Bush honored 'retirement,' but veteran isn't leaving the station
By DEBORAH FLECK / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - After 50 years, Irving fire Capt. Billy G. Holder still isn't ready to retire.
"I'm having the time of my life right now," said Capt. Holder, nicknamed Shakey shortly after joining the Irving Fire Department on Dec. 1, 1955.
"I was pretty nervous those first few days," Capt. Holder explained. "I leaned on a refrigerator and some stuff fell on my head. I started fighting and shaking and became known as Shakey ever since."
Now 71, he brims with enthusiasm and energy about his job.
He's in good shape and continues to pass his work physicals.
More than 200 friends and family members crowded into a reception room at the Irving Arts Center on Thursday to celebrate his golden anniversary.
Capt. Holder received proclamations from Mayor Herbert Gears and state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving.
Ms. Harper-Brown said she was surprised to hear about a firefighter serving for so long, "but when I met him, I knew he could carry me out of a building."
A certificate from President Bush mistakenly congratulated the firefighter on his retirement, which drew a big laugh from the crowd.
A long line of firefighters and friends waited to congratulate Capt. Holder personally.
Irving Fire Chief Paul White said the Texas Fire Chiefs Association knows of no one who has served in the field so long.
"Maybe a few guys in Houston have served 50 years, but often much of that is in the office, not in the field," Chief White said. "I would like the whole department to be like Shakey."
Capt. Holder looks forward to the time he spends at Fire Station No. 1, one of only two stations that have been his home during his long service to the city.
"When I started, there was only one station, and we had just 10 employees," Capt. Holder said. "Now we have 11 stations and about 300 employees."
Nine chiefs have served as his boss. His first chief, Glenn "Red" Whaley, was there Thursday to honor the man he trained so long ago.
Capt. Holder said he has seen many changes, mostly for the good.
"Everything is bigger," he said about the equipment. "We now have 5-inch hoses and 1,250-gallon-a-minute pumpers."
One of the worst fires he recalls facing was at a nursing home.
"It was a big place and not many thought we could do it," he said about rescuing the residents. "I was proud to be a firefighter after that one."
While helping others is rewarding, Capt. Holder said, the best part of the job is the friendship among co-workers.
"It's like a brotherhood," he said about the bonds that develop among those who save others while putting their own lives on the line.
Many of his buddies have passed him up the career ladder and become chiefs.
He said he never wanted to be chief because "they don't seem to stay around as long."
Capt. Holder said he is happy being a captain, a rank he earned in 1967.
Assistant Fire Chief Mike Evitts noted that Capt. Holder is a member of the rigorously trained Swift Water Rescue Team.
"He's the man," Chief Evitts said. "He's definitely able to keep up, and he's so happy being a firefighter."
At Thursday's reception, there were plenty of accolades.
Chief White told a few stories that poked fun at Capt. Holder's age.
"When he sometimes watches the History Channel, his fellow firefighters tease him by asking if he is on," Chief White said.
After the chief's presentation, Capt. Holder took the podium.
The firefighter didn't waste words.
He thanked his family and friends for their support, then said, "I look forward to the next 50 years."
News from the Lone Star State
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'Cigarette bandit' strikes again
ARLINTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The "cigarette bandit" has struck again—this time in Arlington.
Surveillance video released Friday shows the suspect walking into a convenience store in the 900 block of Six Flags Drive on Nov. 28.
The man approaches the counter and pretends to have a gun. He then steals six cartons of cigarettes.
Police think the same man is responsible for stealing cigarettes from Diamond Shamrock convenience stores in Dallas, Grand Prairie and Balch Springs.
ARLINTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The "cigarette bandit" has struck again—this time in Arlington.
Surveillance video released Friday shows the suspect walking into a convenience store in the 900 block of Six Flags Drive on Nov. 28.
The man approaches the counter and pretends to have a gun. He then steals six cartons of cigarettes.
Police think the same man is responsible for stealing cigarettes from Diamond Shamrock convenience stores in Dallas, Grand Prairie and Balch Springs.
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Tax service victims decry IRS treatment
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8
NEWS 8 INVESTIGATES
DALLAS, Texas - Imagine being the victim of a crime and then learning from police that you have to serve time in jail.
That's how dozens of North Texans said they feel as they try to convince the Internal Revenue Service they are not criminals.
Over the past several weeks, News 8 Investigates has been focusing on Twin Tax, a Dallas tax preparation service that allegedly padded returns and pocketed the profits.
But despite the publicity—and now a follow-up investigation by federal agencies—the victims said they are shocked by the way they are being treated by their own government.
Eight years ago, IRS officials were taken to task by Congress over allegations of taxpayer mistreatment.
Agency officials promised reform.
But if it happened, Pat Reed of Dallas says she hasn't seen it. Reed is one of hundreds of taxpayers being audited by the IRS.
"It was the worst experience of my life," she said. "I'm 60 years old, and I've never been talked to like she talked to me."
Reed and other former Twin Tax customers have been told they owe thousands of dollars to the U.S. government—including penalties and interest—even though fraudulent returns were filed without their knowledge.
For Reed, the penalties and interest add up to $1,300.
"There was no empathy," she said. "There was, 'This is the way it is: You have to pay this.'"
"I'm totally shocked. I'm shocked with this," said Raj Tiwari of Dallas. The IRS wants him to repay $1,600 of a tax refund he said he never received.
If he doesn't pay up by December 12, he'll owe even more.
"I don't see how this system works," a frustrated Tiwari said.
Since our initial investigation, News 8 has been flooded with calls and e-mails messages from scores of former Twin Tax customers who said they are being bullied by the IRS and forced to pay for the sins of an alleged swindler.
IRS officials have denied repeated requests to respond to specific victims' complaints.
The only reaction we received was this, from IRS spokesman Phil Beasley: "Any time a taxpayer claims a bigger refund than he or she is entitled to, the tax agency will always want the excess monies returned. I shouldn't have to pay more in taxes because another person makes a bad choice in preparers."
But Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Dallas) feels differently. He is calling on Congress to take a serious look at more IRS reforms.
"I think Congress needs to hear more from the people who are actually the victims here, because we have to separate the victims from the victimizers," Hensarling said.
For now, though, the only accounting is by the IRS wanting its money—and no excuses.
"And just to be ignored? It's not a very good feeling at all," Pat Reed said. "It's almost like I don't have anyplace left to turn."
Compounding the frustration of former Twin Tax customers, the tax preparation service retains personal financial records the victims say they need to defend themselves against the IRS.
At this point, the government has—to our knowlege—done nothing to help return those records.
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8
NEWS 8 INVESTIGATES
DALLAS, Texas - Imagine being the victim of a crime and then learning from police that you have to serve time in jail.
That's how dozens of North Texans said they feel as they try to convince the Internal Revenue Service they are not criminals.
Over the past several weeks, News 8 Investigates has been focusing on Twin Tax, a Dallas tax preparation service that allegedly padded returns and pocketed the profits.
But despite the publicity—and now a follow-up investigation by federal agencies—the victims said they are shocked by the way they are being treated by their own government.
Eight years ago, IRS officials were taken to task by Congress over allegations of taxpayer mistreatment.
Agency officials promised reform.
But if it happened, Pat Reed of Dallas says she hasn't seen it. Reed is one of hundreds of taxpayers being audited by the IRS.
"It was the worst experience of my life," she said. "I'm 60 years old, and I've never been talked to like she talked to me."
Reed and other former Twin Tax customers have been told they owe thousands of dollars to the U.S. government—including penalties and interest—even though fraudulent returns were filed without their knowledge.
For Reed, the penalties and interest add up to $1,300.
"There was no empathy," she said. "There was, 'This is the way it is: You have to pay this.'"
"I'm totally shocked. I'm shocked with this," said Raj Tiwari of Dallas. The IRS wants him to repay $1,600 of a tax refund he said he never received.
If he doesn't pay up by December 12, he'll owe even more.
"I don't see how this system works," a frustrated Tiwari said.
Since our initial investigation, News 8 has been flooded with calls and e-mails messages from scores of former Twin Tax customers who said they are being bullied by the IRS and forced to pay for the sins of an alleged swindler.
IRS officials have denied repeated requests to respond to specific victims' complaints.
The only reaction we received was this, from IRS spokesman Phil Beasley: "Any time a taxpayer claims a bigger refund than he or she is entitled to, the tax agency will always want the excess monies returned. I shouldn't have to pay more in taxes because another person makes a bad choice in preparers."
But Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Dallas) feels differently. He is calling on Congress to take a serious look at more IRS reforms.
"I think Congress needs to hear more from the people who are actually the victims here, because we have to separate the victims from the victimizers," Hensarling said.
For now, though, the only accounting is by the IRS wanting its money—and no excuses.
"And just to be ignored? It's not a very good feeling at all," Pat Reed said. "It's almost like I don't have anyplace left to turn."
Compounding the frustration of former Twin Tax customers, the tax preparation service retains personal financial records the victims say they need to defend themselves against the IRS.
At this point, the government has—to our knowlege—done nothing to help return those records.
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BREAKING NEWS: High-rise fire sends two to hospital
By KEVIN KRAUSE / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A fire at an 11-story retirement complex in Oak Cliff Saturday sent at least two people to the hospital for smoke inhalation, Dallas fire officials said.
No one else was seriously injured in the fire at Wedgwood Tower in the 2500 block of Wedglea Drive. The conditions of the two injured people were not known.
The building was evacuated as fire crews worked to put out the fire which was first reported at 2:36 p.m.
By 4 p.m., it was extinguished, fire officials said. The cause of the blaze was under investigation Saturday evening .
The fire in the roughly 35-year-old building was quickly brought under control by firefighters, said owner Ray Stern. Mr. Stern said Saturday's fire was the building's first. He said the building is up to code and has passed all its fire inspections.
Staff Writers Jay Parsons and Melissa Alanis contributed to this report.
By KEVIN KRAUSE / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A fire at an 11-story retirement complex in Oak Cliff Saturday sent at least two people to the hospital for smoke inhalation, Dallas fire officials said.
No one else was seriously injured in the fire at Wedgwood Tower in the 2500 block of Wedglea Drive. The conditions of the two injured people were not known.
The building was evacuated as fire crews worked to put out the fire which was first reported at 2:36 p.m.
By 4 p.m., it was extinguished, fire officials said. The cause of the blaze was under investigation Saturday evening .
The fire in the roughly 35-year-old building was quickly brought under control by firefighters, said owner Ray Stern. Mr. Stern said Saturday's fire was the building's first. He said the building is up to code and has passed all its fire inspections.
Staff Writers Jay Parsons and Melissa Alanis contributed to this report.
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Farmers Branch considers citywide wireless service
Farmers Branch: If OK'd, Internet network would be running by summer
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - Farmers Branch residents soon may be able to go online from almost anywhere in the city.
City Council members are scheduled to vote Monday on a contract with MobilePro Corp. of Maryland to install a citywide wireless broadband network. The venture will cost the city nothing.
MobilePro Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of NeoReach, will have access to city structures to install the network, and in return, the city will get 500 free accounts.
Residents, city officials said, will get a less costly and more widely available alternative to what's out there now through local telephone or cable companies.
"Throughout the United States there has been a trend of cities looking at a way to provide better broadband access to the Internet than is currently available," city Finance Director Charles Cox said. "In some areas of Farmers Branch folks physically can't get broadband service. We've had folks come and say they're not satisfied with the existing service."
MobilePro would start installation by February and have all equipment installed and running by the summer.
Basic residential service would start at about $19.95 a month, Mr. Cox said. And some service would be free. Anyone who is within the city limits would be able to access certain Web sites at no charge, including the city, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, Brookhaven College and Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce Web sites.
In addition, anyone with a wireless card would be able to access any Internet site for free from the future DART rail station and certain parks yet to be determined, for up to one hour per day, Mr. Cox said.
The contract is non-exclusive, which means other companies could come in with proposals to provide similar service and create more competition.
MobilePro's contract to use the city's rights-of-way will be for five years, with two five-year renewal options.
MobilePro is currently installing a citywide wireless network in Tempe, Ariz., and is set to start deployment in Chandler, Ariz., next week. In addition, the company has a pilot program that will be up and running in Sacramento, Calif., this month. The company recently announced it has been selected to install networks in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, said Carrie Rockwall, director of sales and marketing for NeoReach.
"I think one of the keynotes is the business model we have and which Farmers Branch has chosen for their city, and the face we've taken the owner-operator approach," Ms. Rockwall said. "No taxpayer money is being spent on the project. We deploy the radios and manage it."
The City Council is expected to vote during its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 13000 William Dodson Parkway.
Farmers Branch: If OK'd, Internet network would be running by summer
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
FARMERS BRANCH, Texas - Farmers Branch residents soon may be able to go online from almost anywhere in the city.
City Council members are scheduled to vote Monday on a contract with MobilePro Corp. of Maryland to install a citywide wireless broadband network. The venture will cost the city nothing.
MobilePro Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of NeoReach, will have access to city structures to install the network, and in return, the city will get 500 free accounts.
Residents, city officials said, will get a less costly and more widely available alternative to what's out there now through local telephone or cable companies.
"Throughout the United States there has been a trend of cities looking at a way to provide better broadband access to the Internet than is currently available," city Finance Director Charles Cox said. "In some areas of Farmers Branch folks physically can't get broadband service. We've had folks come and say they're not satisfied with the existing service."
MobilePro would start installation by February and have all equipment installed and running by the summer.
Basic residential service would start at about $19.95 a month, Mr. Cox said. And some service would be free. Anyone who is within the city limits would be able to access certain Web sites at no charge, including the city, Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, Brookhaven College and Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce Web sites.
In addition, anyone with a wireless card would be able to access any Internet site for free from the future DART rail station and certain parks yet to be determined, for up to one hour per day, Mr. Cox said.
The contract is non-exclusive, which means other companies could come in with proposals to provide similar service and create more competition.
MobilePro's contract to use the city's rights-of-way will be for five years, with two five-year renewal options.
MobilePro is currently installing a citywide wireless network in Tempe, Ariz., and is set to start deployment in Chandler, Ariz., next week. In addition, the company has a pilot program that will be up and running in Sacramento, Calif., this month. The company recently announced it has been selected to install networks in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, said Carrie Rockwall, director of sales and marketing for NeoReach.
"I think one of the keynotes is the business model we have and which Farmers Branch has chosen for their city, and the face we've taken the owner-operator approach," Ms. Rockwall said. "No taxpayer money is being spent on the project. We deploy the radios and manage it."
The City Council is expected to vote during its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 13000 William Dodson Parkway.
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Tenant dies in high-rise fire
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A high rise fire in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas Saturday afternoon sent dozens of elderly residents running for exits, windows and even ledges.
One resident died in the blaze that was reported about 3 p.m. at the Wedgwood Tower in the 2500 block of Wedglea Drive, near Stevens Park Golf Course.
Five people were hospitalized as Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel moved stretcher after stretcher of the sick and elderly from 11-story community landmark.
The name of the dead resident was not released.
"From what I understand, the fatality was caused by smoke inhalation," said fire department spokesman Lt. Joel Lavender. "That's really our concern here, because it's not so much the fire. but the smoke itself."
Telecopter 8 captured pictures of an unidentified man on the 10th floor ledge, talking on a cell phone; he appeared to be unhurt.
Two women were seen on a narrow fourth floor ledge—the level where investigators said the fire started.
Firefighters said at least five residents were hospitalized for smoke inhalation. "It's been hurting my throat," said Pearl Tucker, who was waiting in the parking lot for her sister to pick her up. "I've been drinking a lot of water."
The other big concern of rescue personnel was that excitement and agitation could trigger heart problems in the elderly tenants.
"We're still scared," said 9th floor resident Joe Lopez, who was clutching his cat as he looked up at the smoky apartments. "I've never been through anything like this."
William Slay also escaped with his cat. "He came right to my leg and said, 'Let's get out!'"
Other residents, like Jane Mullins, needed more time to evacuated. "The firemen said, 'Come on out! Don't get anything! I said, 'Wait a minute; I've got to get my purse.' He said, 'Come on!' I said, 'I'm getting my purse!'"
Hours after the fire began, rescue crews began to escort some people back to their apartments, while others were being moved out.
For Edna Poydras, this was another dramatic moment in a tumultuous year. Just three months ago, she survived Hurricane Katrina.
Poydras was taking a bath when the fire broke out. A neighbor heard her screams for help and guided her to safety.
"Now I've survived a fire," she said, resting in a parked car. "Praise God!"
The fire was extinguished by 4 p.m. The cause remained under investigation.
WFAA-TV staffers Tyson Rohlfs, John Pronk, Tom Loveless and Debbie Denmon contributed to this report.
By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A high rise fire in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas Saturday afternoon sent dozens of elderly residents running for exits, windows and even ledges.
One resident died in the blaze that was reported about 3 p.m. at the Wedgwood Tower in the 2500 block of Wedglea Drive, near Stevens Park Golf Course.
Five people were hospitalized as Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel moved stretcher after stretcher of the sick and elderly from 11-story community landmark.
The name of the dead resident was not released.
"From what I understand, the fatality was caused by smoke inhalation," said fire department spokesman Lt. Joel Lavender. "That's really our concern here, because it's not so much the fire. but the smoke itself."
Telecopter 8 captured pictures of an unidentified man on the 10th floor ledge, talking on a cell phone; he appeared to be unhurt.
Two women were seen on a narrow fourth floor ledge—the level where investigators said the fire started.
Firefighters said at least five residents were hospitalized for smoke inhalation. "It's been hurting my throat," said Pearl Tucker, who was waiting in the parking lot for her sister to pick her up. "I've been drinking a lot of water."
The other big concern of rescue personnel was that excitement and agitation could trigger heart problems in the elderly tenants.
"We're still scared," said 9th floor resident Joe Lopez, who was clutching his cat as he looked up at the smoky apartments. "I've never been through anything like this."
William Slay also escaped with his cat. "He came right to my leg and said, 'Let's get out!'"
Other residents, like Jane Mullins, needed more time to evacuated. "The firemen said, 'Come on out! Don't get anything! I said, 'Wait a minute; I've got to get my purse.' He said, 'Come on!' I said, 'I'm getting my purse!'"
Hours after the fire began, rescue crews began to escort some people back to their apartments, while others were being moved out.
For Edna Poydras, this was another dramatic moment in a tumultuous year. Just three months ago, she survived Hurricane Katrina.
Poydras was taking a bath when the fire broke out. A neighbor heard her screams for help and guided her to safety.
"Now I've survived a fire," she said, resting in a parked car. "Praise God!"
The fire was extinguished by 4 p.m. The cause remained under investigation.
WFAA-TV staffers Tyson Rohlfs, John Pronk, Tom Loveless and Debbie Denmon contributed to this report.
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Teen arrested in police officer's shooting
By HOLLY YAN and BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A teenager on juvenile probation was arrested Sunday morning in connection with the shooting of an undercover Dallas police officer.
Officer Mark Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in North Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles, Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson said. A man confronted him about 12:30 a.m. and robbed him of personal items at gunpoint. When the man saw Officer Rickerman’s badge, he shot the officer multiple times. Officer Rickerman fired back, but the suspect was not hit, police said.
Officer Rickerman was in stable condition and in “good spirits” Sunday afternoon at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, police said.
“We’re trying to determine the reason for the contact by the suspect. We’re not sure why the suspect confronted the officer,” Lt. Watson said.
Immediately after the shooting, the gunman jumped into a car and fled toward Central Oak Cliff. Police followed the suspect vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
“The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo,” Lt. Watson said. That passenger was taken to police headquarters for questioning.
Police said the suspect is a 17-year-old charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation, but is also being investigated in connection with other crimes.
Police do not have a detailed description of the driver, whom they are still looking for. Anyone with information is asked to call 214-671-3584.
The shooting marks at least the third shooting of a police officer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in three weeks. On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas. On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Henry “Hank” Nava Jr. was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring . Officer Nava died on Thursday.
“With this third incident, it’s very concerning to us, and it’s a reminder of how dangerous police work really is,” Lt. Watson said.
By HOLLY YAN and BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A teenager on juvenile probation was arrested Sunday morning in connection with the shooting of an undercover Dallas police officer.
Officer Mark Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in North Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles, Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson said. A man confronted him about 12:30 a.m. and robbed him of personal items at gunpoint. When the man saw Officer Rickerman’s badge, he shot the officer multiple times. Officer Rickerman fired back, but the suspect was not hit, police said.
Officer Rickerman was in stable condition and in “good spirits” Sunday afternoon at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, police said.
“We’re trying to determine the reason for the contact by the suspect. We’re not sure why the suspect confronted the officer,” Lt. Watson said.
Immediately after the shooting, the gunman jumped into a car and fled toward Central Oak Cliff. Police followed the suspect vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
“The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo,” Lt. Watson said. That passenger was taken to police headquarters for questioning.
Police said the suspect is a 17-year-old charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation, but is also being investigated in connection with other crimes.
Police do not have a detailed description of the driver, whom they are still looking for. Anyone with information is asked to call 214-671-3584.
The shooting marks at least the third shooting of a police officer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in three weeks. On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas. On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Henry “Hank” Nava Jr. was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring . Officer Nava died on Thursday.
“With this third incident, it’s very concerning to us, and it’s a reminder of how dangerous police work really is,” Lt. Watson said.
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DISD's top cop, witness are tied
Exclusive: Police chief defends partnership with figure in FBI case
By PETE SLOVER and KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school Police Chief Manny Vasquez runs a business with a key witness in the FBI's corruption probe of the district. And one of their company's partners is a district vendor with $100,000 in contracts awarded by the chief.
Chief Vasquez told his bosses about the security consulting company Thursday, they said, after The Dallas Morning News inquired. The chief, at his bosses' direction, then canceled his company's partnership with the vendor.
The revelations come as DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa pushes to clean up questionable business practices that brought the FBI onto his turf.
"The issue of perception is a concern to us," Dr. Hinojosa said of Chief Vasquez's situation. "He should have communicated this to us."
Chief Vasquez's partner, Blair M. Thomas, is a former sales representative for Micro System Enterprises, the Houston company under investigation for its relationship with ousted DISD technology chief Ruben Bohuchot.
Mr. Thomas built Micro System's business with DISD starting in about 2000. According to federal authorities, the FBI has interviewed him – and a grand jury has subpoenaed documents – about his entertainment of Mr. Bohuchot, including meals and out-of-town golf trips.
Chief Vasquez said he and Mr. Thomas met when the computer sales rep was calling on DISD. He described their relationship since as a "professional friendship," with contact limited to a few rounds of golf and parties per year.
Even as he disclosed his business dealings last week, Chief Vasquez never told his bosses that he joined Mr. Bohuchot and Mr. Thomas to play as a team in out-of-town golf tournaments in San Antonio in 2001 and 2002. They won once.
Chief Vasquez said he paid his own way, except his $150 entry fee, which he said he assumed was covered by Mr. Thomas or another district vendor.
The News reported in July that Micro System had given Mr. Bohuchot a year's worth of free, frequent use of a 59-foot yacht valued at $789,000. Mr. Bohuchot was suspended, and the FBI began its investigation. He recently agreed to leave the district.
Mr. Thomas was not handling the DISD account by the time of the boat use and left Micro System early this year. He did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment.
A new company
Chief Vasquez said that, before the FBI probe began in August, he was approached by two men, Mr. Thomas' stepfather and a neighbor. They wanted him to join them as investors in a new company, he said.
State records show that on Sept. 19, six weeks into the FBI investigation, the three men and Mr. Thomas formed Security Innovations Inc., a firm offering various security services to government and private clients.
According to Chief Vasquez and the company Web site, he is investor and chief executive, while Mr. Thomas is an employee and chief operating officer.
As the company formed, Mr. Thomas was negotiating an agreement to help market Trace Detection Services, a Louisiana firm that electronically scans schools for drugs and explosives.
Simultaneously, the chief was doing business with Trace Detection on behalf of the district. In September or October, the chief said, he approved a $20,000 contract with the firm to scan 32 schools.
He said he hired the company in the 2003-04 school year to scan five schools for $32,000, money obtained under a federal grant. Last school year, he paid the firm $48,000 in district money to test 46 schools, he said. In DISD, administrators can approve deals up to $50,000 without board approval.
Chief Vasquez said he has made money from neither his new company nor the partnership with Trace Detection. Gary Pfeltz, president of Trace Detection, backed that up. He said Chief Vasquez's promotion of his product was limited to escorting Mr. Pfeltz on a sales trip to an East Texas school district. The chief's new company had posted the Trace Detection logo on its Web site (http://www.secinnov.com) as a "partner."
The logo was removed Friday. Both Security Innovation and Trace Detection (http://www.tracedetec tionservices.com) have posted on their Web sites the same assortment of news clips and videos about the drug scanning at DISD.
Dr. Hinojosa, the superintendent, said the case underscores the need for a proposed policy that would require district officials to choose between outside business interests and district jobs.
"The policy will force the hand of the individual," he said.
Chief sees no conflict
Chief Vasquez said his business relationship with Mr. Thomas did not conflict with his role as district liaison to outside law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. He said he has made sure information from the DISD investigation didn't filter back to Mr. Thomas.
"I have taken very careful steps," he said. "I gave him [Mr. Thomas] strict rules, that the MSE investigation was not to be discussed between us."
Dr. Hinojosa also expressed concern about whether Chief Vasquez adequately disclosed his dealings to the FBI.
Although Chief Vasquez has not removed himself as liaison to the FBI on the case, he said he never discussed the case with the FBI or debriefed his detectives on their work.
Chief Vasquez said he asked a subordinate to inform the FBI about his relationship with Mr. Thomas at the start of the investigation.
Deputy Chief Gary Hodges said he informed the agent in charge of the Dallas FBI office of the "golf situation" during an initial meeting on the case.
About a week later, Chief Hodges said, he told the agent leading the DISD probe that his boss was likely to start a business with Mr. Thomas. Chief Hodges said he told the agent that Chief Vasquez wanted to be completely isolated from the case and did not feel comfortable being the district liaison.
But federal authorities said the agents working the case never were told by DISD police about Chief Vasquez's business dealings, his golf, or his concerns and desire to distance himself from the case.
Chief Vasquez came to DISD in January 2000 as a special assistant to Superintendent Bill Rojas. Chief Vasquez previously served 26 years with the Dallas Police Department and at one point was the department's highest-ranking Hispanic.
In fall 2003, he oversaw the transformation of the DISD security division into a full-fledged police agency. Chief Vasquez, whose contract expires next March, will make $131,168 this year, according to district records.
Exclusive: Police chief defends partnership with figure in FBI case
By PETE SLOVER and KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school Police Chief Manny Vasquez runs a business with a key witness in the FBI's corruption probe of the district. And one of their company's partners is a district vendor with $100,000 in contracts awarded by the chief.
Chief Vasquez told his bosses about the security consulting company Thursday, they said, after The Dallas Morning News inquired. The chief, at his bosses' direction, then canceled his company's partnership with the vendor.
The revelations come as DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa pushes to clean up questionable business practices that brought the FBI onto his turf.
"The issue of perception is a concern to us," Dr. Hinojosa said of Chief Vasquez's situation. "He should have communicated this to us."
Chief Vasquez's partner, Blair M. Thomas, is a former sales representative for Micro System Enterprises, the Houston company under investigation for its relationship with ousted DISD technology chief Ruben Bohuchot.
Mr. Thomas built Micro System's business with DISD starting in about 2000. According to federal authorities, the FBI has interviewed him – and a grand jury has subpoenaed documents – about his entertainment of Mr. Bohuchot, including meals and out-of-town golf trips.
Chief Vasquez said he and Mr. Thomas met when the computer sales rep was calling on DISD. He described their relationship since as a "professional friendship," with contact limited to a few rounds of golf and parties per year.
Even as he disclosed his business dealings last week, Chief Vasquez never told his bosses that he joined Mr. Bohuchot and Mr. Thomas to play as a team in out-of-town golf tournaments in San Antonio in 2001 and 2002. They won once.
Chief Vasquez said he paid his own way, except his $150 entry fee, which he said he assumed was covered by Mr. Thomas or another district vendor.
The News reported in July that Micro System had given Mr. Bohuchot a year's worth of free, frequent use of a 59-foot yacht valued at $789,000. Mr. Bohuchot was suspended, and the FBI began its investigation. He recently agreed to leave the district.
Mr. Thomas was not handling the DISD account by the time of the boat use and left Micro System early this year. He did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment.
A new company
Chief Vasquez said that, before the FBI probe began in August, he was approached by two men, Mr. Thomas' stepfather and a neighbor. They wanted him to join them as investors in a new company, he said.
State records show that on Sept. 19, six weeks into the FBI investigation, the three men and Mr. Thomas formed Security Innovations Inc., a firm offering various security services to government and private clients.
According to Chief Vasquez and the company Web site, he is investor and chief executive, while Mr. Thomas is an employee and chief operating officer.
As the company formed, Mr. Thomas was negotiating an agreement to help market Trace Detection Services, a Louisiana firm that electronically scans schools for drugs and explosives.
Simultaneously, the chief was doing business with Trace Detection on behalf of the district. In September or October, the chief said, he approved a $20,000 contract with the firm to scan 32 schools.
He said he hired the company in the 2003-04 school year to scan five schools for $32,000, money obtained under a federal grant. Last school year, he paid the firm $48,000 in district money to test 46 schools, he said. In DISD, administrators can approve deals up to $50,000 without board approval.
Chief Vasquez said he has made money from neither his new company nor the partnership with Trace Detection. Gary Pfeltz, president of Trace Detection, backed that up. He said Chief Vasquez's promotion of his product was limited to escorting Mr. Pfeltz on a sales trip to an East Texas school district. The chief's new company had posted the Trace Detection logo on its Web site (http://www.secinnov.com) as a "partner."
The logo was removed Friday. Both Security Innovation and Trace Detection (http://www.tracedetec tionservices.com) have posted on their Web sites the same assortment of news clips and videos about the drug scanning at DISD.
Dr. Hinojosa, the superintendent, said the case underscores the need for a proposed policy that would require district officials to choose between outside business interests and district jobs.
"The policy will force the hand of the individual," he said.
Chief sees no conflict
Chief Vasquez said his business relationship with Mr. Thomas did not conflict with his role as district liaison to outside law enforcement agencies such as the FBI. He said he has made sure information from the DISD investigation didn't filter back to Mr. Thomas.
"I have taken very careful steps," he said. "I gave him [Mr. Thomas] strict rules, that the MSE investigation was not to be discussed between us."
Dr. Hinojosa also expressed concern about whether Chief Vasquez adequately disclosed his dealings to the FBI.
Although Chief Vasquez has not removed himself as liaison to the FBI on the case, he said he never discussed the case with the FBI or debriefed his detectives on their work.
Chief Vasquez said he asked a subordinate to inform the FBI about his relationship with Mr. Thomas at the start of the investigation.
Deputy Chief Gary Hodges said he informed the agent in charge of the Dallas FBI office of the "golf situation" during an initial meeting on the case.
About a week later, Chief Hodges said, he told the agent leading the DISD probe that his boss was likely to start a business with Mr. Thomas. Chief Hodges said he told the agent that Chief Vasquez wanted to be completely isolated from the case and did not feel comfortable being the district liaison.
But federal authorities said the agents working the case never were told by DISD police about Chief Vasquez's business dealings, his golf, or his concerns and desire to distance himself from the case.
Chief Vasquez came to DISD in January 2000 as a special assistant to Superintendent Bill Rojas. Chief Vasquez previously served 26 years with the Dallas Police Department and at one point was the department's highest-ranking Hispanic.
In fall 2003, he oversaw the transformation of the DISD security division into a full-fledged police agency. Chief Vasquez, whose contract expires next March, will make $131,168 this year, according to district records.
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote: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.
sounds like a great idea
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Displaced residents talk after fatal fire
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Fire-Rescue investigators have not determined a cause for Saturday's six-alarm fire at a Dallas high-rise that ended in the smoke inhalation death of one and in injuries for seven others.
However, Dallas Fire-Rescue's Lt. Joel Lavendar said he did know the situation was worsened by the lack of an emergency sprinkler system.
"In a situation like this, a sprinkler system could have [and] it would have made all the difference in the world," Lt. Lavendar said.
Firefighters allowed residents to come back to the building Sunday to secure their apartments and take some of their belongings.
Many of those residents returning had harrowing stories of the smoky fire and courageous rescues.
Edna Poydras stood with her neighbor and a new friend Joel Ridge on Sunday outside the high-rise.
"I'm thankful that he was there, and I was screaming at the top of my voice and I didn't know if anyone would hear me," she said.
As smoke filled the building, Ridge helped Poydras out of her apartment and down eight flights of stairs.
"My first concern was to help her out, and so the best thing I could do was to yell at her, I'm right here c'mon, come over here,'" Ridge said.
The fire was the second time Poydras was forced out of her home in recent months. She was among those who fled New Orleans to escape Hurricane Katrina.
However, despite her run-ins with bad luck, she said she can't help but feel someone has been looking out for her during the hard times.
"Ah yes, this is from God," she said. "Give him all the praise."
More than 150 firefighters contained the fire to one fourth floor apartment.
Edith Morris lived one floor below and found her way to the lobby.
"[There was] lots of smoke, and especially in the stairwells," Morris said. "The stairwells were full of smoke."
Many residents planned to stay at a community center or with relatives until the apartment complex reopens.
But for Poydras, she said she is taking this latest relocation in stride and is confident she will be back in her apartment soon.
"I love the place," she said. "It's beautiful and I love the people."
Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said they don't know when the displaced residents will be allowed to return.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas Fire-Rescue investigators have not determined a cause for Saturday's six-alarm fire at a Dallas high-rise that ended in the smoke inhalation death of one and in injuries for seven others.
However, Dallas Fire-Rescue's Lt. Joel Lavendar said he did know the situation was worsened by the lack of an emergency sprinkler system.
"In a situation like this, a sprinkler system could have [and] it would have made all the difference in the world," Lt. Lavendar said.
Firefighters allowed residents to come back to the building Sunday to secure their apartments and take some of their belongings.
Many of those residents returning had harrowing stories of the smoky fire and courageous rescues.
Edna Poydras stood with her neighbor and a new friend Joel Ridge on Sunday outside the high-rise.
"I'm thankful that he was there, and I was screaming at the top of my voice and I didn't know if anyone would hear me," she said.
As smoke filled the building, Ridge helped Poydras out of her apartment and down eight flights of stairs.
"My first concern was to help her out, and so the best thing I could do was to yell at her, I'm right here c'mon, come over here,'" Ridge said.
The fire was the second time Poydras was forced out of her home in recent months. She was among those who fled New Orleans to escape Hurricane Katrina.
However, despite her run-ins with bad luck, she said she can't help but feel someone has been looking out for her during the hard times.
"Ah yes, this is from God," she said. "Give him all the praise."
More than 150 firefighters contained the fire to one fourth floor apartment.
Edith Morris lived one floor below and found her way to the lobby.
"[There was] lots of smoke, and especially in the stairwells," Morris said. "The stairwells were full of smoke."
Many residents planned to stay at a community center or with relatives until the apartment complex reopens.
But for Poydras, she said she is taking this latest relocation in stride and is confident she will be back in her apartment soon.
"I love the place," she said. "It's beautiful and I love the people."
Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said they don't know when the displaced residents will be allowed to return.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Police search for driver in officer's shooting
By HOLLY YAN and BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas Police Department arrested a teenager in connection with the shooting of an undercover officer early Sunday morning.
Officer Mark Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in North Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles when police said a 17-year-old man robbed him of personal items at gunpoint.
When the suspect saw the officer's badge, he fired at least two rounds and Rickerman shot back.
Rickerman was in stable condition and in "good spirts" Sunday afternoon at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, police said.
The suspect, who was not hit, ran to a nearby car, got in on the passenger side, and sped away toward Central Oak Cliff.
Police followed the suspect vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
“The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo,” Lt. Watson said. That passenger was taken to police headquarters for questioning. The suspect, whose name was not released, was charged with aggravated robbery and is being investigated in connection with other charges.
Police said the suspect has been charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation, but is also being investigated in connection with other crimes.
Police do not have a detailed description of the driver, whom they are still looking for. Anyone with information can call 214-671-3584.
The shooting marks at least the third shooting of a police officer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in three weeks. On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas. On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Henry “Hank” Nava Jr. was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died on Thursday.
“With this third incident, it’s very concerning to us, and it’s a reminder of how dangerous police work really is,” Lt. Watson said.
Before joining the department, Officer Rickerman served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Hood. His best friend, fellow Dallas police Officer Edward E. Coffey, was one of four officers injured in a 2003 standoff police called one of the most violent in the department's history.
"That made them even closer," Lt. Rodriguez said of the two men. "That's why it hit so hard on so many people last night."
Several police visited Officer Rickerman throughout the day Sunday. He was reportedly upbeat, often joking around.
"We consider ourselves extremely lucky right now," Lt. Rodriguez said.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Nava was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died Thursday. His funeral is today.
On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas.
Officer Rickerman is expected to make a full recovery, Sgt. Stokes said, but the shooting was difficult for the department, especially in light of the events of recent weeks.
"It's been very hard," he said. "You always hear things like this happen in threes. And we're all hoping this is the third."
WFAA.com editor Walt Zwirko contributed to this report.
By HOLLY YAN and BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas Police Department arrested a teenager in connection with the shooting of an undercover officer early Sunday morning.
Officer Mark Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in North Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles when police said a 17-year-old man robbed him of personal items at gunpoint.
When the suspect saw the officer's badge, he fired at least two rounds and Rickerman shot back.
Rickerman was in stable condition and in "good spirts" Sunday afternoon at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, police said.
The suspect, who was not hit, ran to a nearby car, got in on the passenger side, and sped away toward Central Oak Cliff.
Police followed the suspect vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
“The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo,” Lt. Watson said. That passenger was taken to police headquarters for questioning. The suspect, whose name was not released, was charged with aggravated robbery and is being investigated in connection with other charges.
Police said the suspect has been charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation, but is also being investigated in connection with other crimes.
Police do not have a detailed description of the driver, whom they are still looking for. Anyone with information can call 214-671-3584.
The shooting marks at least the third shooting of a police officer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in three weeks. On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas. On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Henry “Hank” Nava Jr. was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died on Thursday.
“With this third incident, it’s very concerning to us, and it’s a reminder of how dangerous police work really is,” Lt. Watson said.
Before joining the department, Officer Rickerman served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Hood. His best friend, fellow Dallas police Officer Edward E. Coffey, was one of four officers injured in a 2003 standoff police called one of the most violent in the department's history.
"That made them even closer," Lt. Rodriguez said of the two men. "That's why it hit so hard on so many people last night."
Several police visited Officer Rickerman throughout the day Sunday. He was reportedly upbeat, often joking around.
"We consider ourselves extremely lucky right now," Lt. Rodriguez said.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Nava was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died Thursday. His funeral is today.
On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas.
Officer Rickerman is expected to make a full recovery, Sgt. Stokes said, but the shooting was difficult for the department, especially in light of the events of recent weeks.
"It's been very hard," he said. "You always hear things like this happen in threes. And we're all hoping this is the third."
WFAA.com editor Walt Zwirko contributed to this report.
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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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Locals upset as artwork endangered by project
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Just ten days before a major ground breaking celebration for the Mercantile project downtown, the developer is in the middle of a controversy over historic artwork that's still inside.
Many are eager for the dirt to fly and to get the Mercantile project underway, but some art lovers and historic preservationists have said the rush to redevelelop is threatening part of the city's past.
For years, the vacant Mercantile Bank complex has been derided by many as a white elephant and an eyesore in a resurging downtown. However inside, there is long forgotten art.
Mosaics, fixtures, murals of Texas history lie within reflecting the vibrancy of mid-20th century Dallas.
"They're gorgeous, and you go and look at them and they grab you," said Margaret Robinette, Office of Cultural Affairs.
But much of the art may be lost for good.
As part of the $250,000 redevelopment of the Mercantile block, all but the clock tower will be torn down. Art not removed from the area will be destroyed.
The estimated cost to save the art is about $200,000. The city has $12,000 and the developer offered $20,000.
However, some feel that given the enormous tax incentives Forest City Enterprises received, the developer should do more.
"If a company from out of town receives $70 million to work through, to renovate this building, I feel this is part of the redevelopment costs," said Veletta Lill, former city council member.
While the developer said any art in the clock tower and anything movable will be saved from the other structures before they come down, much of the art is set in fragile limestone walls.
"We're historic guys," said David Levey, Forest City Enterprises. "We love it [and] we want to keep it. But it's almost impossible to save all these pieces."
"Actually, it angers me in some ways that they wouldn't think that our history was important enough to save, and the fact that we have invested in this development and we would like to see certain things done," Lill said.
But the clock is ticking for those who would like to save the art.
The developer has set a deadline of December 15 when workers begin removing the asbestos. Once the work starts, no one else can safely go inside.
City arts officials said depending on what money they can raise, they will save what they can.
By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Just ten days before a major ground breaking celebration for the Mercantile project downtown, the developer is in the middle of a controversy over historic artwork that's still inside.
Many are eager for the dirt to fly and to get the Mercantile project underway, but some art lovers and historic preservationists have said the rush to redevelelop is threatening part of the city's past.
For years, the vacant Mercantile Bank complex has been derided by many as a white elephant and an eyesore in a resurging downtown. However inside, there is long forgotten art.
Mosaics, fixtures, murals of Texas history lie within reflecting the vibrancy of mid-20th century Dallas.
"They're gorgeous, and you go and look at them and they grab you," said Margaret Robinette, Office of Cultural Affairs.
But much of the art may be lost for good.
As part of the $250,000 redevelopment of the Mercantile block, all but the clock tower will be torn down. Art not removed from the area will be destroyed.
The estimated cost to save the art is about $200,000. The city has $12,000 and the developer offered $20,000.
However, some feel that given the enormous tax incentives Forest City Enterprises received, the developer should do more.
"If a company from out of town receives $70 million to work through, to renovate this building, I feel this is part of the redevelopment costs," said Veletta Lill, former city council member.
While the developer said any art in the clock tower and anything movable will be saved from the other structures before they come down, much of the art is set in fragile limestone walls.
"We're historic guys," said David Levey, Forest City Enterprises. "We love it [and] we want to keep it. But it's almost impossible to save all these pieces."
"Actually, it angers me in some ways that they wouldn't think that our history was important enough to save, and the fact that we have invested in this development and we would like to see certain things done," Lill said.
But the clock is ticking for those who would like to save the art.
The developer has set a deadline of December 15 when workers begin removing the asbestos. Once the work starts, no one else can safely go inside.
City arts officials said depending on what money they can raise, they will save what they can.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Officer shot after robbery
Full recovery expected; teen probationer in jail after Oak Cliff gunfight
By BRANDON FORMBY and HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police say Officer Mark Rickerman was working an undercover sting operation Sunday morning when a 17-year-old robbed him of personal items at gunpoint.
Police said when the robber saw the four-year police veteran's badge, he fired and hit the officer in the arm, side and foot.
Officer Rickerman, 30, was hospitalized Sunday in stable condition and is in "good spirits," police said.
A teenager on juvenile probation was arrested Sunday morning in connection with the shooting.
Officer Rickerman is the third area officer in three weeks to be shot while on duty. As Dallas police visited Officer Rickerman at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Fort Worth police attended the wake of Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., shot to death last week.
"It's very concerning to us, and it's a reminder of how dangerous police work really is," said Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson.
Officer Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in north Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles, Lt. Watson said. A man confronted him about 12:30 a.m., robbed him and fired shots into the officer, police said. Officer Rickerman fired back, but the suspect was not hit, police said.
Driver at large
Immediately after the shooting, the gunman jumped into a car and fled south. Police followed the vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
"The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo," Lt. Watson said.
Police said the suspect is a 17-year-old charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation. He is also being investigated in connection with other crimes.
Police do not have a detailed description of the driver, who is still at large. Anyone with information is asked to call 214-671-3584.
Dallas police Lt. Kimberly Rodriguez said Officer Rickerman is a family man with a wife and two kids who constantly gives "1,000 percent."
"He loves the challenge, he loves the job," Lt. Rodriguez said. "He's the kind of officer that's going to feel that way 20 years from now."
Sgt. Paul Stokes said Officer Rickerman is one of his top officers. He's typically the officer who does research and pinpoints suspects or profiles the department needs to be looking for, he said.
"For his youth, he's just incredible," Sgt. Stokes said. "He has such an insight for catching bad guys. He knows where to go and where to put himself."
Friend wounded
Before joining the department, Officer Rickerman served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Hood. His best friend, fellow Dallas police Officer Edward E. Coffey, was one of four officers injured in a 2003 standoff police called one of the most violent in the department's history.
"That made them even closer," Lt. Rodriguez said of the two men. "That's why it hit so hard on so many people last night."
Several police visited Officer Rickerman throughout the day Sunday. He was reportedly upbeat, often joking around.
"We consider ourselves extremely lucky right now," Lt. Rodriguez said.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Nava was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died Thursday. His funeral is today.
On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas.
Officer Rickerman is expected to make a full recovery, Sgt. Stokes said, but the shooting was difficult for the department, especially in light of the events of recent weeks.
"It's been very hard," he said. "You always hear things like this happen in threes. And we're all hoping this is the third."
Full recovery expected; teen probationer in jail after Oak Cliff gunfight
By BRANDON FORMBY and HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police say Officer Mark Rickerman was working an undercover sting operation Sunday morning when a 17-year-old robbed him of personal items at gunpoint.
Police said when the robber saw the four-year police veteran's badge, he fired and hit the officer in the arm, side and foot.
Officer Rickerman, 30, was hospitalized Sunday in stable condition and is in "good spirits," police said.
A teenager on juvenile probation was arrested Sunday morning in connection with the shooting.
Officer Rickerman is the third area officer in three weeks to be shot while on duty. As Dallas police visited Officer Rickerman at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Fort Worth police attended the wake of Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., shot to death last week.
"It's very concerning to us, and it's a reminder of how dangerous police work really is," said Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson.
Officer Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in north Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles, Lt. Watson said. A man confronted him about 12:30 a.m., robbed him and fired shots into the officer, police said. Officer Rickerman fired back, but the suspect was not hit, police said.
Driver at large
Immediately after the shooting, the gunman jumped into a car and fled south. Police followed the vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
"The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo," Lt. Watson said.
Police said the suspect is a 17-year-old charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation. He is also being investigated in connection with other crimes.
Police do not have a detailed description of the driver, who is still at large. Anyone with information is asked to call 214-671-3584.
Dallas police Lt. Kimberly Rodriguez said Officer Rickerman is a family man with a wife and two kids who constantly gives "1,000 percent."
"He loves the challenge, he loves the job," Lt. Rodriguez said. "He's the kind of officer that's going to feel that way 20 years from now."
Sgt. Paul Stokes said Officer Rickerman is one of his top officers. He's typically the officer who does research and pinpoints suspects or profiles the department needs to be looking for, he said.
"For his youth, he's just incredible," Sgt. Stokes said. "He has such an insight for catching bad guys. He knows where to go and where to put himself."
Friend wounded
Before joining the department, Officer Rickerman served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Hood. His best friend, fellow Dallas police Officer Edward E. Coffey, was one of four officers injured in a 2003 standoff police called one of the most violent in the department's history.
"That made them even closer," Lt. Rodriguez said of the two men. "That's why it hit so hard on so many people last night."
Several police visited Officer Rickerman throughout the day Sunday. He was reportedly upbeat, often joking around.
"We consider ourselves extremely lucky right now," Lt. Rodriguez said.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Nava was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died Thursday. His funeral is today.
On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas.
Officer Rickerman is expected to make a full recovery, Sgt. Stokes said, but the shooting was difficult for the department, especially in light of the events of recent weeks.
"It's been very hard," he said. "You always hear things like this happen in threes. And we're all hoping this is the third."
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Video slot crackdown hit jackpot
One downside of effort is finding space for seized machines
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Hulks of more than a thousand video slot machines – still reeking of cigarettes and dashed hope – have found an unlikely resting place as a result of the county's almost 5-year-old crackdown on video gaming.
Machines with names like Winner's Touch and Pot-o-Gold rest in a purgatory of sorts on the shuttered eighth floor of the Frank Crowley Courts Building, waiting for their owners' day in court.
Weeks, months and even years have passed since they rang their last payouts, but the bulky consoles must be kept as evidence, and many police agencies have simply run out of storage space.
Five years after the county began prosecuting the cases, it's now practically impossible to find a video gaming parlor operating openly in Dallas County, said Assistant District Attorney Tim Gallagher.
"Occasionally you'll find them where they're just wide open," Mr. Gallagher said. "A lot of times they'll have somebody at the door. They look you over and if they think you're a cop, they won't let you in ... They've become a little more crafty."
Prosecutors and police have also gotten cagier, and the county's legal strategy has shifted over the years.
Prosecutors are now less interested in pressing the cases to their fullest and focus instead on plea deals that hand the owners the equivalent of a traffic citation provided that they forfeit their machines.
It's a pragmatic approach learned from experience, Mr. Gallagher said. The stiffest possible charge for gaming operators is a Class A misdemeanor, yet the cases are complicated to investigate and prosecute and can take a year or more to wind through the court system.
"We want to get the machines off the street and out of the neighborhoods," he said. "Do we spend a long, long time, or do we go in and seize the machines in a plea? The bulk plead."
Machines are destroyed after the owner pleads guilty and forfeits them.
Police agencies in the county have seized more than 3,500 machines since enforcement began in 2001. Parlors still operate, although not in the same numbers.
The businesses proliferated after passage of a 1995 law allowing children's arcades to award trinkets worth $5 or less as prizes.
Video slot machine operators argued that they could do business legally as long as they didn't pay cash and awarded gift certificates or other prizes worth $5 or less. But Mr. Gallagher said all of the businesses busted were operating illegally.
"Gamblers want the promise of a jackpot," he said. "There's no sense in there if the prize is a rubber snake. Most of them are paying cash."
Austin-area attorney Eddie Shell, who has represented video parlor operators in Dallas County and across the state, said the county's legal approach has taken a toll on the industry.
"I think for anybody to operate these things, it's very, very risky," he said. "I believe the state basically did a pretty effective job in scaring everybody out of the industry."
A big bust these days usually involves a handful of machines. Back in 2001, when the county began cracking down after several years of looking the other way as gaming parlors proliferated, investigators routinely hauled away hundreds of the machines at a time.
In the Casa View area of Far East Dallas, more than a dozen video parlors operated near the intersection of Oates Drive and Ferguson Road in 2001. They're now all gone.
At Rosis Ferguson Cafe, owner Rosemary Padilla said she has mixed feelings about the departure of her former neighbors.
"I had some nice customers go there, but it was nasty people, too," Ms. Padilla said.
As the police crackdown continued, Ms. Padilla said, the parlors started using deceptive facades to conceal their operations. One claimed to be a mobile-phone business with an "opening soon" sign on its door. Another portrayed itself as a fast-food chicken wing restaurant, but it rarely sold food and had games in the back.
Just last month, police shut down a business next door, with opaque windows, that claimed to be a "tea room," she said.
"I know because everyone was coming here to eat, and they'd ask me if I wanted to play," she said. "People would also come in here asking me where to play."
One downside of effort is finding space for seized machines
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Hulks of more than a thousand video slot machines – still reeking of cigarettes and dashed hope – have found an unlikely resting place as a result of the county's almost 5-year-old crackdown on video gaming.
Machines with names like Winner's Touch and Pot-o-Gold rest in a purgatory of sorts on the shuttered eighth floor of the Frank Crowley Courts Building, waiting for their owners' day in court.
Weeks, months and even years have passed since they rang their last payouts, but the bulky consoles must be kept as evidence, and many police agencies have simply run out of storage space.
Five years after the county began prosecuting the cases, it's now practically impossible to find a video gaming parlor operating openly in Dallas County, said Assistant District Attorney Tim Gallagher.
"Occasionally you'll find them where they're just wide open," Mr. Gallagher said. "A lot of times they'll have somebody at the door. They look you over and if they think you're a cop, they won't let you in ... They've become a little more crafty."
Prosecutors and police have also gotten cagier, and the county's legal strategy has shifted over the years.
Prosecutors are now less interested in pressing the cases to their fullest and focus instead on plea deals that hand the owners the equivalent of a traffic citation provided that they forfeit their machines.
It's a pragmatic approach learned from experience, Mr. Gallagher said. The stiffest possible charge for gaming operators is a Class A misdemeanor, yet the cases are complicated to investigate and prosecute and can take a year or more to wind through the court system.
"We want to get the machines off the street and out of the neighborhoods," he said. "Do we spend a long, long time, or do we go in and seize the machines in a plea? The bulk plead."
Machines are destroyed after the owner pleads guilty and forfeits them.
Police agencies in the county have seized more than 3,500 machines since enforcement began in 2001. Parlors still operate, although not in the same numbers.
The businesses proliferated after passage of a 1995 law allowing children's arcades to award trinkets worth $5 or less as prizes.
Video slot machine operators argued that they could do business legally as long as they didn't pay cash and awarded gift certificates or other prizes worth $5 or less. But Mr. Gallagher said all of the businesses busted were operating illegally.
"Gamblers want the promise of a jackpot," he said. "There's no sense in there if the prize is a rubber snake. Most of them are paying cash."
Austin-area attorney Eddie Shell, who has represented video parlor operators in Dallas County and across the state, said the county's legal approach has taken a toll on the industry.
"I think for anybody to operate these things, it's very, very risky," he said. "I believe the state basically did a pretty effective job in scaring everybody out of the industry."
A big bust these days usually involves a handful of machines. Back in 2001, when the county began cracking down after several years of looking the other way as gaming parlors proliferated, investigators routinely hauled away hundreds of the machines at a time.
In the Casa View area of Far East Dallas, more than a dozen video parlors operated near the intersection of Oates Drive and Ferguson Road in 2001. They're now all gone.
At Rosis Ferguson Cafe, owner Rosemary Padilla said she has mixed feelings about the departure of her former neighbors.
"I had some nice customers go there, but it was nasty people, too," Ms. Padilla said.
As the police crackdown continued, Ms. Padilla said, the parlors started using deceptive facades to conceal their operations. One claimed to be a mobile-phone business with an "opening soon" sign on its door. Another portrayed itself as a fast-food chicken wing restaurant, but it rarely sold food and had games in the back.
Just last month, police shut down a business next door, with opaque windows, that claimed to be a "tea room," she said.
"I know because everyone was coming here to eat, and they'd ask me if I wanted to play," she said. "People would also come in here asking me where to play."
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TexasStooge
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Houston mayor a governor?
Democrat's handling of Katrina spurs talk of run at state's top office
By BRUCE NICHOLS / The Dallas Morning News
HOUSTON, Texas – Faced with thousands of evacuees from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Houston Mayor Bill White took a gamble that Dallas Mayor Laura Miller wouldn't: He welcomed victims to town and put the city of Houston on the dotted line for generous relief, including apartment rent, trusting that the feds would cover the cost.
So far – with help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency – he's succeeded in burnishing Houston's image as a city with a heart while keeping the agency on the hook and collecting $143 million in reimbursements.
And the Houston mayor's handling of recent disasters has fueled talk that he might become a strong Democratic candidate for governor in a few years, perhaps loosening Republicans' grip on the office.
"He's on a roll," said Richard Murray, a University of Houston political science professor and longtime student of politics in Texas' biggest city. "The city's in pretty good shape financially. There've been no major problems on his watch. And he got a lot of credit, including nationally, for marshaling the resources of the city in the aftermath of Katrina."
Mr. White, 51, deflects questions about higher office.
"I'm totally concentrated on just trying to do a good job," he said. "I won't say I'll never do public service again, but I don't have a five-year plan or a 10-year plan or anything like that."
Big-city mayors haven't had much success running for statewide office anywhere in the country. But Texas' growing Hispanic population leans Democratic, analysts say. The tipping point comes about 2010, the year Mr. White would finish three two-year terms as mayor, the limit under Houston's charter.
And Mr. White's long-term prospects improve every time he faces down a problem.
The most recent example was FEMA's extension of the deadline for getting hurricane evacuees out of hotels from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15, and committing to another extension, if needed, to Jan. 7. The mayor pushed hard for more time, saying he agrees evacuees need to move to apartments, but with several thousand still in hotels, the original deadline was impossible to meet.
He hasn't gotten everything he wants from FEMA. The agency promised repeatedly to back the 12-month apartment leases that Houston is signing for people who leave hotels. Estimated total cost: more than $300 million. But recently, the feds have said they want to cut FEMA-funded leases off on March 1, switching evacuees to individual cash assistance. FEMA officials say the new program should keep most of them off the streets.
But the mayor hasn't given up on direct federal lease support for 12 months, which he argues will give evacuees more stability in rebuilding their lives. He says he still hopes to persuade FEMA to honor its earlier promises.
Direct approach
Mr. White acknowledges that he took "a big risk" in his response to hurricane victims – he estimates the city's evacuee population peaked at 300,000 but is now down to about 150,000, counting both the self-sufficient and the needy.
The city has protected itself somewhat with disclaimers in rental vouchers it is handing out. They say if the city doesn't get paid, it's not liable to evacuees. And city contracts with apartment owners allow the city to cancel on 30 days' notice.
But if FEMA doesn't come through, Houston and Harris County could face a bigger homeless population and budget-denting costs for everything from police to charity health care.
"We had to make a decision quickly, and it sounds corny," Mr. White says, "but ... you dig deep in your own values, which I know are shared by many Houstonians, values that originate I guess largely in your faith, about your responsibility to your fellow human being."
In Dallas, Mayor Miller helped raise cash to pay for evacuees' apartments but refused make the city responsible for apartment rents.
Houston's mayor is not generous in his comments about FEMA.
He praises local staff but has harshly criticized higher-ups. He says nickel-and-diming Houston makes no sense when Congress appropriated $60 billion for relief and the city is housing "somewhere between 10 and 15 percent" of victims who lost their homes.
Despite his sharp words, the mayor's straightforward approach has earned him the respect of federal officials.
"Mayor White has shown tremendous leadership," said David Garratt, FEMA's acting director of recovery.
State officials agree.
The Texas Department of Transportation bore Mr. White's criticism after massive traffic jams hindered evacuations when Hurricane Rita came to southeast Texas a month after Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. A state-local task force is working to prevent such problems next hurricane season, but the problems embarrassed the mayor. And he said so.
"We never have to guess what Mayor White is thinking," said state Transportation Department spokeswoman Janelle Gbur. "That clarity contributes to a frank, ongoing dialogue about how best to address transportation needs."
Houston voters clearly like the mayor's style.
Mr. White – a former trial lawyer, business executive, state Democratic chairman and deputy secretary of energy – won re-election Nov. 8 with 91 percent of the vote. He captured a second term after his first two years saw him tackle everything from traffic problems to huge municipal pension shortfalls with considerable effectiveness.
Some of Mr. White's success flows from "a conscious decision to neutralize some of the partisanship on council, which has been a good thing," said city Controller Annise Parker, who monitors municipal finances. Houston city government is officially nonpartisan, but there has been a sharpening Republican-Democrat divide on the City Council that has complicated governance.
Methods questioned
Most Republican and Democratic council members give Mr. White credit for a good job, though some say his top-down, CEO style doesn't give them enough freedom to operate. Under Houston's strong-mayor system, Mr. White has most of the power, appointing all department heads, voting on the City Council and controlling the council's agenda.
And some question whether Mr. White's pension fixes and his generous response to hurricane victims will prove too costly.
"It certainly is something that people should be very concerned about," said council member Shelley Sekula Gibbs.
Mr. White says he's just using "common sense" to solve problems, and he says he finds good ideas on both sides of the political divide.
"I believe the parties are important ... but I've always been for mainstream politics and good stewardship of the taxpayers' dollars," he said. "I don't follow anybody's sort of script."
His wife, Andrea, a former lawyer, published author of teen-oriented fiction and mother of his three children, says: "He loves it. He really gets energy from the fact that he's able to make a difference."
Whether the mayor can move on to success in partisan statewide races is another question, said Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, a Republican who worked closely with Mr. White in the hurricane crisis. "There's a different set of issues statewide," Mr. Eckels said.
The mayor – a Harvard scholarship student and the son of schoolteachers – has beaten the odds before, analysts say.
Mr. White won the mayor's job in 2003, after working hard at the grass-roots level for two years before the election and spending $2.4 million of his own money. He beat strong black and Hispanic opponents in a city with big minority populations.
"He's not particularly physically attractive, doesn't have a radio announcer's voice, is not a gifted public speaker," said Allen Blakemore, a Republican political consultant.
But rather than package himself in a way that smoothed his rough edges, Mr. White's team "took a gamble ... to say we're going to highlight every single defect this candidate has, and brand it," Mr. Blakemore said.
"It becomes this very matter-of-fact, 'What you see is what you get, and I'm not your usual politician. I'm different,' " Mr. Blakemore said. "And ... that aura of being different is what has made him successful."
Democrat's handling of Katrina spurs talk of run at state's top office
By BRUCE NICHOLS / The Dallas Morning News
HOUSTON, Texas – Faced with thousands of evacuees from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Houston Mayor Bill White took a gamble that Dallas Mayor Laura Miller wouldn't: He welcomed victims to town and put the city of Houston on the dotted line for generous relief, including apartment rent, trusting that the feds would cover the cost.
So far – with help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency – he's succeeded in burnishing Houston's image as a city with a heart while keeping the agency on the hook and collecting $143 million in reimbursements.
And the Houston mayor's handling of recent disasters has fueled talk that he might become a strong Democratic candidate for governor in a few years, perhaps loosening Republicans' grip on the office.
"He's on a roll," said Richard Murray, a University of Houston political science professor and longtime student of politics in Texas' biggest city. "The city's in pretty good shape financially. There've been no major problems on his watch. And he got a lot of credit, including nationally, for marshaling the resources of the city in the aftermath of Katrina."
Mr. White, 51, deflects questions about higher office.
"I'm totally concentrated on just trying to do a good job," he said. "I won't say I'll never do public service again, but I don't have a five-year plan or a 10-year plan or anything like that."
Big-city mayors haven't had much success running for statewide office anywhere in the country. But Texas' growing Hispanic population leans Democratic, analysts say. The tipping point comes about 2010, the year Mr. White would finish three two-year terms as mayor, the limit under Houston's charter.
And Mr. White's long-term prospects improve every time he faces down a problem.
The most recent example was FEMA's extension of the deadline for getting hurricane evacuees out of hotels from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15, and committing to another extension, if needed, to Jan. 7. The mayor pushed hard for more time, saying he agrees evacuees need to move to apartments, but with several thousand still in hotels, the original deadline was impossible to meet.
He hasn't gotten everything he wants from FEMA. The agency promised repeatedly to back the 12-month apartment leases that Houston is signing for people who leave hotels. Estimated total cost: more than $300 million. But recently, the feds have said they want to cut FEMA-funded leases off on March 1, switching evacuees to individual cash assistance. FEMA officials say the new program should keep most of them off the streets.
But the mayor hasn't given up on direct federal lease support for 12 months, which he argues will give evacuees more stability in rebuilding their lives. He says he still hopes to persuade FEMA to honor its earlier promises.
Direct approach
Mr. White acknowledges that he took "a big risk" in his response to hurricane victims – he estimates the city's evacuee population peaked at 300,000 but is now down to about 150,000, counting both the self-sufficient and the needy.
The city has protected itself somewhat with disclaimers in rental vouchers it is handing out. They say if the city doesn't get paid, it's not liable to evacuees. And city contracts with apartment owners allow the city to cancel on 30 days' notice.
But if FEMA doesn't come through, Houston and Harris County could face a bigger homeless population and budget-denting costs for everything from police to charity health care.
"We had to make a decision quickly, and it sounds corny," Mr. White says, "but ... you dig deep in your own values, which I know are shared by many Houstonians, values that originate I guess largely in your faith, about your responsibility to your fellow human being."
In Dallas, Mayor Miller helped raise cash to pay for evacuees' apartments but refused make the city responsible for apartment rents.
Houston's mayor is not generous in his comments about FEMA.
He praises local staff but has harshly criticized higher-ups. He says nickel-and-diming Houston makes no sense when Congress appropriated $60 billion for relief and the city is housing "somewhere between 10 and 15 percent" of victims who lost their homes.
Despite his sharp words, the mayor's straightforward approach has earned him the respect of federal officials.
"Mayor White has shown tremendous leadership," said David Garratt, FEMA's acting director of recovery.
State officials agree.
The Texas Department of Transportation bore Mr. White's criticism after massive traffic jams hindered evacuations when Hurricane Rita came to southeast Texas a month after Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. A state-local task force is working to prevent such problems next hurricane season, but the problems embarrassed the mayor. And he said so.
"We never have to guess what Mayor White is thinking," said state Transportation Department spokeswoman Janelle Gbur. "That clarity contributes to a frank, ongoing dialogue about how best to address transportation needs."
Houston voters clearly like the mayor's style.
Mr. White – a former trial lawyer, business executive, state Democratic chairman and deputy secretary of energy – won re-election Nov. 8 with 91 percent of the vote. He captured a second term after his first two years saw him tackle everything from traffic problems to huge municipal pension shortfalls with considerable effectiveness.
Some of Mr. White's success flows from "a conscious decision to neutralize some of the partisanship on council, which has been a good thing," said city Controller Annise Parker, who monitors municipal finances. Houston city government is officially nonpartisan, but there has been a sharpening Republican-Democrat divide on the City Council that has complicated governance.
Methods questioned
Most Republican and Democratic council members give Mr. White credit for a good job, though some say his top-down, CEO style doesn't give them enough freedom to operate. Under Houston's strong-mayor system, Mr. White has most of the power, appointing all department heads, voting on the City Council and controlling the council's agenda.
And some question whether Mr. White's pension fixes and his generous response to hurricane victims will prove too costly.
"It certainly is something that people should be very concerned about," said council member Shelley Sekula Gibbs.
Mr. White says he's just using "common sense" to solve problems, and he says he finds good ideas on both sides of the political divide.
"I believe the parties are important ... but I've always been for mainstream politics and good stewardship of the taxpayers' dollars," he said. "I don't follow anybody's sort of script."
His wife, Andrea, a former lawyer, published author of teen-oriented fiction and mother of his three children, says: "He loves it. He really gets energy from the fact that he's able to make a difference."
Whether the mayor can move on to success in partisan statewide races is another question, said Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, a Republican who worked closely with Mr. White in the hurricane crisis. "There's a different set of issues statewide," Mr. Eckels said.
The mayor – a Harvard scholarship student and the son of schoolteachers – has beaten the odds before, analysts say.
Mr. White won the mayor's job in 2003, after working hard at the grass-roots level for two years before the election and spending $2.4 million of his own money. He beat strong black and Hispanic opponents in a city with big minority populations.
"He's not particularly physically attractive, doesn't have a radio announcer's voice, is not a gifted public speaker," said Allen Blakemore, a Republican political consultant.
But rather than package himself in a way that smoothed his rough edges, Mr. White's team "took a gamble ... to say we're going to highlight every single defect this candidate has, and brand it," Mr. Blakemore said.
"It becomes this very matter-of-fact, 'What you see is what you get, and I'm not your usual politician. I'm different,' " Mr. Blakemore said. "And ... that aura of being different is what has made him successful."
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TexasStooge
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2 arrested in shooting of Dallas officer
Full recovery expected after Oak Cliff gunfight
By BRANDON FORMBY and HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police say Officer Mark Rickerman was working an undercover sting operation Sunday morning when a 17-year-old robbed him of personal items at gunpoint.
Police said when the robber saw the four-year police veteran's badge, he fired and hit the officer in the arm, side and foot.
Officer Rickerman, 30, remained in stable condition Monday morning and is in "good spirits," police said.
Two people, including a teenager on juvenile probation, have been arrested in connection with the shooting.
Officer Rickerman is the third area officer in three weeks to be shot while on duty. As Dallas police visited Officer Rickerman at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Fort Worth police attended the wake of Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., shot to death last week.
"It's very concerning to us, and it's a reminder of how dangerous police work really is," said Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson.
Officer Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in north Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles, Lt. Watson said. A man confronted him about 12:30 a.m., robbed him and fired shots into the officer, police said. Officer Rickerman fired back, but the suspect was not hit, police said.
Immediately after the shooting, the gunman jumped into a car and fled south. Police followed the vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
"The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo," Lt. Watson said.
Police said the suspect is a 17-year-old charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation. He is also being investigated in connection with other crimes. The driver of the vehicle was also arrested, and has been charged with aggravated robbery, police said.
Dallas police Lt. Kimberly Rodriguez said Officer Rickerman is a family man with a wife and two kids who constantly gives "1,000 percent."
"He loves the challenge, he loves the job," Lt. Rodriguez said. "He's the kind of officer that's going to feel that way 20 years from now."
Sgt. Paul Stokes said Officer Rickerman is one of his top officers. He's typically the officer who does research and pinpoints suspects or profiles the department needs to be looking for, he said.
"For his youth, he's just incredible," Sgt. Stokes said. "He has such an insight for catching bad guys. He knows where to go and where to put himself."
Before joining the department, Officer Rickerman served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Hood. His best friend, fellow Dallas police Officer Edward E. Coffey, was one of four officers injured in a 2003 standoff police called one of the most violent in the department's history.
"That made them even closer," Lt. Rodriguez said of the two men. "That's why it hit so hard on so many people last night."
Several police visited Officer Rickerman throughout the day Sunday. He was reportedly upbeat, often joking around.
"We consider ourselves extremely lucky right now," Lt. Rodriguez said.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Nava was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died Thursday. His funeral is today.
On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas.
Officer Rickerman is expected to make a full recovery, Sgt. Stokes said, but the shooting was difficult for the department, especially in light of the events of recent weeks.
"It's been very hard," he said. "You always hear things like this happen in threes. And we're all hoping this is the third."
Full recovery expected after Oak Cliff gunfight
By BRANDON FORMBY and HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police say Officer Mark Rickerman was working an undercover sting operation Sunday morning when a 17-year-old robbed him of personal items at gunpoint.
Police said when the robber saw the four-year police veteran's badge, he fired and hit the officer in the arm, side and foot.
Officer Rickerman, 30, remained in stable condition Monday morning and is in "good spirits," police said.
Two people, including a teenager on juvenile probation, have been arrested in connection with the shooting.
Officer Rickerman is the third area officer in three weeks to be shot while on duty. As Dallas police visited Officer Rickerman at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Fort Worth police attended the wake of Officer Henry "Hank" Nava Jr., shot to death last week.
"It's very concerning to us, and it's a reminder of how dangerous police work really is," said Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson.
Officer Rickerman was working in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in north Oak Cliff investigating nearby burglaries of motor vehicles, Lt. Watson said. A man confronted him about 12:30 a.m., robbed him and fired shots into the officer, police said. Officer Rickerman fired back, but the suspect was not hit, police said.
Immediately after the shooting, the gunman jumped into a car and fled south. Police followed the vehicle, a Ford Crown Victoria, and found it near Zang Boulevard and Illinois Avenue.
"The driver abandoned the vehicle, and officers managed to detain the suspect in the 2100 block of St. Malo," Lt. Watson said.
Police said the suspect is a 17-year-old charged with aggravated robbery and juvenile probation violation. He is also being investigated in connection with other crimes. The driver of the vehicle was also arrested, and has been charged with aggravated robbery, police said.
Dallas police Lt. Kimberly Rodriguez said Officer Rickerman is a family man with a wife and two kids who constantly gives "1,000 percent."
"He loves the challenge, he loves the job," Lt. Rodriguez said. "He's the kind of officer that's going to feel that way 20 years from now."
Sgt. Paul Stokes said Officer Rickerman is one of his top officers. He's typically the officer who does research and pinpoints suspects or profiles the department needs to be looking for, he said.
"For his youth, he's just incredible," Sgt. Stokes said. "He has such an insight for catching bad guys. He knows where to go and where to put himself."
Before joining the department, Officer Rickerman served in the Army and was stationed at Fort Hood. His best friend, fellow Dallas police Officer Edward E. Coffey, was one of four officers injured in a 2003 standoff police called one of the most violent in the department's history.
"That made them even closer," Lt. Rodriguez said of the two men. "That's why it hit so hard on so many people last night."
Several police visited Officer Rickerman throughout the day Sunday. He was reportedly upbeat, often joking around.
"We consider ourselves extremely lucky right now," Lt. Rodriguez said.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth police Officer Nava was shot by a man police say was under investigation in an identity theft ring. Officer Nava died Thursday. His funeral is today.
On Nov. 13, Dallas police Officer Brian Jackson was killed when he responded to a domestic disturbance call in Old East Dallas.
Officer Rickerman is expected to make a full recovery, Sgt. Stokes said, but the shooting was difficult for the department, especially in light of the events of recent weeks.
"It's been very hard," he said. "You always hear things like this happen in threes. And we're all hoping this is the third."
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TexasStooge
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- Contact:
Rap star to be released from TX jail
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) -- Underground rap star Pimp C is about to be freed from a Texas prison.
A prison spokesman says Pimp C, who's half of the acclaimed Texas duo Underground Kingz, or U-G-K, will be paroled within 30 days.
The inmate, whose real name is Chad Butler, has served about half of an eight-year sentence for aggravated assault.
Pimp C was sentenced after falling behind on community service required after he pleaded no contest to aggravated assault.
He was charged after brandishing a gun during an argument with a woman at a mall.
The Port Arthur native has sold well over $1 million records since 1992 from five major-label releases with U-G-K.
Rap-A-Lot Records in March released his first solo album, "The Sweet James Jones Stories," created from a series of freestyle raps he did years ago.
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So that's why I see those "Free Pimp-C" caps.
HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) -- Underground rap star Pimp C is about to be freed from a Texas prison.
A prison spokesman says Pimp C, who's half of the acclaimed Texas duo Underground Kingz, or U-G-K, will be paroled within 30 days.
The inmate, whose real name is Chad Butler, has served about half of an eight-year sentence for aggravated assault.
Pimp C was sentenced after falling behind on community service required after he pleaded no contest to aggravated assault.
He was charged after brandishing a gun during an argument with a woman at a mall.
The Port Arthur native has sold well over $1 million records since 1992 from five major-label releases with U-G-K.
Rap-A-Lot Records in March released his first solo album, "The Sweet James Jones Stories," created from a series of freestyle raps he did years ago.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So that's why I see those "Free Pimp-C" caps.
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TexasStooge
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Homeowners fear effects of Trinity River project
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - While the city of Dallas breaks ground Friday for the first of three bridges as part of the Trinity River Corridor redevelopment project, it is an uncertain time for some residents in West Dallas.
Many residents north of Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas, where the Margaret Hunt Hill extension bridge will connect to downtown, wonder if the bridge will cost them their homes someday.
Since voters approved the Trinity River bond election in 1998, property values in some West Dallas neighborhoods near the river have seen a steady rise.
Rafael Reyes' home that he bought to fix up has almost doubled in value the past five years to almost 18,000 dollars.
"It's great, but at the same time taxes are going to take an effect on the families living in this area," he said.
Many residents like Reyes said they are hopeful that improvements like retail and jobs will follow the construction of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which will connect Woodall Rogers Freeway with Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas.
Mostly low income Hispanics live in the neighborhoods nearby, and the non-profit Trinity River Mission has helped families in the area since the 1960s with programs that include English classes.
However, there's also concern how rising taxes from higher property values because of the Trinity River project and bridge could hurt families financially.
"Property values the taxes may go up for homeowners who are already here," said Dolores Sosa Green, Trinity River Project. "The other impact might be for those [who] rent in this area. Maybe the owners of those rental properties may sell."
Some homeowners like Reyes said they will pay for now.
"...Well, it's going to hurt me a little bit," he said.
The bridge won't be done until 2008, so the uncertainty some residents feel will last for a few more years.
By BRAD WATSON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - While the city of Dallas breaks ground Friday for the first of three bridges as part of the Trinity River Corridor redevelopment project, it is an uncertain time for some residents in West Dallas.
Many residents north of Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas, where the Margaret Hunt Hill extension bridge will connect to downtown, wonder if the bridge will cost them their homes someday.
Since voters approved the Trinity River bond election in 1998, property values in some West Dallas neighborhoods near the river have seen a steady rise.
Rafael Reyes' home that he bought to fix up has almost doubled in value the past five years to almost 18,000 dollars.
"It's great, but at the same time taxes are going to take an effect on the families living in this area," he said.
Many residents like Reyes said they are hopeful that improvements like retail and jobs will follow the construction of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, which will connect Woodall Rogers Freeway with Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas.
Mostly low income Hispanics live in the neighborhoods nearby, and the non-profit Trinity River Mission has helped families in the area since the 1960s with programs that include English classes.
However, there's also concern how rising taxes from higher property values because of the Trinity River project and bridge could hurt families financially.
"Property values the taxes may go up for homeowners who are already here," said Dolores Sosa Green, Trinity River Project. "The other impact might be for those [who] rent in this area. Maybe the owners of those rental properties may sell."
Some homeowners like Reyes said they will pay for now.
"...Well, it's going to hurt me a little bit," he said.
The bridge won't be done until 2008, so the uncertainty some residents feel will last for a few more years.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Mockingbird to get a facelift
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Long before a bridge spans the Trinity, Mockingbird Lane will be made over -- rebuilt from the foundation up.
Designs just released by the Town of Highland Park show just what will be changing during nearly two years of construction between the Dallas North Tollway and Hillcrest Avenue.
"It's not something that we're looking forward to, but we are looking forward to having a better and safer roadway," said Highland Park Mayor Bill White.
The leaves come and go along Mockingbird Lane and so do the cars -- morning, midday and evening rushes. The trees have stood silent witness to as many as 20,000 vehicles a day, rolling down a roadway that's worn-out.
"We're concerned that it will be turned into a Northwest Highway," says Johan Vorster, Highland Park resident.
Vorster and others know only the intersections will get noticeably wider, to accommodate Texans' fascination with big cars.
"The size of vehicles built today, the suburbs and the larger vans require a larger radius for a turn," added White.
Scraping away eight decades of pavement will dig down three-to-four feet, well into the root systems of as many as fifty trees.
"We hope that doesn't happen. But if it does, the town at its expense, will replant them," White said.
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Long before a bridge spans the Trinity, Mockingbird Lane will be made over -- rebuilt from the foundation up.
Designs just released by the Town of Highland Park show just what will be changing during nearly two years of construction between the Dallas North Tollway and Hillcrest Avenue.
"It's not something that we're looking forward to, but we are looking forward to having a better and safer roadway," said Highland Park Mayor Bill White.
The leaves come and go along Mockingbird Lane and so do the cars -- morning, midday and evening rushes. The trees have stood silent witness to as many as 20,000 vehicles a day, rolling down a roadway that's worn-out.
"We're concerned that it will be turned into a Northwest Highway," says Johan Vorster, Highland Park resident.
Vorster and others know only the intersections will get noticeably wider, to accommodate Texans' fascination with big cars.
"The size of vehicles built today, the suburbs and the larger vans require a larger radius for a turn," added White.
Scraping away eight decades of pavement will dig down three-to-four feet, well into the root systems of as many as fifty trees.
"We hope that doesn't happen. But if it does, the town at its expense, will replant them," White said.
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TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Funeral takes place for slain Fort Worth officer
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The funeral service for Fort Worth police officer Hank Nava has taken place at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, 9100 N. Normandale Road.
Officer Nava, 39, died on Thursday, two days after being shot in the head by an identity theft suspect wanted for parole violation.
Photographs of the slain officer were displayed - Officer Nava on his prom night, at graduation, on his wedding day, with his children when they were born, with his wife Teresa and with friends and other family members.
Officer Nava was shown with his Mustang, helping Hurricane Katrina victims, getting ready to go out.
The family's church pastor conducted the service.
"For the past few days, if you listen close, you can hear the heart of our city... Today Fort Worth's heart is heavy... Today we grieve the loss of one of our own," said Fort Worth's mayor, Mike Moncrief, who was first to speak at the service.
"[Hank Nava] was the epitome of the cops' cop. He was also a loving husband and nurturing father."
Addressing Officer Nava's wife Teresa, he said: "the strength you have demonstrated... is nothing short of amazing... It's stronger than a horseradish milkshake. You will have to remain strong and I am counting on that you will."
"Hank Nava received numerous commendations," said Fort Worth police chief Ralph Mendoza.
"We will continue our endeavor to make Fort Worth the safest city in our country."
"He learnt loyalty and dedication from his family," said his cousin Santos Perez Jr. "I leave you with a challenge - remember Hanky with that uniform on, and as you do the job as he did it, and you strive to be the officer he was, you strive to be a better husband, brother, sister or wife."
Dallas officers attended the funeral. The wife of Dallas police officer Brian Jackson, 28, who died last month after he was shot responding to a domestic situation, was also expected to be there.
Visitation took place on the weekend at the Greenwood Funeral Home. Friends, colleagues, even total strangers attended to pay their respects to Officer Nava.
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. has parked Officer Nava’s marked squad car 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.
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 funeral service for Fort Worth police officer Hank Nava has taken place at Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, 9100 N. Normandale Road.
Officer Nava, 39, died on Thursday, two days after being shot in the head by an identity theft suspect wanted for parole violation.
Photographs of the slain officer were displayed - Officer Nava on his prom night, at graduation, on his wedding day, with his children when they were born, with his wife Teresa and with friends and other family members.
Officer Nava was shown with his Mustang, helping Hurricane Katrina victims, getting ready to go out.
The family's church pastor conducted the service.
"For the past few days, if you listen close, you can hear the heart of our city... Today Fort Worth's heart is heavy... Today we grieve the loss of one of our own," said Fort Worth's mayor, Mike Moncrief, who was first to speak at the service.
"[Hank Nava] was the epitome of the cops' cop. He was also a loving husband and nurturing father."
Addressing Officer Nava's wife Teresa, he said: "the strength you have demonstrated... is nothing short of amazing... It's stronger than a horseradish milkshake. You will have to remain strong and I am counting on that you will."
"Hank Nava received numerous commendations," said Fort Worth police chief Ralph Mendoza.
"We will continue our endeavor to make Fort Worth the safest city in our country."
"He learnt loyalty and dedication from his family," said his cousin Santos Perez Jr. "I leave you with a challenge - remember Hanky with that uniform on, and as you do the job as he did it, and you strive to be the officer he was, you strive to be a better husband, brother, sister or wife."
Dallas officers attended the funeral. The wife of Dallas police officer Brian Jackson, 28, who died last month after he was shot responding to a domestic situation, was also expected to be there.
Visitation took place on the weekend at the Greenwood Funeral Home. Friends, colleagues, even total strangers attended to pay their respects to Officer Nava.
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. has parked Officer Nava’s marked squad car 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.
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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