Allen residents angered at rat infestation
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
AUSTIN, Texas - Rats that have invaded an Allen neighborhood leaving many residents scared to be outdoors and some homeowners demanding action by the city.
Amy Wallace said recently she found rats in her grill and inside her dog house.
"I could sit here and trap rats all day and they keep coming," she said.
A home daycare owner, she said she can't let children outside because of the rat danger.
"[I] fear that they could be rabid since we had a rabid skunk a few months ago," she said.
She and some of her neighbors said the city wants them to trap the rats and pay a fee for the cage to do it with.
"They are saying they're charging $40 dollars for rental fees for a trap that should be given to homeowners if they're having infestation problems," Wallace said.
Jim Devitt said rats have chewed on his trees and on his house where that have taken up residence in his attic.
"You can see where rats are chewing on the bark itself," he said.
According to animal control, when there's an infestation, city health officials will come out to access the situation. Animal control said new construction and drought have driven rats to seek out new homes for water and food.
But Wallace said she is not concerned about the rats' plight as much as she is worried about the children under her care.
"I went out yesterday for the first time in several week and there were the rats again," she said.
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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Toxic shock syndrome on the rise again
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
The words toxic shock syndrome, which was linked to women who used tampons, sent fear throughout the country in the early 80s.
Toxic shock syndrome hasn't gotten much media attention since then, but cases may be on the rise again and a North Texas woman has proof.
As a college student, Katy Rowe has done a lot of math.
These days she's adding up doctor's bills that she said total nearly $200,000 worth.
Last summer she got so sick, Rowe stumbled through the SMU campus to the university's health center.
"When I got there, they took my temperature and my blood pressure," she said.
Records showed her temperature was 104 and her blood pressure had plummeted to 60 over 40. Doctors say that's a clear sign of severe disease.
But Rowe said she was only given some Tylenol and 7-Up by the doctors.
Paperwork showed the SMU health center doctor diagnosed her with gastroenteritis.
After symptoms continued, a 911 call brought paramedics to Rowe. They determined she was just weak from a virus.
But after nearly lapsing into a coma and being transported to Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, doctors diagnosed her with sepsis, which is a severe infection that causes organ failure.
"They diagnosed me with toxic shock syndrome," Rowe said.
Toxic shock is a life-threatening illness caused by common staph bacteria that release toxins, then travel into the body and damage organs.
In the early 80's, an epidemic was linked to super absorbent tampons, but Rowe used a regular size.
"The cotton and the rayon can tear the tissue and you can get infected that way," Rowe said. "That's how I was infected."
She wasn't alone.
Researchers in Minnesota documented an 18 percent surge in toxic shock cases since the year 2000. Some experts attribute the rise to staph infection and bacteria that don't respond to antibiotics.
The types of germs doctors are saying are the cause are the same germs that caused a nasty infection in a 6-year-old North Texas boy's leg.
Staph also caused sores on a woman's legs after pedicures.
Some doctors said the warnings should be targeted at younger women that weren't aware of the problem during the 80s.
"We see not an insignificant amount of this syndrome, about 40 to 50 percent in the 13 to 19-year-old age group," said Dr. Scott Roberts, UT Southwestern.
Rowe said since her experience, she has researched toxic shock syndrome.
"I'm concerned that this could happen to someone else on campus, and that they wouldn't get the treatment that they need and they could end up dying," she said. "I almost did."
Toxic shock can affect men and boys as well.
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
The words toxic shock syndrome, which was linked to women who used tampons, sent fear throughout the country in the early 80s.
Toxic shock syndrome hasn't gotten much media attention since then, but cases may be on the rise again and a North Texas woman has proof.
As a college student, Katy Rowe has done a lot of math.
These days she's adding up doctor's bills that she said total nearly $200,000 worth.
Last summer she got so sick, Rowe stumbled through the SMU campus to the university's health center.
"When I got there, they took my temperature and my blood pressure," she said.
Records showed her temperature was 104 and her blood pressure had plummeted to 60 over 40. Doctors say that's a clear sign of severe disease.
But Rowe said she was only given some Tylenol and 7-Up by the doctors.
Paperwork showed the SMU health center doctor diagnosed her with gastroenteritis.
After symptoms continued, a 911 call brought paramedics to Rowe. They determined she was just weak from a virus.
But after nearly lapsing into a coma and being transported to Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, doctors diagnosed her with sepsis, which is a severe infection that causes organ failure.
"They diagnosed me with toxic shock syndrome," Rowe said.
Toxic shock is a life-threatening illness caused by common staph bacteria that release toxins, then travel into the body and damage organs.
In the early 80's, an epidemic was linked to super absorbent tampons, but Rowe used a regular size.
"The cotton and the rayon can tear the tissue and you can get infected that way," Rowe said. "That's how I was infected."
She wasn't alone.
Researchers in Minnesota documented an 18 percent surge in toxic shock cases since the year 2000. Some experts attribute the rise to staph infection and bacteria that don't respond to antibiotics.
The types of germs doctors are saying are the cause are the same germs that caused a nasty infection in a 6-year-old North Texas boy's leg.
Staph also caused sores on a woman's legs after pedicures.
Some doctors said the warnings should be targeted at younger women that weren't aware of the problem during the 80s.
"We see not an insignificant amount of this syndrome, about 40 to 50 percent in the 13 to 19-year-old age group," said Dr. Scott Roberts, UT Southwestern.
Rowe said since her experience, she has researched toxic shock syndrome.
"I'm concerned that this could happen to someone else on campus, and that they wouldn't get the treatment that they need and they could end up dying," she said. "I almost did."
Toxic shock can affect men and boys as well.
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TexasStooge
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Herron apologizes to family before execution
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An apologetic Texas death row inmate was executed Wednesday night for killing a woman and her son nine years ago.
"I just hope this brings some kind of peace to your family," Jermaine Herron told Jerry Nutt, whose wife and son were killed. "I wish I could bring them back, but I can't. I hope my death brings peace. Don't hang on to the hate."
Herron then looked at his mother, who watched from a nearby window. "Momma, stay strong," he said. "Lord forgive me for my sins because here I come."
As the drugs began to take effect, he kept his eyes on his family. Three members of the victims' family braced their hands on each other's shoulders as they watched.
Herron was pronounced dead at 7:25 p.m. CDT, seven minutes after the lethal dose of drugs began and almost an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid for a last-minute appeal claiming the drugs used in lethal injections cause "excessive pain."
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Herron's appeal earlier Wednesday afternoon. In a separate opinion, the court lifted the temporary stay of execution it had granted for another Texas inmate on the same issue.
Herron, 27, was the ninth prisoner put to death this year in Texas and the second of three this month. He was convicted in the shooting deaths of Betsy Nutt, 41, and her 15-year-old son, Cody, at their home on a ranch in Refugio County in South Texas.
Herron and a companion, Derrick Frazier, approached Nutt at her family's mobile home on a ranch about 10 miles outside Refugio, saying they had car trouble and needed to make a phone call. Nutt and her son were fatally shot as they were about to give the two men a ride to town.
The men then used her truck to carry loot taken during a burglary from the house next door. The slain woman's cell phone and the murder weapon, a 9 mm handgun taken in the burglary, were recovered from the apartment of Herron's girlfriend.
Herron turned himself in three days after the slayings. He and Frazier gave nearly identical confessions, but later each defendant blamed the other for the killings. Both men received the death penalty.
Frazier three weeks ago won a reprieve from the Court of Criminal Appeals days before his scheduled execution after his lawyers contended a juror at his trial improperly communicated with Jerry Nutt, who lost his wife and son in the attack.
"The chemicals prison officials will inject unnecessarily create a risk that Mr. Herron will suffer excruciating excessive pain during the administration of his lethal injection," his attorney claimed in the latest appeal.
The appeal cited the court's ruling Monday that halted Tuesday's scheduled execution of Derrick Sean O'Brien, 31, for the 1993 torture slayings of two Houston teenage girls.
The court did not refer to the O'Brien case in its brief ruling denying Herron a stay.
Five judges voted to lift the stay on O'Brien's execution. In a concurring statement, four judges said that O'Brien did not offer evidence that the drugs used by the state could cause a painful death. The dissent raised the issue of execution protocol and pointed to the Florida case before the U.S. Supreme Court on drugs used in lethal injections. That ruling is expected before July.
Death penalty critics have argued the painkiller sodium pentothal could wear off, causing pain before a second drug, pancuronium bromide, paralyzes the inmate. The final drug is potassium chloride, which causes a fatal heart attack.
"Once the Court of Criminal Appeals stayed the O'Brien execution, you certainly expect every death row inmate will file this. It's a blanket invitation," said DeWitt County District Attorney Michael Sheppard, whose jurisdiction covers Refugio County.
While the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals order was a brief three-paragraph decision that referred only to O'Brien's case, the inmate's lead attorney, Catherine Greene Burnett, said she believed it indicated the court's willingness to put off executions in the nation's busiest death penalty state until the Supreme Court rules.
