News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Police recover dozens of stolen guns

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas - Wednesday afternoon police recovered dozens of stolen firearms taken from an Arlington gun store robbery. An informant led police to a large number of guns buried in a remote field located in the 3400 block of West Division Street.

Officers have three teenage suspects in custody for the theft of nearly 40 stolen guns. Three robbers stole the guns from Pistol Mike's last month after they handcuffed the store clerk.

The find came after a teenager told police he hid guns for one of the robbery suspects. After prosecutors gave the teen immunity, he then led detectives behind a truck repair yard. There they found 15 guns, more than a third of the stolen firearms.

"It's a great relief to get 15 guns off the street all at one time [and] that we know they aren't in people's hands committing violent crimes," said Detective Kyle Dishko of the Arlington Police Department.

Police said the teen who buried the guns and revealed their location is not a suspect.

"He wasn't involved in the actual robbery," said prosecutor Shane Lewis. "It was worth getting the guns off the street to give him immunity from holding the guns."

Police have now found stolen guns in six spots including the city landfill.

"That wasn't much fun," Dishko said.

He said police and federal agents dug in the dump for hours.

"He had an entire truck full of trash," he said. "We asked him to dump it out slowly and we slowly sifted through the entire truck until we found the guns."

Officers have taken 27 guns off the street and have about a dozen left to find.

Lewis said the three 15-year-old suspects are not cooperating fully. Tomorrow there will be a hearing to try to certify them as adults.

[TexasStooge]

Shark attacks girl off Texas coast

PORT BOLIVAR, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A 14-year-old North Carolina girl was injured Wednesday when a shark bit her left foot while she was swimming in waist-deep water off the Texas coast, officials said.

Lydia Paulk suffered lacerations on the top of her foot and was in fair condition Wednesday night after surgery, said Cathy Nall, a spokeswoman for the University of Texas Medical Branch in nearby Galveston. Nall said additional surgery is planned for Friday to reattach tendons.

Lydia, whose family lives near Charlotte, N.C., was swimming with family and friends when she felt something hit her leg and grab her foot. She saw the 4-foot-long shark swim away after it had bitten her.

Galveston County Sheriff's Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said in a statement that officials believe the shark was feeding at the time. Sharks are believed to be feeding closer to shore because of the large number of smaller fish in the water that are part of their diet.

Marine experts have said sharks are on the move during summer months and frequently mine the shallow Gulf of Mexico waters for fish.

[TexasStooge]

Major accident closes LBJ

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com)A major accident involving an 18-wheeler cab and two vehicles led police to close LBJ Freeway in Northeast Dallas Wednesday morning, causing a massive backup.

The wreck occurred around 10:30 a.m. near the Skillman exit. Dallas Fire-Rescue crews arrived to find the truck cab and pickup across the main lanes of the highway, and a heavily-damaged passenger vehicle on the grassy embankment.

Early reports indicate there are injuries resulting from the accident.

Eastbound traffic could be seen stacked up for nearly a mile until the accident was cleared and lanes reopened around 12:45 p.m.

[TexasStooge]

Officials reopen MacArthur under 183

IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Officials have reopened all northbound and southbound lanes on MacArthur Boulevard under a State Highway 183 bridge.

The northbound lanes under the bridge had been closed following a May 28 crash involving a pickup and a tanker truck. The fuel tanker barreled through a highway guardrail and spiraled off the bridge before landing upside down and exploding several times on MacArthur.

Texas Department of Transportation officials determined that the damaged bridge didn’t have to be replaced. Instead, crews spent the past few weeks making repairs.

[TexasStooge]

Dump truck collides with DART train

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - One person was injured when a dump truck collided with a DART light rail train in south Dallas early Wednesday afternoon.

DART spokesperson Morgan Lyons said the driver of the truck proceeded onto the tracks after the warning arms came down near the Hampton station at Hampton and Wright roads, and the train was unable to stop in time.

Dallas Fire-Rescue transported the dump truck's driver to Methodist Medical Center with unknown injuries. No one was injured on the train, Lyons said.

