Capt: 2 accidently shot as sailor attempts suicide
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two supervisors were grazed with the bullet a sailor shot in an attempt to commit suicide Thursday afternoon at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, said Capt. John McCormack, NAS JRB commanding office.
"In the attempt to stop him from shooting himself, both his supervisors jumped on him," Capt. McCormack said. "And in the ensuing struggle for the weapon on the ground, the member shot himself, and that same round also grazed both of his supervisors.
Capt. McCormack said their earlier statement where they described the gunman as a "disgruntled employee" who fired on his chief and officer in charge and then turned the gun on himself was "not the case."
The three men were taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth Medical Center for treatment. The gunman was said to be in critical condition.
The two officers who were shot suffered only minor wounds. One officer needed eight stitches and the other wounded needed three.
The base was briefly on lockdown after the shooting but has now reopened. Emergency vehicles could be seen surrounding a building near an air traffic control tower on the base.
NAS JRB is the nation's first joint reserve base, created in 1994 as a new mission for the former Carswell Air Force Base, which was closed one year earlier.
The base is home for about 8,000 reservists from the Navy, Air Force, Marines and Texas Air National Guard.
Hundreds of civilians are also employed at the sprawling facility in western Tarrant County.
Dan Ronan contributed to this report.
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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Russ Martin targets Dallas pantomine
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - This is Jack's house and here's the beanstalk. The play of course is Jack and the Beanstalk which is currently showing at Theatre Britain in Dallas.
And while the mean giant is portrayed by actor Daniel Lewis, some might say the real villain is 105.3's Russ Martin.
Here's why: Once upon a time Russ and Dan were friends who recently had a falling out. When Russ learned Dan would take the stage Friday, he exclaimed: "I wanna go see the play."
And he's invited his listeners to join him.
"And I was very excited until I found out through people who had listened to Russ's show that the intention was to come and ridicule Dan," said Sue Birch, the director of Theater Britain.
Suddenly Ms. Birch is not worried about filling seats - she's frightened by whom might be filling them.
"Well his listeners are very welcome to buy tickets to our show but not to disrupt it and spoil children's enjoyment," she said.
We invited Russ to sit down and explain but were told he had nothing to say.
Then we remembered hearing somewhere that turnabout is only fair play.
So we went to his theater unwanted and guess what? A thick pane of glass foiled our plot. But over the air he fired one parting shot.
"I don't understand, why 'no' doesn't float. I already told him 'no,' I already gave him a quote," he said.
The Theatre Britain is sure the show will go on.
"There is always the Dallas Police Department," said Ms. Birch. And the play, of course.
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - This is Jack's house and here's the beanstalk. The play of course is Jack and the Beanstalk which is currently showing at Theatre Britain in Dallas.
And while the mean giant is portrayed by actor Daniel Lewis, some might say the real villain is 105.3's Russ Martin.
Here's why: Once upon a time Russ and Dan were friends who recently had a falling out. When Russ learned Dan would take the stage Friday, he exclaimed: "I wanna go see the play."
And he's invited his listeners to join him.
"And I was very excited until I found out through people who had listened to Russ's show that the intention was to come and ridicule Dan," said Sue Birch, the director of Theater Britain.
Suddenly Ms. Birch is not worried about filling seats - she's frightened by whom might be filling them.
"Well his listeners are very welcome to buy tickets to our show but not to disrupt it and spoil children's enjoyment," she said.
We invited Russ to sit down and explain but were told he had nothing to say.
Then we remembered hearing somewhere that turnabout is only fair play.
So we went to his theater unwanted and guess what? A thick pane of glass foiled our plot. But over the air he fired one parting shot.
"I don't understand, why 'no' doesn't float. I already told him 'no,' I already gave him a quote," he said.
The Theatre Britain is sure the show will go on.
"There is always the Dallas Police Department," said Ms. Birch. And the play, of course.
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TexasStooge
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Suspect in shooting didn't realize targets were police
'All I see is a face and a weapon'
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
MANSFIELD, Texas – In his first public statements since his arrest, Stephen Lance Heard said he thought he was being robbed when he fired at Fort Worth police Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr.
Mr. Heard, 39, was tearful and apologetic throughout a 20-minute interview Thursday at the Mansfield Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on $2 million bail.
Before Officer Nava died Thursday evening, the charges were attempted capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. Charges are expected to be upgraded.
Mr. Heard called the shooting a stupid mistake and said "there's no way" he would have fired on the officers if he had known who they were.
"When the door opens, all I see is a face and a weapon," Mr. Heard said about the Tuesday afternoon raid.
Fort Worth police said that officers identified themselves and that Mr. Heard fired first.
Officer Nava suffered a head wound and was hospitalized in critical condition. His condition worsened until he died Thursday afternoon.
Mr. Heard, insisting that he wanted to set the record straight, said he believed that people were trying to steal his identity-theft equipment and money when they came to the northwest Fort Worth mobile home where he was staying. When officers opened the door to the room where Mr. Heard was hiding, he said, he didn't hear them identify themselves or see the shirts or jackets with "Police" emblazoned on the front and back.
Mr. Heard also contended that police shot first, hitting him in the chin, and that he used his 9mm handgun only in self-defense.
After the shooting, Mr. Heard ran to another mobile home and held a 25-year-old woman hostage for three hours before he surrendered, police said. During the standoff, Mr. Heard said, he drank four beers to calm his nerves. He said he also had smoked marijuana and a small amount of methamphetamine earlier Tuesday. Family members said Mr. Heard has a long history of drug abuse and mental problems, possibly bipolar disorder.
Police have said that Officer Nava was shot while trying to gather information on Mr. Heard, who was suspected of participating in an identity-theft ring. A day earlier, was believed to have led Sansom Park police on a car chase after a dispute with a gas station attendant.
He also had an outstanding warrant for violating parole for a conviction on charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and state parole officials had warned police agencies that Mr. Heard had a weapon.
Police said Mr. Heard had been a member of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, an assertion he denied.
Mr. Heard dismissed his past record as only nonviolent crimes, such as theft and drug use.
When confronted by law enforcement, he said, his instinct was to flee, citing past run-ins with police that involved "little old high-speed chases for Mickey Mouse stuff."
Mr. Hurt said that when he's been caught previously, has has never fought with or tried to injure police. He said his first question to the hostage negotiator after Tuesday's shooting was, "Who was hurt?"
Mr. Heard said his stepfather had been a police officer, which he said give him sympathy for the those in the profession.
Mr. Heard's mother, Deloris Pulce, said that her son shouldn't make excuses and that he has to face the consequences of his actions, whatever they might be.
Chad Clark said he believes his cousin's account of the shootout. He said that Mr. Heard would never fire at a police officer intentionally and that his drug use and association with criminals made him extremely paranoid.
Mr. Clark also said he was never sure that his cousin would completely turn his life around.
"I could only pray," he said.
Now, Mr. Clark said, it's too late.
Mr. Heard said Thursday that he had recently considered straightening out his life by turning himself in to authorities. He said the remainder of his sentence wouldn't be a big deal. "Anyone can do a year," he said.
But while considering a life free of crime, Mr. Heard was also starting a new career in identity theft and was studying computer programs used for that purpose, he said. He said he had stockpiled thousands of dollars worth of paper used to create fake checks.
Although he feared robbery by other criminals, Mr. Heard said: "I'm angry at myself that I even had a weapon in my hand."
When asked before Officer Nava's death whether he deserved the death penalty if the officer died, Mr. Heard didn't give a direct answer. But he said, "I couldn't live with myself if he died."
Killing a law enforcement officer is considered a capital crime, punishable by either life in prison or death.
'All I see is a face and a weapon'
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
MANSFIELD, Texas – In his first public statements since his arrest, Stephen Lance Heard said he thought he was being robbed when he fired at Fort Worth police Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr.
Mr. Heard, 39, was tearful and apologetic throughout a 20-minute interview Thursday at the Mansfield Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on $2 million bail.
Before Officer Nava died Thursday evening, the charges were attempted capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. Charges are expected to be upgraded.
Mr. Heard called the shooting a stupid mistake and said "there's no way" he would have fired on the officers if he had known who they were.
"When the door opens, all I see is a face and a weapon," Mr. Heard said about the Tuesday afternoon raid.
Fort Worth police said that officers identified themselves and that Mr. Heard fired first.
Officer Nava suffered a head wound and was hospitalized in critical condition. His condition worsened until he died Thursday afternoon.
Mr. Heard, insisting that he wanted to set the record straight, said he believed that people were trying to steal his identity-theft equipment and money when they came to the northwest Fort Worth mobile home where he was staying. When officers opened the door to the room where Mr. Heard was hiding, he said, he didn't hear them identify themselves or see the shirts or jackets with "Police" emblazoned on the front and back.
Mr. Heard also contended that police shot first, hitting him in the chin, and that he used his 9mm handgun only in self-defense.
After the shooting, Mr. Heard ran to another mobile home and held a 25-year-old woman hostage for three hours before he surrendered, police said. During the standoff, Mr. Heard said, he drank four beers to calm his nerves. He said he also had smoked marijuana and a small amount of methamphetamine earlier Tuesday. Family members said Mr. Heard has a long history of drug abuse and mental problems, possibly bipolar disorder.
Police have said that Officer Nava was shot while trying to gather information on Mr. Heard, who was suspected of participating in an identity-theft ring. A day earlier, was believed to have led Sansom Park police on a car chase after a dispute with a gas station attendant.
He also had an outstanding warrant for violating parole for a conviction on charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and state parole officials had warned police agencies that Mr. Heard had a weapon.