But the judges said they granted the stay only to allow sufficient time to look at the procedural aspects of the application and the merits of the claim.
Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for the Texas Attorney General's office, said lawyers for the state would address appeals on individual cases as they came through the courts.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An apologetic Texas death row inmate was executed Wednesday night for killing a woman and her son nine years ago.
"I just hope this brings some kind of peace to your family," Jermaine Herron told Jerry Nutt, whose wife and son were killed. "I wish I could bring them back, but I can't. I hope my death brings peace. Don't hang on to the hate."
Herron then looked at his mother, who watched from a nearby window. "Momma, stay strong," he said. "Lord forgive me for my sins because here I come."
As the drugs began to take effect, he kept his eyes on his family. Three members of the victims' family braced their hands on each other's shoulders as they watched.
Herron was pronounced dead at 7:25 p.m. CDT, seven minutes after the lethal dose of drugs began and almost an hour after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid for a last-minute appeal claiming the drugs used in lethal injections cause "excessive pain."
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Herron's appeal earlier Wednesday afternoon. In a separate opinion, the court lifted the temporary stay of execution it had granted for another Texas inmate on the same issue.
Herron, 27, was the ninth prisoner put to death this year in Texas and the second of three this month. He was convicted in the shooting deaths of Betsy Nutt, 41, and her 15-year-old son, Cody, at their home on a ranch in Refugio County in South Texas.
Herron and a companion, Derrick Frazier, approached Nutt at her family's mobile home on a ranch about 10 miles outside Refugio, saying they had car trouble and needed to make a phone call. Nutt and her son were fatally shot as they were about to give the two men a ride to town.
The men then used her truck to carry loot taken during a burglary from the house next door. The slain woman's cell phone and the murder weapon, a 9 mm handgun taken in the burglary, were recovered from the apartment of Herron's girlfriend.
Herron turned himself in three days after the slayings. He and Frazier gave nearly identical confessions, but later each defendant blamed the other for the killings. Both men received the death penalty.
Frazier three weeks ago won a reprieve from the Court of Criminal Appeals days before his scheduled execution after his lawyers contended a juror at his trial improperly communicated with Jerry Nutt, who lost his wife and son in the attack.
"The chemicals prison officials will inject unnecessarily create a risk that Mr. Herron will suffer excruciating excessive pain during the administration of his lethal injection," his attorney claimed in the latest appeal.
The appeal cited the court's ruling Monday that halted Tuesday's scheduled execution of Derrick Sean O'Brien, 31, for the 1993 torture slayings of two Houston teenage girls.
The court did not refer to the O'Brien case in its brief ruling denying Herron a stay.
Five judges voted to lift the stay on O'Brien's execution. In a concurring statement, four judges said that O'Brien did not offer evidence that the drugs used by the state could cause a painful death. The dissent raised the issue of execution protocol and pointed to the Florida case before the U.S. Supreme Court on drugs used in lethal injections. That ruling is expected before July.
Death penalty critics have argued the painkiller sodium pentothal could wear off, causing pain before a second drug, pancuronium bromide, paralyzes the inmate. The final drug is potassium chloride, which causes a fatal heart attack.
"Once the Court of Criminal Appeals stayed the O'Brien execution, you certainly expect every death row inmate will file this. It's a blanket invitation," said DeWitt County District Attorney Michael Sheppard, whose jurisdiction covers Refugio County.
While the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals order was a brief three-paragraph decision that referred only to O'Brien's case, the inmate's lead attorney, Catherine Greene Burnett, said she believed it indicated the court's willingness to put off executions in the nation's busiest death penalty state until the Supreme Court rules.
But the judges said they granted the stay only to allow sufficient time to look at the procedural aspects of the application and the merits of the claim.
Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for the Texas Attorney General's office, said lawyers for the state would address appeals on individual cases as they came through the courts.
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TexasStooge
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15% in Dallas ISD fail TAKS test
Dallas fares worse than state; 1,125 in district kept from graduating
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS and KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The number of Dallas seniors who won't graduate this spring because they did not pass the TAKS jumped to 15 percent, an increase from last year and more than the state's average.
Hundreds of seniors from other area districts are in the same predicament. Students can try again on the next go-round in July. But if they don't pass all four parts of the exam, they will be classified for the first time as dropouts – a change this year that could increase the dropout rate for most districts.
In the Dallas school district, 1,125 seniors didn't pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills – up from the 10 percent who failed last year. The district hasn't yet figured out how many would have flunked anyway for not earning credits necessary for graduation.
Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said the district is undergoing an aggressive initiative that will retool academics, examine finances and scrutinize staffing.
"The number of seniors not meeting the passing standards is troubling and an issue that is being addressed," Dr. Hinojosa said in a prepared statement.
'Dropout' classification
Statewide, 11 percent of seniors won't graduate because of their TAKS scores, according to the Texas Education Agency. That number does not include about 12,000 students who were tested but dropped out or left school in their junior or senior years. Including those students would bump the number to 13 percent, or 31,716 students.
This year's seniors had to get a greater percentage of questions right than last year's students to pass. They are also the first seniors to come under a new state definition that classifies them as dropouts – even though they may have passed all the required classes.
"They still have three months to make up their minds," Texas Education Agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said of the students who haven't passed. "Hopefully by the summer administration they can pass the test and become graduates."
But if last year is any indication, the majority of seniors won't immediately return to retake the test. Last year, more than 20,000 Texas seniors didn't graduate with their class because they failed at least one portion of the TAKS. Less than half showed up to retake the exam over the summer. Of those, about 2,700 passed.
The new rule could increase school district dropout rates beginning in 2007, when this year's numbers will show up in accountability reports. The change may not go over well with some school administrators.
"Frankly, I think it's unfair," Arlington Superintendent Mac Bernd said, "because we're willing to continue working with them [the seniors]."
Kayla Bethea, a senior at Lewisville High School, went through tutoring at a private learning center but didn't pass three parts of the TAKS. Her father, Kevin Bethea, said she plans to go to community college without her diploma.
"We're trying to pull up her self-esteem to try to fight this thing," he said. "My daughter has a cap and gown sitting on my coffee table."
The number of seniors failing varied among area districts. It was 5 percent in Garland, 10.6 percent in Fort Worth and 7.7 percent in Duncanville. Highland Park and Southlake Carroll reported no students failing TAKS.
Students must pass all four parts of the exam: English language arts, math, social studies and science. They begin taking the test in the spring of their junior year and have at least five chances to pass before graduation.
Some students have tried multiple times and still haven't passed. They're dreading the next few weeks when their classmates don caps and gowns.
Claudia Goytia, a senior at Irving Nimitz High School, failed the science and math exams.
"I was getting closer and closer every time," she said. "Those tests get you really frustrated. Just thinking about it makes you not pass."
Hispanic students
Assistant principal Rocci Malone broke the news to 17 seniors at The Academy of Irving ISD that their scores weren't high enough to pass. Most who failed at The Academy learned English as a second language. "It's the vocabulary that hurts them," Ms. Malone said. "They are so much further behind the kids who are English speakers outside the school building."
Irving officials say 107 of 825 Hispanic seniors failed one or more parts of the TAKS, but some may not have met other graduation requirements as well.
The Dallas school district also noted that Hispanic students represented more than half of the seniors who did not pass the TAKS. The district plans to bring in more bilingual teachers to help.
Attorneys in California recently argued that their state's test hurt poor minority students attending low-performing schools, particularly students learning English as a second language. A California judge issued a preliminary injunction against the state's math and English exit exam, which is raising questions about whether similar efforts will pop up in other states.
"I hope that it does encourage a lot more discussion in Texas," said lawyer Al Kauffman, who worked for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which brought a similar case against Texas' testing requirement. That case was thrown out in 2000.
Seniors could go straight to community college and never go back for their high school diplomas. But some area universities, such as the University of Texas at Arlington, won't consider these seniors for enrollment – unless they've completed an associate's degree.
For Ms. Goytia, going straight to college isn't an option – she wants her high school diploma.
"It would mean a lot to pass because I would be one of the first ones in my family to actually graduate and receive that diploma," she said, noting that her parents are from Mexico and didn't get schooling beyond the seventh grade.
School districts decide whether these seniors can participate in graduation ceremonies even though they haven't earned their diploma. Districts also have the option of providing the students with certificates of completion, which indicate they had all the other necessary credits to graduate.
Area districts are split on how to handle the students. Duncanville and Arlington allow them to participate in graduation and provide certificates, while others, such as Irving, Dallas and Lancaster, don't.
"The bottom line: If you don't meet that requirement, you don't graduate," said Larry Lewis, superintendent of the Lancaster school district. "You have to earn it."
Ashlee Williams of Dallas retook the TAKS after missing her graduation and passed. But her mother, Angela Martin, said bitter memories of a missed graduation still persist. The cap and gown still hang in her daughter's room in plastic, she said.
"They ought to stop that," Ms. Martin said of schools not allowing students to graduate. "I think it's crazy."
