This dog was found roaming around on Waters Edge Way (Maxwell Creek) on Sunday, August 2.  He was wearing a black collar but no tags. He is currently  being held at the Murphy Animal Shelter.

Dallas/Fort Worth hit hard by continuous storms

DALLAS (June 11, 2009) – Lightning, rain, flooding, and have continued in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, leaving downed power lines and outages in the storm’s wake. Oncor has restored service to more than 150,000 customers since storms began Wednesday night, but because of continuing storms, at 11 a.m., more than 245,000 homes and businesses were without power in Oncor’s service territory (down from a peak of 260,000).

“We are experiencing significant equipment damage from the extremely heavy lightning embedded in these storms,” said Jim Greer, Senior Vice President of Asset Management and Engineering. “We have over 2600 Oncor employees, contract employees, and vegetation employees working as hard as they safely can given  the extreme weather conditions.”

Oncor is bringing in additional resources from across the state and even from states as far away as Alabama, Missouri and Louisiana in an effort to get power restored as soon as safely possible.

Oncor opened the System Emergency Center at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. The center will remain open around-the-clock until major repairs are completed.

Keep these safety tips in mind during severe thunderstorms:
• If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9-1-1. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Do not touch the power line or anything else touching it. It may not look dangerous, but it could still be energized and therefore possibly deadly. Keep pets, children and others away from the area, too.
• Do not attempt to remove debris and tree limbs from areas near power lines. The debris may be concealing a live wire or downed power line, a risk that could potentially injure or even kill you.
• If a power line falls across your vehicle, call 9-1-1 and stay put until help arrives. Your tires provide important insulation from electric current. Stepping from your car could make you part of a complete electric circuit, resulting in electric shock or even death.
• Protect electronics and appliances by unplugging them or installing surge protectors. Surge protectors may go out over time, so they should be replaced every so often. This is a small cost compared to the cost of replacing expensive electronics.
• Keep an emergency kit handy with a flashlight, battery-powered or crank radio, bottled water and extra batteries if needed. Check out www.oncor.com/safety for a storm safety kit diagram.
• If your power goes out, don't assume the electric company knows.  Call the outage number on your electric bill to report it.
• Exercise extreme caution if using candles during a power outage. Always keep candles away from flammable objects and never leave them burning unattended.
• If you need immediate, emergency help, call 9-1-1. 

Tragedy in Willow Wood Estates

Bree Robison 
Memorial Fund Established 


On Sunday night, June 7th, Willow Wood Street in Murphy lost a precious two year old resident to a tragic accident. Her name was Bree Robison and she is being mourned by the entire community.

We all want to offer our support to her family at this most difficult time.  A fund has been set up to help with expenses at Wells Fargo Bank on FM 544. Deposits can be made to the Bree Robison Memorial Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank across the country. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated. 

                              
  Willow Wood Neighbors

Get ready for a great Sachse Girls Softball Association Season of 2009 

Registration will be held on
 the following dates:

Saturday, January 24 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at 
Sachse Parks Office - 3707 Sachse Rd. - Sachse

Sunday, January 25 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Sachse City Hall,
Hwy. 78 - Sachse

FOUND
Engagement-style ring found in the Murphy Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market parking lot on December 9th. Call 214-392-0353 to identify.

On Friday Night, November 14, from 6pm-8pm at Mustang Park, the Springs Church will host a movie night in the park. Mustang Park is located next to Boggess Elementary school. The movie will be "Ratatouille". In case of severe or incliment weather, we will cancel the event. There is no cost for the event and everyone and anyone is invited.

Don’t for get to bring a blanket, some lawn chairs, you can even bring a picnic with snacks or even dinner….
It might be chilly Friday night so bring a blanket to cuddle up with.

DALLAS (Sept. 12, 2008) — With Hurricane Ike approaching the Texas Coast with winds of up to 125 mph, Oncor is taking all the necessary precautions to be prepared for the problems that the hurricane might bring to its service area.

Oncor is studying the progress of the storm and alerting contractors and employees to be prepared for potential extended outages, which in some locations could last up to several days, due to the damage that Hurricane Ike could cause. Oncor crews and contractors are preparing for departure to areas where their assistance is needed the most.

