News from the Lone Star State
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Wreck snarls Mixmaster traffic
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A key intersection in the downtown Dallas Mixmaster reopened to traffic Thursday morning, five hours after an 18-wheeler overturned, blocking the highway for rush hour motorists.
The truck flipped over about 3:30 a.m., spilling its load of paper rolls and forcing the shutdown of the ramps from eastbound and westbound Interstate 30 to northbound Central Expressway and diverting northbound traffic on Interstate 45.
No other vehicles were involved and the driver of the truck was not hurt.
Workers used a front end loader to dump the spilled paper over the ramp's railing while hazardous materials teams pumped diesel fuel from the disabled truck.
An attempt to upright the overturned trailer just before 8 a.m. failed when the vehicle broke apart. The debris was finally cleared away about 45 minutes later.
The cleanup caused backups of at least 20 minutes in all directions, and residual delays were reported even after the wreck was cleared.
Live Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A key intersection in the downtown Dallas Mixmaster reopened to traffic Thursday morning, five hours after an 18-wheeler overturned, blocking the highway for rush hour motorists.
The truck flipped over about 3:30 a.m., spilling its load of paper rolls and forcing the shutdown of the ramps from eastbound and westbound Interstate 30 to northbound Central Expressway and diverting northbound traffic on Interstate 45.
No other vehicles were involved and the driver of the truck was not hurt.
Workers used a front end loader to dump the spilled paper over the ramp's railing while hazardous materials teams pumped diesel fuel from the disabled truck.
An attempt to upright the overturned trailer just before 8 a.m. failed when the vehicle broke apart. The debris was finally cleared away about 45 minutes later.
The cleanup caused backups of at least 20 minutes in all directions, and residual delays were reported even after the wreck was cleared.
Live Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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Two arrested 'with 500 fake IDs'
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Two Dallas men have been arrested in one of the biggest cases of identity theft, according to the County District Attorney's office.
Police say they found hundreds of drivers' licenses, immigration documents and social security cards, along with the computer hardware and software to make fake IDs at a store in Dallas.
There were also marriage licenses.
The two men arrested are Onique Oni and Eddy Lara.
"When the arrest was made there were 500 fake drivers' licenses and documentation waiting for delivery," said Toby Shook from the Dallas County District Attorney's office.
Oni is well known in the community for running a successful tax preparation business and sporting goods store.
One customer who asked we not identify her says she does not feel her personal information has been compromised.
"I will stand by Oni to the very end because he has always done us right," she said. But others in the mall say they'll be looking closely at IDs, especially from new customers and people wanting to write checks.
Investigators say people needing the fake IDs would come to the store and pay $200 per ID or document.
So far both suspects are facing only state charges but federal investigators may be brought in.
By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Two Dallas men have been arrested in one of the biggest cases of identity theft, according to the County District Attorney's office.
Police say they found hundreds of drivers' licenses, immigration documents and social security cards, along with the computer hardware and software to make fake IDs at a store in Dallas.
There were also marriage licenses.
The two men arrested are Onique Oni and Eddy Lara.
"When the arrest was made there were 500 fake drivers' licenses and documentation waiting for delivery," said Toby Shook from the Dallas County District Attorney's office.
Oni is well known in the community for running a successful tax preparation business and sporting goods store.
One customer who asked we not identify her says she does not feel her personal information has been compromised.
"I will stand by Oni to the very end because he has always done us right," she said. But others in the mall say they'll be looking closely at IDs, especially from new customers and people wanting to write checks.
Investigators say people needing the fake IDs would come to the store and pay $200 per ID or document.
So far both suspects are facing only state charges but federal investigators may be brought in.
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Parents oppose measures to end school overcrowding
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Some Dallas parents are opposing a DISD plan to open a dozen new schools this fall.
Stemmons Elementary School in West Oak Cliff. is a prime example of the dilemma the district is facing.
The school has been forced to use portables to accommodate an overcrowded school.
The district plans to eliminate these portables, and at the same time reduce the student population from 1,100 to 600.
But it is the way the district is doing this that has parents protesting.
Next year, some students from every grade here will be sent to one of two other elementary schools, either Talbot or Webster, both nearly a mile away.
But parents want their children to remain at this neighborhood school. Overall, officials say at all three schools, class sizes will drop dramatically.
"This really is a positive thing for DISD," said Donnie Claxton, DISD spokesman. "We're getting students out of overcrowded buildings."
"They are already thinking about that and here we are right before the TAKS reading test for third graders and they are worried about where they are going to school next year," said Dianne Reed, Stemmons Elementary teacher.
This move is part of an overall realignment of school attendance zones to reduce the overcrowding district-wide.
Next year, 12 new schools are opening up in the district for this very purpose, all paid for by a bond issue which was passed in 2002.
Officials say this has been a plan that has been in the works for quite some time and they have held hearings for parents to voice their concerns.
DISD will vote on the issue tonight.
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Some Dallas parents are opposing a DISD plan to open a dozen new schools this fall.
Stemmons Elementary School in West Oak Cliff. is a prime example of the dilemma the district is facing.
The school has been forced to use portables to accommodate an overcrowded school.
The district plans to eliminate these portables, and at the same time reduce the student population from 1,100 to 600.
But it is the way the district is doing this that has parents protesting.
Next year, some students from every grade here will be sent to one of two other elementary schools, either Talbot or Webster, both nearly a mile away.
But parents want their children to remain at this neighborhood school. Overall, officials say at all three schools, class sizes will drop dramatically.
"This really is a positive thing for DISD," said Donnie Claxton, DISD spokesman. "We're getting students out of overcrowded buildings."
"They are already thinking about that and here we are right before the TAKS reading test for third graders and they are worried about where they are going to school next year," said Dianne Reed, Stemmons Elementary teacher.
This move is part of an overall realignment of school attendance zones to reduce the overcrowding district-wide.
Next year, 12 new schools are opening up in the district for this very purpose, all paid for by a bond issue which was passed in 2002.
Officials say this has been a plan that has been in the works for quite some time and they have held hearings for parents to voice their concerns.
DISD will vote on the issue tonight.
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Six dead in South Texas wreck
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — At least six people were killed and eight others were injured when a car-carrier slammed into a pickup loaded with people at a South Texas intersection early Thursday.
Jim Wells County sheriff's deputies said the accident happened on U.S. Highway 281 just before daybreak about 30 miles south of Alice, near La Gloria.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Jose Vicente Rodriguez confirmed the deaths of five men and one woman. No identities were released.
Roy Cervantes of U.S. Customs said some people in the pickup truck were suspected illegal immigrants.
The wounded were taken to hospitals in Corpus Christi and Alice.
A Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman said the Ford F-150 truck jammed with people ran a stop sign and drove into the path of the car-carrier, which was loaded with eight vehicles.
U.S. 281 between Falfurrias and Premont was closed while the accident was investigated.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — At least six people were killed and eight others were injured when a car-carrier slammed into a pickup loaded with people at a South Texas intersection early Thursday.
Jim Wells County sheriff's deputies said the accident happened on U.S. Highway 281 just before daybreak about 30 miles south of Alice, near La Gloria.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Jose Vicente Rodriguez confirmed the deaths of five men and one woman. No identities were released.
Roy Cervantes of U.S. Customs said some people in the pickup truck were suspected illegal immigrants.
The wounded were taken to hospitals in Corpus Christi and Alice.
A Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman said the Ford F-150 truck jammed with people ran a stop sign and drove into the path of the car-carrier, which was loaded with eight vehicles.
U.S. 281 between Falfurrias and Premont was closed while the accident was investigated.
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Web of lies lands Dallas man in federal prison
By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Mauricio Aguirre Orcutt was sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison Thursday for a series of lies that included forging a thank you note from President Bush to trick a magazine publisher into giving him rare, high-dollar fountain pens.
At the time of his April indictment, Mr. Orcutt was working as a dean for the Dallas Community College District, but the Harvard University transcript he used as credentials turned out to be bogus.
After the pen scheme unraveled, the 37-year-old Dallas man duped prosecutors into offering a probation deal by falsifying medical records saying he had a dire heart condition, according to court records. And as he awaited sentencing this summer, Mr. Orcutt got a London jeweler to mail him cufflinks that he said he would sell at a gathering attended by Prince Andrew.
"I have never seen a defendant who has been more deceptive throughout this whole judicial process," prosecutor Tammy Reno told the judge. "He is a master manipulator."
But Mr. Orcutt's defense attorney and family portrayed him as a troubled man, suffering depression, anxiety and narcissistic personality disorder.