Some students are grappling with what comes next. Do they go to community college? Or retake the test for possibly a sixth time? Some administrators are saddened at the students' predicament.
"You work 13 years to try to get them to this point," said Ms. Malone, the Irving assistant principal. "Is there anything more we could have done? I don't know. We just worked our tails off. I just feel sad for those who won't walk across the stage."
Dallas fares worse than state; 1,125 in district kept from graduating
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS and KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The number of Dallas seniors who won't graduate this spring because they did not pass the TAKS jumped to 15 percent, an increase from last year and more than the state's average.
Hundreds of seniors from other area districts are in the same predicament. Students can try again on the next go-round in July. But if they don't pass all four parts of the exam, they will be classified for the first time as dropouts – a change this year that could increase the dropout rate for most districts.
In the Dallas school district, 1,125 seniors didn't pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills – up from the 10 percent who failed last year. The district hasn't yet figured out how many would have flunked anyway for not earning credits necessary for graduation.
Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said the district is undergoing an aggressive initiative that will retool academics, examine finances and scrutinize staffing.
"The number of seniors not meeting the passing standards is troubling and an issue that is being addressed," Dr. Hinojosa said in a prepared statement.
'Dropout' classification
Statewide, 11 percent of seniors won't graduate because of their TAKS scores, according to the Texas Education Agency. That number does not include about 12,000 students who were tested but dropped out or left school in their junior or senior years. Including those students would bump the number to 13 percent, or 31,716 students.
This year's seniors had to get a greater percentage of questions right than last year's students to pass. They are also the first seniors to come under a new state definition that classifies them as dropouts – even though they may have passed all the required classes.
"They still have three months to make up their minds," Texas Education Agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said of the students who haven't passed. "Hopefully by the summer administration they can pass the test and become graduates."
But if last year is any indication, the majority of seniors won't immediately return to retake the test. Last year, more than 20,000 Texas seniors didn't graduate with their class because they failed at least one portion of the TAKS. Less than half showed up to retake the exam over the summer. Of those, about 2,700 passed.
The new rule could increase school district dropout rates beginning in 2007, when this year's numbers will show up in accountability reports. The change may not go over well with some school administrators.
"Frankly, I think it's unfair," Arlington Superintendent Mac Bernd said, "because we're willing to continue working with them [the seniors]."
Kayla Bethea, a senior at Lewisville High School, went through tutoring at a private learning center but didn't pass three parts of the TAKS. Her father, Kevin Bethea, said she plans to go to community college without her diploma.
"We're trying to pull up her self-esteem to try to fight this thing," he said. "My daughter has a cap and gown sitting on my coffee table."
The number of seniors failing varied among area districts. It was 5 percent in Garland, 10.6 percent in Fort Worth and 7.7 percent in Duncanville. Highland Park and Southlake Carroll reported no students failing TAKS.
Students must pass all four parts of the exam: English language arts, math, social studies and science. They begin taking the test in the spring of their junior year and have at least five chances to pass before graduation.
Some students have tried multiple times and still haven't passed. They're dreading the next few weeks when their classmates don caps and gowns.
Claudia Goytia, a senior at Irving Nimitz High School, failed the science and math exams.
"I was getting closer and closer every time," she said. "Those tests get you really frustrated. Just thinking about it makes you not pass."
Hispanic students
Assistant principal Rocci Malone broke the news to 17 seniors at The Academy of Irving ISD that their scores weren't high enough to pass. Most who failed at The Academy learned English as a second language. "It's the vocabulary that hurts them," Ms. Malone said. "They are so much further behind the kids who are English speakers outside the school building."
Irving officials say 107 of 825 Hispanic seniors failed one or more parts of the TAKS, but some may not have met other graduation requirements as well.
The Dallas school district also noted that Hispanic students represented more than half of the seniors who did not pass the TAKS. The district plans to bring in more bilingual teachers to help.
Attorneys in California recently argued that their state's test hurt poor minority students attending low-performing schools, particularly students learning English as a second language. A California judge issued a preliminary injunction against the state's math and English exit exam, which is raising questions about whether similar efforts will pop up in other states.
"I hope that it does encourage a lot more discussion in Texas," said lawyer Al Kauffman, who worked for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which brought a similar case against Texas' testing requirement. That case was thrown out in 2000.
Seniors could go straight to community college and never go back for their high school diplomas. But some area universities, such as the University of Texas at Arlington, won't consider these seniors for enrollment – unless they've completed an associate's degree.
For Ms. Goytia, going straight to college isn't an option – she wants her high school diploma.
"It would mean a lot to pass because I would be one of the first ones in my family to actually graduate and receive that diploma," she said, noting that her parents are from Mexico and didn't get schooling beyond the seventh grade.
School districts decide whether these seniors can participate in graduation ceremonies even though they haven't earned their diploma. Districts also have the option of providing the students with certificates of completion, which indicate they had all the other necessary credits to graduate.
Area districts are split on how to handle the students. Duncanville and Arlington allow them to participate in graduation and provide certificates, while others, such as Irving, Dallas and Lancaster, don't.
"The bottom line: If you don't meet that requirement, you don't graduate," said Larry Lewis, superintendent of the Lancaster school district. "You have to earn it."
Ashlee Williams of Dallas retook the TAKS after missing her graduation and passed. But her mother, Angela Martin, said bitter memories of a missed graduation still persist. The cap and gown still hang in her daughter's room in plastic, she said.
"They ought to stop that," Ms. Martin said of schools not allowing students to graduate. "I think it's crazy."
Some students are grappling with what comes next. Do they go to community college? Or retake the test for possibly a sixth time? Some administrators are saddened at the students' predicament.
"You work 13 years to try to get them to this point," said Ms. Malone, the Irving assistant principal. "Is there anything more we could have done? I don't know. We just worked our tails off. I just feel sad for those who won't walk across the stage."
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TexasStooge
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Tests rule out two causes of tainted muffins
Dallas: Foul play still suspected in inquiry at Lake Highlands High
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas County health investigators have ruled out two of four food-borne pathogens as the cause of illness among 18 Lake Highlands High employees who ate tainted muffins Tuesday.
Jacqueline M. Bell, spokeswoman for Dallas County Health and Human Services, said Wednesday that tests eliminated E. coli and ricin, a poison that can be made from castor beans.
Results of tests for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes – bacteria found in soil and water – won't be available until today, Ms. Bell said.
Law enforcement and hospital officials, however, said they don't suspect the cause was a natural food-poisoning agent but rather a street or over-the-counter drug such as marijuana or Benadryl.
Investigators and Richardson school officials said a young man in his late teens or early 20s brought the muffins to school, saying he was working on an Eagle Scout project.
'Intentional act'
FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey said Wednesday that interviews, forensic examination of evidence from the school, and information gathered from the hospital all point to the incident being "an intentional act."
She said the agency today may release a photo of the suspect taken from school surveillance videos. It is unclear whether the FBI will release the video.
If the suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, she said.
"We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The Lake Highlands High employees – three teachers, office workers, teachers' aides, parking lot and custodial staff – reported feeling dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous as a result of eating the muffins. They were taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital, where they were treated with intravenous fluids and given various tests.
All but one was released from the hospital Tuesday, and 16 had returned to work Wednesday, Richardson school district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra said.
The only employee to remain in the hospital overnight, 86-year-old switchboard operator Rita Greenfield, was released around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
While the muffin mystery overwhelmed the school, a blown transformer Wednesday morning left students and staff in the dark.
Ms. Guerra said classes were dismissed at 10 a.m. and buses ran their normal routes. Students who weren't able to get home were accommodated at the school until they could be picked up, she said.
"TXU said the power would be restored in four to five hours, so school should resume Thursday as usual," Ms. Guerra said.
Event goes on
The school's annual teacher appreciation breakfast, featuring homemade foods supplied by band boosters, took place as planned Wednesday morning.
Booster club presidents Jerry and Lisa Nagid sent parents an e-mail Tuesday night saying that principal Bob Iden told them the event was needed even more now.
Afterward, Mr. Nagid said well over 100 teachers and staff participated. Mr. Nagid said that they had power long enough to make the coffee but that everything was off by 7:30.
District officials said the muffin tainting was probably an isolated incident, so there's no need to establish policies for handling donated food in the future.
"We reminded all schools to make certain they know the origin of all treats that are brought in for staff consumption and to just be mindful of what they are eating," Ms. Guerra said.
Dallas: Foul play still suspected in inquiry at Lake Highlands High
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas County health investigators have ruled out two of four food-borne pathogens as the cause of illness among 18 Lake Highlands High employees who ate tainted muffins Tuesday.
Jacqueline M. Bell, spokeswoman for Dallas County Health and Human Services, said Wednesday that tests eliminated E. coli and ricin, a poison that can be made from castor beans.
Results of tests for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes – bacteria found in soil and water – won't be available until today, Ms. Bell said.
Law enforcement and hospital officials, however, said they don't suspect the cause was a natural food-poisoning agent but rather a street or over-the-counter drug such as marijuana or Benadryl.
