News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Police seek suspect in deadly hit and run

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

WEATHERFORD, Texas - A grieving family, an injured motorist and police investigators have asked the public for help in solving a deadly hit and run case that killed a 20-year-old man.

Police said the collision that occurred on the Southwest Loop 820 in Fort Worth was probably caused by a small, dark sports car that witnesses said they saw speed away from the scene.

"I think anybody that would run from something like that doesn't have a conscious," said Robin Moore, the victim's mother.

George Hopkins was going northbound in his pickup when he said he saw the victim's car churning through the median and heading right at him.

"I saw Austin's headlights come across the median and I saw the rooster tails of dirt come shooting off his tires," he said. "...I had time to think, 'Oh my God. [I] went for the brakes [and] went for the steering wheel."

Witnesses said they believe someone in a small sports car that was going around 100 mph or more forced the victim off the road.

"If this is in fact what happened, I hope they find this guy and I hope they put him away forever," Hopkins said.

Moore said it was about 1:15 a.m. when someone knocked on the door and told her of her son's fatal crash.

"I don't think my son had to die because they were late for a movie or because they wanted to get a hamburger," she said.

Moore's son was going to college and working a job before the accident. He was also a scholar athlete when he attended Weatherford High School.

Fort Worth Police ask for anyone with answers to please contact them at 1-817-335-4222.

[TexasStooge]

Teacher locked in room with student arrested

By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas Independent School District teacher was arrested after she was allegedly caught in a compromising situation with one of her students.

Many students at Thomas Jefferson High School said Cordella Wilson, a 26-year-old biology teacher and softball coach, was a good teacher and they found it hard to believe she was arrested.

"She was an excellent teacher I think," said one student. "Yeah, she was a good teacher. She was real strict with the students."

DISD investigators said the teacher was caught on campus with a 17-year-old male student in an office primarily used for storage with the door locked.

"We took immediate action, had several investigators out there [and] got statements from both parties and witnesses," said Donny Claxton, a DISD spokesman.

District police said there is no proof of inappropriate conduct on campus, but said Wilson and her student have confessed to having an off-campus sexual relationship.

"This kind of behavior is illegal," Claxton said. "It's a felony, and it's not going to be tolerated in this district."

DISD has also begun the process to fire Wilson who has worked with district for more than three years.

Wilson was been booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center where she's charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a student, which is a second degree felony. She remains in jail under a $10,000 bond.

[TexasStooge]

Train, 18-wheeler collide in Roanoke

By PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News

ROANOKE, Texas - A Union Pacific train heading northbound through Roanoke smashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer Wednesday evening, scattering debris and slightly injuring the driver, police said.

Roanoke police Lt. Robert Crawford said the two collided about 8:50 p.m. while the 18-wheeler was at a stop sign at U.S. Highway 377 and Henrietta Creek Road while the end of its trailer was on the tracks.

The accident scattered the truck’s haul about 50 yards, debris that included Freon canisters, fire extinguishers, oil and trashcans. The train did not derail.

The driver suffered some minor cuts and scrapes, Lt. Crawford said.

[TexasStooge]

Fatal truck crash shuts down Loop 12

IRVING, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Rush hour traffic on Loop 12 was shut down in both directions Thursday morning after a truck struck an overpass near Texas Stadium, spilling its cargo across the highway.

The driver of the truck was killed.

The 18-wheeler was hauling flour and other bakery items, and its load was scattered over a wide area under the Highway 183 overpass.

Northbound and southbound traffic on Loop 12 was closed off shortly after the 6:30 a.m. accident, resulting in massive delays at the height of the morning rush hour.

Traffic on Highway 183 was also slowed as traffic was diverted to the east-west freeway.

Alternate routes include Interstate 35 and McArthur Blvd. for north-south traffic.
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Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse

[TexasStooge]

Motorcyclist leads police on 100 mph chase

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas — A motorcyclist led police on a reckless chase on the freeways and roadways of the suburbs between Dallas and Fort Worth on Thursday.

