News from the Lone Star State

[TexasStooge]

Man struck, killed on I-35E

DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - A 49-year-old Dallas man was struck and killed by motorists as he tried to cross the southbound lanes of Interstate 35E near Walnut Hill late Sunday, police said.

Lee Hurnton had gotten into an argument with his girlfriend around 10 p.m. when he got out of the car and started walking along the shoulder of the highway, Sr. Cpl. Donna Hernandez said.

The girlfriend drove beside Hurnton, and tried to coax him back into the car when he attempted to cross the southbound lanes of traffic and was struck, Hernandez said.

Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse

[TexasStooge]

Convicted felon held in infant's death, child's injuries

By REBECCA RODRIGUEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A convicted felon faces a capital murder charge in the death of a 6-month-old child and other charges in the attack of the infant's sister Saturday, police said.

James Felton Williams, 21, was being held in the Dallas County Jail on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest, capital murder and injury to a child. His bonds totaled $826,000.

The Dallas County medical examiner's office said Roderic Holland, William's girlfriend's child, had a bruised heart, broken ribs and a lacerated liver. His older sister suffered a stroke and remains in critical condition after she was also beaten.

Williams was released from prison about eight months ago after serving three years for assault on a public servant in Brownwood County.

Neighbors said they once had to stop Williams from beating his girlfriend.

Many neighbors also said they had seen that there was something wrong with the children previous to Saturday.

"We could actually see where one of his ribs had been either broken or pushed out of place...," said neighbor Curtis Vaughn. "You could see where something was wrong with him. He was bruised right there and it was kind of poking out."

Child Protective Services said they had no prior complaints on Williams or the children's mother.

[TexasStooge]

Police: Violent Dallas crimes on the rise

By BOB GREENE / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police and many nearby residents didn't appear too surprised by the fatal shooting that killed Teresa Sandoval early Monday morning in the parking lot of Joe's Burgers in the 500 block of South Carroll Avenue.

Erica Bernel, who lives in a neighborhood across the street from the site of the shooting, said she is aware of violent crimes in her area.

"Sometimes you hear gun shots over here and stuff," she said. "...It's kind of scary in a way because we hang out outside and stuff; and anything can happen."

Authorities said violent crimes are on the rise in Dallas.

"This is not rare," said Sgt. Gil Cerda, Dallas Police Department, many times they just want the money."

In May, police said there were 551 individual robberies. Year to date, they said there were nearly 2,500. However, they said no one part of Dallas is more likely to be hit by a violent crime.

"They can occur anywhere," Sgt. Cerda said. "They can occur in South Dallas, North Dallas."

But Sgt. Cerda also said how a victim reacts during a crime can make a difference. Sandoval's husband tried to drive off when the alleged would-be robber approached the SUV.

"I can't tell what he did was right or wrong, but I can tell you what the end result was, is that that victim was shot," he said.

Going along with the demands of the robber is what Sgt. Cerda suggested as the best way to react in such circumstances.

"That's not to say that in some cases they do comply and they still get shot," he said.

Police said they are still trying to connect the attempted robbery of Sandoval with other robberies that happened in the area over the last day or two.

[TexasStooge]

Irving charity leader on bail facing terrorism charges

By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8

IRVING, Texas - The founder of an Irving-based charity is out of Israeli custody but stands accused of diverting donations to terrorism.

Hasan Hajmohamed is free on bail, after being locked up for 90 days, but he is not free to return to Texas.

The Irving-based charity, Baitumaal, raised $20,000 to buy animals for the annual feast following Ramadan, and claims it has receipts and witnesses that can prove the money was wired to respected and approved charities.

His supporters say the fact that his bond is just $3,500 indicates Israel doesn't think he's been funding terrorists.

"The exact charge is that the money went to a charity that was associated with a terrorist group," said Anthony Bond, a spokesman for Baitumaal.

Hajmohamed spent part of the spring visiting his charity's feeding projects in Pakistan and Africa.

In April, he crossed into the Israeli-controlled West Bank to visit his mother. Authorities detained him for questioning, in part, because other charities have funded terrorism.

Baitumaal supporters fear being lumped in with the Holy Land Foundation, a completely different North Texas charity that the FBI has charged with supporting terrorism.

We asked the local FBI office if it also suspected Baitumaal, and were told the agency could not comment.

"We've been in constant contact with the IRS we tried to reach out to the FBI," said Bond.

Baitumaal requires its foreign partners to sign statements that they reject terrorism.

Now they have to convince the government of Israel to get their founder free.

[TexasStooge]

4 arrests over fatal robbery attempt

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Three men and a woman have been arrested in the death of a woman following a robbery and possible carjacking outside a Fair Park-area restaurant, police said Tuesday.

Teresa Sandoval, 27, was shot while sitting in a car with her husband around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the parking lot of Joe's Burgers in the 600 block of R.L. Thornton Freeway. Police said a man pulled up in an SUV and demanded money, then fired a shot and struck Sandoval, who died later at Baylor University Medical Center.

Police said they arrested Jose Terron and Oscar Martinez, both 25, Geraldo Barron, 21, and 18-year-old Janet Quiroz in connection with Sandoval's death.

Officers also recovered a gun used in the murder and $2,200 in cash, police said.

