Is Houston ready for canal expansion?

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The countdown is on in a major expansion of the Panama Canal. It's a project that could have major economic implications around the world and especially right here in Texas; that is, if we're ready.

The Panama Canal is being widened to accommodate much bigger vessels, which means much more cargo will be coming our way at the Port of Houston.

The canal is just two years away from the enormous expansion, a $5 billion construction project sure to have a huge financial impact on the southeast Texas coast.

Panama is adding a third set of wider, deeper, and longer locks which allow much larger ships, called post-Panamax, to slip through the canal and speed the shipment of goods.

"The expansion allows us to keep supplying and feeding global markets," said Capt. Bill Diehl with the Greater Houston Port Bureau.

Captain Diehl used to live in Panama, among its three million people working at the canal. On Thursday, he was in downtown Houston at a State House Transportation Committee meeting at which the canal expansion and whether or not we're ready for it when it opens in 2014 was the main topic of discussion.

"We're not gonna open the door and it's gonna be a flood of people into the concert. We're going to continue to grow in our capacity. And that's what the canal is about really," Capt. Diehl said.

But there will be steady growth and it will be obvious.

"It's gonna have some impact, especially on roadways and railways," said Port of Houston Chairman Jim Edmonds. "How ready is Houston? How ready is Texas? We've been working on this for quite a few years. Our plans are already in place. We continue to build more docks."

There is $120 million dollars worth of dredging that needs to happen and a lot of infrastructure work. The bottom line today being that Houston is not ready yet, but it's getting there.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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League City residents get ready for hurricane season

  LEAGUE CITY, TX (KTRK) -- Hurricane season is just weeks away, but the time to start preparing is now.

League City officials will meet with residents today to help them get ready for severe weather at a hurricane preparedness workshop.

The workshop will offer advice on planning for emergencies, preparing emergency kits, signing up for the city's call system that alerts neighbors about emergency situations and instructions on what to do before, during and after a storm.

League City's Office of Emergency Management will walk people through the entire process.

The workshop starts at 10am at Helen Hall Library on Walker Street.

Those who can't attend can get tips, watch informational videos and download toolkits on the city's emergency preparedness website.

For more information on hurricane season, visit our ABC13 Houston Hurricane Guide.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Rep. Paul not ready to drop presidential bid

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Based on media coverage, you'd think there are only two people running for president, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. But Lake Jackson Congressman Ron Paul is still a contender and some maybe wondering why he hasn't dropped out.

And though it might seem like there are only two candidates still in the running, you couldn't tell that to Paul or the thousands of supporters who showed up at the University of Houston to hear him speak.

Ron Paul exceeded his own expectations on a Friday night. The Lake Jackson congressman and presidential candidate drew close to 4,000 people to Hofheinz Pavilion for an hour-long talk about his key principles: liberty, monetary and foreign policy, and the constitution. And they lined up early, long before dark, to get a good seat and hear him unfiltered.

"No disrespect to you, I don't know you from Adam, but a lot of people hate the mainstream media because they have totally not given him a fair shake," Paul supporter James Marshall said.

"It's like Coke and Pepsi, basically, Republicans and Democrats. They want to have more diversity in politics and Ron Paul offers that," Paul supporter Matthew Cunningham said.

Paul says his ideas ring true with young voters especially because they -- above most others -- truly cherish their freedom.

"Most of history you had big government telling people how to run their lives, run the economy, policing the world, militancy around the world; young people just seem to have a healthy disregard for that and a healthy attitude toward, 'It's my life, why don't you leave me alone,'" Paul said.

But with little realistic chance of winning the nomination -- let alone the White House -- those not in attendance at UH might ask why is he still running?

"Because of the support. If there was no support, we wouldn't have money and we wouldn't have anybody turn out," Paul said.

But there is that turnout, certainly evident inside a college basketball arena rarely this full on a Friday night in April.

By most official accounts, Paul has a fewer than 100 delegates. He needs 1,044 to win to GOP nomination.

Among the other questions we asked him was what it would take for him to win the nomination. He said, without any hint of sarcasm, "more votes."

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Sugar Land Skeeters ready for Opening Day

  by Pooja LodhiaSUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- The countdown is on to the inaugural game for the Skeeters, Sugar Land's new minor league baseball team. Preparations are now underway at Constellation Stadium

Shoveling, cleaning, and decorating. Workers are putting finishing touches on Constellation Field, the brand new home of the Skeeters. The new minor league team plays Pennsylvania's York Revolution in its first game Thursday night. But fans will find far more than baseball here.

"We're going to have drinks, jugglers, stilt walkers, human pyramids," said Skeeters Communications Manager Bryan Hodge. "We'll have radio stations broadcasting live."

The field has a gift shop, a merry-go-round and even a swimming pool. Sugar Land voters approved the $37 million project back in 2008.

"It's something that Sugar Land can call their own and be proud of," said Hodge. "Sugar Land has put so much effort into this stadium."

"It's about time that we get some local sports," said Sugar Land resident Justin Graham. "People are crazy about high school sports so naturally they'll be pretty excited about this."

"It's good for our side of town; people who stay on the southwest part of Highway 6," added Ft. Bend County resident Myles Moore. " So I'll go to some baseball games to check it out. Beats going all the way downtown."

One Skeeters fan even has a challenge to the Major Leagues.

"I think the Skeeters will be a better team than the Astros," said Ft. Bend County resident Scott Laclaire.

Opening ceremonies start at 4:30pm. The game starts at 7pm. There are 10,000 seats at the Constellation Field and it is expected to be packed for Opening Day. The Skeeters play 140 regular season games.

For more information on the Skeeters' roster, schedule and tickets, visit SugarLandSkeeters.com.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Sports »

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