News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Lewisville makes way for wider I-35E

Lewisville: Council to get state preview of 12-mile project through town

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

LEWISVILLE, Texas – On any given workday, rush-hour commutes on the stretch of Interstate 35E through southern Denton County can feel less like a highway journey and more like a school-zone crawl.

And if there are construction-related closures, an accident or a stalled vehicle, it can feel more like a parking lot.

"It is one of the heaviest congested in the area," said Nasser Askari, a project manager for the Texas Department of Transportation.

As the county continues to grow and plans for widening the highway gear up, things could get worse before they get better – and not just for commuters, who are expected to almost double in number by 2025.

At a Lewisville City Council meeting Monday, TxDOT officials will present recently drawn plans to widen the highway from the Bush Turnpike in Carrollton to FM2181 in Corinth. They will also answer council members' questions about the 12-mile project, which would widen the highway to five lanes in each direction and make frontage roads three lanes wide.

The 12-mile stretch is part of a larger project that will widen I-35E from Interstate 635 to Denton.

The schematics show that several landowners along service roads in Carrollton, Lewisville and Hickory Creek could have to find new places to live and do business to make room for the expansion, expected to begin in 2015.

"It's upsetting," said Michael Noyes, who for eight years has owned Michael's Music along the northbound service road in Lewisville. "I just don't want to move. We like our location."

Mr. Noyes' business and neighboring medical offices are among the buildings the current TxDOT schematics indicate will have to move. Of course, the project is still in development and officials said the exact rights of way the state will gobble up aren't finalized. The limbo doesn't do much to assuage Mr. Noyes' worries.

"I'm not thrilled about it," he said.

Just north of Mr. Noyes' business, a strip of buildings at the highway's intersection with Main Street could also become part of the highway. An IHOP, Taco Bueno and Days Inn at the northeast corner are also marked targets on the schematics. So, too, is the landmark water tower that boasts of Lewisville High School's state football championships.

Several car dealerships up and down I-35E face the loss of frontage-road parking spaces, typically used to show off shiny new vehicles. Five of the city's hotels could also have to go. That has sent city officials into research mode to figure out the economic impact such a loss would have.

"We're trying to assess that as we speak," said Carlos Hernandez, the city's tourism director.

His early estimate is that the loss could result in a dip of about $145,000 in hotel-motel tax revenue. That's about 11 percent of the $1.3 million brought in during the 2005 budget year.

Cesar Molina, Carrollton's director of engineering, said his city worked with TxDOT to minimize the amount of land that could be lost to the expansion in that city.

"Most of the land in that area north of the George Bush is undeveloped, or there is some development on it and it's business, so it's just a few locations," he said.

The plans, though, indicate commercial sites aren't the only ones that might have to be gobbled up for right of ways. Some homes are also in the way.

Bruce Harman moved to Spenrock Court in northern Lewisville in September because he liked the proximity to the highway. The physician splits his time between Denton and Lewisville and relies on I-35E to get him there.

"The easy access is nice because I can just exit the neighborhood and get on the highway," he said.

But he may have moved too close.

Mr. Harman's driveway provided a clear view of why room needs to be made for the expansion: By 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, northbound cars on I-35E were already in a bottleneck before the bridge over Lewisville Lake.

And like Mr. Noyes' shop, Mr. Harman's home sits in the middle of where this round of schematics shows future lanes will go. It's something Mr. Harman didn't know about until a reporter knocked on his door.

"It is a little frustrating I haven't heard anything about it," he said.

In addition to folks on the east side of Mr. Harman's block, homeowners along Lakeland Drive near Bellaire Boulevard could also face the loss of their homes.

Lewisville officials expected and understand landowners' irritations. But it's hard to argue against an expansion given current traffic conditions, they say.

"It really is unavoidable," council member Greg Tierney said.

Plus, officials say, the plans aren't finalized. It would be unfair to notify a landowner targeted on this set of schematics, but not someone who may end up losing his land under later plans, Mr. Tierney said.

TxDOT officials also plan to hold public meetings to present plans and gather resident and commuter feedback this year.

Staff writer Stephanie Sandoval contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas police struggle to recruit officers

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - In nearly 22 years on the force, Lt. Tammie Hughes has arrested bad guys, investigated problem officers and helped prosecute crooked cops. But the difficulty of those jobs pales to her current job: recruiting new police officers for the Dallas Police Department.

"I didn't realize that it was this hard," said Lt. Hughes, the recruiting unit's commander. "You can see an applicant come through the door, and they look like they have so much promise. Then all of the sudden, we find something in their background. We hired less than 10 percent that applied last year."

The Dallas Police Department isn't alone in struggling to fill openings. Nationwide, major metropolitan police departments, particularly those that hire large numbers of officers each year, face a drought of qualified recruits.

The reasons for the shortage vary, and include low pay, a tight job market, higher private sector pay and competition from the military for the same people.

"We're having a hell of a time," said Sgt. John Urquhart, spokesman for the King County sheriff's office in Seattle. "Police work doesn't have as much as allure as it did 10 years ago. ... Take your pick. Pick your reason."