[TexasStooge]

Phone records cited in Carroll sex case

Ex-coach, teen sent text messages on day of reported assault

By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News

SOUTHLAKE, Texas - The former Southlake Carroll girls basketball coach facing a charge of sexual assault of a child exchanged dozens of text messages with his accuser on the day of the alleged incident.

Cellphone records examined by police show that the 16-year-old student's phone received or sent 73 messages May 20.

Those messages were linked to the number for coach William Randolph Sherman, often referred to as Randy.

Mr. Sherman could not be reached for comment.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the girl told Keller police that Mr. Sherman contacted her that day and asked her to come to his home in Keller. She initially said no but later went to his house. She said he sexually assaulted her there.

The next day, her phone sent or received another 17 text messages to and from Mr. Sherman's number.

She told police that Mr. Sherman told her he was scared that she would tell.

The girl told a friend that she had had an encounter with her coach.

The friend told police she discovered text messages in the girl's cellphone log from Mr. Sherman the day after the incident that asked: "Are you still coming over?"

The friend then told her mother.

Keller police began investigating Mr. Sherman on June 5, when the girl filed her complaint. Police said Mr. Sherman has not spoken to investigators.

Mr. Sherman, 33, worked at Carroll Senior High and taught in the district's Discipline Alternative Education Program until he resigned June 6. The district has declined to comment on his resignation.

A Carroll official, Elaine Langston, recounted a conversation with Mr. Sherman for police on the day of his resignation. The affidavit quotes him as saying that he and the girl had a special relationship and that "her parents knew about it and appreciated my help with her."

In the documents, Mr. Sherman said the girl asked whether she could come to his house.

He also stated: "I text-message kids all the time. That's the easiest way to communicate."

Mr. Sherman turned himself in to Keller police shortly after a warrant was issued for his arrest Friday. He is free on $5,000 bail.

The Texas Education Agency also is investigating the case. TEA officials said that if Mr. Sherman is convicted, the agency could revoke his teaching certificate.

If convicted, Mr. Sherman could also face two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

[TexasStooge]

New federal funds to help DART expand

By CHRIS HEINBAUGH / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas -- A major expansion of the DART light rail system got a big boost of money Monday from the federal government. This will finally bring light rail into northwest and south east Dallas County, and even to Dallas-Ft.Worth International Airport.

Already an estimated 60,000 people ride the DART each week. The rail runs through 13 cities, a number that will soon grow north and south of Dallas.

The money helps fund a huge expansion of DART light rail, bringing it to huge sections of Dallas County, growing from 45 to 90 miles of track.

In just three years the new Green line will travel through Deep Ellum to Fair Park. The next year, it will stretch from Frankford Road in Carrolton, down to Buckner Boulevard in Pleasant Grove.

In five years - the orange line will reach to Las Colinas. Then move on to Belt Line Road, and in 2013, connect with DFW Airport.

For DART passengers, an airport connection can't come soon enough.

“Any way you can cut down on expenses to make your travel a lot easier, a lot cheaper, you enjoy it,” said Bill Green, DART passenger.

For local leaders, $700 million was a coup, more and more cities are jumping on the light rail bandwagon. However, competition for federal dollars is fierce.

Officials say the second largest transportation grant in history was awarded to DART, because it's developed a can-do reputation.

“We wouldn't be signing the $700 million check today if the Department of Transportation didn't know this would be on time, under budget and done right,” said Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

[TexasStooge]

UT Dallas forms flag in nanotechnology breakthrough

RICHARDSON, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Imagine singing "Oh, say, can you see" to a flag you can't see.

That's what graduate students at the University of Texas at Dallas had in mind when they created the likeness of an American flag so small it would take more than 10 to span the width of a human hair.

While the work of electrical engineering students Jang-Bae Jeon and Carlo Foresca has so far been rejected by the Guinness Book of World Records, they hope the process will lead to advances in nanotechnology, a world of creations viewed only through microscopes.

"Most of this nanotechnology is two-dimensional," said Moon Kim, the engineering professor who oversaw the project. "This gives the opportunity to build three-dimensional stuff."

The image of the flag — complete with all 50 stars and 13 stripes — is 7 microns tall, compared to the 100-micron width of a human hair. It was transferred onto a silicon wafer using a machine that follows the shape of any bitmap image file. The flag and its pole were cut using an ion beam — a microscopic version of a laser — and lifted to a standing position by a nano manipulator.

"Using the nano manipulator we can actually pick up something and bring it up to a point — that's the revolutionary thing," Jeon said. "We can use that technique for the semiconductor industry. If somebody wants to modify a circuit, we can cut something and connect it again."

Jeon and Foresca spent months working on the U.S. flag and a Texas flag even smaller — 4 microns. They used equipment from Zyvex, a nanotechnology company based in Richardson.

"We were trying to show what capabilities our machine had," Foresca said.

And Kim said they would probably try Guinness again sometime.

"They told us they don't have a method to actually see the flag," Jeon said.

[TexasStooge]

Police search for two people missing from fatal wreck

LEWISVILLE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Police are searching for two people missing from the scene of a deadly early morning traffic accident on southbound I-35 at Coporate Drive in Lewisville.

Authorities said that two vehicles collided, causing one of them to roll over. Police say that an infant was killed in that SUV and a woman was seriously injured and taken to a hospital.

Confusion at the scene of the accident led to erroneous, early reports that two children were possibly missing from one vehicle.