Investigators and Richardson school officials said a young man in his late teens or early 20s brought the muffins to school, saying he was working on an Eagle Scout project.
'Intentional act'
FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey said Wednesday that interviews, forensic examination of evidence from the school, and information gathered from the hospital all point to the incident being "an intentional act."
She said the agency today may release a photo of the suspect taken from school surveillance videos. It is unclear whether the FBI will release the video.
If the suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, she said.
"We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The Lake Highlands High employees – three teachers, office workers, teachers' aides, parking lot and custodial staff – reported feeling dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous as a result of eating the muffins. They were taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital, where they were treated with intravenous fluids and given various tests.
All but one was released from the hospital Tuesday, and 16 had returned to work Wednesday, Richardson school district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra said.
The only employee to remain in the hospital overnight, 86-year-old switchboard operator Rita Greenfield, was released around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
While the muffin mystery overwhelmed the school, a blown transformer Wednesday morning left students and staff in the dark.
Ms. Guerra said classes were dismissed at 10 a.m. and buses ran their normal routes. Students who weren't able to get home were accommodated at the school until they could be picked up, she said.
"TXU said the power would be restored in four to five hours, so school should resume Thursday as usual," Ms. Guerra said.
Event goes on
The school's annual teacher appreciation breakfast, featuring homemade foods supplied by band boosters, took place as planned Wednesday morning.
Booster club presidents Jerry and Lisa Nagid sent parents an e-mail Tuesday night saying that principal Bob Iden told them the event was needed even more now.
Afterward, Mr. Nagid said well over 100 teachers and staff participated. Mr. Nagid said that they had power long enough to make the coffee but that everything was off by 7:30.
District officials said the muffin tainting was probably an isolated incident, so there's no need to establish policies for handling donated food in the future.
"We reminded all schools to make certain they know the origin of all treats that are brought in for staff consumption and to just be mindful of what they are eating," Ms. Guerra said.
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TexasStooge
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Tests rule out two causes of tainted muffins
Dallas: Foul play still suspected in inquiry at Lake Highlands High
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas County health investigators have ruled out two of four food-borne pathogens as the cause of illness among 18 Lake Highlands High employees who ate tainted muffins Tuesday.
Jacqueline M. Bell, spokeswoman for Dallas County Health and Human Services, said Wednesday that tests eliminated E. coli and ricin, a poison that can be made from castor beans.
Results of tests for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes – bacteria found in soil and water – won't be available until today, Ms. Bell said.
Law enforcement and hospital officials, however, said they don't suspect the cause was a natural food-poisoning agent but rather a street or over-the-counter drug such as marijuana or Benadryl.
Investigators and Richardson school officials said a young man in his late teens or early 20s brought the muffins to school, saying he was working on an Eagle Scout project.
'Intentional act'
FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey said Wednesday that interviews, forensic examination of evidence from the school, and information gathered from the hospital all point to the incident being "an intentional act."
She said the agency today may release a photo of the suspect taken from school surveillance videos. It is unclear whether the FBI will release the video.
If the suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, she said.
"We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The Lake Highlands High employees – three teachers, office workers, teachers' aides, parking lot and custodial staff – reported feeling dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous as a result of eating the muffins. They were taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital, where they were treated with intravenous fluids and given various tests.
All but one was released from the hospital Tuesday, and 16 had returned to work Wednesday, Richardson school district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra said.
The only employee to remain in the hospital overnight, 86-year-old switchboard operator Rita Greenfield, was released around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
While the muffin mystery overwhelmed the school, a blown transformer Wednesday morning left students and staff in the dark.
Ms. Guerra said classes were dismissed at 10 a.m. and buses ran their normal routes. Students who weren't able to get home were accommodated at the school until they could be picked up, she said.
"TXU said the power would be restored in four to five hours, so school should resume Thursday as usual," Ms. Guerra said.
Event goes on
The school's annual teacher appreciation breakfast, featuring homemade foods supplied by band boosters, took place as planned Wednesday morning.
Booster club presidents Jerry and Lisa Nagid sent parents an e-mail Tuesday night saying that principal Bob Iden told them the event was needed even more now.
Afterward, Mr. Nagid said well over 100 teachers and staff participated. Mr. Nagid said that they had power long enough to make the coffee but that everything was off by 7:30.
District officials said the muffin tainting was probably an isolated incident, so there's no need to establish policies for handling donated food in the future.
"We reminded all schools to make certain they know the origin of all treats that are brought in for staff consumption and to just be mindful of what they are eating," Ms. Guerra said.
Dallas: Foul play still suspected in inquiry at Lake Highlands High
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas County health investigators have ruled out two of four food-borne pathogens as the cause of illness among 18 Lake Highlands High employees who ate tainted muffins Tuesday.
Jacqueline M. Bell, spokeswoman for Dallas County Health and Human Services, said Wednesday that tests eliminated E. coli and ricin, a poison that can be made from castor beans.
Results of tests for salmonella and listeria monocytogenes – bacteria found in soil and water – won't be available until today, Ms. Bell said.
Law enforcement and hospital officials, however, said they don't suspect the cause was a natural food-poisoning agent but rather a street or over-the-counter drug such as marijuana or Benadryl.
Investigators and Richardson school officials said a young man in his late teens or early 20s brought the muffins to school, saying he was working on an Eagle Scout project.
'Intentional act'
FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey said Wednesday that interviews, forensic examination of evidence from the school, and information gathered from the hospital all point to the incident being "an intentional act."
She said the agency today may release a photo of the suspect taken from school surveillance videos. It is unclear whether the FBI will release the video.
If the suspect is arrested, he could face federal product tampering charges as well as local and state charges, she said.
"We don't take these types of events lightly when people are injured or there's the potential for injury," she said.
The Lake Highlands High employees – three teachers, office workers, teachers' aides, parking lot and custodial staff – reported feeling dizzy, lightheaded and nauseous as a result of eating the muffins. They were taken by ambulance to Presbyterian Hospital, where they were treated with intravenous fluids and given various tests.
All but one was released from the hospital Tuesday, and 16 had returned to work Wednesday, Richardson school district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra said.
The only employee to remain in the hospital overnight, 86-year-old switchboard operator Rita Greenfield, was released around 5 p.m. Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said.
While the muffin mystery overwhelmed the school, a blown transformer Wednesday morning left students and staff in the dark.
Ms. Guerra said classes were dismissed at 10 a.m. and buses ran their normal routes. Students who weren't able to get home were accommodated at the school until they could be picked up, she said.
"TXU said the power would be restored in four to five hours, so school should resume Thursday as usual," Ms. Guerra said.
Event goes on
The school's annual teacher appreciation breakfast, featuring homemade foods supplied by band boosters, took place as planned Wednesday morning.
Booster club presidents Jerry and Lisa Nagid sent parents an e-mail Tuesday night saying that principal Bob Iden told them the event was needed even more now.
Afterward, Mr. Nagid said well over 100 teachers and staff participated. Mr. Nagid said that they had power long enough to make the coffee but that everything was off by 7:30.
District officials said the muffin tainting was probably an isolated incident, so there's no need to establish policies for handling donated food in the future.
"We reminded all schools to make certain they know the origin of all treats that are brought in for staff consumption and to just be mindful of what they are eating," Ms. Guerra said.
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TexasStooge
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4 hurt in Rockwall school bus crash
ROCKWALL, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A school bus ran off a road in a rural part of Rockwall Thursday morning, injuring four students, police said.
The bus was headed southeast in the 5300 block of Horizon Road when it left the roadway and crashed into a wooded area around 7:30 a.m., Rockwall police Lt. Carl Alsabrook said.
Lt. Alsabrook said the accident occurred in an area where road work is under way. He said after the bus made contact with a construction barrier, the driver overcorrected and the bus ran off the road.
The bus, which Lt. Alsabrook said was carrying around 25 students, was damaged in the accident but did not overturn. He said the bus was following a normal route that carried students to Pullen Elementary each morning.
Several parents came to the scene and could be seen talking to law enforcement and emergency personnel.
An official with Rockwall County EMS said two of the children were taken to Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, and two were taken to Children's Medical Center in Dallas.
The patients at Lake Pointe were treated and released, a Rockwall police spokesman said.
A spokeswoman at Children's said the students taken there were expected to be treated for minor injuries and then released.
Early reports that the driver was injured turned out to be false, and none of the students' injuries were said to be life-threatening.
Cliff Payne, who works at an auto repair shop across the street, said he saw the right rear of the bus clip the work barrier on Farm Road 3097, about a mile south of Interstate 30, and watched in horror as the bus slid sideways off the right side of the road and into a grove of trees.
Payne said he started dialing 911 on his cell phone as he ran from his workplace to where the bus stopped. He said many of the children were shaken up and crying when he got there.
Rockwall school district spokeswoman Joy Greenwalt confirmed Payne's account of the accident.
Rockwall is 20 miles east of Dallas and five miles east of Rowlett.
