News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Police to stay ahead of crime at fair

Big Tex takes his place before festivities begin

By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Big Tex will have some help keeping an eye on visitors at the State Fair of Texas.

Dallas police presence will be strong on the fair's opening day Friday and throughout its run, officials said Tuesday.

They gathered on the fairgrounds to mark the big guy's first public appearance and to announce security measures.

Police will monitor the fairgrounds by car, foot, horse, golf cart and elevated platforms.

Surveillance cameras and K-9 units also will be used.

"We will literally be everywhere," said Deputy Chief Jesse Reyes, who is overseeing security for the fair.

This is Chief Reyes' first year to head up the fair's security, although he worked the beat in 2002.

He said he is particularly partial to State Fair food and assured security will be especially tight around Fletcher's Corny Dogs.

"You will probably see me at more than one stand," he said with a smile.
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STATE FAIR OPENING WEEKEND FORECAST via NWS:

Friday: <IMG alt="Mostly Sunny" src="http://image.weather.com/web/common/wxicons/52/34.gif" border=0> High: 81°F | Low: 64°F
Saturday: <IMG alt="Isolated Thunderstorms" src="http://image.weather.com/web/common/wxicons/52/37.gif" border=0> High: 87°F | Low: 72°F
Sunday: <IMG alt="Partly Cloudy" src="http://image.weather.com/web/common/wxicons/52/30.gif" border=0> High: 92°F | Low: 69°F
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BigTex.com - Official State Fair Site

[TexasStooge]

Breaking News

ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/Traffic Pulse) - A van carrying 10 prisoners was involved in an accident on Interstate 20 at Bowman Springs Road in Arlington. Some passengers in the van were injured. Traffic on westbound I-20 is is restricted to two lanes. Details to follow.

Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse.

[TexasStooge]

Train derails in Collin County

COPEVILLE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A hazardous materials cleanup team was dispatched to the scene of a freight train derailment in eastern Collin County Wednesday morning.

Ten rail cars jumped the tracks around 2 a.m. near Business 78 and FM 1778 in Copeville. Two trains were involved in the accident.

At least one of the cars contained chlorine, a toxic gas. No spills or leaks were reported and no one was hurt.

The cause of the accident was under investigation.

Motorists were warned that traffic in the area would be disrupted through the morning hours.


WFAA ABC 8
Ten cars derailed in the accident.

[TexasStooge]

Study: DART driving billions in development

By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - North Texas' investment in mass transit appears to be spurring billions of dollars in development along Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail lines, according to a study released Tuesday by the transit agency and the University of North Texas.

Since 1999, developers have started building or have announced plans for $3.3 billion in new projects along rail lines. The figure includes plans or development along DART's red and blue lines, as well as projects announced for rail lines to Fair Park, Irving and Carrollton that should open from 2009 to 2013, according to the study.

"Transit-oriented development is transforming our region," said DART President and Executive Director Gary Thomas, who made the announcement during the American Public Transportation Association convention in Dallas this week.

"We are starting to see a cultural shift in how we live, how we get to work and how we go places."

The study tallied all the major development announcements made in local newspaper articles in the last six years. Of those, about two-thirds either have broken ground or have been built, said Bernard Weinstein, the study author and the director for the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas.

The new report does not indicate how much weight developers placed on locating near a current or future rail line, Dr. Weinstein said, "but our earlier research found that access to public transportation looms larger than ever in urban real estate investment decisions."

In a 2001 study, Dr. Weinstein found that property values for office buildings along rail lines grew at twice the rate of comparable office buildings not near transit. Residential properties near transit lines also grew at a substantially higher rate than in nontransit areas during the 1997-2001 study period.

"Clearly, DART is helping to stimulate the local economy," Dr. Weinstein said.

