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#801 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:21 am

Official urges Texas to lead steroid fight

By GARY JACOBSON and GREGG JONES / The Dallas Morning News

PLANO, Texas – The head of the National Federation of State High School Associations encouraged Texas to become the nation's model for combating steroid abuse by students, which he called a "significant problem."

Texas could become the "beacon ... to take this message across the country," Robert Kanaby, executive director of the federation, told about 400 educators and law enforcement officials at the North Texas Steroid Summit at Plano Centre on Monday.

The summit was organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the University Interscholastic League and Region 10 Education Service Center. Region 10 represents 81 school districts and 31 charter schools in a nine-county area.

Jill Shugart, interim executive director for Region 10, said summit planning began about six months ago because of growing concern, particularly among football coaches.

"We all know today's topic is very timely," Dr. Shugart told the crowd. "We didn't know when planning began just how timely it would be."

Dr. Shugart referred to recent revelations that nine Colleyville Heritage athletes used steroids and that they allegedly shared an adult dealer with students at Southlake Carroll and Grapevine high schools.

Steroids can cause many side effects, including liver damage and depression. They are illegal to possess without a doctor's prescription and are banned in athletic competition because they give an unfair advantage.

In an interview, Mr. Kanaby said fighting steroid use would take a coordinated effort among law enforcement agencies, schools and state athletic associations, such as the UIL.

The UIL is the largest state athletic association – based on students participating – in the country.

UIL executive director Bill Farney said combating steroids would be a top priority. "There is an opportunity to be a leader here," said Dr. Farney, who attended the morning sessions of the summit.

UIL athletic director Charles Breithaupt said his concern about steroids has grown in the last month, since The Dallas Morning News began publishing the results of an investigation into high school steroid use.

"It's an issue that we cannot afford to ignore," Dr. Breithaupt said. "Even if it's just one student, we have to be serious about stamping it out."

Dr. Breithaupt said he has recently visited with officials from the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Big 12 Conference about their testing programs.

But testing by itself is not the answer, Dr. Breithaupt and others at the summit said. Prevention begins with educating students and community awareness, said Linn Goldberg, a steroid expert and professor of medicine in Portland, Ore.
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#802 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:27 am

Rich, poor schools oppose funding plan

Advocates for wealthy, poor districts call House plan inadequate

By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News

AUSTIN, Texas – Representatives for both high-wealth and low-wealth school districts voiced their opposition Monday to a school finance bill drafted by House leaders that would slightly increase funding for schools while sharply scaling back "Robin Hood" sharing of property taxes by wealthy districts.

Spokesmen for the groups told the House Public Education Committee that there is not nearly enough money in the legislation for schools to climb out of their current financial predicament.

Clayton Downing of the Texas School Coalition, made up of wealthy districts, said the proposal "does not meet" a court order to increase education funding nor does it provide the means for local school officials to meet increasing state and federal requirements.

Rep. Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington, the chairman of the education committee and author of the bill, told Dr. Downing that the proposal's $1.5 billion-a-year funding increase for schools – or $3 billion over the next two years – is about as much as the state can afford.

"Would you rather take $3 billion up front, or take table scraps at the end of the session?" he asked the former Lewisville superintendent. "Is $3 billion better than zero?"

Dr. Downing said his districts will not support the legislation when it goes to the House as early as next week. The committee is expected to approve the bill today.

Wayne Pierce of the Equity Center, which represents more than 600 low- and medium-wealth districts, delivered a similar message to the panel, saying his members will fight passage of the bill. He objected in particular to provisions that would sharply limit the amount of property tax sharing by wealthy districts.

"This substantially widens the gap between property poor and property-wealthy school districts," he said. "This will allow a handful of wealthy districts to go back to the good old days when they could spend as much as they wanted."

His testimony brought a strong response from Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, who argued that many of the poor districts represented by the Equity Center are garnering millions of dollars a year in federal aid in addition to the state and local money they receive. Property-wealthy districtsreceive little federal aid, he said.

