TXI, residents to try mediation
Midlothian: Cement maker wants to ditch pollution controls
By JIM GETZ / The Dallas Morning News
WAXAHACHIE, Texas – Texas Industries Inc., local environmental groups and Midlothian residents will meet with a mediator over the next 30 days to try to reach a compromise on the cement maker's request to turn off pollution-control equipment for part of the year.
The announcement came at the end of a preliminary hearing Tuesday before a state administrative law judge at Waxahachie City Hall. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality had ordered the hearing in March after environmental groups had opposed TXI's request to modify its state air permit to allow higher emissions. TXI says it needs the modification to remain competitive.
The agreement to try mediation came three hours after the start of the hearing – and four hours after three dozen Midlothian residents and environmentalists held a news conference on City Hall steps, decrying TXI and other Ellis County cement makers for polluting the air and denouncing politicians and state regulators who, they say, side with the plants over people.
"I have a message for you, TXI: This is no longer the Midlothian, DFW or Texas you are used to abusing," said Jeff Millet, who moved to an area outside Midlothian about five years ago. "And in case you've forgotten, don't mess with Texas."
Environmental activist Jim Schermbeck, who has been fighting emissions from the plants since the late 1980s, said Tuesday's protest might have signaled that the character of the city is shifting. According to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Midlothian is growing at a rate of 8.5 percent annually, with an estimated population in 2005 of 12,150 – up from 7,480 in 2000 and 5,040 in 1990.
"Midlothian is becoming less and less a cement company town and more like any other suburb," Mr. Schermbeck said before Tuesday's hearing. "People in Plano or Frisco wouldn't put up with this. I think today represents a coming out of folks that weren't here five or 10 years ago, and most of them are Republican."
But to TXI spokesman Maurice Osborn, who was mayor of Midlothian from 1987 to 1999, his company has been a good corporate citizen for half a century. And in today's more competitive world, TXI needs to cut costs by turning off a pollution control known as a regenerative thermal oxidizer that other cement makers do not use.
Mr. Osborn agrees that Texas Industries agreed in the late 1990s to install the regenerative thermal oxidizer as a condition of being able to build a state-of-the-art cement kiln. Natural gas is burned to increase the oxidizer to 1,500 degrees to reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide and sulfur going into the air.
The volatile organic compounds are a component in smog, but the main components in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are nitrogen oxides that the equipment does not address, TXI has said.
In 2002, with the price of natural gas skyrocketing, the cement maker applied for a new permit to shut off the equipment and enable an increase in cement production to meet demand. Rex Coffman, environmental manager for TXI, said computer modeling done by the company and the state showed that emissions would meet health standards even if the oxidizer were turned off all year.
"It came back that it would not have an impact on the ozone," Mr. Coffman said.
Some residents of Midlothian do not believe that. Among them were a few that Administrative Law Judge Thomas H. Walston admitted as parties to the case Tuesday even though the Commission on Environmental Quality had not done so in March. Some of them were parents of children who attend schools within two miles of the cement plant.
Judge Walston will still have to make a recommendation if mediation fails. TCEQ The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality originally said it wanted his recommendation by June 7, 2006.
Environmentalists such as Wendi Hammond, director of Blue Skies Alliance, say that Tuesday's hearing shouldn't have occurred at all. She said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made it clear that after June 15, 2004, when Ellis County was added to the region's ozone-violation area, TXI had to apply for a new state permit under stricter pollution rules. The commission on environmental quality, she said, should have denied the old application. Instead, the commission continued to process TXI's pending permit application.
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TXI EMISSIONS
Here's a look at the permitted emissions in pounds per hour by TXI and what a modified permit would allow during ozone and nonozone seasons*:
Volatile organic compounds**
Under existing permit: 12.98
Proposed modified permit, ozone season: 83.7
Proposed modified pemit, nonozone season: 275.6
Carbon monoxide
Under current permit: 0.03
Proposed modified permit, all year: 15
Total reduced sulfur
Under current permit: 92.44
Proposed modified permit, all year: 2,525.4
SOURCE: Texas Industries Inc.
*Ozone season is May 1 through Oct. 31.
**Only VOCs are considered a component of smog and a factor in the Dallas-Fort Worth region complying with the Clean Air Act.
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EMMISSIONS LIST
Out of 2,448 counties in the U.S. in which there were industries that had to report air emissions from smokestacks under federal law, Ellis County ranked 220th – 10th in Texas – in 2003 in pounds of pollutants released:
Texas' top 10:
1. Harris: 9,521,951 (19th in U.S.)
2. Jefferson: 5,317,295 (54th)
3. Brazoria: 3,711,580 (88th)
4. Orange: 3,006,257 (112th)
5. Galveston: 2,345,447 (148th)
6. Cass: 2,043,689 (169th)
7. Harrison: 2,038,005 (171st)
8. Calhoun: 1,637,057 (210th)
9. Titus: 1,557,224 (218th)
10. Ellis: 1,553,314 (220th)
SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
News from the Lone Star State
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Free hotline to help avoid foreclosures
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas residents who fear they will lose their homes to foreclosure can now call a free hotline for help.
The city, mortgage lenders and a nonprofit have created the Dallas Home Ownership Preservation Enterprise to offer telephone counseling to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
"It's an important lifeline," Mayor Laura Miller said Tuesday during a City Hall news conference. "We ought to be able to keep a significant number of people in their homes."
Callers will receive counseling through the Credit Counseling Resource Center, a program of the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that works to reduce foreclosures nationwide.
The nonprofit will help callers create a financial plan to try to stay in their home and coordinate communication with their mortgage lender, said Walt Fricke, president and executive director of the Homeownership Preservation Foundation.
He said as many as half of homeowners who enter foreclosure never talk to their mortgage lenders.
The city and mortgage lenders each chipped in $25,000, and the Homeownership Preservation Foundation supplied $50,000 to start the service – enough to keep it going for three years, until more money can be raised.
Dallas-Fort Worth had the highest foreclosure rate in the country among top cities studied by RealtyTrac Inc.: one foreclosure for every 319 households. That number is more than 5.5 times the national average, which some partly attribute to Dallas being one of the hardest-hit areas in the last recession.
In addition, local housing values have not appreciated enough to give people enough equity in their homes to help cushion the blow if they lose their jobs, said the city's housing director, Jerry Killingsworth.
Dallas residents can receive free foreclosure prevention counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-888-995-4673. Bilingual counselors are available.
For more information about the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, go to http://www.hpfonline.org.
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas residents who fear they will lose their homes to foreclosure can now call a free hotline for help.
The city, mortgage lenders and a nonprofit have created the Dallas Home Ownership Preservation Enterprise to offer telephone counseling to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
"It's an important lifeline," Mayor Laura Miller said Tuesday during a City Hall news conference. "We ought to be able to keep a significant number of people in their homes."
Callers will receive counseling through the Credit Counseling Resource Center, a program of the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that works to reduce foreclosures nationwide.
The nonprofit will help callers create a financial plan to try to stay in their home and coordinate communication with their mortgage lender, said Walt Fricke, president and executive director of the Homeownership Preservation Foundation.
He said as many as half of homeowners who enter foreclosure never talk to their mortgage lenders.
The city and mortgage lenders each chipped in $25,000, and the Homeownership Preservation Foundation supplied $50,000 to start the service – enough to keep it going for three years, until more money can be raised.
Dallas-Fort Worth had the highest foreclosure rate in the country among top cities studied by RealtyTrac Inc.: one foreclosure for every 319 households. That number is more than 5.5 times the national average, which some partly attribute to Dallas being one of the hardest-hit areas in the last recession.
In addition, local housing values have not appreciated enough to give people enough equity in their homes to help cushion the blow if they lose their jobs, said the city's housing director, Jerry Killingsworth.
Dallas residents can receive free foreclosure prevention counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-888-995-4673. Bilingual counselors are available.
For more information about the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, go to http://www.hpfonline.org.
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Horses provide therapy for disabled
By KRYSTLE FERNANDEZ / The Dallas Morning News
WYLIE, Texas – For 8-year-old Katie Passmore of North Dallas, having cerebral palsy means she must rely on a wheelchair to get around.
But a pony named Tanka has made Katie's life a little easier – and a lot more fun.
Katie receives hippotherapy treatment at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship in Wylie, which bills itself as the oldest and largest nonprofit therapeutic horse center in the state.
Hippotherapy uses a horse's movements to treat people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. The instructor uses the steady gait of a horse to manipulate and strengthen certain parts of the patient's body, said Cindy Thomas, one of three physical trainers at Equest.
"In hippotherapy, the rider is not learning how to ride," Ms. Thomas said. "We are using the horse as a therapy tool to eventually help the adult or child with a functional purpose."
For Katie, hippotherapy means a break from her traditional physical therapy sessions. But more than that, it gives her something to look forward to.
"This girl is in a wheelchair all the time," Ms. Thomas said. "Why not give her a break?"
She carries Katie to the ramp where she is lifted onto Tanka, a white pony with brown spots.
"It's incredible," said a proud Mary Passmore, Katie's mom. "There's a connection with her and that horse."
It is Katie's third hippotherapy session, and as an instructor leads Tanka around the dirt-floor arena, Katie holds her head high for a few brief seconds. Her mom can already see the difference.
"It's amazing to see that she's able to do something because she's usually so confined to a wheelchair."
Equest, which charges about $160 for each one-hour hippotherapy session, tries to keep patients working with the same horse so that the two become familiar with each other.
"A lot of times when people are afraid to get close to a human being, they'll get close to an animal," said Lili Kellogg, Equest program director. "Horses are very nonjudgmental. They can be forgiving and very rewarding."
During hippotherapy sessions, four trained people – two volunteers, a physical therapist and an instructor – work with the patient. The volunteers walk on either side of the horse, the physical therapist is free to move about the group, and the instructor leads the horse.
Trained volunteers will hold the rider's hands, support their back or neck, or assist alongside the rider. During fall and spring hippotherapy sessions, Equest may have as many as 500 volunteers, many of them young. That number drops to about 45 a day during the summer, when the sessions are much shorter.
Alexis Burns, a three-year Equest volunteer, has been riding horses most of her life. The 16-year-old said her mom owns a day care for disabled children, and when she discovered she could combine her love for riding horses with caring for disabled youths, she eagerly agreed to volunteer.
"It's really rewarding," Alexis said, "just being able to watch the kids that are normally in a wheelchair get up on a horse and be in control of the whole situation."
