Texas
Opponents tell North Texas leaders to drop any plans for ‘flawed’ Marvin Nichols Reservoir
PITTSBURG – Roughly 200 people descended upon a regional water meeting in northeast Texas on Wednesday afternoon with “Stop Marvin Nichols” signs, custom T-shirts and handwritten speeches.
Nearly 40 attendees looked officials in the eyes and repeated the same sentiment: The proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir project needs to be removed from all future water plans.
The meeting, lasting about four hours in Camp County, was specially called by the Region D water planning group whose jurisdiction includes the land that would be used to build the 66,000-acre reservoir to pump water more than 100 miles to North Texas. Some Region C water officials, who are part of the group calling for the project that would benefit the North Texas area, were also in attendance.
At one point, Region D chairman Jim Thompson sat beside Region C chairman Kevin Ward at the front of the room.
Ward talked about Marvin Nichols being just one of the many alternatives that leaders are looking at to meet water needs in North Texas and said having the project in the plan isn’t a “green light” to start developing but rather a placeholder for if it’s needed in the future. He noted the permitting process could take decades to complete.
He said he doesn’t know of any other strategy in the state that’s had so many studies and analysis completed, calling the reservoir a “lightning rod for the entire state of Texas.” He said the voice of northeast Texans has been heard far and wide.
“All these years it’s been heard in the halls of the Legislature down in Austin, it’s been heard by your state representatives here, by your senators and by those members out there in Region C as well,” Ward said. “We’ve heard it so you’ve got to believe that if we thought there was another way to do what we’re trying to do right now … we’d certainly latch onto it as fast as we could.”
Much of the crowd was attentive but unsympathetic. Thompson responded later in the meeting, reiterating that he is willing to work together to find additional supplies in the Region D area that could help Region C.
“That does not, in my opinion, in any way, form or fashion mean that I’m going to agree to Marvin Nichols because I never am,” Thompson said. “It’s a flawed project. It should not go forward. It should be removed from the state water plan.”
A majority in the room applauded Thompson’s comment. The men eventually shook hands before Ward took a seat in the audience and Thompson presided over the 38 public comments made about the plan.
For decades, Region C water planners in North Texas have suggested the reservoir is one of the best solutions to quench Dallas-Fort Worth’s growing water needs that continues to increase as its population continues to grow.
Discussions around the project have occurred since the 1960s when it was first included in the state water plan but are being revamped as the regional groups prepare their latest plans, which are completed every five years. Tensions began boiling in the last 20-some years as the need for water in North Texas became even more apparent with the population boom.
Many, including Ward, said Wednesday’s meeting drew the largest crowd of any Marvin Nichols meeting they’d been to in the last couple decades.
Proponents for the manmade lake have recently called for it to be online by 2050 and a recent estimate put the cost at $7 billion. The Texas Water Development Board recently completed a review of the project, concluding that it was feasible.
Those opposed to the project – including residents in portions of Red River, Franklin and Titus counties whose generational land, homes, churches and cemeteries where their family members are buried would be flooded – have spoken out against the reservoir repeatedly, including at a Region C meeting in Arlington at the end of September.
Photos: Northeast Texas residents pack public meeting to speak out in opposition to proposed Marvin Nichols Reservoir
They’ve said the project would destroy their small, rural communities that are made up of blue-collar workers who are the backbone of not only Texas but the U.S. They also say the negative impacts of the project beyond where its footprint would be haven’t been adequately portrayed, including detrimental effects to the Rivercrest ISD and thriving timber industry.
“Here we are again,” Gary Cheatwood Jr., 48, told the water planners. Cheatwood’s family has been in the Red River County community called Cuthand for more than a century and throughout his entire adult life he’s watched his dad, 85-year-old Gary Cheatwood, battle the reservoir plans.
Cheatwood said in the decade or so he’s been speaking at meetings, he typically talks about data and numbers but he chose to switch up his approach Wednesday. Instead, he talked about his dreams of living in Cuthand and a desire of continuing to raise his kids there.
Those hopes are something that can’t be taken from him, he said, adding that he won’t leave. “Amen,” someone from the audience said before people applauded. Cheatwood said the deal was a land grab before anything else.
“I will sit on my land until I’m dead or Jesus comes back, whichever comes first,” he said.
A handful of other residents in the area that would be drowned agreed that they would be either buried on the land or taken off it in a body bag but giving it up for the reservoir wasn’t an option.
More than a dozen people referred to the project as “thievery,” “theft” or “stealing.” One man called it “interregional imperialism” and a woman compared the fight to David and Goliath.
Though a lot of the public commenters were familiar faces who have been traveling to meetings across the state for decades, others said they recently learned about the project and felt compelled to speak up.
Tawnya Cagle, 50, said her family moved from Rockwall to northeast Texas in 2017 and had never heard of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir.
“There are people who are literally pouring their foundations right now and they know nothing about this,” she said. “So imagine our surprise when we came out here.”
Now, as she’s learned more, she’s joining the movement to call for the project to be scrapped.
“It’s about our kids and our grandkids and our legacy we want to leave them,” Cagle said.
