Clerk's accused killer: 'Why me?'
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
LANCASTER, Texas - One of the three men arrested in the robbery and shooting of a Lancaster convenience store clerk said Friday he should not be charged with capital murder.
In an interview at the Dallas County Jail, the accused man, Anthony Thomas, said he wasn't present when the robbery took place.
"They got a shooter and a driver; why me?" Thomas asked.
Thomas admitted he was with co-defendants Paul Emilien and Christopher Dominique early last Monday morning, before the fatal shooting of 7-Eleven night clerk Anthony Flanery. But Thomas said the two men left him, and—without his knowledge—took a stolen gun he possessed for the robbery.
Police said Dominique drove the car and Emilien pulled the trigger. Thomas said he doesn't understand why he's facing the death penalty with them.
"I know that gun was used, but I didn't use that gun and I didn't shoot the kid, you know what I'm saying?"
An impromptu memorial in front of the convenience store is testimony to how much Flanery's customers, friends and family miss him. The 19-year-old had worked the overnight shift at the 7-Eleven since August.
Flanery lived just down the road with his grandparents, who said they were not symptathetic to Thomas' plea for understanding.
"I don't care if the one driving or the one that furnished the gun—they are just as guilty as the one that pulled the trigger," said Mary Flanery, the victim's grandmother.
John Flanery added that the murder charge is appropriate to all three defendants. "I understand they got them for capital murder, which is the death penalty," he said, "and I approve of it 100 percent."
Police said Thomas knew of the robbery and supplied the gun, and that makes him a party—under the law—to a crime that left a young man dead.
"I do hope they get the death penalty," Mary Flanery said. "I don't even think they deserve a trial whatsoever."
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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TexasStooge
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BREAKING NEWS: Hundreds flee poison fumes in Texarkana
TEXARKANA, Ark. (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Hundreds of homes were evacuated Saturday after a liquid propane gas tank was hit by a Union Pacific train car, exploding in a ball of fire and leaving a plume of smoke over the south end of the city, a police spokesman said.
Officers went door to door and urged thousands of people to move to the north side of town while firefighters put out the blaze.
The air quality was of most concern because a train car carrying vinyl acetate caught fire, police spokesman Chris Rankin said.
Rankin said fumes from the chemical are "most definitely poisonous."
The evacuation was suspended about four hours after the 5 a.m. crash, when police were told the fire was under control. Police on the scene said several "structures" were destroyed by fire, Rankin said.
Area hospitals reported seven people were treated for respiratory problems or possible exposure to fumes.
Wadley Regional Medical Center was in the evacuation area, and several patients and nurses also complained of nose and eye irritation, spokeswoman Shelby Brown said.
Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis, heading to the scene from Omaha, Neb., said the freight train coming from Chicago hit the back of another train in the rail yard, causing two empty hopper cars to derail. He said one of the cars hit "a small LPG tank" similar to what farmers use for fuel. Union Pacific did not know what caused the accident, he said.
The train was headed for Laredo, Texas, when it hit the back of the other Union Pacific freight train, which was coming from Pine Bluff and headed for Harlingen, Texas, Davis said.
Rankin said the switching yard is behind the police station, about a quarter mile from the Texas border and also serves Kansas City Southern and Amtrak.
TEXARKANA, Ark. (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Hundreds of homes were evacuated Saturday after a liquid propane gas tank was hit by a Union Pacific train car, exploding in a ball of fire and leaving a plume of smoke over the south end of the city, a police spokesman said.
Officers went door to door and urged thousands of people to move to the north side of town while firefighters put out the blaze.
The air quality was of most concern because a train car carrying vinyl acetate caught fire, police spokesman Chris Rankin said.
Rankin said fumes from the chemical are "most definitely poisonous."
The evacuation was suspended about four hours after the 5 a.m. crash, when police were told the fire was under control. Police on the scene said several "structures" were destroyed by fire, Rankin said.
Area hospitals reported seven people were treated for respiratory problems or possible exposure to fumes.
Wadley Regional Medical Center was in the evacuation area, and several patients and nurses also complained of nose and eye irritation, spokeswoman Shelby Brown said.
Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis, heading to the scene from Omaha, Neb., said the freight train coming from Chicago hit the back of another train in the rail yard, causing two empty hopper cars to derail. He said one of the cars hit "a small LPG tank" similar to what farmers use for fuel. Union Pacific did not know what caused the accident, he said.
The train was headed for Laredo, Texas, when it hit the back of the other Union Pacific freight train, which was coming from Pine Bluff and headed for Harlingen, Texas, Davis said.
Rankin said the switching yard is behind the police station, about a quarter mile from the Texas border and also serves Kansas City Southern and Amtrak.
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TexasStooge
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Bigfoot conference in Texas draws hundreds
By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press
JEFFERSON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Next to a lifelike replica of a giant ape head, the believers milled around tables Saturday covered with casts of large footprints, books about nature's mysteries and T-shirts proclaiming "Bigfoot: Often Imitated, Never Invalidated."
While they can have a sense of humor about it, the search for the legendary Sasquatch is no joke for many of the nearly 400 people who came here to discuss the latest sightings and tracking techniques at the Texas Bigfoot Conference.
"It's not a matter of believing, like faith, when you believe in something you can't see," said Daryl G. Colyer, a Lorena businessman who has investigated hundreds of reported Bigfoot sightings in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
"It's a flesh-and-blood animal that just has not been discovered yet. And I think we're getting closer and closer and closer," Colyer said.
Outlandish theories about the origin of Bigfoot abound, including that it might be an extraterrestrial. Many believe that a towering, ape-like creature descended from a prehistoric 9- to 10-foot-tall gorilla called a Gigantopithecus, and that it now inhabits North American forests.
Hoaxes have been a large part of the making of the Bigfoot legend. California construction company owner Ray L. Wallace donned 16-inch wooden feet to create tracks in mud in 1958, and it led to a front-page story in a local paper that coined the term "Bigfoot."
But there have been more than 2,550 seemingly credible Bigfoot sightings reported in North America the past century, according to Christopher L. Murphy's 2004 book Meet the Sasquatch.
Murphy believes thousands more witnesses are too afraid of ridicule to come forward.
"You see one of these things and it changes your whole perception of reality," said Craig Woolheater, the office manager of a Dallas company who co-founded the Texas Bigfoot Research Center in 1999, five years after he said he saw a hairy creature walking along a remote Louisiana road.
Colyer and others estimate that about 2,000 are in North America today, reclusive nocturnal animals living in thickly wooded areas with waterways, eating meat and plants and making nests out of trees and brush.
Pictures and film footage are often disputed, such as the 1967 footage of a creature walking near a California creek. Most evidence centers on hundreds of casts of footprints collected since the 1950s.
Jimmy Chilcutt, a retired fingerprint analysis expert for the Conroe Police Department, said many of the hundreds of prints he examined belonged to a primate, but not a human, ape, gorilla or chimpanzee.
Like Chilcutt, other well-respected professionals have come forward to say such evidence should not be dismissed.
"To me it's still an open question, but here's some evidence that warrants some serious consideration, so give it a chance," said Jeff Meldrum, associate professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University who has studied more than 150 casts of footprints. "This is not a paranormal question; it's a biological question.
By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press
JEFFERSON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — Next to a lifelike replica of a giant ape head, the believers milled around tables Saturday covered with casts of large footprints, books about nature's mysteries and T-shirts proclaiming "Bigfoot: Often Imitated, Never Invalidated."