After Katie's session concludes, Ms. Thomas begins working with 5-year-old Madison Esparza, another child with cerebral palsy. For Madison, who lives in Rockwall, holding her head up is not an issue, but walking on her own is.
Ms. Thomas starts with Madison on the ground before they put her atop Crunchie, another brown and white pony. She keeps her hands on Madison's back and legs as the little girl teeters side-to-side, trying to catch her balance. Ms. Thomas coaxes Madison to straighten out her legs and hold her chest up.
"Stand early and walk late," Ms. Thomas said. "She'll get it."
And she does about two minutes later when, for one triumphant moment, Madison stands on her own. Her nanny, Joan Curtis, clasps her hands together, momentarily too happy to speak. About 20 minutes later, Madison repeats the effort – but this time, she's on Crunchie's back.
"To be even a small part of something like this is tremendously gratifying," Ms. Curtis said. "This allows Maddie to participate in a regular activity. The stuff they do for her here is wonderful."
By KRYSTLE FERNANDEZ / The Dallas Morning News
WYLIE, Texas – For 8-year-old Katie Passmore of North Dallas, having cerebral palsy means she must rely on a wheelchair to get around.
But a pony named Tanka has made Katie's life a little easier – and a lot more fun.
Katie receives hippotherapy treatment at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship in Wylie, which bills itself as the oldest and largest nonprofit therapeutic horse center in the state.
Hippotherapy uses a horse's movements to treat people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. The instructor uses the steady gait of a horse to manipulate and strengthen certain parts of the patient's body, said Cindy Thomas, one of three physical trainers at Equest.
"In hippotherapy, the rider is not learning how to ride," Ms. Thomas said. "We are using the horse as a therapy tool to eventually help the adult or child with a functional purpose."
For Katie, hippotherapy means a break from her traditional physical therapy sessions. But more than that, it gives her something to look forward to.
"This girl is in a wheelchair all the time," Ms. Thomas said. "Why not give her a break?"
She carries Katie to the ramp where she is lifted onto Tanka, a white pony with brown spots.
"It's incredible," said a proud Mary Passmore, Katie's mom. "There's a connection with her and that horse."
It is Katie's third hippotherapy session, and as an instructor leads Tanka around the dirt-floor arena, Katie holds her head high for a few brief seconds. Her mom can already see the difference.
"It's amazing to see that she's able to do something because she's usually so confined to a wheelchair."
Equest, which charges about $160 for each one-hour hippotherapy session, tries to keep patients working with the same horse so that the two become familiar with each other.
"A lot of times when people are afraid to get close to a human being, they'll get close to an animal," said Lili Kellogg, Equest program director. "Horses are very nonjudgmental. They can be forgiving and very rewarding."
During hippotherapy sessions, four trained people – two volunteers, a physical therapist and an instructor – work with the patient. The volunteers walk on either side of the horse, the physical therapist is free to move about the group, and the instructor leads the horse.
Trained volunteers will hold the rider's hands, support their back or neck, or assist alongside the rider. During fall and spring hippotherapy sessions, Equest may have as many as 500 volunteers, many of them young. That number drops to about 45 a day during the summer, when the sessions are much shorter.
Alexis Burns, a three-year Equest volunteer, has been riding horses most of her life. The 16-year-old said her mom owns a day care for disabled children, and when she discovered she could combine her love for riding horses with caring for disabled youths, she eagerly agreed to volunteer.
"It's really rewarding," Alexis said, "just being able to watch the kids that are normally in a wheelchair get up on a horse and be in control of the whole situation."
After Katie's session concludes, Ms. Thomas begins working with 5-year-old Madison Esparza, another child with cerebral palsy. For Madison, who lives in Rockwall, holding her head up is not an issue, but walking on her own is.
Ms. Thomas starts with Madison on the ground before they put her atop Crunchie, another brown and white pony. She keeps her hands on Madison's back and legs as the little girl teeters side-to-side, trying to catch her balance. Ms. Thomas coaxes Madison to straighten out her legs and hold her chest up.
"Stand early and walk late," Ms. Thomas said. "She'll get it."
And she does about two minutes later when, for one triumphant moment, Madison stands on her own. Her nanny, Joan Curtis, clasps her hands together, momentarily too happy to speak. About 20 minutes later, Madison repeats the effort – but this time, she's on Crunchie's back.
"To be even a small part of something like this is tremendously gratifying," Ms. Curtis said. "This allows Maddie to participate in a regular activity. The stuff they do for her here is wonderful."
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TexasStooge
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Recent grad dies in crash
Watauga: Police say she may have fallen asleep before U.S. 377 wreck
By DEBRA DENNIS and KRYSTLE FERNANDEZ / The Dallas Morning News
WATAUGA, Texas - A Fort Worth 18-year-old returning from her first night at a new job after graduating from high school died early Tuesday when her car crossed a busy highway and slammed into an oncoming vehicle.
Police said Loveth Yvonne Shaw may have fallen asleep before the crash on U.S. Highway 377 near Basswood Boulevard in Watauga.
The other driver was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital. Her condition was not known.
Ms. Shaw, who graduated with honors last month from Dunbar High School, had taken an assembly job with Radio Shack to support herself and her 5-month-old daughter, Llyric Pike.
"She was excited about it. She wasn't at all nervous," said Krista Daniels, Ms. Shaw's godmother and a longtime family friend.
Ms. Shaw died about 7 a.m., less than an hour after completing her overnight shift.
Neither Ms. Shaw's father, the Rev. Sherman Johnson, nor her mother, Benetha Johnson, were available for comment.
"This has been a tremendous loss for us," Ms. Daniels said.
The family said it seems Ms. Shaw's child already misses her.
"She's been up and crying all day long," said her cousin Kesha Wright.
Ms. Shaw's family said she worked in several roles at her father's church, Greater Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
"She was in the choir and was part of the praise team. She went wherever she was needed. When you're a pastor's child, there is a responsibility," Ms. Daniels said.
Ms. Shaw, whose friends and family called her Lovie, was a cheerleader during her freshman and sophomore years and sang in the school's gospel choir.
More than 150 students and neighbors attended a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at Dunbar.
As mourners made a memorial of flowers, photos and cards, they shared their recollections of Ms. Shaw, who planned to start beauty school in a month.
"She could sing, she could dance, and she loved to do hair," Ms. Wright said.
LaCrissa Godfrey, a teacher at Dunbar, said Ms. Shaw visited her room every day, even when she was no longer in her class.
A friend, Labricha Brown, said, "She was somebody that everybody knew and everybody liked."
Watauga: Police say she may have fallen asleep before U.S. 377 wreck
By DEBRA DENNIS and KRYSTLE FERNANDEZ / The Dallas Morning News
WATAUGA, Texas - A Fort Worth 18-year-old returning from her first night at a new job after graduating from high school died early Tuesday when her car crossed a busy highway and slammed into an oncoming vehicle.
Police said Loveth Yvonne Shaw may have fallen asleep before the crash on U.S. Highway 377 near Basswood Boulevard in Watauga.
The other driver was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital. Her condition was not known.
Ms. Shaw, who graduated with honors last month from Dunbar High School, had taken an assembly job with Radio Shack to support herself and her 5-month-old daughter, Llyric Pike.
"She was excited about it. She wasn't at all nervous," said Krista Daniels, Ms. Shaw's godmother and a longtime family friend.
Ms. Shaw died about 7 a.m., less than an hour after completing her overnight shift.
Neither Ms. Shaw's father, the Rev. Sherman Johnson, nor her mother, Benetha Johnson, were available for comment.
"This has been a tremendous loss for us," Ms. Daniels said.
The family said it seems Ms. Shaw's child already misses her.
"She's been up and crying all day long," said her cousin Kesha Wright.
Ms. Shaw's family said she worked in several roles at her father's church, Greater Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
"She was in the choir and was part of the praise team. She went wherever she was needed. When you're a pastor's child, there is a responsibility," Ms. Daniels said.
Ms. Shaw, whose friends and family called her Lovie, was a cheerleader during her freshman and sophomore years and sang in the school's gospel choir.
More than 150 students and neighbors attended a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at Dunbar.
As mourners made a memorial of flowers, photos and cards, they shared their recollections of Ms. Shaw, who planned to start beauty school in a month.
"She could sing, she could dance, and she loved to do hair," Ms. Wright said.
LaCrissa Godfrey, a teacher at Dunbar, said Ms. Shaw visited her room every day, even when she was no longer in her class.
A friend, Labricha Brown, said, "She was somebody that everybody knew and everybody liked."
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TexasStooge
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Miller recall effort seems far from goal
Little action seen in southern areas in drive to oust Dallas mayor
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Halfway through the third movement in two years to recall Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, there's little evidence suggesting a coalition of southern-sector church leaders is anywhere close to fulfilling its promises of success.
Five of six City Council members who primarily represent southern-sector neighborhoods say they've neither seen nor heard of people collecting any of the 72,873 voter signatures needed to force a recall election, requiring Ms. Miller to run for her seat in a special election.
The sixth council member, District 4 representative Maxine Thornton-Reese, said she saw recall petitions circulating in her community but not for a few weeks.
"I don't know anything about what's going on with it. I haven't heard anything – don't know how far they are or what they're doing," council member James Fantroy said.
"I can't predict what will happen because I don't know anything about it," council member Leo Chaney said. "I'm more concerned with getting economic development in Fair Park and north Oak Cliff anyway."
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and council members Elba Garcia and Ed Oakley say they know of no organized recall effort in their communities.
Ms. Miller has her own theory.
"Nothing's going on with it," she said. "It's not a distraction for me because nothing's even happening."
Meanwhile, black church leaders who last month declared they'd collect double the number of signatures needed to prompt a recall and boldly stated, "failure is not an option," have all but disappeared from public view.
Repeated phone messages and e-mails left over a three-week period for the Rev. S.C. Nash, Clergy for Recall's spokesman and the pastor of Mount Tabor Baptist Church, have not been returned.
Messages left for the recall effort's three other leaders – the Rev. Claude Maples, who filed the recall petition May 6; the Rev. Lelious Johnson, an organizer; and Bishop Harold Edwards, a volunteer trainer – also have not been returned.
Mr. Maples, pastor of Romine Avenue Christian Church, said last month that his organization planned to capitalize on the overwhelming defeat of Dallas' strong-mayor proposition, for which Ms. Miller campaigned.
"This time, petitions are going out all over the city. Committees are organizing in every precinct," he said then. But no such citywide organization exists today.