His psychotherapist said his disorders were the result of sexual abuse he suffered as a child. The psychotherapist said at age 6, Mr. Orcutt had tried to commit suicide by drinking Drano.
"The naked reality is that the defendant is a 'Walter Mitty' living in a fantasy world," his attorney Michael Snipes wrote in court papers this week, referring to James Thurber's short story about a man absorbed by his imaginary adventures.
One after another Thursday, Mr. Orcutt, his mother and his wife pleaded with the U.S. District Judge Barefoot Sanders to give him another chance. They said that through close monitoring and therapy, Mr. Orcutt could become a productive member of society.
"I believe that together my love for him and his love for me and not wanting to live this kind of life, we can make it happen, and I beg the court to have mercy," said his wife Julie Aguirre Orcutt.
During the testimony, Mr. Orcutt wiped tears from his eyes. He often lingered at the court's podium and had to be directed back to his seat after his attorney had yielded the floor the prosecution.
"I'm fully aware that I need help and I want help," he said during his testimony.
In sentencing Mr. Orcutt to 57 months in prison, monetary restitution and mental health treatment, Judge Sanders said he received an eloquent letter from the defendant that showed he had the ability to straighten out his life. But the judge said he didn't want the court to bet on Mr. Orcutt one more time.
In 1996, Mr. Orcutt admitted using a lawyer's credit card to charter flights. And in 2000, he served four months in prison for using a fake U.S. State Department badge to try to talk the Hotel Crescent Court into giving him a free room.
Mr. Snipes said he anticipated that Mr. Orcutt would appeal.
By MICHAEL GRABELL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Mauricio Aguirre Orcutt was sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison Thursday for a series of lies that included forging a thank you note from President Bush to trick a magazine publisher into giving him rare, high-dollar fountain pens.
At the time of his April indictment, Mr. Orcutt was working as a dean for the Dallas Community College District, but the Harvard University transcript he used as credentials turned out to be bogus.
After the pen scheme unraveled, the 37-year-old Dallas man duped prosecutors into offering a probation deal by falsifying medical records saying he had a dire heart condition, according to court records. And as he awaited sentencing this summer, Mr. Orcutt got a London jeweler to mail him cufflinks that he said he would sell at a gathering attended by Prince Andrew.
"I have never seen a defendant who has been more deceptive throughout this whole judicial process," prosecutor Tammy Reno told the judge. "He is a master manipulator."
But Mr. Orcutt's defense attorney and family portrayed him as a troubled man, suffering depression, anxiety and narcissistic personality disorder.
His psychotherapist said his disorders were the result of sexual abuse he suffered as a child. The psychotherapist said at age 6, Mr. Orcutt had tried to commit suicide by drinking Drano.
"The naked reality is that the defendant is a 'Walter Mitty' living in a fantasy world," his attorney Michael Snipes wrote in court papers this week, referring to James Thurber's short story about a man absorbed by his imaginary adventures.
One after another Thursday, Mr. Orcutt, his mother and his wife pleaded with the U.S. District Judge Barefoot Sanders to give him another chance. They said that through close monitoring and therapy, Mr. Orcutt could become a productive member of society.
"I believe that together my love for him and his love for me and not wanting to live this kind of life, we can make it happen, and I beg the court to have mercy," said his wife Julie Aguirre Orcutt.
During the testimony, Mr. Orcutt wiped tears from his eyes. He often lingered at the court's podium and had to be directed back to his seat after his attorney had yielded the floor the prosecution.
"I'm fully aware that I need help and I want help," he said during his testimony.
In sentencing Mr. Orcutt to 57 months in prison, monetary restitution and mental health treatment, Judge Sanders said he received an eloquent letter from the defendant that showed he had the ability to straighten out his life. But the judge said he didn't want the court to bet on Mr. Orcutt one more time.
In 1996, Mr. Orcutt admitted using a lawyer's credit card to charter flights. And in 2000, he served four months in prison for using a fake U.S. State Department badge to try to talk the Hotel Crescent Court into giving him a free room.
Mr. Snipes said he anticipated that Mr. Orcutt would appeal.
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Family files lawsuit in UT fraternity death
HOUSTON, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) - The family of a University of Texas student who died of alcohol poisoning filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday against the fraternity the student was joining.
Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath, 18, died on Dec. 10 at an off-campus fraternity house. Tests revealed the student's blood alcohol level was .50 percent, more than six times the legal limit.
The teen's parents, Khongsavay and Soukha Phoummarath, filed the lawsuit in Harris County. The lawsuit names as defendants the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity chapter at UT and the national chapter, based in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Daniel Horowitz, an attorney for the Phoummaraths, said the family filed the lawsuit for three reasons.
"First and foremost is to try to find out exactly what happened," Horowitz said. "Second, the family doesn't want to see this to happen to anyone else. They also want to bring attention and awareness to the problems with college alcohol consumption."
The lawsuit was filed in Harris County instead of Travis County to ease the burden on the family, Horowitz said. The Phoummaraths live in Houston.
"This will make it easier for them to attend depositions and what not," Horowitz said.
Phoummarath, a freshman, pledged the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity last fall. Horowitz said he died at a party that was the final initiation for pledges before they became members.
"We believe that the pledges were either encouraged or required to drink all the alcohol that was at the party before the party was over," Horowitz said.
Horowitz said the family has not determined how much they will seek in damages.
"It's not something we're focused on right now," Horowitz said. "We're just trying to get facts and figure out exactly what happened."
Horowitz said it was unlikely that UT would be added as a defendant.
"Right now, our investigation doesn't show that that is necessary," Horowitz said.
HOUSTON, Texas (DallasNews.com/AP) - The family of a University of Texas student who died of alcohol poisoning filed a wrongful death lawsuit Thursday against the fraternity the student was joining.
Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath, 18, died on Dec. 10 at an off-campus fraternity house. Tests revealed the student's blood alcohol level was .50 percent, more than six times the legal limit.
The teen's parents, Khongsavay and Soukha Phoummarath, filed the lawsuit in Harris County. The lawsuit names as defendants the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity chapter at UT and the national chapter, based in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Daniel Horowitz, an attorney for the Phoummaraths, said the family filed the lawsuit for three reasons.
"First and foremost is to try to find out exactly what happened," Horowitz said. "Second, the family doesn't want to see this to happen to anyone else. They also want to bring attention and awareness to the problems with college alcohol consumption."
The lawsuit was filed in Harris County instead of Travis County to ease the burden on the family, Horowitz said. The Phoummaraths live in Houston.
"This will make it easier for them to attend depositions and what not," Horowitz said.
Phoummarath, a freshman, pledged the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity last fall. Horowitz said he died at a party that was the final initiation for pledges before they became members.
"We believe that the pledges were either encouraged or required to drink all the alcohol that was at the party before the party was over," Horowitz said.
Horowitz said the family has not determined how much they will seek in damages.
"It's not something we're focused on right now," Horowitz said. "We're just trying to get facts and figure out exactly what happened."
Horowitz said it was unlikely that UT would be added as a defendant.
"Right now, our investigation doesn't show that that is necessary," Horowitz said.
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Gap between rich, poor widens in Texas
By ANGELA SHAH / The Dallas Morning News
As the national economy expanded out of the tech recession, income inequality between Texas’ richest and poorest residents grew by a wider margin than in all but one state, according to a new report released Thursday.
“If inequality is a gulley in other states, it is a deep canyon in Texas,” said Don Baylor Jr., policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a liberal advocacy group in Austin.
Only New York had a greater gap among the haves and have-nots, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute, left-leaning groups in Washington. The Austin-based group is a state partner.
At stake is the state's future economic health, analysts said.
“There is no free lunch,” Mr. Baylor said. “If the state really wants to have a skilled and educated workforce, it needs to find some way to fund education and basic training. It’s impossible to have it both ways.”
The economic expansion of the 1990s, did yield significant gains for low-wage workers. But the economy’s rebounding in November 2001 did not bring the poor along, according to the study.
In the early part of this decade, the average income of the richest 20 percent of Texas families was $118,971 – more than eight times as much as incomes of the poorest 20 percent of families, whose average income was $14,724.
The disparity also extends to the gap between the richest and middle-income Texans, whose average income was $41,015.
Nationally, the incomes of the country’s highest-income families climbed substantially, while middle-income and low-wage families saw modest increases between the early 1980s and the early part of this decade.
Part of the reason for the disparity this decade could be that Texas was hit harder by the tech bust than other states, said Mike Davis, an economist at Southern Methodist University.
“When the tech sector crashes, it hurts Ohio a little bit,” he said. “It hurts Texas a lot. It may simply be us rebounding from the low we were in.”
