The Sealy News (Sealy, Tex.), Vol. 108, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 4, 1995 Page: 25 of 46
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Thursday, May 4, 1995 THE SEALY NEWS 5-B
The Great Outdoors/ Electrifying experience for 3 fishermen
By ED HOLDER_______________
Three fishermen had a close
encounter with lightning on
Toledo Bend Lake. Much too
close.
For at least one of them, fishing
guide Stephen Johnston, the en-
counter apparently was as close
as a person can experience and
still live to talk about it.
Johnston left Fox's Lodge, a
marina in Housen Bay, early the
morning of March 29 with clients
Terry Martin and Shawn
Gearinger, both of Nederland.
About 8:45 that morning, they
were fishing in Johnston's 19-foot
boat in a small cove on the north
side of Housen Bay, in open wa-
ter about 150 yards from the bank,
casting plastic worms and picking
up a bass now and then.
The weather wasn't bad. It was
windy and overcast, but there was
no indication of any' severe
weather nearby.
"It began to sprinkle. And we
heard some thunder rumbling way
back to the south, but it was a
long way off," Johnston remem-
bered.
The 24 year-old guide said he
learned eariy in his hunting and
Eagle Lake Community Hospital
is now mammography accredited
Eagle Lake Community Hospi-
tal has been approved by the
American College of Radiology's
Mammography Accreditation
Program. The facility has met the
necessary requirements, which
include a stringent review by a
panel of breast cancer-detection
experts, says Mary Ann Owen,
R.T.
The reviewers evaluate the staff
qualifications, equipment, quality
control and quality assurance pro-
grams at a facility applying for
accreditation. The quality of the
image and the amount of radia-
tion are measured and must meet
rigid standards. Accreditations
must be renewed every three
years.
One in nine women will de-
velop breast cancer in her life-
time. Early detection is the key to
survival. Mammography done in
conjunction with breast physical
examinations provides the most
accurate diagnosis of early breast
fishing experiences that it doesn't
pay to tempt lightning.
"I was always taught that when
you see lightning, you come in.
But there was no warning or any-
thing. Not even any storm
clouds...just that heavy overcast,
and that one far-off rumble. Heck,
if we quit fishing every time we
hear a rumble that far off, we
wouldn't do much fishing this
time of year,” he said.
.All three anglers were standing
up and casting. Johnston was on
the bow deck where he could use
the troll motor.
"Just after it started sprinkling, 1
looked down and saw fire around
my left hand. The reel and my
hand were glowing. Next thing I
knew ’ was face-down on the
deck," : - said.
Marti remembers it much the
same way.
"We felt electricity in our
hands holding the rods, and I
thought for an instant I heard
crackling. Then the next thing we
knew we were knocked down and
were lying on the floor of the
boat," Martin said. s
None of them saw a bolt of
lightning. None of them heard
anything.
cancer.
Only 6.000 facilities have been
accredited nationwide in the six-
year history of the program. It was
started in response to concerns by
radiologists, other medical orga-
nizations, and the public that only
qualified personnel perform and
interpret mammograms and that
only equipment specifically de-
signed for mammography be used.
The goal is to ensure women re-
ceive the best mammographic
examination with the lowest pos-
sible risk.
The American College of Radi-
ology (ACR), the American Can-
cer Society, the American Medi-
cal Association and nine other
major medical organization sup-
port the following guidelines for
women without symptoms:
•An annual clinical examina-
tion with screening mammogra-
phy performed at one to two year
intervals, beginning at age 40.
Johnston said he vaguely ‘re-
members seeing a bright flash
"out of the corner of my eyes" just
before he was knocked down.
All three stayed down awhile.
When they did get up, Stephen's
left hand was numb but he man-
aged to get the engine started and
drive the boat back to Fox's
Lodge.
Congressman Laughlin launches
annual Congressional Art Contest
Congressman Greg Laughlin
again launched the 14th Annual
Congressional Art Contest "An
Artistic Discovery" for high
school students in the 14th Con-
gressional District. The winning
entry will be displayed this com-
ing summer, along with artworks
from congressional districts across
the country, in a corridor of the
U.S. Capitol, an area dedicated to
the artistic skills of today’s young
artists.
"The Congressional Art Contest
is one of the fun activities I get to
participate in as representative for
the 14th Congressional District,"
said Laughlin. "It's not just an art
contest. It's an opportunity for stu-
dents to express themselves and
develop their artistic skills and for
parents, teachers and the commu-
nity to encourage them to expand
*******
SECURITY
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418 Hwy. 90 w., #11 • Sealy, TX 77474
(409) 885-7987
Need a Personal Loan?
From $100.00 to $400.00
Phone Applications Welcome
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9
S3
"We were okay, except
Gearinger’s left hand was son of
numb, and I had no feeling at all
in my left hand," Johnston re-
called.