Several other victims were taken to hospitals.

The accident is causing major traffic delays on southbound I-35 in Lewsiville.
_____________________________________________________________

ALSO ONLINE:

- Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse

[TexasStooge]

WRR proposal: Is this the one?

Dallas: Latest signal swap offer sweeter than most, but still divisive

By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News

Like a leap year or daybreak, there's regularity to signal swap proposals for WRR-FM (101.1) that would make an atomic clock jealous.

They go as such: A radio enterprise lusts for the Dallas-owned WRR's lucrative commercial license and transmitter tower that throws its classical music signal halfway to Austin. Wooed with promises of tens of millions of dollars, Dallas City Hall flirts with its suitors before unceremoniously sending them away, no deal.

Noncommercial Christian radio station KVTT-FM (91.7) last month became the fifth entity in 20 years to propose a signal swap. The differences this go-around are the deal itself and the timing of it. Consider:

• Some of WRR's staunchest supporters are themselves wondering whether their beloved station's value is fated to decline, as millions more people let Debussy soothe them, Jay-Z rock them and Casting Crowns inspire them via satellite or iPods or the Internet.

Leaders of Friends of WRR, a nonprofit organization that helps support the station, are noticeably divided on how best to proceed. That stands in contrast with their lock-step opposition to any past proposal slated to alter WRR's commercial status, signal or spot on the radio dial.

• KVTT-FM boasts a radio signal with identical wattage and similar coverage to that of WRR. The lousy broadcast strength of stations previously seeking to trade up for the 101.1 frequency helped unravel those deals.

• Depending on the terms of any deal, City Hall could stand to earn tens of millions of dollars – $50 million, $60 million or more, some say – simply by swapping for KVTT's more restrictive, and less valuable, noncommercial radio license.

Could it survive?

What's at stake is whether WRR – if it were to swap signals – might have a harder time surviving when it can't sell regular commercial advertising. Some fear advertisers might not follow the station to a different place on the dial where, on a noncommercial station, they'd be limited to dry sponsor spots.

"Any of the past deals have been miserable deals, but this is far, far better than any of those swap deals," said Clayton P. Henry, president of Friends of WRR, which averages about 1,000 dues-paying members. "By becoming a noncommercial station, it would take away having a big, red target on our back. It could preserve classical music in Dallas."

Future Dallas City Councils – they have ultimate control over WRR – would be less apt to sell a noncommercial WRR during difficult fiscal times because of its decreased value, Mr. Henry said. And any cash earned from a signal swap should be placed in a protected endowment not easily tapped by politicians for general city use, he said.

But Sarah White, a co-founder of Friends of WRR, roundly disagreed.

"What we have now is a free and important service for citizens. It's a cultural asset not to be tampered with," Ms. White said. "And as a noncommercial radio station, there's just too much money for WRR to raise. It'd compete with other arts organizations. And the station in that form wouldn't exist very long. I'd give it a year to 18 months."

Said Louis Ainsworth, another group member: "The only true way to support WRR is by leaving what's working, working."

Cherri Oakley, an executive board member of Friends of WRR, and Donna Blumer, a former City Council member and longtime classical music supporter, said they're torn.

Ms. Oakley's primary concerns are WRR's signal strength at the 91.7 frequency and its ability to remain profitable.

"This has signs of being a better deal. We're not giving up as much," she said. "But I'm still not sure if it's worth it."

Ms. Blumer said she's "waiting to learn more about the deal. Maybe things are changing. Maybe the city has to take another look at it. Whatever happens, I just hope listeners don't lose anything in the translation."

Not a financial burden

Unlike most city-owned entities, WRR is self-sustaining and doesn't typically receive city subsidies.

And the station has turned a modest profit – between $215,679 and $1,066,768 – in each of the past 10 years, city records indicate. In 2004, WRR recorded its third-lowest unadjusted profit of the past decade ($273,890), and in 2005, it recorded its fourth-lowest ($345,131).

In contrast, the city-owned Meyerson Symphony Center, which is not a self-sustaining entity, has seen its annual expenditures outpace revenues by more than $2 million in recent fiscal years, according to city records. The city-owned Latino Cultural Center has also lost money in each of the three full years it has operated.

Opponents of a signal swap fear WRR would also begin losing money if it couldn't sell "call to action" advertisements, as it may currently do given its commercial status.

A primary difference between commercial and noncommercial is this: On a commercial station, Wild Bill may hoot and holler and insist you patronize his general store, lest he send his posse out in your direction. On a noncommercial station, Wild Bill is relegated to informing you of his store's existence, its location and the services he provides.

Subtle? Maybe. But Greg Davis, WRR's general manager, said many of the station's current advertisers wouldn't migrate to a noncommercial WRR or would buy fewer spots, even if it remained Dallas' only on-air classical music station.

Mr. Davis' boss, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs director Maria Munoz-Blanco, says her office will continue researching signal swaps. Numerous questions, especially WRR's viability as a noncommercial property, remain.

"I don't know how it's going to play out," Ms. Munoz-Blanco said. "The opinions on what to do seem to go in both directions."

Anatomy of a deal

In late spring, Martin Greenberg, a local radio guru and businessman who is representing Christian radio broadcasting company Salem Communications, began discussing a signal swap proposal with City Council members and City Manager Mary Suhm.

