News from the Lone Star State
Moderator: S2k Moderators
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Houston oil tycoon accused in Saddam scandal
By KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — If Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi at the height of their power couldn't intimidate feisty Texas oil tycoon Oscar S. Wyatt Jr., a team of federal prosecutors likely won't.
The 81-year-old founder and former chairman of Coastal Corp. pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he conspired to pay millions in kickbacks to Saddam's regime to facilitate oil sales despite an embargo in relation to the United Nations' oil-for-food program scandal.
One of Wyatt's business partners -- David B. Chalmers Jr., sole shareholder of Houston-based Bayoil (USA) Inc., and oil trader Ludmil Dionissiev -- also pleaded not guilty to similar charges. All three are free on bail.
Wyatt declined to be interviewed for this story, but his attorney Richard A. Hibey called the case a questionable prosecution.
"We'll probably be less charitable as things move along, but let's leave it at that for now," Hibey said.
Several former colleagues, employees and business associates declined to discuss Wyatt in light of the indictment.
But George Mitchell, 86, himself a lavishly successful oilman of the same post-World War II era, described Wyatt as "a hard scrapper."
"He runs rough, and he trades hard," said Mitchell, a Houston-area philanthropist and energy and real estate magnate. "A lot of people don't like it because he's too tough. But he did a good job for his company."
Wyatt grew up poor in the small Texas town of Navasota, 50 miles northwest of Houston, and was a crop duster and a World War II pilot before he borrowed $800 to tap into the energy business.
In 1955 he founded what would become Coastal Corp. by gathering gas from small producers and packaging it with his own to sell in volume to larger pipeline companies. Decades and numerous takeovers later, the company grew into a mammoth multibillion-dollar operation.
"He's absolutely a visionary," said Barbara Shook, a correspondent for London-based Energy Intelligence Group, publisher of the industry newspaper Oil Daily. "He was a dealmaker. He bought and sold gas at a time when individuals didn't do that, when only big producers sold to major pipelines and that was it. He created a role for independents in the natural gas business."
Wyatt jetted around the world to court clients, and Coastal's relationship with Gadhafi's Libya drew attention from federal regulators.
In 1987, the government investigated Coastal when its German subsidiary gave Gadhafi a stake in its Hamburg refinery in exchange for selling it Libyan oil at a discount. Coastal successfully argued that because the subsidiary was based outside the United States, the relationship didn't break U.S. laws against trading with Libya.
Wyatt began his relationship with Iraq in the 1970s when Coastal was among the globe's top buyers of Iraqi oil. Shortly before the start of the first Gulf War, he and John Connally, the late Treasury secretary and Texas governor who was then a Coastal director, flew to Iraq and brought back more than 20 U.S. hostages.
Wyatt pleaded guilty in 1980 to violating price controls after the Arab oil embargo and paid more than $20 million in fines, though his conviction was later overturned. Without admitting guilt, Coastal agreed to pay back $17.5 million related to other alleged price control violations from 1973-80.
That scuffle paled in comparison to his ill-fated Lo-Vaca Gas Gathering Co. venture in the early 1970s. Committed to serving many South Texas cities, Coastal subsidiary Lo-Vaca failed to deliver on natural gas contracts. Coastal paid $1.6 billion to settle lawsuits and spun off Lo-Vaca in 1980, which became San Antonio-based Valero Energy.
But Wyatt isn't all business. He and his wife, socialite Lynn Sakowitz Wyatt, 70, are ever-present figures on the international social circuit. Their four sons include Steve Wyatt, who sparked a tabloid storm in 1989 when he was linked romantically with Sarah Ferguson, then the Duchess of York.
Wyatt shook Houston society in 1986 when he sued wealthy brother-in-law and clothier Robert Sakowitz, over a business deal. It was later settled, but the high-powered family feud inspired a book, "Blood Rich."
Wyatt also has donated to education and health causes and once was among the few white businessmen supporting Hispanic candidates.
Wyatt resigned as Coastal's chairman in 1997, but remained a director and major shareholder. In 2001 Houston's El Paso Corp. bought Coastal for $22.6 billion, touching off a prickly relationship with Wyatt that fueled a shareholder lawsuit and bruising proxy battle. Wyatt gained 5 million shares of El Paso stock in the acquisition. He remains in the energy business with NuCoastal LLC, a private company he founded after the Coastal sale.
El Paso, like other energy companies, lost 90 percent of its value when investors fled in the fallout of Enron Corp.'s 2001 collapse. Wyatt and other shareholders allege dubious accounting and fraud in a 3-year-old lawsuit against former El Paso CEO William Wise, the company and others. The company denies wrongdoing.
Wyatt also helped finance a 2003 proxy fight to replace all of El Paso's directors. Shareholders and former Coastal employees who packed the company's annual meeting that year treated Wyatt like a rock star, but El Paso won the battle by a slim margin.
"He's loyal to those who are loyal to him, and the people who worked for him at Coastal thought he walked on water," Shook said. "If you are a friend of Oscar's, you are a friend for life."
By KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — If Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gadhafi at the height of their power couldn't intimidate feisty Texas oil tycoon Oscar S. Wyatt Jr., a team of federal prosecutors likely won't.
The 81-year-old founder and former chairman of Coastal Corp. pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges that he conspired to pay millions in kickbacks to Saddam's regime to facilitate oil sales despite an embargo in relation to the United Nations' oil-for-food program scandal.
One of Wyatt's business partners -- David B. Chalmers Jr., sole shareholder of Houston-based Bayoil (USA) Inc., and oil trader Ludmil Dionissiev -- also pleaded not guilty to similar charges. All three are free on bail.
Wyatt declined to be interviewed for this story, but his attorney Richard A. Hibey called the case a questionable prosecution.
"We'll probably be less charitable as things move along, but let's leave it at that for now," Hibey said.
Several former colleagues, employees and business associates declined to discuss Wyatt in light of the indictment.
But George Mitchell, 86, himself a lavishly successful oilman of the same post-World War II era, described Wyatt as "a hard scrapper."
"He runs rough, and he trades hard," said Mitchell, a Houston-area philanthropist and energy and real estate magnate. "A lot of people don't like it because he's too tough. But he did a good job for his company."
Wyatt grew up poor in the small Texas town of Navasota, 50 miles northwest of Houston, and was a crop duster and a World War II pilot before he borrowed $800 to tap into the energy business.
In 1955 he founded what would become Coastal Corp. by gathering gas from small producers and packaging it with his own to sell in volume to larger pipeline companies. Decades and numerous takeovers later, the company grew into a mammoth multibillion-dollar operation.
"He's absolutely a visionary," said Barbara Shook, a correspondent for London-based Energy Intelligence Group, publisher of the industry newspaper Oil Daily. "He was a dealmaker. He bought and sold gas at a time when individuals didn't do that, when only big producers sold to major pipelines and that was it. He created a role for independents in the natural gas business."
Wyatt jetted around the world to court clients, and Coastal's relationship with Gadhafi's Libya drew attention from federal regulators.
In 1987, the government investigated Coastal when its German subsidiary gave Gadhafi a stake in its Hamburg refinery in exchange for selling it Libyan oil at a discount. Coastal successfully argued that because the subsidiary was based outside the United States, the relationship didn't break U.S. laws against trading with Libya.
Wyatt began his relationship with Iraq in the 1970s when Coastal was among the globe's top buyers of Iraqi oil. Shortly before the start of the first Gulf War, he and John Connally, the late Treasury secretary and Texas governor who was then a Coastal director, flew to Iraq and brought back more than 20 U.S. hostages.
Wyatt pleaded guilty in 1980 to violating price controls after the Arab oil embargo and paid more than $20 million in fines, though his conviction was later overturned. Without admitting guilt, Coastal agreed to pay back $17.5 million related to other alleged price control violations from 1973-80.
That scuffle paled in comparison to his ill-fated Lo-Vaca Gas Gathering Co. venture in the early 1970s. Committed to serving many South Texas cities, Coastal subsidiary Lo-Vaca failed to deliver on natural gas contracts. Coastal paid $1.6 billion to settle lawsuits and spun off Lo-Vaca in 1980, which became San Antonio-based Valero Energy.
But Wyatt isn't all business. He and his wife, socialite Lynn Sakowitz Wyatt, 70, are ever-present figures on the international social circuit. Their four sons include Steve Wyatt, who sparked a tabloid storm in 1989 when he was linked romantically with Sarah Ferguson, then the Duchess of York.
Wyatt shook Houston society in 1986 when he sued wealthy brother-in-law and clothier Robert Sakowitz, over a business deal. It was later settled, but the high-powered family feud inspired a book, "Blood Rich."
Wyatt also has donated to education and health causes and once was among the few white businessmen supporting Hispanic candidates.
Wyatt resigned as Coastal's chairman in 1997, but remained a director and major shareholder. In 2001 Houston's El Paso Corp. bought Coastal for $22.6 billion, touching off a prickly relationship with Wyatt that fueled a shareholder lawsuit and bruising proxy battle. Wyatt gained 5 million shares of El Paso stock in the acquisition. He remains in the energy business with NuCoastal LLC, a private company he founded after the Coastal sale.
El Paso, like other energy companies, lost 90 percent of its value when investors fled in the fallout of Enron Corp.'s 2001 collapse. Wyatt and other shareholders allege dubious accounting and fraud in a 3-year-old lawsuit against former El Paso CEO William Wise, the company and others. The company denies wrongdoing.
Wyatt also helped finance a 2003 proxy fight to replace all of El Paso's directors. Shareholders and former Coastal employees who packed the company's annual meeting that year treated Wyatt like a rock star, but El Paso won the battle by a slim margin.
"He's loyal to those who are loyal to him, and the people who worked for him at Coastal thought he walked on water," Shook said. "If you are a friend of Oscar's, you are a friend for life."
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Waco pastor electrocuted during baptism
WACO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning after grabbing a microphone while partially submerged, a worker at the church said.
University Baptist Church Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was standing in water up to his shoulder in a baptismal when electrocuted, said Jamie Dudley, wife of UBC community pastor Ben Dudley and a business adminstrator at the church.
The woman Lake was baptising was not injured, Jamie Dudley said.