“With a storm of this magnitude, outages will be unavoidable,” said Brenda Pulis, Oncor Senior Vice President, Distribution. “Our crews are anticipating and preparing for the worst while the priority in this situation is safety for both our crews and the people we serve. Oncor’s system reliability comes first, but we are in constant contact with other utilities in Texas to assess needs.”

Even for areas not directly on the coast, such as in North Texas, Oncor is still bracing for Ike’s effects. Initial reports predict sustained winds of 40 mph in North Texas. These winds would be strong enough to blow tree limbs and debris into power lines, causing potentially extensive outages.

In East Texas, consumers in Oncor’s service area are expecting winds up to 70 mph, with the worst part of the storm hitting on Saturday starting at 3 a.m. Oncor is prepared for outages in this area, as well.

During storms it is important to remember these tips:

• Consumers should call the outage phone number on their electric bill to report the power is out, so that Oncor has a record of the outage, especially in remote areas. Consumers can help by having the last seven numbers of ESI ID from their electric bill when reporting the outage.

• Beware of power lines — contact with power lines can seriously injure or even kill someone. If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9-1-1. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Do not touch the power line or anything else touching it.

• Avoid debris lying on the ground, as it may conceal downed power lines.
• Make sure there are no downed lines before allowing children out to play.

• When leaving your home and the power is off, turn off the main breaker as a precaution until power is restored.

Additionally, having a storm safety kit on hand can help consumers prepare for whenever an electrical outage occurs. Storm safety kits should include a combination of the following: flashlight, bottled water, radio, pen and paper, extra batteries and a storm safety card from www.oncor.com/safety. Most of these items can be found in hardware stores.

Oncor Wants You Prepared for the Worst

Oncor has top three electrical safety tips for National Preparedness Month

DALLAS (Sept. 11, 2008) — This month marks the fifth annual National Preparedness Month. Oncor wants to help all Texans prepare for the worst by educating them on what to do to prevent electrical-related injuries. The best way you can be prepared is through educating yourself and your family.

Safety is Oncor’s No. 1 priority, and it should be one of yours, too, during National Preparedness Month and all year. In honor of that, here are Oncor’s top three electrical safety tips from its year-round Lifetime of Safety campaign to follow and share with your family:

1. Make a storm safety kit — Yes, we know it’s September, but bad weather can still happen. Additionally, these kits are good for whenever an electrical outage occurs, whether it is storm-related or not.

Storm safety kits should include a combination of the following: flashlight, bottled water, radio, pen and paper, extra batteries and a storm safety card from www.oncor.com/safety. Other than the card, most of these items can be found in hardware stores.

2. Perform the Lifetime of Safety Home Safety Checklist, an electrical safety home audit — Going through this safety checklist, which consists of a checklist of common indoor and outdoor electrical hazards, can point out potential electrical dangers that need to be addressed before they become problems. Many problems can be fixed by the homeowner, although some may require a qualified electrician.

Visit this month’s Lifetime of Safety Web page at www.oncor.com/safety to view Oncor’s audit, located in the “Additional Lifetime of Safety Resources” box.

3. Beware of power lines — Contact with power lines can seriously injure or even kill someone. Teach your family, including children, to beware of power lines. If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9-1-1. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Do not touch the power line or anything else touching it.

If your vehicle comes into contact with a power line, it and the ground around it may be electrified. It is safer to stay in the vehicle and wait until Oncor arrives to shut off power. Only leave if you are in imminent danger, then jump free of the vehicle, as far as you can, and hop to safety with both feet together.

To view a diagram of a storm safety kit, download an audit or view other electrical safety tips from Oncor’s Lifetime of Safety program, visit www.oncor.com/safety.

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Oncor is a regulated electric distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to consumers. Oncor operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, providing power to 3 million electric delivery points over more than 102,000 miles of distribution and 14,000 miles of transmission lines. While Oncor is a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corp., Oncor is a separate entity with a separate board that is comprised of a majority of independent directors.