News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Developer pulls out of downtown project

By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The developer who planned to turn downtown Dallas' long-vacant Mercantile Bank complex and Continental Building into a bustling center of retail and residential units is pulling out of the project, Assistant City Manager Ryan Evans said Wednesday morning.

Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises had sought $75 million in city incentives to redevelop the two blighted city blocks on which the buildings sit, but the city was only willing to offer $60 million, Evans said.

The deal's failure ends months of negotiations between Dallas and Forest City Enterprises, both of whom expressed confidence that a deal could be reached. City officials have long considered the redevelopment of the Mercantile complex fundamental to a downtown Dallas renaissance and have spent years attempting to find new uses for the former commercial tower and smaller surrounding structures.

"We have to step back and rethink the project," Evans said. "I'm confident we can still find an interested party to do it. But if we spent the amount of money Forest City was looking for, we wouldn't be able to reach our overall goal of creating a vibrant downtown."

Forest City Enterprises officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

[TexasStooge]

Religious vision draws crowds to Fort Worth window

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas — Crowds gathered at a Fort Worth apartment complex Wednesday night to see what some are calling an image of Jesus Christ in a window.

Tara Martinez was cleaning her window Wednesday morning when she encountered an image she could not scrub off.

"She sees the holy face of Jesus Christ," a translator explained.

Word spread quickly at the Fossil Ridge Apartments in northwest Fort Worth. Many agreed that when the light is right, you can see the face of Christ.

"You can see it perfectly, and I do see it," one man said.

"You could see like a crown, like a bright light over it," a woman added.

Within hours, a small shrine filled with religious artifacts was created under the window as the curious lingered to take a look.

One boy wasn't convinced. "I didn't see nothing except rainbow colors," he said.

Martinez said she believes Jesus came to her now because her life has turned hard. She said it was an honor to have such notariety outside her apartment, but she was prepared to lose some sleep from all the commotion.

[TexasStooge]

Chorus of complaints against builder grows

By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8

KAUFMAN, Texas - The list of complaints against a Kaufman homebuilder profiled in a recent News 8 investigation grows, but the individuals making those complaints aren't getting help from state regulators or law enforcement officials.

When News 8 talked to homebuilder Robert Tidwell earlier this month, we had no idea how many people were mad at him.

Janet Cook was so angry she had signs printed that read, "I chose Texas Custom Homes ... don't make my mistake." That was three years ago; since then Tidwell's adopted two other corporate identities.

Cook said Tidwell owes her $71,000.

"He keeps telling people what they want to hear," she said.

Subcontractors Jimmy King and Bobby Rodden said Tidwell owes them close to $10,000.

"He always finds another sucker that's a believer," King said.

Darci and Jason Lowery said Tidwell took them on two houses, one he was supposed to buy and one he was supposed to build. All told, the Lowerys said they've lost $127,000.

"It's very frustrating, disheartening," Darci said. "(I feel) betrayed ... taken advantage of."

Jason still has a $3,000 check Tidwell wrote them - a check his bank finds humorous.

Said Jason, "We've actually had them laugh at us and ask us, 'Did that guy really write you that check for that amount?'"

Tidwell claims he declared bankruptcy, but News 8 has learned the bankruptcy never was completed - meaning Tidwell still has a list of creditors claiming he owes them nearly $1,000,000.

"Somebody's got to stop him," Darci said.

More than one Kaufman County resident has approached District Attorney Ed Walton about taking action against, or at least investigating, Tidwell over the past several months.

But Walton has taken no action. He did not return News 8's phone calls asking for an interview.

Although Tidwell talked to News 8 earlier, he declined to discuss this new information.

The Lowerys see him nearly every day, in the driveway next door. After they hired him to build their house, he built another where he now lives, but it is in his sister-in-law's name.

That home is finished; the Lowerys have been waiting for theirs to be completed for months.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas ISD personnel data left at dumpster

Pages should have been shredded; contained Social Security numbers, other information

By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8

NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE

DALLAS, Texas - There is now good reason to worry for the 20,000 employees of the Dallas Independent School District.

Crucial documents that should have been shredded were dumped where anyone could find them.

Submerged in a puddle in front of a DISD dumpster was left a gold mine for an identity thief. On one page were 120 names of teachers and other employees, complete with the item crooks most crave: Social Security numbers.

It was merely one page of the complete list of district employees. When News 8 fished it out for DISD spokeman Donald Claxton, he said many pages that should have been shredded were dumped at the site last week.

"Once we became aware of it, we took steps to get them up, but unfortunatly we missed one," Claxton said.

Actually, more than one was missed. District workers showed News 8 a list of 350 more names they found this week. One page had the name of retired principal Arthur Gillum.

"It's frightening that someone could get their hands on these records," Gillum said.

Other teachers in his family were on the list as well.

"My sister-in-law Karen, and ex-wife Margaret," he said.

Union leaders are incredulous. They had begged the district to stop using Social Security numbers as employee identification.

"The district said it is taking steps to protect them, but here we have evidence that is not the case," said American Federation of Teachers spokesperson Aimee Bolender.

The district is sending memos reminding employees to shred every sensitive document, but officials are still not sure who is responsible for this foul-up.

"We take it seriously, and will get to the bottom of it and keep it from happening again," Claxton said.

There's no way of knowing if any of the pages fell into the hands of criminals, but experts agree it is a good idea for district employees to keep a close eye on their credit and bank accounts.

It should be noted that the copies obtained by News 8 will be shredded as well.

[TexasStooge]

Fatal hit-and-run accident leads to arrest

By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas - A truck driver is in custody following a deadly hit & run Wednesday morning in Fort Worth.