While they can have a sense of humor about it, the search for the legendary Sasquatch is no joke for many of the nearly 400 people who came here to discuss the latest sightings and tracking techniques at the Texas Bigfoot Conference.
"It's not a matter of believing, like faith, when you believe in something you can't see," said Daryl G. Colyer, a Lorena businessman who has investigated hundreds of reported Bigfoot sightings in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
"It's a flesh-and-blood animal that just has not been discovered yet. And I think we're getting closer and closer and closer," Colyer said.
Outlandish theories about the origin of Bigfoot abound, including that it might be an extraterrestrial. Many believe that a towering, ape-like creature descended from a prehistoric 9- to 10-foot-tall gorilla called a Gigantopithecus, and that it now inhabits North American forests.
Hoaxes have been a large part of the making of the Bigfoot legend. California construction company owner Ray L. Wallace donned 16-inch wooden feet to create tracks in mud in 1958, and it led to a front-page story in a local paper that coined the term "Bigfoot."
But there have been more than 2,550 seemingly credible Bigfoot sightings reported in North America the past century, according to Christopher L. Murphy's 2004 book Meet the Sasquatch.
Murphy believes thousands more witnesses are too afraid of ridicule to come forward.
"You see one of these things and it changes your whole perception of reality," said Craig Woolheater, the office manager of a Dallas company who co-founded the Texas Bigfoot Research Center in 1999, five years after he said he saw a hairy creature walking along a remote Louisiana road.
Colyer and others estimate that about 2,000 are in North America today, reclusive nocturnal animals living in thickly wooded areas with waterways, eating meat and plants and making nests out of trees and brush.
Pictures and film footage are often disputed, such as the 1967 footage of a creature walking near a California creek. Most evidence centers on hundreds of casts of footprints collected since the 1950s.
Jimmy Chilcutt, a retired fingerprint analysis expert for the Conroe Police Department, said many of the hundreds of prints he examined belonged to a primate, but not a human, ape, gorilla or chimpanzee.
Like Chilcutt, other well-respected professionals have come forward to say such evidence should not be dismissed.
"To me it's still an open question, but here's some evidence that warrants some serious consideration, so give it a chance," said Jeff Meldrum, associate professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University who has studied more than 150 casts of footprints. "This is not a paranormal question; it's a biological question.
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TexasStooge
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Dallas still on precarious perch
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Inside Sunday's newspaper you'll find "Dallas at the Tipping Point: An Update," a 14-page special section that examines whether Dallas City Hall is taking the steps needed to turn the city around.
Our report, a follow-up to last year's original Tipping Point, is based on four months of data analysis by consultants with Booz Allen Hamilton, a worldwide consulting firm, and more than 100 interviews by News reporters with Dallas city officials, business leaders and residents.
We discovered both progress and lingering problems.
Dallas still has the highest crime rate of any big U.S. city, but violent crimes – especially homicides – are declining.
Dallas Independent School District students still fail standardized tests at alarming rates, but the district has a new superintendent, new optimism and a fresh process for achieving goals.
City Hall does not have an integrated plan for pulling the city out of its nose dive, but for the first time, local politicians have taken a step toward recovery: They've acknowledged the city needs to change its direction.
In this year's report, The News dispatched reporters and photographers into neighborhoods to begin to understand how ineffective government translates into challenges for residents.
We rode along with police officers, joined a code enforcement officer at work, visited a successful business and spent time with an aunt who cares for 10 school-age children. Those stories speak clearly about what's at stake in our city and why it's vital our leaders get this one right.
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Dallas At The Tipping Point Update
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Inside Sunday's newspaper you'll find "Dallas at the Tipping Point: An Update," a 14-page special section that examines whether Dallas City Hall is taking the steps needed to turn the city around.
Our report, a follow-up to last year's original Tipping Point, is based on four months of data analysis by consultants with Booz Allen Hamilton, a worldwide consulting firm, and more than 100 interviews by News reporters with Dallas city officials, business leaders and residents.
We discovered both progress and lingering problems.
Dallas still has the highest crime rate of any big U.S. city, but violent crimes – especially homicides – are declining.
Dallas Independent School District students still fail standardized tests at alarming rates, but the district has a new superintendent, new optimism and a fresh process for achieving goals.
City Hall does not have an integrated plan for pulling the city out of its nose dive, but for the first time, local politicians have taken a step toward recovery: They've acknowledged the city needs to change its direction.
In this year's report, The News dispatched reporters and photographers into neighborhoods to begin to understand how ineffective government translates into challenges for residents.
We rode along with police officers, joined a code enforcement officer at work, visited a successful business and spent time with an aunt who cares for 10 school-age children. Those stories speak clearly about what's at stake in our city and why it's vital our leaders get this one right.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas At The Tipping Point Update
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TexasStooge
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Senior with Down syndrome fulfills dream
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
KELLER, Texas - The home crowd at Keller ISD Stadium rose to its feet as soon as Lyndon LaPlante jogged onto the field during the fourth quarter Friday night.
The fans went wild during LaPlante's 99-yard touchdown run, which ended with him being mobbed in the end zone by his Keller teammates.
Never mind that the pre-arranged play didn't count. It fulfilled a dream for LaPlante, a senior who has Down syndrome. He maximized the moment by flashing a Heismanesque stiff arm as he crossed the goal line and hamming it up on the sideline after play resumed in Keller's 35-21 win over Richland.
"Man, it was awesome!" said LaPlante, who was still cradling the game ball when his mother, Genni, woke him up Saturday morning. "Everybody said, 'Lyndon! Lyndon! Lyndon!' I was crying with chills."
Keller coach Kevin Atkinson had planned for three years to get LaPlante a carry his senior season. He hoped an opposing coach would agree to allow LaPlante to take a handoff and run over to the sideline to hug his coach.
Atkinson mentioned the idea to Richland coach Gene Wier, who suggested LaPlante should score. They agreed it would happen on Keller's first offensive play of the fourth quarter and notified the officiating crew before the game.
Perhaps it was fate that a Richland punt pinned Keller on its 1-yard line, giving LaPlante as much glory as possible.
Moments earlier, LaPlante had called his father, Don, to the guardrail behind the Keller bench. "I'm goin' in! I'm goin' in!" he said.
LaPlante has been a part of Keller's program since his freshman year, when he served as the freshman team's manager. Atkinson, smitten by LaPlante's upbeat personality, promoted him to student assistant head coach the next season. LaPlante specializes in motivational speeches, which usually focus on how much he loves Keller and his teammates.
"His heart is as big as Texas," Atkinson said.
LaPlante's unofficial duties also include greeting college coaches on campus to recruit. He'll introduce himself, title and all, and chat away.
"I've played y'all on PlayStation," LaPlante has told a few coaches, "and y'all aren't very good."
Atkinson allowed LaPlante to pick a position before his sophomore season. LaPlante chose to be a running back. He dresses out and goes through noncontact drills with the backs at the beginning of every practice. He's been known to then retreat to Atkinson's golf cart for a nap.
LaPlante, No. 1 on the roster, has suited up for every varsity game the last two seasons. He gets two carries during pregame drills every week. He usually removes his shoulder pads once the game starts and concentrates on taking pictures.
With some help from his mother, LaPlante has made a photo slideshow for the team at the end of each season. One ended with a mug shot of him accompanied by four words:
"Put me in, Coach."