Several workers at primarily black election precincts said they didn't see people collecting signatures outside of their polls during Saturday's council runoff election. In District 14, council member Veletta Forsythe Lill said she knew of no signature collection effort in precincts 3000 or 3001, which are predominantly black.
As of Monday, Dallas Elections Manager Brooks Love said Clergy for Recall members have not submitted petitions to the city secretary's office, nor have they called the office in several weeks. They have until July 5 to submit their signatures.
Recall efforts in 2003 and 2004 failed.
The recall efforts sprang from widespread dissatisfaction with the mayor among black Dallas residents, many of whom say Ms. Miller is ignorant of issues facing the city's predominantly black southern sector.
Ms. Miller says she doesn't intend to become complacent about the recall effort's apparent floundering.
"They could certainly change that this month," Ms. Miller said of the recall leaders. "But they sure haven't done much in the first month."
Said Dr. Thornton-Reese: "If anyone can pull it off, the clergy can pull it off. They don't feel like they're getting the respect she gives others. She's a very smart lady, yes, but I don't even know if she realizes she's doing this."
Little action seen in southern areas in drive to oust Dallas mayor
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Halfway through the third movement in two years to recall Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, there's little evidence suggesting a coalition of southern-sector church leaders is anywhere close to fulfilling its promises of success.
Five of six City Council members who primarily represent southern-sector neighborhoods say they've neither seen nor heard of people collecting any of the 72,873 voter signatures needed to force a recall election, requiring Ms. Miller to run for her seat in a special election.
The sixth council member, District 4 representative Maxine Thornton-Reese, said she saw recall petitions circulating in her community but not for a few weeks.
"I don't know anything about what's going on with it. I haven't heard anything – don't know how far they are or what they're doing," council member James Fantroy said.
"I can't predict what will happen because I don't know anything about it," council member Leo Chaney said. "I'm more concerned with getting economic development in Fair Park and north Oak Cliff anyway."
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and council members Elba Garcia and Ed Oakley say they know of no organized recall effort in their communities.
Ms. Miller has her own theory.
"Nothing's going on with it," she said. "It's not a distraction for me because nothing's even happening."
Meanwhile, black church leaders who last month declared they'd collect double the number of signatures needed to prompt a recall and boldly stated, "failure is not an option," have all but disappeared from public view.
Repeated phone messages and e-mails left over a three-week period for the Rev. S.C. Nash, Clergy for Recall's spokesman and the pastor of Mount Tabor Baptist Church, have not been returned.
Messages left for the recall effort's three other leaders – the Rev. Claude Maples, who filed the recall petition May 6; the Rev. Lelious Johnson, an organizer; and Bishop Harold Edwards, a volunteer trainer – also have not been returned.
Mr. Maples, pastor of Romine Avenue Christian Church, said last month that his organization planned to capitalize on the overwhelming defeat of Dallas' strong-mayor proposition, for which Ms. Miller campaigned.
"This time, petitions are going out all over the city. Committees are organizing in every precinct," he said then. But no such citywide organization exists today.
Several workers at primarily black election precincts said they didn't see people collecting signatures outside of their polls during Saturday's council runoff election. In District 14, council member Veletta Forsythe Lill said she knew of no signature collection effort in precincts 3000 or 3001, which are predominantly black.
As of Monday, Dallas Elections Manager Brooks Love said Clergy for Recall members have not submitted petitions to the city secretary's office, nor have they called the office in several weeks. They have until July 5 to submit their signatures.
Recall efforts in 2003 and 2004 failed.
The recall efforts sprang from widespread dissatisfaction with the mayor among black Dallas residents, many of whom say Ms. Miller is ignorant of issues facing the city's predominantly black southern sector.
Ms. Miller says she doesn't intend to become complacent about the recall effort's apparent floundering.
"They could certainly change that this month," Ms. Miller said of the recall leaders. "But they sure haven't done much in the first month."
Said Dr. Thornton-Reese: "If anyone can pull it off, the clergy can pull it off. They don't feel like they're getting the respect she gives others. She's a very smart lady, yes, but I don't even know if she realizes she's doing this."
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TexasStooge
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Killer executed in death of prostitute
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) – Condemned killer Alexander Martinez was executed Tuesday for the robbery and fatal stabbing of a prostitute at a Houston house almost four years ago.
In a brief statement while strapped to the death chamber gurney, he thanked his family and friends and expressed his love for them.
"And thanks for the friends at the Polunsky Unit that helped me get through this that didn't agree with my decision and still gave me their friendship," he said.
Martinez, who would have turned 29 next week, ordered no appeals filed that could stop his punishment.
As the drugs began flowing, he gasped, coughed and let out a long wheeze. Eight minutes later at 6:18 p.m., he was pronounced dead. One of the tubes carrying the lethal drugs snaked around his right arm where there was a large tattoo of a woman with long flowing hair. Just beneath her image was a tombstone with a large dollar sign.
In a handwritten statement he prepared about two hours before his death, Martinez acknowledged that "I have caused so much pain to so many people. I especially want to apologize to my victim's family for the life I took.
"I am only taking full responsibility for what I have done. I am truly sorry and, though some may not believe this, God only knows the truth and for that I know that's all that matters. I am ashamed for what I've done!"
His English-born wife by proxy and a sister-in-law were the only witnesses.
His execution was the ninth this year in Texas, the nation's leading capital punishment state.
"I don't like what I did," Martinez said in a recent death row interview. "I'm ashamed for what I did. I can say I'm sorry, but my actions mean so much more."
Martinez was supposed to be put to death in March. That date was put off, however, when his lawyer filed an appeal in the state courts against Martinez's wishes.
"You should have heard him," attorney Pat McCann said. "He was furious."
When the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the appeal, it cleared the way for setting the punishment for Tuesday.
At least two psychiatrists examined Martinez last year and determined he was mentally competent to make the decision.
"I think he actually looks at this execution as peace if one can understand that," McCann said. "The system up there is so grim, some of them actually long for some kind of release."
The eighth-grade dropout who said he never had a real job was out of prison in August 2001 only three weeks on an attempted murder conviction when he telephoned an escort service that doubled as a prostitution operation.
With a promise she would be paid $300, Helen Oliveros, 45, showed up at the Houston house where Martinez was staying.
"I didn't have $300," he said. "She got real mad and we got into a fight. I stabbed her."
Evidence showed he slit the woman's throat with a knife, had sex with her and took about $150 from her. Then he folded her body into a trash bag and stuffed it in a closet. After a few days, he dumped the body in a nearby vacant field on Houston's east side.
He later attacked his stepmother, seriously injuring her by slashing her throat. When he told other relatives of that assault, they became afraid and called police. Prosecutors said he then confessed to the Oliveros slaying.
Martinez had been in and out of jail and prison since he was 15, when he was first arrested for stealing cars. In August 1994 he was convicted of attempted murder in Houston for stabbing a worker at a pizza place and was sentenced to seven years. A year later he was paroled, then returned to prison the following year for violating parole.
On July 20, 2001, Martinez was freed under mandatory supervision. Oliveros was killed 23 days later.
Her name, along with the name of Martinez's stepmother, are on tombstones among extensive tattoos on his arms.
"He did it before the trial," said Marie Munier, a Harris County assistant district attorney who was among the prosecutors handling Martinez's case. "One gave us the name of the complainant and said $300 and R.I.P.
"He was really creepy."
At least six other Texas inmates have execution dates. Scheduled next for injection is Charles Dean Hood, set to die June 30 for the fatal shootings of a man and woman in Plano in 1989.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) – Condemned killer Alexander Martinez was executed Tuesday for the robbery and fatal stabbing of a prostitute at a Houston house almost four years ago.
In a brief statement while strapped to the death chamber gurney, he thanked his family and friends and expressed his love for them.
"And thanks for the friends at the Polunsky Unit that helped me get through this that didn't agree with my decision and still gave me their friendship," he said.
Martinez, who would have turned 29 next week, ordered no appeals filed that could stop his punishment.
As the drugs began flowing, he gasped, coughed and let out a long wheeze. Eight minutes later at 6:18 p.m., he was pronounced dead. One of the tubes carrying the lethal drugs snaked around his right arm where there was a large tattoo of a woman with long flowing hair. Just beneath her image was a tombstone with a large dollar sign.
In a handwritten statement he prepared about two hours before his death, Martinez acknowledged that "I have caused so much pain to so many people. I especially want to apologize to my victim's family for the life I took.
"I am only taking full responsibility for what I have done. I am truly sorry and, though some may not believe this, God only knows the truth and for that I know that's all that matters. I am ashamed for what I've done!"
His English-born wife by proxy and a sister-in-law were the only witnesses.
His execution was the ninth this year in Texas, the nation's leading capital punishment state.
"I don't like what I did," Martinez said in a recent death row interview. "I'm ashamed for what I did. I can say I'm sorry, but my actions mean so much more."
Martinez was supposed to be put to death in March. That date was put off, however, when his lawyer filed an appeal in the state courts against Martinez's wishes.
"You should have heard him," attorney Pat McCann said. "He was furious."
When the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the appeal, it cleared the way for setting the punishment for Tuesday.
At least two psychiatrists examined Martinez last year and determined he was mentally competent to make the decision.
"I think he actually looks at this execution as peace if one can understand that," McCann said. "The system up there is so grim, some of them actually long for some kind of release."
The eighth-grade dropout who said he never had a real job was out of prison in August 2001 only three weeks on an attempted murder conviction when he telephoned an escort service that doubled as a prostitution operation.
With a promise she would be paid $300, Helen Oliveros, 45, showed up at the Houston house where Martinez was staying.
"I didn't have $300," he said. "She got real mad and we got into a fight. I stabbed her."
Evidence showed he slit the woman's throat with a knife, had sex with her and took about $150 from her. Then he folded her body into a trash bag and stuffed it in a closet. After a few days, he dumped the body in a nearby vacant field on Houston's east side.
He later attacked his stepmother, seriously injuring her by slashing her throat. When he told other relatives of that assault, they became afraid and called police. Prosecutors said he then confessed to the Oliveros slaying.
Martinez had been in and out of jail and prison since he was 15, when he was first arrested for stealing cars. In August 1994 he was convicted of attempted murder in Houston for stabbing a worker at a pizza place and was sentenced to seven years. A year later he was paroled, then returned to prison the following year for violating parole.
On July 20, 2001, Martinez was freed under mandatory supervision. Oliveros was killed 23 days later.
Her name, along with the name of Martinez's stepmother, are on tombstones among extensive tattoos on his arms.
