Features
Spotlight on Innovation
It has been said, “The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.” Lee Marrs and the Texas811 board of directors have been throwing ideas around for quite some time. In this article on innovation, we will focus on just a few of the ideas that have made a [...]
What the Heck is an Ombudsman?
Jennifer Connally Provides Support, Answers to Members of Texas811 By Amy Chmura, Staff Writer When members of Texas811 have a question or concern, they know just whom to call: Jennifer Connally. Connally is the Member Services Coordinator/Ombudsman. What exactly is an ombudsman? An ombudsman is defined as a person who acts as a trusted intermediary [...]
There’s Never an Off Season
John Hall, Pipeline Safety Engineer North Carolina Utilities Commission Recently, I asked a friend of mine who’s an avid deer hunter what he did during the off season. He looked surprised when I asked the question and said, “You’re joking, right?” Well, since I’m not a hunter I figured he cleaned his gun, put it [...]
The Railroad Commission of Texas Takes a Look at Chapter 18, Four Years On
The Pipeline Safety Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas is hosting a series of stakeholder regulatory workshops to discuss possible amendments to Chapter 18, relating to the underground pipeline damage prevention program. Since the rules originally took effect in September of 2007, we have had several years of experience working under the only enforced [...]
Texas Wildfires 2011
The devastating Texas wildfire season exceeded the one-year mark in mid-November, and because of the severe drought conditions, the end was not in sight. The statistics are staggering during this past wildfire season. All fifty states plus Canada, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have sent personnel to assist in bringing [...]
Pipelines: Safest Form of Transportation, Critical to Energy Supply
By Amy Chmura, Staff Writer Crisscrossing the country are more than 320,000 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines that serve as underground highways transporting the nation’s energy. Pipelines are a critical component of our nation’s energy infrastructure. They safely and reliably transport 25 percent of the country’s total energy consumption that is delivered to more [...]
Me and Dillard: Volume 4, Issue 3
As I remember, the best part of going to school as a boy growing up in the backwoods of Arkansas was getting out for the summer. It wasn’t that I minded going to school so much. It was just that I really liked getting out. I could hardly wait to get home because this was [...]
The Master of Zing: You Can Put Zing in Your Life
ZING! That’s my byword for success. I shouted it at the top of my lungs as I entered the front door of our home. The family gathered around as I, giddy with excitement and grinning from ear to ear, announced that I had actually won the sales contest for a trip to Bermuda. It was [...]
The Doctor Is In: The Magic in Caring
I was at the Kendall Inn in Boerne, Texas having a drink with a business associate. A certain gentleman, we’ll call him John, is a stable fixture at the bar. He’s a local rancher who lost his wife to cancer a few years ago and the bar is his social outlet. He told us that [...]
EPA Funds Pilot Program to Map Rural Water Systems
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and its contractor Magnolia River Services, Inc. (Magnolia River) are collaborating on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded Sustainable Infrastructure Mapping Initiative (SIMI). This program maps rural water system infrastructure for jurisdictions with a population up to 3,300, at no cost to the participants. The program includes funding for [...]
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