She said doctors attending the service did chest compressions for 40 minutes before Lake was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.
Dudley said it's common for the pastor to use the microphone during baptisms.
“He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear,” Dudley said. “It's the only way you can be loud enough.”
Dudley said about 800 people were attending the morning service. She said the service was larger than normal because it was homecoming weekend at Baylor University, located near the church.
Dudley said Lake had been at the church for nine years, the last seven as pastor. She said Lake had a wife and three children.
WACO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning after grabbing a microphone while partially submerged, a worker at the church said.
University Baptist Church Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was standing in water up to his shoulder in a baptismal when electrocuted, said Jamie Dudley, wife of UBC community pastor Ben Dudley and a business adminstrator at the church.
The woman Lake was baptising was not injured, Jamie Dudley said.
She said doctors attending the service did chest compressions for 40 minutes before Lake was taken to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.
Dudley said it's common for the pastor to use the microphone during baptisms.
“He was grabbing the microphone so everyone could hear,” Dudley said. “It's the only way you can be loud enough.”
Dudley said about 800 people were attending the morning service. She said the service was larger than normal because it was homecoming weekend at Baylor University, located near the church.
Dudley said Lake had been at the church for nine years, the last seven as pastor. She said Lake had a wife and three children.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Sign addressed to 'whites' stirs up Irving tensions
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas - A sign placed in an Irving homeowner's lawn that encourages "whites" to attend an upcoming city retreat has generated a buzz in the area.
The sign has also created tension in the community with a growing Hispanic population.
Nancy Wilson put up the sign a few days ago, and it's still placed in her lawn.
She said the sign was placed in her lawn to encourage people to attend a retreat she wants residents to go to that she said is a three day planning and vision meeting for the city of Irving.
But a lot of residents have found the sign's specific call for white participants unnerving.
The white poster board sign reads "Whites - Be there to be sure we are heard! Nov. 3-5."
Then, her phone number is placed on the bottom.
Wilson said she would like more than whites to attend the meeting, but she also said she didn't feel it was wrong to specifically address the white community in her message.
"You can say the word Latino until the cows come home, but I say it once and you would have thought I'd put the Ku Klux Klan on there...," Wilson said.
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas - A sign placed in an Irving homeowner's lawn that encourages "whites" to attend an upcoming city retreat has generated a buzz in the area.
The sign has also created tension in the community with a growing Hispanic population.
Nancy Wilson put up the sign a few days ago, and it's still placed in her lawn.
She said the sign was placed in her lawn to encourage people to attend a retreat she wants residents to go to that she said is a three day planning and vision meeting for the city of Irving.
But a lot of residents have found the sign's specific call for white participants unnerving.
The white poster board sign reads "Whites - Be there to be sure we are heard! Nov. 3-5."
Then, her phone number is placed on the bottom.
Wilson said she would like more than whites to attend the meeting, but she also said she didn't feel it was wrong to specifically address the white community in her message.
"You can say the word Latino until the cows come home, but I say it once and you would have thought I'd put the Ku Klux Klan on there...," Wilson said.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Questions hang in the air for arts magnet
Dallas ISD said plaza needed $3 million in work, but it's spending $699,000
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The roof leaked so badly in 2001 that rainwater turned a wall in office 204-A to mush and shorted out an electrical outlet.
Secretaries in office suite 100 complained of chronic headaches, watery eyes and continuous sneezing the next year. As recently as March 2004, the building's maintenance supervisor reported a "mold concern throughout the building."
All over, ceiling tiles and insulation turned black beneath a constantly dripping air-conditioning system, according to district records for the last five years reviewed by The Dallas Morning News.
That was daily life for many employees assigned to the Dallas school district's Nolan Estes Educational Plaza, an old shopping mall converted years ago into administrative offices. Now, the building known to parents and workers as "the dungeon" is about to become home to the district's arts magnet high school.
Nolan Estes' troubled history – which includes a judge declaring it "unfit" for students in 1985 – has parents worried and the district rushing to remedy years of air quality problems and neglected maintenance before classes start on Jan. 4.
The district is spending $699,000 for extensive work, including reconfiguring rooms, replacing ceilings, cleaning and redesigning the air-conditioning system. But district documents with the 2002 bond program put the cost of fixing the building's "critical deficiencies" at more than $3 million.
Despite the renovations, dozens of parents are not convinced that the building will be free of the mold and air quality problems that employees say persisted right up until renovations started just a few weeks ago.
Students from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts will spend two years in the building while their old campus is renovated and expanded – a $47 million project being jointly financed by the Dallas Independent School District and local arts supporters.
"We are taking care of all the problems that were reported to us," Ron Peace, the district deputy superintendent in charge of the renovation, said Friday. "In the end, we will have a facility free of air quality concerns."
DISD decided to move arts students to Nolan Estes only after explorations into using the Universities Center – a downtown facility shared by several area colleges – fell through this spring.
Parents of several dozen students have protested the move for months. They don't like the building's location in west Oak Cliff, miles from the downtown arts district. They're skeptical that the district can rehabilitate the building so quickly and for so little money. They say administrators have withheld information about the building's history and state of repair.
"We are quite concerned about the air quality at Nolan Estes," said parent Rick Bentley. "It is hard to believe anything [DISD] tells us."
15 complaints in 5 years
Over the last five years, Nolan Estes employees complained at least 15 times of poor air quality and mold and said they suffered from watery eyes, chronic allergies, headaches and sinus infections, district records show. At least seven of the rooms that were identified are now being converted into classrooms and practice space for about 750 arts students.
District records show that employee requests for maintenance and environmental tests at the building were usually met with stopgap fixes, such as replacing moldy ceiling tiles or installing new air-conditioning filters. Employees interviewed by The News say their concerns were not taken seriously and little was ever done to fix the root causes of the problem: a dilapidated air-conditioning system and a roof that leaked chronically.
"It took three or four calls to supervisors before somebody came out," said Patricia Cheatham, who worked in the building for six years as a health education specialist. "There was no ventilation, no fresh air. Finally, when they came out and did the testing, they said the air quality was poor. They suggested I bring in a fan."
Mrs. Cheatham no longer works for the district. But her old office, Room 204-A, is scheduled to become classroom space for students.
The mere presence of mold isn't always a health concern. It can cause problems for people sensitive to it and for those who have allergies and asthma. Symptoms can include irritated eyes, scratchy throats, sneezing and runny noses.
There is no practical way to eliminate all mold from an indoor environment, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The best way to control mold, the agency says, is to control moisture in the building.
In January 2000, employees reported problems in a suite of offices on the lowest level of Nolan Estes "A" building – rooms that will become practice space for the arts magnet's orchestra.
"Teachers having headaches ..." states a work order from that office suite. "Secretaries having headaches and watery eyes. [A supervisor] showed the [Indoor Air quality] department where ... the walls are peeling and mold is growing on the wall."
A Feb. 2001 work order states "IAQ [Indoor Air Quality] concern throughout building," but the line indicating when the problem was investigated and how it was remedied was left blank.
Mold in 2004
As recently as March 2004, the building's maintenance supervisor reported mold problems in the building, according to another work order. The paperwork indicated that three workers spent a total of 10 hours on the problem, but it does not indicate what the workers found, or what they did about it.
In 2002, a consultant hired to evaluate district buildings found that, at Nolan Estes, "many employees complain of breathing problems" and that the building's fiberglass ceiling "is unhealthy." That report, conducted in preparation for the 2002 bond program, stated that the full facility – roughly half of which will be used for the arts magnet – had more than $3.6 million in "critical deficiencies."
District officials say that estimate is not germane to the current project, because it assessed what was needed to make Nolan Estes habitable for an extended period of time. The renovation currently under way is only designed to address needs for the two years arts students will occupy the building, Mr. Peace said.
To that end, the district is spending $699,000 – $152,000 of which is allocated for architect fees. The next largest items in the renovation plan are electrical upgrades ($164,000), technology upgrades ($85,000) and paint ($52,000).
"We really think that it will be habitable for the time that [the students] will be using it," said Larry Zerby, the executive director of the district's facilities, planning and construction department.
However, district trustee Lew Blackburn recently ripped the administration's handling of the whole affair.
"There is no detailed plan addressing the environmental concerns," he said at a public meeting last month.
Nor did he see an adequate plan to fix the roof, a prime concern because it leaks "chronically," according to former members of the building's maintenance staff and the district's indoor air quality consultant who evaluated the building in September.
The district will perform "spot repairs" to the roof, Mr. Zerby said. While acknowledging that the repairs were not what "we would do if we were going to occupy the building long-term," he said the roof repairs "will be adequate."
The air quality consultant who found serious problems with the roof stated that the district needed to conduct tests for mold between the building's walls and floors, called "destructive sampling."
DISD, however, did not follow that advice. Instead, administrators stated in a report dated Sept. 20 that the consultant gave them only "recommendations for minor improvements."
The district's report does not mention the consultant's finding that the full extent of the mold problem could not be determined without the additional tests.
District spokesman Donald Claxton said in an e-mail to The News that the additional tests weren't done because the walls were going to be torn down anyway, so there was no need to spend more money on tests.
To many parents, the decision to forgo the tests only bolsters their belief that administrators were not concerned with what might be behind the walls and between the floors. Why else would they push ahead with a $699,000 renovation without knowing how widespread the problem was? asked parent Lynn Metz.
"This was a done deal," she said. "Demolition was occurring prior to the night [trustees] voted on the [renovation] budget."
Mr. Zerby said crews have torn down most of the interior walls, and they did not find any unexpected problems. When they do find mold, the district has experts on hand to take care of it, he said.
"We're dealing with it as we find it, but we've not found anything that we didn't expect," he said.
The district-hired indoor air quality consultant also found that the HVAC system was so dilapidated that it was unable to control humidity adequately. Parts of the system were covered in mold, and it was sucking in air from between walls and crawl spaces, he wrote.
Three years ago, the district's bond-related facilities study deemed the building's HVAC system a "critical deficiency" and called for its replacement at an estimated $1.09 million.
Mr. Zerby said the system won't be replaced, although new ductwork is being installed in some areas and the overall airflow is being redesigned by engineers. In addition, the district has hired a company to clean the air conditioning system's coils, ducts, drip pans and air dispersers.
