News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Towel is the equalizer for Collin mug shots

Longtime practice traces back to defense attorneys' complaints

By JENNIFER EMILY / The Dallas Morning News

McKINNEY, Texas – Shelby Harrison posed for her Collin County Jail mug shot wearing a green T-shirt, baby-blue pajama pants and fuzzy royal-blue slippers.

No one looking at her mug shot will ever see that colorful eveningwear. A gray towel – draped over the shoulders and chest of suspects before a mug shot – will make sure everyone looks the same whether the attire is pajamas, suits or nothing at all.

That's exactly what the jail staff wants.

The towel's origins trace back about eight years. Collin County defense attorneys were complaining that witnesses picked their clients out of a photo lineup because of their clothing, not their facial features. They argued that this could lead to wrongful identifications.

Lt. Larry Smart and several others at the jail came up with an idea to homogenize mug shots with the gray towel.

"We decided to make everyone the same," Lt. Smart said.

Deputies considered other options. They thought about dressing suspects in jail jumpsuits. But many people who land in jail don't stay after the book-in process. They remain in street clothes and leave after the photo session.

Jailers wash the 100 percent cotton towels each day. One sits on the counter waiting for the next in line. Two others lie folded neatly in a cabinet. They look like and feel like common bathroom towels – soft with a thread or two dangling from the edge.

An average of 46 people a day will wear one of the towels for a mug shot. Some days it's as many as 80 or as low as 25.

Women are more finicky than men about wearing the towel, Lt. Amy Linear said. They want to know where it came from and whether it's clean.

Ms. Harrison, 32, was in jail on a criminal mischief charge and for unpaid traffic tickets. She made a face when Detention Officer Russ Gardner draped the towel on her.

"It's fine," Ms. Harrison said.

One guy, reporting for probation because of a DWI, bent down as Officer Gardner tried to place the towel over his chest. When she explained it was supposed to cover the front, the man smiled and said, "Oh, like a barbershop."

Collin County's towel-as-camouflage is an oddity for local jails. The Dallas, Denton and Tarrant county jails all take mug shots of people in street clothes. It's never been an issue.

At first, some officers in other counties laugh at the idea of blanketing inmates in a towel but, on reflection, say the idea has merit.

"It makes sense," said Dallas County Sgt. Don Peritz. "I can see why they do it."

Collin County Chief Deputy Randy Clark wonders why no one else is covering up inmates.

"I'm surprised more people haven't picked up on it," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Pupils mourn principal killed in wreck

By CAROL CAVAZOS / WFAA ABC 8

ARLINGTON, Texas — Pupils are mourning a Parker County high school principal who was killed by a suspected drunk driver on the weekend.

The driver slammed into Darrell Mark Burress, 48, the principal at Peaster High School, as well as two officers, at an accident scene in Arlington at 2 a.m. on Saturday.

Classes are continuing as scheduled at the school, even though some pupils are hearing about the accident for the first time.

Teachers told pupils what happened in a prepared statement. Eight counselors are standing by to help.

Two of the Burress daughters attend the school; one has already graduated.

One of the injured officers, Leticia Brooks, is still in serious condition.

The suspected drunk driver has been charged with intoxicated manslaughter.

"We hope our kids will learn not to get behind a wheel if they have been drinking," said Phillip Bledsoe, Peaster ISD Superintendent.

Hundreds will mourn Burress in the rural community, 30 miles west of Fort Worth, where he led the high school's 300 students and 25 faculty members.

Many pupils and teachers are expected to attend a memorial service at Northside Baptist Church in Wetherford which will be held at 4 p.m. today.

"I think it's going to hurt knowing he's not here anymore," said Seth Hendrick, a student at Peaster High.

Bledsoe said Burress was a principal with a good sense of humor who connected with his students. "He did communicate real with some of the boys at the high school, especially when he'd wear a little 'do-rag' on his head," Bledsoe said. "He'd get a chuckle or two from that standpoint."

[TexasStooge]

Dallas students protest immigration reform

By JEFF BRADY / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Hundreds of students from at least five Dallas high schools walked out of classes Monday morning as part of an organized protest of the immigration reform bill now being considered by Congress.

Students from Molina, Townview, Skyline, Kimbell and Sunset high schools gathered at Kiest Park in Oak Cliff for a rally.

The crowd—some waving Mexican flags, others carrying hand-written signs—was estimated at 1,500 young people by midday, and News 8 received reports that there may be similar protests at other schools around the city.

They are protesting proposed changes the U.S. immigration law—changes that could make illegal immigration a felony.

Some students told News 8 that the proposals, if implemented, could mean that their parents—or entire families—could be forced to return to Mexico or even face legal action.

Most students said they were unaware of the protest until this morning, when word spread via flyer and the Internet.

Some 30 Dallas police patrols, along with DART and Dallas Independent School District officers, watched over the gathering at Kiest Park.

"We are here to mainly safeguard the youth," said officer Les Willie.

DISD spokesperson Ivette Cruz Weis said the district would arrange for buses to return the students to school once the rally is over.

Weis said there were about 1,000 students from Molina, 500 from Townview and an undetermined number from Sunset who participated in the event.

Monday’s walkouts followed a similar rally Saturday at City Hall that drew about 1,500 protesters, demanding that Congress abandon the House-passed measures that would make being an undocumented immigrant a felony and erect a 700-mile fence along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.

Similar events were held over the weekend in other U.S. cities, including Phoenix and Milwaukee. One in Los Angeles drew more than 500,000 people.

DallasNews.com and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Man's body found in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Police have discovered a man's body in west Fort Worth.

The corpse was found near the intersection of Verna Trail Lane and Silver Creek Road.

It had been there for some time, police said.

They were treating the case as homicide.

[TexasStooge]

Campaign targets providers of alcohol to minors

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

PLANO, Texas - At 14, Regan took her first drink at an adult's New Year's Eve party. Now 16, she's a recovering addict.

"Alcohol became my Mr. Fix-It," the Plano teen said at an event Monday morning launching a new public awareness campaign to warn adults of the dangers of giving alcohol to minors.

"Every day is a struggle to stay sober," she said. "Parents and other adults should not be a part of the problem."

The news conference for the new campaign, called "Those Who Host, Lose the Most," featured dignitaries from across the Metroplex, including Police Chief David Kunkle, Mayor Laura Miller and Grand Prairie Mayor Charles England.

By state law, an adult who provides alcohol to those under 21 could face up to a year in jail, a $4,000 fine and a six-month suspension of their driver's license. Adults can also be sued if minors hurt themselves, someone else or damage someone's property.

"As an adult, you cannot give alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 under any circumstance," said State Rep. Kirk England, R-Grand Prairie.

Local and state officials promised stiff enforcement of the law. "We're not going to tolerate adults hosting parties," Mayor England said.

