watch program in keeping Texans informed as they visit our beaches this summer.' The program tests specifically for Enterococcus bacteria, which naturally occurs in warm-blooded animals. While normal in coastal ecosystems, elevated levels can signal potential health risks. Heavy rainfall and stormwater runoff often drive bacterial spikes. When levels exceed safety thresholds, the GLO issues water quality advisories to warn swimmers. Still, the actual risk remains relatively low. Last year, only 797 of 8,237 samples triggered advisories—roughly 9% of all tests conducted. The GLO does not close beaches during advisories. That decision rests with local authorities who weigh multiple factors beyond bacterial counts. The grant stems from the federal BEACH Act, which mandates coastal water quality monitoring nationwide. EPA officials framed the funding as part of their 'Powering the Great American Comeback' initiative. That said, bacterial monitoring represents just one piece of coastal management. The GLO simultaneously oversees beach nourishment projects and hurricane recovery efforts across the Texas coast. Buckingham, who became Texas's first female Land Commissioner in 2022, has prioritized coastal issues. Her agency recently completed what officials describe as the state's largest beach nourishment project. The Texas Beach Watch program encourages visitors to help maintain water quality. Officials specifically request proper pet waste disposal and trash management at beach sites.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Texas General Land Office Digitizes 8,000 Historical Maps
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) has completed a three-year digital overhaul of its most extensive historical map collection, making more than 8,000 surveying documents accessible online for the first time. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced Thursday that the GLO Sketch Files collection now features a comprehensive digital index covering records from the 1830s to the present. The digitization effort transforms how surveyors, researchers, and history enthusiasts can access crucial Texas boundary and surveying records that have shaped the state's development for nearly two centuries. 'As a proud ninth generation Texan, I am honored to be a steward of our state's rich history which has been preserved by the GLO since its founding in 1836 through the preservation of thousands of precious records, maps and documents,' Buckingham said. The collection contains 8,122 unique documents, including surveyor sketches, field notes, correspondence, and court judgments related to original land surveys. Archives staff spent nearly three years modernizing the massive collection while adding crucial metadata such as alternate titles, contributors, and dates to aid in locating specific documents. The collection remains active, with surveyors continuously submitting new materials to the GLO's Surveying Services Division. Buckingham praised the Archives and Records Division for 'bringing this vital collection into the 21st century, making it easily searchable for surveyors, researchers, and Texas history enthusiasts.' The digital index represents the GLO's latest effort to modernize historical preservation. Buckingham, who became Texas' first female Land Commissioner in 2022, has previously announced pre-sales for historical map books, including 'Texas Takes Shape' and the 'Alamo Defenders Heritage Map of Texas.' The digitized Sketch Files Collection Index is now available as a free PDF download through the GLO's historic Texas maps website.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alan Bates's 'kangaroo court' claims denied
Compensation for sub-postmasters is not being decided by a "kangaroo court", the body overseeing the payouts has said, pushing back against allegations made by Sir Alan Bates. Sir Alan, who led the campaign for justice, said he had been made a "take it or leave it" offer that was less than half the amount he was claiming. The "goal posts" had moved and claims had been "knocked back", he said, in ways he saw as unfair to sub-postmasters, many of whom have been waiting years for redress. However, the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board has rejected his criticism, saying it was following a process agreed by Sir Alan, designed to resolve the outstanding cases. Writing in the Sunday Times, Sir Alan had suggested the process was not following established standards, describing it as a "quasi-kangaroo court". The board, made up of parliamentarians and academics, issued a statement on Tuesday saying: "We do not agree [with the criticisms]." It said Sir Alan had been "closely involved" in setting up the process for deciding compensation, which included a final assessment from a "highly respected" judge. "That was what happened in Sir Alan's case," the board said. "It is only a 'take it or leave it' decision in the sense that at some stage the matter has to come to an end and someone has to decide, in order to bring fair closure to so many who have been harmed." Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted after the faulty Horizon IT system indicated shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts. Sir Alan led a group of 555 sub-postmasters who took part in the landmark group legal action against the Post Office. Their fight for justice was brought to wider public attention last year by an ITV drama about the scandal, Mr Bates vs The Post Office. The government went on to set up a specific compensation fund to ensure these sub-postmasters received extra money to reflect the gravity of their situations, but progress has been described as slow and many are still waiting for a payout. Under the Group Litigation Order (GLO) scheme, claimants can either receive £75,000 or seek their own settlement. Sir Alan said the latest offer made to him amounted to 49.2% of his original claim. He said promises that compensation schemes would be "non-legalistic" had turned out to be "worthless". Post Office offer amounts to just half of my claim, says Bates Why were hundreds of Post Office workers wrongly prosecuted? How do the Post Office compensation schemes work?
Leader Live
26-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Post office: Sir Alan Bates says compensation scheme ‘unfair'
The former North Wales subpostmaster, who has campaigned for justice for colleagues, added that he has been offered compensation which he said amounts to less than half of his original claim. Writing in the Sunday Times, the 70-year-old said: 'The subpostmaster compensation schemes have been turned into quasi-kangaroo courts in which the Department for Business and Trade sits in judgement of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses. 'Claims are, and have been, knocked back on the basis that legally you would not be able to make them, or that the parameters of the scheme do not extend to certain items.' More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Many are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts. The group litigation order (GLO) scheme was set up to achieve redress for the 555 claimants who took the Post Office to the High Court between 2017 and 2019. But Sir Alan, who was portrayed by actor Toby Jones in ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, said promises that compensation schemes would be 'non-legalistic' had turned out to be 'worthless'. He has also called for an independent body to be created to deliver compensation schemes for this and similar public sector scandals. Under the GLO, claimants can take a fixed sum of £75,000 or seek their own settlement. If there are disputes in individual cases, they are referred to an independent panel for review. Postmasters can also seek a final view from Sir Ross Cranston, a former High Court judge, if they believe the panel has got it wrong. Sir Alan was knighted last year for his services to justice, having founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA). Last month, he sent an email to members of his group, calling on victims to take the Government to court over delays to financial redress, adding that a judicial review would 'probably be the quickest way to ensure fairness for all'. It is understood that 80% of postmasters in Sir Alan's group have accepted a full and final redress or been paid most of their offer. A Department for Business and Trade spokesman said: 'We pay tribute to all the postmasters who've suffered from this scandal, including Sir Alan for his tireless campaign for justice, and we have quadrupled the total amount paid to postmasters since entering government. 'We recognise there will be an absence of evidence given the length of time which has passed, and we therefore aim to give the benefit of the doubt to postmasters as far as possible. Anyone unhappy with their offer can have their case reviewed by a panel of experts, which is independent of the Government.'