There was no word on what prompted the pursuit, which began in Fort Worth and continued along highways at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour through Grapevine, Irving and Arlington.

After eluding police, the man traveled to a residence in southwest Arlington and parked the motorcycle in a garage, apparently unaware that he was being monitored by Channel 8's helicopter.

WFAA-TV pilot Roger Smith relayed the information to police, who surrounded the house around 11:30 a.m. and then entered with a woman identified as the subject's mother.

Arlington police said they had no reason to arrest the man, who was not observed breaking any laws in their jurisdiction. Arlington police said they were consulting with their counterparts in Fort Worth and other cities where the man had been pursued.


WFAA ABC 8
The motorcyclist was clocked at speeds over 100 mph.

[TexasStooge]

Police chase motorcyclist is arrested

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas — A motorcyclist who led police on a reckless chase on the freeways and roadways of the suburbs between Dallas and Fort Worth on Thursday has been arrested.

William Marshall Storey was arrested without incidence at a home in Benbrook and charged with evading arrest.

There was no word on what prompted the pursuit, which began in Fort Worth and continued along highways at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour through Grapevine, Irving and Arlington. Police said a helicopter had spotted the motorcyclist on I-20 but no police cars got close enough.

After eluding police, the man traveled to a residence in southwest Arlington and parked the motorcycle in a garage, apparently unaware that he was being monitored by Channel 8's helicopter.

WFAA-TV pilot Roger Smith relayed the information to police, who surrounded the house around 11:30 a.m. and then entered with a woman identified as the subject's mother.

"The young man was frightened... he had no idea police were behind him," said Sgt Lee Shetler from Arlington police.

But a Dalworthington Gardens police officer had tried to make contact with the motorcyclist but each time he rode away.

Storey, 23, has a history of misdemeanors, including drug possession and evading arrest and is currently on probation for DWI.


WFAA ABC 8
The motorcyclist was clocked at speeds over 100 mph.

[TexasStooge]

Imposter cops target Hispanic community

By BERT LOZANO / WFAA ABC 8

A number of North Texas police departments, including Garland, Haltom City, Irving, North Richland Hills and Carrollton, have reported cases of crooks posing as police officers over the past month.

In all cases, investigators said the fake officers targeted Hispanic men on a pay day to rob them.

The last robbery happened at a Garland apartment complex Friday, and police said the resident was robbed by four men claiming they had a warrant to arrest him. The men stole his money and let him go.

Another resident in the same complex said the same thing happened to him. He said he carries all his money in his wallet and that two men acting as police officers robbed him of $370 dollars, which was his rent money.

An SUV flashing red and blue lights pulled the victim and his friends over at his apartment complex, he said. Then two men, whom he first believed were police officers, approached him and asked him if he had been drinking.

He said the men made him put his hands on the truck and then took his wallet and emptied it of cash before returning it.Garland police said the men involved are armed imposters who are wearing shirts with printed badges.

"A real police officer is not going to steal your money," said Officer Joe Harn, Garland Police Department.

The vehicle witnesses have reported seeing the suspects drive is similar to a four-door gold blazer.

"They're robbing Hispanic males," Harn said. "We think they may be afraid to call us thinking it is real police officers robbing them."

[TexasStooge]

Plano fire kills woman

By Jennifer Emily, Dallas Morning News

PLANO, Texas — A woman was killed Thursday following a fire at her home.

Firefighters were unsure what caused the blaze. Investigators will likely not enter the home until Friday to find the cause because of safety concerns.

The woman was transported to Medical Center of Plano by ambulance where she died. The woman’s identity was not released Thursday.

Festim Raca, who lives nearby, called 911 when he drove by the house around 1:50 p.m. in the 1300 block of Windy Meadow Drive at Latham Drive. Plano Fire Rescue said several neighbors also called.

Mr. Raca said he watched as firefighters brought the woman onto the front lawn. He said the firefighters ran inside to help the woman before other firefighters even began battling the blaze.

