News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Teen driver faces manslaughter charge

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

PLANO, Texas — Police Thursday said they will charge a 16-year-old Plano East Senior High School student with manslaughter in connection with a fatal accident one day earlier.

Investigators said the student apparently lost control of his car Wednesday afternoon, resulting in an accident that killed his passenger, 16-year-old Evan Michael Walker.

According to a witness, the teenage motorist was speeding down Chase Oaks Boulevard near Spring Creek Parkway about 4 p.m. when the car hit the curb and crashed into a tree.

Evan died as a result of injuries suffered in the wreck. The driver, whose name is being withheld by News 8 because he is a juvenile, was taken to Medical Center of Plano with life-threatening injuries.

Both boys were students at Plano East Senior High School.

Police were also seeking the driver of a light blue vehicle, who, witnesses say, was also was speeding just before the crash.

[TexasStooge]

Police search for attempted abduction suspect

By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8

COLLEYVILLE, Texas - Colleyville police are on the lookout for a man suspected of attempting the abduction of a young boy at Colleyville Middle School Wednesday afternoon.

Police said the suspect struck right after school while there were plenty of cars and people around the school. He blended in with the rest of the crowd until a boy said the man tried luring him into a van.

However, the boy said he sensed he was in trouble and ran for help.

Letters went out to explain the incident, and there was plenty of reaction from the worried parents.

"Well, your reaction is always no way, now way," said parent Kelly Fulgham. "[It can't happen] at our school. Well, I was just over here yesterday afternoon to pick up my oldest and our carpool friend, and you're thinking ... nothing looked out of the ordinary."

Another parent also expressed surprise.

"It's a shame," said Daphne Buras-Kuilen. "I hope they catch this man."

The young boy was able to describe the suspect enough to police that they created a computer generated image of the suspect.

The boy said the man was driving a blue van and was parked near the tennis courts when he was approached. The young boy, who attends Colleyville Elementary School, was waiting for his brother at the middle school next door.

"He tried to call the boy over," said Officer Bill Hudgins. "He told him 'I am here to come get you. Your parents asked me to come get you,' or something to that effect. And the boy didn't buy it and he took off."

The suspect then drove away and the young boy went for help.

Parents and teachers are reminding students to be vigilant.

"Look around to make sure who you are by," said student Mariah Kuilen.

The incident happened during Walk to School Week where kids are being encouraged to get some exercise by walking to school. That is another reason police said students and parents should pay extra attention to their surroundings and go over safety rules one more time.


Image provided by Colleyville PD
An elementary boy described the suspect to police to create a computer generated composite.

[TexasStooge]

Killer who claimed rap music influence executed

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Ronald Ray Howard was executed by lethal injection Thursday night in Huntsville for fatally shooting a Texas state trooper.

Howard was 18 and armed with a 9 millimeter pistol when Officer Bill Davidson pulled him over outside Edna. The 43-year-old Davidson died three days later of a gunshot wound to the neck.

Howard looked at the trooper's widow, daughter and brother Thursday night and said he hoped "this helps a little."

Howard thanked his friends and brother for locating two of his young children, who visited him on death row.

As the drugs were administered, he lifted his head from the gurney and mouthed that he loved them, and said "I'm going home." Twelve minutes later, he was pronounced dead.

Howard's execution is the 14th this year in Texas.

Defense attorneys had argued the April 1992 slaying was prompted by Howard listening to anti-police rap music.

Earlier today, the U-S Supreme Court rejected blocking his execution. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also refused to commute Howard's sentence to life.

After the excution, Linda Davidson said quote - "It helps knowing the son of a b**** got what he deserved."

[TexasStooge]

Fort Worth band director resigns after complaints

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A Fort Worth high school band director has resigned amid allegations that he was drunk and yelled obscenities during a college football game last weekend.

The Fort Worth school district also alleges Dunbar High band director Adrain Bonner also allegedly had pornography on his school computer.

District documents show Grambling State University's band director and a band member filed complaints Monday against Bonner. They said he yelled at the Grambling marching band after a halftime performance for the Grambling State-Prairie View A&M football game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Saturday night.

The 28-year-old Bonner's resume lists him as a Grambling graduate and former drum major of the band. The district said Bonner admits his behavior at the game was unacceptable, but denied drug usage and threats.