"He did it before the trial," said Marie Munier, a Harris County assistant district attorney who was among the prosecutors handling Martinez's case. "One gave us the name of the complainant and said $300 and R.I.P.
"He was really creepy."
At least six other Texas inmates have execution dates. Scheduled next for injection is Charles Dean Hood, set to die June 30 for the fatal shootings of a man and woman in Plano in 1989.
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TexasStooge
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Irving man's wreck followed by bizarre behavior
IRVING, Texas/DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/DallasNews.com) - An Irving resident was in custody Wednesday after a bizarre spree that included being involved in an accident on Interstate 30, sitting amid moving traffic on the freeway and vandalizing a nearby gas station.
The situation began unfolding shortly before 2:30 a.m. when James Arthur Outlaw, 57, started driving the wrong way in the 300 block of eastbound I-30 near Stemmons Freeway, Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Donna Hernandez said.
Several drivers narrowly missed Outlaw before his vehicle collided with another. The driver of that car was not seriously injured and refused medical treatment, Hernandez said.
Hernandez said Outlaw, after briefly sitting down on the highway, then turned up at the Fuel City convenience store and gas station in the 800 block of South Industrial Boulevard. He entered by throwing a trash can through a ground-level window near the locked front doors, she said.
Outlaw, shirtless and wearing shorts stained with his blood from the break-in, was yelling while a group of witnesses watched from outside, the video shows.
According to police, a woman working at the store escaped by climbing out a drive-through window behind the registers. She and other employees were not injured during the ordeal, Hernandez said.
Police entered the store and arrested Outlaw without incident shortly after the break-in. He was charged with burglary of a building and failure to leave identification at the scene of an accident, Hernandez said.
Outlaw was being held at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, she said.
Although the case was unusual, Hernandez said, “nothing seems to surprise me anymore.”
IRVING, Texas/DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/DallasNews.com) - An Irving resident was in custody Wednesday after a bizarre spree that included being involved in an accident on Interstate 30, sitting amid moving traffic on the freeway and vandalizing a nearby gas station.
The situation began unfolding shortly before 2:30 a.m. when James Arthur Outlaw, 57, started driving the wrong way in the 300 block of eastbound I-30 near Stemmons Freeway, Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Donna Hernandez said.
Several drivers narrowly missed Outlaw before his vehicle collided with another. The driver of that car was not seriously injured and refused medical treatment, Hernandez said.
Hernandez said Outlaw, after briefly sitting down on the highway, then turned up at the Fuel City convenience store and gas station in the 800 block of South Industrial Boulevard. He entered by throwing a trash can through a ground-level window near the locked front doors, she said.
Outlaw, shirtless and wearing shorts stained with his blood from the break-in, was yelling while a group of witnesses watched from outside, the video shows.
According to police, a woman working at the store escaped by climbing out a drive-through window behind the registers. She and other employees were not injured during the ordeal, Hernandez said.
Police entered the store and arrested Outlaw without incident shortly after the break-in. He was charged with burglary of a building and failure to leave identification at the scene of an accident, Hernandez said.
Outlaw was being held at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, she said.
Although the case was unusual, Hernandez said, “nothing seems to surprise me anymore.”
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote:Recent grad dies in crash
Watauga: Police say she may have fallen asleep before U.S. 377 wreck
By DEBRA DENNIS and KRYSTLE FERNANDEZ / The Dallas Morning News
WATAUGA, Texas - A Fort Worth 18-year-old returning from her first night at a new job after graduating from high school died early Tuesday when her car crossed a busy highway and slammed into an oncoming vehicle.
Police said Loveth Yvonne Shaw may have fallen asleep before the crash on U.S. Highway 377 near Basswood Boulevard in Watauga.
The other driver was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital. Her condition was not known.
Ms. Shaw, who graduated with honors last month from Dunbar High School, had taken an assembly job with Radio Shack to support herself and her 5-month-old daughter, Llyric Pike.
"She was excited about it. She wasn't at all nervous," said Krista Daniels, Ms. Shaw's godmother and a longtime family friend.
Ms. Shaw died about 7 a.m., less than an hour after completing her overnight shift.
Neither Ms. Shaw's father, the Rev. Sherman Johnson, nor her mother, Benetha Johnson, were available for comment.
"This has been a tremendous loss for us," Ms. Daniels said.
The family said it seems Ms. Shaw's child already misses her.
"She's been up and crying all day long," said her cousin Kesha Wright.
Ms. Shaw's family said she worked in several roles at her father's church, Greater Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
"She was in the choir and was part of the praise team. She went wherever she was needed. When you're a pastor's child, there is a responsibility," Ms. Daniels said.
Ms. Shaw, whose friends and family called her Lovie, was a cheerleader during her freshman and sophomore years and sang in the school's gospel choir.
More than 150 students and neighbors attended a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at Dunbar.
As mourners made a memorial of flowers, photos and cards, they shared their recollections of Ms. Shaw, who planned to start beauty school in a month.
"She could sing, she could dance, and she loved to do hair," Ms. Wright said.
LaCrissa Godfrey, a teacher at Dunbar, said Ms. Shaw visited her room every day, even when she was no longer in her class.
A friend, Labricha Brown, said, "She was somebody that everybody knew and everybody liked."
prayers for her family
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TexasStooge
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Woman says she is wandering toddler's mom
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Four hours after a two-year-old was found wandering the streets of far northeast Dallas early Thursday morning, a panic-stricken woman claiming to be the child's mother asked how she could be reunited with the girl.
The bizarre story began around 3:30 a.m. when Kesha Garrett was leaving her apartment to get something to eat and was shocked to discover the toddler—wearing only a T-shirt—standing on a sidewalk near the busy intersection of Lawler Road and Audelia Road.
"She was a very beautiful little girl," Garrett said. "She wasn't scared at all. She was real content; she wasn't crying. The officers came and they put her in the car, they gave her a teddy bear."
Police said the girl identified herself only as "Emma" and said she appeared to be unharmed.
The girl was placed in the custody of Child Protectective Services workers as police knocked on doors at nearby Regal Springs Apartments looking for her parents.
By 9 a.m., Dallas police were able to confirm the identity of the child's mother and she was on her way to be reunited with the girl.
"I was just thankful that I found her and that she's all right now," Garrett said. "And her parents? I hope this is a lesson learned for them. They need to watch their kids."
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Four hours after a two-year-old was found wandering the streets of far northeast Dallas early Thursday morning, a panic-stricken woman claiming to be the child's mother asked how she could be reunited with the girl.
The bizarre story began around 3:30 a.m. when Kesha Garrett was leaving her apartment to get something to eat and was shocked to discover the toddler—wearing only a T-shirt—standing on a sidewalk near the busy intersection of Lawler Road and Audelia Road.
"She was a very beautiful little girl," Garrett said. "She wasn't scared at all. She was real content; she wasn't crying. The officers came and they put her in the car, they gave her a teddy bear."
Police said the girl identified herself only as "Emma" and said she appeared to be unharmed.
The girl was placed in the custody of Child Protectective Services workers as police knocked on doors at nearby Regal Springs Apartments looking for her parents.
By 9 a.m., Dallas police were able to confirm the identity of the child's mother and she was on her way to be reunited with the girl.
"I was just thankful that I found her and that she's all right now," Garrett said. "And her parents? I hope this is a lesson learned for them. They need to watch their kids."
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TexasStooge
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Robbers hit Arlington gun shop
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - Police and federal agents are concerned about firepower hitting the streets after a south Arlington gun store was robbed in broad daylight.
Investigators said thieves hit Pistol Mike's gun shop in the 1900 block of South Cooper Street on Wednesday. The arsenal of stolen firepower includes at least six rifles and over 30 semi-automatic handguns, for a total of nearly 40 stolen weapons.
Authorities said it's rare for robbers to target weapons stores..
"It's a high-risk venture for the criminals," said Tom Crowley of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "There's a lot of weapons in the gun shop, and usually the people there are armed themselves."
Investigators believe the bandits waited until a female clerk was alone inside Pistol Mike's. They rushed in, cuffed the clerk with the store's own handcuffs, and went to work.
"They just loaded them up in bags, and took them," Crowley said.
Crowley said he can't recall thieves mounting such a brazen raid on a gun shop. He said serial numbers could help authorities trace the missing weapons, but by then it may be too late.
"There were a lot of weapons that could cause a lot of damage in the wrong hands," he said.
The store's owner said he has a surveillance video system, but recent storms rendered it unusable so it did not capture the crime.
However, witnesses got a good look at the robbers. Police described the suspects as three Hispanic men in their late teens or early 20s, with shaved heads. They fled in a four-door Toyota Camry with dark but faded paint and no license plates.
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - Police and federal agents are concerned about firepower hitting the streets after a south Arlington gun store was robbed in broad daylight.
Investigators said thieves hit Pistol Mike's gun shop in the 1900 block of South Cooper Street on Wednesday. The arsenal of stolen firepower includes at least six rifles and over 30 semi-automatic handguns, for a total of nearly 40 stolen weapons.
Authorities said it's rare for robbers to target weapons stores..
"It's a high-risk venture for the criminals," said Tom Crowley of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "There's a lot of weapons in the gun shop, and usually the people there are armed themselves."
Investigators believe the bandits waited until a female clerk was alone inside Pistol Mike's. They rushed in, cuffed the clerk with the store's own handcuffs, and went to work.
"They just loaded them up in bags, and took them," Crowley said.
Crowley said he can't recall thieves mounting such a brazen raid on a gun shop. He said serial numbers could help authorities trace the missing weapons, but by then it may be too late.
"There were a lot of weapons that could cause a lot of damage in the wrong hands," he said.
The store's owner said he has a surveillance video system, but recent storms rendered it unusable so it did not capture the crime.
However, witnesses got a good look at the robbers. Police described the suspects as three Hispanic men in their late teens or early 20s, with shaved heads. They fled in a four-door Toyota Camry with dark but faded paint and no license plates.
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TexasStooge
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Hit-and-run suspect 'afraid' for future
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE
DALLAS, Texas - The identity of a Dallas man struck down on a dark roadside in January remains a mystery.
Police released pictures of his dead body with the hope someone might recognize him, but he went to his grave unknown.
However, the Dallas artist accused of running him down is known around the world - and she spoke with News 8's Gary Reaves to explain what happened that night.
Until now, Johnice Parker was known mainly for her art. Now, though, it is her mug shot that's been seen in the local media, due to the fact she's been indicted for the man's hit-and-run death.