"This whole part of her body looked like it had been on fire," he said as he gestured to his upper body. "Her clothes were all black."

The woman’s son arrived at the house and ran up to Plano police officers.

"What happened to my mother?" he yelled. "I want to know what happened to my mother."

The officers’ responses could not be heard. Eventually two officers escorted him away from the home, each holding onto the man as if they were supporting him. He declined to speak to reporters.

Half the house was on fire when firefighters arrived, said Plano Battalion Chief Billy Lay. Firefighters went in and found the woman. They quickly exited the house because the fire became too intense.

After the fire was out, smoke smoldered from the rear of the house where the fire started. Sprays of water could be seen as firefighters hosed down the charred remains.

Neighbors said the woman had recently come home from a nursing home. They also said fire trucks and ambulances regularly arrived at the home because of the woman’s health problems.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas officials seek to calm meningitis fears

By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Health officials are trying to ease the fears of parents of some Dallas elementary students after a teacher died of bacterial meningitis.

Regina Tristan was a third grade teacher at Kiest Elementary.

She went home sick last Friday and died Saturday.

Health officials told parents last night bacterial meningitis is contagious but rarely causes infections in people. They told them one in 5 people carry this bacteria naturally. Only rarely does someone get sick from it.

Some parents left the meeting reassured, others weren't convinced.

"They need to check the kids, you know. And that's what I was thinking I was coming here for today is they're gonna tell us, hey, we're gonna check the kids, we want to make sure this and that. There was no reassurance to me that everything is OK," said Sonya Reyes.

But Jessica Overstreet says she's not nervous sending her son to class.

"I'm ok with sending him to school. He has to go to school," she says.

Right now, there are no plans to give antibiotics to any students at Kiest Elementary.

Health officials say anyone infected with the illness would most likely have symptoms by now.

"I think the risk is low to none for additional infections," said infectious disease expert Dr. John Carlo.

Still, absentee rates at Kiest elementary nearly doubled from Wednesday to Thursday to 95 students, as more parents learned of the meningitis death of 42- year-old teacher.

“The parents have been concerned with symptoms some of the kids appear to be showing. They said they weren't going to send their kids to school" as a precaution, said DISD spokeswoman Sandra Guerrero.

According to the Centers of Disease Control website, the symptoms of meningitis include fever, severe headaches and stiff neck. Other symptoms include vomiting, nausea, confusion, pain in the eyes when exposed to bright light, and sleepiness.

Meningitis, an infection of the spinal of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain, can kill. However, it's primarily spread through direct contact with an infected person, and going into a room where such person has been in, for instance, is usually not a vehicle for infection, according to the site.

Health officials say anyone with these symptoms should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

[TexasStooge]

Should there be free parking in Deep Ellum?

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - For many in the lunch crowd at the Angry Dog, the cost of the meal begins in the street - feeding the meter.

Deep Ellum visitors like Kyle Jackson feel like they're getting gouged.

"You never know exactly how much you need to put in, then feel a little ripped off if you put too much in obviously, and you feel a little annoyed when you come back and missed it by a minute and there's a ticket on your windshield," she said.

Deep Ellum is struggling to keep restaurants, offices and shops open.

Many business owners feel the meters do nothing to help. They're inconvenient, frequently broken and customers running in to grab a quick order to go, just get nailed.

And if you get a ticket, you just a got a 15 to 20 to go lunch, on top of your food.

City officials say, they won't dump the meters, but are considering a compromise - turning them off during the day, until 6 at night.

Some say it's a start.

"I think if there would be a perception of free parking in Deep Ellum, people would come down here. It would be a lot easier," said a spokesman for the Deep Ellum Association.

But others, like visitor Matt Sommers say it won't matter much either way.