The legislation is receiving almost no support from school districts and educator groups, but two leading business groups – the Texas Association of Business and National Federation of Independent Businesses – endorsed the measure on Monday.

House tax writers are still working on a plan to pay for the $5.5 billion in property tax cuts in the education bill. Among likely options are a new state payroll tax, a one-cent increase in the state sales and motor vehicle sales taxes and higher state taxes on cigarettes, alcohol and gasoline.
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#803 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:32 am

Fake-drug trial put off until Wednesday

DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) - The trial of a former Dallas narcotics detective for his role in the 2001 fake-drug scandal was postponed for two days Monday after prosecutors revised the charge against him and said they continue to look for two witnesses.

Prosecutors had said that Mark Delapaz lied to a judge to secure a search warrant related to one of several narcotics busts that were later revealed to involve substances that only appeared genuine. Prosecutors informed the judge Monday that they planned to slightly alter the formal wording of the indictment. Jury selection is now to begin Wednesday. Mr. Delapaz faces two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted. He could also be sentenced to probation.

Robert Tharp contributed to this report.
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#804 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:36 am

Dallas Police: Robbers Target Women Home Alone

Men Use Any Excuse To Get Into Homes, Police Say

DALLAS, Texas -- Dallas police say they hope to stop two men before they commit any additional home invasion robberies.

The men target women who are home alone, according to police.

Police said the men will use just about any excuse to get a woman to open her front door, and that's all they need to begin their crime.

Two incidents have been reported since the beginning of the year in northwest Dallas.

In both cases, the men go to the residence when the husband is not home.

In one case the men told the victim they were returning her husband's tools.

In the other, the woman sold soda and candy from her apartment and the men posed as customers.

Once the door is cracked, they push their way inside, duct tape the woman and ransack the home.

No one has been seriously hurt yet, but police are offering this advice to protect women from future robberies.

"If you don't know the people that you're dealing with, don't open the door ... Second thing, if you have a situation like that, call police. Call us so we can at least start doing some things, look for the perpetrator," Lt. Victor Woodberry said.

Police said the men were driving a small red 4-door car.

If you have any information in this case, you're asked to call police.
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#805 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:37 am

Investigators Raid Fake ID Factories

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- Two months ago, an NBC 5 investigative report zeroed in on businesses that allegedly produced forged identity cards that replicated state-issued cards. A district attorney asked NBC 5 to postpone the investigation, but offered the station an inside look at what authorities called Operation AKA.

The authorities raided 11 of what they called fake ID factories last weekend. Detectives told NBC 5 that one of the businesses could be responsible for creating a forged ID bearing the name of a prominent Texas politician.

Texas Rep. Helen Giddings' identity was among the fake IDs churned out by one of the assembly lines. Investigators said the forged IDs looked like state-issued cards.

"I picked one up and then compared it with mine, and it looked identical," Bill Hill, Dallas County district attorney, said.

The raids netted hundreds of bogus ID cards. According to authorities, the cards cost about $60, and identity thieves impersonate their victims at the shops producing the cards.

"It's devastating," Hill said. "They supply the ID and ID documents for these (thieves) to go out and apply their trade."

Investigators confiscated computers and camera equipment during the raids. Most of the clerks who worked at the businesses declined to comment on the raids. One, though, did comment.

"They are novelty IDs," the clerk said, which was the same official statement made by representatives of the other shops.

Investigators said the "novelty" items could cause havoc with a victim's financial life.
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#806 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 1:53 pm

Whole Foods previews new store downtown

By Micah McCauley / KVUE ABC 24

AUSTIN, Texas - It began as a small local food store.

A quarter of a century later, Whole Foods has become an international multi-billion dollar corporation.

Thursday the company will open its new world headquarters and flagship store across the street from its current location at Sixth Street and Lamar.

The new grocery store is three times the size of the old one.

The expansion has created hundreds of jobs.