Trains were down to single-track operation southbound from Hampton station, and the agency used buses to carry passengers from Hampton station southward until the scene was cleared.

Lyons said service was back to normal for Wednesday's afternoon commute.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas, Fort Worth team up to lure tourists

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

Dallas and Fort Worth are joining forces to bring more tourists to North Texas. Already, 31 percent of tourists who visit Texas come to the Dallas Fort Worth area and state officials said that has an economic impact of $14 billion.

However, like many cities around the country, Dallas and Fort Worth have fought hard to lure more tourists to their cities along with the millions of dollars they spend each year. The region's top tourism bureaus are launching a public relations campaign targeting national and international tourists to do just that.

"[We are] creating this synergy," said Fort Worth Councilmember Wendy Davis. "[We are] being proud of what we are as a region and being proud about bragging about what we can offer to our visitors."

Dallas alone has many sights of interest. Fair Park is one of the finest examples of art deco structures in the world. Deep Ellum has an edgy music scene and there is also the Dallas Museum of Art.

However, Fort Worth has many places of interest as well, including the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards, Sundance Square and the Kimbell Art Museum.

Alone, there are strong draws for both towns. But sold together, the campaign hopes it will be a tourism powerhouse.

"We are here to stay," said Mayor Laura Miller. "Dallas and Fort Worth are no longer about big hair, shopping, football and JR. We are about a whole lot more than that and that's what this campaign is about."

[TexasStooge]

Jail to lose care overseer

With contractor's exit, county puts health burden on Parkland

By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The contractor that oversees the Dallas County Jail's embattled health care program said Wednesday that it won't renew its contract, which expires in four months.

And county commissioners have told Parkland Memorial Hospital officials that the jail health mess will be squarely in their hands going forward. They also told Parkland to take the $14 million budgeted for jail health and increase it by up to $11 million to pay for more medical staff and equipment.

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has overseen jail health care since December 2002. But the program has come under intense criticism.

Dr. John Stobo, UTMB's president, said the medical school would work to ensure a smooth transition.

The decision by the medical branch to sever ties puts intense pressure on Parkland to quickly devise a plan to take over jail health care.

In the meantime, the jail's medical program continues to limp along without enough staff.

Inmates, staff and health advocates say patients wait weeks for proper care and the mentally ill often go weeks without the medicine vital to keep them stable.

And UTMB's announced departure probably will cause further erosion of staff, as people look for jobs elsewhere.

Dr. Ben Raimer, UTMB's vice president for correctional health services, said UTMB will fill vacancies with people from temporary-worker agencies.

Several commissioners said they were not surprised by UTMB's decision.

"It was kind of inevitable this was where we'd end up," said County Judge Margaret Keliher. "This now gives us an opportunity to step back in and get control of the health care at the jail and, with Parkland, even provide continuity of care once people leave the jail."

Dr. Sam Ross, Parkland's chief medical officer, said the hospital will meet with medical experts about how to fix the health care woes. He also said Parkland might negotiate with UTMB to stay past November for a smooth transition.

Dr. Stobo said UTMB would have to think that over.

Parkland has no experience managing a jail health program, so the hospital would have to hire managers with such experience, Dr. Ross said.

Dr. Stobo said UTMB decided to leave Dallas because it needs to focus on its larger role of providing health care to the state's prison system. He said the state had not provided as much of an increase in funds as UTMB needed for the prisons.

Dr. Stobo also said UTMB experienced hurdles and costs at the jail it hadn't expected. Dr. Raimer said it lost about $2 million on the $14 million jail contract this year.

Some commissioners, including Kenneth Mayfield, had expected UTMB to stay. But others wanted to let Parkland take over and not renew the UTMB contract.

The departure poses immediate questions about staff, creating more jail vacancies. But Ms. Keliher said she thought the county could now seek better services for the mentally ill and even draw from a broader pool of medical staff through Parkland.

UTMB computerized the jail's medical records, making it easier to access those records as inmates were moved to different locations. Dr. Stobo said UTMB would be wiling to sell the system to the county.

