News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

East Texas crash kills 6, injures 2

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (The Dallas Morning News/AP) - Six people died and two were injured when their sport utility vehicle veered off an East Texas highway and crashed into a tree, officials said.

Only two of the vehicle's occupants were wearing seat belts when the crash occurred Sunday on State Highway 21, about seven miles southeast of Nacogdoches, Department of Public Safety officials said.

The accident killed driver Norma Ocon, 35; Victoria Carrera, 62; Claudia Ocon, 22; David Ocon, 2; Olga Ocon, 30; and Perla Ochoa, 13. Two other children were injured and taken to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital, officials said. Michelle Ochoa, 6, was treated and released, but there was no patient record for the second child, Estrella Maldonado, 8, a hospital spokeswoman said.

All eight victims were Nacogdoches residents, officials said.

[wxcrazytwo]

Ya know, if I really wanted to know the news from the lonestar state, I'd purchase a newspaper there.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas/Fort Worth remembers Dr. King

By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8

Across the country and here in North Texas, people are pausing today to remember the life and legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Junior.

Dallas is hosting one of the largest parades in the U.S.

The parade is taking place along Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Thousands of people have gathered, filled with a sense of purpose. Floats and bands can be seen marching down the street.

The Dallas 20th annual Martin Luther King parade is the second largest in the country - second only to that in Atlanta.

Rain is not putting off the participants.

Governor Rick Perry is attending the parade as a marshal.

"Today we celebrate a man's life who continues even in death to make as big a difference in America as any man who ever lived," he said.

Mayor Laura Miller and police chief David Kunkel also made their way down the parade route.

Fort Worth is also holding its own parade to honor Martin Luther King.

High school band and floats are making their way through downtown Fort Worth. A high school exhibition is planned at the end of the rally.

But while students in just about every school district are off today, students in the Wylie ISD aren't as lucky.

Wylie school officials say they are having classes today, because a calendar crunch forced them to choose between President's Day and Martin Luther King Day.

Instead of choosing, the district decided its schools should be open on both holidays.

The life and work of Doctor Martin Luther King Junior are being remembered across the country today. This is the 20th anniversary of the national holiday recalling the struggles and sacrifices of the civil rights movement.

Dr. King's widow received a standing ovation at the Salute to Greatness dinner in Atlanta this weekend.

Coretta Scott King needed a little help getting situated - then she lit up the room with her smile.

Mrs. King is in a wheelchair now - she's recovering from a stroke and heart attack she suffered last August.

[TexasStooge]

Lumber truck spills load on I-20

DUNCANVILLE/DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A lumber truck has overturned on the I-20, shedding its load, causing delays in the area.

The accident occurred on the I-20 near Duncanville and Dallas City Limits.

One lane of EB I-20 closed and the ramp from NB 67 to EB I-20 is closed.

Live Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse

[TexasStooge]

Mechanic killed at El Paso airport

EL PASO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) -- A mechanic doing work for Continental Airlines died today in an engine accident at El Paso International Airport.

Several details of what Houston-based Continental called a "ground incident" weren't immediately released.

The carrier says the accident involving Flight 1515 happened during a maintenance check before takeoff from El Paso to Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The plane was a 737-500 with 114 passengers and five crew members.

Continental chairman Larry Kellner joined co-workers in extending sympathies to the family and friends of the mechanic involved in what he called: "this tragic event."

Continental is working with local and federal authorities investigating the accident.

The victim's identity wasn't immediately released.

[TexasStooge]

DART rail restored after downtown collision

By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Light rail service was restored through downtown Dallas early Tuesday following a collision between a DART train and an 18-wheeler Monday night.

Witnessess said the truck ran a red light just before the crash, which derailed the northbound train at Olive and Bryan streets.

DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said the train had just left the St. Paul Street station when the collision occurred.

"I heard a 'pow,'" said one witness on the train. "And everybody was like, 'Is everybody all right, everybody all right?' I was like, 'Yeah, just my arm was hurt.' And a little girl was crying and a lady was crying."

A hazardous materials crew arrived at the scene to clean and contain a diesel fuel spill from the collision.

Witnesses said about 25 people were on the train and Dallas Fire-Rescue said seven people were taken to area hospitals. One woman was reported to have heart palpitations while others were seen with braces around their necks.

There were apparently no serious injuries.

"I hit my head on the side of the glass and I hit my legs on the silver part on the train when he hit us," said Allison Wilmont, another witness on the train. "The next thing I know, were coming off the track and everything. It was so scary."

