Fertilizer

Cause of Texas fertilizer plant fire may never be known

2013-05-16 20:50:00

A malfunctioning golf cart, a faulty electrical system or even arson could have led to the fire that triggered the deadly explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, but federal and state officials said Thursday that their $1-million investigation had...

Cause of Texas fertilizer plant blast unclear; inquiry continues

2013-05-16 17:55:00

The cause of the fire that triggered the deadly explosion of a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, last month remains undetermined after a $1-million investigation, officials said Thursday. Although the probe continues, the cause of the disaster may never be...

Billie Sol Estes dies at 88; notorious Texas con man in 1960s scandal

2013-05-16 11:40:00

Billie Sol Estes, a flamboyant Texas huckster who became one of the most notorious men in America in 1962 when he was accused of looting a federal crop subsidy program, has died. He was 88. Estes died in his sleep at his home in DeCordova Bend, a city...

First responder in Texas blast is held on pipe-bomb charge

2013-05-11 00:00:00

HOUSTON — A paramedic who responded to the devastating fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, last month was arrested Friday after federal investigators said they discovered he had the makings of a pipe bomb. It was not clear whether the...

West, Texas, paramedic 'vigorously denies' link to explosion

2013-05-11 13:50:00

HOUSTON -- A paramedic arrested for possessing bomb-making materials after he responded to the massive fertilizer plant fire in West, Texas, has denied any connection between the fire and the charges he faces. Bryce Reed, 31, released a statement...

West, Texas, paramedic appears in court on pipe bomb charges

2013-05-10 14:52:00

HOUSTON -- A paramedic who responded to the massive explosion in West, Texas, last month faced charges on Friday after federal investigators discovered he had the makings of a pipe bomb, authorities said. It was not clear whether his arrest, which...

Paramedic arrested in West, Texas for having a destructive device

2013-05-10 09:40:00

HOUSTON--A local paramedic who responded to the massive fertilizer plant fire last month in West, Texas, has been arrested for allegedly possessing a destructive device. Bryce Reed, 31, was arrested late Thursday by officials from the Bureau of Alcohol,...

Mayor of West, Texas: The face of a ravaged town

2013-04-29 13:14:00

WEST, Texas — The two-tone brown Ford F-150 careens into the downtown parking space and out jumps Tommy Muska, a mayor on the move. Wearing a baseball cap, green long-sleeved shirt and bluejeans, his face ruddy from a life under the central Texas...

Texas plant that exploded had $1 million in liability insurance

2013-05-05 08:00:00

The fertilizer plant that exploded last month in West, Texas, holds just $1 million in liability insurance, a negligible amount compared to the estimated cost of the damage caused by the blast, lawyers said. John McCoy, one of the attorneys representing...

Obama praises Texas blast responders at memorial for the dead

2013-04-25 16:03:00

WACO, Texas — With the flag-draped coffins of 12 first-responders before him, President Obama� lauded the courage of the volunteer firefighters who rushed toward the scene of a massive fertilizer plant explosion and gave their lives trying to help...

Czech Stop a comfort stop in West, Texas

2013-04-19 05:45:00

WEST, Texas – Most every small town in America has a local eatery that embodies its heart and soul – not to mention its stomach – a place where workers know the first names and the orders of customers by heart. In this tiny community...

An outpouring in West after explosion at fertilizer plant

2013-04-21 00:05:00

WEST, Texas — At the Veterans of Foreign Wars post just a few blocks past City Hall here, the donated mattresses form a stack that nearly touches the ceiling. Rows of folding tables are piled high with clothes, and the porch out back has enough...

Shona Jupe, a resident of the apartment destroyed by the fertilizer plant explosion, hugs her friend as they met while she was visiting the site in West, Texas, on Friday, May 10, 2013. Jupe was at the front door when the West Fertilizer Co. explosion happened.

2013-05-16 22:26:00

Shona Jupe, a resident of the apartment destroyed by the fertilizer plant explosion, hugs her friend as they met while she was visiting the site in West, Texas. Jupe was at the front door when the West Fertilizer Co. explosion happened.

2013-05-10 00:00:00

Students clean debris at a home in West, Texas, that was damaged in the fertilizer plant explosion that killed 14 people last month. Lawyers said Saturday the plant only had $1 million in liability coverage.

2013-05-04 00:00:00