Police said Mr. Heard had been a member of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, an assertion he denied.
Mr. Heard dismissed his past record as only nonviolent crimes, such as theft and drug use.
When confronted by law enforcement, he said, his instinct was to flee, citing past run-ins with police that involved "little old high-speed chases for Mickey Mouse stuff."
Mr. Hurt said that when he's been caught previously, has has never fought with or tried to injure police. He said his first question to the hostage negotiator after Tuesday's shooting was, "Who was hurt?"
Mr. Heard said his stepfather had been a police officer, which he said give him sympathy for the those in the profession.
Mr. Heard's mother, Deloris Pulce, said that her son shouldn't make excuses and that he has to face the consequences of his actions, whatever they might be.
Chad Clark said he believes his cousin's account of the shootout. He said that Mr. Heard would never fire at a police officer intentionally and that his drug use and association with criminals made him extremely paranoid.
Mr. Clark also said he was never sure that his cousin would completely turn his life around.
"I could only pray," he said.
Now, Mr. Clark said, it's too late.
Mr. Heard said Thursday that he had recently considered straightening out his life by turning himself in to authorities. He said the remainder of his sentence wouldn't be a big deal. "Anyone can do a year," he said.
But while considering a life free of crime, Mr. Heard was also starting a new career in identity theft and was studying computer programs used for that purpose, he said. He said he had stockpiled thousands of dollars worth of paper used to create fake checks.
Although he feared robbery by other criminals, Mr. Heard said: "I'm angry at myself that I even had a weapon in my hand."
When asked before Officer Nava's death whether he deserved the death penalty if the officer died, Mr. Heard didn't give a direct answer. But he said, "I couldn't live with myself if he died."
Killing a law enforcement officer is considered a capital crime, punishable by either life in prison or death.
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TexasStooge
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Hinojosa vows to kick DISD into high gear
Chief calls for revamping academics, more scrutiny of finances, staffing
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa laid out goals Thursday to turn the district around, promising to retool academics, examine finances and scrutinize staffing.
"When we shake up this house – and we will shake up this house – there's going to be a lot of people squawking," Dr. Hinojosa said during a meeting with Dallas Morning News reporters and editorial board members. "I think there's tremendous talent in the Dallas ISD. We just have to have the focus."
He said the work will kick into high gear Wednesday when the district receives a curriculum audit conducted by the National Center for Educational Accountability. The report will recommend ways to improve student performance. Eventually, the center will provide comparisons between the Dallas Independent School District and other large Texas districts.
Acknowledging that he has often kept a low profile since arriving six months ago, Dr. Hinojosa said he plans to be more outspoken. The district, he said, must confront its problems and avoid responding defensively.
The superintendent said he's determined to follow through on the curriculum recommendations. He said he's also seeking help from the business community to pay for an accounting firm to audit the district's finances and resources.
The superintendent has said he wants DISD to be "the top urban district in the nation" within five years. To that end, the district recently set ambitious targets for improving academic achievement and college readiness and ensuring that low-income kids are getting necessary services.
If all goes well, Dr. Hinojosa wants DISD to win the Broad Prize for Urban Education within five years. The coveted honor – given by the Los Angeles-based Broad Foundation – recognizes urban districts that greatly improve student achievement and reduce performance gaps between ethnic groups and high- and low-income students.
"We can't make the excuses ... that we can't get this done," Dr. Hinojosa said of student performance. "I won't take my eye off the prize."
Karen Denne, spokeswoman for the Broad (rhymes with road) Foundation, said districts are assessed on steady improvement and growth over four years. A district that starts with lower scores than other school systems under consideration could win if it shows overall improvement, she said.
"You can't discount a district because their scores are low," Ms. Denne said. "It's that steady progress, narrowing of the achievement gap. It's not going to happen overnight."
DISD's targets are aggressive. Passing rates on state tests in five core academic areas would need to rise between 8 to 37 percentage points to meet the goal. For example, 60 percent of all students passed the math portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test last school year. The district's five-year goal is 90 percent.
Also targeted for improvement is the graduation rate, which is the percentage of ninth-graders who graduate in four years. In 2003-04, the district's rate was about 81 percent. The goal is 93 percent for 2009-10.
Since his arrival in May, Dr. Hinojosa said, he has talked to dozens of civic and religious leaders about setting priorities to improve the district. This week he came out with the plan to use curriculum and resource audits.
He said Thursday that he also has a new take on his job.
"I've been trying to stay out of the fray," Dr. Hinojosa said of recent news reports that DISD provides car allowances for employees who seldom travel and that its former director of purchasing had free use of a boat owned by a computer vendor who did business with DISD.
But Dr. Hinojosa said that he has to address these matters.
"This is painful, this is very painful right now," he said, "but we're going to deal with it."
Trustee Ron Price said he hopes the audit will uncover unnecessary spending in some areas.
"We do know that we have some fat in our budget," Mr. Price said, who also attended the meeting with board president Lois Parrott. "I'd like to see some of the budget trimmed down and go to classrooms."
The resource audit also will examine employees and their role in the district.
"I still believe that we have a lot of folks on our payroll who do not help one kid," Mr. Price said. "We need to deal with our finances correctly."
Dr. Parrott said the district's budget would be more transparent from now on. Some trustees have recently complained about spending in the district that they didn't know about.
"They know where to hide the money," Dr. Parrott said, referring to the district's administration. "For years, they didn't think that we mean business, and we do mean business. We want transparent budgeting."
Dr. Hinojosa said he knows change won't come easily.
"For us to be the best," he said, "we have to deal with these matters.
Chief calls for revamping academics, more scrutiny of finances, staffing
By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa laid out goals Thursday to turn the district around, promising to retool academics, examine finances and scrutinize staffing.
"When we shake up this house – and we will shake up this house – there's going to be a lot of people squawking," Dr. Hinojosa said during a meeting with Dallas Morning News reporters and editorial board members. "I think there's tremendous talent in the Dallas ISD. We just have to have the focus."
He said the work will kick into high gear Wednesday when the district receives a curriculum audit conducted by the National Center for Educational Accountability. The report will recommend ways to improve student performance. Eventually, the center will provide comparisons between the Dallas Independent School District and other large Texas districts.
Acknowledging that he has often kept a low profile since arriving six months ago, Dr. Hinojosa said he plans to be more outspoken. The district, he said, must confront its problems and avoid responding defensively.
The superintendent said he's determined to follow through on the curriculum recommendations. He said he's also seeking help from the business community to pay for an accounting firm to audit the district's finances and resources.
The superintendent has said he wants DISD to be "the top urban district in the nation" within five years. To that end, the district recently set ambitious targets for improving academic achievement and college readiness and ensuring that low-income kids are getting necessary services.
If all goes well, Dr. Hinojosa wants DISD to win the Broad Prize for Urban Education within five years. The coveted honor – given by the Los Angeles-based Broad Foundation – recognizes urban districts that greatly improve student achievement and reduce performance gaps between ethnic groups and high- and low-income students.
"We can't make the excuses ... that we can't get this done," Dr. Hinojosa said of student performance. "I won't take my eye off the prize."
Karen Denne, spokeswoman for the Broad (rhymes with road) Foundation, said districts are assessed on steady improvement and growth over four years. A district that starts with lower scores than other school systems under consideration could win if it shows overall improvement, she said.
"You can't discount a district because their scores are low," Ms. Denne said. "It's that steady progress, narrowing of the achievement gap. It's not going to happen overnight."
DISD's targets are aggressive. Passing rates on state tests in five core academic areas would need to rise between 8 to 37 percentage points to meet the goal. For example, 60 percent of all students passed the math portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test last school year. The district's five-year goal is 90 percent.
Also targeted for improvement is the graduation rate, which is the percentage of ninth-graders who graduate in four years. In 2003-04, the district's rate was about 81 percent. The goal is 93 percent for 2009-10.
Since his arrival in May, Dr. Hinojosa said, he has talked to dozens of civic and religious leaders about setting priorities to improve the district. This week he came out with the plan to use curriculum and resource audits.
He said Thursday that he also has a new take on his job.
"I've been trying to stay out of the fray," Dr. Hinojosa said of recent news reports that DISD provides car allowances for employees who seldom travel and that its former director of purchasing had free use of a boat owned by a computer vendor who did business with DISD.
But Dr. Hinojosa said that he has to address these matters.
"This is painful, this is very painful right now," he said, "but we're going to deal with it."
Trustee Ron Price said he hopes the audit will uncover unnecessary spending in some areas.
"We do know that we have some fat in our budget," Mr. Price said, who also attended the meeting with board president Lois Parrott. "I'd like to see some of the budget trimmed down and go to classrooms."
The resource audit also will examine employees and their role in the district.
"I still believe that we have a lot of folks on our payroll who do not help one kid," Mr. Price said. "We need to deal with our finances correctly."
Dr. Parrott said the district's budget would be more transparent from now on. Some trustees have recently complained about spending in the district that they didn't know about.
"They know where to hide the money," Dr. Parrott said, referring to the district's administration. "For years, they didn't think that we mean business, and we do mean business. We want transparent budgeting."
Dr. Hinojosa said he knows change won't come easily.
"For us to be the best," he said, "we have to deal with these matters.
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TexasStooge
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White Rock grove will pay honor, tribute
Dallas: Project 'to honor, to remember, to celebrate'
By ELIZABETH LANGTON / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - After Shelly Spencer died in a biking accident near her favorite location at White Rock Lake, her family and friends wanted to mark the spot with a plaque.
Like others seeking solace by donating commemorative trees or signs to the lake, they got a polite "no thanks" from the city of Dallas.
