Ex-chaplain accused of buying alcohol for minor
By BRAD HAWKINS / WFAA ABC 8
UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas - Police filed charges against an associate pastor of evangelism at University Park United Methodist for allegedly furnishing alcohol to a 15-year-old member of his church's youth group.
Scott Wizeman, 29, resigned from his volunteer post and faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine if he is convicted of the charge.
"She approached him and asked if he would provide her with alcohol and he did," said Chief Gary Adams, University Park Police Department.
Internal and criminal investigations conducted against the now former University Park fire and police chaplain said the warrant was issued after the teen told a senior pastor at her church that he bought her alcohol twice after she asked.
Last week, the town council in Highland Park made it a Class C misdemeanor for parents to turn a blind eye to underage drinking inside the home.
However, the University Park City Council did not pass a similar code partially because it said state law already provides for a more serious charge. Wizeman faces something just short of a felony conviction.
"I think our legislators intended for adults to understand the seriousness of providing alcohol to minors," Adams said. "I think we need to go with what the statute says and file the more severe charge."
News from the Lone Star State
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'Robin Hood' may cost Dallas ISD
'Wealthy' designation would mean loss of $43 million
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas school district is preparing for a $43 million loss in revenue and state aid next year, a gap created by the state's "Robin Hood" system of school finance.
District trustees were warned Tuesday that Dallas is on the verge of becoming the largest district in the state to be required to ship local property tax money to poor districts. DISD officials realized the potential problem as they began working on the 2006-07 budget.
DISD has faced this possibility before, but the state has previously stepped in and changed its finance rules to prevent Dallas and other big, but not wealthy, districts from losing revenue. District officials said Tuesday that they don't expect state officials or lawmakers to save them this time.
"This is a watershed moment in Texas school finance," Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said. "No longer are we talking about the Highland Parks and the Planos. Now ... [Robin Hood] is involving urban centers like Dallas. Houston is not far behind."
Currently, Austin ISD is the largest district sharing its wealth. This year, the district was obligated to send $136 million to other districts.
Dallas' $43 million estimate could change as the district continues to build next year's budget. The expected loss includes $20.9 million in state aid that DISD would no longer receive and an estimated $21.9 million that the district would have to send to other districts.
But even with the loss of all that money, district revenue is still expected to grow by $16 million over the current year. Trouble is, district officials say they were counting on $37 million in new revenue to cover next year's expenses. Much of that new money – $25 million – was to go toward promised teacher raises.
Unintended
Big, largely poor districts like Dallas were never intended to be part of the Robin Hood "recapturing" of revenue, said Wayne Pierce, director of the Equity Center, which represents more than 600 low- and medium-wealth school districts in Texas.
However, he doubted that Dallas would ever see any fallout from the projected shortfall because lawmakers are under a state Supreme Court order to fix the state's funding problems by June 1 – a month before DISD has to finalize its budget for the coming year.
"If the state does what it is supposed to do, Dallas will never be a [Robin Hood] district," Mr. Pierce said. "Dallas is just too big to be outside the system."
But district officials say they're not counting on lawmakers to fix the problem, and so they're beginning the thorny task of determining what they can live without, given their new reality.
The district found itself in this predicament because its property tax base has grown over the years while enrollments have stagnated. State laws dictate that districts with more than $305,000 in property value per pupil are considered property rich. They must send a portion of their local tax revenue to the state, which redistributes the money to poorer districts.
According to district budget-writers, DISD's per-student property value will be $315,000 in 2006-07 – too high to realistically expect the state to save the day by tweaking its school finance rules.
"What has accelerated us to this moment has been flat enrollments and property values that have increased greater than we anticipated," said David Rastellini, DISD's associate superintendent in charge of financial services.
The district has options, administrators said. Trustees could eliminate the homestead exemption they grant to owners who live on their property. That could generate $35 million, but it is a politically risky move, especially so close to May elections. Program and job cuts are also on the table, Dr. Hinojosa said, adding that a group of civic leaders is examining the district for inefficiencies and wasteful spending.
Other spending changes could include shifting more health insurance costs to employees, holding back on a planned expansion of pre-kindergarten programs and scaling back the stipends the district pays coaches and teachers.
Board President Lois Parrott said Tuesday that even with the difficult budget decisions looming, she would not support repealing the district's homestead exemption. Trustees debated that option last year when searching for ways to pay for teacher raises.
'Significant problem'
DISD officials say they can't bank on the Legislature to take care of the current predicament before the district budget must be completed.
"We have a significant problem, and one way or another we have to deal with it," Dr. Hinojosa said.
DISD was a plaintiff in the lawsuit that prompted the recent court ruling. Ironically, when DISD joined the suit, filed by a coalition of 70 "property-rich" districts, it wasn't at risk of losing money under the state's funding system.
Rather, DISD joined the legal fight because trustees and Mike Moses, who was then superintendent, believed that state rules capping local property levies were unconstitutional.
Tuesday, however, DISD finds itself on the verge of being among those plaintiffs sending money to poorer districts.
"That concept is going to be foreign for a lot of people – that a district that's 80 percent low-income [students] is now considered to be a property-rich district," Dr. Hinojosa said.
'Wealthy' designation would mean loss of $43 million
By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas school district is preparing for a $43 million loss in revenue and state aid next year, a gap created by the state's "Robin Hood" system of school finance.
District trustees were warned Tuesday that Dallas is on the verge of becoming the largest district in the state to be required to ship local property tax money to poor districts. DISD officials realized the potential problem as they began working on the 2006-07 budget.
DISD has faced this possibility before, but the state has previously stepped in and changed its finance rules to prevent Dallas and other big, but not wealthy, districts from losing revenue. District officials said Tuesday that they don't expect state officials or lawmakers to save them this time.
"This is a watershed moment in Texas school finance," Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said. "No longer are we talking about the Highland Parks and the Planos. Now ... [Robin Hood] is involving urban centers like Dallas. Houston is not far behind."
Currently, Austin ISD is the largest district sharing its wealth. This year, the district was obligated to send $136 million to other districts.
Dallas' $43 million estimate could change as the district continues to build next year's budget. The expected loss includes $20.9 million in state aid that DISD would no longer receive and an estimated $21.9 million that the district would have to send to other districts.
But even with the loss of all that money, district revenue is still expected to grow by $16 million over the current year. Trouble is, district officials say they were counting on $37 million in new revenue to cover next year's expenses. Much of that new money – $25 million – was to go toward promised teacher raises.
Unintended
Big, largely poor districts like Dallas were never intended to be part of the Robin Hood "recapturing" of revenue, said Wayne Pierce, director of the Equity Center, which represents more than 600 low- and medium-wealth school districts in Texas.
However, he doubted that Dallas would ever see any fallout from the projected shortfall because lawmakers are under a state Supreme Court order to fix the state's funding problems by June 1 – a month before DISD has to finalize its budget for the coming year.
"If the state does what it is supposed to do, Dallas will never be a [Robin Hood] district," Mr. Pierce said. "Dallas is just too big to be outside the system."
But district officials say they're not counting on lawmakers to fix the problem, and so they're beginning the thorny task of determining what they can live without, given their new reality.
The district found itself in this predicament because its property tax base has grown over the years while enrollments have stagnated. State laws dictate that districts with more than $305,000 in property value per pupil are considered property rich. They must send a portion of their local tax revenue to the state, which redistributes the money to poorer districts.
According to district budget-writers, DISD's per-student property value will be $315,000 in 2006-07 – too high to realistically expect the state to save the day by tweaking its school finance rules.
"What has accelerated us to this moment has been flat enrollments and property values that have increased greater than we anticipated," said David Rastellini, DISD's associate superintendent in charge of financial services.
The district has options, administrators said. Trustees could eliminate the homestead exemption they grant to owners who live on their property. That could generate $35 million, but it is a politically risky move, especially so close to May elections. Program and job cuts are also on the table, Dr. Hinojosa said, adding that a group of civic leaders is examining the district for inefficiencies and wasteful spending.
Other spending changes could include shifting more health insurance costs to employees, holding back on a planned expansion of pre-kindergarten programs and scaling back the stipends the district pays coaches and teachers.
Board President Lois Parrott said Tuesday that even with the difficult budget decisions looming, she would not support repealing the district's homestead exemption. Trustees debated that option last year when searching for ways to pay for teacher raises.