By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News
KELLER, Texas - The home crowd at Keller ISD Stadium rose to its feet as soon as Lyndon LaPlante jogged onto the field during the fourth quarter Friday night.
The fans went wild during LaPlante's 99-yard touchdown run, which ended with him being mobbed in the end zone by his Keller teammates.
Never mind that the pre-arranged play didn't count. It fulfilled a dream for LaPlante, a senior who has Down syndrome. He maximized the moment by flashing a Heismanesque stiff arm as he crossed the goal line and hamming it up on the sideline after play resumed in Keller's 35-21 win over Richland.
"Man, it was awesome!" said LaPlante, who was still cradling the game ball when his mother, Genni, woke him up Saturday morning. "Everybody said, 'Lyndon! Lyndon! Lyndon!' I was crying with chills."
Keller coach Kevin Atkinson had planned for three years to get LaPlante a carry his senior season. He hoped an opposing coach would agree to allow LaPlante to take a handoff and run over to the sideline to hug his coach.
Atkinson mentioned the idea to Richland coach Gene Wier, who suggested LaPlante should score. They agreed it would happen on Keller's first offensive play of the fourth quarter and notified the officiating crew before the game.
Perhaps it was fate that a Richland punt pinned Keller on its 1-yard line, giving LaPlante as much glory as possible.
Moments earlier, LaPlante had called his father, Don, to the guardrail behind the Keller bench. "I'm goin' in! I'm goin' in!" he said.
LaPlante has been a part of Keller's program since his freshman year, when he served as the freshman team's manager. Atkinson, smitten by LaPlante's upbeat personality, promoted him to student assistant head coach the next season. LaPlante specializes in motivational speeches, which usually focus on how much he loves Keller and his teammates.
"His heart is as big as Texas," Atkinson said.
LaPlante's unofficial duties also include greeting college coaches on campus to recruit. He'll introduce himself, title and all, and chat away.
"I've played y'all on PlayStation," LaPlante has told a few coaches, "and y'all aren't very good."
Atkinson allowed LaPlante to pick a position before his sophomore season. LaPlante chose to be a running back. He dresses out and goes through noncontact drills with the backs at the beginning of every practice. He's been known to then retreat to Atkinson's golf cart for a nap.
LaPlante, No. 1 on the roster, has suited up for every varsity game the last two seasons. He gets two carries during pregame drills every week. He usually removes his shoulder pads once the game starts and concentrates on taking pictures.
With some help from his mother, LaPlante has made a photo slideshow for the team at the end of each season. One ended with a mug shot of him accompanied by four words:
"Put me in, Coach."
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TexasStooge
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Irving wants residents to help chart city's future
Public forum is a first step in crafting new comprehensive plan
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Irving is about to peer into its crystal ball and plan for the future.
The city will develop a new comprehensive plan, which officials hope will help guide growth and development and improve the city's quality of life. The plan, sort of a flexible blueprint, will also offer city leaders recommendations and strategies to tackle a variety of issues.
Among the first steps in the two-year process: a three-day forum for residents next month to talk about city issues and challenges. Resident feedback is key, and city officials want to involve residents throughout the planning process, said Kevin Kass, Irving's advanced planning manager.
"We have to make them a part of the plan in the beginning and keep them a part of the plan throughout the process," he said. "It won't be their plan if they're not with it the entire way."
The city needs a new comprehensive blueprint , officials say, because much has changed in the eight years since the City Council last adopted a plan. The city is larger, the population is more diverse, and the economy has been on a roller coaster of ups and downs.
City officials expect the updated plan to focus on how to better serve the city's changing population. The new plan will also prepare officials for the next wave of development, council member Rick Stopfer said.
"If we get ahead of the development curve a little, we can seize some opportunities," he said.
In addition to November's forum, the city plans to form committees of city, business and school officials and community leaders to offer input. The city also plans to hire consultants next year, Mr. Kass said. The council has budgeted about $300,000 for the plan, which could be adopted in spring 2007, officials said.
Transportation likely will be a key component. Mr. Stopfer predicts that the plan will suggest how to develop areas around planned DART light-rail stops, which could start opening in six years. He hopes the city can create the right mix of office, retail space and housing so Irving can reap the "economic development dollars that are generated by having the rail line."
Mr. Kass predicts that the updated plan will incorporate other transportation issues, including the planned State Highway 183 expansion and other highway improvements.
He expects the new plan to address cultural diversity and include perspectives from social service groups.
Irving resident Karen Harmon hopes city officials use the plan as a chance to improve and reinforce code enforcement, a hot topic among residents in the past year. Ms. Harmon, vice president of the Barton Estates Neighborhood Association, also hopes the plan spurs new housing developments to replace aging apartment complexes and homes.
"Irving didn't change overnight, and the new-and-improved Irving is not going to happen overnight, either," she said.
Public forum is a first step in crafting new comprehensive plan
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Irving is about to peer into its crystal ball and plan for the future.
The city will develop a new comprehensive plan, which officials hope will help guide growth and development and improve the city's quality of life. The plan, sort of a flexible blueprint, will also offer city leaders recommendations and strategies to tackle a variety of issues.
Among the first steps in the two-year process: a three-day forum for residents next month to talk about city issues and challenges. Resident feedback is key, and city officials want to involve residents throughout the planning process, said Kevin Kass, Irving's advanced planning manager.
"We have to make them a part of the plan in the beginning and keep them a part of the plan throughout the process," he said. "It won't be their plan if they're not with it the entire way."
The city needs a new comprehensive blueprint , officials say, because much has changed in the eight years since the City Council last adopted a plan. The city is larger, the population is more diverse, and the economy has been on a roller coaster of ups and downs.
City officials expect the updated plan to focus on how to better serve the city's changing population. The new plan will also prepare officials for the next wave of development, council member Rick Stopfer said.
"If we get ahead of the development curve a little, we can seize some opportunities," he said.
In addition to November's forum, the city plans to form committees of city, business and school officials and community leaders to offer input. The city also plans to hire consultants next year, Mr. Kass said. The council has budgeted about $300,000 for the plan, which could be adopted in spring 2007, officials said.
Transportation likely will be a key component. Mr. Stopfer predicts that the plan will suggest how to develop areas around planned DART light-rail stops, which could start opening in six years. He hopes the city can create the right mix of office, retail space and housing so Irving can reap the "economic development dollars that are generated by having the rail line."
Mr. Kass predicts that the updated plan will incorporate other transportation issues, including the planned State Highway 183 expansion and other highway improvements.
He expects the new plan to address cultural diversity and include perspectives from social service groups.
Irving resident Karen Harmon hopes city officials use the plan as a chance to improve and reinforce code enforcement, a hot topic among residents in the past year. Ms. Harmon, vice president of the Barton Estates Neighborhood Association, also hopes the plan spurs new housing developments to replace aging apartment complexes and homes.
"Irving didn't change overnight, and the new-and-improved Irving is not going to happen overnight, either," she said.
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TexasStooge
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Hispanics find room to grow at college
Irving: With courses, fest, North Lake tries to offer 'a better life'
By JACKIE LARSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - North Lake College's second annual Festival de la Hispanidad recognizes a growing demographic: About 22 percent of its student population is Hispanic, compared with 18.5 percent in 2003.
Lesly Castillo said that Saturday's event is about opportunity.
"We want immigrant families to be aware there are educational opportunities beyond high school, and there is money for these students," said Ms. Castillo, a student services specialist in institutional outreach at the Irving college.
The festival will include music, children's activities, health screenings and an art and book exhibit.