Since DART began, member cities have contributed $5.4 billion to the transit agency in the form of a 1 percent sales tax. That tax, however, leaves them unable to levy other sales taxes for economic development, as do many of their suburban counterparts. Without that taxing ability, DART cities have become more focused on attracting new projects near rail lines for economic development and for boosting property tax and sales tax revenue.

Dallas, for example, is revamping its zoning code to make it easier for developers to build higher-density projects near rail lines.

"In the early 1990s, when light- rail planning started, the public didn't embrace it," said Theresa O'Donnell, Dallas planning director, who added that Dallas would have 45 stations when DART doubles its rail network to 90 miles by 2013. "The competition for new stations is very fierce in the city of Dallas. Everyone wants the next Mockingbird Station in their area."

In the northern suburbs, the effects of transit also are being noticed with the scheduled opening next month of a town home project called 15th Street Village in East Plano. Ten of the 31 units already are sold, developer Richard Howe said.

Without the DART line, the Eastside Village in Plano probably would not exist, said Robert Shaw of Columbus Realty Partners.

"DART was the absolute catalyst," he said, adding that Eastside Village has a much lower resident turnover rate than other apartments.

Effects of DART also are being felt in southern Dallas, where development has been more difficult to attract. The transit agency has approved a bid to develop a DART-owned parcel between the Eighth and Corinth station and the Morrell station. The development will feature apartments, housing for senior citizens, retail sites and commercial uses.

"Right now, there is no critical mass of development in the southern sector," said developer Jay Oji, president of Sphinx Development Corp. "This will energize the neighborhood."

The focus on development along rail lines also has taken root among federal officials, who must decide how to divide money for new rail projects among a growing number of transit agencies. Land use planning around rail lines has recently become a criterion for federal rail construction grants, and North Texas' development history has helped DART's pending request for $700 million to help build rail lines from Pleasant Grove to Northwest Dallas.

"Even if one does not use public transportation – although with growing road congestion and $3-a-gallon gas, I don't know why one wouldn't want to – you benefit from public transportation investment," said Bill Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association.

[TexasStooge]

Winter gas bills could rise 50%

By ELIZABETH SOUDER / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – Texans should expect to pay about 50 percent more to heat their homes this winter than last year, industry executives told the Railroad Commission of Texas Tuesday.

That would put the average North Texas home's natural gas bill at about $218 in January, compared with $145 last year.

The commission and the Energy Reliability Council of Texas heard from the three largest gas utilities in Texas, as well as other experts, who agreed that bills would be much higher with natural gas trading at record levels.

The rising prices can be blamed on demand, which is rising faster than supplies can keep up, the executives said.

The recent hurricanes constricted natural gas production at a time when utilities are usually storing up for the winter.

On Tuesday, about three-quarters of Gulf Coast production remained halted.

Texas contributes more than 30 percent of the nation's natural gas supply.

"This winter does seem like it will be the highest-price winter for some time," said Steve Pitner, head of the gas services division for the commission and one of the presenters Tuesday.

Natural gas closed Tuesday at $12.66 per million British thermal units, compared with about $5.50 a year ago.

Experts based their projections Tuesday on the assumption that natural gas will remain around $12 to $14 through the winter.

Atmos Energy Corp. of Dallas predicts the average household natural gas bill in October will rise 44 percent to $36.66 compared with last year. And if natural gas prices rise to $14, as it expects, Atmos says heating bills will rise 51 percent in January to $217.67.

Executives with CenterPoint Energy Inc., which supplies natural gas to Houston and other areas of South and East Texas, expect winter gas prices to top out at around $13 per million Btu.

Atmos, CenterPoint and other natural gas utilities don't turn profits on the gas itself, but charge customers the wholesale price.

The commodity cost accounts for about three-quarters of a customer's bill.

Electric bills also are expected to rise, since about half of the state's electricity is generated with natural gas.

The utilities will launch campaigns to urge customers to conserve energy by turning thermostats down this winter and making their houses more energy-efficient.