Recent events put the spotlight on the jail's health care. In December, the county was sued by the family of James Mims, a mentally ill inmate who went without his medications and whose cell water was turned off. He nearly died.

In February, commissioners received a scathing report on the jail's medical services. It noted a serious staff shortage and deficiencies so serious they were life-threatening to some inmates.

The commissioners publicly chastised UTMB, and in April the county sued UTMB over Mr. Mims.

But other suits against the county as well as many reports indicate that Mr. Mims' experience was part of a pattern of poor care at the jail well before UTMB.

Dr. Steven Bowers, the jail's medical director, has said that despite his repeated requests for the county to assess the jail's medical staffing needs, UTMB was the first to actually do it.

The Dallas County jail system, with 7,000 prisoners, is the seventh-largest in the nation.

Mental health advocates were skeptical whether UTMB could improve the jail's health delivery, since it had no experience with jails. But a jail population is more transient.

In November 2002, Leon Clements, the medical school's chief administrative officer, said UTMB had spent months preparing for the Dallas job.

"Are we going to make everyone happy?" Mr. Clements said then. "I think the answer to that is no. We're going to give it a good shot. We've done a heck of a lot of research."

But UTMB soon ran into problems. "There were cost drivers unique to a jail population," Dr. Stobo said.

UTMB lost up to $2 million a year on the contract. And in December officials concluded that they needed 53 more staff to improve the quality of care. The current staff is 146. Health care experts suggested UTMB underbid the contract or failed to judge accurately the costs of health care at a jail.

UTMB found the Dallas jail population had higher rates of illness than the state prison population. Dr. Raimer said 33 percent of Dallas jail inmates have hypertension, compared with 15 percent of state prison inmates. There are also far higher incidences of asthma and diabetes in the jail.

In March, Dr. Ron Anderson, Parkland's president and CEO, said the hospital could take on health care at the jail, with caveats. He said that Parkland couldn't absorb jail medical care into its budget and that the hospital would need a commitment from commissioners for wholesale changes in staff and funding levels.

The commissioners told Parkland this week to add from $7 million to $11 million to the $14 million already budgeted for the UTMB contract. Parkland might show a slight surplus in its next budget, and that might cover some of the jail increase, Mr. Mayfield said. But if there's a gap, the hospital would need to raise its tax rate.

[TexasStooge]

Inquiry continues into child's death

DA: It's too early to say whether teen will be charged as adult

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

LEWISVILLE, Texas - Lewisville police Wednesday continued to investigate the fatal beating of a 2-year-old girl. A 16-year-old Lewisville boy was being held at the Denton County Juvenile Detention Center in connection with the incident.

Police were called to the Lewisville Medical Center emergency room Monday night after Zabreanah Harris, 2, was brought there with injuries. She was flown to Children's Medical Center Dallas, where she died. The Dallas County medical examiner's office said it was investigating her death as a homicide.

Police charged the teenager, who lived in the same home as the toddler, with a felony count of injury to a child. Family members declined to comment Wednesday.

Officer Richard Douglass, a Lewisville police spokesman, said he could not comment on details of the case because the suspect is a juvenile and the investigation is continuing.

Lee Ann Breading, first assistant district attorney for Denton County, said investigators from her office are participating. She said the investigation must be completed and reviewed before her office can determine whether the teenager will be charged as an adult.

A spokeswoman for Child Protective Services would not comment on whether the agency had any involvement with the child because the case does not involve an adult caregiver.

[TexasStooge]

Students missing out on meal programs

Number of participants is up as sites decrease

By TOYA LYNN STEWART / The Dallas Morning News

ARLINGTON, Texas - The good news is that more Texas students are taking advantage of federally funded free summer meals offered throughout the state.

The not-so-good news is that though the state's numbers have increased since 2000, tens of thousands of students might still go hungry, according to a recent report by the Food Research and Action Center, a group based in Washington, D.C., that works to eradicate hunger.

Between 2000 and 2004, the number of Texas children fed by the summer meals programs increased by 5.9 percent, according to the report.

