Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 106, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 12, 2013 Page: 1 of 12
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Grassy Point
Road Repairs
Underway
lips for protection from identity theft at Chamber
BY BRANDI G. WEST
Palacios Beacon
The crooks are relentless: protect yourself,
your business and your employees by embracing
the new digital age with vigilance expressed
Frank Mulcahy, Independent Associate,
Platinum Executive Director and Group
Benefits Specialist with Identity Theft Shield
at last weeks’ Palacios Chamber of Commerce
General Membership meeting.
Mulcahy provided alarming insight about
identity theft and personally maintaining control
of ones identity by being more conscientious
of lurking threats.
The visual presentation gave examples of
potential employees or strangers stealing
valuable information and also the unintentional
transmittal of personal data.
One example in particular involved a young
married mother of two from California whose
personal identifiable information was being
used by 200 illegal residents. This victim has
received over a million dollar IRS bill and
her social security account now shows a zero
balance; completely disregarding her 14 years
of employment.
Bank accounts are being opened by dead
people, active duty military and seniors
are being targeted; identity thieves do not
discriminate and as Mulcahy stated, once they
take our identity and our character you can lose
licenses, potential career advancements, and
your reputation can be completely destroyed.
“The trafficking of data far surpasses the
profitability of trafficking of drugs” because
data can be reproduced instantaneously and
sold multiple times worldwide “and chances of
law enforcement catching it is far and remote,”
said Mulcahy.
Remain cautious of social engineering, the
art of manipulating people into divulging
confidential information and be aware of the 5
different types of identity theft most likely to
occur: drivers license, social security, medical,
character and criminal and financial.
The danger of medical information theft
is potentially life- threatening and financial
theft has been known to harm children who
have incurred alarmingly significant debt by
scammers.
Impersonators destroy reputations and
incriminate innocent people by the manipulation
of social media. Mulcahy also highlighted
“spoofing” in which, according to Wikipedia
is when, “one person or program successfully
masquerades as another by falsifying data and
thereby gaining an illegitimate advantage.”
This falsification can occur via text, e-mail,
telephone call, social media, etc.
Mulcacy stated Facebook is hacked 600,000
times a day with instructions on ‘how to hack’
on YouTube.
Mulcahy provided a helpful tips about using
free Google alerts, encrypting thumb drives,
anti-virus software on cell phones and more
help can be provided through Legal Shield:
(See CHAMBER, Page 2)
WEDNESDAY
JUNE 12,2013
VOL. 106 • NO. 24
PALACIOS
TEXAS
rJ The Only
yU Newspaper In The
■, / World Published Just
For The Palacios Area.
P. 0. Box 817 • 453 Commerce
Palacios, Tx. 77465
(361) 972-3009/Fax 972-2610
E-Mail: palaciosbeacon@gmail.com
Website: palaciosbeacon.com
BEACON DEADLINE
IS 5 P.M. FRIDAY
Except for paid advertising, all
articles, photos or other infor-
mation submitted on Monday
will be published on a space
available basis only.
r Open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ^
Beacon Closed Wednesdays
J
Observing Our
w
ear
mum
BEACON
BRIEFS
I City Pool now
open for summer
The Palacios Swimming
Pool opened June 1 and the
hours of operation will be
2-6:30 p.m. Tue. through
Sat. Cost for admission is
$2 for students 18 years and
younger, $3 for adults and
$ 1 for 5 and younger using
the baby pool only. Water
aerobics: Tue- Fri. starting
at 8 a.m. and admission is
$3/day, $ 10/week, $30/
month, or $70/summer.
Family nights are Tuesday
and Thursday 7-9 p.m. and
admission is $1.
I County Court
Thurs. cancelled
County Court for Judge
Nate McDonald on June
13, 2013 has been can-
celled.
like' the Palacios Beacon on
Palacios
Pride
/*JC A / / l //»
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o
HUB Task Force on
City Council agenda
BY BRANDI G. WEST
Palacios Beacon
The Palacios Community HUB Task Force
reconvened at the Housing Authority for May’s
monthly meeting and milestones have continued
to make way for the HUB to come into fruition.