Ms. Suhm directed Mr. Greenberg to Larry Davis, chairman of the City Council-appointed Commission on Productivity and Innovation, which exists to investigate ideas that make Dallas government more efficient.

While Salem Communications does not own KVTT, it's forged an investment relationship with the station, those close to the station and company say. Salem Communications spokeswoman Denise Davis said she wasn't initially aware of her company's involvement with KVTT but would investigate. She did not return follow-up phone calls.

Ron Evans, KVTT's general manager, says he's aware of the talks and remains relatively indifferent.

"For us, it's basically a 100,000-watt signal here or a 100,000-watt signal there," he said. "If we go to 101.1, I don't foresee any changes in our format."

Mr. Davis has pursued the signal swap aggressively. He hosted two WRR-related commission subcommittee meetings in June, in addition to one full commission meeting.

While he's friendly with both Mr. Henry and Mr. Greenberg, he said he "doesn't have a dog in the hunt." Mr. Davis said his only concerns are investigating what's best for Dallas residents and preserving city-owned classical music radio.

"Do we deal with this issue now or do we deal with this again in three or five years when the next station wants to swap for WRR? And then, that deal might not be as good," Mr. Davis said. "For people who don't support a swap, I wonder do they just want to gamble on what future councils may do to a commercial WRR?"

Mr. Davis' commission and city staff plan to use the next month to structure a potential WRR endowment, create a station business plan for operating under a noncommercial license and meet with individual City Council members, as well as Dallas arts supporters.

Proposal next month

In August, Mr. Davis says he hopes his commission will make a recommendation to Ms. Suhm. From there, city staffers will choose whether to bring the recommendation to the City Council.

City Hall is also required to request proposals from other interested parties who may also want to swap – and may be willing to pay more for WRR's signal and license than KVTT and its investors.

A survey of council members last month indicated that many of them are skeptical of a swap but remain open to the idea. Two of the three highest-ranking members – Mayor Laura Miller and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia – say they categorically oppose any swap.

But unless something unforeseen derails KVTT's swap proposal, Mr. Davis says he believes the council will review it in one form or another.

[TexasStooge]

Four arrested, charged in shooting death of woman

Dallas: Police investigate possible link to recent robberies in area

By MARISSA ALANIS / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Four people have been arrested in the death of a woman after a robbery attempt outside a Fair Park-area restaurant, police said Tuesday.

Teresa Sandoval, 27, was shot while sitting in a car with her husband about 1:30 a.m. Monday in the parking lot of Joe's Burgers in the 600 block of R.L. Thornton Freeway. Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson said a man pulled up in an SUV, with two other men and a woman inside, and demanded money from Ms. Sandoval.

Lt. Watson said Ms. Sandoval was slow in getting the money, so the gunman fired a shot, striking her in the head. She died at Baylor University Medical Center. Lt. Watson said the gunman didn't get any money from Ms. Sandoval.

Police arrested Jose Terron and Oscar Martinez, both 25, Gerardo Barron, 21, and Janet Quiroz, 18, in connection with Ms. Sandoval's death.

Police are investigating whether some or all of those arrested are connected to other robberies in the area.

All four are charged with capital murder and are being held at Lew Sterrett Justice Center. Police identified Mr. Terron as the gunman and said his bail was set at $1 million. The other three were being held on $500,000 bail.

Lt. Watson said police would determine whether the four have previous offenses or convictions in Dallas or elsewhere. A criminal record check of the four shows no felony convictions in Texas.

Officers found the gun used in the slaying. They also recovered $2,200 in cash from robberies that all four might have been involved with in the Dallas area before the slaying.

Lt. Watson said police were acting on a tip when they brought in the four for questioning Monday. He said the slaying doesn't appear to be gang-related.

WFAA ABC 8 contributed to this report.

[TexasStooge]

Person missing from fatal wreck

LEWISVILLE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - Police are searching for a person who fled the scene of a deadly two-car accident early Wednesday morning on southbound Interstate 35E in Lewisville.

Authorities said that a car collided with a sport utility vehicle near the Corporate Drive exit just before 4 a.m., causing one of them to roll over.

An infant in the SUV was killed, and three male juveniles and an adult woman were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. A male juvenile was flown to Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Cleanup from the accident caused major traffic delays on southbound I-35E in Denton County for morning commuters.
_____________________________________________________________

ALSO ONLINE:

- Dallas/Ft. Worth Traffic Reports from Traffic Pulse

[TexasStooge]

Firefighters save West Oak Cliff church

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A two-alarm fire caused by smoldering incense damaged a West Oak Cliff church Wednesday morning, fire officials said.

The fire was first reported just before 7 a.m. at the Miracle Center Church in the 3600 block of Blue Ridge Boulevard near South Westmoreland Road.

Dallas Fire-Rescue Lt. Joel Lavender said the first firefighters to arrive on scene from Station 49 saw smoke and called for a second alarm. They forced entry into the building to aggressively attack the fire, and were able to contain most of the damage to the sanctuary.

“They did a heck of a job,” Lt. Lavender said. “They saved the structure.”

He said church fires can sometimes be more difficult to combat because the buildings often feature high ceilings and truss roofs that can weaken and collapse when exposed to extreme heat.

No one was inside the building at the time and there were no injuries as a result of the fire, which caused about $75,000 in damage, he said.