WFAA-TV, The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The bus crashed into a wooded area.
ROCKWALL, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A school bus ran off a road in a rural part of Rockwall Thursday morning, injuring four students, police said.
The bus was headed southeast in the 5300 block of Horizon Road when it left the roadway and crashed into a wooded area around 7:30 a.m., Rockwall police Lt. Carl Alsabrook said.
Lt. Alsabrook said the accident occurred in an area where road work is under way. He said after the bus made contact with a construction barrier, the driver overcorrected and the bus ran off the road.
The bus, which Lt. Alsabrook said was carrying around 25 students, was damaged in the accident but did not overturn. He said the bus was following a normal route that carried students to Pullen Elementary each morning.
Several parents came to the scene and could be seen talking to law enforcement and emergency personnel.
An official with Rockwall County EMS said two of the children were taken to Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, and two were taken to Children's Medical Center in Dallas.
The patients at Lake Pointe were treated and released, a Rockwall police spokesman said.
A spokeswoman at Children's said the students taken there were expected to be treated for minor injuries and then released.
Early reports that the driver was injured turned out to be false, and none of the students' injuries were said to be life-threatening.
Cliff Payne, who works at an auto repair shop across the street, said he saw the right rear of the bus clip the work barrier on Farm Road 3097, about a mile south of Interstate 30, and watched in horror as the bus slid sideways off the right side of the road and into a grove of trees.
Payne said he started dialing 911 on his cell phone as he ran from his workplace to where the bus stopped. He said many of the children were shaken up and crying when he got there.
Rockwall school district spokeswoman Joy Greenwalt confirmed Payne's account of the accident.
Rockwall is 20 miles east of Dallas and five miles east of Rowlett.
WFAA-TV, The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The bus crashed into a wooded area.
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TexasStooge
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Frisco teens say coach fondled them
Female wrestlers say they were groped on bus; feds investigating
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
Two teenage girl wrestlers from Frisco have accused a coach of fondling them on a bus trip back from a national championship tournament in North Dakota, federal and Frisco police officials said Wednesday.
Since the allegation last summer, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office have been looking into the complaint made by the girls, both 16, said Don Ledford, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Kansas City, Mo.
In March, Austin-area wrestling coach Timothy Daniel Morriss, 42, was served with a search warrant requesting DNA to compare with evidence taken from one of the girls' clothing.
Morriss, who has not been arrested or charged, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He is the owner and operator of The Rock Wrestling Club in Leander, just north of Austin.
"Early in the process, it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss the details of the investigation or to speculate when or if charges would be filed," Ledford said. "This is an ongoing investigation. And we are taking these allegations seriously."
Typically, federal investigations are completed before being presented to a grand jury, where indictments are considered, Ledford said.
The case falls within federal jurisdiction because the girls allege they were assaulted on a charter bus on an interstate highway.
In July, about 23 female wrestlers from across the state gathered in Frisco for three days of practice, according to the search warrant affidavit.
The high school juniors and seniors qualified to become members of the Team Texas delegation of Texas USA Wrestling by finishing high at the private club state competition. The team is not affiliated with any schools.
While in Frisco, three coaches – Chuck Brown, Chris Scroggins and Morriss – worked with the girls, the affidavit said. They left Frisco for the national competition in Fargo, N.D., on July 26 in a charter bus with a chaperone, and returned to Frisco four days later.
The two girls, who are not being named because of their ages and The Dallas Morning News' policy not to name alleged victims of sexual crimes, told officials that Morriss sat between them and placed a sleeping bag over their laps.
Both girls said he massaged their stomachs and fondled them under their clothes throughout the night. The girl sitting closest to the aisle moved to another seat, according to the affidavit.
The other girl was "crammed in her bus seat between Morriss and the window," according to the affidavit. She told officials that he continued touching her under the sleeping bag and forced her to touch him, the affidavit said.
At one point during the 1,200-mile bus trip, the girl said, Morriss told her to go to the bathroom to wash up and then she found another seat. After they arrived in Frisco and reported the incident to the Frisco Police Department, one girl gave her clothes to officials, according to the affidavit.
Morriss is no longer involved with Texas USA Wrestling, association officials said in a written statement.
"Texas USA Wrestling is first and foremost concerned with the safety and well-being of all participants," the statement said.
"The Executive Board unanimously decided that due to the nature of the allegation and public information that was made available ... to place Coach Morriss on administrative leave and revoke his USA Coach's Card. Coach Morriss has voluntarily agreed not to attend the upcoming State Tournament."
Officials with Texas USA Wrestling did not return telephone calls seeking comment Wednesday. It is not clear whether they require criminal background checks for coaches.
Frisco High School wrestling coach Mike Eaton also works with wrestlers in a club team in the off-season and coaches girls who competed in that national championship, he said.
Eaton said he does not know how the coaches for that trip were selected or whether they require criminal background checks.
As school district employees, he and his coaches have already undergone background checks. But none of them were on the bus, he said.
Staff writer Jennifer Emily contributed to this report.
Female wrestlers say they were groped on bus; feds investigating
By TIARA M. ELLIS / The Dallas Morning News
Two teenage girl wrestlers from Frisco have accused a coach of fondling them on a bus trip back from a national championship tournament in North Dakota, federal and Frisco police officials said Wednesday.
Since the allegation last summer, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office have been looking into the complaint made by the girls, both 16, said Don Ledford, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Kansas City, Mo.
In March, Austin-area wrestling coach Timothy Daniel Morriss, 42, was served with a search warrant requesting DNA to compare with evidence taken from one of the girls' clothing.
Morriss, who has not been arrested or charged, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. He is the owner and operator of The Rock Wrestling Club in Leander, just north of Austin.
"Early in the process, it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss the details of the investigation or to speculate when or if charges would be filed," Ledford said. "This is an ongoing investigation. And we are taking these allegations seriously."
Typically, federal investigations are completed before being presented to a grand jury, where indictments are considered, Ledford said.
The case falls within federal jurisdiction because the girls allege they were assaulted on a charter bus on an interstate highway.
In July, about 23 female wrestlers from across the state gathered in Frisco for three days of practice, according to the search warrant affidavit.
The high school juniors and seniors qualified to become members of the Team Texas delegation of Texas USA Wrestling by finishing high at the private club state competition. The team is not affiliated with any schools.
While in Frisco, three coaches – Chuck Brown, Chris Scroggins and Morriss – worked with the girls, the affidavit said. They left Frisco for the national competition in Fargo, N.D., on July 26 in a charter bus with a chaperone, and returned to Frisco four days later.
The two girls, who are not being named because of their ages and The Dallas Morning News' policy not to name alleged victims of sexual crimes, told officials that Morriss sat between them and placed a sleeping bag over their laps.
Both girls said he massaged their stomachs and fondled them under their clothes throughout the night. The girl sitting closest to the aisle moved to another seat, according to the affidavit.
The other girl was "crammed in her bus seat between Morriss and the window," according to the affidavit. She told officials that he continued touching her under the sleeping bag and forced her to touch him, the affidavit said.
At one point during the 1,200-mile bus trip, the girl said, Morriss told her to go to the bathroom to wash up and then she found another seat. After they arrived in Frisco and reported the incident to the Frisco Police Department, one girl gave her clothes to officials, according to the affidavit.
Morriss is no longer involved with Texas USA Wrestling, association officials said in a written statement.
"Texas USA Wrestling is first and foremost concerned with the safety and well-being of all participants," the statement said.
"The Executive Board unanimously decided that due to the nature of the allegation and public information that was made available ... to place Coach Morriss on administrative leave and revoke his USA Coach's Card. Coach Morriss has voluntarily agreed not to attend the upcoming State Tournament."
Officials with Texas USA Wrestling did not return telephone calls seeking comment Wednesday. It is not clear whether they require criminal background checks for coaches.
Frisco High School wrestling coach Mike Eaton also works with wrestlers in a club team in the off-season and coaches girls who competed in that national championship, he said.
Eaton said he does not know how the coaches for that trip were selected or whether they require criminal background checks.
As school district employees, he and his coaches have already undergone background checks. But none of them were on the bus, he said.
Staff writer Jennifer Emily contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Intruder assaults child in Mansfield home
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
MANSFIELD, Texas — Mansfield police are looking for a suspect in the assault of a nine-year-old girl.
Officials said the child was attacked just before 4 a.m. Wednesday inside her house at the Thousand Oaks mobile home community on Cardinal Road.
The girl screamed out, but the suspect fled before the child's mother could come to her aid.
Police said the victim could provide only a vague description of her attacker, who was a white man.
Investigators said the assault on Mansfield's north side was similar to a home invasion on the city's south side last month in which another little girl was attacked.
The FBI and the Texas Rangers are helping with the investigation. Mansfield police used bloodhounds in a search for clues.
Police issued flyers warning area residents of the assault. They also used computers to send a recorded telephone alert to neighbors.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
MANSFIELD, Texas — Mansfield police are looking for a suspect in the assault of a nine-year-old girl.