The new market will include 150 seafood items, 1800 wines, 800 beers and 600 cheeses. There are 14 pastry chefs creating items to tempt your sweet tooth.
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#807 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 1:56 pm

Police investigate accident that killed toddler

AUSTIN, Texas (KVUE ABC 24) - A 16-month-old girl died Monday afternoon after she was accidentally run over by an SUV. Police say the child was walking with an adult next to an office building at Lamar Blvd. and Rundberg Lane in North Austin when the SUV ran over them.

Valerie Flores was pronounced dead at Brackenridge Hospital.

The adult was not seriously hurt.

Police say it appears to be an accident.

Anyone that may have witnessed the collision is asked to call detectives at 512-974-5516.
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#808 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 3:38 pm

Council Holds Public Hearings On Proposed Smoking Ban

HOUSTON, Texas (KPRC NBC 2) - Houstonians can voice their opinions to city council Tuesday and Wednesday about a proposed smoking ban that has sparked a heated debate in the Bayou City.

Houston City Council members will spend the two days discussing the controversial ordinance, which would outlaw smoking in most Houston restaurants.

The proposal, if passed, would mean smokers could no longer smoke inside the dining area of a restaurant. Currently, smokers can light up in designated smoking areas.

Houstonians are invited to attend city council's public hearings on the ordinance. Citizens for or against the ban will be allowed to address the city council with their concerns.

Houston Communities for Safe Indoor Air will held a rally at noon at Hermann Square, 901 Smith, in support of the ordinance.

The anti-smoking group said the rally is to promote safe and clean indoor air while educating the public about the dangers of secondhand smoke. They said they are targeting minority groups -- specifically Hispanics, Asians and African-Americans -- who they say smoke because they might not realize the dangers of smoking.

HCSIA members said they support Mayor Bill White's proposition that would eliminate smoking inside restaurants allow it inside bars as long as the ventilation is good.

However, some council members want the ban to include prohibiting smoking in bars.

A Houston City Council committee began discussing the proposed changes two weeks ago and took comments from the public. Most seem to support the plan.

Smoking in bars and restaurant bar areas are not targeted in the proposed ordinance.

But representatives with the American Lung Association, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and others have formed an alliance that is pushing for stronger restrictions, such as a complete ban on smoking in public places.

The no-smoking ordinance would also include enclosed bus stops. Taxi drivers would have the option of making their cabs smoke-free or not.

The council is expected to vote on the measure Wednesday. If it passes, it could go into effect in several weeks.
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#809 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 3:45 pm

Mother Leaves 1-Month-Old Daughter At Fire Station

HOUSTON, Texas (KPRC NBC 2) - A mother dropped off her 1-month-old daughter at a southeast Houston fire station Tuesday morning and then left, ignoring firefighters questioning her actions, an emergency medical technician told Local 2.

Firefighters at Station No. 46 said the woman approached the station on Scott near Corder at about 9:45 a.m. and asked firefighters if she could leave her child there.

The firefighters said yes but as they asked her questions, the woman drove away in an extended cab pickup truck.

"I was excited that she brought the baby here. I asked her, 'Can I help you?' She said, 'Yes, sure. Is this a place where I can drop off a baby?' I said, 'Yes, you can drop off a baby but hold up, wait a minute ? let me find out some more information.' She said, 'Is this a place where I can drop off a baby and not get in trouble?'" Fire Station 46 Emergency Medical Technician Leonard Manos told Local 2.

According to Texas' Baby Moses Law, mothers can legally and safely leave a child, within 60 days of it being born, at institutions such as hospitals and fire stations without being questioned or the possibility of facing criminal charges.

Police said the mother left the baby girl, who appeared to be healthy, inside a baby carrier with diapers and formula.

"We brought the baby inside ? did a full EMS assessment. The baby did not have any marks, was well-kept, left with a bag of formula and diapers. But there was no information (about the baby or its parents)," Manos said.

Firefighters said the baby appeared to be in good condition.

Houston police and Child Protective Services were called in to take custody of the infant. The girl was taken to Texas Children's Hospital for a full examination.

CPS will determine if the baby's mother will permanently lose her parental rights, which would allow the baby go to up for adoption.