But the food programs in 2004 reached only 8.2 percent, or 198,365, of the more than 2.4 million low-income Texas schoolchildren eligible for free summer meals. Nationwide, 19 percent of eligible low-income children were served by the programs. The findings are based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Officials cite several reasons for the Texas gap:

Families are unfamiliar with the program.

Lack of transportation.

Because of the state's size, sites are spread out.

School district summer schedules are limited.

The gap is evident by looking at North Texas sites that have offered meals this summer. As of May 31, there were 2,156 sites offering meals. By June 30 that number dropped to 1,661. By July 31, only 616 will be serving meals, said Celia Hagert, a senior policy analyst for the Center for Public Policy Priorities. The think tank, based in Austin, focuses on helping low- and moderate-income people in Texas.

Some school districts typically offer the meal programs when summer school is in session, but when classes end, so do the programs, officials in Arlington and Dallas said. On Friday, the Arlington and Dallas school districts will stop providing meals.

School starts earlier in Texas than in many other states.

"We stop so we can get ready for school in August," said Dorothea Prince, the assistant director of food services for the Arlington school district. At the beginning of the summer, Arlington provided meals for 41 sites. Now there are nine sites. Ms. Prince estimates that this summer the district has served 4,500 lunches and 2,100 breakfasts daily.

Dallas provided meals at 50 school sites at the beginning of the summer. That number has dropped to 15, said Deborah Owens, an official in the Dallas school district's Food and Child Nutrition Services. Ms. Owens estimates that Dallas served about 30,000 meals each day this summer.

Like some other districts, Arlington and Dallas provide meals for other entities including parks and recreation departments. Once the district stops providing the meals, the other organizations must find another vendor or stop offering meals.

Thousands of local churches, recreation centers, shelters, parks and social service agencies serve these meals. Tillie Burgin, director of Mission Arlington, said she's grateful the program is offered. She remembers stories about hungry youth searching for food in trash bins before the program was offered.

Ms. Hagert said food stamp enrollment goes up for families in the summer and demand at food pantries increases.

John Perkins, a senior policy adviser at the Texas Department of Agriculture, which oversees some of the state summer meals programs, agrees the program is underused. But he's encouraged that the number of youths fed increases annually.

Anyone up to age 18, regardless of income, can take advantage of the program wherever meals are served.

Nakia Hackel, who participates in the meal program at the Hugh Smith Recreation Center in Arlington, said she likes the chocolate milk, apples, carrots and pizza she eats while at day camp.

"I eat lunch and breakfast every day," said the 7-year-old, adding that she likes the doughnuts served for breakfast.

Another student, 6-year-old Maverick Osowski, said the lunches are delicious.

"I like the apples and I like to plant [the seeds]," said Maverick. "I like the milk, too."

Robert Odhiambo spends most of his summer days volunteering at the Arlington recreation center.

The 15-year-old said the summer food program is important for youth who patronize the center.

"Some people stay here all day," he said. "If food wasn't here, they'd skip lunch and go buy a drink and that would be lunch."

[TexasStooge]

121 financing is in disarray

Denton County: Tolls have cities iffy about repaying loan for road

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

GRAPEVINE, Texas - Long before talk of tolls on State Highway 121 began, Denton County entered into an agreement with Carrollton, The Colony, Coppell, Grapevine and Lewisville to provide money to move the highway construction higher on the state's priority list.

The cities agreed to pay back a $10 million loan secured by Denton County. It was a deal that went well for years.

"It was that relationship and that trust that made a difference," said Sandy Jacobs, the Denton County commissioner who has led a 121 task force for about 20 years. "The ... loan was the catalyst for the whole thing."

But recent agreements to allow tolls on Highway 121 have led to confusion about whether the new pact supercedes the old agreement between Denton County and the five cities along the route.

The Regional Transportation Council voted unanimously in October to impose tolls on the stretch of highway from the Business 121 split near Coppell to the Dallas North Tollway in Plano and Frisco.

One by one, cities along the route voted – some reluctantly – to support placing electronic tolls on the stretch through Denton County.

To pay or not to pay?