Dallas' problem is aggravated by flawed hiring practices in the past that have left the department with a tainted reputation, a complicated lawsuit that affects how the city gives raises to firefighters and police officers, and higher pay and better benefits in the suburbs.

The city has nearly 3,000 officers but needs about 600 more to reach the city's goal of having three officers per 1,000 residents. The City Council has authorized about 50 new jobs each year in recent years.

But the revolving door means the department needs to hire about 250 officers per year to replace those who retire or leave and to increase the ranks.

The problem is that the department can't find enough qualified candidates to fill academy classes. During the last fiscal year, Dallas police filled only 65 to 70 percent of its academy slots.

"We're hiring the right people, but there's just not enough of them," said Dallas Police Deputy Chief Floyd Simpson, head of the department's recruiting and hiring division.

Higher pay in suburbs

Adrian Riojas said he barely gave Dallas a second look because the starting pay wasn't high enough and the job didn't offer tuition reimbursement. The Corpus Christi native chose instead to apply to Grand Prairie and Frisco.

"The salary wasn't really worth that commute" to Dallas, said Mr. Riojas, 23, who lives in Arlington and attends the University of North Texas. "I didn't want to be any lower than $40,000."

Taking a look statewide, Dallas' starting pay for recruits – nearly $39,000 – fares well in compared with major Texas cities such as Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Austin.

But compared with many area suburbs, Dallas' pay sits on the low end, even with a $1,000 hiring bonus for recruits who graduate from the academy.

Officer Joe Harn, a Garland police spokesman, said money is "very important in today's market. Here in the metroplex each police department is vying for the very same person."

Richardson Police Chief Larry Zacharias said his department needs 11 more officers.

"Like everybody else, we need people," he said. "But you can't lower your standards just to fill your vacancies."

Recruiters say younger people often aren't attracted by good retirement benefits such as those offered for Dallas police and fire personnel.

"I think it's a generational difference," said Lt. Hughes. "It's like a bell goes off about 35," she said.

Lucrative private sector

Austin police Lt. Raul Munguia, supervisor of recruiting, says he's struggling with an initial low pay of $32,000 year for recruits. "We've fallen behind the state average as far as cadet pay goes," Lt. Munguia said.

After they graduate from the police academy, they get a huge raise to $44,570.

Departments often require recruits to have at least some college credit. Plano and Arlington require four-year degrees. But young people can get more money in other professional careers.

Austin "can't compete with Dell or Samsung" in terms of pay, said Lt. Munguia. He said two recent academy classes were only about 65 to 75 percent full.

Police departments are also struggling to navigate a changing society.

Most departments only hire between 5 percent and 10 percent of those who apply, and many get weeded out for prior drug use. Dallas won't take anybody who has tried – even once – harder drugs like cocaine or heroin, although it will take people who have tried marijuana.

"What they're exposed to now I never saw when I was in high school," Lt. Munguia said. "Times have changed."

Tarnished reputation

Dallas can't simply raise starting salaries because of legal complications from a 1979 public referendum that police and firefighters say requires that all sworn personnel get the same percentage raise at all levels in the departments whenever any raise is given.

The city disagrees, but has been cautious about how salaries are raised while the issue is settled in court.

The Dallas department has also suffered from its own reputation, notably the 2001 scandal in which fake drugs were planted on innocent people by paid police informants.

Dallas' top brass are also well aware of how flawed practices in the past led to the hiring of officers with questionable character and criminal histories.

Tracy Gaines, 34, said he recently chose the Rockwall Police Department because it's "not in the news a lot with scandal."

[TexasStooge]

Paralyzed football player making strides

'He's doing things they didn't say he would do, so we're very, very blessed.'

By STELLA M. CHÁVEZ / The Dallas Morning News

Nat Little gently wraps his arms around Tamela Johnston and squeezes with all the strength he can muster.

"Good," the personal trainer tells him. "It's getting stronger."

A simple hug is a big step for the former Carrollton R.L. Turner High School football player, who was paralyzed from the neck down in a spring football game 1 ½ years ago.

Thanks to the help of strangers, friends and family, Nat is on the road to recovery – one small step at a time.

He can scratch his head, wiggle his toes and operate his motorized wheelchair with either hand.

"He's doing things they didn't say he would do, so we're very, very blessed," said his mother, Nita Little. "Before, we could only hug him, and now he can hug us back."

Nat, 18, isn't surprised.

"I knew it was gonna come back," he said. "It's all going to come back."

In the fourth quarter of Turner's spring scrimmage May 21, 2004, Nat, a junior middle linebacker, headed for fullback Marcus Robinson. As Nat went for the tackle, he fell awkwardly and flipped over Marcus, landing headfirst on the synthetic turf.

Nat realized something was wrong. He tried to get up, but he couldn't.

He saw the worried looks of teammates, his coach and his mom, who had watched her son from the stands.

Nat fractured his C-5 vertebra and bruised his spinal cord. He didn't realize the night of his injury how dramatically his life would change because of one football play, leaving him in need of constant care and attention.