Photos: Residents in the Sulphur River Basin fear their land will be inundated if Marvin Nichols Reservoir in northeast Texas is built
Some Region D members also voiced concerns.
One called for more active water conservation in Dallas-Fort Worth, comparing it to not buying more cattle if there’s not enough grass. Another called for Region C to look elsewhere for water, like the Gulf of Mexico.
Robert Hurst, of Delta County, said he grew up in North Texas so he appreciates the water needs but wanted to make one thing clear.
“Frankly, it’s growing out our way too,” he said. “We need the water, too. Y’all are not the only ones.”
He said his county is also planning what it’s going to do to handle the expanding population.
“We’re not trying to be ornery but we’re trying to self preserve and we all need our land, we need our water and we’re going to be seeing the growth you’re seeing also,” Hurst said.
2024 Texas Hall of Fame Invite
- November 20-22, 2024
- Where: Lee and Joe Jamail Swimming Center — Austin, TX
- When: 10 am CT prelims/6 pm CT finals
- Participating Teams: Pitt, Stanford, Texas (host), USC, Wisconsin, BYU, Cal Poly
- Meet Info
- Live Results
- Results on Meet Mobile: “Texas Hall of Fame Swimming Invite”
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals
The Texas Longhorns entered the summer with a lot of weaknesses on paper that needed to be addressed, and via the addition of high profile transfers and international recruits, they have addressed many of those.
The big question mark, though, was the breaststroke leg and whether the Longhorns had someone good enough to challenge for an NCAA title.
The group was led last season by 5th year Jake Foster, who swam 51.22 at a dual meet, and Will Scholtz, who was 52.09 at Big 12s. 52.0 is a nice time by almost any measure, but for a team hoping to climb several rungs on a ladder and challenge for an NCAA title, it wasn’t going to be enough.
The comments read things like “where are the Longhorns going to find a true breaststroker,” referencing the fact that Texas didn’t have a swimmer finish higher than 16th at NCAAs in the 100 breast last year.
But on Thursday morning, they may have found their guy as Nate Germonprez, now a sophomore, turned a corner with a 50.39.
That makes him the 7th-best performer in the history of the event with the 15th best performance ever in a flat-start 100 yard breaststroke. Every time ranked ahead of him was done at a season-ending championship, making Germonprez’s swim the best mid-season time in history.
Top 10 Performers all-Time, Men’s 100 SCY Breaststroke
- Liam Bell, Cal – 49.53 (2024 NCAAs)
- Ian Finnerty, Indiana – 49.69 (2018 NCAAs)
- Max McHugh, Minnesota – 49.90 (2022 NCAAs)
- Caeleb Dressel, Florida – 50.03 (2018 SECs)
- Kevin Cordes, Arizona – 50.04 (2014 NCAAs)
- Carsten Vissering, USC – 50.30 (2019 NCAAs)
- Nate Germonprez, Texas – 50.39 (2024 Texas Invite)
- Caspar Corbeau, Texas – 50.49 (2022 NCAAs)
- Van Mathias, Indiana – 50.57 (2023 NCAAs)
- Brian Benzig, Towson – 50.59 (2024 NCAAs)
Germonprez is a bit of a paradox as a swimmer. He was a very good breaststroker in high school, winning an NCSA title in the 100 breaststroke in 2023. But he was so versatile that his 52.59 as a high school senior was almost overlooked, when in most classes that would make him a big ‘breaststroke’ signing.
We wrote several articles and did interviews in tribute to his versatility (here and here, for example).
He didn’t even swim a breaststroke race at the Olympic Trials, instead opting for the 50 free (53rd) and 200 IM (12th). He would later swim the 100 free (49.46), 200 IM (1:58.11), and the 100 breaststroke (1:00.48) at the Austin Futures meet, winning and going best times in each. His 100 breaststroke time would have put him into the semifinals at Trials.
Is he a real breaststroker? He’s not a pure breaststroker, if that’s what we mean when we say “real,” which is understandable because for most of swimming history, breaststrokers were sort of a different breed.
But he broke the school record of Caspar Corbeau (50.49), who is most certainly primarily a breaststroker (though he can sprint a little bit too).
When Germonprez and Modglin both committed to Texas, it was fun to daydream about what that tandem of versatility could bloom into in the college ranks, and now we’re seeing it happen. As much as Texas needed guys like Chris Guiliano and Kacper Mawiuk and Hubert Kos to move back into the national title picture this quickly, they really needed a breatstroker, and now they have one.
The Fort Worth skyline reflects off the Trinity River. It is a city that loves its roots and embraces its evolution.
getty
If you’ve been one of the 10.8 million annual visitors to Forth Worth, Texas, you already know it’s worth a multi-day stay. But sometimes, you don’t have that luxury, and the best you can swing is an overnighter. I’m here to tell you, that’s not a bad thing. Fort Worth, a pleasantly compact city in comparison to its sprawling neighbor, Dallas, turns an overnight stay into an opportunity to immerse yourself in Texan culture while luxuriating in the finer things in life.