[TexasStooge]

2 in custody after pharmacy theft, standoff

DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A man accused of stealing baby supplies from a Lake Highlands pharmacy was apprehended Wednesday, two hours after he barricaded himself inside a nearby apartment, police said.

Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson said a man and woman entered the CVS Pharmacy at Forest Lane and Abrams Street around 5:45 a.m. and were seen taking baby products without paying.

An employee followed them into the parking lot and a struggle ensued, when the couple threatened the worker and said they had a gun. They fled to a nearby apartment complex in the 9500 block of Royal Lane, Lt. Watson said. A police officer found the couple sitting in a car that matched the description given by the CVS employee, but when he approached the vehicle the couple fled into an apartment.

The woman came out shortly afterward and was taken into custody. A babysitter, four children and two men also came out of the apartment.

A third man stayed in the apartment for a couple of hours but eventually came out, Lt. Watson said. Investigators are working to determine which of the three men was at the pharmacy.

The suspects' names were not released.

[TexasStooge]

DART rail now $700M richer

Federal officials sign agency's largest grant, green-lighting growth

By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Federal officials came to Dallas Area Rapid Transit on Monday, and this time they brought their checkbook.

In a morning full of pomp and ceremony, DART and the Federal Transit Administration signed a long-awaited, $700 million grant agreement.

The amount is the largest DART has ever received, and it represents the second-largest federal grant of its kind to any transit agency in the nation.

"Congratulations, Dallas!" said Sandy Bushue, deputy administrator for the Federal Transit Administration. "It's going to ensure more mobility for the citizens of Dallas. It's also going to ensure economic vitality, and it's going to build and strengthen the entire metropolitan area."

The federal funds will pay for almost half of the cost to build 21 miles of light rail from Farmers Branch to Buckner Boulevard in Pleasant Grove. Those 21 miles will help launch DART's planned 45-mile, $2.5 billion expansion that is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

For about eight years, DART and the local congressional delegation have lobbied extensively for the grant.

The transit administration announced in February that it would give DART the money, but the award was then subject to reviews and congressional approval.

"This is a great day for Dallas," said U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, who fought for the DART funds on Capitol Hill.

Although San Antonio and Houston created transit agencies before Dallas, "DART has made up for lost time," Mrs. Hutchison said. "DART has surpassed Houston and San Antonio with its commitment to rail early on. It wasn't easy, but this is going to benefit our area for years to come."

DART's system is recognized nationally for its successful 10-year operating history and its impact on the region, Ms. Bushue said. In addition, DART helps its standing with federal officials because it can pledge more of its sales tax revenue to projects than many other transit agencies, she said.

Smiles abounded Monday on the faces of DART officials, who celebrated at Victory station. Now, the transit agency must focus on construction. Minor work has started on the northwest and southeast lines, and workers could start laying the first tracks early next year.

The first section of the new line is scheduled to open to Fair Park in September 2009. The rest of the federally funded section between Farmers Branch and Pleasant Grove is planned to open in late 2010. DART-funded extensions to Carrollton, Irving, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Rowlett are expected to open between 2010 and 2013.

To some leaders, the rail line represents more than just rapid transit. DART's new rail lines will connect Fair Park, Deep Ellum, Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, the hospital district, Dallas Love Field, D/FW Airport and northwest Dallas County suburbs.

"This will be an affordable, rapid way for workers who live south of the city to get to work," said U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, a longtime DART supporter. "It will stabilize neighborhoods and stabilize schools, because people won't have to move around as much to get closer to their jobs."

Other leaders recognize the potential for easier commutes and increased economic development that the rail line could bring.

"There is a lot in this for everybody," said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas, who said rail lines not only help those who ride trains but also reduce the number of cars on highways. "Wherever people live in the metro area, they will have easy access to DART – and DART works."

[TexasStooge]

Country club's water source spurs resident backlash

By DAN RONAN / WFAA ABC 8

RICHARDSON, Texas - North Texas may have gotten some rain Wednesday, but that didn't seem to keep some residents of a Richardson neighborhood from voicing their concerns about the amount of water being drained from a prairie creek by a golf course.

The residents of the neighborhood said the golf course in their backyards is literally draining a nearby creek.

While Canyon Creek Country Club is being renovated, the construction means the club is using more water.

It takes thousands of gallons of water each day to keep a golf course in good shape and most of it comes from the streams and ponds on the course. Strict rules say golf courses can't use tap water.

However, Canyon Creek Country Club legally uses water from the prairie creek because of a long-standing agreement with the Dallas Water Utilities.

The late afternoon Wednesday storms did little to ease the water shortage hitting the creek.

Combined with the drought and the course's summer long renovation, the creek's water level is down, which worries neighbor Marsha Betz who regularly fishes the creek and a nearby pond.

"I am concerned they are going to kill the bass in the retention pond and in the creek," she said. "And it will take years before they're ever replaced.

The golf course said the heavier water usage will continue for at least another month and it's currently extracting water at a slightly higher daily rate than normal while it is growing new grass.

While residents in the next-door Richardson neighborhood are side-by-side, residents get their water from a different source: the North Texas municipal water district and Lake Lavon, which the drought has also hit hard.

But many of residents still urged the course's management to conserve.

"If they draw it down to nothing that would be a problem," said Jay Dalehite, the neighborhood homeowner's association president. "I can't help but say that even though I belong to the club."