The college provides two types of English programs for speakers of other languages – one for workforce English and one to enroll students into the English-speaking college curriculum, said Janis Browning, the college's director of marketing and public information.
"We have many courses that are taught in both Spanish and English – a lot of computer courses, construction, electronics and management courses and others," she said.
Maria Delgado, a North Lake student helping to organize the festival, said the campus was the perfect place for her to begin higher education.
"I applied for a Rising Stars scholarship. That was good – they paid for my tuition," she said. "For me, college was important because I wanted to have a better job – and I am a better person for it, I think."
Ms. Delgado was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and came to Irving with her family five years ago. Her parents weren't educated beyond elementary school. North Lake reached out to her while she was at Nimitz High School.
"My dad always would say, 'Mija, you can do it, just study hard,' " Ms. Delgado said. "He's always telling me I have to be better than him, so I will have more opportunity than him."
Today she is a tutor in the college's educational partnership office. She will graduate in May with an associate's degree and plans to attend the University of Texas at Arlington to earn her bachelor's degree in education.
Mayra Garcia, also helping with the festival, is an assistant to the academic adviser for the college's registrar's office.
She was born in Coahuila, Mexico, and has been in Texas for eight years. She graduated from Grand Prairie High School and from North Lake and is a senior at UTA majoring in international business.
She went to college as her brother had done.
"He's my role model – I followed him, and my younger brothers are following me on the path," she said.
Ms. Castillo hoped to encourage other Hispanic families to attend the festival.
"People need to be educated about what's going on – especially parents, so they can push their children to have a better life," she said. "They're doing themselves a favor by getting an associate's degree and having a better-paying job."
Jackie Larson is a Dallas-area freelance writer.
Irving: With courses, fest, North Lake tries to offer 'a better life'
By JACKIE LARSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - North Lake College's second annual Festival de la Hispanidad recognizes a growing demographic: About 22 percent of its student population is Hispanic, compared with 18.5 percent in 2003.
Lesly Castillo said that Saturday's event is about opportunity.
"We want immigrant families to be aware there are educational opportunities beyond high school, and there is money for these students," said Ms. Castillo, a student services specialist in institutional outreach at the Irving college.
The festival will include music, children's activities, health screenings and an art and book exhibit.
The college provides two types of English programs for speakers of other languages – one for workforce English and one to enroll students into the English-speaking college curriculum, said Janis Browning, the college's director of marketing and public information.
"We have many courses that are taught in both Spanish and English – a lot of computer courses, construction, electronics and management courses and others," she said.
Maria Delgado, a North Lake student helping to organize the festival, said the campus was the perfect place for her to begin higher education.
"I applied for a Rising Stars scholarship. That was good – they paid for my tuition," she said. "For me, college was important because I wanted to have a better job – and I am a better person for it, I think."
Ms. Delgado was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and came to Irving with her family five years ago. Her parents weren't educated beyond elementary school. North Lake reached out to her while she was at Nimitz High School.
"My dad always would say, 'Mija, you can do it, just study hard,' " Ms. Delgado said. "He's always telling me I have to be better than him, so I will have more opportunity than him."
Today she is a tutor in the college's educational partnership office. She will graduate in May with an associate's degree and plans to attend the University of Texas at Arlington to earn her bachelor's degree in education.
Mayra Garcia, also helping with the festival, is an assistant to the academic adviser for the college's registrar's office.
She was born in Coahuila, Mexico, and has been in Texas for eight years. She graduated from Grand Prairie High School and from North Lake and is a senior at UTA majoring in international business.
She went to college as her brother had done.
"He's my role model – I followed him, and my younger brothers are following me on the path," she said.
Ms. Castillo hoped to encourage other Hispanic families to attend the festival.
"People need to be educated about what's going on – especially parents, so they can push their children to have a better life," she said. "They're doing themselves a favor by getting an associate's degree and having a better-paying job."
Jackie Larson is a Dallas-area freelance writer.
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TexasStooge
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Man arrested after church shooting
By Carol Cavazos / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Maurice Williams, 29, was hospitalized at Parkland Memorial Hospital Sunday and is undergoing psychiatric treatment after he allegedly fired shots outside the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
A church member said he saw the gun sticking out of Williams' waistband when he came into the church early Sunday morning.
The man some congregants have called schizophrenic confronted the pastor's wife inside the church. After she walked away from him, witnesses said he then went outside and fired three rounds into her car.
"He was under the impression that she was leading him on and playing with his mind, then a couple of seconds later we hear pow, pow, pow," said Charles Jones, church member.
The three sounds Jones heard were the shots Williams fired police said while they were still on the lookout for the suspect.
"So, he fired three shots into her car and then left southbound on foot," said Sgt. Ed McFadden, Dallas Police Department. "We've had a lot of officers in the area and we've had the helicopter up."
But in the end, it was a church member with a cell phone who found Williams at home and kept him on the line.
Within minutes, police found Williams in his front yard, cuffed him and he went into the police car peacefully.
"The fact that he's behind bars, I'm sure is going to be a big relief for everybody," said Mona Jones, the church member who located Williams over the phone.
The incident did not disrupt services, and church went on as scheduled.
The pastor's wife and other women in the church praised the speedy arrest.
"She's not the only lady in the church he was thinking about," Jones said.
Williams had just recently started going back to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church on a regular basis, but church members said they aren't sure they want him to return.
In the meantime, police said they are searching for the gun used in the incident. They think Williams ditched it nearby the church.
By Carol Cavazos / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Maurice Williams, 29, was hospitalized at Parkland Memorial Hospital Sunday and is undergoing psychiatric treatment after he allegedly fired shots outside the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
A church member said he saw the gun sticking out of Williams' waistband when he came into the church early Sunday morning.
The man some congregants have called schizophrenic confronted the pastor's wife inside the church. After she walked away from him, witnesses said he then went outside and fired three rounds into her car.
"He was under the impression that she was leading him on and playing with his mind, then a couple of seconds later we hear pow, pow, pow," said Charles Jones, church member.
The three sounds Jones heard were the shots Williams fired police said while they were still on the lookout for the suspect.
"So, he fired three shots into her car and then left southbound on foot," said Sgt. Ed McFadden, Dallas Police Department. "We've had a lot of officers in the area and we've had the helicopter up."
But in the end, it was a church member with a cell phone who found Williams at home and kept him on the line.
Within minutes, police found Williams in his front yard, cuffed him and he went into the police car peacefully.
"The fact that he's behind bars, I'm sure is going to be a big relief for everybody," said Mona Jones, the church member who located Williams over the phone.
The incident did not disrupt services, and church went on as scheduled.
The pastor's wife and other women in the church praised the speedy arrest.
"She's not the only lady in the church he was thinking about," Jones said.
Williams had just recently started going back to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church on a regular basis, but church members said they aren't sure they want him to return.
In the meantime, police said they are searching for the gun used in the incident. They think Williams ditched it nearby the church.
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TexasStooge
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Explosion rocks Houston refinery
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An explosion set fire to a Houston refinery Sunday as workers tried to restart gasoline-producing equipment that had been shut down since Hurricane Rita.
One contract worker suffered minor burns to his hands and arms, according to a spokesman for the plant, a joint venture of Lyondell Chemical Co. and Citgo Petroleum Corp.
The fire was extinguished within an hour, but it likely would be a few days before workers can get in to that part of the plant to assess the damage and determine what went wrong, said Jack Williams, a district chief with the Houston Fire Department.
