Analysis suggests cheating on TAKS
TEA consultant cites suspicious scores in 1 in 12 Texas schools in '05
By JOSHUA BENTON / The Dallas Morning News
About one in 12 Texas schools had unusual TAKS results that suggest cheating occurred last year, according to a consultant hired by the Texas Education Agency.
The consultant, a Utah test security firm named Caveon, was hired after a Dallas Morning News series found suspicious scores in nearly 400 schools statewide, based on 2003 and 2004 testing results.
Caveon's analysis, using 2005 TAKS results, found even more: 609 schools, or 8.6 percent of the state's campuses.
But state officials say even those numbers are not a sign of cheating in Texas schools.
"Given the size of this program and the size of this state, yes, we had 600 campuses identified," said Gloria Zyskowski, TEA's director of test administration. "But we have over 5,000 campuses where the test was administered.
"While we take very seriously any allegations of cheating – we don't take any of that lightly – I believe that for the most part these tests are being administered according to the guidelines provided by the state."
The report, obtained using the Texas open records act, reopens a debate about the validity of results on the state's top test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. TEA has traditionally left investigations into allegations of cheating to the districts, and few teachers or students are ever disciplined for wrongdoing.
Caveon's report, like The News' analysis, is based on an extended statistical analysis of student answer sheets. For example, it would flag a classroom where every student answered all the test's questions in exactly the same way, or a classroom where very weak students made seemingly impossible gains in one year.
It would also catch classrooms in which an adult erased a large number of student answers after the test was completed.
The analysis found "statistical inconsistencies" in 609 of the 7,112 Texas public schools where testing was conducted last year. In many of those schools, only one classroom was found to have suspicious activity; in all, 702 classrooms statewide were identified.
Caveon's report emphasizes that the statistical measures are not, by themselves, proof of cheating. In some cases, there may be another explanation for the unusual data patterns.
But the report says Caveon used "a very conservative statistical approach" that means "reasonable explanations of these inconsistencies by referring to normal circumstances become improbable."
TEA does not plan to investigate each of the 609 campuses identified, and Dr. Zyskowski said the agency may not even release their names to school districts. "You want to be pretty cautious about releasing something like that," she said. "As soon as something like that is posted, you have to be very cautious that it is as accurate as it can be."
Instead, agency officials will compare the list with incident reports from 2005. Those reports are generated whenever an educator witnesses something improper during testing at his or her school. If no such report exists for a school on the Caveon list, Dr. Zyskowski said, it's unlikely there would be any further investigation.
Self-investigation
If further investigation is warranted, TEA typically asks districts to investigate themselves. Dr. Zyskowski said the agency does not have the resources to look into many allegations of cheating.
"That's sort of why we tend to be a little judicious, because we are limited in our resources," she said. "So we can only look at a certain number of issues, and we try to look at those that appear to be most serious."
The Caveon report also recommended increasing the number of staffers who monitor the testing process in suspicious schools. But Dr. Zyskowski said TEA does not have the staff to do that; additional personnel would have to come from school districts.
She defended the state testing system as fundamentally sound. State and federal government school accountability systems are based on test scores, which are a major driver of nearly everything in Texas public schools. "I really think that overall that it's not as big of an issue as it sometimes is portrayed to be," Dr. Zyskowski said.
The Caveon report did not name any of the schools it found, but it did provide examples without identifying them.
In one elementary school, 45 of the 262 answer sheets were exact duplicates of one another. An additional 29 students had perfect scores. In all, 141 answer sheets were flagged by the analysis, and Caveon says the chances of such a pattern happening naturally would be less than 1 in 1 trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion – a 1 followed by 72 zeros.
The results also indicate the prevalence of cheating on the TAKS test with the highest stakes of all: the 11th-grade test, which students must pass to graduate.
The Caveon report does not break out suspicious incidents by grade level. But while it examined math and reading scores in grades three through 11, it looked at science and social studies scores only in 11th grade.
The study found suspicious scores in 4.8 percent of all 11th-grade science classrooms and 4.2 percent of 11th-grade social studies classrooms. Those figures are much higher than the 0.7 percent of math classrooms and 0.3 percent of reading classrooms flagged.
If those 11th-graders cheated on the TAKS test last year, they are probably graduating this month.
The News' series on cheating was prompted by unusual scores in Wilmer-Hutchins ISD, the much-troubled district on Dallas' southeast side. A News analysis found strong evidence of cheating in the district's elementary schools.
For example, it found that Wilmer Elementary had Texas' highest raw scores on the third-grade reading test in 2003 – despite the school's abysmal academic track record and having one of the state's most disadvantaged student bodies. Nearly every student at Wilmer had a perfect score on the exam.
The News' findings prompted a state investigation into Wilmer-Hutchins that found evidence that two-thirds of the district's elementary school teachers were helping students improperly on the exams, in some cases creating and distributing answer keys on test day.
As a result of those findings, the Wilmer-Hutchins school board was removed from office and the district is being dissolved. Later stories led to investigations, which led to educators being disciplined in Houston and Dallas.
The state's reaction
In response to the News stories, state Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley said she did not think cheating was a significant problem. "If we have cheating on one campus, or in one classroom, that's unacceptable," she said in February 2005. "But I just don't think it's quite the widespread problem that it's been reported to be."
Still, her agency hired a test security firm as part of the renewal of its overall testing contract last year. That company is Caveon, which is led by former state and national testing officials.
Proving a cheating allegation after the fact is very difficult. Typically, discipline is not pursued against a cheating teacher unless there is eyewitness evidence of wrongdoing – something that can be hard to obtain. As of 2005, only two teachers had lost their teaching license because of cheating allegations in the previous decade.
That problem is compounded by the Caveon report's long lag time – which covers alleged irregularities more than a year old. Dr. Zyskowski said she hopes the company's analysis of 2006 data will arrive more quickly. Having two years of data will also make it easier to see patterns, she said.
_____________________________________________________________
RAISING SUSPICION
An example of one unidentified high school whose scores the Caveon report found suspicious:
• 91 students took the 11th-grade math TAKS test.
• 55 percent of test takers got an unusual number of hard questions right but an unusual number of easy questions wrong. (Statistically expected number: 4 percent)
• 98 percent of answer sheets were identical or nearly identical to another answer sheet in the group. (Statistically expected: 6 percent)
• 49 percent of students showed unusually high gains from the previous year's test. (Statistically expected: 5 percent)
• The report: "The probability value that these identical answer sheets occurred by chance is so small as to approach the realm of impossibility." Caveon says that chance is less than 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
SOURCES: Caveon report, Texas Education Agency
News from the Lone Star State
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Doctors 'misdiagnosing nail salon infections'
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
Chris Kneese recalls the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year as days of misery.
"I was just crying in pain. We didn't know what was wrong with my leg," she said.
She says the first doctor she saw thought she had a spider bite.
"Several days later it got worse and the infection grew and it got bigger and bigger and bigger," she added. "Then I noticed another spot on the same leg in a different area."
Another ten days went by and lesions appeared.
"We finally did a culture which came back MRSA and realized that it was not a spider bite it was indeed a staph infection," she said.
MRSA is an aggressive bacteria resistant to common antibiotics.
Just days before the sores broke out, Kneese says she got a pedicure in a whirlpool foot spa at a Dallas area nail salon.
The spas can harbor bacteria, if not disinfected correctly.
Kneese is one of several women who tell News 8 that only after weeks of suffering and seeing numerous doctors did they learn the cause of the lesions.
Dallas County's chief epidemiologist, Dr. John Carlo, confirms some doctors misdiagnose them.
"They can be mistaken quite commonly for other illnesses, for bites or something along those lines," said Dr. Carlo.
But as MRSA spreads from hospitals to new locations, such as salons, some internists and dermatologists just aren't asking the right questions about MRSA and microbacteria.
"As I asked more and more of my friends and people that I found out who had this, they weren't asked those questions early on either," said Kneese.