'Significant problem'
DISD officials say they can't bank on the Legislature to take care of the current predicament before the district budget must be completed.
"We have a significant problem, and one way or another we have to deal with it," Dr. Hinojosa said.
DISD was a plaintiff in the lawsuit that prompted the recent court ruling. Ironically, when DISD joined the suit, filed by a coalition of 70 "property-rich" districts, it wasn't at risk of losing money under the state's funding system.
Rather, DISD joined the legal fight because trustees and Mike Moses, who was then superintendent, believed that state rules capping local property levies were unconstitutional.
Tuesday, however, DISD finds itself on the verge of being among those plaintiffs sending money to poorer districts.
"That concept is going to be foreign for a lot of people – that a district that's 80 percent low-income [students] is now considered to be a property-rich district," Dr. Hinojosa said.
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Relative held after girl's death is ruled homicide
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas – Police on Tuesday arrested a relative of an 8-month-old girl after the child's death this week was ruled a homicide.
Germaine Martinez, 29, who is married to the half sister of victim Brooke Martinez, was arrested about 6:30 p.m. and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, police said. He was being held in a Fort Worth jail Tuesday night. Bail is set at $30,000.
Brooke – who had been placed in the care of relatives by Child Protective Services – was unconscious Saturday when she was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center with injuries to her skull, said Lt. Gene Jones, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Police Department.
She died Monday.
Brooke had been living with her half sister and her husband since December, when CPS placed her there.
Mr. Martinez told police the child fell from a couch at his home in the 2000 block of Pearl Avenue.
However, doctors said the child's injuries were not consistent with a fall and called police, Lt. Jones said.
The Tarrant County medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy and found the girl died of blunt force trauma to the head and brain.
"It's just tragic," said Marissa Gonzales, spokeswoman for CPS. "We can't explain it. This is one of those inexplicable cases where the people had no red flags against them. Brooke seemed to be flourishing in their care."
The family passed a background check, and additional monitoring by the agency showed no signs of trouble, Ms. Gonzales said.
Brooke had lived with another foster family in August shortly after her birth. She was allowed to live with her half sister at her mother's request, officials said.
Staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this report.
By DEBRA DENNIS / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas – Police on Tuesday arrested a relative of an 8-month-old girl after the child's death this week was ruled a homicide.
Germaine Martinez, 29, who is married to the half sister of victim Brooke Martinez, was arrested about 6:30 p.m. and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, police said. He was being held in a Fort Worth jail Tuesday night. Bail is set at $30,000.
Brooke – who had been placed in the care of relatives by Child Protective Services – was unconscious Saturday when she was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center with injuries to her skull, said Lt. Gene Jones, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Police Department.
She died Monday.
Brooke had been living with her half sister and her husband since December, when CPS placed her there.
Mr. Martinez told police the child fell from a couch at his home in the 2000 block of Pearl Avenue.
However, doctors said the child's injuries were not consistent with a fall and called police, Lt. Jones said.
The Tarrant County medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy and found the girl died of blunt force trauma to the head and brain.
"It's just tragic," said Marissa Gonzales, spokeswoman for CPS. "We can't explain it. This is one of those inexplicable cases where the people had no red flags against them. Brooke seemed to be flourishing in their care."
The family passed a background check, and additional monitoring by the agency showed no signs of trouble, Ms. Gonzales said.
Brooke had lived with another foster family in August shortly after her birth. She was allowed to live with her half sister at her mother's request, officials said.
Staff writer Holly Yan contributed to this report.
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Two dead in freeway wrecks
DENTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two people were killed in two separate traffic accidents overnight.
Hickory Creek Police and the Denton County Sheriff's department were investigating a fatal wreck on Interstate 35E at the Lewisville Lake bridge.
A car overturned in the northbound lanes just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and its driver was killed.
In Dallas, five-year-old Gabriel Valdez died in an accident at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on I-20 near Polk Street.
Gabriel was riding in the back seat of a sport utility vehicle when it collided with a truck.
The boy was ejected from the SUV by the impact of the crash.
The conditions of Gabriel's mother and the teenaged driver of the SUV were not available.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
DENTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two people were killed in two separate traffic accidents overnight.
Hickory Creek Police and the Denton County Sheriff's department were investigating a fatal wreck on Interstate 35E at the Lewisville Lake bridge.
A car overturned in the northbound lanes just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and its driver was killed.
In Dallas, five-year-old Gabriel Valdez died in an accident at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on I-20 near Polk Street.
Gabriel was riding in the back seat of a sport utility vehicle when it collided with a truck.
The boy was ejected from the SUV by the impact of the crash.
The conditions of Gabriel's mother and the teenaged driver of the SUV were not available.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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Watkins, Shook to face off for Dallas D.A.
District attorney: Despite runoff predictions, both capture clear victories
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas County district attorney's favored successor will face the man who nearly captured the office for Democrats four years ago.
Democrat Craig Watkins and Republican Toby Shook achieved commanding early leads in their primaries Tuesday, clinching outright victories despite runoff predictions.
Watkins, 38, who lost in the 2002 district attorney race by only 2 percentage points, now faces a tough race against Shook, 49, who was endorsed by retiring District Attorney Bill Hill.
In a tearful victory speech, Watkins said he believes he'll run a strong race against a "formidable opponent," Shook.
He also referred to recent disclosures about problems with his personal finances, saying "because of the recent allegations that came out against me, this has been a very difficult time for me and my family. This is a test of faith for us. ... We're going to change the system and make it better."
Watkins easily overcame rivals Larry Jarrett and B.D. Howard.
Shook credited a grass-roots effort for his margin of victory over former judges Vickers Cunningham and Dan Wyde. Many of the more than 200 prosecutors in the DA's office volunteered for Shook's campaign, putting out yard signs and knocking on doors.
"We're going to keep the momentum going, and we're going to win the race in the fall," Shook said.
Cunningham said he'll support Shook.
"We ran a good, positive race, and I sure thought I was going to win it," Cunnigham said. "Tomorrow is a new day, and I'm going fishing."
Shook, a 22-year veteran prosecutor who heads the district attorney's felony trial division, was apparently unencumbered by lingering criticism of Hill, including how the district attorney handled the aftermath of the 2001 fake-drug scandal in the Dallas Police Department.
The Shook and Cunningham camps each spent more than $300,000 on the primaries, but both had planned for the possibility of a runoff in April.
"They have to play it as if there's going to be a runoff," said Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson. "They can't hold money back if they think that doing that will cost them the election."
Watkins and Jarrett, the leading Democrats, spent far less.
"Obviously, by the numbers, the Democratic Party felt Craig Watkins could lead them to victory in November," said Jarrett, a former state, military and federal prosecutor. "I think the campaign went extremely well and we did everything we could do."
He said he has not decided who he'll support in November.
In achieving his Tuesday victory, Watkins, a Dallas defense lawyer with no experience as a felony prosecutor, overcame disclosures that he has a history of failing to pay income taxes.
The government placed liens on his home in December and January. He has also been sued for failure to pay other debts. Watkins has said that he paid the liens and that his financial matters are not relevant to his campaign.
He has also acknowledged that his campaign literature inaccurately stated that he worked as a prosecutor in Tarrant County when he was more correctly a "prosecutor intern."
Those disclosures seemed to have little effect on the primaries, but his opponent is sure to make them an issue in the months ahead of the November general election.
Watkins said the time is right for a Democrat to be elected district attorney, citing a historic increase in Democratic voters in Dallas County.
"I'm going to be a gentleman and stick to the issues," he said.
Shook looked forward to the next phase of the campaign.
"This was just a little scrimmage we had here. We ran a positive campaign, we talked about the issues," he said. "If I can get Vic Cunnigham behind me, I know I can't lose in the fall."
Staff writer Dave Levinthal contributed to this report.
District attorney: Despite runoff predictions, both capture clear victories
By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas County district attorney's favored successor will face the man who nearly captured the office for Democrats four years ago.
Democrat Craig Watkins and Republican Toby Shook achieved commanding early leads in their primaries Tuesday, clinching outright victories despite runoff predictions.
Watkins, 38, who lost in the 2002 district attorney race by only 2 percentage points, now faces a tough race against Shook, 49, who was endorsed by retiring District Attorney Bill Hill.
In a tearful victory speech, Watkins said he believes he'll run a strong race against a "formidable opponent," Shook.
He also referred to recent disclosures about problems with his personal finances, saying "because of the recent allegations that came out against me, this has been a very difficult time for me and my family. This is a test of faith for us. ... We're going to change the system and make it better."
Watkins easily overcame rivals Larry Jarrett and B.D. Howard.
Shook credited a grass-roots effort for his margin of victory over former judges Vickers Cunningham and Dan Wyde. Many of the more than 200 prosecutors in the DA's office volunteered for Shook's campaign, putting out yard signs and knocking on doors.
"We're going to keep the momentum going, and we're going to win the race in the fall," Shook said.
Cunningham said he'll support Shook.
"We ran a good, positive race, and I sure thought I was going to win it," Cunnigham said. "Tomorrow is a new day, and I'm going fishing."
Shook, a 22-year veteran prosecutor who heads the district attorney's felony trial division, was apparently unencumbered by lingering criticism of Hill, including how the district attorney handled the aftermath of the 2001 fake-drug scandal in the Dallas Police Department.
The Shook and Cunningham camps each spent more than $300,000 on the primaries, but both had planned for the possibility of a runoff in April.
"They have to play it as if there's going to be a runoff," said Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson. "They can't hold money back if they think that doing that will cost them the election."
Watkins and Jarrett, the leading Democrats, spent far less.
"Obviously, by the numbers, the Democratic Party felt Craig Watkins could lead them to victory in November," said Jarrett, a former state, military and federal prosecutor. "I think the campaign went extremely well and we did everything we could do."
He said he has not decided who he'll support in November.
In achieving his Tuesday victory, Watkins, a Dallas defense lawyer with no experience as a felony prosecutor, overcame disclosures that he has a history of failing to pay income taxes.
The government placed liens on his home in December and January. He has also been sued for failure to pay other debts. Watkins has said that he paid the liens and that his financial matters are not relevant to his campaign.
He has also acknowledged that his campaign literature inaccurately stated that he worked as a prosecutor in Tarrant County when he was more correctly a "prosecutor intern."
Those disclosures seemed to have little effect on the primaries, but his opponent is sure to make them an issue in the months ahead of the November general election.
Watkins said the time is right for a Democrat to be elected district attorney, citing a historic increase in Democratic voters in Dallas County.
"I'm going to be a gentleman and stick to the issues," he said.
Shook looked forward to the next phase of the campaign.
"This was just a little scrimmage we had here. We ran a positive campaign, we talked about the issues," he said. "If I can get Vic Cunnigham behind me, I know I can't lose in the fall."
Staff writer Dave Levinthal contributed to this report.
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Doctor who assaulted wife practicing again
By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - A Highland Park anesthesiologist whose license was suspended after he assaulted his wife is practicing again. William Scott Blessing, 60, is practicing at Baylor Medical Center at Irving, a hospital spokeswoman said.
In March 2005, Dr. Blessing was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. An arrest warrant affidavit stated Dr. Blessing had stopped taking his medication for bipolar disorder, slammed his wife's head on the kitchen floor and threatened to "kill any officer that set foot on his property."
Dr. Blessing was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $2,000. The Texas State Board of Medical Examiners indefinitely suspended his license.
After completing the board's orders – which included abstaining from alcohol and seeking psychiatric help – Dr. Blessing was allowed to return to practice in mid-November but remains on probation by the board, spokeswoman Jill Wiggins said.
He did not respond to requests for comment.
By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
HIGHLAND PARK, Texas - A Highland Park anesthesiologist whose license was suspended after he assaulted his wife is practicing again. William Scott Blessing, 60, is practicing at Baylor Medical Center at Irving, a hospital spokeswoman said.
In March 2005, Dr. Blessing was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. An arrest warrant affidavit stated Dr. Blessing had stopped taking his medication for bipolar disorder, slammed his wife's head on the kitchen floor and threatened to "kill any officer that set foot on his property."
Dr. Blessing was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $2,000. The Texas State Board of Medical Examiners indefinitely suspended his license.
After completing the board's orders – which included abstaining from alcohol and seeking psychiatric help – Dr. Blessing was allowed to return to practice in mid-November but remains on probation by the board, spokeswoman Jill Wiggins said.
He did not respond to requests for comment.
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Teen to be charged over fatal crash
DALLAS, Texas (AP) - Authorities now plan to charge a 17-year-old with negligent homicide in connection with an accident in Dallas that killed a child.
Gabriel Valdez, 5, died in the crash at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on I-20 near Polk Street.
Police say the teenager was driving an SUV with his mother and three children as passengers when he sideswiped a semi-truck.
Gabriel was riding in the back seat and was ejected from the SUV by the impact of the crash.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
It was one of two fatal crashes last night.
Hickory Creek Police and the Denton County Sheriff's department are investigating a fatal wreck on Interstate 35E at the Lewisville Lake bridge.
A car overturned in the northbound lanes just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and its driver was killed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
DALLAS, Texas (AP) - Authorities now plan to charge a 17-year-old with negligent homicide in connection with an accident in Dallas that killed a child.
Gabriel Valdez, 5, died in the crash at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on I-20 near Polk Street.
Police say the teenager was driving an SUV with his mother and three children as passengers when he sideswiped a semi-truck.
Gabriel was riding in the back seat and was ejected from the SUV by the impact of the crash.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
It was one of two fatal crashes last night.
Hickory Creek Police and the Denton County Sheriff's department are investigating a fatal wreck on Interstate 35E at the Lewisville Lake bridge.
A car overturned in the northbound lanes just before 2:30 a.m. Wednesday and its driver was killed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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Man found dead in hot tub after house fire
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - A man in his mid-40s was found dead in a hot tub in a one-alarm house fire in the 5600 block of Overridge Drive in Arlington.
Police became involved in the investigation because of evidence police said they found that indicate an accelerant was used in the fire.
It didn't take firefighters long after they arrived around 4:00 p.m. to put out the one-alarm fire that started in a sunroom in the back of the home.
"[The call] came in about 4:00 and firefighters got here about four minutes after," said Asst. Fire Chief Don Crowson, Arlington Fire Department. "Again, [there was] heavy fire and smoke was showing. We made entry [and] found the victim inside, obviously deceased. We left him in place and initiated a crime scene investigation."
The battalion chief said the victim was covered up, but there was no other information on why the victim was in the hot tub.
By YOLANDA WALKER / WFAA ABC 8
ARLINGTON, Texas - A man in his mid-40s was found dead in a hot tub in a one-alarm house fire in the 5600 block of Overridge Drive in Arlington.
Police became involved in the investigation because of evidence police said they found that indicate an accelerant was used in the fire.
It didn't take firefighters long after they arrived around 4:00 p.m. to put out the one-alarm fire that started in a sunroom in the back of the home.
"[The call] came in about 4:00 and firefighters got here about four minutes after," said Asst. Fire Chief Don Crowson, Arlington Fire Department. "Again, [there was] heavy fire and smoke was showing. We made entry [and] found the victim inside, obviously deceased. We left him in place and initiated a crime scene investigation."
The battalion chief said the victim was covered up, but there was no other information on why the victim was in the hot tub.
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More Texas teens keeping their babies, survey shows
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
"I know I'm going to cry. I won't be able to help it."
From her diary, a 17-year-old in Fort Worth reads of the agonizing moment she told her parents she was pregnant.
Many more teens in Texas, like her, have opted to have their babies according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
According the study, teen abortions have dropped since 2000, when a law passed requiring parental notification.
In the year before the law, there were more than 65,000 abortions in girls aged 15 to 19 in Texas. After the law, there were 300 fewer abortions.
State Senator Florence Shapiro of Plano authored the parental notification bill.
"I'm going to say this has been very successful. Because a parent and a child are now making those decisions together," she said.
But what strikes women's rights activists is another part of the study which shows a 34 percent surge in second trimester abortions in teens 17-and-a-half or older.
Susan Hayes runs a North Texas non-profit group to help teens make their own reproductive choices.
"Older 17-year-olds are delaying their access to healthcare and wait until they turn 18 and obtain a second trimester abortions which are riskier and more dangerous," she said.
"I thought about every option pretty much," says one teen.
This 17-year-old admits she once considered abortion, but chose instead adoption.
She hopes to move on with her own life, after giving birth to another in about a month.
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
"I know I'm going to cry. I won't be able to help it."
From her diary, a 17-year-old in Fort Worth reads of the agonizing moment she told her parents she was pregnant.
Many more teens in Texas, like her, have opted to have their babies according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
According the study, teen abortions have dropped since 2000, when a law passed requiring parental notification.
In the year before the law, there were more than 65,000 abortions in girls aged 15 to 19 in Texas. After the law, there were 300 fewer abortions.
State Senator Florence Shapiro of Plano authored the parental notification bill.
"I'm going to say this has been very successful. Because a parent and a child are now making those decisions together," she said.
But what strikes women's rights activists is another part of the study which shows a 34 percent surge in second trimester abortions in teens 17-and-a-half or older.
Susan Hayes runs a North Texas non-profit group to help teens make their own reproductive choices.
"Older 17-year-olds are delaying their access to healthcare and wait until they turn 18 and obtain a second trimester abortions which are riskier and more dangerous," she said.
"I thought about every option pretty much," says one teen.
This 17-year-old admits she once considered abortion, but chose instead adoption.
She hopes to move on with her own life, after giving birth to another in about a month.
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TexasStooge
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Teen addicted to stuff talks
By MACIE JEPSON / WFAA ABC 8
Ninety percent of kids between the ages of eight and sixteen have used computers to access X-rated material and studies show many of those will become addicts because of their age.
Beemer Waller, 17, said at the age of 12-years-old he started watching pornography online. He also said it soon became a quick addiction.
"It went from girls to two girls and a guy, to two guys and a girl, to three girls," he said. "It went everywhere. I couldn't go to sleep until I watched them."
Finding sites and staying on them for hours was easy for Waller who said one site led to the next.
"You click on one and you exit out and three more of them pop up, and you exit out of those and seven more pop up," he said.
Psychologist Dr. Todd Clements said he works with kids and teens that have addictions to stuff.
"You have to do more and more to get that same rush, and often that goes from what we call level one, viewing pornography, to level two, acting out on that because viewing no longer gives you the rush," said Dr. Todd Clements, psychologist.
Cat scans show boys aren't equipped to handle the euphoria associated with pornography, Clements said.
"They're totally separating emotions from sexual activity and I think that is going to cause problems later in life," he said. "That is going to cause problems in marriage. It is going to cause problems trying to have an intimate relationship as well."
Studies show that regular viewers of stuff have more aggressive and devious desires, and are more likely to act on them.
Beemer Waller's parents said he never showed outwards signs of his obsession. Instead, they said he simply wasn't around.
"To here the things that he did that we had no clue and it is like where were we?" said David Waller, Beemer's father. "And I promise you...we were on top of it, we thought."
Waller went from a standup basketball player who performed in church plays to a hermit who stayed behind closed doors for hours.
Soon his parents had to place a lock on the family television because of excessive pay-per-view orders.
He then turned to using gift cards to purchase downloads on the internet.
"[I wanted] to get that high," he said.
Rapper Kanye West and gospel singer Kirk Franklin recently made their addictions public. Both the pop icons said they are addicted to stuff and sex.
Waller said he too has decided to voice his addictions. He was not only a stuff addict, but he also kicked addictions to alcohol and drugs.
He just recently returned to school and has a new girlfriend. However, he said he wonders if anyone can live up to incessant sexual cravings he blames on the stuff industry.
Waller said he came out publicly with his addictions in hopes to educate and help others. He also urged young kids and teens who believe they might have an addiction to ask for help.
By MACIE JEPSON / WFAA ABC 8
Ninety percent of kids between the ages of eight and sixteen have used computers to access X-rated material and studies show many of those will become addicts because of their age.
Beemer Waller, 17, said at the age of 12-years-old he started watching pornography online. He also said it soon became a quick addiction.
"It went from girls to two girls and a guy, to two guys and a girl, to three girls," he said. "It went everywhere. I couldn't go to sleep until I watched them."
Finding sites and staying on them for hours was easy for Waller who said one site led to the next.
"You click on one and you exit out and three more of them pop up, and you exit out of those and seven more pop up," he said.
Psychologist Dr. Todd Clements said he works with kids and teens that have addictions to stuff.
"You have to do more and more to get that same rush, and often that goes from what we call level one, viewing pornography, to level two, acting out on that because viewing no longer gives you the rush," said Dr. Todd Clements, psychologist.
Cat scans show boys aren't equipped to handle the euphoria associated with pornography, Clements said.
"They're totally separating emotions from sexual activity and I think that is going to cause problems later in life," he said. "That is going to cause problems in marriage. It is going to cause problems trying to have an intimate relationship as well."
Studies show that regular viewers of stuff have more aggressive and devious desires, and are more likely to act on them.
Beemer Waller's parents said he never showed outwards signs of his obsession. Instead, they said he simply wasn't around.
"To here the things that he did that we had no clue and it is like where were we?" said David Waller, Beemer's father. "And I promise you...we were on top of it, we thought."
Waller went from a standup basketball player who performed in church plays to a hermit who stayed behind closed doors for hours.
Soon his parents had to place a lock on the family television because of excessive pay-per-view orders.
He then turned to using gift cards to purchase downloads on the internet.
"[I wanted] to get that high," he said.
Rapper Kanye West and gospel singer Kirk Franklin recently made their addictions public. Both the pop icons said they are addicted to stuff and sex.
Waller said he too has decided to voice his addictions. He was not only a stuff addict, but he also kicked addictions to alcohol and drugs.
He just recently returned to school and has a new girlfriend. However, he said he wonders if anyone can live up to incessant sexual cravings he blames on the stuff industry.
Waller said he came out publicly with his addictions in hopes to educate and help others. He also urged young kids and teens who believe they might have an addiction to ask for help.
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TexasStooge
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Woman's car shot at during rush hour on LBJ
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A woman's car windows were blown out after someone shot at her car Wednesday afternoon while she was driving home in North Dallas near the Marsh Lane exit on Interstate 635.
She was driving in rush hour traffic in her white Toyota when she said shots rang out and broke a front window and a side window. She managed to pull over near the Marsh Lane exit and was uninjured.
Dallas police rushed to the scene but found little evidence to track down the suspect. No bullets could be found inside the car.
Investigators said it might have been road rage, but the woman told police she had no altercation with any other driver and didn't see what car the shots came from.
Friends of the driver came to the scene to help her drive the damaged car home and police said they will continue to investigate whether it was a random shooting or road rage.
The crime is a felony and could most likely could be a charge of attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon.
However, with few clues police said they are hoping for a call from someone who knows something to help crack the case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - A woman's car windows were blown out after someone shot at her car Wednesday afternoon while she was driving home in North Dallas near the Marsh Lane exit on Interstate 635.
She was driving in rush hour traffic in her white Toyota when she said shots rang out and broke a front window and a side window. She managed to pull over near the Marsh Lane exit and was uninjured.
Dallas police rushed to the scene but found little evidence to track down the suspect. No bullets could be found inside the car.
Investigators said it might have been road rage, but the woman told police she had no altercation with any other driver and didn't see what car the shots came from.
Friends of the driver came to the scene to help her drive the damaged car home and police said they will continue to investigate whether it was a random shooting or road rage.
The crime is a felony and could most likely could be a charge of attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon.
However, with few clues police said they are hoping for a call from someone who knows something to help crack the case.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse
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TexasStooge
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Termite experts warn Texans to be watchful
From WFAA ABC 8 and the Associated Press
Texas termite experts are urging homeowners to be watchful when buying mulch and other wood products for their spring gardens to prevent the spread of the voracious Formosan termite.
Roger Gold, an entomologist with the Texas Cooperative Extension in College Station, said Texas officials are concerned about the movement of wood products within the state and from across state lines. Formosan termites, which can cause damage more rapidly than other species because of large colonies, have been found in 25 Texas counties, officials said.
Texas' concerns include debris from trees and homes in 12 Louisiana parishes devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita
"I'm seeing now that Louisiana is saying that's impossible," Gold said. "How effective is state government at anything? "
Louisiana officials said they quarantined the movement of wood debris from the parishes after last year's storms.
Bob Odom, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, said Wednesday that anyone who moves wood products out of the quarantined areas faces fines of $5,000 a day.
He said he's gotten no reports of people moving wood out of those areas, despite an e-mail circulating last week that he called "bogus."
The e-mail claimed that wood from quarantined areas in Louisiana was illegally being taken into Texas and other states to be sold at retail stores.
"I feel that every protection is in place," Odom said.
The Texas Department of Agriculture monitors the state line and the 23 counties currently quarantined. The other two where the pest have been found will be added to the quarantine list.
"TDA inspectors in our road stations along the Texas border are keeping their eyes out for any quarantined articles and will turn back any shipments that do not meet our rigorous entry requirements," Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs said.
Inside Texas, inspectors with the agriculture department routinely check nurseries and floral shops to ensure they have documentation of where the product was purchased. If the product is from a quarantined county, officials make sure it was treated for termites, said Beverly Boyd, spokeswoman for the department.
"If they don't have that (paperwork), everything is loaded up and shipped back," she said.
Texans wondering whether a bug is a Formosan termite should put it in alcohol and call either the agriculture department at 1-800-835-5832 or their local extension agent.
Formosan termites cause the same type of damage as other subterranean termites, but they are voracious eaters, attacking homes and other wood structures as well as nearly four dozen plant species. Their colony populations can grow to more than a million.
"Just be careful," Gold said. "I would at least look at things before I allowed for them to be placed in yards."
From WFAA ABC 8 and the Associated Press
Texas termite experts are urging homeowners to be watchful when buying mulch and other wood products for their spring gardens to prevent the spread of the voracious Formosan termite.
Roger Gold, an entomologist with the Texas Cooperative Extension in College Station, said Texas officials are concerned about the movement of wood products within the state and from across state lines. Formosan termites, which can cause damage more rapidly than other species because of large colonies, have been found in 25 Texas counties, officials said.
Texas' concerns include debris from trees and homes in 12 Louisiana parishes devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita
"I'm seeing now that Louisiana is saying that's impossible," Gold said. "How effective is state government at anything? "
Louisiana officials said they quarantined the movement of wood debris from the parishes after last year's storms.
Bob Odom, commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, said Wednesday that anyone who moves wood products out of the quarantined areas faces fines of $5,000 a day.
He said he's gotten no reports of people moving wood out of those areas, despite an e-mail circulating last week that he called "bogus."
The e-mail claimed that wood from quarantined areas in Louisiana was illegally being taken into Texas and other states to be sold at retail stores.
"I feel that every protection is in place," Odom said.
The Texas Department of Agriculture monitors the state line and the 23 counties currently quarantined. The other two where the pest have been found will be added to the quarantine list.
"TDA inspectors in our road stations along the Texas border are keeping their eyes out for any quarantined articles and will turn back any shipments that do not meet our rigorous entry requirements," Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs said.
Inside Texas, inspectors with the agriculture department routinely check nurseries and floral shops to ensure they have documentation of where the product was purchased. If the product is from a quarantined county, officials make sure it was treated for termites, said Beverly Boyd, spokeswoman for the department.
"If they don't have that (paperwork), everything is loaded up and shipped back," she said.
Texans wondering whether a bug is a Formosan termite should put it in alcohol and call either the agriculture department at 1-800-835-5832 or their local extension agent.
Formosan termites cause the same type of damage as other subterranean termites, but they are voracious eaters, attacking homes and other wood structures as well as nearly four dozen plant species. Their colony populations can grow to more than a million.
"Just be careful," Gold said. "I would at least look at things before I allowed for them to be placed in yards."
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TexasStooge
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Defeats, hard feelings complicate school finance
Legislators face June deadline
By KAREN BROOKS and TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Bad blood from bitter primary races that culminated in defeats for a handful of incumbents and close calls for several others could make it even harder for legislators to find a school finance fix next month.
Lawmakers began to consider such hard feelings Wednesday, and many said they had heard – loud and clear – the message sent by voters in Tuesday's primaries – they're disgruntled over school finance and are prepared to continue tossing incumbents out of office in the November elections.
"Voters are beginning to say, 'What are you doing down there?' " said Rep. Chuck Hopson, an East Texas Democrat who faces a tough November challenge because his district is 70 percent Republican. "If we lollygag around and become divisive and start fighting, the voters aren't going to like it. If we get something done, we're OK. If we don't, we're not going to be."
The political incentives are there on all sides, from the governor on down, to finish the job in the special session. And a June 1 deadline from the Texas Supreme Court may be the only thing that saves them and forces a compromise.
But the Legislature's past inability to compromise on the issue is not likely to be helped by divided parties, several lame-duck lawmakers and their angry friends in the chamber, and the hypersensitivity many members are bringing back to Austin after barely hanging on to their seats.
For parents, teachers and students, that could mean a spring and summer of uncertainty as they wait to see whether the Legislature can overcome not just the substantive difference they have on difficult tax and education issues but also their lingering bitterness and concern over the next election.
"It is a really hard deadline," Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, said of the court's mandate. "If we don't meet it, schools won't open in August. We have no choice but to act."
Sherri Greenberg, a former Democratic representative from Austin and now a lecturer at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs, called the primaries and the looming deadline a "double whammy."
"You have some voters having spoken and made changes that seem to indicate they're unhappy with the lack of action, and you have a court deadline," she said. "The hand is now forced."
Taxes, reforms
The issues that must be addressed are tough enough. Lawmakers must, at the Supreme Court's order, overhaul the property tax system that largely funds the state's public schools.
That means raising other taxes, always difficult for a legislator to go on record for. And to top it off, education groups are lobbying for more overall money, while conservatives want to enact a whole host of education initiatives that schools find onerous. Lawmakers tried in three different sessions to reach a deal last year and couldn't.
Add to that the bitterness from primaries that were uglier than usual. Some House and Senate members took sides against fellow lawmakers, some of whom faced challenges by candidates with backgrounds in education. Others faced a deluge of money from James Leininger, a San Antonio advocate of private school vouchers who funded primary challengers running against five GOP incumbents.
Several of those incumbents, including Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth and Rep. Carter Casteel of New Braunfels, were enormously popular in the House and had supporters who are likely to be angry on their behalf. Mr. Geren survived, but will be at odds with five North Texas GOP colleagues who endorsed his primary opponent. Ms. Casteel lost by a handful of votes.
"We have all this animosity that exists between my own Republican colleagues over this sort of thing, not to mention the fact that you have different political philosophies and points of view," said Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, who won his primary handily after bucking the speaker and the governor on the issue of limits on increases to property tax appraisals. "The only way we're going to get a solution is to bring everybody to the table and be able to discuss the issue, and that's very hard to do when the body is divided like this."
The endorsement by some members of challengers over incumbents "may be the most serious breach of etiquette and will justifiably result in some retribution," predicted former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, now a consultant for the Texas Association of School Boards.
For that reason, Mr. Ratliff said, the wisest course of action for Gov. Rick Perry is to keep the "call" of the special session – the specific issues that can be addressed – very narrow.
"If they open it up to all the other education reform ideas, it could create a lot of infighting, and all the governor would do is lose votes," he said.
Pressure on Craddick
Another question members face next month is how much state leaders – Mr. Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick – are willing to compromise their agendas, which were often at odds with each other in previous regular and special sessions.
Mr. Craddick could find that lawmakers are ready to install a new speaker if he doesn't make sure House members can return to their districts with a bill to brag about.
"Not only does Rick Perry need a school-finance bill, but Craddick does now, too," said Gary Keith, a government lecturer at UT-Austin. "Up until now, he hasn't needed one and, frankly, he blocked it. He needs one now ... so that he can show his fellow Republicans that he's not going to do something that will hurt all of them."
The fact that House Education Committee Chairman Kent Grusendorf carried Mr. Craddick's agenda solidly and then lost dismally in his primary was a strong statement to members on both sides of the aisle that following the leadership rather than their constituents' desires could mean defeat.
"Craddick has got to know that he has fewer soldiers in his army today," Mr. Keith said. "Even those who have won in the primary are going to be much more cautious about their votes now than they would have in the past."
Some House Democrats say this could work in their favor, prompting some Republicans to cast more moderate votes closer to what education groups prefer. "There were several education and tax votes that came down to a handful of votes, and what happened yesterday should serve as a wake-up call," said Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer, D-San Antonio.
While there is growing sentiment in the Legislature to keep the issues in the special session confined to a tax swap – lower school property taxes offset by higher taxes on businesses and consumers – Senate leaders want some education reforms included.
"It would be a wasted opportunity if we just deal with taxes," said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. "School finance is much bigger than that. We need to also raise standards and increase accountability in our schools."
Sen. Florence Shapiro, head of the chamber's education committee, echoed similar sentiments, though she believes lawmakers can agree on a short list of education improvements that has widespread support – such as merit pay for teachers.
As for the possibility of gridlock in the special session because of anger over the primary season, the Plano Republican said: "I hope we are above that."
Legislators face June deadline
By KAREN BROOKS and TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Bad blood from bitter primary races that culminated in defeats for a handful of incumbents and close calls for several others could make it even harder for legislators to find a school finance fix next month.
Lawmakers began to consider such hard feelings Wednesday, and many said they had heard – loud and clear – the message sent by voters in Tuesday's primaries – they're disgruntled over school finance and are prepared to continue tossing incumbents out of office in the November elections.
"Voters are beginning to say, 'What are you doing down there?' " said Rep. Chuck Hopson, an East Texas Democrat who faces a tough November challenge because his district is 70 percent Republican. "If we lollygag around and become divisive and start fighting, the voters aren't going to like it. If we get something done, we're OK. If we don't, we're not going to be."
The political incentives are there on all sides, from the governor on down, to finish the job in the special session. And a June 1 deadline from the Texas Supreme Court may be the only thing that saves them and forces a compromise.
But the Legislature's past inability to compromise on the issue is not likely to be helped by divided parties, several lame-duck lawmakers and their angry friends in the chamber, and the hypersensitivity many members are bringing back to Austin after barely hanging on to their seats.
For parents, teachers and students, that could mean a spring and summer of uncertainty as they wait to see whether the Legislature can overcome not just the substantive difference they have on difficult tax and education issues but also their lingering bitterness and concern over the next election.
"It is a really hard deadline," Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, said of the court's mandate. "If we don't meet it, schools won't open in August. We have no choice but to act."
Sherri Greenberg, a former Democratic representative from Austin and now a lecturer at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs, called the primaries and the looming deadline a "double whammy."
"You have some voters having spoken and made changes that seem to indicate they're unhappy with the lack of action, and you have a court deadline," she said. "The hand is now forced."
Taxes, reforms
The issues that must be addressed are tough enough. Lawmakers must, at the Supreme Court's order, overhaul the property tax system that largely funds the state's public schools.
That means raising other taxes, always difficult for a legislator to go on record for. And to top it off, education groups are lobbying for more overall money, while conservatives want to enact a whole host of education initiatives that schools find onerous. Lawmakers tried in three different sessions to reach a deal last year and couldn't.
Add to that the bitterness from primaries that were uglier than usual. Some House and Senate members took sides against fellow lawmakers, some of whom faced challenges by candidates with backgrounds in education. Others faced a deluge of money from James Leininger, a San Antonio advocate of private school vouchers who funded primary challengers running against five GOP incumbents.
Several of those incumbents, including Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth and Rep. Carter Casteel of New Braunfels, were enormously popular in the House and had supporters who are likely to be angry on their behalf. Mr. Geren survived, but will be at odds with five North Texas GOP colleagues who endorsed his primary opponent. Ms. Casteel lost by a handful of votes.
"We have all this animosity that exists between my own Republican colleagues over this sort of thing, not to mention the fact that you have different political philosophies and points of view," said Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, who won his primary handily after bucking the speaker and the governor on the issue of limits on increases to property tax appraisals. "The only way we're going to get a solution is to bring everybody to the table and be able to discuss the issue, and that's very hard to do when the body is divided like this."
The endorsement by some members of challengers over incumbents "may be the most serious breach of etiquette and will justifiably result in some retribution," predicted former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, now a consultant for the Texas Association of School Boards.
For that reason, Mr. Ratliff said, the wisest course of action for Gov. Rick Perry is to keep the "call" of the special session – the specific issues that can be addressed – very narrow.
"If they open it up to all the other education reform ideas, it could create a lot of infighting, and all the governor would do is lose votes," he said.
Pressure on Craddick
Another question members face next month is how much state leaders – Mr. Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick – are willing to compromise their agendas, which were often at odds with each other in previous regular and special sessions.
Mr. Craddick could find that lawmakers are ready to install a new speaker if he doesn't make sure House members can return to their districts with a bill to brag about.
"Not only does Rick Perry need a school-finance bill, but Craddick does now, too," said Gary Keith, a government lecturer at UT-Austin. "Up until now, he hasn't needed one and, frankly, he blocked it. He needs one now ... so that he can show his fellow Republicans that he's not going to do something that will hurt all of them."
The fact that House Education Committee Chairman Kent Grusendorf carried Mr. Craddick's agenda solidly and then lost dismally in his primary was a strong statement to members on both sides of the aisle that following the leadership rather than their constituents' desires could mean defeat.
"Craddick has got to know that he has fewer soldiers in his army today," Mr. Keith said. "Even those who have won in the primary are going to be much more cautious about their votes now than they would have in the past."
Some House Democrats say this could work in their favor, prompting some Republicans to cast more moderate votes closer to what education groups prefer. "There were several education and tax votes that came down to a handful of votes, and what happened yesterday should serve as a wake-up call," said Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer, D-San Antonio.
While there is growing sentiment in the Legislature to keep the issues in the special session confined to a tax swap – lower school property taxes offset by higher taxes on businesses and consumers – Senate leaders want some education reforms included.
"It would be a wasted opportunity if we just deal with taxes," said Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. "School finance is much bigger than that. We need to also raise standards and increase accountability in our schools."
Sen. Florence Shapiro, head of the chamber's education committee, echoed similar sentiments, though she believes lawmakers can agree on a short list of education improvements that has widespread support – such as merit pay for teachers.
As for the possibility of gridlock in the special session because of anger over the primary season, the Plano Republican said: "I hope we are above that."
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TexasStooge
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Evacuations follow gas leak in Garland
GARLAND, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Some homes were evacuated in the vicinity of a natural gas pipeline rupture near Firewheel Golf Park in Garland Thursday morning.
The line was cut by construction workers. No injuries were reported.
"Initially we thought we'd have to evacuate 50 houses," said Garland Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jeff Tokar. "Now, some of them we're going to shelter in place."
Residents in the immediate vicinity of the pipeline break were moved to a safer location.
Tokar said the area of primary concern was a one-half square mile neighborhood bordered by Brand Road on the east; Talley Road on the west; Murphy Road on the east; and Lochness Lane on the north.
A Level II hazardous materials alert was issued as a result of the gas leak and an operations center was set up at the Firewheel golf facility just west of the break.
"This may take an hour or this may take several hours to repair," Capt. Tokar said. He added that the construction company would be responsible for the cost of repairs to the pipeline, but would not likely be otherwise cited for the accident.
GARLAND, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Some homes were evacuated in the vicinity of a natural gas pipeline rupture near Firewheel Golf Park in Garland Thursday morning.
The line was cut by construction workers. No injuries were reported.
"Initially we thought we'd have to evacuate 50 houses," said Garland Fire Department spokesman Capt. Jeff Tokar. "Now, some of them we're going to shelter in place."
Residents in the immediate vicinity of the pipeline break were moved to a safer location.
Tokar said the area of primary concern was a one-half square mile neighborhood bordered by Brand Road on the east; Talley Road on the west; Murphy Road on the east; and Lochness Lane on the north.
A Level II hazardous materials alert was issued as a result of the gas leak and an operations center was set up at the Firewheel golf facility just west of the break.
"This may take an hour or this may take several hours to repair," Capt. Tokar said. He added that the construction company would be responsible for the cost of repairs to the pipeline, but would not likely be otherwise cited for the accident.
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TexasStooge
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Tarrant County elections officials report glitch
No local contest is altered as some votes counted up to six times
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas – A software programming error allowed some Tarrant County votes to be counted as many as six times during Tuesday's primary election, county officials said.
However, that did not change the outcome of any local races, election officials said at a news conference Wednesday. The mistake led the software to count the cumulative total generated every half-hour as fresh ballots during the next report.
"There was no problem at the precinct level," said Gayle Hamilton, interim county elections administrator. "The problem was here."
County officials said the only race potentially affected was the close contest between GOP incumbent Don Willett and challenger Steve Smith for the Texas Supreme Court Place 2 seat. It's not clear yet whether the new numbers would alter the outcome of that race.
David Rogers, campaign manager for Mr. Smith, said his candidate is considering asking the secretary of state for a recount. Mr. Smith originally lost by 21,000 votes, but the margin is now fewer than 5,000.
"That is less than 1 percent," Mr. Rogers said. "We are looking at the statute tonight, and we'll probably make a decision [about a recount] in the next 24 hours."
Ms. Hamilton said a couple of people mentioned Tuesday night that the vote tallies seemed unusually high, but she said she didn't look into it immediately.
"We should have stopped it right then," she said.
To explain the problem, county officials and a representative of the company that wrote the software broke down the Republican governor's race vote tallies originally posted on the Tarrant County Web site.
The first number reported – 1,352 votes – was correct. But the next update counted those 1,352 votes twice and added that to the second vote tally – 5,046.
At that point, the count was 1,352 votes too high and would grow more inflated as the earlier vote tallies were counted over and over.
By early Wednesday, the Tarrant County Web site reported that 98,324 people had cast ballots in the GOP governor's race. The actual number was 28,374.
That huge number led some to question the figures.
"That would have been a record turnout," said Stephanie Klick, chairwoman of the Tarrant County GOP.
She said she didn't believe that the vote count could have been that high.
Art Brender, the county's Democratic Party chairman, said he too was suspicious.
"There just wasn't that kind of crowd at the polls," he said.
John Covell, a vice president at Hart InterCivic, which supplies the county with voting machines and software, said his firm's mistake did not affect any votes cast at the precincts.
The only problem was the calculations designed to give the public and candidates a running count.
"I take full responsibility," he said.
No race was altered by more than 1 percentage point, Mr. Covell said.
The county was using a large number of new machines from Hart InterCivic for the election. The new machines were similar or identical to the previous ones, but the software was different.
County officials hoped to have a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of the vote by this morning.
Staff writer Dave Michaels in Austin contributed to this report.
No local contest is altered as some votes counted up to six times
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
FORT WORTH, Texas – A software programming error allowed some Tarrant County votes to be counted as many as six times during Tuesday's primary election, county officials said.
However, that did not change the outcome of any local races, election officials said at a news conference Wednesday. The mistake led the software to count the cumulative total generated every half-hour as fresh ballots during the next report.
"There was no problem at the precinct level," said Gayle Hamilton, interim county elections administrator. "The problem was here."
County officials said the only race potentially affected was the close contest between GOP incumbent Don Willett and challenger Steve Smith for the Texas Supreme Court Place 2 seat. It's not clear yet whether the new numbers would alter the outcome of that race.
David Rogers, campaign manager for Mr. Smith, said his candidate is considering asking the secretary of state for a recount. Mr. Smith originally lost by 21,000 votes, but the margin is now fewer than 5,000.
"That is less than 1 percent," Mr. Rogers said. "We are looking at the statute tonight, and we'll probably make a decision [about a recount] in the next 24 hours."
Ms. Hamilton said a couple of people mentioned Tuesday night that the vote tallies seemed unusually high, but she said she didn't look into it immediately.
"We should have stopped it right then," she said.
To explain the problem, county officials and a representative of the company that wrote the software broke down the Republican governor's race vote tallies originally posted on the Tarrant County Web site.
The first number reported – 1,352 votes – was correct. But the next update counted those 1,352 votes twice and added that to the second vote tally – 5,046.
At that point, the count was 1,352 votes too high and would grow more inflated as the earlier vote tallies were counted over and over.
By early Wednesday, the Tarrant County Web site reported that 98,324 people had cast ballots in the GOP governor's race. The actual number was 28,374.
That huge number led some to question the figures.
"That would have been a record turnout," said Stephanie Klick, chairwoman of the Tarrant County GOP.
She said she didn't believe that the vote count could have been that high.
Art Brender, the county's Democratic Party chairman, said he too was suspicious.
"There just wasn't that kind of crowd at the polls," he said.
John Covell, a vice president at Hart InterCivic, which supplies the county with voting machines and software, said his firm's mistake did not affect any votes cast at the precincts.
The only problem was the calculations designed to give the public and candidates a running count.
"I take full responsibility," he said.
No race was altered by more than 1 percentage point, Mr. Covell said.
The county was using a large number of new machines from Hart InterCivic for the election. The new machines were similar or identical to the previous ones, but the software was different.
County officials hoped to have a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of the vote by this morning.
Staff writer Dave Michaels in Austin contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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Father accused of hurting girl
Lewisville: Toddler's death may add charges; family had CPS history
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
LEWISVILLE, Texas – Marylou Leija's life was short and riddled with questionable care.
The Lewisville toddler tested positive for drugs when she was born in 2003. Her mother disappeared when she was a newborn. She spent about half of her life in state care.
On Tuesday, the 2-year-old died, days after relatives called 911 to report she was choking. Her father, 23-year-old Jorge Leija, was being held Wednesday in the Denton County Jail, charged with two counts of injury to a child.
Police said they think Mr. Leija was involved in the injuries that led to Sunday's 911 call. Marylou's 6-year-old sister and 4-year-old brother are now in Child Protective Services for the second time in their young lives.
"We have had contact with the family before," said Marissa Gonzales, a CPS spokeswoman.
The death is the fifth instance in less than two weeks that a North Texas child died or sustained fatal injuries while in the care of a relative or baby sitter.
Marylou's parents came under CPS scrutiny in May 2003 after the agency received a call alleging neglectful supervision. CPS employees set up regular appointments for the parents, which included drug assessments. When Marylou tested positive for drugs at birth around September 2003, the three children were placed in the agency's custody.
Their parents were then required to adhere to service plans, which included drug tests and parenting and anger management classes. When Marylou was a few months old, Ms. Gonzales said, her mother stopped attending classes. Relatives also lost contact with the mother.
"That was the last time anyone heard from her," Ms. Gonzales said.
But Mr. Leija completed the courses CPS required. He continuously had negative drug tests. And his extended family offered support in raising the children. In November 2004, CPS agreed to return the children to their father.
"He was very involved," Ms. Gonzales said.
CPS followed up weekly for three months. Mr. Leija continued to pass drug tests. Last March, the agency closed the case.
Lewisville police spokesman Richard Douglass declined to comment on specifics of the incident, including Marylou's injuries or what led police to think Mr. Leija harmed the child. He said Mr. Leija could face more charges after the Dallas County medical examiner's office completes a report on Marylou's death.
"It's always a possibility," Officer Douglass said.
The Lewisville man was being held in lieu of more than $300,000 bail Wednesday. He also faces unrelated charges, one of them drug-related, out of Dallas County. Relatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Lewisville: Toddler's death may add charges; family had CPS history
By BRANDON FORMBY / The Dallas Morning News
LEWISVILLE, Texas – Marylou Leija's life was short and riddled with questionable care.
The Lewisville toddler tested positive for drugs when she was born in 2003. Her mother disappeared when she was a newborn. She spent about half of her life in state care.
On Tuesday, the 2-year-old died, days after relatives called 911 to report she was choking. Her father, 23-year-old Jorge Leija, was being held Wednesday in the Denton County Jail, charged with two counts of injury to a child.
Police said they think Mr. Leija was involved in the injuries that led to Sunday's 911 call. Marylou's 6-year-old sister and 4-year-old brother are now in Child Protective Services for the second time in their young lives.
"We have had contact with the family before," said Marissa Gonzales, a CPS spokeswoman.
The death is the fifth instance in less than two weeks that a North Texas child died or sustained fatal injuries while in the care of a relative or baby sitter.
Marylou's parents came under CPS scrutiny in May 2003 after the agency received a call alleging neglectful supervision. CPS employees set up regular appointments for the parents, which included drug assessments. When Marylou tested positive for drugs at birth around September 2003, the three children were placed in the agency's custody.
Their parents were then required to adhere to service plans, which included drug tests and parenting and anger management classes. When Marylou was a few months old, Ms. Gonzales said, her mother stopped attending classes. Relatives also lost contact with the mother.
"That was the last time anyone heard from her," Ms. Gonzales said.
But Mr. Leija completed the courses CPS required. He continuously had negative drug tests. And his extended family offered support in raising the children. In November 2004, CPS agreed to return the children to their father.
"He was very involved," Ms. Gonzales said.
CPS followed up weekly for three months. Mr. Leija continued to pass drug tests. Last March, the agency closed the case.
Lewisville police spokesman Richard Douglass declined to comment on specifics of the incident, including Marylou's injuries or what led police to think Mr. Leija harmed the child. He said Mr. Leija could face more charges after the Dallas County medical examiner's office completes a report on Marylou's death.
"It's always a possibility," Officer Douglass said.
The Lewisville man was being held in lieu of more than $300,000 bail Wednesday. He also faces unrelated charges, one of them drug-related, out of Dallas County. Relatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
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TexasStooge
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Fort Worth officer shoots burglary suspect
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas — A burglary suspect was shot and wounded by a Fort Worth police officer Thursday morning as the suspect was climbing out of a window.
Police received a 911 call around 11 a.m. from a duplex in the 5000 block of Inverness Ave., near Hulen mall. The female caller reported a burglary in progress.
Police surrounded the house. One officer opened fire when he heard the sound of shattering glass and mistakenly thought he was being shot at.
The wounded suspect was hit in the shoulder and taken to a hospital for treatment. The officer was also hospitalized for a minor injury related to the weapon he was using.
A second suspect fled but was captured a short time later.
Police said there was no evidence that either burglary suspect had been armed.
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas — A burglary suspect was shot and wounded by a Fort Worth police officer Thursday morning as the suspect was climbing out of a window.
Police received a 911 call around 11 a.m. from a duplex in the 5000 block of Inverness Ave., near Hulen mall. The female caller reported a burglary in progress.
Police surrounded the house. One officer opened fire when he heard the sound of shattering glass and mistakenly thought he was being shot at.
The wounded suspect was hit in the shoulder and taken to a hospital for treatment. The officer was also hospitalized for a minor injury related to the weapon he was using.
A second suspect fled but was captured a short time later.
Police said there was no evidence that either burglary suspect had been armed.
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TexasStooge
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Two hurt in Midlothian boiler explosion
MIDLOTHIAN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two people were injured—one of them critically—in a boiler explosion at the Chaparral Steel plant in Midlothian Thursday morning.
The critically injured person was taken by helicopter to the burn unit Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.
The other worker was taken by ambulance to Baylor Medical Center in Waxahachie.
The explosion released steam at temperatures estimated at 2,000 degrees. The cause was under investigation.
On its Web site, Chaparral says it is the second largest supplier of structural steel in North America.
MIDLOTHIAN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two people were injured—one of them critically—in a boiler explosion at the Chaparral Steel plant in Midlothian Thursday morning.
The critically injured person was taken by helicopter to the burn unit Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.
The other worker was taken by ambulance to Baylor Medical Center in Waxahachie.
The explosion released steam at temperatures estimated at 2,000 degrees. The cause was under investigation.
On its Web site, Chaparral says it is the second largest supplier of structural steel in North America.
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TexasStooge
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Raffle to implode Fort Worth building
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth's Landmark Tower is set to be imploded on Saturday, March 18th. The 380-foot tall building, located on West 7th Street, will be the tallest building ever demolished in Texas. A lucky raffle winner will get the opportunity to push the button to bring down the tower. Raffle tickets will be sold for $25 and proceeds from the sales will go to charity.
The Blast Raffle Tickets are $25 each and tickets may be purchased by mail.
Send money with your name, address and phone number to:
The Blast Raffle
XTO Energy
P.O. Box 17035
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Cut-off date for purchases by mail will be envelopes postmarked by Tuesday, March 14th.
To purchase in person come to The Simpson Building, 110 West 7th, Fort Worth, TX 76102 between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm and fill out a raffle ticket with your name, address and phone number. The cut-off date to purchase in person is 5 pm, Thursday, March 16th. The winner will be notified by phone Friday, March 17th. All monies collected will be shared between two charities: The Presbyterian Night Shelter and A Wish with Wings.
_____________________________________________________________
More information about the Landmark Tower in Fort Worth: CLICK HERE
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Fort Worth's Landmark Tower is set to be imploded on Saturday, March 18th. The 380-foot tall building, located on West 7th Street, will be the tallest building ever demolished in Texas. A lucky raffle winner will get the opportunity to push the button to bring down the tower. Raffle tickets will be sold for $25 and proceeds from the sales will go to charity.
The Blast Raffle Tickets are $25 each and tickets may be purchased by mail.
Send money with your name, address and phone number to:
The Blast Raffle
XTO Energy
P.O. Box 17035
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Cut-off date for purchases by mail will be envelopes postmarked by Tuesday, March 14th.
To purchase in person come to The Simpson Building, 110 West 7th, Fort Worth, TX 76102 between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm and fill out a raffle ticket with your name, address and phone number. The cut-off date to purchase in person is 5 pm, Thursday, March 16th. The winner will be notified by phone Friday, March 17th. All monies collected will be shared between two charities: The Presbyterian Night Shelter and A Wish with Wings.
_____________________________________________________________
More information about the Landmark Tower in Fort Worth: CLICK HERE
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TexasStooge
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Perry in Dallas to launch mentoring program
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / The Dallas Morning News
Texas will spend nearly $3.8 million to launch a program that matches adult mentors with the children of its prisoners as a way to end the generational cycle of incarceration, Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday.
Called Amachi Texas, the program will pair trained adults with 1,300 children. Mentors usually come from the child’s neighborhood and are expected to meet weekly with the child.
“No child should be held captive by the influence of drugs, alcohol and crime, or sentenced to a lifetime of failure because of the mistakes of a parent,” Perry said in announcing the program at the Meadows Foundation in Dallas. “We must end the cultural tragedy of children meeting their parents and grandparents for the first time in prison.”
The Texas program will create a public/private union combining efforts of the governor’s office, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the OneStar Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization Perry created in January 2004 to coordinate faith-based initiatives and promote volunteerism.
The Amachi program began five years ago in Philadelphia under the leadership of former mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. and has spread throughout the United States. “Amachi” is a word of Nigerian dialect that means “Who knows but what God has brought us through this child.”
Just 14 when his father was incarcerated, Goode said a school counselor told him he wasn’t college material, but his minister encouraged him to achieve his dreams. He later went on to earn a doctorate degree and become a minister himself.
Goode said studies show at-risk children involved in a mentoring program improve their grades and behavior.
“You have to give the children hope,” Goode said. “Who knows what God can bring us through these incredible children.”
The program will focus on children ages 6 to 14 who come recommended from churches, schools, caregivers and parents in prison.
T. Charles Pierson, chief executive for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas, said he mentors a boy whose father is serving a life prison sentence.
“His grades have improved to all A’s and B’s and one C,” Pierson said. “He used to get called to the principal’s office for fighting and now he’s playing basketball and football. He’s talking about college and things that three years ago weren’t in his vocabulary.”
Amachi has 1,087 affiliated programs throughout the nation and partners with more than 1,000 churches. The group estimates that 7.3 million children have at least one parent imprisoned and, without intervention, 70 percent of them will follow the same path.
Interested volunteers should contact their local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization for details.
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / The Dallas Morning News
Texas will spend nearly $3.8 million to launch a program that matches adult mentors with the children of its prisoners as a way to end the generational cycle of incarceration, Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday.
Called Amachi Texas, the program will pair trained adults with 1,300 children. Mentors usually come from the child’s neighborhood and are expected to meet weekly with the child.
“No child should be held captive by the influence of drugs, alcohol and crime, or sentenced to a lifetime of failure because of the mistakes of a parent,” Perry said in announcing the program at the Meadows Foundation in Dallas. “We must end the cultural tragedy of children meeting their parents and grandparents for the first time in prison.”
The Texas program will create a public/private union combining efforts of the governor’s office, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the OneStar Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization Perry created in January 2004 to coordinate faith-based initiatives and promote volunteerism.
The Amachi program began five years ago in Philadelphia under the leadership of former mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. and has spread throughout the United States. “Amachi” is a word of Nigerian dialect that means “Who knows but what God has brought us through this child.”
Just 14 when his father was incarcerated, Goode said a school counselor told him he wasn’t college material, but his minister encouraged him to achieve his dreams. He later went on to earn a doctorate degree and become a minister himself.
Goode said studies show at-risk children involved in a mentoring program improve their grades and behavior.
“You have to give the children hope,” Goode said. “Who knows what God can bring us through these incredible children.”
The program will focus on children ages 6 to 14 who come recommended from churches, schools, caregivers and parents in prison.
T. Charles Pierson, chief executive for Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas, said he mentors a boy whose father is serving a life prison sentence.
“His grades have improved to all A’s and B’s and one C,” Pierson said. “He used to get called to the principal’s office for fighting and now he’s playing basketball and football. He’s talking about college and things that three years ago weren’t in his vocabulary.”
Amachi has 1,087 affiliated programs throughout the nation and partners with more than 1,000 churches. The group estimates that 7.3 million children have at least one parent imprisoned and, without intervention, 70 percent of them will follow the same path.
Interested volunteers should contact their local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization for details.
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