Police said the driver allegedly ran over a man in Fort Worth, then fled the scene before investigators later tracked him to Cleburne.

Larry Stiles, 45, was trying to jump onto a moving tractor trailer in the 1200 block of East Richmond Avenue.

Witness Eddie Davis said he tried to warn Stiles not to jump.

"I see him go up to the truck on the driver's side," Davis said. "The truck took off and I saw running, and I said, 'Larry, don't do that, don't do that' ... he fell in between the wheels and the wheels just caught him and ran over him."

Within seconds, Stiles fell under the truck's tires and was killed. Residents called 911, but the truck driver took off.

The runaway truck hit a car in a school zone. The driver and a child were shaken, but OK.

"All we saw was an 18-wheeler speeding down Mississippi, and it just knocked her back door in," said witness Janice Graves. "(We) got the license number."

Another driver followed the truck as it headed south onto I-35. Police soon caught up and began a chase that lasted four hours.

Police traced the truck to an Oklahoma company; its owner cooperated and told officers the driver was in Cleburne, where he was stopped and arrested.

[TexasStooge]

Agreement reached in yearbook flap

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

WAXAHACHIE, Texas — Waxahachie ISD officials and the high school senior at the center of a yearbook controversy have announced an agreement they hope will resolve the issue.

Administrators wrote a two-page letter apologizing to Shadoyia Jones for a mistake in which a photo caption in the 2004-2005 Waxahachie High School yearbook identified her simply as "Black Girl."

The caption sparked outrage in the community, and district officials quickly took action. The yearbook section that contained the photo was reprinted, and all Waxahachie High students were able to get the section replaced at school.

District officials also admitted that the yearbook's editors made a serious error.

"We will continue to investigate this matter," said Waxahachie superintendent James Wilcox. "Everything we've had up to this point said it was an incident of poor judgment."

Jones, who was accompanied at Wednesday morning's news conference by her mother and members of the Waxahachie-area NAACP chapter, said she was ready to put the matter to rest.

"I don't want this to interrupt my special day, and I just want everyone to be peaceful about this whole situation," Jones said Wednesday. "I don't want any confrontations; I just want my graduation to go smoothly."

Administrators also said they would revamp the district's policies about editing of the yearbook; faculty members will examine the yearbook more closely.

Graduation ceremonies will be held Friday.

[TexasStooge]

Texas Family Finds Baby Opossum in Toilet

SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - Potty training just became much harder for a West Texas family. A baby opossum was found in the bathroom toilet of Robert and Amy Hamblen's mobile home early Wednesday, when the family was awakened by the sound of splashing water.

Robert Hamblen said he used a toilet brush to coax the animal from the bowl and into a box before releasing it outdoors.

He said he patched a hole in the septic system where he thinks it entered.

Of course, the discovery has hampered the Hamblens' effort to get their daughters — ages 1 and 2 — potty trained.

"Having a possum in the bathroom sure hasn't helped," Robert Hamblen said in Thursday's San Angelo Standard-Times.

[TexasStooge]

At critical time, heroes emerged

Neighbors made sure accident at day care didn't become a tragedy

By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - This wasn't your usual bravado banter at the barbershop. This story was true.

The topic of conversation at the Platinum barbershop Wednesday was the barbers' heroic efforts the day before that saved a handful of young children.

Richard "Roc" Howell, the barbershop's owner, and fellow barber Leatha Buchanan were two of the first on the scene after an out-of-control car smashed through a plate-glass window at the neighboring Dream House Learning Center.

Mr. Howell, 36, corralled a group of people together to lift the crashed car off of children as Ms. Buchanan, called "Mrs. B" by her friends, pulled them from beneath the wreckage.

Eight children were hospitalized after the crash at Lake June Road and Masters Drive in Pleasant Grove. All but one has been released.

By Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Howell had lost count of the times he's told the story. Still, he was ready to tell it again to any customers who wanted to listen.

"I feel like they're heroes," said the Rev. T.L. Perkins, one of Ms. Buchanan's longtime customers who stopped at the shop Wednesday after he'd heard about the accident.

"There could have been innocent lives taken away."

Wednesday is one of the slowest days of the week for the barbershop, but the buzz never stopped on this day.

Anonymous well-wishers called to thank the barbers for their heroism. And the confessional relationship that exists between barbers and their longtime customers seemed to reverse for a time.

"So, how are you doing?" Ms. Buchanan asked a customer who sat down in her chair at noon Wednesday.

"I should be asking you. How are you doing?" he responded.

Despite the stresses of Tuesday, the barbers said they had not been traumatized by the experience. Mr. Howell said he thought of his 6-year-old during the rescue and how he hoped strangers would be willing to help his son if he needed it.

Ms. Buchanan, who was a trauma nurse at Parkland Memorial Hospital years ago, said her training kicked in as soon as she saw a child standing on the sidewalk of the day-care center with blood streaming down her face.

"You didn't have time even to think," she said. "You just got to work."

Still, Mr. Howell and Ms. Buchanan seemed a little surprised by how they responded to the emergency.

Mr. Howell said he was embarrassed that he had yelled at the others to grab the sides of the car and lift, although he had no regrets.

"I told these guys what I wanted, and they just did it," he said.

Ms. Buchanan said she couldn't believe that she was able to get down on the glass-strewn floor and maneuver under the car precariously lifted off the ground.

"I didn't know I could lay flat like that anymore," she said to a customer. "You know, I'm 60."

[TexasStooge]

Judge's circle benefits from court work

Denton probate jurist says he goes by qualifications, not personal ties

By KEVIN KRAUSE / The Dallas Morning News

DENTON, Texas - In Denton County Probate Court, it helps to know Judge Don Windle.