Local 2 reported that a woman claiming to be the baby's aunt showed up at the fire station at about 11 a.m. and told officials the baby was born on Jan. 31.
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#810 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 3:46 pm

Police: Man Leads Chase With Toddler In Car

HOUSTON, Texas (KPRC NBC 2) - A toddler went on a dangerous ride Tuesday morning as her mother's boyfriend led them on a chase in northeast Houston, police said.

Police said they tried to pull the driver of a red two-door Honda Accord over for a routine traffic stop on Fulton Road near Crosstimbers at about 2 a.m.

However, officers said, the driver sped off and led them on a chase south on the North at over 100 mph.

The driver pulled over 15 minutes later at West Road off of the North Freeway and that is when police said they discovered an 18-month-old girl strapped in a car seat inside the car. The toddler is the daughter of the driver's girlfriend.

The toddler was not injured and was placed back in her mother's custody.

Police arrested the driver but said they still do not know why he ran from them. They have not said what charges the suspect could face
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#811 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:34 pm

City Leaders Accuse Police Of Racial Profiling

DALLAS, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- Dallas community leaders voiced concern recently over what they call a disproportionate number of black and Hispanic drivers being searched by police during traffic stops.

Statistics compiled by the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition last year showed African-American citizens were about twice as likely to be searched than a white individual after a traffic stop. Hispanics were three times more likely to be searched than white drivers.

Locally, Dallas police figures showed African-American and Hispanic drivers are more likely to be searched by police during a traffic stop. Experts say arrest records showed, though, white drivers are most likely to possess illegal drugs, which compounds the concerns of the community leaders.

Critics claimed the Dallas police report figures reflect the greatest number of black and Hispanic searches among all North Texas police agencies.

The critics said they do not want Dallas police to suspend stops of suspicious drivers regardless of the driver's race or ethnicity. Their complaint, the critics said, stems from police actions after the stops are made.

"Sometimes it's justified," said Jesse Diaz, of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "If the person was suspicious, it's OK. But a lot of times it isn't."

"Evidently, racial profiling is alive and well out there," said Dallas City Councilman James Fantroy.

Police representatives said racial profiling by officers is prohibited by departmental policy, and officers are trained to avoid the practice. The Dallas search statistics, though, have remained about the same for three years.

"It concerns me anytime a community feels like their members are being targeted unfairly," Mayor Laura Miller said. "That's the problem that we have. You have to ask the chief (of police, David Kunkle)."

Fantroy and the City Council Public Safety Committee met with Kunkle to discuss the statistics.

"They came up with all kinds of excuses," Fantroy said.

Dash-mounted cameras are being installed in Dallas police cruisers. So far, the city has installed the cameras in about 50 police cars, and is seeking the funds to install another 500. Critics of racial profiling say the cameras will help to better identify the issue.

"The cameras don't lie," Diaz said. "The police officers are going to have to have a better reason, proof, why they searched the car."

Fantroy said he and the City Council Public Safety Committee would demand a follow-up meeting with Kunkle to get more answers.
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#812 Postby TexasStooge » Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:35 pm

Doctors Remove Nail From Skull After Man Falls Off Roof

Man Talking With Family Hours After Nail Removed

FORT WORTH, Texas (KXAS NBC 5) -- A man who fell off a roof and hit his head on a board that had a nail sticking out of it is recovering at a Fort Worth hospital after doctors removed a nail from his skull.

Jose Areola (pictured, left) was working on a roof at the site of a new home under construction in Southlake early Monday afternoon when he fell.

The nail became impaled in his head and he was rushed by helicopter to Harris Methodist Hospital.

Areola was talking with his family Monday night, just hours after a procedure to remove the nail.

Dr. Greg Smith, a neurosurgeon, treated Areola in the emergency room.

"The first thing you want to do is numb up the scalp and give them some medication so it's not as uncomfortable as it might be... and then I just took a sterile vice grip, just like you get at the hardware store, grabbed it ... and pulled out," Dr. Smith said.

Incredibly, Areola said, the nail that penetrated about a quarter-inch of his brain came right out.

"He's fairly lucky. I don't know how long the nail was because it was cut off. But it looked like a fairly stout nail," Dr. Smith said.