Such memorials violate Park and Recreation Board policy, a park department official said, and the city lacks the manpower to handle so many relatively small donations.
But a private project recently approved by the park board and the White Rock Lake task force will provide a place for such memorials as the one Ms. Spencer's friends and family suggested. "I really think Shelly would be proud of being a part of this," said Melany Aughtman, Ms. Spencer's partner of 13 years.
The Celebration Tree Grove, to be located at East Lawther and Poppy drives on the lake's east side, will surround a monument recognizing project donors.
Their money will pay for the grove's installation and ongoing reforestation at the lake.
The advocacy group For the Love of the Lake developed the tree grove plan because members receive several calls each week from people wanting to donate commemorative trees.
"This is a vehicle for them to express their grief and experience the joy and hopefulness of planting something that will be here longer than any of us," group founder Marci Novak said.
Although the project started as an outlet for memorials, organizers envision donations that commemorate anniversaries and recognize environmentalists. The monument's inscription will read "To honor, to remember, to celebrate."
"I think it would be really great to do it when someone was born," said Maria Richards, a member of For the Love of the Lake.
Ms. Aughtman said she wanted a memorial at the lake not only because Ms. Spencer died there but also because she loved the area.
The couple lived just blocks away and often biked there.
Ms. Spencer died Sept. 2, one day after her bicycle crash. Ms. Aughtman said her bike's rear tire collided with Ms. Spencer's bike's front tire as they approached the lake's spillway. Ms. Spencer fell and struck her head on the pavement.
"I just know that's where Shelly's spirit left, and it still lingers there," Ms. Aughtman said. "That was our favorite spot."
In the midst of planning the tree grove project, Ms. Novak found herself in a position to donate.
Her brother Arnold Gans died from a brain tumor last year. When Mr. Gans visited his sister, he frequently helped her with For the Love of the Lake projects. Ms. Novak said she hopes to raise $25,000 from family and friends to name a grove trail for her brother.
"I'm really proud that I'll be a major donor of this grove," she said.
Willis Winters, assistant director of the park department, said The Celebration Tree Grove will provide a central location to recognize lake donors. In the past, the city has accepted donated trees for the area, but park board policy prohibits placing plaques on them.
The city has allowed signs on some benches for donations of at least $1,000, a threshold set by the park board.
For each donation of $1,000 or more, a bronze plaque inscribed with the honoree's name will be added to the grove's monument. Sponsors of a fundraising concert this weekend will be recognized on a special founders' plaque.
Ms. Spencer's friends and family have donated about $7,500.
The project's first phase calls for planting a grove of mature trees in a small, open field and constructing the monument, its surrounding courtyard and paths.
Once the grove is established, donations will pay for maintenance and new trees in other areas around the lake. Eventually, the fund could cover an arborist's salary.
Landscape architect Carol Feldman donated designs for the grove that match the style of the lake's Civilian Conservation Corps buildings.
For the Love of the Lake needs $115,000 for the first phase. At $50,000, the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation will give them a matching grant.
Organizers expect to reach the $50,000 mark after Saturday's concert by folk artist John McCutcheon.
Ms. Novak said For the Love of the Lake members hope to start the planting and construction in January or February and dedicate the grove April 17, the anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps' first camp opening at the lake.
Dallas: Project 'to honor, to remember, to celebrate'
By ELIZABETH LANGTON / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - After Shelly Spencer died in a biking accident near her favorite location at White Rock Lake, her family and friends wanted to mark the spot with a plaque.
Like others seeking solace by donating commemorative trees or signs to the lake, they got a polite "no thanks" from the city of Dallas.
Such memorials violate Park and Recreation Board policy, a park department official said, and the city lacks the manpower to handle so many relatively small donations.
But a private project recently approved by the park board and the White Rock Lake task force will provide a place for such memorials as the one Ms. Spencer's friends and family suggested. "I really think Shelly would be proud of being a part of this," said Melany Aughtman, Ms. Spencer's partner of 13 years.
The Celebration Tree Grove, to be located at East Lawther and Poppy drives on the lake's east side, will surround a monument recognizing project donors.
Their money will pay for the grove's installation and ongoing reforestation at the lake.
The advocacy group For the Love of the Lake developed the tree grove plan because members receive several calls each week from people wanting to donate commemorative trees.
"This is a vehicle for them to express their grief and experience the joy and hopefulness of planting something that will be here longer than any of us," group founder Marci Novak said.
Although the project started as an outlet for memorials, organizers envision donations that commemorate anniversaries and recognize environmentalists. The monument's inscription will read "To honor, to remember, to celebrate."
"I think it would be really great to do it when someone was born," said Maria Richards, a member of For the Love of the Lake.
Ms. Aughtman said she wanted a memorial at the lake not only because Ms. Spencer died there but also because she loved the area.
The couple lived just blocks away and often biked there.
Ms. Spencer died Sept. 2, one day after her bicycle crash. Ms. Aughtman said her bike's rear tire collided with Ms. Spencer's bike's front tire as they approached the lake's spillway. Ms. Spencer fell and struck her head on the pavement.
"I just know that's where Shelly's spirit left, and it still lingers there," Ms. Aughtman said. "That was our favorite spot."
In the midst of planning the tree grove project, Ms. Novak found herself in a position to donate.
Her brother Arnold Gans died from a brain tumor last year. When Mr. Gans visited his sister, he frequently helped her with For the Love of the Lake projects. Ms. Novak said she hopes to raise $25,000 from family and friends to name a grove trail for her brother.
"I'm really proud that I'll be a major donor of this grove," she said.
Willis Winters, assistant director of the park department, said The Celebration Tree Grove will provide a central location to recognize lake donors. In the past, the city has accepted donated trees for the area, but park board policy prohibits placing plaques on them.
The city has allowed signs on some benches for donations of at least $1,000, a threshold set by the park board.
For each donation of $1,000 or more, a bronze plaque inscribed with the honoree's name will be added to the grove's monument. Sponsors of a fundraising concert this weekend will be recognized on a special founders' plaque.
Ms. Spencer's friends and family have donated about $7,500.
The project's first phase calls for planting a grove of mature trees in a small, open field and constructing the monument, its surrounding courtyard and paths.
Once the grove is established, donations will pay for maintenance and new trees in other areas around the lake. Eventually, the fund could cover an arborist's salary.
Landscape architect Carol Feldman donated designs for the grove that match the style of the lake's Civilian Conservation Corps buildings.
For the Love of the Lake needs $115,000 for the first phase. At $50,000, the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation will give them a matching grant.
Organizers expect to reach the $50,000 mark after Saturday's concert by folk artist John McCutcheon.
Ms. Novak said For the Love of the Lake members hope to start the planting and construction in January or February and dedicate the grove April 17, the anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps' first camp opening at the lake.
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TexasStooge
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Nava's daughter writes to murder suspect
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The 8-year-old daughter of slain Fort Worth police officer Hank Nava has written a letter to his alleged killer Steven Heard.
"You took my daddy away from me, my brother and mom and our loving friends, family, and loyal police officers," Kayleigh Nava writes in the letter, published by Fort Worth's Star-Telegram and aired on KXAS NBC 5.
"But I know he’s going to be with GOD. And he really hurt my cousin's heart because they loved my dad like their own dad. And I know you are going down and my dad is going to heaven."
"I want you to know that you would not know how sad we are in this hospital even if it shot you in the head," she writes.
"I hope you have a long cruel death but actually I know you will have a long cruel death. And you might have not had to get death if you just surrendered," she says.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The 8-year-old daughter of slain Fort Worth police officer Hank Nava has written a letter to his alleged killer Steven Heard.
"You took my daddy away from me, my brother and mom and our loving friends, family, and loyal police officers," Kayleigh Nava writes in the letter, published by Fort Worth's Star-Telegram and aired on KXAS NBC 5.
"But I know he’s going to be with GOD. And he really hurt my cousin's heart because they loved my dad like their own dad. And I know you are going down and my dad is going to heaven."
"I want you to know that you would not know how sad we are in this hospital even if it shot you in the head," she writes.
"I hope you have a long cruel death but actually I know you will have a long cruel death. And you might have not had to get death if you just surrendered," she says.
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Services pending for slain officer
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth police Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., who was shot in the head Tuesday at the beginning of a standoff with an identity theft suspect, died at 5:02 p.m. Thursday at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital.
His family and close colleagues stood by his bed in the moment he passed, which was described as a dark hour.
"In one regard you are relieved," said Lt. Dean Sullivan, Fort Worth Police Department. "You know that Hank's not suffering anymore."
Teresa Nava choked back tears while a family friend spoke on her behalf and described Nava as not only a caring husband, but also Teresa's best friend.
"He had passion beyond belief to do what he did," she said. "Hank was a very dedicated, loving husband and father. We are a strong family, and this too shall pass. And we will go on and Teresa will be strong."
Officer Nava was 39 years old, and he had served with the department for 14 years.
The suspected gunman, Stephen Lance Heard, is in custody held on bond of $2 million on initial charges of attempted capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
"We share the family's pain," said Fort Worth's Mayor Mike Moncrief at a news conference. "We must remember those men and women and what they do and be thankful that they do it, and that their families allow them to do what they do."
Officers and family members have been at the slain officer's bedside since Tuesday. He was married with a 4-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.
Fellow officers honored Officer Nava by wearing black bands wrapped around their badges, and blue and yellow ribbons that stood for his sacrifice to serve the community.
The attempted capital murder charge could be updated now that the officer has died.
Records show Heard has prior convictions include forgery and possession of a controlled substance. Police said investigators have linked Heard to a major identity theft ring.