She points to the permanent scars from the sores that healed after she went to a fourth doctor, an infectious disease specialist.
"The infectious disease doctor is the one who was able to tell me what I had, what the risks were, what the dangers were and he knew right off the bat," Kneese continued.
"It's essentially a call to arms for everybody to be aware that we've got some emerging threats here," said Dr. Carlo.
Kneese's days of pain are over.
She just wishes the answers would have come sooner.
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
Chris Kneese recalls the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year as days of misery.
"I was just crying in pain. We didn't know what was wrong with my leg," she said.
She says the first doctor she saw thought she had a spider bite.
"Several days later it got worse and the infection grew and it got bigger and bigger and bigger," she added. "Then I noticed another spot on the same leg in a different area."
Another ten days went by and lesions appeared.
"We finally did a culture which came back MRSA and realized that it was not a spider bite it was indeed a staph infection," she said.
MRSA is an aggressive bacteria resistant to common antibiotics.
Just days before the sores broke out, Kneese says she got a pedicure in a whirlpool foot spa at a Dallas area nail salon.
The spas can harbor bacteria, if not disinfected correctly.
Kneese is one of several women who tell News 8 that only after weeks of suffering and seeing numerous doctors did they learn the cause of the lesions.
Dallas County's chief epidemiologist, Dr. John Carlo, confirms some doctors misdiagnose them.
"They can be mistaken quite commonly for other illnesses, for bites or something along those lines," said Dr. Carlo.
But as MRSA spreads from hospitals to new locations, such as salons, some internists and dermatologists just aren't asking the right questions about MRSA and microbacteria.
"As I asked more and more of my friends and people that I found out who had this, they weren't asked those questions early on either," said Kneese.
She points to the permanent scars from the sores that healed after she went to a fourth doctor, an infectious disease specialist.
"The infectious disease doctor is the one who was able to tell me what I had, what the risks were, what the dangers were and he knew right off the bat," Kneese continued.
"It's essentially a call to arms for everybody to be aware that we've got some emerging threats here," said Dr. Carlo.
Kneese's days of pain are over.
She just wishes the answers would have come sooner.
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Bees swarm Frisco home
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
FRISCO, Texas — Bob and Robin smith said it was like a scene out of a horror movie.
Thousands of tiny buzzing insects swarmed on their back patio, forcing them out of their house and into a hotel.
A swarm of hundreds of bees would be enough to rattle anyone's nerves. So imagine what the Smiths thought when they saw developing outside their back door.
It started with just a few bees flying around, but that didn't last long.
"Next thing, there was maybe 100 bees buzzing around, and that's when I started getting a little nervous," Bob Smith said.
The couple's anxiety quickly turned to desperation. "It was just like a highway of bees, just flying at us," Robin Smith recalled. "They were pelting our windows; it sounded like hail."
"Then we started seeing a swarm going all the way down to the creek down there—bees as far as the eyes could see," Bob said. "The next thing we know, there were thousands of bees stuck to our windows here."
The Smiths loaded up their three cats and dog and headed to a hotel. "We're seven months pregnant, so we weren't going to take a chance on any bees coming into the house," Bob said.
They found Harold Wright on the Internet. Wright's Little Giant Beekeepers specializes in bee removal.
Wright—outfitted in protective gear—used an industrial vacuum to rid the Smiths of their loud and annoying guests.
Swarms are common this time of year. The Smiths say while bees can be fascinating, they will be a lot happier if the insects find another home somewhere else.
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
FRISCO, Texas — Bob and Robin smith said it was like a scene out of a horror movie.
Thousands of tiny buzzing insects swarmed on their back patio, forcing them out of their house and into a hotel.
A swarm of hundreds of bees would be enough to rattle anyone's nerves. So imagine what the Smiths thought when they saw developing outside their back door.
It started with just a few bees flying around, but that didn't last long.
"Next thing, there was maybe 100 bees buzzing around, and that's when I started getting a little nervous," Bob Smith said.
The couple's anxiety quickly turned to desperation. "It was just like a highway of bees, just flying at us," Robin Smith recalled. "They were pelting our windows; it sounded like hail."
"Then we started seeing a swarm going all the way down to the creek down there—bees as far as the eyes could see," Bob said. "The next thing we know, there were thousands of bees stuck to our windows here."
The Smiths loaded up their three cats and dog and headed to a hotel. "We're seven months pregnant, so we weren't going to take a chance on any bees coming into the house," Bob said.
They found Harold Wright on the Internet. Wright's Little Giant Beekeepers specializes in bee removal.
Wright—outfitted in protective gear—used an industrial vacuum to rid the Smiths of their loud and annoying guests.
Swarms are common this time of year. The Smiths say while bees can be fascinating, they will be a lot happier if the insects find another home somewhere else.
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TexasStooge
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Lloyd Bentsen dead at 85
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Former Senator and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, a courtly Texan who as the Democrats' vice presidential nominee in 1988 famously told rival Dan Quayle he was "no Jack Kennedy," died Tuesday. He was 85.
Bentsen, who represented the state in Congress for 28 years, died at his Houston home, his family said. He had been under a doctor's care since a stroke several years ago, according to longtime aide Bill Maddox.
Gov. Rick Perry ordered flags at state buildings to be flown at half staff for five days in tribute to Bentsen.
"Today we mourn the loss of a war hero and true Texas leader who earned the respect of the nation with his dedication to public service," Perry said in a statement. "Anita and I extend prayers of comfort to his family in their time of grief, and urge all Texans to remember and honor his life of service."
Bentsen's distinguished political career took him from the humble beginnings of a county office in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1940s to six years in the U.S. House, 22 in the Senate and two as President Clinton's first treasury secretary, when he was instrumental in directing the administration's economic policy.
National ambitions led him to seek the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, a race he quickly abandoned after gaining little support. Returning his attention to the Senate, Bentsen cemented his expertise in tax, trade and economic issues as well as foreign affairs.
By 1988, Bentsen was one of the Senate's most respected voices. That year, Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis tapped the elder statesman as his running mate. As the GOP nominee, Vice President George W. Bush chose Quayle, a second-term Indiana senator and former congressman, as his running-mate.
In the Oct. 5, 1988, vice presidential debate, Quayle said: "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency."
Bentsen's retort in the televised event caused a sensation. "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy," he said. "I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
But the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket went down hard, losing 40 states—including Texas—to the Bush-Quayle team.
A shrewd legislative operator, the silver-haired politician maneuvered with ease in Democratic and Republican circles alike on Capitol Hill, crafting deals behind the scenes in a dispassionate, reserved fashion.
Chairman of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee for six years, Bentsen was a solidly pro-business Democrat who compiled a record as a staunch advocate of international trade and protector of the oil and gas industry.
Former Rep. Ken Bentsen described his uncle's life as incredible.
"He not only achieved a lot but took advantage to make his state, his nation and the world better," the younger Bentsen said in a December 2003 interview.
The scion of a wealthy Rio Grande Valley family, Bentsen first distinguished himself in World War II, where he flew 50 bomber missions over Europe. Returning home as a decorated veteran, the 25-year-old was elected Hidalgo County judge in 1946. Two years later, he moved to the House.
In his first House term, Bentsen was one of a handful of Southern congressmen voting against the poll tax, which was used to keep blacks from voting.
Despite the prediction of one of his mentors, legendary House Speaker Sam Rayburn, that he, too, could one day become speaker, Bentsen decided not to seek re-election in 1954. Instead, he opted to return to private life in Houston and build his own fortune, using several million dollars in seed money from his family.
Flush with corporate success, the millionaire felt the call of politics anew and decided in 1970 to challenge liberal Democratic Sen. Ralph Yarborough. After winning a bitter primary, Bentsen went on to defeat his Republican rival, Congressman George Bush, for the first of four Senate terms.
The moderate-to-conservative Democrat, who preferred to work away from the limelight, quickly built a reputation as a bipartisan coalition builder.
In a career of many successes, the cautious Bentsen had few missteps.
