Holiday a new experience for foreign students
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / DallasNews.com
Cranberry dishes are pretty but too sugary. Pumpkin pie? No thanks. And why would anyone want to eat a turkey?
For South Korean Woonki Na, Thanksgiving means trying some unusual foods. But he wholeheartedly embraces the tradition of getting together with friends and family for a long, leisurely meal, especially if he can throw in some Korean barbecue and rice cakes.
Na, 35, a graduate student at the University of Texas at Arlington, recalls his first American Thanksgiving meal a few years ago. He thought the turkey "was weird" and the cranberries too candied. "Koreans don't eat a lot of sweet food," he explained.
But he loved the spirit of the holiday, and now he and his wife unite with their American and Korean friends each year to celebrate with a blend of Eastern and Western traditions, he said.
Thanksgiving break can be a daunting, lonely time for international students. The break from school is generally too short to travel home, yet the campus is empty.
That's why Highland Park Presbyterian Church encourages members to play host to international students at Southern Methodist University. The program matches church members with students for the length of their stay in this country.
Church members Milton and Patricia Bradley of Dallas participated for three years, hosting about 10 to 12 international students for Thanksgiving dinner from faraway places such as India, Bangladesh and China.
"It's a casual ministry," Milton Bradley said. "We've enjoyed it."
The Bradleys ask the students to bring traditional food from their country.
"Don't ask me the names of those dishes because I can't remember," Bradley said. "It was kind of neat."
UT-Arlington student Vinayak Shamanna, 26, of India said he experienced his first Thanksgiving a couple of years ago when an area church offered a holiday meal to international students.
Shamanna said he had been in the country only a few months and was excited to participate in an American cultural tradition.
"It was the first time for me to go to a social place," Shamanna said. "It was a different custom, but it was fun. I had turkey for the first time. It was nice."
He said it reminded him of the Hindu festival of lights, a celebration that includes friends, family and food.
Vinay Nair, 26, also of India, said he plans to spend the holiday at UT-Arlington. working on a nanotechnology project. "I've got lots of research, so I'll be here in the lab," he said.
News from the Lone Star State
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Liquid missing, but threat of 'dirty bomb' minimal
It would spread little radiation in explosion
By RANDY LEE LOFTIS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Two vials of radioactive material missing in Texas for three weeks do not contain enough radiation to cause serious health problems if used in a "dirty bomb," experts say.
Explosives meant to spread radiation would cause more harm than the radiation itself, they say. But any possibility of radioactive exposure could be enough to scare people – terrorism's real purpose.
"It plays into people's psychology," said Ivan Oelrich, a nuclear specialist with the Federation of American Scientists, based in Washington, D.C.
There's no indication that the missing antimony-124, which disappeared during a trip across Texas this month, is in the hands of terrorists. However, no one knows who has it or where it might be despite searches by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and, most recently, the government's top nuclear emergency team.
Since last weekend, a helicopter from the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous arm of the Energy Department, has joined in the search.
The agency produces and guards U.S. nuclear weapons and their radioactive components, works to prevent nuclear terrorism and responds to radiation emergencies.
The helicopter flies at about 150 feet, sweeping the ground for unusual readings. "The helicopter is staffed with specialists who are trained to find different types of radiation," agency spokesman Bryan Wilkes said.
The helicopter and its ground-based crew have finished checking Tyler and are searching now around Dallas – two stops on the shipment's route through Texas, Mr. Wilkes said. The helicopter search is expected to continue for five to seven more days, including over the Thanksgiving holiday, he said.
Meanwhile, officials in New Mexico, where the shipment originated, and in Texas, its destination, still say the missing material might be in the other state.
"There's still some degree of possibility that it wasn't packed [in Albuquerque] in the first place," said Doug McBride, spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
But Adam Rankin, spokesman for the New Mexico Environment Department, said interviews, records and videotapes show that it was properly shipped from a company in Albuquerque on Oct. 31.
"All indications are that it made it onto the shipment and into Texas," Mr. Rankin said.
Antimony-124 is used as a tracer in oil and gas exploration.
The missing vials, with a total of a quarter-cup of the liquid, were supposed to be packed inside heavy lead containers, which were then to be put in a sand-filled ammunition box. The box, in turn, was supposed to go into a 20-gallon metal drum that was then sealed for shipping.
When the shipment arrived in Kilgore on Nov. 3, the original outside seal on one drum was intact, but the drum was empty. The shipment had stops in Abilene, Austin, Dallas and Tyler, officials said.
Antimony-124 emits beta particle radiation and higher-energy gamma radiation. Gamma radiation, which can penetrate the skin, is the greater concern.
The only good news so far is that antimony-124 has a relatively short half-life, 60 days, meaning that every two months it loses half its remaining radiation energy. So if the material sat undetected in a warehouse for a year, it would have less than 2 percent of its original energy.
Each of the missing vials originally contained 40 millicuries of radioactive energy, according to New Mexico state officials. "That's not a lot," Dr. Oelrich said. "But people are absolutely terrified about radiation."
Antimony-124 isn't usually mentioned as a potential ingredient for a "dirty bomb," an explosive device meant to spread radioactive material. Materials usually considered more likely terrorist threats are cesium-127, cobalt-60 and strontium-90.
A dirty bomb is not related to a nuclear bomb. It has no more destructive power than the conventional explosives its builder detonates to spread the material. However, because of the widespread availability of routine radioactive substances, such as medical or scientific materials, a dirty bomb is considered a much more likely terrorist threat.
The National Nuclear Security Administration has radiation-monitoring aircraft based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C.
The aircraft perform radiation checks in different parts of the country several times a month, said Mr. Wilkes, the agency spokesman.
After Hurricane Katrina, an agency plane flew over the greater New Orleans area looking for radiation leaks from hospitals and other sources but found no immediate concerns. The agency's aircraft also check radiation levels around cities and nuclear facilities.
Despite such efforts here, no sign of the missing material had shown up in Texas by Tuesday. "It sounds like the script for a TV mystery," Dr. Oelrich said.
It would spread little radiation in explosion
By RANDY LEE LOFTIS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Two vials of radioactive material missing in Texas for three weeks do not contain enough radiation to cause serious health problems if used in a "dirty bomb," experts say.
Explosives meant to spread radiation would cause more harm than the radiation itself, they say. But any possibility of radioactive exposure could be enough to scare people – terrorism's real purpose.
"It plays into people's psychology," said Ivan Oelrich, a nuclear specialist with the Federation of American Scientists, based in Washington, D.C.
There's no indication that the missing antimony-124, which disappeared during a trip across Texas this month, is in the hands of terrorists. However, no one knows who has it or where it might be despite searches by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and, most recently, the government's top nuclear emergency team.
Since last weekend, a helicopter from the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous arm of the Energy Department, has joined in the search.
The agency produces and guards U.S. nuclear weapons and their radioactive components, works to prevent nuclear terrorism and responds to radiation emergencies.
The helicopter flies at about 150 feet, sweeping the ground for unusual readings. "The helicopter is staffed with specialists who are trained to find different types of radiation," agency spokesman Bryan Wilkes said.
The helicopter and its ground-based crew have finished checking Tyler and are searching now around Dallas – two stops on the shipment's route through Texas, Mr. Wilkes said. The helicopter search is expected to continue for five to seven more days, including over the Thanksgiving holiday, he said.
Meanwhile, officials in New Mexico, where the shipment originated, and in Texas, its destination, still say the missing material might be in the other state.
"There's still some degree of possibility that it wasn't packed [in Albuquerque] in the first place," said Doug McBride, spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
But Adam Rankin, spokesman for the New Mexico Environment Department, said interviews, records and videotapes show that it was properly shipped from a company in Albuquerque on Oct. 31.
"All indications are that it made it onto the shipment and into Texas," Mr. Rankin said.
Antimony-124 is used as a tracer in oil and gas exploration.
The missing vials, with a total of a quarter-cup of the liquid, were supposed to be packed inside heavy lead containers, which were then to be put in a sand-filled ammunition box. The box, in turn, was supposed to go into a 20-gallon metal drum that was then sealed for shipping.
When the shipment arrived in Kilgore on Nov. 3, the original outside seal on one drum was intact, but the drum was empty. The shipment had stops in Abilene, Austin, Dallas and Tyler, officials said.
Antimony-124 emits beta particle radiation and higher-energy gamma radiation. Gamma radiation, which can penetrate the skin, is the greater concern.
The only good news so far is that antimony-124 has a relatively short half-life, 60 days, meaning that every two months it loses half its remaining radiation energy. So if the material sat undetected in a warehouse for a year, it would have less than 2 percent of its original energy.
Each of the missing vials originally contained 40 millicuries of radioactive energy, according to New Mexico state officials. "That's not a lot," Dr. Oelrich said. "But people are absolutely terrified about radiation."
Antimony-124 isn't usually mentioned as a potential ingredient for a "dirty bomb," an explosive device meant to spread radioactive material. Materials usually considered more likely terrorist threats are cesium-127, cobalt-60 and strontium-90.