Funeral arrangements for Officer Nava are pending, and the police department said they will work with his family to give him a proper burial.
Chase Bank has set up an account for those who want to donate to the Nava family.
WFAA-TV reporter Yolanda Walker contributed to this report
WFAA ABC 8
Officers wrapped their badges with black bands in honor of Officer Henry "Hank" Nava.
AP
Henry "Hank" Nava's wife, Teresa, stood by as Fort Worth officer's announced his death.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth police Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., who was shot in the head Tuesday at the beginning of a standoff with an identity theft suspect, died at 5:02 p.m. Thursday at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital.
His family and close colleagues stood by his bed in the moment he passed, which was described as a dark hour.
"In one regard you are relieved," said Lt. Dean Sullivan, Fort Worth Police Department. "You know that Hank's not suffering anymore."
Teresa Nava choked back tears while a family friend spoke on her behalf and described Nava as not only a caring husband, but also Teresa's best friend.
"He had passion beyond belief to do what he did," she said. "Hank was a very dedicated, loving husband and father. We are a strong family, and this too shall pass. And we will go on and Teresa will be strong."
Officer Nava was 39 years old, and he had served with the department for 14 years.
The suspected gunman, Stephen Lance Heard, is in custody held on bond of $2 million on initial charges of attempted capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
"We share the family's pain," said Fort Worth's Mayor Mike Moncrief at a news conference. "We must remember those men and women and what they do and be thankful that they do it, and that their families allow them to do what they do."
Officers and family members have been at the slain officer's bedside since Tuesday. He was married with a 4-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.
Fellow officers honored Officer Nava by wearing black bands wrapped around their badges, and blue and yellow ribbons that stood for his sacrifice to serve the community.
The attempted capital murder charge could be updated now that the officer has died.
Records show Heard has prior convictions include forgery and possession of a controlled substance. Police said investigators have linked Heard to a major identity theft ring.
Funeral arrangements for Officer Nava are pending, and the police department said they will work with his family to give him a proper burial.
Chase Bank has set up an account for those who want to donate to the Nava family.
WFAA-TV reporter Yolanda Walker contributed to this report
WFAA ABC 8
Officers wrapped their badges with black bands in honor of Officer Henry "Hank" Nava.
AP
Henry "Hank" Nava's wife, Teresa, stood by as Fort Worth officer's announced his death.
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Woman killed in Loop 820 wreck
BENBROOK, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A woman died late Thursday after apparently losing control of her vehicle on Southwest Loop 820 in Benbrook.
Police said the motorist, whose name was not released, was driving eastbound at 11:30 p.m. when she lost control of her car.
The vehicle went airborne and flipped over, landing in the westbound lanes. It's the same spot where six people died in a crossover accident nearly two years ago.
The victim was not wearing a seatbelt, investigators said.
BENBROOK, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A woman died late Thursday after apparently losing control of her vehicle on Southwest Loop 820 in Benbrook.
Police said the motorist, whose name was not released, was driving eastbound at 11:30 p.m. when she lost control of her car.
The vehicle went airborne and flipped over, landing in the westbound lanes. It's the same spot where six people died in a crossover accident nearly two years ago.
The victim was not wearing a seatbelt, investigators said.
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Euless pastor faces lewdness charge
EULESS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Methodist pastor from Tarrant County is facing charges of public lewdness.
James Leonard Finley, 68, was arrested after a 21-year-old man told officers Finley had assaulted him.
Finley leads the First United Methodist Church of Euless.
Finley was arrested during a traffic stop. Public lewdness is a Class A misdemeanor offense.
Bond was set at $1,000.
EULESS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A Methodist pastor from Tarrant County is facing charges of public lewdness.
James Leonard Finley, 68, was arrested after a 21-year-old man told officers Finley had assaulted him.
Finley leads the First United Methodist Church of Euless.
Finley was arrested during a traffic stop. Public lewdness is a Class A misdemeanor offense.
Bond was set at $1,000.
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Car, truck crash from Loop 820 bridge
HURST, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - At least one person was injured Friday morning after a truck and car crashed through a guardrail and tumbled down an embankment in Hurst.
Both vehicles landed on the Trinity Railway Express commuter line tracks under the bridge at Loop 820 and Trinity Blvd.
The impact heavily damaged the car and sliced open the cargo area of the truck, spilling debris across the tracks.
No information was available about the condition of the drivers or any passengers in the two vehicles.
DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said Trinity Railway Express service was temporarily halted west of Hurst/Bell Station. A replacement bus service was being arranged to ferry passengers between Hurst/Bell Station, Richland Hills Station and the Intermodal Transit Center in downtown Fort Worth until the accident scene can be cleared, Lyons said.
DallasNews.com's Alan Melson contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The truck and car tumbled down an embankment.
HURST, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - At least one person was injured Friday morning after a truck and car crashed through a guardrail and tumbled down an embankment in Hurst.
Both vehicles landed on the Trinity Railway Express commuter line tracks under the bridge at Loop 820 and Trinity Blvd.
The impact heavily damaged the car and sliced open the cargo area of the truck, spilling debris across the tracks.
No information was available about the condition of the drivers or any passengers in the two vehicles.
DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said Trinity Railway Express service was temporarily halted west of Hurst/Bell Station. A replacement bus service was being arranged to ferry passengers between Hurst/Bell Station, Richland Hills Station and the Intermodal Transit Center in downtown Fort Worth until the accident scene can be cleared, Lyons said.
DallasNews.com's Alan Melson contributed to this report.
WFAA ABC 8
The truck and car tumbled down an embankment.
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Funeral set for slain officer
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - Funeral services for Fort Worth police Officer Hank Nava have been set for 1 p.m. Monday at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, 9100 N. Normandale Road.
Visitation is scheduled from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Greenwood Funeral Home, 3100 White Settlement Road.
After Monday's funeral, a burial service will be held at Greenwood Cemetery, also at 3100 White Settlement.
The Police Department's North Division at 2500 Houston St. is parking Officer Nava’s marked squad car and placing a wreath with bunting on it to allow residents a location to place flowers, notes or other appropriate items to express their sympathy and grief.
Donations for a permanent trust fund for Officer Nava's children may be mailed or delivered to the Fort Worth Police Officers' Association, located at 904 Collier St., Fort Worth 76102.
Checks should be made payable to Chase Bank.
Donations may also be made at any Chase branch in the name of Officer Nava.
Officer Nava, 39, died Thursday afternoon, two days after being shot in the head by an identity theft suspect wanted for parole violation.
He had served with the department for 14 years.
The suspected gunman, Stephen Lance Heard, is in custody held on bond of $2 million on initial charges of attempted capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
The attempted capital murder charge could be updated.
Records show Heard has prior convictions include forgery and possession of a controlled substance.
Police said investigators have linked Heard to a major identity theft ring.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - Funeral services for Fort Worth police Officer Hank Nava have been set for 1 p.m. Monday at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, 9100 N. Normandale Road.
Visitation is scheduled from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Greenwood Funeral Home, 3100 White Settlement Road.
After Monday's funeral, a burial service will be held at Greenwood Cemetery, also at 3100 White Settlement.
The Police Department's North Division at 2500 Houston St. is parking Officer Nava’s marked squad car and placing a wreath with bunting on it to allow residents a location to place flowers, notes or other appropriate items to express their sympathy and grief.
Donations for a permanent trust fund for Officer Nava's children may be mailed or delivered to the Fort Worth Police Officers' Association, located at 904 Collier St., Fort Worth 76102.
Checks should be made payable to Chase Bank.
Donations may also be made at any Chase branch in the name of Officer Nava.
Officer Nava, 39, died Thursday afternoon, two days after being shot in the head by an identity theft suspect wanted for parole violation.
He had served with the department for 14 years.
The suspected gunman, Stephen Lance Heard, is in custody held on bond of $2 million on initial charges of attempted capital murder and aggravated kidnapping.
The attempted capital murder charge could be updated.
Records show Heard has prior convictions include forgery and possession of a controlled substance.
Police said investigators have linked Heard to a major identity theft ring.
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Anti-war mom brings protest to Dallas
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) -- Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan of California today picketed the building where U-S Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has her Dallas offices.
Sheehan joined about 60 people who displayed signs such as: "Torture is not O-K" and "Bring the Troops Home Now." There were no arrests. The senator wasn't at the office.
Peace activists have gathered outside Hutchison's Dallas office every Friday since October after Sheehan ended her August vigil outside President Bush's ranch near Crawford.
Sheehan has been protesting the war in Iraq since her 24-year-old son Casey was killed in action last year.
She returned to Texas last week for an anti-war protest near the Bush ranch -- where the first family spent Thanksgiving.
Sheehan last night received an award from the Dallas Peace Center.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) -- Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan of California today picketed the building where U-S Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has her Dallas offices.
Sheehan joined about 60 people who displayed signs such as: "Torture is not O-K" and "Bring the Troops Home Now." There were no arrests. The senator wasn't at the office.
Peace activists have gathered outside Hutchison's Dallas office every Friday since October after Sheehan ended her August vigil outside President Bush's ranch near Crawford.
Sheehan has been protesting the war in Iraq since her 24-year-old son Casey was killed in action last year.
She returned to Texas last week for an anti-war protest near the Bush ranch -- where the first family spent Thanksgiving.
Sheehan last night received an award from the Dallas Peace Center.
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Free money waiting for city agencies
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
Tonight, more than a billion dollars is sitting at the state comptroller's office waiting to be claimed. Some of it belongs to public agencies and local governments, such as the city of Dallas, which has let it collect dust for years.