The most prominent was in 1987 when it became known that the newly installed chairman of the Senate Finance Committee had solicited $10,000 campaign contributions from lobbyists in exchange for once-a-month breakfasts with him. He quickly disbanded the breakfast club, derisively referred to by critics as "Eggs McBentsen," returned the money and apologized for a "doozy" of a mistake.
Less than a month into his two-year tenure at Treasury, Bentsen was forced to deal with a botched raid of the Branch Davidian complex outside Waco, Texas, by Treasury's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He also faced questions about Treasury's supervisory role in handling a failed Arkansas savings and loan involved in the Whitewater investigation.
The setbacks were offset by the high marks Bentsen won for his smooth dealings with Congress.
In joining Clinton's new Cabinet, the Democrat brought with him the respect he'd earned on Capitol Hill and Wall Street. Sure-footed in articulating economic policy, Bentsen was one of the architects of Clinton's deficit-reduction program and also won plaudits for deft coordination of international economic issues.
When Bentsen announced his retirement, Clinton said: "By any stead, he ranks as one of the outstanding economic policymakers in this country since World War II."
After his retirement, Bentsen, long one of the wise old men of the Democratic Party, continued discreetly dispensing political advice even after he left public office for his final career as a rainmaker for the powerful Washington law firm Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand.
Bentsen was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 1999 by Clinton. "Under his leadership in 1993, when some of the rest of us had our doubts, we passed the economic plan that paved the way for what is now the longest peacetime expansion in our history," Clinton said.
Bentsen and his wife, Beryl Ann, known as B.A. to friends, had two sons and a daughter, and seven grandchildren.
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Former Senator and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, a courtly Texan who as the Democrats' vice presidential nominee in 1988 famously told rival Dan Quayle he was "no Jack Kennedy," died Tuesday. He was 85.
Bentsen, who represented the state in Congress for 28 years, died at his Houston home, his family said. He had been under a doctor's care since a stroke several years ago, according to longtime aide Bill Maddox.
Gov. Rick Perry ordered flags at state buildings to be flown at half staff for five days in tribute to Bentsen.
"Today we mourn the loss of a war hero and true Texas leader who earned the respect of the nation with his dedication to public service," Perry said in a statement. "Anita and I extend prayers of comfort to his family in their time of grief, and urge all Texans to remember and honor his life of service."
Bentsen's distinguished political career took him from the humble beginnings of a county office in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1940s to six years in the U.S. House, 22 in the Senate and two as President Clinton's first treasury secretary, when he was instrumental in directing the administration's economic policy.
National ambitions led him to seek the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination, a race he quickly abandoned after gaining little support. Returning his attention to the Senate, Bentsen cemented his expertise in tax, trade and economic issues as well as foreign affairs.
By 1988, Bentsen was one of the Senate's most respected voices. That year, Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis tapped the elder statesman as his running mate. As the GOP nominee, Vice President George W. Bush chose Quayle, a second-term Indiana senator and former congressman, as his running-mate.
In the Oct. 5, 1988, vice presidential debate, Quayle said: "I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency."
Bentsen's retort in the televised event caused a sensation. "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy," he said. "I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
But the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket went down hard, losing 40 states—including Texas—to the Bush-Quayle team.
A shrewd legislative operator, the silver-haired politician maneuvered with ease in Democratic and Republican circles alike on Capitol Hill, crafting deals behind the scenes in a dispassionate, reserved fashion.
Chairman of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee for six years, Bentsen was a solidly pro-business Democrat who compiled a record as a staunch advocate of international trade and protector of the oil and gas industry.
Former Rep. Ken Bentsen described his uncle's life as incredible.
"He not only achieved a lot but took advantage to make his state, his nation and the world better," the younger Bentsen said in a December 2003 interview.
The scion of a wealthy Rio Grande Valley family, Bentsen first distinguished himself in World War II, where he flew 50 bomber missions over Europe. Returning home as a decorated veteran, the 25-year-old was elected Hidalgo County judge in 1946. Two years later, he moved to the House.
In his first House term, Bentsen was one of a handful of Southern congressmen voting against the poll tax, which was used to keep blacks from voting.
Despite the prediction of one of his mentors, legendary House Speaker Sam Rayburn, that he, too, could one day become speaker, Bentsen decided not to seek re-election in 1954. Instead, he opted to return to private life in Houston and build his own fortune, using several million dollars in seed money from his family.
Flush with corporate success, the millionaire felt the call of politics anew and decided in 1970 to challenge liberal Democratic Sen. Ralph Yarborough. After winning a bitter primary, Bentsen went on to defeat his Republican rival, Congressman George Bush, for the first of four Senate terms.
The moderate-to-conservative Democrat, who preferred to work away from the limelight, quickly built a reputation as a bipartisan coalition builder.
In a career of many successes, the cautious Bentsen had few missteps.
The most prominent was in 1987 when it became known that the newly installed chairman of the Senate Finance Committee had solicited $10,000 campaign contributions from lobbyists in exchange for once-a-month breakfasts with him. He quickly disbanded the breakfast club, derisively referred to by critics as "Eggs McBentsen," returned the money and apologized for a "doozy" of a mistake.
Less than a month into his two-year tenure at Treasury, Bentsen was forced to deal with a botched raid of the Branch Davidian complex outside Waco, Texas, by Treasury's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. He also faced questions about Treasury's supervisory role in handling a failed Arkansas savings and loan involved in the Whitewater investigation.
The setbacks were offset by the high marks Bentsen won for his smooth dealings with Congress.
In joining Clinton's new Cabinet, the Democrat brought with him the respect he'd earned on Capitol Hill and Wall Street. Sure-footed in articulating economic policy, Bentsen was one of the architects of Clinton's deficit-reduction program and also won plaudits for deft coordination of international economic issues.
When Bentsen announced his retirement, Clinton said: "By any stead, he ranks as one of the outstanding economic policymakers in this country since World War II."
After his retirement, Bentsen, long one of the wise old men of the Democratic Party, continued discreetly dispensing political advice even after he left public office for his final career as a rainmaker for the powerful Washington law firm Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand.
Bentsen was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 1999 by Clinton. "Under his leadership in 1993, when some of the rest of us had our doubts, we passed the economic plan that paved the way for what is now the longest peacetime expansion in our history," Clinton said.
Bentsen and his wife, Beryl Ann, known as B.A. to friends, had two sons and a daughter, and seven grandchildren.
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Teen drowns in Fort Worth lake
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas — A teen on a high school senior outing died after he was pulled from a private lake early Tuesday.
Tony Lot, 18, was found at the bottom of Burger’s Lake at 1200 Meandering Road in northwest Fort Worth.
Lifeguards had started cardiopulmonary resuscitation when emergency responders arrived, said Lt. Kent Worley, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Lot, who Lt. Worley said was part of a group visiting the park from Venus High School in Venus, Texas, was taken to a local hospital, but police said paramedics were unable to revive him.
A woman who answered the telephone at Burger’s Lake declined comment.
According to their Web site, Burger’s Lake is a private 30-acre park that features one-acre spring-fed lake for swimming, two beaches and a staff of certified lifeguards. It is located near the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base.
Venus is 26 miles south of Fort Worth in eastern Johnson County.
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas — A teen on a high school senior outing died after he was pulled from a private lake early Tuesday.
Tony Lot, 18, was found at the bottom of Burger’s Lake at 1200 Meandering Road in northwest Fort Worth.
Lifeguards had started cardiopulmonary resuscitation when emergency responders arrived, said Lt. Kent Worley, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Lot, who Lt. Worley said was part of a group visiting the park from Venus High School in Venus, Texas, was taken to a local hospital, but police said paramedics were unable to revive him.
A woman who answered the telephone at Burger’s Lake declined comment.
According to their Web site, Burger’s Lake is a private 30-acre park that features one-acre spring-fed lake for swimming, two beaches and a staff of certified lifeguards. It is located near the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base.
Venus is 26 miles south of Fort Worth in eastern Johnson County.