No shortages of natural gas are expected in Texas this winter, experts said, as utilities continue to add to their storage.

Mr. Pitner said storage "is tracking pretty well, to be at least above the five-year average, but it won't be as high as last year."

George Hepburn, vice president of CenterPoint, said he's not concerned about shortages, unless there's another weather emergency.

"If we start experiencing 10 degree weather in Laredo for five days, we've got a problem," he said.

The good news is that high prices are prompting producers to drill more gas, which should – theoretically – allow supply and demand to eventually balance, experts said.

Mr. Pitner said he doubts prices will abate much until more facilities can be built to process imported natural gas, which comes in liquid form.

It will take a couple of years for a substantial capacity to come online.

One idea executives at the meeting stumped for is permission to hedge more of their natural gas supplies. Hedging involves setting prices early in order to keep prices stable and predictable.

But utility executives won't take the responsibility for financial hedges, risking paying more than market price for natural gas, without the explicit permission of state regulators and local officials.

Elizabeth Ames Jones, who was elected chairwoman of the Railroad Commission Tuesday, declined to discuss her position on the idea of hedging, but she said "maintaining price stability" and giving utilities the tools to do so is a priority.

[TexasStooge]

Inmates hurt in I-20 wreck

ARLINGTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A traffic accident involving a van filled with Tarrant County jail inmates snarled traffic on westbound Interstate 20 at Bowman Springs Road in Arlington Wednesday morning.

Nine inmates and one deputy were taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, though none were believed to have serious injuries.

"They might have been complaining about something, like their neck or their back hurt," said Battalion Chief Don Hartz of the Arlington Fire Department. "But other than that, it was a pretty benign incident except for the fact that it's in rush-hour traffic and we had several patients."

Investigators said it was a chain-reaction collision. A car traveling west on I-20 around 8:30 a.m. cut off a semi truck, which then had to slam on its brakes. The abrupt stop caused the prison van to run into the back of the truck.

Traffic on I-20 was narrowed to two lanes during the investigation, leading to a backup of three miles.

WFAA ABC 8 reporter Yolanda Walker contributed to this report.


Image provided by Google Earth

Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse

[TexasStooge]

Handcuffed woman steals Plano police car

By LEE POWELL / The Dallas Morning News

PLANO, Texas – A still-handcuffed suspect has Plano Police scouring a neighborhood near Spring Creek Parkway and U.S. 75.

Around 1 p.m., a woman in her 30s managed to commandeer a police cruiser while being taken into custody outside a tire store. She abandoned the vehicle a short distance later, then fled on foot into a neighborhood, police say.

Plano Police threw up a perimeter and began a street-by-street, alley-by-alley search. The area is roughly bounded by Spring Creek Parkway to the north, Premier Drive to the east, Alma Drive to the west and Parker Road to the south.

Police officers stopped vehicles leaving the area, looking in windows and asking about hitchhikers. Two schools in the area, including Clark High School, went to lock-down status.

The suspect is described as a white female in her 30s, about 5’2” in height, weighing 110 pounds. She is wearing tan pants and a white shirt.

And is likely still handcuffed – or at least has one cuff still dangling from an arm.

Authorities say residents should not approach the suspect, but instead call 911.

Shortly after taking the police car, the suspect tried to strike a second officer who showed up at the scene. The officer was not injured.


WFAA ABC 8
Police blocked access to this Plano neighborhood while searching for the suspect.


Image provided by Google Earth

[TexasStooge]

Police seek 2 missing from Lancaster

LANCASTER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A teen and adult woman allegedly were abducted by the woman's husband Tuesday afternoon, Lancaster police announced Wednesday in requesting the public's help in finding them.

Police said they believe Brian Montez Booker, 37, took his wife, Yolanda, from her job shortly before noon Tuesday. Booker then drove to Lancaster Junior High and checked Joshua Henry, 15, out of school minutes later.