DART called out buses to take rail passengers around the accident scene until service was restored early Tuesday.

WFAA-TV reporter Cynthia Vega contributed to this report.


John F. Rhodes / Dallas Morning News
Witnesses said the truck ran a red light just before the collision.

[TexasStooge]

Stories differ after officer, skater scuffle

By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Finger pointed has begun after a scuffle between an officer and a Dallas Roller Derby League skater ended with the girl on the ground with a bloody face Saturday night.

Michelle Metzinger, who skates for Assassination City, was skating down Elm Street when police officer Ceaphus Gordon stopped her in front of Elm Street Tattoo, which was where the differences in story began.

"I have bruises and scratches all over me," she said. "You have no idea how rough he was on me."

However, police said Metzinger tried to gouge the officer's right eye in the fight.

But, some witnesses also had a different opinion from the officer's account of what occurred that night.

"He just jumps on her and puts his knee on the back of her head with her face in the ground like so brutally," said Oliver Peck, tattoo artist. "It was ridiculous, and instantly blood was everywhere and she's crying bloody murder like helplessly."

Peck said he saw the police officer give Metzinger a ticket for jay walking and then jumped on her twice when she tried to pull away.

"It was just a text book example of unnecessary excessive force," he said.

Derek Conway, who is also known as D.C. and works as a bartender, said he also witnessed the struggle between the two and called the incident "police brutality."

"[It was] completely over the top," Conway said. "It looked like a street mugging. It looked like a fight. He was mugging her, that's what it looked like."

Metzinger was treated for her injuries and arrested for assault of a peace officer.

Officer Gordon was treated as well for scratches on his face and bruises on his shins after he said Metzinger kicked him with her skates.

Metzinger has hired a lawyer to fight back and police said they will consider an internal investigation.

[TexasStooge]

Vietnam deserter awaits fate after arrest in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A man who deserted the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War has been arrested after more than 36 years on the lam.

Ernest Johnson Jr. left Camp Lejeune, N.C., in 1969 because he opposed the war. Vietnam was "a mistake from day one," he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in a jailhouse interview Friday.

Johnson, 55, spent the next three decades drifting between California, Oregon, Arizona, Indiana, Michigan and Texas, where he was living with his girlfriend in Fort Worth when officials arrested him Thursday.

Johnson, who had been going by his mother's maiden name of McQueen, was being held without bail. A decision was pending on whether he would be sent to North Carolina to face court-martial.

If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to three years in the brig and be dishonorably discharged, a Marine Corps spokesman told the newspaper.

Johnson said he did not believe he should be punished: "I'm not a criminal. I'm not a crook. I've never had one violent offense."

But he said he felt relieved by his arrest.

"They were hot on my tail a few times," said Johnson, who said he suffers from prostate cancer and knee and shoulder ailments. "I could have run this time, but I said 'No, my running days are over.'"

Johnson married twice and has two children, but said he never told his families he had deserted.

[TexasStooge]

Young girl's campaign gives to homeless

By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8

At only 10-years-old, Helena Welsh turned her three-day weekend into a family affair in the kitchen to help others.

The young Plano girl whipped up sandwiches and has been collecting blankets to keep a promise she made to herself early last year.

Welsh wanted to help the plight of the homeless and open her eyes by seeing first-hand where they lived, a world away from her Collin County neighborhood.

"They have a water bottle, three cookies, an orange, a napkin that says 'God Loves You' and then they have a bologna, cheese and mustard sandwich," Welsh said of the meals she prepared to pass out.

Loose change launched the beginning of her campaign to help, and three stores answered her letters with donations while one turned her down.

"These are 132 sleeping bags that I raised money for," she said while in her garage filled with sleeping bags.

Welsh's little brother Hunter followed her lead and emptied his piggy bank of four months saved allowance.

"...It was important to me for Helena to get enough sleeping bags for all these homeless people," he said.

Monday she completed her promise and passed out all she worked to gather to help others and make a human connection of compassion and kindness.

"I was expecting them to not have anything, just their clothes on their body," she said.

Her act of kindness did not go unnoticed.

"It means comfort, for one thing, and protection," said Eric, who has been living under Interstate 45 for six months.

"To come out and share that love and give out the gifts and the food, we're very grateful for their coming out," he said.

Reaching out to people in need is something Welsh's mother said comes naturally to the young girl.

"She has a very unique spirit and she's very compassionate for those that are underprivileged and she loves to help people," said Jerianne Welsh, Helena's mother. "I don't think this is the last you'll see of her."

All little Welsh said she wants is for others to give as well.

