News from the Lone Star State

[rainstorm]

Woman's body found in suitcase

LUBBOCK, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A sanitation worker sorting through debris at a city-owned landfill found the body of a woman inside a suitcase Tuesday, authorities said.

Assistant Police Chief Thomas Esparza said the death was being treated as a homicide. An autopsy was ordered.

"We don't know how she died, where she died or when she died," Esparza said. Police identified the woman late Tuesday as Summer Lee Baldwin, 29.

John Cobb, manager of the West Texas Region Disposal Facility, said the body probably was brought to the site in one of the trucks that dumped there Tuesday morning. It was found sitting in a suitcase atop a 10-foot-high trash pile, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported in its Wednesday editions.

Cobb said the refuse at the bottom of the landfill Tuesday was delivered by 40 trucks.

"We're guessing it came off a city truck," he said. "We've had private up there and commercial up there. That's why it is a guess."

The worker found the body while sorting through trash in search of car batteries, tires and large pieces of metal that shouldn't be dumped at the landfill.

"Something made him look in there," Cobb said. "Otherwise it would have gone unsolved."

i hope they find her killer

[TexasStooge]

N. Texas drug lord pleads guilty

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - One of the top drug lords in North Texas and several of his associates have pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.

The men, including an Olympic boxing hopeful, are accused of trafficking millions of dollars worth of drugs from Mexico to Dallas.

On a chilly December night last year, several men drove up to a home on Mimi Court in Oak Cliff and opened fire; one person died and three others were injured.

When police searched the home, they found $2 million worth of cocaine and $300,000 in cash.

According to court documents, the home belongs to Gilberto Lugo, believed to be the head of the Juarez cartel in North Texas. Experts said the cartel brings cocaine from Mexico through the border in Laredo all the way here Dallas.

Lugo and seven other men are facing up to life in prison for allegedly selling drugs here.

Lugo has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges. According to court documents, he is responsible for selling more than 150 kilograms of cocaine worth millions of dollars.

Also accused is 24-year-old Gregory Corbin, the only one of the seven who did not plead guilty. He's a top U.S. super heavyweight boxing champion and a finalist for the 2004 Olympic boxing team. DEA agents allegedly caught him with $126,000 in cash to buy 15 kilograms of cocaine. Lugo was allegedly the source Corbin was buying from.

Police said taking these men off the streets puts a huge dent in the drug trade in North Texas.

[TexasStooge]

President's nephew arrested in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - John Ellis Bush, the youngest son of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was arrested early Friday morning and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest, a sheriff's department spokesman said.

Bush, 21, nephew of President Bush, was arrested by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission at 2:30 a.m. Friday on a corner of Austin's Sixth Street bar district, said spokesman Roger Wade.

Bush was released on $2,500 bond for resisting arrest and personal recognizance bond for the public intoxication charge.

A spokesman for Jeb Bush said the Florida governor and his wife Columba are concerned about the incident.

"This is a personal family matter which they are dealing with privately," said spokesman Alia Faraj.

[TexasStooge]

Signs can't find way to Dallas

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Last December, Dallas unveiled the first of the city's new way-showing signs outside City Hall.

220 of the new signs were to go up around downtown by May - a development that never happened. Now, the city still just has the one sign.

The new signage was to replace the outdated, fading signs dotting the city's core. They're supposed to guide residents and tourists through the somewhat confusing maze of downtown streets, and point them to popular spots like the Farmers Market, the Nasher Scupture Garden and the Sixth Floor Museum.

Former City Council member Veletta Lill worked for years to get the new signs up and the old ones down. But nine months after the unveiling, these are still showing the way - and the one at City Hall stands alone.

"They're very nice-looking signs, but they're not up," said Alan Hendrix, city project manager.

Instead, they're sitting in a warehouse in Denton. The signs were manufactured in Pennsylvania and are ready to go, but the contractor the city hired missed deadlines, then defaulted.

The bonding agent is now trying to get the $500,000 project back on track. The good news? The city still has its money. The bad news, though, is the city doesn't have its signs.

"The money is there, and indeed the signs are there," Lill said. "It's just moving them out of the warehouse and putting them into the ground, and that's what we're looking for right now."

[TexasStooge]

Constable's bail reduction denied

By TRACY HARMON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

CANON CITY, Colo./DENTON, Texas - A Colorado district court judge denied a request to reduce bail for a Denton County constable facing felony charges related to sexual solicitation of a child.

Larry Dale Floyd, 62, of The Colony has been in Fremont County jail on a $100,000 cash-only bail since his July 28 arrest. He is charged with one count of soliciting for child prostitution, three counts of enticement of a child and three counts of attempted sexual assault on a child.

Mr. Floyd, who appeared in court Friday shackled and wearing a full beard, testified during his bond reduction hearing that he has no criminal record and has about 30 years of law enforcement experience. He also said he was in the combat infantry with the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1980 and served in Vietnam.

"I was employed in Denton County, but I'm not sure now," he testified.

Mr. Floyd has been suspended without pay as Denton County authorities seek to have him permanently removed from his elected post as constable for Precinct 2.

Mr. Floyd has also been indicted in Texas on three charges of possession of child pornography. An investigator with the Denton County District Attorney's office testified by telephone that "well over 60 pieces" of child pornography were recovered from two zip disks and a computer at Mr. Floyd's home in The Colony during the execution of a search warrant after his Colorado arrest.

[TexasStooge]

Teen dies in crash of stolen car

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A stolen car; a high rate of speed; a young driver; and three teenagers along for the ride.

It was a deadly combination that began with the theft of a silver Honda from a Plano car lot and ended with a deadly crash in West Dallas Friday afternoon.

