Residents back home after gas blast
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
FOREST HILL, Texas - All of the Forest Hill residents who were evacuated from their homes following the fatal explosion of a natural gas well were allowed to return to their residences late Saturday.
The early-morning explosion in the 3500 block of Lon Stephenson Road killed one of four workers prepping the well, which is owned by Fort Worth-based XTO Energy Inc. That man's name was not released Sunday.
Residents in about 500 homes were evacuated because of fears the gas would spark fires. The gas well, which was under construction, was 500 feet from the closest houses. The cause of the blast is still under investigation.
The incident added fuel to an ongoing battle over the proliferation of gas wells in residential areas. The rapid growth of gas wells led Fort Worth to launch a task force in December to study the possibility of restricting drilling. That task force is expected to make final recommendations to the City Council soon after its last public hearing on Thursday at the Handley-Meadowbrook Community Center.
News from the Lone Star State
Moderator: S2k Moderators
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Suspect dies after police use Taser gun on him
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police are investigating the death of a home invasion suspect early Monday in Old East Dallas after officers used a Taser stun gun to subdue him.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said officers responded to a robbery call around 2:45 a.m. at a home in the 600 block of Grandview Avenue.
Upon arrival at the home, the officers noticed a broken window and a man in his underwear standing on the front porch, armed with a large kitchen knife and bleeding from a number of cuts.
After calling an ambulance, the officers asked the suspect in English and Spanish to drop the knife, but he refused and began walking towards officers until he tripped and fell, Cpl. Geron said.
The suspect then continued towards the officers on his hands and knees, waving the knife, until one officer fired at the suspect with a Taser but failed to connect. After the suspect climbed to his feet, the officer fired again, giving the suspect an electrical jolt.
Cpl. Geron said officers handcuffed the suspect and placed him on a backboard for medical examination, but the suspect then stopped breathing. He was taken by ambulance to Baylor University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The dead man was identified by police as Jose Romero, 23, of Dallas. The incident and Romero's cause of death remain under investigation, Cpl. Geron said.
Witnesses have arrived at the police station.
"[The officer] pushed the trigger and the things came out and they shot him on the back. There was this other officer trying to take them off. This other officer came and I guess he pulled the trigger too and they both shocked him and then I guess he gave up," said Ardel Fernandez.
Those who know Romero said he had no history of acting in a violent way.
WFAA-TV reporter Brad Hawkins and The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police are investigating the death of a home invasion suspect early Monday in Old East Dallas after officers used a Taser stun gun to subdue him.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said officers responded to a robbery call around 2:45 a.m. at a home in the 600 block of Grandview Avenue.
Upon arrival at the home, the officers noticed a broken window and a man in his underwear standing on the front porch, armed with a large kitchen knife and bleeding from a number of cuts.
After calling an ambulance, the officers asked the suspect in English and Spanish to drop the knife, but he refused and began walking towards officers until he tripped and fell, Cpl. Geron said.
The suspect then continued towards the officers on his hands and knees, waving the knife, until one officer fired at the suspect with a Taser but failed to connect. After the suspect climbed to his feet, the officer fired again, giving the suspect an electrical jolt.
Cpl. Geron said officers handcuffed the suspect and placed him on a backboard for medical examination, but the suspect then stopped breathing. He was taken by ambulance to Baylor University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The dead man was identified by police as Jose Romero, 23, of Dallas. The incident and Romero's cause of death remain under investigation, Cpl. Geron said.
Witnesses have arrived at the police station.
"[The officer] pushed the trigger and the things came out and they shot him on the back. There was this other officer trying to take them off. This other officer came and I guess he pulled the trigger too and they both shocked him and then I guess he gave up," said Ardel Fernandez.
Those who know Romero said he had no history of acting in a violent way.
WFAA-TV reporter Brad Hawkins and The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Worker killed on Stemmons Freeway
DALLAS, Texas (DallasNews.com) - A construction worker was struck and killed along Stemmons Freeway in Northwest Dallas Monday afternoon, police said.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Donna Hernandez said a car hit the male worker about 12:45 p.m. in the southbound lanes near Northwest Highway
It was unclear whether the victim, whose identity is unknown, was working on a road project at the time of the accident.
The vehicle that was involved stopped at the scene immediately following the accident, and the driver was reported to be talking to investigators.
The accident led to a lengthy backup along southbound Stemmons while investigators and cleanup crews worked to clear the scene.
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic reports from Traffic Pulse
DALLAS, Texas (DallasNews.com) - A construction worker was struck and killed along Stemmons Freeway in Northwest Dallas Monday afternoon, police said.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Donna Hernandez said a car hit the male worker about 12:45 p.m. in the southbound lanes near Northwest Highway
It was unclear whether the victim, whose identity is unknown, was working on a road project at the time of the accident.
The vehicle that was involved stopped at the scene immediately following the accident, and the driver was reported to be talking to investigators.
The accident led to a lengthy backup along southbound Stemmons while investigators and cleanup crews worked to clear the scene.
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic reports from Traffic Pulse
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Tortured dog dies of injuries
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A 10-month-old puppy found with extensive burns on Good Friday in Dallas died Sunday night.
Operation Kindness officials said Monday that Mercy, a pit-bull mix, died shortly after a plasma transfusion at a veterinary clinic where she was receiving treatment for her injuries which included burns on 60 percent of her body, stab wounds and cuts.
A Dallas man found the puppy in a wooded area behind the Rock Creek apartment complex at Preston and Belt Line roads in far North Dallas. She was taken to Operation Kindness Animal Shelter in Carrolton.
Shelter officials said someone likely poured gasoline on Mercy and then lit her on fire.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the dog’s injuries. Anyone with information is asked to call Dallas Animal Services at 214-671-0246.
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A 10-month-old puppy found with extensive burns on Good Friday in Dallas died Sunday night.
Operation Kindness officials said Monday that Mercy, a pit-bull mix, died shortly after a plasma transfusion at a veterinary clinic where she was receiving treatment for her injuries which included burns on 60 percent of her body, stab wounds and cuts.
A Dallas man found the puppy in a wooded area behind the Rock Creek apartment complex at Preston and Belt Line roads in far North Dallas. She was taken to Operation Kindness Animal Shelter in Carrolton.
Shelter officials said someone likely poured gasoline on Mercy and then lit her on fire.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the dog’s injuries. Anyone with information is asked to call Dallas Animal Services at 214-671-0246.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
House approves Perry tax plan
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – The House narrowly voted late Monday to overhaul the state's business taxes as part of a broader effort to fix Texas' unconstitutional education funding system, a crucial victory for Gov. Rick Perry's proposal to cut local school property taxes.
The tax is the biggest element of Mr. Perry's plan, drafted by a blue-ribbon commission, to create new state revenue to offset a one-third cut in school property taxes. Other elements include a hike in tobacco taxes, new rules on the taxing value of used-car sales and use of part of the state's budget surplus.
The plan would provide no new money for schools, though.
House members passed the business tax measure on an 80-69 vote after rejecting dozens of amendments that would have given breaks to certain businesses and reduced the total tax take by hundreds of millions of dollars.
A handful of tax breaks were adopted but did not have a dramatic effect on the bottom line.
The debate, coming a week into the 30-day special session on taxes and school finance, marked the first crucial phase of the effort to fix the system. It gauged support for how extensive a tax overhaul the House will accept and opened the door to plans being developed in the Senate, where leaders want a broader bill to raise teacher salaries and enact other education initiatives.
Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, author of the bill, said the revamped business franchise tax was long overdue and would replace the current, loophole-ridden franchise tax.
"All businesses understand they are being treated equally under this legislation," Mr. Keffer told House members, explaining the unprecedented support for the new tax from business groups and leading corporations.
Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, a co-author of the measure, argued that lawmakers can no longer put off repairing the business tax because more companies are avoiding the tax.
"The system is broken and it's time to fix it," he said.
Another plus, they said, is that the tax bill will allow the state to meet a Texas Supreme Court order mandating a new funding system for schools – one less reliant on property taxes.
But Democratic leaders said the legislation was fraught with problems and would not address the long-standing problem of inadequate funding for public schools.
"This tax bill provides not one penny for public education and it never will," said Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, the House Democratic leader. He noted that all the revenue from the business tax and a proposed increase in state cigarette tax would go solely to property tax relief.
"This tax bill never balanced from the day it was filed," Mr. Dunnam said, cautioning that "everybody who votes for this is voting for the largest tax increase in state history."
Democrats also complained of promises from Mr. Perry and legislative leaders to consider a teacher pay raise and education improvements only after the tax bill has passed.
Such promises, they said, were the same as "telling us we will gladly pay you Tuesday for a vote on the tax bill today."
The bill sets up a new business franchise tax that will require most medium and large companies to pay a levy on their gross receipts after deducting either the cost of goods or employee compensation. Sole proprietorships, general partnerships and businesses grossing less than $300,000 a year will be exempted.
Most businesses would pay a tax of 1 percent on their adjusted gross receipts, while retailers and wholesalers would pay half a percent.
The total tax package drafted by Mr. Perry and his tax commission would produce about $4.2 billion. Part of the state's budget surplus will also be used to lower school property taxes by about a third over the next two years – a reduction of nearly $6 billion statewide. Taxes will be cut for homeowners and businesses.
The tax swap plan must receive a second vote of approval from the House before it goes to the Senate for consideration.
Earlier, House members overwhelmingly approved a "get outta Dodge" bill that would temporarily repair the school funding system. The measure, passed by a vote of 139-5, calls for an 11 percent reduction in local school property tax rates this year – about 17 cents per $100 valuation for districts that are taxing at the current maximum rate, $1.50.
In a major change, House members voted to remove a provision that would have given wealthy school districts a break on "Robin Hood" sharing of their property taxes.
By itself, the bill would meet the June 1 deadline set by the Texas Supreme Court to remedy unconstitutional provisions in the current education funding law, taking revenue out of the state's $8.2 billion surplus. In its decision last fall, the high court objected to the lack of discretion that school districts have in setting property tax rates.
Rep. Warren Chisum, sponsor of the bill, said his goal is for the state to comply with the minimum requirements of the Supreme Court order and ensure that schools will open on schedule in August.
Backers of the temporary fix have said if lawmakers cannot agree on a more ambitious school finance plan – such as Mr. Perry's – Mr. Chisum's bill will take care of the problem until legislators can devise a more permanent solution.
"This will reduce property taxes and make sure our schools stay open," said Mr. Chisum, a Pampa Republican.
Mr. Perry has been critical of those who only want to use the state surplus to lower property taxes and do nothing else. Also favoring more comprehensive legislation are leaders of the Senate and House, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick.
But throughout the day, those ambitions were up in the air. Sponsors of the business tax were unsure whether they had secured enough votes to pass the measure as debate began.
On Monday morning, Mr. Perry's staff and sponsors on both sides of the aisle were still polling members who had not committed their votes.
Thought to be wavering were some conservative Republicans concerned that they could pay a political price for enacting new taxes when the state has a robust surplus.
But supporters of the plan, trying to bring more votes on board, argued that it could have a political benefit.
If the bill passes, Mr. Perry "will run for re-election based on the tax cuts made possible by this bill," said Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock. "People who vote against making the business tax fair are obstructing property tax cuts."
By the evening, though, support was solidifying again.
Another measure approved Monday would earmark all new revenue raised by the package for property tax relief.
Rep. Jim Pitts, the Waxahachie Republican who authored the legislation, said new tax revenue will be kept in a "lockbox" that is dedicated only for tax relief and no other purpose. That drew criticism from Democrats, who insisted that some of the money may be needed for other pressing needs, such as school improvements or overcrowded prisons.
Staff writer Karen Brooks contributed to this report.
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – The House narrowly voted late Monday to overhaul the state's business taxes as part of a broader effort to fix Texas' unconstitutional education funding system, a crucial victory for Gov. Rick Perry's proposal to cut local school property taxes.
The tax is the biggest element of Mr. Perry's plan, drafted by a blue-ribbon commission, to create new state revenue to offset a one-third cut in school property taxes. Other elements include a hike in tobacco taxes, new rules on the taxing value of used-car sales and use of part of the state's budget surplus.
The plan would provide no new money for schools, though.
House members passed the business tax measure on an 80-69 vote after rejecting dozens of amendments that would have given breaks to certain businesses and reduced the total tax take by hundreds of millions of dollars.
A handful of tax breaks were adopted but did not have a dramatic effect on the bottom line.
The debate, coming a week into the 30-day special session on taxes and school finance, marked the first crucial phase of the effort to fix the system. It gauged support for how extensive a tax overhaul the House will accept and opened the door to plans being developed in the Senate, where leaders want a broader bill to raise teacher salaries and enact other education initiatives.
Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, author of the bill, said the revamped business franchise tax was long overdue and would replace the current, loophole-ridden franchise tax.
"All businesses understand they are being treated equally under this legislation," Mr. Keffer told House members, explaining the unprecedented support for the new tax from business groups and leading corporations.
Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton, a co-author of the measure, argued that lawmakers can no longer put off repairing the business tax because more companies are avoiding the tax.
"The system is broken and it's time to fix it," he said.
Another plus, they said, is that the tax bill will allow the state to meet a Texas Supreme Court order mandating a new funding system for schools – one less reliant on property taxes.
But Democratic leaders said the legislation was fraught with problems and would not address the long-standing problem of inadequate funding for public schools.
"This tax bill provides not one penny for public education and it never will," said Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, the House Democratic leader. He noted that all the revenue from the business tax and a proposed increase in state cigarette tax would go solely to property tax relief.
"This tax bill never balanced from the day it was filed," Mr. Dunnam said, cautioning that "everybody who votes for this is voting for the largest tax increase in state history."
Democrats also complained of promises from Mr. Perry and legislative leaders to consider a teacher pay raise and education improvements only after the tax bill has passed.
Such promises, they said, were the same as "telling us we will gladly pay you Tuesday for a vote on the tax bill today."
The bill sets up a new business franchise tax that will require most medium and large companies to pay a levy on their gross receipts after deducting either the cost of goods or employee compensation. Sole proprietorships, general partnerships and businesses grossing less than $300,000 a year will be exempted.
Most businesses would pay a tax of 1 percent on their adjusted gross receipts, while retailers and wholesalers would pay half a percent.
The total tax package drafted by Mr. Perry and his tax commission would produce about $4.2 billion. Part of the state's budget surplus will also be used to lower school property taxes by about a third over the next two years – a reduction of nearly $6 billion statewide. Taxes will be cut for homeowners and businesses.
The tax swap plan must receive a second vote of approval from the House before it goes to the Senate for consideration.
Earlier, House members overwhelmingly approved a "get outta Dodge" bill that would temporarily repair the school funding system. The measure, passed by a vote of 139-5, calls for an 11 percent reduction in local school property tax rates this year – about 17 cents per $100 valuation for districts that are taxing at the current maximum rate, $1.50.