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City campground offers rural charm
KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
LAKE GRAPEVINE, Texas - The Mills family left their Bedford home for a mini-vacation 5 miles away on Lake Grapevine.
This is the new and improved campground now called - The Vineyards.
"I love it. I want to stay longer than 3 days," said camper Andi Mills.
Just a hop, skip and a jump from the Gaylord Resort, DFW Airport and thousands of homes, it's hard to imagine camping in between the skylines of Big D and Cowtown.
But there it is -- already selling out on weekends.
"It's that realtor's expression: location, location, location," said Joe Moore from the Grapevine Parks and Recreation.
And also, a lake, 52 acres of rolling hills, and RV sites with sewers and electricity.
"I can run the air conditioner and anything else I want," said camper Carol Gardepe.
Carol Gardepe is an RV expert -- after 9 years living on the road.
"I would say it's probably in the top 10 in the whole country. It's so open and so natural." she says.
There are 71 RV pads, tent sites and 5 cabins with all the comforts of home.
"We're getting family reunions and people who just want to get away for the weekend," Moore added.
And this is what makes a good campground -- a laundry! So you can get all muddy - come in and wash your clothes and take a nice hot shower.
At the Vineyards, camping just got easier and closer.
KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
LAKE GRAPEVINE, Texas - The Mills family left their Bedford home for a mini-vacation 5 miles away on Lake Grapevine.
This is the new and improved campground now called - The Vineyards.
"I love it. I want to stay longer than 3 days," said camper Andi Mills.
Just a hop, skip and a jump from the Gaylord Resort, DFW Airport and thousands of homes, it's hard to imagine camping in between the skylines of Big D and Cowtown.
But there it is -- already selling out on weekends.
"It's that realtor's expression: location, location, location," said Joe Moore from the Grapevine Parks and Recreation.
And also, a lake, 52 acres of rolling hills, and RV sites with sewers and electricity.
"I can run the air conditioner and anything else I want," said camper Carol Gardepe.
Carol Gardepe is an RV expert -- after 9 years living on the road.
"I would say it's probably in the top 10 in the whole country. It's so open and so natural." she says.
There are 71 RV pads, tent sites and 5 cabins with all the comforts of home.
"We're getting family reunions and people who just want to get away for the weekend," Moore added.
And this is what makes a good campground -- a laundry! So you can get all muddy - come in and wash your clothes and take a nice hot shower.
At the Vineyards, camping just got easier and closer.
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Six Flags offers $15 off entrance with gas receipt
By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - Rey Surna saved $90 at the ticket counter by cashing in on Six Flags' new summer gas discount.
"With the $15 rebate, it's gonna be very good," he says.
It's a first-time promotion of $15 off admission - on up to six full-price tickets - with the receipt from a recent gas purchase.
The offer's valid for any amount of gas, for any guest, even those who live here in Arlington.
Park spokespeople say it's not a sign of desperation, just a timely discount.
Timely because of gas prices and the fact that most customers drive to the park, either across town, or across the state.
"We're not desperate, we're just ready for everyone to come out and see what we've got to offer," said Sandra Daniels, Six Flags spokeswoman.
But this offer apparently hasn't reached many guests yet, even with a holiday weekend approaching, and with most schools out for the summer.
John St Clair from Waco knew nothing about it but said it was an exciting offer.
"We want to come back this summer again," he added.
By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - Rey Surna saved $90 at the ticket counter by cashing in on Six Flags' new summer gas discount.
"With the $15 rebate, it's gonna be very good," he says.
It's a first-time promotion of $15 off admission - on up to six full-price tickets - with the receipt from a recent gas purchase.
The offer's valid for any amount of gas, for any guest, even those who live here in Arlington.
Park spokespeople say it's not a sign of desperation, just a timely discount.
Timely because of gas prices and the fact that most customers drive to the park, either across town, or across the state.
"We're not desperate, we're just ready for everyone to come out and see what we've got to offer," said Sandra Daniels, Six Flags spokeswoman.
But this offer apparently hasn't reached many guests yet, even with a holiday weekend approaching, and with most schools out for the summer.
John St Clair from Waco knew nothing about it but said it was an exciting offer.
"We want to come back this summer again," he added.
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TexasStooge
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Girls placed in sex offender's home speak out
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas - Two sisters who said they were sexually abused by the same Plano man ordered to protect them spoke out against the convicted sex offender.
Chevjon Jefferson, 16, and Ashley Landry, 20, were placed with the man they called "Uncle John" four years ago after their parents abandoned them.
"He started with like sexual remarks about things," Jefferson said .
The girls said things quickly progressed to a physical abuse.
"He would give us massages and that's how it started," Landry said.
The girls' birth mother was a prostitute and their father a drug addict. When their parents left them, the courts placed them in the home of their godfather, John Wesley Patterson.
However, the Louisiana judge did not know was Patterson was a convicted sex offender.
"It got to the point where I was so disgusted, once I threw up," Landry said.
The girls said Patterson molested them repeatedly for four months, and it ended on the night of Landry's homecoming dance. Officers arrested him after she told her boyfriend, who told his father, who told a pastor and who then called the police.
"Oh, my whole childhood was robbed," Landry said. "We didn't have a childhood."
Jefferson and Landry went to the Collin County courthouse seeking justice and a judge sentenced Patterson to 15 life sentences.
"No one should have to live with other people abusing them," Jefferson said. "Everyone deserves better than that."
The Louisiana judge who placed the girls in Patterson's house said, "this court would never knowingly place a child with a known sex offender."
But the Caddo Parish judge said, "certainly sometimes mistakes are made, no question."
Landry and Jefferson said they consider themselves survivors, not victims. Landry wants to be a child psychologist and Jefferson wants to be a pediatrician.
They also said they hope their story helps others like themselves come forward.
"No matter how small you think you are, one person can do so much," Jefferson said. "And you should just realize that you can overcome anything."
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas - Two sisters who said they were sexually abused by the same Plano man ordered to protect them spoke out against the convicted sex offender.
Chevjon Jefferson, 16, and Ashley Landry, 20, were placed with the man they called "Uncle John" four years ago after their parents abandoned them.
"He started with like sexual remarks about things," Jefferson said .
The girls said things quickly progressed to a physical abuse.
"He would give us massages and that's how it started," Landry said.
The girls' birth mother was a prostitute and their father a drug addict. When their parents left them, the courts placed them in the home of their godfather, John Wesley Patterson.
However, the Louisiana judge did not know was Patterson was a convicted sex offender.
"It got to the point where I was so disgusted, once I threw up," Landry said.
The girls said Patterson molested them repeatedly for four months, and it ended on the night of Landry's homecoming dance. Officers arrested him after she told her boyfriend, who told his father, who told a pastor and who then called the police.
"Oh, my whole childhood was robbed," Landry said. "We didn't have a childhood."
Jefferson and Landry went to the Collin County courthouse seeking justice and a judge sentenced Patterson to 15 life sentences.
"No one should have to live with other people abusing them," Jefferson said. "Everyone deserves better than that."
The Louisiana judge who placed the girls in Patterson's house said, "this court would never knowingly place a child with a known sex offender."
But the Caddo Parish judge said, "certainly sometimes mistakes are made, no question."
Landry and Jefferson said they consider themselves survivors, not victims. Landry wants to be a child psychologist and Jefferson wants to be a pediatrician.
They also said they hope their story helps others like themselves come forward.
"No matter how small you think you are, one person can do so much," Jefferson said. "And you should just realize that you can overcome anything."
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TexasStooge
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Temp workers get stiffed out of pay
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
Hundreds of workers who found jobs through a temporary agency found themselves with worthless paychecks to show for it.
Those who found jobs with C&D Services, Inc. went to the company's offices but found only doors locked.
A former office manager for the company said she was among those who found her paycheck bounced. She also said she can't find the owner.
Some office employees actually used their own money to help out a few temporary workers who didn't get paid, she said.
Danny and Luz Charles have bills and a toddler and said they were among those who received a bad paycheck from C&D.