"I'm too laid-back to be scared and too laid-back to be upset," he said. "I was like, 'Dang, I'm hurt. ... Stuff happens.' "

It wasn't the first time Nat faced a serious health problem. When he was a sophomore in high school, he nearly died on a band skiing trip in Colorado after having a rare pulmonary reaction to high altitude. Doctors at the time said they'd never seen a person with an oxygen level so low – except in a corpse, his mother said.

After his football injury, he spent two months at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation before being transferred to the Institute for Rehabilitation and Research at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, where he spent 25 days.

And Nat decided that life goes on. Proving his point, he returned to high school in August – three months after his injury – to finish his senior year and graduate with classmates.

He attended school three days a week and received outpatient therapy twice a week.

New therapy

But therapy and insurance could only do so much. The family wasn't given much hope for improvement.

That's when Mrs. Johnston, owner of A Link for Life in Farmers Branch, came into the Little family's life. She tracked Nat down in October 2004 after seeing a television report about him.

"I saw the story, and it moved me," she said.

Mrs. Johnston, a master of Oriental medicine, massage therapist instructor, certified personal trainer and reiki master, told Ms. Little she could help her son at no cost to the family.

"There was something that told me if I can get to him within six months, there's a chance," she said.

Nat began visiting Mrs. Johnston's wellness center in January 2004, and he has spent time there almost every day since then, working with Mrs. Johnston and another personal trainer, David Mays.

When he started, he could barely operate the controls on his wheelchair with his left arm. He wore a strap across his chest to keep his body in place in the chair, and moving either arm caused pain in his shoulders.

Frequent visits to the wellness center, however, have changed that, he said. Nat undergoes massage therapy, lifts small weights and exercises with personal trainers.

On a recent morning, Mrs. Johnston checked the sensations in Nat's arms as he was lying on a mat. She rubbed his hands, stretched his fingers and asked him to take deep breaths.

"It's hard to suck in my stomach, because I don't have full control of my muscles," Nat said.

Mrs. Johnston reassured him. He had been able to do this exercise before.

"He is a firm believer and has that statute: 'By the grace of God, I will get better,' " Mrs. Johnston said.

The last year is proof of that. Nat can now move both arms. He can lie on the ground and move his knees. And he's regained feeling below his chest.

Nat's mother calls the center's work a blessing. "God put them in our lives at a time when we didn't know what we were going to do," she said.

Bond of friendship

Mrs. Johnston wasn't the only person who stepped in to help. Nat's best friend and football teammate, Chris Ruiz, has grown even closer to Nat and his family.

Chris said Nat's injury changed their friendship for the better.

"If anything, it got stronger," he said. "Back then, I had never gone inside Nat's house, but [since] he got injured, I've been over there 1,000 times."

He's also earned the trust of Nat's mom, who lets Chris, 19, drive the family's donated wheelchair-accessible van to take Nat to classes at North Lake Community College.

Getting to school and around campus would be difficult for Nat if not for his friend. Chris signed up for all of the same classes – English, speech, psychology and math.

Nat wakes up every Tuesday and Thursday between 6 and 6:30 a.m. An aide helps get him out of bed, dressed and ready for school. The morning routine takes about two hours.

Chris arrives at Nat's house shortly before 9 a.m. to pick him up. He leaves his car at the Little family's house and drives the van, which is equipped with an electric ramp that slides down to let Nat in.

"If it weren't for him, I would probably be late to class," Chris said. "I'm just not a morning person, period."

Last month, Nat began his second semester at North Lake. With the help of a note-taker provided by the college, he's taking basic courses before transferring to the University of North Texas, where he plans to major in broadcast journalism.

In school, Nat sits back and listens quietly.

On the second day of speech class this semester, the professor asked students about their pet peeve.

"Nothing gets on my nerves," Nat said.

After giving it more thought, he added: "Can I change mine?"

He explained that he doesn't like people who talk about others without having met them first.

Since his injury, Nat has had a lot of time to listen to music. He listens to everything – rap, reggaetón, some country and rock. But smooth oldies, like Luther Vandross and The Temptations, are his favorite.

Like the oldies music, Nat is laid-back. Sometimes a little too laid-back, he told his speech professor and classmates, when asked to describe his worst trait.

"I just chill all day," he said.

On a recent evening, Nat, a former saxophone player, listened to his favorite tunes and burned a CD in his makeshift bedroom – previously the den in his house. Autographed footballs from the Baylor Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers line his bookshelf.

Family's challenges

The family has faced some serious financial and physical challenges – including finding people to care for Nat, transporting him and making sure he's comfortable and able to get around the home.

Shortly after Nat's accident, Ms. Little decided to convert the living room space because his old room is upstairs and can't be accessed by a wheelchair.

Ms. Little, who's on the technical staff of a telecommunications company, said she'd like to find a one-story house so Nat can move around more easily.

Nat's older sister, Ingrid, stopped going to Texas Tech University after her first year to stay home and help care for Nat.