The study blamed the growing gap on a number of macroeconomic factors including globalization, off-shoring, the shrinking of the manufacturing sector and a corresponding rise in low-paid service jobs.
Leaders could address this by raising the minimum wage and expanding support services geared to help low- to middle-income families.
“There are some legitimate income inequality issues that we can do some smart, proactive things about,” said economist Ray Perryman.
Most important among these, he added, is making sure the state’s Hispanic immigrants have access to education and better job training opportunities.
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data show strong earnings growth in Texas, including in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Workers averaged $21.20 per hour in March, a 4.8 percent increase from a year earlier, for the third consecutive year of strong earnings growth, the government said.
Dallas area wages climbed 3.5 percent in the prior year, and 4.3 percent in the year ended March 2003. Other government data show that North Texas levels have been consistently higher than those for the nation as a whole. That data shows average U.S. earnings in March 2005 at $18.42 per hour.
By ANGELA SHAH / The Dallas Morning News
As the national economy expanded out of the tech recession, income inequality between Texas’ richest and poorest residents grew by a wider margin than in all but one state, according to a new report released Thursday.
“If inequality is a gulley in other states, it is a deep canyon in Texas,” said Don Baylor Jr., policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, a liberal advocacy group in Austin.
Only New York had a greater gap among the haves and have-nots, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute, left-leaning groups in Washington. The Austin-based group is a state partner.
At stake is the state's future economic health, analysts said.
“There is no free lunch,” Mr. Baylor said. “If the state really wants to have a skilled and educated workforce, it needs to find some way to fund education and basic training. It’s impossible to have it both ways.”
The economic expansion of the 1990s, did yield significant gains for low-wage workers. But the economy’s rebounding in November 2001 did not bring the poor along, according to the study.
In the early part of this decade, the average income of the richest 20 percent of Texas families was $118,971 – more than eight times as much as incomes of the poorest 20 percent of families, whose average income was $14,724.
The disparity also extends to the gap between the richest and middle-income Texans, whose average income was $41,015.
Nationally, the incomes of the country’s highest-income families climbed substantially, while middle-income and low-wage families saw modest increases between the early 1980s and the early part of this decade.
Part of the reason for the disparity this decade could be that Texas was hit harder by the tech bust than other states, said Mike Davis, an economist at Southern Methodist University.
“When the tech sector crashes, it hurts Ohio a little bit,” he said. “It hurts Texas a lot. It may simply be us rebounding from the low we were in.”
The study blamed the growing gap on a number of macroeconomic factors including globalization, off-shoring, the shrinking of the manufacturing sector and a corresponding rise in low-paid service jobs.
Leaders could address this by raising the minimum wage and expanding support services geared to help low- to middle-income families.
“There are some legitimate income inequality issues that we can do some smart, proactive things about,” said economist Ray Perryman.
Most important among these, he added, is making sure the state’s Hispanic immigrants have access to education and better job training opportunities.
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data show strong earnings growth in Texas, including in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Workers averaged $21.20 per hour in March, a 4.8 percent increase from a year earlier, for the third consecutive year of strong earnings growth, the government said.
Dallas area wages climbed 3.5 percent in the prior year, and 4.3 percent in the year ended March 2003. Other government data show that North Texas levels have been consistently higher than those for the nation as a whole. That data shows average U.S. earnings in March 2005 at $18.42 per hour.
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A reason to cross the road
Developers say it's 'the catalyst to make growth jump over' North Central Expressway
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Work on North Dallas' next megashopping complex starts this weekend with a bang.
On Sunday, demolition crews will blow up a 10-story office tower on the east side of North Central Expressway at NorthPark Boulevard to make way for the new mixed-use development.
Along with an urban-style shopping complex, the 33-acre Park Lane Place will include apartments, condominiums, a hotel and office space.The price tag for the development is close to $400 million – even higher than the NorthPark Center shopping mall expansion under way across Central.
"We haven't really found anything of the magnitude of this – certainly not in Dallas," said Tod Ruble with developer Harvest Partners. "We're fully capitalized and will be starting all the construction on the site."
The first phase will include 550,000 square feet of shopping, 315 apartments, a 65,000-square-foot health club, a 201-room hotel and 50 high-rise condominiums.
The new buildings will line a boulevard that will be constructed from Blackwell Street north to Park Lane.
Two mirrored-glass office towers at the north end of the 33-acre site will remain in the development, along with Culinary Art Institute that occupies its own building.
A series of parking garages will be constructed along the east side of Central and elsewhere on the property to accommodate almost 5,000 cars.
Whole Foods Market plans an 80,000-square-foot store near the northwest corner of Greenville Avenue and Blackwell.
The developer plans to announce other tenants after construction starts.
"The first phase is about 65 percent leased," Mr. Ruble said. "We are now working on most of the restaurant-type leasing."
When complete, almost 1.9 million square feet of buildings will be on the site, which previously housed the NorthPark East office and retail complex.
Harvest Partners has spent more than two years working on the development.
"There's a lot of doubters, but when this comes out of the ground there will be a lot of activity," Mr. Ruble said.
But first, the 28-year-old NorthPark Three office tower has to come down. It occupies property that will be used for parking and the high-rise condos and hotel.
Mr. Ruble said the cost of converting the office tower to another use proved to be costly.
"We went through numerous studies on how to save that building," he said.
The Park Lane Place complex will be connected to the DART light rail station at Park Lane with a new pedestrian link.
"It will be transit-oriented, which is a huge buzz word these days," Mr. Ruble said.
PM Realty Group will develop the apartment buildings. The structures will include a low-rise loft building with ground-floor retail and a 16-story tower.
Dallas architects Good Fulton & Farrell designed the complex, working with Callison Architecture of Seattle.
Part of the development will be funded by almost $20 million in tax increment financing provided by the city of Dallas. City officials are hoping that Park Lane Place will be a shot in the arm to the area just east of Central.
"This truly is the catalyst to make growth jump over on the east side of North Central Expressway," Mr. Ruble said.
Traditionally some North Dallas shoppers have been reluctant to cross Central, real estate brokers say.
"The customer that lives west of Central will travel east for the right product," said Steve Lieberman with the Retail Connection. "The customer base is there.
"If you offer them a unique mix of retail and entertainment they will go," Mr. Lieberman said.
Construction of Park Lane Place is starting as expansion of NorthPark Center is winding up.
"NorthPark has been the premier shopping center for Dallas-Fort Worth," Mr. Lieberman said. "You are talking about an intersection that commands that type of investment."
Harvest Partners originally planned to build a more traditional shopping center centered around so called "big box" retailers.
"We didn't think that was the right thing to do," Mr. Ruble said. "This is probably one of the best undeveloped pieces of retail real estate in the country.
"Where else do you find 33 acres of zoned land in one of the top 10 markets in the country across the street from a top shopping mall?"
Developers say it's 'the catalyst to make growth jump over' North Central Expressway
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Work on North Dallas' next megashopping complex starts this weekend with a bang.
On Sunday, demolition crews will blow up a 10-story office tower on the east side of North Central Expressway at NorthPark Boulevard to make way for the new mixed-use development.
Along with an urban-style shopping complex, the 33-acre Park Lane Place will include apartments, condominiums, a hotel and office space.The price tag for the development is close to $400 million – even higher than the NorthPark Center shopping mall expansion under way across Central.
"We haven't really found anything of the magnitude of this – certainly not in Dallas," said Tod Ruble with developer Harvest Partners. "We're fully capitalized and will be starting all the construction on the site."
The first phase will include 550,000 square feet of shopping, 315 apartments, a 65,000-square-foot health club, a 201-room hotel and 50 high-rise condominiums.
The new buildings will line a boulevard that will be constructed from Blackwell Street north to Park Lane.
Two mirrored-glass office towers at the north end of the 33-acre site will remain in the development, along with Culinary Art Institute that occupies its own building.
A series of parking garages will be constructed along the east side of Central and elsewhere on the property to accommodate almost 5,000 cars.
Whole Foods Market plans an 80,000-square-foot store near the northwest corner of Greenville Avenue and Blackwell.
The developer plans to announce other tenants after construction starts.
"The first phase is about 65 percent leased," Mr. Ruble said. "We are now working on most of the restaurant-type leasing."
When complete, almost 1.9 million square feet of buildings will be on the site, which previously housed the NorthPark East office and retail complex.
Harvest Partners has spent more than two years working on the development.
"There's a lot of doubters, but when this comes out of the ground there will be a lot of activity," Mr. Ruble said.
But first, the 28-year-old NorthPark Three office tower has to come down. It occupies property that will be used for parking and the high-rise condos and hotel.