Officials said the child was attacked just before 4 a.m. Wednesday inside her house at the Thousand Oaks mobile home community on Cardinal Road.
The girl screamed out, but the suspect fled before the child's mother could come to her aid.
Police said the victim could provide only a vague description of her attacker, who was a white man.
Investigators said the assault on Mansfield's north side was similar to a home invasion on the city's south side last month in which another little girl was attacked.
The FBI and the Texas Rangers are helping with the investigation. Mansfield police used bloodhounds in a search for clues.
Police issued flyers warning area residents of the assault. They also used computers to send a recorded telephone alert to neighbors.
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TexasStooge
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Allen residents angered at rat infestation
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
ALLEN, Texas — Rats have invaded an Allen neighborhood, leaving many residents scared to be outdoors and some homeowners demanding action by the city.
Amy Wallace said recently she found rats in her grill and inside her doghouse.
"I could sit here and trap rats all day, and they keep coming," she said.
A home daycare owner, Wallace said she can't let children outside because of the rat danger.
"[I] fear that they could be rabid, since we had a rabid skunk a few months ago," she said.
She and some of her neighbors said the city wants them to pay a fee for a cage to trap the vermin.
"They're charging $40 for rental fees for a trap that should be given to homeowners if they're having infestation problems," Wallace said.
Jim Devitt said rats have chewed on his trees and on his house where that have taken up residence in his attic.
"You can see where rats are chewing on the bark itself," he said.
According to animal control, when there's an infestation, city health officials will come out to access the situation. Animal control said new construction and drought have driven rats to seek out new homes for water and food.
But Wallace said she is not concerned about the rats' plight as much as she is worried about the children under her care.
"I went out yesterday for the first time in several week and there were the rats again," she said.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
ALLEN, Texas — Rats have invaded an Allen neighborhood, leaving many residents scared to be outdoors and some homeowners demanding action by the city.
Amy Wallace said recently she found rats in her grill and inside her doghouse.
"I could sit here and trap rats all day, and they keep coming," she said.
A home daycare owner, Wallace said she can't let children outside because of the rat danger.
"[I] fear that they could be rabid, since we had a rabid skunk a few months ago," she said.
She and some of her neighbors said the city wants them to pay a fee for a cage to trap the vermin.
"They're charging $40 for rental fees for a trap that should be given to homeowners if they're having infestation problems," Wallace said.
Jim Devitt said rats have chewed on his trees and on his house where that have taken up residence in his attic.
"You can see where rats are chewing on the bark itself," he said.
According to animal control, when there's an infestation, city health officials will come out to access the situation. Animal control said new construction and drought have driven rats to seek out new homes for water and food.
But Wallace said she is not concerned about the rats' plight as much as she is worried about the children under her care.
"I went out yesterday for the first time in several week and there were the rats again," she said.
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TexasStooge
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BREAKING NEWS
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas police are chasing a suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer. The chase has gone through Dallas, Grand Prairie, Arlington and is now in Fort Worth.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
• Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
• LIVE VIDEO: Watch the chase
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Dallas police are chasing a suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer. The chase has gone through Dallas, Grand Prairie, Arlington and is now in Fort Worth.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
• Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
• LIVE VIDEO: Watch the chase
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TexasStooge
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Intruder assaults child in Mansfield home
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
MANSFIELD, Texas — Mansfield police are looking for a suspect in the assault of a nine-year-old girl.
Officials said the child was attacked just before 4 a.m. Wednesday inside her house at the Thousand Oaks mobile home community on Cardinal Road.
The girl screamed out, but the suspect fled before the child's mother could come to her aid.
Police said they were questioning the victim to obtain a description that could be used to develop a sketch of the suspect, who was described only as a six-foot-tall white man.
Investigators said the assault on Mansfield's north side was similar to a home invasion on the city's south side last month in which another little girl was attacked.
The FBI and the Texas Rangers are helping with the investigation. Mansfield police used bloodhounds in a search for clues.
Police issued flyers alerting area residents to the assault. They also used computers to send a recorded telephone message to neighbors.
Police urged residents to use a secondary latch device on all windows and heavy-duty latch plates on doors.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
MANSFIELD, Texas — Mansfield police are looking for a suspect in the assault of a nine-year-old girl.
Officials said the child was attacked just before 4 a.m. Wednesday inside her house at the Thousand Oaks mobile home community on Cardinal Road.
The girl screamed out, but the suspect fled before the child's mother could come to her aid.
Police said they were questioning the victim to obtain a description that could be used to develop a sketch of the suspect, who was described only as a six-foot-tall white man.
Investigators said the assault on Mansfield's north side was similar to a home invasion on the city's south side last month in which another little girl was attacked.
The FBI and the Texas Rangers are helping with the investigation. Mansfield police used bloodhounds in a search for clues.
Police issued flyers alerting area residents to the assault. They also used computers to send a recorded telephone message to neighbors.
Police urged residents to use a secondary latch device on all windows and heavy-duty latch plates on doors.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
BREAKING NEWS: Police chase suspect from Dallas to Fort Worth
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police are pursuing a suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer.
The chase has gone through Dallas, Grand Prairie, Arlington and is now in Fort Worth.
The suspect, Robert Rivera, is wanted on felony drug charges.
At one point, the black truck lost a tire. The trailer can be seen swerving precariously from side-to-side.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
• Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
• LIVE VIDEO: Watch the chase
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police are pursuing a suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer.
The chase has gone through Dallas, Grand Prairie, Arlington and is now in Fort Worth.
The suspect, Robert Rivera, is wanted on felony drug charges.
At one point, the black truck lost a tire. The trailer can be seen swerving precariously from side-to-side.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
• Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
• LIVE VIDEO: Watch the chase
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TexasStooge
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Homeless encampments under I-45 razed
Social workers offered treament services prior to sweep
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Texas Department of Transportation crews razed dozens of cardboard shacks and tents at two large homeless encampments under Interstate 45 early Thursday.
But for the first time, social workers blanketed the area before the bulldozers arrived to ask people to go into mental health and drug and alcohol treatment programs on the spot. Many refused, packed as much as they could into plastic bags and walked away.
Ten people piled into cars and vans to be transported immediately to recovery programs. Several others did not want help immediately but made appointments to visit caseworkers at the Day Resource Center. Officials estimate about 180 people lived at the two camps, but many were gone before the officials arrived at 7 a.m. They had been warned of the sweep on Wednesday.
The effort to bring homeless people into treatment was part of a new city strategy to address homeless encampments, which have grown larger under freeways in recent months. In the past, city police conducted sweeps and arrested anyone with outstanding warrants. After the camps were cleared, the homeless returned.
Today, the city’s Crisis Intervention Unit conducted the action and focused on offering treatment instead of punishment.
“The good thing is, nobody got a ticket and nobody went to jail,” said Ron Cowart, assistant manager of the crisis unit.
Transportation crews planned to install a fence at one camp and fix a broken gate at the other to deter people from returning. But if the homeless set up camp again, city officials said they will be back to offer treatment and clear the camp as often as necessary.
Social workers offered treament services prior to sweep
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Texas Department of Transportation crews razed dozens of cardboard shacks and tents at two large homeless encampments under Interstate 45 early Thursday.
But for the first time, social workers blanketed the area before the bulldozers arrived to ask people to go into mental health and drug and alcohol treatment programs on the spot. Many refused, packed as much as they could into plastic bags and walked away.
Ten people piled into cars and vans to be transported immediately to recovery programs. Several others did not want help immediately but made appointments to visit caseworkers at the Day Resource Center. Officials estimate about 180 people lived at the two camps, but many were gone before the officials arrived at 7 a.m. They had been warned of the sweep on Wednesday.
The effort to bring homeless people into treatment was part of a new city strategy to address homeless encampments, which have grown larger under freeways in recent months. In the past, city police conducted sweeps and arrested anyone with outstanding warrants. After the camps were cleared, the homeless returned.
Today, the city’s Crisis Intervention Unit conducted the action and focused on offering treatment instead of punishment.
“The good thing is, nobody got a ticket and nobody went to jail,” said Ron Cowart, assistant manager of the crisis unit.
Transportation crews planned to install a fence at one camp and fix a broken gate at the other to deter people from returning. But if the homeless set up camp again, city officials said they will be back to offer treatment and clear the camp as often as necessary.
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TexasStooge
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BREAKING NEWS: Police chase suspect from Dallas to Fort Worth (Updated)
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer has been detained, after leading police on a chase which has gone from Dallas to Fort Worth.
The suspect, Robert Rivera, is wanted on felony drug charges. He appears to have a broken leg.
The chase went through Dallas, Grand Prairie and Arlington before reaching Fort Worth.
At one point, the black truck lost a tire. The trailer could be seen swerving precariously from side-to-side.
The truck came to a stop after losing a wheel.
The suspect was seen being led away by police.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
• Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
• LIVE VIDEO
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A suspect driving a stolen truck and trailer has been detained, after leading police on a chase which has gone from Dallas to Fort Worth.
