TexasShawn's Blog

What a tragic story this is. A man loses his wife, children, and another relative in Fairmont City this morning, despite is desperate efforts to save them from their burning trailor. It was so sad to listen to the grief and watch the pain in that family, that now wonders how they will pay for the four burials.

 The Gomez' were a young couple with young kids who worked and did what they could to get by. The family says their old landlord made them clean raw sewage out the basement and wouldnt fix the sewer problems,  so they thought this trailer would be a way out of a bad situation, and be a place of their own, and it was all they could afford. They saved up and put $1500 down in hopes of buying it. Little did they know that its unsafe condition would play a factor in trapping them inside.

The police chief said a second door in the back of the home had siding put over it. The place was not up to code. Neighbors say some of the window had also been covered over as well. Would it have saved all of their lives? Maybe not, but by all accounts of neighbors it was a fire trap waiting to happen, and it finally did. They said other families had lived there before the Gomez family moved in on Saturday.

Ivan Gomez is "recovering" from cuts and burns, but I doubt he'll ever really "recover" from this horrible tragedy.

The one bright stop was the calls we got from people wanting to help. One man i met got in his car and drove 60 miles to bring the family some simple things and what little money he could offer. Another woman came by and said she couldnt stop hugging her own young child, she didn't know them but she was crying for them. I hope the community continues to rally around this family and allows they can lay them to rest without any more hardship.

This post has been edited by an administrator

This February weather has been horrible for streets in the region. Crews are out working to fill all those potholes, in the meantime, I am on a "Pothole Patrol" mission to find the biggest baddest pothole around? Do you know where it is? Let me know... report it right here.

Got any good pothole stories?....ok, no pothole stories are "good", so I will rephrase..... Got any memorable pothole stories? Leave 'em right here.

Are these retailers serious? I was in Target not too long ago, sometime after the New Year, and I see nothing but swimwear in the front of the women's department. Ummm, maybe it's me, BUT ITS JANUARY. I can understand if you have a winter trip to the Carribean planned, but other than that, I can't imagine swimsuits would be big sellers this time of year.

It reminds me of all the Christmas stuff that goes out on September.

I guess it does serve a purpose, reminding us all that the season is several months away, time to get back in the gym after all the Holiday eating ;)

Missouri State Rep. Joe Smith of St. Charles has filed a bill in the House that would increase the age in which a young person can apply for a drivers license from 16 to 18. The idea is to make the roads safer. New Jersey is the only other state that has raised the driving age to 18, however it was just enacted in the UK as well. This same bill would make it illegal to drive and talk on a cellphone.

What are your thoughts? There are plenty of pros and cons, but car accidents are the #1 killer of teenagers in this country.

Let me know what you think?

Sounds kind of corny, huh? We are live in Soulard this morning in a home that uses a corn heater. It's fueled by actual corn kernals, like you buy at the feed store. The corn is cheap and burns clean. This couple says they save at least 60% over natural gas. We'll show you how it works all morning, but if you have any questions, blog away and we'll ask our experts.

By the way, our homeowner bought his corn heater online in the off-season for $600. It heats his entire 2 story home in Soulard.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau is revealing it's new St. Louis "brand" this morning. It's the CVC's concept to brand our city as a destination. The CVC promises the new brand will sum up the St. Louis experience wtih one distinct image and position.

What are your thoughts? Any brand idea that jump out at you. If you had to pitch St. Louis to an outside visitor- how would you sell it?

26 dogs are now in St. Louis in the care of the Missouri Humane Society following a weekend raid of an alleged dogfighting ring in Southeast Missouri. The 25 pitbulls and 1 beagle are being treated for wounds from fighting, their conditions are being catalogued for prosecutors. 3 people were arrested in connection to the ring.

The dogs are extremely human friendly, but investigators say their future is uncertain. Fighting dogs are rarely adoptable because they are bred and trained to be aggressive to other animals from as early as 6 weeks old.

Do you have an opinion on this? A question for the animal investigator about this type of activity? Post here during FOX 2 News in the Morning and we'll try to get your question answered.

Be sure to tune into the FOX2 News at 5 today for an interesting story about how little we Americans know about our Constitution and the Supreme Court and what an attorney from Edwardsville is doing about it.