Areola wasn't up to talking, but when we asked him how he felt, he answered, "Mejor," or, "Better."

Doctors said Areola's prognosis is very good and, so far, there's no evidence of internal bleeding.

Doctors will watch for infection, and he could be released within a day or two.
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#813 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 8:18 am

Diamond bandits linked to Plano heist

By Deanna Boyd, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - Robbers who police say hit two Fort Worth jewelry stores in February, making off each time with about $500,000 in jewelry, are also believed to have committed a similar robbery in Plano.

The latest robbery occurred Saturday at the Jared jewelry store at 4750 S. Hulen Street.

Two men wearing ski masks and white gloves entered the store. One man, armed with a gun, threw the store's security guard to the floor while the other went to a counter and ordered employees to give him all the store's loose diamonds, rings and currency.

Police believe that the men also robbed the Zales Jewelers Outlet at 4701 W. Freeway on Feb. 3.

Lt. Mark Krey, police spokesman, said the robbers are also believed to be linked to a January robbery of a Jared jewelry store in Plano.

"Dallas police have had a jewelry store robbery in the interim, but it is inconsistent with these," Krey said. "We're not finding any others in the North Texas area."

Anyone with information about the identity of the robbers is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (817) 469-TIPS (469-8477). Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
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#814 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 9:59 am

Cost of car fires impacts everyone

By JOHN McCAA / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - When people mention crime victims, most think about robbery, murder, or rape.

But there's a crime that happens every day in North Texas that costs everyone, even if it never actually happens to them.

Everyone's seen a burned out car along the side of a highway, and think it was probably accidental.

But News 8 decided to look at the number of car fires in the city of Dallas. What we found was a huge number of fires that are deliberately set - and a fire department that is considered among the best in the nation at solving such crimes.

581 times last year, Dallas Fire-Rescue answered a call about a burning vehicle. In one case flames covered every inch of the car, which was found not far from the Trinity River bottoms - a known dumping ground for stolen vehicles.

"Right here they used a Christmas tree as a cantever to hold up the car, and they set it on fire," said one undercover fire investigator. "The heat from the fire caused the concrete to fracture the curb."

By far, the majority of car fires are arson.

"Arson is a hard crime to follow up on," said the investigator. "It takes lots of hours and manpower to track down the individuals that have set these cars on fire."

He should know; he is part of a joint task force with Dallas police that aims to put car arsonists behind bars.

Usually there are no witnesses. But in one case, captured on video, someone approaches an SUV, douses it with a flammable liquid and sets it on fire.

Most car arsons happen at night, usually in remote areas. Suspects are rarely caught in the act. Dallas Fire-Rescue is better than most at solving cases, but each requires lots of work.

"Some of them we solve the next day; some of them, years," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Kevin Sipes. "Most of our evidence is burned, but we can still tell where the car fire started (and) how it was set. Generally, we can track the car back to find out if it had been reported stolen."

Such arson happens fast. In another surveillance video, a car drives up, someone jumps out and torches the vehicle. Very quickly, it is reduced to a smoking hulk of twisted metal and debris.

Any given day, dozens of burned vehicles wind up at the Dallas Police Auto Pound on the city's west side.

"This pickup was stolen for the parts," said the undercover investigator. "This is probably an organized theft ring; these guys know what they are doing - you can see where they took the whole pickup bed."

A vehicle stripped of valuable parts typically points to a sophisticated crime ring. A car left intact suggests insurance fraud and an owner turned arsonist, or simply the burning of evidence after a joy ride.

Investigators agree identifying arson fires is easy, but catching and prosecuting the arsonist is a lot harder.

"After they took the doors off of it, they set it on fire to cover their identity, not wanting to leave any fingerprints behind," said the investigator.

No county in Texas has more car fires than Dallas County. And in the city of Dallas, there were close to 800 in 2003 - nearly all of them arson. Last year, there were 581 car fires, again a vast majority of them attributed to arson.

