(Cindy Horswell, Houston Chronicle)
Jerry Robertson learned to fend for himself while growing up without a father at age 4. As a volunteer firefighter for the last decade, he also grew accustomed to rushing to help anyone in distress. Now he admits to being “blown away” this Christmas holiday at being on the receiving end of so much generosity from people who read of the family’s predicament in the Houston Chronicle.
Robertson was not only among the unsung heroes who risked their lives without pay to fight the worst wildfire in East Texas history, but he’s also one of the victims of that Labor Day blaze that devoured 19,000 acres north of Houston.
Robertson was battling the runaway fire when it jumped a barrier and raced toward his own home in Waller County. He only had time to rescue his family before his house was reduced to a pile of ashen rubble as the fire roared through the parched terrain.
(Read full story at Houston Chronicle)
OTHER HEADLINES:
- Rain Eases Drought, But Doesn’t Break It (KUHF Public Radio)
- Project to Transform Stretch of Buffalo Bayou into ‘Jewel’ (Houston Chronicle)
- A Famed Surgeon’s Heartfelt Memoir Sees Release (Texas Medical Center News)
- Community Outraged over ‘Crack’ Shirt Sold in Neighborhood Store (KHOU-11 News)
OPINIONS OF NOTE:
- Ann Beeson: “Texas Two-Step” (New York Times)
- David Hone: Durban – Success, failure or . . . . . ? (Shell Climate Blog)