Betz also expressed concern.

"I do care if they turn it into just a mud hole and nothing lives there anymore," she said.

Course officials released a statement Wednesday that said they're trying to conserve as much water as possible and will cut back some of its watering effective immediately.

[TexasStooge]

Babies abandoned in Garland, Plano

By STEVE STOLER / WFAA ABC 8

GARLAND, Texas -- Today the state is keeping two newborn babies, both delivered on Independence Day, and both abandoned just hours after birth.

One was found at a Garland Jack-In-The-Box near I-30 and Bobtown Road. The other baby was found lying on a parked car at the Medical Center of Plano.

As a nurse got closer to her car, she saw the baby and called security. Hospital employees then brought the newborn girl inside the emergency room. Doctors who examined her said she's healthy.

"The child was wrapped in a couple of blankets or sheets, sitting on top of the hood, on the passenger side of the vehicle," said Detective Jerry Mitten, of the Plano Police.

Seven hours earlier a restaurant worker at a Garland Jack-In-The-Box made another heartbreaking discovery. The employee found a baby boy wrapped in a blanket on the floor of the women's restroom.

Witnesses saw a young man and woman walk into the restaurant with a baby stroller. "The woman pushed the baby stroller back to the women's restroom. She was back there for a few minutes, came back out, and the two of them left," said Lt. J.D. Bettes, of the Garland Police.

Police say surveillance cameras did not capture images of the man and woman walking in or leaving the eatery. The baby boy, who police say was just six-hours-old, was taken to Children's Medical Center where he's in good condition.

"The ironic thing about this is under Texas, there's a safe haven law that says if someone wants to abandon a baby, they can do it legally at a hospital, medical facility or fire station. There's a Garland fire station within a mile of that Jack-In-The-Box," said Lt. Bettes.

Whoever abandoned the Plano baby at the hospital is not likely to face any charges because of the safe haven law. But in the Garland case, the culprit or culprits could be charged with a felony and face up to ten years in prison.

"Leaving the child in a restroom, they assumed that somebody would come find the child. But it was 30 minutes before a store employee went in there and found the child. Anything could have happened to that child," said Lt. Bettes.

[TexasStooge]

Kunkle calm, steady amid spate of firings

Dallas police chief quiets factions that dogged predecessors

By TANYA EISERER / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - So how did Dallas' methodical, somewhat wonkish police chief become The Terminator?

A slow boil, say those who know him well.

In his first 23 months on the job, Police Chief David Kunkle fired 16 officers. With two more expected on Thursday, he'll soon be close to matching that total within a few weeks.

Chief Kunkle's zenlike aura – a demeanor that calms people down rather than riling them up – has had a quieting effect on a department hamstrung by lackluster leadership, poor hiring, City Hall interference and low morale.

Public confidence in the police is on the rise. Crime continues to fall. The Dallas City Council just voted to sweeten the officer pay pot. And Chief Kunkle has deftly tamed – at least for now – a cantankerous City Council, angry civil rights groups and squabbling police associations.

"He has made some bold decisions about the kind of department that the citizens of Dallas are going to have," said the Rev. L. Charles Stovall, chairman of the Unified Organizations for Justice.

Several years ago, Mr. Stovall's organization held news conferences and took other public action to demand federal civil rights investigations into the deaths of several young black men in police custody. But like other frequent critics of the police, Mr. Stovall is encouraged by the path Chief Kunkle has taken.

"He seems to be setting the kind of tone that police officers are going to be accountable and are going to better serve the citizens of the city," Mr. Stovall said.

But things are far from perfect.

Crime in entertainment districts such as Deep Ellum and Lower Greenville still bedevils the city. Business is seething over a change in the way police respond to commercial alarms.

Residents want police to respond more often and faster to their needs, which means more cops on the street. The department is about 600 officers short of the city's staffing goal.

Among officers, there's a feeling that Chief Kunkle, 55, hasn't taken enough decisive action to demote some of the department's weaker command-level staff. Officers also have been angered by his decision to limit when they can chase fleeing motorists, a move they feel hinders their ability to catch the bad guys.

But there's not a lot of public grumbling.

'It was a disaster'

When Chief Kunkle arrived, community leaders had largely lost faith in a department seemingly paralyzed by high crime rates.

"It was a disaster when he got here," said Bill Dickerson, an antique-store owner who used to march to City Council meetings to rail about crime on Lower Greenville during former Chief Terrell Bolton's tenure. "There was no morale."

Mr. Dickerson said Chief Kunkle has "worked his behind off to do something about it."

Once on the job, he moved swiftly to ban a controversial neck hold used by Dallas officers. It was a contributing factor in the death of a man in December 2003.

But his staff reorganization ran into trouble from the outset. In July 2004, changes included the demotion of three top chiefs. But he wanted to move seven aside.

"He tried to get rid of some of those people, and City Hall wouldn't let him," said Sam Johnson, Chief Kunkle's former chief of staff.

Mr. Johnson said Mary Suhm, then interim city manager and later given the job full-time, told him that he could not demote one of his deputy chiefs because he was a friend of an assistant to a council member who might later run for City Council.

"He almost quit over that deal," said Mr. Johnson, who has also worked for Ms. Suhm for several years. "He was just shaking with rage."

Ms. Suhm said that's not the way it happened.