Rarely is anyone hurt, but the crime is costly. The property damage from cars set on fire in Dallas alone reaches up to $5 million every year. A ny car owner can become a victim, and everyone pays.

"You and I are paying insurance rates for our cars, and they are higher for the high loss in property crime in car fires," said Sipes. "All of our insurance rates are going up to pay for that."

If caught, a suspected car arsonist can be charged with a felony, and spend up to 20 years in prison.
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#815 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:00 am

3 Utah men vanish in Texas

BELLEVUE, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Three young Utah men traveling through Texas are missing after vanishing from their boss's rear-view mirror.

The trio was last seen early Monday morning while refueling at a truck stop in Bellevue, 80 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

Len Boren, Jayson Iorg and Nathan Rasmussen are all in their early 20s. The men were following their boss to Houston to pick up some equipment.

He told police he lost sight of them about 10 miles from the truck stop and no one has heard from them since.

"Jayson is the biggest mama's boy in the whole world, and he tells his mom where he is all the time," said Kathy Hadlock, Iorg's grandmother. "If he were lost or able to call, he would've called, and the longer it goes, the more frightening it is."

Family members of all three men are on their way to Texas to help with the search.

They had been driving a 2003 white four-door Saturn L200 sedan with temporary Utah tags J66-073.
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#816 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:02 am

$112 million lottery ticket sold in Rowlett

ROWLETT, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP Wire) — A single player has won the grand prize from the latest Mega Millions lotto drawing with a ticket bought in this Dallas suburb.

Lottery officials said the winning ticket from Tuesday night's drawing—worth $112 million—was sold at the Dal-Rock Grocery in Rowlett.

Store owner John Kamali said Wednesday that he was preparing to go open his other store when one of his employees called with the word. That was just the first of a cascade of phone calls about the drawing.

"I feel great," Kamali said. "It was the best news all this year and last year. It was very good news. I'm very excited."

He said he does not know who bought the winning ticket, but he does know that his store receives a bonus of $1.12 million—1 percent of the jackpot.

That was also good news to assistant store manager Phillip Marks. "It has been ecstatic here all morning long," he said. "We're just hoping the winner will come in and identify themselves."

The winning numbers from Tuesday night's drawing were: 1, 8, 18, 39 and 48. The Mega Ball number was 1.

This is the second time a ticket bought in Texas has won the Mega Millions jackpot. Both were sold in the Dallas area.

In October, Ut Van Nguyen of Carrollton won $62 million on the cash-value option from a $101 million jackpot.

Besides the grand prize winner, eight players matched all five numbers but not the Mega Ball number. They will receive second prizes of $175,000 each.

Another 56 players matched four numbers, plus the Mega Ball number -- good for third prizes of $5,000 each.

While he was happy for his store's good fortune, Marks said it could have been even better for him. "I bought three tickets and was hoping they'd win, but unfortunately, I didn't win."

WFAA-TV reporter Cynthia Vega in Rowlett and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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#817 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:04 am

Jail computer complaints heard

By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - For several months, Dallas County Judge Margaret Keliher and Commissioner John Wiley Price said they have been politely warning the other commissioners about their concerns over the new computer system at the county jail.

"The same thing the old system used to do in one hour - to find jail change and reports - is now taking four hours," Price said. "That's a half a dadgum work day."

Price said he first suspected problems with the system months before it went online. His fears came true one month ago when the new computer was powered up; jail inmates got lost in the system and court records began to bog down.

"I've been in the bond business for many years, and this is a nightmare," said Marge Walstad of Immediate Bail Bonds.

One by one, computer system users from district judges to the county clerk lined up on Tuesday to gingerly articulate that the system's not working.

"The reports we are generating are not accurate," said Judge Vic Cunningham of the 283rd Criminal District Court.

"It was too slow," said Kimberly Gillis of the Dallas County District Attorney's office.

"Right now we are not being able to get information back and forth to the Sheriff's Department," said Dallas County Clerk Cynthia Calhoun.

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield respectfully disagreed.

"We are talking like this system is a failure, which is absolutely ridiculous," Mayfield said. "You are talking like you want to give up on this thing right now because we are having some problems, and that is not the case."