In a major change, House members voted to remove a provision that would have given wealthy school districts a break on "Robin Hood" sharing of their property taxes.
By itself, the bill would meet the June 1 deadline set by the Texas Supreme Court to remedy unconstitutional provisions in the current education funding law, taking revenue out of the state's $8.2 billion surplus. In its decision last fall, the high court objected to the lack of discretion that school districts have in setting property tax rates.
Rep. Warren Chisum, sponsor of the bill, said his goal is for the state to comply with the minimum requirements of the Supreme Court order and ensure that schools will open on schedule in August.
Backers of the temporary fix have said if lawmakers cannot agree on a more ambitious school finance plan – such as Mr. Perry's – Mr. Chisum's bill will take care of the problem until legislators can devise a more permanent solution.
"This will reduce property taxes and make sure our schools stay open," said Mr. Chisum, a Pampa Republican.
Mr. Perry has been critical of those who only want to use the state surplus to lower property taxes and do nothing else. Also favoring more comprehensive legislation are leaders of the Senate and House, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick.
But throughout the day, those ambitions were up in the air. Sponsors of the business tax were unsure whether they had secured enough votes to pass the measure as debate began.
On Monday morning, Mr. Perry's staff and sponsors on both sides of the aisle were still polling members who had not committed their votes.
Thought to be wavering were some conservative Republicans concerned that they could pay a political price for enacting new taxes when the state has a robust surplus.
But supporters of the plan, trying to bring more votes on board, argued that it could have a political benefit.
If the bill passes, Mr. Perry "will run for re-election based on the tax cuts made possible by this bill," said Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock. "People who vote against making the business tax fair are obstructing property tax cuts."
By the evening, though, support was solidifying again.
Another measure approved Monday would earmark all new revenue raised by the package for property tax relief.
Rep. Jim Pitts, the Waxahachie Republican who authored the legislation, said new tax revenue will be kept in a "lockbox" that is dedicated only for tax relief and no other purpose. That drew criticism from Democrats, who insisted that some of the money may be needed for other pressing needs, such as school improvements or overcrowded prisons.
Staff writer Karen Brooks contributed to this report.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Fantroy confirms inoperable cancer
Dallas: He'll continue on council as long as disease stays in kidneys
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas City Council member James Fantroy confirmed Monday that he is suffering from inoperable cancer in both of his kidneys.
Mr. Fantroy, 67, who was first elected to represent southern Dallas' District 8 in 2000, has been on dialysis for five years because of kidney failure. He told The Dallas Morning News on Monday that he has known about his cancer since 2004 and decided to make it public Friday night at a roast in his honor.
"I had my friends, my classmates there, my sisters and brothers, a first cousin," he said. "I thought it was about time for them to know."
Doctors have not recommended chemotherapy or radiation for Mr. Fantroy because of his deteriorating health. And the cancer has prevented Mr. Fantroy from seeking a much-needed kidney transplant.
But the council member said as long as the cancer remains contained to his kidneys, he'll continue to fight for projects and new development in Dallas' southern sector. Mr. Fantroy said he undergoes medical tests every 90 days to make sure the cancer hasn't spread.
"They're not giving me a set amount of time left," Mr. Fantroy said. "They say I'll be OK as long as it stays inside the kidney. If it gets out, I'm out of here."
Mr. Fantroy's colleagues said Monday that they've been impressed with his dedication to his post, even in the face of serious illness.
"The fact that he's extremely meticulous about his treatment speaks volumes. He always has his dialysis. He has his diet," Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia said. "There's just a willingness to fight and serve. He loves the city. He has a lot of family support, and he has a lot of faith. I don't know what I would do if I was in that situation."
In March, Dallas officials told Mr. Fantroy that he owed the city nearly $9,500 for missing more than a quarter of his council and committee meetings in the last fiscal year.
Mr. Fantroy argued that he'd been hospitalized several times in the last year and had missed meetings because of doctor appointments and lengthy dialysis treatments.
The council member missed 24 of his 95 scheduled meetings, most of them committee briefings. But the city charter includes no provision to account for representatives who are sick or hospitalized.
Council member Steve Salazar said Monday that he has seen no change in Mr. Fantroy's demeanor since his diagnosis and that his colleague is always in attendance for the most important meetings.
Mr. Fantroy said he expects to attend many more of those meetings as he finishes his final council term, which ends in May 2007.
God "don't need me up there right now," Mr. Fantroy said. "I'm raising too much hell down here!"
Staff writer Dave Levinthal contributed to this report.
Dallas: He'll continue on council as long as disease stays in kidneys
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas City Council member James Fantroy confirmed Monday that he is suffering from inoperable cancer in both of his kidneys.
Mr. Fantroy, 67, who was first elected to represent southern Dallas' District 8 in 2000, has been on dialysis for five years because of kidney failure. He told The Dallas Morning News on Monday that he has known about his cancer since 2004 and decided to make it public Friday night at a roast in his honor.
"I had my friends, my classmates there, my sisters and brothers, a first cousin," he said. "I thought it was about time for them to know."
Doctors have not recommended chemotherapy or radiation for Mr. Fantroy because of his deteriorating health. And the cancer has prevented Mr. Fantroy from seeking a much-needed kidney transplant.
But the council member said as long as the cancer remains contained to his kidneys, he'll continue to fight for projects and new development in Dallas' southern sector. Mr. Fantroy said he undergoes medical tests every 90 days to make sure the cancer hasn't spread.
"They're not giving me a set amount of time left," Mr. Fantroy said. "They say I'll be OK as long as it stays inside the kidney. If it gets out, I'm out of here."
Mr. Fantroy's colleagues said Monday that they've been impressed with his dedication to his post, even in the face of serious illness.
"The fact that he's extremely meticulous about his treatment speaks volumes. He always has his dialysis. He has his diet," Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia said. "There's just a willingness to fight and serve. He loves the city. He has a lot of family support, and he has a lot of faith. I don't know what I would do if I was in that situation."
In March, Dallas officials told Mr. Fantroy that he owed the city nearly $9,500 for missing more than a quarter of his council and committee meetings in the last fiscal year.
Mr. Fantroy argued that he'd been hospitalized several times in the last year and had missed meetings because of doctor appointments and lengthy dialysis treatments.
The council member missed 24 of his 95 scheduled meetings, most of them committee briefings. But the city charter includes no provision to account for representatives who are sick or hospitalized.
Council member Steve Salazar said Monday that he has seen no change in Mr. Fantroy's demeanor since his diagnosis and that his colleague is always in attendance for the most important meetings.
Mr. Fantroy said he expects to attend many more of those meetings as he finishes his final council term, which ends in May 2007.
God "don't need me up there right now," Mr. Fantroy said. "I'm raising too much hell down here!"
Staff writer Dave Levinthal contributed to this report.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
New gas wells spark concern
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A brand new gas well is going up in Tarrant County - outside city limits.
And in front - a new neighborhood of 70 homes.
Some families - like the Baileys - say the gas well is no big deal. But others - like the Madicks - are angry and scared.
Saturday's gas well explosion and evacuation in Forest Hill shattered nerves a half hour north where some woke up to find a brand new gas rig going up in their backyard.
"Overnight there was like a city built here. I was shocked and horrified," said Minka Madick, a homeowner.
Devon Energy's newest gas well is on church land east of Highway 287 - home of the new Crossroads Methodist.