She said not returning to Texas Tech was "the easiest decision" she's made. During her stay at home, she helped her brother with daily tasks, shuttling him to therapy sessions or just hanging out with him.

"If the shoes had been reversed, I'd be the most miserable quadriplegic in the world," she said. "It surprised me how strong one person can be. Life got easier and harder at the same time."

Family members say the sacrifices have been worth it. Nat's attitude and progress have been impressive.

"Nothing's changed about Nat except he's not moving around as much, but he'll be moving again," Ingrid said.

By then, Nat hopes he'll be a famous sportscaster like John Madden.

But his career goals don't stop there. He also wants to be a sports agent or business entrepreneur.

"I got to get my hands on everything I can, be successful like Bill Gates or Donald Trump," he said with a smile. "That would be real cool."

[TexasStooge]

Tech stuff takes center stage

Irving ISD: Students' works on display during annual media fair

By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING, Texas – The works on display ranged from photos snapped by preschoolers to music digitally composed by high school students.

The Irving Independent School District's 22nd annual technology media fair was held at an open house Thursday at de Zavala Middle School. Categories included animation, multimedia, broadcasting and Web site design.

Of 1,904 entries, 243 won honors and went on display. Of those, 52 will be entered into the Texas Computer Education Association state student competition.

The district has put an emphasis on technology in recent years. High school students in the district receive laptop computers, as do students at de Zavala and Lively Elementary School.

"When we first started, it was all photography," said instructional technology coordinator Margaret Watrous. "As we got more technology, it evolved. Most of our entries are computer-generated."

Iris Osegueda, 13, a de Zavala student, worked with classmates to design a Web site comparing American colonial life with the present.

"I'm used to computers, so it's easy to do," she said.

Andrew Valdez, 18, entered music compositions in the digitized-audio category. He is taking a music technology class that is new this year at MacArthur High School.

"The software that we get to use is high-end," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Southlake voters OK new classrooms; nix computers

SOUTHLAKE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Results of Saturday's bond election in Southlake's Carroll Independent School District offer up a mixed bag for students.

By a narrow margin, voters approved a $24.5 million proposition to build a new wing at Carroll High School and provide temporary classrooms at two other schools. The vote was 1,206 to 1,187.

But in a similarly close vote, another measure that would have provided $19.5 million worth of new desktop computers and other technology upgrades for most classrooms was rejected; 1,282 voted "no," 1,113 voted "yes."

School officials said 13 percent of registered voters participated in the bond election, which was the district's first since 1999.

[TexasStooge]

Police search for Dallas escapee

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police are searching for a 38-year-old Sulphur Springs man who escaped from Lew Sterrett Justice Center on Saturday night.

Michael Alan Coker, who is about 5-feet-9-inches tall and weighs 140 pounds, was last seen taking out trash on back dock at about 6 p.m.

Mr. Coker was assigned to a job in the center’s kitchen. The man was last seen wearing jail coveralls.

He was in custody in connection with a car theft. He is not considered dangerous, police said.

[TexasStooge]

Peer pressure delivers justice in Teen Court

Systems that let area youths prosecute, defend and decide are booming

By KIM BREEN / The Dallas Morning News

The defendant is as small as her voice in the cold Collin County courtroom.

Yes, she admits. She skipped class to have sex in a car with her boyfriend, a plan hatched before school and abruptly ended by a patrolman in an Allen park.

Yes, she is sorry. Yes, she has been punished at home.

Now it is time to face judgment from her peers on the five-male, three-female, all-teen jury.

Teen Court is in session.

Teenage drama spills into courtrooms throughout the Dallas area, as youths air their misdeeds in front of teen attorneys and jurors for a shot at erasing their mistakes. Minor offenses can be worked off through community service, and records can be wiped clean.

Youth courts are among the fastest-growing programs aimed at preventing juvenile delinquency. The number of youth court programs nationally increased from 78 in 1994 to 1,035 in 2005.

The Dallas area is a hotbed, with more than a dozen courts. Caseloads in Fort Worth and Irving have shot up in recent years, making those youth courts two of the busiest in the nation.

Teen Court's supporters say it catches youths before they commit larger crimes and holds them accountable in ways an expensive fine cannot.

"Kids that go through this program are less likely to commit further acts of delinquency," said J. Robert Flores, administrator of the national Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. "We're constantly looking to increase our attention on the front end of these challenges."

Simon Oshodi, 17, has been both defendant and juror at the Collin County Teen Court. Mr. Oshodi, caught trying to leave Allen High School for lunch, thought he got off easy when he headed to Teen Court.

"I thought it was a joke," he said. But he grew nervous when he saw the courtroom. "It's the real thing."

It was harrowing to testify in front of a full room, and he shakes his head vigorously when asked if he'll try to skip again. He said he doesn't even venture to the school parking lot when he forgets something in his car. Like many former defendants, he found an interest in the court that keeps him coming back to volunteer as a juror.

His father, John, is also a fan.

"He's really grown going through the program. ... I think part of what he's come to understand is the meaning of authority," he said.