"I hope the world follows my example," she said.

[TexasStooge]

New laws debated as home mortgage scams surge

Officials differ on need for bill as quick profits, understaffing lure crime

By TIM WYATT / The Dallas Morning News

Recent efforts to rein in home mortgage scams in North Texas have hit snags, and experts say the epidemic of fraud is only getting worse.

Real estate industry representatives and a state legislator calling for reform say quick profits from the illegal schemes are proving to be irresistible for white-collar criminals.

"This is a continuing problem that's reached epidemic proportions in Texas," said state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving. "In my area alone, we know of at least two separate mortgage fraud groups who have walked off with millions."

Ms. Harper-Brown sponsored two bills aimed at bolstering state regulators' role in combating mortgage fraud, but the bills died quietly in a House committee last year, she said.

Real estate industry experts say laws to fight the schemes are already on the books, but state regulatory agencies lack the manpower to enforce them.

"Whether it's the feds, the state or even local ordinances, if we would just enforce the current laws on the books, this would slow down drastically," said Craig Jarrell, president of the Dallas Mortgage Bankers Association, who's worked in mortgage banking for 30 years.

"It will call for more people in law enforcement to do that, though," he said.

Over the last year, the FBI has trumpeted warnings about how mortgage fraud schemes are "growing and pervasive" throughout the country. The Dallas FBI office received more than 300 reports of suspected home mortgage scams in fiscal year 2005, while the U.S. attorney here has watched the number of cases against local fraud rings climb steadily.

Ms. Harper-Brown's proposed bills last spring would have created a state mortgage fraud task force and required mandatory reporting by licensed real estate professionals who spot suspicious deals.

She plans to file those bills again in the hopes that other lawmakers are ready to act after receiving an increasing number of complaints from the public.

"Constituents who call me are concerned that it takes so long to do something about these scams," Ms. Harper-Brown said. "It's been hard to get anyone to understand how quickly a neighborhood can be ravaged unless it's happened to them."

Profitable crime

While neither industry nor law enforcement can put a clear number on how often mortgage fraud happens, both sides estimate that the money stolen in the scams runs in the billions of dollars each year.

The most popular mortgage fraud scheme typically involves a mix of sellers, buyers and real estate insiders who get home loans using overinflated appraisals, split the excess profits, default on the notes and let banks foreclose on the properties.

According to a handful of recent criminal fraud cases in federal court in Dallas, a small ring of conspirators can net more than a million dollars in less than a dozen deals by overinflating values from $85,000 to $200,000 for each house.

Mortgage industry groups have called for closer cooperation and sharing of information to track patterns and thwart what amounts to real estate insiders exploiting a fast-paced home loan market.

Mr. Jarrell said the vast majority of the schemes he's reviewed "have been complete and total insider fraud."

Mandatory reporting won't work with so many insiders being part of the scams, he said, adding that each illegal move by promoters and conspirators is already illegal on federal and state books, as well as barred by state regulatory agencies.

"It's unfair to categorize everyone as a crook," Mr. Jarrell said. "Because it's a few bad apples who are doing multiple transactions in quick succession.

"At some point, though, someone has got to hold it up and say no," he said. "Everybody's been put on notice in the industry. Everybody knows it's going on."

Ms. Harper-Brown says state regulatory agencies linked to real estate are willing to wade into the fray and have begun working closer with one another and their federal counterparts.

"I'm not working for more government intervention," Ms. Harper-Brown said. "But something's got to give. ... The FBI and state investigators are so outnumbered, they can't possibly run down every paper trail without more help."

What brokers think

Real estate and mortgage brokers have mixed feelings about whether more state regulations will help.

David Ellis, a real estate broker in North Dallas, said he has no problem with a state task force or real estate professionals being held responsible for dabbling in mortgage fraud.

"You'd think that kind of accountability would make Texas more attractive to lenders," Mr. Ellis said. "But I'd also like to see state investigators spend some time hunting for the people who do this over and over again.

"Who, other than the thieves themselves, wouldn't want the thieves weeded out of the industry?"

Martin Sisk, a member of the DFW Association of Mortgage Brokers, said stricter regulations on professionals may help, but it's not the only answer.

"So the state is now aware of it," Mr. Sisk said. "Realtors, title companies, appraisers, brokers and lenders can take a closer look at their deals – and so should consumers.

"People don't like to talk about that, but they need to come out and admit the public is going to have to take some responsibility, too. If it's a two-way street, there would be a lot more protection for everybody."