He said those repairs should be adequate, "as long as we monitor it continuously. We think the system will work just fine."
He added that since the interior walls were taken down, the air quality throughout the building has improved.
"We're trying to be transparent here, said Mr. Peace. "We believe this is a good building, a good place for children. This will be done right."
Still, parents are unconvinced that a building with two decades of serious maintenance problems can be fixed so easily.
"I don't see how they can make that building inhabitable, with as many problems as they've had over there," said parent Bonnie Lucio. "Their mind is made up. They're under pressure to get this issue behind them."
Dallas ISD said plaza needed $3 million in work, but it's spending $699,000
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The roof leaked so badly in 2001 that rainwater turned a wall in office 204-A to mush and shorted out an electrical outlet.
Secretaries in office suite 100 complained of chronic headaches, watery eyes and continuous sneezing the next year. As recently as March 2004, the building's maintenance supervisor reported a "mold concern throughout the building."
All over, ceiling tiles and insulation turned black beneath a constantly dripping air-conditioning system, according to district records for the last five years reviewed by The Dallas Morning News.
That was daily life for many employees assigned to the Dallas school district's Nolan Estes Educational Plaza, an old shopping mall converted years ago into administrative offices. Now, the building known to parents and workers as "the dungeon" is about to become home to the district's arts magnet high school.
Nolan Estes' troubled history – which includes a judge declaring it "unfit" for students in 1985 – has parents worried and the district rushing to remedy years of air quality problems and neglected maintenance before classes start on Jan. 4.
The district is spending $699,000 for extensive work, including reconfiguring rooms, replacing ceilings, cleaning and redesigning the air-conditioning system. But district documents with the 2002 bond program put the cost of fixing the building's "critical deficiencies" at more than $3 million.
Despite the renovations, dozens of parents are not convinced that the building will be free of the mold and air quality problems that employees say persisted right up until renovations started just a few weeks ago.
Students from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts will spend two years in the building while their old campus is renovated and expanded – a $47 million project being jointly financed by the Dallas Independent School District and local arts supporters.
"We are taking care of all the problems that were reported to us," Ron Peace, the district deputy superintendent in charge of the renovation, said Friday. "In the end, we will have a facility free of air quality concerns."
DISD decided to move arts students to Nolan Estes only after explorations into using the Universities Center – a downtown facility shared by several area colleges – fell through this spring.
Parents of several dozen students have protested the move for months. They don't like the building's location in west Oak Cliff, miles from the downtown arts district. They're skeptical that the district can rehabilitate the building so quickly and for so little money. They say administrators have withheld information about the building's history and state of repair.
"We are quite concerned about the air quality at Nolan Estes," said parent Rick Bentley. "It is hard to believe anything [DISD] tells us."
15 complaints in 5 years
Over the last five years, Nolan Estes employees complained at least 15 times of poor air quality and mold and said they suffered from watery eyes, chronic allergies, headaches and sinus infections, district records show. At least seven of the rooms that were identified are now being converted into classrooms and practice space for about 750 arts students.
District records show that employee requests for maintenance and environmental tests at the building were usually met with stopgap fixes, such as replacing moldy ceiling tiles or installing new air-conditioning filters. Employees interviewed by The News say their concerns were not taken seriously and little was ever done to fix the root causes of the problem: a dilapidated air-conditioning system and a roof that leaked chronically.
"It took three or four calls to supervisors before somebody came out," said Patricia Cheatham, who worked in the building for six years as a health education specialist. "There was no ventilation, no fresh air. Finally, when they came out and did the testing, they said the air quality was poor. They suggested I bring in a fan."
Mrs. Cheatham no longer works for the district. But her old office, Room 204-A, is scheduled to become classroom space for students.
The mere presence of mold isn't always a health concern. It can cause problems for people sensitive to it and for those who have allergies and asthma. Symptoms can include irritated eyes, scratchy throats, sneezing and runny noses.
There is no practical way to eliminate all mold from an indoor environment, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The best way to control mold, the agency says, is to control moisture in the building.
In January 2000, employees reported problems in a suite of offices on the lowest level of Nolan Estes "A" building – rooms that will become practice space for the arts magnet's orchestra.
"Teachers having headaches ..." states a work order from that office suite. "Secretaries having headaches and watery eyes. [A supervisor] showed the [Indoor Air quality] department where ... the walls are peeling and mold is growing on the wall."
A Feb. 2001 work order states "IAQ [Indoor Air Quality] concern throughout building," but the line indicating when the problem was investigated and how it was remedied was left blank.
Mold in 2004
As recently as March 2004, the building's maintenance supervisor reported mold problems in the building, according to another work order. The paperwork indicated that three workers spent a total of 10 hours on the problem, but it does not indicate what the workers found, or what they did about it.
In 2002, a consultant hired to evaluate district buildings found that, at Nolan Estes, "many employees complain of breathing problems" and that the building's fiberglass ceiling "is unhealthy." That report, conducted in preparation for the 2002 bond program, stated that the full facility – roughly half of which will be used for the arts magnet – had more than $3.6 million in "critical deficiencies."
District officials say that estimate is not germane to the current project, because it assessed what was needed to make Nolan Estes habitable for an extended period of time. The renovation currently under way is only designed to address needs for the two years arts students will occupy the building, Mr. Peace said.
To that end, the district is spending $699,000 – $152,000 of which is allocated for architect fees. The next largest items in the renovation plan are electrical upgrades ($164,000), technology upgrades ($85,000) and paint ($52,000).
"We really think that it will be habitable for the time that [the students] will be using it," said Larry Zerby, the executive director of the district's facilities, planning and construction department.
However, district trustee Lew Blackburn recently ripped the administration's handling of the whole affair.
"There is no detailed plan addressing the environmental concerns," he said at a public meeting last month.
Nor did he see an adequate plan to fix the roof, a prime concern because it leaks "chronically," according to former members of the building's maintenance staff and the district's indoor air quality consultant who evaluated the building in September.
The district will perform "spot repairs" to the roof, Mr. Zerby said. While acknowledging that the repairs were not what "we would do if we were going to occupy the building long-term," he said the roof repairs "will be adequate."
The air quality consultant who found serious problems with the roof stated that the district needed to conduct tests for mold between the building's walls and floors, called "destructive sampling."
DISD, however, did not follow that advice. Instead, administrators stated in a report dated Sept. 20 that the consultant gave them only "recommendations for minor improvements."
The district's report does not mention the consultant's finding that the full extent of the mold problem could not be determined without the additional tests.
District spokesman Donald Claxton said in an e-mail to The News that the additional tests weren't done because the walls were going to be torn down anyway, so there was no need to spend more money on tests.
To many parents, the decision to forgo the tests only bolsters their belief that administrators were not concerned with what might be behind the walls and between the floors. Why else would they push ahead with a $699,000 renovation without knowing how widespread the problem was? asked parent Lynn Metz.
"This was a done deal," she said. "Demolition was occurring prior to the night [trustees] voted on the [renovation] budget."
Mr. Zerby said crews have torn down most of the interior walls, and they did not find any unexpected problems. When they do find mold, the district has experts on hand to take care of it, he said.
"We're dealing with it as we find it, but we've not found anything that we didn't expect," he said.
The district-hired indoor air quality consultant also found that the HVAC system was so dilapidated that it was unable to control humidity adequately. Parts of the system were covered in mold, and it was sucking in air from between walls and crawl spaces, he wrote.
Three years ago, the district's bond-related facilities study deemed the building's HVAC system a "critical deficiency" and called for its replacement at an estimated $1.09 million.
Mr. Zerby said the system won't be replaced, although new ductwork is being installed in some areas and the overall airflow is being redesigned by engineers. In addition, the district has hired a company to clean the air conditioning system's coils, ducts, drip pans and air dispersers.
He said those repairs should be adequate, "as long as we monitor it continuously. We think the system will work just fine."
He added that since the interior walls were taken down, the air quality throughout the building has improved.
"We're trying to be transparent here, said Mr. Peace. "We believe this is a good building, a good place for children. This will be done right."
Still, parents are unconvinced that a building with two decades of serious maintenance problems can be fixed so easily.
"I don't see how they can make that building inhabitable, with as many problems as they've had over there," said parent Bonnie Lucio. "Their mind is made up. They're under pressure to get this issue behind them."
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
TAKS test no cinch for teachers
Irving: Exercise stumps some; lower scores earned in math, science
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – At the beginning of the school year, about 35 new teachers at The Academy of Irving ISD high school sat down to take timed portions of the TAKS exit exam. Like many of their students, some of them struggled with it.
At the school known for its career-centered tracks, the test-takers included teachers of cosmetology, automotive technology, math and science. About 10 questions from each of the four tests were included.
Principal Robbin Wall said the results aren't representative because the actual test is longer, but showed teachers struggling with the same subjects students find most difficult: math and science.
The teachers' averages were 91 percent in English, 93 percent in social studies, 70 percent in science and 52 percent in math.
That raises the question: Would most teachers pass the TAKS? Would you?
"I think the statement being made is we want you to understand what these kids are going through to graduate," Mr. Wall said. "I myself would have to be getting some tutoring. I haven't taken it, just flipped through it and thought, 'Wow, this is pretty hard.' I would like to see the legislators that put it together take the test and see the results."
Teachers often train on sample questions, but don't necessarily take the test themselves.
Last year juniors in Texas taking the test had to answer 29 out of 60 math questions correctly to pass and 27 out of 55 science questions, said Texas Education Agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. About 81 percent of juniors passed math at their first taking and 80 percent passed science, she said. Students must pass the exams to receive their high school diplomas.
"Certainly if you're a college graduate, you should be able to pass the test," Ms. Culbertson said.
She said if a teacher performs poorly in the content area in which they teach, that should cause more concern.
Irving Superintendent Jack Singley, a former math teacher, said that the assumption is that a college-educated person should be able to pass such a test, but that isn't necessarily true.
He used the argument that the test is difficult when he recently voiced support for re-evaluating whether students who do not pass the exit exam but earn all their credits should participate in graduation activities. The district is planning to survey residents on that issue.