A proposal for tangible infrastructure for
the Palacios Community HUB, the centralized
locationforleaming-basededucation, recreation
and family based activities in Palacios, was on
the Palacios City Council Agenda at the regular
scheduled Council meeting June 11. The HUB
Task Force members will propose utilization of
the vacant former Palacios City Hall Building
as interim HUB space.
A win/ win for the city; contributing to
strengthening families through literacy and by
allowing a vacant building to be used to benefit
the community.
The Tast Force is considering an
implementation team as finalization of the
initial 5 services offered at the HUB progresses.
The low lying fruit, services readily available
to the community, are partnerships initiated
with Workforce Solutions in the creation of an
accurate job board disclosing available jobs
in the area.
The Task Force also discussed the location
of a first Benefits Bank (computer, printer, and
(See HUB, Page 2)
County unemployment
still sitting above 9%
Practically unwavering is Matagorda
County’s unemployment rate for the month
of April, which decreased by one tenth of a
percentage point from March, according to
the latest figures from the Texas Workforce
Commission.
The jobless rate for the county fell to
9.1-percent which remains the most excessive
among area counties; however, is down from
9.6-percent from last April’s available statistics.
According to TWC, out of Matagorda
County’s labor force of 17,592, a total of 1600
were unemployed in April.
Statewide, Texas’ unemployment rate
decreased to 6.1-percent; the lowest rate since
(See JOBS, Page 2)
LCRA supports TCEQ’s
evaluation of water plan
The Lower Colorado River Authority fully
supports TCEQ’s decision to conduct further
evaluation of its pending Water Management
Plan.
The additional evaluation, as described in
a letter sent last week from TCEQ Executive
Director Zak Covar to LCRA General Man-
ager Becky Motal, will include data collec-
tion, a stakeholder meeting, and additional re-
ports and modeling. It is likely to take about
one year.
“There is no more important issue facing
this region now than the drought, and hav-
ing a plan that protects the water supply for
our firm customers is critical,” Motal said.
“We welcome the further review, and LCRA
stands ready to assist TCEQ as needed.”
The Water Management Plan governs
LCRA’s operation of lakes Travis and Bu-
chanan to meet the needs of major water users
throughout the lower Colorado River basin,
and prescribes how to allocate water during
droughts. During severe drought, the plan re-
quires the curtailment or cutback of Highland
Lakes water for downstream agriculture so
that water will be available for the needs of
cities, businesses and industries.
The state approved LCRA’s first Water
Management Plan in 1989. Updates were
approved in 1992, 1999 and 2010. After the
2010 plan was approved, LCRA almost im-
mediately began the lengthy process of up-
dating it, using the best data available at the
time. Since then, the region has endured se-
vere drought conditions.
An advisory committee of stakeholders
from throughout the region worked for about
18 months on its recommendations for the
new plan. The LCRA Board of Directors heard
(See LCRA, Page 2)
TCEQ seeks public input
on LCRA’s Water
Management Plan
The Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality con-
tinues to review the Lower
Colorado River Author-
ity’s application to amend
its Water Management Plan
following the comment pe-
riod, which ended on May
28. Due to continuing se-
vere drought conditions in
the basin and in response
to comments received, the
TCEQ determined that fur-
ther evaluation is needed.
The TCEQ is holding a
stakeholder meeting to ob-
tain input from Colorado
River Basin stakeholders in
support of the TCEQ’s fur-
ther evaluation of LCRA’s
WMP We are specifically
seeking data on diversions,
water use, and lake opera-
tions; however any informa-
tion is welcome.
The meeting will be on
June 26, 2013, at 2 p.m. on
the campus of TCEQ head-
quarters at 12100 Park 35
Circle, Building E, Room
201, Austin, Texas 78711.
Instructions for submitting
comments on the continu-
ing evaluation process were
noted.
Those stakeholders un-
able to attend can watch the
webcast at: http://www.tex-
asadmin.com/tceqs. shtml
More information on the
meeting can be found here:
w w w.tceq.texas. gov/permit-
ting/water_rights/lcrawmp-
stakeholdermeeting
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West, Ryan G. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 106, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, June 12, 2013, newspaper, June 12, 2013; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth774293/m1/1/: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.