Sometime later in the day, police said, Booker contacted his brother by phone in Lufkin and told him that he was going to kill both victims. Police added that Yolanda Booker has called a co-worker but stated that she could not tell her where she was.

Booker is said to be driving in a white, 1997, four-door Toyota Avalon XL with gold trim and silver rims, with Colorado license plate 456-BZO.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspect and victims is urged to contact Lancaster police at 972-227-4006.

[TexasStooge]

N. Texans burning up over cooling costs

By KIMBERLY DURNAN and LINDA LEAVELL / DallasNews.com

Maryanne Sims’ $325 electric bill more resembled a car payment than a utility statement.

“I can’t tell if it’s because I’m using more or if it’s because the rates have gone up,” the Carrollton resident said Wednesday. “Between that and the gas prices, we almost have to decide: Do we stay cool or do we drive to work?”

North Texans say the relentless heat, which ordinarily would have ebbed by now, appears to have resulted in higher utility bills. But it also has had other consequences, like delaying fall planting and affecting athletic training.

Chris Schein, TXU Energy spokesman, said rates are 10 percent higher than this time last year, but he was unsure if the unseasonable weather had resulted in higher usage.

“Obviously, if the price is higher, then the bills are going to be higher than what they were a year ago,” he said. “Since that time, natural gas prices have increased by 73 percent.”

Jamesetta Shepard of Lancaster was shocked by her $346 electric bill for a two-bedroom apartment.

“I’ve never paid a bill that high for electricity,” she said. And “our apartment was hot as heck.”

Dallas resident Shandi Gage said it cost more than $200 a month to cool her one-bedroom unit in North Dallas. “It’s been so hot. When will it all end?” she asked.

Greg Patrick, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the heat usually breaks some in September, giving North Texans a chance to turn off their air conditioners for several days at a time before the thermometer ascends again.

But this September’s heat has been unyielding. Record heat was logged as recently as last week, and as of Tuesday, the average monthly temperature was 84.6 degrees, some 6.6 degrees above normal.

“That’s kind of hurt as far as energy usage and people wanting to stay cool,” Patrick said.

Rainfall has been another casualty. After an especially rainy January, monthly rainfall totals have continued to fall behind. By April, North Texas was at a deficit. As of this week, the 17.33 inches that has fallen is about 8 inches short of normal.

With the longer, drier summer, Dallas residents have used slightly more water than in recent years, said Charlie Stringer, assistant director for water operations.

On average, the city is using 6.7 million gallons more than the 600 million-gallon average.

“The usage hasn’t been as high on peak days because of our conservation efforts, but the demand has been steady,” Stringer said. “We’ve had a pretty stout summer.”

Becky Wright, a University Park mother and volunteer running coach for Luke’s Locker, said this has been “the most brutal summer out of four years that I’ve been doing the program.” She said last Saturday’s run, when the temperature registered 82 degrees at 6 a.m., was a real test of her concentration because “it doesn’t really look good if your coach stops.”

“It’s been hard on our people,” she said. “They’ve done well and for the most part they’ve had a good attitude.”

Wright acknowledged that she’s taken some steps to beat the heat. Sometimes, she’ll mix walking with running, and she’s begun carrying Amino Vital sports drink in a bottle instead of relying on fountains and the water Luke’s puts out for its runners.

An experienced athlete who has run marathons and completed many triathlons, Wright advised runners to “be your own advocate.” Pay attention to your body. Carry identification in case you become ill. Hydrate often. Don’t start out too fast “because it will make you bonk.”

Try to resist planting autumn flowers until the high temperatures are in the 70s and the overnight lows are in the 60s, suggested Dale Groom, Dallas County Extension horticulturalist agent. Cool days and nights are best for violas, garden mums and other fall-color plants.

“I know a lot of folks get anxious and move earlier for planting,” he said, “but it’s best to wait. It’s just too hot.”