At Success High, an alternative school in Fort Worth, teachers took about 40 questions from the science test last January. The principal, Jackie Jenkins, said she decided to do so because of an academically unacceptable rating of the alternative school based on science scores.
"Nobody knew it was coming. Teachers like to succeed, and it was very stressful for them. I didn't realize the stress would be as great as it was."
Success reading teacher Vicki Barber recalled her reaction.
"My first reaction was 'Ugh, I'm going to be made a fool of,' " she said. "Then I calmed down and looked it over. I was overwhelmed by it and quite shocked I only missed three."
Michel Sanchez, an English teacher at The Academy with a master's degree, tutors students for the English portion. She advocates letting students who don't pass participate in graduation.
She said she found the math and science sections of a practice test she took very difficult and wasn't sure if she would pass.
Jennifer Hylemon, who was instructional technology specialist at The Academy, helped select the math and science questions on the test. She now works at Irving High in a similar position.
She said teachers who don't teach core subjects examined in the test should be aware of it and take it.
"It was very structured, we had a testing situation, no talking, everybody's eyes on their paper," Ms. Hylemon said. "I think that was eye-opening for a lot of teachers. The toughest test for me was science because I hadn't been called upon to use those skills since high school."
She acknowledged the test's difficulty. But she said it is dangerous to say the test is too hard for students to pass. Ms. Barber voiced a similar opinion.
"Do I think all teachers should take the tests? Yes," Ms. Barber said. "Should they pass them all? No. But they should be able to relate it to their field."
Irving: Exercise stumps some; lower scores earned in math, science
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – At the beginning of the school year, about 35 new teachers at The Academy of Irving ISD high school sat down to take timed portions of the TAKS exit exam. Like many of their students, some of them struggled with it.
At the school known for its career-centered tracks, the test-takers included teachers of cosmetology, automotive technology, math and science. About 10 questions from each of the four tests were included.
Principal Robbin Wall said the results aren't representative because the actual test is longer, but showed teachers struggling with the same subjects students find most difficult: math and science.
The teachers' averages were 91 percent in English, 93 percent in social studies, 70 percent in science and 52 percent in math.
That raises the question: Would most teachers pass the TAKS? Would you?
"I think the statement being made is we want you to understand what these kids are going through to graduate," Mr. Wall said. "I myself would have to be getting some tutoring. I haven't taken it, just flipped through it and thought, 'Wow, this is pretty hard.' I would like to see the legislators that put it together take the test and see the results."
Teachers often train on sample questions, but don't necessarily take the test themselves.
Last year juniors in Texas taking the test had to answer 29 out of 60 math questions correctly to pass and 27 out of 55 science questions, said Texas Education Agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. About 81 percent of juniors passed math at their first taking and 80 percent passed science, she said. Students must pass the exams to receive their high school diplomas.
"Certainly if you're a college graduate, you should be able to pass the test," Ms. Culbertson said.
She said if a teacher performs poorly in the content area in which they teach, that should cause more concern.
Irving Superintendent Jack Singley, a former math teacher, said that the assumption is that a college-educated person should be able to pass such a test, but that isn't necessarily true.
He used the argument that the test is difficult when he recently voiced support for re-evaluating whether students who do not pass the exit exam but earn all their credits should participate in graduation activities. The district is planning to survey residents on that issue.
At Success High, an alternative school in Fort Worth, teachers took about 40 questions from the science test last January. The principal, Jackie Jenkins, said she decided to do so because of an academically unacceptable rating of the alternative school based on science scores.
"Nobody knew it was coming. Teachers like to succeed, and it was very stressful for them. I didn't realize the stress would be as great as it was."
Success reading teacher Vicki Barber recalled her reaction.
"My first reaction was 'Ugh, I'm going to be made a fool of,' " she said. "Then I calmed down and looked it over. I was overwhelmed by it and quite shocked I only missed three."
Michel Sanchez, an English teacher at The Academy with a master's degree, tutors students for the English portion. She advocates letting students who don't pass participate in graduation.
She said she found the math and science sections of a practice test she took very difficult and wasn't sure if she would pass.
Jennifer Hylemon, who was instructional technology specialist at The Academy, helped select the math and science questions on the test. She now works at Irving High in a similar position.
She said teachers who don't teach core subjects examined in the test should be aware of it and take it.
"It was very structured, we had a testing situation, no talking, everybody's eyes on their paper," Ms. Hylemon said. "I think that was eye-opening for a lot of teachers. The toughest test for me was science because I hadn't been called upon to use those skills since high school."
She acknowledged the test's difficulty. But she said it is dangerous to say the test is too hard for students to pass. Ms. Barber voiced a similar opinion.
"Do I think all teachers should take the tests? Yes," Ms. Barber said. "Should they pass them all? No. But they should be able to relate it to their field."
0 likes
TexasStooge wrote:Sign addressed to 'whites' stirs up Irving tensions
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas - A sign placed in an Irving homeowner's lawn that encourages "whites" to attend an upcoming city retreat has generated a buzz in the area.
The sign has also created tension in the community with a growing Hispanic population.
Nancy Wilson put up the sign a few days ago, and it's still placed in her lawn.
She said the sign was placed in her lawn to encourage people to attend a retreat she wants residents to go to that she said is a three day planning and vision meeting for the city of Irving.
But a lot of residents have found the sign's specific call for white participants unnerving.
The white poster board sign reads "Whites - Be there to be sure we are heard! Nov. 3-5."
Then, her phone number is placed on the bottom.
Wilson said she would like more than whites to attend the meeting, but she also said she didn't feel it was wrong to specifically address the white community in her message.
"You can say the word Latino until the cows come home, but I say it once and you would have thought I'd put the Ku Klux Klan on there...," Wilson said.
isnt this free speech
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
2 found dead in Coppell apartment
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
COPPELL, Texas - Police are investigating what happened to two people who were found dead Sunday inside a Coppell apartment in the 600 block of North Coppell Road.
Police arrived at the scene after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots.
A Coppell medical examiner said it was a man and a woman who were discovered by the police, and some have said it appears to be a murder-suicide.
The call came into the police around 20 minutes before noon Sunday. Police forced their way into the apartment when they arrived on the scene and found the two bodies.
While police have not made any statements on their identity, a neighbor in the area shared some clues into noises she heard coming from the apartment.
"I heard two bangs," said neighbor Rachel Regner. "It sounded like somebody had taken a steel rod and banged it either against the wall or something hard. I didn't think of [the sounds] as gunshots. It may not have been."
Coppell police shared a small amount of information on the incident, including some possible assurance to the community of little danger to the public related to the bodies found.
"At this point I don't believe we have something that anybody here in the neighborhood, or anyone else should be concerned about as far as a murderer at large, these kind of things," said Lt. Steve Thomas.
But despite those words from police, neighbors at the Mansions by the Lake apartment complex expressed concern. Many of them said they would like to know exactly happened to the family who they described included a mother, father, a son and a daughter who were just walking a dog the night before.
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
COPPELL, Texas - Police are investigating what happened to two people who were found dead Sunday inside a Coppell apartment in the 600 block of North Coppell Road.
Police arrived at the scene after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots.
A Coppell medical examiner said it was a man and a woman who were discovered by the police, and some have said it appears to be a murder-suicide.
The call came into the police around 20 minutes before noon Sunday. Police forced their way into the apartment when they arrived on the scene and found the two bodies.
While police have not made any statements on their identity, a neighbor in the area shared some clues into noises she heard coming from the apartment.
"I heard two bangs," said neighbor Rachel Regner. "It sounded like somebody had taken a steel rod and banged it either against the wall or something hard. I didn't think of [the sounds] as gunshots. It may not have been."
Coppell police shared a small amount of information on the incident, including some possible assurance to the community of little danger to the public related to the bodies found.
"At this point I don't believe we have something that anybody here in the neighborhood, or anyone else should be concerned about as far as a murderer at large, these kind of things," said Lt. Steve Thomas.
But despite those words from police, neighbors at the Mansions by the Lake apartment complex expressed concern. Many of them said they would like to know exactly happened to the family who they described included a mother, father, a son and a daughter who were just walking a dog the night before.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
County to lock up sex offenders on Halloween
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
WEATHERFORD, Texas - Officials in Parker County have planned to lock up sex offender parolees for several hours Monday night in an attempt to ensure the safety of children in the area.
While there have already been strict guidelines for all sex offenders in Texas on Halloween, in Parker County and several other counties in the state officials have taken it a step further.
In addition to locking up the parolees, police have set rules that include a ban on Halloween decor at offender's homes or any other actions that might lure children.
And then there is the new rule that prohibits sex offender parolees to even be home during trick or treating hours. Between 6:00 p.m. and 10 p.m. the parolees are ordered to be under supervision at the Parker County probation office.
"If that is what they want, I am not crazy about it, but I'll do it," said one female sex offender who declined to be named. "I'm sure that other people out there will feel safer, but I don't like it."
Parents have expressed gratitude and relief for the new program.
"It will keep them off the streets and from attacking again," said parent Terry Pool. "Anything they can do to keep them out of the way from the kids will be a great help."
Officials expect about fifty probationers to show up and those who don't will be brought in by a deputy and probation officer.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
WEATHERFORD, Texas - Officials in Parker County have planned to lock up sex offender parolees for several hours Monday night in an attempt to ensure the safety of children in the area.
While there have already been strict guidelines for all sex offenders in Texas on Halloween, in Parker County and several other counties in the state officials have taken it a step further.
In addition to locking up the parolees, police have set rules that include a ban on Halloween decor at offender's homes or any other actions that might lure children.
And then there is the new rule that prohibits sex offender parolees to even be home during trick or treating hours. Between 6:00 p.m. and 10 p.m. the parolees are ordered to be under supervision at the Parker County probation office.
"If that is what they want, I am not crazy about it, but I'll do it," said one female sex offender who declined to be named. "I'm sure that other people out there will feel safer, but I don't like it."
Parents have expressed gratitude and relief for the new program.
"It will keep them off the streets and from attacking again," said parent Terry Pool. "Anything they can do to keep them out of the way from the kids will be a great help."