"We really didn't make enough to save," said Danny Charles.
Their final checks from C&D services were worthless and written on an account the company owner had closed.
"Two weeks pay [but] they didn't pay us," Charles said of the check.
Charles found work through C&D as a forklift driver and his wife worked at C&D's office in Grand Prairie.
A few weeks ago they returned from an out-of-town funeral to find the doors locked and the office empty.
"When we came back, I expected to pick up my check and go back to work Monday and everything was closed," Luz Charles said. "I had the keys. I tried to open [the door but] I couldn't get in. They changed the locks."
C&D's north Fort Worth office also closed.
"There are probably about 300 people out there with the same problem," Luz Charles said.
Many tried to track down the owner, Donna Iversen, at her house and some have gone to the police. They all worked for relatively low wages and most said they desperately need the money.
Workers who found themselves unpaid for work they did can file wage claims with the Texas Workforce Commission or call 1-800-832-9243.
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
Hundreds of workers who found jobs through a temporary agency found themselves with worthless paychecks to show for it.
Those who found jobs with C&D Services, Inc. went to the company's offices but found only doors locked.
A former office manager for the company said she was among those who found her paycheck bounced. She also said she can't find the owner.
Some office employees actually used their own money to help out a few temporary workers who didn't get paid, she said.
Danny and Luz Charles have bills and a toddler and said they were among those who received a bad paycheck from C&D.
"We really didn't make enough to save," said Danny Charles.
Their final checks from C&D services were worthless and written on an account the company owner had closed.
"Two weeks pay [but] they didn't pay us," Charles said of the check.
Charles found work through C&D as a forklift driver and his wife worked at C&D's office in Grand Prairie.
A few weeks ago they returned from an out-of-town funeral to find the doors locked and the office empty.
"When we came back, I expected to pick up my check and go back to work Monday and everything was closed," Luz Charles said. "I had the keys. I tried to open [the door but] I couldn't get in. They changed the locks."
C&D's north Fort Worth office also closed.
"There are probably about 300 people out there with the same problem," Luz Charles said.
Many tried to track down the owner, Donna Iversen, at her house and some have gone to the police. They all worked for relatively low wages and most said they desperately need the money.
Workers who found themselves unpaid for work they did can file wage claims with the Texas Workforce Commission or call 1-800-832-9243.
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TexasStooge
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TexasStooge
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- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Arlington joins cities using red light cameras to catch violators
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington will likely join the growing number of cities using red light cameras to catch dangerous drivers.
Police Chief Theron Bowman recommended placing cameras at the city’s 10 most dangerous intersections. There was no vote on the issue at Tuesday’s City Council work session, but the council members were overwhelmingly supportive of the plan.
“Public safety is an essential issue,” said council member Robert Rivera. “Businesses are not going relocate here, and homeowners are not going to move to our neighborhood if the city isn’t safe.”
In Arlington, Chief Bowman said there have been 1,508 collisions and six fatalities caused by red light violators since 2003. He said the experience in Garland, one of the first cities in Texas to use this technology, illustrates the benefits.
Garland installed cameras at four intersections in 2003 and in the following 16 months, the number of crashes dropped by 30 percent. Also, the number of accidents caused by someone running a red light dropped by 50 percent.
Chief Bowman said he proposed using red light cameras a few years ago, but there was not enough support from the City Council. Some were concerned that the cameras might violate privacy rights.
“It was too new,” Chief Bowman said. “There were too many unknowns.”
Now, there are more than 110 cities nationwide using such technology, and many more talking about using red light cameras.
The $75 tickets could generate more than $5 million annually and help pay for a DWI enforcement unit and other additional police personnel, Chief Bowman said.
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington will likely join the growing number of cities using red light cameras to catch dangerous drivers.
Police Chief Theron Bowman recommended placing cameras at the city’s 10 most dangerous intersections. There was no vote on the issue at Tuesday’s City Council work session, but the council members were overwhelmingly supportive of the plan.
“Public safety is an essential issue,” said council member Robert Rivera. “Businesses are not going relocate here, and homeowners are not going to move to our neighborhood if the city isn’t safe.”
In Arlington, Chief Bowman said there have been 1,508 collisions and six fatalities caused by red light violators since 2003. He said the experience in Garland, one of the first cities in Texas to use this technology, illustrates the benefits.
Garland installed cameras at four intersections in 2003 and in the following 16 months, the number of crashes dropped by 30 percent. Also, the number of accidents caused by someone running a red light dropped by 50 percent.
Chief Bowman said he proposed using red light cameras a few years ago, but there was not enough support from the City Council. Some were concerned that the cameras might violate privacy rights.
“It was too new,” Chief Bowman said. “There were too many unknowns.”
Now, there are more than 110 cities nationwide using such technology, and many more talking about using red light cameras.
The $75 tickets could generate more than $5 million annually and help pay for a DWI enforcement unit and other additional police personnel, Chief Bowman said.
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TexasStooge
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Gas leak closes Main Street in Frisco
FRISCO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Frisco officials closed Main Street in both directions between Dogwood and Dr. Pink Tuesday while a gas leak was repaired.
The break, caused by ongoing construction in the area, ruptured around 3 p.m. Tuesday, officials said.
Motorists were being diverted onto McKinney Road while the work, expected to take two to six hours, was completed.
FRISCO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Frisco officials closed Main Street in both directions between Dogwood and Dr. Pink Tuesday while a gas leak was repaired.
The break, caused by ongoing construction in the area, ruptured around 3 p.m. Tuesday, officials said.
Motorists were being diverted onto McKinney Road while the work, expected to take two to six hours, was completed.
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TexasStooge
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Man vanishes in Lake Grapevine waters
GRAPEVINE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Rescuers planned to continue their search Wednesday for a man who fell off a jet ski and disappeared in Lake Grapevine waters.
The man and a woman were on a jet ski Tuesday afternoon when the watercraft was believed to have flipped over.
The woman was able to hold onto the jet ski and floated to shore. However, the man, who was said to be a poor swimmer and was not wearing a jacket, was not found by searchers who quit their search when night came.
GRAPEVINE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Rescuers planned to continue their search Wednesday for a man who fell off a jet ski and disappeared in Lake Grapevine waters.
The man and a woman were on a jet ski Tuesday afternoon when the watercraft was believed to have flipped over.
The woman was able to hold onto the jet ski and floated to shore. However, the man, who was said to be a poor swimmer and was not wearing a jacket, was not found by searchers who quit their search when night came.
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TexasStooge
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Power failure knocks 5 stations off air
By ANN PINSON / The Dallas Morning News
If you tuned in to several local radio stations between about 6:35 and 7 Tuesday morning, chances are you got an earful of static.
So what happened?
There was a power failure at a North Dallas building owned by radio giant Clear Channel at about 5:30 a.m. At approximately 6:35 a.m., the backup generator also failed, leaving nothing but static on five stations for about 25 minutes.
"The signal was there, we just weren't able to feed audio from our studios in North Dallas," says Pat McMahon, operations manager for Clear Channel Dallas.
The failures had an impact on Top 40 station KHKS-FM (106.1) “Kiss-FM,” adult contemporary KDMX-FM (102.9) "Mix 102.9," rocker KDGE-FM (102.1) "The Edge", classic rocker KZPS-FM (92.5) and Spanish oldies KEGL-FM (97.1).
By ANN PINSON / The Dallas Morning News
If you tuned in to several local radio stations between about 6:35 and 7 Tuesday morning, chances are you got an earful of static.
So what happened?
There was a power failure at a North Dallas building owned by radio giant Clear Channel at about 5:30 a.m. At approximately 6:35 a.m., the backup generator also failed, leaving nothing but static on five stations for about 25 minutes.
"The signal was there, we just weren't able to feed audio from our studios in North Dallas," says Pat McMahon, operations manager for Clear Channel Dallas.