Mr. Ruble said the cost of converting the office tower to another use proved to be costly.
"We went through numerous studies on how to save that building," he said.
The Park Lane Place complex will be connected to the DART light rail station at Park Lane with a new pedestrian link.
"It will be transit-oriented, which is a huge buzz word these days," Mr. Ruble said.
PM Realty Group will develop the apartment buildings. The structures will include a low-rise loft building with ground-floor retail and a 16-story tower.
Dallas architects Good Fulton & Farrell designed the complex, working with Callison Architecture of Seattle.
Part of the development will be funded by almost $20 million in tax increment financing provided by the city of Dallas. City officials are hoping that Park Lane Place will be a shot in the arm to the area just east of Central.
"This truly is the catalyst to make growth jump over on the east side of North Central Expressway," Mr. Ruble said.
Traditionally some North Dallas shoppers have been reluctant to cross Central, real estate brokers say.
"The customer that lives west of Central will travel east for the right product," said Steve Lieberman with the Retail Connection. "The customer base is there.
"If you offer them a unique mix of retail and entertainment they will go," Mr. Lieberman said.
Construction of Park Lane Place is starting as expansion of NorthPark Center is winding up.
"NorthPark has been the premier shopping center for Dallas-Fort Worth," Mr. Lieberman said. "You are talking about an intersection that commands that type of investment."
Harvest Partners originally planned to build a more traditional shopping center centered around so called "big box" retailers.
"We didn't think that was the right thing to do," Mr. Ruble said. "This is probably one of the best undeveloped pieces of retail real estate in the country.
"Where else do you find 33 acres of zoned land in one of the top 10 markets in the country across the street from a top shopping mall?"
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Once again, teacher on leave after accusations
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - For the sixth time, 12-year veteran Mary Eaker is at home on paid leave from her teaching job awaiting results of another district investigation.
Four times since 2002, students have accused Eaker of rough contact that ranged from pushing one student to grabbing another's arm.
Eaker denies the charges.
"I was exonerated of all those other charges," Eaker said of past accusations.
In January, Eaker returned to the classroom after an 18 month investigation. But just three days into the semester, a female student at Stripling Middle School said Eaker grabbed her wrist and caused a mark.
Off camera, Eaker said the incident happened after a girl was caught putting on mascara in science class. She said she walked over to get the make-up and they bumped hands. She also said there was no mark left after the encounter.
Eaker said since the word has spread about past accusations, students have begun taking advantage of the situation.
"Yes, I'm being taken advantage of," Eaker said.
"In most cases, teachers are well within their rights," said Tanya Dawson, a lawyer with the United Educator's Association. "They need to maintain discipline, and most of the time children aren't harmed."
However, some officials have said after so many allegations something should be done.
"When a teacher receives four or five allegations like that, somewhere during that process the district is going to offer that teacher more training because there's obviously a classroom management problem," said Bobby Whiteside, Fort Worth Independent School District.
Eaker remains adamant the accusations against her are false.
"I've been unfairly accused," she said.
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - For the sixth time, 12-year veteran Mary Eaker is at home on paid leave from her teaching job awaiting results of another district investigation.
Four times since 2002, students have accused Eaker of rough contact that ranged from pushing one student to grabbing another's arm.
Eaker denies the charges.
"I was exonerated of all those other charges," Eaker said of past accusations.
In January, Eaker returned to the classroom after an 18 month investigation. But just three days into the semester, a female student at Stripling Middle School said Eaker grabbed her wrist and caused a mark.
Off camera, Eaker said the incident happened after a girl was caught putting on mascara in science class. She said she walked over to get the make-up and they bumped hands. She also said there was no mark left after the encounter.
Eaker said since the word has spread about past accusations, students have begun taking advantage of the situation.
"Yes, I'm being taken advantage of," Eaker said.
"In most cases, teachers are well within their rights," said Tanya Dawson, a lawyer with the United Educator's Association. "They need to maintain discipline, and most of the time children aren't harmed."
However, some officials have said after so many allegations something should be done.
"When a teacher receives four or five allegations like that, somewhere during that process the district is going to offer that teacher more training because there's obviously a classroom management problem," said Bobby Whiteside, Fort Worth Independent School District.
Eaker remains adamant the accusations against her are false.
"I've been unfairly accused," she said.
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Collin County cracks down after sex crime rise
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
Collin County authorities are on the hunt for predators responsible for a recent increase in sex crimes against children.
The county reported a 20 percent rise over the past 12 months, and according to officials, 96 percent of the victims know their abuser.
At least 20 criminal cases could go before a grand jury within the month and one victim has urged parents and the public to help expose abuse.
A shoulder rub and back massage soon progressed to sexual abuse that started when the victim was 11-years-old.
"As the kid who was picked on in school, it was kind of some attention," he said. "Any attention was good attention if it's bad or not."
The now 22-year-old man, who asked not to be identified, said his abuser was his mother's friend. However, he said she never knew what was going on and he didn't tell her.
"I was afraid of what he might say to my mother and what my family might feel," he said.
But after eight years of abuse, he said he found the courage to tell his mother and police.
The man responsible was recently convicted.
But more criminal cases have poured into the courthouse against other abusers. Seven indictments were handed down just this week alone.
"Well, as the population increases we can assume there is more predators out there," said Dan Powers, Children's Advocacy Center.
Officials with the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center said an aggressive effort to expose abuse through education has helped victims step forward sooner.
Retired Plano school principal, Connie Lewellen, said she witnessed outcries from children as young as 5-years-old.
"I can't even describe it," she said. "It breaks my heart when I seen children that are hurting so much."
Some parents who said they moved to Collin County because of a lower crime rate said they are teaching their children about any potential danger.
"We're teaching them as much as we can at this age, what is good and not good with strangers and other people," said parent Emily Morris.
By MARY ANN RAZZUK / WFAA ABC 8
Collin County authorities are on the hunt for predators responsible for a recent increase in sex crimes against children.
The county reported a 20 percent rise over the past 12 months, and according to officials, 96 percent of the victims know their abuser.
At least 20 criminal cases could go before a grand jury within the month and one victim has urged parents and the public to help expose abuse.
A shoulder rub and back massage soon progressed to sexual abuse that started when the victim was 11-years-old.
"As the kid who was picked on in school, it was kind of some attention," he said. "Any attention was good attention if it's bad or not."
The now 22-year-old man, who asked not to be identified, said his abuser was his mother's friend. However, he said she never knew what was going on and he didn't tell her.
"I was afraid of what he might say to my mother and what my family might feel," he said.
But after eight years of abuse, he said he found the courage to tell his mother and police.
The man responsible was recently convicted.
But more criminal cases have poured into the courthouse against other abusers. Seven indictments were handed down just this week alone.
"Well, as the population increases we can assume there is more predators out there," said Dan Powers, Children's Advocacy Center.
Officials with the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center said an aggressive effort to expose abuse through education has helped victims step forward sooner.
Retired Plano school principal, Connie Lewellen, said she witnessed outcries from children as young as 5-years-old.
"I can't even describe it," she said. "It breaks my heart when I seen children that are hurting so much."
Some parents who said they moved to Collin County because of a lower crime rate said they are teaching their children about any potential danger.
"We're teaching them as much as we can at this age, what is good and not good with strangers and other people," said parent Emily Morris.
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Husband arrested in pregant wife's murder
By Rebecca Lopez / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The husband of a 28-year-old mother who was found murdered Thursday morning inside a South Dallas home with her six children inside was charged with capital murder in the death of his wife and her unborn fetus.
Authorities found Demetria Johnson inside her home in the 900 block of Bluewood, and an autopsy later determined she was 20 weeks pregnant.
Police said sometime Wednesday night the children said there was a domestic disturbance between Demetria Johnson and her husband, Gerald Johnson. However, police were not called until Thursday morning when one of the children made a call to the police after the mother was found unconscious.
Neighbors said they used to watch the mother play with her children, who range from infant age to 8-years-old, outside her home.
"They were there everyday, and she dressed them and kept them clean," said neighbor Olivia Hudson.
They also said it is hard to believe the pregnant woman may have been killed in front of her children.
"That's what terrifies me the most," Hudson said. "That's what saddens me the most that the babies were there."
Neighbor Rita Young called the death "awful and horrendous."
"Any individual who would do something like this has no conscience," she said.
However, police said it wasn't the first time there was problems at the Johnson home. In November, police were called to the home.
Johnson had told police that her husband had threatened to kill her and then burn down the home.
While neighbors said the family hadn't lived at the location long, they were still saddened by the news.
"I will pray for these individuals because it is just awful," Young said. "These are my two children in the back, and I love them. They are beautiful children. I can't fathom the idea."