September is typically when people stop thinking about air conditioners and focus on heating systems, said Steve Stephens, who owns and operates Dallas-based Stephens and Son Services.

Not this year.

“Usually this time of year we check the heating systems, but people don’t want it done yet because it’s too hot,” Stephens said. “They don’t want to think about it.”

Wednesday’s high was forecast to be about 100 degrees, but then the outlook changes significantly.

After a 30 percent chance of afternoon showers, which Patrick stressed was “not one of those patterns where everybody’s going to get rain,” the temperature was expected to drop to 63 degrees overnight. Thursday’s high should be 77 degrees, he said.

“This front that we’re expecting … is really kind of the first major fall cold front that we’ve had,” he said. “Usually, we’ll get fronts like this in early to mid-September.”

The cool snap will be short-lived. After an overnight low in the high 50s, the temperature will reach the mid-80s on Friday and Saturday, and the low 90s on Sunday. The weather service said there was a slim chance of rain Friday night into Saturday.

“We think most of the rainfall is going up to our north, up across Oklahoma,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get some showers but right now the chances are only 20 percent.”

DallasNews.com staff writer Linda Leavell contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Missing boy found dead

Stepfather wanted by Lancaster authorities

By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

LANCASTER, Texas - Authorities were searching Wednesday night for a man who authorities believe killed his stepson and kidnapped his wife a day earlier.

Joshua Henry, 14, was found dead about 5:45 p.m. in the 2400 block of Main Street in Lancaster, police said. Lancaster Independent School District Police Chief Sam Allen said the body was found in a rural area about 25 feet off the roadway by district workers.

He declined to say how Joshua was killed.

Authorities said about noon Tuesday he was taken out of Lancaster Junior High School by his stepfather Brian Montez Booker, 37.

Lancaster police say either shortly before or after this, Booker kidnapped Yolanda Booker, 37, while she was at work in the 1300 block of North Industrial Boulevard in Dallas.

Police say later during the day, Booker called his brother in Lufkin, Texas, and said he planned to kill Booker and Joshua.

“Relatives said [Booker] made violent threats in the past, but we’re not sure if they involved the son,” said Lancaster police Lt. Joe Hall.

Lt. Hall said investigators were not certain why Booker may have taken his wife and stepson. “We’re hearing they were having difficulties” in the marriage, he said.

Chief Allen said school police officers had been searching areas near Joshua’s school since an Amber Alert asking people to be on the lookout for had been issued earlier Wednesday.

Lt. Hall said authorities did not issue an Amber Alert on Tuesday because police did not immediately know Joshua had been abducted.

Joshua is Booker’s son and lived with the couple. The Bookers also have a daughter who is staying with relatives, Lt. Hall said.

Booker drives a white 1997 Toyota Avalon XL sedan with gold trim and silver wheels. The car has Colorado license plate 456 BZO.

Officials said the FBI is now being asked to join in the investigation. Anyone with information can call Lancaster police at 972-227-4006, Dallas police at 214-670-5250, or 911.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas Morning News ad salesman arrested for alleged thefts

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas Morning News employee has been placed under arrest for allegedly stealing credit card numbers from the newpaper's advertisers.

Duncanville police said 29-year-old Steven Quinn, a classified advertising salesman at the Dallas Morning News, may have targeted dozens of victims.

"We've identified possibly 75 different accounts that had fraudulent activity on them," said one official.

Police said Quinn purchased at least three laptop computers using stolen American Express cards, and had those computers shipped to his Duncanville apartment.

"All of them were going to the same address, same last name but different first name," the official said. "All different credit card numbers [were used] and different accounts...None of them matched the address or the person."

Duncanville police said they attempted to interview Quinn at The Dallas Morning News on Sept. 15, but said initially newspaper supervisors would not cooperate.

"So far very hard to do, if not impossible to get them to work with us on this," the official said.

In a statement released by The Dallas Morning News, Publisher Jim Moroney said the newspaper has been "cooperating fully and promptly notified Quinn the Duncanville police department wanted to question him."

Moroney said the newspaper is also conducting an internal investigation.

Meanwhile, Duncanville police said they are looking into the possibility other Dallas Morning News employees may have been involved. The also said they believe more victims might be found.

[TexasStooge]

911 call launches search for five

LA GLORIA, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - The Border Patrol late today used helicopters to search for five people believed to be illegal immigrants lost in the South Texas brush.

Customs officials said the 911 call was received at the Rio Grande City station.

The caller was frantically asking for help. He said his wife was in serious condition, two people were very serious.

The area has seen triple-digit temperatures this week.

Customs spokesman Roy Cervantes said the cell phone signal was traced to an expanse of desolate brush land between La Gloria and the inland checkpoint and Hebbronville.

The agents told the man to build a fire to help agents spot them.

[TexasStooge]

Woman gets life for child's scalding death

From KVUE ABC 24 in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - A Travis County jury has sentenced a woman to life in prison for the scalding death of a 10-month-old child.

Prosecutors said the incident happened two years ago at a North Austin home, where Carmen Mejia was caring for the child.

Doctors testified the baby was placed into a scalding bath.

Mejia was convicted on one count of murder and two counts of injury to a child.

The three counts each bring a life sentence, but state law allows them to run concurrently. That means Mejia will have to spend 30 years in prison before she is eligible for parole.

[TexasStooge]

Decades after murder, daughter wants answers

By MICHAEL REY / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - In 1979, a former Dallas firefighter was gunned down in a Love Field warehouse. No one was ever been charged for the crime.

Twenty-six years later, his daughter has moved from San Antonio to Dallas to make it her mission to solve the murder.

The daughter said she isn't driven by the television craze of solving crimes from dusty files. Instead, it has been her real life memories of him that have motivated D.R. Spruell's daughter.

"The first time I saw him on a fire truck I just swooned, 'That's my dad,'" said Dee Spruell.

By 1979, D.R. Spruell had left the fire department and bought a warehouse, which was the location of the murder that took place Aug. 19. A police report noted the murderer took guns, but left a large amount of cash in Spruell's wallet.

The event, said Dee Spruell, nearly destroyed her life.

"It's really hard when the strongest person you know isn't there anymore," she said.

Spruell has agonized about who killed her father over the decades, and said she wants answers from the Dallas Police department.

"...I feel like they let my dad down," she said. "I feel like they have not honored his memory of who he was. He was a brother in uniform to them."

She's hounded the cold case squad without results. She's even made the move to North Texas to press police harder.

"They keep telling me to be patient," she said. "I think 26 years is extremely patient."

A member of Dallas Police Department's cold case unit said the department continues to investigate the case, but there has been no new evidence.

"If there's something we could run with, we would," he said.

But, Spruell said she will not give up.

"If it had been me, if I'd been found murdered like my dad was, my dad would have stopped at nothing," she said.

Five detectives are in charge of the hundreds of cold cases in Dallas Police Department.

Members of the cold case unit sometimes perform other duties, such as security at the upcoming State Fair of Texas for instance.

[TexasStooge]

Man caught in Colo.; held for death of stepson

Stepfather wanted by Lancaster authorities

LANCASTER, Texas/AURORA, Colo. (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — A man whose 14-year-old stepson was found dead in suburban Dallas was in custody Thursday in Colorado, Aurora police said.

Brian Montez Booker, 37, was arrested overnight in Aurora, police spokesman Marcus Dudley said.

Booker's stepson Joshua Henry, who had been the focus of an Amber Alert, was found dead about 5:45 p.m. Wednesday in a vacant area off Main Street in Lancaster, Texas, according to Police Chief Sam Allen of the Lancaster Independent School District.

His mother, Yolanda Booker, 37, who police say was kidnapped from her job, was safe in Colorado.