Start with a semi-private flight via JSX, which operates out of its own terminal outside of Dallas-Love airport. This streamlined service provides private-flying ease and comfort at a fraction of the cost (a typical flight from Houston to Dallas costs about $500 round trip and gets you there in about an hour). After an extremely comfortable flight, you’ll touch down in Dallas, and it is a matter of minutes to deplane, collect your bag, and hail a ride. Opt for a rental car from JSX onsite provider Go Rentals or just use a ride app for the day.
The lobby of the Crescent Hotel Fort Worth features eye-catching chandeliers and comfortable seating with views of the outdoor courtyard and fireplace.
Crescent Hotel Fort Worth
The heart of Fort Worth is 40 minutes away – you’ll leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind and find tree-lined (and impeccably clean) streets. You’ll also find the new Crescent Hotel Fort Worth, which Conde Nast Traveler recently dubbed the #1 Hotel in Texas. Service is on point – when I arrived feeling a little queasy, the staff managed to rustle up a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, and that was with the dining room temporarily reserved for a television crew shooting on the premises.
Which apparently is a thing in Fort Worth. It’s becoming an increasingly popular destination for movie and TV filming, and it’s clear why. The landscape is quite pretty, made all the prettier in the Cultural District, where Crescent Hotel is located. It features lovely museum buildings and wide streets that will beckon you outside to explore, and that exploration should include the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the oldest botanic garden in Texas. It boasts 23 specialty gardens, such as the Japanese Garden ideal for a serene stroll, along with sculptures, ponds, waterfalls, and a don’t miss greenhouse.
If you prefer the indoors, just across the street from the Crescent Hotel is the Kimbell Art Museum, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and features works by creative legends like Rembrandt, Picasso, and Cezanne. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is a stone’s throw away, as is the Amon Carter Museum, currently featuring an exhibit entitled “Cowboy.”
The Fort Worth Stockyards are home to the twice-daily cattle drives that pay homage to the culture and history of his area.
getty
And speaking of cowboys, you must set aside time to witness an authentic and historically accurate cattle drive, which takes place twice daily at 11:30 am and 4:00 pm on Exchange Street in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. Watch as wranglers outfitted in boots, chaps, and hats reminiscent of the early American days drive cattle through the town. You can learn more about Fort Worth’s cowboy culture at The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Cattle Raisers Museum.
If you haven’t noticed by now, Fort Worth is a bit of a dichotomy with its attention to ranch life every bit as important as its evolution to modern city. That’s why a day here is a study in contrasts, and one of the best ways to see – and taste – that is through the food. Start with lunch on the hacienda-style patio at Joe T. Garcia’s, a popular Tex-Mex restaurant serving up margaritas and family recipes like bean chalupas since 1935.
Mouthwatering scallops are cooked to precision at Waters, a fine dining restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas
Rebecca Deurlein
For dinner, dive into Waters Restaurant for a fine dining experience helmed by Chef Jon Bonnell. Appetizers like crab cakes and tomatoes topped with fried goat cheese are about as close to perfect as you can get. And foods that depend on being cooked just right, like scallops and filet, are indeed just right. Waters is located in Sundance Square, a walkable entertainment and business district that is especially lovely at night and offers live theater, shopping, an historic Chisholm Trail mural, water features, and over 30 restaurants, in case you decide to stay.
That’s the only problem with Fort Worth – one day and night will give you a taste that will have you hustling to get back. So maybe not such a problem after all.
Texas
City of Houston defends keeping firefighter on payroll amid nude video controversy and lawsuit
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The City of Houston says its hands are tied when it comes to a firefighter who showed a nude video of a female firefighter to their colleagues.
John Barrientes was found liable in a civil trial last year and was ordered to pay former firefighter Melinda Abbt $250,000. City Council is considering approving an $850,000 payment to Abbt to settle a separate federal lawsuit related to the matter.
Yet some council members question why Barrientes has been allowed to keep his job.
The city points to an obscure Texas law governing police and fire departments.
“If you’re looking to terminate someone’s employment because of a past act, the statutory scheme in Texas requires that that occurs within six months of the act,” City Attorney Michel Arturo said.
But that’s not how other attorneys see it.
“I’m not aware of any law that says you have to fire someone within 180 days of the misconduct,” employment attorney Michael Lombardino said.
Arturo sent Eyewitness News a copy of the Texas Local Government Code. Under a heading titled ‘Indefinite Suspensions,’ it reads:
“In the original written statement and charges and in any hearing conducted under this chapter, the department head may not complain of an act that did not occur within the six-month period preceding the date on which the department head suspends the firefighter or police officer.”
Lombardino said that should only apply to indefinite suspensions, which he said are different than terminations.
“Sometimes you need to be able to conduct an investigation, so putting a time limit on when you would be able to terminate an employee doesn’t really make sense,” he said.
Arturo told council members that firing Barrientes could give him grounds for a wrongful termination suit. Some worry about the lawsuits the city could face by keeping him.
“If we have another incident that comes up, aren’t we in more legal jeopardy because we are aware of this behavior?” Councilman Fred Flickinger asked.
Council won’t vote on whether to approve the settlement with Abbt for at least another week.
For news updates, follow Luke Jones on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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