Officials expect about fifty probationers to show up and those who don't will be brought in by a deputy and probation officer.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Man safe after car plunges into Rowlett Creek
ROWLETT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A man narrowly escaped death Monday after his car skidded out of control and into Rowlett Creek.
The accident happened in the 18000 block of Miller Road where Garland and Dallas meet.
Garland Police said the man started hydroplaning on Miller Road, lost control as he went off the road and rolled his BMW into Rowlett Creek.
He then escaped out the window and climbed out of the creek to safety.
His car quickly sank in the waters and was not visible in the rushing water, which can reach 10 feet deep at some places.
ROWLETT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A man narrowly escaped death Monday after his car skidded out of control and into Rowlett Creek.
The accident happened in the 18000 block of Miller Road where Garland and Dallas meet.
Garland Police said the man started hydroplaning on Miller Road, lost control as he went off the road and rolled his BMW into Rowlett Creek.
He then escaped out the window and climbed out of the creek to safety.
His car quickly sank in the waters and was not visible in the rushing water, which can reach 10 feet deep at some places.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Mom arrested at Mesquite school
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
MESQUITE, Texas - A Mesquite mom was arrested Monday five weeks after going to the scene of a fight she said she feared involved her daughter at Poteet High School.
Carlitta Chandler was arrested in front of her daughter at the high school. She was later charged with criminal trespassing.
"I'm angry, I'm upset and I feel humiliated as a parent," Chandler said.
A student's threat to her daughter is what Chandler said drew her to the principal's office at the Mesquite high school five weeks ago.
"The girl stated she was going to cut my daughter's throat," Chandler said.
A fight then broke out near her child's classroom and she rushed to the scene, which the principal had ordered her not to do.
However, school officials said they didn't really want her arrested. But one officer said the mother's behavior proved an arrest was necessary.
"She said I know my rights, I can go anywhere in this school as long as my kid is there," said a school officer.
Chandler received a criminal trespass warning card. The city police sent the warning and school officials said she was still welcome as long as she signed in. But the shock came five weeks later when she was arrested on the school's property.
"They handcuffed me right in front of the building, my daughter was standing right there," Chandler said.
Officer Darrell Simmons said he wanted to arrest her the day she ran upstairs, but he couldn't find her. So the city issued an arrest warrant instead.
"From the previous incidents I know she can be a volatile person," Simmons said. "And again the safety and education of the kids is the main focus."
But Chandler said she has never demonstrated signs of unstableness at the school.
"No, I'm not volatile," she said. "I've never been upset at the school [and] never raised my voice."
Despite the trespassing charges Chandler faces, she still isn't barred from coming to the school as long as she signs in first.
School officials said they didn't request her arrest, but once the police file a charge they can't stop it.
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
MESQUITE, Texas - A Mesquite mom was arrested Monday five weeks after going to the scene of a fight she said she feared involved her daughter at Poteet High School.
Carlitta Chandler was arrested in front of her daughter at the high school. She was later charged with criminal trespassing.
"I'm angry, I'm upset and I feel humiliated as a parent," Chandler said.
A student's threat to her daughter is what Chandler said drew her to the principal's office at the Mesquite high school five weeks ago.
"The girl stated she was going to cut my daughter's throat," Chandler said.
A fight then broke out near her child's classroom and she rushed to the scene, which the principal had ordered her not to do.
However, school officials said they didn't really want her arrested. But one officer said the mother's behavior proved an arrest was necessary.
"She said I know my rights, I can go anywhere in this school as long as my kid is there," said a school officer.
Chandler received a criminal trespass warning card. The city police sent the warning and school officials said she was still welcome as long as she signed in. But the shock came five weeks later when she was arrested on the school's property.
"They handcuffed me right in front of the building, my daughter was standing right there," Chandler said.
Officer Darrell Simmons said he wanted to arrest her the day she ran upstairs, but he couldn't find her. So the city issued an arrest warrant instead.
"From the previous incidents I know she can be a volatile person," Simmons said. "And again the safety and education of the kids is the main focus."
But Chandler said she has never demonstrated signs of unstableness at the school.
"No, I'm not volatile," she said. "I've never been upset at the school [and] never raised my voice."
Despite the trespassing charges Chandler faces, she still isn't barred from coming to the school as long as she signs in first.
School officials said they didn't request her arrest, but once the police file a charge they can't stop it.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Child in hospital after costume catches fire
FLOWER MOUND, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Halloween fun turned to tragedy Monday night after a costume of a Flower Mound child caught on fire in the 2500 block of Brighton Drive.
The child was flown to Parkland Memorial Hospital's burn unit in Dallas.
The child suffered severe burns and the child's mother was also slightly injured. A ground ambulance brought the mother to the hospital as well.
There is no word on what caused the costume to catch fire yet.
FLOWER MOUND, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Halloween fun turned to tragedy Monday night after a costume of a Flower Mound child caught on fire in the 2500 block of Brighton Drive.
The child was flown to Parkland Memorial Hospital's burn unit in Dallas.
The child suffered severe burns and the child's mother was also slightly injured. A ground ambulance brought the mother to the hospital as well.
There is no word on what caused the costume to catch fire yet.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Waco church mourns loss of pastor
WACO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – The University Baptist Church band had just led the congregation in praise songs when the Rev. Kyle Lake stepped into a tank on the stage to baptize a new member, something he did several times a year.
But then the pastor cried, “Get me out!” and fell backward.
The packed room of more than 800 people, mostly Baylor University students and their families in town for homecoming weekend, weren't sure if he was serious or if it was a skit. Several doctors in the Sunday morning crowd rushed to the stage, pulling Lake out and tending to him until an ambulance arrived.
Lake, 33, was pronounced dead at a hospital, the victim of electrocution. Some at the service said Lake had adjusted a microphone outside the tank, while others said it appeared that a piece of equipment fell into the water. Witness accounts also vary about the water's depth.
“It happened so fast; no one knew what was going on,” said Sam Larson, a Minneapolis seminary student who was in Waco visiting fellow Baylor graduates. “It was horrible. Kyle was a guy who loved everybody; he didn't care who you were. And everybody who met him loved him.”
Waco police believe it was an accident and do not suspect foul play, said police spokesman Steve Anderson. Detectives and the city's inspection department on Monday examined the church's electrical system, microphones and band equipment to try to determine exactly what led to Lake's death, Anderson said.
Randy Childers, who oversees code enforcement for the city, said officials also were reviewing previous inspection reports and permits for the building, which housed a supermarket before the church moved there about 10 years ago.
The woman who was to be baptized Sunday was not injured, church officials said.
The funeral service for Lake – who leaves behind a wife, 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twin sons – was planned for Tuesday at Waco's First Baptist Church.
Lake, a Tyler native, graduated from Baylor in 1994 and the school's Truett Seminary in 1997.
For seven years Lake was pastor at University Baptist Church, which has grown to about 600 members since its 1995 founding as a contemporary church for students at nearby Baylor, the world's largest Baptist university.
“He could speak students' language, and he could capture their attention and hold it,” said Jeter Basden, Baylor's director of ministry guidance and one of Lake's professors. “He was funny and deep, and he could communicate with someone who didn't have a church background.”
Basden has been using a book that Lake wrote last year, Understanding God's Will, in his introduction to ministry classes. Basden said Lake also mentored some ministry students and spent hours at a local coffee shop talking to them and other students.
Lake also worked closely with contemporary Christian music artist David Crowder, one of the church's co-founders, and they “were a very effective duo” in ministering to students, Basden said.
Since news of Lake's death began spreading, several Baptist pastors have talked about making sure their baptism practices are safe, said David Hardage, executive director of the Waco Baptist Association.
But he said the tragedy won't stop Baptists from completely submersing someone during a baptism, which symbolizes a Christian's belief that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead.
“It's an integral part of the Baptist faith,” Hardage said. “For Baptists, we don't believe that baptism is an act of salvation. We believe baptism is an act of obedience and a testimony for what you believe.
WACO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – The University Baptist Church band had just led the congregation in praise songs when the Rev. Kyle Lake stepped into a tank on the stage to baptize a new member, something he did several times a year.
But then the pastor cried, “Get me out!” and fell backward.
The packed room of more than 800 people, mostly Baylor University students and their families in town for homecoming weekend, weren't sure if he was serious or if it was a skit. Several doctors in the Sunday morning crowd rushed to the stage, pulling Lake out and tending to him until an ambulance arrived.
Lake, 33, was pronounced dead at a hospital, the victim of electrocution. Some at the service said Lake had adjusted a microphone outside the tank, while others said it appeared that a piece of equipment fell into the water. Witness accounts also vary about the water's depth.
“It happened so fast; no one knew what was going on,” said Sam Larson, a Minneapolis seminary student who was in Waco visiting fellow Baylor graduates. “It was horrible. Kyle was a guy who loved everybody; he didn't care who you were. And everybody who met him loved him.”
Waco police believe it was an accident and do not suspect foul play, said police spokesman Steve Anderson. Detectives and the city's inspection department on Monday examined the church's electrical system, microphones and band equipment to try to determine exactly what led to Lake's death, Anderson said.
Randy Childers, who oversees code enforcement for the city, said officials also were reviewing previous inspection reports and permits for the building, which housed a supermarket before the church moved there about 10 years ago.
The woman who was to be baptized Sunday was not injured, church officials said.
The funeral service for Lake – who leaves behind a wife, 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twin sons – was planned for Tuesday at Waco's First Baptist Church.
Lake, a Tyler native, graduated from Baylor in 1994 and the school's Truett Seminary in 1997.
For seven years Lake was pastor at University Baptist Church, which has grown to about 600 members since its 1995 founding as a contemporary church for students at nearby Baylor, the world's largest Baptist university.
“He could speak students' language, and he could capture their attention and hold it,” said Jeter Basden, Baylor's director of ministry guidance and one of Lake's professors. “He was funny and deep, and he could communicate with someone who didn't have a church background.”
Basden has been using a book that Lake wrote last year, Understanding God's Will, in his introduction to ministry classes. Basden said Lake also mentored some ministry students and spent hours at a local coffee shop talking to them and other students.
Lake also worked closely with contemporary Christian music artist David Crowder, one of the church's co-founders, and they “were a very effective duo” in ministering to students, Basden said.