A dirty bomb is not related to a nuclear bomb. It has no more destructive power than the conventional explosives its builder detonates to spread the material. However, because of the widespread availability of routine radioactive substances, such as medical or scientific materials, a dirty bomb is considered a much more likely terrorist threat.
The National Nuclear Security Administration has radiation-monitoring aircraft based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C.
The aircraft perform radiation checks in different parts of the country several times a month, said Mr. Wilkes, the agency spokesman.
After Hurricane Katrina, an agency plane flew over the greater New Orleans area looking for radiation leaks from hospitals and other sources but found no immediate concerns. The agency's aircraft also check radiation levels around cities and nuclear facilities.
Despite such efforts here, no sign of the missing material had shown up in Texas by Tuesday. "It sounds like the script for a TV mystery," Dr. Oelrich said.
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Germs at school: The dirty truth
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
This year, one in five Americans will get the flu, and most of those illnesses will originate at your neighborhood school.
The dirty truth is, your child's classroom is like a giant petri dish.
Several people on the News 8 staff have already fallen victim to stomach flu. While these individuals didn't have children, that's where most illnesses start and spread.
So we ran a series of tests at Tom Landry Elementary School in Irving to see what germs are lurking.
School administrators are the first to admit that no amount of cleaning can get rid of germs. "I think it's unavoidable anywhere you go," said Principal Benita Gordon.
We examined Mrs. Halsey's first grade class to help investigate why these bad bugs spread so fast, and to find out what lurks even in places that look spic-and-span.
We swabbed ordinary classroom surfaces that are cleaned regularly by teachers and custodians and took the samples to a state-certified laboratory in Arlington for testing.
While they tested, we tried an experiment to show how fast germs can get around.
We put a harmless glow-in-the-dark powder on one student's hands. She then went about her normal classroom routine.
Twenty minutes later, an ultraviolet light revealed powder from that one student's hands had spread across the room—to buckets, toys, books, boxes, and desks.
We found a total of 17 classmates had come in contact with the powder, even though the original student had never touched any of them.
Imagine that this glowing powder represents real germs, and you can see how illness can rapidly spread through a classroom or other public area.
The testing lab confirmed various types of bacteria everywhere we had collected samples, especially staphylococcus—commonly found on skin and normally not a health threat.
Testing didn't reveal if this is the dangerous, drug-resistant form of staph responsible for skin infections and even death currently sweeping through North Texas schools.
That form of staph would not be suspected unless a child developed the telltale sores and spread the infection.
On a dry bucket handle, tests showed acinetobacter iwoffii, an organism that loves water.
"It's also present in sewage," said microbiologist Karen Deiss, adding, "There's more there than just bacteria."
Where bacteria are found, viruses thrive.
The flu virus can live for three days on an ordinary surface, reminding school nurse Terri Lyons of an important lesson. "If we can teach our children not to put their hands in their mouth, in their nose, in their eyes, we could cut out on a lot of that, in addition to the hand washing," she said.
Plain old good hygiene could help stop the sickening cycle of students who take germs from the classroom home to adults—who then spread them in the workplace, the grocery store and with other adults everywhere.
Unless you're willing to foot the expense, there's no easy or inexpensive way to test for germs. You can simply assume they're always there.
WFAA ABC 8
Ultraviolet light revealed how germs can spread in a classroom environment.
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
This year, one in five Americans will get the flu, and most of those illnesses will originate at your neighborhood school.
The dirty truth is, your child's classroom is like a giant petri dish.
Several people on the News 8 staff have already fallen victim to stomach flu. While these individuals didn't have children, that's where most illnesses start and spread.
So we ran a series of tests at Tom Landry Elementary School in Irving to see what germs are lurking.
School administrators are the first to admit that no amount of cleaning can get rid of germs. "I think it's unavoidable anywhere you go," said Principal Benita Gordon.
We examined Mrs. Halsey's first grade class to help investigate why these bad bugs spread so fast, and to find out what lurks even in places that look spic-and-span.
We swabbed ordinary classroom surfaces that are cleaned regularly by teachers and custodians and took the samples to a state-certified laboratory in Arlington for testing.
While they tested, we tried an experiment to show how fast germs can get around.
We put a harmless glow-in-the-dark powder on one student's hands. She then went about her normal classroom routine.
Twenty minutes later, an ultraviolet light revealed powder from that one student's hands had spread across the room—to buckets, toys, books, boxes, and desks.
We found a total of 17 classmates had come in contact with the powder, even though the original student had never touched any of them.
Imagine that this glowing powder represents real germs, and you can see how illness can rapidly spread through a classroom or other public area.
The testing lab confirmed various types of bacteria everywhere we had collected samples, especially staphylococcus—commonly found on skin and normally not a health threat.
Testing didn't reveal if this is the dangerous, drug-resistant form of staph responsible for skin infections and even death currently sweeping through North Texas schools.
That form of staph would not be suspected unless a child developed the telltale sores and spread the infection.
On a dry bucket handle, tests showed acinetobacter iwoffii, an organism that loves water.
"It's also present in sewage," said microbiologist Karen Deiss, adding, "There's more there than just bacteria."
Where bacteria are found, viruses thrive.
The flu virus can live for three days on an ordinary surface, reminding school nurse Terri Lyons of an important lesson. "If we can teach our children not to put their hands in their mouth, in their nose, in their eyes, we could cut out on a lot of that, in addition to the hand washing," she said.
Plain old good hygiene could help stop the sickening cycle of students who take germs from the classroom home to adults—who then spread them in the workplace, the grocery store and with other adults everywhere.
Unless you're willing to foot the expense, there's no easy or inexpensive way to test for germs. You can simply assume they're always there.
WFAA ABC 8
Ultraviolet light revealed how germs can spread in a classroom environment.
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Clothes dryer sparks fire at Fort Worth high rise
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at a high rise apartment building Wednesday morning.
The fire was reported just after 7:30 in a second floor unit of the downtown Hunter Plaza Apartments in the 600 block of West 1st Street.
Some smoke was also reported on a higher floor of the 11-story building.
The fire, which investigators said originated in a clothes dryer, was quickly brought under control.
An ambulance was called for at least two patients who suffered smoke inhalation. Their injuries were not believed to be serious.
The big problem remaining was water damage to some of the units . Firefighters were unable to shut off the sprinkler system.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth firefighters battled a two-alarm blaze at a high rise apartment building Wednesday morning.
The fire was reported just after 7:30 in a second floor unit of the downtown Hunter Plaza Apartments in the 600 block of West 1st Street.
Some smoke was also reported on a higher floor of the 11-story building.
The fire, which investigators said originated in a clothes dryer, was quickly brought under control.
An ambulance was called for at least two patients who suffered smoke inhalation. Their injuries were not believed to be serious.
The big problem remaining was water damage to some of the units . Firefighters were unable to shut off the sprinkler system.
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High Five's bike path goes nowhere
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - As you sail through the newly finished High Five interchange at North Central Expressway and LBJ Freeway in North Dallas, you may not realize there's a new hike and bike trail underneath it all.
The trail cost taxpayers $325,000.
You could ride along it if you could get to it—but you can't.
Presently, the path remains unconnected at either end.
The Texas Department of Transportation did its part by building the bike path, but for now, it goes nowhere. Some missing links need to be built so taxpayers get their money's worth.
While urban chaos takes place on the High Five above, birds drink water from Cottonwood Creek, next to the new 2,500 foot hike and bike trail.
"It brings another form of transportation through the High Five," said TxDOT spokesman Mark Ball. Down here, you'll be able to ride your bike—literally beneath 500,000 cars a day, half a million cars—and it's really quiet, kind of tranquil."
Unfortunately, there are dead ends at each end of the trail.
The connections between the High Five trail and existing bike paths don't exist.
That means you can pedal from the Richardson city limits to Central Expressway, but then you'd have to turn around.
If you travel the path from White Rock Lake north, it stops a mile short of the High Five trail and there's no way to get through.
"On beautiful days like today we wish the whole trail was done," said Liz Moyer from Texas Instruments.
It will take nearly $4 million and at least two years to fill the gaps in the trail. Federal highway funds will pay for most of it, and Dallas County will chip in. Businesses also want to help because it gives their workers other travel options.
"It adds a sense of urgency now that we have something to connect to," added Ms. Moyer.
We did see one bicycle on the new trail—it belonged to a homeless man. The homeless will have to move when the trail is completed two years from now.
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - As you sail through the newly finished High Five interchange at North Central Expressway and LBJ Freeway in North Dallas, you may not realize there's a new hike and bike trail underneath it all.
The trail cost taxpayers $325,000.
You could ride along it if you could get to it—but you can't.
Presently, the path remains unconnected at either end.
The Texas Department of Transportation did its part by building the bike path, but for now, it goes nowhere. Some missing links need to be built so taxpayers get their money's worth.
While urban chaos takes place on the High Five above, birds drink water from Cottonwood Creek, next to the new 2,500 foot hike and bike trail.