His court has authorized more than $2.4 million in fees to a small group of lawyers and other professionals whom Judge Windle has repeatedly tapped for work on estates, trusts and guardianships over the last 11 years. Among them are the judge's business partners as well as some longtime friends, including one who prepares his taxes and one who handles his legal affairs.

Judge Windle said he often chooses the same people because of their qualifications and experience. He said he doesn't see a problem with appointing people to whom he has personal and professional ties.

"If I was appointing someone who wasn't qualified over somebody who was, then that would be a legitimate beef," said Judge Windle, who's been on the bench since 1992.

His appointments highlight a system that allows a handful of professionals to earn substantial fees from court-approved probate work, with little scrutiny and no oversight of repeated appointments or total amounts of money earned in those cases.

The top six earners in Judge Windle's court are among that handful of professionals. They and their firms earned $195,000 to $600,000 in court-approved payments from 1994 to 2004.

During that period, Judge Windle's court approved fees for 192 individuals and firms. About 80 percent of them earned less than $20,000, according to state filings and a review by The Dallas Morning News of dozens of cases.

State judicial standards say judges should make impartial appointments and discourage judges from having financial dealings with those likely to appear in their courts.

"So much of this turns on the perception of the people who are participating in the system," said Phoenix lawyer Mark I. Harrison, a legal ethics expert. "Anytime you have an arrangement that appears cozy ... if it happens repeatedly, it can make the affected parties question the situation. They can't put their finger on it, but it smells funny."

Mr. Harrison is chairman of the American Bar Association's Joint Commission to Evaluate the Model Code of Judicial Conduct and a member of the ABA's Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. The commission is reviewing the ABA's model ethics code for judges.

While Texas criminal law does not expressly prohibit judges from appointing friends or business associates, other states with stronger laws have criminally prosecuted judges for similar actions. In those states, some judges have been censured, reprimanded or removed from the bench for handing out lucrative appointments to friends and associates.

Records show that Judge Windle's court reported $3.2 million in fees to the state from 1994 to 2004. Judge Windle approved 90 percent of those fees; the rest were handled by visiting judges or other Denton County judges filling in for him.

Those court-ordered fees are usually paid by family estates or trusts. But families aren't the only ones who pay.

Denton County taxpayers have paid an average of $88,808 in court-appointee fees each year since 1996, when records became available. The county picks up the tab in probate court for mental health cases and for people who can't afford to pay.

In one case in Judge Windle's court, Fort Worth attorney David Bakutis is challenging more than $186,000 in fees that Judge Windle authorized for appointees, two of whom have ties to the judge. Mr. Bakutis was hired by Deborah Page, whose late husband's estate case is still open more than eight years after his death.

In a court filing, Mr. Bakutis said his client believes the fees are unreasonable and worth more than the services provided. The fees went to a guardian for the woman's daughter, an administrator for the estate and a trustee overseeing the daughter's inheritance.

Roy Anderson, Judge Windle's accountant who was hired by one of the judge's appointees to handle the Page estate's taxes, said he didn't think the fees were excessive.

Judge Windle has not been accused of any wrongdoing. He has been elected to the bench three times without opposition. His last three campaign finance reports show no contributions. Earlier reports, including those during the years he was elected, were not available.

Jim Hartnett Jr., a Dallas probate attorney who has practiced in Judge Windle's court, said parties involved in "messy cases" are usually to blame for high fees.

"People get emotional about their fight. The longer it goes, the more expensive it gets," he said.

He said that probate law is specialized and that judges want experienced attorneys to handle the complexities.

"Denton has a pretty good size legal community, but it's still small. You'll see more relationships in Denton than in Dallas," he said. "From my experience, Judge Windle is an exceedingly fair-minded, careful and hardworking judge."

Top 6 earners

Since the state started keeping records in 1994, the following professionals and their firms have earned the most money in Judge Windle's court, according to those records and a review of dozens of case files:

•Roy Anderson is the judge's friend and personal accountant. His firm has earned at least $419,918 since 1995.

•Robert Widmer is the judge's longtime friend and personal attorney. His former law partner Gray Shelton represented Judge Windle in a probate case after his wife died in 2001. A visiting judge presided over that case. The firm of Banks, Widmer & Shelton earned at least $357,323 from 1999 to 2004. Mr. Widmer left the firm at the end of 2004 and started his own practice. His former partners reorganized in January under a new name.

•David Bouschor, a Denton lawyer and friend of Mr. Anderson's, has earned more than $602,383 since 1995.

•Duane Coker, a Denton lawyer who formerly handled personal injury cases, began receiving appointments in 2000. He has earned at least $260,667.

•Bonnie Robison and her husband and law partner, Doug, have earned more than $547,423 since 1994. Ms. Robison has recommended Mr. Widmer, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Coker for court-approved work.

•Camille Milner, a Denton attorney who represented Judge Windle in his divorce, has earned at least $195,855 since 1994.

Fees not reported

It's difficult to know exactly how much money Judge Windle has approved for appointees and others.

Under a 1994 rule, probate courts must report appointment fees to the state, where they are available to the public. But no penalties exist for failing to do so.

Since the law went into effect, Judge Windle's court has failed to report at least $600,000 in appointee fees to the top six earners and their firms, according to a comparison of state reports and case files reviewed by The News.

"That's news to me," Judge Windle said.

In addition, the 1994 reporting rule doesn't apply to lawyers, accountants and others brought into cases to prepare tax forms or file lawsuits on behalf of estates and trusts.

They are often hired or recommended for a case by the court appointees. And their fees, which judges authorize by court order, can be even higher than the fees of appointees. In Judge Windle's court, many of the top earners have ensured steady work for themselves through such referrals.