Since news of Lake's death began spreading, several Baptist pastors have talked about making sure their baptism practices are safe, said David Hardage, executive director of the Waco Baptist Association.
But he said the tragedy won't stop Baptists from completely submersing someone during a baptism, which symbolizes a Christian's belief that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead.
“It's an integral part of the Baptist faith,” Hardage said. “For Baptists, we don't believe that baptism is an act of salvation. We believe baptism is an act of obedience and a testimony for what you believe.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
KKK plans rally for gay marriage ban
Being Austin, a counterdemonstration is planned nearby
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – A Ku Klux Klan group has booked a plaza outside Austin's City Hall to rally in support of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Opponents of the amendment announced Monday that they would hold a vigil several hundred yards away during the Klan's Pro Family Values Rally on Saturday afternoon.
"The Ku Klux Klan is bringing its message of hate to Austin," said gay rights activist Glen Maxey, campaign manager of No Nonsense in November, the main group opposing the amendment. "You cannot ever let it go unchallenged."
Last month, Jessica Edwards, state secretary of the American White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, notified Austin officials that the group intends to hold an anti-gay marriage rally – using banners and flags, but no robes and hoods – near City Hall.
On the Klan group's Web site, Grand Dragon Steven Edwards used an epithet for homosexuals in describing the rally, to be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. He also mischaracterized Proposition 2, which would prohibit same-sex marriage and bar state and local governments from recognizing a marriage-like status for same-sex couples.
"Texas is having a vote on Nov. 8 to legalize gay and lesbian marriages," Mr. Edwards wrote. "God commands us to fight Satan and his minions, and we shall do this, even if there are only 10 of us there."
Rep. Warren Chisum, the Pampa Republican who wrote the proposed amendment, said its supporters want nothing to do with the Klan.
"They weren't invited by me," he said. "They're not a part of our group."
The anti-Proposition 2 vigil will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the Drake Bridge over Town Lake, adjacent to the plaza.
"We will speak for ourselves and not engage the Klan in their rhetoric," said Mr. Maxey, a former state representative.
Jeff Lutes of Soulforce Inc., a group that resists "religious and political oppression" of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals, said each vigil participant would be asked to sign a pledge of nonviolence written by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
The Klan rally is believed to be the group's first appearance in Austin since 1993, when it was greeted by 5,000 counterdemonstrators. About 75 of them conducted a "mass mooning."
"While some daredevils showed their bare behinds, others revealed boxer shorts painted with messages," The Associated Press reported then.
Spokesmen for the city and the Travis County sheriff's office said security would be heightened for this rally but offered no details. Austin allows any organization to use the plaza as long as no competing event has been scheduled and groups agree to respect property and not interfere with city business, said city spokesman Andrew Rivera.
Last week, Gov. Rick Perry reiterated that he supports Proposition 2 and remained philosophical that it's a position shared with the Klan.
"If they don't break any of the laws of the state or the city of Austin ... they have every right to state they are pro or con on a vast array of issues," he said. "That's how it works in America, and the First Amendment is a wonderful thing."
Staff writer Christy Hoppe contributed to this report.
Being Austin, a counterdemonstration is planned nearby
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – A Ku Klux Klan group has booked a plaza outside Austin's City Hall to rally in support of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
Opponents of the amendment announced Monday that they would hold a vigil several hundred yards away during the Klan's Pro Family Values Rally on Saturday afternoon.
"The Ku Klux Klan is bringing its message of hate to Austin," said gay rights activist Glen Maxey, campaign manager of No Nonsense in November, the main group opposing the amendment. "You cannot ever let it go unchallenged."
Last month, Jessica Edwards, state secretary of the American White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, notified Austin officials that the group intends to hold an anti-gay marriage rally – using banners and flags, but no robes and hoods – near City Hall.
On the Klan group's Web site, Grand Dragon Steven Edwards used an epithet for homosexuals in describing the rally, to be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. He also mischaracterized Proposition 2, which would prohibit same-sex marriage and bar state and local governments from recognizing a marriage-like status for same-sex couples.
"Texas is having a vote on Nov. 8 to legalize gay and lesbian marriages," Mr. Edwards wrote. "God commands us to fight Satan and his minions, and we shall do this, even if there are only 10 of us there."
Rep. Warren Chisum, the Pampa Republican who wrote the proposed amendment, said its supporters want nothing to do with the Klan.
"They weren't invited by me," he said. "They're not a part of our group."
The anti-Proposition 2 vigil will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the Drake Bridge over Town Lake, adjacent to the plaza.
"We will speak for ourselves and not engage the Klan in their rhetoric," said Mr. Maxey, a former state representative.
Jeff Lutes of Soulforce Inc., a group that resists "religious and political oppression" of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals, said each vigil participant would be asked to sign a pledge of nonviolence written by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
The Klan rally is believed to be the group's first appearance in Austin since 1993, when it was greeted by 5,000 counterdemonstrators. About 75 of them conducted a "mass mooning."
"While some daredevils showed their bare behinds, others revealed boxer shorts painted with messages," The Associated Press reported then.
Spokesmen for the city and the Travis County sheriff's office said security would be heightened for this rally but offered no details. Austin allows any organization to use the plaza as long as no competing event has been scheduled and groups agree to respect property and not interfere with city business, said city spokesman Andrew Rivera.
Last week, Gov. Rick Perry reiterated that he supports Proposition 2 and remained philosophical that it's a position shared with the Klan.
"If they don't break any of the laws of the state or the city of Austin ... they have every right to state they are pro or con on a vast array of issues," he said. "That's how it works in America, and the First Amendment is a wonderful thing."
Staff writer Christy Hoppe contributed to this report.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Consumers don't see burden getting lighter
Energy bills, debts handcuff households
By PAMELA YIP / The Dallas Morning News
For Rosella Kelly, life has gotten down to the bare essentials.
"This is really making me nervous," said the 65-year-old Pleasant Grove grandmother, who is staring at a $346 electricity bill, a $113 water bill and a $94 gas bill, all of which she says she can't pay.
A temporary layoff from her custodial job at a local school district put her behind on her bills, and higher energy costs have made things worse. Ms. Kelly, who makes about $15,000 a year, has had to let her credit card payments go by the wayside.
Her credit card debt is only in the hundreds of dollars, but that monthly burden could get tougher, too, with the Federal Reserve expected to raise interest rates again today and credit card companies boosting the minimum monthly payments they require of consumers.
Even as gasoline prices come down from their peaks, other pressures are building on the beleaguered American consumer, especially those at the lower end of the income scale.
"I'm seeing the 'ouch' factor everywhere I look," said Bettye Banks, senior vice president of education at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas. "I hear it at the grocery store. I hear it at the gas station. I hear it in classes that we teach."
Americans are battling still-high energy prices, slow wage growth, record-high debts and rising interest rates. Their predicament is captured in government data that show, as a whole, consumers have been digging into their savings to make ends meet for four months.
Meanwhile, legislation went into effect last month that's meant to force more people to pay back at least some of their debts if they file for bankruptcy.
A rising interest rate
The Federal Reserve is expected today to raise short-term interest rates by another quarter-point, the 12th increase of that size since June 2004. That would send to 4 percent the rate on federal funds, which banks charge one another for overnight loans.
"Households' interest payments on home equity lines and credit cards rise quickly with each move by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com, an economic consulting firm. "Interest payments on adjustable-rate mortgages will also eventually rise in response to the Fed's actions."
At the same time, federal regulators have ordered credit card companies to raise their minimum monthly payments. Regulators want consumers to hammer away more deeply at the principal so they can get out of debt more quickly. That's good for consumers in the long run, but it further tightens the vise on monthly budgets.
The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to keep inflation under control as the economy expands. And the economy is expanding – by 3.8 percent in the third quarter, according to data released Friday. But those gains haven't been translating dollar-for-dollar to higher wage growth.
Inflation has risen faster than incomes this year. Incomes rose 1.7 percent in September, according to data released Monday, but most of that was traced to insurance payments related to the gulf hurricanes.
A recent report by Salary.com said higher prices for gasoline have wiped out the average worker's 2005 pay raise.
Meanwhile, utility bills are expected to soar this winter.
Texas regulators have approved TXU Energy's request for a 24 percent increase in electricity prices, following higher natural gas prices. The increase is expected to push the average North Texas electric bill to $150 in January from $110 last year, based on 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
TXU has said it will let residential and small business customers lock in the January rates for the whole year. Other incumbent providers have offered discounts and joined TXU in offering breaks to low-income customers.
Tough calls to take
For consumers such as Ms. Kelly, tight finances mean putting up with calls from collection agencies.
"I thought you were another bill collector," she told a reporter who called her for an interview. "They've been wearing me out, and I've been explaining it to them. I don't have any money to pay them."
Ms. Kelly said her finances took a turn for the worse when she was laid off this year. She has since been rehired full-time.
"When they laid me off, it really put me in a hole," Ms. Kelly said. "I just cried. I couldn't help but let the tears flow, because I didn't know what I was going to do."
She has gotten help from her church to pay her bills, but it's still difficult.
She said her mortgage payments have risen from $607 a month to $855 a month because of higher property taxes.
"Everything is going up, and I'm not really making a lot," Ms. Kelly said.
Ms. Kelly, who takes medicine for high blood pressure, hasn't been able to afford the $68 for a full month's worth of the medication. Her pharmacy has allowed her to purchase seven pills at a time – the most she can afford.
"I take one every other day, and I'm supposed to have one every day."
Virgie Hatfield is in similar straits.
Ms. Hatfield, 71, lives in a Dallas mobile home park.
"It's really hurting," she said. "I'm a senior citizen, and I don't make much."
She's had to buy groceries on credit cards.
"I've got quite a few bills," Ms. Hatfield said. "It's not just my credit cards. I'm trying to keep my credit halfway straight."
Really feeling the pinch
Many consumers at the lower end of the economic scale, like Ms. Kelly and Ms. Hatfield, are really hurting, said Mr. Zandi of Economy.com.
"I believe there are two very different kinds of households, roughly defined by the median household income of about $50,000 per year," he said. "Households in the top half of the income distribution couldn't be doing better. They have little debt, and if they do, it's fixed-rate mortgage debt. They own stocks and housing that has appreciated rapidly in recent years."