"I just heard a 'BAM,'" she recalled when asked about the moment the accident occurred. "The windshield shattered; I didn't see anything. I thought someone threw a brick at the window."
In fact, she had hit the tatooed man police still can't identify. Parker said she couldn't see much through the broken windshield, but minutes later she saw the extensive damage and sent a friend to check. When Parker learned she'd hit a person, she said she lost it.
"I just remember saying, 'I don't want to live, I don't want to live,' that I hurt someone," she said.
Her friend and lawyer Cheryl Wattley had Parker hospitalized because she had tried suicide two months before. Wattley turned the car over to police, but not her client.
"Given Johnice's psychological state, it was not in her best interests to be essentially grilled in a police interview," she said.
Wattley claims it was no crime for a woman alone to not get out of her car to investigate on a dark Oak Cliff street at 1:00 in the morning - but police disagree.
"They feel like they have the right person, and that the proper charges have been filed," said Dallas Police spokesperson Lt. Jan Easterling.
Whether a crime was actually committed on that Oak Cliff corner will now be decided by the court system. Police said some parts of Parker's story ring true, but not enough to change their belief that she broke the law and deserves to be prosecuted.
So now, Parker worries - and not just about prison.
"I'm afraid, I don't know what's going to happen to my life," Parker said. "I feel guilty about saying that, because I do have a life, and he doesn't."
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE
DALLAS, Texas - The identity of a Dallas man struck down on a dark roadside in January remains a mystery.
Police released pictures of his dead body with the hope someone might recognize him, but he went to his grave unknown.
However, the Dallas artist accused of running him down is known around the world - and she spoke with News 8's Gary Reaves to explain what happened that night.
Until now, Johnice Parker was known mainly for her art. Now, though, it is her mug shot that's been seen in the local media, due to the fact she's been indicted for the man's hit-and-run death.
"I just heard a 'BAM,'" she recalled when asked about the moment the accident occurred. "The windshield shattered; I didn't see anything. I thought someone threw a brick at the window."
In fact, she had hit the tatooed man police still can't identify. Parker said she couldn't see much through the broken windshield, but minutes later she saw the extensive damage and sent a friend to check. When Parker learned she'd hit a person, she said she lost it.
"I just remember saying, 'I don't want to live, I don't want to live,' that I hurt someone," she said.
Her friend and lawyer Cheryl Wattley had Parker hospitalized because she had tried suicide two months before. Wattley turned the car over to police, but not her client.
"Given Johnice's psychological state, it was not in her best interests to be essentially grilled in a police interview," she said.
Wattley claims it was no crime for a woman alone to not get out of her car to investigate on a dark Oak Cliff street at 1:00 in the morning - but police disagree.
"They feel like they have the right person, and that the proper charges have been filed," said Dallas Police spokesperson Lt. Jan Easterling.
Whether a crime was actually committed on that Oak Cliff corner will now be decided by the court system. Police said some parts of Parker's story ring true, but not enough to change their belief that she broke the law and deserves to be prosecuted.
So now, Parker worries - and not just about prison.
"I'm afraid, I don't know what's going to happen to my life," Parker said. "I feel guilty about saying that, because I do have a life, and he doesn't."
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TexasStooge
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Search for Dallas man focuses on Mexico City airport
By ANGELA KOCHERGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas/MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Mexican police are now searching for clues in the disapperance of a Dallas man.
Eric Hinnant was scheduled to return home from a vacation on Memorial Day, but he never boarded the plane.
Mexico City's international airport is Latin America's largest hub, and is also where Hinnant was last seen.
Taxi driver Enrique Alvarez picked up Hinnant at the trendy W Hotel and took him to the airport. Alvarez, who drives for a private cab service, said during the ride to the airport Hinnant said he had problems.
"He seemed nervous," Alvarez said through an interpreter. The taxi driver also noticed his passenger was barefoot when he got out of the cab..
Alvarez told News 8 he dropped off Hinnant curbside right in front of the international departures area. He saw a baggage handler help him inside with some luggage, but from there trail the seems to grow cold.
"People should keep in mind the U.S. government doesn't have investigative powers in foreign countries," said Clyde Howard of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. "We can't search for somebody who is missing under ordinary circumstances."
The missing persons unit of the Mexico City Police Department is investigating. They are focusing on the airport, where more than 800 flights come and go.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico received more than 1,300 reports of missing people this past year. Most of those Americans were found; they just had not called relatives. However, 20 percent are still missing.
By ANGELA KOCHERGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas/MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Mexican police are now searching for clues in the disapperance of a Dallas man.
Eric Hinnant was scheduled to return home from a vacation on Memorial Day, but he never boarded the plane.
Mexico City's international airport is Latin America's largest hub, and is also where Hinnant was last seen.
Taxi driver Enrique Alvarez picked up Hinnant at the trendy W Hotel and took him to the airport. Alvarez, who drives for a private cab service, said during the ride to the airport Hinnant said he had problems.
"He seemed nervous," Alvarez said through an interpreter. The taxi driver also noticed his passenger was barefoot when he got out of the cab..
Alvarez told News 8 he dropped off Hinnant curbside right in front of the international departures area. He saw a baggage handler help him inside with some luggage, but from there trail the seems to grow cold.
"People should keep in mind the U.S. government doesn't have investigative powers in foreign countries," said Clyde Howard of the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. "We can't search for somebody who is missing under ordinary circumstances."
The missing persons unit of the Mexico City Police Department is investigating. They are focusing on the airport, where more than 800 flights come and go.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico received more than 1,300 reports of missing people this past year. Most of those Americans were found; they just had not called relatives. However, 20 percent are still missing.
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TexasStooge
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Dallas animal shelter plans over budget
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Since last November, work crews have been preparing the site where Dallas' new animal shelter will be built.
However, construction on the facility is now on hold after the City Council was hit with "sticker shock."
The new facility will replace the current decaying, overcrowded shelter near the Dallas Zoo. Taxpayers approved a facility with a price tag of $11.8 million, but the lowest bid the city got was almost $6 million more.
"(Council member Bill) Blaydes and I looked at each other and said, 'I can't believe this would cost so much,'" said council member Ed Oakley.
So will the city have to go back to voters a third time to get more bond money?
"I think the council made it real clear that's not going to happen," said David Dybala of the Dallas Public Works Department.
City officials blamed rising construction costs, along with high-tech, environmental and design features. Many of those features may have to go.
The animal shelter commission, which fought for adequate space, education facilities for pet owners and animal adoption areas don't want those to be cut.
"We didn't want to just see a factory where animals are dropped off and euthanized," said Andrea Allen of the Animal Shelter Commission. "We want to see them come out as well."
"We're going to make sure we have a state-of-the-art facility, but we have to stay within budget," said mayor Laura Miller. "And with us facing another tax hike this fall, we have to show voters we're treating their money wisely."
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Since last November, work crews have been preparing the site where Dallas' new animal shelter will be built.
However, construction on the facility is now on hold after the City Council was hit with "sticker shock."
The new facility will replace the current decaying, overcrowded shelter near the Dallas Zoo. Taxpayers approved a facility with a price tag of $11.8 million, but the lowest bid the city got was almost $6 million more.
"(Council member Bill) Blaydes and I looked at each other and said, 'I can't believe this would cost so much,'" said council member Ed Oakley.
So will the city have to go back to voters a third time to get more bond money?
"I think the council made it real clear that's not going to happen," said David Dybala of the Dallas Public Works Department.
City officials blamed rising construction costs, along with high-tech, environmental and design features. Many of those features may have to go.
The animal shelter commission, which fought for adequate space, education facilities for pet owners and animal adoption areas don't want those to be cut.
"We didn't want to just see a factory where animals are dropped off and euthanized," said Andrea Allen of the Animal Shelter Commission. "We want to see them come out as well."
"We're going to make sure we have a state-of-the-art facility, but we have to stay within budget," said mayor Laura Miller. "And with us facing another tax hike this fall, we have to show voters we're treating their money wisely."
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TexasStooge
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Bus drops third-grader far from home
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A North Texas mom is furious after her third-grade daughter was forced to walk three miles after a mistake on her school bus route.
Tian Marie Thomas had to walk from Oakwood Terrace Elementary across busy streets and highways in Euless to her home.
Thomas' first day at summer school turned out to be her last, because the school bus driver dropped her off at her elementary school instead of her home. Tian got off the bus and realized almost immediately that she'd made a mistake.
"After I turned around, the bus driver wasn't there, so I started walking home," she said.
Tian took the route her mother drives every morning. When Tian wasn't home on time, her sister called their mother Tina.
"No one knew where she was," said Tina. "No one could document where she was ... or tell me what happened."
As her mother tried to track her down, Tian slowly made her way home.
"I waited to see if there was any cars coming, and if there wasn't I just crossed the street," she said.
"My worst nightmare came true yesterday when she was lost for over an hour," her mother said. "My thing was, why didn't the bus driver question, 'we've got a new face, we've got a new student - where's this student supposed to go?'"
After an hour, Tian made it home.
School district officials said they are taking steps to make sure such a mistake doesn't happen again.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A North Texas mom is furious after her third-grade daughter was forced to walk three miles after a mistake on her school bus route.
Tian Marie Thomas had to walk from Oakwood Terrace Elementary across busy streets and highways in Euless to her home.
Thomas' first day at summer school turned out to be her last, because the school bus driver dropped her off at her elementary school instead of her home. Tian got off the bus and realized almost immediately that she'd made a mistake.
"After I turned around, the bus driver wasn't there, so I started walking home," she said.
Tian took the route her mother drives every morning. When Tian wasn't home on time, her sister called their mother Tina.
"No one knew where she was," said Tina. "No one could document where she was ... or tell me what happened."
As her mother tried to track her down, Tian slowly made her way home.
"I waited to see if there was any cars coming, and if there wasn't I just crossed the street," she said.
"My worst nightmare came true yesterday when she was lost for over an hour," her mother said. "My thing was, why didn't the bus driver question, 'we've got a new face, we've got a new student - where's this student supposed to go?'"
After an hour, Tian made it home.
School district officials said they are taking steps to make sure such a mistake doesn't happen again.
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TexasStooge
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Final chance on TAKS for some
Districts vow an all-out effort
By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News
Ending social promotion isn't turning out to be as easy as state education leaders may have hoped.
After two tries, about 40,000 Texas fifth-graders still haven't passed the math and reading sections of the TAKS test. That means a summer full of stress and, for many, another year of fifth grade.