There is not yet any comment from Bonner on his resignation.

[TexasStooge]

Explosion rocks SE Texas plant

POINT COMFORT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An explosion Thursday afternoon at a plant in Point Comfort sent a black pillar of smoke into the sky.

There was no immediate word on injuries.

The blast at the Formosa Plastics facility 150 miles southeast of San Antonio led to the closure of several major thoroughfares in the area.

Two ambulances have been called to the plant, and a city employee said an elementary school was evacuated.

"You could see the flames for some miles away from the facility," one witness said by telephone. "There is still a large amount of smoke coming from there."

Another witness e-mailed Houston television station KHOU-TV to say she could see smoke from 40 miles away.

"(There's) big black smoke coming up, and we're sitting here watching the smoke kinda go over the bay," said Port Lavaca City Manager Jerry Broz.

Nonie Cody's husband works at the plant. She said he called her to let her know he was OK.

"There was a huge explosion down there," Cody said via e-mail. "He said there was a fire and lots of black smoke."

Another city worker said the elderly were being urged to shut off their air conditioners because of concerns about pollutants in the air.

KHOU.com contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Plans revealed for Collin County interchange

By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8

PLANO, Texas - A major announcement was made Thursday that may affect traffic in Collin County for years.

The Texas Department of Transportation has proposed a five-level interchange where an estimated 100,000 vehicles drive through everyday - where Central Expressway meets State Highway 121.

The plan was revealed at a public hearing at Allen City Hall and cities like McKinney and Allen reviewed the proposal, which includes a $103 million price tag and a completion date of 2010.

State highway officials said they want to get moving on the multilevel interchange before traffic becomes a huge problem in the high growth area. And a scaled down version of the Dallas High Five, which is their plan, could ease the congested area near McKinney and Allen.

"I've been stuck right here on the highway for two hours before when they shut the whole highway down," said electrician Drew McCauley

McCauley said he can't afford to waste time like that in traffic.

"Oh that's what it is all about now, time is money," he said.

The Texas Department of Transportation revealed the plans Thursday for a proposed five-level interchange with six connectors between State Highway 121 and Central Expressway.

"Currently there is no direct connects for 75 to 121, so it makes it very awkward and it's not very efficient," said Kelly Selman, an engineer with the Texas Department of Transportation.

Many drivers said they support the idea, but haven't forgotten the frustrating construction backup at the Dallas High Five.

"The construction was terrible," said driver Dennis Devine.

Officials with a real estate and development company, which owns land near the interchange, worry about congestion and access around one exit ramp. However, they do support the idea.

"We support the concept of redeveloping the interchange, and we would like to see it modified," said John Dudas, Bell Enterprises.

State highway officials said funding options for the proposal include tolling and revenue bond.

"Apparently it's not in the ten year plan to build with our gas prices, so there are a lot of different options out there," Selman said.

State highways officials said if they can get the funding they need, they would like to break ground within the next two years.

[TexasStooge]

Attorney: City Hall probe has gone too far

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas attorney has taken the offensive against the federal government.

Darren Reagan's attorney said the feds went too far in its Dallas City Hall corruption investigation, and may even be violating the United States Constitution.

A Tuesday morning raid on Reagan's house was the final straw for the attorney and what pushed him to call the investigation an over-the top example that the feds are carrying their investigation too far.

Reagan has long been a lightning rod for criticism.

He is a vocal community activist and a shopping center developer who has recently filed for bankruptcy. This summer, he was the alleged victim of a bizarre home invasion robbery by three men posing as police.

Now he's squarely in the cross hairs of an FBI investigation into corruption at Dallas City Hall.

Reagan's Black State Employees of Texas offices were among the first raided last June.

Tuesday morning, FBI agents executed a new warrant at Reagan's Desoto residence asking for "any and all material related to Darren L. Reagan."

"Any and all materials, what does that mean?" asked Attorney James Murphy.

Murphy said the warrant served against Reagan this week was unconstitutionally vague.

"It authorizes them to seize the residence, and that's how broad and vague this is," Murphy said. "And when you get down to any and all material related to Darren Reagan that could mean anything."