"It brings another form of transportation through the High Five," said TxDOT spokesman Mark Ball. Down here, you'll be able to ride your bike—literally beneath 500,000 cars a day, half a million cars—and it's really quiet, kind of tranquil."
Unfortunately, there are dead ends at each end of the trail.
The connections between the High Five trail and existing bike paths don't exist.
That means you can pedal from the Richardson city limits to Central Expressway, but then you'd have to turn around.
If you travel the path from White Rock Lake north, it stops a mile short of the High Five trail and there's no way to get through.
"On beautiful days like today we wish the whole trail was done," said Liz Moyer from Texas Instruments.
It will take nearly $4 million and at least two years to fill the gaps in the trail. Federal highway funds will pay for most of it, and Dallas County will chip in. Businesses also want to help because it gives their workers other travel options.
"It adds a sense of urgency now that we have something to connect to," added Ms. Moyer.
We did see one bicycle on the new trail—it belonged to a homeless man. The homeless will have to move when the trail is completed two years from now.
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4 teens arrested in connection with shooting
CARROLLTON, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Carrollton police have arrested four teenagers in connection with a Tuesday night shooting at the Wal-Mart at 1213 E. Trinity Mills Road, police said.
The four suspects are between 14 and 16 years old. Police did not release their names.
A boy, believed to be 16, was shot in the upper torso about 9 p.m. Tuesday in the store’s parking lot. Police said that the shooting occurred after an apparent altercation inside the store. Police said the boy who was shot remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition Wednesday.
Police said the arrested teenagers will likely be charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony.
CARROLLTON, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Carrollton police have arrested four teenagers in connection with a Tuesday night shooting at the Wal-Mart at 1213 E. Trinity Mills Road, police said.
The four suspects are between 14 and 16 years old. Police did not release their names.
A boy, believed to be 16, was shot in the upper torso about 9 p.m. Tuesday in the store’s parking lot. Police said that the shooting occurred after an apparent altercation inside the store. Police said the boy who was shot remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition Wednesday.
Police said the arrested teenagers will likely be charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony.
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Officers ready for holiday speeders
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas County sheriff's deputy Torrance Clemmons said he knows drivers with time off for Thanksgiving want to get where they're going.
But, he also knows tragedy doesn't take the holiday off.
"Well, we just try to slow everybody down [and] make sure everybody is doing the speed limit," Clemmons said. "That way, it's safe for everybody to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday weekend."
On the day before Thanksgiving, Clemmons patrols Interstates 35, 45 and 20 in the County's southern sector.
With his laser gun that can lock on a vehicle at 900 feet, he doesn't need much time to catch a speeding traveler.
Interstate 45 traffic flows heavy with people from points south, coming to North Texas and some going beyond.
James Moody was driving from Kingwood and headed to Oklahoma when he was pulled over by Clemmons.
"I didn't really notice the lower speed limit, and I came over the hill," Moody said. "And I was going 75 thinking. I was like five over."
Moments later, Clemmons pulled over a Houston driver doing 76 in a 60, and heard what he said is a familiar complaint - why me?
"But was I going faster than the regular flow of traffic?" the driver asked.
However, it doesn't matter.
"We're always out there watching 24-7, all day and all night," Clemmons said.
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas County sheriff's deputy Torrance Clemmons said he knows drivers with time off for Thanksgiving want to get where they're going.
But, he also knows tragedy doesn't take the holiday off.
"Well, we just try to slow everybody down [and] make sure everybody is doing the speed limit," Clemmons said. "That way, it's safe for everybody to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday weekend."
On the day before Thanksgiving, Clemmons patrols Interstates 35, 45 and 20 in the County's southern sector.
With his laser gun that can lock on a vehicle at 900 feet, he doesn't need much time to catch a speeding traveler.
Interstate 45 traffic flows heavy with people from points south, coming to North Texas and some going beyond.
James Moody was driving from Kingwood and headed to Oklahoma when he was pulled over by Clemmons.
"I didn't really notice the lower speed limit, and I came over the hill," Moody said. "And I was going 75 thinking. I was like five over."
Moments later, Clemmons pulled over a Houston driver doing 76 in a 60, and heard what he said is a familiar complaint - why me?
"But was I going faster than the regular flow of traffic?" the driver asked.
However, it doesn't matter.
"We're always out there watching 24-7, all day and all night," Clemmons said.
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Teacher found in car with student arrested
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
GARLAND, Texas - A South Garland High School teacher and student were caught in a compromising position in a car that put the teacher behind bars Wednesday.
Lindsey Holt, 23, faces two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 after police said they found her and the student in a car parked in a Garland park.
The teacher was released from the Garland Detention Center on a $5,000 bond.
Police charged Holt with having an improper relationship with a student, which according to state law involves sexual contact.
However, police have not charged her with sexual assault because the student was 17 and is officially an adult, but they said what happened at the Garland park was criminal.
The police have not released details, but said police officers doing routine patrols in the park came across the two in the car.
"They came across the vehicle, which for some reason raised their suspicion, walked up to it and that was when they saw the teacher and student in a compromising position," said Joe Harn, Garland Police Department.
The park is down the road from the South Garland High School where Holt is a first-year home education teacher.
"You're supposed to be teaching the kids and instead you are teaching them the birds and the bees and everything," said Chris Harnd, a former South Garland High School student. "That is not how it is supposed to go. Your supposed to be teaching home-ed and that is it."
Many students at the school described Holt as a popular teacher at the school.
"She was just a cool teacher," said Nathias Slaughter, Garland student. "I never thought anything. I never would have thought she would have an affair with a student from the school or anything like that."
Holt will not return to the classroom she has been placed on paid leave until the outcome of the investigation.
Police are still looking into what kind of relationship the student and teacher had, and more charges are possible against the teacher.
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
GARLAND, Texas - A South Garland High School teacher and student were caught in a compromising position in a car that put the teacher behind bars Wednesday.
Lindsey Holt, 23, faces two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 after police said they found her and the student in a car parked in a Garland park.
The teacher was released from the Garland Detention Center on a $5,000 bond.
Police charged Holt with having an improper relationship with a student, which according to state law involves sexual contact.
However, police have not charged her with sexual assault because the student was 17 and is officially an adult, but they said what happened at the Garland park was criminal.
The police have not released details, but said police officers doing routine patrols in the park came across the two in the car.
"They came across the vehicle, which for some reason raised their suspicion, walked up to it and that was when they saw the teacher and student in a compromising position," said Joe Harn, Garland Police Department.
The park is down the road from the South Garland High School where Holt is a first-year home education teacher.
"You're supposed to be teaching the kids and instead you are teaching them the birds and the bees and everything," said Chris Harnd, a former South Garland High School student. "That is not how it is supposed to go. Your supposed to be teaching home-ed and that is it."
Many students at the school described Holt as a popular teacher at the school.
"She was just a cool teacher," said Nathias Slaughter, Garland student. "I never thought anything. I never would have thought she would have an affair with a student from the school or anything like that."
Holt will not return to the classroom she has been placed on paid leave until the outcome of the investigation.
Police are still looking into what kind of relationship the student and teacher had, and more charges are possible against the teacher.
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Imposter nurses out there, but hard to prosecute
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
They are trusted caretakers that are responsible for vital signs, administering drugs and countless other critical medical tasks.
Many licensed nurses are the patient's voice to the doctor.
"[We are] as well the doctor's voice to the patient," said one licensed doctor's nurse.
David Wayne Rhodes worked 14 years as a nurse as well. He allegedly earned about $80,000 as nursing director at Brentwood Place, a nursing home in Dallas, until his secret was exposed in December. Rhodes had never earned his nursing license.
"It puts the patients of Texas at risk, of harm," said Katherine Thomas, executive director of the Board of Nurse Examiners.
Thomas said better salaries have tempted many unqualified people to pose in the medical field.
The problem spread so much that the board has started posting periodic warnings on its website.
Nancy Hill, who allegedly worked at a Mesquite long-term care facility, will be listed there soon.
A news 8 investigation turned up at least four aliases for Nancy, which included the names of Nancy Terina Hill, Nancy Terina Gutierrez, Nancy Guierrez Smelosky and Nancy Bagwell
Despite being able to find imposters, state nursing regulators admit prosecuting is a big problem.
"We don't have jurisdiction over individuals who aren't nurses," Thomas said.
Since none of the unlicensed are nurses, it's up to a district attorney to decide if criminal laws have been broken.
Coworkers discovered Rahel Gebrewold was a fake a few months ago at Heritage Manor Healthcare Center in Plano.
They got suspicious because Gebrewold was performing her duties as though she was what they called green to the nursing profession.
Even though there was no record on the license site, police did not forward the case citing a lack of evidence.
Authorities said Toni Stringfellow has an over 20 year history as an imposter nurse including a recent stint as a school nurse at a private Christian school in San Antonio.
However, no one has succeeded in keeping her behind bars because posing as nurse is only considered a misdemeanor even though prosecutors admit the crime could be deadly.
"You have them giving shots, giving treatment and if they don't have the proper training, they can really do some damage to a patient," said Julie Wilbanks, Dallas County assistant district attorney.