"I can tell you that I absolutely did not do that," she said. "Lord no, heavens no. I don't make decisions based on that."

Chief Kunkle declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the demotions.

A runner, he has compared reshaping his ailing department to running a marathon. The political situation may have reminded him of the need to pace himself for the long haul.

Some believe that being a former Dallas officer who returned to the fold as chief may have helped him with the political realities of City Hall and the community.

"He had an idea of what to expect and was more prepared to deal with it," said Shirley Gray, who retired at the end of June after 33 years with the department.

"The one thing that [former Chiefs Mack] Vines and [Bill] Rathburn and [Ben] Click never had was that they're not considered one of them, and he is," said Mr. Johnson, also a former Dallas police sergeant. "He's perceived as one of them, and those guys never were. It didn't matter how good they were."

When he returned to Dallas, Chief Kunkle was alarmed by the influence of Dallas' racially divided, often warring police associations. They seemed to run roughshod over police management, Mr. Johnson said.

In his own low-key style, Chief Kunkle began to effectively neutralize and marginalize them, top officials say.

Shortly after his arrival, he got them working together on the department's transfer policy, which remains a point of contention among the associations.

He also let it be known he wouldn't be bullied.

One association threatened to hold a no-confidence vote on the chief shortly after his arrival. Not long after, in November 2004, he demoted an assistant chief who had been strongly supported by that association despite being a top supervisor over officers embroiled in the 2001 scandal in which the officers' informants planted fake drugs on people. The association backed off and didn't hold the vote.

Another association leader sent a nasty e-mail to Chief Kunkle about one of his command-level promotions. Chief Kunkle posted it on the department's intranet – misspellings and all.

When some association leaders got too nasty in his regular meetings with them, he sternly told them he wouldn't put up with it.

"He made them change their focus from their own little selfish interests to what can we do for the department," Mr. Johnson said. "They're just not getting any traction with him when they start that 'poor us, we're black, we're Hispanic, we're white' stuff."

The head of the Latino Peace Officers Association, who once threatened the no-confidence vote, credited Chief Kunkle's influence with getting the associations to band together to negotiate for a more lucrative pay package from Ms. Suhm.

"I thought that was impossible," said Senior Cpl. George Aranda, the group's president.

Before the firings

Before the spate of firings began on June 2 – "Bloody Friday" as it's become known in department circles – Chief Kunkle had been regarded as fair almost to the point of leniency in disciplinary matters.

"He could even be considered a handwringer," said Ms. Gray. "Nothing he does is impulsive."

Almost unflappable, Chief Kunkle listens intently. He's quiet, reserved, not particularly emotional. Head raised slightly, he speaks thoughtfully in a sort of slow, halting way. You can almost see the wheels turning.

The chief's unexcitable manner seems to engender trust from across the spectrum, even when people don't agree with a particular decision.

"I think he calls a spade a spade," said Mr. Dickerson.

That steadiness may have helped him with political situations, but early on, it led to some doubts.

"He gives these people the benefit of the doubt, almost to a fault," said Lt. Sally Lannom, secretary of the Dallas Police Executive Lodge, which represents higher-ranking officers. "In my personal opinion, he's been too easy on disciplinary decisions."

One case that still sticks in the minds of many involved two female officers who fought each other while on duty and in uniform at a fast-food restaurant in February 2005. Their supervisors recommended they be fired.

Chief Kunkle agreed that the incident was embarrassing to the department. But he decided to give them another chance. Both got suspensions.

"I remember that deal. I was surprised, too. What does it take to get fired around here?" Mr. Johnson said.

Bad news builds

It began to seem like not a day passed without an officer getting arrested, accused of misconduct or indicted.

A homicide detective was accused of exposing himself to a woman. Two officers passed out drunk in their cars. An officer was accused of stealing tires from the auto pound.

But Chief Kunkle's watershed moment came with a flurry of cases in which officers were accused of abusing their authority. He says he decided to send a message.

"I know we are going to have people who make mistakes. But some of this stuff I just couldn't understand or accept," Chief Kunkle said.

With almost two years under his belt, the time had come to lay down the law.

"He's just more secure," Mr. Johnson said. "It shows confidence in his own leadership."

All five officers fired on the first day were Hispanic. Each had been accused of retaliatory misconduct ranging from sending nasty e-mails to a neighborhood activist to going after a tow truck driver who had towed an officer's vehicle.

Hispanic leaders did raise concerns about whether there had been a rush to judgment that made the department look bad, but most, including an organization that represents Hispanic police officers, didn't openly criticize the decision. They didn't say racism might be behind the decisions, which had happened in the past with other chiefs.

"It's easy to be Monday morning quarterback," said Hector Flores, outgoing president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "I think he has overall done a good job. It's not easy to be the chief of police of Dallas."

The firings were met with mixed reaction among police officers. The general feeling is that most were warranted but that perhaps a couple went too far.

Again, some grumbling, no loud complaints.

"The people who liked him still like him," Senior Cpl. James Bristo, second vice president of the Dallas Fraternal Order of Police. "People who didn't still feel the same way. Nobody's really changed their opinion one way or the other."

Why does Chief Kunkle think he's been successful so far? He replies in his typically self-deprecating manner: "It's been more luck than anything."

