Linda Beck of Belleville put two of her sons on a plane Wednesday bound for Gretna, La., a small community on the west bank of the Mississippi River from New Orleans.
Kevin, 22, and Benjamin "B.J." Beck, 19, are joining a group from the International Air Land Emergency Resource Team (ALERT) Academy, a Christian school in Big Sandy, Texas, which trains young men in emergency rescue skills, such as open water diving and firefighting.
Academy trainees are deployed to the sites of natural disasters in the United States and abroad. Kevin and B.J. trained in underwater search and rescue at the academy.
"Ever since they were very young, they wanted to go there and get some of this training, and it's really kind of awesome that they have the training and now they can go out and minister," said Beck, 49.
"They completed their training and were home going on with life and got an alert that they were looking for swift water rescue teams."
By the time the Becks get to Louisiana, much of the rescue work will most likely be complete, but they will be part of a group of 20 young men who will be cooking and serving hot meals.
Asked whether she was worried about her sons' safety, Beck said she was at first, until she received a letter from her pastor telling her that God had prepared them for this task.
"I just have to have the faith that He is going to protect them and let them come home safely," said the mother of eight. Gasoline drops to $2.99 a gallon
Gasoline fell below $3 a gallon at many stations Wednesday in the metro-east.
Prices spiked to as high as $3.49 a gallon shortly after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast shoreline, damaging several oil refineries.
American Automobile Association-St. Louis spokesman Mike Right said the price drop is a result of the oil refineries in the gulf that have been brought back online.
"I think it was anticipated, but no one knew how long it would last," Right said. "We're fortunate it lasted the short period that it did."
Right said the price of a gallon soon should reach pre-hurricane levels of about $2.43 a gallon.
Firefighters collect $4,178
The Swansea Fire Department raised $4,178 over the weekend for hurricane victims through a boot drive. Firefighters and volunteers were on corners from Friday through Tuesday, collecting donations.
The money will be given to the American Red Cross' Katrina Relief Fund.
Distributed by the Associated Press