What federal agents actually confiscated, according to Murphy, is assorted useless documents and computers that include one containing Reagan's son's homework.

Murphy has filed three motions in court seeking to quash the warrant, return the items taken and unseal the secret probable cause affidavit.

He and Reagan may also seek legal redress over an alleged remark by one of the agents that Reagan's employee's association is a sham.

"It's this very secrecy that offends not only me, but it should offend every citizen of this city that the FBI can make comments like that to people," Murphy said.

SMU law professor Linda Eads agrees that the warrant served on Reagan could be troublesome for the feds.

"If the government went beyond what it's allowed to do in this situation with this incredibly broad statement everything pertaining to this individual, and if it's not backed up by an affidavit, it's gonna be overturned," she said.

But Eads also said she would be shocked if that sealed affidavit didn't carefully outline what crimes have allegedly been committed.

The FBI has no comment other than to say its investigation continues.

[TexasStooge]

North Texans look to save as utility costs rise

By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8

PLANO, Texas - After learning natural gas costs could increase up to 90 percent this heating season over last year, Virginia Costlow headed to the Lowes in West Plano.

A clean air filter can cut costs about five percent.

"[I] got to get a clean filter, I know I need that," Costlow said. "And then I'm really looking into insulation in my attic."

With gas and electricity making big double digit increases, many North Texans are looking for ways to save they had not considered before.

Lowes manager Todd Braafladt said they can start by switching from incandescent to florescent light bulbs.

"Ninety percent of that is escaping as heat as far as the energy goes," he said. "This is definitely going to save on that, as well as long term energy costs for your home."

A programmable thermostat is also another way to save money. It will turn the heat down at set times and then back up before you return, and the homeowner can install it.

"It takes 10, 15 minutes to put in," Braafladt said. "Just connect about four or five wires and you're ready to go. It's really a simple process."

Being energy smart about big appliances can also save. A front loading washer and dryer are one of those appliances that are cost efficient.

"It's going to use 40 percent less energy [and] 66 percent less water than a regular washer and dryer," Braafladt said.

Costlow said she needs all the help she can get.

"I'm definitely going to be doing something because I can't afford that," she said.

[TexasStooge]

8 injured in S. Texas plant explosion

POINT COMFORT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – Eight people were injured, one seriously, Thursday when an explosion rocked the Formosa Plastics plant in this South Texas town. Black smoke billowed into the sky for hours afterward.

“It was actually two explosions, a smaller one and second one a lot louder and bigger, and then a few smaller ones after that,” said Calhoun County Justice of the Peace Gary Noska, who was at nearby City Hall when the explosion occurred. “It was some major damage.”

Insulation contractor Mirtha Cantu ran with others from the plant and ended up at a market a few miles away.

“We heard an explosion, saw black smoke,” she said in Friday's Victoria Advocate. “We heard another explosion and just started running to save our lives. It's pretty scary. We could feel the heat from the fire. We were about a half a block away. We started running as fast as we could.”

Calhoun County Commissioner Michael Balajka said it appeared no toxic materials had been released into the air.

Formosa spokesman Rob Thibault said the fire was under control as of about 9 p.m. and firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze at the plant that produces PVC and vinyl for floor and wall coverings.

Thibault said the fire occurred in the olefins 2 unit and the unit was severely damaged. He said preliminary indications were that other units in the plant had little or no damage. He also said preliminary indications were that no releases offsite.

“It's too early to tell what the cause was,” he said. “We will work with various local, state and federal agencies to determine the cause.”

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokeswoman Andrea Morrow told the newspaper the explosion was in a propylene line.

The plant was evacuated as a precaution.

“We're going to do an assessment tomorrow as to what the next steps can be at the plant,” Thibault said.

Noska said many of the town's residents evacuated. “The town right now is pretty empty,” he said late Thursday.

“We're about 956 people,” he said of the city's population. “I would figure about 900 are gone.”

The evacuation was not ordered, except for students remaining just after dismissal at an elementary school near the plant. Area residents had been asked to shut off their air conditioners and stay inside.

Authorities closed nearby roads, including the Port Lavaca causeway, State Highway 35 and Farm-to-Market Road 1593 following the blast, which happened about 3:30 p.m. By 10:30 p.m., a recording at the county judge's office reported all roads reopened and the shelter-in-place orders were lifted.