The blaze started as workers were trying to restart a fluid catalytic cracking unit, which converts a diesel-like product into gasoline, said Lyondell-Citgo spokesman David Harpole.
The unit had been shut off last month when Hurricane Rita threatened the Houston-area and was kept off for maintenance, Harpole said.
"When we started it up after the hurricane, we found some mechanical issues," he said. "We had been conducting maintenance. Noon was the scheduled restart time."
Other units at the refinery have been restarted since the hurricane and the facility remains at 50 percent capacity. At full strength, the refinery produces 268,000 barrels a day of crude oil.
The refinery covers around 700 acres along the Houston Ship Channel and has about 875 employees. It manufactures such petroleum products as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, jet fuel and lubricants.
No detectable concentration of anything harmful was found in the air from the blaze, Harpole said.
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An explosion set fire to a Houston refinery Sunday as workers tried to restart gasoline-producing equipment that had been shut down since Hurricane Rita.
One contract worker suffered minor burns to his hands and arms, according to a spokesman for the plant, a joint venture of Lyondell Chemical Co. and Citgo Petroleum Corp.
The fire was extinguished within an hour, but it likely would be a few days before workers can get in to that part of the plant to assess the damage and determine what went wrong, said Jack Williams, a district chief with the Houston Fire Department.
The blaze started as workers were trying to restart a fluid catalytic cracking unit, which converts a diesel-like product into gasoline, said Lyondell-Citgo spokesman David Harpole.
The unit had been shut off last month when Hurricane Rita threatened the Houston-area and was kept off for maintenance, Harpole said.
"When we started it up after the hurricane, we found some mechanical issues," he said. "We had been conducting maintenance. Noon was the scheduled restart time."
Other units at the refinery have been restarted since the hurricane and the facility remains at 50 percent capacity. At full strength, the refinery produces 268,000 barrels a day of crude oil.
The refinery covers around 700 acres along the Houston Ship Channel and has about 875 employees. It manufactures such petroleum products as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, jet fuel and lubricants.
No detectable concentration of anything harmful was found in the air from the blaze, Harpole said.
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote:Explosion rocks Houston refinery
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - An explosion set fire to a Houston refinery Sunday as workers tried to restart gasoline-producing equipment that had been shut down since Hurricane Rita.
One contract worker suffered minor burns to his hands and arms, according to a spokesman for the plant, a joint venture of Lyondell Chemical Co. and Citgo Petroleum Corp.
The fire was extinguished within an hour, but it likely would be a few days before workers can get in to that part of the plant to assess the damage and determine what went wrong, said Jack Williams, a district chief with the Houston Fire Department.
The blaze started as workers were trying to restart a fluid catalytic cracking unit, which converts a diesel-like product into gasoline, said Lyondell-Citgo spokesman David Harpole.
The unit had been shut off last month when Hurricane Rita threatened the Houston-area and was kept off for maintenance, Harpole said.
"When we started it up after the hurricane, we found some mechanical issues," he said. "We had been conducting maintenance. Noon was the scheduled restart time."
Other units at the refinery have been restarted since the hurricane and the facility remains at 50 percent capacity. At full strength, the refinery produces 268,000 barrels a day of crude oil.
The refinery covers around 700 acres along the Houston Ship Channel and has about 875 employees. It manufactures such petroleum products as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, jet fuel and lubricants.
No detectable concentration of anything harmful was found in the air from the blaze, Harpole said.
i hope everyone is ok
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AussieMark
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- Location: near Sydney, Australia
TexasStooge wrote:Man arrested after church shooting
By Carol Cavazos / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Maurice Williams, 29, was hospitalized at Parkland Memorial Hospital Sunday and is undergoing psychiatric treatment after he allegedly fired shots outside the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
A church member said he saw the gun sticking out of Williams' waistband when he came into the church early Sunday morning.
The man some congregants have called schizophrenic confronted the pastor's wife inside the church. After she walked away from him, witnesses said he then went outside and fired three rounds into her car.
"He was under the impression that she was leading him on and playing with his mind, then a couple of seconds later we hear pow, pow, pow," said Charles Jones, church member.
The three sounds Jones heard were the shots Williams fired police said while they were still on the lookout for the suspect.
"So, he fired three shots into her car and then left southbound on foot," said Sgt. Ed McFadden, Dallas Police Department. "We've had a lot of officers in the area and we've had the helicopter up."
But in the end, it was a church member with a cell phone who found Williams at home and kept him on the line.
Within minutes, police found Williams in his front yard, cuffed him and he went into the police car peacefully.
"The fact that he's behind bars, I'm sure is going to be a big relief for everybody," said Mona Jones, the church member who located Williams over the phone.
The incident did not disrupt services, and church went on as scheduled.
The pastor's wife and other women in the church praised the speedy arrest.
"She's not the only lady in the church he was thinking about," Jones said.
Williams had just recently started going back to Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church on a regular basis, but church members said they aren't sure they want him to return.
In the meantime, police said they are searching for the gun used in the incident. They think Williams ditched it nearby the church.
Thats awful
At least he is behind bars now where he belongs
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TexasStooge
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New strong-mayor proposal flip-flops supporters
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Early voting begins next week to make the Dallas mayor's office stronger. It's the second time this year voters will decide on the issue, which has been scaled down since its first attempt for passage.
The campaign to defeat the strong mayor initiative in May had a resounded effect at the polls and voters overwhelmingly struck it down.
Alan Walne plans to campaign as hard as he did initially against the issue last time it was on the ballot. However this time, Walne said he is campaigning in support of the issue.
"We're going to do the same thing we did when we were against it," Walne said.
The Committee for Responsible Change has endorsed a weaker version of the strong-mayor form of local government.
City council members who opposed the original drafted the new version as an alternative.
"This is a good deal for this city," Walne said. "Not only do we have something that gives the mayor more power, but we also have the checks and balances that everybody was concerned with last time, and what I think defeated it last time."
But don't look again for Dallas Mayor Laura Miller to be the spokesperson for the strong-mayor vote.
"When people ask me, I tell them I'm going to vote for it," Miller said. "But, it's not enough of a change for me to go out and spend one minute of my time to campaign for."
Miller said the proposal is weak, but does give the mayor authority to fire the city manager.
Still, its passage is unclear.
Counilmember Ed Oakley, who wrote the proposal, is unsure whether he'll even back it.
"I really don't know what my group of constituents feel about this proposition," he said.
By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Early voting begins next week to make the Dallas mayor's office stronger. It's the second time this year voters will decide on the issue, which has been scaled down since its first attempt for passage.
The campaign to defeat the strong mayor initiative in May had a resounded effect at the polls and voters overwhelmingly struck it down.
Alan Walne plans to campaign as hard as he did initially against the issue last time it was on the ballot. However this time, Walne said he is campaigning in support of the issue.
"We're going to do the same thing we did when we were against it," Walne said.
The Committee for Responsible Change has endorsed a weaker version of the strong-mayor form of local government.
City council members who opposed the original drafted the new version as an alternative.
"This is a good deal for this city," Walne said. "Not only do we have something that gives the mayor more power, but we also have the checks and balances that everybody was concerned with last time, and what I think defeated it last time."
But don't look again for Dallas Mayor Laura Miller to be the spokesperson for the strong-mayor vote.
"When people ask me, I tell them I'm going to vote for it," Miller said. "But, it's not enough of a change for me to go out and spend one minute of my time to campaign for."