The Dallas County District Attorney's office is pursuing two felony charges against Rhodes for perjury and tampering with government documents.
Rhodes has not entered a plea, but his own attorney said something many might find interesting.
"Nobody has accused him of making errors that somehow resulted in a death or injury to any patient," said John Older, Rhodes defense attorney. "Now did it happen, only God knows?"
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
They are trusted caretakers that are responsible for vital signs, administering drugs and countless other critical medical tasks.
Many licensed nurses are the patient's voice to the doctor.
"[We are] as well the doctor's voice to the patient," said one licensed doctor's nurse.
David Wayne Rhodes worked 14 years as a nurse as well. He allegedly earned about $80,000 as nursing director at Brentwood Place, a nursing home in Dallas, until his secret was exposed in December. Rhodes had never earned his nursing license.
"It puts the patients of Texas at risk, of harm," said Katherine Thomas, executive director of the Board of Nurse Examiners.
Thomas said better salaries have tempted many unqualified people to pose in the medical field.
The problem spread so much that the board has started posting periodic warnings on its website.
Nancy Hill, who allegedly worked at a Mesquite long-term care facility, will be listed there soon.
A news 8 investigation turned up at least four aliases for Nancy, which included the names of Nancy Terina Hill, Nancy Terina Gutierrez, Nancy Guierrez Smelosky and Nancy Bagwell
Despite being able to find imposters, state nursing regulators admit prosecuting is a big problem.
"We don't have jurisdiction over individuals who aren't nurses," Thomas said.
Since none of the unlicensed are nurses, it's up to a district attorney to decide if criminal laws have been broken.
Coworkers discovered Rahel Gebrewold was a fake a few months ago at Heritage Manor Healthcare Center in Plano.
They got suspicious because Gebrewold was performing her duties as though she was what they called green to the nursing profession.
Even though there was no record on the license site, police did not forward the case citing a lack of evidence.
Authorities said Toni Stringfellow has an over 20 year history as an imposter nurse including a recent stint as a school nurse at a private Christian school in San Antonio.
However, no one has succeeded in keeping her behind bars because posing as nurse is only considered a misdemeanor even though prosecutors admit the crime could be deadly.
"You have them giving shots, giving treatment and if they don't have the proper training, they can really do some damage to a patient," said Julie Wilbanks, Dallas County assistant district attorney.
The Dallas County District Attorney's office is pursuing two felony charges against Rhodes for perjury and tampering with government documents.
Rhodes has not entered a plea, but his own attorney said something many might find interesting.
"Nobody has accused him of making errors that somehow resulted in a death or injury to any patient," said John Older, Rhodes defense attorney. "Now did it happen, only God knows?"
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Woman's fall from bridge spurs 911 questions
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
CLEBURNE, Texas - An injured young woman worked with 911 operators for more than 30 minutes Wednesday before rescuers found her under a bridge.
She fell from the bridge at Lillian Road in rural Johnson County near the Tarrant County line.
While they finally found the woman safe, 911 officials said it has them worried about the next similar incident because the area, like most of Texas, still does not have the ability to pinpoint cellphone calls.
"Go ahead and speak to Tarrant County and tell them exactly where you're at," said the 911 operator to the woman when she called in.
However, she couldn't answer that question.
"I don't know where I'm at," she replied.
There were two problems during the crisis.
The first problem was the woman had fallen into a ravine and out of sight. The second problem, was her 911 call went to Johnson County, which has no way to locate the distress call.
A Johnson County official said they kept her on the line for 10 minutes, then turned her over to Tarrant County 911.
"Just take a deep breath ma'm," the operator said during the call. "I'm just trying to find out where you're at."
But it was hard to keep calm when she had no way of telling them how to get to her.
"I know," she said before breaking into tears.
A Tarrant County operator kept her on the line another 25 minutes listening to her cries.
"I know, I know ma'm," the operator said. "Just take a deep breath. We'll get there as fast as we can. We're looking for you, okay?"
A half dozen Tarrant County deputies combed the area with their sirens blasting..
After a half and hour, she heard the sirens heading her way.
"I hear them," she told the operator. "I hear them, I hear them."
A helicopter ambulance arrived within minutes.
But 911 officials said the episode revealed a gaping hole in the 911 safety net.
New locator technology might have allowed operators to pinpoint where the woman was instantly if she had been in Tarrant, Dallas or Denton Counties.
But most Texas counties still don't have that technology.
"It's probalby less than 30 percent of the population, but it's about 70 percent or more of the geographic area," said Bill Munn, Tarrant 911 executive director.
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
CLEBURNE, Texas - An injured young woman worked with 911 operators for more than 30 minutes Wednesday before rescuers found her under a bridge.
She fell from the bridge at Lillian Road in rural Johnson County near the Tarrant County line.
While they finally found the woman safe, 911 officials said it has them worried about the next similar incident because the area, like most of Texas, still does not have the ability to pinpoint cellphone calls.
"Go ahead and speak to Tarrant County and tell them exactly where you're at," said the 911 operator to the woman when she called in.
However, she couldn't answer that question.
"I don't know where I'm at," she replied.
There were two problems during the crisis.
The first problem was the woman had fallen into a ravine and out of sight. The second problem, was her 911 call went to Johnson County, which has no way to locate the distress call.
A Johnson County official said they kept her on the line for 10 minutes, then turned her over to Tarrant County 911.
"Just take a deep breath ma'm," the operator said during the call. "I'm just trying to find out where you're at."
But it was hard to keep calm when she had no way of telling them how to get to her.
"I know," she said before breaking into tears.
A Tarrant County operator kept her on the line another 25 minutes listening to her cries.
"I know, I know ma'm," the operator said. "Just take a deep breath. We'll get there as fast as we can. We're looking for you, okay?"
A half dozen Tarrant County deputies combed the area with their sirens blasting..
After a half and hour, she heard the sirens heading her way.
"I hear them," she told the operator. "I hear them, I hear them."
A helicopter ambulance arrived within minutes.
But 911 officials said the episode revealed a gaping hole in the 911 safety net.
New locator technology might have allowed operators to pinpoint where the woman was instantly if she had been in Tarrant, Dallas or Denton Counties.
But most Texas counties still don't have that technology.
"It's probalby less than 30 percent of the population, but it's about 70 percent or more of the geographic area," said Bill Munn, Tarrant 911 executive director.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Crossroads leader uses tough love to help homeless
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Rev. Jay Cole is a man of both the cloth and the spreadsheet.
He moves easily between the two disciplines in his efforts to prevent and eliminate homelessness in Dallas.
With a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin, he has lived the life of an entrepreneur and insurance agent.With a master's degree from Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology, he has answered his personal calling to help people.
Now 51, Mr. Cole uses his education and life experiences to battle homeless issues as executive director of Crossroads Community Services of First United Methodist Church of Dallas.
An ordained Methodist clergy, his ministry utilizes an economic triage to focus on the people he can most likely either keep from becoming homeless or help return to being self-sufficient.
"We have an obligation to do everything we can to help people claim their gifts and graces," Mr. Cole said.
At the same time, there have to be limits on generosity, he said. "Once you are able to do it on your own, it's time to go do it," the pastor said.
Crossroads Community Services is the newest of 21 nonprofits that receive funding from The Dallas Morning News Charities.
Since 1986, The Charities has raised more than $14.2 million for area nonprofit agencies. The 2005-06 fundraising campaign runs through Jan. 31, though donations are accepted year-round. The News pays all administrative costs of the campaign so 100 percent of the donated money goes to the agencies.
Crossroads is housed in rent-free space above The Stewpot at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Dallas. First Methodist, Crossroads' lead benefactor, pays Mr. Cole's salary.
Since May 2001, Crossroads has been working to stabilize people, mostly those with incomes of less than $1,000 a month who have housing but are in danger of becoming homeless.
Crossroads uses a tough-love approach to identify people who will receive its limited resources. Assistance agencies don't have the funds to help everyone, Mr. Cole said.
"We always have limited resources, so we need to help people with a neutral or positive cash flow," Mr. Cole said.
Tom Downing of Richardson, who volunteers his computer expertise by assisting with the Crossroads database and computer operations, said the program is more effective with the screening.
"If you have somebody who is just on the edge – where $280 worth of food or paying an electric bill can help them keep their home – that's a much better use of the resources we've been entrusted with," said Mr. Downing, a longtime member of First United Methodist.
"It's harder on the volunteers, because they have to say 'no' more often to people they know are hurting. Some of the people get angry, but on the other hand, what ... [we] do is much more effective."
Crossroads uses family budget screening, a more objective process that reduces personal biases, Mr. Cole said.
Once selected for the program, Crossroads can offer free groceries, clothing once a month, and mortgage, rent or utility assistance once a year.
Last year, Crossroads distributed 650,000 pounds of food and 300,000 articles of clothing, Mr. Cole said. It has weekly goal-setting and budget-management workshops to help clients change their situations.
Crossroads also has a number of services to help people get and keep employment, including DART passes, computer access and voicemail for employment contacts.