Coppell and Grapevine officials say that because this new understanding requires the Texas Department of Transportation to pay the county $10 million to pay off its loan, their cities should no longer have to send payments to the county. Coppell stopped paying in 2002. Grapevine hasn't paid since 2003.

Coppell originally agreed to pay $2 million but has only sent $1.2 million. Grapevine had agreed to pay $750,000 and has paid $600,000. The Colony paid its $1.31 million share, and Lewisville its $3.89 million. Carrollton has one more payment of about $336,000 due later this year to finish a total payment of about $2.02 million.

At a Denton County Commissioners Court meeting last week, Ms. Jacobs suggested that the Denton County district attorney's office should send a letter reminding the cities about the debt.

In the dark

Ken Griffin, Coppell's director of engineering and public works, said he told county officials earlier this year that the city has no plans to keep paying money for the loan.

"That's the last conversation we had on it," he said. "If there's a conflict, this is the first I've heard of it. There needs to be a conversation between Denton County and us."

Grapevine officials have taken a similar position. Jerry Hodge, that city's director of transportation projects, said Texas Department of Transportation officials told him that all the money would be paid out this month and that since Denton will be getting its full $10 million back, there's no reason to keep paying them.

"That's the last word we heard," he said. "If anything is different, we need to hear it. We can't respond to anything we don't know about. I assure you Grapevine always follows through with agreements. It's not a problem, but we have to know what's going on."

But the expectation of a July payback date was news to Brian Barth, director of transportation planning and development for TxDOT's Dallas district. He said that's never been a goal. In fact, he's aiming to turn the funds over "within the next fiscal year," which ends in August 2006.

That leaves Denton County, which has a payment due Friday, in the lurch.

"We kind of need to know something other than a promise," said James Wells, the county's auditor. "We don't really know what to do. From a budget perspective, we need to know what's going to happen."

Mr. Barth said Denton County put itself in a bind when it reworked the loan payment schedule after refinancing to lock in lower interest rates.

"If they hadn't refinanced the loan, they wouldn't have this problem," he said.

Ms. Jacobs, though, points back to Grapevine and Coppell.

"They made that commitment," Ms. Jacobs said. "They need to understand they have to fulfill their commitments."

[TexasStooge]

Building Complex Burns

KAUFMAN, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- A wooden storage facility operated by Creative Containers in Kaufman, Texas, was severely damaged by a fire Wednesday afternoon.

The structure, in the 700 block of Rand Road, burst into flames soon after a storm blew through the area, although there were no confirmed reports that a lightning strike ignited the blaze.

Two firefighters were injured battling the blaze. Their injuries were not life threatening.

An unspecified number of fire departments from surrounding towns responded to the emergency call.

The fire appeared to be under control early Wednesday evening, although firefighters continued working on smoldering sections of the building.

[TexasStooge]

Open Garages Serve As Burglar Invitations

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- Fort Worth police termed garage break-ins as crimes of opportunities. An open or unlocked garage door could serve as an invitation for thieves to help themselves to stored items, and in the process, damage a neighborhood's peace of mind.

Police said they have seen a seasonal jump in garage burglaries in east Fort Worth northward to the Sunset Cove are of town. Thieves have taken items such as power and yard tools, and they have broken into parked vehicles to steal electronics and other personal items.

Rhonda O'Brien said her house was targeted twice. The first time, near the holidays, thieves took a compressor, weed trimmer and a type of scooter, she said. Burglars opened her garage door and struck again two weeks ago.

"You just work so hard for what you have, and then someone comes into your space and takes it, and they get away with it," she said.

A closed, locked door might not deter thieves, according to one resident. Chuck Schiele said burglars forced open his garage door and stole items from his recreational vehicle.

"They didn't do any damage, but they stole a lot of things," he said. "A TV set, DVD recorder, some clothing."

Schiele installed heavy-duty bolts to secure his garage door. The O'Brien family installed a motion detector, which alerted them to a third break-in attempt.

"When the alarm went off, my husband looked out the window and he saw the guy."

O'Brien's husband chased away the would-be thief, but her family was shaken by the incident, she said.