That type of secondary work caught the attention of Judicial Watch. The national watchdog group is best known for its role in politics, from the 2000 election controversy to Vice President Dick Cheney's closed-door energy policy meetings to ethical questions about House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

In Texas, it has launched an investigation of the state's 16 probate courts after receiving repeated complaints to its Southwestern regional office in Dallas. Regional director Russell Verney said Judicial Watch is seeing a trend of probate judges rubber-stamping bills without first determining whether the charges are fair and justified.

"The primary concern of the courts is to pay without question the bills that are submitted" by appointees, he said of the group's preliminary investigation. "Only when that is resolved is there consideration of the beneficiary."

Legal specialty

Court appointees protect the legal interests of those who cannot handle their own affairs. They also manage estates and trusts when people die or become incapacitated or when family members disagree over control of loved ones or their assets.

Judge Windle said few lawyers are interested and qualified to work in probate court. He said lawyers often ask him to appoint certain people.

"We've got lawyers who have by reason of experience, background, training and expertise just gravitated to the probate court," he said. "It's a pretty specialized area."

Last year, the state certified 60 lawyers for guardianship work in Denton County Probate Court. There are no state qualifications to serve as estate administrators, estate guardians or trustees of family trusts.

Mr. Widmer, Mr. Shelton and Mr. Coker did not return calls seeking comment.

The others say complex cases call for experienced litigators and ad litems to represent the incapacitated in probate court.

"There are a lot of attorneys out there who have no business doing probate," Mr. Bouschor said. "I suspect I have a reputation for being a good probate litigator."

Ms. Robison said she is usually appointed in complex, contested cases because of her experience. Typically, lawyers on both sides have agreed to her appointment, she said. "They want someone to stand in the middle and be fair to both sides."

Ms. Milner said she's tried to prevent cases she's appointed to from dragging on.

"These are not cases I sought out or wanted. I was asked in certain cases ... because of 20-plus years of expertise," Ms. Milner said.

Others with personal ties to Judge Windle who have earned money through probate court include Judge Windle's longtime friend Rick Woolfolk, with whom he owns an airplane; and real estate broker Mike Ramos, with whom Judge Windle's family has invested.

At least one state has limited how much money court-appointed attorneys can earn.

New York attorneys who make more than $50,000 for guardianship work in a single year are ineligible for appointments the following year. A panel of judges passed the rule in 2002 in an effort to prevent favoritism and add accountability.

Texas code of conduct

Texas judicial canons state that judges must avoid the appearance of impropriety and must not allow any relationship to influence their conduct or judgment. Judges are required to make appointments impartially, without favoritism and "on the basis of merit," according to the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct.

Mr. Anderson, who has averaged more than $64,000 per year in appointments for the last six years, said Judge Windle calls him for help because he has worked on large estate cases.

"One of the reasons why I trust the guy is that he's my accountant; he does my tax returns," Judge Windle said.

The canons in the Code of Judicial Conduct state that judges must not engage in financial or business dealings that involve them in frequent transactions with lawyers or others who are likely to appear before them in court.

Mr. Anderson, Mr. Woolfolk, Mr. Ramos and Mr. Widmer have had some involvement in or dealings with one or more of nine investment, real estate and aviation partnerships involving Judge Windle.

Judge Windle said he makes an effort to separate his personal life from work. He pointed out his partnership with Mr. Woolfolk in an aviation venture. Aviation, he said, is not likely to come before the court.

"It minimizes the chance that any conflict will ever exist," he said.

Craig McDonald, executive director of Texans For Public Justice, a nonprofit watchdog group based in Austin, has documented cases where judges appoint campaign contributors.

"The same conflicts apply to judges who appoint those who provide professional services to the judges," he said. "The practice from an ethical standpoint is troubling."

Mr. McDonald said it raises questions about whether those services are market based, arms-length transactions.

"Would an attorney be giving the judge cut-rate legal services?" he asked.

Judge Windle said he pays the full price for services. Mr. Anderson confirmed that, saying he charges Judge Windle his regular fee.

Seana Willing, executive director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, which disciplines judges, said the safest course of action is full disclosure.

"Let the parties decide whether they want to recuse you, and then you're covered," she said.

"If that requires frequent recusals, the judges should divest themselves of that financial relationship."

Judge Windle said he's never recused himself in a probate case. He said he would disclose any relationships with appointees if their fees were challenged in court.

The judge said he is concerned about fees but has more pressing demands.

"My job as a probate judge is not to sit up here and keep a monetary accounting on who's earning what," he said. "I focus on the case and trying to get the individual case to move."

[TexasStooge]

Family adjusting to identical quads

HOUSTON, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) – Shelley Breedlove used to tease her mom about not being able to tell her apart from her identical twin sister. Now, as a 24-year-old mom, Breedlove has a new identity crisis: identical quadruplets.

"Everything I complained about, or picked on my mom about, or about being a twin, I am going to pay for four times over," said Breedlove, whose daughters were born March 24 and conceived without fertility drugs, which can increase the chances of multiple births.

Although no one knows for sure, medical literature indicates there are only about 50 sets of identical quadruplets, said Dr. Jamie Grifo, the director of NYU Medical Center's Division of Reproductive Endocrinology.

"Identical quadruplets are almost unheard of," he said. "It is kind of nature doing its own cloning experiment."

One set of identical quadruplets in Alabama is just more than a year old.

Christine Webb, 33, of Guin, Ala., gave birth in March 2004 to the quadruplets – also girls without the use of fertility drugs. She said Wednesday that taking care of four babies is a financial challenge and can strain the best marriages.

"They are fixing to find out it is a very unique situation to be in," she said. "I feel for them."

Right now, though, Breedlove is only feeling exuberance.