The city's ambulance service has several hundred dollars in the state fund; Dallas Water Utilities, the city's convention center and the library system also have money waiting . One unclaimed check is for $9,000.
Another, to the city's real estate department, totals more than $19,000; it's been there since 1998.
In all, the city's unclaimed funds could total more than $35,000.
"It's hard to justify, when we're always needing money and always looking for quarters in the couch here at city hall to balance the budget, having $30,000 to $35,000 sitting in Austin not collecting interest that we are owed," said Dallas Mayor Laura Miller.
News 8 examined a database of the state's unclaimed property stretching back years.
DART has several thousand that might be claimed; Parkland Hospital, $13,000; Fort Worth ISD $13,000; and Dallas ISD has about $15,000.
Individual schools should check, too. We found a check for $2,900 made out to A. Kramer Elementary.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport says it finds thousands each year in unclaimed funds. But we found more than $30,000 still sitting there. D/FW said its annual search of the database doesn't always find it all.
"The list you'll notice has got DFW spelled many different ways, and so we don't always go in and figure every permutation that it might be, but generally we go in and claim that money once every year," said D/FW chief financial officer Chris Poinsatte.
Mayor Miller thinks the city should be doing annual checks too, even if it's a drop in the budget bucket.
"Ask any council member if he could use that $30,000 to pave a new sidewalk, or do some code enforcement and he'd say, 'I'll take it.' That's a lot of money," she said.
If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and you find something really, really unusual, let Channel 8's Chris Heinbaugh know what you found and how to contact you. cheinbaugh@wfaa.com
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
Tonight, more than a billion dollars is sitting at the state comptroller's office waiting to be claimed. Some of it belongs to public agencies and local governments, such as the city of Dallas, which has let it collect dust for years.
The city's ambulance service has several hundred dollars in the state fund; Dallas Water Utilities, the city's convention center and the library system also have money waiting . One unclaimed check is for $9,000.
Another, to the city's real estate department, totals more than $19,000; it's been there since 1998.
In all, the city's unclaimed funds could total more than $35,000.
"It's hard to justify, when we're always needing money and always looking for quarters in the couch here at city hall to balance the budget, having $30,000 to $35,000 sitting in Austin not collecting interest that we are owed," said Dallas Mayor Laura Miller.
News 8 examined a database of the state's unclaimed property stretching back years.
DART has several thousand that might be claimed; Parkland Hospital, $13,000; Fort Worth ISD $13,000; and Dallas ISD has about $15,000.
Individual schools should check, too. We found a check for $2,900 made out to A. Kramer Elementary.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport says it finds thousands each year in unclaimed funds. But we found more than $30,000 still sitting there. D/FW said its annual search of the database doesn't always find it all.
"The list you'll notice has got DFW spelled many different ways, and so we don't always go in and figure every permutation that it might be, but generally we go in and claim that money once every year," said D/FW chief financial officer Chris Poinsatte.
Mayor Miller thinks the city should be doing annual checks too, even if it's a drop in the budget bucket.
"Ask any council member if he could use that $30,000 to pave a new sidewalk, or do some code enforcement and he'd say, 'I'll take it.' That's a lot of money," she said.
If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and you find something really, really unusual, let Channel 8's Chris Heinbaugh know what you found and how to contact you. cheinbaugh@wfaa.com
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Parents appeal to find road rage perpetrators
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - An apparent case of road rage has left a University of Texas at Arlington student in a coma.
Ashley Willis, 19, was critically injured when another driver ran her off the road as she was traveling on Interstate 45 in Leon County.
Her parents accuse authorities of dragging their feet in the investigation.
Willis left the Arlington campus last week in her red pickup truck to spend time with her family in Houston over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. But she ran into trouble trying to maneuver around some cars through heavy traffic on I-45.
Alex Willis recalled the panicked cell phone call from his daughter: "'Dad, there are two trucks trying to box me in. I don't know what to do.'" She told him the trucks were trying to run into her from the rear after she had successfully passed them.
Alex Willis told Ashley to call 911. That's the last time he spoke with her before her truck slammed into a tree in Leon County.
Police said she was the apparent victim of road rage.
Willis lapsed into a coma for seven days suffering from a severe brain injury.
"My daughter, she was a good student, a good person. She'd give you the shirt off her back," Alex Willis said, his voice choked with emotion.
Ashley is a sophomore studying biology at UT Arlington. She is a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
"A lot of people know her, and know of her," said UTA student Rachel Castro. "It's just really sad."
"We hope she gets better... that she gets better soon," added Maegan Maxwell.
Willis has already faced two surgeries. Trauma surgeon Dr. John Berne said her prognosis is positive. "She's going to make a good recovery," he said.
Now, Alex Willis is appealing to the public for help. "We're just asking anybody if they've seen anything at that time, or anyone maybe leaving the scene at a high speed," he said. "Would they please help us find this where maybe it will save some kid's life?"
Ashley's father said he is unhappy with the investigation, but added that detectives are now checking a couple of license plate numbers that may lead to an arrest.
Ashley Willis is recovering at a hospital in Tyler, where she was taken by helicopter ambulance. Doctors said she has months of rehabilitation ahead of her.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - An apparent case of road rage has left a University of Texas at Arlington student in a coma.
Ashley Willis, 19, was critically injured when another driver ran her off the road as she was traveling on Interstate 45 in Leon County.
Her parents accuse authorities of dragging their feet in the investigation.
Willis left the Arlington campus last week in her red pickup truck to spend time with her family in Houston over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. But she ran into trouble trying to maneuver around some cars through heavy traffic on I-45.
Alex Willis recalled the panicked cell phone call from his daughter: "'Dad, there are two trucks trying to box me in. I don't know what to do.'" She told him the trucks were trying to run into her from the rear after she had successfully passed them.
Alex Willis told Ashley to call 911. That's the last time he spoke with her before her truck slammed into a tree in Leon County.
Police said she was the apparent victim of road rage.
Willis lapsed into a coma for seven days suffering from a severe brain injury.
"My daughter, she was a good student, a good person. She'd give you the shirt off her back," Alex Willis said, his voice choked with emotion.
Ashley is a sophomore studying biology at UT Arlington. She is a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.
"A lot of people know her, and know of her," said UTA student Rachel Castro. "It's just really sad."
"We hope she gets better... that she gets better soon," added Maegan Maxwell.
Willis has already faced two surgeries. Trauma surgeon Dr. John Berne said her prognosis is positive. "She's going to make a good recovery," he said.
Now, Alex Willis is appealing to the public for help. "We're just asking anybody if they've seen anything at that time, or anyone maybe leaving the scene at a high speed," he said. "Would they please help us find this where maybe it will save some kid's life?"
Ashley's father said he is unhappy with the investigation, but added that detectives are now checking a couple of license plate numbers that may lead to an arrest.
Ashley Willis is recovering at a hospital in Tyler, where she was taken by helicopter ambulance. Doctors said she has months of rehabilitation ahead of her.
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Dallas police bust mobile meth lab
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police have shut down a methamphetamine lab in the middle of an Oak Cliff neighborhood where the illegal drug was being cooked up just yards away from homes.
Police believe the location where the lab was found may be part of an organized crime operation, so they asked News 8 not to reveal the exact location.
But meth labs are popping up everywhere. The drug is cheap and easy to make—but it's also very dangerous.
Drug makers can cook up methamphetamine just about anywhere, because it's cheap and easy to make. "You can get everything you want to make it at a local hardware store, Wal-Mart or whatever," said Sgt. Al Sutton of the Dallas police narcotics unit.
The lab in Friday's bust was found in a truck that had cameras mounted on the outside, so the "cookers" could see who was coming.
Police hauled away ether, acetone, anhydrous ammonia and pseudoephedrine. It was all found about 50 yards away from homes.
"It is very dangerous," Sutton said. "The chemicals involved in producing methamphetamine are very hazardous, explosive in nature."
What's more, meth users can become psychotic and paranoid.
Earlier this week, Stephen Heard was arrested for allegedly killing Fort Worth police Officer Hank Nava. In a jailhouse interview, Heard admitted using marijuana and meth the day he pulled the trigger.
"I tried a little bit of meth, but it wasn't that good... the quality," Heard said.
Dallas police said they are seeing quite a few of the meth labs pop up across the city. The department even has its own speed lab squad.
"We've worked approximately 13 of these so far this year in the City of Dallas, and it is pretty prevalent right now," Sutton said.
Police said Friday's busted operation may be part of a larger organized crime ring, and they want to shut it down before more drugs are made and sold on Dallas streets.
Meth has a strong odor—like very strong ammonia. Officers with the Southwest division's crime response team were serving warrants when they smelled the chemicals and found the lab.
If you notice a similar aroma, call police.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police have shut down a methamphetamine lab in the middle of an Oak Cliff neighborhood where the illegal drug was being cooked up just yards away from homes.
Police believe the location where the lab was found may be part of an organized crime operation, so they asked News 8 not to reveal the exact location.
But meth labs are popping up everywhere. The drug is cheap and easy to make—but it's also very dangerous.
Drug makers can cook up methamphetamine just about anywhere, because it's cheap and easy to make. "You can get everything you want to make it at a local hardware store, Wal-Mart or whatever," said Sgt. Al Sutton of the Dallas police narcotics unit.
The lab in Friday's bust was found in a truck that had cameras mounted on the outside, so the "cookers" could see who was coming.
Police hauled away ether, acetone, anhydrous ammonia and pseudoephedrine. It was all found about 50 yards away from homes.
"It is very dangerous," Sutton said. "The chemicals involved in producing methamphetamine are very hazardous, explosive in nature."