Miller said the proposal is weak, but does give the mayor authority to fire the city manager.
Still, its passage is unclear.
Counilmember Ed Oakley, who wrote the proposal, is unsure whether he'll even back it.
"I really don't know what my group of constituents feel about this proposition," he said.
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TexasStooge
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Boy drowns while sitter takes shower
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A two-year-old boy died Sunday night after a swimming pool mishap at a home on the 6100 block of Grauton in southern Tarrant County.
Authorities said the toddler was under the care of a babysitter who left to take a shower. Upon returning, the babysitter found the boy in the water.
Someone took the child to a Fort Worth hospital where he died.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A two-year-old boy died Sunday night after a swimming pool mishap at a home on the 6100 block of Grauton in southern Tarrant County.
Authorities said the toddler was under the care of a babysitter who left to take a shower. Upon returning, the babysitter found the boy in the water.
Someone took the child to a Fort Worth hospital where he died.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
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TexasStooge
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Cheerleader falls from float, dies
HUTTO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – A seventh-grade cheerleader died when she fell from a float and was run over during the Old Tyme Days festival parade on Saturday, authorities said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said Melissa Swain, 12, stood up and fell forward off the flatbed trailer that served as the float. The trailer, which was being pulled by a pickup truck, ran over her.
“It was an accident, and we don't feel that anyone was to blame for it,” Carla Swain, Melissa's mother, said Saturday night.
The accident occurred near the end of the hour-long parade in the town of about 7,000 about 20 miles northeast of Austin.
Fire and emergency medical units pulled out of the parade of about 50 vehicles and rushed to the scene.
Carla Swain said her daughter was on a float representing the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, a nonprofit national vocational student organization. Melissa was a member of the group.
HUTTO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – A seventh-grade cheerleader died when she fell from a float and was run over during the Old Tyme Days festival parade on Saturday, authorities said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said Melissa Swain, 12, stood up and fell forward off the flatbed trailer that served as the float. The trailer, which was being pulled by a pickup truck, ran over her.
“It was an accident, and we don't feel that anyone was to blame for it,” Carla Swain, Melissa's mother, said Saturday night.
The accident occurred near the end of the hour-long parade in the town of about 7,000 about 20 miles northeast of Austin.
Fire and emergency medical units pulled out of the parade of about 50 vehicles and rushed to the scene.
Carla Swain said her daughter was on a float representing the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, a nonprofit national vocational student organization. Melissa was a member of the group.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
TRAFFIC HOTSPOTS for Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex (as of 9:55AM CDT)
Woodall Rodgers Frwy (EASTBOUND)
- From I-35E Stemmons Frwy To Hwy-75 Central Exwy (Jam factor: 9.2)
Hwy-75/Central Exwy (SOUTHBOUND)
- From I-635 LBJ Frwy To Northwest Hwy (Jam factor: 8.1)
I-635/LBJ Fwy (North) (WESTBOUND)
- From I-35E Stemmons Frwy To Hwy-161/Pres. George Bush Tpk (Jam Factor: 7.9)
- From Dallas North Tollway To I-35E Stemmons Frwy (Jam Factor: 7.9)
I-30 (WESTBOUND)
- From Beltline To Hwy-360/Six Flags Dr (Jam factor: 4.9)
Click here for more info from Traffic Pulse
Woodall Rodgers Frwy (EASTBOUND)
- From I-35E Stemmons Frwy To Hwy-75 Central Exwy (Jam factor: 9.2)
Hwy-75/Central Exwy (SOUTHBOUND)
- From I-635 LBJ Frwy To Northwest Hwy (Jam factor: 8.1)
I-635/LBJ Fwy (North) (WESTBOUND)
- From I-35E Stemmons Frwy To Hwy-161/Pres. George Bush Tpk (Jam Factor: 7.9)
- From Dallas North Tollway To I-35E Stemmons Frwy (Jam Factor: 7.9)
I-30 (WESTBOUND)
- From Beltline To Hwy-360/Six Flags Dr (Jam factor: 4.9)
Click here for more info from Traffic Pulse
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TexasStooge
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1 dead, 4 injured in home invasion robbery
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - What initially appeared to be a home invasion robbery turned deadly Sunday night after a suspect opened fire on four people at a home in North Oak Cliff.
Witnesses said a gunman confronted a man in the front yard of a house in the 400 block of North Cavender Street about 9:40 p.m. An argument ensued and the man was shot.
The man with the gun then broke through the front door of the house and shot three more people inside before fleeing.
Five ambulances rushed to the scene. The victims were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital and Methdodist Central Hospital.
Felipe Ibarra, 59, died. Three others were reported in stable condition Monday morning.
Dallas police spokesman Dudley Nosworthy said detectives were trying to determine whether the shooting was a botched burglary, an armed robbery or some kind of retaliation.
Police said a tip led them to a nearby apartment complex.
"We found an individual matching the suspect's description," Nosworthy said. "That person was arrested for an outstanding warrant."
The gunman, whose name was not available, faces a possible first degree murder charge along with other charges, including attempted murder and aggravated robbery.
WFAA-TV reporter Dan Ronan contributed to this report.
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - What initially appeared to be a home invasion robbery turned deadly Sunday night after a suspect opened fire on four people at a home in North Oak Cliff.
Witnesses said a gunman confronted a man in the front yard of a house in the 400 block of North Cavender Street about 9:40 p.m. An argument ensued and the man was shot.
The man with the gun then broke through the front door of the house and shot three more people inside before fleeing.
Five ambulances rushed to the scene. The victims were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital and Methdodist Central Hospital.
Felipe Ibarra, 59, died. Three others were reported in stable condition Monday morning.
Dallas police spokesman Dudley Nosworthy said detectives were trying to determine whether the shooting was a botched burglary, an armed robbery or some kind of retaliation.
Police said a tip led them to a nearby apartment complex.
"We found an individual matching the suspect's description," Nosworthy said. "That person was arrested for an outstanding warrant."
The gunman, whose name was not available, faces a possible first degree murder charge along with other charges, including attempted murder and aggravated robbery.
WFAA-TV reporter Dan Ronan contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Family flees West Dallas fire
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A West Dallas family of five was left homeless Monday morning after fire destroyed their home.
The one alarm blaze broke out around 4 a.m. in the 3700 block of Abilene Street.
Investigators said the fire started in the back of the house, then spread to the front. The entire structure was engulfed.
No injuries were reported.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A West Dallas family of five was left homeless Monday morning after fire destroyed their home.
The one alarm blaze broke out around 4 a.m. in the 3700 block of Abilene Street.
Investigators said the fire started in the back of the house, then spread to the front. The entire structure was engulfed.
No injuries were reported.
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TexasStooge
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Can Parkland go it alone on jail care?
Dallas: Hospital weighs hiring provider first but taking over later
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Parkland Memorial Hospital, which faces the daunting task of reforming health care in the Dallas County Jail, is at a crossroads.
Hospital administrators, including Dr. Ron Anderson, the CEO and president, have wanted Parkland to shoulder jail health care, confident in their abilities and in the hospital's solid reputation. They have been leery of the troubling track record of the for-profit companies that dominate the correctional care landscape.
But Parkland board members, displeased that county commissioners handed them the jail mess in the first place, want to hire one of the for-profit companies because the county hospital has no experience with jail care. They also worry that taking on jail health care will distract hospital administrators from Parkland's core mission and drain vital resources.
