ED News

by Russell Hamilton, TWUA Executive Director

Father Thank You. We take comfort in knowing that You remain in charge and control of life as we understand it. We need You, and we welcome You in all we do. We come into Your presence, seeking Your grace, Your mercy, Your calm, Your guidance, and forgiveness. Father, we pray for Your grace and ask that You direct, protect, watch over, guide, and bless TWUA and its members. Amen

In West Texas, Lake Spence is sitting at 23.7 % (+2.1 %). White River is sitting at 17.6 % (+ 5.5 %). Panhandle - Lake Meredith is sitting at 36.0 % (+ 0. 7 %) and Greenbelt is at 18.0 % (+1.2 %). If you want to get a complete look at current lake levels, go to waterdatafortexas.org. The drought has never left for some and is returning for others.

Live Operator Training events are now occurring. One added benefit of attending TWUA Live and In-Person Regional Events is, for those who are obtaining or advancing a license, TCEQ administers paper exams at the conclusion of the regional school. TCEQ has confirmed that they are planning on being in San Angelo to administer paper exams. TCEQ’s participation all depends on numbers (those testing) and needs.

This is where we need your help – You Must Pre-register For The TCEQ Paper Exam. If only a small number of operators are indicating they wish to challenge a paper exam, it is not feasible to send staff from Austin. Please go to the TCEQ website NOW and start the application process and pay the fees.

TCEQ policy requires 30 days to process the exam applications. There is no mechanism in place for operators (and those desiring to become operators) to register and pay the fees for state exams onsite. 30 days from the beginning of the event. That being said, if you miss the 30-day window, go ahead and submit. Depending on workload, sometimes TCEQ staff will have time to go ahead and process. That does not mean you can wait until the week before to submit your application and expect to test.

Help Spread The Word – if you want to continue to have the option of paper-based exams at TWUA regional events, we need exam numbers to justify TCEQ’s continued participation.

Dates for Annual School 2021 - The Annual School dates for 2021 are September 26th – 29th, 2021. I recently visited with the Corpus CVB and Omni hotel, and all indications are – Annual School will be a Live, InPerson event. Early Registrations are encouraged just in case occupancy rates in the convention center classrooms become an issue. We do not anticipate any issues but should that happen, attendees will be accommodated by the registration date.

For those in the Tyler area, due to obligations at the Harvey Convention Center, this training event will relocate to Longview for 2021 and, most likely, 2022. Harvey Hall is scheduled for demolition, and a new facility constructed on the current site. Mark your calendar – July 19th – 22nd, the Permian Regional School will be held in San Angelo, will be the first Live, In-person, Regional Training Event for TWUA in 2021. Abilene will be August 2nd – 5th . Tyler/ Longview will be August 23rd – 26th. Fort Stockton will be September 13th – 16th . Annual School will be in Corpus Christi from the 26th – 29th of September. Killeen will be October 18th – 21st . Beaumont will be October 25th – 28th . Lubbock will be November 1st – 4th. Tyler, San Marcos, and Arlington are looking at alternative dates, host locations, and other options. It’s going to be a busy second half of the year.

Click on this link to find a computer-based testing location. https://www.tceq.texas.gov/licensing/exams/ cbt_occ_lic.html

Call the TCEQ staff in licensing for more information or the official statement related to the Exams, Licensing, and Computer-Based Testing. 512-239-6133

The Story Goes Something Like This –

The following is a story about a man who stuck to a promise and commitment.

James Doty is a man of many talents, among them neurosurgeon, entrepreneur, and university professor. Early in his career, he was heavily involved in developing the technology and bringing to market the Cyberknife