"It would have been great to have the mineral rights. That would have paid for the church!" said Cheryl Freer, a church member.
"I'm wondering who approved it? Who allowed them to come in and drill so close to the neighborhood?" said homeowner Greg Madick.
The Texas Railroad Commission issues gas well permits. But while some cities have restrictions, counties rarely oversee the process, which lasts an average six weeks.
Dust, noise and all night lights bother the Madicks but they fear the worst - such as Saturday's explosion.
Across the street, the Baileys are not concerned.
"I don't have a problem with it. If it's going to happen, it will happen, and I am ready to go," said Ronda Bailey.
This month in the Barnett Shale, there's action at more than 4000 wells. It's likely next April will be busier.
Around 200 new wells are drilled in the Barnett Shale every week. There will be pay offs for some but the wells will worry some for the next 30 years.
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A brand new gas well is going up in Tarrant County - outside city limits.
And in front - a new neighborhood of 70 homes.
Some families - like the Baileys - say the gas well is no big deal. But others - like the Madicks - are angry and scared.
Saturday's gas well explosion and evacuation in Forest Hill shattered nerves a half hour north where some woke up to find a brand new gas rig going up in their backyard.
"Overnight there was like a city built here. I was shocked and horrified," said Minka Madick, a homeowner.
Devon Energy's newest gas well is on church land east of Highway 287 - home of the new Crossroads Methodist.
"It would have been great to have the mineral rights. That would have paid for the church!" said Cheryl Freer, a church member.
"I'm wondering who approved it? Who allowed them to come in and drill so close to the neighborhood?" said homeowner Greg Madick.
The Texas Railroad Commission issues gas well permits. But while some cities have restrictions, counties rarely oversee the process, which lasts an average six weeks.
Dust, noise and all night lights bother the Madicks but they fear the worst - such as Saturday's explosion.
Across the street, the Baileys are not concerned.
"I don't have a problem with it. If it's going to happen, it will happen, and I am ready to go," said Ronda Bailey.
This month in the Barnett Shale, there's action at more than 4000 wells. It's likely next April will be busier.
Around 200 new wells are drilled in the Barnett Shale every week. There will be pay offs for some but the wells will worry some for the next 30 years.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
First graders meet soldier pen pal
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Some Grand Prairie first graders adopted for a pen pal a U.S. soldier fighting in Iraq.
They sent letters, e-mails and pictures back and forth.
But they had never met, until today.
"This one's from Jacqueline. She says: 'Dear Chris, Hello my name is Jacqueline. We play. Is it dangerous where you are?'" reads Sgt. Chris Hockman.
Hockman and Mrs. Flores' first grade class have gotten to know each other through penciled letters, construction paper cards, pictures and e-mails.
"He writes us letters every day. And we write him every day," said Christian Quintana, a Moore first grader.
But, this day, they met in person. And the first graders prepared.
"We made... the Chris corner, just so we could show him we're a great class and not misbehaving!" said Quintana.
"I heard they were all excited to meet me and they all just were loud and excited and when I came in the door they just sat there, all quiet staring at me," said Hockman.
It didn't last long with a pizza party and cake. The students spent the entire day learning more about their pen pal who's also their hero.
The school year ends in May. Hockman's tour of Iraq ends in June.
They promise to keep in touch somehow.
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Some Grand Prairie first graders adopted for a pen pal a U.S. soldier fighting in Iraq.
They sent letters, e-mails and pictures back and forth.
But they had never met, until today.
"This one's from Jacqueline. She says: 'Dear Chris, Hello my name is Jacqueline. We play. Is it dangerous where you are?'" reads Sgt. Chris Hockman.
Hockman and Mrs. Flores' first grade class have gotten to know each other through penciled letters, construction paper cards, pictures and e-mails.
"He writes us letters every day. And we write him every day," said Christian Quintana, a Moore first grader.
But, this day, they met in person. And the first graders prepared.
"We made... the Chris corner, just so we could show him we're a great class and not misbehaving!" said Quintana.
"I heard they were all excited to meet me and they all just were loud and excited and when I came in the door they just sat there, all quiet staring at me," said Hockman.
It didn't last long with a pizza party and cake. The students spent the entire day learning more about their pen pal who's also their hero.
The school year ends in May. Hockman's tour of Iraq ends in June.
They promise to keep in touch somehow.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Lunch isn't on us, schools tell parents
Some area districts owed thousands for unpaid student meals
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News
Don't forget your lunch money.
That's the note some North Texas school districts might be sending home soon, as an increasing number of parents are failing to pay for their children's meals.
And in districts such as Arlington, Duncanville and Plano, where missing meal money is put on a tab, the debt is growing into the tens of thousands of dollars. Dallas probably would be high as well, but DISD officials have had their fill of delinquent accounts and don't allow charging lunch.
School district officials said many parents pay up by the end of the year, but some don't, and that debt is carried over to the following school year. Most districts allow students to open an account in which parents deposit money to pay for lunches.
"The majority of our district parents tend to be extremely busy in the morning, rushing to school and work," said David Binkle, Duncanville ISD's director of nutrition services. "They simply overlook the need to add money to the student's lunch account and will replenish the account within a very short time period."
As of the end of last week, the Duncanville school district was owed $16,236 in delinquent lunch payments. Plano ISD had outstanding lunchroom debt of $15,955, and Arlington ISD was owed $14,407.
When a child doesn't have lunch money, typically school districts will provide a few gratis lunches. But after a few such meals, the student is sent home with a note that his or her food account needs replenishing. In Arlington, officials stamp the student's hand to alert parents. If the parents still don't pay what's owed, letters or postcards are sent. Eventually, district officials call the parents urging them to pay.
That's a gentle nudge compared with how some out-of-state school districts handle lunchroom scofflaws. The Duluth, Minn., public school Web site says outstanding lunch debt will be turned over to a collection agency. School districts in North Dakota, Florida and Hawaii have done the same or are considering similar action.
The Sandusky, Ohio, school district informs parents with lunchroom bills that they will be reported to the state Human Services Department. The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., reported millions of unpaid lunch charges in that state.
Jackie Anderson, Arlington ISD's food and nutrition services department director, said she gets a variety of stories from parents about why they routinely don't pay. She said it could be parents or the kids forgot the money. Once, she said a parent sobbed in her office because she barely missed qualifying for the free-and-reduced lunch program.
"I know it's tough, but we cannot slide on that. You either make it or you don't," Ms. Anderson said. "We're audited by the state and the feds on that program."
Families who qualify for the free-and-reduced lunch program pay a fraction of what the average student pays. Even at full price, though, most school lunch prices are no higher than $2.25 per meal.
At least one parent had some strong words for those who don't pay for their child's lunches.
"Knowing that parents are out there not paying who are able to pay is a disgrace," said Fritz Ketchum, a Duncanville parent. "We're paying too high in property taxes already. Eventually, I'm subsidizing it as a taxpayer. Everyone's short on money these days. There are no excuses."
Nearly every district serves an alternate or modified meal to children who forget their lunch money or are overdrawn on their food accounts. In most districts, the alternate meal consists of a peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwich, or cheese and crackers, along with milk or juice. Arlington ISD serves a hot vegetable, roll or crackers and milk.
However, the meals, according to one parent, can humiliate children.
"I had one parent chew us out this morning that we embarrass her child every time we feed her child an alternate meal," Ms. Anderson said Friday. "Then she told me about her two car payments and how we ought to not feed her child if we were going to serve that alternate meal. She wanted us to send her child home for lunch when she wasn't at home."