Sharon Phillips, Parkland's vice president in charge of jail health, said the two sides are crafting a compromise in which Parkland would hire a company to run jail health care as Parkland officials look on and prepare to take over in 18 months or so. She said that the two sides agreed last week on a framework and that Parkland's board will probably decide whether to approve it at its Oct. 25 meeting.
Lawrence Pomeroy, senior vice president at Prison Health Services, a major player in the for-profit correctional health industry, said that no matter who handles a jail's medical care, "it's an intensely complex, challenging, costly and litigious undertaking."
Noting Parkland's hybrid proposal, Mr. Pomeroy said: "There's no one right way to do this. Dallas has an opportunity to create a new public-private model."
Michael Jacobson, director of the Vera Institute of Justice and a former head of corrections for New York City, said: "Health care is one of the toughest things for a jail administration to deal with. Every choice has a potential drawback. Private companies have experience, but with mixed results. County hospitals generally have mixed results."
But some experts, critical of the performance of for-profit companies beset by lawsuits and government investigations, say they'd rather see Parkland run things, even if the hospital has a learning curve. They also warn that if Parkland does hire a for-profit company, the contract language and the hospital's constant, intense oversight would be crucial.
Dr. Joe Goldenson, medical director for jail health in San Francisco, who helped prepare a report of suggested fixes for the Dallas County Jail, said he strongly believes jail health should remain a public responsibility.
"Once you put the profit issue into the decision-making process, cost of care becomes an issue, and it provides an inhibition to sending patients for timely treatment," he said. "I'd definitely keep [jail health] with Parkland."
Independent decisions
Dr. Robert Cohen, who directed care for New York City inmates through a private hospital in the 1980s, said medical staff must be able to make decisions based on patient needs, without pressure from a company concerned about shareholder profit.
"I don't think these companies represent good models," Dr. Cohen said. "They have a bad track record. Those kinds of problems wouldn't happen if Parkland were running jail care. I think Ron Anderson at Parkland knows how to provide quality medical care to an underserved population."
He also said Parkland's strong reputation makes it better able to recruit quality staff for the jail.
No matter who handles the jail's care, they will have more money to spend. For years, the county spent $14 million annually on jail care. But in the face of federal lawsuits and a scathing report that described jail health conditions as life-threatening, commissioners increased the budget by $9 million this year.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has overseen jail health for three years but, facing losses, chose not to renew its contract, which expires in February.
The commissioners, after giving jail health to Parkland, now claim no preference among the hospital's options.
"The ball's in their court," Commissioner John Wiley Price said. "We're holding them responsible, and we defer to them."
Dr. Lauren McDonald, Parkland's board chairwoman, said the board still has serious concerns about having the hospital's administrators take charge of jail health.
"I have every confidence in the hospital staff," she said. "Sharon Phillips is an excellent manager. But we need her skills on the home front."
Dr. McDonald acknowledged that the for-profit companies have a troubled record but added: "They do have a track record more than we do in this field. Some are in it for the greed factor, but at least they've done this before."
Dr. Anderson, for one, has little good to say about the for-profit companies. He has noted that when New York City switched its jail health manager from a hospital to Prison Health Services, the results were "pathetic" and the city "got burned by it."
He has also argued that even if an outside vendor were hired, Parkland would have to be heavily involved in monitoring the company's performance.
While critics argue that the push for profit can drive company employees to withhold proper care, Mr. Pomeroy said such behavior is unethical and contrary to the company's philosophy. He said health care workers are free to make independent decisions about the care inmates need.
Ken Fields, a spokesman for Correctional Medical Services, another big for-profit health care provider, said his company acknowledges that the medical staff on site are best suited to make care decisions, not the corporate managers. He said identifying and treating a health condition early is not only most appropriate medically, but often the most cost-effective as well.
Contract specifics
If Parkland hires an outside company, experts say, the contract language will be key because it can create incentives for the provider.
Geoffrey Segal of the Reason Foundation, which studies privatizing government functions, said hiring a for-profit health care company provides better accountability because a well-written, detailed contract can spell out clear expectations, rewards and penalties for a company's performance.
Dr. Cohen said the UTMB contract with Dallas County was fundamentally flawed because it paid a flat rate per inmate. He calls these agreements "risk contracts" because the provider takes on the risk that medical costs could be greater than the fee negotiated.
For example, when inmates needed care outside the jail at clinics or the emergency room, UTMB had to pay the bills. Such a setup, Dr. Cohen and others say, creates an incentive for the provider to limit care and keep inmates in the jail even when they need outside treatment. That leads to more serious medical situations.
Dr. Anderson has said that even if Parkland were to hire an outside vendor, hospital administrators would have to devote extensive time to monitoring the company's performance.
Experts agree. "It all depends on how effective and intensive your monitoring is," said Arthur Wallenstein, director of corrections and rehabilitation for Montgomery County in Maryland.
Dallas: Hospital weighs hiring provider first but taking over later
By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Parkland Memorial Hospital, which faces the daunting task of reforming health care in the Dallas County Jail, is at a crossroads.
Hospital administrators, including Dr. Ron Anderson, the CEO and president, have wanted Parkland to shoulder jail health care, confident in their abilities and in the hospital's solid reputation. They have been leery of the troubling track record of the for-profit companies that dominate the correctional care landscape.
But Parkland board members, displeased that county commissioners handed them the jail mess in the first place, want to hire one of the for-profit companies because the county hospital has no experience with jail care. They also worry that taking on jail health care will distract hospital administrators from Parkland's core mission and drain vital resources.
Sharon Phillips, Parkland's vice president in charge of jail health, said the two sides are crafting a compromise in which Parkland would hire a company to run jail health care as Parkland officials look on and prepare to take over in 18 months or so. She said that the two sides agreed last week on a framework and that Parkland's board will probably decide whether to approve it at its Oct. 25 meeting.
Lawrence Pomeroy, senior vice president at Prison Health Services, a major player in the for-profit correctional health industry, said that no matter who handles a jail's medical care, "it's an intensely complex, challenging, costly and litigious undertaking."
Noting Parkland's hybrid proposal, Mr. Pomeroy said: "There's no one right way to do this. Dallas has an opportunity to create a new public-private model."
Michael Jacobson, director of the Vera Institute of Justice and a former head of corrections for New York City, said: "Health care is one of the toughest things for a jail administration to deal with. Every choice has a potential drawback. Private companies have experience, but with mixed results. County hospitals generally have mixed results."
But some experts, critical of the performance of for-profit companies beset by lawsuits and government investigations, say they'd rather see Parkland run things, even if the hospital has a learning curve. They also warn that if Parkland does hire a for-profit company, the contract language and the hospital's constant, intense oversight would be crucial.
Dr. Joe Goldenson, medical director for jail health in San Francisco, who helped prepare a report of suggested fixes for the Dallas County Jail, said he strongly believes jail health should remain a public responsibility.
"Once you put the profit issue into the decision-making process, cost of care becomes an issue, and it provides an inhibition to sending patients for timely treatment," he said. "I'd definitely keep [jail health] with Parkland."
Independent decisions
Dr. Robert Cohen, who directed care for New York City inmates through a private hospital in the 1980s, said medical staff must be able to make decisions based on patient needs, without pressure from a company concerned about shareholder profit.
"I don't think these companies represent good models," Dr. Cohen said. "They have a bad track record. Those kinds of problems wouldn't happen if Parkland were running jail care. I think Ron Anderson at Parkland knows how to provide quality medical care to an underserved population."