Mr. Cole prefers to assist people who have been homeless for less than a year, when there is the highest probability of success.
Crossroads will pay the first month's rent for homeless people who successfully complete its recovery program to get off the street.
Once Mr. Cole helps a homeless person find a job, he often gives one more piece of tough advice: Stay with the shelters a little longer and save enough money to rent sustainable housing.
While the clients desperately want off the streets, two months of savings will make all the difference in the world, "because you won't be behind the eight ball," he said.
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Rev. Jay Cole is a man of both the cloth and the spreadsheet.
He moves easily between the two disciplines in his efforts to prevent and eliminate homelessness in Dallas.
With a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin, he has lived the life of an entrepreneur and insurance agent.With a master's degree from Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology, he has answered his personal calling to help people.
Now 51, Mr. Cole uses his education and life experiences to battle homeless issues as executive director of Crossroads Community Services of First United Methodist Church of Dallas.
An ordained Methodist clergy, his ministry utilizes an economic triage to focus on the people he can most likely either keep from becoming homeless or help return to being self-sufficient.
"We have an obligation to do everything we can to help people claim their gifts and graces," Mr. Cole said.
At the same time, there have to be limits on generosity, he said. "Once you are able to do it on your own, it's time to go do it," the pastor said.
Crossroads Community Services is the newest of 21 nonprofits that receive funding from The Dallas Morning News Charities.
Since 1986, The Charities has raised more than $14.2 million for area nonprofit agencies. The 2005-06 fundraising campaign runs through Jan. 31, though donations are accepted year-round. The News pays all administrative costs of the campaign so 100 percent of the donated money goes to the agencies.
Crossroads is housed in rent-free space above The Stewpot at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Dallas. First Methodist, Crossroads' lead benefactor, pays Mr. Cole's salary.
Since May 2001, Crossroads has been working to stabilize people, mostly those with incomes of less than $1,000 a month who have housing but are in danger of becoming homeless.
Crossroads uses a tough-love approach to identify people who will receive its limited resources. Assistance agencies don't have the funds to help everyone, Mr. Cole said.
"We always have limited resources, so we need to help people with a neutral or positive cash flow," Mr. Cole said.
Tom Downing of Richardson, who volunteers his computer expertise by assisting with the Crossroads database and computer operations, said the program is more effective with the screening.
"If you have somebody who is just on the edge – where $280 worth of food or paying an electric bill can help them keep their home – that's a much better use of the resources we've been entrusted with," said Mr. Downing, a longtime member of First United Methodist.
"It's harder on the volunteers, because they have to say 'no' more often to people they know are hurting. Some of the people get angry, but on the other hand, what ... [we] do is much more effective."
Crossroads uses family budget screening, a more objective process that reduces personal biases, Mr. Cole said.
Once selected for the program, Crossroads can offer free groceries, clothing once a month, and mortgage, rent or utility assistance once a year.
Last year, Crossroads distributed 650,000 pounds of food and 300,000 articles of clothing, Mr. Cole said. It has weekly goal-setting and budget-management workshops to help clients change their situations.
Crossroads also has a number of services to help people get and keep employment, including DART passes, computer access and voicemail for employment contacts.
Mr. Cole prefers to assist people who have been homeless for less than a year, when there is the highest probability of success.
Crossroads will pay the first month's rent for homeless people who successfully complete its recovery program to get off the street.
Once Mr. Cole helps a homeless person find a job, he often gives one more piece of tough advice: Stay with the shelters a little longer and save enough money to rent sustainable housing.
While the clients desperately want off the streets, two months of savings will make all the difference in the world, "because you won't be behind the eight ball," he said.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
School taxes headed to polls
Educators lining up to challenge Texas legislators in primaries
By ROBERT T. GARRETT and PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Lawmakers and judges have already weighed in, but some voters in March's primaries could ultimately help decide how to pay for education in Texas.
Gov. Rick Perry and GOP leaders in the Legislature hail this week's Texas Supreme Court ruling as vindication for their basic framework – modest funding increases, with several conservative reforms attached.
But nearly 20 current or former educators or school board members are running for the House, many targeting current GOP members they believe are shortchanging education or trying to replace retiring allies of Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.
So voters will have a chance to weigh in directly.
"There are competing visions," said Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands. "One is, 'Give us more money and get out of the way.' The Legislature has said, 'Hey, we realize more money will help the situation. But it's not the only answer. We want more accountability.' "
Mr. Eissler, a former school board member and one of the chief House negotiators on school finance plans earlier this year, said the "education industry" needs better business practices and caps on noninstructional spending. It also would benefit if poor parents could use state-paid vouchers to enroll their children in private schools, he said.
A GOP House challenger in the Panhandle, though, said leaders offer no vision and little money – just mandates and a dreaded diversion of funds to vouchers.
"We can do better with help from the Legislature and not with hindrance," said Anette Carlisle, a 10-year school board member in Amarillo. She will run against Republican House State Affairs Committee Chairman David Swinford, a member of Mr. Craddick's leadership team.
"We do our best to implement wise business practices," Ms. Carlisle said. "But education is not quite the same as a business. We are there to educate every child, not just the ones we pick and choose."
June 1 deadline
In a long-awaited school finance ruling Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court let the governor and lawmakers off the hook on raising huge sums for education, which could have required a major tax increase.
But the justices gave the Legislature until June 1 to repair or replace a cap on local school property taxes, which they said has become, in effect, an unconstitutional state property tax.
The ruling should keep school finance on the front burner as the March 7 primary approaches.
With two weeks to go before filing opens for state offices, at least seven people with school board or educational professional backgrounds have signed up to challenge incumbent House Republicans in the GOP primaries, according to an analysis by The Dallas Morning News of candidate background data reported on the political Web site http://www.quorumreport.com.
Another four public-education types have signed up to run as Democrats against incumbent Republicans in the November general election. And eight more have signed up to run for six vacant House seats.
"There will be more," said Carolyn Boyle, chairwoman of the newly created Texas Parent PAC. The bipartisan group hopes to raise $250,000 from parents and other public school supporters and plans to get involved in as many as 20 key legislative races next year.
Republican political consultant Ray Sullivan said some educators running for legislative seats are part of a "radicalized education establishment," which has opposed GOP education policy.
Their enlistment as candidates reflects a larger trend, he said.
"Many Democrats and groups hostile to Republicans have finally realized that Texas is a Republican state, and most of the action is in the Republican primary," he said.
GOP consultant Ted Delisi doesn't expect many incumbents' heads to roll, though he represents a school board member who has filed in the primary against El Paso Republican Pat Haggerty.
"By and large, you see a group of individuals running to represent the education establishment, to write a blank check to increase funding for schools," Mr. Delisi said. "That is not something that is going to stir the heart of the average Republican voter."
2 challengers
East Texas Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, faces two primary challengers: a local school board president and a school board vice president.
If the election is framed as a referendum on education, Mr. Flynn said, he figures he will win: Most of his constituents want property taxes cut and believe that the local schools work just fine.
"There is more than one issue," he said.
But Ms. Boyle of Texas Parent PAC said the challenges would force House incumbents to defend votes for vouchers and for school finance bills opposed by many parents, teachers, school board members and superintendents.
"On the campaign trail, people are going to be talking directly to parents and hopefully they'll learn how tight things are at their public schools," she said. "They're going to pick up on how angry and frustrated these parents are."
Deece Eckstein, director of the Southwest region for the liberal group People for the American Way, said the Supreme Court shouldn't have given a passing grade to "our clunker of a public education system."
He said that while Texas spends about $1,000 per pupil less than the national average, its leaders "mistake being cheap for being visionary."
Rep. Eissler, though, questions schools' efficiency. He cited last week's disclosure by The News that 2,300 employees of the Dallas Independent School District receive car stipends, though some don't travel in their work.
"It's not a big secret that some business practices could be applied to school districts that would improve their efficiency," he said.
Mr. Eissler said the court "found that Texas schools have done well. Why is $1,000 more per student going to fix everything? It won't."
Educators lining up to challenge Texas legislators in primaries
By ROBERT T. GARRETT and PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Lawmakers and judges have already weighed in, but some voters in March's primaries could ultimately help decide how to pay for education in Texas.
Gov. Rick Perry and GOP leaders in the Legislature hail this week's Texas Supreme Court ruling as vindication for their basic framework – modest funding increases, with several conservative reforms attached.
But nearly 20 current or former educators or school board members are running for the House, many targeting current GOP members they believe are shortchanging education or trying to replace retiring allies of Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland.
So voters will have a chance to weigh in directly.
"There are competing visions," said Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands. "One is, 'Give us more money and get out of the way.' The Legislature has said, 'Hey, we realize more money will help the situation. But it's not the only answer. We want more accountability.' "
Mr. Eissler, a former school board member and one of the chief House negotiators on school finance plans earlier this year, said the "education industry" needs better business practices and caps on noninstructional spending. It also would benefit if poor parents could use state-paid vouchers to enroll their children in private schools, he said.
A GOP House challenger in the Panhandle, though, said leaders offer no vision and little money – just mandates and a dreaded diversion of funds to vouchers.