The speeding car—which witnesses estimated was traveling at more than 80 mph—ran a red light and slammed into a red Dodge Durango at the intersection of West Davis Street and Fort Worth Ave.

The SUV skidded half the length of a football field before it crashed on its side.

"The two ladies in the Durango, they ended up in the hospital," said Dallas police Sgt. Albert Martinez, who added that their injuries were not life-threatening.

The Honda kept going after hitting the Durango and was headed directly for a convenience store when it was stopped by two cars in the parking lot.

The driver of the stolen car and two of his three teenage passengers escaped with minor injuries, but one young person died at the scene.

"A lot of people come to and from the store," Martinez said. "We're just very fortunate there were not pedestrians standing here at the corner."

The driver of the Honda was expected to be charged with car theft, and more charges could follow.

"We've had witnesses tell us they or the driver might have been doing some kind of drugs or alcohol, but right now we're in the preliminary stages of the investigation," Martinez said.


WFAA ABC 8
A teenage passenger in a stolen car was killed when it crashed.

[TexasStooge]

Scofflaws pursued in $574,000 roundup

By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8

SUNNYVALE, Texas — This could be a long weekend for drivers with outstanding traffic tickets. Some motorists could end up in jail.

Dallas Sheriff's Department deputies were set to begin a warrant roundup Saturday morning. Their goal is to clear a backlog of 2,259 outstanding tickets in Sunnyvale alone.

While Sunnyvale is just a small town of 3,600 in eastern Dallas County, it is owed fines totaling $574,000 dating back to 2003.

Muncipal court administrator Anne Harrison said sending deputies out to arrest the people who owe the money and ignored the tickets is a matter of fairness.

"Other people pay theirs," she said. "If you're driving illegally or speeding or running stop signs, then you need to pay for what you're doing."

In the past, Sunnyvale just dismissed any backlog of tickets. But with a large courtroom at the new town hall, there's room now to bring in scofflaws and process the tickets against them.

Dallas County Sheriff's Deputy David Robertson urged those with outstanding warrants to come in voluntarily and take care of them, because the cost is sometimes more than just the fine. "We'll go right into the peoples' jobs and get them," he said. "I know it's embarrassing, and it may cause them to lose their job, and that's not what we want—we just want them to take care of their warrants."

The court said it will work with the drivers who have outstanding tickets. Those who can't pay in full can set up a payment plan.

For those who do pay the entire fine, the court will waive the $50 warrant fee.

[TexasStooge]

Was it hazing, or just boys being boys?

Many Flower Mound parents, teens say wrestlers at party meant no harm

By JAY PARSONS and BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

FLOWER MOUND, Texas – As the freshmen arrived at a Flower Mound High School wrestling team party Aug. 27, the upperclassmen swept them off their feet – literally.

They stripped the newcomers down to their bathing suits, picked them up and carried them to the pool in the backyard, some of the participants said.

On the way, they took turns slapping the youngsters' bellies, a game they call "pink bellying." After eight or nine slaps, they threw the boys into the pool.

When the freshmen tried to leave the pool, upperclassmen played defense. They dunked the boys back into the pool as parents and their coach, Charles Zascavage, watched, said two freshman team members who attended the party but are not among the five accusers who told police they were the victims of hazing and assault. One of the five said he was also sexually assaulted.

Is that hazing or "boys being boys"? Two sides interpret the same party very differently. To most of the parents and freshmen, it was a display of boyhood roughhousing. Police determined it was criminal.

"It's like there were two different parties," said Jennifer Stubbs, the mother of a freshman wrestler who said the event, attended by about 20 freshmen and about 50 upperclassmen, was not hazing. "I'm not sure which party [the teenagers who made the accusations] were at."

Police charged Mr. Zascavage with hazing and 18 students with various charges of assault and hazing. Three juveniles were charged with felony sexual assault.

Police identified the five adult students as 17-year-olds Dustin Everett, Thomas Pinckard, Adam Well and Cory Talbert, and 18-year-old Nathan Marks. Mr. Talbert, Mr. Everett and Mr. Well were charged with assault and hazing; Mr. Pinckard and Mr. Marks were charged only with hazing. The students and their parents either could not be reached for comment Friday or declined to comment.

Roy G. Morris, a Flower Mound attorney representing five of the accused, said he's learned more from media reports than from police and is still gathering information.

Rumors swirling

Mr. Zascavage turned himself in Thursday on one count of hazing and was released on $500 bond. A person answering the phone at Mr. Zascavage's Wylie residence referred questions to a Flower Mound attorney, who also could not be reached.

Two freshmen at the party said they – and most of their friends – didn't think of the party as hazing. They said they assumed all had a good time until the following Monday, when police called them into the library to write statements.

Since then, wrestlers have fended off rumors flying around Flower Mound High and criticized the police and parents of the boys who made the allegations.

"At school, it's what everyone is talking about," said Kirk Grogan, a 14-year-old freshman wrestler. "When I wear my wrestling shirt, people ask me if someone was killed or put in a coma. There are all sorts of rumors."

Among the more bizarre rumors: The upperclassmen gave the freshmen terminal cancer.

"It's crazy," freshman wrestler Zach Stubbs said. "And it's stupid. It gets old. It wasn't a big deal."

"We wouldn't be defending them if this stuff did happen," said Mrs. Stubbs, Zach's mother. "If there was a sexual assault, none of us would defend them."

The party and investigation have sharply divided wrestling team parents and confused many of the wrestlers.

A group of 40 parents protested the school district's decision to suspend Mr. Zascavage from coaching and punish 16 wrestlers earlier this week. Parents said they were rebuffed and told all 16 were kicked off the team.

Support for accusers

On the other side, only relatives have publicly supported the five accusers' accounts.

Mary Alice McLarty, who represents two of the accusers, said freshmen were slapped and punched, but would give few other details. Police reports also said the accusers were kicked in the groin.