The suspect, Robert Rivera, is wanted on felony drug charges. He appears to have a broken leg.
The chase went through Dallas, Grand Prairie and Arlington before reaching Fort Worth.
At one point, the black truck lost a tire. The trailer could be seen swerving precariously from side-to-side.
The truck came to a stop after losing a wheel.
The suspect was seen being led away by police.
_____________________________________________________________
ALSO ONLINE:
• Real-time Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
• LIVE VIDEO
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TexasStooge
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4 hurt in Rockwall school bus crash
ROCKWALL, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A school bus ran off a road in a rural part of Rockwall Thursday morning, injuring four students, police said.
The bus was headed southeast in the 5300 block of Horizon Road when it left the roadway and crashed into a wooded area around 7:30 a.m., Rockwall police Lt. Carl Alsabrook said.
Lt. Alsabrook said the accident occurred in an area where road work is under way. He said after the bus made contact with a construction barrier, the driver overcorrected and the bus ran off the road.
"We hit one bump. We thought it was just one bump and then we kept going and then everyone started falling out of their seats," said injured student Mary Fields.
The bus, which Lt. Alsabrook said was carrying around 25 students, was damaged in the accident but did not overturn. He said the bus was following a normal route that carried students to Pullen Elementary each morning.
Several parents came to the scene and could be seen talking to law enforcement and emergency personnel.
An official with Rockwall County EMS said two of the children were taken to Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, and two were taken to Children's Medical Center in Dallas.
The patients at Lake Pointe were treated and released, a Rockwall police spokesman said.
The students, aged 9 and 12, at Children's are listed in a good condition.
Early reports that the driver was injured turned out to be false.
Cliff Payne, who works at an auto repair shop across the street, said he saw the right rear of the bus clip the work barrier on Farm Road 3097, about a mile south of Interstate 30, and watched in horror as the bus slid sideways off the right side of the road and into a grove of trees.
Payne said he started dialing 911 on his cell phone as he ran from his workplace to where the bus stopped. He said many of the children were shaken up and crying when he got there.
Rockwall school district spokeswoman Joy Greenwalt confirmed Payne's account of the accident.
Several parents have said they want the school district to improve bus safety.
"I don't think they've ever been down here between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. - it's a mad house," said Jim Wilson.
"This isn't very shocking because of the way bus drivers drive around here," said Bernadette Reding. "The speed limit is 25 but they go above that with kids on the bus."
WFAA-TV, The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The bus crashed into a wooded area.
ROCKWALL, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A school bus ran off a road in a rural part of Rockwall Thursday morning, injuring four students, police said.
The bus was headed southeast in the 5300 block of Horizon Road when it left the roadway and crashed into a wooded area around 7:30 a.m., Rockwall police Lt. Carl Alsabrook said.
Lt. Alsabrook said the accident occurred in an area where road work is under way. He said after the bus made contact with a construction barrier, the driver overcorrected and the bus ran off the road.
"We hit one bump. We thought it was just one bump and then we kept going and then everyone started falling out of their seats," said injured student Mary Fields.
The bus, which Lt. Alsabrook said was carrying around 25 students, was damaged in the accident but did not overturn. He said the bus was following a normal route that carried students to Pullen Elementary each morning.
Several parents came to the scene and could be seen talking to law enforcement and emergency personnel.
An official with Rockwall County EMS said two of the children were taken to Lake Pointe Medical Center in Rowlett, and two were taken to Children's Medical Center in Dallas.
The patients at Lake Pointe were treated and released, a Rockwall police spokesman said.
The students, aged 9 and 12, at Children's are listed in a good condition.
Early reports that the driver was injured turned out to be false.
Cliff Payne, who works at an auto repair shop across the street, said he saw the right rear of the bus clip the work barrier on Farm Road 3097, about a mile south of Interstate 30, and watched in horror as the bus slid sideways off the right side of the road and into a grove of trees.
Payne said he started dialing 911 on his cell phone as he ran from his workplace to where the bus stopped. He said many of the children were shaken up and crying when he got there.
Rockwall school district spokeswoman Joy Greenwalt confirmed Payne's account of the accident.
Several parents have said they want the school district to improve bus safety.
"I don't think they've ever been down here between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. - it's a mad house," said Jim Wilson.
"This isn't very shocking because of the way bus drivers drive around here," said Bernadette Reding. "The speed limit is 25 but they go above that with kids on the bus."
WFAA-TV, The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The bus crashed into a wooded area.
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TexasStooge
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Man accused in wife's murder dies
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - James Roberson, the terminally ill man charged with killing his partially paralyzed wife on April 25, died Thursday in Dallas.
Mary Roberson, his wife of 60 years, was dependent on her husband for care since she had a stroke in 1991 and another last year.
She was found dead of gunshot wounds in the bed of the couple’s Oak Cliff home. The 83-year old Mr. Roberson left a note stating he also planned to kill himself as well, but couldn't.
"The gun jammed," his daughter Sally said. "It was a handgun. I didn't even know there was a gun in the house."
Mrs. Roberson had been dependent on her husband after she suffered a series of strokes that left her right side partially paralyzed. Police say Mr. Roberson, who has brain and lung cancer, killed his wife because he feared she would wind up in a nursing home upon his death.
A neighbor who has known the Robersons for almost 50 years said, "He couldn't have been better to Mary, or more caring or more loving," she said. "You looked at them and thought, 'That's so marvelous. That's love. That's the way it's supposed to be.'"
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - James Roberson, the terminally ill man charged with killing his partially paralyzed wife on April 25, died Thursday in Dallas.
Mary Roberson, his wife of 60 years, was dependent on her husband for care since she had a stroke in 1991 and another last year.
She was found dead of gunshot wounds in the bed of the couple’s Oak Cliff home. The 83-year old Mr. Roberson left a note stating he also planned to kill himself as well, but couldn't.
"The gun jammed," his daughter Sally said. "It was a handgun. I didn't even know there was a gun in the house."
Mrs. Roberson had been dependent on her husband after she suffered a series of strokes that left her right side partially paralyzed. Police say Mr. Roberson, who has brain and lung cancer, killed his wife because he feared she would wind up in a nursing home upon his death.
A neighbor who has known the Robersons for almost 50 years said, "He couldn't have been better to Mary, or more caring or more loving," she said. "You looked at them and thought, 'That's so marvelous. That's love. That's the way it's supposed to be.'"
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TexasStooge
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Gator spotted in Lewisville Lake
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
LITTLE ELM, Texas — Cheryl Bishop finds fun activities for her two-year-old daughter Elizabeth far away from the shores of Lewisville Lake, which backs up to her home.
The family moved to the lake for peace and tranquility. Now they are spending days worrying about their safety. "I will not let her run around out there," Bishop said.
That's because last Saturday, her family spotted a large alligator floating 10 feet from their backyard.
"I wouldn't want somebody's kid down there to get bit," said Rick Bishop, Elizabeth's father. "I would just like them to capture him and take him somewhere."
Alligators have been making headlines in Florida, where there have been three fatal attacks reported just this month.
Days after the Bishops' sighting, they heard gunshots near the same location at the lake. They suspect frustrated lake residents may have tried to take matters into their own hands.
Cheryl Bishop does have some compassion for her reptilian neighbor. "I don't want to see him killed," she said. "And I also don't want to have people shooting guns off in my backyard."
The Bishops said the alligator appeared to be about 10 feet long. Game wardens said there have been no attacks, but all sightings are reported to a state response team.
Because this time of year is mating season for gators, more sightings are expected.
Two years ago, News 8 photojournalist Timb Hamilton documented at least one gator in Lewisville Lake.
"I'm sure there's more in the lake than just one," Cheryl Bishop said.
Game wardens told News 8 that area waterways are a natural habitat for alligators. The creatures have been here for years.
Unless alligators are coming up on shore or posing an immediate threat or danger, officials say it's unlikely that they will try to capture them.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
LITTLE ELM, Texas — Cheryl Bishop finds fun activities for her two-year-old daughter Elizabeth far away from the shores of Lewisville Lake, which backs up to her home.
The family moved to the lake for peace and tranquility. Now they are spending days worrying about their safety. "I will not let her run around out there," Bishop said.
That's because last Saturday, her family spotted a large alligator floating 10 feet from their backyard.
"I wouldn't want somebody's kid down there to get bit," said Rick Bishop, Elizabeth's father. "I would just like them to capture him and take him somewhere."
Alligators have been making headlines in Florida, where there have been three fatal attacks reported just this month.
Days after the Bishops' sighting, they heard gunshots near the same location at the lake. They suspect frustrated lake residents may have tried to take matters into their own hands.
Cheryl Bishop does have some compassion for her reptilian neighbor. "I don't want to see him killed," she said. "And I also don't want to have people shooting guns off in my backyard."
The Bishops said the alligator appeared to be about 10 feet long. Game wardens said there have been no attacks, but all sightings are reported to a state response team.
Because this time of year is mating season for gators, more sightings are expected.
Two years ago, News 8 photojournalist Timb Hamilton documented at least one gator in Lewisville Lake.