"These kids are trying so very hard," said Jennifer Costa, a fifth-grade bilingual teacher at Irving's Townsell Elementary. "It's frustrating, but we're going to keep working at it until these kids have the skills they need."
There is still hope that some of the fifth-graders will pass on their third try later this month. But the large number of failing students, about 15 percent of the state's fifth-graders, could weaken support for what has been a relatively peaceful adoption of high-stakes promotion tests for young children.
"Having accountability is good," said Harley Eckhart, associate executive director of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.
The unusually high failure rate has forced some districts to reshuffle their priorities. In Irving, for example, district leaders originally planned to offer summer school for students in grades two through five. But when it became clear how many failing fifth-graders the district would have to deal with, officials decided they had to cancel summer school for second- and fourth-graders.
"We just didn't have the resources to go beyond that," said Cheryl Jennings, Irving's director of elementary teaching and learning. "We had to give the fifth-graders attention first."
Earning promotion
The testing requirements are part of the Student Success Initiative, which was one of the centerpieces of Gov. George Bush's legislative agenda in 1999. The idea is to stop social promotion, the practice of pushing kids to the next grade even if they don't have the necessary academic skills.
The high stakes have followed the Class of 2012 as they march through the school system. In 2003, third-graders had to pass the TAKS reading test to advance to fourth grade. This year, fifth-graders have to pass the reading and math tests. In 2008, eighth-graders will also have to pass reading and math exams.
Students get three chances to pass: two during the school year and one in the summer.
Some educators recoiled at the prospect of such a high-stakes test for 8-year-olds. But third-graders had surprising success when the measure debuted in 2003. In the end, only about 5,000 students were held back, out of more than 290,000 third-graders statewide.
This year's fifth-grade failure rate is much higher. TEA officials are still analyzing results from this spring's tests and can't say exactly how many students are still in TAKS limbo. But they announced Wednesday that about 34,000 fifth-graders have yet to pass the math test, along with thousands more on the reading test.
In the Dallas Independent School District, more than 30 percent of fifth-graders have yet to meet the TAKS promotion requirements.
Running out of time
Sue Harris, the Grand Prairie district's executive director of planning and evaluation, said: "We're not at a panic level, but we're at a point where we need to re-evaluate what we do at that grade."
At Grand Prairie's Milam Elementary, 12 of the school's 55 fifth-graders haven't yet passed TAKS. "People are trying as hard as they can to keep up with the changes," principal Michele Loper said.
There are a number of reasons for the poor performance. Most obvious is that fifth-graders must pass both math and reading tests, while third-graders have only a reading test to worry about. The state has also raised the passing standards required on the TAKS each of the last two years.
Mr. Eckhart also pointed to teacher training as a possible reason. In the years leading up to the debut of the third-grade test, the state paid for intensive training for reading teachers from kindergarten through third grade. The Legislature then cut funding for training teachers in higher grades.
"These are the same students who were the first to take the third-grade test, and they did well," Dr. Jennings said. "Now they're in fifth and they're not passing. That just boggles my mind."
Townsell Elementary put on a "bridging" ceremony last week to celebrate the transition fifth-graders will make to Sam Houston Middle School next year. School officials allowed all the students to participate, even though several still hadn't passed TAKS and may not cross that bridge after all.
"It really pumped the students up and got them very excited about wanting to be middle-schoolers next year," Ms. Costa said. "One of our parents said her boy came home after the ceremony just bubbling over with excitement: 'I'm gonna pass that test!' "
Outcome expected
State officials said the lower fifth-grade performance is a natural part of the adjustment to a new system.
"The agency obviously wishes the passing rate was higher, but I don't think it's out of line with expectations," TEA spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said.
She said scores will probably improve as time passes, as they have on previous state assessments as teachers get used to teaching topics on the test.
In any event, it's likely that a majority of the children who haven't passed TAKS already will have to repeat fifth grade. Under state law, they're required to attend intensive summer school for the month of June, with many districts offering three hours of small-group instruction every day.
In Irving, for example, the district will be employing about 50 teachers for the failing fifth-graders' summer school. During the regular school year, employs about 140 fifth-grade teachers.
"We're doing the very best we can," Dr. Jennings said. "We love every one of those children, and we want to see them all pass."
After summer school, students will have one final chance to pass the TAKS tests: June 28 for math, June 29 for reading.
But even strike three won't mean they're out. A special committee made up of a student's parent, principal and teacher can decide to promote the student anyway if they decide the youth's academic performance was strong enough to justify it. In 2003, 41 percent of third-graders who failed TAKS three times were still promoted to fourth grade. In some districts, the rate was more than 80 percent.
Districts vow an all-out effort
By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News
Ending social promotion isn't turning out to be as easy as state education leaders may have hoped.
After two tries, about 40,000 Texas fifth-graders still haven't passed the math and reading sections of the TAKS test. That means a summer full of stress and, for many, another year of fifth grade.
"These kids are trying so very hard," said Jennifer Costa, a fifth-grade bilingual teacher at Irving's Townsell Elementary. "It's frustrating, but we're going to keep working at it until these kids have the skills they need."
There is still hope that some of the fifth-graders will pass on their third try later this month. But the large number of failing students, about 15 percent of the state's fifth-graders, could weaken support for what has been a relatively peaceful adoption of high-stakes promotion tests for young children.
"Having accountability is good," said Harley Eckhart, associate executive director of the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.
The unusually high failure rate has forced some districts to reshuffle their priorities. In Irving, for example, district leaders originally planned to offer summer school for students in grades two through five. But when it became clear how many failing fifth-graders the district would have to deal with, officials decided they had to cancel summer school for second- and fourth-graders.
"We just didn't have the resources to go beyond that," said Cheryl Jennings, Irving's director of elementary teaching and learning. "We had to give the fifth-graders attention first."
Earning promotion
The testing requirements are part of the Student Success Initiative, which was one of the centerpieces of Gov. George Bush's legislative agenda in 1999. The idea is to stop social promotion, the practice of pushing kids to the next grade even if they don't have the necessary academic skills.
The high stakes have followed the Class of 2012 as they march through the school system. In 2003, third-graders had to pass the TAKS reading test to advance to fourth grade. This year, fifth-graders have to pass the reading and math tests. In 2008, eighth-graders will also have to pass reading and math exams.
Students get three chances to pass: two during the school year and one in the summer.
Some educators recoiled at the prospect of such a high-stakes test for 8-year-olds. But third-graders had surprising success when the measure debuted in 2003. In the end, only about 5,000 students were held back, out of more than 290,000 third-graders statewide.
This year's fifth-grade failure rate is much higher. TEA officials are still analyzing results from this spring's tests and can't say exactly how many students are still in TAKS limbo. But they announced Wednesday that about 34,000 fifth-graders have yet to pass the math test, along with thousands more on the reading test.
In the Dallas Independent School District, more than 30 percent of fifth-graders have yet to meet the TAKS promotion requirements.
Running out of time
Sue Harris, the Grand Prairie district's executive director of planning and evaluation, said: "We're not at a panic level, but we're at a point where we need to re-evaluate what we do at that grade."
At Grand Prairie's Milam Elementary, 12 of the school's 55 fifth-graders haven't yet passed TAKS. "People are trying as hard as they can to keep up with the changes," principal Michele Loper said.
There are a number of reasons for the poor performance. Most obvious is that fifth-graders must pass both math and reading tests, while third-graders have only a reading test to worry about. The state has also raised the passing standards required on the TAKS each of the last two years.
Mr. Eckhart also pointed to teacher training as a possible reason. In the years leading up to the debut of the third-grade test, the state paid for intensive training for reading teachers from kindergarten through third grade. The Legislature then cut funding for training teachers in higher grades.
"These are the same students who were the first to take the third-grade test, and they did well," Dr. Jennings said. "Now they're in fifth and they're not passing. That just boggles my mind."
Townsell Elementary put on a "bridging" ceremony last week to celebrate the transition fifth-graders will make to Sam Houston Middle School next year. School officials allowed all the students to participate, even though several still hadn't passed TAKS and may not cross that bridge after all.
"It really pumped the students up and got them very excited about wanting to be middle-schoolers next year," Ms. Costa said. "One of our parents said her boy came home after the ceremony just bubbling over with excitement: 'I'm gonna pass that test!' "
Outcome expected
State officials said the lower fifth-grade performance is a natural part of the adjustment to a new system.
"The agency obviously wishes the passing rate was higher, but I don't think it's out of line with expectations," TEA spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman said.
She said scores will probably improve as time passes, as they have on previous state assessments as teachers get used to teaching topics on the test.
In any event, it's likely that a majority of the children who haven't passed TAKS already will have to repeat fifth grade. Under state law, they're required to attend intensive summer school for the month of June, with many districts offering three hours of small-group instruction every day.
In Irving, for example, the district will be employing about 50 teachers for the failing fifth-graders' summer school. During the regular school year, employs about 140 fifth-grade teachers.
"We're doing the very best we can," Dr. Jennings said. "We love every one of those children, and we want to see them all pass."
After summer school, students will have one final chance to pass the TAKS tests: June 28 for math, June 29 for reading.
But even strike three won't mean they're out. A special committee made up of a student's parent, principal and teacher can decide to promote the student anyway if they decide the youth's academic performance was strong enough to justify it. In 2003, 41 percent of third-graders who failed TAKS three times were still promoted to fourth grade. In some districts, the rate was more than 80 percent.
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TexasStooge
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Tax district OK'd for downtown projects
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dream up a downtown Dallas teeming with restaurants, residential units and high-end retail on par with any of the city's other sectors.
After Wednesday's City Council meeting, Dallas political and business leaders say, that dream is attainable, and soon. As expected, the council unanimously voted to create a tax increment finance district that could pour up to $124 million in subsidies into developments in most of downtown and sections of Uptown.
The council also formally created the Downtown Dallas Development Authority, a nine-person "limited local government corporation" consisting of private-sector leaders directed to coordinate aspects of downtown redevelopment such as building permit approvals, competitive bidding of projects and development plan amendments. Previously, the City Council had to approve such actions, which often led to delays that spanned weeks or months.
The vote caps months of turbulent negotiations among private and public officials over who would lead efforts to continue downtown's rebirth as a vibrant urban neighborhood, and how.
Even early this year, the creation of a quasi-private local government corporation seemed remote. Several council members opposed any private oversight of downtown development affairs, arguing that a public domain such as downtown should be controlled by publicly elected officials.