He also said Parkland's strong reputation makes it better able to recruit quality staff for the jail.
No matter who handles the jail's care, they will have more money to spend. For years, the county spent $14 million annually on jail care. But in the face of federal lawsuits and a scathing report that described jail health conditions as life-threatening, commissioners increased the budget by $9 million this year.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston has overseen jail health for three years but, facing losses, chose not to renew its contract, which expires in February.
The commissioners, after giving jail health to Parkland, now claim no preference among the hospital's options.
"The ball's in their court," Commissioner John Wiley Price said. "We're holding them responsible, and we defer to them."
Dr. Lauren McDonald, Parkland's board chairwoman, said the board still has serious concerns about having the hospital's administrators take charge of jail health.
"I have every confidence in the hospital staff," she said. "Sharon Phillips is an excellent manager. But we need her skills on the home front."
Dr. McDonald acknowledged that the for-profit companies have a troubled record but added: "They do have a track record more than we do in this field. Some are in it for the greed factor, but at least they've done this before."
Dr. Anderson, for one, has little good to say about the for-profit companies. He has noted that when New York City switched its jail health manager from a hospital to Prison Health Services, the results were "pathetic" and the city "got burned by it."
He has also argued that even if an outside vendor were hired, Parkland would have to be heavily involved in monitoring the company's performance.
While critics argue that the push for profit can drive company employees to withhold proper care, Mr. Pomeroy said such behavior is unethical and contrary to the company's philosophy. He said health care workers are free to make independent decisions about the care inmates need.
Ken Fields, a spokesman for Correctional Medical Services, another big for-profit health care provider, said his company acknowledges that the medical staff on site are best suited to make care decisions, not the corporate managers. He said identifying and treating a health condition early is not only most appropriate medically, but often the most cost-effective as well.
Contract specifics
If Parkland hires an outside company, experts say, the contract language will be key because it can create incentives for the provider.
Geoffrey Segal of the Reason Foundation, which studies privatizing government functions, said hiring a for-profit health care company provides better accountability because a well-written, detailed contract can spell out clear expectations, rewards and penalties for a company's performance.
Dr. Cohen said the UTMB contract with Dallas County was fundamentally flawed because it paid a flat rate per inmate. He calls these agreements "risk contracts" because the provider takes on the risk that medical costs could be greater than the fee negotiated.
For example, when inmates needed care outside the jail at clinics or the emergency room, UTMB had to pay the bills. Such a setup, Dr. Cohen and others say, creates an incentive for the provider to limit care and keep inmates in the jail even when they need outside treatment. That leads to more serious medical situations.
Dr. Anderson has said that even if Parkland were to hire an outside vendor, hospital administrators would have to devote extensive time to monitoring the company's performance.
Experts agree. "It all depends on how effective and intensive your monitoring is," said Arthur Wallenstein, director of corrections and rehabilitation for Montgomery County in Maryland.
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TexasStooge
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Ex-officer to testify in fake-drug trial
Dallas: He's cooperating with prosecutors in former colleague's case
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - One of the former narcotics officers linked to the 2001 fake-drug scandal is now cooperating with prosecutors and is set to testify against a former colleague accused of lying about bogus arrests of innocent people.
Former Dallas Officer Eddie Herrera was added to a prosecution witness list on the eve of Jeffrey Haywood's trial. Jury selection for the trial begins today, and testimony is set to start Oct. 24.
Although it's unclear what Mr. Herrera might say in his testimony, the cooperation of a former officer with prosecutors is a significant development nearly four years after the scheme to plant fake drugs on innocent people came to light.
Clark Birdsall, a former public integrity prosecutor who helped convict other police officers accused of wrongdoing, said prosecuting police officers is notoriously difficult and having a colleague prepared to testify "changes the landscape" of the upcoming trial.
"It's amazingly hard," he said. "Everyone still wants to believe in them. It's too difficult for people to contemplate the ramifications of dirty officers. ... Officers are what keeps the wolves from our doors."
Mr. Haywood is the second Dallas officer to face trial in the scheme in which crooked informants reportedly received more than $400,000 in cash payments from police for setting up dozens of unsuspecting people for arrest. He is accused of lying when he wrote in reports that he had conducted field tests of purported drug seizures that were later revealed to be pulverized pool chalk.
Mr. Haywood's attorney, Kirk Lechtenberger, declined to comment about the case but said his client is ready for the trial. Mr. Herrera's attorney, as well as prosecutors, also declined to discuss the case before trial.
Mr. Herrera faces felony charges of aggravated perjury and tampering/fabricating physical evidence stemming from the series of bogus arrests.
Prosecutors said they have extended no special deals to any witnesses in exchange for testimony, although such deals are rarely extended until after a cooperating witness testifies.
In April, former Detective Mark Delapaz, the detective at the center of the cases, was convicted of lying to a judge about a search warrant related to one of the drug busts. He was sentenced to five years in prison but remains free on bail while his conviction is under appeal.
Mr. Delapaz faces more than a dozen other indictments related to his work, and a second trial is set for January. Mr. Herrera will also probably testify in that trial.
Last month, former informant Daniel Alonso was convicted of engaging in organized crime for his role in the scheme and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Five other informants and one other officer also face criminal indictments related to the cases.
Dallas: He's cooperating with prosecutors in former colleague's case
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - One of the former narcotics officers linked to the 2001 fake-drug scandal is now cooperating with prosecutors and is set to testify against a former colleague accused of lying about bogus arrests of innocent people.
Former Dallas Officer Eddie Herrera was added to a prosecution witness list on the eve of Jeffrey Haywood's trial. Jury selection for the trial begins today, and testimony is set to start Oct. 24.
Although it's unclear what Mr. Herrera might say in his testimony, the cooperation of a former officer with prosecutors is a significant development nearly four years after the scheme to plant fake drugs on innocent people came to light.
Clark Birdsall, a former public integrity prosecutor who helped convict other police officers accused of wrongdoing, said prosecuting police officers is notoriously difficult and having a colleague prepared to testify "changes the landscape" of the upcoming trial.
"It's amazingly hard," he said. "Everyone still wants to believe in them. It's too difficult for people to contemplate the ramifications of dirty officers. ... Officers are what keeps the wolves from our doors."
Mr. Haywood is the second Dallas officer to face trial in the scheme in which crooked informants reportedly received more than $400,000 in cash payments from police for setting up dozens of unsuspecting people for arrest. He is accused of lying when he wrote in reports that he had conducted field tests of purported drug seizures that were later revealed to be pulverized pool chalk.
Mr. Haywood's attorney, Kirk Lechtenberger, declined to comment about the case but said his client is ready for the trial. Mr. Herrera's attorney, as well as prosecutors, also declined to discuss the case before trial.
Mr. Herrera faces felony charges of aggravated perjury and tampering/fabricating physical evidence stemming from the series of bogus arrests.
Prosecutors said they have extended no special deals to any witnesses in exchange for testimony, although such deals are rarely extended until after a cooperating witness testifies.
In April, former Detective Mark Delapaz, the detective at the center of the cases, was convicted of lying to a judge about a search warrant related to one of the drug busts. He was sentenced to five years in prison but remains free on bail while his conviction is under appeal.
Mr. Delapaz faces more than a dozen other indictments related to his work, and a second trial is set for January. Mr. Herrera will also probably testify in that trial.
Last month, former informant Daniel Alonso was convicted of engaging in organized crime for his role in the scheme and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Five other informants and one other officer also face criminal indictments related to the cases.
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