She plans to mark the bottom of her daughters' feet with markers, paint their toenails and may even consider tattooing tiny dots on them to tell them apart.

For now, lace ankle bracelets, with different shaped buttons, help hospital workers and family members tell the babies apart.

The girls – Adelle, Bonnie, Chloe and Daphne – each weigh about 5 pounds and could be home with their parents and 15-month-old brother within the next seven to 10 days, said Dr. Jayne Finkowski-Rivera, who has helped care for the babies. The girls weighed about 2 pounds at birth.

All had heart surgery and some suffered brain hemorrhages during their first few days after birth.

The oldest, Daphne, could leave The Woman's Hospital of Texas as soon as Friday.

"It is so exciting and unreal," Breedlove said. "I always said I would love to have twins, but I never thought I would."

On Wednesday, Breedlove and her husband, Eric, got their first glimpse at a new five-bedroom home a local builder has agreed to let the family live in free for the next year. A Houston furniture store owner said he'll furnish it.

"We feel so incredibly overwhelmed and grateful," Shelley Breedlove said. "It is the icing on the cake to be able to bring home four healthy daughters. We were going to make do with 10 people in a four-bedroom home and that was going to be wonderful because we have four healthy daughters."

But not having to live with relatives and the generous donations have relieved a lot of stress and worry, Breedlove said.

"We are just going to take it a day at a time and that is really all you can do for the next 20 years," she said.

Webb said there's been little sleep since her girls were born and it's especially difficult when one gets sick, because that normally means the other three will also soon be ill.

"The first year, it is like a blur," she said. "When you look back, you don't know how you got through it."

Webb's husband, Kevin, said his family's life has forever been altered, but he finds ways to make do. Like when his daughters are competing for his attention and he can't hold them all, he gets on the floor and lets "them crawl around on me like a litter of puppies."

"It's a lot of work, but it's worth it," he said. "We are head over heels in love with them."

[TexasStooge]

New greeting cards cater to cheaters

Secret Lover Collection makes affairs memorable

By KIMBERLY DURNAN / DallasNews.com

DALLAS, Texas - A new line of greeting cards could help fan the flames of infidelity.

The Secret Lover Collection, created by Cathy Gallagher of Bethesda, Md., is made for those involved in an illicit affair, a niche she considers long ignored.

The collection, which will be available in June, speaks to the uniqueness of such relationships, giving lovers the opportunity to recognize holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, apologies, hookups and breakups.

One holiday card reads, “As we each celebrate with our families, I will be thinking of you.” Another card laments: “I used to look forward to the weekends, but since we met, they seem like an eternity."

“These are for people who are in love affairs,” said Gallagher, who finds inspiration in movies, songs and people she knows. “These are not sex cards. Those have been done.”

Gallagher said she got the idea when she and her husband were discussing someone they know who was having an affair.

“By the time we reach our mid-30s we come into contact with someone who has had an affair,” she said. “I researched it and found it was an untapped market. There were relationship cards but nothing about this kind of relationship.”

Using discreet labeling to protect clandestine cupids, the cards will be sold online and in boutiques, but likely not in mainstream grocery stores and card shops.

Barbara Miller, a spokeswoman for the Greeting Card Association, said she has seen many niches evolve in the industry, like cards made specifically for the gay community, some even more expressly for the gay, black community.

But the market for greeting cards celebrating forbidden flings has been untapped until now, she said.

“Mrs. Gallagher saw this niche and proceeded to fill it,” she said. “It’s one of those things. We will have to wait and see what kind of response she gets.”

The cards drew some buzz at the National Stationery Show a few weeks ago, when Gallagher and about 1,500 other companies exhibited their collections.

“It’s new and nobody has ever seen or heard of this before – a card for people having extramarital affairs,” said Lori Robinson, show manager. “ It’s a taboo subject and has shock value.”

The cards reflect an industry trend toward more specialized messages in greeting cards that limit the creativity required of the writer, Robinson said. There are cards for cancer patients, stepmothers, or to recognize the adoption of children or pets.

“It’s very targeted,” she said. “We didn’t see that five or 10 years ago. Manufacturers are trying to cater to people’s specific needs.”

Hallmark will not be selling a competitor line to the Secret Lovers Collection, spokeswoman Rachel Bolton said.

“We have cards for good friends, for people who can’t be together and for divorce,” she said. “Hallmark has lot of cards that express wide variety of feelings about love, in cool platonic tones to passionate new love. Hallmark does not have cards for lovers in clandestine relationships.”
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Click here to see samples from collection.

[TexasStooge]

Mother of injured girl at child-care center has endured other tragedies in last year

By TANYA EISERER and HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

PLEASANT GROVE, Texas - Mary Martinez was in the hospital Wednesday comforting her 10-year-old daughter, who suffered burns when trapped under a car that careened into a child-care center a day earlier.

Last week, she was comforting her sister, who relatives say was wounded in a shooting.

And a little over six months ago, she was coping with the loss of her husband, Elizardo Guzman. The 26-year-old was gunned down with an assault rifle in November. Police say his nephew killed him.

"Imagine how she feels ... first her husband and now this," said Olga Márquez, the injured girl's aunt and godmother.

On Wednesday, two of Ms. Martinez's four children were inside the Dream House Learning Center in Pleasant Grove when, police say, a 14-year-old girl drove a white compact sedan through a plate-glass window.

Ms. Guzman's 5-year-old son, Gerardo Guzman, injured his collarbone. He was one of seven children hospitalized and released after the car slammed into the child-care center.

Her daughter, Rose Mary, was pinned under a wheel of the car for several minutes Tuesday before people ran to the scene and lifted the car off of her and another girl. "Please don't let me die," she screamed. "Please take the car off my leg!"