What's more, meth users can become psychotic and paranoid.
Earlier this week, Stephen Heard was arrested for allegedly killing Fort Worth police Officer Hank Nava. In a jailhouse interview, Heard admitted using marijuana and meth the day he pulled the trigger.
"I tried a little bit of meth, but it wasn't that good... the quality," Heard said.
Dallas police said they are seeing quite a few of the meth labs pop up across the city. The department even has its own speed lab squad.
"We've worked approximately 13 of these so far this year in the City of Dallas, and it is pretty prevalent right now," Sutton said.
Police said Friday's busted operation may be part of a larger organized crime ring, and they want to shut it down before more drugs are made and sold on Dallas streets.
Meth has a strong odor—like very strong ammonia. Officers with the Southwest division's crime response team were serving warrants when they smelled the chemicals and found the lab.
If you notice a similar aroma, call police.
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No more nights at Day Resource Center
To keep lease, Dallas to offer only services at shelter of last resort
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas, which went to great lengths last year to keep the Day Resource Center open 24 hours after two homeless men camping outside were run over and killed by a pickup driver, will close the facility to overnight guests starting Feb. 1.
The new policy, which will include exceptions during inclement weather, is part of an agreement reached this week to extend the lease on the building at Ervay and Cadiz streets. The city was facing a Jan. 31 deadline.
Mayor Laura Miller said the center will continue to provide services during the day, including caseworkers and mental health care, until the city opens a new voter-approved facility in January 2008.
But the 200 to 300 homeless staying at the center each night will need to find other shelters, she said.
"That facility is not appropriate for sleeping," Ms. Miller said. "It's a very temporary situation, and there are all kinds of liability issues. This was not set up ever as a shelter. This was set up as an office center for people to come and get services and leave."
Some of the shelter's residents were concerned that the agreement will leave them with nowhere to go at night.
Lieutenant Smith said he would not go to another shelter because he has claustrophobia. At the resource center, he sleeps outside on the parking lot.
"I'll probably have to buy a tent and go in the woods," said Mr. Smith, who said he has been on the streets for more than 10 years and has suffered mental health and drug problems. "If we go back on the streets, we take a chance of getting tickets."
Ms. Miller said the city could not secure the space without agreeing to the strict new sleeping policy.
The owner, Rader Properties, previously said it would not renew the lease. Area business owners have complained that the homeless litter, loiter and leave human waste on their properties.
"Because of the concerns from the neighborhood around the Day Resource Center ... we agreed to do a number of things to be a better neighbor," Ms. Miller said.
The rent remains $7,695 a month.
In addition to the no-sleeping policy, the city also will replace the chain-link fence around the Day Resource Center's parking lot with a wooden one to screen the facility from neighbors, including a center next door that hosts weddings, she said. Along with additional security, the city will spend $200,000 to renovate the bathrooms at the facility. Residents have complained that the toilets constantly become stopped up and that they must shower in a pool of water.
"We know that by doing that people will be more willing to use the bathrooms inside the facility instead of using people's doorsteps to relieve themselves," Ms. Miller said. "We're part of that problem because the bathrooms have not been very user-friendly."
Officials with Rader Properties did not return calls seeking comment Friday.
Room elsewhere
Mike Rawlings, the city's homeless czar, said there should be plenty of shelter elsewhere in the city for the Day Resource residents.
"There's definitely enough shelter. The question is the rules around the shelters, and whether the homeless will choose to be in the shelters," he said.
Officials from two large shelters, the Union Gospel Mission and Dallas Life Foundation, said Friday they usually have room for more people.
But some center residents weren't so sure.
"If other shelters are already full, where are you going to go?" said Gary Young, who has stayed at the Day Resource Center for the last three months. "What's the deal – are they going to put us all in jail or what?"
Some can't abide rules
Typically, the Day Resource Center attracts what experts call the chronic homeless, people with mental illnesses and/or addictions who have been on the streets for years and resist services. But they accept the Day Resource Center because it places fewer demands than some private shelters, which require religious services, recovery programs and fees.
Many of the homeless people who sleep at the Day Resource Center have been kicked out of other shelters for breaking rules or fighting.
Tierni Thompson, spokeswoman for the Dallas Life Foundation, said the large downtown shelter is willing to give people second chances.
"There is space available in private providers' facilities. It's a question of whether those individuals are going to abide by the rules and be accountable," Ms. Thompson said. "They're more than welcome to come here, but when they come they have to commit to our rules and regulations and want to be able to help themselves.
"We feel like most of those people would choose the streets rather than being accountable and being held to high standards," she said.
The city has long struggled to find a solution for its homeless population. When the two men were killed in October 2004 outside the Day Resource Center, up to 200 people were camping outside the facility each night after it closed. The Dallas City Council voted in January to change the zoning and extend the center's hours.
In November, voters approved $23.8 million in bonds for a new homeless assistance center. It will offer expanded services including short-term emergency shelter, job training, mental health care and an outside sleeping pavilion for chronic homeless residents who refuse to go to shelters.
New shelter to fill gap
The new center will help fill a gap in services for the chronic homeless, said Cindy Honey, executive director of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
"Until the homeless assistance center is up and running, this community will continue to face the challenge of how to provide safe sleeping for some of the downtown homeless individuals," Ms. Honey said.
The City Council is scheduled to discuss the plans for the new and existing centers at a Monday briefing.
To keep lease, Dallas to offer only services at shelter of last resort
By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas, which went to great lengths last year to keep the Day Resource Center open 24 hours after two homeless men camping outside were run over and killed by a pickup driver, will close the facility to overnight guests starting Feb. 1.
The new policy, which will include exceptions during inclement weather, is part of an agreement reached this week to extend the lease on the building at Ervay and Cadiz streets. The city was facing a Jan. 31 deadline.
Mayor Laura Miller said the center will continue to provide services during the day, including caseworkers and mental health care, until the city opens a new voter-approved facility in January 2008.
But the 200 to 300 homeless staying at the center each night will need to find other shelters, she said.
"That facility is not appropriate for sleeping," Ms. Miller said. "It's a very temporary situation, and there are all kinds of liability issues. This was not set up ever as a shelter. This was set up as an office center for people to come and get services and leave."
Some of the shelter's residents were concerned that the agreement will leave them with nowhere to go at night.
Lieutenant Smith said he would not go to another shelter because he has claustrophobia. At the resource center, he sleeps outside on the parking lot.
"I'll probably have to buy a tent and go in the woods," said Mr. Smith, who said he has been on the streets for more than 10 years and has suffered mental health and drug problems. "If we go back on the streets, we take a chance of getting tickets."
Ms. Miller said the city could not secure the space without agreeing to the strict new sleeping policy.
The owner, Rader Properties, previously said it would not renew the lease. Area business owners have complained that the homeless litter, loiter and leave human waste on their properties.
"Because of the concerns from the neighborhood around the Day Resource Center ... we agreed to do a number of things to be a better neighbor," Ms. Miller said.
The rent remains $7,695 a month.
In addition to the no-sleeping policy, the city also will replace the chain-link fence around the Day Resource Center's parking lot with a wooden one to screen the facility from neighbors, including a center next door that hosts weddings, she said. Along with additional security, the city will spend $200,000 to renovate the bathrooms at the facility. Residents have complained that the toilets constantly become stopped up and that they must shower in a pool of water.
"We know that by doing that people will be more willing to use the bathrooms inside the facility instead of using people's doorsteps to relieve themselves," Ms. Miller said. "We're part of that problem because the bathrooms have not been very user-friendly."
Officials with Rader Properties did not return calls seeking comment Friday.
Room elsewhere
Mike Rawlings, the city's homeless czar, said there should be plenty of shelter elsewhere in the city for the Day Resource residents.
"There's definitely enough shelter. The question is the rules around the shelters, and whether the homeless will choose to be in the shelters," he said.
Officials from two large shelters, the Union Gospel Mission and Dallas Life Foundation, said Friday they usually have room for more people.
But some center residents weren't so sure.
"If other shelters are already full, where are you going to go?" said Gary Young, who has stayed at the Day Resource Center for the last three months. "What's the deal – are they going to put us all in jail or what?"
Some can't abide rules
Typically, the Day Resource Center attracts what experts call the chronic homeless, people with mental illnesses and/or addictions who have been on the streets for years and resist services. But they accept the Day Resource Center because it places fewer demands than some private shelters, which require religious services, recovery programs and fees.
Many of the homeless people who sleep at the Day Resource Center have been kicked out of other shelters for breaking rules or fighting.
Tierni Thompson, spokeswoman for the Dallas Life Foundation, said the large downtown shelter is willing to give people second chances.
"There is space available in private providers' facilities. It's a question of whether those individuals are going to abide by the rules and be accountable," Ms. Thompson said. "They're more than welcome to come here, but when they come they have to commit to our rules and regulations and want to be able to help themselves.
"We feel like most of those people would choose the streets rather than being accountable and being held to high standards," she said.
The city has long struggled to find a solution for its homeless population. When the two men were killed in October 2004 outside the Day Resource Center, up to 200 people were camping outside the facility each night after it closed. The Dallas City Council voted in January to change the zoning and extend the center's hours.
In November, voters approved $23.8 million in bonds for a new homeless assistance center. It will offer expanded services including short-term emergency shelter, job training, mental health care and an outside sleeping pavilion for chronic homeless residents who refuse to go to shelters.
New shelter to fill gap
The new center will help fill a gap in services for the chronic homeless, said Cindy Honey, executive director of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
"Until the homeless assistance center is up and running, this community will continue to face the challenge of how to provide safe sleeping for some of the downtown homeless individuals," Ms. Honey said.