[TexasStooge]

Squad car overturns on LBJ

DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - Two Dallas police officers received minor injuries when their squad car struck a curb and rolled on LBJ Freeway.

Officers Brian Doty and Marcus Howland were headed east on LBJ around 1:45 a.m. Tuesday when Doty, who was driving, bumped a curb as he was exiting on Skillman Street and lost control of the vehicle, spokesman Sr. Cpl. Max Geron said.

The men received minor injuries, Geron said, and the vehicle sustained significant damage.

[TexasStooge]

Police announce rooftop burglar roundup

By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8

BRIDGEPORT, Texas — Fourteen people are under arrest in Wise County in connection with a string of 250 business burglaries spanning two states.

Police said they used DNA evidence to link the gang to the brazen crimes.

In most cases, the criminals entered the businesses by cutting a hole in the roof or entering through air conditioning ducts. Police said the unusual technique let the criminals work without being seen.

"It's kind of a new thing to enter through the roof to avoid the burglar alarms," said Burleson police Sgt. Chris Havens.

Police worked for a year-and-a-half, hot on the trail of a group of men. They finally arrested 13 suspects.

Some of them are related.

Danny Seeders, his son Danny Seeders Jr., and two other family members—Bobby Seeders and Tammy Seeders Coleman—were part of the ring, along with Jerry and Michael Cato.

Three other suspects are women: Jimi McDonald, Cassandra Glass and Deborah Orman.

Police said Eddie Beggs, Albert Massey and two others rounded out the rest of the suspects.

Police from 28 agencies said the group was responsible for more than 250 burglaries in Texas and Olkahoma. In most cases, police said the gang went right for the safes in most businesses.

They got away with a total estimated at $750,000.

Police scheduled a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss details of the case.

[TexasStooge]

Hinojosa outlines Dallas ISD objectives

By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s ambitions to transform DISD into the nation’s top-performing urban education system will require an estimated $8.7 million in new programs and employees.

The plan is also likely to shuffle scores of educators into new jobs aimed at boosting student achievement and streamlining teaching across the district.

Those ideas, outlined in a report to be presented to trustees Wednesday, add meat to the skeletal plan that Dr. Hinojosa laid out weeks ago of having DISD’s academics recognized nationally by 2010.

His plan ranges from the common-sense - ensuring a common curriculum - to the aggressive, including the implementation of a district-wide, fully-staffed bilingual program.

Changes could begin as early as March, when trustees are expected to review a wholesale revamping of the district’s teachers training program.

Dr. Hinojosa has said that substantial improvements in DISD will not come without extensive changes in the district’s entrenched bureaucracy.

Among the plan’s highlights:

• The hiring of a district data czar who could boil all district achievement data into useful information that can drive improvement.

• A $4-million proposal to build more collaborative work time for teachers into the school day.

• A requirement that teachers use their training days to fix weaknesses. Currently, teachers attend workshops of their choosing.

• The evaluation of principals, in part, on how well they monitor instruction at their schools.

• The deployment of 48 math and science coaches to the lowest-performing schools.

The plan was developed with advice from the National Center for Educational Accountability, a school-improvement group that studies what makes school districts successful. Dr. Hinojosa hired the group to advise him on turning Dallas ISD around.

[rainstorm]

Police announce rooftop burglar roundup

By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8

BRIDGEPORT, Texas — Fourteen people are under arrest in Wise County in connection with a string of 250 business burglaries spanning two states.

Police said they used DNA evidence to link the gang to the brazen crimes.

In most cases, the criminals entered the businesses by cutting a hole in the roof or entering through air conditioning ducts. Police said the unusual technique let the criminals work without being seen.

"It's kind of a new thing to enter through the roof to avoid the burglar alarms," said Burleson police Sgt. Chris Havens.

Police worked for a year-and-a-half, hot on the trail of a group of men. They finally arrested 13 suspects.

Some of them are related.

Danny Seeders, his son Danny Seeders Jr., and two other family members—Bobby Seeders and Tammy Seeders Coleman—were part of the ring, along with Jerry and Michael Cato.

Three other suspects are women: Jimi McDonald, Cassandra Glass and Deborah Orman.

Police said Eddie Beggs, Albert Massey and two others rounded out the rest of the suspects.

Police from 28 agencies said the group was responsible for more than 250 burglaries in Texas and Olkahoma. In most cases, police said the gang went right for the safes in most businesses.

They got away with a total estimated at $750,000.