She remains in a room at Parkland Memorial Hospital in stable condition with burns on her legs.

"I go in every two hours," Ms. Martinez said. "She has morphine, but she says she's OK."

Ms. Martinez said her daughter can walk and talk a little, but she is consumed by worry.

"I'm very nervous," said Ms. Martinez, a housekeeper at a Mesquite hospital. "I'm feeling very depressed."

The underage driver, whose name is not being published because she is a juvenile, is being held at a county facility for juveniles until court hearing in early June. The owner of the car said she is sorry about the accident but denied giving her 14-year-old cousin permission to drive.

"They had no business leaving in the first place," Lasandra Bass, 24, said Wednesday. "I'm just sorry that the parents had to go through that."

Police cited Ms. Bass on Tuesday for allowing an unlicensed person to drive her car. The mother of the 14-year-old girl who was driving and a passenger say Ms. Bass told the girls they could go to a nearby grocery store. She declined to comment further.

Savannah Hickman, 13, a Florence Middle School student who was in the car with the driver and two other girls, said they had permission from Ms. Bass to drive to a nearby Minyard. "She did not steal that car," she said.

Ms. Bass denied that.

"Her mom was blaming me, and it was not my fault," she said. "People are upset, and they want to blame somebody."

Baby on board?

Police and witnesses say Ms. Bass' 11-month-old son also was in the car when it slammed into the child-care center in the 10000 block of Lake June Road. Ms. Bass says her infant was with her at the time.

Police say they're still trying to sort out differing accounts. "Stories change," said Dallas police traffic Sgt. Jerry Sanchez.

No charges had been filed Wednesday against the driver, but police said she will face eight counts of injury to a child.

A spokesman for the Dallas County district attorney said the girl could not be certified to stand trial as an adult because the pending charges are not first-degree felonies.

Punishment for such a charge typically involves intensive supervisory probation, usually for three months to a year, followed by more typical probation. A judge also can order additional sanctions such as placing restrictions on activities and ordering payment of restitution.

Ms. Bass said that on Tuesday afternoon she was visiting relatives in front of their home on Castlerock Drive when she went inside to use the phone. She said her cousin, the 14-year-old driver, had been in the car with her friends listening to music.

"When I came back outside, the car was gone," said Ms. Bass, a mother of two. "I thought they were just going around the block, so I waited outside. Ten or 15 minutes later, I started hearing ambulances and sirens."

According to police, the car was headed south on Masters Drive when the driver made a right turn into the shopping center parking lot but hit a curb with the front tire.

"She tried to make a wide turn," said Savannah, who was in the car. Another cousin of the 14-year-old's "tried to grab the wheel, and she lost control."

A police report says the driver then "panicked and stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal."

Sgt. Sanchez said he was not sure how fast the car was traveling.

Savannah said she has little recollection of the accident. "I just started hearing screaming," she recalled.

In the aftermath, she said she and another passenger ran to Minyard to call the 14-year-old's mother, but they couldn't remember the telephone number when they got there. So she said they ran back to the child-care center, where they asked a man to drive the four of them to the 14-year-old's nearby home.

Ms. Bass said the man drove up, and her cousin and the other girls were "hollering and screaming. He told me, 'If that's your car inside the day-care center, you better get down there now.' "

Back to center

She said she got the man to drive her and her 14-year-old cousin back to the child-care center, where she encountered a chaotic jumble of broken glass and mangled tables in what was once a play area for children. Several bystanders helped rescue two children who were trapped underneath the car.

"It was not a good feeling," Ms. Bass said.

Ray Jackson, attorney for the 14-year-old driver, said he remains hopeful that a judge will release her at a June 6 hearing. He said the girl is an honor student who participates in a lot of athletic activities.

"She's a very intelligent, nice girl, and everyone that we've spoken to – school friends, neighbors – says glowing things about her," Mr. Jackson said.

Laqua Smalley, sister and guardian of Savannah, described the 14-year-old girl as a "doll."

"She's a good kid," Ms. Smalley said. "She just made a bad decision."

Mr. Jackson said she was coping as well as she could at the detention center. "She's doing a lot better than I would do if I was 14," he said.

Ms. Martinez, Rose Mary's mother, has three other children between the ages of 7 months and 5 years old. She said she plans to continue using the child-care center once things are back to normal. The owners are talking with a local church about reopening there.

"It was not their fault," she said. "They're like family to me, and we're like family to them."

Meanwhile, the hospital vigil continues.

"It is very hard for me; it's like a nightmare," said Emma Guzman, Rose Mary's grandmother, who is also recovering from the loss of her son. "It's tragedy after tragedy in the family. Many sad things have happened in my life. I just pray to be calm."

Contributing to this report were staff writer Robert Tharp, Bert Lozano of WFAA ABC 8 and Isabel Rojas of Al Día.

[TexasStooge]

Illegal dumping on rise in Denton County

By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8

DENTON, Texas - Some say the illegal dumping problem in parts of Denton County is getting out of control.

Individuals are preying on residents looking to save some money when getting rid of large amounts of trash, and those residents end up paying more than they ever expected.

"You've got the drinking supply for Lake Lewisville right here, and no less than maybe 20 yards away you'll have people driving off doing the quick dump and then they're out of here within 10 to 15 seconds," sand Denton homeowner Tim Tyran.

Tyran has found couches, chemicals and even family pets.

"When we do our cleanup, unfortunately, we'll smell it," Tyran said. "I've looked in one bag and I'll never do it again."

But he and other residents forge ahead with volunteer cleanup efforts while Mike Sweet hunts down the people who illegally dump.

"This is well over 200 pounds, so it would be a state jail felony," Sweet said.