Ms. McLarty said other parents have harassed one of her clients who came forward.

"Their son had a wonderful first week of school," Ms. McLarty said. "They are afraid of this mob mentality now. It's gotten really ugly."

The mother of one of the 14-year-old accusers said her son's back was black and blue after the alleged hazing.

"I guarantee a car wreck would not look this bad," she said. "He said they pounded the crap out of him. I said, 'Why didn't you get away?' and he said he couldn't. To me, that's hazing."

The older kids kicked, punched, slapped and threw footballs at the five victims, she said. All five went to a hospital after the party, she said. She said one had a concussion and one a bruised spleen.

Zach and Kirk said team members know of only two of the accusers, and they said neither has been harassed.

"I'm not going to say no one was hurt," said Dareth Chapa, the mother of a 16-year-old wrestler. "But this was not premeditated. This was not malicious. This was dumb boys not thinking. When you put that many boys together, they're going to be boys."

Among those charged with hazing is a 110-pound freshman, three wrestlers said. Police refused to confirm or deny this.

Zach said he saw one of his classmates cry during the "pink bellying." After three or four slaps, the upperclassmen stopped and threw the kid into the pool, he said.

At one point, Coach Z – as Mr. Zascavage is called by students – walked to the pool area from the patio – where he spent most of the party – and said, "Hey, you guys, settle down; you're getting a little wild," according to witnesses and police reports.

But most of the freshmen went along with the physical welcome and "pink bellying," Zach and others said.

The wrestlers and parents have seen pictures of one freshman's deep bruises on television and could not explain them. A popular explanation is that the boy fell down concrete steps leading to the pool.

But relatives say the bruises were the result of a planned hazing event.

"I saw the bruises," said the grandmother of a freshman wrestler. "They're not minor. He's 14, and he says it's OK, it's not a big deal. But kids are victims."

The wrestlers explained the sexual assault charges against three juveniles as "knifing" or "goosing," a common prank where a person surprises someone by holding their hand straight out and whipping someone in the rear.

But a relative of one of the accusers said the sexual assault occurred when some team members put condoms on their fingers and sexually assaulted a teammate.

"[Goosing] was not a freshmen thing," said Eric Grogan, a former team captain who graduated last year and did not attend the party. "If you screwed up in practice, people did that to you."

At the party, team members also engaged in "chicken fighting." The pool game features fights between boys on top of each other's shoulders. People at the party said no one was forced to play, and upperclassmen did not pit themselves against freshmen.

Chicken fight participants sometimes used noodles as swords. The long foam pool toys can leave a mark when used as a whip.

"You expect they're not going to be scared of messing around," Eric Grogan said. "You expect they're ready to be physical. The upperclassmen expected them to be tough guys. They didn't intentionally try to cross the line."

Parents' concerns

Parents also are upset with Flower Mound police, who they said did not notify them their children would be interviewed, have not returned parents' phone calls and have turned down parents' requests for copies of their sons' statements. Several parents who attended the party said police never interviewed them. Police officials did not return phone calls Friday seeking comment.

"If you don't interview all the parents, how can it be a thorough investigation?" asked George Grogan, who attended the party. Mr. Grogan is the father of Kirk and Eric Grogan.

Some of the wrestlers also said police tried to lead them in questioning and didn't allow them to tell the whole story.

"The police haven't gone over everything," freshman Kirk Grogan said. "Their questioning was pretty much leading us on. They didn't ask us if we received hazing, they asked us how much hazing we received. They asked us what they wanted to hear."

Zach added: "They asked me how much punishment should the upperclassmen get. I wrote, 'not too harshly.' "

Speaking of Mr. Everett, who is charged with assault and hazing, Eric Grogan said: "His career goal is to serve in the Coast Guard. He's a really good guy. He wants to do good with his life and help other people. I can't imagine him intentionally hurting anyone."

Parents and players stood most passionately behind Mr. Zascavage, calling him a "gentle giant." He was last year's state wrestling coach of the year.

"There's no one in our class happy about Coach leaving," Kirk Grogan said.

[TexasStooge]

Lawyer was fired after Rove called

Bush aide talked to secretary of state about residency controversy

By WAYNE SLATER / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove personally called the Texas secretary of state about a newspaper story quoting a staff lawyer about whether Mr. Rove was eligible to vote in the state.

The lawyer was subsequently fired.

Secretary of State Roger Williams said that he decided to dismiss the lawyer after talking with Mr. Rove but that the White House adviser didn't request that he do so.

"Absolutely not," said Mr. Williams, a longtime supporter of President Bush and a major GOP fundraiser.

"Karl called me. He had read the article and wanted to know if it was our stance" that his voter registration status in Texas might be in jeopardy, he said. "I told him it wasn't and that the person who gave that opinion was not authorized to do so."

The call to Mr. Williams came at the height of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe, the weekend after the storm struck. Mr. Rove was involved in the early White House response and subsequently has been a leader in the federal government's reconstruction effort.

Elizabeth Reyes, 30, was terminated Sept. 6 after being quoted in The Washington Post three days earlier saying it was potential vote fraud to register in a place where you don't actually live.

Ms. Reyes said that she was answering a hypothetical question, that she didn't know she talking with a reporter and that Mr. Rove's name never came up. The Post acknowledged that Mr. Rove's name was not mentioned but said the reporter did identify herself as working for the newspaper.

Ms. Reyes said she was told she was being terminated for violating an agency policy against talking to the media.

Scott Haywood, a spokesman for the secretary of state, said employees may take "routine press calls" but must refer media inquires to the communications director if they involve "controversial matters" or an opinion or interpretation of agency policy.

Mr. Williams, asked about the reasons for Ms. Reyes' dismissal, said: "That's a personnel matter. I don't really want to discuss it."