The City Council is scheduled to discuss the plans for the new and existing centers at a Monday briefing.
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TexasStooge
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Dallas officers share in Fort Worth's pain
After their own recent loss, they reach out to grieving colleagues
By JASON TRAHAN and TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
For another department, and another widow, the grieving begins anew.
Only two weeks ago, Dallas police buried one of their own. Now, they are reaching out to help Fort Worth officers cope with the grief as they prepare to do the same.
"Their loss is our loss," said Dallas police Deputy Chief Floyd Simpson, who sent some of his employees to Fort Worth to help them with the daunting task of planning an elaborate police funeral.
"When we had our tragic loss a couple of weeks ago, Fort Worth was there for us and we're going to do the same thing for them," he said.
A day after Fort Worth police Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., 39, died from his wounds sustained during a shootout Tuesday with an identity theft suspect, officers in Dallas were again reminded of the dangers of their jobs. On Nov. 13, Dallas Officer Brian Jackson, 28, died after he was shot responding to a disturbance in which a man threatened to kill a woman.
"One of the unique stresses in law enforcement is the nature of how death occurs," said Al Somodevilla, longtime Dallas police staff psychologist.
"It is not the most dangerous profession. Construction workers have all sorts of dangers," he said. "If you fall off a building and die, it's an accident. But when police die, usually someone wanted them that way."
He said that Dallas officers who have sought his unit's help are also talking about Fort Worth's loss.
"All officers, whether rookies or veterans, know that this can happen, but when it does, it becomes more of a reality," he said. "Losing two officers in two weeks makes it that much more real for them."
In Fort Worth, a chaplain has been available since the shooting, counseling family members and officers. While the department no longer has in-house psychological services unit such as Dallas', it does have peer support groups where officers vent to one another and volunteers.
Colleagues parked Officer Nava's squad car at his police station at 2500 North Houston St. on the city's northwest side so that mourners could place flowers, notes and other items on it.
Some Dallas officers reached out informally to their brothers to the west.
Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Eric Knight, who was a close friend of Officer Jackson, has been in contact with Officer Nava's sergeant since the officer was shot Tuesday. He will be going to Officer's Nava's funeral.
"We're just letting them know that we're here if they need to talk," he said. "We'll reach out to them. We know how it is. You're getting bombarded with calls. You're just so overwhelmed."
Cpl. Knight said police from Officer Jackson's shift want to meet with those from Officer Nava's squad at some point after the funeral.
"They're in the same mode we were in with Brian a couple of weeks ago, trying to get the logistics [of a funeral] taken care of," he said. "That becomes all consuming. It's really a buffer for your psyche. It will be a few weeks before [the reality of Officer Nava's death] really hits. We know what they're going through."
Officer Kyle Land, a close friend of Officer Jackson, said Friday he had been speaking with his friend's widow all week about the Fort Worth officer, who was shot Tuesday but clung to life until Thursday.
Officer Jackson's widow, JoAnn, plans to return to Dallas from Rhode Island next week.
"She wanted to go see the officer at the hospital and be with him and his family," Officer Land said. "She's grief stricken about it. She knows exactly what this officer's family is going through. This is one more reminder that Brian is gone."
Fort Worth police are "not alone, and the family's not alone," he said. "Their patch may say Fort Worth and ours Dallas, but we're part of the same family."
Reaching out to Fort Worth officers "helps us grieve, too," he said. "Two weeks ago, we were emotionally distraught and the ones hurting and now we can help out someone who is hurting."
He said Officer Jackson's wife is considering going to Officer Nava's funeral. "Brian would have been there," Officer Land, adding that he will attend.
Officer Land said he returned to work on Thursday. His first task was to go to Officer Jackson's home in Rockwall and take an inventory of Officer Jackson's police equipment, including his police uniforms. The task took him about two and half hours.
"I was by myself and it was horrendous," he said. "This was my time to say goodbye."
After their own recent loss, they reach out to grieving colleagues
By JASON TRAHAN and TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News
For another department, and another widow, the grieving begins anew.
Only two weeks ago, Dallas police buried one of their own. Now, they are reaching out to help Fort Worth officers cope with the grief as they prepare to do the same.
"Their loss is our loss," said Dallas police Deputy Chief Floyd Simpson, who sent some of his employees to Fort Worth to help them with the daunting task of planning an elaborate police funeral.
"When we had our tragic loss a couple of weeks ago, Fort Worth was there for us and we're going to do the same thing for them," he said.
A day after Fort Worth police Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., 39, died from his wounds sustained during a shootout Tuesday with an identity theft suspect, officers in Dallas were again reminded of the dangers of their jobs. On Nov. 13, Dallas Officer Brian Jackson, 28, died after he was shot responding to a disturbance in which a man threatened to kill a woman.
"One of the unique stresses in law enforcement is the nature of how death occurs," said Al Somodevilla, longtime Dallas police staff psychologist.
"It is not the most dangerous profession. Construction workers have all sorts of dangers," he said. "If you fall off a building and die, it's an accident. But when police die, usually someone wanted them that way."
He said that Dallas officers who have sought his unit's help are also talking about Fort Worth's loss.
"All officers, whether rookies or veterans, know that this can happen, but when it does, it becomes more of a reality," he said. "Losing two officers in two weeks makes it that much more real for them."
In Fort Worth, a chaplain has been available since the shooting, counseling family members and officers. While the department no longer has in-house psychological services unit such as Dallas', it does have peer support groups where officers vent to one another and volunteers.
Colleagues parked Officer Nava's squad car at his police station at 2500 North Houston St. on the city's northwest side so that mourners could place flowers, notes and other items on it.
Some Dallas officers reached out informally to their brothers to the west.
Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Eric Knight, who was a close friend of Officer Jackson, has been in contact with Officer Nava's sergeant since the officer was shot Tuesday. He will be going to Officer's Nava's funeral.
"We're just letting them know that we're here if they need to talk," he said. "We'll reach out to them. We know how it is. You're getting bombarded with calls. You're just so overwhelmed."
Cpl. Knight said police from Officer Jackson's shift want to meet with those from Officer Nava's squad at some point after the funeral.
"They're in the same mode we were in with Brian a couple of weeks ago, trying to get the logistics [of a funeral] taken care of," he said. "That becomes all consuming. It's really a buffer for your psyche. It will be a few weeks before [the reality of Officer Nava's death] really hits. We know what they're going through."
Officer Kyle Land, a close friend of Officer Jackson, said Friday he had been speaking with his friend's widow all week about the Fort Worth officer, who was shot Tuesday but clung to life until Thursday.
Officer Jackson's widow, JoAnn, plans to return to Dallas from Rhode Island next week.
"She wanted to go see the officer at the hospital and be with him and his family," Officer Land said. "She's grief stricken about it. She knows exactly what this officer's family is going through. This is one more reminder that Brian is gone."
Fort Worth police are "not alone, and the family's not alone," he said. "Their patch may say Fort Worth and ours Dallas, but we're part of the same family."
Reaching out to Fort Worth officers "helps us grieve, too," he said. "Two weeks ago, we were emotionally distraught and the ones hurting and now we can help out someone who is hurting."
He said Officer Jackson's wife is considering going to Officer Nava's funeral. "Brian would have been there," Officer Land, adding that he will attend.
Officer Land said he returned to work on Thursday. His first task was to go to Officer Jackson's home in Rockwall and take an inventory of Officer Jackson's police equipment, including his police uniforms. The task took him about two and half hours.
"I was by myself and it was horrendous," he said. "This was my time to say goodbye."
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TexasStooge
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- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Next school bond vote for Irving could come by '07
Projects from '01 election aren't done, but district's looking ahead
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Another Irving school bond election could go before voters as early as November 2007.
The paint isn't dry on all the projects from the district's $249.5 million bond election passed in 2001, but officials are planning ahead.
Superintendent Jack Singley presented several timelines on possible future bond packages to school trustees at a special goal-setting meeting Tuesday. Only the board may call an election. A needs assessment would have to be conducted first.
As for a timetable for a bond election, Mr. Singley said, "2007 would be the earliest, and 2008 the latest."
He added that the bond amount would likely be less than the most recent one.
Projects could include the addition of a wing to The Academy of Irving ISD and an early childhood center in southeast Irving.
School board trustee Michael Hill said that because most of the district's buildings have undergone a facelift, he would anticipate any future bond election to be fairly small.
"If you were to ask me if voters would approve it today – no," he said. "I think our citizens have been overwhelmed by the fact that they've lost their homestead exemption. I think the citizens would like to have a little opportunity to breathe.
But who knows what the climate will be in two years?"
The board voted this year to eliminate the homestead exemption, after whittling it down for years, to provide more money in the district's budget.
Several major projects are still under way from the 2001 bond election:
Construction of the $13.1 million Stipes Elementary School at Cross Timbers Drive and Santa Anita. It's the district's 20th elementary school.
Construction of a $5.5 million MacArthur High School gymnasium, scheduled to be completed in early spring. The gym was not included in the original bond project voters approved but was added after structural problems with the old gym's roof were discovered.
Austin Middle School is also scheduled to get a $2.8 million band hall addition.
Remaining work, much of which includes reaching compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, is scheduled for Schulze, Gilbert and Townley elementary schools and Austin and Lamar middle schools.
About $30 million in bonds are unsold. Mr. Singley said there are adequate funds to build either another elementary or middle school, depending on enrollment needs. Both were included in the original bond project.
But after money was diverted to the MacArthur project, district officials initially said the elementary school likely would not happen.