Police scheduled a news conference Tuesday afternoon to discuss details of the case.

good job by the cops

[TexasStooge]

Son's death leads to recreational pill use caution

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

RICHARDSON, Texas - The Tomerlins said their 16-year-old son Richard had problems with drugs before, but they said they believe last Friday it cost him his life.

He had spent the night at a friend's Fort Worth apartment where friends said he took at least six pills.

"In the morning, when it was time for all the kids to wake up and do whatever they do on Saturday morning, they couldn't wake him up," said Susi Tomerlin, Richard's mother.

"When I had to go and pick out a coffin for a 16-year-old child, and when I had to read the obituary for my 16-year-old son and everybody on the page with my son was 50 and 60 and 70-years-old," she said of the devastating pain of his death at such a young age.

North Texas drug counselors said prescription drugs, like pain killers Vicodin and Oxycontin and the anxiety reducer Xanax, have become the drugs of choice for many teens. They also said many youngsters are finding the drugs in their parents' medicine cabinets.

"I mean, they give you 60 pills or something, and then you hurt for three or four days," said Bill Tomerlin, Richard's father. "So, you have taken four or six and you've got 50 or something left in your medicine cabinet and you don't think nothing about it."

In Richard Tomerlin's obituary, his parents asked young people to stop and realize the fatal mistake that can happen when taking pills and want parents to take a more active role in their kids' lives.

"Momma and daddy got to start paying attention to what their kids are doing," Bill Tomerlin said. "When a child makes this mistake, it's final."

[TexasStooge]

Derby scuffle officer has internal affairs history

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas police officer accused of using excessive force while placing a female roller skating on Elm Street under arrest Saturday is not a stranger to such allegations, according to police records.

The Dallas Police Department has launched an internal affairs investigation into the scuffle that occurred between Officer Ceaphus Gordon and Michelle Metzinger, a 25-year-old roller derby skater for Assassination City.

However, it will not be the department's first look into the 15-year Dallas police veteran's actions.

Police records show since 1994 there have been at least six allegations of excessive force, physical abuse or assault.

Gordon has been disciplined twice for escalating or participating in a disturbance and once for conduct discrediting the department.

Many witnesses who saw the latest incident said they have no doubt that Gordon used excessive force Saturday night.

One witness called Gordon's actions "a textbook example of unnecessary, excessive force."

"He grabbed her again by the hair, flipped her down on the ground and planted a knee on the side of her head and cut her face up on the concrete," said witness Derek Conway.

Dallas police Chief David Kunkle said the department is taking the allegation seriously.

"We just thought it was good to start the investigation now while the memories of the witnesses are fresh and they'll be easy to find," Kunkle said.

Officer Gordon claimed Metzinger was trying to gouge his eyes while struggling with him when the incident occurred.

While witnesses said Officer Gordon's force was unnecessary, some who live and work in Deep Ellum said police have a tough job policing the area.

"The police here are all wired up late at night," said Barry Annino, President of Deep Ellum Improvement. "It's a very sensitive time, so I can see how things might happen if you're pressing them."

Some of the probes into allegations pointed at Officer Gordon were inconclusive, and he has received some commendations for good work.

Meanwhile, Metzinger and her attorney said they may also file a complaint against him.

[TexasStooge]

Homeless man suspected of being set on fire

By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Police are searching for a suspect after they said they believe someone set a homeless man on fire that burnt over 75 percent of his body Monday night in the 800 block of Industrial Boulevard near downtown Dallas.

Doctors said there is evidence that the victim was doused with an accelerant from behind.

As night manager of a gas station near downtown Dallas, Augusti Morales said he has seen his share of street crimes and homeless residents looking for food or a drink.

However, it was still a shock when Morales found Francisco Ramirez on fire behind his store. Ramirez helped beat down the flames, which triggered a small grass fire near Interstate 35.

One of the eight patients in Parkland Memorial Hospital's Burn Intensive Care Unit, his family said Ramirez may not live and is fighting to survive.

Ramirez, who his family calls Paco, has another name on the streets, 'The Boxer.'

While he is still fighting to survive, doctors said they give him a 20 percent chance of surviving his burns.

[TexasStooge]

A struggle with new street names

Cities, developers slow in getting show on the road

By LEE POWELL / The Dallas Morning News

On stadiums, names come with a price.

Infants have no choice.

With streets, bureaucracy decides.

As North Texas sprawls, the search is on for street names.

Every house on every cul-de-sac in every new subdivision needs an address with a non-repetitious, doesn't-sound-like-something-else, easy-to-pronounce-in-a-pinch name.

It has become an increasingly tough task with Dallas-Fort Worth maps already crammed with street names. And the area's zooming growth means more streets and more names.