So when will the problems be solved? County Judge Margaret Keliher pressed the issue with a representative for the contractor, Info Integration.

"We think in two weeks you should see, again, drastic improvement," said Info Integration's Tonya Brenneman.

But moments later, Brenneman amended that timeframe slightly.

"We think you are reasonably looking at four to six weeks with a drastic improvement," she said.

So, the computer firm will now have a four- to six-week grace period to try to continue to work the bugs out. Those are bugs that some say were identified, and should have been worked out a long time ago.
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#818 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:10 am

Carroll ISD finds no evidence of steroids

District defends high school's athletics; inquiry continues

By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News

SOUTHLAKE, Texas – After a week of investigating allegations of steroid use, Carroll school district officials said they have no evidence that a former Carroll football player used the drugs.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the school district defended its athletics department, coaches and athletes in the wake of the steroid allegations at Carroll High, home of the nation's top-ranked high school football program.

"To allow innuendos and unproven facts to cast a cloud of doubt over the hard work of our many dedicated coaches and student athletes would be unfair," the statement read. "However, to claim that no Carroll student has abused steroids would be unrealistic.

"We will not turn away from addressing any problem involving our students and the choices they make."

Colleyville Heritage High football players had told their coach, Chris Cunningham, that they shared a common dealer with at least one Carroll football player. Mr. Cunningham described the allegations in a February meeting with top Grapevine-Colleyville school district officials. He declined to identify the Carroll player.

Colleyville Heritage players told Mr. Cunningham during his investigation that they got to the dealer, "Big Mike," through football players at Carroll and Grapevine high schools.

Tarrant County authorities are trying to identify the adult steroid dealer, Carroll officials said.

The Dallas Morning News reported last month that nine Colleyville Heritage athletes, seven of them football players, admitted in December that they had used steroids during the previous school year.

Carroll officials said the district is working with Grapevine-Colleyville and law enforcement officials to "help identify and put an end to the source of the steroid sales."

As part of their ongoing investigation, Carroll officials said, they have been collecting information, talking with coaches and reviewing the curriculum.

Officials said Carroll football coach Todd Dodge also met with members of his 2004 team.

Carroll Superintendent Gary Mathews, who attended a steroid seminar in Colleyville last week, said the district will actively deal with the issue.

"We want to be preventive," he said Tuesday. "We don't want to be behind the eight ball if possible."

School board member Steve Lakin said he's satisfied with how the administration is handling the allegations.

"They are looking into it as best they can," he said. "The big question is, how do you look into something if you don't know who you're looking for and when they allegedly did it? That's a tough one."

Mr. Lakin said he wants trustees to review the district's drug policy and reinforce the "no-tolerance message."

"These kids need to get the message that we're not going to stand for it," he said.
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#819 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:14 am

Dallas ISD trustees: Search must go on

District stands by hiring timeline despite concerns over election's effect on applicants

By TAWNELL D. HOBBS / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - The school board that hires DISD's new superintendent could change dramatically – even before the candidate begins work.

The Dallas Independent School District board plans to announce a lone finalist for the job shortly before the May 7 election, in which four of nine trustees could be replaced.

Some trustees have recently raised concerns that good candidates might shy away from a position where nearly half of the bosses could change.

"I think any candidate would look at that," trustee Ken Zornes said. "It would be a concern for me."

Trustee Jerome Garza said he doubted that many people would take a job when there's a possibility there might be so many new bosses.

"I don't know very many people that would say yes," Mr. Garza said. "But time will tell."

The board met Tuesday to review applications for potential candidates. Trustees have said they would narrow the list to 10 to 12 candidates. Board President Lois Parrott would not provide information on how many candidates were selected but said: "We have some very strong candidates."

Dr. Parrott is among the trustees who think the process should go forward despite the elections. Delaying the appointment until after the election, and possibly having to wait for a runoff election, they say, could slow the momentum of the search and discourage good candidates from seeking the job.

Dr. Parrott said experienced candidates should know that in an urban district such as Dallas, the unforeseen is inevitable.