"When we got to the marina,
we walked up to the office and
sat around awhile. Then my chest
started hurting, up around my
shoulders, so they took me to the
their horizons."
The entries will be accepted at
any one of Congressman Laugh-
lin's offices which are located in
San Marcos, West Columbia and
Victoria. Entries can also be
mailed to the Victoria office lo-
cated at 321 S. Main Street, Vic-
toria, Texas, 77901. Entries must
be received by May 4.
All of the entries will be dis-
played at The Victoria Mall on
the Hallettsville Highway May 7
through May 14. Judging of the
entries will take place Tuesday,
May 9, and Congressman Laugh-
lin will make an award presenta-
tion on Saturday, May 13, at 2
pm.
For additional information,
please call Ms. Tommie Young-
blood, in Congressman Laughlin's
Victoria office at (512) 576-1231.
hospital in Hemphill," he said.
A doctor put him on heart moni-
toring equipment.
"My heart beat was okay at
first, then it began to flutter. It did
that for two or three minutes, then
stopped fluttering," he said
A doctor checked Gearinger
and found he apparently wasn't in-
jured But he kept Johnston in the
hospital overnight for observation.
The doctor who examined John-
ston told him two things probably
saved his life. The insulating
qualities of the cork handle on the
rod he was holding, and the rub-
ber boots he was wearing, appar-
ently let the charge pass through
him instead of stopping.
Johnston was still hurting the
next morning, but he was sched-
uled to guide a party at noon. He
checked out of the hospital, drove
to Fox's Lodge and kept his ap-
pointment
"We had a pretty good day, too.
We caught several bass and had
two over six pounds and one over
five," he told me later that night.
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He also learned that his boat
had suffered from the encounter
with the lightning. His front
flasher and his aerator were out.
"I checked the fuses and they
were okay. I imagine both of them
were running when the lightning
hit, and it fried them," he said.
"I'm still hurting, sore all
over...my shoulders, stomach,
chest. Lower back too. The doctor
said it's from the lightning going
through me. It tenses muscles up,"
he said.
And he's still trying to under-
stand what happened.
"We had no warning at all.
That's what I can't understand. If
there had been any lightning
anywhere, we would have gotten
out of there But there was noth-
ing
"I’ve been on the lake in stormy
weather before when rods would
buzz, and lines would buzz, but
we didn't get any warning until I
saw the fire in my left hand just
before it knocked me down," he
said.
CITIZENS OF SEALY!
YOU ARE INVITED TO HEAR THE TRUTH!
ON MAY 4TH, 1995, A FORUM WILL BE HELD TO DEBATE THE ISSUE OF COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING FOR POLICE OFFICERS. THE MAYOR HAS BEEN INVITED TO DEBATE THE CITY’S
VIEW ON THE ISSUE. CHARLES SEELY, PRESIDENT OF THE SEALY POLICE OFFICER’S ASSO-
CIATION WILL REPRESENT SUPPORTERS OF THE MEASURE.
THE FORUM WILL BE HELD AT THE BEST WESTERN MOTEL IN SEALY ON MAY 4,1995,
AT 7:30 P.M. THE SEALY POLICE OFFICER’S ASSOCIATION WELCOMES THE PUBLIC.
THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL HEAR:
NO HIGHER TAXES - La Marque Police have Collective Bargaining and property taxes have
gone down since they got collective bargaining.
NO LOSS OF LOCAL CONTROL - All collective bargaining agreements must be voted on by the
Sealy City Council before they can go into effect. This is Texas State Law.
NO STRIKE - Sealy Police Officers are prohibited from striking by the law which gives them col-
lective bargaining.
EQUAL PROTECTION FOR SEALY POLICE OFFICERS AND CITIZENS - Collective Bargaining
gets rid of the “Good Ol’ Boy” system and means Sealy Police Officers can
enforce the law without regard to politics and social status.
ALL NEGOTIATIONS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - Any meeting between the Sealy Police and
the City are open to YOU- the Citizens of Sealy: No more backroom deals will be cut. YOU will
have immediate knowledge and input into how Sealy Police Officers do their job.
THE ELECTION IS SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1995 AT SEALY CITY HALL!
VOTE “FOR” A BETTER POLICE DEPARTMENT!
VOTE “FOR” COLLECTIVE BARGAINING!
Paid political advertisement by Charles Seely, treasurer, 141 Machemehl, Bellville, Texas 77418
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Petrusek, Wilma. The Sealy News (Sealy, Tex.), Vol. 108, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 4, 1995, newspaper, May 4, 1995; Sealy, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1702798/m1/25/?rotate=270: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Virgil and Josephine Gordon Memorial Library.