HOUSTON — An attorney for an 18-year-old accused of fatally shooting 10 people at a Texas high school says federal prosecutors plan to file charges against the former student after they had previously indicated they would not.

Attorney Nick Poehl says Dimitrios Pagourtzis was taken into federal custody Monday and was set to appear in federal court in Galveston at 1 p.m.

Poehl says he doesn’t know what federal charges were filed.

Pagourtzis has been charged with capital murder in state court for the May 18, 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School in Galveston County.

Last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said no federal charges would likely be filed.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment.

 

Contractors: KMCO knew
of valve leak before fire

HOUSTON — Three contractors who worked at a Houston-area chemical plant say in a lawsuit that the company knew that a flammable gas was leaking before a deadly fire erupted but did not order an evacuation.

The Houston Chronicle reports the lawsuit was filed Monday by the contractors, who were injured when the fire began April 2 at the plant operated by KMCO LLC in Crosby.

They contend that KMCO officials were aware of a leaking valve on a high-pressure line that allowed the gas to escape and set off the fire at the chemical storage facility. One worker was killed and several others were hurt.

Monday’s lawsuit is at least the third filed against KMCO.

KMCO President and CEO John Foley said in a statement that the fire remains under investigation and any legal complaints at this point should be considered “unverified.”

 

Bush Foundation wants
retired Air Force One

HOUSTON — The George and Barbara Bush Foundation has asked that an Air Force One plane set for retirement in 2025 be permanently exhibited at the late president’s museum at Texas A&M.

If approved, the U.S. Air Force would permanently loan the Boeing VC-25A to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas, the Houston Chronicle reported. Bush died Nov. 30 at age 94, just months after the death of former first lady Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years.

“He had such a personal history with flying and that plane. He loved the plane,” said Jim McGrath, vice president of the Bush Foundation and the couple’s primary representative in their final years.

Air Force One was introduced during World War II to ensure the president’s safe passage. The plane targeted for the presidential library was brought into service in 1990, during George H.W. Bush’s presidency.

The 41st president was particularly happy about the plan to house the aircraft at his museum after he was shown renderings of the glass building that would encase it.

He “was very excited about it,” said David Jones, the president of the foundation. “I just remember him beaming. He just thought it was a wonderful idea.”