The district paid about $2.1 million for about 17 acres off Belt Line Road and Pioneer Drive for a middle school. But officials are waiting until next fall to determine whether a middle school or elementary school would be needed.
This fall, elementary school enrollment increased by 499 students compared with a drop of eight students at the middle school level. MacArthur High School added 203 students, accounting for much of high school enrollment growth this year.
Division director of planning, evaluation and research Whit Johnstone said the ideal enrollment for an elementary school is 750, although most schools are built to accommodate 850 students. Fall enrollments ranged from 605 students at Johnston Elementary to 903 at Davis Elementary.
Under the 2001 bond, the district built and opened Townsell Elementary. After a higher than expected enrollment, the district built a $2 million classroom addition last summer, director of facilities Scott Layne said. Townsell had about 885 students enrolled this fall.
"We've had more growth in elementary and high school enrollments," Mr. Johnstone said. "So we're taking another look at middle school enrollments to see if there's enough growth there to justify a school."
Projects from '01 election aren't done, but district's looking ahead
By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Another Irving school bond election could go before voters as early as November 2007.
The paint isn't dry on all the projects from the district's $249.5 million bond election passed in 2001, but officials are planning ahead.
Superintendent Jack Singley presented several timelines on possible future bond packages to school trustees at a special goal-setting meeting Tuesday. Only the board may call an election. A needs assessment would have to be conducted first.
As for a timetable for a bond election, Mr. Singley said, "2007 would be the earliest, and 2008 the latest."
He added that the bond amount would likely be less than the most recent one.
Projects could include the addition of a wing to The Academy of Irving ISD and an early childhood center in southeast Irving.
School board trustee Michael Hill said that because most of the district's buildings have undergone a facelift, he would anticipate any future bond election to be fairly small.
"If you were to ask me if voters would approve it today – no," he said. "I think our citizens have been overwhelmed by the fact that they've lost their homestead exemption. I think the citizens would like to have a little opportunity to breathe.
But who knows what the climate will be in two years?"
The board voted this year to eliminate the homestead exemption, after whittling it down for years, to provide more money in the district's budget.
Several major projects are still under way from the 2001 bond election:
Construction of the $13.1 million Stipes Elementary School at Cross Timbers Drive and Santa Anita. It's the district's 20th elementary school.
Construction of a $5.5 million MacArthur High School gymnasium, scheduled to be completed in early spring. The gym was not included in the original bond project voters approved but was added after structural problems with the old gym's roof were discovered.
Austin Middle School is also scheduled to get a $2.8 million band hall addition.
Remaining work, much of which includes reaching compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, is scheduled for Schulze, Gilbert and Townley elementary schools and Austin and Lamar middle schools.
About $30 million in bonds are unsold. Mr. Singley said there are adequate funds to build either another elementary or middle school, depending on enrollment needs. Both were included in the original bond project.
But after money was diverted to the MacArthur project, district officials initially said the elementary school likely would not happen.
The district paid about $2.1 million for about 17 acres off Belt Line Road and Pioneer Drive for a middle school. But officials are waiting until next fall to determine whether a middle school or elementary school would be needed.
This fall, elementary school enrollment increased by 499 students compared with a drop of eight students at the middle school level. MacArthur High School added 203 students, accounting for much of high school enrollment growth this year.
Division director of planning, evaluation and research Whit Johnstone said the ideal enrollment for an elementary school is 750, although most schools are built to accommodate 850 students. Fall enrollments ranged from 605 students at Johnston Elementary to 903 at Davis Elementary.
Under the 2001 bond, the district built and opened Townsell Elementary. After a higher than expected enrollment, the district built a $2 million classroom addition last summer, director of facilities Scott Layne said. Townsell had about 885 students enrolled this fall.
"We've had more growth in elementary and high school enrollments," Mr. Johnstone said. "So we're taking another look at middle school enrollments to see if there's enough growth there to justify a school."
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TexasStooge
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Irving sets new rules for gas well drilling
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – The City Council approved an ordinance Thursday night that regulates gas well drilling.
Irving joins other North Texas municipalities that have enacted similar ordinances after companies have expressed an interest in drilling.
Irving officials say they want to find a balance between companies that want to drill and residents who don't want to see a decline in the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
The ordinance requires drilling companies to complete an application process and have insurance policies.
It also includes regulations regarding shutting down wells.
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – The City Council approved an ordinance Thursday night that regulates gas well drilling.
Irving joins other North Texas municipalities that have enacted similar ordinances after companies have expressed an interest in drilling.
Irving officials say they want to find a balance between companies that want to drill and residents who don't want to see a decline in the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
The ordinance requires drilling companies to complete an application process and have insurance policies.
It also includes regulations regarding shutting down wells.
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TexasStooge
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Finns say city's a fine place to work
Irving: Business leaders want to lure more firms from their homeland
By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News
Los Angeles and New York have Finnish consulate general offices. Ohio has the Finnish Heritage Museum. Michigan is home to Finlandia University.
And the city of Irving has its very own Finnish-American Business Guild.
The guild was formed in 2002 as a subdivision of the Irving chamber's Sister Cities International division.
"Executives and managers of area Finnish companies wanted to get together to discuss the challenges of setting up a company and doing business in the states," said Sharon Rose, director of Sister Cities.
Vesa Vihavainen of Efore USA Inc. is one of the founders.
"There was a need for Finnish businessmen to get together to exchange information," he said. "It's also a way to learn more about America."
Ms. Rose said the group tries to meet monthly. Attendance ranges from about a dozen to 35 people.
"Many members are busy international executives, so it is hard to catch them," she said about the challenge of scheduling meetings.
A recent meeting featured lawyer Rene Cacheaux, who talked about "Maquilador Operations as a Launching Pad to the U.S. Market." He presented an extensive slide show about how businesses can work with Mexico.
In the past few years, many Finnish companies have come to the North Texas area, mostly because of Nokia locating its American headquarters in Irving in the late 1990s.
Aside from Nokia, Mr. Vihavainen said about 30 Finnish companies are in the area.
Along with the companies come many Finnish employees, who have left their chilly homeland to settle in the warmer climate here. Mr. Vihavainen joked that the biggest minority group in Coppell might now be the Finns.
Guild chairman Hannu Impola said he likes Texas.
"It just doesn't have an ocean or mountains," he said, "but the weather is a definite advantage."
To foster a sense of camaraderie among those far from home, the guild celebrates Finland's Independence Day every year with a black-tie gala. Finland obtained its independence from Russia on Dec. 6, 1917.
The fourth annual gala is tonight at the Harvey Hotel in Irving.
Johnny Zilliacus, guild program chair, said this year's event "will be bolder and bigger than ever. We even had to change our location because we needed more space."
The sold-out event will include a procession of flags, the singing of the Finnish and U.S. national anthems, a toast to Finnish independence by ambassador Osmo Lipponen, an address by Martin Granhom of the Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce and entertainment by Mestarit, a group of Finnish singers.
Other Finnish groups have helped plan the celebration, including the Finnish Women's Club of North Texas, Finnish Lutheran Church of North Texas, the Finnish Language School of North Texas, Finnish American Society-TexFinns and the League of Finnish American Societies.
Irving: Business leaders want to lure more firms from their homeland
By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News
Los Angeles and New York have Finnish consulate general offices. Ohio has the Finnish Heritage Museum. Michigan is home to Finlandia University.
And the city of Irving has its very own Finnish-American Business Guild.
The guild was formed in 2002 as a subdivision of the Irving chamber's Sister Cities International division.
"Executives and managers of area Finnish companies wanted to get together to discuss the challenges of setting up a company and doing business in the states," said Sharon Rose, director of Sister Cities.
Vesa Vihavainen of Efore USA Inc. is one of the founders.
"There was a need for Finnish businessmen to get together to exchange information," he said. "It's also a way to learn more about America."
Ms. Rose said the group tries to meet monthly. Attendance ranges from about a dozen to 35 people.
"Many members are busy international executives, so it is hard to catch them," she said about the challenge of scheduling meetings.
A recent meeting featured lawyer Rene Cacheaux, who talked about "Maquilador Operations as a Launching Pad to the U.S. Market." He presented an extensive slide show about how businesses can work with Mexico.
In the past few years, many Finnish companies have come to the North Texas area, mostly because of Nokia locating its American headquarters in Irving in the late 1990s.
Aside from Nokia, Mr. Vihavainen said about 30 Finnish companies are in the area.
Along with the companies come many Finnish employees, who have left their chilly homeland to settle in the warmer climate here. Mr. Vihavainen joked that the biggest minority group in Coppell might now be the Finns.
Guild chairman Hannu Impola said he likes Texas.
"It just doesn't have an ocean or mountains," he said, "but the weather is a definite advantage."
To foster a sense of camaraderie among those far from home, the guild celebrates Finland's Independence Day every year with a black-tie gala. Finland obtained its independence from Russia on Dec. 6, 1917.
The fourth annual gala is tonight at the Harvey Hotel in Irving.
Johnny Zilliacus, guild program chair, said this year's event "will be bolder and bigger than ever. We even had to change our location because we needed more space."
The sold-out event will include a procession of flags, the singing of the Finnish and U.S. national anthems, a toast to Finnish independence by ambassador Osmo Lipponen, an address by Martin Granhom of the Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce and entertainment by Mestarit, a group of Finnish singers.
Other Finnish groups have helped plan the celebration, including the Finnish Women's Club of North Texas, Finnish Lutheran Church of North Texas, the Finnish Language School of North Texas, Finnish American Society-TexFinns and the League of Finnish American Societies.
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