Thibault said at least 1,100 people work at the plant, with an average of 500 people being on site at any one time, he said.

Pat Trigg, a spokeswoman at the Memorial Medical Center located four miles from the plant, said three of the injured were brought to the hospital.

Marsha Canright, spokeswoman for the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said the hospital had received two patients. Roger Green, 30, was in serious condition with burns over 36 percent of his body. John Hunt, 45, was in fair condition with burns on 5 percent of his body. Canright said the hospital was not expecting any more patients from the explosion.

Jarrel Robinowich, a spokesman for DeTar Hospital Navarro in Victoria, said that as of 7:45 p.m. two people had arrived on their own and were not seriously injured.

It was unclear whether an eighth victim went to a hospital.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration planned to investigate, agency spokeswoman Diana Petterson said.

Formosa Plastics Corp. USA, based in Livingston, N.J., is a privately held plastics and petrochemicals company formed in 1978. In addition to Port Comfort, it has facilities in Delaware City, Del., Illiopolis, Ill., and Baton Rouge, La.

Point Comfort, on the Texas coast, is 150 miles southeast of San Antonio.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, an independent federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents, said it would deploy a five-person assessment team to the plant on Friday.

[TexasStooge]

Texas state workers laid off by e-mail

AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) -- In an effort to replace some customer service centers, the state issued layoff notices this week to about 2,900 state workers via e-mail.

The layoffs are part of the state’s plan to replace some customer service centers, where Texans apply for food stamps and health benefits, with call centers.

The layoffs are effective on or after May 1, but workers could be eligible for other state jobs or for jobs with the new call centers, which will be managed by private companies.

The Texas Access Alliance, the contractor for the call center service, will hire displaced state workers to fill 60 percent to 80 percent of the 2,500 jobs available, said executive director David McCurley.

About 100 jobs in a new eligibility system, created as part of the downsizing plan, have not been filled, and the state will allow the laid-off workers to apply for those jobs.

And the Department of Family and Protective Services will hire about 2,500 workers during the next two years.

“It’s a little early to even suggest that the 2,900 who got the notice are going to be out of a job or out of a state job,” said Jennifer Harris, spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

[TexasStooge]

Female suspect injured in chase

ROWLETT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - An overnight police chase ended with a young woman hospitalized and facing charges.

The driver allegedly stole a car in Rowlett and led police to Dallas. The chase ended around 1 a.m. when she hit a light pole at Lucas Drive and Harry Hines Boulevard.

Her passenger is being held for public intoxication; the driver was charged with evading arrest and possible drug possession.

[TexasStooge]

Builders scurry for teardowns

By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Terry Woldt wants to build 14 homes next year.

But first he's got to find the dirt.

"There is a feeding frenzy for lots," said Mr. Woldt, who builds spec and custom homes in Park Cities and North Dallas neighborhoods. "We have been having to work double time to find good-quality building sites that aren't overpriced."

With exploding demand for new homes in old neighborhoods, builders are scrambling to find houses they can tear down just to get the lots.

The number of so-called teardown home starts in the Park Cities and close-in Dallas neighborhoods has increased almost 90 percent in the last four years.

At midyear, builders were constructing about 360 houses in neighborhoods stretching from near LBJ Freeway to East Dallas, according to a study by Residential Strategies, which tracks the local new home market. Along with the houses under construction, about 70 spec houses were sitting unsold in those areas.

Builders would probably be starting even more teardown houses if they could afford to buy the lots, said Residential Strategies' Ted Wilson.

"That's the challenge for the builders," Mr. Wilson said. "The price of teardown lots has really jumped up in the last year.

"A year ago you could buy a teardown house in parts of the Park Cities for as little as the mid-$600,000s," he said. "Today, that lot could be north of $800,000."

Some are going for $1 million and more.

Priced out?

It's a problem for builders who want consumers to pay the higher price tags on their homes.

"The higher your prices go, the smaller the buyer pool is," Mr. Wilson said. "I won't say prices won't go higher, but a lot of buyers are starting to question it."