School districts are not required to provide an alternate lunch, said John Perkins, senior policy adviser for food and nutrition for the Texas Department of Agriculture.
"The state recommends it but doesn't require it," Mr. Perkins said. "A few schools say you don't eat, but most ... districts don't want children to go hungry."
In nearly every district, the costs of alternate meals are never recouped.
David Brown, executive director of food and child services for DISD, said the district has served 30,873 alternate meals so far this year. At 43 cents per meal, that bill comes to $13,275. The district has served about 16.5 million meals this school year so the alternate meals represent a fraction of all meals served.
But unlike many of its school district brethren, DISD extends no lunchroom credit.
"We're on a no-charge policy," Mr. Brown said. "That way, students and parents never get behind."
Some area districts owed thousands for unpaid student meals
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News
Don't forget your lunch money.
That's the note some North Texas school districts might be sending home soon, as an increasing number of parents are failing to pay for their children's meals.
And in districts such as Arlington, Duncanville and Plano, where missing meal money is put on a tab, the debt is growing into the tens of thousands of dollars. Dallas probably would be high as well, but DISD officials have had their fill of delinquent accounts and don't allow charging lunch.
School district officials said many parents pay up by the end of the year, but some don't, and that debt is carried over to the following school year. Most districts allow students to open an account in which parents deposit money to pay for lunches.
"The majority of our district parents tend to be extremely busy in the morning, rushing to school and work," said David Binkle, Duncanville ISD's director of nutrition services. "They simply overlook the need to add money to the student's lunch account and will replenish the account within a very short time period."
As of the end of last week, the Duncanville school district was owed $16,236 in delinquent lunch payments. Plano ISD had outstanding lunchroom debt of $15,955, and Arlington ISD was owed $14,407.
When a child doesn't have lunch money, typically school districts will provide a few gratis lunches. But after a few such meals, the student is sent home with a note that his or her food account needs replenishing. In Arlington, officials stamp the student's hand to alert parents. If the parents still don't pay what's owed, letters or postcards are sent. Eventually, district officials call the parents urging them to pay.
That's a gentle nudge compared with how some out-of-state school districts handle lunchroom scofflaws. The Duluth, Minn., public school Web site says outstanding lunch debt will be turned over to a collection agency. School districts in North Dakota, Florida and Hawaii have done the same or are considering similar action.
The Sandusky, Ohio, school district informs parents with lunchroom bills that they will be reported to the state Human Services Department. The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., reported millions of unpaid lunch charges in that state.
Jackie Anderson, Arlington ISD's food and nutrition services department director, said she gets a variety of stories from parents about why they routinely don't pay. She said it could be parents or the kids forgot the money. Once, she said a parent sobbed in her office because she barely missed qualifying for the free-and-reduced lunch program.
"I know it's tough, but we cannot slide on that. You either make it or you don't," Ms. Anderson said. "We're audited by the state and the feds on that program."
Families who qualify for the free-and-reduced lunch program pay a fraction of what the average student pays. Even at full price, though, most school lunch prices are no higher than $2.25 per meal.
At least one parent had some strong words for those who don't pay for their child's lunches.
"Knowing that parents are out there not paying who are able to pay is a disgrace," said Fritz Ketchum, a Duncanville parent. "We're paying too high in property taxes already. Eventually, I'm subsidizing it as a taxpayer. Everyone's short on money these days. There are no excuses."
Nearly every district serves an alternate or modified meal to children who forget their lunch money or are overdrawn on their food accounts. In most districts, the alternate meal consists of a peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwich, or cheese and crackers, along with milk or juice. Arlington ISD serves a hot vegetable, roll or crackers and milk.
However, the meals, according to one parent, can humiliate children.
"I had one parent chew us out this morning that we embarrass her child every time we feed her child an alternate meal," Ms. Anderson said Friday. "Then she told me about her two car payments and how we ought to not feed her child if we were going to serve that alternate meal. She wanted us to send her child home for lunch when she wasn't at home."
School districts are not required to provide an alternate lunch, said John Perkins, senior policy adviser for food and nutrition for the Texas Department of Agriculture.
"The state recommends it but doesn't require it," Mr. Perkins said. "A few schools say you don't eat, but most ... districts don't want children to go hungry."
In nearly every district, the costs of alternate meals are never recouped.
David Brown, executive director of food and child services for DISD, said the district has served 30,873 alternate meals so far this year. At 43 cents per meal, that bill comes to $13,275. The district has served about 16.5 million meals this school year so the alternate meals represent a fraction of all meals served.
But unlike many of its school district brethren, DISD extends no lunchroom credit.
"We're on a no-charge policy," Mr. Brown said. "That way, students and parents never get behind."
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Court stops scheduled Thursday execution
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday halted the lethal injection of condemned inmate Derrick Frazier set for later this week to allow time to consider a new appeal.
Frazier was scheduled to die Thursday evening for the June 1997 fatal shootings of Betsy Nutt, 41, and her 15-year-old son, Cody, at their home on a ranch in Refugio County in South Texas. Frazier, set to turn 29 on Friday, would have been the eighth Texas prisoner executed this year.
He and another man, Jermaine Herron, showed up at the home under the guise that their car had broken down and needed to make a phone call. Court records showed the woman offered to take them to Refugio, about 10 miles away, and was shot along with her son.
The men then fled with her pickup truck. Frazier's father once was a foreman on the ranch next door to the slaying scene.
Herron, 27, is scheduled to die in three weeks. Frazier blamed the killings on Herron and insisted he wasn't present for the shootings.
The U.S. Supreme Court, acting on an appeal filed in January, refused last week to halt the punishment.
Frazier's lawyers were back in the courts Monday with an affidavit from a friend of Frazier who said that duing the trial she saw a juror improperly communicating with Jerry Nutt, whose wife and son were killed. The juror, according to the affidavit from Courtney LaFont, ensured Nutt that Frazier would be convicted and given a death sentence.
Prosecutors argued they had affidavits from jurors saying the incident never happened.
In a short three-sentence order Monday afternoon, the appeals court said it was granting the reprieve pending its review of the appeal.
The victim's truck was found parked outside Frazier's apartment in Victoria, about 30 miles to the north. His fingerprints were inside the truck.
Frazier gave police a videotaped confession in which he said he killed Betsy Nutt and Herron killed her son. He later said he was coerced by officers who told him he would get a shorter prison term if he admitted to the killing.
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday halted the lethal injection of condemned inmate Derrick Frazier set for later this week to allow time to consider a new appeal.
Frazier was scheduled to die Thursday evening for the June 1997 fatal shootings of Betsy Nutt, 41, and her 15-year-old son, Cody, at their home on a ranch in Refugio County in South Texas. Frazier, set to turn 29 on Friday, would have been the eighth Texas prisoner executed this year.
He and another man, Jermaine Herron, showed up at the home under the guise that their car had broken down and needed to make a phone call. Court records showed the woman offered to take them to Refugio, about 10 miles away, and was shot along with her son.
The men then fled with her pickup truck. Frazier's father once was a foreman on the ranch next door to the slaying scene.
Herron, 27, is scheduled to die in three weeks. Frazier blamed the killings on Herron and insisted he wasn't present for the shootings.
The U.S. Supreme Court, acting on an appeal filed in January, refused last week to halt the punishment.
Frazier's lawyers were back in the courts Monday with an affidavit from a friend of Frazier who said that duing the trial she saw a juror improperly communicating with Jerry Nutt, whose wife and son were killed. The juror, according to the affidavit from Courtney LaFont, ensured Nutt that Frazier would be convicted and given a death sentence.