[TexasStooge]

Cameras credited for drop in crime

Update: Lake Highlands subdivision has seen 80 percent decrease

By KRISTINE HUGHES / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Richland Park Estates residents hoped surveillance cameras they installed in February would reduce crime in their northeast Dallas neighborhood.

But they never imagined their crime rate would drop to almost nothing.

Dallas Police Department statistics show that police calls there fell from an average of 2.3 a week to 0.5 after the cameras were set up. Those calls include incidents such as vandalism, theft, graffiti and burglary.

"It has reduced crime by almost 80 percent for our area, and that's a very positive movement in the right direction," said Dick Becker, president of the homeowners association.

The neighborhood, which has caught attention for its surveillance project, plans to add several more cameras. Police are using two surveillance videos to prosecute suspects for vandalism and attempted burglary.

Meanwhile, police calls to an adjacent neighborhood have also been reduced, while calls to the two neighborhoods south of Richland Park Estates have held steady or increased. One expert says crime probably migrated south to areas without cameras.

Sgt. Rector McCollum of the Dallas Police Department's northeast division said that while the cameras are a positive step, it's difficult to solely credit them for Richland Park Estates' crime reduction – or for the increase in activity nearby.

The department concentrates its resources on areas undergoing spikes in crime, Sgt. McCollum said. For instance, officials increased neighborhood-policing efforts when the Richland Park neighborhood, which includes Richland Park Estates, saw an increase in residential burglaries in November.

"When the PD targeted that area, in one month's time we cut burglaries in half," he said. "That started a down-trend that's maintained today."

Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, chairwoman of the urban and regional planning department at the University of California, Los Angeles, said police efforts and Richland Park Estates' cameras probably prompted criminals to move elsewhere – and probably nearby.

"Criminals are rational individuals and really do not want to be caught," she said. "They describe the search for potential victims like going shopping. They tend to shop close to home – within a 1- to 2-mile range – and concentrated along familiar routes but where they believe they are not going to be caught."

Dr. Loukaitou-Sideris said the cameras create a defensible space that discourages criminals from entering.

"The criminal thinks he'll be seen, so he would rather do it elsewhere, and usually the elsewhere is in the immediate area," she said.

Richland Park Estates' 143 homeowners were so fed up with neighborhood crime last year that most of them agreed to kick in at least $50 apiece to place six cameras on their streets and alleyways.

With a password, Crime Watch volunteers can access surveillance feeds on a computer from their homes. Signs at neighborhood entrances tell visitors they are under surveillance.

Crime Watch chairwoman Diane Mott practically gushes when she talks about how the system has made people feel safer and had boosted involvement in neighborhood watch efforts.

Cameras are one of the best things a neighborhood can use to fight crime because they stop crime before it happens, Mrs. Mott said.

"The surveillance system has worked much better than I even expected," she said Wednesday before dropping the phone to run outside and investigate a suspicious vehicle she saw on camera. The unmarked truck, with a paper license plate on the back and metal tag on the front, quickly sped away. She reported the incident to police.

Presidents of nearby neighborhood associations say they, too, have taken steps to reduce crime.

Robert Pitt, president of adjacent Whispering Hills, where crime has declined since Richland Park Estates' cameras were installed, said his neighborhood has added more volunteer patrollers and increased its use of off-duty police officers.

Steve Wakefield, association president in the Woodbridge neighborhood, where crime rates have risen significantly, said his neighbors are being encouraged to report more incidents.

But he's keeping an eye on Richland Park Estates' success.

"A lot of people are taking a kind of wait-and-see attitude, because cameras are a fairly new development," he said. "If the neighborhood can sustain that success for six months to a year, then I think that would be pretty telling."

Butch Davis, president of the Dallas security company that installed Richland Park Estates' cameras, said the proof is at hand. He said the neighborhood's cameras first reduced traffic and trespassing and then provided usable video when needed by investigators.

The results have grabbed attention nationally.

"When you start quoting that kind of success, it gets everybody's attention," he said.

His company, Omni-Watch Systems, should have 10 to 15 surveillance systems operating in North Texas neighborhoods by Labor Day, he said. He says he's also in discussions with several homeowners groups around the country.

Mrs. Mott said the cameras work so well, they may eventually put her out of the crime-watch business.

"I may have to move to a different neighborhood," she said.

[TexasStooge]

Armed man shot by Arlington officer

ARLINGTON, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - An Arlington police officer shot an armed domestic disturbance suspect after he lunged at another officer Wednesday night.

Arlington police Lt. Blake Miller said officers Ryan Eastlick and Dennis Reno were dispatched to a home in the 1400 block of East Mitchell Street around 10 p.m. after a woman told 911 operators that her ex-boyfriend was drinking heavily and refused to leave.

When the officers arrived, the suspect confronted them in the front yard. Lt. Miller said the officers instructed the man in English and Spanish to drop the knife but he refused. The man then lunged at Officer Reno so Officer Eastlick fired several rounds, striking the suspect.

Officer Eastlick, a 9 1/2-year veteran of the department, told investigators he believed Officer Reno was in danger and could have been seriously injured by the suspect. Neither officer was injured in the incident.

The suspect, a man in his late 30s or early 40s whose name was not released, was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center with gunshot wounds. He is expected to survive his injuries, Lt. Miller said.

As an investigation into the shooting continues, the suspect will face a charge of attempted capital murder, he said.