"What do you say to a 5- and 7-year-old when someone comes into their home?" she said. "It's scary for them."

Fort Worth police said they still are investigating the crimes. They suggested residents record property serial numbers, close and lock garage doors and install motion sensors to deter crime or recovery their propery.

[TexasStooge]

CHILD ABDUCTION EMERGENCY CANCELLATION

Code: Select all

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
CHILD ABDUCTION EMERGENCY
HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
RELAYED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1000 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2005

...AMBER ALERT CANCELLATION...

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE
HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

NOEMI GARCIA AND REBECCA SAMBRANO...THE ORIGINAL WITNESSES
INTERVIEWED...FALSELY REPORTED THAT 6 MONTH OLD ALEXANDRIA GARCIA
HAD BEEN ABDUCTED. THE CHILD IS SAFE AND BOTH WITNESSES HAVE BEEN
CHARGED WITH FILING A FALSE REPORT.

HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE...713-967-5810.

[TexasStooge]

Dog vaccine takes bite out of venom

By KIMBERLY DURNAN / DallasNews.com

WAXAHACHIE, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - The clash of nature and civilization has introduced many domesticated animals to the wrath of the rattler.

Because a snake can bring down a curious canine with one venomous strike, a new vaccine offers hope for dogs that are at risk.

“It’s been a big seller,” said Dr. Michael Gilbreath, a veterinarian at Waxahachie Veterinary Clinic. “It’s not for the poodle that stays in the house all the time. It’s for the animal used in hunting or that spends time in rural areas.”

The vaccine, created by Hygieia Biological Laboratories in California, protects dogs from the deadly venom of the Western diamondback rattlesnake and gives some cross-protection against copperheads, another poisonous snake common to Texas.

Derived from rattlesnake venom, the vaccine stimulates a dog’s immunity by creating antibodies to fight the poison, said Hillary Ward, a spokeswoman for Red Rock Biologics, which markets the vaccine.

The rattler’s venom is deadly because it has enzymes that will digest or destroy tissue. And the venom contains hemotoxins, which destroy the body’s ability to clot blood, so often there will be considerable bleeding around the bite and some internally as well, Ward said.

The vaccine does not protect against the state’s other deadly serpents, cottonmouths and coral snakes. The company is working on developing vaccines for Eastern diamondback and copperhead bites that should have some crossover protection for cottonmouths. Another vaccine in the works would protect horses from rattlesnake attacks, Ward said.

Dogs exposed to snakes year-round should get two shots initially, 30 days apart, then get a booster every six months, Ward said.

A dog’s curiosity, not aggression, usually causes it to become united with a snake’s fangs, said Dr. Gary Broteze, a veterinarian at Creek View Veterinary Clinic in New Braunfels.

“Dogs want to play with it, bark at it, then they go right up to it and get tagged on the nose,” he said.

A bite’s severity will depend on the size of the dog, the size and type of snake, the amount of venom released and the bite location. It’s better if the snake hits the dog’s muscle instead of a large vein, like those in the legs or neck, Gilbreath said.

If a vaccinated dog gets bit, it still will need veterinary care, Gilbreath cautioned. It may need antivenin or antibiotics because a snake’s mouth contains bacteria that could threaten the dog’s health.

The vaccine also may cut vet bills because the animal will need less antivenin, which costs about $500 a shot, or possibly none, Broteze said.

“It’s a good vaccine as far as not having adverse side effects,” he said. “We’ve given quite a bit of it over the last six months. None of our vaccinated dogs have gotten bit, but the data shows the mortality rate is certainly a whole lot lower.”

Gunner, a 4-year-old chocolate lab, recently received the vaccine after his owner, Elaine Wirstrom of Flower Mound, bought some land in rural Jack County. The vaccine gives her comfort because it may buy her time to get Gunner to a clinic if a snake bit him.

“The dog is a very precious member of our family and we want to make sure he does not succumb to something we could avoid,” Wirstrom said.

Rick Crady, who lives in Ellis County and has several hundred acres in Coryell County, made sure his Labrador, blue heeler and two Jack Russell terriers got the shots.