Builders who decide to construct homes in older neighborhoods face many challenges. Along with the economic implications of higher lot prices, teardown home construction in the Dallas area is already facing pressure at City Hall from residents opposed to "McMansion" construction.

Overall, home prices in North Texas have been up only slightly in the last few years.

But the cost of lots in hot teardown markets has been surging at an annual rate of almost 25 percent, according to veteran Dallas residential appraiser D.W. Skelton.

"The sticks and bricks are not really going up at all," said Mr. Skelton. "Right now, it's the dirt that is king – everybody wants a lot.

"We're adding dollars onto the cost of a house because of the price of the lots," he said. "The builders' profits are going to be squeezed, and the consumer is going to be asked to pay more."

Anxiously watching

Builders like Mr. Woldt are understandably nervous about the sharp increase in lot costs and are trying to hold back prices.

"I'm not buying any more real expensive lots that I think are grossly overpriced," said Mr. Woldt, who sells spec homes that are mostly priced at less than $2 million.

He said some builders are overpaying for lots in the Park Cities and Preston Hollow, and it's driving up comparable sales prices.

"We and a couple of other major competitors in the Park Cities are backing off the million-dollar-plus lots," Mr. Woldt said. "We have been looking at some alternative locations in Lakewood and around the M Streets" in East Dallas.

Branching out

Other builders are going into neighborhoods north of LBJ Freeway.

Jay Wysong has been building homes in the M Streets and nearby neighborhoods since the late 1990s.

He's seen lot prices escalate in those neighborhoods, too – though not as fast as in the Park Cities.

"The price tag for lots keeps going up," said Mr. Wysong, who builds about a dozen houses a year. "I've heard from everybody that it is such a hot market, and you have to get over here and get a piece of it.

"Every time I look up, there are two or three more builders in the area," he said.

In the last year, builders have started more than 100 houses in the neighborhoods east of North Central Expressway, according to Residential Strategies – more than any other close-in residential area.

The number of finished, unsold spec houses in the M Streets area rose to about 24 at midyear – higher than in any other teardown neighborhood. About 60 teardown homes were under construction in the M Streets area at midyear.

"I won't get in a bidding war with other builders for lots," Mr. Wysong said. "That's bad for everyone and eventually will hurt business."

Driven higher

It's already affected prices east of North Central. Two years ago builders were still starting some spec homes between $400,000 and $500,000. Now they are often $600,000, $700,000 and up.

Teardown lot prices in the neighborhoods south of the M Streets have recently topped $200,000, said real estate agent Ken Lampton.

"This requires they build homes for $650,000," Mr. Lampton said. "That's why the McMansions get so big.

"The question is at what point will there not be anybody there to buy them," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Climb up and take a bough: Tree trimmer carving a niche

Irving: She rakes in jobs at some of area's most notable properties

By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING, Texas - Climbing trees armed with a chain saw may sound like a man's job.

But not to Jeannine Cumming of Irving.

The owner of Tree Artistry was the only woman she knew of in the tree trimming business when she started 16 years ago. A few more have joined her to brave the heights and care for trees.

"I loved climbing trees as a kid," the 50-year-old said. "My mom and dad were naturalists, and they gave me a deep appreciation of nature."

In her freshman year of high school, she carved a saying onto a log for an art project and won first place.

Her destiny was taking shape.

But there were a few detours along the way.

After graduating from Irving High School, Ms. Cumming attended college to study photography and advertising. She was a production artist for a few years. She also worked as a counselor at the Bear Creek Recovery Center in Irving.

"The center closed, so I needed another job," she said.

Her tenants sparked her to act on her love of trees and the outdoors.

"I rented my garage apartment to tree trimmers from Minnesota," she said. "They gave me a rope and a saddle, and that was it."

She's been climbing trees ever since.

Her referral network is so strong that she doesn't have to advertise. She has worked on some notable properties – including the historic Webb Chapel Cemetery in Farmers Branch, the Ellis County Courthouse and Mark Cuban's yard. Her latest project is a 1.6-acre corner lot in the Bluffview neighborhood of Dallas, filled with towering trees.

Ms. Cumming's service includes everything from pre-consultation to trimming. She sets up her office – a table for her plans and a tarp for tools – among the trees she trims. She has three employees. If a project is too large, she contracts out for help.