The failures had an impact on Top 40 station KHKS-FM (106.1) “Kiss-FM,” adult contemporary KDMX-FM (102.9) "Mix 102.9," rocker KDGE-FM (102.1) "The Edge", classic rocker KZPS-FM (92.5) and Spanish oldies KEGL-FM (97.1).
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TexasStooge
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S. Texas man to be executed for drug-related slayings
LIVINGSTON, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – Nearly 11 years ago, Leonardo Chavez Jr. watched from underneath a kitchen table as his father and mother were beaten and shot to death by two men.
After the men left the Harlingen-area mobile home, the 9-year-old boy went to his mother, Annette Chavez, 31, who was still alive. His father, Leonardo Chavez Sr., 33, lay lifeless next to her.
"He told her to get up. She died there on the floor in the living room. Right after that, he ran outside to the next-door neighbors to call 911," said Nicolas I. Chavez Jr., brother of Leonardo Chavez Sr. and the boy's uncle.
Jesus Ledesma Aguilar, one of the two men convicted for the June 10, 1995, drug-related slayings of the Chavez couple, was set to be executed Wednesday night in Huntsville. He would be the 10th prisoner put to death this year in Texas and the third of three this month in the nation's busiest capital punishment state.
Aguilar's attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block his execution, claiming he was not given a chance to challenge information used at his trial from an alleged accomplice.
Prosecutors said Aguilar, 42, killed Annette Chavez while his nephew, Christopher Quiroz, killed her husband because of a drug smuggling dispute Aguilar had with the woman's brother, Rick Esparza. Quiroz was sentenced to life in prison at a separate trial.
According to court records, Aguilar and Esparza were friends who started smuggling marijuana in November 1994 from their homes in South Texas to Mississippi. After Esparza began smuggling drugs for another supplier, Aguilar threatened to kill him if he didn't stop.
While Esparza and his wife delivered a load of drugs to Mississippi in June 1995, his sister and her family agreed to stay and watch his home.
Aguilar and his nephew spent most of the afternoon and evening of June 9, 1995, drinking. They then paid a visit to Esparza's mobile home early the next morning, when they killed the Chavez couple, according to prosecutors.
Aguilar admitted he was a drug smuggler, but denied taking part in the slayings, saying he was at home when the couple was killed.
"I never was there that night. I'd just got out of prison," Aguilar said in a recent interview on death row. The authorities "railroaded me left and right. They're killing me for something they know they lied about."
Authorities said Aguilar was a member of the Texas Syndicate, a prison gang, and had a violent history, including wounding a Lubbock County police officer during a 1983 shooting and assaulting guards and other inmates while in the state prison system.
Leonardo Chavez Jr. testified at the trials of both Aguilar and Quiroz that he saw the men kill his parents. His younger brother was asleep in another room.
At the trials, the boy told jurors he was awakened at 5 a.m. by a loud noise. He went into the kitchen and saw his parents on the floor. His father was holding a napkin to his bleeding nose. He then watched as his parents were shot in the head.
Nicolas Chavez said his nephew, now 20 years old, is still traumatized by what he saw even though he "tries real hard not to show it. But I see him hurt."
Aguilar, however, said Leonardo Chavez Jr. "was coached by those people to say he saw me and my nephew. What's keeping me alive is my faith in me, knowing (the victims' son) is lying. I'd feel different if I was guilty."
Nicolas Chavez, 52, who plans on attending the execution, said he forgives Aguilar for the slayings but the retired Texas prison system guard said he will never forget that the condemned inmate "destroyed" his family.
"If I could tell Aguilar something, I would show him a portrait of my brother's family and say, 'This is the family you destroyed. You destroyed these children's lives. They are orphans because of you,"' he said.
LIVINGSTON, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) – Nearly 11 years ago, Leonardo Chavez Jr. watched from underneath a kitchen table as his father and mother were beaten and shot to death by two men.
After the men left the Harlingen-area mobile home, the 9-year-old boy went to his mother, Annette Chavez, 31, who was still alive. His father, Leonardo Chavez Sr., 33, lay lifeless next to her.
"He told her to get up. She died there on the floor in the living room. Right after that, he ran outside to the next-door neighbors to call 911," said Nicolas I. Chavez Jr., brother of Leonardo Chavez Sr. and the boy's uncle.
Jesus Ledesma Aguilar, one of the two men convicted for the June 10, 1995, drug-related slayings of the Chavez couple, was set to be executed Wednesday night in Huntsville. He would be the 10th prisoner put to death this year in Texas and the third of three this month in the nation's busiest capital punishment state.
Aguilar's attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block his execution, claiming he was not given a chance to challenge information used at his trial from an alleged accomplice.
Prosecutors said Aguilar, 42, killed Annette Chavez while his nephew, Christopher Quiroz, killed her husband because of a drug smuggling dispute Aguilar had with the woman's brother, Rick Esparza. Quiroz was sentenced to life in prison at a separate trial.
According to court records, Aguilar and Esparza were friends who started smuggling marijuana in November 1994 from their homes in South Texas to Mississippi. After Esparza began smuggling drugs for another supplier, Aguilar threatened to kill him if he didn't stop.
While Esparza and his wife delivered a load of drugs to Mississippi in June 1995, his sister and her family agreed to stay and watch his home.
Aguilar and his nephew spent most of the afternoon and evening of June 9, 1995, drinking. They then paid a visit to Esparza's mobile home early the next morning, when they killed the Chavez couple, according to prosecutors.
Aguilar admitted he was a drug smuggler, but denied taking part in the slayings, saying he was at home when the couple was killed.
"I never was there that night. I'd just got out of prison," Aguilar said in a recent interview on death row. The authorities "railroaded me left and right. They're killing me for something they know they lied about."
Authorities said Aguilar was a member of the Texas Syndicate, a prison gang, and had a violent history, including wounding a Lubbock County police officer during a 1983 shooting and assaulting guards and other inmates while in the state prison system.
Leonardo Chavez Jr. testified at the trials of both Aguilar and Quiroz that he saw the men kill his parents. His younger brother was asleep in another room.
At the trials, the boy told jurors he was awakened at 5 a.m. by a loud noise. He went into the kitchen and saw his parents on the floor. His father was holding a napkin to his bleeding nose. He then watched as his parents were shot in the head.
Nicolas Chavez said his nephew, now 20 years old, is still traumatized by what he saw even though he "tries real hard not to show it. But I see him hurt."
Aguilar, however, said Leonardo Chavez Jr. "was coached by those people to say he saw me and my nephew. What's keeping me alive is my faith in me, knowing (the victims' son) is lying. I'd feel different if I was guilty."
Nicolas Chavez, 52, who plans on attending the execution, said he forgives Aguilar for the slayings but the retired Texas prison system guard said he will never forget that the condemned inmate "destroyed" his family.
"If I could tell Aguilar something, I would show him a portrait of my brother's family and say, 'This is the family you destroyed. You destroyed these children's lives. They are orphans because of you,"' he said.
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TexasStooge
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Apartment fire leaves 21 homeless
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Almost two dozen tenants were left homeless early Wednesday when a three-alarm fire swept through an apartment complex in southeast Dallas.
No one was hurt in the fire that broke out about 4:30 a.m.at the Oasis Apartments in the 3000 block of East Ledbetter Drive, but thick smoke made escape difficult for some residents.
Willie Epps said she was grateful to two neighbors for saving her life. "They broke my window glass and got me out the window," she said. I was trying to go out the front door when they woke me up but there was so much smoke."
At least six apartments were damaged or destroyed in the fire. Twenty-one residents—including a baby and a toddler—were looking for a new place to live.
Fire department investigators were trying to determine what triggered the blaze.
WFAA ABC 8
Smoke and fire damaged at least six units.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Almost two dozen tenants were left homeless early Wednesday when a three-alarm fire swept through an apartment complex in southeast Dallas.
No one was hurt in the fire that broke out about 4:30 a.m.at the Oasis Apartments in the 3000 block of East Ledbetter Drive, but thick smoke made escape difficult for some residents.