In Texas, state employees can be terminated at will. Ms Reyes told The Post she had asked for her job back.

Mr. Rove, the longtime Bush adviser who orchestrated his campaigns for governor and president, has sold his home in Austin and claims as his voting residence two cottages associated with a bed-and-breakfast in Kerr County. The arrangement is permitted under state law, Mr. Williams said.

White House spokeswoman Erin Healey said Friday that Mr. Rove called the Texas secretary of state seeking clarification on the state's voting requirements.

"Karl's a friend of mine, so when he read something in the paper, he called," Mr. Williams said. "Naturally, he had a way to get hold of me, as we're friends. He wanted to know if that's where we stood on the issue, and that was that."

Texas law provides that residents may continue to claim property in the state as a voting residence if their intent is to return. Mr. Rove owns a house in Washington and recently built a home in Florida.

The cottages in Texas were part of the River Oaks Lodge that Mr. Rove and his wife, Darby, once owned on the Guadalupe River near Ingram. They sold the lodge in 2003 but kept the two cottages, which the bed-and-breakfast rents to guests.

The cottages and one-third-acre lot are appraised at $57,258. According to the lodge's brochure, one cottage rents for $200 a night and the other for $120 a night.

Mr. Williams, a Weatherford car dealer, raised at least $100,000 for George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign and in 2004 was among the elite tier of Bush Rangers, who each raised at least $200,000 for the president's re-election.

[TexasStooge]

At youth orchestra, world's on a string

Irving: Musicians from all over N. Texas tune up at tuition-free school

By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING, Texas - Every Wednesday, the rehearsal hall fills with young musicians toting instruments.

Some come from Rowlett and Mesquite, others from Denton and Dallas.

Some attend public schools; others go to private schools. A few are students at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Despite their differences, they share a common trait: They all love music.

The teenagers travel from far and wide to participate in the Lone Star Youth Orchestra, the only tuition-free youth orchestra in North Texas.

Rehearsals for its new season started this week at the Irving Arts Center. This year's orchestra will present four concerts, an increase from three performed last year.

Founded in 1999, the orchestra is an education program of the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra.

"We really try to accept everyone," said Stephanie Sunder, director of education. "We offer scholarships for those who can't cover the administrative fee of $60."

That cost and a $10 or $15 audition fee are the only fees involved in joining.

So far this year, about 70 students from about 28 communities are members.

"We hope to increase to about 120 students eventually," Ms. Sunder said. "We are still auditioning for percussion, cello and trombone musicians."

Once students join the orchestra, they are welcome every year until graduation from high school.

Sarah Lee Sproul was hired as an assistant conductor for the new orchestra while still in graduate school. She earned a master's degree in conducting from Southern Methodist University in 2000 and a year later was named conductor. She also teaches orchestra at Shadow Ridge and Forest Wood middle schools in Flower Mound.

"I think I have a knack for remembering how all the parts fit together," she said about conducting. She said she chooses music that is accessible but challenging. She helps those who are less experienced by sitting them next to the more polished students so "they can learn from their peers."

Nic Salas joined the group in sixth grade. A flutist, the 11th-grader hopes to study music at the Manhattan School of Music or Juilliard when he graduates from Booker T. Washington.

"I like the music Ms. Sproul chooses, and she is great," he said.

Marcus Pyle of Rowlett helps his peers. He starting playing the viola in third grade and would love to be a conductor.

"I really like the atmosphere," he said.

His mother, Diantha Pyle, said the atmosphere is more relaxed than at other youth orchestras. She added that the students do learn a lot but have more fun in the process. The staff gives the musicians a break at every rehearsal that includes snacks and drinks.

Jillian Attan, a freshman at Irving High, said the orchestra "is really great. I have progressed a lot faster with my music from being here."

This is her second year in the orchestra.

Her friend Ankita Kirshnan, a freshman at the Academy of Irving ISD, said "I am so glad I got into it. I love it."

Harpist Bethany Harris of Aubrey, Texas, is from a musical family. She, along with her brother, Schaeffer, and sister, Liz, are orchestra members. She said she likes the orchestra because "Ms. Sproul picks nice music, and everyone takes care of us."

Ms. Sproul keeps alive the students' love of music. She is glad when she learns that some students will study music in college.

"The best part of the job is introducing students this age to a real orchestra repertoire," she said.

The worst part is meeting just once a week. But, she said, the students and music always come together.


JASON JANIK/Special Contributor to Dallas Morning News
Sarah Lee Sproul conducted the violin section of the Lone Star Youth Orchestra during rehearsals at the Irving Arts Center for the new season this week. It's the only tuition-free youth orchestra in North Texas, and this year, about 70 students from about 28 communities are members.

[TexasStooge]

AREA BRIEFS

ARLINGTON

Taste serves up sample fare from restaurants

The 23rd annual Taste of Arlington will be from 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way. This year's theme is "Take a Cruise," and vouchers for trips worth $5,000, $3,500 and $1,500 will be raffled off. Event tickets are $40 and available online at http://www.tasteofarlington.org and at all Arlington Kroger stores. Proceeds will benefit youth programs at Theatre Arlington and YMCA of Arlington.