"For the lunch crowd, it's pretty tolerable. You spend a few cents. There's plenty of parking in the other lots as well," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Loop 12 reopens after fatal crash

By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8

IRVING, Texas - Rush hour traffic on Loop 12 Walton Walker Blvd. was shut down in both directions for most of Thursday morning after a truck struck an overpass near Texas Stadium, spilling its cargo across the eight-lane highway.

The driver of the truck was killed. The cause of the wreck was under investigation.

The highway reopened Thursday afternoon.

The truck was hauling flour, sugar, and other bakery items, and its load was scattered over a wide area under the Highway 183 overpass.

Northbound and southbound traffic on Loop 12 was closed off shortly after the 6:30 a.m. accident, resulting in massive delays at the height of the morning rush hour.

Northbound lanes reopened at about 11:30 a.m., but the four southbound lanes remained shut doon at noon as front end loaders were used to scrape the cargo from the pavement.

Traffic on Highway 183 was also slowed as traffic was diverted to the east-west freeway.

The cleanup on Loop 12 was expected to be complete in time for the afternoon rush hour.

Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Angela Loston said inspectors determined the Highway 183 bridge did not suffer major structural damage from the accident.

“There was only a scratch on the bridge column," Loston said. "There was no severe damage.”

DallasNews.com contributed to this report.
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Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse[/quote]

[TexasStooge]

2 leaving student's vigil injured by hit-and-run driver

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Police are seeking a hit-and-run driver whose SUV struck two teen-age girls headed home Wednesday night from attending a vigil for a classmate.

Carla Lopez, 14, and her cousin, Juliana Maldonado, 15, suffered broken bones and head injuries and were taken to Methodist Hospital in serious condition, officials said.

The accident happened about 6:45 p.m. as the girls were crossing the street in a crosswalk on West Twelfth Street at Llewellyn Avenue. Police said they were returning from a vigil for Jeremy Thomas, who died Tuesday after being found unconscious inside Adamson High School.

Witnesses told police that an eastbound large black SUV, possibly a Chevrolet Suburban, ran a red light and struck both girls. The SUV driver fled the scene.

Anyone with information can call 214-670-5817.

[rainstorm]

Plano fire kills woman

By Jennifer Emily, Dallas Morning News

PLANO, Texas — A woman was killed Thursday following a fire at her home.

Firefighters were unsure what caused the blaze. Investigators will likely not enter the home until Friday to find the cause because of safety concerns.

The woman was transported to Medical Center of Plano by ambulance where she died. The woman’s identity was not released Thursday.

Festim Raca, who lives nearby, called 911 when he drove by the house around 1:50 p.m. in the 1300 block of Windy Meadow Drive at Latham Drive. Plano Fire Rescue said several neighbors also called.

Mr. Raca said he watched as firefighters brought the woman onto the front lawn. He said the firefighters ran inside to help the woman before other firefighters even began battling the blaze.

"This whole part of her body looked like it had been on fire," he said as he gestured to his upper body. "Her clothes were all black."

The woman’s son arrived at the house and ran up to Plano police officers.

"What happened to my mother?" he yelled. "I want to know what happened to my mother."

The officers’ responses could not be heard. Eventually two officers escorted him away from the home, each holding onto the man as if they were supporting him. He declined to speak to reporters.

Half the house was on fire when firefighters arrived, said Plano Battalion Chief Billy Lay. Firefighters went in and found the woman. They quickly exited the house because the fire became too intense.

After the fire was out, smoke smoldered from the rear of the house where the fire started. Sprays of water could be seen as firefighters hosed down the charred remains.

Neighbors said the woman had recently come home from a nursing home. They also said fire trucks and ambulances regularly arrived at the home because of the woman’s health problems.

this is very sad

[TexasStooge]

Arrest made in Collin County's oldest cold case

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

MCKINNEY, Texas - For almost 19 years Betty Ingram's family waited for justice, and Thursday night Collin County police believe they finally are able to give it to them.

Investigators reopened the murder case, which was the oldest Collin County cold case, in June and distributed flyers in hope for a break.

But Gloria, Betty Ingram's mom, said she had given up hope for justice.

But Thursday morning, Collin County investigators traveled to Oklahoma to deliver the family the good news. After 18 and a half years of not knowing who killed their daughter, police said believe they found her killer.

Ingram's killer has been free since she was murdered at her Copeville home in July of 1987.

"She was strangled, probably sexually assaulted and dead when the killer left the house," said John Roach, Collin County district attorney.

The Collin County District Attorney's cold case unit had investigators interviewing witnesses, conducting DNA testing on items recovered from the crime scene and reviewing photos. All that probing led them to 45-year-old Odis Dale McDonald, who was charged with murder and is in the Collin County Jail.

"A lot of it is just tenacity and very good police work, old fashioned kind of police work," Roach said.

The Ingram case is the tenth solved since the cold case unit was formed in 2003. In each of those cases, someone was either arrested or convicted, with the exception of the Angela Camacho case in which the man who confessed to killing a young girl in Celina died before he was tried.

"You can't commit murder in Collin County and expect to get away with it," Roach said.

All of Collin County's cold cases reopened by the district attorney's office have now been solved, and a murder case from Wylie may be reopened soon.

As for Ingram's parents, they said they are relieved, but also a little upset because they are reliving their daughter's murder all over again.

[TexasStooge]

Lake Highlands residents to use cameras in subdivision

By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Surveillance cameras watch us at banks. Their stealthy eyes record us in stores. But could the cameras be coming to a neighborhood near you?

Yes – at least in Dallas' Richland Park Estates subdivision.

Fed up with crime in the Lake Highlands neighborhood, residents voted this week to install video cameras on streets and in alleyways. Residents will monitor video feeds and provide footage to police when crimes are committed.

The neighborhood joins a growing list of entities employing surveillance cameras to battle crime. Dallas police used cameras in Deep Ellum last year and are considering installing them at several South Dallas intersections. The city just received an $800,000 grant to place them downtown.

Frank Rathbun, spokesman for the national Community Associations Institute, isn't aware of any community association doing camera surveillance, but he suspects the practice will become fairly common.

"Americans as a rule are getting more crime-conscious and doing whatever they can – legally – to protect their streets and neighborhoods," he said.

Experts say surveillance cameras are the future of passive security. Richland Park Estates' move, however, raises questions about privacy, potential misuse and effectiveness.

Dick Becker, president of the Richland Park Estates Homeowners Association, said that crime is out of control throughout northeast Dallas and that police resources are stretched thin. So members began asking: "How do we help ourselves?" he said.

Deputy Chief Jan Easterling, who oversees the Dallas Police Department's northeast substation, said the cameras could deter crime and provide useful evidence to investigators. Chief Easterling said criminals are more likely to go where cameras aren't used.

"Any type of extra eyes and ears out there are always a benefit for the Police Department," she said.

The cameras, however, highlight the tension between serving the public good and protecting people's rights and privacy.

Scott Henson, director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas' police accountability project, said there's a risk of profiling and misuse. What would happen, he asked, if the video captured an extramarital affair or similar activity?

"It strikes me as important that volunteers don't have the same duty to keep that information to themselves as the cops would," he said. "You're letting your neighbors into one another's business at a level that's really unprecedented."

Mr. Becker said residents would look for suspicious people, vehicles lacking homeowner stickers, people walking through alleys and obvious criminal activity.

Wave of the future?

Richland Park Estates' homeowners association, with voluntary membership, considered hiring private security but couldn't afford it.

Butch Davis, president of the Dallas security company Omni-Watch Systems, told the residents that he could wire their neighborhood with six cameras for about $5,000 and charge a $10 monthly fee so homeowners could monitor them.

Residents representing about 40 of the 141 Richland Park Estates homes approved the plan Tuesday and agreed to split the costs among themselves.

Mr. Davis said video is where home and neighborhood security is headed. He said it combines surveillance and information technology to create a high-tech, cost-effective system that can be almost do-it-yourself.

Mr. Davis said the field is so promising that it could become a major focus for his company.

Cities nationwide have been debating the pitfalls and benefits of using surveillance cameras to monitor high-traffic public places for years. Dallas police said the cameras used in Deep Ellum reduced crime. Records show that overall crime there dropped 9 percent last year.

Cameras are also in use on city streets and public transit in New York, Chicago and London. However, a British study raised questions about their effectiveness.

The report, by professor Martin Gill of the University of Leicester, states that cameras in 13 of 14 locations studied in London have not reduced crime, according to the London Evening Standard. The biggest problems were lack of continuous monitoring and poor image quality.

Targeting crime

Mr. Becker said that before the surveillance system is up – in about six weeks – monitors will receive training on what to look for and how to react. He hopes there will be enough volunteers to watch the video in real time and contact neighborhood Crime Watch patrol or police if they see something suspicious.

The cameras will not be able to pan or zoom.

For many, the question goes beyond whether they work to whether they are appropriate. Mr. Rathbun worries that neighbors could use the system to gather information about one another.

"I can't pass judgment on this community or the problems or fears they may have," he said. "But if someone's visiting me in my community and maybe they're taking a picture of their car and getting their license plate, I don't know."

Mr. Becker said he has asked members to trust the organization to keep things private.

"This is strictly for crime watch," he said. An extramarital affair "is not a crime," he said.

His neighborhood, whose homes range from $160,000 to $200,000, is in Lake Highlands' northernmost region. Sixteen apartment complexes are within a mile of the neighborhood. Residents and police have said Lake Highlands apartment complexes have been a source of crime for years.

While crime in Lake Highlands decreased slightly in the last two years, it increased 27 percent in the police beat that includes Richland Park Estates.

City Council member Bill Blaydes, whose District 10 includes Lake Highlands, said city officials, police, apartment owners associations and others have worked to reduce crime in the area. But he added that each group should do what members feel will serve them best.

"We live in an urban society that is far different than what we grew up in, and we are doing what we can to make it safer," Mr. Blaydes said. "[Richland Park Estates members] are doing what we're asking everyone to do. They're taking care of their own – taking a proactive stance – and that's positive."

[TexasStooge]

2 students injured in hit and run after vigil

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - While many remembered 15-year-old Jeremy Thomas at a Thursday night vigil, many also prayed for two other students who were injured in a hit and run incident the night before at another vigil for the student who lost his life Tuesday.

The two students were run over by a driver after the girls left a vigil Wednesday night for Thomas, the 15-year-old boy who passed away suddenly for still unknown reasons after he was found unconscious inside the school's restroom.

Juliana Maldonado, 15, and her cousin Carla Lopez, 14, were hit by a driver in a black SUV as they tried to cross an intersection at Lewallen and 12th street. They were on their way home when police said the driver ran a red light, struck them and fled the scene.

"I was on the floor and tried to go to the concrete," Lopez said. "I was crying and calling my sister's name."

Lopez suffered a broken leg and her cousin Maldonado suffered broken bones and a head injury.

Maldonado is still in the hospital and had to undergo surgery. However, she was listed in good condition.

Carlos Lopez said he was angry at the driver who hit his daughter and didn't stop to help.

"I can't imagine this could happen to her," he said.

Meanwhile, about 200 people gathered at Adamson High School's Thursday night vigil for Thomas. The crowd released balloons, sang songs, said prayers and gave speeches about what Thomas meant to them.

Students and faculty said they were stunned by his death.

"A golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands rest," read one student at the vigil. "God broke our heats and proved to us he only takes the best."

The Thomas family was at the vigil and coaches gave them a framed picture of their son and his basketball jersey.

While officials are still looking into the cause of the young boy's death, police said they are also looking for the driver who hit the teen's the night before and asked the public to contact them with any tips.

[TexasStooge]

Is the Texas approved fuel additive a waste?

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

A state mandated plan to clean the air in Texas is being called into question, and at the center of the issue is a widely used fuel additive designed to clean-up dirty and harmful diesel emissions.

While some suggest it's an environmental marvel, others wonder if it is a mirage.

In November of last year, the state of Texas began an aggressive campaign to clean up the air by requiring a reduction in toxic diesel emissions.

There were two ways to do that, which was either reformulate the diesel fuel or use a state approved additive.

The additive of choice is something called Green Plus and the state has spent more than a million tax dollars to have it tested.

The federal government says the air we are breathing is enough to make us sick.

"Dallas-Fort Worth does not meet that air quality standard," said Carl Edlund, Environmental Protection Agency.

So, The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has approved six products designed to clean up dirty diesel emissions and the most widely sold thus far was Green Plus.

Its creators, Biofriendly of California, said it took $12 million and 16 years to develop.

"The effectiveness of this product has been demonstrated with impressive results in many countries around the world," said a voice from a Biofriendly marketing video.

Biofriendly touts Green Plus as "the Holy Grail of fuel catalysts" that is able to "literally solve the world's critical air quality problems" and to improve emissions "10 to 50 percent."

Last year, after showing positive test results to The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Green Plus got the green light.

It quickly became the diesel additive of choice with an estimated 70 percent of the market share and sales of more than a million dollars a month.

But what some see as miraculous, others see as outrageous.

It starts with Biofriendly's corporate headquarters.

Biofriendly is located at a house in suburban Los Angeles. When News 8 asked Biofriendly to show their lab or production facilities they said there were none, but that they were planning on purchasing an office and production facility outside Los Angeles.

But perhaps most noteworthy, News 8 had a sample of the Green Plus additive tested at a petrochemical lab in Houston.

The result, the "Holy Grail" of fuel catalysts turned out to be 99.5 percent Isopropyl Alcohol, not unlike the rubbing alcohol you can buy right off the drug store shelf.

When asked where the revolutionary product was produced, BioFriendly said at a Univar chemical distribution warehouse in Houston.

Among the products Univar distributes was IPA, or Isopropyl Alcohol, which sells for about $25 a gallon. However, Green Plus, which is 99 percent Isopropyl Alcohol, sells for about $600 a gallon.

But BioFriendly officials said forget the 99 percent Isopropyl Alcohol, it's a secret ingredient in the other one percent that makes Green Plus so special. So special it only takes 15 milliliters of it to treat 20,000 gallons fuel.

"I don't see how throwing some alcohol in there is going to make a hill of beans worth of difference," said Neil Carman of the Texas Sierra Club who has an extensive background in analytical chemistry.

Carman said Biofriendly's performance claims simply don't add up.

Bill Hanson, of Mid Continent Chemical, has 20 years of experience in the fuel additive business.

"One gallon of their catalyst would treat a trillion gallons of fuel, ha, well that solves our fuels problem right there," he said. "We don't need a strategic petroleum reserve anymore."

Hanson is a distributor of a competing diesel additive made by another California company called Oryxe.

Oryxe officials said they have pumped millions of dollars into developing their additive and into a manufacturing plant near Houston.

Oryxe officials admit they are fuming over losing market share to a product that they said doesn't work.

One of the big reasons is a half-million dollar state funded lab test for regulated and toxic emissions done last year at the premier fuels testing lab in the country, Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.

After extensive testing, scientists concluded "the fuels containing the Biofriendly additive produced little or no differences in the emissions when compared to fuel without the additive."

Not satisfied with the results from the most respected engine testing lab in the nation, Oryxe sent a sample of the Biofriendly product to the most respected university research facility in the nation in West Virginia.

Scientists at West Virginia University ran a shorter but federally approved test.

"...The baseline fuel that we used with and without the additive was equivalent between each other," said Gregory Thompson, West Virginia University. "...There was no significant difference in the emissions."

BioFriendly officials canceled a scheduled on camera interview with News 8, but issued a written statement taking issue with both test results.

They said the Southwest Research Institute test "was not designed to measure the full effect of a product's emission reducing capabilities."

"They were not intended to demonstrate NOx emissions reductions." said David Schanbacher, with the Texas Commission on Environmental quality.

The state environmental officials are also downplaying the Southwest test saying it was designed to measure toxins not emissions.

As for the West Virginia test, Biofriendly points out that they were "paid for by Oryxe using a purported unadulterated sample of Green Plus."

They also pointed out that the tests "did not use the correct scientific method or proper testing procedures to determine the real effectiveness of Green Plus."

They said the criticisms by their competitor are false and misleading.

But others have also raised questions about claims made by Biofriendly on its web site.

Among claims in question is that one of their satisfied clients is the giants in the overnight freight industry FedEx and that their fuel economy improved by more than seven percent with Green Plus.

News 8 will report more on this Friday night.

[TexasStooge]

Vote on imposing fees, taxes on Texas Stadium users set

Irving: Average Cowboys ticket could rise by $7; parking could go up $3

By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING, Texas – The Texas Stadium election is on.

The Irving City Council on Thursday night called an election on imposing taxes and fees on stadium users.

The May 13 election will let voters decide whether to give the council the option of levying up to a 10 percent ticket tax and a $3-per-vehicle tax on Dallas Cowboys fans starting this fall. The city also wants to impose a fee of up to $5,000 per game on each team member, which would probably be a first in Texas.

If the council imposed the maximum ticket tax, the average Cowboys ticket price – about $66 last season – would increase nearly $7. Paying to park near the stadium already costs at least $15 per vehicle.

Irving is taking advantage of a state law that allows cities to impose taxes to fund sports and community venues.

Tax proceeds would be used for the Texas Stadium site and facility improvements after the Cowboys leave for a new home in Arlington in 2009, Irving officials said.

About $30 million could be raised during the Cowboys' last three seasons in Irving.

Irving City Council member Rick Stopfer said a favorable vote in May would give the city money it needs to take care of the city-owned stadium.

"As the elected representatives of the city, we have a responsibility to make sure it's maintained and set to the best standard," Mr. Stopfer said before Thursday's meeting.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears has said he expects voters to approve the taxes and the council to levy the fees. Cowboys management agreed last month to "undertake no act of omission or commission to oppose or frustrate" Irving's attempts to raise stadium revenue.

Other Texas cities have used the state law to impose similar taxes to build venues. Arlington City Council members last year approved a 10 percent ticket tax and $3 parking tax for events at the new Cowboys stadium.

It's not clear what Irving plans to do with Texas Stadium, although many Irving officials say it's a goner. In last month's Cowboys agreement, the city stated it wouldn't compete with the new Arlington venue for major sporting events and concerts.

[TexasStooge]

Man questioned in East Dallas apartment fires

By KIMBERLY DURNAN / DallasNews.com

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas firefighters continued their investigation Friday of fires at two apartment complexes in East Dallas.

No one was injured in the blazes, which started around 9:45 p.m. Thursday in the 2700 block of Buckner Boulevard, but Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender said there was some property damage.

One of the fires started in a room used for sorting mail, and witnesses identified a man who left the building before the fire started, Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Max Geron said.

Lt. Lavender said the man was taken into custody for questioning.

“It’s refreshing and good to see that we have witnesses who ... say, 'This isn’t going to happen without me saying anything,'” he said.

[TexasStooge]

Man, 81, trapped under floor for 24 hours

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

RICHLAND HILLS, Texas - An elderly man trapped under his Richland Hills house has been rescued and is relatively unhurt.

Some time yesterday Bob Evans, 81, climbed under the floorboards of his home in Spruce Park at Pine Park to fix a plumbing problem but got stuck.

It took firefighters about half-an-hour to cut him out this morning.

Family members had raised the alert after not hearing from Evans.

"He was OK when he came out," said son-in-law, Paul Burnham, although he was a little "disoriented."

He was taken to the hospital as a precaution.