With the prom and graduation season fast approaching, the public awareness campaign is being sponsored by a number of groups, including the Dallas Alliance on Underage Drinking and the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. April is also Alcohol Awareness Month.

According to the campaign's statistics, alcohol kills about 6 ½ times more young people than all other illegal drugs combined. Research also indicates that minors who start drinking before age 15 are far more likely to have alcohol problems than those who wait until 21.

"The No. 1 way that our children are getting alcohol is because adults are giving it to them," said Ms. Miller, who has two teen-age daughters. Ms. Miller said she believed the campaign will "save lives. It will save futures. It will save tears. It will save a lot of heartache."

To report underage alcohol violations, people can make an anonymous call to 888-843-8222. They can also log onto http://www.thosewhohost.org for additional information on the campaign.

[TexasStooge]

A&M student faces child stuff charges

AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - A Texas A&M University student was one of three people arrested last week on child pornography charges, according to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Corey Ryan Armstrong, 21, and two other men face online child pornography charges, officials said.

“The proliferation of child pornography is a problem that all Texans face,” Attorney General Abbott said.

Arrested in the three operations were: Texas A&M University student Corey Ryan Armstrong, 21, of Florida; Christopher Dean Henson, 34, of Childress; and Thurman Sidney Hearn, 44, of Granite Shoals.

Armstrong was arrested at his on-campus residence Friday after a Brazos County grand jury indicted him on 17 counts of possession of child pornography, officials said.

In May 2005, officers conducted a search at Armstrong’s campus residence where they confiscated two computers and external media. Forensic analysis later turned up several images of child pornography.

The case was referred to the Cyber Crimes Unit by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, after an Internet service provider alerted the center that Armstrong was posting sexually explicit images of children on the Internet.

At the time of the investigation, Armstrong was majoring in meteorology at the university. The Brazos County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

Henson, who previously served time in federal prison for his involvement in a north Texas bank robbery, was arrested Friday after a Childress grand jury indicted him on three counts of possession of child pornography and six counts of promotion.

Henson is being held in the Childress County Jail. Abbott’s office is prosecuting the case.

Hearn arrested in Kingsland on Thursday after a tip by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Hearn was uploading child pornography to an online photo album. He was charged with possession and promotion of child pornography and is being held in the Burnet County Jail.

Possession of child pornography is a third‑degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Promotion is a second‑degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

[TexasStooge]

Suspect in I-30 death had previous DWI arrest

From The Dallas Morning News Staff

Grief counselors made themselves available Monday to the students and faculty at Peaster High School in Parker County as they learned that their principal, Darrell Mark Burress, had died over the weekend.

“We have eight to nine grief counselors standing by for anyone who needs those services,” Superintendent Philip Bledsoe said.

Mr. Burress, 48, died on Interstate 30 early Saturday morning when he was struck by a vehicle as he stood watching a tow truck load his disabled Chevrolet Tahoe in Arlington. His wife, Elaine, and two children had been moved to a safer area and were not injured.

Arlington police arrested Fort Worth resident Phillip Gracia, 44, and charged him with intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. He was released Saturday evening on $100,000 bail.

Mr. Gracia had previously been arrested in Arlington in May 2001 for driving while intoxicated, police said.

Mr. Burress, a father of six, was killed and two Arlington police officers were injured when a Jeep Grand Cherokee came barreling onto the shoulder.

Officer Leticia Brooks was taken to Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, where police said she remained in serious condition Monday, unconscious and recovering from internal injuries. Family members said the officer’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, but likely will mean a long recovery.

Officer Michael Leonesio was treated for his injuries and released.

Before the three were hit, Mr. Burress’ Tahoe had been rear-ended in a hit-and-run accident that left his family stranded along westbound I-30 at 2 a.m.

"I went to get them because his vehicle was inoperable,” said David Shaw, Mr. Burress’ brother-in-law. “On my way over there, my sister called and said my brother-in-law was dead.”

Peaster school board Vice President Brian Deaver said Mr. Burress served as principal in the small community about 30 miles west of Fort Worth for about five years.

A memorial service was scheduled for Mr. Burress at 4 p.m. Monday at Northside Baptist Church in Weatherford. A memorial scholarship fund for Mr. Burress’ children has been set up at Peaster Independent School District, P.O. Box 129, Peaster, Texas, 76485.

Dallas Morning News staff writer Jay Parsons, Karin Shaw Anderson and Kimberly Durnan and WFAA-TV contributed to this report.
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Live Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse.

[TexasStooge]

Police draw blood to bust drunk drivers

By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8

Six months after a small police department between Arlington and Fort Worth trained its officers to draw blood from every suspected drunk driver, the new protocol has been called a success.

Dalworthington Gardens authorities said all but one of 32 drivers who had their blood taken proved to be over the legal alcohol limit. The one driver whose results were negative actually proved to have a bigger problem according to police.

"That person had cocaine in his system," said Deputy Chief Jerry Vennum, Dalworthington Garden Police Department. "We elected to charge him with cocaine. It's a felony."

For drivers who refuse to cooperate, authorities said a judge is waiting to sign an order to take the blood. However, authorities said that hasn't been much of an issue.

"...They have all then said, 'Ok, we'll give the blood,'" Vennum said. "There's been no wrestling with someone to take their blood or anything like that."

Nine cases were disposed of so far and all nine drivers pleaded guilty and received jail time.

"We've had no challenges to this point," Vennum said.

While Fort Worth officers don't handle the needles, they have also started getting warrants to draw blood. During the previous weekend alone, they got blood warrants on five suspected drunk drivers. In at least three cases in Tarrant County, blood warrants also cleared suspects who were below the limit.

But the fight continues because at least three North Texans were killed by suspected drunk drivers over the weekend as well.

[TexasStooge]

Dallas ISD board candidate keeps mum

Inquiries about his 2000 police run-in only issue he responded to

By KENT FISCHER / The Dallas Morning News and VANESA SALINAS / Al Dia

DALLAS, Texas - About the only thing most people know about Adam Medrano is that he's all but guaranteed to replace Joe May on the Dallas school board.

He hails from a politically connected family, but he's a political newcomer. He runs a city after-school program, coaches youth soccer and volleyball teams and substitute teaches at a program for juvenile delinquents.

Mr. Medrano, 30, said he was recruited to run for the school board by three longtime supporters of Mr. May, the District 8 trustee who died in early February. No one else filed for the seat and the deadline for write-in candidates has passed, so Mr. Medrano is unopposed.

Despite his near shoo-in status, Mr. Medrano's friends and campaign advisers have shielded him from speaking publicly. For nearly a week, requests from The Dallas Morning News for interviews and a copy of his résumé were declined or ignored.

That changed Monday afternoon, when The News inquired about a run-in Mr. Medrano had with Dallas police in December 2000 at NorthPark Center.

