(Portions as seen in the Leesville Daily Leader - 5/13/09)
Hornbeck, LA – May 11, 2009 - Two Hornbeck High School Seniors were awarded with the James and Linda Rowe Memorial Scholarship at the Hornbeck High School Graduation Ceremony on Saturday. The scholarship, which is awarded to Hornbeck High students each year, is paid out of a fund set up by British Petroleum to memorialize James and Linda Rowe, two BP employees and Hornbeck natives who were killed in the tragic plant explosion in Texas City in March of 2005.
Kelsey Snell was the recipient for the technical college. Kelsey will be attending Blue Cliff College in Shreveport, Louisiana in July and will major in massage therapy. She is 18 years old and lives in Hornbeck, Louisiana
Tyler Adam Bowling was the recipient in the academic area. He is 18 years old and will be attending Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana in the fall to study nursing.
Linda Rowe was a former teacher at Hornbeck High. Her daughter, Eva Rowe, also attended school in Hornbeck. After Linda and James were killed in the BP plant explosion on March 23rd 2005, Eva (along with 100’s of other victims) brought a lawsuit against BP claiming the company acted negligently in maintaining proper safety levels for its employees. Beaumont-based attorney, Brent Coon, took the case all the way up to the day of trial after he and Eva repeatedly refused settlement agreements that would not improve plant safety conditions. In fact, for the right to depose Lord John Browne, BP’s controversial leader, Brent Coon argued before the Texas Supreme Court and won.
As a part of the final settlement between Ms. Rowe and British Petroleum, BP donated nearly $40 million to various charities across Texas and Louisiana, one of which being the James and Linda Rowe Memorial Scholarship. Mr. Coon and Eva have gone on to the Texas State Legislature to introduce “The Eva Bill”, a bill mandating improved conditions for worker’s safety. Brent Coon & Associates has set up websites, www.texascityexplosion.com and www.rememberthe15.com, for citizens to learn more about the plant explosion and the Eva Bill. Eva’s full story can be found at www.evarowe.com.
“The preservation of my parents’ names was an important part of my agreeing to settle with BP for their killing of my parents. My mother taught at Hornbeck High School, and it is where my brother and I received our educations,” stated Eva Rowe. “Along with the other foundations we have established, the memory of all 15 victims killed in the refinery explosion will never be forgotten.”
The $10,000 scholarships were awarded to Kelsey and Tyler after the two students won an essay contest. They were selected by Eva Rowe and Diane Findley of Brent Coon & Associates.
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