"But we reached a solution that was logical, innovative and a real partnership," said Assistant City Manager Ryan Evans, who oversees Dallas' economic development efforts. "Before long, you won't be able to recognize downtown – in a good way."
Said Mayor Laura Miller, "This is the critical piece. It turns us into a center for development."
The developments come a week after the city reached a tentative deal with Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises to convert nine downtown buildings, including the long-vacant Mercantile Bank complex, into residential apartments, condos and retail space. Forest City stands to benefit from more than half the money provided by the finance district, which City Hall dubbed "Downtown Connection."
Tax increment finance districts allow developers to use property tax money generated by their improvements to, for example, enhance nearby infrastructure and building facades, create streetscapes and perform demolition. Officials in part credit an earlier downtown tax increment finance district for helping attract numerous restaurants, several retailers and more than 2,500 new residents to downtown during the last decade.
"This is all about the next wave of big downtown projects and filling in big gaps that still exist," said Alice Murray, president of the Central Dallas Association, which represents downtown business interests. "This is a banner day. We weren't anywhere close to unanimous on the council a few months ago, but there was a public outcry to get the Mercantile deal and to get downtown done."
Ms. Murray also noted that the new tax increment finance district should help fund the creation of a park spanning the canyon-like Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Uptown and downtown's Arts District, as well as initiatives to attract new retailers to Main Street and nearby thoroughfares.
The council on Wednesday evening also appointed four of the Downtown Dallas Development Authority's nine members.
They include Myron Mims, a private real estate lawyer who will serve as the authority's chairman; Alice Rodriguez, a JP Morgan Chase banker; Larry Good, an architect with Dallas-based Good, Fulton & Farrell; and Dan Blizzard, vice president of operations for Belo Corp., parent company of The Dallas Morning News.
State Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, who is granted one appointment to the authority, selected Tony Long, a Trammell Crow Co. executive and chairman of the Central Dallas Association. The other positions remain vacant. City and Central Dallas Association staff will assist the authority.
The council is scheduled to approve on June 22 several items related to the new tax increment finance district, including authorization to acquire, by eminent domain if necessary, land needed to create a Main Street public park. And it is scheduled to vote to authorize the city manager to negotiate a final agreement with Forest City.
Chip Johnson, a developer with Dallas-based Barker Nichols LLP, which this summer will open downtown's first full-service grocery in decades, said Wednesday's votes will help ensure his project's success.
"Any new project within a mile and a half of us is going to have a great impact," Mr. Johnson said. "After a while, development creates its own momentum."
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dream up a downtown Dallas teeming with restaurants, residential units and high-end retail on par with any of the city's other sectors.
After Wednesday's City Council meeting, Dallas political and business leaders say, that dream is attainable, and soon. As expected, the council unanimously voted to create a tax increment finance district that could pour up to $124 million in subsidies into developments in most of downtown and sections of Uptown.
The council also formally created the Downtown Dallas Development Authority, a nine-person "limited local government corporation" consisting of private-sector leaders directed to coordinate aspects of downtown redevelopment such as building permit approvals, competitive bidding of projects and development plan amendments. Previously, the City Council had to approve such actions, which often led to delays that spanned weeks or months.
The vote caps months of turbulent negotiations among private and public officials over who would lead efforts to continue downtown's rebirth as a vibrant urban neighborhood, and how.
Even early this year, the creation of a quasi-private local government corporation seemed remote. Several council members opposed any private oversight of downtown development affairs, arguing that a public domain such as downtown should be controlled by publicly elected officials.
"But we reached a solution that was logical, innovative and a real partnership," said Assistant City Manager Ryan Evans, who oversees Dallas' economic development efforts. "Before long, you won't be able to recognize downtown – in a good way."
Said Mayor Laura Miller, "This is the critical piece. It turns us into a center for development."
The developments come a week after the city reached a tentative deal with Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises to convert nine downtown buildings, including the long-vacant Mercantile Bank complex, into residential apartments, condos and retail space. Forest City stands to benefit from more than half the money provided by the finance district, which City Hall dubbed "Downtown Connection."
Tax increment finance districts allow developers to use property tax money generated by their improvements to, for example, enhance nearby infrastructure and building facades, create streetscapes and perform demolition. Officials in part credit an earlier downtown tax increment finance district for helping attract numerous restaurants, several retailers and more than 2,500 new residents to downtown during the last decade.
"This is all about the next wave of big downtown projects and filling in big gaps that still exist," said Alice Murray, president of the Central Dallas Association, which represents downtown business interests. "This is a banner day. We weren't anywhere close to unanimous on the council a few months ago, but there was a public outcry to get the Mercantile deal and to get downtown done."
Ms. Murray also noted that the new tax increment finance district should help fund the creation of a park spanning the canyon-like Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Uptown and downtown's Arts District, as well as initiatives to attract new retailers to Main Street and nearby thoroughfares.
The council on Wednesday evening also appointed four of the Downtown Dallas Development Authority's nine members.
They include Myron Mims, a private real estate lawyer who will serve as the authority's chairman; Alice Rodriguez, a JP Morgan Chase banker; Larry Good, an architect with Dallas-based Good, Fulton & Farrell; and Dan Blizzard, vice president of operations for Belo Corp., parent company of The Dallas Morning News.
State Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, who is granted one appointment to the authority, selected Tony Long, a Trammell Crow Co. executive and chairman of the Central Dallas Association. The other positions remain vacant. City and Central Dallas Association staff will assist the authority.
The council is scheduled to approve on June 22 several items related to the new tax increment finance district, including authorization to acquire, by eminent domain if necessary, land needed to create a Main Street public park. And it is scheduled to vote to authorize the city manager to negotiate a final agreement with Forest City.
Chip Johnson, a developer with Dallas-based Barker Nichols LLP, which this summer will open downtown's first full-service grocery in decades, said Wednesday's votes will help ensure his project's success.
"Any new project within a mile and a half of us is going to have a great impact," Mr. Johnson said. "After a while, development creates its own momentum."
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
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AG probes inflated advertised jackpots
AUSTIN, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - The Attorney General's Office will investigate accusations that the Texas Lottery Commission is inflating advertised Lotto jackpots.
Dawn Nettles, publisher of the online Lotto Report, sent a letter to Attorney General Greg Abbott on Monday accusing officials of false advertising.
She said tickets sales have been falling behind the advertised jackpot.
For example, Wednesday's jackpot is advertised at $8 million.
"They only have enough to fund a $6.5 million jackpot at best," Nettles said.
Bobby Heith, spokesman for the lottery, agreed that the jackpot would have been less than advertised, but estimates are based on more than ticket sales.
Heith said estimates include historical sales trends, the time of year and the health of the state's economy.
"There were some concerns starting about last Friday that we were not seeing the level of ticket sales that we would like to see," Heith said. "There might be a problem (with the $8 million jackpot for Wednesday's drawing), but it is an estimate and the players know that."
Also, officials can access lottery reserves to make a payment if tickets sales don't cover the jackpot.
Still, the Attorney General's Office is taking the accusation seriously.
"We will treat this complaint like we treat all complaints that come into the agency," said Angela Hale, Abbott's communications director. "We'll examine it and determine whether there is something (we need) to do about it."
The odds of the Lottery Commission being faced with a jackpot deficit are tied to someone winning the lottery. Fourteen jackpots have been hit in 218 drawings since the Lotto was reconfigured in May 2003.
"The odds against hitting the jackpot are 48 million to 1, so there's a real good chance that no one's going to win it, at least for awhile," Nettles said.
AUSTIN, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - The Attorney General's Office will investigate accusations that the Texas Lottery Commission is inflating advertised Lotto jackpots.
Dawn Nettles, publisher of the online Lotto Report, sent a letter to Attorney General Greg Abbott on Monday accusing officials of false advertising.
She said tickets sales have been falling behind the advertised jackpot.
For example, Wednesday's jackpot is advertised at $8 million.
"They only have enough to fund a $6.5 million jackpot at best," Nettles said.
Bobby Heith, spokesman for the lottery, agreed that the jackpot would have been less than advertised, but estimates are based on more than ticket sales.
Heith said estimates include historical sales trends, the time of year and the health of the state's economy.
"There were some concerns starting about last Friday that we were not seeing the level of ticket sales that we would like to see," Heith said. "There might be a problem (with the $8 million jackpot for Wednesday's drawing), but it is an estimate and the players know that."
Also, officials can access lottery reserves to make a payment if tickets sales don't cover the jackpot.
Still, the Attorney General's Office is taking the accusation seriously.
"We will treat this complaint like we treat all complaints that come into the agency," said Angela Hale, Abbott's communications director. "We'll examine it and determine whether there is something (we need) to do about it."
The odds of the Lottery Commission being faced with a jackpot deficit are tied to someone winning the lottery. Fourteen jackpots have been hit in 218 drawings since the Lotto was reconfigured in May 2003.
"The odds against hitting the jackpot are 48 million to 1, so there's a real good chance that no one's going to win it, at least for awhile," Nettles said.
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TexasStooge
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- Contact:
Year after slaying, family's pain remains
Irving: Suspects in 22-year-old's shooting at store remain at-large
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – When Billie LeMaster thinks about her daughter, she tries to remember happier times, such as when Kendra tried on her wedding dress for the first time.
But, all too often, her mind wanders to Kendra's last moments.
A year ago today, 22-year-old Kendra LeMaster was shot and killed in an apparent robbery as she closed an Ace Cash Express store in south Irving. Ms. LeMaster was shot as she waited outside the store to pick up her daughter.
A year later, the two men suspected of killing Kendra are still on the loose.
Ms. LeMaster says the last year has been hell for her family. "People talk about the final stage of grief as acceptance, and they talk about healing and closure – closure, I hate that word," Ms. LeMaster says. "It doesn't ever end. It doesn't ever go back to normal. It doesn't ever go away."
She stops talking and wipes away tears.
On the evening of June 9, 2004, Ms. LeMaster sat in her car outside Ace Cash Express, waiting to pick up Kendra, a manager at the check-cashing store. They were going to a restaurant to celebrate Kendra's brother's birthday.
As Ms. LeMaster waited, she saw two men near the store. One of the men approached her car. He jumped in. Then, he shot her in the back of the neck.
She's not sure how long she sat in the car before getting out to walk to the store's front door. Through the window, she saw her daughter lying on the floor.
The two men had vanished.
Irving police describe the suspects as Hispanic, one of whom is tall and thin, the other, short and heavy.