McKinney has built about half its expected street grid. Some planned streets – major ones – have been drawn into plans, nameless. Other monikers – almost 600 – are already reserved.

Here, significant streets get labeled by the city, residential ones by developers.

Names are tacked to subdivision plans daily, officials say. McKinney is expected to someday rival Arlington in people.

"With a fast-growing city you have issues with 'that's my name, I came up with it first,' " said John Kessel, McKinney's executive director of development services. "You've got to have a system where people turn in plats and, to some degree, reserve names. We've sort of grown into that system."

But to the south, Plano is just about done building up, making the name game less of a chore.

Left behind in this suburb of suburbs: numerous variations on Spring, Park and Preston.

Preston Creek. Preston Meadow. Preston Park. Preston Ridge.

Settling on acceptable appellations falls to municipal government.

It goes something like this: developers dream up names for streets in their spreads, submitting a list to local government. Proposed names then wind their way through the channels, with lists checked, databases tapped. The opinions of police and fire officials weigh heavily in whether a name sticks or gets tossed.

"From a public safety communications standpoint, if someone's screaming across the phone at two in the morning, how is the dispatcher going to interpret what they're saying?" says David Abshier of the Plano Fire Department, who puts proposed names through the paces.

Roughly half of suggested names don't make it. The process involves a fair amount of back-and-forth between builder and government.

Of course, names matter: They set an area's tone, helping sell it.

"It is desirable to use a name which conveys class, sophistication and wealth," said Bill Shaddock of the Shaddock Development Co. in Plano, which developed parts of that city's tony Willow Bend area.

Still, developers often scramble for street-worthy names. Enter thoroughfares bearing names of a developer's kin, or themselves.

Consider Lambert Court in Plano.

"We needed a name," Ken Lambert, a Plano City Council member in the development business, said of his namesake.

Around the area, there's concrete named after universities, cities, golf courses – even U.S. presidents, in one McKinney subdivision.

In some places, proper names have fallen out of favor.

Monikers do not necessarily stay for all time.

Names do change: a stretch of Kingsley Road in Dallas recently became Walnut Hill Lane. In Frisco, Purgatory Drive suffered defeat and was replaced by Keystone Drive after neighbors said the old name made them uncomfortable.

Streets are often renamed to honor the famous: the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry.

Several years ago, plans to rename a Plano thoroughfare after Dr. King grew contentious. The city eventually decided to shy away from renaming streets or giving them more than one name.

So with all the streets and all the growth, any chance names will run out?

Mr. Shaddock, the developer, says dreaming up new names is getting tough because so many like-minded streets are already on the ground.

"The things you and I would normally think of as street names to establish a neighborhood 99 percent of the time have already been taken," he said. "So it becomes more frustrating trying to establish a theme."

Dr. Joel Goldsteen, a professor of city and regional planning, fears celebrity culture will seep into the process.

"You're probably looking at Jennifer Aniston Drive, Julia Roberts Place to add the cachet," said Dr. Goldsteen of the University of Texas at Arlington. "It's insane."

Not likely, city planning types say.

"Anytime you've got something that stands the test of time, that's reasonable," said Mr. Kessel, the McKinney official. "People, places, themes that are not pop culture."

Dr. Goldsteen suggests that arts and humanities folks come up with street names.

"Let's get some aesthetic to the naming," he said. "Leave it to a panel of people that are not engineers, that are not planners who don't have time to do it and are not developers who want to name everything after their baby."

He sees thoroughfares paying homage to great authors, other stretches perhaps named after mariners or the like.

"Really having a bunch of humanities people in the process would take it up a notch," Dr. Goldsteen said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT'S IN A NAME

Street name themes vary widely in the Dallas area. The following is a sampling:

VARYING THEMES

ROWLETT:

Courageous Drive
Liberty Lane
Intrepid Lane
America's Cup
Pacific Pearl Drive
Defender Lane
Yacht Club Drive

DALLAS:

Cinderella Lane
Pinocchio Drive
Snow White Drive
Aladdin Drive
Peter Pan Drive
Sleepy Lane
Dwarfs Circle

JUST DIFFERENT:

Adjective Street (Dallas)
Algebra Drive (Dallas)
Autobahn Drive (Dallas)
Balalaika Road (Dallas)
Band Box Place (Dallas)
Barfknecht Lane (Lewisville)
Bow & Arrow Drive (Dallas)
Bridal Wreath Lane (Dallas)
Bye Bye Lane (Dallas)
Dame Pattie (Rockwall)
Diablo Grande Drive (Frisco)
Goldeneyes Lane (McKinney)
Happy Bear (Glenn Heights)
Khyber Pass (Plano)
Luau Circle (Mesquite)
Monkey Run Road (Collin Co.)
Star Trek Lane (Garland)
Wingtip Street (Dallas)

SOURCE: Dallas Morning News research

[TexasStooge]

Drug mess leaves pharmacists dazed

Medicare says it's addressing woes as enrollees, tensions soar

By BOB MOOS / The Dallas Morning News

Medicare officials said Tuesday that they're resolving problems with the rollout of prescription drug coverage "one senior at a time."