“They go nosing around under every bush,” Crady said. “You can’t teach them not to do that because that’s what they do.”

“I thought, ‘Better safe than sorry.’ It’s all precautionary because our dogs are our babies.”

[TexasStooge]

D/FW-bound flight makes emergency landing

By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas — An American Airlines jet had to make a sudden landing at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport when it was just minutes away from its destination, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Flight 1456, which originated in Long Beach, Calif., was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot declared a fuel emergency.

"It was freaky," said Catherine Solorio, a passenger on the flight. "It was scary. We were really slicing through the clouds."

Another passenger, Jimmy Bramlett, said he knew something was wrong when he heard the word "mayday."

"I thought, oh boy, something is really happening," he said.

The gauges in the cockpit of the Super 80 twin-engine jet started acting strangely when the flight was circling around the thunderstorms above D/FW.

"I guess the pilot, who did a great job, did not know whether we were out of fuel or not because the gauge was not working properly," said passenger Darryll Heck.

The pilot flew and landed the plane safely at Meacham. The passengers completed their journey to D/FW by bus.

No one was hurt.

[TexasStooge]

Woman charged in infant's injury

By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8

DENTON, Texas - A woman was charged in the injury of a 10-week-old baby who is listed in stable condition at a Denton hospital. The baby received a serious head injury Wednesday that doctors said were not a result of an accident.

The baby's caretaker has been charged by police, but bonded out of Denton County Jail Thursday night.

The incident happened in the 900 block of Greenbend Drive in Denton. The woman who was caring for the infant girl called for help when she realized something was wrong with the baby.

"It does appear that foul play took place," said a Denton officer.

Denton police arrested 32-year-old Janna Harris after police said the baby "had been diagnosed with a brain 'bleed' that was a result of a non-accidental trauma..."

Harris was caring for the infant while the girl's mother was at work.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Harris told police that the baby was crying and that she became frustrated so she allegedly put the infant into a car seat forcefully.

"Janna did not want to say 'slammed,' but agreed it was fair to say that she did," the documents read.

Police and officials with the Texas' Child Care Licensing Division said Harris' home was not a licensed day care.

"Janice has never intentionally hurt anyone in her life," said her attorney Rick Hagen. "She is a loving wife, a loving mother and a loving caretaker for the children in her home."

Neither Harris' attorney nor the police were able to state how long she knew the child's mother. They also did not state how long she had taken care of the infant or other children.


WFAA ABC 8
Janna Harris is out on bond after she was charged in an infant's injury by Denton police.

[TexasStooge]

Cities begin to lift water restrictions

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

PLANO, Texas - The water in 15 Collin and Denton county cities are flowing once again and water restrictions in some cities have been lifted. In Plano, the watering ban has been lifted and Allen authorities want its residents to get back to normal water use slowly.

However, there are still some restrictions in Frisco, but limited outdoor watering is allowed. In McKinney, water restrictions are still in effect. There were 600,000 people impacted by the water crisis. However, there was little evidence of any problems other than a ban on outdoor watering of their landscaping.

Around 10 p.m. four crews finished welding the main that broke Wednesday. Workers began to refill pipelines at midnight, the line was recharged around 3 a.m. and by 4 a.m. water was flowing into cities' storage tanks

"We were concerned yesterday when this break occurred," said David Stephens, with the North Texas Municipal Water District. "It could take possibly 24 hours for repair."

However, in Plano, McKinney, Frisco and Allen reserve water was restored in between 8 to 16 hours. Stephens said the fast repair couldn't come soon enough in the summer season.

"If you take the annual average consumption in the summer time, it's two and half times that annual consumption," Stephens said.

It will take about two days for the system to return to normal.

[TexasStooge]

Homeowner to city: Not in my yard

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

CARROLLTON, Texas — Some homeowners in Carrollton said they want to know why Verizon is being allowed to install high-speed fiber optic communication lines in their neighborhoods using city-owned rights of way.