Learning the law

Justice of the Peace John Payton puts in countless extra hours to preside over the court and to organize community service projects for the defendants to earn hours.

"I don't know how judges don't do this," he said. He often hears stories about former defendants whose lives have turned around. "The ability to watch them grow, that's huge."

Defendants aren't the only youths who learn in court. During a recent court session, Judge Payton taught law to the two attorneys, high school students Alex Schliker and David Bashover. Judge Payton sustained some arguments, overruled others and chastised Mr. Schliker for being too argumentative when he questioned a defendant.

Plenty of made-for-TV drama remained, however.

Before the jury deliberated on the girl's truancy case, Mr. Bashover, the defense attorney, urged jurors to put moral judgments aside; the student was ticketed for truancy only.

"I'm not here to turn this into a witch hunt," the impassioned Mr. Schliker responded. "I'm here to empower the law. That's what I do."

The jury's unanimous verdict: 40 hours of community service.

Jean Griffin discovered Teen Court when her son got a speeding ticket in Arlington.

"It made the youngsters responsible for their own behavior," she said.

In 1987, she took a job as coordinator and started a Teen Court in Fort Worth. Five years later, she changed jobs and started the program in Irving.

Rising cases

"The first night we opened court, we had six cases," said Ms. Griffin, who has since retired but continues to volunteer in court.

The Irving Teen Court now typically sees 50 cases in a single night, said coordinator Diana Soto. Between 2000-01 and 2004-05, caseloads increased 68 percent, to 1,749 cases a year.

The Fort Worth program sees more than 2,000 cases a year, up from 700 nine years ago, said coordinator Susan Wolf. The Irving and Fort Worth youth courts are now among the busiest in the nation, said Tracy Godwin Mullins, director of the National Youth Court Center. Youth courts typically hear 100 to 200 cases a year.

Despite the growth, some youth courts in Texas have been shut down because of budget problems, including Arlington's in the last several years, said Myra Weeks, president of the Teen Court Association of Texas.

Youth courts that are thriving attribute the increase to more awareness about the voluntary program and zero-tolerance policies for fighting in their school districts.

Community effort

Buy-in from the community is also essential. Police, judges, school districts, parents, attorneys and service organizations all get involved by referring youths to the program, volunteering in the program and giving students a place to work off their community service hours.

In courts that don't offer the Teen Court alternative, ticketed youths usually pay a fine – often paid by parents – and they are finished. Spending long hours giving back to the community teaches a stronger lesson, supporters say.

Getting punished by peers also has a strong effect, Ms. Griffin said.

"It's not just one more adult telling them they were doing the wrong thing," she said.

[TexasStooge]

Man plows truck into Fort Worth home

By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas - A pick-up truck driver, who finished treatments for a brain tumor last year, may have suffered a seizure before plowing straight through a Fort Worth house around 2:00 a.m. Sunday in the 3500 block of Sagecrest Terrace.

Police arrested the driver, 23-year-old Hudson Boyd Hamner, on unrelated traffic warrants, but may also charge him with reckless driving.

The owners of the home escaped injury despite claims that Hamner tried maneuvering the car once inside the home after the crash.

"...He came right in through here, which is the dining room," said Stewart Henderson, the home's owner.

Henderson, his wife and two sons huddled near the master bedroom after they watched what what they believed was Hamner attempting to back up his truck.

"[The car moved] back forth, back forth, smashing stuff [and] knocking out walls," Henderson said.

However, the driver was prevented from taking off because he hit a tree several times and broke an axle.

While Henderson said Hamner appeared unfazed, the rest of the family said the event startled them.

"...It was scary," said Clay Henderson, Stewart's son.

Hamner's mother said she thinks her son may have had a seizure. However, he completed treatments for a brain tumor and had been cleared by doctors in December.

Henderson said police may only charge Hamner with reckless driving despite the major damage done to his home.

"To me, it is well over $100,000," said contractor Bryan Bogle of the estimated damage costs.

Henderson said he does have home insurance.

[TexasStooge]

Surf's up: Dallas adding free Wi-Fi

Wireless Internet access may hit libraries, parks by year's end

By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Fido's barking his head off, and the kids are banging theirs together.

The solution: Playtime at a park. The problem: Work, more work and the need for an Internet connection to get it all done.

By the year's end, however, surfing the Web from White Rock Lake's shore or a Fair Park bench should be a Dallas reality, city officials say. The connection would be free, too, for any person with a computer equipped with a wireless fidelity Internet card.

And barring further delays – city staff has talked of installing public wireless Internet hotspots for several years – all of Dallas' libraries and about a dozen parks will feature free Wi-Fi by the year's end, said Bill Finch, interim director of the city's Department of Communication and Information Services.

"Folks can now sit out, enjoy the sun, watch the dog run and surf the 'net," Mr. Finch said. "We're going to start small at first and grow from there."

Six Dallas libraries already feature wireless connections. Dallas' main downtown library will have wireless access on its fifth floor beginning next month and on allfloors by July, Mr. Finch said.