"I'm sure there's more in the lake than just one," Cheryl Bishop said.
Game wardens told News 8 that area waterways are a natural habitat for alligators. The creatures have been here for years.
Unless alligators are coming up on shore or posing an immediate threat or danger, officials say it's unlikely that they will try to capture them.
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TexasStooge
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Building inspectors: Who's the boss?
By BYRON HARRIS / News 8 Investigates (WFAA ABC 8)
Last year, there were nearly 18,000 housing starts in Texas. The state is building an equivalent of one brand new Colleyville every year.
The quality of those new homes is overseen by building inspectors.
But there are serious questions over how good a job some of them are doing.
Building inspectors are really construction police. They watch a house go up from foundation to rooftop. At least that's what buyers assume.
But that may not be the case in Wylie. In more than a dozen North Texas cities, building inspectors can actually be on the contractor's payroll.
Buyers generally bet their life savings on a building inspector. Randy Moore says that in Wylie, that can be a bad bet.
"They wanted me to pass the inspection whether it was right or wrong," he says.
Moore was a Wylie building inspector for nearly two years, working, he thought as a public servant.
"I worked for the citizens and it was my job to look out for their best interest."
Moore says he did his job by the book. He devised a tool for measuring foundation, checked electrical circuits as he was supposed to, even though some of his colleagues, he says, didn't bother. He also red-tagged work that didn't measure up.
But he says he soon found himself in trouble.
"I've been told on more than one occasion to quit writing so many red tags, that contractors were complaining about me."
Every month, more than 100 homes are under construction in Wylie.
The white pickups of building inspectors buzz from site to site, sometimes making as many as 40 stops a day.
Without their approval a big money business slows down. With their approval, the home assembly line keeps moving.
A typical house may be built in 90 days. Some companies pay construction foreman bonuses if a house is finished in less than 90 days.
In that environment, Moore says he was pressured to overlook mistakes and shut up.
"I was told that if an inspection hadn't passed the second time it needed to just move on down the road."
Soon Moore moved on down the road. He quit. On principal he sued the City of Wylie. The city won't comment about his complaints of poor inspections because of that lawsuit.
As founder of Homeowners for Better Building, Janet Ahmad gets dozens of complaints about shoddy new homes every year. She's concerned not only about Wylie, but about a statewide trend that allows builders in some cities to hire their own inspectors.
"The law is for sale when it comes to building homes," she says.
"This is law enforcement and they are making a buddy system out of it. And the best case scenario is 'I promise I did it right.'"
Fort Worth officials would say their inspections are far from a buddy system. But it is the largest of more than a dozen North Texas cities where contractors can hire their own certified inspectors.
Fort Worth has grown by nearly one fifth since 2000, and the program began to alleviate a shortage of city inspectors.
In Fort Worth last month, 39 per cent of inspections were made by private inspectors. City policy dictates that one of every ten of those is double-checked by a city inspector, and development director Bill Riley says discrepancies are rare.
"I don't think there's a marginal difference between city inspectors or third parties in noting corrections that need to be made."
Ahmad says only a city can do a proper inspection.
"If we had municipalities that announced that they were going to pull the traffic enforcement officers off the streets for a week, imagine the chaos that would result because they don't have an incentive to drive correctly."
Cities say contractors build well to protect their reputation. Randy Moore says that many housing flaws don't show up until the contractor is long gone. His case goes to court in August.
By BYRON HARRIS / News 8 Investigates (WFAA ABC 8)
Last year, there were nearly 18,000 housing starts in Texas. The state is building an equivalent of one brand new Colleyville every year.
The quality of those new homes is overseen by building inspectors.
But there are serious questions over how good a job some of them are doing.
Building inspectors are really construction police. They watch a house go up from foundation to rooftop. At least that's what buyers assume.
But that may not be the case in Wylie. In more than a dozen North Texas cities, building inspectors can actually be on the contractor's payroll.
Buyers generally bet their life savings on a building inspector. Randy Moore says that in Wylie, that can be a bad bet.
"They wanted me to pass the inspection whether it was right or wrong," he says.
Moore was a Wylie building inspector for nearly two years, working, he thought as a public servant.
"I worked for the citizens and it was my job to look out for their best interest."
Moore says he did his job by the book. He devised a tool for measuring foundation, checked electrical circuits as he was supposed to, even though some of his colleagues, he says, didn't bother. He also red-tagged work that didn't measure up.
But he says he soon found himself in trouble.
"I've been told on more than one occasion to quit writing so many red tags, that contractors were complaining about me."
Every month, more than 100 homes are under construction in Wylie.
The white pickups of building inspectors buzz from site to site, sometimes making as many as 40 stops a day.
Without their approval a big money business slows down. With their approval, the home assembly line keeps moving.
A typical house may be built in 90 days. Some companies pay construction foreman bonuses if a house is finished in less than 90 days.
In that environment, Moore says he was pressured to overlook mistakes and shut up.
"I was told that if an inspection hadn't passed the second time it needed to just move on down the road."
Soon Moore moved on down the road. He quit. On principal he sued the City of Wylie. The city won't comment about his complaints of poor inspections because of that lawsuit.
As founder of Homeowners for Better Building, Janet Ahmad gets dozens of complaints about shoddy new homes every year. She's concerned not only about Wylie, but about a statewide trend that allows builders in some cities to hire their own inspectors.
"The law is for sale when it comes to building homes," she says.
"This is law enforcement and they are making a buddy system out of it. And the best case scenario is 'I promise I did it right.'"
Fort Worth officials would say their inspections are far from a buddy system. But it is the largest of more than a dozen North Texas cities where contractors can hire their own certified inspectors.
Fort Worth has grown by nearly one fifth since 2000, and the program began to alleviate a shortage of city inspectors.
In Fort Worth last month, 39 per cent of inspections were made by private inspectors. City policy dictates that one of every ten of those is double-checked by a city inspector, and development director Bill Riley says discrepancies are rare.
"I don't think there's a marginal difference between city inspectors or third parties in noting corrections that need to be made."
Ahmad says only a city can do a proper inspection.
"If we had municipalities that announced that they were going to pull the traffic enforcement officers off the streets for a week, imagine the chaos that would result because they don't have an incentive to drive correctly."
Cities say contractors build well to protect their reputation. Randy Moore says that many housing flaws don't show up until the contractor is long gone. His case goes to court in August.
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TexasStooge
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Plans for Talty concrete plant raise concerns
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
TERRELL, Texas - Preston Wallis moved just outside the Kaufman County town of Talty to enjoy country living but fears that could go up in concrete dust.
"They're going to have lights on all the time. You're going to have all these big old concrete trucks banging up and down the roads. It's just ridiculous," he said.
Transit Mix, a concrete company, wants to build a mixing plant next to Wallis' neighborhood.
The site is also less than a mile from the Talty city limits, where homeowners raise questions about concrete powder.
"The direction of the breeze will bring it straight into our community," said Michael Robert, a homeowner.
But homebuilders need concrete to meet the demand for new homes and Transit Mix wants to sell it to them.
Not only are nearby homeowners concerned about the immediate impact on them but so is the property owner just across the road on the future effect.
Mary Ann Layden hoped Talty would annex the land her family's owned for 100 years for building homes.
"It smashes them, all our hopes and dreams," she says.
Transit Mix needs an air permit from the state and told News 8 that when a decision was made to construct a plant in Talty, they carefully followed all regulations regarding community notification.
But opponents say they didn't know because Transit Mix erected just one sign on the site, when the law requires at least three.
"We don't feel like we were given an opportunity to know the development was happening and to give input," said Allison Weaver, a former Talty mayor.
They want another chance to oppose the permit, to stop the plant and keep the country living they know.
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
TERRELL, Texas - Preston Wallis moved just outside the Kaufman County town of Talty to enjoy country living but fears that could go up in concrete dust.
"They're going to have lights on all the time. You're going to have all these big old concrete trucks banging up and down the roads. It's just ridiculous," he said.
Transit Mix, a concrete company, wants to build a mixing plant next to Wallis' neighborhood.
The site is also less than a mile from the Talty city limits, where homeowners raise questions about concrete powder.
"The direction of the breeze will bring it straight into our community," said Michael Robert, a homeowner.
But homebuilders need concrete to meet the demand for new homes and Transit Mix wants to sell it to them.
Not only are nearby homeowners concerned about the immediate impact on them but so is the property owner just across the road on the future effect.
Mary Ann Layden hoped Talty would annex the land her family's owned for 100 years for building homes.
"It smashes them, all our hopes and dreams," she says.
Transit Mix needs an air permit from the state and told News 8 that when a decision was made to construct a plant in Talty, they carefully followed all regulations regarding community notification.
But opponents say they didn't know because Transit Mix erected just one sign on the site, when the law requires at least three.
"We don't feel like we were given an opportunity to know the development was happening and to give input," said Allison Weaver, a former Talty mayor.
They want another chance to oppose the permit, to stop the plant and keep the country living they know.
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