"We can do better with help from the Legislature and not with hindrance," said Anette Carlisle, a 10-year school board member in Amarillo. She will run against Republican House State Affairs Committee Chairman David Swinford, a member of Mr. Craddick's leadership team.
"We do our best to implement wise business practices," Ms. Carlisle said. "But education is not quite the same as a business. We are there to educate every child, not just the ones we pick and choose."
June 1 deadline
In a long-awaited school finance ruling Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court let the governor and lawmakers off the hook on raising huge sums for education, which could have required a major tax increase.
But the justices gave the Legislature until June 1 to repair or replace a cap on local school property taxes, which they said has become, in effect, an unconstitutional state property tax.
The ruling should keep school finance on the front burner as the March 7 primary approaches.
With two weeks to go before filing opens for state offices, at least seven people with school board or educational professional backgrounds have signed up to challenge incumbent House Republicans in the GOP primaries, according to an analysis by The Dallas Morning News of candidate background data reported on the political Web site http://www.quorumreport.com.
Another four public-education types have signed up to run as Democrats against incumbent Republicans in the November general election. And eight more have signed up to run for six vacant House seats.
"There will be more," said Carolyn Boyle, chairwoman of the newly created Texas Parent PAC. The bipartisan group hopes to raise $250,000 from parents and other public school supporters and plans to get involved in as many as 20 key legislative races next year.
Republican political consultant Ray Sullivan said some educators running for legislative seats are part of a "radicalized education establishment," which has opposed GOP education policy.
Their enlistment as candidates reflects a larger trend, he said.
"Many Democrats and groups hostile to Republicans have finally realized that Texas is a Republican state, and most of the action is in the Republican primary," he said.
GOP consultant Ted Delisi doesn't expect many incumbents' heads to roll, though he represents a school board member who has filed in the primary against El Paso Republican Pat Haggerty.
"By and large, you see a group of individuals running to represent the education establishment, to write a blank check to increase funding for schools," Mr. Delisi said. "That is not something that is going to stir the heart of the average Republican voter."
2 challengers
East Texas Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, faces two primary challengers: a local school board president and a school board vice president.
If the election is framed as a referendum on education, Mr. Flynn said, he figures he will win: Most of his constituents want property taxes cut and believe that the local schools work just fine.
"There is more than one issue," he said.
But Ms. Boyle of Texas Parent PAC said the challenges would force House incumbents to defend votes for vouchers and for school finance bills opposed by many parents, teachers, school board members and superintendents.
"On the campaign trail, people are going to be talking directly to parents and hopefully they'll learn how tight things are at their public schools," she said. "They're going to pick up on how angry and frustrated these parents are."
Deece Eckstein, director of the Southwest region for the liberal group People for the American Way, said the Supreme Court shouldn't have given a passing grade to "our clunker of a public education system."
He said that while Texas spends about $1,000 per pupil less than the national average, its leaders "mistake being cheap for being visionary."
Rep. Eissler, though, questions schools' efficiency. He cited last week's disclosure by The News that 2,300 employees of the Dallas Independent School District receive car stipends, though some don't travel in their work.
"It's not a big secret that some business practices could be applied to school districts that would improve their efficiency," he said.
Mr. Eissler said the court "found that Texas schools have done well. Why is $1,000 more per student going to fix everything? It won't."
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TexasStooge
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- Contact:
Dallas: Expensive street work will take years
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - No one would mistake downtown Dallas' streets as paved with gold, and some don't appear to be paved with much at all. Years of cars and trucks and utility cuts have beaten what once was business-district blacktop into a bumpy mess.
City officials know. And the time to do something about it, they say, is now.
During the next several years, downtown streets will undergo a public bond-funded transformation as several dozen blocks of worn-out north-south roads are reconstructed, said David Dybala, Dallas' director of public works and transportation.
Along with other downtown infrastructure projects ranging from streetscaping to a proposed "deck park" spanning Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Uptown and the Arts District, the street replacement project might help spark the kind of residential and retail growth for which city leaders yearn.
The City Council this year ranked economic development, particularly downtown, as its top priority.
Voters in 2003 approved issuing nearly $200 million in bonds to fund street and transportation improvements throughout Dallas, with many of them downtown.
"This is the biggest infrastructure effort to address needs in the central business district," Mr. Dybala said. "It's necessary. We have some streets that really need work."
The plan calls for Harwood, St. Paul, Ervay and Akard streets to be rebuilt between Young Street and Ross Avenue. Dallas will also redo Field Street between Wood Street and Ross Avenue, and Main Street to Central Expressway as well as several smaller road segments throughout the city's increasingly vibrant urban core.
Decorative street lighting and sidewalk enhancements, some of which has already commenced, also are slated for some streets.
Likely byproducts of these improvements include increased noise and congestion, Mr. Dybala said.
"But we're going to try our best to minimize inconvenience," he said.
Don Raines, for one, hopes so.
As one of downtown's few full-time residents in the 1990s, Mr. Raines said he recalls numerous nights when the all-but-empty central business district was buzzing with jackhammers and heavy equipment chopping up streets to install data lines and other infrastructure.
Problem was, his bedroom sat directly above.
"Man, it was pretty bad," said Mr. Raines, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. "When the telecom bust happened, it wasn't good for them, but we all slept a lot better."
No longer is downtown home to a few hundred urban pioneers. About 3,000 residents live there, and city officials expect that number to increase at least threefold in the next decade.
All the more reason, Swirll winery co-owner Louis Davion said, to invest in downtown's infrastructure sooner rather than later.
"There's going to be some pain – disruption of traffic, noise," said Mr. Davion, who opened his business on Main Street last year and caters to downtown residents. "If the construction keeps people from moving downtown and living downtown, that'll affect our business and other businesses. But we definitely need the improvements. Ultimately, they'll have a positive effect."
At least one fledgling business, however, found downtown infrastructure improvements too disruptive to bear.
Streetside Cafe, a lunch spot across Ervay Street from the J. Erik Jonsson Library, closed indefinitely last month in part because infrastructure improvements decimated nearby on-street parking, owner Kathy Vergos said.
"You might as well just buck up and do it now, though," said Joe Marchant, executive director for the Dallas Building Owners and Managers Association. "Everybody's at the point to accept the fact that there will be disruption, but that hopefully, the disruption is minimal and worth it. When you see the city making an investment in infrastructure, and businesses see the city in for the long haul, it's a major incentive to relocate or stay."
In years past, utility cuts have scarred downtown streets with bone-jarring results: Once-smooth blacktop almost overnight became uneven and plenty unpleasant to drive on.
To ensure that Dallas' infrastructure investment is preserved, Mr. Dybala says, the city intends to strictly enforce street cutting codes that govern where and how utility companies may cut into city rights of way to access underground lines.
In the meantime, the city is increasing efforts through its street services department to combat crumbling curbs, potholes and street-cut damage, said Forest Turner, the department's director.
With more downtown storefronts filling up and more residents moving in, "We have a different kind of customer now that is going to want a certain service level maybe the city hasn't provided before," Mr. Turner said.
Part of providing better street services, he said, is simply walking from downtown business to downtown business asking owners what needs to be fixed, so problems are addressed immediately.
"We can't wait for a call to come to us through the 311 system or something," Mr. Turner said. "If we fix our streets, then we have to maintain our streets just the same."
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - No one would mistake downtown Dallas' streets as paved with gold, and some don't appear to be paved with much at all. Years of cars and trucks and utility cuts have beaten what once was business-district blacktop into a bumpy mess.
City officials know. And the time to do something about it, they say, is now.
During the next several years, downtown streets will undergo a public bond-funded transformation as several dozen blocks of worn-out north-south roads are reconstructed, said David Dybala, Dallas' director of public works and transportation.
Along with other downtown infrastructure projects ranging from streetscaping to a proposed "deck park" spanning Woodall Rodgers Freeway between Uptown and the Arts District, the street replacement project might help spark the kind of residential and retail growth for which city leaders yearn.
The City Council this year ranked economic development, particularly downtown, as its top priority.
Voters in 2003 approved issuing nearly $200 million in bonds to fund street and transportation improvements throughout Dallas, with many of them downtown.
"This is the biggest infrastructure effort to address needs in the central business district," Mr. Dybala said. "It's necessary. We have some streets that really need work."
The plan calls for Harwood, St. Paul, Ervay and Akard streets to be rebuilt between Young Street and Ross Avenue. Dallas will also redo Field Street between Wood Street and Ross Avenue, and Main Street to Central Expressway as well as several smaller road segments throughout the city's increasingly vibrant urban core.
Decorative street lighting and sidewalk enhancements, some of which has already commenced, also are slated for some streets.
Likely byproducts of these improvements include increased noise and congestion, Mr. Dybala said.
"But we're going to try our best to minimize inconvenience," he said.
Don Raines, for one, hopes so.
As one of downtown's few full-time residents in the 1990s, Mr. Raines said he recalls numerous nights when the all-but-empty central business district was buzzing with jackhammers and heavy equipment chopping up streets to install data lines and other infrastructure.