The city is still selecting the parks in which it will install wireless Internet transmitters, although he predicted they would include Dallas' "well-traveled and most-visited parks." This year and last, Dallas has tested internal Wi-Fi systems in the downtown area and Deep Ellum, although the public could not use them.

Creating a free, public wireless service "adds another level of entertainment, enjoyment and convenience for people who come into our parks," said Ken Brack, information technology manager for Dallas' Park and Recreation Department. "The Internet has become a utility for some people, like water and electricity. It's just part of life now."

Today, free wireless Internet connections in Dallas are limited to a few coffee houses, cafés and the occasional bleed-over signal from a private wireless transmitter in a home or office. Some businesses charge a fee to connect wirelessly to the Web.

This stands in stark contrast to Addison, where the town contracted with a private Internet provider to broadcast wireless signals that reach almost every corner of the city. Addison, at 4.3 square miles, is only a fraction of Dallas' size, and the Internet connection isn't free, with a subscription costing users $16.95 monthly.

Dallas is going in the right direction with its public Internet offerings, Addison City Manager Ron Whitehead said.

"People just need to know that you can't turn a whole city like that on at once, even though everyone wants wireless everywhere today," he said. "You can't go fast enough with it."

It's easier and cheaper installing wireless connections in Dallas libraries because they're already equipped with wired broadband connections, Mr. Brack said. Open spaces such as parks are more challenging, because some require workers to first install broadband lines, which connect into outdoor signal transmitters, he said.

Implementation costs will come out of city departments' current budgets, although ideas such as Web advertisements and public-private partnerships could also be used to defray costs, Mr. Finch said.

[TexasStooge]

Two die in Aubrey house fire

AUBREY, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Investigators believe a house fire that killed two people early Sunday morning may have started next to a wall behind a small refrigerator.

The victims were believed to be men in their mid-20s.

The Denton Record-Chronicle reports that the fire that gutted the living room, burning through the floor and the roof and leaving only charred residue between the walls.

Denton County Fire Marshal Jody Gonzalez said it could take several days to identify the victims, thought to be a resident and a friend.

Gonzalez said nothing suspicious was found in the preliminary investigation.

[TexasStooge]

Food program cuts 700 local seniors

Dallas County: 59,000 in U.S. cut from federal grocery program

By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News

More than 700 Dallas County senior citizens living in poverty have been cut from a federal program that provided them with 25-pound boxes of free groceries each month.

The local seniors were among 59,000 people nationwide who lost assistance from the Commodity Supplemental Food Program on Feb. 1.

Officials at the North Texas Food bank, which still administers the program to 7,037 seniors, worry that many will go hungry without the food packages that included staples such as cereal, beans and peanut butter.

"The reality of the situation is, people are going to fall through the cracks," said Jan Pruitt, the local food bank's chief executive officer. "They're going to go pick up their box, and it's not going to be there, and they're not going to go anywhere else."

The nonprofit agency plans to open three food pantries this month for the seniors who will no longer receive the assistance. But Ms. Pruitt said many seniors may be unable to go to the pantries or are unwilling to ask for help.

"We know these government cuts are going to mean seniors going without food because we can't reach everybody," she said. "This is really impacting a very vulnerable population."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reduced the program because of rising food costs and budget cuts, spokeswoman Jean Daniel said. About 477,000 elderly people and women with children in 32 states and the District of Columbia now receive the food boxes, down from 536,000 in 2005. The only other Texas county to participate is Webb.

The federal government encourages people dropped from the program to apply for other federal nutrition programs, including food stamps.

"We encourage everyone who is eligible to apply," Ms. Daniel said. "We want to make sure they have access to those services with dignity and respect."

The North Texas Food Bank is advising seniors to call 211, a direct number to call for area social services. The food bank also reached out to senior centers to find some of those enrolled in the program, instead of waiting for them to respond, Ms. Pruitt said.

"This generation has a little harder time accepting the help," she said.

The Dallas County residents cut from the program live at six senior apartment complexes, including Residence at the Oaks in Dallas. A woman who lives at the complex and will no longer receive the food boxes said many of her neighbors who receive the food are sick and disabled.

"Some people here do not have families or don't have nowhere else to go, and depend on what they receive," said the woman, who did not want to be identified. "It was a great blessing to have the food distributed here. That's going to be a great loss."

[TexasStooge]

Cities revive east-west rail push

Addison, Richardson fund campaign touting Cotton Belt line

By WENDY HUNDLEY / The Dallas Morning News

Addison City Manager Ron Whitehead remembers the day more than 15 years ago when DART came to his city with a vision for the future.

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit board had just spent $21.5 million to buy a 54-mile stretch of the Cotton Belt Railway to create an east-west transportation corridor that would run through Addison and other northern suburbs.

But Mr. Whitehead saw the vision start to fade as opposition mounted from North Dallas residents who lived along a section of the route.

"It fell from grace, and we weren't even at the table," said Mr. Whitehead, who is determined not to let the Cotton Belt fall off DART's radar screen without a fight.