Prosecutors argued they had affidavits from jurors saying the incident never happened.
In a short three-sentence order Monday afternoon, the appeals court said it was granting the reprieve pending its review of the appeal.
The victim's truck was found parked outside Frazier's apartment in Victoria, about 30 miles to the north. His fingerprints were inside the truck.
Frazier gave police a videotaped confession in which he said he killed Betsy Nutt and Herron killed her son. He later said he was coerced by officers who told him he would get a shorter prison term if he admitted to the killing.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Restored period homes attract Dallas buyers
By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Sand off the old finish, spruce up the windows and a tired old money-pit becomes a vintage beauty with historic curb appeal.
Dori Warner is a Dallas realtor who specializes in older neighborhoods.
She says restored homes are not new, but being discovered by a new market of homebuyers.
"They're built better, and they feel better," she adds.
"Every house has a soul, every single house has an energy to it, and these older homes, with their history, and their charm and coziness have something intangible."
David Spence has remodeled 12 old buildings in the Bishop Arts District.
He says historic restoration is easier to finance now, often more affordable and the end result is almost always more 'authentic.'
"'Authenticity' in a home means that you can see the fingerprints of the people who made it, the craftsmen who made it, and the fingerprints of the people who lived in it for decades," Spence adds.
And believe it or not, the old wood is often better than new wood available today. It's stronger, denser, less porous, and all of the details are hand-made.
Spence restored a 1926 hotel as boutique apartments.
Rick Aguilar works in downtown Dallas, only minutes away, and loves it - 500 square feet of vintage hardwood, with glass door knobs, renovated for modern living with utilities and parking in the back.
"So I have the luxuries of a newer apartment, but at the same time, keeping the flavor and spirit of an older apartment," says a tenant Rick Aguilar.
Developers here may never make as much money as more traditional home-builders but that doesn't bother Spence.
"You've never heard of Centex historic homes... but it has other rewards," he says.
Rewarding more home-owners who like the past preserved.
By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Sand off the old finish, spruce up the windows and a tired old money-pit becomes a vintage beauty with historic curb appeal.
Dori Warner is a Dallas realtor who specializes in older neighborhoods.
She says restored homes are not new, but being discovered by a new market of homebuyers.
"They're built better, and they feel better," she adds.
"Every house has a soul, every single house has an energy to it, and these older homes, with their history, and their charm and coziness have something intangible."
David Spence has remodeled 12 old buildings in the Bishop Arts District.
He says historic restoration is easier to finance now, often more affordable and the end result is almost always more 'authentic.'
"'Authenticity' in a home means that you can see the fingerprints of the people who made it, the craftsmen who made it, and the fingerprints of the people who lived in it for decades," Spence adds.
And believe it or not, the old wood is often better than new wood available today. It's stronger, denser, less porous, and all of the details are hand-made.
Spence restored a 1926 hotel as boutique apartments.
Rick Aguilar works in downtown Dallas, only minutes away, and loves it - 500 square feet of vintage hardwood, with glass door knobs, renovated for modern living with utilities and parking in the back.
"So I have the luxuries of a newer apartment, but at the same time, keeping the flavor and spirit of an older apartment," says a tenant Rick Aguilar.
Developers here may never make as much money as more traditional home-builders but that doesn't bother Spence.
"You've never heard of Centex historic homes... but it has other rewards," he says.
Rewarding more home-owners who like the past preserved.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Husband, 84, a suspect in death of wife, 83
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - An 83-year-old Dallas woman is dead and her 84-year-old husband, who is suffering from brain cancer, is the lead suspect.
Dallas police were called to the 7200 block of Larkspur Lane in South Dallas about 10:30 a.m., where they found Mary Roberson shot dead in the hallway.
James and Mary Roberson just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary a few months ago but both had serious health problems.
Mary Roberson had suffered a stroke sometime back, and her husband, according to friends, was in the final weeks of life.
James Roberson was helped from his house by police and led into a squad car.
This is the home he and his wife Mary shared for 50 years and raised two children.
He acknowledged a long time friend as he left.
Graham Kleinfelter came to the home bringing lunch for the couple, unaware of the murder.
"Yesterday we talked. He was doing well. He was telling us how much he loved us and I spoke to him last night, we were going to get help with her at night," says Kleinfelter.
Kleinfelter says the man he considered his father did express concern for his wife, especially as his own health was rapidly deteriorating.
"He took care of all of her needs. He helped feed her until he got sick. He was her sole caregiver," said neighbor Peggy Washington.
"He mostly cared for her. He seemed to be a pretty good gentleman, he was a nice, nice neighbor. He'd help me sometimes mow the lawn," she added.
That was until a couple of months ago, when James Roberson's cancer spread.
This morning after 9 a.m., inside the oldest house on the block, a caregiver found Mrs. Roberson.
Mr. Roberson was sitting silently in a chair.
Outside, neighbors reminisced.
"We grew up together... we're in our 50s. It was different growing up back then, as you knew everybody. We'd sit in the front yard together," said neighbor Mark Hutton.
Mark Hutton says he's shocked the quiet man, who worked alongside his dad at the phone company is now under arrest.
"I don't think I ever heard him raise his voice, least not at us. Maybe to his own kids, but he was a good guy," he says.
James Roberson was taken to the Dallas County jail.
There doctors were going to examine him, while police and the DA's office decide how they'll proceed in this very sad case.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - An 83-year-old Dallas woman is dead and her 84-year-old husband, who is suffering from brain cancer, is the lead suspect.
Dallas police were called to the 7200 block of Larkspur Lane in South Dallas about 10:30 a.m., where they found Mary Roberson shot dead in the hallway.
James and Mary Roberson just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary a few months ago but both had serious health problems.
Mary Roberson had suffered a stroke sometime back, and her husband, according to friends, was in the final weeks of life.
James Roberson was helped from his house by police and led into a squad car.
This is the home he and his wife Mary shared for 50 years and raised two children.
He acknowledged a long time friend as he left.
Graham Kleinfelter came to the home bringing lunch for the couple, unaware of the murder.
"Yesterday we talked. He was doing well. He was telling us how much he loved us and I spoke to him last night, we were going to get help with her at night," says Kleinfelter.
Kleinfelter says the man he considered his father did express concern for his wife, especially as his own health was rapidly deteriorating.
"He took care of all of her needs. He helped feed her until he got sick. He was her sole caregiver," said neighbor Peggy Washington.
"He mostly cared for her. He seemed to be a pretty good gentleman, he was a nice, nice neighbor. He'd help me sometimes mow the lawn," she added.
That was until a couple of months ago, when James Roberson's cancer spread.
This morning after 9 a.m., inside the oldest house on the block, a caregiver found Mrs. Roberson.
Mr. Roberson was sitting silently in a chair.
Outside, neighbors reminisced.
"We grew up together... we're in our 50s. It was different growing up back then, as you knew everybody. We'd sit in the front yard together," said neighbor Mark Hutton.
Mark Hutton says he's shocked the quiet man, who worked alongside his dad at the phone company is now under arrest.
"I don't think I ever heard him raise his voice, least not at us. Maybe to his own kids, but he was a good guy," he says.
James Roberson was taken to the Dallas County jail.
There doctors were going to examine him, while police and the DA's office decide how they'll proceed in this very sad case.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Belo spearheads new downtown park
By DAVID FLICK / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A park designed to lure downtown Dallas residents and office workers into the open air took a major step forward with the announcement of a $6.5 million donation on Tuesday.