Einstein event marks World Year of Physics

The University of Texas at Arlington is sponsoring the local observance of the World Year of Physics 2005. Author and Washington University professor John S. Rigden will present a physics colloquium from 2 to 3 p.m. today in the Science Hall, and at 7:30 tonight he will give a lecture on Einstein in the Central Library. Call Betty Wood at 817-272-7421.
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FORT WORTH

Aviation Hall of Fame event to precede air show

The Aviation Hall of Fame will hold an induction ceremony at a dinner at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bell Helicopter Center at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth. Dain Hancock, retired president of Lockheed Martin, will be honored. The event is being held in conjunction with the 17th annual International Airshow at Alliance Airport on Sept. 24 and 25. For tickets, call 817-491-9381.
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GRAPEVINE

Parks and Recreation to host garage sale

Grapevine Parks and Recreation Department will host its first communitywide garage sale from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 1 behind the Grapevine Community Activities Center, 1175 Municipal Way. The event will include music and a bounce house. Food and beverages will be sold. Sellers are welcome from all cities. Assigned 18-by-19 spaces are available for $25 each. Eight prime locations will be sold for $40 each. There will be no commercial vendors. To reserve a space or for information, call 817-410-3450.
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IRVING

Macho Nacho Party puts focus on men's health

Irving's Public Health and Environmental Services Department and Methodist Hospitals of Dallas will sponsor a Macho Nacho Party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Urban League Community Service Center, 1625 Story Road, Suite 166, Irving. The event is meant to increase awareness of men's health. A free PSA blood test for prostate cancer will be available to men ages 40 and older or those at risk. Call 972-742-5982.
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AREAWIDE

Three fire departments receive grant money

Three area fire departments received grants from the Department of Homeland Security in the fourth round of its fiscal year 2005 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The program will award about 5,500 grants worth $600 million in direct assistance to firefighters and first responders nationwide. The local recipients are:

• Farmers Branch –$76,456

• Irving – $268,895

• The Colony – $196,279

Eight other fire departments in Texas received grants, with a total of more than $1.2 million awarded to Texas in this round. The program awarded more than $27.8 million nationwide in its fourth round.

[TexasStooge]

SCHOOL BRIEFS

IRVING

Board to meet Monday to honor teachers

The Irving school district board of trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in the auditorium of MacArthur High School, 3700 N. MacArthur Blvd. This is a change from the usual location at the Administration Building. The meeting will honor teachers of the year Gail Johnstone at Gilbert Elementary and Gina Fletcher at de Zavala Middle School, and campus teachers of the year. A reception will be at 6:15 p.m. in the cafeteria.

District to hold public meeting on rating

The Irving Independent School District will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 in the Administration Building, 2621 W. Airport Freeway in Irving. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the district's rating on the state's financial accountability system.

MacArthur drill team's carwash is Saturday

The MacArthur High School Cardettes will hold a carwash from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the school, 3700 N. MacArthur Blvd.

School district to hold college night Tuesday

The Irving school district will hold college night from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Academy of Irving ISD, 4601 N. MacArthur Blvd. A financial aid seminar will be at 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Call 972-258-5300.

Schools helping hurricane victims

The MacArthur High School student council raised about $6,000 for victims. Students also donated food and clothing for a relief drive. The cheerleaders plan to collect donations at the football game tonight. The Irving High School Marine JROTC collected about $3,000. The Academy of Irving ISD raised $928 for the Salvation Army. Students are also collecting food, water and baby items.

Free, reduced-price

lunch policy detailed

The Irving Independent School District announced its policy for free and reduced-price meals for children unable to pay the full price. The district's food service department has a copy of the policy with guidelines on household size and income criteria. Application forms will be sent to all homes and returned to the school. Applicants may also fill them out at the School Meal Application Center, 814 N. O'Connor Road. The center is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. To appeal a ruling, call 972-215-5405.

[TexasStooge]

Firefighter hospitalized after apartment fire

By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Smoke and fire forced 16 families from their apartments early Sunday morning, and sent 80 firefighters to fight the blaze at the Woodland Village Apartments on Brockbank Drive.

While none of the families were injured in the four alarm fire, there were some tense moments for a firefighter trapped in the blaze.

Many of the families were shocked awake around 7:30 a.m. by the fire, and soon found themselves lost in a fog of thick smoke.

"We were just looking," said resident Valerie Portio. "[We were] trying to look for each other [but] we couldn't because it was too dark."

Another resident said she was fearful she wouldn't make it out.

"All we saw was flames and the smoke was real thick," said Tina Porter. "And we were just worried about getting out. I'm just devastated."

While some fled the fire, other residents said they rushed to help get others out.

"I just grabbed what I could, threw it on and went right on to it," said Michael Moore, a neighbor. "[I was] knocking on doors and kicking them in, getting folks out."

However, soon firefighters were on the scene.

"We found several people running into our firefighters telling them there were people inside trapped," said Capt. Jesse Garcia, Dallas Fire-Rescue. "So, our firefighters went inside immediately to do their search and rescue."

One firefighter became trapped when the roof partially caved in on him, which led firefighters to turn their focus on saving the injured man. The 18-year veteran was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital in serious condition.

"At the very least, he's got some burns," Garcia said. "He was unconscious and not breathing when we pulled him out. He was talking a while back. So, that's a very good sign."

The cause of the fire is being investigated by Dallas Fire-Rescue, and displaced residents are being moved into other apartments owned by the same company.

[TexasStooge]

Cedar Hill, school district vow to share, save

Council, board expected to OK $25 million joint facility

By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

CEDAR HILL, Texas - The city of Cedar Hill and the school district are beyond walking down the aisle. They're about to seal their unusual marriage with a kiss.

The council and school board next week are scheduled to approve a $25 million, 119,000-square-foot joint facility that would house Cedar Hill's new City Hall, police station, municipal courts and school district administration under one roof.

The facility – which will be on Uptown Boulevard across the street from the new movie theater – should be ready by late 2007.

"We've asked a couple of times speak now or forever hold your peace, and no one has spoken up, so I guess that's a good sign," Cedar Hill Mayor Rob Franke said. "It took a lot of good-hearted people doing a good handshake deal to make this happen."

