🌱 Valero Refinery Fire + Gun And Ammo Found At Local High School

Hey, neighbors! It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the Corpus Christi Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 90 Low: 71.

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Here are the top three stories today in Corpus Christi:

1. The Valero west refinery caught fire on Wednesday morning, releasing a smoke plume around the northwest side of Corpus Christi. The air quality in the area was being monitored by the Corpus Christi Emergency Department due to the black smoke in the air. Nueces County Emergency Manager Louie Ray says they have not been asked to respond and have no details about the incident as of Wednesday. (KIIITV.com)
2. According to a letter released Tuesday from the King High School Principal, a gun along with ammunition were found inside a vehicle in the school parking lot. Campus police were notified of the car while investigating a “gathering” during a routine security monitoring. Everyone involved was taken into immediate custody by police and Principal Farrell will be increasing security this week at King High School as a precaution. (KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi)
3. Author Robin Alvarez will be signing copies of her novel, which is set in Corpus Christi! 'When Oceans Rise' will be released on May 23 and the signing will take place Jun. 8 at 2:00 p.m. in Barnes and Noble. Alvarez said, “This is the place I used to write at every weekday during my lunch hour.” Robin’s book is currently featured as number one on the Amazon bestseller list for "Teen & Young Adult Country & Ethnic Fairy Tales & Folklore," and has another book coming out this year called Paramour. (KIIITV.com)

Today in Corpus Christi:

• 2023 Corpus Christi Go Red for Women At American Bank Center (9:00 AM)
• Coffee, Tea, & Therapy At Coral Bean Cafe (9:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• The Texas State Aquarium will be opening a 15,000-square-foot H-E-B Splash Park this summer! The $2.8 million park project will include custom water features and is designed to appeal to a wide range of ages. (Texas State Aquarium via Facebook)
• The 46th Annual Beach to Bay relay marathon will be at 7:00 a.m. on May 20. Expect delays and traffic congestion on Saturday and plan an alternate route if possible. (Corpus Christi Police Department via Facebook)
• Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation is opening the After Hour Kid Power interest list signup on May 24, at 9:00 a.m. The program is for youth who attend the Corpus Christi ISD and Calallen ISD and operates from August 2023 through May 2024. (Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation- live learn play via Facebook)

You're all caught up for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.