Problem was, his bedroom sat directly above.
"Man, it was pretty bad," said Mr. Raines, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. "When the telecom bust happened, it wasn't good for them, but we all slept a lot better."
No longer is downtown home to a few hundred urban pioneers. About 3,000 residents live there, and city officials expect that number to increase at least threefold in the next decade.
All the more reason, Swirll winery co-owner Louis Davion said, to invest in downtown's infrastructure sooner rather than later.
"There's going to be some pain – disruption of traffic, noise," said Mr. Davion, who opened his business on Main Street last year and caters to downtown residents. "If the construction keeps people from moving downtown and living downtown, that'll affect our business and other businesses. But we definitely need the improvements. Ultimately, they'll have a positive effect."
At least one fledgling business, however, found downtown infrastructure improvements too disruptive to bear.
Streetside Cafe, a lunch spot across Ervay Street from the J. Erik Jonsson Library, closed indefinitely last month in part because infrastructure improvements decimated nearby on-street parking, owner Kathy Vergos said.
"You might as well just buck up and do it now, though," said Joe Marchant, executive director for the Dallas Building Owners and Managers Association. "Everybody's at the point to accept the fact that there will be disruption, but that hopefully, the disruption is minimal and worth it. When you see the city making an investment in infrastructure, and businesses see the city in for the long haul, it's a major incentive to relocate or stay."
In years past, utility cuts have scarred downtown streets with bone-jarring results: Once-smooth blacktop almost overnight became uneven and plenty unpleasant to drive on.
To ensure that Dallas' infrastructure investment is preserved, Mr. Dybala says, the city intends to strictly enforce street cutting codes that govern where and how utility companies may cut into city rights of way to access underground lines.
In the meantime, the city is increasing efforts through its street services department to combat crumbling curbs, potholes and street-cut damage, said Forest Turner, the department's director.
With more downtown storefronts filling up and more residents moving in, "We have a different kind of customer now that is going to want a certain service level maybe the city hasn't provided before," Mr. Turner said.
Part of providing better street services, he said, is simply walking from downtown business to downtown business asking owners what needs to be fixed, so problems are addressed immediately.
"We can't wait for a call to come to us through the 311 system or something," Mr. Turner said. "If we fix our streets, then we have to maintain our streets just the same."
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TexasStooge
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Two men die in Dallas shooting
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two men died after a shooting at the intersection of Overton Road and Lancaster Road at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, according to police.
Henry Pate and Cedric Mosley had stopped at the junction when a vehicle occupied by three people pulled up.
Following an argument, an exchange of gunfire took place and the suspect car took off, witnesses say.
When police arrived on the scene they found Mr. Pate dead. The passenger, Mr. Mosley, was taken to Methodist Hospital where he later died of gun shot wounds.
Parkland Hospital called police to inform them that a person with a gun shot wound was requiring treatment.
Police interviewed the individual and determined that he or she was the suspect in the earlier shooting.
The suspect has been arrested and charged with capital murder. The driver of the vehicle is being questioned by police who say they will also interview the third individual in the car.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two men died after a shooting at the intersection of Overton Road and Lancaster Road at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, according to police.
Henry Pate and Cedric Mosley had stopped at the junction when a vehicle occupied by three people pulled up.
Following an argument, an exchange of gunfire took place and the suspect car took off, witnesses say.
When police arrived on the scene they found Mr. Pate dead. The passenger, Mr. Mosley, was taken to Methodist Hospital where he later died of gun shot wounds.
Parkland Hospital called police to inform them that a person with a gun shot wound was requiring treatment.
Police interviewed the individual and determined that he or she was the suspect in the earlier shooting.
The suspect has been arrested and charged with capital murder. The driver of the vehicle is being questioned by police who say they will also interview the third individual in the car.
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TexasStooge
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Mistrial ruled in ice cream slaying
Oak Cliff: Teen suspect in vendor's killing will face a new jury
By ISABEL MORALES/ Al Día
DALLAS, Texas - Joel Zubiri, the young man charged with murdering a Mexican ice cream vendor March 19 in Oak Cliff, will face a new trial next year, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision in the case.
After 10 ½ hours of deliberations Tuesday and Wednesday, the jurors could not agree on a verdict for the 15-year-old, who has been charged as an adult with capital murder.
The judge declared a mistrial, and a new jury will be selected in March or April.
Mr. Zubiri is accused of fatally shooting Alfonso Fuentes, 28, who sold ice cream on his bicycle in Oak Cliff.
Brad Lollar, Mr. Zubiri's attorney, said two jurors thought Mr. Zubiri, 15, was not at the scene of the crime.
"My client is innocent, and that is why it has been a difficult case. There is not enough evidence to blame this kid," Mr. Lollar said.
The attorney referred to the testimony of two of the suspect's cousins, whom the young man was shopping with on the day of the slaying. The attorney also said there is no physical evidence that implicates the young man.
The district attorney's office said that the decision has been difficult for the jury because they see Mr. Zubiri as a child and a cold-blooded murderer.
"The young man just wanted to kill him, he shot him eight times, and to do that he had to load the weapon. He is a young murderer," said David Alex, the case prosecutor.
Mr. Zubiri is being held at the Dallas County Jail.
Oak Cliff: Teen suspect in vendor's killing will face a new jury
By ISABEL MORALES/ Al Día
DALLAS, Texas - Joel Zubiri, the young man charged with murdering a Mexican ice cream vendor March 19 in Oak Cliff, will face a new trial next year, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision in the case.
After 10 ½ hours of deliberations Tuesday and Wednesday, the jurors could not agree on a verdict for the 15-year-old, who has been charged as an adult with capital murder.
The judge declared a mistrial, and a new jury will be selected in March or April.
Mr. Zubiri is accused of fatally shooting Alfonso Fuentes, 28, who sold ice cream on his bicycle in Oak Cliff.
Brad Lollar, Mr. Zubiri's attorney, said two jurors thought Mr. Zubiri, 15, was not at the scene of the crime.
"My client is innocent, and that is why it has been a difficult case. There is not enough evidence to blame this kid," Mr. Lollar said.
The attorney referred to the testimony of two of the suspect's cousins, whom the young man was shopping with on the day of the slaying. The attorney also said there is no physical evidence that implicates the young man.
The district attorney's office said that the decision has been difficult for the jury because they see Mr. Zubiri as a child and a cold-blooded murderer.
"The young man just wanted to kill him, he shot him eight times, and to do that he had to load the weapon. He is a young murderer," said David Alex, the case prosecutor.
Mr. Zubiri is being held at the Dallas County Jail.
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TexasStooge
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Frisco shows its stuff in virtual tour
DVD will highlight brightest gems in rapidly growing city
By BOB WESTON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – Many city leaders in Texas will be watching to see what success fast-growing Frisco has in attracting businesses and industries with its innovative Virtual Tour video presentation, Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson predicts.
A lot of them got their first exposure to it at the recent Texas Municipal League convention in Grapevine and came away quite impressed, Mr. Simpson said.
"It still needs a little tweaking before we have a DVD ready for dissemination to prospective businesses as a marketing tool in selling this community," the mayor said. He said the 13-minute video ultimately might be expanded to include more community high points.
Jim Gandy, president of the Frisco Economic Development Corp., said he expects to have the video ready for general distribution within a few weeks. It was produced by a Plano-based branch of the national HNTB Corp. and will cost the Frisco Economic Development Corp. $117,000 upon completion, a company spokesman said.
As it stands, the Frisco Virtual Tour presents an aerial view of major commercial landmarks along the city's 10-mile stretch of the Dallas North Tollway corridor.
It starts with the 5-year-old Stonebriar Centre shopping mall, described by city fathers as the economic engine driving explosive growth. The city has mushroomed in population from 6,000 in 1990 to more than 80,000 today.
The images roll along to showcase the new Ikea home furnishings store, Dr Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark for professional baseball, Frisco Square highlighting the city's colorful past, and Pizza Hut Park soccer stadium, a state-of-the-art facility where the internationally televised Major League Soccer championship was played Nov. 13.
Viewers may click on any of these and other facilities featured in the tour and get more detailed information about each.
"This video has levels of detail that almost take your breath away," Frisco council member Bob Allen said.
"If you think of it as a microcosm of Frisco, what is it? It's growth, it's new, it's innovative, it's out of the box, it's all of those things," said Mr. Allen, who also is chairman of the city's Economic Development Corp. "We're a high-technology community, and we're cutting edge in a lot of ways."
Bob Weston is a Frisco-based freelance writer.
DVD will highlight brightest gems in rapidly growing city
By BOB WESTON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – Many city leaders in Texas will be watching to see what success fast-growing Frisco has in attracting businesses and industries with its innovative Virtual Tour video presentation, Frisco Mayor Mike Simpson predicts.
A lot of them got their first exposure to it at the recent Texas Municipal League convention in Grapevine and came away quite impressed, Mr. Simpson said.
"It still needs a little tweaking before we have a DVD ready for dissemination to prospective businesses as a marketing tool in selling this community," the mayor said. He said the 13-minute video ultimately might be expanded to include more community high points.