Over the last year, Addison and Richardson – another city along the proposed route – have spent more than $330,000 to mount a public relations campaign to sell the benefits of light-rail service along the Cotton Belt line.

That effort kicked into high gear last month, when the "Cotton Belt – Smart for DART" campaign was announced at the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson.

The timing of the campaign is critical: DART is expected to finalize its 2030 system plan this year. Addison and Richardson officials want to ensure that the Cotton Belt line is included the long-range goals.

The stakes are high: Both cities see the line – which would stretch from Collin County to Fort Worth – as crucial to future mobility and economic development.

While the two suburbs are bankrolling the public relations effort, they have support from a wide range of business, civic and political leaders.

The engine behind the campaign is Allyn & Co., the Dallas public relations powerhouse that recently made headlines when it landed a $720,000 contract with Mexico to improve that country's image in the U.S.

With Addison and Richardson sharing costs, the firm has produced publicity fliers, conducted a petition drive and hired an expert to produce an economic impact study.

But selling Mexico might be an easier task than persuading some North Dallas residents to change their minds about the Cotton Belt.

"It's just a PR campaign, all fluff and no substance," Bob Quat, a longtime Cotton Belt opponent, said of the Allyn & Co. fliers sent to North Dallas residents in recent months.

He's part of Cotton Belt Concerned Coalition, a group that started raising concerns in the early 1990s about the impact that mass transit would have on safety, noise and property values.

The group is throwing its weight behind another route for DART's North Crosstown Corridor: along or under LBJ Freeway. "It's the biggest development opportunity that Dallas will have in the decades," Mr. Quat said.

But not all North Dallas residents are opposed to the Cotton Belt.

"I lived in the Chicago area for 10 years, and a good rail system is wonderful," said Virginia Snow, whose support surfaced when she responded to the Allyn & Co. flier. "I don't think any city can be a great city unless they've got good transportation with the suburbs."

Howard Herskowitz, who also responded to the pro-Cotton Belt mailing, said he thinks the line will relieve traffic congestion and reduce pollution.

Those are the kind of voices that Mr. Whitehead and Richardson City Manager Bill Keffler hoped would be heard when they turned to public relation professionals to get their message out.

While they hadn't expected to spend so much money, they said their expenses increased because DART delayed its decision on the 2030 plan.

The Cotton Belt has been part of Richardson's long-range goals for two decades, Mr. Keffler said.

Five years ago, the city purchased a small strip of land in Plano that could one day provide a link between the Cotton Belt and DART's light rail line that runs through both cities.

"By 2030, the people working in the Telecom Corridor will be on par with people who work in downtown Dallas," said Mr. Keffler, who sees the Cotton Belt as the logical way to transport commuters and provide easy access to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

While Richardson has a light-rail line, Addison is "one of the last communities without rail," Mr. Whitehead said.

While the suburban community has only 15,000 residents, its population swells to 100,000 each week day as workers and visitors fill its 22 hotels, 175 restaurants and 11 million square feet of office space.

"We've just built our last street – an extension of Arapaho Road," Mr. Whitehead said. "We have no more streets."

That's why the Cotton Belt is such an important transportation alternative, he said.

If it isn't included on DART's 2030 plan, cities like Richardson and Addison will have to wait another 20 years to make their case.

"It's Addison's No. 1 priority," Mr. Whitehead said. "I'd like to be alive when they do it."

[TexasStooge]

Body found inside burned Fort Worth apartment

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

FORT WORTH, Texas — Investigators said careless smoking may have triggered a fire early Monday that took the life of a 27-year-old man at an eastside apartment complex.

The first alarm was sounded about 5 a.m. at the Lincoln Meadows Apartments in the 5800 block of Bridge Street, off Interstate 30 near Loop 820.

Firefighters found a man's body during their search of a burned-out unit on the top floor of the three-story structure. The identity of the victim was not released.

The fire caused extensive smoke and water damage, displacing as many as 15 residents.

The American Red Cross offered assistance to the traumatized tenants.

[TexasStooge]

Fire at suspected drug lab in Arlington

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas — Police were investigating a possible crime at an Arlington duplex.

They believe a fire early Monday in the 1900 block of West Sanford Street may have been caused by an explosion at a drug lab.

The two-alarm fire broke out just before 4 a.m. No one was hurt, but two people who were seen fleeing the premises disappeared before they could be questioned by fire and police officials.

Arson investigators said they suspected that the blaze was triggered by an illegal methamphetaimine lab because of the speed of the fire and the chemicals that were found at the scene.

The residence was considered a total loss.

[TexasStooge]

Cigarette likely cause of fatal Fort Worth fire

By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News

FORT WORTH, Texas - The body of a 27-year-old man was pulled from a burning east Fort Worth apartment early today.

A smoldering cigarette is blamed for the two-alarm fire at the Lincoln Meadows Apartments in the 5800 block of Lincoln Meadows near Bridge St., off Interstate 30. The fire began shortly before 5 a.m. in a third-story unit.