Although joint-use agreements, consortiums and shared facilities are not unusual, this type of setup is atypical, said state officials, who were hard-pressed to find similar examples elsewhere in Texas. There are several examples across the nation where schools share facilities with a city's parks and recreation department for after-school activities. There also are schools within businesses, shared libraries and shared swimming pools. But there are few examples of shared municipal and school district facilities.

Whole lot of sharing

Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville and Lancaster do share some services. Three of the cities share a dispatch center, while others in the group share DeSoto's jail and a regional animal shelter.

Art Stone, the Cedar Hill project manager who works for Hunt Construction Group, said he hadn't seen anything like this venture in his travels across the nation.

"The project represents dollars they don't have to spend twice," Mr. Stone said. "It is quite unique."

The mayor said former council member Al Armistead initially suggested the shared facility several years ago.

"I think it benefits all the taxpayers," Mr. Armistead said. "In these days and times, you should share as many things as you can. With gas headed to $3 a gallon, you have to think that way."

Mr. Armistead said he attended a school board meeting several years ago and thought that the district – like the city – needed a new administrative building.

The school district administration building opened in 1956. The city complex was built in 1961.

Cedar Hill City Manager Alan Sims said he doesn't know why combined projects like this aren't done more often.

"There's so much upside, so many positives," Mr. Sims said. "Instead of having separate council and school board chambers, you have one. We'll share computer rooms."

In all, the joint facility will have about 22,000 square feet in shared space. The entities also will share a receptionist, lobby area, break rooms, copy centers, conference rooms, City Council/school board chambers and other areas. The city and school district already share computer resources and a phone system.

Mr. Sims said the city and Cedar Hill Independent School District would save about $4 million in the first year by building the joint facility. The district will pay $6.4 million into the project from 1999 and 2001 bond referendums. The city will pay for the remainder from a 2003 bond election.

Cedar Hill schools Superintendent Jim Gibson said future shared functions could include payroll and personnel.

Timing was right

School board President Randy Gaubert said the timing was right for the project in that both entities needed facilities at the same time.

"There's a unique bond between our school district and city," Mr. Gaubert said. "We realize we're all in this together. A lot of times school districts and city governments don't get along too well. There are turf battles. They don't like each other butting into the other's way."

That scenario has apparently played out in other communities.

Last year, the Carroll school board asked the city of Southlake to share its chambers for meetings last year. Southlake's council denied the request because it felt the city facilities weren't set up for that type of arrangement. The Southlake council majority also said not all the city's taxpayers were part of the Carroll school district. Carroll school board members thought it would be financially advantageous to the taxpayers not to have to pay for facilities twice.

Cedar Hill's Mr. Gaubert is glad his community soon won't have to deal with that situation.

"Why duplicate meeting rooms?" he said. "If we have a specially called meeting that coincides with a council meeting, we'll go to a conference room," he said. "It's not about how much paneling is in the room where you're meeting."

[TexasStooge]

Care of diabetic students expanding within schools

But finding staffers willing to be trained is struggle for some districts

By TOYA LYNN STEWART / The Dallas Morning News

Most everyone agrees it's a good idea to have more people inside schools able to assist diabetic students. But finding and training those extra people could be a challenge.

Public schools in Texas don't have a choice.

In July, legislators signed a bill requiring staff members who are not health care professionals be trained as unlicensed diabetes care assistants. Texas is the 11th state with such legislation.

Sandra Rivers, supervisor of Health Services for the Arlington school district, supports the idea but recognizes the logistical challenges. Arlington has full-time nurses in every school to assist the district's 104 diabetic students, she said.

The new bill says that's not enough.

Schools that have a full-time nurse need one other person trained to provide supplemental care for diabetic students. Those without a full-time nurse must train three other school employees.

"We have to find someone ready, willing and able," Ms. Rivers said. "And we have to find them in the right grade and the right location."

Some may be hesitant about taking on such a role because it's a tremendous responsibility.

Caregivers "will need to recognize signs and symptoms and in some cases will have to learn how to give insulin and glucagons [hormone] shots," Ms. Rivers said.

Suzanne Kubelka, executive director of health services for the Dallas school district, said 60 percent of its campuses have full-time nurses. Training will begin in October at campuses that have diabetic students.

About 150 diabetic students were enrolled in Dallas schools last year, she said. Numbers aren't available for the current school year.

"The benefit is that we will have support on campus beyond the registered nurses," she said. "The drawback is some of the apprehension of the staff who aren't used to those types of responsibilities."

Schools in the Richardson district don't have full-time nurses on each campus but have already met many of the bill's requirements, said Gloria Canham, director of health services for the district.

"All teachers and staff are provided information on diabetes, and we've been doing that for a while," she said. "Diabetic students have particular challenges, so it's just a good thing to do."

The district has averaged 50 diabetic students a year, she said.

Ms. Kubelka said she wishes the bill had been more comprehensive.

"Diabetes is only one illness," she said. "There are so many others. I wish the focus had been on the health profession as a whole."

Veronica De La Garza, advocacy director for the American Diabetes Association, calls diabetes care a priority.

"We were getting calls from all over the country from people that said either they got grief for kids who self-managed [diabetes treatments] or there was no one to help," she said.

"All we're saying is having someone at the school that can help the child with diabetes," Ms. De La Garza said. "Diabetes is a chronic disease and must be managed daily. If not, you get into serious trouble."

Susan Young, a nurse consultant for the Texas Diabetes Program, said the bill's benefits outweigh the challenges, including the lack of volunteers, training obstacles and staff turnover.

"We need this because there are so many students with diabetes," she said.

She said rural areas where schools have smaller staffs and no full-time nurses might have more difficulty complying with the bill.

School districts have no deadline for compliance, though the bill went into effect for this school year.

"It's not possible to implement something like this immediately – it's too complex," Ms. Young said.