Willie Epps said she was grateful to two neighbors for saving her life. "They broke my window glass and got me out the window," she said. I was trying to go out the front door when they woke me up but there was so much smoke."
At least six apartments were damaged or destroyed in the fire. Twenty-one residents—including a baby and a toddler—were looking for a new place to live.
Fire department investigators were trying to determine what triggered the blaze.
WFAA ABC 8
Smoke and fire damaged at least six units.
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TexasStooge
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Plans for Irving Blvd power lines threaten businesses
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas - A power struggle is under way in one part of Dallas.
It's over whether or not to move power lines out of the Trinity River, and run them down the middle of a major road.
The above-ground lines would start at Sylvan Avenue and Irving Boulevard and continue eastward in the Irving Boulevard median to the other side of Texas Stadium.
For 29 years, BW Morrow has made a living serving up barbecue to his Stemmons Corridor neighbors.
But Morrow thinks a plan to run giant utility poles down Irving Boulevard will force him to close up shop.
"I probably won't have a choice because my business will be gone," he says.
TXU and the City of Dallas want to get power lines out of the Trinity River Park.
"If we're going to do this project and do it right, we're going to have to address what you see overhead," said Ed Oakley from Dallas City Council.
This plan will get rid of many existing poles, by planting higher capacity lines down the median of Irving Boulevard.
These will be some of the tallest around - reaching 90 to 120 feet high, spaced 800 to 1,200 feet apart.
Officials say none of the other options worked.
"This is the least painful alignment we can come up with, if we're to move forward with the Trinity River Project," said Oakley.
The folks at Dave the Printer don't buy it. After 25 years here, they were eager for the new development the Trinity Project would bring. They feel the power lines will end that.
"I don't think they looked at the big picture. I think they looked for the cheapest option," said Matt Ramsey.
So does BW Moore.
He says he's struggled to stay afloat while the area revitalized.
He feels like he's been sucker punched.
"I'm tired of fighting, it doesn't need to happen here. It can happen somewhere else," he said.
Even this option is not cheap. It will cost $17 million just to bury one mile of this line on the West Levee.
The city wants TXU ratepayers to pick up that tab.
That’s why many businesses owners are heading to Austin today, asking the state Public Utilities Commission to kill the deal.
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
IRVING, Texas - A power struggle is under way in one part of Dallas.
It's over whether or not to move power lines out of the Trinity River, and run them down the middle of a major road.
The above-ground lines would start at Sylvan Avenue and Irving Boulevard and continue eastward in the Irving Boulevard median to the other side of Texas Stadium.
For 29 years, BW Morrow has made a living serving up barbecue to his Stemmons Corridor neighbors.
But Morrow thinks a plan to run giant utility poles down Irving Boulevard will force him to close up shop.
"I probably won't have a choice because my business will be gone," he says.
TXU and the City of Dallas want to get power lines out of the Trinity River Park.
"If we're going to do this project and do it right, we're going to have to address what you see overhead," said Ed Oakley from Dallas City Council.
This plan will get rid of many existing poles, by planting higher capacity lines down the median of Irving Boulevard.
These will be some of the tallest around - reaching 90 to 120 feet high, spaced 800 to 1,200 feet apart.
Officials say none of the other options worked.
"This is the least painful alignment we can come up with, if we're to move forward with the Trinity River Project," said Oakley.
The folks at Dave the Printer don't buy it. After 25 years here, they were eager for the new development the Trinity Project would bring. They feel the power lines will end that.
"I don't think they looked at the big picture. I think they looked for the cheapest option," said Matt Ramsey.
So does BW Moore.
He says he's struggled to stay afloat while the area revitalized.
He feels like he's been sucker punched.
"I'm tired of fighting, it doesn't need to happen here. It can happen somewhere else," he said.
Even this option is not cheap. It will cost $17 million just to bury one mile of this line on the West Levee.
The city wants TXU ratepayers to pick up that tab.
That’s why many businesses owners are heading to Austin today, asking the state Public Utilities Commission to kill the deal.
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TexasStooge
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Experts see brighter job picture for D-FW teens
By IEVA M. AUGSTUMS / The Dallas Morning News
For many, the summer is a time of rest and relaxation. For thousands of Dallas-Fort Worth teens, it's a time to work.
With millions of U.S. teens entering the workforce every summer, finding gainful employment isn't easy. But young people should see slightly more job opportunities this summer than in the recent past.
"I was looking for a job for months, then I saw that they were hiring," said Amanda Cramer, 16, a Bowie High School junior who became a cashier at a Taco Bueno in Arlington. "It's my first job.
"There are a lot of my classmates still looking for a job," said Amanda, who's earning $6 an hour. "I'm really lucky."
Teens had to compete for jobs with older, more experienced workers when the employment market was weaker.
Now with the nation's unemployment rate unchanged at 4.7 percent last month, the U.S. economy appears to be healthier, said Joseph McLaughlin, a senior research associate at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.
The hiring picture overall looks a little better than it did last year, said Jacqueline Midkiff, a regional economist for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "But the competition for jobs is a little fierce," she said.
In April, 14.3 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds were out of work, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
That's more than 3 percentage points lower than the teen unemployment rate in April 2005 but still more than three times the overall U.S. jobless rate.
The summer job outlook may be brighter in Dallas-Fort Worth, said Laurie Larrea, president of WorkSource for Dallas County, which administers government-funded job-training programs.
"It's definitely more hopeful than three years ago," Ms. Larrea said.
"Service jobs – restaurants, retail, general services to the community – are more abundant."
Though teens are happy to have more jobs to pick from this year, some wish they could make more money.
Most teens can expect to earn slightly more than the minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, Ms. Larrea said.
"We have had youths tell us that it has to be $6.50 to $7 an hour or they won't take the job," Ms. Larrea said. "The minimum-wage issue is more critical today than before."
More than 36 percent of male teens responding to a recent Junior Achievement poll said they expect to earn more than $7.50 an hour, a reflection of the types of jobs they choose. That compares with 24.4 percent of female teens.
'Smart and ambitious'
Although job opportunities for teens are increasing, it's not to the point where demand is pushing up pay, said Shawn Boyer, founder and chief executive of SnagAJob.com, a national job site for part-time and full-time hourly jobs.
"Companies across the U.S. like teenage workers, but not because they are cheap," he said. "You get these teens that are very smart and ambitious, very easy to train, and they haven't learned any bad habits yet."
Six Flags Over Texas, a leading employer of Texas teens, hires students ages 15 and older to staff entry gates, restaurants, retail outlets, rides and games.
The Arlington amusement park, which is still hiring summertime workers, has already received around 8,000 applications this year for about 1,500 seasonal positions, said Six Flags publicist Sandra Daniels. That's about the same as last year.
Dallas-area parks departments also are big teen employers, hiring them as lifeguards, pool staff and general maintenance workers.
At Dallas-owned pools, about 175 lifeguards and safety instructors have been hired for the summer, roughly the same number as last year. Most of the jobs were filled in April, many of them by veterans from previous years, said Cindy Anderson, community program director for the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department.
"Usually when we hire, a couple of the kids out of the class stay with us year after year," said Ms. Anderson, who added that the city's lifeguard positions pay $9.02 an hour for new employees, with returning students earning more. "We love to have them."
Giving something back
Another local hot job spot is the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. With 23 area branches, the YMCA is looking to hire about 800 workers to fill summer slots as lifeguards, swim instructors, day camp counselors, referees and child care workers.
"We take a lot of first-time workers, a lot of kids who never have had a job before," said Suzanne Linder, the organization's vice president of human resources.
"A lot of them come to the YMCA for jobs because they grew up in the YMCA way."
That's how Kierstin Thornhill found her job this summer as a lifeguard at the Greater Lewisville Family YMCA.
Earning between $7 and $7.50 an hour, the Marcus High School sophomore will be doing something she adores – spending her summer days in the water.
"I've been involved with the swim team – I love it," said Kierstin, 16. "I'd rather work for the Y, give back to the community.