The Denton police environmental crimes investigator discovered many people trying to save money by hiring day laborers or someone advertising in the classifieds to dump hundreds of pounds of building materials and garbage at the city landfill for as little as $40.

But in many cases, some of those people hired to haul are just finding the closest city curb.

"They have several jobs lined up," Sweet said. "The faster they can unload and get to another job, the more money they make."

In one large pile, investigator Sweet found a name and address and tracked down the resident who thought his litter was legally dumped. Now, he has to pay for the cleanup, which could run hundreds of dollars.

"I'm working with him right now to track back to the dumpers, because those are really the people I want to get," said Sweet.

Sweet said illegal dumpers prey on people all over North Texas, so he suggests when hiring someone, write down their name, telephone and license plate numbers.

Also, don't pay the full amount until they show a landfill receipt, since you are ultimately responsible.

[TexasStooge]

Home appraisal too high? Better protest soon

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Time is running out to protest new property tax appraisals, and the lines at county appraisal offices are long.

Each year, county appraisers decide a house is worth one thing, but many homeowners think it's worth less.

Last year, homeowners filed 50,000 protests, and the effort this year doesn't look much different. They brave the overcrowded parking lot, the full-house seating and a two-hour wait.

At 7:30 one morning this week, there were already 76 people in line. They're trying to reduce their property taxes by protesting the latest appraisal of their homes.

Some, like Charlene Voisen, filed for a formal hearing before a full review board. Her Irving home appraisal jumped from $95,000 to $117,000; she didn't have much documentation but got it reduced by $7,000.

"They listened," Voisen said. "I'm glad I got it over with, got it down."

But many are trying an informal hearing process, which is first-come, first-serve and is a one-on-one meeting.

"We're just going to sit down, listen to what you have to say, then share what we've done," said county appraiser Ken Nolan. "We don't want it to be a mystery either; we want you to know how we arrived at the value."

24-year Dallas resident Cliff Morse is giving it a try. The appraisal of his Far North Dallas home shot up $55,000 in two years, and he said comparable sales there don't support that jump.

Working directly with an appraiser, it came down. Morse thinks if he brought more documention, he could have shrunk it even more.

"Take the time to get all the information before you come," he said. "Come prepared."

To boost your case, bring comparable sales prices in your neighborhood, physical evidence including photos of your home or estimates of repairs, or appraisals for home-equity loans or refinancing. If you just bought a house, bring the closing papers.

The filing deadline is May 31.

[TexasStooge]

Driver wounded in stoplight shootout

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police said two people in two vehicles got into a shouting match in Old East Dallas just after midnight Thursday.

One driver began ramming the other, prompting the driver of the second vehicle to pull out a gun and fire.

The gunshot struck the first driver, whose vehicle flipped over and crashed on Abrams Road at Fulton Street. The unidentified victim was ejected from the Toyota sport utility vehicle and was hospitalized in critical condition.

Police were looking for the other vehicle.

[TexasStooge]

Web site sends sex-offender alerts

By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - North Texas is home to tens of thousands of sex offenders.

There are over 4,000 in Dallas County alone; Tarrant County has about 2,300 and Collin County has nearly 400.

However, the government has had statistics on those offenders on the web for a while, and now a new system helps you track them through your cell phone or e-mail.

Julie Bagley has a new baby girl, and recent child molestation cases in Florida concerned her.

"A couple of the neighbors have been talking about looking up all the sex offenders living within a five-mile radius of our home," Bagley said. "We've actually gone online and done that."

What she and her neighbors discovered surrounding their homes surprised them.

"The scariest thing is that there were several in the area that had molested children under the age of five," she said. "I have two children under the age of three."

The public can track registered offenders through a web site run by the Department of Public Safety. And now, a website run by Texas-based "Scan USA" sends e-mails and text messages on cell phones to alert the public about the movement of sex offenders by zip code.

"We track new addresses, changes in zip codes, new registrants to that system, and in a proactive way we broadcast that information to local users," said Ray Krauss of ScanUSA.

The e-mail sends users to a DPS web site, containing information on the location of sex offenders.

"I would love to be aware of anybody that is moving into the neighborhood who has been charged in a sex crime, just for the extra precaution," Bagley said.
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Click here for official site.

[TexasStooge]

Fifth-grader brings gun, loaded clip to school

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A fifth-grader is in custody after bringing a gun and a loaded clip to a Dallas elementary school Thursday.

The incident happened at R.L. Thornton Elementary in the 6000 block of Old Ox Road.

Officials said the 12-year-old student's teacher apparantly was tipped off by another student.

The teacher confronted the boy and asked him for the clip, which he pulled out of his pocket. She then asked him if he had a gun; he said "yes", and handed it over.

The student has been taken to the Henry Wade Justice Center.

Witnesses said the boy brought the gun to school to scare an older and bigger student. It was not known where he got the weapon.

[TexasStooge]

Fort Worth police may have solved 1985 murder

By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas - The violent murders of more than a dozen young women in Fort Worth between 1983 and 1986 scared residents and frustrated police.

But now, police may have solved one woman's murder - and could be one step closer to closing other cold cases.

Almost exactly 20 years ago, on May 30, 1985, the body of Terese Gregory was found in the Trinity River. Gregory, 29, was sexually assaulted then shot in the face.

However, Fort Worth police now say DNA evidence from all those years ago matches Curtis Don Brown, now 46 and in prison for life. They're waiting to see if DNA from other murders will make a hit with Brown.

"We've got 15 cases that could potentially yield DNA-type evidence within that time window," said Lt. Dean Sullivan.

In 1986, police apprehended Brown while he was walking away from the sexual assault and murder of Jewel T. Woods. The cause of death in Woods' case was blunt-force trauma.