The bill doesn't address enforcement nor does it provide districts with any funding for the additional training.

Despite the possible hurdles, Ms. Rivers applauds the bill.

"The more we are able to react and respond appropriately to a diabetic emergency, the better we are," she said.

[TexasStooge]

State Fair to feature Elvis - in butter

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - This year's State Fair of Texas will feature "The King" all buttered up.

The 2005 edition of the Dallas Fair Park mainstay, which runs from Sept. 30 through Oct. 23, will feature a life-size butter sculpture of the late, great Elvis Presley - presented as he looked in the early part of his career.

The real Elvis was no stranger to the State Fair; he performed at the Cotton Bowl in October 1956.

The sculpting is being done by New York artist Sharon BuMann, who has done a number of other butter-based works, and will be on display daily in the Creative Arts Building.

The first week of September, the butter will arrive frozen and be kept at room temperature for five days. In the meantime, Ms. BuMann will be occupied with the sculpture's armature, or structural support. Once the butter and framework are ready, the sculpture will be completed.

BuMann is the first artist to sculpt butter at the State Fair since the 1920s, when J.E. Wallace carved a magnificent "Mistletoe Cow" and her milkmaid.

[TexasStooge]

Ex-Texas inmate's civil suit goes to trial

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A jury was selected Monday in the federal civil trial of seven Texas prison officials accused of refusing to protect a gay inmate from being repeatedly raped while behind bars.

Attorneys questioned a pool of about 80 potential jurors in the case filed by Roderick K. Johnson, who said fellow inmates sexually assaulted him almost every day for a year and a half.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued in 2002 on behalf of Johnson, 37, who was released from prison in 2003 and is seeking unspecified damages against seven Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials.

Opening statements were to begin Tuesday morning.

Last year a federal appeals court dropped eight of the lawsuit's 15 original defendants, including the department's executive director and the senior warden at the Allred Unit near Wichita Falls.

But the court ruled that the other seven - two women and five men - could be sued for discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Mike Viesca has declined to comment on the case.

The department had argued before the appeals court that the prison officials were immune from being sued for damages because the law did not clearly establish whether their conduct violated Johnson's rights.

Johnson, a Navy veteran, was sent to prison in 2000 after violating the terms of his probation from a 10-year sentence in 1992 for burglary.

He said that as the abuse escalated, he repeatedly filed complaints and talked to a prison committee about being moved to another unit or area safer for gay and other vulnerable inmates.

But prison officials told him to fight the other inmates and refused to move him until the ACLU's National Prison Project intervened, the ACLU said.

Several prisoners were expected to testify in the civil trial. Last year, a Wichita Falls grand jury did not indict 49 prisoners Johnson had accused of rape.

[TexasStooge]

Arlington on alert for serial rapist

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas — Police in Arlington are warning of a possible serial rapist who is targeting women in the same section of the city.

The first assault happened last Monday morning on East Timberview Drive. This week—also on Monday morning—an almost identical attack occurred a mile away on Quail Run Road.

Some residents sounded the alarm after the Quail Run attack at 5:25 a.m. "The man was standing there yelling, 'There's a rapist in the complex!' I seen him grab his cellphone. Looked like he was dialing 911," said area resident Bruce Mitchell.

Both victims live near the intersection of Highway 360 and Interstate 20. Police were waiting for a detailed suspect description and physical evidence to link the crimes.

But they were not waiting to get the word out.

"We've got a predator out there, forcing his way into people's houses," said Arlington Police Lt. Blake Miller, who warned residents to secure their homes and to remain on guard.

In both cases, the assailant covered his face, used a weapon and made almost identical threats.

"It was very specific," Miller said. "The individual threatened not only the victim, but the victim's relatives—anyone else in the house."

Police said normally they wouldn't go public with such little information, but they not only need help with the investigation, they want residents to take all possible precautions.

Investigators fear the man will try to strike again soon.

[TexasStooge]

Firefighter remains in intensive care

By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas firefighter remains in intensive care at Parkland Memorial Hospital after being injured in a four alarm apartment fire Sunday at the Woodland Village Apartments in the 9000 block of Brockbank Drive.

A roof fell on the firefighter, whose family wants to remain unnamed, during a four alarm fire at the apartment complex. Other rescuers found him unconscious and pulled him out of the burning building.

Investigators said they believe the cause of the fire was an accident sparked by a wiring problem. Now, firefighters have flocked to the hospital vigilantly to check on the firefighter injured in the blaze and show their support.

"He's in serious condition and we're really worried about the prognosis for the future," said Lt. Joel Lavender, Dallas Fire-Rescue. "But at the same time, as an optimistic firefighter, we're really hoping for the best."

That was the sentiment shared by other firefighters, captains and battalion chiefs as well. The Dallas Fire-Rescue family has stood by the 18-year veteran's side night and day at the Parkland Memorial Hospital's burn unit.

The incident was the second time a Dallas firefighter was injured on the job in the last five days. Last Thursday, a 30-year-old firefighter fell through a roof. He broke his arm and suffered serious bruises after the accident.

A nationwide average revealed 80,000 firefighters are injured in the line of duty every year.

"We can't be over trained," said Capt. Daniel Deyear, Fire Academy commander.

Recruits at the Dallas Fire Training Academy walk past a reminder of that everyday. A monument honoring firefighters killed on duty, and walls lined with drawings of lost fire fighters dating back to 1903, serve as a remembrance of the dangers of the job.

"We strive to make it more important for the recruits to understand their job and the knowledge they have, because all that training comes to fruition when you get stuck in a bad situation like we've just had occur," Deyear said.

Now, fire investigators said they will concentrate on exactly what happened to the hospitalized firefighter and check procedures to improve training for the future.