“He was known for being a heavy smoker,” said Lt. Kent Worley, spokesman for the Fort Worth fire department.

The resident was found on the living room floor near the couch where the fire started, Lt. Worley said.

No one else was injured but 10 to 12 individuals were displaced, officials said. Damage is estimated at $100,000.

The American Red Cross is offering assistance to tenants who were affected.

WFAA-TV's Cynthia Vega contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Pets killed in coyote rampage

By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Southeast Dallas residents are living in fear for the lives of their pets and children, following a number of attacks by coyotes.

Residents living near Duncanville Road and Ranchero Lane have lost a number of cats and dogs to the coyotes and fear their children could be next.

Efforts to catch coyotes with cages have failed, so they've called an expert trapper.

Mike Trypkosh has captured many coyotes within the city limits.

He sometimes uses cameras to determine their behaviors.

Trypkosh says by capturing the dominate coyote he can scatter a pack.

"I catch between 50 and 75 coyotes in town every year," he said.

"They killed a little dog of ours that we loved very much... they are carnivores - that's what they feed on. Yes, they will attack little children," said resident Lance Brown.

"That's a fear of mine. Especially the smaller the child. A lot of coyotes travel in packs," said Dorothy Wolverton.

Trypkosh, a computer software engineer, also traps coyotes for Dallas and other North Texas cities.

He uses infrared cameras and spring-triggered snares. The coyotes he captures are euthanized at the animal center.

But he cannot catch enough to slow down the population explosion - coyotes live and breathe in our cities and they can't be stopped.

"If a child was playing in a back yard and startled the animal, then the animal may attack the child," said Trypkosh.

[TexasStooge]

McKinney boy's encounter leads to warning

By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8

MCKINNEY, Texas - The McKinney Independent School District sent out a warning letter to parents after an 11-year-old boy was approached by a man in a white van while riding his bike to Glen Oaks Elementary.

The boy was heading to school last Wednesday morning when the man in the van asked him for directions and continued to follow him.

The man told the boy he looked like he was good in sports and then asked for the directions.

The mother of the boy, who did not want to be identified, said the incident brought up one of her worst fears.

"The what if, you know?" she said. "What if it didn't work out the way it did? I mean, he did everything the way he should have. Fortunately, he was also in a public area and I think that is the key too. Being on a major road, you do have a strong chance that someone is going to come up, which is what happened and the man sped off."

The mother said the boy was only alone that day on his way to school because his twin brother had been home sick that day. However, she now said will not allow children to ride their bikes to school anymore.

The McKinney ISD letter sent out after the incident warned parents to talk with their children, explain what a stranger is and what to do if a stranger approaches them.

One of the tips it stated for children approached by a stranger included no, go, yell and tell.

McKinney police said they have beefed up their patrol in the area after the incident.

[TexasStooge]

Jail escapee back in custody

By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - A 38-year-old Dallas County jail inmate who escaped Saturday is back in custody. Acting on leads, sheriff’s deputies found Michael Alan Coker Monday evening in the 4500 block of Rusk Avenue in Dallas.

Mr. Coker had been in the jail since Jan. 26 and was awaiting trial in cases involving auto theft from Dallas and Hopkins counties.

Mr. Coker was assigned to kitchen duty and was taking out the trash when he fled. He now faces an additional charge of escape, Dallas County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Don Peritz said.

“Jail commanders will review everything that occurred to see if policies were followed and, if so, if the policies need to be revised or updated,” Sgt. Peritz said.

[TexasStooge]

Two hurt in school bus crash

PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two students are receiving treatment after a school bus collided with a truck in North Dallas.

The Plano ISD bus crash took placed at the intersection of Roehampton and Frankford.

The bus had about 50 children on board.

An ambulance on the scene is treating two of the students.

There is no word on the condition of the truck driver.

[TexasStooge]

High-speed chase 911 tapes released

Associated Press and KHOU Staff Reports

The 911 tapes from Thursday's deadly chase on I-45 have been released, which captured the events as they unfolded.

911 operator: “And you say there’s a disturbance going on in a vehicle?”

Caller: “They pulled a shotgun out the window and shot another vehicle.”

Operator: “What type of other vehicle? Do you know ..”

Caller: “It was a caravan, like a family caravan.”

It began with an apparent kidnapping by a man of his ex-girlfriend and her daughter from a Dallas suburb. It ended in a police shootout on a Houston freeway after a high-speed chase dotted by gunfire and collisions.

Police said the suspected kidnapper, identified as Jeremy Ethon Roberson, died Thursday after officers opened fire on the vehicle they had been chasing for about an hour starting north of Houston.

Police considered the suspect dangerous and had no choice but to fire on him, said Houston police Lt. Robert Manzo. "He was firing the shotgun at motorists who were caught in the middle as well as in the direction of officers."

Roberson's ex-girlfriend, Andrea Nichole Allen, and her daughter, 4-year-old Kiara Renee Allen, from Desoto in Dallas County, about 230 miles north of Houston, were taken to Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital. Both were treated and released Thursday night, said hospital spokesman Dan Pierce.