The donation—a package of commitments from Belo Corp., the Belo Foundation and Robert and Maureen Decherd—will fund just over half the cost to develop the planned park at Griffin Street, between Main and Commerce streets.
Decherd is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Belo Corp., which owns WFAA ABC 8 and The Dallas Morning News.
The park is one of three envisioned in a city of Dallas master plan for downtown. The donation is contingent on passage of a city bond package in November. In addition to Tuesday’s donation, about $6.3 million in the bond package would go toward developing the park, which will be known as Belo Garden.
Though design work has yet to begin on the new facility, the park is envisioned as space for mid-day lunches for office workers, and an evening refuge for residents in nearby apartment and condominiums.
"It’ll provide an oasis for students, workers and residents and will serve as a magnet for additional development downtown," said C.W. Whitaker, president of the Dallas Park and Recreation board.
By DAVID FLICK / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A park designed to lure downtown Dallas residents and office workers into the open air took a major step forward with the announcement of a $6.5 million donation on Tuesday.
The donation—a package of commitments from Belo Corp., the Belo Foundation and Robert and Maureen Decherd—will fund just over half the cost to develop the planned park at Griffin Street, between Main and Commerce streets.
Decherd is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Belo Corp., which owns WFAA ABC 8 and The Dallas Morning News.
The park is one of three envisioned in a city of Dallas master plan for downtown. The donation is contingent on passage of a city bond package in November. In addition to Tuesday’s donation, about $6.3 million in the bond package would go toward developing the park, which will be known as Belo Garden.
Though design work has yet to begin on the new facility, the park is envisioned as space for mid-day lunches for office workers, and an evening refuge for residents in nearby apartment and condominiums.
"It’ll provide an oasis for students, workers and residents and will serve as a magnet for additional development downtown," said C.W. Whitaker, president of the Dallas Park and Recreation board.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Thieves smash store windows, steal ATM
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Thieves stole an automated teller machine from a North Dallas convenience store early Tuesday after using a pickup truck to smash the store’s front windows.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said just after 5 a.m., witnesses reported seeing a GMC or Chevrolet truck back through the front façade of the Diamond Shamrock gas station and store on the southeast corner of LBJ Freeway and Coit Road.
The suspects entered the store through the broken windows, hoisted the ATM into the truck and fled, taking with them an undetermined amount of cash inside the machine, Cpl. Geron said.
There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident, and no other money was taken from the store. The owner was at the scene Tuesday morning to determine how much merchandise was damaged or destroyed when the truck entered the store’s front windows, Cpl. Geron said.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 214-373-TIPS (8477).
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Thieves stole an automated teller machine from a North Dallas convenience store early Tuesday after using a pickup truck to smash the store’s front windows.
Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said just after 5 a.m., witnesses reported seeing a GMC or Chevrolet truck back through the front façade of the Diamond Shamrock gas station and store on the southeast corner of LBJ Freeway and Coit Road.
The suspects entered the store through the broken windows, hoisted the ATM into the truck and fled, taking with them an undetermined amount of cash inside the machine, Cpl. Geron said.
There were no injuries reported as a result of the incident, and no other money was taken from the store. The owner was at the scene Tuesday morning to determine how much merchandise was damaged or destroyed when the truck entered the store’s front windows, Cpl. Geron said.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 214-373-TIPS (8477).
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Sales job meant death for Mesquite teen
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
MESQUITE, Texas - An estimated 50,000 young people will journey the streets every day this summer, selling magazines, candy and cleaning products. But before you let your teen take that kind of a job, you'll want to hear one Mesquite mother's story.
Just six months after her daughter graduated high school, Karen Oldaker faced teenage independence with an uneasy feeling.
Shamblin Rodriguez, 18, was setting out to sell magazines and see the country.
"She told me about it and she was packing while she was telling me about it. She thought it was such a great deal," said Oldaker.
"She wanted to do it and she wanted to see the world. So, I let her go. I let her go and now she's not coming back."
Days into her new job, Shamblin saw something else.
"It wasn't enough to live on. Not for her personal needs, it wasn't. And that's the most infuriating thing is - the way she sounded and the way they made it sound to her."
Long hours, in rough parts of town, dreams of finding wealth door-to-door turned over on an interstate highway.
When the crew van flipped, throwing nine passengers into the median in the Arizona desert, two people died, including the always-smiling teen from Mesquite.
"A couple of hours before the accident, I talked to her. She told me they were going to the Grand Canyon on their way to California," Oldaker continued.
"None of her friends have deleted her number from their cell phone. I haven't even deleted her number from my cell phone."
The Internet is littered with anonymous stories of deception, abuse, exploitation for teens and young adults on their own; they become either stories of survival or death.
The Illinois company that owned the van - Alliance Services Company - did not return our calls, and when a grieving mother had to call them for information.
"They said she was a subcontractor so she didn't work for them. But yet, their name was on the insurance for the vehicle and I'm sure they paid for the hotel rooms and the meals," said Oldaker.
Another parent turned a similar fatal crash into a crusade for door-to-door sales regulations in Wisconsin. This mom wants Texas to be next.
"I don't want another kid to go to their parents and say: 'Mom, this is a great deal. I could be making $500/month or more.' And then, not come home," said Oldaker.
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
MESQUITE, Texas - An estimated 50,000 young people will journey the streets every day this summer, selling magazines, candy and cleaning products. But before you let your teen take that kind of a job, you'll want to hear one Mesquite mother's story.
Just six months after her daughter graduated high school, Karen Oldaker faced teenage independence with an uneasy feeling.
Shamblin Rodriguez, 18, was setting out to sell magazines and see the country.
"She told me about it and she was packing while she was telling me about it. She thought it was such a great deal," said Oldaker.
"She wanted to do it and she wanted to see the world. So, I let her go. I let her go and now she's not coming back."
Days into her new job, Shamblin saw something else.
"It wasn't enough to live on. Not for her personal needs, it wasn't. And that's the most infuriating thing is - the way she sounded and the way they made it sound to her."
Long hours, in rough parts of town, dreams of finding wealth door-to-door turned over on an interstate highway.
When the crew van flipped, throwing nine passengers into the median in the Arizona desert, two people died, including the always-smiling teen from Mesquite.
"A couple of hours before the accident, I talked to her. She told me they were going to the Grand Canyon on their way to California," Oldaker continued.
"None of her friends have deleted her number from their cell phone. I haven't even deleted her number from my cell phone."
The Internet is littered with anonymous stories of deception, abuse, exploitation for teens and young adults on their own; they become either stories of survival or death.
The Illinois company that owned the van - Alliance Services Company - did not return our calls, and when a grieving mother had to call them for information.
"They said she was a subcontractor so she didn't work for them. But yet, their name was on the insurance for the vehicle and I'm sure they paid for the hotel rooms and the meals," said Oldaker.
Another parent turned a similar fatal crash into a crusade for door-to-door sales regulations in Wisconsin. This mom wants Texas to be next.
"I don't want another kid to go to their parents and say: 'Mom, this is a great deal. I could be making $500/month or more.' And then, not come home," said Oldaker.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
GP man found dead in travel stop bathroom
Victim's SUV stolen, death investigated as homicide
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A Grand Prairie man was found dead inside a restroom at a travel stop along Interstate 35 near the Texas-Oklahoma border, and law enforcement officials are investigating the death as a homicide.
A spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said agents were called to assist Love County sheriff’s deputies after the body of Rufus Thomas Lowery, 49, was found around 4 a.m. Monday off an exit near Thackerville, Okla.
The spokesperson said officers found a burning SUV one mile north of the travel stop shortly after Lowery’s body was discovered. The vehicle had been stolen from North Carolina by two men, who are now wanted for questioning in Monday’s death.
OSBI officials are looking for Shawn Leggett, 18, of Fayetteville, N.C., 5 feet, 9 inches tall and about 160 pounds with brown hair and eyes. He may be traveling with Timothy Byford, 18, who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and about 145 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Both are wanted for larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a motor vehicle and felony conspiracy.
Lowery had been driving north on I-35 on business, the spokesperson said. The medical examiner has yet to determine an exact cause of death.
Investigators are searching for Lowery’s dark gray 2003 GMC Yukon, with Texas license plate 9FG-M83. Anyone who sees this vehicle should call 1-800-522-8017.
Victim's SUV stolen, death investigated as homicide
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A Grand Prairie man was found dead inside a restroom at a travel stop along Interstate 35 near the Texas-Oklahoma border, and law enforcement officials are investigating the death as a homicide.
A spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said agents were called to assist Love County sheriff’s deputies after the body of Rufus Thomas Lowery, 49, was found around 4 a.m. Monday off an exit near Thackerville, Okla.
The spokesperson said officers found a burning SUV one mile north of the travel stop shortly after Lowery’s body was discovered. The vehicle had been stolen from North Carolina by two men, who are now wanted for questioning in Monday’s death.
OSBI officials are looking for Shawn Leggett, 18, of Fayetteville, N.C., 5 feet, 9 inches tall and about 160 pounds with brown hair and eyes. He may be traveling with Timothy Byford, 18, who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and about 145 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Both are wanted for larceny of a motor vehicle, possession of a motor vehicle and felony conspiracy.
Lowery had been driving north on I-35 on business, the spokesperson said. The medical examiner has yet to determine an exact cause of death.
Investigators are searching for Lowery’s dark gray 2003 GMC Yukon, with Texas license plate 9FG-M83. Anyone who sees this vehicle should call 1-800-522-8017.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
BREAKING NEWS: Traffic
From WFAA ABC 8 and Traffic Pulse Networks
- I-35 at I-30 in Dallas: Southbound traffic on I-35 is slowed because the eastbound ramp to I-30 is closed by an overturned truck
- I-20 in Fort Worth: Westbound lanes closed at Wichita by a wreck
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
From WFAA ABC 8 and Traffic Pulse Networks
- I-35 at I-30 in Dallas: Southbound traffic on I-35 is slowed because the eastbound ramp to I-30 is closed by an overturned truck
- I-20 in Fort Worth: Westbound lanes closed at Wichita by a wreck
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Girl survives destructive home explosion
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
WAXAHACHIE, Texas - After a destructive blast Friday at a home south of Waxahachie, one young girl remains shocked at her own survival.
As Brandi Battles slept in her bed around midnight, a propane leak caused a detonation that destroyed her Ellis County home and left her trapped amongst the rubble.
The blast heaved the roof of the house up, flipped Battles out of her bed and threw her on top of a wall with the roof's edge coming down on her.
"I was fighting for my life," she said. "I mean, just anything I could do to get out of there."
Battles father, Gerald, said he still finds the incident that happened the night he was out of town hard to believe. He also said he found it hard to believe that half of his daughter hung on the outside of the building while the other half hung inside.
"Her legs were hanging out here and her upper body was inside the house...," he said.
Battles' mother was home the night of the explosion and escaped unharmed. She groped through the darkness and debris for 15 minutes looking for her screaming daughter and found her legs dangling at the top of the wall.
"That was the most horrible, horrible feeling...," Terrie Battles said. "And I'm thinking she's going to be cut in half."
Brandi said while trapped in the rubble she thought she was in a dream.
"I didn't know where I was because everything was scattered," she said. "I didn't recognize anything. I didn't even know I was in my own home."
As Battles struggled for her breath, a deputy who arrived on the scene used his car jack to lift the roof enough to give her room to breathe. Volunteer firefighters arrived from Forreston and brought the jaws of life to free her.
Battles is now recovering at Baylor Medical Center and her family said they couldn't be more thankful. She managed to escape the explosion with only a few bruises.
"God had his hand wrapped around her," Terrie said. "And he's got big plans for her."
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
WAXAHACHIE, Texas - After a destructive blast Friday at a home south of Waxahachie, one young girl remains shocked at her own survival.
As Brandi Battles slept in her bed around midnight, a propane leak caused a detonation that destroyed her Ellis County home and left her trapped amongst the rubble.
The blast heaved the roof of the house up, flipped Battles out of her bed and threw her on top of a wall with the roof's edge coming down on her.
"I was fighting for my life," she said. "I mean, just anything I could do to get out of there."
Battles father, Gerald, said he still finds the incident that happened the night he was out of town hard to believe. He also said he found it hard to believe that half of his daughter hung on the outside of the building while the other half hung inside.
"Her legs were hanging out here and her upper body was inside the house...," he said.
Battles' mother was home the night of the explosion and escaped unharmed. She groped through the darkness and debris for 15 minutes looking for her screaming daughter and found her legs dangling at the top of the wall.
"That was the most horrible, horrible feeling...," Terrie Battles said. "And I'm thinking she's going to be cut in half."
Brandi said while trapped in the rubble she thought she was in a dream.
"I didn't know where I was because everything was scattered," she said. "I didn't recognize anything. I didn't even know I was in my own home."
As Battles struggled for her breath, a deputy who arrived on the scene used his car jack to lift the roof enough to give her room to breathe. Volunteer firefighters arrived from Forreston and brought the jaws of life to free her.
Battles is now recovering at Baylor Medical Center and her family said they couldn't be more thankful. She managed to escape the explosion with only a few bruises.
"God had his hand wrapped around her," Terrie said. "And he's got big plans for her."
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Shots fired as police try to stop robbery
MESQUITE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Mesquite police are looking for at least two robbers who held up an Auto Zone at Gus Thomasson Road at Karla Drive late Tuesday night.
Undercover Dallas police officers were driving by as one of the robbers walked out of the store with a bag of money. According to police, the officers exchanged gunfire with the suspects, but no one was injured.
Police said the suspects' vehicle was spotted nearby a short time later on a nearby street.
The robbers escaped with the money.
MESQUITE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Mesquite police are looking for at least two robbers who held up an Auto Zone at Gus Thomasson Road at Karla Drive late Tuesday night.
Undercover Dallas police officers were driving by as one of the robbers walked out of the store with a bag of money. According to police, the officers exchanged gunfire with the suspects, but no one was injured.
Police said the suspects' vehicle was spotted nearby a short time later on a nearby street.
The robbers escaped with the money.
0 likes
-
TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
BREAKING NEWS: Traffic
From WFAA ABC 8 and Traffic Pulse Networks
- I-35 at I-30 in Dallas: Southbound traffic on I-35 is slowed because the eastbound ramp to I-30 is closed by an overturned truck
- I-20 in Fort Worth: Westbound lanes closed at Wichita by a wreck
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
From WFAA ABC 8 and Traffic Pulse Networks
- I-35 at I-30 in Dallas: Southbound traffic on I-35 is slowed because the eastbound ramp to I-30 is closed by an overturned truck
- I-20 in Fort Worth: Westbound lanes closed at Wichita by a wreck
Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
0 likes
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests