News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Transplant saves girl, 15

Man dies in fall; family donates heart

By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The lifesaving answer to a Christmas prayer at Children's Medical Center Dallas began with a tragedy miles away in East Texas.

On Dec. 19, Hunter Cippele, 20, was where he grew up near Longview, where his dad's and grandparents' houses face the lake his family built. He had climbed up on his grandparents' roof to blow off leaves and was coming down a ladder when he fell and struck his head on the concrete.

In the early hours of Christmas Eve, Mr. Cippele died.

On Christmas Eve, time was running out for Quaneisha Driver of Fort Worth, called NeNe by her mom.

The 15-year-old track, basketball and volleyball athlete suffered a heart attack in August while running as she prepared for her freshman year at Everman High School.

Christmas found her in very critical condition at Children's.

She had already undergone multiple surgeries at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth and had survived a risky ambulance trip to Dallas – risky because she was on life support.

Too long on life support – the rule of thumb is anything more than a month – and she would no longer be eligible for a transplant. By Christmas, she had been on life support more than three weeks.

Christmas miracle

Then the Christmas Eve call came: Mr. Cippele's heart had been donated. Tests showed it was compatible.

"We were very lucky to get a heart that fast," said Susan Daneman, heart transplant coordinator at Children's. "In other instances we've had to wait months – and she didn't have months."

The transplant was performed Christmas Day. On Monday, NeNe was resting, still on a ventilator but off the life-support system.

"It's a blessing," said Angela Driver, her mother. "She believes in God. It's just going to take some time."

What would she say to the Cippele family?

"Thank you," she said. "It was God's gift. I love them also for doing this."

"He did what we want everybody to do," Ms. Daneman said. "He not only signed his driver's license, he let his family know his wishes."

Organ donor's gift

Mr. Cippele's uncle, Rick Cippele, said the young man believed in organ donation because of his religious faith. In addition to his heart, he donated his liver, both kidneys and his pancreas.

"My nephew was very active in the Macedonia Baptist Church, a Sunday school teacher," he said. "And he had just found the love of his life."

Hunter Cippele had met Sarah Ruth Carroll, 21, a fellow student at LeTourneau University in Longview, where he was pursuing a degree in aeronautical engineering.

On Christmas Day, as Mr. Cippele's relatives were meeting in East Texas with their pastor to make arrangements for his memorial service, the word came from Dallas: His heart had saved a life.

"It was a great comfort," his uncle said. "He was very devout in his belief, and he died when he was the happiest he had ever been. If you put those two things together, you have to be proud for him."

[TexasStooge]

Arlington firm proposes acoustic 'fence' for border

By BYRON HARRIS / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas - Human eyes and ears and steel fences line the U.S.-Mexico border at its most populated spots.

But the remote border would be costly to fence and vulnerable to vandalism.

An Arlington company says it could achieve the same results without a fence. It proposes a series of unmanned, highly sensitive cameras backed up by hardware and sounds.

U.S. Global Nanospace designed its system, called Mapsands, for high-value targets in the Middle East, but says Mapsands could be used on the border.

The system uses high resolution cameras with a range of more than half a mile. If an intruder is spotted by the daytime/nighttime camera he's warned over a long range speaker not to come closer.

If he continues, he's barraged with a high-intensity sounds - a key component of the technology. If he doesn't stop then, the deterrence escalates.

U.S. Global Nanospace has mobile versions of the system that can be deployed on a temporary basis, then parked and abandoned.

It is the lack of human intervention, the company says, that makes Mapsands effective.

Because intruders soon learn, in this case, that the outcome of crossing the border illegally will be very unpleasant and can't be avoided.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas store clerk shoots robbery suspect

By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - A convenience store clerk shot a man who was trying to rob the store Tuesday afternoon in Old East Dallas.

About 1:45 p.m., two men entered a Shell convenience store off Interstate 30 near Winslow Avenue and began to act suspiciously, police said.

When the clerk saw one man reach for gun near his belt, the clerk shot him in the chest.

The man was hospitalized in critical condition, and the other suspect fled.

Police did not have a detailed description of the second suspect or his vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call 214-671-3584.

[rainstorm]

Dallas store clerk shoots robbery suspect

By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - A convenience store clerk shot a man who was trying to rob the store Tuesday afternoon in Old East Dallas.

About 1:45 p.m., two men entered a Shell convenience store off Interstate 30 near Winslow Avenue and began to act suspiciously, police said.

When the clerk saw one man reach for gun near his belt, the clerk shot him in the chest.

The man was hospitalized in critical condition, and the other suspect fled.

Police did not have a detailed description of the second suspect or his vehicle. Anyone with information is asked to call 214-671-3584.

the only good crook is a crook with a bullet in his chest

[TexasStooge]

Houston's murder rate up 25%

HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Houston's murder rate is up nearly 25 percent from last year, the authorities have said.

The city's mayor Bill White wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for a $6.5 million task force to target the problem.

White says the influx of hurricane Katrina evacuees back in August put a lot of extra demands on Houston's police force.

But he's not putting all the blame for the city's crime increase on the evacuees.

White says Houston's homicide rate jumped 70 percent this month.

Officers working overtime from January to July would staff the task force and target the most crime-affected areas.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas officer faces domestic assault charge

By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - An 11-year Dallas police veteran with a history of disciplinary problems was arrested after Carrollton police said he assaulted his wife at the couple’s home.

Officer Ransom Funches, 37, who patrols northwest Dallas, was arrested at about 3 a.m. Monday on a Class C misdemeanor family violence assault charge.

Carrollton police said that his wife called 911, saying that he hit her. Officers said she had a minor injury, and arrested Officer Funches.

He was released on Tuesday, and Dallas police placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Earlier this year, Officer Funches was suspended for five days for being discourteous to a police employee. He has also been cited for sleeping on duty, insubordination, interfering with process, filing a false report or citation, profane language and violating off duty work policy.

He quit the department in 1999 and was listed as ineligible for rehire because of his disciplinary history. However, former police chief Terrell Bolton rehired him in 2001.

[TexasStooge]

Hot club's quarrels with police boil over

Dallas: Officers say Blue draws crime; owner thinks it's a bad rap

By JASON TRAHAN / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - In the lavish interior of the uber-hip downtown Dallas dance club Blue, the simple, typed black-and-white signs stick out.

"Word to the wise," they proclaim. "Dallas police officers are outside to harass and arrest you."

They urge exiting patrons to go straight to their cars and go home, to avoid fighting, congregating or otherwise attracting attention.

"It's a shame that we've got to have this in here," said veteran nightclub owner Keith Black. "But it has come to this."

Dallas police say Blue has a serious crime problem and they're just doing their job.

When it opened in 2003, downtown watchers had high hopes for Blue, the result of a $6 million overhaul – including more than $1 million in city money – of a run-down historic building at Pacific and Harwood streets. It was, and to a certain extent still is, "the hottest club in Dallas," as its marketing heralds.

Two years after its highly anticipated opening, about 5,000 people – mostly black and Latino – still pack the massive 18,000-square-foot space on weekend nights to catch hot new rap acts or just groove to the thundering bass.

Mavericks and Cowboys players are regularly spotted in the second-floor VIP lounge.

But police say that the once predominantly upscale clientele has been edged out by a younger, more aggressive crowd of 18- to 20-year-olds.

They say there are more serious crimes inside and around Blue than at other clubs its size, including Escapade and DMX, both in northwest Dallas.

DMX has yet to shake an infamous reputation that grew out of a November 2001 brawl that led to the shooting death of Dallas police Officer Christopher Kevin James.

Downtown police commanders fear history could repeat itself.

"Having an officer killed, that's what we're terrified of," said Lt. Tom Lawrence, who supervises the Central Business District. "We're trying to get people to move downtown. There are neighborhoods starting. I don't think anybody down here wants to have such a problem club like this. It's frustrating."

But Mr. Black, who has owned some of Dallas' swankiest nightclubs, including Lime and Iguana Mirage, said he has done all he can to make conditions safe at Blue.

The club stopped selling beer in bottles so people couldn't wield them as weapons. He installed metal detectors and an ID checking system "that would make the airport jealous," he said.

Mr. Black has instructed his door staff to work harder to identify problem patrons and keep them out. He also has spent nearly a half-million dollars over the past two years on off-duty police to work outside the club.

Despite all this, Mr. Black says, he feels that police single out his club by congregating near it at closing time, laying in wait to antagonize his patrons. He also accuses officers of padding Blue's crime statistics.

"Have we had fights? Yes. Name a club that hasn't," Mr. Black said. "If we were dealing drugs or running prostitutes, I could understand all this attention. But they are stereotyping our clientele."

The police view

Deputy Chief Brian Harvey, who commands the central patrol division, said police are just responding to the high number of fights and incidents inside and outside the club.

"That club came to our attention because of the numbers," said Chief Harvey, who said he watched patrons pour out of Blue on a recent Sunday night fleeing closing-time fisticuffs inside.

"When I was standing on Harwood at 2 o'clock in the morning and the crowd was running out the door because of the fights going on inside, people were saying, 'I ain't coming back here! This is craziness!' Is that edgy? Does that equate to a world-class entertainment district?"

Police say that overnight downtown crime inside the freeway loop is up 26 percent from midnight to about 8 a.m., but it is down 18 percent during the day and down 13 percent during the earlier evening hours. The biggest increase is in violent crime, which is up 41 percent overnight.

Blue contributes significantly to that trend, police say.

Dallas police say that there was a rape, five robberies, and 13 aggravated assaults – seven of which listed club employees as suspects – alleged to have occurred inside Blue from January through early October.

Blue competitors DMX and the two Escapade clubs – high-volume nightspots located on the same property – had five and eight aggravated assaults, respectively, for the same period.

This includes crimes not only inside the clubs, but also in their parking lots, police said.

"Some of these complainants are coming out of Blue with split lips, Maced, missing gold chains, alleging security put hands in their pockets and stole things," Chief Harvey said. "We just don't see those offenses at other clubs. That all goes back to crowd management."

Mr. Black said many of the incidents have been overblown.

"Out of the 19 violent crimes that supposedly occurred in Blue, not one arrest or conviction, to my knowledge, has been made," he said.

Punched in the face

But few dispute that there have been some serious violent incidents inside the club.

Kerry Drosno said he was dancing at Blue on Nov. 13 when he saw someone near him take a swing at a bouncer.

"He looked around at me, and he thought I did it," said the 20-year-old Dallas man, who filed a police report. "He hit me. By the time I woke up, I was outside. My mug shot was full of blood."

The blow left three teeth broken, one at the gum line. "I can hardly eat," said Mr. Drosno, who had gotten out of prison a few weeks earlier after serving a year on gun and drug charges.

"I shouldn't even have been there," he said. "I had only been to that club once before. It has a reputation. I'm never going back."

Looking at total offenses linked to the clubs, DMX actually leads Blue with 131 crimes from January through late December, compared with 79 at the downtown club. Sixty-three crimes were associated with Escapade's address.

But accurately measuring total crime for these clubs is difficult because unlike Blue, DMX and Escapade have their own parking lots. Crimes inside those clubs and on the lots are reported as having happened at the club's address.

Blue only has a small valet parking lot. Most patrons park in pay lots across the street on Harwood, and it is difficult to determine which crimes in those lots are tied to Blue and which are not.

"Inside our four walls, we've got things under control," Mr. Black said.

From January to late December, police logged 149 reports from the 1900 block of Pacific Avenue, which encompasses Blue and the parking lot many of its patrons use.

Unfair association?

Officers, Mr. Black said, sometimes list the nightclub's address on offense reports about fights and shootings in the pay parking lots across Harwood Street. Those lots aren't part of Blue, although patrons of Blue and other clubs park and often congregate there.

Mr. Black said that the Aug. 1 shooting that killed a man and injured the grandson of City Council member James Fantroy is an example of how his club is unfairly linked to crimes that don't happen there.

The incident began when Demitri Thomas, 22, of Mesquite and his girlfriend were leaving Blue, returning to their car in one of the lots across the street. A fight broke out when another man began talking to Mr. Thomas' girlfriend. Shots were fired, and Mr. Thomas was struck. He died hours later at a hospital.

The council member's grandson, who had been in the parking lot socializing about 25 feet from the brawl, was struck by a stray bullet, police said. The police report says the shooting occurred in the "club/bar parking lot" and lists Blue's address.

Mr. Black disputes the location of the shooting.

"The shooting of Councilman Fantroy's grandson was erroneously reported at our address," he said. "The actual shooting happened three to four blocks away."

Mr. Black said he has no control over what happens at the lots, which he does not own or lease. He said he has offered to split the cost for off-duty police security with the parking lot owners, but he said they declined.

A manager for the lot declined to comment.

Mr. Black said he pays about three to six off-duty Dallas police officers regularly to watch nearby lots and the area outside the club – with additional security on concert nights. "I have spent a half-million dollars for security to make sure other people's parking lots are safe. Who gets blamed for all this? We do."

Late-hours permit

Downtown police commanders, Mr. Black and his attorney sparred over these issues during an all-day hearing in front of the city's Permit and License Appeal Board in late October.

At issue was whether Blue could keep its late-hours dance hall permit, which would have allowed the club to stay open until 4 a.m. After hearing from downtown residents who said they were fed up with the traffic and crime generated by Blue, the board voted to pull Blue's late-hours permit.

"I've had residents say they've been chased down the street by Blue patrons and threatened," said Don Raines, president of the Downtown Residents Council, which represents the 3,500 people who live in downtown apartments. Although he said downtown is safe these days, "Blue is a time bomb."

Michelle White, 21, said that even with the reputation, Blue remains a popular hangout.

"Everybody knows Blue," said Ms. White, a Dallas resident who is a criminal justice major in Tyler. "It's crunk. But everybody knows that you have to be careful when you go down there."

She said that the ubiquitous police presence sometimes has the opposite effect of deterrence. "Sometimes it's the police starting things," she said.

In October, a 31-year-old friend of hers got smacked in the head with a beer bottle. The police report states it caused a four-inch laceration. "He said it was young boys," she said. "If they raised the age limit, things would slow down."

Mr. Black said he can't afford to exclude the younger crowd. "I've got to fill this room," he said.

He said he originally planned to build an upscale restaurant as part of Blue, but because of police pressure, he'd rather shut down Blue and relaunch with a restaurant and club targeting only an upscale crowd.

"I want to call it Posh," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Lewisville thefts lead to odd discoveries

By DONNA FIELDER / Denton Record-Chronicle

LEWISVILLE, Texas - Thieves took several big vehicles from a construction company lot in Lewisville and dumped them in South Denton early Tuesday.

Denton police recovered the vehicles in a series of discoveries later that morning.

Lewisville Assistant Police Chief Russell Kerbow said all the vehicles were taken from a storage lot for a construction company in the 1200 block of South Railroad Street. The owner reported the vehicles being taken between 7:30 p.m. Monday and 5:45 a.m. Tuesday.

“Typically, when they’re abandoned, our guys will treat the vehicle like a crime scene looking for evidence pointing to the driver,” Chief Kerbow said.

The first vehicle was found about 9:45 a.m. in the 100 block of Hickory Creek Road in Denton. Someone had abandoned a Ford F-250 that had struck a tree near the roadway. The vehicle’s engine was still running. A check showed the owner had just reported the truck missing, according to the police report.

A few minutes later someone reported a dump truck had overturned in the 400 block of Hickory Creek Road, spilling its load and a large amount of fuel on the roadway and the ditch.

That driver also fled, according to police reports. Officers arranged for cleanup crews to remove the mess. They also determined the dump truck had been reported stolen a short time earlier in Lewisville by the same company that owned the pickup.

An officer working on the recovery of the pickup truck was carrying a Lojack tracking device. It began to alert, and the officer realized that yet another vehicle that had been reported stolen was in the area.

The officer followed the alert to the 5900 block of Country Club Road, where he found a Melroe Bobcat earthmover between a burned out house and a burned out mobile home. Next to the $38,000 Bobcat was a Caterpillar tractor valued at $10,000. Both also had been reported stolen from the Lewisville construction company.

Denton Police Sgt. Brad Curtis said the Denton agency would turn over all the property to Lewisville police and will cooperate in trying to find the thieves.

[TexasStooge]

Holocaust-era railcar arrives at Houston museum

HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A railcar built in 1942 and similar to the ones used to transport Holocaust victims to concentration camps arrived Wednesday in Houston, where it will be featured at the Holocaust Museum.

The 25-foot long railcar was flown from Germany to Fort Worth, and then taken by truck to Houston.

Museum officials plan to store the railcar and officially unveil it at a rededication ceremony for the museum's tenth anniversary on March 5.

Museum board of directors president Peter Berkowitz said the railcar will become a symbol that will remind the world what happened during the Holocaust.

The railcars were packed with people, who had no restrooms, food and little water during trips that sometimes lasted days.

The Houston museum's railcar was located in the German town of Blankenburg, where it was being used to store spare railway parts.

[TexasStooge]

8 arrested in Lewisville drug sting

By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News

LEWISVILLE, Texas — Homes, small businesses and industrial buildings may surround the intersection of Purnell and Hardy streets in Lewisville, but to some folks the area has become known as a great place to sell a few crack rocks.

Lewisville police this month served arrest warrants on eight people accused of selling crack cocaine in and around the area. A ninth unnamed suspect is still at large, police said.

“We received some complaints from citizens in that area, so we were focusing on that,” said Lewisville Assistant Police Chief Russ Kerbow.

The police investigation included undercover drug purchases, most of which were done in public view, Chief Kerbow said.

Charlene Redmon, 46; John Ennis, 40; Curtis Simpkins, 40; Jackie Voss, 47; Sherrel Rice, 18; Joe Houston, 48; Darren Moody, 27; and Woodrow Jones, 55, were indicted on charges connected to the investigation earlier this month and have all been served warrants accusing them of selling crack. Police are still pursuing the ninth suspect.

Chief Kerbow said while the accused are not all residents of the area, they came to know it as a place to sell the drug. Nearby residents who feared people were getting that same message about their neighborhood prompted the complaints, Chief Kerbow said.

“As a police agency we’re always telling people we need your involvement,” Chief Kerbow said.

He described the investigation and subsequent indictments as a successful example of police and residents working together.

“We were able to take care of an issue of concern to an area neighborhood,” he said.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas officer who fought stomach cancer dies

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

RICHARDSON, Texas - A Dallas police officer who continued to patrol Dallas' streets even as he fought a life-or-death struggle with stomach cancer died Tuesday at his Richardson home.

Senior Cpl. Robert Becker, 46, went into a coma on Christmas Day and died two days later after a six-year battle with cancer.

The 15-year department veteran is survived by his wife, Tina, and his two sons.

"He was totally committed to work and family," said Deputy Chief Floyd Simpson, who formerly commanded the southeast patrol station where Cpl. Becker was assigned. "He was an inspiration."

Cpl. Becker's story prompted an outpouring of support from the community and fellow police officers after The Dallas Morning News reported this month that he had run out of sick time and vacation leave and had been on unpaid family medical leave since October.

A day after the story ran, the city used a forgotten civil service rule to help him again collect a salary.

Cpl. Becker, a native of Butte, Mont., earned a degree in computer science from Montana Tech before he began his career with the Dallas Police Department in 1990.

"He just fell in love with [police work]," Mrs. Becker said.

He spent his entire career working in and around South Dallas, one of the city's high-crime areas.

"He said there were a lot of good people down there," Mrs. Becker said. "He said they were virtual prisoners in their homes and that somebody has to fight for them."

Doctors gave him two months to live when they diagnosed a rare form of stomach cancer in August 1999. But his children gave him the will to beat the odds, Mrs. Becker said.

"He told me he was going to live long enough for them to remember who their daddy was," his wife said. Cpl. Becker's younger son was 8 months old when he learned he had cancer.

Cpl. Becker returned to patrol work after surviving a surgery that included the removal of more than 50 pounds of cancerous growth from his stomach. The department even ordered a custom bulletproof vest to fit his colostomy bag.

He survived a second surgery a year later that involved the removal of football- and basketball-size tumors. Even as he continued chemotherapy treatments, he worked as a patrol officer.

"Even when he didn't feel good, he came to work," said Senior Cpl. Phillip Elliott, a southeast patrol officer who worked with Cpl. Becker for nearly a decade. "He was a stand-up guy."

His will to keep working inspired other officers to shave off their hair when Cpl. Becker lost his, said Officer Woody Leel, a southeast patrol officer.

Officer Leel said he would also remember his friend for compiling a CD-ROM montage of pictures of southeast patrol station personnel.

"It was his way of remembering everybody and making sure that everybody had a picture of all their co-workers," he said. "I know it meant a lot to me."

In May 2004, Cpl. Becker received the Theodore Roosevelt Association Texas Chapter Police Award, which recognizes an officer who has overcome severe obstacles and returned to exemplary service. His wife and children were there when he received a bust of the 26th president, a medal and $1,000.

His situation took a turn for the worse seven months later. But he continued to work until the end of September, when he became too ill to drive.

Funeral services for Cpl. Becker will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Heights Baptist Church 201 W. Renner Road in Richardson.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked donations be made in Cpl. Becker's name to the Assist the Officer Foundation, 1412 E. Griffin, Dallas, 75215

[TexasStooge]

Missing mom's family seeks answers from son

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

PLANO, Texas - One month after a 62-year-old Plano grandmother went missing and her son was charged with her murder, family members continue their search for answers.

While Paul Hancock, 23, remains in the Collin County jail facing a murder charge and is set to begin a 5 -year federal sentence for possession of child pornography sentence, his mother's body remains missing.

The family of Ellen Hancock said they believe their only hope for finding the Plano woman's body rests with her son.

"I don't think anybody has been able to talk to him since he got his attorney on board, and we're not allowed to see him because we're not on his visitors list." said Melinda Smith, Ellen Hancock's daughter.

The family said they have written several letters to Hancock but never received a response.

Paul Hancock reported his mother missing from the apartment they shared in Plano in November. Police said there was a heated argument and Hancock's girlfriend told police she saw Hancock stab his mother several times.

After extensive cross-county searches, the woman's body remained unfound. However, Plano police said they had enough to rule the case a homicide and charge her son with the murder.

As family members continue their quest for answers, neighbors in the apartment complex where Hancock lived and worked said they miss the woman who greeted them at the entrance of their complex.

As a tribute to Ellen Hancock, the building's management closed the small guard shack where she worked as a part-time greeter.

"We need to find her to be able to put her to rest and get a little closure on the family," Smith said. That's been the most difficult time for now."

[TexasStooge]

Father arrested after toddler's death

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - The father of a 2-year-old child who died Wednesday was arrested around 5:00 p.m. and charged with injury to a child.

Early Wednesday afternoon police were called to a home in the 2700 block of Locust and found the child unconscious and with bruises around his mouth and eyes.

Later in the day, police returned to the home to investigate and gather evidence.

[TexasStooge]

Allen band represents Texas at Roses parade

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

Hundreds of excited North Texas teenagers were beginning a trip of a lifetime Wednesday as they began a march to Pasadena.

The Allen Eagle Escadrille is the only high school band from Texas marching in the 2006 Tournament of Roses Parade in California.

Ten buses arrived at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport carrying only half of the nation's largest high school marching band. Members of the Allen Eagle Escadrille were 608 strong.

"Ya'll have to be the bomb," said the bus driver to the group of teens. "Ya'll are representing Allen, Texas."

The only parade most of the students had marched in before was the Allen Christmas Parade. But on January 2, the group will march in front of an American television audience of 40 million people.

"I'm sure it's something I'm never going to forget," said student Joanna Price. "I'm probably going to remember it the rest of my life, probably think about it and tell my kids about it. It's really cool."

"I've never done something like this before and I know it's going to be something I'll never forget," said Jeff Lamkins. "So, I'm really looking forward to it."

Moving 608 band members from Allen to Pasadena was no easy task. It took eight separate flights and $750,000 to make the trip. Each student needed to pay $1,200, which most of them raised themselves.

"It's thrilling to see the kids accomplish a goal and realize a dream," said teacher Virginia Smith. "It's the biggest thing Allen High School, in my opinion, has ever done."

Principal Steve Payne agreed there is nothing but good coming from the trip.

"[It's] exposure for Allen, exposure for Texas [and] it's awesome for these kids," he said. "They deserve it. They worked hard for it. You couldn't ask for a better group of kids."

[rainstorm]

Holocaust-era railcar arrives at Houston museum

HOUSTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A railcar built in 1942 and similar to the ones used to transport Holocaust victims to concentration camps arrived Wednesday in Houston, where it will be featured at the Holocaust Museum.

The 25-foot long railcar was flown from Germany to Fort Worth, and then taken by truck to Houston.

Museum officials plan to store the railcar and officially unveil it at a rededication ceremony for the museum's tenth anniversary on March 5.

Museum board of directors president Peter Berkowitz said the railcar will become a symbol that will remind the world what happened during the Holocaust.

The railcars were packed with people, who had no restrooms, food and little water during trips that sometimes lasted days.

The Houston museum's railcar was located in the German town of Blankenburg, where it was being used to store spare railway parts.

lest we ever forget

[TexasStooge]

Bob Becker the 'Comeback Cop' passes

By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Senior Cpl. Bob Becker, who News 8 called the 'Comeback Cop' last year because he kept coming back to work in spite of a rare form of cancer that coated his insides like glue, passed away Tuesday.

Becker loved the people of southern Dallas, but he hated the way many lived behind bars

"I was brought up to believe that the good people should be out on the streets and the bad people should be behind bars," he said.

Becker fought crime and cancer simultaneously working through 13 rounds of chemotherapy. He earned the Teddy Roosevelt Award for perseverance for his hard work and strength such as enduring surgery where doctors removed a tumor bigger than his own baby son.

The doctors gave Becker six months to live, but for seven years he proved them wrong.

"[He was an] excellent cop, one of the best," said Matthew Edwards.

Edwards said Becker's example made cops at the southeast division show up because they didn't want be shown up.

"There's no way you can call in sick when Bob is coming to work with terminal cancer," he said.

"He didn't want you to take it easy on him," said Sr. Cpl. James Swafford. "He said, 'Give me whatever you got, I can handle it,' and he did."

But Becker didn't just show up. He chased down dope dealers, which often led the sector in felony arrests.

"I spent many occasions with him doing surveillance while he was on chemo [and] had his colostomy bag on him," said Sr. Cpl. Jaime Castro.

Castro and others shaved off their hair in sympathy when Becker's fell out during chemotherapy. He said Becker taught them a cop doesn't have to be a big guy to have a huge impact.

"You don't have to be. Its what's up here and what's in here that makes you a good police," Swafford said pointing to his head and heart.

The legacy will always be the inspiration part," he said. "The fight and the spirit he had will always be there."

Becker's memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday at the Heights Baptist Church at 201 West Renner Rd. in Richardson. Also, rather than accept flowers, the family requests donations can be sent to The Assist the Officer Foundation at 1412 Griffin St. East in Dallas at zip code 75215.

[TexasStooge]

Library patrons required to clean up their acts

Exclusive: Homeless advocates say ban on odor reeks of prejudice

By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Cleanliness will be next to lawfulness at the library next year.

A revised code of conduct being adopted at the Dallas Public Library and the city's recreation centers prohibits visitors from "emitting odors (including bodily odors or perfumes), which interfere with use of services by other users or the work staff."

The code also prohibits sleeping, bathing, eating and drinking at the facilities.

Library officials say the rules – similar to those implemented across the nation – are meant to create a reader-friendly atmosphere.

Others believe the no-shower, no-service policy targets a specific group: the poor and homeless who congregate in the city's center.

"They're just trying to push their weight around," said Paul Voorhees, a homeless man who spends much of his day reading and using the computer at the downtown library. "No one in Dallas wants the homeless hanging around their door, especially the city."

But Dallas library director Laurie Evans said the updated rules – the first revamping of the library's code of conduct in years – address behaviors, not people.

The code also bans loud talking on cellphones, boisterous conversations, disruptive use of laptops and music players, smoking, sex, bare feet, hate speech, fighting and dozens of other activities.

Some of those rules have been enforced for years.

"This is not about seeing how many people we can kick out of the library. Quite the opposite, it's about trying to see how many people we can get to come into our building," Ms. Evans said.

"For me, this is all a part of customer service, and I do that for anyone who comes into our building."

Prejudiced policy?

For some, the hygiene policy stinks of prejudice.

"Who is to decide what odor is wrong or inappropriate?" Dallas homeless advocate James Waghorne asked.

Ms. Evans said her staff will be trained before the policy goes into effect, which is set for close to February, and will treat infractions on a case-by-case basis. The staff will address the odor issue only if others complain.

Mr. Waghorne doubts anyone will be ejected from the library because they reek of Chanel No. 5, even though the code says heavy perfumes are as taboo as poor hygiene.

And because Dallas doesn't provide enough facilities for the homeless – many complain of broken bathrooms and clogged drains at the downtown Day Resource Center – the library can't expect its neediest patrons to be shower-fresh, he said.

"As long as they are not behaving in an improper manner, they have as much right as anyone to be in the library," said Mr. Waghorne, president of the Dallas Homeless Neighborhood Association.

"There are resources there that are set up for everyone to use. If you don't have 50 cents to buy a newspaper, you can go to the library and read the want ads."

For years, visitors at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library have complained about the homeless bathing in restrooms, loitering outside, panhandling or making patrons feel uncomfortable.

Security guards and library personnel have repeatedly addressed the homeless issue, and in 2003, the downtown library began restricting the size of bags patrons can carry into the building and reporting people who litter.

Although the downtown library – with its plentiful seating, protection from the elements and shelved diversions – might seem an ideal refuge for the homeless, it was never meant to be a shelter, said Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt, who was briefed on the code changes at a subcommittee meeting this month.

The homeless are welcome to use library facilities, but only as the facilities are intended, she said.

"These rules are meant to create a healthy environment for families and children and students and researchers and all the residents of Dallas," Ms. Hunt said.

Across nation

Leslie Burger, president-elect of the American Library Association and director of the Princeton Public Library, said Dallas libraries aren't alone as on the issue of homelessness. Dallas' new code of conduct mirrors policies adopted by library systems coast to coast.

The Boston Public Library prohibits visitors with "offensive body odor or personal hygiene." The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library in Tennessee says patrons with offensive odor "may be asked to leave." The Redwood City Public Library in California lists offensive odor under its list of unacceptable behaviors.

Houston's library system made headlines in April when the City Council approved an ordinance that prohibited "offensive bodily hygiene that constitutes a nuisance to others."

"If people can't take care of basic hygiene and are disturbing to the 100 or so people around them, then it's perfectly acceptable for the library to say, 'Will you please sit somewhere else?' or 'Will you consider coming back another day?' " Ms. Burger said.

Ms. Burger said similar codes have withstood legal scrutiny.

A federal appeals court upheld a Morristown, N.J., library's right to expel a man in 1992 on the grounds that patrons can be evicted if their habits – and aroma – annoy others. The homeless man sued after he had been kicked out of the library several times for bad odor and behavior.

"The library's goal is served by its requirement that its patrons have non-offensive bodily hygiene, as this rule prohibits one patron from unreasonably interfering with other patrons' use and enjoyment of the library," the appeals panel wrote.

The Dallas library worked on the code with the city's Park and Recreation Department, which will use the policies in its centers, officials said.

While many of the policies – especially the stench clause – might seem counter to the philosophy of a rec center, the rules have been written to allow exceptions when appropriate, said Barbara Kindig, the park department's assistant director of administration and business services.

Stinking on the basketball court is OK. Stinking while playing chess? That might require intervention, she said.

"If someone is changing in one of our bathrooms for an aerobic class or into a bathing suit at a pool, of course, that's appropriate," Ms. Kindig said. "Going into a library and changing into a swimsuit, that might not be appropriate."

Candace Huang, who visited the downtown library this week, said she is sensitive to smells and appreciates the library's efforts to keep the air fresh.

But she also feels sorry for those without ready access to bathrooms or showers.

"It's sad, but what can we do?" she asked. "You can't hold your breath the whole time you're here."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAUSING A STINK

The new code of conduct for the Dallas Public Library and the city's recreation centers prohibits, among other things:

• Offensive bodily odors

• Sexual misconduct

• Loud cellphone conversations

• Bathing or preparing meals

• Most animals

• Roller blades

• More than three grocery-sized bags

• Stalking customers or staff members

• Gambling

• Offensive gestures

[TexasStooge]

Interstate 20 crash kills Dallas woman, daughter

Fort Worth man held in 'classic case of road rage'

TYLER, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) – A woman and her teenage daughter were killed Wednesday in a crash sparked by what a state trooper called “a classic case of road rage.”

Jason Youngblood, 32, of Fort Worth was arrested after the Wednesday afternoon accident, which also left the woman's 17-year-old son in critical condition at a Tyler hospital.

“From all the eyewitness statements and from the suspect's own admission, this was nothing more than road rage,” Department of Public Safety Trooper Jason Matura said in Thursday editions of the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

Youngblood was in the Van Zandt County Jail in Canton on Wednesday night, charged with two counts of criminally negligent homicide and three counts of failure to stop and render aid, a jail spokesman told The Associated Press. Jail records did not show if he had retained an attorney.

The vehicles were traveling east on Interstate 20 about eight miles west of Canton.

Youngblood, driving a Chevrolet minivan containing his wife and four children, became agitated when he could not pass the other vehicle and started tailgating, Matura said. He pulled up on the right of the car, a Toyota Camry.

“The story is complicated here, but eyewitnesses said Youngblood was looking at the other vehicle and was mouthing. He then made the decision to cut them off, but misjudged the distance,” Matura said.

The minivan clipped the Camry and sent it across the median. The Toyota then was hit in the rear by a Chevrolet Tahoe traveling west.

Killed in the crash were Al-Shamshad Sunbarni, 37, and her daughter Tooba Sunbarni, 13, both of Dallas.

Raheel Sunbarni, Tooba's 17-year-old brother, was listed in critical condition at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. The driver, Shahroz Ali, 24, Dallas, was not injured.

Colbey Gateley, 5, of Canton, a passenger in the SUV, was in good condition in a Terrell hospital.

Al-Shamshad Sunbarni's visibly distraught husband later arrived at the scene.

Youngblood left the scene but was later arrested at a gas station in Canton after being followed by a witness who called 911.

[TexasStooge]

Student-funded center aiding gays questioned at UT

All must pay fee, but some oppose mission

By KAREN BROOKS / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – Since last year, a student-funded center at the University of Texas at Austin has offered counseling, workshops, forums and other services to gay, lesbian and female students.

Now some Texas conservatives are targeting the Gender and Sexuality Center, saying UT students shouldn't have to pay $80,000 a year in fees for a center that "promotes a lifestyle" a majority of Texans reject – particularly when parents are struggling to afford college costs.

"They're obviously trying to promote an agenda on one side of the political spectrum," said Will Lutz, a columnist who wrote a scathing piece on the center for the socially conservative Texans for Texas group. "What we've created is a government-funded advocacy group for values a lot of Texans don't agree with."

Within the next year, conservative groups say they plan to draft legislation that would require the center to be paid for by private sponsors instead of student fees.

A grass-roots campaign to lean on the UT System's governor-appointed Board of Regents to nix a budget including the center has already begun. The regents have ultimate approval over the student-fee budget, although it's drawn up by the students themselves.

They'll get a fight from gay-rights activists and campus gay and women's groups who say that it's for the university to support all students, not just the majority, and that it educate the entire student body on discrimination and health issues faced by women, gays and lesbians.

Matt McChesney, a gay law student and member of the school's OutLaw group, vowed to start a petition drive if opponents are serious about yanking funding.

Defenders also include some lawmakers and students on both sides of the aisle who believe the students' decision to approve the center should be respected.

"The students should decide. That's really what's at stake here. It's not an issue of morality," said Brian Haley, a law student who was president of UT's student government when it allowed the center to use a small space in the Student Services Building.

"I'm not disagreeing with them on a moral basis," said Mr. Haley, a self-described conservative Republican. "But these processes were set up for students to decide, and I think our regents would support our students."

About the center

The Gender and Sexuality Center was created out of a blend of gay and lesbian support services and the campus's women's resource center, which deals with issues such as rape, harassment and domestic violence.

This fall, for example, the center worked to publish an arts journal in which students were invited to re-imagine gender roles "in a less sexist, less homophobic society."

Center workers arrange panel discussions on topics such as safe sex and gay dating, run mentoring programs for gay students and stock a library of magazines, DVDs and books on sexuality.

The campus chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas wants the center privately funded because it argues that the center presents only one point of view on whether homosexuality is right or wrong, said Ben Fizzell, the chapter president.

The chapter objected to the funding when the center first opened and recently supported campus anti-abortion groups in their effort to put pamphlets in the center outlining the risks of abortion.

The center's literature states that gay and lesbian people deserve "fair treatment" and "equal rights," which could be construed to mean protection under the law from hate crimes or discrimination, a position opposed by many conservative and Republican groups.

Center director Ixchel Rosal, a master's student in public affairs with a background in nonprofit organization, said she's not "out to change anyone's mind" about homosexuality or women's rights. The center is there, she and other supporters said, to help gay, lesbian and female students and educate the general student body on how to live and work alongside minority populations.

"It would be a tremendously sad day for the university if lawmakers were to choose not to support the student body in every way possible," said UT junior Ali Puente, vice president of the University Democrats and president emeritus for Voices for Choice on campus.

Neither Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, nor Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria – who chair the higher-education committees in their respective chambers – would comment on the issue.

Texas GOP spokeswoman Jennifer Webster did not respond to a request for a comment. State Democratic Party spokeswoman Amber Moon wouldn't comment on the center directly, saying instead that Democrats "are focused on Texas parents trying to send their kids to school," and that overpriced tuition is "the real immorality."

Lawmakers' opinions

But a few lawmakers said they are ready to line up on either side of the money vs. student rights debate.

The fact that a nonacademic center even exists as tuition costs are skyrocketing was enough for Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale, a Tomball Republican, to express an interest in restricting higher-education dollars – whether they are tax-generated or student fees – to academic programs.

"Certainly, students at a taxpayer-subsidized educational institution should not be forced to participate in funding a student center whose raison d'etre is sexuality, of any sort," he said. "That should be privately funded."

Democratic Rep. Jessica Farrar of Houston is a vocal supporter in the Legislature of women's issues and gay rights. But for her, the strongest argument in support of the center is the students' decision to fund it.

"People go to the university to broaden their horizons and learn about the world, and the university is not a place for censorship," she said.

Most of the 100 sexuality centers at universities across the nation are mixed with multicultural or women's centers and funded in the schools' general budget, and not typically through student fees or private sponsors, said Brett Beemyn, co-chairman of the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education.

Texas A&M University has had a center funded through its general budget for more than 10 years, and in September, it got space to share with the women's center. Last year at Texas Tech University, a diversity committee recommended that it create a similar center. The first was in Michigan in the early 1970s, and the centers have only recently begun springing up in the conservative South.

That prompts a question: How much should a university represent the beliefs of the larger society it's in?

Mr. Lutz says student groups have their place on campus as an expression of free speech. But a center that asserts that it's OK to be gay or lesbian is a misuse of money in a state that recently voted overwhelmingly to ban gay marriage, he said.

That's precisely why the centers are needed here, supporters countered.

"The [gay and lesbian] students would feel even more isolated," Mr. Beemyn said. "It's often the students who are in minorities who are most in need.

[TexasStooge]

Fiery wreck kills 1 teen, injures 4

FLOWER MOUND, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Flower Mound police Officer Paul Boon said the preliminary investigation shows that the 1994 Ford Ranger was westbound in the 3700 block of Flower Mound Road, just east of Furlong Drive, when the driver lost control and slammed into a tree.

When firefighters and police arrived about 3:10 a.m., they found the vehicle engulfed in flames, he said.

Three victims were transported by helicopter and a fourth traveled by ambulance to Parkland Memorial Hospital. A fifth person, who was trapped inside the vehicle, later was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hours later, a smoky smell hung in the area around the charred tree, which was surrounded by debris and shattered glass. The accident occurred in front of a private neighborhood athletic club.

Hospital spokeswoman Lynsey Purl said two of the victims were girls and two were boys. The families requested that information about their conditions be kept confidential, she said.

The cause of the accident was under investigation, Officer Boon said.


WFAA ABC 8
The accident occurred in front of a private neighborhood athletic club.