Police said it's too soon to speculate that Brown murdered more women, but he was in the area between 1983 and 1986.

"Yes, he is a person of interest until we can eliminate him from those cases," said Lt. Billy Cordell.

Authorities now need the public's help to possibly build a case against Brown, who has come up for parole once and could again.

"If somebody was a friend or acquaintance, lived next to him as a neighbor ... we want to hear from them, regardless of how trivial they think the information may be," Sullivan said.

[TexasStooge]

Man gets life term for 8th DWI

GEORGETOWN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A Marshall man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for his eighth drunken driving conviction over nearly two decades.

A Williamson County jury yesterday convicted 49-year-old Gary Gibbs, who was stopped in December 2003 by Georgetown police.

Gibbs, who had worked as a country singer, won't be eligible for parole for 30 years.

A police videotape of Gibbs doing field sobriety tests showed him stumbling.

Records show it was the eighth DWI-related conviction for Gibbs since 1986.

[TexasStooge]

North Texans to pour into area lakes

Businesses, officials rev up for Memorial Day crowds

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

LEWISVILLE, Texas – Lake lovers, boat owners and water-sports enthusiasts don't care what the calendar says. Summer starts this weekend.

And in traditional North Texas fashion, thousands of folks will kick things off by hitting area lakes – with watercrafts and coolers in tow, of course.

"It's like the opening weekend, so to speak," said Matt Charvoz, 30, of Plano, who spends as much time on area lakes as he can. "People sort of de-winterize their boats and take them out for the inaugural weekend. Memorial Day is always a big weekend."

No one knows that better than Nancy Van Rooyen. As the manager of Pier 121 Marina on Lewisville Lake, she's spent the last two weeks getting ready for the crowds. Small clusters will start trickling in today. By Saturday, things will be packed. On Sunday, the crescendo will hit.

"People who may not come the rest of the year come out on Memorial Day," she said. "April is fickle, but the weather starts to straighten out in May. And let's face it: People come out here to be in a swimsuit and shorts."

Lake-related businesses have seen sales rise as this weekend approaches.

"We've been selling boats right and left, and in the last few weeks we've had a lot of leasing," said Joel Weiner, the manager of Chandlers Landing Marina on Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall.

Last Memorial Day was also good for business, Mr. Weiner said, with about $5,000 in sales on just the holiday. And even if it's cloudy part of the day, that probably won't keep people from the lake.

"Just look at [Wednesday]," Mr. Weiner said. "It was ugly for a little while, but it cleared up and was nice after that."

Although some rain is expected throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area this weekend, the potential for severe weather is low.

"There could be scattered showers and thunderstorms through the weekend, but it's not going to be wet in any one area or even for long periods of time," said Steve Fano, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Most of these storms are just going to bring beneficial rain to the area, but the Memorial Day weekend will not be a washout."

Lake levels are promising, too. Tim MacAllister, a recreation specialist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said area lake levels are right at normal.

"We're sitting in pretty good shape heading into the summer season," he said.

Last year, torrential summer rains created hazardous flooding and caused millions of dollars of damage in the region. Flooding damaged waterfront homes and caused some lakeside businesses to close. The Corps of Engineers opened floodgates at Joe Pool Lake, where lake levels rose to about 10 feet above normal. The Grand Prairie Lakes Department closed about 100 campsites and hiking trails at Loyd Park.

Flooding at Grapevine Lake cost that city thousands of dollars after officials closed several boat ramps. Doug Evans, Grapevine's parks and recreation director, is hoping a repeat doesn't happen.

"We certainly do like moisture, but not as much as we had last year," he said. "It's been fairly dry for a while. But any time we have to close ramps, people can't use the lakes, and we do lose revenues."

To many North Texans, Lewisville Lake is the prime place to tie up the boat, turn up the tunes and enjoy a sultry Southern summer afternoon. But to regional and state officials, it's one of the most troublesome, perilous bodies of water in Texas.

"The main reason why it's such a dangerous lake is the amount of people and the alcohol consumption," said Parks and Wildlife Warden Chip Daigle.

From 1995 to 2003, there were at least 40 accidents on Lewisville Lake that were reported to the U.S. Coast Guard, according to a Dallas Morning News analysis of boating accident data. Officials estimate that only a fraction of accidents are reported.

There were nine deaths during the same period.

On one recent Saturday night, Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens wrote 40 tickets, issued one citation for boating while intoxicated and dealt with a few drug users, said Scott Haney, game warden captain with the Fort Worth district.

"My guys have worked their butts off on Lake Lewisville. It's not the same as it used to be," he said, noting there hasn't been a death on the lake in the last two years.

But its reputation reaches far beyond North Texas. Statewide, Lewisville Lake is synonymous with Lake Conroe near Houston and Lake Travis near Austin when it comes to accidents.

"I would give you those three names consistently year in and year out," said Alfonso Campos, chief of marine enforcement for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "They have more fatalities than any other lakes. They're in the top three all the time."

Not everyone wants to party on the water, though. For Carrollton computer consultant Kevin Hull, there's nothing quite like the relaxing simplicity of sailing.

"It's a way to unplug," said the commodore of the Lewisville Lake Boat Club. "You're not worried about the mortgage. You're thinking about something entirely different than you do day to day."

Mr. Charvoz, who runs the Web site dallaswakeboarding.com, said he and his buddies are on lakes pretty much year-round, but once summer comes, they'll head out up to four or five times a week.

"It's fairly cheap in a sense because you can even just swim from the shore if you want," he said. "It's inexpensive, it's fun, and it's a nice getaway. People like to be on the water."

Staff writers Paula Lavigne and Ian McCann contributed to this report.