The city said it is legal because of Verizon's permit. However, residents said the Internet is not an essential utility like water, gas or electric. They said they believe Internet providers should use the same rights of way set up for cable TV or telephone service.

Homeowner Keith Clowe said Verizon crews dug up part of his front lawn installing fiber optic cable in May.

"This is for the purposes of utilities such as water and sewer," he said. "Not for them to grant Verizon the right to come in and trench up our front yards."

Verizon is installing fiber optic lines thoughout the city. They are a city-designated "franchise" utility, now on a par with water, sewer and electric services.

"We are managing them," said Cesar Molina, the director of engineering in Carrollton. "We have a permitting process, and they can only be used on a city right of way."

Verizon's permit lets them install lines in front of houses rather than the back, which saves Verizon tens of thousands of dollars.

However, Clowe said if they are going to work on his yard they should at least repair the burned-up sod the utility put down on his and neighbors' front lawns.

"So this is the new generation of communications," Clowe said. "Great. I am all for it—just don't put it in my front yard."

The city said it is letting Verizon put the fiber optic cables in the front because that land belongs to the city—not the homeowners.

Clowe said he is considering a lawsuit.


WFAA ABC 8
Verizon patched up a homeowners lawn after they installed a fiber optic cable in his front yard.

[TexasStooge]

County wants critical report secret

By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A report from Health Management Associates that uncovered several health problems at the Dallas County Jail in February has generated many problems for the county jail. Lawsuits have been filed by prisoners and the county said they believe the report should remain out of their hands.

Meanwhile, there are indications jail health care costs could go up from $14 million to $21 million. As spending goes up, the University of Texas Medical Branch that provides the care has started to pull out, which could mean a possible tax increase.

While the report was leaked to the Dallas Morning News, the county said it should be considered secret.

The report found serious shortcomings in the medical and mental health care of Dallas County Jail inmates. The results are important to relatives of Clarence Grant, a man with mental illness arrested for arson who died in the jail in 2003.

After the report, his family filed a federal lawsuit against the county.

"It frustrates me that they're not making any type of changes or trying to improve the system because inmates are still dying, you know, going without medical attention," said Lucille Ralston, Grant's sister.

A search on the internet can quickly find the report on many websites.

Yet, attorneys for Dallas County claim since the county never formally released the report prisoners should not be allowed to use it as evidence in lawsuits.

County attorneys declined comment, but a lawyer for Grant's family said civil rights cases should be given wider power to get evidence.

"And for them to sit back here now in the course of litigation when we're trying to fix those problems, to say we don't want you to use that information, it's frustrating to us," said Mark Haney, Grant's family attorney. "And I think it ought to be offensive to people in the Dallas community."

Haney said since county commissioners and a special jail committee talked about the report, it isn't privileged. Commissioners said they agree the report was valuable.

"Oh absolutely," said Dallas County Commissioner Ken Mayfield. "Absolutely. We rely on it."

[TexasStooge]

Man in hospital after power outage

By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas man has spent the past two days hospitalized on a respirator after a power outage at his home cut off his oxygen supply after a thunderstorm Tuesday afternoon.

Outages are not unusual at the Robinson's household, but instead of power being restored in a couple of hours, it took closer to 15 hours. Carolyn and Joe Robinson said they did not expect the delay and it almost cost Joe his life.

The summer storm blew in and out in a matter of minutes. Carolyn Robinson said she couldn't understand why her power was still out hours after she reported the problem.

However, getting the power back on was more than staying comfortable for the Robinson family. Robinson's 75-year-old husband relies on his oxygen machine several times a day, which he couldn't use during the outage. His worried wife said she couldn't get an answer from TXU Energy about how long the repairs might take.

Several hours after their power went out, Joe Robinson ended up in ICU on a respirator. His wife blames a breakdown in communication between her and TXU's customer relations call center a half a world away in the Philippines.

However, there is a service for those who electricity is essential because of medical needs.

Power companies keep a list of customers with high priority medical needs. Crews make these homes a priority after any power outages. Contact your power provider and they can send you a critical care residential customer form. However, it is up to you to renew the service on a yearly basis.