She's also devoted many volunteer hours to helping Irving and even taught a course, Tree 101, through the city.

"She's really community-oriented," said Fran Witte, Irving's Solid Waste Programs and Marketing supervisor. "Her work is honored with a plaque in downtown Irving."

Ms. Cumming grew up with four siblings. Her mother, Lucette Cumming, is from France and moved to Irving when she married a Texan.

The family is proud of Jeannine.

"She has carved a niche in the market because of the way she sees trees," her brother Adrian Cumming said, relaying how she received a referral to work on the property of prominent civic leader and developer John Stemmons.

"He had a love of trees, and Jeannine became part of his family," Mr. Cumming said.

Ms. Cumming shrugs off the praise, saying her work is all about the trees.

"I get to work in the joyful part of people's homes," she said.


MONA REEDER/Dallas Morning News
Jeannine Cumming turned her childhood love of climbing trees into her life's work. The Irving resident and owner of Tree Artistry says she didn't know of any other women in the business when she began trimming trees 16 years ago.

[TexasStooge]

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[TexasStooge]

Vehicle theft tally jumped in September

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - Texas officials said Friday that the state experienced a sharp jump in the number of vehicle thefts during September.

The Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority, a division of TxDOT, said specific models that have been on the frequently-stolen lists in the past were heavily targeted.

Chevrolet pickup trucks, which are the state's most stolen vehicles, were stolen 779 times in September, up from 509 in July.

The other most-stolen vehicles last month were Ford pickups, the Honda Accord, the Honda Civic, the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Ford Mustang. This mirrored the list of vehicles most stolen in Texas during August.

Vehicles are stolen for a variety of reasons, and contrary to popular belief the most stolen vehicles are several years old. Some are stolen and stripped for parts; others are stolen and resold by the thief to another party.

Many vehicles are also stolen for joyriding, for use in committing other crimes, to support drug habits, or in conjunction with street racing.

Usually, July suffers the greatest number of auto thefts and February has the fewest.

The Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority currently funds 27 grant programs that focus on resolving vehicle theft cases, which saves the state millions of dollars each year.

You can locate the ATPA task force in your area by calling the Texas "Watch Your Car" hotline at 1-800-CAR-WATCH.

Texas Auto Theft Prevention Authority

[TexasStooge]

Woman must display victim's picture in home

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An 18-year-old North Texas woman avoided prison time for her involvement in a robbery that left a man dead but was ordered to display the victim's picture in her home for her 10-year probation period.

"I want her to look every day in that mirror and remember that young man and what happened that night," District Judge Vickers Cunningham said Thursday.

Teri Boyer of the Dallas suburb of Sachse was 17 and allegedly addicted to methamphetamine at the time of the May 2004 robbery, which was orchestrated with her older boyfriend and his roommate. She told authorities she did not know that 22-year-old victim Randall Campbell -- her boyfriend's other roommate -- would be killed.

Boyer's statements to police and testimony led to a capital murder conviction and life sentence for one of the accomplices, Michael Lewis. Her boyfriend, Michael Rush, pleaded guilty to capital murder and took an automatic life sentence to avoid the death penalty.

Cunningham also ordered Boyer to spend 180 days in jail during Christmas and July Fourth for the next 10 years. She must also pay restitution to Campbell's family for funeral expenses, Cunningham said.

Cunningham handed down a similar jail sentence earlier this year to a man who admitted to driving drunk when he struck and killed a 10-year-old boy. Rocky Anderson must spend Christmas Day, New Year's Day and the child's birthday in jail for the next 10 years.

According to court records, Boyer, Lewis and Rush forced Campbell to sign over two blank checks they could use for drug money. He was then beaten with a fireplace poker and choked with an electrical cord. Boyer helped the men load Campbell's body into a car before his corpse was taken to a Garland creek and set on fire.

[TexasStooge]

11 injured in S. Texas plant explosion (Updated)

POINT COMFORT, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) – Explosions rocked a plastics plant and injured 11 people in the latest of several fires and explosions at Texas industrial plants this year.

The explosions Thursday at the Formosa Plastics Corp. facility also came about a year and a half after five of the company's workers were killed in a blast at its plant in Illiopolis, Ind.