"It's not just about the money, but getting a paycheck will be nice."
By IEVA M. AUGSTUMS / The Dallas Morning News
For many, the summer is a time of rest and relaxation. For thousands of Dallas-Fort Worth teens, it's a time to work.
With millions of U.S. teens entering the workforce every summer, finding gainful employment isn't easy. But young people should see slightly more job opportunities this summer than in the recent past.
"I was looking for a job for months, then I saw that they were hiring," said Amanda Cramer, 16, a Bowie High School junior who became a cashier at a Taco Bueno in Arlington. "It's my first job.
"There are a lot of my classmates still looking for a job," said Amanda, who's earning $6 an hour. "I'm really lucky."
Teens had to compete for jobs with older, more experienced workers when the employment market was weaker.
Now with the nation's unemployment rate unchanged at 4.7 percent last month, the U.S. economy appears to be healthier, said Joseph McLaughlin, a senior research associate at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.
The hiring picture overall looks a little better than it did last year, said Jacqueline Midkiff, a regional economist for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "But the competition for jobs is a little fierce," she said.
In April, 14.3 percent of 16- to 19-year-olds were out of work, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
That's more than 3 percentage points lower than the teen unemployment rate in April 2005 but still more than three times the overall U.S. jobless rate.
The summer job outlook may be brighter in Dallas-Fort Worth, said Laurie Larrea, president of WorkSource for Dallas County, which administers government-funded job-training programs.
"It's definitely more hopeful than three years ago," Ms. Larrea said.
"Service jobs – restaurants, retail, general services to the community – are more abundant."
Though teens are happy to have more jobs to pick from this year, some wish they could make more money.
Most teens can expect to earn slightly more than the minimum wage of $5.15 per hour, Ms. Larrea said.
"We have had youths tell us that it has to be $6.50 to $7 an hour or they won't take the job," Ms. Larrea said. "The minimum-wage issue is more critical today than before."
More than 36 percent of male teens responding to a recent Junior Achievement poll said they expect to earn more than $7.50 an hour, a reflection of the types of jobs they choose. That compares with 24.4 percent of female teens.
'Smart and ambitious'
Although job opportunities for teens are increasing, it's not to the point where demand is pushing up pay, said Shawn Boyer, founder and chief executive of SnagAJob.com, a national job site for part-time and full-time hourly jobs.
"Companies across the U.S. like teenage workers, but not because they are cheap," he said. "You get these teens that are very smart and ambitious, very easy to train, and they haven't learned any bad habits yet."
Six Flags Over Texas, a leading employer of Texas teens, hires students ages 15 and older to staff entry gates, restaurants, retail outlets, rides and games.
The Arlington amusement park, which is still hiring summertime workers, has already received around 8,000 applications this year for about 1,500 seasonal positions, said Six Flags publicist Sandra Daniels. That's about the same as last year.
Dallas-area parks departments also are big teen employers, hiring them as lifeguards, pool staff and general maintenance workers.
At Dallas-owned pools, about 175 lifeguards and safety instructors have been hired for the summer, roughly the same number as last year. Most of the jobs were filled in April, many of them by veterans from previous years, said Cindy Anderson, community program director for the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department.
"Usually when we hire, a couple of the kids out of the class stay with us year after year," said Ms. Anderson, who added that the city's lifeguard positions pay $9.02 an hour for new employees, with returning students earning more. "We love to have them."
Giving something back
Another local hot job spot is the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. With 23 area branches, the YMCA is looking to hire about 800 workers to fill summer slots as lifeguards, swim instructors, day camp counselors, referees and child care workers.
"We take a lot of first-time workers, a lot of kids who never have had a job before," said Suzanne Linder, the organization's vice president of human resources.
"A lot of them come to the YMCA for jobs because they grew up in the YMCA way."
That's how Kierstin Thornhill found her job this summer as a lifeguard at the Greater Lewisville Family YMCA.
Earning between $7 and $7.50 an hour, the Marcus High School sophomore will be doing something she adores – spending her summer days in the water.
"I've been involved with the swim team – I love it," said Kierstin, 16. "I'd rather work for the Y, give back to the community.
"It's not just about the money, but getting a paycheck will be nice."
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TexasStooge
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Plano man gets 15 life terms in sexual assaults of sisters
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV and JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - A convicted sex offender from Plano was given 15 life sentences Tuesday by state District Judge Chris Oldner after the convict molested two girls in his care.
The girls, now 16 and 20, were molested by John Wesley Patterson III after a Louisiana court sent the girls to live with him on an emergency basis. The abuse occurred four years ago.
Mr. Patterson, now 55, was previously given probation after sexually assaulting an adult in the 1980s. That was before sex-offender registration was required.
Mr. Patterson, now 55, is the girls' godfather and a friend of their father's. The girls' mother was a prostitute and their father was a drug user who essentially abandoned them. The girls now live in Garland.
The Louisiana judge, Paul Young in Caddo Parish, said the court would never knowingly place a child with a sex offender.
"Certainly, sometimes mistakes are made, no question," he said.
One of the sisters said: "My whole childhood was robbed. We didn't have a childhood."
The sisters said they consider themselves survivors, not victims. They said that throughout their lives, the people they loved the most hurt them the most.
Mr. Patterson was convicted on three charges: indecency with a child, sexual assault of a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was given 15 sentences because there were 15 counts associated with the charges.
By STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV and JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO, Texas - A convicted sex offender from Plano was given 15 life sentences Tuesday by state District Judge Chris Oldner after the convict molested two girls in his care.
The girls, now 16 and 20, were molested by John Wesley Patterson III after a Louisiana court sent the girls to live with him on an emergency basis. The abuse occurred four years ago.
Mr. Patterson, now 55, was previously given probation after sexually assaulting an adult in the 1980s. That was before sex-offender registration was required.
Mr. Patterson, now 55, is the girls' godfather and a friend of their father's. The girls' mother was a prostitute and their father was a drug user who essentially abandoned them. The girls now live in Garland.
The Louisiana judge, Paul Young in Caddo Parish, said the court would never knowingly place a child with a sex offender.
"Certainly, sometimes mistakes are made, no question," he said.
One of the sisters said: "My whole childhood was robbed. We didn't have a childhood."
The sisters said they consider themselves survivors, not victims. They said that throughout their lives, the people they loved the most hurt them the most.
Mr. Patterson was convicted on three charges: indecency with a child, sexual assault of a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was given 15 sentences because there were 15 counts associated with the charges.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Bell tower collapses at historic West Texas church
CLINT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A church bell tower and part of a front wall collapsed Tuesday in a small El Paso-area farming community.
No injuries were reported in the collapse at the San Lorenzo Catholic Church in the lower El Paso valley town of Clint.
Parishioners, some in tears, converged on the church as word of the collapse spread through the town of about 1,000 residents.
No cause has been determined for the fall at the 92-year-old adobe church building, but an investigation is under way. Rev. Edilberto Lopez, the church's pastor, said the church building often shook when trains passed on the nearby Southern Pacific track.
The priest, known to parishioners as "Father Beto," said he'll hold masses this week and weekend outdoors or in the parish hall. But parishioners said they're confident they'll rebuild, and the parish's annual San Lorenzo festival will take place as usual in August.
CLINT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A church bell tower and part of a front wall collapsed Tuesday in a small El Paso-area farming community.
No injuries were reported in the collapse at the San Lorenzo Catholic Church in the lower El Paso valley town of Clint.
Parishioners, some in tears, converged on the church as word of the collapse spread through the town of about 1,000 residents.
No cause has been determined for the fall at the 92-year-old adobe church building, but an investigation is under way. Rev. Edilberto Lopez, the church's pastor, said the church building often shook when trains passed on the nearby Southern Pacific track.
The priest, known to parishioners as "Father Beto," said he'll hold masses this week and weekend outdoors or in the parish hall. But parishioners said they're confident they'll rebuild, and the parish's annual San Lorenzo festival will take place as usual in August.
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