Do you feel as though you're well versed in Constitutional knowledge?

I think I've got a lot to refresh on, but listen to this, a poll last year found that more than 50 percent of Americans knew the names of the Simpson's characters, yet only 1 in 1000 could name the 5 freedoms outlined in the First Amendment (religion, speech, press, peaceable assembly, right to petition govt. for redress of grievances). I admit the 5th one tripped me up but what I find VERY SCARY is the fact that 22% of those samed people polled, thought the right to own a pet was included in the First Amendment!

Let me know what your thoughts are? Do you know enough? If not, does it bother you?

Thomas Jefferson said, "A Democracy cannot be ignorant and free."

I know some of you may have seen the story that ran Saturday night, but for those of you that may have missed it, I have added a new member to our family- a Corgi-Pit mix named Shorty.

Shorty was hit by a car in late March, he lost a foot and severed a hind leg. It was a terrible sight. Poor little guy had exposed bones. His owner told animal investigators he couldn't afford to have Shorty treated for the horrific leg wound, so he dumped him at a golf course in Godfrey. Thankfully, Shorty is a survivor! He was found 5 days later, covered in ticks, and suffering from infection due to his open wound. I met him after being contacted by the 5A's Humane Society in Alton where the woman who found him took him. I fell in love immediately. His leg was ampuated days later and now he's doing so well.

Shorty's previous owner faces charges of animal neglect and abandonment, meantime, he's now home with me and doing so well, despite his amputation. He and Fenway are so happy together and have become fast friends. Shorty is a very sweet dog- a cuddly lap dog that loves to play. Last night was his first night in his new home and his tail has not stopped wagging. He's been such a good boy, and I can't fault him for his great taste in shoes. I lost a pair of pumps last night, forgetting what's its like to have a puppy who likes to chew!

I just wanted to update everyone and encourage you to look to shelters for your next animal. There are so many that are waiting for homes, but it's not a decision that should be taken lightly.

I can't wait to keep you all up to date. All of my friends and family say Shorty should become "Lucky"- what do you think?

I saw this bit of video on YouTube and it shed a little more light on to what happened at the state board of education meeting this week where mace was used.

I appreciate everyone's right to speak their opinions, but I can't help but think this quickly became counterproductive to their cause. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzsCSGjrHFk

The Mega Millions 12-state lottery is at $370-millions dollars and rising. I can't imagine one person having that kind of cash! It's mind blowing. I'm not a gambler but I did put $10 down on quick picks only because I was in Illinois covering this same story. Several questions for you: did you buy tickets & how many? What would you do with all that money? Do you buy into the lottery curse- all these winners that end up with horrible lives after striking it rich?

 

I am so ready for Spring! What I'm not looking forward to is the beginning of construction on Highway 40. We've talked about it ad nauseum, but have you actually done anything about it?

Have you found alternative routes? How will it impact you and your drive time?

Let us know!!!

I used to think there was very little Britney Spears could do that would surprise me. However, I really didn't expect her to shave her own head while the papparazzi snapped pictures. Has she snapped, or what? What do you think?

 

 

NOTE: I orginally wrote this in response to another blog, but because it applies to many blogs on this board, I felt compelled to make it its own topic:

Is anyone else annoyed with all of the people that are making this entire ordeal about who gets what... why so and so didn't also get this or that.... or why this person deserves credit for x,y&z? Please People!

This is a horrible ordeal that has touched a lot of people's hearts both in good and bad ways, and in that emotion there are people and companies that are compelled to DO SOMETHING, whether it be for Ben, Shawn, Mitch, the officers, etc. etc.. Let them. Don't question why it's now not fair for this person or that.

Don't make the case for why one person deserves as much credit as the other, or why you did this good deed but you don't get a truck or a house, or even a pat on the back. I hope that's not what motivates you.

There are lot of people trying to bring good out of something very evil, yet what I keep witnessing on a lot of blogs is when someone shows the best of humanity and reaches out, someone else shows the worst and whines about how its not fair. I find it very disappointing.

Hey patrick- I noticed some bloggers posting pictures within their blogs. I know I read your posting about upgrades and new features on the way, but is this available to all bloggers and how do you do it?