One man was in serious condition with burns on more than a third of his body from the latest explosion, and another was listed in fair condition with less severe burns.

The explosions occurred in a unit where the building blocks of plastics are made, said Patrick Pastuck, a spokesman at Formosa's Livingston, N.J., headquarters.

The plant, which employs about 1,500 people in this Gulf Coast community about 150 miles southeast of San Antonio, was evacuated.

"As we were going out, the fire got worse and worse, it got bigger and bigger," John Hodges, an instrument maintenance supervisor at the plant, told the Houston Chronicle. "It seemed like gas escaping, and then big fireballs with three, four, five explosions."

Insulation contractor Mirtha Cantu ran with others from the plant after hearing explosions and seeing smoke. She ended up at a market a few miles away.

"We could feel the heat from the fire. We were about a half a block away," she told the Victoria Advocate.

Investigators were looking into the cause of the blast, which occurred in a propylene line, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokeswoman Andrea Morrow said.

No toxic materials appear to have been released into the air, officials said.

The Texas plant produces PVC and vinyl for floor and wall coverings.

Five workers were killed in an April 2004 blast at Formosa's Illiopolis PVC plant. That explosion apparently followed a release of highly flammable vinyl chloride, which ignited. The explosion forced a community evacuation and lighted fires that burned for several days.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which continues to investigate the Indiana explosion, is dispatching investigators to Point Comfort to assess damage and decide whether to launch a formal investigation.

Texas' Commission on Environmental Quality fined the facility $150,000 in April for air pollution violations including the release of toxic chemicals such as vinyl chloride.

An explosion in March at BP's Texas City refinery killed 15 and injured 170 people. The company was recently fined $21 million for that explosion.

The Texas City refinery also had a fire in July, and the next month a fire erupted at a BP subsidiary in Alvin.

[TexasStooge]

Breaking News

DENTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Southbound I-35E is slow from Denton into Dallas due to Texas-OU traffic. Northbound traffic on I-35E into downtown Dallas is also slow due to an accident and debris near the Saner exit.

Live Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse

[rainstorm]

Texas state workers laid off by e-mail

AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) -- In an effort to replace some customer service centers, the state issued layoff notices this week to about 2,900 state workers via e-mail.

The layoffs are part of the state’s plan to replace some customer service centers, where Texans apply for food stamps and health benefits, with call centers.

The layoffs are effective on or after May 1, but workers could be eligible for other state jobs or for jobs with the new call centers, which will be managed by private companies.

The Texas Access Alliance, the contractor for the call center service, will hire displaced state workers to fill 60 percent to 80 percent of the 2,500 jobs available, said executive director David McCurley.

About 100 jobs in a new eligibility system, created as part of the downsizing plan, have not been filled, and the state will allow the laid-off workers to apply for those jobs.

And the Department of Family and Protective Services will hire about 2,500 workers during the next two years.

“It’s a little early to even suggest that the 2,900 who got the notice are going to be out of a job or out of a state job,” said Jennifer Harris, spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

govts have to cut back

[TexasStooge]

3 shot near Duncanville stadium

By GREG RIDDLE / The Dallas Morning News

DUNCANVILLE, Texas – Three Duncanville High School students were injured Friday night when shots were fired in a parking lot near the town's football stadium.

The incident occurred near Panther Stadium just after the Duncanville-Cedar Hill football game ended about 10 p.m.

Two 11th-graders were transported to Methodist Dallas Medical Center, said Keith Bilbrey, a city of Duncanville spokesman.

One male student was shot in the foot. A female was shot in the leg. Their conditions were not immediately known.

Another male student, a 10th-grader, was grazed by a bullet, Mr. Bilbrey said. He was treated and released, he said.

Mr. Bilbrey said police were responding to a report of a fight in the parking lot of Trinity Church of the Nazarene, 611 N. Cedar Ridge Drive, when shots were fired as a crowd gathered.

"The crowd started running towards the officers," he said. "Then the officers heard three gunshots."

Police had not identified any suspects in the shootings.

"There was nothing that happened during the school day or week that would lead us to believe there would be problems," Mr. Bilbrey said.

Staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this report.