Jim Gandy, president of the Frisco Economic Development Corp., said he expects to have the video ready for general distribution within a few weeks. It was produced by a Plano-based branch of the national HNTB Corp. and will cost the Frisco Economic Development Corp. $117,000 upon completion, a company spokesman said.
As it stands, the Frisco Virtual Tour presents an aerial view of major commercial landmarks along the city's 10-mile stretch of the Dallas North Tollway corridor.
It starts with the 5-year-old Stonebriar Centre shopping mall, described by city fathers as the economic engine driving explosive growth. The city has mushroomed in population from 6,000 in 1990 to more than 80,000 today.
The images roll along to showcase the new Ikea home furnishings store, Dr Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark for professional baseball, Frisco Square highlighting the city's colorful past, and Pizza Hut Park soccer stadium, a state-of-the-art facility where the internationally televised Major League Soccer championship was played Nov. 13.
Viewers may click on any of these and other facilities featured in the tour and get more detailed information about each.
"This video has levels of detail that almost take your breath away," Frisco council member Bob Allen said.
"If you think of it as a microcosm of Frisco, what is it? It's growth, it's new, it's innovative, it's out of the box, it's all of those things," said Mr. Allen, who also is chairman of the city's Economic Development Corp. "We're a high-technology community, and we're cutting edge in a lot of ways."
Bob Weston is a Frisco-based freelance writer.
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TexasStooge
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ID theft law aims to lighten shoppers' burden
Police must report all complaints; crooks face fines of up to $50,000
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
The holiday shopping season is prime time for identity theft, but a new state law is helping some victims fight back.
The law, which went into effect in September, requires police agencies to make a written report when complaints about identity theft are made.
It authorizes legal action against those who commit identity theft.
Penalties include restitution and fines between $2,000 and $50,000 per violation, according to the state attorney general's office.
Victims may present the police reports to credit reporting bureaus.
"This is new, and it's a good step in getting a handle on the problem," said Joe Shannon, who heads the economic crimes division for the Tarrant County district attorney's office.
"The truth is you don't have to invest in a ski mask anymore," Mr. Shannon said. "You can buy hokey driver's licenses and you're in business. And you and your credit card bills can get walloped."
Thieves have become more sophisticated using public records, discarded receipts and telephone solicitations to open unauthorized charge accounts.
Many thieves, Mr. Shannon said, work in groups or rings, targeting the unsuspecting.
From 2002 to 2003, 10 million consumers were victimized by someone who opened new accounts in their names and exploited their credit, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Because of the additional holiday shoppers, police also are beefing up patrols around the malls and say consumers can protect themselves by keeping track of receipts and credit cards.
Mostly, shoppers should keep their wits about them, police say.
"The bad guys tell us they look for people who aren't paying attention," said Lt. Steve Niekamp, a spokesman for the Hurst police. "If you look like you're alert, you become less of a target. The big thing is, if you feel uncomfortable or things don't feel quite right, call police."
Police must report all complaints; crooks face fines of up to $50,000
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
The holiday shopping season is prime time for identity theft, but a new state law is helping some victims fight back.
The law, which went into effect in September, requires police agencies to make a written report when complaints about identity theft are made.
It authorizes legal action against those who commit identity theft.
Penalties include restitution and fines between $2,000 and $50,000 per violation, according to the state attorney general's office.
Victims may present the police reports to credit reporting bureaus.
"This is new, and it's a good step in getting a handle on the problem," said Joe Shannon, who heads the economic crimes division for the Tarrant County district attorney's office.
"The truth is you don't have to invest in a ski mask anymore," Mr. Shannon said. "You can buy hokey driver's licenses and you're in business. And you and your credit card bills can get walloped."
Thieves have become more sophisticated using public records, discarded receipts and telephone solicitations to open unauthorized charge accounts.
Many thieves, Mr. Shannon said, work in groups or rings, targeting the unsuspecting.
From 2002 to 2003, 10 million consumers were victimized by someone who opened new accounts in their names and exploited their credit, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Because of the additional holiday shoppers, police also are beefing up patrols around the malls and say consumers can protect themselves by keeping track of receipts and credit cards.
Mostly, shoppers should keep their wits about them, police say.
"The bad guys tell us they look for people who aren't paying attention," said Lt. Steve Niekamp, a spokesman for the Hurst police. "If you look like you're alert, you become less of a target. The big thing is, if you feel uncomfortable or things don't feel quite right, call police."
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote:Germs at school: The dirty truth
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
This year, one in five Americans will get the flu, and most of those illnesses will originate at your neighborhood school.
The dirty truth is, your child's classroom is like a giant petri dish.
Several people on the News 8 staff have already fallen victim to stomach flu. While these individuals didn't have children, that's where most illnesses start and spread.
So we ran a series of tests at Tom Landry Elementary School in Irving to see what germs are lurking.
School administrators are the first to admit that no amount of cleaning can get rid of germs. "I think it's unavoidable anywhere you go," said Principal Benita Gordon.
We examined Mrs. Halsey's first grade class to help investigate why these bad bugs spread so fast, and to find out what lurks even in places that look spic-and-span.
We swabbed ordinary classroom surfaces that are cleaned regularly by teachers and custodians and took the samples to a state-certified laboratory in Arlington for testing.
While they tested, we tried an experiment to show how fast germs can get around.
We put a harmless glow-in-the-dark powder on one student's hands. She then went about her normal classroom routine.
Twenty minutes later, an ultraviolet light revealed powder from that one student's hands had spread across the room—to buckets, toys, books, boxes, and desks.
We found a total of 17 classmates had come in contact with the powder, even though the original student had never touched any of them.
Imagine that this glowing powder represents real germs, and you can see how illness can rapidly spread through a classroom or other public area.
The testing lab confirmed various types of bacteria everywhere we had collected samples, especially staphylococcus—commonly found on skin and normally not a health threat.
Testing didn't reveal if this is the dangerous, drug-resistant form of staph responsible for skin infections and even death currently sweeping through North Texas schools.
That form of staph would not be suspected unless a child developed the telltale sores and spread the infection.
On a dry bucket handle, tests showed acinetobacter iwoffii, an organism that loves water.
"It's also present in sewage," said microbiologist Karen Deiss, adding, "There's more there than just bacteria."
Where bacteria are found, viruses thrive.
The flu virus can live for three days on an ordinary surface, reminding school nurse Terri Lyons of an important lesson. "If we can teach our children not to put their hands in their mouth, in their nose, in their eyes, we could cut out on a lot of that, in addition to the hand washing," she said.
Plain old good hygiene could help stop the sickening cycle of students who take germs from the classroom home to adults—who then spread them in the workplace, the grocery store and with other adults everywhere.
Unless you're willing to foot the expense, there's no easy or inexpensive way to test for germs. You can simply assume they're always there.
WFAA ABC 8
Ultraviolet light revealed how germs can spread in a classroom environment.
take alcohol wipes to school
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TexasStooge
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TexasStooge
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Cigarette thieves target stores
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - He walks into the store face uncovered and demands money while pretending to have a gun.
Police say this bandit makes off with cigarettes instead of cash. They say this type of crime is happening all over the city of Dallas.
"They take the cigarettes and they go and sell them on the street usually from what I have heard at about $15 a carton," says detective Scott Sayers of the Dallas Police.
Police say this robber acts alone and has struck the Diamond Shamrock at 500 South Hampton three times in the last month.
"It's crazy. It is always getting hit up. That's the way it is in Oak Cliff. They need more cops or something," says a Dallas resident, Robert Medoza.
But police are also looking for this pair of bandits who've robbed the same store. In surveillance video police say you can see them leaving the store with bags over their shoulders.
"What is upsetting on these videos is these guys going behind the counters and just loading up trash sacks like they are going through their mother's pantry just loading up and throwing it over their shoulder and walking out," says Mr. Sayers.
Police say the robbers may have hit other convenience stores. They are comparing videos and photos to see if they can link them to more crimes. But for now, they are hoping the public sees their pictures and calls them with tips.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - He walks into the store face uncovered and demands money while pretending to have a gun.
Police say this bandit makes off with cigarettes instead of cash. They say this type of crime is happening all over the city of Dallas.
"They take the cigarettes and they go and sell them on the street usually from what I have heard at about $15 a carton," says detective Scott Sayers of the Dallas Police.
Police say this robber acts alone and has struck the Diamond Shamrock at 500 South Hampton three times in the last month.
"It's crazy. It is always getting hit up. That's the way it is in Oak Cliff. They need more cops or something," says a Dallas resident, Robert Medoza.
But police are also looking for this pair of bandits who've robbed the same store. In surveillance video police say you can see them leaving the store with bags over their shoulders.
"What is upsetting on these videos is these guys going behind the counters and just loading up trash sacks like they are going through their mother's pantry just loading up and throwing it over their shoulder and walking out," says Mr. Sayers.
Police say the robbers may have hit other convenience stores. They are comparing videos and photos to see if they can link them to more crimes. But for now, they are hoping the public sees their pictures and calls them with tips.
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