[TexasStooge]

1 year after crash killed 10, a void beyond measure

Victims' loved ones still coping with loss

By TIARA M. ELLIS and ANABEL MÁRQUEZ / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Most days, Mike Martin can deal with the loss of his entire family. But there are times when the little things stop him.

"For a while, it was a full-time job to manage those emotions," said Mr. Martin, 37. "There are things that hit me suddenly, like seeing someone who favors one of your children, or you smell something that reminds you. Those are kind of bittersweet. I expect to get hit by that every day."

In contrast, Hilda Zapata still grieves. She has worn black every day for the last year and visits her husband's grave at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas once a week with the four children she now supports alone.

Both lost loved ones, irrevocably changing their lives, one year ago today when a tractor-trailer careened into a sport utility vehicle and a pickup in Sherman in the state's deadliest crash in a decade. Ten people died.

For the most part, the searing pain that was so overwhelming last year has been dulled. But it still lies just below the surface.

Mrs. Zapata said her husband, Hector Ruiz Zapata, was very close to perfect. She thinks he was that way because he knew he didn't have long to be with her.

"People have asked me to start wearing colorful clothing, to cheer up and feel better, but I can't do that," Mrs. Zapata said. "If my heart isn't happy, why should I wear happy colors?"

On Sept. 20, 2004, the tractor-trailer was traveling north on U.S. Highway 75 in Sherman when it inexplicably crossed the grassy median and rammed a pickup carrying seven Dallas roofing workers and the Martins' SUV.

Mr. Martin's wife, Lisa Martin, 32; her mother, Betsy Wood, 70; and the Martins' three sons, Chance, 4; Brock, 2; and Reid, 2 months – were heading home from an early Christmas shopping trip in Sherman.

The victims in the pickup were Mr. Zapata, 33; J. Marcos Esparza, 41; Manuel Esparza, 39; German Esparza, 19; and Joel Mendoza Ruiz, 36. Many of the men were related. Two survived the accident, cousins Javier and Candelario Esparza.

The truck driver, Miroslaw Janusz Jozwiak, a Polish native who lived in Daytona Beach, Fla., was indicted on manslaughter charges. He has remained in the Grayson County Jail over the last year on $2 million bail. His trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 28, the week after Thanksgiving. Grayson County Attorney Joe Brown has said a depressant that causes drowsiness was found in Mr. Jozwiak's urine sample. He said that probably led to the deadly crash.

Defendant 'distraught'

Mr. Jozwiak, 46, who doesn't speak much English, hasn't talked publicly about the wreck. But his attorney, Cornel Walker, has disputed Mr. Brown's assertions.

"This was not manslaughter. This was a tragic, tragic accident," Mr. Walker said. "He has been, from the very beginning, incredibly distraught. He knows that people are dead, and he knows he was driving the truck."

Mrs. Zapata, 38, and her four children – Hector Jr., 14; Javier, 12; Sussy, 10; and David, 5 – continue to struggle with their loss, she said.

Over the past year, Mrs. Zapata has worked odd jobs in an attempt to fill the loss of income. A monthly Social Security check of $1,000 has helped. But with an $800 mortgage, that doesn't go far.

Mrs. Zapata said she has not made a third of her husband's usual annual income, which was about $27,000.

"My life with Hector was like a fairy tale," she said. "My life changed completely. I went from being very positive and happy to feeling like life wasn't worth living without my husband around. I go to the cemetery alone and ask him, 'Why didn't you hold on a little longer?' "

Her children are the reason she keeps going, she said.

And as she struggles emotionally and financially, lawsuits against Mr. Jozwiak and the truck companies he worked for, Eagle Express and KV Trucking, continue through the courts.

A hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Grayson County to discuss the pending civil cases.

Mrs. Zapata has hired her own lawyer instead of joining her husband's surviving co-workers. She wants to make sure that her husband is represented fairly and that politics doesn't get caught up in the case.

At the Thursday hearing, the Martins are expected to settle their lawsuit, said Travis Clardy, Mr. Martin's attorney and a family friend. He would not reveal the details of the agreement, in part because the case isn't closed.

Then and now

On the day of the accident, Mr. Martin last saw his wife, three sons and mother-in-law that afternoon at the house he was building for them in Tom Bean, about 10 miles southeast of Sherman. It was the first time everyone had been there together.

Today, Mr. Martin lives in Prosper and continues working as a contractor with his brother-in-law. He is selling the Tom Bean house – which is not a hard decision because of the strong memories there, he said.

Family, friends and people at his church, Grace Outreach Center in Plano, have helped him cope, Mr. Martin said.

"People will comment and say, 'I guess you are moving on.' It's more of a move through," he said. "I just work and really stay close to family and friends and people in my church."

The two survivors from the accident needed extensive medical attention. As a result, their lawsuit is slightly different, said Domingo Garcia, the attorney representing the men.

The suit originally asked for $75 million from the trucking companies and Mr. Jozwiak. But Mr. Garcia said they were not close to a settlement.

"We're unsatisfied with the representations that have been made by the insurance carriers for the defendant," Mr. Garcia said, noting of Javier Esparza: "When you have a man who has close to $1 million in medical bills over the past year, there are substantial damages here. This has nothing to do with putting dollars into his pockets."

He said Javier Esparza lost his leg and most of his intestines and has to deal with "pain and suffering and trauma on a daily basis." Candelario Esparza has some limitations in his leg and shoulder use, but he has been able to work.

'The highest honor'

Mr. Martin said he recognizes that others have lost pieces of their lives in the crash.

"I need to make this point very clear: I don't think my family deserves any more consideration. If the truck driver served 200 years, that wouldn't honor my family," Mr. Martin said.

"All my family – my mother-in-law, wife and kids – lived their lives honorably. They have the highest honor right now. They stand in the face of God."