Others live a different life.
"Households in the bottom half of the income distribution are in very poor financial shape," Mr. Zandi said. "They have been borrowing aggressively to supplement their weak incomes. They are likely to have credit card debt, and if they own a home, they have a high-rate adjustable mortgage.
"The financial stress on lower-income households will only intensify due to high energy prices, rising interest rates, rising minimum payments on credit cards and, now, much tougher bankruptcy laws."
Those forces can push the working poor over the edge, experts said.
"If we have a really cold winter and you have to use your heat more, it will knock a family living just above the [poverty] line to the point where they just can't feed their family," said Jan Pruitt, executive director of the North Texas Food Bank. "If you have a medical bill or any other bill, it comes before food. Food is the only discretionary income that a poor family has."
Gasoline is also a top priority, she said.
"They'll put gasoline in the car because that will get them to work. The kids just go without dinner."
Energy bills, debts handcuff households
By PAMELA YIP / The Dallas Morning News
For Rosella Kelly, life has gotten down to the bare essentials.
"This is really making me nervous," said the 65-year-old Pleasant Grove grandmother, who is staring at a $346 electricity bill, a $113 water bill and a $94 gas bill, all of which she says she can't pay.
A temporary layoff from her custodial job at a local school district put her behind on her bills, and higher energy costs have made things worse. Ms. Kelly, who makes about $15,000 a year, has had to let her credit card payments go by the wayside.
Her credit card debt is only in the hundreds of dollars, but that monthly burden could get tougher, too, with the Federal Reserve expected to raise interest rates again today and credit card companies boosting the minimum monthly payments they require of consumers.
Even as gasoline prices come down from their peaks, other pressures are building on the beleaguered American consumer, especially those at the lower end of the income scale.
"I'm seeing the 'ouch' factor everywhere I look," said Bettye Banks, senior vice president of education at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas. "I hear it at the grocery store. I hear it at the gas station. I hear it in classes that we teach."
Americans are battling still-high energy prices, slow wage growth, record-high debts and rising interest rates. Their predicament is captured in government data that show, as a whole, consumers have been digging into their savings to make ends meet for four months.
Meanwhile, legislation went into effect last month that's meant to force more people to pay back at least some of their debts if they file for bankruptcy.
A rising interest rate
The Federal Reserve is expected today to raise short-term interest rates by another quarter-point, the 12th increase of that size since June 2004. That would send to 4 percent the rate on federal funds, which banks charge one another for overnight loans.
"Households' interest payments on home equity lines and credit cards rise quickly with each move by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com, an economic consulting firm. "Interest payments on adjustable-rate mortgages will also eventually rise in response to the Fed's actions."
At the same time, federal regulators have ordered credit card companies to raise their minimum monthly payments. Regulators want consumers to hammer away more deeply at the principal so they can get out of debt more quickly. That's good for consumers in the long run, but it further tightens the vise on monthly budgets.
The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to keep inflation under control as the economy expands. And the economy is expanding – by 3.8 percent in the third quarter, according to data released Friday. But those gains haven't been translating dollar-for-dollar to higher wage growth.
Inflation has risen faster than incomes this year. Incomes rose 1.7 percent in September, according to data released Monday, but most of that was traced to insurance payments related to the gulf hurricanes.
A recent report by Salary.com said higher prices for gasoline have wiped out the average worker's 2005 pay raise.
Meanwhile, utility bills are expected to soar this winter.
Texas regulators have approved TXU Energy's request for a 24 percent increase in electricity prices, following higher natural gas prices. The increase is expected to push the average North Texas electric bill to $150 in January from $110 last year, based on 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
TXU has said it will let residential and small business customers lock in the January rates for the whole year. Other incumbent providers have offered discounts and joined TXU in offering breaks to low-income customers.
Tough calls to take
For consumers such as Ms. Kelly, tight finances mean putting up with calls from collection agencies.
"I thought you were another bill collector," she told a reporter who called her for an interview. "They've been wearing me out, and I've been explaining it to them. I don't have any money to pay them."
Ms. Kelly said her finances took a turn for the worse when she was laid off this year. She has since been rehired full-time.
"When they laid me off, it really put me in a hole," Ms. Kelly said. "I just cried. I couldn't help but let the tears flow, because I didn't know what I was going to do."
She has gotten help from her church to pay her bills, but it's still difficult.
She said her mortgage payments have risen from $607 a month to $855 a month because of higher property taxes.
"Everything is going up, and I'm not really making a lot," Ms. Kelly said.
Ms. Kelly, who takes medicine for high blood pressure, hasn't been able to afford the $68 for a full month's worth of the medication. Her pharmacy has allowed her to purchase seven pills at a time – the most she can afford.
"I take one every other day, and I'm supposed to have one every day."
Virgie Hatfield is in similar straits.
Ms. Hatfield, 71, lives in a Dallas mobile home park.
"It's really hurting," she said. "I'm a senior citizen, and I don't make much."
She's had to buy groceries on credit cards.
"I've got quite a few bills," Ms. Hatfield said. "It's not just my credit cards. I'm trying to keep my credit halfway straight."
Really feeling the pinch
Many consumers at the lower end of the economic scale, like Ms. Kelly and Ms. Hatfield, are really hurting, said Mr. Zandi of Economy.com.
"I believe there are two very different kinds of households, roughly defined by the median household income of about $50,000 per year," he said. "Households in the top half of the income distribution couldn't be doing better. They have little debt, and if they do, it's fixed-rate mortgage debt. They own stocks and housing that has appreciated rapidly in recent years."
Others live a different life.
"Households in the bottom half of the income distribution are in very poor financial shape," Mr. Zandi said. "They have been borrowing aggressively to supplement their weak incomes. They are likely to have credit card debt, and if they own a home, they have a high-rate adjustable mortgage.
"The financial stress on lower-income households will only intensify due to high energy prices, rising interest rates, rising minimum payments on credit cards and, now, much tougher bankruptcy laws."
Those forces can push the working poor over the edge, experts said.
"If we have a really cold winter and you have to use your heat more, it will knock a family living just above the [poverty] line to the point where they just can't feed their family," said Jan Pruitt, executive director of the North Texas Food Bank. "If you have a medical bill or any other bill, it comes before food. Food is the only discretionary income that a poor family has."
Gasoline is also a top priority, she said.
"They'll put gasoline in the car because that will get them to work. The kids just go without dinner."
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
3 shot at N. Dallas townhouse; 1 dead
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police in North Dallas are investigating the early morning shooting of three people at a townhouse complex. One of the victims later died.
Survivors told investigators three gunmen forced them into a rear bedroom of a unit at the Holly Hill Townhomes in the 7200 block of Holly Hill Drive shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday.
After demanding property, the intruders opened fire and fled.
One of the shooting victims was able to phone 911 for help. The three wounded people were taken to Baylor University Medical Center, where one of them later died.
Detectives said they believe the shootings may be drug-related.
Robert Flagg / WFAA ABC 8
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Police in North Dallas are investigating the early morning shooting of three people at a townhouse complex. One of the victims later died.
Survivors told investigators three gunmen forced them into a rear bedroom of a unit at the Holly Hill Townhomes in the 7200 block of Holly Hill Drive shortly after 3 a.m. Tuesday.
After demanding property, the intruders opened fire and fled.
One of the shooting victims was able to phone 911 for help. The three wounded people were taken to Baylor University Medical Center, where one of them later died.
Detectives said they believe the shootings may be drug-related.

Robert Flagg / WFAA ABC 8
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Inmate vanishes en route to hospital
HOUSTON, Texas (KHOU CBS 11) - An inmate from a Southeast Texas prison disappeared while en route to a hospital in Galveston around 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said 25-year-old Carlos Kidd was restrained and loaded onto a van early Tuesday morning at the Ramsey One Unit in Rosharon. Two correctional officers were in the van with Kidd.
When the van reached the hospital, his restraints were in the van, but Kidd was gone.
Kidd is serving a 10-year sentence for aggravated assault and has been in the Ramsey One Unit since January 2002.
Texas Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Lyons said, "Any person who would escape from police custody should be considered dangerous."
He is a 5-foot-7-inch white male and weighs 133 pounds, according to TDCJ officials. He would have been wearing white, standard prison-issued clothing – pants and a shirt that resemble hospital scrubs.
If you see Kidd, do not try to apprehend him. Officials ask those who see him to call 911, local police authorities or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-832-8477.
HOUSTON, Texas (KHOU CBS 11) - An inmate from a Southeast Texas prison disappeared while en route to a hospital in Galveston around 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said 25-year-old Carlos Kidd was restrained and loaded onto a van early Tuesday morning at the Ramsey One Unit in Rosharon. Two correctional officers were in the van with Kidd.
When the van reached the hospital, his restraints were in the van, but Kidd was gone.
Kidd is serving a 10-year sentence for aggravated assault and has been in the Ramsey One Unit since January 2002.
Texas Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Lyons said, "Any person who would escape from police custody should be considered dangerous."
He is a 5-foot-7-inch white male and weighs 133 pounds, according to TDCJ officials. He would have been wearing white, standard prison-issued clothing – pants and a shirt that resemble hospital scrubs.
If you see Kidd, do not try to apprehend him. Officials ask those who see him to call 911, local police authorities or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-832-8477.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Donor gives $50 million to UT-Southwestern
By HOLLY HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has received a $50 million gift to build programs designed to treat and prevent cancer, officials announced Tuesday.
The gift comes from billionaire Dallas investor Harold Simmons and his wife, Annette, who have already donated millions to UT-Southwestern for cancer and arthritis programs over the years. The $50 million will go toward a cancer center bearing Mr. Simmons' name.
"We're convinced that this gift will allow Dallas and UT-Southwestern and its affiliates to really develop a program that is absolutely world-class," said Kern Wildenthal, president of UT Southwestern. He added, "This is really to jump start it and get the programs at a level where they can compete more successfully for national funding."
The Simmons gift is part of a five-year campaign at the Dallas medical campus to raise half a billion dollars for research and clinical programs.