The husband's family said police picked him up at his mother's home Thursday morning and he had several warrants for his arrest for other crimes.
The children were placed with children advocates from the Dallas Police Department.
Johnson's husband is being questioned, but has not been charged with any crime related to his wife's murder.
By Rebecca Lopez / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - The husband of a 28-year-old mother who was found murdered Thursday morning inside a South Dallas home with her six children inside was charged with capital murder in the death of his wife and her unborn fetus.
Authorities found Demetria Johnson inside her home in the 900 block of Bluewood, and an autopsy later determined she was 20 weeks pregnant.
Police said sometime Wednesday night the children said there was a domestic disturbance between Demetria Johnson and her husband, Gerald Johnson. However, police were not called until Thursday morning when one of the children made a call to the police after the mother was found unconscious.
Neighbors said they used to watch the mother play with her children, who range from infant age to 8-years-old, outside her home.
"They were there everyday, and she dressed them and kept them clean," said neighbor Olivia Hudson.
They also said it is hard to believe the pregnant woman may have been killed in front of her children.
"That's what terrifies me the most," Hudson said. "That's what saddens me the most that the babies were there."
Neighbor Rita Young called the death "awful and horrendous."
"Any individual who would do something like this has no conscience," she said.
However, police said it wasn't the first time there was problems at the Johnson home. In November, police were called to the home.
Johnson had told police that her husband had threatened to kill her and then burn down the home.
While neighbors said the family hadn't lived at the location long, they were still saddened by the news.
"I will pray for these individuals because it is just awful," Young said. "These are my two children in the back, and I love them. They are beautiful children. I can't fathom the idea."
The husband's family said police picked him up at his mother's home Thursday morning and he had several warrants for his arrest for other crimes.
The children were placed with children advocates from the Dallas Police Department.
Johnson's husband is being questioned, but has not been charged with any crime related to his wife's murder.
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$10,000 award posted to find hit-and-run driver
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
GARLAND, Texas - A year ago today, 41-year-old Amy Francis of Garland went for a walk with her son.
It seemed an innocent choice at the time but a hit-and-run driver changed all of that.
Strangers are now pushing a renewed effort to find her killer.
Dick Francis never stops loving his beautiful wife, Amy, always smiling in his favorite picture.
"It feels like yesterday. Every day feels like yesterday." "I keep [her photo] by my bed. How's she look to you. She looks like a million bucks, don't she? She doesn't look 41 does she?" he says.
One year ago, the mother of four was struck and killed by a hit and run driver, as she crossed the street at Jupiter and McRee, in northeast Dallas.
The four-door tan car, and its driver have never been found. "Somebody out there knows about this, and somebody's going to collect that $10,000, and when they do, they'll feel right in their heart that they did it."
A $10,000 reward from Schepp's Dairy leads to an arrest about 25 percent of the time. "The case is alive; I'm going to keep it alive."
Just like his wife's organs are keeping other people alive. Wanda Adams recieved Amy's heart, and Dick Francis wheeled the thankful patient out of the hospital.
"She saved a total of five lives and gave sight to two. I've been fortunate enough to meet three of the folks and it's really helped us get through."
But still no closure for Francis.
Anyone with information should call the Dallas police department.
The reward offer is good for six months.
By DON WALL / WFAA ABC 8
GARLAND, Texas - A year ago today, 41-year-old Amy Francis of Garland went for a walk with her son.
It seemed an innocent choice at the time but a hit-and-run driver changed all of that.
Strangers are now pushing a renewed effort to find her killer.
Dick Francis never stops loving his beautiful wife, Amy, always smiling in his favorite picture.
"It feels like yesterday. Every day feels like yesterday." "I keep [her photo] by my bed. How's she look to you. She looks like a million bucks, don't she? She doesn't look 41 does she?" he says.
One year ago, the mother of four was struck and killed by a hit and run driver, as she crossed the street at Jupiter and McRee, in northeast Dallas.
The four-door tan car, and its driver have never been found. "Somebody out there knows about this, and somebody's going to collect that $10,000, and when they do, they'll feel right in their heart that they did it."
A $10,000 reward from Schepp's Dairy leads to an arrest about 25 percent of the time. "The case is alive; I'm going to keep it alive."
Just like his wife's organs are keeping other people alive. Wanda Adams recieved Amy's heart, and Dick Francis wheeled the thankful patient out of the hospital.
"She saved a total of five lives and gave sight to two. I've been fortunate enough to meet three of the folks and it's really helped us get through."
But still no closure for Francis.
Anyone with information should call the Dallas police department.
The reward offer is good for six months.
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6th grade moves up in Dallas ISD
Middle schools expanded; trustees change feeder patterns, much to some parents' dismay
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school trustees approved a massive realignment of school attendance zones and feeder patterns Thursday night, a move that will send half the district's sixth-graders to new middle schools next year.
Several parents turned out to protest the move, saying the changes will not alleviate crowding at some schools and will create longer bus rides for some children attending others.
One parent, Sandra Lopez, criticized the district for waiting too long to announce its plans. She said parents at her school weren't informed until Dec. 14.
"Why wait so long?" she asked. "And what about the parents who still haven't been informed?"
Another parent, Elisa Loera, who has two children at Molina High School, questioned whether the changes would relieve overcrowding there.
"You will still have four elementary schools feeding into Molina," she said. "They will just be changed around."
In the end, however, trustees voted 8-0 to move forward with the plan, though they acknowledged that the district could have done more to include parental input earlier in the process.
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa acknowledged the angst the changes are causing some parents. But, he said, new schools have to be filled up with kids, and those kids have to come from somewhere.
"This is a difficult proposition," he said. "It's difficult for families to change."
The reconfiguration would send sixth-graders from 56 elementary schools and learning centers to 17 middle schools beginning next school year. The shift is part of a larger plan to adjust school attendance zones and feeder patterns as the district prepares to open 12 new schools this August.
The proposal will allow the district to alleviate crowding at many elementary schools and make more efficient use of space at the larger middle schools, the district has said.
Trustees said the district began laying the groundwork for the changes back in 2002 after voters approved the construction of two dozen new schools. Some of those schools have already opened, forcing similar attendance changes at three schools. Another 17 schools will also be changed when construction is completed on the remaining schools.
Middle schools expanded; trustees change feeder patterns, much to some parents' dismay
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - Dallas school trustees approved a massive realignment of school attendance zones and feeder patterns Thursday night, a move that will send half the district's sixth-graders to new middle schools next year.
Several parents turned out to protest the move, saying the changes will not alleviate crowding at some schools and will create longer bus rides for some children attending others.
One parent, Sandra Lopez, criticized the district for waiting too long to announce its plans. She said parents at her school weren't informed until Dec. 14.
"Why wait so long?" she asked. "And what about the parents who still haven't been informed?"
Another parent, Elisa Loera, who has two children at Molina High School, questioned whether the changes would relieve overcrowding there.
"You will still have four elementary schools feeding into Molina," she said. "They will just be changed around."
In the end, however, trustees voted 8-0 to move forward with the plan, though they acknowledged that the district could have done more to include parental input earlier in the process.
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa acknowledged the angst the changes are causing some parents. But, he said, new schools have to be filled up with kids, and those kids have to come from somewhere.
"This is a difficult proposition," he said. "It's difficult for families to change."
The reconfiguration would send sixth-graders from 56 elementary schools and learning centers to 17 middle schools beginning next school year. The shift is part of a larger plan to adjust school attendance zones and feeder patterns as the district prepares to open 12 new schools this August.
The proposal will allow the district to alleviate crowding at many elementary schools and make more efficient use of space at the larger middle schools, the district has said.
Trustees said the district began laying the groundwork for the changes back in 2002 after voters approved the construction of two dozen new schools. Some of those schools have already opened, forcing similar attendance changes at three schools. Another 17 schools will also be changed when construction is completed on the remaining schools.
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Woman pleads no contest in toll case
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / DallasNews.com
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas woman accused of owing $75,963 for passing through North Texas tollbooths without paying was given until Oct. 31 to make restitution.
Evangelina Gonzalez, 41, pleaded no contest Thursday in a Dallas County courtroom to three misdemeanor citations for failure to pay tolls.
She has agreed to pay a tenth of the total owed, or $7,596, to the North Texas Tollway Authority in 10 monthly installments before her next court appearance, which was set for Nov. 14, according to court documents.
Ms. Gonzalez had distinguished herself by accruing the highest fees ever owed by a violator in North Texas, tollway authority officials had said.
Had she used a TollTag, Ms. Gonzalez's travels would have cost about $1,800. But tollway officials have said she drove her 2003 Toyota Corolla through the booths nearly 3,000 times without paying between June 7, 2003, and Nov. 15, 2005.
The tollway authority sent at least 288 notices of nonpayment to her last known address listed on her vehicle registration, none of which were returned as undeliverable, court documents state.
As the $25 administrative fees for each violation began piling up, she came to owe more than 42 times the original amount.
If she fails to fulfill the terms of the agreement, or if she incurs additional toll booth violations, the tollway authority could seek to void the agreement and pursue the full amount owed, according to court documents.
"It was more than fair," Ms. Gonzalez's attorney, Michael Stephens, said of the deal.
Attorney Marcelle Jones characterized the tollway authority as “satisfied” with the arrangement, as it is never the agency’s intent to place an undue burden on drivers
"We realize that there are maybe other financial constraints that she has. This is a settlement that she was able to provide to us and that again is in the best interest of the organization," Ms. Jones said. "We will still recoup as much of our costs in the tolls that we think is appropriate."
If Ms. Gonzalez meets the agreement’s terms, the prosecutor may choose to dismiss the citations against her, with approval from the tollway authority, Ms. Jones said.
However, the defendant still faces citations in Collin County stemming from the case, Ms. Jones said.
Ms. Gonzalez is not the only repeat offender on the tollway authority’s list. According to recent data, the top 10 offenders owe a combined $446,733 in fees and fines.
The No. 2 offender has 2,258 violations totaling $58,338 on his record with the tollway authority, while the next person on the list owes $47,144 for 1,841 violations.
The tollway authority serves Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and is responsible for the Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel and Mountain Creek Lake Bridge. Tolls are collected to repay bond debt and to operate and maintain the roadways.
DallasNews.com staff writer Linda Leavell contributed to this report.
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / DallasNews.com
DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas woman accused of owing $75,963 for passing through North Texas tollbooths without paying was given until Oct. 31 to make restitution.
Evangelina Gonzalez, 41, pleaded no contest Thursday in a Dallas County courtroom to three misdemeanor citations for failure to pay tolls.
She has agreed to pay a tenth of the total owed, or $7,596, to the North Texas Tollway Authority in 10 monthly installments before her next court appearance, which was set for Nov. 14, according to court documents.
Ms. Gonzalez had distinguished herself by accruing the highest fees ever owed by a violator in North Texas, tollway authority officials had said.
Had she used a TollTag, Ms. Gonzalez's travels would have cost about $1,800. But tollway officials have said she drove her 2003 Toyota Corolla through the booths nearly 3,000 times without paying between June 7, 2003, and Nov. 15, 2005.
The tollway authority sent at least 288 notices of nonpayment to her last known address listed on her vehicle registration, none of which were returned as undeliverable, court documents state.
As the $25 administrative fees for each violation began piling up, she came to owe more than 42 times the original amount.
If she fails to fulfill the terms of the agreement, or if she incurs additional toll booth violations, the tollway authority could seek to void the agreement and pursue the full amount owed, according to court documents.
"It was more than fair," Ms. Gonzalez's attorney, Michael Stephens, said of the deal.
Attorney Marcelle Jones characterized the tollway authority as “satisfied” with the arrangement, as it is never the agency’s intent to place an undue burden on drivers
"We realize that there are maybe other financial constraints that she has. This is a settlement that she was able to provide to us and that again is in the best interest of the organization," Ms. Jones said. "We will still recoup as much of our costs in the tolls that we think is appropriate."
If Ms. Gonzalez meets the agreement’s terms, the prosecutor may choose to dismiss the citations against her, with approval from the tollway authority, Ms. Jones said.
However, the defendant still faces citations in Collin County stemming from the case, Ms. Jones said.
Ms. Gonzalez is not the only repeat offender on the tollway authority’s list. According to recent data, the top 10 offenders owe a combined $446,733 in fees and fines.
The No. 2 offender has 2,258 violations totaling $58,338 on his record with the tollway authority, while the next person on the list owes $47,144 for 1,841 violations.
The tollway authority serves Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties and is responsible for the Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel and Mountain Creek Lake Bridge. Tolls are collected to repay bond debt and to operate and maintain the roadways.
DallasNews.com staff writer Linda Leavell contributed to this report.
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Keller shooting victim identified
KELLER, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office Thursday identified one of the two men found dead in an isolated Keller home on Wednesday.
Armando Perez, 22, was found in a back bedroom of the home at 1100 N. Main St. along with another man, believed to be his cousin. Both men had been shot.
Police on Thursday said they had no suspects.
Police seized drugs from the home, but said it was unclear whether the shootings were drug-related.
Police went to the home after a relative called 911 Wednesday morning and said she had found one of the bodies.
KELLER, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office Thursday identified one of the two men found dead in an isolated Keller home on Wednesday.
Armando Perez, 22, was found in a back bedroom of the home at 1100 N. Main St. along with another man, believed to be his cousin. Both men had been shot.
Police on Thursday said they had no suspects.
Police seized drugs from the home, but said it was unclear whether the shootings were drug-related.
Police went to the home after a relative called 911 Wednesday morning and said she had found one of the bodies.
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Incursion at border widens rift
Drug smuggling showdown in West Texas triggers war of words between U.S., Mexican officials
By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT / The Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON – U.S. and Mexican authorities traded sharp words Thursday over a troubling incursion into West Texas earlier this week of heavily armed drug traffickers in Mexican military-style garb.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn said he was disappointed "in the failure of the government officials in Mexico to act on the intrusions of American sovereignty," noting that Monday's showdown between drug traffickers and Texas law enforcement authorities was far from the first incursion on U.S. soil by purported Mexican military officers. And he pledged that his Senate immigration subcommittee would convene hearings within weeks.
Mexico's foreign secretary, meanwhile, suggested that Americans, not Mexicans, might have been disguised as Mexican troops.
The spat threatens to worsen a U.S.-Mexican relationship already made tense over a tough border-enforcement bill pending in Congress and the Bush administration's inability to deliver on a promised immigration liberalization accord that would benefit millions of Mexicans living illegally in the U.S.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez said the uniformed men who used a military-style Humvee to help the drug smugglers being chased by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and Hudspeth County sheriff's deputies may have been U.S. soldiers or criminals. But he offered no evidence to back his suggestion.
"There is a supposition here that this involved Mexican citizens, and that is absolutely incorrect," Mr. Derbez said. "There would have to have been racial descriptions, and that would imply a certain element of racial discrimination on the part of the American sheriffs."
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke declined to address Mr. Derbez's speculation that the traffickers were American. "It is being thoroughly investigated and as a matter of practice, we do not comment on investigations," he said.
Mr. Derbez bristled Thursday at a sharply worded statement issued by U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza demanding a full investigation by the Mexican government into the incursion, which occurred about 50 miles east of El Paso. Mr. Derbez called the comments out of line, and he said he would send a diplomatic note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanding that U.S. officials tone down their rhetoric.
Monday's incursion has touched off a wave of concern on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are under growing public pressure to improve security along the porous U.S.-Mexico border.
"We don't know, of course, who these people were," Mr. Cornyn said. "It's easy to buy uniforms, and as we know, unfortunately, Mexico has some domestic problems with regards to law enforcement, drug cartels and even organized crime engaged in human smuggling."
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison demanded a full investigation and report to Congress.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an arm of the Homeland Security Department, has launched an inquiry into Monday's incident. And Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., has asked the State Department to initiate a formal investigation and talks with Mexican officials to prevent further incursions. Mr. Kyl, who chairs the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on terrorism and homeland security, plans hearings on the incursions in March.
The U.S. government has asked the Mexican government for a "thorough investigation and prompt response," Mr. Knocke said.
Ms. Hutchison urged the Homeland Security Department to examine the estimated 231 incursions into the U.S. over the last decade. She also requested a report to Congress on what preventive measures – including fencing – could be used to secure the border.
"Make no mistake – this is only a symptom of a much larger problem," she wrote Mr. Chertoff. "Even after 9/11, our nation's borders remain porous. We must take bold action in securing our borders."
Mr. Chertoff confirmed last week that border personnel reported sighting what they believed to be Mexican soldiers crossing onto U.S. territory hundreds of times in the last decade. But he called any alarm over the incursions "overblown."
"Sometimes it may be people who are dressed in what appear to be military uniforms but are just criminals," he said at a Jan. 18 breakfast session. "To create the image that somehow there is a deliberate effort by the Mexican military to cross the border would be really to traffic in scare tactics. I don't think we have a serious problem with official incursions."
Still, Mr. Knocke called Monday's incident serious.
"But I think it's a rare one," he said. "In probably the vast majority of the instances, we're talking about inadvertent incursions."
Inadvertent or not, the incursions could intensify a simmering debate over a controversial proposal to fence huge swaths of the 1,952-mile border. A House-approved border enforcement bill would fence more than a third of the border – to the dismay of Mexican leaders who have denounced the wall as "shameful" and "stupid."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Drug smuggling showdown in West Texas triggers war of words between U.S., Mexican officials
By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT / The Dallas Morning News
WASHINGTON – U.S. and Mexican authorities traded sharp words Thursday over a troubling incursion into West Texas earlier this week of heavily armed drug traffickers in Mexican military-style garb.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn said he was disappointed "in the failure of the government officials in Mexico to act on the intrusions of American sovereignty," noting that Monday's showdown between drug traffickers and Texas law enforcement authorities was far from the first incursion on U.S. soil by purported Mexican military officers. And he pledged that his Senate immigration subcommittee would convene hearings within weeks.
Mexico's foreign secretary, meanwhile, suggested that Americans, not Mexicans, might have been disguised as Mexican troops.
The spat threatens to worsen a U.S.-Mexican relationship already made tense over a tough border-enforcement bill pending in Congress and the Bush administration's inability to deliver on a promised immigration liberalization accord that would benefit millions of Mexicans living illegally in the U.S.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez said the uniformed men who used a military-style Humvee to help the drug smugglers being chased by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and Hudspeth County sheriff's deputies may have been U.S. soldiers or criminals. But he offered no evidence to back his suggestion.
"There is a supposition here that this involved Mexican citizens, and that is absolutely incorrect," Mr. Derbez said. "There would have to have been racial descriptions, and that would imply a certain element of racial discrimination on the part of the American sheriffs."
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke declined to address Mr. Derbez's speculation that the traffickers were American. "It is being thoroughly investigated and as a matter of practice, we do not comment on investigations," he said.
Mr. Derbez bristled Thursday at a sharply worded statement issued by U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza demanding a full investigation by the Mexican government into the incursion, which occurred about 50 miles east of El Paso. Mr. Derbez called the comments out of line, and he said he would send a diplomatic note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice demanding that U.S. officials tone down their rhetoric.
Monday's incursion has touched off a wave of concern on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are under growing public pressure to improve security along the porous U.S.-Mexico border.
"We don't know, of course, who these people were," Mr. Cornyn said. "It's easy to buy uniforms, and as we know, unfortunately, Mexico has some domestic problems with regards to law enforcement, drug cartels and even organized crime engaged in human smuggling."
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison demanded a full investigation and report to Congress.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an arm of the Homeland Security Department, has launched an inquiry into Monday's incident. And Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., has asked the State Department to initiate a formal investigation and talks with Mexican officials to prevent further incursions. Mr. Kyl, who chairs the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on terrorism and homeland security, plans hearings on the incursions in March.
The U.S. government has asked the Mexican government for a "thorough investigation and prompt response," Mr. Knocke said.
Ms. Hutchison urged the Homeland Security Department to examine the estimated 231 incursions into the U.S. over the last decade. She also requested a report to Congress on what preventive measures – including fencing – could be used to secure the border.
"Make no mistake – this is only a symptom of a much larger problem," she wrote Mr. Chertoff. "Even after 9/11, our nation's borders remain porous. We must take bold action in securing our borders."
Mr. Chertoff confirmed last week that border personnel reported sighting what they believed to be Mexican soldiers crossing onto U.S. territory hundreds of times in the last decade. But he called any alarm over the incursions "overblown."
"Sometimes it may be people who are dressed in what appear to be military uniforms but are just criminals," he said at a Jan. 18 breakfast session. "To create the image that somehow there is a deliberate effort by the Mexican military to cross the border would be really to traffic in scare tactics. I don't think we have a serious problem with official incursions."
Still, Mr. Knocke called Monday's incident serious.
"But I think it's a rare one," he said. "In probably the vast majority of the instances, we're talking about inadvertent incursions."
Inadvertent or not, the incursions could intensify a simmering debate over a controversial proposal to fence huge swaths of the 1,952-mile border. A House-approved border enforcement bill would fence more than a third of the border – to the dismay of Mexican leaders who have denounced the wall as "shameful" and "stupid."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Woman's fertility threatened by misdiagnosis
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Some 15 to 20 percent of women of reproductive age usually have fibroid tumors; as many as 20 to 40 percent of women age 35 and over can have significant problems.
Sometimes it takes more than a pelvic exam to detect the problem.
One Dallas woman went to three different doctors but the problem still went untreated. Now she may never experience motherhood.
Alicia Jackson, 37, tries to put on a happy face.
But, cosmetics cannot camouflage her pain and frustration.
"I've gotten to the point right now that I'm so fed up with cycles being at any time 9 to 14 days long and painful."
It's been worse. She suffered from depression and anemia when she stayed on her menstrual cycle for three months.
"It angers me very much that I was misdiagnosed for three years," she says.
Dr. Nahisa Ahmed quickly diagnosed the cause of Alicia's problem - a problem six out of her 10 patients experience.
"It is very common, it's extremely common. So, people need to know if they have some abnormal bleeding there is a reason for it. People just don't have irregular bleeding for the heck of it," said Dr. Ahmed.
Alicia's stomach resembles that of a four-month pregnant woman.
Because of how fast the fibroids are growing and where they are located, Dr. Ahmad fears Alicia may have trouble having a baby.
Unwelcome news to a single lady and an only child who has dreamed of having one since she was a girl.
"I feel like a failure, because I feel like my mom is getting older and I've wanted to give her a grandchild and I haven't had the opportunity to do it and it's like they may be taking away the opportunity from me."
"It is quite hard to tell 'look you don't have much time, time is running out so please if you really want to have a baby you need to do something soon,'" said Dr. Ahmed.
"I just made the decision that the surgery is best for me right now and I'm just going to have to take my chances on the outcome of the surgery and go from there," said Alicia.
Dr. Ahmad is giving Alicia a shot to significantly shrink the tumors before performing an invasive surgery called a myomectomy - a procedure to remove as many tumors as possible.
"But, the bad part about tumors is they can always come back and so I'm still going to be on a time crunch as far as having a child within a certain period of time - this is basically buying me time," Alicia added.
And, giving her hope that one day she too will have a bundle of joy and earn a spot on Dr. Ahmad's hall of fame.
By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - Some 15 to 20 percent of women of reproductive age usually have fibroid tumors; as many as 20 to 40 percent of women age 35 and over can have significant problems.
Sometimes it takes more than a pelvic exam to detect the problem.
One Dallas woman went to three different doctors but the problem still went untreated. Now she may never experience motherhood.
Alicia Jackson, 37, tries to put on a happy face.
But, cosmetics cannot camouflage her pain and frustration.
"I've gotten to the point right now that I'm so fed up with cycles being at any time 9 to 14 days long and painful."
It's been worse. She suffered from depression and anemia when she stayed on her menstrual cycle for three months.
"It angers me very much that I was misdiagnosed for three years," she says.
Dr. Nahisa Ahmed quickly diagnosed the cause of Alicia's problem - a problem six out of her 10 patients experience.
"It is very common, it's extremely common. So, people need to know if they have some abnormal bleeding there is a reason for it. People just don't have irregular bleeding for the heck of it," said Dr. Ahmed.
Alicia's stomach resembles that of a four-month pregnant woman.
Because of how fast the fibroids are growing and where they are located, Dr. Ahmad fears Alicia may have trouble having a baby.
Unwelcome news to a single lady and an only child who has dreamed of having one since she was a girl.
"I feel like a failure, because I feel like my mom is getting older and I've wanted to give her a grandchild and I haven't had the opportunity to do it and it's like they may be taking away the opportunity from me."
"It is quite hard to tell 'look you don't have much time, time is running out so please if you really want to have a baby you need to do something soon,'" said Dr. Ahmed.
"I just made the decision that the surgery is best for me right now and I'm just going to have to take my chances on the outcome of the surgery and go from there," said Alicia.
Dr. Ahmad is giving Alicia a shot to significantly shrink the tumors before performing an invasive surgery called a myomectomy - a procedure to remove as many tumors as possible.
"But, the bad part about tumors is they can always come back and so I'm still going to be on a time crunch as far as having a child within a certain period of time - this is basically buying me time," Alicia added.
And, giving her hope that one day she too will have a bundle of joy and earn a spot on Dr. Ahmad's hall of fame.
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Flower Mound students, coach indicted in hazing case
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - A Denton County grand jury has indicted seven Lewisville school district students and a former coach in connection with alleged hazing at a Flower Mound High wrestling team party in August. Among the indictments made public Friday are charges against five juveniles, including two charged with sexual assault.
Charles Zascavage, who was removed from his coaching duties after the allegations were made last year, was indicted on four counts of hazing. Flower Mound police had only charged him with one count. He remains a teacher at Flower Mound High.
Dustin Blake Everett, 18, was indicted on four counts of hazing and three counts of assault. The grand jury declined to indict him on a fifth count of hazing.
Cory Andrew Talbert, 17, was indicted on one count of hazing. The grand jury did not indict him on an additional hazing count or two assault counts.
The grand jury also declined to indict Thomas Andrew Pinckard, 17; Nathan Marks, 18; Christopher Adam Well, 17; and eight juveniles whom Flower Mound police initially charged with crimes.
Prosecutors have said they will not seek to try any of the juveniles as adults.
For months vocal supporters, parents and members of the wrestling team have called the hazing allegations exaggerated accounts of boyhood roughhousing. But witness and victim statements released by the school district last month painted a picture of organized hazing, violent beatings and sexually charged actions.
“I think sometimes when they don’t have the evidence in front of them, people want to think the best of people,” said Lee Ann Breading, first assistant district attorney in Denton County. “I think there probably is some element of boys will be boys, but things exceeded past that.”
The school district sent several of the boys initially charged in connection with the incident to alternative school for at least 30 days and removed them from the wrestling team. Officials have since allowed some of the boys who completed their school punishments to rejoin the team.
Mr. Zascavage was replaced as wrestling coach by Randy Means, a former Marcus High wrestling coach who left teaching in 2003.
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - A Denton County grand jury has indicted seven Lewisville school district students and a former coach in connection with alleged hazing at a Flower Mound High wrestling team party in August. Among the indictments made public Friday are charges against five juveniles, including two charged with sexual assault.
Charles Zascavage, who was removed from his coaching duties after the allegations were made last year, was indicted on four counts of hazing. Flower Mound police had only charged him with one count. He remains a teacher at Flower Mound High.
Dustin Blake Everett, 18, was indicted on four counts of hazing and three counts of assault. The grand jury declined to indict him on a fifth count of hazing.
Cory Andrew Talbert, 17, was indicted on one count of hazing. The grand jury did not indict him on an additional hazing count or two assault counts.
The grand jury also declined to indict Thomas Andrew Pinckard, 17; Nathan Marks, 18; Christopher Adam Well, 17; and eight juveniles whom Flower Mound police initially charged with crimes.
Prosecutors have said they will not seek to try any of the juveniles as adults.
For months vocal supporters, parents and members of the wrestling team have called the hazing allegations exaggerated accounts of boyhood roughhousing. But witness and victim statements released by the school district last month painted a picture of organized hazing, violent beatings and sexually charged actions.
“I think sometimes when they don’t have the evidence in front of them, people want to think the best of people,” said Lee Ann Breading, first assistant district attorney in Denton County. “I think there probably is some element of boys will be boys, but things exceeded past that.”
The school district sent several of the boys initially charged in connection with the incident to alternative school for at least 30 days and removed them from the wrestling team. Officials have since allowed some of the boys who completed their school punishments to rejoin the team.
Mr. Zascavage was replaced as wrestling coach by Randy Means, a former Marcus High wrestling coach who left teaching in 2003.
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Streets to close Sunday around implosion site
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - If you hope to witness Sunday morning’s building implosion in North Dallas in person, you’ve got several vantage points to choose from – but you might want to get there early.
The 10-story NorthPark Three office tower will be coming down to make way for the new Park Lane Place development, south of Park Lane on the east side of Central Expressway.
Harvest Partners, developer of the new mixed-use project, is hosting a “Breakfast at the Blast” event beginning at 6:30 a.m. at 8070 Park Lane, adjacent to the site.
For $20, patrons can watch the implosion from an eighth-floor view, eat a southwestern-style breakfast and enter into a raffle to press the button that will begin the implosion. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Vickery Meadow Improvement District, which coordinates revitalization efforts for the neighborhood to the northeast of the new project.
Officials said the reinforced concrete building has already been gutted. The implosion will use less than 100 pounds of explosives that have been strategically placed on the first, second, fourth and seventh floors to help drive the progressive collapse. Explosives will ignite on the northeast corner of the building and move to the southwest corner, and the entire collapse is expected to take about 10 seconds.
Those wanting to simply watch the implosion from a nearby location can find good views from parking lots across Greenville Avenue and Central Expressway, although some portions of the surface lots and garages at NorthPark Center may be closed to public access.
A spokesperson for Harvest Partners said several streets in the area will be closed Sunday morning before and during the implosion. Blackwell Street will be closed between Greenville Avenue and Central Expressway beginning at 7:00 a.m. Greenville Avenue will close between Park Lane and Northwest Highway at 7:30, followed by both directions of the Central Expressway access road at 7:45.
Park Lane and the main lanes of Central Expressway in both directions will close a few minutes before the blast, which is scheduled for 8 a.m., the spokesperson said.
All roads are expected to re-open after the implosion, once the cloud of debris has subsided.
DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - If you hope to witness Sunday morning’s building implosion in North Dallas in person, you’ve got several vantage points to choose from – but you might want to get there early.
The 10-story NorthPark Three office tower will be coming down to make way for the new Park Lane Place development, south of Park Lane on the east side of Central Expressway.
Harvest Partners, developer of the new mixed-use project, is hosting a “Breakfast at the Blast” event beginning at 6:30 a.m. at 8070 Park Lane, adjacent to the site.
For $20, patrons can watch the implosion from an eighth-floor view, eat a southwestern-style breakfast and enter into a raffle to press the button that will begin the implosion. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Vickery Meadow Improvement District, which coordinates revitalization efforts for the neighborhood to the northeast of the new project.
Officials said the reinforced concrete building has already been gutted. The implosion will use less than 100 pounds of explosives that have been strategically placed on the first, second, fourth and seventh floors to help drive the progressive collapse. Explosives will ignite on the northeast corner of the building and move to the southwest corner, and the entire collapse is expected to take about 10 seconds.
Those wanting to simply watch the implosion from a nearby location can find good views from parking lots across Greenville Avenue and Central Expressway, although some portions of the surface lots and garages at NorthPark Center may be closed to public access.
A spokesperson for Harvest Partners said several streets in the area will be closed Sunday morning before and during the implosion. Blackwell Street will be closed between Greenville Avenue and Central Expressway beginning at 7:00 a.m. Greenville Avenue will close between Park Lane and Northwest Highway at 7:30, followed by both directions of the Central Expressway access road at 7:45.
Park Lane and the main lanes of Central Expressway in both directions will close a few minutes before the blast, which is scheduled for 8 a.m., the spokesperson said.
All roads are expected to re-open after the implosion, once the cloud of debris has subsided.
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Women asked to program 911 on cell phones
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
Police are asking women to be careful out late at night, to avoid being alone and to program 911 on their cell phones to make it easier to call for help in an emergency.
The most recent attack occurred in north Fort Worth on Tuesday.
Police say the victim - an 18-year-old-girl - was walking to the convenience store - at about 5:30 a.m. in the morning.
That's when someone ran up behind her, restrained her around the neck, before dragging her into a field and sexually assaulting her.
Police believe the same man is responsible for four crimes - two robberies and two sexual assaults - in Fort Worth and Arlington which have taken place since November.
Each attack happened in the early morning hours.
The Arlington sexual assault was very similar to the one in Fort Worth.
A young woman sitting in her car at an apartment complex was forced out of her car.
She was restrained in the same manner, around her neck, and taken to a field and sexually assaulted.
Police say the attacker is using an "unusual" object to restrain the women - and that tipped them off to a connection.
By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8
Police are asking women to be careful out late at night, to avoid being alone and to program 911 on their cell phones to make it easier to call for help in an emergency.
The most recent attack occurred in north Fort Worth on Tuesday.
Police say the victim - an 18-year-old-girl - was walking to the convenience store - at about 5:30 a.m. in the morning.
That's when someone ran up behind her, restrained her around the neck, before dragging her into a field and sexually assaulting her.
Police believe the same man is responsible for four crimes - two robberies and two sexual assaults - in Fort Worth and Arlington which have taken place since November.
Each attack happened in the early morning hours.
The Arlington sexual assault was very similar to the one in Fort Worth.
A young woman sitting in her car at an apartment complex was forced out of her car.
She was restrained in the same manner, around her neck, and taken to a field and sexually assaulted.
Police say the attacker is using an "unusual" object to restrain the women - and that tipped them off to a connection.
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