According to an incident report, officers were investigating "homosexual activity in a public place in which Medrano was involved." When an officer tried to detain Mr. Medrano, he ran.

Police chased him through a store and out of the mall. A half-mile later, on Caruth Haven Lane, Mr. Medrano, then 25, gave up. He was charged with evading arrest, a misdemeanor.

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr. Medrano said. "I was intimidated by the circumstances, and I handled it badly. I've learned from it."

He denied the report's allegation that he was engaged in homosexual activity in a restroom.

Mr. Medrano said the incident should not reflect poorly on his ability to serve on the school board. He acknowledges his inexperience but believes he'll succeed.

"Joe May was a family friend, and this is a great opportunity," Mr. Medrano said. "I'm trying to meet people, to learn the job. I know I can handle the job."

Political family

Mr. Medrano's family has a long political history in Dallas.

His grandfather Francisco "Pancho" Medrano Sr. was a leader in the push for Hispanic civil rights in Texas. Before his death in 2002, the elder Mr. Medrano brought Hispanics into the city's mainstream and mentored a generation of Dallas political leaders. According to his obituary, he integrated lunch counters in Dallas, took part in civil rights marches in the Deep South and organized farm workers in the Rio Grande Valley.

Several in the Medrano family have been political heavyweights in Dallas. Pauline Medrano, Adam Medrano's aunt, is a City Council member representing District 2. An uncle, Robert Medrano, sat on the DISD board in the late 1980s. Another uncle, Ricardo Medrano, was a City Council member.

A 1988 Dallas Morning News investigation linked the family to phony ballots and voting misconduct in a precinct where Ms. Medrano was the Democratic chairwoman. No criminal charges were made, however the allegations led to a series of election reforms.

Until now, Adam Medrano has not been active politically, and his job history suggests he has done little to prepare himself to help steer one of the nation's largest urban school districts.

Currently, Mr. Medrano runs a city after-school program at Zaragoza Recreation Center. Before that he did two stints as a sales clerk and stock person in Office Depot stores, according to a job application on file with the city. His personnel file shows a series of summer jobs with the city dating to 1998. He has almost always received good or excellent performance reviews.

Mr. Medrano graduated from Hillcrest High and attended El Centro and Eastfield colleges.

In December 2001, he earned a degree in biology from the University of North Texas. A transcript in his city personnel file shows he was an average student, logging a 2.23 grade-point average over his first 30 credit hours at UNT.

Mr. Medrano said he was recruited to run for the seat by three of Mr. May's longtime political allies: campaign adviser Anna Casey, former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem John Loza and Ray Quintanilla, Mr. May's former campaign treasurer.

Ms. Casey said Mr. Medrano was recruited by a "laundry list" of the city's Hispanic leaders.

"We all got together behind Adam – that's why he's it," she said.

'Already decided'

Ms. Casey said voters in District 8 have effectively elected Mr. Medrano because nobody filed to run against him.

"The people in the district have already decided," said Ms. Casey. "That's our democracy."

Mr. Loza said that after Mr. May's death, he, Mr. Quintanilla and Ms. Casey "decided to sit down, figure out where we go from here." He said they never really considered anybody but Mr. Medrano, given his family's political history and his work with children in East Dallas.

"We were all very insistent that whoever represented District 8 of the school board had to be someone from the community, not someone imposed from above," Mr. Loza said. "I think we're in the same mindset that Adam was a bright young man, and we thought he deserved a chance."

Mr. Medrano said that he has been active in the community and that those experiences will serve him well on the board. He has volunteered with the Salvation Army and the Red Cross and in neighborhood cleanup efforts. He also has served on the Board of Friends of Zaragoza Elementary School.

He said his community work should overshadow his arrest at NorthPark.

The police report from the incident states that Mr. Medrano ran from a uniformed police officer attempting "to detain [Mr. Medrano] for possible lewd conduct."

Mr. Medrano recalled the incident this way: He was using the men's room at Dillard's department store, and as he exited a stall he was surprised to see a police officer lining up several men. The officer said something about homosexual activity and ordered Mr. Medrano to line up, he said.

"I heard that and said, 'Whoa,' " Mr. Medrano said. "I was innocent. I did nothing wrong. I ran. That was the mistake I made."

After his arrest, court records show, Mr. Medrano agreed to deferred adjudication and paid a $450 fine in March 2001. He served one year of probation and agreed to perform 24 hours of community service, according to court records.

He said Monday he served is probation with no problems and has not been in trouble since.

"Lesson learned," he said.

[TexasStooge]

Classrooms clear out

Hordes of students protest plan to crack down on illegal immigration

By HOLLY YAN, TAWNELL D. HOBBS and PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News

It started with a posting on MySpace.com. E-mail and text messages spread it like wildfire. And with the help of old-fashioned paper fliers, a mass student protest materialized in an instant.

Gustavo Jiminez, 16, conceived the rally Sunday morning while browsing the popular Web site. He saw a California girl's posting about legislation to make it a felony to enter the country illegally or to help illegal immigrants.

"They're making my family – making immigrants – look like criminals," the Duncanville High School junior said. "They're putting us down as a statistic, as a number. We're not a number; we're here to help."

In what some Internet users are calling a "Net-roots" effort, a 24-hour blitz of activity by youthful organizers inspired as many as 4,000 Dallas-area students to walk out of school Monday and assemble at Kiest Park and City Hall, protesting the legislation that would crack down on illegal immigration.

Tens of thousands of students in California and other states also walked out of classes in protest.

Using the Internet for political organizing is nothing new, but doing that through MySpace.com – a site known more for social networking than for political activism – seems to be, said Barry Parr, a media analyst for Jupiter Research, a West Coast firm that studies information trends.

"I'm not aware of anyone doing this with MySpace," he said. "Typically, e-mail and other bulletin boards are common political tools."

The local turnout was more than what Gustavo and his friend Miguel Hernandez imagined possible.

"I thought 100, maybe 200 people would show up," 16-year-old Miguel said.

Instead, 4,000 students showed up, Dallas school Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said, though police estimated the crowds at City Hall and Kiest Park at 1,600 people.

A Dallas schools spokesman said the student protesters included about 2,000 from Skyline High School, 1,000 from Molina High School, 500 from Townview Center, and 150 to 200 from North Dallas, Spruce and Thomas Jefferson high schools.

Dallas police Senior Cpl. Max Geron said a smaller group left Thomas Jefferson High School in northwest Dallas and gathered at Bachman Lake Park.

Others were from surrounding districts, private schools and area colleges.

There were no reports of violence.

The protests caught both school officials and police by surprise. The Dallas Independent School District has had walkouts before, but none in recent memory as large as Monday's.

"They were more organized than any other group I've seen," said Dallas City Council member Steve Salazar, commending the show of conscience.