Including this gift, the Simmons have donated nearly $100 million for cancer programs at UT-Southwestern, and more than $125 million to the medical campus overall.
"The Simmons gift is an investment in the future of Dallas and the nation, and it bolsters our hope to reduce the impact of cancer, and of eventually preventing and curing it," said James Willson, director of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and associate dean for oncology programs.
UT-Southwestern plans to use some of the money to recruit 30 cancer specialists to its campus. That, in turn, would recruit more patients and build a critical mass for attracting even more research dollars, officials say.
By HOLLY HACKER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has received a $50 million gift to build programs designed to treat and prevent cancer, officials announced Tuesday.
The gift comes from billionaire Dallas investor Harold Simmons and his wife, Annette, who have already donated millions to UT-Southwestern for cancer and arthritis programs over the years. The $50 million will go toward a cancer center bearing Mr. Simmons' name.
"We're convinced that this gift will allow Dallas and UT-Southwestern and its affiliates to really develop a program that is absolutely world-class," said Kern Wildenthal, president of UT Southwestern. He added, "This is really to jump start it and get the programs at a level where they can compete more successfully for national funding."
The Simmons gift is part of a five-year campaign at the Dallas medical campus to raise half a billion dollars for research and clinical programs.
Including this gift, the Simmons have donated nearly $100 million for cancer programs at UT-Southwestern, and more than $125 million to the medical campus overall.
"The Simmons gift is an investment in the future of Dallas and the nation, and it bolsters our hope to reduce the impact of cancer, and of eventually preventing and curing it," said James Willson, director of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and associate dean for oncology programs.
UT-Southwestern plans to use some of the money to recruit 30 cancer specialists to its campus. That, in turn, would recruit more patients and build a critical mass for attracting even more research dollars, officials say.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Homeless center proposal draws battle lines
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - On Nov. 8 many important issues will be decided by voters.
And in Dallas as that time nears, supporters and opponents are squaring off over a city bond proposal to build a new homeless assistance center downtown.
But there is one thing both sides agree on, Dallas has a homeless problem that is only getting worse. There are an estimated 6,000 homeless citywide and about 1,500 in downtown.
The city said a central assistance center downtown will help move the homeless off the streets, but opponents said it threatens the future of the city's core.
A make shift group of the city's homeless protested businesses trying to kill the plan to build a homeless assistance center downtown.
The facility would be built on the southeastern edge of downtown Dallas near Farmer's Market, and proposition 14 would generate almost $24 million in bonds.
Most of the money would be used to build the facility and the rest would use money for alternative housing. The center would be a 24-hour operation and be run by professionals to provide social services, referrals and a place to go.
Supporters said location is critical and most of the city's homeless are downtown.
"We could build the Taj Mahal five miles from here, or even a mile from downtown Dallas, but if there are obstacles to get there they won't use it," said Tom Dunning, former homeless czar.
But some downtown businesses are fiercely opposed. The developer of the Davis Building said after millions in public and private investments in downtown Dallas, the city is finally bouncing back. And he believes the center would put the renaissance at risk.
"It'll stop it right in its tracks," said Dan Millet, downtown businessman.
Opponents fear the center will simply attract more homeless people by the thousands, increase crime and lower property values.
"This plan has not been thought through," Millet said. "It's taking $28.3 million and throwing it on the wall and seeing what sticks."
But supporters said a year of research and planning went into the plan. And while they said there is no quick fix, they insist it's a solid start.
"If we don't take hold of this right now, two [to] three years down the road we'll have 12,000 homeless and it will cost ten times as much," said James Waghorne, homeless advocate.
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - On Nov. 8 many important issues will be decided by voters.
And in Dallas as that time nears, supporters and opponents are squaring off over a city bond proposal to build a new homeless assistance center downtown.
But there is one thing both sides agree on, Dallas has a homeless problem that is only getting worse. There are an estimated 6,000 homeless citywide and about 1,500 in downtown.
The city said a central assistance center downtown will help move the homeless off the streets, but opponents said it threatens the future of the city's core.
A make shift group of the city's homeless protested businesses trying to kill the plan to build a homeless assistance center downtown.
The facility would be built on the southeastern edge of downtown Dallas near Farmer's Market, and proposition 14 would generate almost $24 million in bonds.
Most of the money would be used to build the facility and the rest would use money for alternative housing. The center would be a 24-hour operation and be run by professionals to provide social services, referrals and a place to go.
Supporters said location is critical and most of the city's homeless are downtown.
"We could build the Taj Mahal five miles from here, or even a mile from downtown Dallas, but if there are obstacles to get there they won't use it," said Tom Dunning, former homeless czar.
But some downtown businesses are fiercely opposed. The developer of the Davis Building said after millions in public and private investments in downtown Dallas, the city is finally bouncing back. And he believes the center would put the renaissance at risk.
"It'll stop it right in its tracks," said Dan Millet, downtown businessman.
Opponents fear the center will simply attract more homeless people by the thousands, increase crime and lower property values.
"This plan has not been thought through," Millet said. "It's taking $28.3 million and throwing it on the wall and seeing what sticks."
But supporters said a year of research and planning went into the plan. And while they said there is no quick fix, they insist it's a solid start.
"If we don't take hold of this right now, two [to] three years down the road we'll have 12,000 homeless and it will cost ten times as much," said James Waghorne, homeless advocate.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Child's costume fire highlights dangers
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - A Flower Mound middle school student is at Parkland Hospital after suffering serious burns when his Halloween costume caught fire Monday night.
Eleven-year-old Shane Redell suffered third-degree burns on his hands, abdomen and leg in a freak accident with an oil lamp that sent him and his mother to the burn ward.
It happened in the 2500 block of Brighton Drive after Redell returned from trick-or-treating around 9 p.m.
Firefighters believe the oil lamp may have exploded while Redell was trying to light it, but they're not sure why.
"Something broke somehow, we're not sure," said Scott Mitchell of the Flower Mound Fire Department. "It's still under investigation. it caught his costume on fire ... the Halloween costume flashed."
The home's smoke alarms went off and a neighbor rushed in, calming Shane and calling 911. Kathryn Johnson put her son in the shower, burning her hands and arms.
"The mother went to render aid," Mitchell said. "She came out, put the clothes out and that's how she suffered the burns."
Friends said quick thinking by Johnson, who was rushed to Parkland with her son, may have saved his life. Redell's condition was upgraded to fair on Tuesday, and neighbors said his mother was released from the hospital.
Administrators at Forestwood Middle School, where Redell is a sixth-grader, said he is an extremely bright, well-liked young man who other students are now rallying around.
"It's tragic news and it's never easy to hear, but they're handling it well," said Forestwood principal David Tickner. "They're starting to look at what they can do to help Shane and his family."
Firefighters said the accident points out the oft-cited fact that some Halloween costumes can be dangerous.
"Costumes [are] made up of loose-fitting clothing," Mitchell said. "Most of the time they're inexpensive fabrics, light-weight and ... very flammable."
Flower Mound fire officials said they want to find out why the lamp apparently exploded, and if there was some kind of mechanical failure that could require contacting the manufacturer.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - A Flower Mound middle school student is at Parkland Hospital after suffering serious burns when his Halloween costume caught fire Monday night.
Eleven-year-old Shane Redell suffered third-degree burns on his hands, abdomen and leg in a freak accident with an oil lamp that sent him and his mother to the burn ward.
It happened in the 2500 block of Brighton Drive after Redell returned from trick-or-treating around 9 p.m.
Firefighters believe the oil lamp may have exploded while Redell was trying to light it, but they're not sure why.
"Something broke somehow, we're not sure," said Scott Mitchell of the Flower Mound Fire Department. "It's still under investigation. it caught his costume on fire ... the Halloween costume flashed."
The home's smoke alarms went off and a neighbor rushed in, calming Shane and calling 911. Kathryn Johnson put her son in the shower, burning her hands and arms.
"The mother went to render aid," Mitchell said. "She came out, put the clothes out and that's how she suffered the burns."
Friends said quick thinking by Johnson, who was rushed to Parkland with her son, may have saved his life. Redell's condition was upgraded to fair on Tuesday, and neighbors said his mother was released from the hospital.
Administrators at Forestwood Middle School, where Redell is a sixth-grader, said he is an extremely bright, well-liked young man who other students are now rallying around.
"It's tragic news and it's never easy to hear, but they're handling it well," said Forestwood principal David Tickner. "They're starting to look at what they can do to help Shane and his family."
Firefighters said the accident points out the oft-cited fact that some Halloween costumes can be dangerous.
"Costumes [are] made up of loose-fitting clothing," Mitchell said. "Most of the time they're inexpensive fabrics, light-weight and ... very flammable."
Flower Mound fire officials said they want to find out why the lamp apparently exploded, and if there was some kind of mechanical failure that could require contacting the manufacturer.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Bond denied for man accused in fake flu shots
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A federal judge in Houston today denied bond for a businessman accused of giving fake flu shots and defrauding Medicare.
The judge ruled 35-year-old Iyad Abu El Hawa is untrustworthy and is a flight risk.
Prosecutors say El Hawa and his employees administered syringes filled with water - not flu vaccine - to senior citizens.
An attorney for El Hawa says he has business and personal ties in Houston, including a wife and three children.
The defense also offered to surrender both of the man's passports and his green card.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson said she couldn't understand how El Hawa could have two passports.
She also noted he has nine siblings in Israel and left out information on a financial affidavit.
The FBI has identified El Hawa as the owner of Comfort & Caring Home Health Care.
He was arrested last week.
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A federal judge in Houston today denied bond for a businessman accused of giving fake flu shots and defrauding Medicare.
The judge ruled 35-year-old Iyad Abu El Hawa is untrustworthy and is a flight risk.
Prosecutors say El Hawa and his employees administered syringes filled with water - not flu vaccine - to senior citizens.
An attorney for El Hawa says he has business and personal ties in Houston, including a wife and three children.
The defense also offered to surrender both of the man's passports and his green card.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson said she couldn't understand how El Hawa could have two passports.
She also noted he has nine siblings in Israel and left out information on a financial affidavit.
The FBI has identified El Hawa as the owner of Comfort & Caring Home Health Care.
He was arrested last week.
0 likes
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests