Cities in no rush to raise taxes to join DART
Ridership from outlying areas cited as proof that unified plan is needed
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Every day, about 40 percent of the cars parked at DART's Parker Road light-rail station in Plano are registered to owners who live outside the transit agency's service area.
With such a high rate of use by residents of cities that don't commit sales tax revenue to DART, regional transit again is a hot topic for local policy-makers. And with fuel prices rising, so is demand for relief by commuters who live miles from their jobs and face gasoline bills of several hundred dollars a month.
"This is what we've been talking about for a long time – about what it would take for some realize the importance of transit," said DART board member Robert Pope of Plano. "There are [non-DART] cities in the metroplex that think they're going to get light rail, and they're not."
The difficult question for policy-makers is when or how many growing suburbs will join DART. Thirteen member cities have committed a 1 percent sales tax to the transit agency. Many other cities have committed all or part of their 1 percent sales tax rates to economic development corporations, municipal improvements or property tax reductions.
In recent years, officials have pushed for the ability to levy an additional half-percent sales tax to raise money for commuter rail lines such as the Trinity Railway Express, which runs between Dallas and Fort Worth. The state Legislature spent much of its fund-raising attention this year on Texas' public education system, which may also require a sales tax increase.
"I don't see any great, overwhelming desire to add a tax for anything," said state Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, a member of the House Transportation Committee who said he would like local leaders to agree on a solution that he can take to the Legislature in 2007.
Mr. Hill also was pessimistic about the idea of adding a local-option transit tax, based either on a sales tax increase on gasoline or a 5- or 10-cent-per-gallon fuel tax. "I don't think the voters would approve it," he said.
If commuters grow increasingly frustrated by traffic and commuting costs, city leaders could decide to slowly shift their other sales taxes to mass transit, which many now view as a new form of economic development, Mr. Hill said
Many cities between Dallas and Fort Worth contribute about $700,000 a year to the operating costs of the Trinity Railway Express. And the North Central Texas Council of Governments and Plano are working with DART to study another parking lot expansion at the Parker Road station. But when it comes to operating costs, DART officials say they prefer cities to join them or create a transit authority rather than just help pay for an existing rail line's operation.
"Some rail extensions are workable if you have the power of the region behind it," Mr. Pope said. "We really need to talk about a regional approach."
News from the Lone Star State
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Kidnap victim stabbed; suspect arrested (Updated)
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas - Plano police said a woman who was kidnapped at a donut shop Wednesday night was being treated for a stab wound Thursday morning and the alleged assailant was in custody.
According to a friend, Amanda Seitzler agreed to meet her former boyfriend at the Dunkin Donuts at Coit Road and West Park Blvd. late Wednesday night, but the man grabbed her and drove away around 10:45 p.m.
She was missing until 6:30 a.m. Thursday when, police say, Seitzler was dropped off at her residence having suffered a stab wound.
Seitzler's parents rushed her to Medical Center of Plano for treatment. The young woman's wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police arrested Seitzler's ex-boyfriend, Ali-John Youssef Cherri, 19, at his home a short time later. Detectives said he would be charged with aggravated kidnapping and that other charges were pending.
Plano police spokesman Carl Duke said Seitzler was lucky to be alive. "Obviously, he's dangerous," Duke said "Obviously, there's something going on that we're going to need to learn about, to find out why this took place."
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas - Plano police said a woman who was kidnapped at a donut shop Wednesday night was being treated for a stab wound Thursday morning and the alleged assailant was in custody.
According to a friend, Amanda Seitzler agreed to meet her former boyfriend at the Dunkin Donuts at Coit Road and West Park Blvd. late Wednesday night, but the man grabbed her and drove away around 10:45 p.m.
She was missing until 6:30 a.m. Thursday when, police say, Seitzler was dropped off at her residence having suffered a stab wound.
Seitzler's parents rushed her to Medical Center of Plano for treatment. The young woman's wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police arrested Seitzler's ex-boyfriend, Ali-John Youssef Cherri, 19, at his home a short time later. Detectives said he would be charged with aggravated kidnapping and that other charges were pending.
Plano police spokesman Carl Duke said Seitzler was lucky to be alive. "Obviously, he's dangerous," Duke said "Obviously, there's something going on that we're going to need to learn about, to find out why this took place."
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2 Plano students injured in wreck
PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two Plano Senior High School students were injured when the vehicle in which they were traveling slammed into a light pole Thursday afternoon.
The wreck occurred just before 2 p.m. at the intersection of Spring Creek Parkway and Bronze Leaf Drive, just west of Independence Parkway.
Police said the 17-year-old male driver lost control of his Volvo and ran into the pole, although it is unclear what factors led to the accident.
A female passenger in the vehicle, also 17, was seriously injured and taken by CareFlite helicopter to a local hospital in critical condition, police said. The extent of the driver's injuries was not known.
Nearby residents said drivers often travel at high rates of speed along that stretch of Spring Creek Parkway.
Last Wednesday, one Plano East Senior High School student died and another was seriously injured when their speeding vehicle hit a tree along Spring Creek Parkway near Chase Oaks Boulevard, about three miles from the latest accident.
PLANO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two Plano Senior High School students were injured when the vehicle in which they were traveling slammed into a light pole Thursday afternoon.
The wreck occurred just before 2 p.m. at the intersection of Spring Creek Parkway and Bronze Leaf Drive, just west of Independence Parkway.
Police said the 17-year-old male driver lost control of his Volvo and ran into the pole, although it is unclear what factors led to the accident.
A female passenger in the vehicle, also 17, was seriously injured and taken by CareFlite helicopter to a local hospital in critical condition, police said. The extent of the driver's injuries was not known.
Nearby residents said drivers often travel at high rates of speed along that stretch of Spring Creek Parkway.
Last Wednesday, one Plano East Senior High School student died and another was seriously injured when their speeding vehicle hit a tree along Spring Creek Parkway near Chase Oaks Boulevard, about three miles from the latest accident.
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Human skull found in Dallas pasture
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - What appeared to be a human skull was found in a pasture in southeast Dallas Thursday morning.
Police said a horseman working on a farm in the 5600 block of Barree Drive near Paul Quinn College made the discovery.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner's office said the skull appeared to have been there for some time.
An investigation was under way to try and determine the identity of the remains.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - What appeared to be a human skull was found in a pasture in southeast Dallas Thursday morning.
Police said a horseman working on a farm in the 5600 block of Barree Drive near Paul Quinn College made the discovery.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner's office said the skull appeared to have been there for some time.
An investigation was under way to try and determine the identity of the remains.
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IDs now needed at Richardson ISD games
New procedures put in place after last week's post-game violence
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
RICHARDSON, Texas - Teenagers and young adults won't be allowed to enter Richardson school district stadiums to watch football games without RISD school identification, an alternative ID or an accompanying parent or guardian for the rest of the season.
The requirements are among increased security measures for the district's two football stadiums after post-game incidents off-campus Friday resulted in one death and several arrests.
Some teens and young adults – who could include at least college-age students – might still be allowed in if a gate monitor, such as an assistant principal, recognizes them as current or former RISD students or otherwise decides to admit them.
"We'll use our best discretion in each case," said district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra.
Three Dallas men were charged Tuesday in connection with the shooting death of Jason Paul Martin, 17, and the assaults of five others. That incident took place near Richardson Square Mall after the game between Berkner and Lake Highlands high schools.
A fourth man sought in connection with the shooting turned himself in late Wednesday. Reginald Reedy, 24, walked into the Richardson Police Department with his attorney, said Richardson police Sgt. Kevin Perlich.
Richardson police said none of the suspects is an RISD student and all are between ages 18 and 24.
Across town Friday night, district officials said, at least one person was arrested for disorderly conduct, and a Richardson police officer was slightly injured in an accident when responding to a fight call. That situation was at a fast-food restaurant on Coit Road after the game between Pearce and Richardson high schools.
Last week, the district started requiring teenagers and young adults who were not accompanied by a parent or guardian to show a valid Richardson school district ID to purchase a ticket after halftime.
Now they'll have to show that ID at the beginning of the game.
Ms. Guerra said the intent is to keep out people who could cause trouble.
"The last few weeks, there seemed to be groups of teenagers that came to the games, especially at halftime, and we felt like they were coming to just hang out – not to watch the games," she said.
Josh Beasnael, 18, a 2005 Richardson High grad now attending Stephen F. Austin State University, said checking IDs won't prevent students from fighting.
"That could lead to more frustration after the game because they couldn't go," he said. "Teens are really relentless when they want to fight."
His Richardson High and current classmate Jacob Graunke, 18, said he likes to attend games where his friends go to school and would be unhappy if he were turned away.
"It could stop trouble, but it's not fair," he said.
School district, city and police officials also have decided to post extra officers at both stadiums; turn on the lights at Lake Highlands North Park, which is across the street from the stadium, and place officers there as well; provide police escorts for district students being transported to the games; and close the parking lot once it is full to prevent vehicles from cruising close to the stadium.
Richardson's four high schools share two football stadiums. Lake Highlands and Berkner high schools use Wildcat-Ram Stadium on the Lake Highlands campus in Dallas. Richardson and Pearce play at Eagle-Mustang Stadium at RHS in Richardson.
New procedures put in place after last week's post-game violence
By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News
RICHARDSON, Texas - Teenagers and young adults won't be allowed to enter Richardson school district stadiums to watch football games without RISD school identification, an alternative ID or an accompanying parent or guardian for the rest of the season.
The requirements are among increased security measures for the district's two football stadiums after post-game incidents off-campus Friday resulted in one death and several arrests.
Some teens and young adults – who could include at least college-age students – might still be allowed in if a gate monitor, such as an assistant principal, recognizes them as current or former RISD students or otherwise decides to admit them.
"We'll use our best discretion in each case," said district spokeswoman Jeanne Guerra.
Three Dallas men were charged Tuesday in connection with the shooting death of Jason Paul Martin, 17, and the assaults of five others. That incident took place near Richardson Square Mall after the game between Berkner and Lake Highlands high schools.
A fourth man sought in connection with the shooting turned himself in late Wednesday. Reginald Reedy, 24, walked into the Richardson Police Department with his attorney, said Richardson police Sgt. Kevin Perlich.
Richardson police said none of the suspects is an RISD student and all are between ages 18 and 24.
Across town Friday night, district officials said, at least one person was arrested for disorderly conduct, and a Richardson police officer was slightly injured in an accident when responding to a fight call. That situation was at a fast-food restaurant on Coit Road after the game between Pearce and Richardson high schools.
Last week, the district started requiring teenagers and young adults who were not accompanied by a parent or guardian to show a valid Richardson school district ID to purchase a ticket after halftime.
Now they'll have to show that ID at the beginning of the game.
Ms. Guerra said the intent is to keep out people who could cause trouble.
"The last few weeks, there seemed to be groups of teenagers that came to the games, especially at halftime, and we felt like they were coming to just hang out – not to watch the games," she said.
Josh Beasnael, 18, a 2005 Richardson High grad now attending Stephen F. Austin State University, said checking IDs won't prevent students from fighting.
"That could lead to more frustration after the game because they couldn't go," he said. "Teens are really relentless when they want to fight."
His Richardson High and current classmate Jacob Graunke, 18, said he likes to attend games where his friends go to school and would be unhappy if he were turned away.
"It could stop trouble, but it's not fair," he said.
School district, city and police officials also have decided to post extra officers at both stadiums; turn on the lights at Lake Highlands North Park, which is across the street from the stadium, and place officers there as well; provide police escorts for district students being transported to the games; and close the parking lot once it is full to prevent vehicles from cruising close to the stadium.
Richardson's four high schools share two football stadiums. Lake Highlands and Berkner high schools use Wildcat-Ram Stadium on the Lake Highlands campus in Dallas. Richardson and Pearce play at Eagle-Mustang Stadium at RHS in Richardson.
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Man fights city to keep 90 birds
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
HURST, Texas - Max Kennedy, 80, is not your ordinary bird owner. But then again, neither is the flock of birds he owns.
Kennedy owns 90 prized parakeets and cockatiels
"I just enjoy them," Kennedy said. "I enjoy working with them and being out here. To me, it's a lot better than watching television."
But Kennedy's aviary, which has been in his backyard for more than 30 years, is now in jeopardy. The city of Hurst said Kennedy has violated an ordinance limiting the number of animals on one property.
Now, Kennedy said he's ready to take on City Hall to save his birds.
Kennedy's birds came under scrutiny after a neighbor complained. He said their birdseed was causing a rat infestation and claimed he caught nearly fifty rats in one day.
Despite the complaint against Kennedy, many neighbors said they enjoy the birds.
"They are beautiful birds and that aviary," said neighbor Robert Owen. "I like nature and it's neat."
Marlene Campbell lives next door to Kennedy and said she also likes the birds, but is troubled by the infestation of rodents.
"Someone who has 48 mice around their house must be a terrible dirty person," she said.
The city has given Kennedy 90 days to get rid of the birds or they will be confiscated.
"They're just birds, but we treat him like everybody else," said Steve Moore, Hurst Police Department. "What if it was someone who had 90 dogs or cats? Everybody is just treated the same way, nobody is any different."
So, what will Kennedy do without his birds?
"Watch television I guess," he said.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
HURST, Texas - Max Kennedy, 80, is not your ordinary bird owner. But then again, neither is the flock of birds he owns.
Kennedy owns 90 prized parakeets and cockatiels
"I just enjoy them," Kennedy said. "I enjoy working with them and being out here. To me, it's a lot better than watching television."
But Kennedy's aviary, which has been in his backyard for more than 30 years, is now in jeopardy. The city of Hurst said Kennedy has violated an ordinance limiting the number of animals on one property.
Now, Kennedy said he's ready to take on City Hall to save his birds.
Kennedy's birds came under scrutiny after a neighbor complained. He said their birdseed was causing a rat infestation and claimed he caught nearly fifty rats in one day.
Despite the complaint against Kennedy, many neighbors said they enjoy the birds.
"They are beautiful birds and that aviary," said neighbor Robert Owen. "I like nature and it's neat."
Marlene Campbell lives next door to Kennedy and said she also likes the birds, but is troubled by the infestation of rodents.
"Someone who has 48 mice around their house must be a terrible dirty person," she said.
The city has given Kennedy 90 days to get rid of the birds or they will be confiscated.
"They're just birds, but we treat him like everybody else," said Steve Moore, Hurst Police Department. "What if it was someone who had 90 dogs or cats? Everybody is just treated the same way, nobody is any different."
So, what will Kennedy do without his birds?
"Watch television I guess," he said.
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Police: Spree robber hits North Texas
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A robbery spree at two North Dallas restaurants has made many residents scared to get out.
The two robberies happened just days and miles apart, and police believe the same robber is behind both.
Detectives said the suspect has a lot of information about the places he chooses to rob. He knows the lay out of the restaurant and who has the combinations to the safes.
They also said he might be dangerous because the robber claims to be former military and knows how to shoot to kill.
Surveillance video released by police showed a nicely dressed man, but police said he is a dangerous robber armed with a chrome hand gun that he's not afraid use.
Employees at Sterling's Bar and Grill asked not to be identified, but talked about their frightening experience.
"He put a gun to my head," said one employee. "I said okay. I just freaked out myself and he said, 'Give me all of your money.'"
After taking about $3,000, the robber forced the restaurant owner and another employee into the men's bathroom.
"He said stay there 15 minutes, if you come out I will shoot you both," the employee said.
A third employee, who was near the bar area, said she was suspicious of the man the moment he walked in but didn't think he would rob the place.
"When he approached me, I just had a bad vibe," she said.
Police said a robber with the same description stole more than 23,000 from Carson's Live. In that case he told one of the victim's he had been in the military eight years and wasn't afraid to pull the trigger.
"We don't want him to commit anymore robberies, and for those to turn fatal," said Sr. Cpl. Jamie Kimbrough.
The victims said what stuck out most in their minds about the robber was the way he was dressed.
"He had a shirt, tie, black pants and sneakers on, but I kept thinking he was sloppy," said the victim.
Police are warning other restaurant owners in the area to be on the lookout because they believe he will try to strike again.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A robbery spree at two North Dallas restaurants has made many residents scared to get out.
The two robberies happened just days and miles apart, and police believe the same robber is behind both.
Detectives said the suspect has a lot of information about the places he chooses to rob. He knows the lay out of the restaurant and who has the combinations to the safes.
They also said he might be dangerous because the robber claims to be former military and knows how to shoot to kill.
Surveillance video released by police showed a nicely dressed man, but police said he is a dangerous robber armed with a chrome hand gun that he's not afraid use.
Employees at Sterling's Bar and Grill asked not to be identified, but talked about their frightening experience.
"He put a gun to my head," said one employee. "I said okay. I just freaked out myself and he said, 'Give me all of your money.'"
After taking about $3,000, the robber forced the restaurant owner and another employee into the men's bathroom.
"He said stay there 15 minutes, if you come out I will shoot you both," the employee said.
A third employee, who was near the bar area, said she was suspicious of the man the moment he walked in but didn't think he would rob the place.
"When he approached me, I just had a bad vibe," she said.
Police said a robber with the same description stole more than 23,000 from Carson's Live. In that case he told one of the victim's he had been in the military eight years and wasn't afraid to pull the trigger.
"We don't want him to commit anymore robberies, and for those to turn fatal," said Sr. Cpl. Jamie Kimbrough.
The victims said what stuck out most in their minds about the robber was the way he was dressed.
"He had a shirt, tie, black pants and sneakers on, but I kept thinking he was sloppy," said the victim.
Police are warning other restaurant owners in the area to be on the lookout because they believe he will try to strike again.
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Despite no alcohol, man guilty in DWI case
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - North Texas jurors threw the book at a driver in a deadly DWI case even though the man hadn't had a single drink, and prosecutors hope it's a breakthrough case in the battle against methamphetamines.
Rene Hinojosa lost his life the day 19-year-old Levi Auldridge crashed from a meth binge and ran his truck into the young man's car. He hit Hinojosa head-on on Northside Drive.
Hinojosa was a Mexican businessman and Red Cross volunteer, and Auldridge had just walked away from a drug treatment program.
A video showed police trying to keep Auldridge awake while they read him his rights that fatal night.
"He told police he'd been using meth for a couple days," said Mollee Westfall, Tarrant County prosecutor. "...Someone will have lethargy, extreme fatigue and uncontrolled sleepiness [when using meth]. That's what happened in this case."
Prosecutors had never tried a case like this, which included no alcohol, only a trace of meth and an okay field sobriety test.
But prosecutors said what jurors saw was rare video of a driver coming off a meth binge.
Jurors watched Auldridge successfully complete the field sobriety test. But they also watched his lack of emotion and awareness on video.
"I have provided you with a complete and true copy of a statutory warning," the officer said to Auldridge in the video. "I'm now requesting a specimen of your blood."
There was little reaction from the teen.
"He knew he had killed someone, and he was totally flat...," Westfall said.
Jurors took less than an hour to convict him on intoxication manslaughter.
"Mentally, he was not even there," Westfall said. "Physically, he was fine."
In the punishment phase, prosecutors showed the methamphetamine and marijuana he tried to get rid of.
"Instead of going to aid the victim, he went back to his truck, got his drugs and he threw them in the bushes to hide them because he knew the police were coming," Westfall said.
Jurors took less than 30 minutes to give Auldridge 18 years, which was only two less than the maximum allowed.
"My argument was, look at him at the end of the tape falling asleep," Westfall said. "Would you put a loved one in the car with this man? Of course you wouldn't."
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - North Texas jurors threw the book at a driver in a deadly DWI case even though the man hadn't had a single drink, and prosecutors hope it's a breakthrough case in the battle against methamphetamines.
Rene Hinojosa lost his life the day 19-year-old Levi Auldridge crashed from a meth binge and ran his truck into the young man's car. He hit Hinojosa head-on on Northside Drive.
Hinojosa was a Mexican businessman and Red Cross volunteer, and Auldridge had just walked away from a drug treatment program.
A video showed police trying to keep Auldridge awake while they read him his rights that fatal night.
"He told police he'd been using meth for a couple days," said Mollee Westfall, Tarrant County prosecutor. "...Someone will have lethargy, extreme fatigue and uncontrolled sleepiness [when using meth]. That's what happened in this case."
Prosecutors had never tried a case like this, which included no alcohol, only a trace of meth and an okay field sobriety test.
But prosecutors said what jurors saw was rare video of a driver coming off a meth binge.
Jurors watched Auldridge successfully complete the field sobriety test. But they also watched his lack of emotion and awareness on video.
"I have provided you with a complete and true copy of a statutory warning," the officer said to Auldridge in the video. "I'm now requesting a specimen of your blood."
There was little reaction from the teen.
"He knew he had killed someone, and he was totally flat...," Westfall said.
Jurors took less than an hour to convict him on intoxication manslaughter.
"Mentally, he was not even there," Westfall said. "Physically, he was fine."
In the punishment phase, prosecutors showed the methamphetamine and marijuana he tried to get rid of.
"Instead of going to aid the victim, he went back to his truck, got his drugs and he threw them in the bushes to hide them because he knew the police were coming," Westfall said.
Jurors took less than 30 minutes to give Auldridge 18 years, which was only two less than the maximum allowed.
"My argument was, look at him at the end of the tape falling asleep," Westfall said. "Would you put a loved one in the car with this man? Of course you wouldn't."
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote:Kidnap victim stabbed; suspect arrested (Updated)
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
PLANO, Texas - Plano police said a woman who was kidnapped at a donut shop Wednesday night was being treated for a stab wound Thursday morning and the alleged assailant was in custody.
According to a friend, Amanda Seitzler agreed to meet her former boyfriend at the Dunkin Donuts at Coit Road and West Park Blvd. late Wednesday night, but the man grabbed her and drove away around 10:45 p.m.
She was missing until 6:30 a.m. Thursday when, police say, Seitzler was dropped off at her residence having suffered a stab wound.
Seitzler's parents rushed her to Medical Center of Plano for treatment. The young woman's wounds were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police arrested Seitzler's ex-boyfriend, Ali-John Youssef Cherri, 19, at his home a short time later. Detectives said he would be charged with aggravated kidnapping and that other charges were pending.
Plano police spokesman Carl Duke said Seitzler was lucky to be alive. "Obviously, he's dangerous," Duke said "Obviously, there's something going on that we're going to need to learn about, to find out why this took place."
dunkin donuts here has really gone down hill
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White Settlement may change name
WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Seeking a way to lure more business and avoid any racial connotations, city leaders are asking voters to consider taking the white out of White Settlement.
"When people see the name, the question of race comes to mind. They ask, 'What is that all about? Why is that name there?"' Mayor James Ouzts said. "If you start out in a negative spot, it's hard to overcome that."
On Nov. 8, the city of 15,400 will vote on a proposal that would change the name to West Settlement as part of a charter election. According to Census figures, the city is 78 percent white, 13.4 percent Hispanic, 4 percent black and 1.5 percent Asian/Pacific Islander.
Incorporated in 1941, this suburb west of Fort Worth was first settled by whites in the late 1830s in what was then the Republic of Texas. It was in the 1840s that the area, surrounded by many American Indian tribes, became known as the White Settlement, city officials and historians said.
The name change was among several ideas suggested during a city council meeting last year as a way to boost the image and attract more business to a city with a budget that relies heavily on sales taxes, Ouzts said.
Big box retailer Home Depot recently pulled out of the city, and Wal-Mart and Sam's Club are leaving next year.
But not everyone wants the name change.
"Why don't they go ahead and change the name of the White House to the West House," former Councilman Alan Price said. "They want to do away with the heritage of White Settlement and destroy the history of White Settlement."
Changing the name "makes no sense whatsoever," resident Marla Fontenot said. "The town's name has nothing to do with racism in the modern-day context. This is just an excuse because the town is in trouble financially."
Any switch could costs thousands of dollars to change logos on city worker uniforms, vehicles and the water tower, which depicts a fighter jet and the words "White Settlement: On The Crossroads of Progress."
Bill Fairley, a history columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, said changing the name ignores the city's origins.
"It just means that there was a group of whites who were daring enough to come West and settle in the midst of the Indians," Fairley said. "We are going to lose the record of what the city meant historically."
WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Seeking a way to lure more business and avoid any racial connotations, city leaders are asking voters to consider taking the white out of White Settlement.
"When people see the name, the question of race comes to mind. They ask, 'What is that all about? Why is that name there?"' Mayor James Ouzts said. "If you start out in a negative spot, it's hard to overcome that."
On Nov. 8, the city of 15,400 will vote on a proposal that would change the name to West Settlement as part of a charter election. According to Census figures, the city is 78 percent white, 13.4 percent Hispanic, 4 percent black and 1.5 percent Asian/Pacific Islander.
Incorporated in 1941, this suburb west of Fort Worth was first settled by whites in the late 1830s in what was then the Republic of Texas. It was in the 1840s that the area, surrounded by many American Indian tribes, became known as the White Settlement, city officials and historians said.
The name change was among several ideas suggested during a city council meeting last year as a way to boost the image and attract more business to a city with a budget that relies heavily on sales taxes, Ouzts said.
Big box retailer Home Depot recently pulled out of the city, and Wal-Mart and Sam's Club are leaving next year.
But not everyone wants the name change.
"Why don't they go ahead and change the name of the White House to the West House," former Councilman Alan Price said. "They want to do away with the heritage of White Settlement and destroy the history of White Settlement."
Changing the name "makes no sense whatsoever," resident Marla Fontenot said. "The town's name has nothing to do with racism in the modern-day context. This is just an excuse because the town is in trouble financially."
Any switch could costs thousands of dollars to change logos on city worker uniforms, vehicles and the water tower, which depicts a fighter jet and the words "White Settlement: On The Crossroads of Progress."
Bill Fairley, a history columnist for The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, said changing the name ignores the city's origins.
"It just means that there was a group of whites who were daring enough to come West and settle in the midst of the Indians," Fairley said. "We are going to lose the record of what the city meant historically."
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TexasStooge
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1 dead in Tarrant gas rig accident
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A deadly industrial accident in far northwest Tarrant County Friday morning has left one man dead.
Around 8:30 a.m., a worker at a natural gas rig near Eagle Mountain Lake was killed when he was hit by a wrench.
The tool was thrown off a piece of equipment after it was started.
The name of the victim has not yet been released.
No other injuries were reported.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A deadly industrial accident in far northwest Tarrant County Friday morning has left one man dead.
Around 8:30 a.m., a worker at a natural gas rig near Eagle Mountain Lake was killed when he was hit by a wrench.
The tool was thrown off a piece of equipment after it was started.
The name of the victim has not yet been released.
No other injuries were reported.
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TexasStooge
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Investigators: Nursing home fire was set
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Investigators said a two-alarm fire at a Dallas retirement home early Friday was intentionally set.
Dallas Fire-Rescue called in extra manpower to help evacuate the 250 residents—many wheelchair-bound—at Forest Green Manor, 9730 Shepherd Rd., which is operated by the Dallas Housing Authority.
"The smoke alarm went off, and I come out; that's what we are told to do," said resident Robert Cooper. "We came out and that's when I found out that it was right over me."
Firefighters said they found evidence of two fires that had been set in a second-floor apartment in the four-story builidng.
"That is highly unusual to have two different fires within the same unit," said Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Capt. Jesse Garcia. "We are going to be speaking with a few individuals."
No one was hurt, but several occupants were treated for smoke inhalation.
"Nobody got hurt, thank God," said Naomi Rodriguez. "A lot of smoke, though."
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Investigators said a two-alarm fire at a Dallas retirement home early Friday was intentionally set.
Dallas Fire-Rescue called in extra manpower to help evacuate the 250 residents—many wheelchair-bound—at Forest Green Manor, 9730 Shepherd Rd., which is operated by the Dallas Housing Authority.
"The smoke alarm went off, and I come out; that's what we are told to do," said resident Robert Cooper. "We came out and that's when I found out that it was right over me."
Firefighters said they found evidence of two fires that had been set in a second-floor apartment in the four-story builidng.
"That is highly unusual to have two different fires within the same unit," said Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Capt. Jesse Garcia. "We are going to be speaking with a few individuals."
No one was hurt, but several occupants were treated for smoke inhalation.
"Nobody got hurt, thank God," said Naomi Rodriguez. "A lot of smoke, though."
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TexasStooge
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Officer who survived shooting killed in on-duty wreck
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A San Antonio police patrolman has been died in the line of duty Friday when a car slammed into the rear of his patrol unit.
Officer John Wheeler was a 12-year police veteran who survived a shooting during a 2003 gas station robbery.
Investigators said he was parked on the shoulder of Loop 410 near Culebra Road on the city's west side when his car was rear-ended at high-speed. Both cars erupted in flames on impact.
Wheeler and the other driver both died at the scene. The other driver's identity hasn't been released.
Wheeler's wife is a San Antonio police dispatcher, and was on duty when the collision was reported.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A San Antonio police patrolman has been died in the line of duty Friday when a car slammed into the rear of his patrol unit.
Officer John Wheeler was a 12-year police veteran who survived a shooting during a 2003 gas station robbery.
Investigators said he was parked on the shoulder of Loop 410 near Culebra Road on the city's west side when his car was rear-ended at high-speed. Both cars erupted in flames on impact.
Wheeler and the other driver both died at the scene. The other driver's identity hasn't been released.
Wheeler's wife is a San Antonio police dispatcher, and was on duty when the collision was reported.
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TexasStooge
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At 103, Frisco man has diploma
By ROY APPLETON / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas - One look at the final examination on the blackboard and Cletus Bristol was out the door, leaving Latin class and his senior year at Frisco High School behind for good.
The year was 1918 or 1919. Mr. Bristol isn't quite sure. When you're 103 years old, distant dates can sometimes blur.
But 85 or so years later, he was clearly the focus of kind words and a standing ovation Thursday as school officials awarded surely their most senior ex-student an honorary diploma.
O laetum diem! O happy day!
"I don't know that I deserve it," an appreciative Mr. Bristol said Wednesday from his TV chair at home. "And they could do it without the gown and cap."
Dressed in royal blue gown and mortarboard, hiding his thinning gray hair and complementing his blue-gray eyes, Mr. Bristol and his aluminum walker entered the Frisco Senior Center dining room as senior choir pianist Jeanne Hermonat pounded out "Pomp and Circumstance."
He listened as school Superintendent Rick Reedy told about 70 friends and family that "this is one of the most successful dropouts we've ever had," adding "we don't want to set a precedent here."
He heard school board president Buddy Minett praise him as a "lifelong and long-life learner," who "continues to brighten the lives of everyone here in Frisco."
And then Mr. Bristol – standing, microphone in hand – thanked everyone before explaining why he quit Latin and school.
"I didn't think I'd have any use for it. So why study?" he said to chuckles from the crowd. "I dropped out of school so I wouldn't have to tell [friends] I didn't get promoted."
Grocery success
Mr. Bristol's early exit from the classroom wasn't that unusual at a time when high school diplomas carried clout in the workplace. And his lack of credentials didn't hold him back from a successful career in the grocery business.
After school and on Saturdays, young Cletus delivered orders by horse-drawn wagon for McCauley's food store in young Frisco, population about 400.
Free of Latin and school, he worked for the grocer full time before moving to Dallas in 1923. There he took a job with the Piggly Wiggly chain and spent more than 40 years managing Safeway stores across Dallas – a work experience that included some memorable holdups (five) and clientele.
"The best customers I had was bootleggers," Mr. Bristol said of the first store he managed, on South Ervay Street. "They'd buy sugar by the hundred-pound sack and Blue Ribbon malt by the case."
He thrived on the job as a revenue producer and employee leader before retiring in 1969. And despite an incomplete formal education, the grocer said he learned plenty along the way.
"People ask me what advice I have for young people. All I know is invest in real estate," said Mr. Bristol. These days, he keeps a small herd of Hereford mix cattle on 104 acres in northern Collin County – land he bought for $65 an acre in 1972 and that most recently drew a per-acre offer of $8,000.
Other insights?
"Put a little money aside all the time," he said. "And I always try to treat everyone like I wanted to be treated."
Born in Denton in 1902, Mr. Bristol moved to Frisco 12 years later, the year World War I broke out. He married Pearl Daffron, a school teacher, in 1927. They reared a son, Ted, a 1946 graduate of Highland Park High School, and returned to Frisco in the early 1960s, building the brick house on Mimosa Road where Mr. Bristol still lives with his mutt Barney.
He has outlasted his wife of 72 years, son, brother and sister. Four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren still comfort him.
A bum left hip brought on the walker. Arthritis in both knees can be a pain. The pill he takes because of his heart attack two years ago is a concern.
"They cost about $3 apiece," he said. "If I drop one of them on the floor, I'm going to have to get down there and look for it."
Declining vision, and the insistence of friends and the Frisco police, forced him to give up driving last year. But he still enjoys watching television, particularly football, Dr. Phil and Wheel of Fortune – the latter, "that's mostly Vanna White," said his granddaughter Whitney Heath, who lives nearby.
Friends bring food by the house and will drive him to the senior center for lunch or to his land. He fries an egg ("over pretty well-done") every morning and likes to cook macaroni and cheese – a dish that, he says, "covers everything."
Long-lived relatives
And everything considered, Mr. Bristol said, "It's surprising I feel as well as I do."
Why his longevity? His great-grandfather, Capt. W.H. Bristol, died at age 103, Mr. Bristol proudly informs. He has been told the captain had a sister who lived to be 105 – an age he hopes to reach.
"After that, I'm going to give up," he said.
If not genetic, his staying power "wasn't clean living," said Mr. Bristol. He smoked from age 15 until his early 40s, and "I used to say I drank only when I was by myself or with someone."
He still enjoys an adult beverage on special occasions and figures that perhaps he has lived so long because he still enjoys life.
"Maybe it's because I don't worry about anything. I stay busy and always have something to look forward to, and I count my blessings," he said. "I'm just thankful I'm able to live alone and take care of myself physically and financially."
And when he no longer can, Mr. Bristol said he will hire some help.
"I wouldn't want to go to one of those nursing homes," he said. "There's nobody there but old people grunting and going on."
By ROY APPLETON / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas - One look at the final examination on the blackboard and Cletus Bristol was out the door, leaving Latin class and his senior year at Frisco High School behind for good.
The year was 1918 or 1919. Mr. Bristol isn't quite sure. When you're 103 years old, distant dates can sometimes blur.
But 85 or so years later, he was clearly the focus of kind words and a standing ovation Thursday as school officials awarded surely their most senior ex-student an honorary diploma.
O laetum diem! O happy day!
"I don't know that I deserve it," an appreciative Mr. Bristol said Wednesday from his TV chair at home. "And they could do it without the gown and cap."
Dressed in royal blue gown and mortarboard, hiding his thinning gray hair and complementing his blue-gray eyes, Mr. Bristol and his aluminum walker entered the Frisco Senior Center dining room as senior choir pianist Jeanne Hermonat pounded out "Pomp and Circumstance."
He listened as school Superintendent Rick Reedy told about 70 friends and family that "this is one of the most successful dropouts we've ever had," adding "we don't want to set a precedent here."
He heard school board president Buddy Minett praise him as a "lifelong and long-life learner," who "continues to brighten the lives of everyone here in Frisco."
And then Mr. Bristol – standing, microphone in hand – thanked everyone before explaining why he quit Latin and school.
"I didn't think I'd have any use for it. So why study?" he said to chuckles from the crowd. "I dropped out of school so I wouldn't have to tell [friends] I didn't get promoted."
Grocery success
Mr. Bristol's early exit from the classroom wasn't that unusual at a time when high school diplomas carried clout in the workplace. And his lack of credentials didn't hold him back from a successful career in the grocery business.
After school and on Saturdays, young Cletus delivered orders by horse-drawn wagon for McCauley's food store in young Frisco, population about 400.
Free of Latin and school, he worked for the grocer full time before moving to Dallas in 1923. There he took a job with the Piggly Wiggly chain and spent more than 40 years managing Safeway stores across Dallas – a work experience that included some memorable holdups (five) and clientele.
"The best customers I had was bootleggers," Mr. Bristol said of the first store he managed, on South Ervay Street. "They'd buy sugar by the hundred-pound sack and Blue Ribbon malt by the case."
He thrived on the job as a revenue producer and employee leader before retiring in 1969. And despite an incomplete formal education, the grocer said he learned plenty along the way.
"People ask me what advice I have for young people. All I know is invest in real estate," said Mr. Bristol. These days, he keeps a small herd of Hereford mix cattle on 104 acres in northern Collin County – land he bought for $65 an acre in 1972 and that most recently drew a per-acre offer of $8,000.
Other insights?
"Put a little money aside all the time," he said. "And I always try to treat everyone like I wanted to be treated."
Born in Denton in 1902, Mr. Bristol moved to Frisco 12 years later, the year World War I broke out. He married Pearl Daffron, a school teacher, in 1927. They reared a son, Ted, a 1946 graduate of Highland Park High School, and returned to Frisco in the early 1960s, building the brick house on Mimosa Road where Mr. Bristol still lives with his mutt Barney.
He has outlasted his wife of 72 years, son, brother and sister. Four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren still comfort him.
A bum left hip brought on the walker. Arthritis in both knees can be a pain. The pill he takes because of his heart attack two years ago is a concern.
"They cost about $3 apiece," he said. "If I drop one of them on the floor, I'm going to have to get down there and look for it."
Declining vision, and the insistence of friends and the Frisco police, forced him to give up driving last year. But he still enjoys watching television, particularly football, Dr. Phil and Wheel of Fortune – the latter, "that's mostly Vanna White," said his granddaughter Whitney Heath, who lives nearby.
Friends bring food by the house and will drive him to the senior center for lunch or to his land. He fries an egg ("over pretty well-done") every morning and likes to cook macaroni and cheese – a dish that, he says, "covers everything."
Long-lived relatives
And everything considered, Mr. Bristol said, "It's surprising I feel as well as I do."
Why his longevity? His great-grandfather, Capt. W.H. Bristol, died at age 103, Mr. Bristol proudly informs. He has been told the captain had a sister who lived to be 105 – an age he hopes to reach.
"After that, I'm going to give up," he said.
If not genetic, his staying power "wasn't clean living," said Mr. Bristol. He smoked from age 15 until his early 40s, and "I used to say I drank only when I was by myself or with someone."
He still enjoys an adult beverage on special occasions and figures that perhaps he has lived so long because he still enjoys life.
"Maybe it's because I don't worry about anything. I stay busy and always have something to look forward to, and I count my blessings," he said. "I'm just thankful I'm able to live alone and take care of myself physically and financially."
And when he no longer can, Mr. Bristol said he will hire some help.
"I wouldn't want to go to one of those nursing homes," he said. "There's nobody there but old people grunting and going on."
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TexasStooge
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Student fights university over ferret
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A student has filed an Americans With Disabilities Act complaint against a university because it won't let her keep her pet ferret at her dormitory.
Freshman Sarah Sevick, 19, said in a complaint filed with the U.S. Justice Department that she needs the ferret, named Lilly, at Our Lady of the Lake University to calm her during panic attacks.
"I'm not suing the school, and I'm not asking for money. I'm just trying to get her here," she said.
Sevick said she has been diagnosed with psychiatric problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder. She takes medication for depression and anxiety, she said.
She said her problems are related, legally, to a physical disability.
"It's something inside my body that I can't control," Sevick said.
She is attending the university on a $2,000-per-semester English scholarship and majoring in public relations/marketing.
Sevick requested to keep the ferret at her dormitory and in class before she moved onto campus in August, but was denied.
Susan Schleicher, spokeswoman at Our Lady of the Lake, said the university, to protect student privacy, couldn't comment.
Sevick said she's had many attacks since she's been on campus without the ferret.
She discovered Lilly's calming affects when she received the ferret as a gift about a year ago.
"Pretty quickly, we realized it was very responsive to her," said Sevick's mother, Kay, who now cares for Lilly. "When (Sarah's) anxiety goes up, (Lilly) climbs on her and nuzzles her, and will stay for hours with her until she's better."
Sarah Sevick said university officials feared the ferret was a threat to other students and wasn't trained as a service animal.
Rick White, a local ferret rescuer, supports Sevick.
"The school is using old, outdated information," he said. "In order to make ferrets bite, you have to really provoke them."
Federal officials have denied service-animal status for animals not trained for specific tasks.
Transportation providers make a distinction for animals: Service animals have access rights under the ADA, emotional support animals do not.
Some transit systems allow therapy animals on buses and trains if they have proper identification from a training facility, according to a 1997 report prepared for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Meanwhile Sevick said she's not doing well in class.
"It's almost like I'm being jinxed," she said. "Because of that, I stay in my room."
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A student has filed an Americans With Disabilities Act complaint against a university because it won't let her keep her pet ferret at her dormitory.
Freshman Sarah Sevick, 19, said in a complaint filed with the U.S. Justice Department that she needs the ferret, named Lilly, at Our Lady of the Lake University to calm her during panic attacks.
"I'm not suing the school, and I'm not asking for money. I'm just trying to get her here," she said.
Sevick said she has been diagnosed with psychiatric problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder. She takes medication for depression and anxiety, she said.
She said her problems are related, legally, to a physical disability.
"It's something inside my body that I can't control," Sevick said.
She is attending the university on a $2,000-per-semester English scholarship and majoring in public relations/marketing.
Sevick requested to keep the ferret at her dormitory and in class before she moved onto campus in August, but was denied.
Susan Schleicher, spokeswoman at Our Lady of the Lake, said the university, to protect student privacy, couldn't comment.
Sevick said she's had many attacks since she's been on campus without the ferret.
She discovered Lilly's calming affects when she received the ferret as a gift about a year ago.
"Pretty quickly, we realized it was very responsive to her," said Sevick's mother, Kay, who now cares for Lilly. "When (Sarah's) anxiety goes up, (Lilly) climbs on her and nuzzles her, and will stay for hours with her until she's better."
Sarah Sevick said university officials feared the ferret was a threat to other students and wasn't trained as a service animal.
Rick White, a local ferret rescuer, supports Sevick.
"The school is using old, outdated information," he said. "In order to make ferrets bite, you have to really provoke them."
Federal officials have denied service-animal status for animals not trained for specific tasks.
Transportation providers make a distinction for animals: Service animals have access rights under the ADA, emotional support animals do not.
Some transit systems allow therapy animals on buses and trains if they have proper identification from a training facility, according to a 1997 report prepared for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Meanwhile Sevick said she's not doing well in class.
"It's almost like I'm being jinxed," she said. "Because of that, I stay in my room."
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TexasStooge
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DeLay home phone records sought in probe
Subpoena also targets daughter; ads liken Earle to attack dog
By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – As TV ads compared him to a "vicious" attack dog intent on ripping to shreds the architect of the national Republican agenda, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle bit back.
Mr. Earle issued a subpoena Thursday for the home phone records of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his daughter and occasional campaign consultant, Dani DeLay Ferro.
The hits are coming closer to home in the bitter public battle between the Democratic prosecutor and the Houston-area congressman accused of illegally diverting corporate campaign contributions to the 2002 Texas elections.
For months, Mr. Earle and Mr. DeLay have engaged in a public display of character bashing and insults. In remarks to a Democratic group in May, the prosecutor called Mr. DeLay a "bully." The day he was indicted on felony charges, a defiant Mr. DeLay called Mr. Earle a "rogue district attorney" with a "sham" indictment.
The latest assault came from television ads, sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based Free Enterprise Fund, that began airing on Austin channels Thursday with plans to go nationwide soon.
Over the likeness of an attacking dog, a man's voice says: "A prosecutor with a political agenda can be vicious."
"Bad, Ronnie, Bad," the narrator says. "It's not a crime to be a conservative."
It's the second time the group, which claims no connection to Mr. DeLay, has run ads bashing Mr. Earle's pursuit of the case. DeLay spokesman Todd Schorle said the congressman was not consulted before or since the ads have run. But the personal nature of the commercials falls in line with Mr. DeLay's public response to the prosecutor's investigation.
"DeLay wants to treat it as a political fight rather than a legal inquiry," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Bill White, a lawyer for Mr. DeLay, dismissed as "no big deal" the Thursday subpoenas for the telephone lines. The subpoenas list phone numbers of Mr. DeLay, his campaign and his daughter.
Mr. Earle's office declined to comment on the subpoenas. He has said the investigation is continuing.
Mr. Earle is seeking the records and information from Sept. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2002, the period when a political committee founded by Mr. DeLay, Texans for a Republican Majority, was raising money for the 2002 election cycle.
Another subpoena requests all records pertaining to Mr. DeLay's purchase of a 2004 Toyota Sienna.
Mr. DeLay, who gave up his position as majority leader when the indictments were handed up last month, denies wrongdoing. Mr. White said Mr. Earle appeared to be trying to find out what kind of contact the congressman had with two associates, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, who also are under indictment.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. DeLay and two associates hatched a scheme to funnel $190,000 in corporate funds through the Republican National Committee and back to seven Republican candidates in Texas.
Three grand juries and two sets of indictments later, Mr. DeLay faces felony charges handed up just days before the Oct. 3 statute of limitations was set to run out.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Subpoena also targets daughter; ads liken Earle to attack dog
By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – As TV ads compared him to a "vicious" attack dog intent on ripping to shreds the architect of the national Republican agenda, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle bit back.
Mr. Earle issued a subpoena Thursday for the home phone records of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his daughter and occasional campaign consultant, Dani DeLay Ferro.
The hits are coming closer to home in the bitter public battle between the Democratic prosecutor and the Houston-area congressman accused of illegally diverting corporate campaign contributions to the 2002 Texas elections.
For months, Mr. Earle and Mr. DeLay have engaged in a public display of character bashing and insults. In remarks to a Democratic group in May, the prosecutor called Mr. DeLay a "bully." The day he was indicted on felony charges, a defiant Mr. DeLay called Mr. Earle a "rogue district attorney" with a "sham" indictment.
The latest assault came from television ads, sponsored by the Washington, D.C.-based Free Enterprise Fund, that began airing on Austin channels Thursday with plans to go nationwide soon.
Over the likeness of an attacking dog, a man's voice says: "A prosecutor with a political agenda can be vicious."
"Bad, Ronnie, Bad," the narrator says. "It's not a crime to be a conservative."
It's the second time the group, which claims no connection to Mr. DeLay, has run ads bashing Mr. Earle's pursuit of the case. DeLay spokesman Todd Schorle said the congressman was not consulted before or since the ads have run. But the personal nature of the commercials falls in line with Mr. DeLay's public response to the prosecutor's investigation.
"DeLay wants to treat it as a political fight rather than a legal inquiry," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Bill White, a lawyer for Mr. DeLay, dismissed as "no big deal" the Thursday subpoenas for the telephone lines. The subpoenas list phone numbers of Mr. DeLay, his campaign and his daughter.
Mr. Earle's office declined to comment on the subpoenas. He has said the investigation is continuing.
Mr. Earle is seeking the records and information from Sept. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2002, the period when a political committee founded by Mr. DeLay, Texans for a Republican Majority, was raising money for the 2002 election cycle.
Another subpoena requests all records pertaining to Mr. DeLay's purchase of a 2004 Toyota Sienna.
Mr. DeLay, who gave up his position as majority leader when the indictments were handed up last month, denies wrongdoing. Mr. White said Mr. Earle appeared to be trying to find out what kind of contact the congressman had with two associates, Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, who also are under indictment.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. DeLay and two associates hatched a scheme to funnel $190,000 in corporate funds through the Republican National Committee and back to seven Republican candidates in Texas.
Three grand juries and two sets of indictments later, Mr. DeLay faces felony charges handed up just days before the Oct. 3 statute of limitations was set to run out.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Perry pledges $10 million to patrol border
Sheriffs, governor say they can't wait for U.S. immigration help
By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News
EL PASO, Texas - Sheriffs from El Paso County to the Gulf Coast are taking up the cause of national security, as Gov. Rick Perry vowed Wednesday to send $10 million to border counties to help deputies patrol the Texas-Mexico border.
Mr. Perry said Texas border residents can no longer wait for Congress to act while threats from violent gangs and terrorists rise. So the state will have to step in with its own plan for securing more than 1,100 miles that Texas shares with Mexico.
"I offer this plan, not because it is the state's responsibility to control the federal border, but because the state of Texas cannot wait for the federal government to implement needed border security measures," he said in a news conference in Laredo.
The plan also includes beefing up communications among law enforcement agencies; involving the Texas National Guard in training exercises for local border officers; creating a binational emergency response plan for natural disasters; and permanently assigning 54 Department of Public Safety criminal investigators to the border.
Mr. Perry is also asking the federal government to designate the border area as a "high threat" for terrorist activity, which would allow local police agencies to tap even more homeland security dollars.
The porous border is a threat to national security, Mr. Perry said, citing a recent spike in the number of illegal immigrants detained by authorities who are from countries other than Mexico.
Border Patrol officials said those detentions have more than doubled since 2004, probably as a result of increased and targeted enforcement. An estimated 155,000 immigrants from outside Mexico have been detained in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas in fiscal year 2005 – up from 65,916 in 2004. Most of those are from countries such as Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Ecuador. Mr. Perry said he's most concerned about immigrants from Iraq, Iran, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Funding for the state initiatives will come from grants earmarked for homeland security and criminal justice programs.
The highlight of the governor's plan is support for Operation Linebacker, originally conceived by the fledgling Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition this year as a way for deputies – who are the first responders to 911 calls in the rural border areas – to serve as a second line of defense behind the U.S. Border Patrol.
Sheriffs from along the border celebrated Wednesday's announcement, saying they had been stymied by a lack of money in an increasingly violent and populated area of the country.
"Our biggest threat is terrorism," said Webb County Sheriff Rick Flores, whose jurisdiction includes Laredo. "We're looking out for you in Dallas; we're looking out for people in Idaho, Nebraska, Washington – every state in the union."
The state dollars for Operation Linebacker come as Texas congressmen, including Republican Rep. John Culberson of Houston and Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo, push for $100 million in federal funding for Linebacker to operate in all four of the states that share a border with Mexico.
The idea is to use deputies not for immigration enforcement, Border Patrol officials said, but as public-safety officers that can act as eyes and ears for federal agents.
"Border security is a shared effort," said Salvador Zamora, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol in Washington, D.C. "I think it has to be noted that the 11,100 agents nationwide cannot solely protect this great nation against terrorists and terrorist weapons."
The plan is similar to those begun in recent years by frustrated officials in California, Arizona and New Mexico who say the federal government isn't working hard or fast enough to stanch an ever-growing flow of illegal immigrants.
Sheriffs, governor say they can't wait for U.S. immigration help
By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News
EL PASO, Texas - Sheriffs from El Paso County to the Gulf Coast are taking up the cause of national security, as Gov. Rick Perry vowed Wednesday to send $10 million to border counties to help deputies patrol the Texas-Mexico border.
Mr. Perry said Texas border residents can no longer wait for Congress to act while threats from violent gangs and terrorists rise. So the state will have to step in with its own plan for securing more than 1,100 miles that Texas shares with Mexico.
"I offer this plan, not because it is the state's responsibility to control the federal border, but because the state of Texas cannot wait for the federal government to implement needed border security measures," he said in a news conference in Laredo.
The plan also includes beefing up communications among law enforcement agencies; involving the Texas National Guard in training exercises for local border officers; creating a binational emergency response plan for natural disasters; and permanently assigning 54 Department of Public Safety criminal investigators to the border.
Mr. Perry is also asking the federal government to designate the border area as a "high threat" for terrorist activity, which would allow local police agencies to tap even more homeland security dollars.
The porous border is a threat to national security, Mr. Perry said, citing a recent spike in the number of illegal immigrants detained by authorities who are from countries other than Mexico.
Border Patrol officials said those detentions have more than doubled since 2004, probably as a result of increased and targeted enforcement. An estimated 155,000 immigrants from outside Mexico have been detained in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas in fiscal year 2005 – up from 65,916 in 2004. Most of those are from countries such as Brazil, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Ecuador. Mr. Perry said he's most concerned about immigrants from Iraq, Iran, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Funding for the state initiatives will come from grants earmarked for homeland security and criminal justice programs.
The highlight of the governor's plan is support for Operation Linebacker, originally conceived by the fledgling Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition this year as a way for deputies – who are the first responders to 911 calls in the rural border areas – to serve as a second line of defense behind the U.S. Border Patrol.
Sheriffs from along the border celebrated Wednesday's announcement, saying they had been stymied by a lack of money in an increasingly violent and populated area of the country.
"Our biggest threat is terrorism," said Webb County Sheriff Rick Flores, whose jurisdiction includes Laredo. "We're looking out for you in Dallas; we're looking out for people in Idaho, Nebraska, Washington – every state in the union."
The state dollars for Operation Linebacker come as Texas congressmen, including Republican Rep. John Culberson of Houston and Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo, push for $100 million in federal funding for Linebacker to operate in all four of the states that share a border with Mexico.
The idea is to use deputies not for immigration enforcement, Border Patrol officials said, but as public-safety officers that can act as eyes and ears for federal agents.
"Border security is a shared effort," said Salvador Zamora, a spokesman for the U.S. Border Patrol in Washington, D.C. "I think it has to be noted that the 11,100 agents nationwide cannot solely protect this great nation against terrorists and terrorist weapons."
The plan is similar to those begun in recent years by frustrated officials in California, Arizona and New Mexico who say the federal government isn't working hard or fast enough to stanch an ever-growing flow of illegal immigrants.
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TexasStooge
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Suspect: Fatal beating 'random' attack
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - More information is coming out of the investigation into the mob beating death of 18-year-old Joseph Davis nearly two weeks ago.
This week, police arrested three men in connection with the crime and expect to make more arrests. In a jailhouse interview on Friday, one of them told News 8 about what he saw.
Kendrick Barnes sits in jail facing a murder charge. He said Davis was randomly picked and beaten for no apparent reason.
Barnes said he watched Davis take his last breaths - and did nothing to help him.
"You can see me just looking," Barnes said, pointing to a picture obtained by News 8 taken immediately after the attack.
Barnes said about 15 to 20 men kicked, punched and then stomped on Davis.
"I think he was breathing before the dude jumped on his face," Barnes said. "You could see his chest moving."
The question many people have is why no one stopped the attack.
"I said, 'Ya'll stop jumping on the dude,' but they didn't listen to me," Barnes said. "They went on for about 30 to 45 more seconds."
Barnes said he did not touch Davis, but police said otherwise. They said they have witnesses who will testify that Barnes was among those throwing the punches - a charge he denies.
"I do not have blood on my hand from that night, no," Barnes said.
When asked what led a mob of men to beat a young man to death, Barnes reiterated that it was a "random" attack. He claims Davis said nothing to provoke the attack, and through the whole ordeal he never said a word - he simply held his hands over his head and tried to soften the blows
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - More information is coming out of the investigation into the mob beating death of 18-year-old Joseph Davis nearly two weeks ago.
This week, police arrested three men in connection with the crime and expect to make more arrests. In a jailhouse interview on Friday, one of them told News 8 about what he saw.
Kendrick Barnes sits in jail facing a murder charge. He said Davis was randomly picked and beaten for no apparent reason.
Barnes said he watched Davis take his last breaths - and did nothing to help him.
"You can see me just looking," Barnes said, pointing to a picture obtained by News 8 taken immediately after the attack.
Barnes said about 15 to 20 men kicked, punched and then stomped on Davis.
"I think he was breathing before the dude jumped on his face," Barnes said. "You could see his chest moving."
The question many people have is why no one stopped the attack.
"I said, 'Ya'll stop jumping on the dude,' but they didn't listen to me," Barnes said. "They went on for about 30 to 45 more seconds."
Barnes said he did not touch Davis, but police said otherwise. They said they have witnesses who will testify that Barnes was among those throwing the punches - a charge he denies.
"I do not have blood on my hand from that night, no," Barnes said.
When asked what led a mob of men to beat a young man to death, Barnes reiterated that it was a "random" attack. He claims Davis said nothing to provoke the attack, and through the whole ordeal he never said a word - he simply held his hands over his head and tried to soften the blows
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TexasStooge
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Fugitive arrested in Sanchez murder
By TIM WYATT and PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News
A fugitive wanted in the abduction and slaying of Oak Cliff restaurateur Oscar Sanchez was arrested at a Mexican seaside resort Friday morning, ending a nine-month international manhunt.
Mexican federal authorities captured Edgar “Richie” Acevedo, a 25-year-old former waiter at a Sanchez family restaurant, in Cabo San Lucas and were preparing to take him to Mexico City, Dallas police said.
FBI Special Agent Lori Bailey confirmed the arrest, but would not discuss details on how or where it took place. Today would have been Mr. Sanchez’s 31st birthday. He was kidnapped the morning of Jan. 18 in what police believe was a staged fender bender in his north Oak Cliff neighborhood.
His body was found covered by construction debris in a field in southern Dallas about a week after he disappeared.
Police say Jose Felix, a former teacher at Fannin Elementary in Dallas, was Mr. Acevedo’s accomplice in the kidnapping and slaying.
Mr. Felix was captured in Chicago in the weeks after the slaying, as he was about to board a plane to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Mr. Acevedo had flown a day earlier. His trial on capital murder charges is set for Jan. 30.
Mexican officials initially focused searches for Mr. Acevedo in the state of Zacatecas, his hometown; Mexico City, the capital; and Guadalajara, the city where police say he traveled to on Jan. 22. In the weeks following the murder, FBI officials acknowledged that their legal attaché office in Guadalajara was assisting in the search. Mr. Acevedo’s sister, Gabriela Acevedo, said Friday that news of her brother’s arrest came as a surprise.
“I expected this to happen at some point,” the 28-year-old said from her home in Chicago. “The news hit me hard. It’s difficult for me to take. It’s not easy. But I was conscious that this was going to happen at some point.”
Ms. Acevedo last saw her brother at her home before he fled to Mexico. Agent Bailey said Mr. Acevedo’s arrest came as the result of a provisional warrant forwarded to Mexico from U.S. authorities for “unlawful fight to avoid prosecution.”
“So the process will start to bring him back to Dallas to face murder charges,” she said. “But when and how that’s going to happen isn’t clear yet.” Mexican protection consul Luis Lara said that he didn’t have information about Mr. Acevedo’s arrest.
However, he said that an extradition process could be long because Mr. Acevedo could make use of a legal resource that protects people from being extradited. Mr. Lara said that the Mexican government doesn’t extradite people who could face the death penalty in the United States.
Al Dia staff writer Vanessa Salinas, WFAA ABC 8 reporter Rebecca Lopez and staff writer Holly Becka contributed to this report.
By TIM WYATT and PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News
A fugitive wanted in the abduction and slaying of Oak Cliff restaurateur Oscar Sanchez was arrested at a Mexican seaside resort Friday morning, ending a nine-month international manhunt.
Mexican federal authorities captured Edgar “Richie” Acevedo, a 25-year-old former waiter at a Sanchez family restaurant, in Cabo San Lucas and were preparing to take him to Mexico City, Dallas police said.
FBI Special Agent Lori Bailey confirmed the arrest, but would not discuss details on how or where it took place. Today would have been Mr. Sanchez’s 31st birthday. He was kidnapped the morning of Jan. 18 in what police believe was a staged fender bender in his north Oak Cliff neighborhood.
His body was found covered by construction debris in a field in southern Dallas about a week after he disappeared.
Police say Jose Felix, a former teacher at Fannin Elementary in Dallas, was Mr. Acevedo’s accomplice in the kidnapping and slaying.
Mr. Felix was captured in Chicago in the weeks after the slaying, as he was about to board a plane to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Mr. Acevedo had flown a day earlier. His trial on capital murder charges is set for Jan. 30.
Mexican officials initially focused searches for Mr. Acevedo in the state of Zacatecas, his hometown; Mexico City, the capital; and Guadalajara, the city where police say he traveled to on Jan. 22. In the weeks following the murder, FBI officials acknowledged that their legal attaché office in Guadalajara was assisting in the search. Mr. Acevedo’s sister, Gabriela Acevedo, said Friday that news of her brother’s arrest came as a surprise.
“I expected this to happen at some point,” the 28-year-old said from her home in Chicago. “The news hit me hard. It’s difficult for me to take. It’s not easy. But I was conscious that this was going to happen at some point.”
Ms. Acevedo last saw her brother at her home before he fled to Mexico. Agent Bailey said Mr. Acevedo’s arrest came as the result of a provisional warrant forwarded to Mexico from U.S. authorities for “unlawful fight to avoid prosecution.”
“So the process will start to bring him back to Dallas to face murder charges,” she said. “But when and how that’s going to happen isn’t clear yet.” Mexican protection consul Luis Lara said that he didn’t have information about Mr. Acevedo’s arrest.
However, he said that an extradition process could be long because Mr. Acevedo could make use of a legal resource that protects people from being extradited. Mr. Lara said that the Mexican government doesn’t extradite people who could face the death penalty in the United States.
Al Dia staff writer Vanessa Salinas, WFAA ABC 8 reporter Rebecca Lopez and staff writer Holly Becka contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Thieves steal AC units, meter covers
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Air conditioning units and water meter covers are disappearing on the east side of Fort Worth.
Police said thieves are stealing them and selling them for quick cash, catching homeowners by surprise.
Donald Echeverria said thieves struck last Wednesday at his home.
"This is where the air conditioner used to sit," Echeverria said, pointing to an empty concrete pad outside his home. "All the copper tubing and everything an air conditioner requires, they took. My neighbor's ... they just gutted it out as well."
He's trying to sell the home, which will be a more difficult task now without working air.
"I was furious," Echeverria said. "I'm talking, I saw red."
The unit was barely four years old.
"(It cost) $3,200, and they probably got $50 for it."
Thieves are stealing the units and other items to sell them for quick cash to scrap metal dealers.
"Sometimes, you know, they're getting 70, 75 cents a pound for that stuff," said Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan.
What's also hot are manhole and water-meter covers.
Mike Douglas nearly broke his leg while working in a yard where the water cover meter was missing. He said about 20 in all were taken along Luda Street.
"I didn't know what to think," Douglas said, recalling the moment he noticed his and other meter covers were gone. "I was more mad than hurt. I knew someone had stolen every one of them."
According to the Water Department there have been 103 covers stolen this year, each costing about $56.
Someone took Don Armstrong's last month.
Said Armstrong, "The only thing I wonder about is why, with all the logos on there, someone would buy it for scrap metal?"
But police said the culprits usually break or grind the metal before they sell it, making the cases harder to prove and prosecute.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Air conditioning units and water meter covers are disappearing on the east side of Fort Worth.
Police said thieves are stealing them and selling them for quick cash, catching homeowners by surprise.
Donald Echeverria said thieves struck last Wednesday at his home.
"This is where the air conditioner used to sit," Echeverria said, pointing to an empty concrete pad outside his home. "All the copper tubing and everything an air conditioner requires, they took. My neighbor's ... they just gutted it out as well."
He's trying to sell the home, which will be a more difficult task now without working air.
"I was furious," Echeverria said. "I'm talking, I saw red."
The unit was barely four years old.
"(It cost) $3,200, and they probably got $50 for it."
Thieves are stealing the units and other items to sell them for quick cash to scrap metal dealers.
"Sometimes, you know, they're getting 70, 75 cents a pound for that stuff," said Fort Worth police Lt. Dean Sullivan.
What's also hot are manhole and water-meter covers.
Mike Douglas nearly broke his leg while working in a yard where the water cover meter was missing. He said about 20 in all were taken along Luda Street.
"I didn't know what to think," Douglas said, recalling the moment he noticed his and other meter covers were gone. "I was more mad than hurt. I knew someone had stolen every one of them."
According to the Water Department there have been 103 covers stolen this year, each costing about $56.
Someone took Don Armstrong's last month.
Said Armstrong, "The only thing I wonder about is why, with all the logos on there, someone would buy it for scrap metal?"
But police said the culprits usually break or grind the metal before they sell it, making the cases harder to prove and prosecute.
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