Police found Booker after a relative in Aurora called police Wednesday night, saying Booker was in their home and armed, Dudley said. The relative told police he was afraid for the other family members in the home.

The other family members had left the home unharmed by the time police arrived, but Booker resisted arrest.

"He was not compliant with the orders," Dudley said.

So police stunned him once with a Taser gun and arrested him, he said. The unidentified woman was escorted from the home to be interviewed by federal agents, he said.

Lancaster police Lt. Joe Hall said he could not release details about the condition of Henry's body when found or how he may have died.

Authorities say Booker took Henry out of Lancaster Junior High School about noon Tuesday. Police said he kidnapped his wife from her job in Dallas either not long before or after pulling Henry out of school.

Lancaster investigators had been told Booker and his wife were having marital difficulties, Hall said. The couple also have a daughter who is staying with relatives, he said.

Booker called his brother in Lufkin later that day and said he planned to kill his wife and stepson, Hall said.

"Relatives said he (Booker) made violent threats in the past, but were not sure if they involved the son," Hall said.

[TexasStooge]

Coppell signs up attorney to fight Dallas project

City gets proactive against plan for large development next door

By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News

COPPELL, Texas - Coppell has hired an attorney specializing in land use and development to help the city fight a proposed residential and commercial development near North Lake. Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said his city may end up doing the same.

"What he [the lawyer] is doing is examining all the different ramifications of the proposed residential development and providing us with legal counsel on what our alternatives are to address those – I'm going to call them nothing short of horrific – implications," Coppell Mayor Doug Stover said.

The proposed 355-acre Cypress Waters development is in Dallas but abuts Coppell and Irving, with most of it in the Coppell school district. It is connected to the rest of Dallas by only a narrow, nearly three-mile strip of land.

The impact on schools, along with increased traffic, are the two cities' chief concerns, officials say.

The project has been delayed as Dallas officials contemplate how to serve the area with water, police, fire and other services, said Coppell and Irving city officials. The item has not been placed on the calendar for the Dallas Plan Commission's calendar, but Coppell officials said they want to be prepared when that day comes.

"We will not develop a wait-and-see approach on this," Mr. Stover said. "We have to be proactive in trying to derail this before it goes too far."

Irving officials said they also will fight the development, as it is currently conceived. City officials held a meeting with concerned residents on Monday.

Resident John Branning asked why Irving hasn't also hired an attorney.

"It may turn out in the end we do that," Mr. Gears said. He said he and other officials have met with representatives from Coppell and Dallas as well as the developer to discuss their concerns, and stand ready to assist Coppell in the fight. He said he told Dallas Mayor Laura Miller that, if necessary, the entire Irving council would appear before the Dallas Plan Commission to publicly voice their opposition.

"Dallas planners and developer Lucy Billingsley could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. The proposed development would include 1,575 single-family homes and 4,002 apartments, as well as 60,000 square feet of commercial space.

[TexasStooge]

Lancaster boy dead; stepfather arrested (Updated)

By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

LANCASTER, Texas - A man whose 14-year-old stepson was found dead in suburban Dallas was in custody Thursday in Colorado, Aurora police said.

Brian Montez Booker, 37, was arrested overnight in Aurora, police Officer Marcus Dudley said. The body of the slain boy, Joshua Henry, 14, was found shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday in the 2600 block of Main Street in Lancaster.

Police Chief Sam Allen of the Lancaster Independent School District said district workers found the body about 25 feet from the roadway in a rural area.

Chief Allen declined to say how the teen was killed.

His mother, Yolanda Booker, 37, who police say was kidnapped from her job, was found at the home, Officer Dudley said.

"His wife was there at the residence but it was unclear whether she was there on her own free will," he said.

At Lancaster Junior High School, where Joshua had been an eighth-grader, counselors were made available to the pupils and teachers were instructed to be sensitive to their concerns and questions, a Lancaster ISD spokeswoman said.

"They are fine. It's what we would expect for junior high school students," Teri Wilson said. "It's just a normal start to the day. There are children who are very sad and some who are going about their regular business."

Police found Mr. Booker after a relative in Aurora called police Wednesday night, saying Mr. Booker was in their home, armed, and may "cause harm," the officer said.

SWAT team members set up a perimeter. As a precaution, a hostage negotiator accompanied them, although it did not appear Mr. Booker was holding anyone captive, Officer Dudley said.

The other family members had left the home unharmed by the time police arrived, but Mr. Booker resisted arrest, so he was stunned once with a Taser gun.

"He was not compliant with the orders," Officer Dudley said.

Authorities said Mr. Booker took Joshua from school about noon Tuesday and then kidnapped Yolanda Booker, 37, a while later while she was at work in the 1300 block of North Industrial Boulevard in Dallas.

Mr. Booker's motives for abducting the mother and son were unclear, Lancaster police Lt. Joe Hall said, but he later told his brother he planned to kill them.

"Relatives said [Mr. Booker] ... made violent threats in the past, but we're not sure if they involved the son," Lt. Hall said.

Chief Allen said district police had been searching near Joshua's school since an Amber Alert was issued for him earlier Wednesday.

Lt. Hall said authorities did not issue an Amber Alert on Tuesday because police did not immediately know Joshua had been abducted.

Joshua was Ms. Booker's son and lived with the couple. Mr. and Ms. Booker also have a daughter, who is staying with relatives, Lt. Hall said.

Lt. Hall said the FBI was brought in to the investigation because " they’re another law enforcement agency that has a lot of resources.”

“We believe because of the violent nature and because we had (information) that they had lived in Colorado in the past that they might cross state lines," he said.

Special Agent Lori Bailey said it was not uncommon for the FBI to be involved, particularly when it appears “there may be some sort of interstate nexus.” The district attorney would decide whether the case will go forward under federal or state charges, she said.

DallasNews.com staff writers Kimberly Durnan and Linda Leavell, Dan Ronan of WFAA ABC 8 and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Breaking News

HONEY GROVE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Three children were flown to Children's Medical Center of Dallas in unknown condition this morning, after they were hit by a car while exiting a school bus in Honey Grove, northeast of Dallas. Details to follow.

[rainstorm]

Police seek 2 missing from Lancaster

LANCASTER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A teen and adult woman allegedly were abducted by the woman's husband Tuesday afternoon, Lancaster police announced Wednesday in requesting the public's help in finding them.

Police said they believe Brian Montez Booker, 37, took his wife, Yolanda, from her job shortly before noon Tuesday. Booker then drove to Lancaster Junior High and checked Joshua Henry, 15, out of school minutes later.

Sometime later in the day, police said, Booker contacted his brother by phone in Lufkin and told him that he was going to kill both victims. Police added that Yolanda Booker has called a co-worker but stated that she could not tell her where she was.

Booker is said to be driving in a white, 1997, four-door Toyota Avalon XL with gold trim and silver rims, with Colorado license plate 456-BZO.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspect and victims is urged to contact Lancaster police at 972-227-4006.

that guy sounds like a monster

[TexasStooge]

3 children struck at bus stop

HONEY GROVE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/WFAA.com) - Three children were struck by a car in Honey Grove, Texas Thursday morning as they were crossing a highway to board a school bus.

The children—ages 6, 7 and 8—were taken to Children's Medical Center Dallas for treatment. Their names and conditions were not released.

Police said an elderly driver hit the youngsters who were crossing at the intersection of Highway 56 and Highway 34. The school bus was reportedly stopped at the intersection with its lights flashing and a stop sign displayed.

The driver, whose name was not available, was taken into custody.

Honey Grove is 75 miles northeast of Dallas in Fannin County. Honey Grove Elementary School has an enrollment of 294 students.


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