But pharmacists, who have borne the brunt of the administrative glitches the last two weeks, wonder whether the worst is yet to come, as more seniors enroll.

Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt said Tuesday that 2.6 million older adults signed up for the new drug coverage in the last four weeks.

That's on top of the 21 million who had enrolled by mid-December.

Mr. Leavitt said the program is on track to meet its goal of signing up 28 million to 30 million people during its first year.

"We've got thousands of customer service representatives available by phone, anytime, and hundreds of caseworkers around the country, and, together with the states and our other partners, we're helping people get their problems resolved," he said.

But pharmacists such as Willard Stimpson at Cut Rate United Drugs in Dallas question how the problem-plagued program can take on millions more enrollees.

"The government didn't prepare well enough," he said. "It didn't do enough to explain to seniors what to expect when they went to their pharmacy after Jan. 1."

Mr. Stimpson said many of his lower-income customers whose coverage switched from Medicaid to Medicare at the beginning of the year don't know which insurer now covers them.

"The government randomly assigned them to plans and sent out letters informing them, but many of my seniors come to my pharmacy with no idea," he said.

After announcing the enrollment figures, Mr. Leavitt told seniors Tuesday not to leave a pharmacy empty-handed.

"There is no reason for you to go without your medicines or for you to have to pay more than you owe," he said.

He said Medicare has updated its computer databases and added operators at its call centers to make sure pharmacists can quickly verify customers' eligibility.

Paul Gibbs, a pharmacist who owns Gibbs Drug Store in Nocona, east of Wichita Falls, said he hasn't noticed any improvement in Medicare's verification system since Jan. 1.

"I've been at my pharmacy until midnight every night, putting in 80-hour weeks since the first of the year, trying to sort out my customers' drug coverage," he said. "I can't tell you how much this has disrupted my life and my business."

Mr. Gibbs said he has lent some customers seven to 10 days' worth of medications so they don't suffer while he works out their paperwork problems.

"I own a business, but I'm also responsible for their health," he said.

Other pharmacists who are handing out small supplies to tide over regular customers added that they can't afford to continue the practice for long.

States stepping in

Several states, including Arkansas, said last week that they will step in to reimburse pharmacies for costs related to the Medicare benefit, but Texas hasn't followed suit.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry said the state is studying its options and trying to quantify the problem.

State officials said they don't have any "definite data" on how widespread the problem is in Texas, but the ombudsman's office for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission received 432 calls about Medicare's drug coverage in the first two weeks of the year, compared with 424 calls on the topic during all of December.

"The governor shares the concerns of these Texans and understands the urgency of fixing this problem," said Rachael Novier, Mr. Perry's deputy press secretary. "We just want to take the proper course of action as a state, and that's what we're looking at and stressing right now. It's something that's on the front burner here."

Other state officials say they're wary of jumping in because the costs are uncertain and because they have other money squabbles with Washington, such as hurricane relief.

Federal officials have said that the government would help states recover drug costs from the private insurers.

'Full-scale effort'

Tony Salters, a spokesman for Medicare's regional office in Dallas, said his agency has assigned caseworkers to handle the most troublesome calls to its hotline at 1-800-633-4227.

Medicare has also called pharmacists' groups to make sure they know about recent improvements in the verification process.

"It's a full-scale effort to ensure pharmacists get the tools they need," he said.

Dan Jespersen, who owns Ben Franklin Apothecary in Duncanville, said he's resigned to working with the new benefit, despite its rocky rollout.

Mr. Jespersen said that many of the problems stemmed from people who waited until the end of the year to enroll and then tried to fill a prescription a couple of days later, without an ID card or acknowledgment letter from the insurer.

"Given the large number of seniors who delayed signing up, there were bound to be some hiccups," he said. "But it's the law of the land, so you live with it."

Despite Tuesday's enrollment figures, some seniors said they may delay signing up because of the horror stories they've heard in the last two weeks.

Gaylon Embrey of Quitman said he's in good health and will probably postpone a decision about drug coverage until the May 15 deadline for signing up.

"There are more wrinkles in this than my great-grandmother had," he said. "I need to sort it all out."

Robert T. Garrett of the Austin Bureau contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

No easy, cheap fix for Dallas ISD

Plan to get district to top tier may require job shuffling, cost millions

By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s ambitions to transform DISD into the nation’s top-performing urban education system could cost from $6 million to $8 million in new programs and employees.

Scores of educators also could be shuffled into new jobs aimed at boosting student achievement and making sure all schools teach the same skills at the same grades, according to a report to be presented to trustees Wednesday.

Those ideas add details to the skeletal plan Dr. Hinojosa laid out weeks ago for improving DISD’s academics with a goal of gaining national recognition by 2010.

His plan ranges from the common-sense – ensuring a common curriculum across the district – to the aggressive – implementation a district-wide, fully-staffed bilingual program.

Following through on the report’s recommendations won’t be easy or cheap. Full implementation will cost at least $6 million in the first year, although Dr. Hinojosa said the price could be as high as $10 million in the 2006-07 budget.

Dr. Hinojosa has said the next big hurdle is figuring out how to pay for the report’s recommendations. Simply expanding the district’s budget isn’t an option, he said. That means existing programs and expenditures will have to be cut to pay for the improvements.

Dr. Hinojosa acknowledged that isn’t likely to happen without a fight.

“The reallocation of resources is the next step,” he said Tuesday. “Where are we spending our money and where are going to stop spending? People are going to have to give [programs] up. There will be some squawking about that.”

The superintendent said he has retained the free services of a local analyst group to help determine where the money can come from.

The plan was developed with advice from the National Center for Educational Accountability, a school-improvement group that studies what makes school districts successful. Dr. Hinojosa hired the group to advise him on turning DISD around.

Changes could begin as early as March, when trustees are expected to review a wholesale revamping of the district’s teacher training program.

Final costs will depend on how much administrators reallocate from existing programs. For example, deploying math and science coaches could cost nothing if current teachers are reassigned, or it could cost $2.4 million if 48 new educators must be hired.

Also, the plan carried no price tag for one of the project’s most ambitious goals: providing bilingual programs to all students who qualify. Last school year, 34 percent of students with limited English proficiency in all grades passed all their state tests, compared with 49 percent of all students.

Dr. Hinojosa recently said the bilingual effort alone could require the hiring of more than a hundred new Spanish-speaking educators. And then there is the thorny issue of getting those teachers into classrooms now taught by veteran English-speaking teachers.

A survey of DISD teachers showed support for of the report’s recommendations. Earlier this month, the teachers’ organization Alliance/AFT asked every teacher with a DISD e-mail address to complete an on-line survey about the proposal. According to the organization, 875 teachers responded –roughly 10 percent of the district’s total.

More than 80 percent of the respondents said they strongly supported the creation of a coherent, unified curriculum. The only area that teachers did not strongly support was the full implementation of the bilingual program. Respondents overwhelmingly said that the district should tie teacher training and the use of consultants to the new academic goals.

Putting the overall plan into motion will initially generate a flurry of paper, policies and proposals. One of the first items underway is the creation of common curriculum that outlines what is to be taught and learned at each grade, in each subject.

It sounds basic, but no such curriculum blueprint exists for DISD. It’s an important change because DISD is home to thousands of mobile students who will switch schools several times during their education. Having a uniform curriculum will help those hard-to-reach students succeed, Dr. Hinojosa has said.

“I’m anxious to get this rolling,” he said.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PLAN

Superintendent Michael Hinojosa has begun rolling out the details of his ambitious plans to transform DISD into the nation’s “top urban school system.” Among the highlights of his plan are:

• A $4-million proposal to build more time into the school day for teachers to work together.

• Implement a fully staffed, district-wide bilingual program.

• A requirement that teachers use their training days to fix weaknesses. Currently, teachers attend workshops of their choosing.

• ;Evaluate principals, in part, on how well they monitor instruction at their schools. Principals would also be required to attend an additional 10 days of professional development to help their schools reach the plan’s academic goals.

• Deploy 48 math and science coaches to the lowest-performing schools.

• Implement a uniform, coherent testing program in the early grades that is tied to the district and state curriculum.

• Increase the instructional time at the lowest-performing schools.

• Hire a district data czar who will boil all district achievement data into useful information that can drive improvement.

Source: Dallas Independent School District records