Police have linked Kendra's killing to the shooting deaths of two brothers in central Irving. Ki Chang Cha and Ki Taek Cha were found dead in their parents' home in May 2004. Physical evidence links the killings, but police won't discuss specifics.
Detective James Hallum, lead investigator in the LeMaster case for the Irving Police Department, said he's frustrated that the suspects haven't been caught.
"It bothers me because I can't give Ms. LeMaster ... and the rest of her family the closure that I know they need," he said.
Kendra was a promising young woman, her mother says. She was known for her long brown hair, love for singing and ability to relate to others.
She had a glorious high soprano voice, Ms. LeMaster says. She sang at Nimitz High School, from which she graduated in 2000, and performed in a madrigal group. She studied voice at North Lake College.
She was well liked, friendly and respected others, says her father, Pat LeMaster.
Kendra was planning an October wedding to Greg Price, whom she had been dating a couple of years. A few days before the shooting, Ms. LeMaster and Kendra scoped out a chapel and reception hall. Kendra picked out her wedding dress.
She was probably the happiest she had ever been, Ms. LeMaster says.
"It was like a light turned on inside my daughter," she says. "She was radiant. She was glowing."
There are some days when Ms. LeMaster can't get out of bed. She avoids driving by the Ace store.
Mr. LeMaster never cried much until his daughter died.
He used to devour science fiction and build plastic models of ships, but not anymore. Time hasn't eased the pain. In fact, he says his emotions have intensified since Kendra's death.
"A lot of times I just don't think," says Mr. LeMaster, a computer technician.
The LeMasters have hired attorneys who recently filed a lawsuit against Ace Cash Express.
"Ace's security policies, procedures and practices regarding store closing, which Kendra followed to the letter, resulted in her death," the suit states.
Mr. LeMaster says he's angry at Ace.
"I don't think they did enough to protect her," he said.
The lawsuit, he says, "is the only way we can influence the company to take better care of their people."
Ace wouldn't comment on the suit, but the Irving-based company is offering a $25,000 reward in the LeMaster killing.
"We have nothing but sympathy for the LeMaster family," said Eric Norrington, an Ace vice president. "We share their grief in that we lost a fellow employee."
Mr. Norrington wouldn't discuss the company's employee safety policies but said, "We are extremely proud and have a strong belief in the effectiveness of our safety programs and systems."
Irving police continue to study photographs and physical evidence and return to the crime scene to try to make progress in the case. They also interview criminals who have committed other crimes in the hopes of a connection.
"There's somebody out there that has something, and it's frustrating that we can't find that person," Detective Hallum said.
Ms. LeMaster hopes the killers will be caught. Someone must be held accountable for the death of her daughter, she says.
"It's so grossly unfair to have all of these dreams and all of these plans."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEEKING LEADS
Irving police have identified two suspects in the killings of Kendra LeMaster and Ki Chang Cha and Ki Taek Cha.
The suspects are described as Hispanic, one of whom is tall and thin, the other, short and heavy. Police have released a sketch of one of the suspects.
Ms. LeMaster was killed June 9, 2004, in Irving at Ace Cash Express at East Irving Boulevard and Loop 12. The Cha brothers were killed at their parents' home on McHam Street in Irving on May 27, 2004. Police say the killings are linked and ask anyone with information to call 972-721-2518.
Irving: Suspects in 22-year-old's shooting at store remain at-large
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – When Billie LeMaster thinks about her daughter, she tries to remember happier times, such as when Kendra tried on her wedding dress for the first time.
But, all too often, her mind wanders to Kendra's last moments.
A year ago today, 22-year-old Kendra LeMaster was shot and killed in an apparent robbery as she closed an Ace Cash Express store in south Irving. Ms. LeMaster was shot as she waited outside the store to pick up her daughter.
A year later, the two men suspected of killing Kendra are still on the loose.
Ms. LeMaster says the last year has been hell for her family. "People talk about the final stage of grief as acceptance, and they talk about healing and closure – closure, I hate that word," Ms. LeMaster says. "It doesn't ever end. It doesn't ever go back to normal. It doesn't ever go away."
She stops talking and wipes away tears.
On the evening of June 9, 2004, Ms. LeMaster sat in her car outside Ace Cash Express, waiting to pick up Kendra, a manager at the check-cashing store. They were going to a restaurant to celebrate Kendra's brother's birthday.
As Ms. LeMaster waited, she saw two men near the store. One of the men approached her car. He jumped in. Then, he shot her in the back of the neck.
She's not sure how long she sat in the car before getting out to walk to the store's front door. Through the window, she saw her daughter lying on the floor.
The two men had vanished.
Irving police describe the suspects as Hispanic, one of whom is tall and thin, the other, short and heavy.
Police have linked Kendra's killing to the shooting deaths of two brothers in central Irving. Ki Chang Cha and Ki Taek Cha were found dead in their parents' home in May 2004. Physical evidence links the killings, but police won't discuss specifics.
Detective James Hallum, lead investigator in the LeMaster case for the Irving Police Department, said he's frustrated that the suspects haven't been caught.
"It bothers me because I can't give Ms. LeMaster ... and the rest of her family the closure that I know they need," he said.
Kendra was a promising young woman, her mother says. She was known for her long brown hair, love for singing and ability to relate to others.
She had a glorious high soprano voice, Ms. LeMaster says. She sang at Nimitz High School, from which she graduated in 2000, and performed in a madrigal group. She studied voice at North Lake College.
She was well liked, friendly and respected others, says her father, Pat LeMaster.
Kendra was planning an October wedding to Greg Price, whom she had been dating a couple of years. A few days before the shooting, Ms. LeMaster and Kendra scoped out a chapel and reception hall. Kendra picked out her wedding dress.
She was probably the happiest she had ever been, Ms. LeMaster says.
"It was like a light turned on inside my daughter," she says. "She was radiant. She was glowing."
There are some days when Ms. LeMaster can't get out of bed. She avoids driving by the Ace store.
Mr. LeMaster never cried much until his daughter died.
He used to devour science fiction and build plastic models of ships, but not anymore. Time hasn't eased the pain. In fact, he says his emotions have intensified since Kendra's death.
"A lot of times I just don't think," says Mr. LeMaster, a computer technician.
The LeMasters have hired attorneys who recently filed a lawsuit against Ace Cash Express.
"Ace's security policies, procedures and practices regarding store closing, which Kendra followed to the letter, resulted in her death," the suit states.
Mr. LeMaster says he's angry at Ace.
"I don't think they did enough to protect her," he said.
The lawsuit, he says, "is the only way we can influence the company to take better care of their people."
Ace wouldn't comment on the suit, but the Irving-based company is offering a $25,000 reward in the LeMaster killing.
"We have nothing but sympathy for the LeMaster family," said Eric Norrington, an Ace vice president. "We share their grief in that we lost a fellow employee."
Mr. Norrington wouldn't discuss the company's employee safety policies but said, "We are extremely proud and have a strong belief in the effectiveness of our safety programs and systems."
Irving police continue to study photographs and physical evidence and return to the crime scene to try to make progress in the case. They also interview criminals who have committed other crimes in the hopes of a connection.
"There's somebody out there that has something, and it's frustrating that we can't find that person," Detective Hallum said.
Ms. LeMaster hopes the killers will be caught. Someone must be held accountable for the death of her daughter, she says.
"It's so grossly unfair to have all of these dreams and all of these plans."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEEKING LEADS
Irving police have identified two suspects in the killings of Kendra LeMaster and Ki Chang Cha and Ki Taek Cha.
The suspects are described as Hispanic, one of whom is tall and thin, the other, short and heavy. Police have released a sketch of one of the suspects.
Ms. LeMaster was killed June 9, 2004, in Irving at Ace Cash Express at East Irving Boulevard and Loop 12. The Cha brothers were killed at their parents' home on McHam Street in Irving on May 27, 2004. Police say the killings are linked and ask anyone with information to call 972-721-2518.
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TexasStooge
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'Cheaters' producer targets burglary
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - The man who uses hidden cameras to catch unfaithful lovers is feeling a bit burned himself these days.
As executive producer of the Dallas-based reality show Cheaters, Bobby Goldstein broadcasts those indiscretions for the world to see.
But now it's Mr. Goldstein who's feeling cheated after thieves stole about $20,000 in stereo equipment, platinum coins and other items from his Highland Park home.
"I've never been violated like that," he said.
Along with his wallet, Bang & Olufsen stereo, Gucci briefcase, Louis Vuitton backpack, DVD player, printer and $15,000 in platinum coins, the crooks took a key chain that held a precious memento – his high school locker key.
Mr. Goldstein is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the burglars, who hit his home last week. Highland Park police said they don't believe the burglary was connected to Mr. Goldstein's television show or one of its reluctant stars.
"If I were angry with him," Detective Randy Millican said, "I'd do something destructive."
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Seems that a cheater doesn't wanna be filmed on TV.
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - The man who uses hidden cameras to catch unfaithful lovers is feeling a bit burned himself these days.
As executive producer of the Dallas-based reality show Cheaters, Bobby Goldstein broadcasts those indiscretions for the world to see.
But now it's Mr. Goldstein who's feeling cheated after thieves stole about $20,000 in stereo equipment, platinum coins and other items from his Highland Park home.
"I've never been violated like that," he said.
Along with his wallet, Bang & Olufsen stereo, Gucci briefcase, Louis Vuitton backpack, DVD player, printer and $15,000 in platinum coins, the crooks took a key chain that held a precious memento – his high school locker key.
Mr. Goldstein is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the burglars, who hit his home last week. Highland Park police said they don't believe the burglary was connected to Mr. Goldstein's television show or one of its reluctant stars.
"If I were angry with him," Detective Randy Millican said, "I'd do something destructive."
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Seems that a cheater doesn't wanna be filmed on TV.
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TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Marine arrested after fatal Arlington wreck
ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Marine who recently returned from Iraq was in custody at the Arlington jail late Wednesday, accused of driving drunk and killing two people.
David Allen Murphy faces two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
Police said Murphy allegedly ran a red light at South Cooper Street and Mayfield Road around midnight Tuesday. The pickup hit a small car making a left turn, killing the couple inside.
Friends said the couple had just married.
ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Marine who recently returned from Iraq was in custody at the Arlington jail late Wednesday, accused of driving drunk and killing two people.
David Allen Murphy faces two counts of intoxication manslaughter.
Police said Murphy allegedly ran a red light at South Cooper Street and Mayfield Road around midnight Tuesday. The pickup hit a small car making a left turn, killing the couple inside.
Friends said the couple had just married.
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