For many Dallas students, the decisive moment came about 10:30 a.m. Esperanza Gaona, 15, was in biology class at Townview Center. She got up and walked out of the classroom alone. Soon five or six classmates followed, and the crowd grew outside.

They walked to a second high school, where they yelled through windows for others to join. Then a third school. By the end of the day, Esperanza's hands were bruised from clapping.

She says she decided to protest in honor of her grandfather, who recently died, and for her parents, who are both illegal immigrants.

"As much as people think the youth don't listen to the news, we do," she said. "My parents are proud."

About 11 a.m., the crowds began streaming into Kiest Park to rally against legislation that would erect a 700-mile fence along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. Some students later went to City Hall, where others had gathered.

Seventeen-year-old Eduardo Martinez said he walked to City Hall from Skyline High School in Pleasant Grove to participate in the protest. He held a sign that read, "Immigrants founded the U.S."

"The first people came here from the U.K. for a better life," said Eduardo, whose father is a U.S. citizen but whose mother is here illegally. "Immigrants are here to work, not to do bad stuff."

Students drove by waving Mexican flags out of windows. Some rode on the edges of pickup beds cheering other students. They held dozens of handwritten signs, with phrases such as "We're not criminals" and "Where would ya'll be w/o us?"

"We're the ones who work the most," said 19-year-old Julie Rodriguez, a freshman at Eastfield College in Mesquite. "We build them houses. Who would build their houses if we weren't here?"

As students boarded school buses to return to school, they shouted, "Mexico, Mexico!"

Not everyone agreed with the protest.

"They're here to bash on Americans and come here and take our jobs and properties," said Daniel Waters, who was visiting the downtown public library when he saw the commotion across the street.

The lunchtime call-in show on KRLD NewsRadio 1080 AM featured a taped interview with student protesters who sounded more like they were on a mall outing, giggling as they followed their friends' lead. Some knew little about the issues.

After hosting a show on the issue Monday, Mark Davis of WBAP-AM (820) said he was left with the impression that the students' levels of political activism ran the gamut.

"This was a fantasy field trip so that they feel like their 1960s-era predecessors," said Mr. Davis, who's also a Dallas Morning News columnist. "This was an occasion to be seen protesting. It was as social as it was political."

What punishment the students may face from the schools remains undecided, said Dallas schools spokesman Donald Claxton.

Gustavo's father, Gus Jiminez, said he supported his son, regardless of the consequences. He attended the protest at Kiest Park with Gustavo.

"I knew he probably was going to get in trouble by the school, but he did it for a good cause," said Mr. Jiminez, who moved here illegally but now is a legal resident.

"MLK, Benito Juarez – they all did demonstrations peacefully, and they were all good leaders. Gustavo has the courage to be a good leader."

Monday night, inside the Oak Cliff restaurant Tejano, the students were joined by civil rights leaders, Dallas school trustee Jerome Garza, Mr. Salazar and others.

They began planning a march for April 9, a rally they hope will be the largest in Dallas' history.

As Gustavo spoke to the crowd, it was clear that in his mind, Monday was only the beginning.

"Imagine if I had the whole weekend" to plan, he said.

Staff writers Jason Trahan, Alan Melson and Crayton Harrison contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Leaders call on pupils to return to school

From WFAA ABC 8 Staff and Wire Reportes

After thousands of North Texas students left classes for a second day in response to proposed legislation that would make it a felony to enter the country illegally or to help illegal immigrants, community leaders issued a plea Tuesday afternoon for the students to take more "constructive" action.

In a quickly-arranged news conference in City Hall's Flag Room, the leaders talked about the need for students to end the walkouts, and gave several students the opportunity to speak about their feelings.

"The walkouts have been very effective, but it's time for everyone to go back to school and start writing letters and making phone calls to your senator or congressman," said Domingo Garcia, a Dallas lawyer and current National Civil Rights Chairman for LULAC.

Garcia said a civil rights march will be held in Dallas on April 9, and encouraged students and others who felt strongly about the issue to plan on taking part in that event rather than missing additional classes.

"Tomorrow, it is very possible that students will begin to be arrested for truancy," said Dallas County Community College trustee Diana Flores. "We want everyone to be heard, but there is a time and a place to do it."

"Our biggest concern today was your safety," said Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia in her comments directed at student protesters. "We cannot risk our future, and that's why it is time to handle this matter in a different way."

At least one girl was seriously injured in what was a second day of protests by North Texas students.

Witnesses said an 18-year-old female Spruce High School student's hand was severed when a van of students in which she was riding rolled over at an intersection.

Students from Irving ISD streamed from DART trains at about 10:30 Tuesday morning and marched up Young Street toward City Hall, whooping and hollering, some waving the Mexican flag. Students from Fort Worth and Grand Prairie also walked out of class in protest.

The reflecting pond in front of City Hall became a swimming pool for dozens of young people as the protest continued. At least two students were injured in the water and were taken to hospitals for treatment.

At one point, about 100 students surged into City Hall and got as far as the fifth floor before being escorted back outside by security officers.

For the most part, the protest—involving an estimated 2,500 young people at its peak—was peaceful.

Kerry Vargas, 14, from The Academy at Irving ISD, and Sean Wilder, 17, from MacArthur High School were waving a flag from Costa Rica, where their families came from.

"I have people in my family who are here illegally," Sean said. "I don't want to see them put away in jail."

Kerry said some kids were going through school, saying "Latinos, stand up," prompting them to leave class. "My family came here and worked really hard," Kerry said. "America isn't just one race. They shouldn't do this to us because we are a large part of the economy."

She said she knew a lot of kids were running around not sure what they were protesting.

One poster said: "Terrorists are coming in from Canada, not Mexico."

German Escobar, 16, from MacArthur High School, said students walked outside the school before heading to Dallas. One cop threatened to ticket everyone, but there were too many kids, he said. German said his parents are from Mexico and El Salvador and got their immigration papers back in the 1990s. "We've got to help the rest of the people get them," he said.

The protest at City Hall appeared to be dissipating shortly after noon, and students were walking toward the DART station at Union Station. School buses were also being assembled to shuttle young people back to their campuses.

Grand Prairie students rally in Dallas

Dallas Police Deputy Chief Vincent Golbeck said 500 to 600 students from Grand Prairie showed up at Kiest Park and stayed for about two hours. About 40 officers were on hand, some of them blocking the park entrances so that they could keep the neighborhood safe and keep the situation from getting out of hand. Officers kept a low profile and let kids know they couldn't be disorderly or break the law. No property damage was reported. The students should get a blue ribbon for their behavior, Chief Golbeck said. They just wanted to send a message, he said.

One woman who was protesting against the students was asked to leave for safety reasons, and she did, police said.

He said Dallas school officials had a good plan for protesters on Monday, so police called Grand Prairie officials and had administrators and buses show up. Students loaded up onto about 14 buses and were gone by about 1:30 p.m. Chief Golbeck said police planned to stay at the park for awhile. They got word that about 60 students from Carter High School in Dallas were on their way this afternoon.

Students at the park said teachers didn't try to stop them from walking out; they just told students to be careful and stay off the streets.

Maria Pererz, 14, from Quintanilla Middle School in Dallas, said, "We've been here for too long for them to kick us out."

Priscilla Hernandez, 14, from Quintanilla Middle School, said, "We have family from Mexico and from here, and we are trying to stop the law from passing."

Hundreds of students in Fort Worth gathered near Sundance Square downtown for what was reported to be a mostly peaceful rally.

Protests are widespread

Tuesday's walkouts continued the protests that began late last week in California in response to proposed legislation that would make it a felony to enter the country illegally or to help illegal immigrants.

Dallas Independent School District spokesman Donald Claxton said the district can do little to keep students in class, but it is watching the walkouts as best it can to keep kids safe. He cited Tuesday's accident as an example that "it's getting dangerous (and) people are starting to suffer consequences."

"We've got numerous officers out, trying to keep the kids safe,” he said.

DISD students who are out of class today will be marked with an unexcused absence, Mr. Claxton said. Students who accumulate too many unexcused absences in a semester can have their privileges limited or face truancy hearings.

The full U.S. Senate is preparing to debate a measure passed Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. It would give millions of illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he hopes the Senate will pass an immigration reform bill by April 7. However, any bill produced by the Senate would have to be reconciled with a House bill that would make illegal immigrant felons.

Dallas Morning News staff writers Kent Fischer, Valerie Wigglesworth, Ray Leszcynski and Alan Melson, WFAA ABC 8 reporters Debbie Denmon, Karin Kelly, Chris Heinbaugh, Jeff Brady, Janet St. James and Walt Zwirko, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


WFAA ABC 8
The reflecting pond at Dallas City Hall became a swimming pool for some of the young protesters.

[TexasStooge]

Girl's hand severed in SUV crash

By DEBBIE DENMON / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A Spruce High School student was hospitalized with a severed hand after the sport utility vehicle she was riding in crashed in Dallas.

She was with three other pupils from the school who were traveling to an immigration bill protest rally.

Dallas Independent School District spokesman Donald Claxton said officers observed the vehicle weaving through traffic just before the crash at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

"We were attempting to catch up with them, and unfortunately, they came through this intersection at a high rate of speed," Claxton said. "This is an example of that can go wrong when they go wild."

"When the car flipped, her hand just tore off," said a boy who identified himself as the victim's brother.

A 15-year-old boy who said he was the driver of the Ford Expedition said he had taken the car without his parents' permission.

"I was like fixing to crash through that sign, so I went straight in and flipped," the boy said. He denied traveling at excessive speed.

The identities of the students were withheld because of their ages.

"It's very unfortunate that while they are trying to learn civics lessons, they are also going to be learning some very important financial and health lessons as well," Claxton said.

[TexasStooge]

Fire forces evacuation of historic building

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) — A minor electrical fire prompted evacuation of the former Texas School Book Depository building at Elm and Houston streets on Monday morning.

The building—known worldwide for its central role in the drama surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963—is now home to The Sixth Floor Museum, which houses exhibits and memorabilia surrounding the assassination and the Kennedy presidency.

Along with the museum and its patrons, the Dallas County Commissioners Court was holding its regular weekly meeting when the fire was reported in a fourth floor electrical junction box used by the building's air conditioning system.

Dozens of people waited on the sidewalks surrounding the building while Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel put out the fire and made sure there were no further problems.

After an all-clear, commissioners returned to their session and museum patrons were allowed to re-enter the building.

Now called the Dallas County Administration Building, the structure was built in 1903 to house the Southern Rock Island Plow Company.

Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President Kennedy from his perch on the sixth floor of the building on November 22, 1963.

The Sixth Floor Museum has hosted an estimated four million visitors since it opened in 1989.

WFAA-TV reporter Byron Harris contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Police escape injury in Carrollton crash

CARROLLTON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Two Carrollton police officers escaped injury early Tuesday when their squad car was hit from behind.

The officers were helping a disabled driver on Interstate 35E at Sandy Lake Road around 2 a.m. when another vehicle plowed into the patrol unit.

The officers were not in the car at the time of the wreck; no one was hurt.

Police arrested the driver of the car that hit theirs on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

The scenario was similar to a crash in Arlington early Saturday morning in which two police officers were injured and a Parker County high school principal was killed.

[TexasStooge]

Leaders: Time to end walkouts

From The Dallas Morning News, Al Día, and Wire Reports

After thousands of North Texas students left classes for a second day in response to proposed legislation that would make it a felony to enter the country illegally or to help illegal immigrants, community leaders issued a plea Tuesday afternoon for the students to take more "constructive" action.

In a quickly-arranged news conference in City Hall's Flag Room, the leaders talked about the need for students to end the walkouts, and gave several students the opportunity to speak about their feelings.

"The walkouts have been very effective, but it's time for everyone to go back to school and start writing letters and making phone calls to your senator or congressman," said Domingo Garcia, a Dallas lawyer and current National Civil Rights Chairman for LULAC.

Garcia said a civil rights march will be held in Dallas on April 9, and encouraged students and others who felt strongly about the issue to plan on taking part in that event rather than missing additional classes.

DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said students who left school for protests Monday or Tuesday will receive an unexcused absence for each day, but beginning Wednesday any who walk out will be subject to disciplinary action.

"Leaving school without permission is defiance of authority, could be trespassing and could be seen as disruptive behavior," Hinojosa said.

"Tomorrow, it is very possible that students will begin to be arrested for truancy," said Dallas County Community College trustee Diana Flores. "We want everyone to be heard, but there is a time and a place to do it."

In the largest gathering Tuesday, hundreds of students stormed City Hall, forcing police officers to shut down the building's elevators and corral rowdy protesters in the lobby. As dozens of police poured onto the premises, the students were forced back outside, where they screamed choruses of "We won't go" and "Si, se puede" – Spanish for "Yes, we can."

Several protesters were painted in red and green, and others wore T-shirts with slogans supporting their cause. Some said their parents supported their participation.

"It was dangerous, what we did today," said Briceida Villaruel, a student at WT White High School. "We said everything we wanted to. Now we need to stay in school in order to get our educations."

"We did this not just for Hispanics, but for everyone who comes from anywhere in the world," said Cinthia Torres, a student at Hillcrest High School. "We had this protest and they heard us. We've got to go to school now, and be good, and graduate."

Buses to take the students back to school did not arrive until about midday – and many were in no rush. With Mexican flags waving, they leaped into the City Hall reflecting pool, soaking themselves and their backpacks, and climbed over the modern art sculpture in the center.

A few students required minor emergency medical attention at City Hall. But witnesses said an 18-year-old Spruce High School student's hand was severed when a van of students in which she was riding rolled over on the way to the gathering. She reportedly was in fair condition at Baylor University Medical Center.

Hispanic community advocates estimated 10,000 students from across North Texas took to the streets in the last two days. And while the message is an important one, they said, it's taken a lot of work from school administrators and the Dallas Police Department to ensure the students' safety.

"Our biggest concern today was your safety," Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia said while addressing the protesters. "We cannot risk our future, and that's why it is time to handle this matter in a different way."

Word of the protests was spread on MySpace.com, by e-mail and text messages, and by word of mouth.

Mauricio Aquino, 17, said everyone at Irving High School knew about the walkout.

"It's not that we want to skip school," he said. "We want to defend our pride. We don't want to be seen as criminals."

Holding a "Viva Mexico" sign, Spruce student Marisol Garcia, 18, said she came to fight for the rights of her parents and family members, who were seeking a better life in this country.

"People are here for the issue," she said. "A lot of them have parents here illegally, and they want change."

Ricardo Calderon, 16, said Spruce students met at a park near the high school, then helped spread the word to friends at other schools. Some parents even dropped off their kids at the park before heading to work. When the students started rolling toward City Hall with windows down and Mexican flags flapping in the breeze, “everyone just knew and started following,” Ricardo said.

About 1,000 students from Irving high schools walked out between 8 and 9 a.m., headed briefly to Irving City Hall and then boarded trains to Union Station in Dallas, said Tony Thetford, a school district spokesman.

“We also saw what happened with Dallas ISD yesterday, and so I don’t guess we were that surprised that this could happen in other high schools today,” he said.

Some Irving school administrators emphasized to students before they left that they’re better served staying in school so they could achieve success in this country, Thetford said.

“We tried to keep them in school and emphasize the merits and what it would do for their future,” he said. “It all happened rather quickly.”

Arlington school district officials said between 200 and 400 students gathered on the football field at Arlington High School for a peaceful demonstration. The majority came from Sam Houston but some were from Arlington and Bowie high schools. Superintendent Mac Bernd, who spoke to the gathered students, said they were calm, courteous and respectful during the student-led rally.

Arlington Police spokeswoman Christy Gilfour said Pedro Martinez, Jr., 17, was arrested on charges of criminal trespass at about 1 p.m. at Sam Houston High School because he was not a student and refused to leave.

Dallas Police Deputy Chief Vincent Golbeck said 500 to 600 students from Grand Prairie showed up at Kiest Park and stayed for about two hours. Most were high school students, but another 100 left Lee Middle School between classes and marched to Grand Prairie City Hall to ring the city's Liberty Bell.

Grand Prairie school district spokesman Sam Buchmeyer said students who left campuses would not be allowed back in class Tuesday and must bring a parent to be readmitted Wednesday.

In Denton, about 250 students left class and headed to a downtown rally, and between 40-50 students at both Birdville High School in North Richland Hills and The Colony High School in The Colony also walked out.

A small number of students at three Plano schools participated in protest-related activity, said spokeswoman Karla Oliver. Ms. Oliver said school administrators did not want to stifle student expression, but principals were free to decide how to punish those who leave campus.

Dallas Morning News staff writers Marissa Alanis, Kim Breen, Kimberly Durnan, Kent Fischer, Kathy Goolsby, Alan Melson, Emily Ramshaw, Toya Lynn Stewart and Katherine Unmuth contributed to this report.


WFAA ABC 8
Some protesters jumped in the City Hall reflecting pond.


JOANNA JEMISON / Dallas Morning News
Students walked along Young Street downtown in front of waiting traffic.

[TexasStooge]

Council approves low-income tower downtown

By KIM HORNER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas City Council voted Tuesday to support a downtown high-rise apartment project for homeless and low-income residents.

The council agreed to provide up to $1 million from a November bond election for the homeless and $750,000 in Community Development Block Grants to help fund the $23.6 million project.

The city also will support an application to the state by the nonprofit developer, Central Dallas Ministries, for tax credits, which would reduce the cost of building the low-income housing. The city will not provide its funding unless the state approves the tax credits.

Dallas-based Central Dallas Ministries wants to convert a vacant office tower at 511 N. Akard St. into 209 affordable rental units for homeless, low-income and some moderate-income residents. The nonprofit agency will seek a mix of public and private funding for the project, called City Walk at Akard.

[TexasStooge]

Tax plan to be announced Wednesday

By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas families at all income levels would get a tax break – with the wealthiest Texans receiving the biggest – under a massive tax swap plan that will be formally unveiled Wednesday by Gov. Rick Perry and his tax reform commission.

The proposal, which will be considered by the Legislature in a special session that begins on April 17, would provide a net tax cut of nearly $1.3 billion a year for individual taxpayers – excluding smokers who would pay a higher tax for cigarettes and tobacco products.

The savings is the result of a one-third reduction in school property taxes that is called for in the tax commission’s plan, which would increase taxes on businesses and smokers to replace most of the revenue. The proposal also would tap about $1 billion of the state’s budget surplus.

“We worked real hard to make sure the proposal was not regressive,” said former state Comptroller John Sharp, who chaired the tax reform commission. “We are pleased with the results so far.”

Tax swap proposals considered by the Legislature last year generally increased the tax burden for all but the wealthiest households, primarily because those plans included an increase in the state sales tax along with higher taxes on businesses and smokers. The tax commission’s proposal would not raise the sales tax – a change that make its tax approach less regressive because it would not adversely impact lower income groups.

A study conducted by the Legislative Budget Board indicated that households at all income levels would get a tax reduction, with an average decrease of 2.2 percent. The largest reduction – 3.3 percent – would go the top 10 percent of families, those with an annual income of at least $146,804. The smallest cut – just under 1 percent – would go to those with incomes between $14,042 and $33,190.

Gov. Perry and Mr. Sharp are scheduled to discuss the tax plan at a news conference on Wednesday. Key elements include:

• A reduction in local school property taxes of about one-third, which would lower the current rate of $1.50 per $100 valuation in most school districts to $1 by next year. Total tax relief would be nearly $6 billion. Taxpayers would see a partial reduction this year of 17 cents to 20 cents in the tax rate.

• A revised business franchise tax that would tax the gross receipts of most businesses – excluding sole proprietorships, general partnerships and companies earning less than $300,000 annually – after either employee compensation or the cost of goods are deducted. Most companies and partnerships would pay a 1 percent tax, while retailers and wholesalers would pay a half percent tax. The new business tax, which would go into effect next year, would produce an additional $4 billion.

• A $1 a pack increase in the state cigarette tax, raising the total tax to $1.41 per pack. The new levy would generate an additional $800 million a year. It would go into effect later this year.

• Use of $1 billion of the state’s current $4.3 billion surplus to help offset the reduction in school property taxes. Only about $2.2 billion of that amount was not previously committed by the Legislature, but Mr. Sharp said his advisers believe the surplus will grow another $2 billion to $2.5 billion in the current biennium.

State lawmakers have been ordered by the Texas Supreme Court to revamp the tax system for public schools by June 1. Most experts believe the system can only be fixed by reducing the state’s reliance on local property taxes to pay for the majority of education expenses. State aid now provides only about 38 percent of funding for schools.

[TexasStooge]

A tuition hike and a message

UT campuses stagger rates to encourage full-time courseloads

By JAMES M. O'NEILL / The Dallas Morning News

The University of Texas campuses at Austin, Dallas and Arlington will impose steep tuition increases for the fall that are designed to send a message to students who linger: It was nice to have you, but it's time to move on.

By structuring tuition hikes of up to 25 percent for part-time students, those UT campuses hope to push more students into full-time courseloads so they can graduate sooner.

UT system officials say this will help reduce the cost of college for students in the long term. It also will free up much-needed slots on those campuses to address the growing numbers of college-ready students statewide who are coming through the pipeline, they say.

Under a tuition plan approved Tuesday by the University of Texas System Board of Regents, an undergraduate student at UT-Dallas who takes a part-time load of six credits per semester will see tuition and fees jump by 25 percent, or $387, to $1,925.

A student taking a full-time load of 15 credits, by comparison, would pay $3,665 – only $249 more than currently, or 7.2 percent. UT-Dallas will also freeze its tuition rate at $3,665 no matter how many credits a student takes beyond 15 – making it a bargain to take more courses than fewer.

Creating a roadblock?

But higher education experts and some students worry that increasing tuition more sharply for part-timers might create an unintended barrier for the very students the UT system has said it wants to serve more – lower-income minorities, particularly Hispanics, who often must work to pay for college and therefore have no choice but to attend part time.

A typical course in the UT system is worth three credits, and a full-time load is 12 to 15 credits per semester, depending on the school.

At UT-Arlington, an undergraduate who takes nine credits will see a 21 percent increase in tuition and fees in the fall, or $394, while a student taking 15 credits will see an 8.3 percent jump, or $245.

UT-Arlington President Jim Spaniolo said that other discounts could make the tuition hike virtually disappear for full-time students. Those who take 14 credits per semester for two semesters and maintain a 2.5 grade-point-average, for instance, would get a $500 rebate.

The system of higher rates for part-timers "does make it more expensive for students who need to work and therefore can't take a full course load," said Basheer Benhalim, 22, the UT-Dallas student government president.

"We have to find a way to ensure the changes don't price them out of a college education," he added. He said a combination of grants instead of loans and increasing the number of classes at night or on weekends might help lower-income students carry a heavier courseload each semester.

"When people drop out or attend part time, it's usually an economic issue because the cost is more than they can bear," Mr. Benhalim said.

UT-Dallas provost Hobson Wildenthal agreed that structuring tuition increases to encourage more full-time attendance without scaring off lower-income students is a delicate balancing act.

"It is definitely a conflict," he said. "Some students are very resistant to increase their debt."

Concern about part-time students, particularly those from low-income families who must work while in school, taking on debt has grown in recent years. Adding to those concerns is how federal financial aid policy over the past decade shifted away from grants towards loans.

To address that issue, UT-Austin, which also has a tuition rate that is higher per credit hour for part-timers, has protected lower- and middle-income students from the bulk of the tuition increases.

Those students from families making $40,000 or less will not pay any tuition increase at UT-Austin. Those making between $40,000 and $60,000 will pay only 25 percent of the increase. And those between $60,000 and $80,000 will pay half the increase.

UT system Chancellor Mark G. Yudof also said that with more than 20 percent of new tuition revenue going to financial aid at the system's nine campuses, combined with federal programs such as Pell grants, most low-income students, even those attending part time, won't feel the pinch of the tuition hikes.

UT-Dallas President David E. Daniel said the disproportionate increase in part-time tuition on his campus was aimed primarily at students who are close to full-time anyway but had fallen into a habit of stretching out their courseloads because such behavior had become "culturally embedded" on campus, rather than at students who must attend part time because they need to work.

UT-Dallas started the more expensive tuition rates for part-timers a year ago, combined with flat rates for those taking any number of credits above 15.

He said that since then, the number of undergraduates taking 15 credit hours in a semester has more than doubled. "That's a benefit for them, because they will graduate sooner, enter the workforce and start earning higher income sooner."

Two-year tuition plan

For the first time, the UT system regents Tuesday also approved tuition rates for two successive academic years, in order to give students and their families a chance to better predict what their costs will be for college over time. At UT-Austin, the increases are far higher the first year than the second.

Full-time undergraduate students at the UT-Austin campus would see tuition increase at varying rates based on their major. Liberal arts students would pay $3,815 per semester, an increase of 9.4 percent, or $329. Of that, $150 would cover increases in energy costs.

The UT undergraduate liberal arts increase for the 2007-08 fall semester would be more modest for the coming fall – a mere $20 per semester, or half a percent.

Students had requested the two-year tuition plan.

The tuition hikes at nine UT System academic campuses approved Tuesday are only partly designed to influence student behavior. Most of the increase is the result of a number of economic pressures on those public universities throughout Texas and across the country.

For starters, Chancellor Yudof noted that over the past 20 years, state appropriations have become a smaller portion of the system's revenue stream. While overall state appropriations have increased, they have not risen as fast as inflation or enough to address the booming growth in student enrollment.

UT-Arlington has seen full-time equivalent enrollment rise by 26 percent since the 2002-03 academic year. UT-Dallas has seen a 31 percent enrollment increase in that time, and other campuses have seen even higher growth.

In addition, there are growing costs from the changing nature of higher education itself, Dr. Yudof said. He noted that the growing need and focus on science and technology requires infrastructure costs that are far more than in the past.

Also, he said, there's growing competition from the private sector for quality professors, forcing universities to pay more to lure and keep their faculty stars. Many of the UT campuses also added fees for higher energy costs for the coming academic year. UT-Dallas, for instance, will impose a $150 energy fee.

[TexasStooge]

Student protesters invade City Hall

Hundreds ordered back to class as patience wears thin

By KENT FISCHER, EMILY RAMSHAW and KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News

Students from a dozen North Texas school districts walked out of class again Tuesday, joining a series of protests nationwide that some observers say is one of the largest student demonstrations in a decade.

The second day of protests in Dallas was bigger and tenser than Monday's rally at Dallas City Hall. On Tuesday, several hundred students stormed the lobby of City Hall and disrupted a council meeting with their chants and rowdiness. Authorities shut down the building's elevators while they corralled protesters in the lobby.

By day's end, the patience of civic and school leaders had clearly worn thin.

DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa warned students late Tuesday that further protests could lead to in-school suspensions, parent conferences or even truancy arrests.

"I'm very proud of the issues that have been raised," Dr. Hinojosa said. "But leaving school without permission is a defiance of authority. Learning takes place in the classroom."

Students were again marking their opposition to proposed federal legislation that would make illegal immigration a felony. The protests, occurring in several cities, are the biggest of their kind in years, some experts say. They show how intensely younger Hispanics – even those born in the U.S. – are affected by the immigration debate.

"Saying it's national at this point is probably an overstatement, but it's certainly regional and is spreading," said Louis DeSipio, an associate professor in Chicano/Latino studies and political science at the University of California at Irvine.

On Monday, about 36,000 students from 25 Los Angeles County school districts walked out of class, with more than 1,000 protesting outside Los Angeles City Hall. Other protests were reported Tuesday in Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Detroit.

Local students said they were not intent on making trouble. Marisol Garcia, 18, a student at DISD's Spruce High School, said many students were speaking for their parents.

"People are here for the issue," Ms. Garcia said. "A lot of them have parents here illegally, and they want change."

Tension ran high at times at City Hall as police edged the crowd back with cruisers, motorcycles and a barricade of uniformed officers. School administrators snapped at one another over the roaring cheers, questioning how soon buses would arrive to take students back to their campuses. Some tried to persuade key students to help them calm the crowd.

"Look around. Hay mucha policia. There's a lot of police," DISD administrator Rene Martinez implored an argumentative teen. "There are a lot of thugs out there. They're out of control. This is a safety issue."

"We're trying to calm them down," the student answered. "We didn't mean for it to get this big."

Later, many teens waded into the plaza's reflecting pool and climbed on its modern art sculpture.

Kerry Vargas, 14, said some kids were running around not sure what they were protesting, but a lot knew, repeating the phrase, "Latinos Stand Up," a call to action from a song that is also the name of a Hispanic student group at Irving' s Nimitz High School.

"My family came here and worked really hard," said Ms. Vargas, a student at the Academy of Irving ISD. "America isn't just one race. They shouldn't do this to us because we are a large part of the economy."

Dallas city spokesman Celso Martinez said the area surrounding City Hall's reflecting pool will be fenced off today to ensure easy access to the building and to prevent people from jumping in the pool.

Although Monday's protest involved mostly students from Dallas schools, Tuesday's included several hundred students from neighboring districts. Many who marched on City Hall took a train in from Irving schools, for example. An Irving district spokesman estimated that 1,000 students walked out of class.

Students at some North Texas schools held protests and rallies on their campuses or in their towns. The Arlington school district reported that 800 students walked out of classes, and more than 500 students gathered on the football field at Arlington High School for a peaceful demonstration.

About 100 Lancaster High students marched nearly three miles from the high school to CiCi's Pizza on Pleasant Run Road. Buses ferried them back to school.

Nearly 600 students from Grand Prairie showed up at Kiest Park and stayed about two hours, Dallas police said. About 40 officers were on hand.

An estimated 200 students walked out of classes at Mesquite High School and Mesquite North High School. The students left at 9 a.m. and vowed to march about 10 miles to downtown Dallas.

Students from Fort Worth's Polytechnic High School walked from their school to City Hall in Fort Worth. They were joined by hundreds of students from Burleson and Arlington.

About 250 students walked out of Denton High School.

Kiest Park was one rallying point for many local students.

"The students met at a park near the high school, organized and then helped spread the word to friends at other schools," said 16-year-old Spruce High student Ricardo Calderon. "We had it planned."

Some parents dropped their children off at the park so they could catch a ride downtown.

About 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, hundreds of Irving students poured off the TRE train into downtown Dallas. They were joined at City Hall by students from Arlington, Grand Prairie and other districts.

Mauricio Aquino, 17, from Irving High School, said many of his friends are following the issue.

"It's not that we want to skip school," he said. "We want to defend our pride. We don't want to be seen as criminals."

The Senate was set to take up a bill Tuesday that will determine the legal future of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.

Legislation approved by the House would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and build fences along part of the U.S.-Mexico border.

While some local school districts gave protesting students a free pass Monday, they took a firmer stand Tuesday. Many questioned whether the students knew what they were protesting.

"Basically, we're just baby-sitting a bunch of kids who have found another excuse to get out of school," said Detective John Brimmer, a Grand Prairie police spokesman.

Grand Prairie school district spokesman Sam Buchmeyer said students who left campuses would not be allowed back in class Tuesday and must bring a parent to be readmitted today.

Mesquite officials said some of the students probably follow the immigration issue closely. But, said Ian Halperin, a district spokesman, "we suspect that most of the kids who walked out are just going along with the pack and taking a day off from school."

By the end of the day, even Hispanic leaders were telling students enough was enough.

"We're telling them to stay in school," said Jesse Diaz, president of the Dallas United Latin American Citizens Council 4496. "It's very emotional, and their emotions are taking over. The kids are doing this on their own. There is no adult leadership."

He urged students passionate about the issue to join a community march scheduled for April 9.

Student protest leaders joined adults at a late-afternoon City Hall news conference to urge fellow students to stay in class.

"It was dangerous, what we did today," said Briceida Villaruel, a student at W.T. White High School. "We said everything we wanted to. Now we need to stay in school in order to get our educations."

Staff writers Toya Stewart, Kimberly Durnan, Andrew Smith, Kim Breen, Kathy A. Goolsby, Holly Hacker, Debra Dennis, Herb Booth and Marissa Alanis and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Dozens of laptops stolen from City Hall

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Police are searching for a thief who walked away with thousands of dollars worth of computers from Dallas City Hall.

Despite security and cameras, police said the thief made off with dozens of laptops.

The thief somehow accessed a door that leads to a secured area in the basement of City Hall, which is a storage area for the city's laptops and computer equipment.

"We will be looking at our security issues and where we store our equipment and accessibility to it," said Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm.

The laptops that were taken were used by police and city employees in the emergency operations center during the Hurricane Katrina evacuation.

Monday, Dallas police said they talked to the employee, Dick Mattingly, who reported the crime. He wasn't allowed to talk to News 8, but according to a police report Mattingly saw the computers stacked in boxes Friday afternoon and when he returned on Monday they were gone.

A police report indicated there were $168,000 worth of laptops stolen, but city officials said it may have been half that much.

"Any time we lose any equipment that is taxpayer equipment, we are concerned about it," Suhm said.

Police said they were trying to lift fingerprints from boxes left behind by the thief. Meanwhile, city officials said they want to know how someone simply walked out of City Hall, which is supposed to have tight security.

Since the area is secured, Dallas police are looking into the possibility that the person who stole them was an employee with security clearance.

At this time there are no suspects, but the police department's public integrity unit is looking into this case. Public integrity investigates crimes committed by city employees.