"You have to be able to withstand changes," Dr. Parrott said. "We just really have to stay with our goal."

Trustee Hollis Brashear noted that trustee terms are staggered and three seats are up for election every year. For him, putting off the selection of a superintendent until after the board elections is not an option.

"We're going ahead," Mr. Brashear said.

Trustee Jack Lowe has mixed feelings. He's willing to go forward with the search for a superintendent but said the board should be flexible. It's possible a great candidate might not want to make a deal with a board that could change substantially, he said.

"If I was looking at the job, I'd want to wait on the new board to make a deal," Mr. Lowe said.

Trustee Lew Blackburn understands such concerns but doesn't favor delaying the search. He also predicted that the board's makeup won't change much.

"There's a good possibility that three current board members would return," Dr. Blackburn said.

Education experts are divided on the impact of going forward with the superintendent search or delaying it.

"It's a real concern," said Joe Smith, a retired Texas superintendent and owner of TexasISD.com, a Web site for school administrators. "When somebody comes in new, they need the support of the board, those people that hired them."

But Jeremiah Floyd, who has conducted superintendent searches for 25 years and does searches for the National School Boards Association, said the timing of the superintendent selection shouldn't be a factor because the majority of DISD trustees are not running for re-election.

He pointed to other variables that candidates probably would consider, such as how well the trustees work together.

"If they look like a very divided board, they [the candidates] would be cautious," said Dr. Floyd, of Floyd Consulting in Bethesda, Md.

The board plans to announce a lone finalist in April and, by state law, must wait 21 days before approving a contract.

The three incumbent trustees whose terms end this year – Mr. Brashear, Mr. May and Mr. Lowe – plan to seek re-election. The fourth seat on the ballot is held by Mr. Zornes, who is resigning because he's moving.

Ruth B. Love, owner of RBL Enterprises of Oakland, Calif., the firm conducting the superintendent search, recently told the board that she thinks candidates would be concerned with the timing of the election. But she agreed that the board should stay on schedule so momentum is not lost. She also believes that experienced board members might be better suited to select the next superintendent than someone who is newly elected.

"A new board member coming in isn't this interested in going through this process right away," she said.

Dr. Love has said there's been a lot of interest in the superintendent job. Whoever is chosen will lead a district of almost 20,000 employees, 158,000 students, 219 schools and a billion-dollar operating budget. Mike Moses left the post Aug. 31, saying he was tired.

The superintendent will be hired at a time when the board is trying to find ways to offset a $28 million deficit in next year's projected $1.048 billion budget. Trustees are scheduled to approve the budget in June.

Trustees' list of desired qualifications in the new superintendent includes having a proven track record in an urban district and a record of improving academic achievement. The preferred candidate also should have a positive demeanor, be a visible leader and be approachable.

If the board does drastically change, trustee Ron Price said, there might be a silver lining.

The new superintendent and the new board members "could grow together," he said.
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#820 Postby TexasStooge » Wed Mar 02, 2005 10:17 am

Author warns teens of drinking dangers

By JEAN NASH JOHNSON / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS, Texas - Koren Zailckas was 14 when she took her first shot of Southern Comfort. Two years later, the girl of privilege from suburban Boston had her stomach pumped after alcohol poisoning.

While she's not an alcoholic, she risked binge drinking, like an increasing number of her peers, to mask the pitfalls of adolescence. Hers is a cautionary tale for teenagers – especially girls – and their parents. In Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood (Viking, $21.95), she details the horrors.

The 24-year-old now spends time warning young people of the dangers of drinking, and recently she's been touring the country. She spoke to us by phone from her New York home about her choices and their consequences.

Why is teen drinking such an acute problem for girls, particularly within the last 10 years?

We're now drinking younger and more than ever before. The alcohol industry has a lot to do with it. I found articles from the late '90s that quoted liquor and advertising executives saying they were changing the way they market, going for a more coed look. Looking at whiskey ads from the '80s, you knew it really wasn't for you, it was for men.

Is there a certain kind of girl who is prone?

We're all susceptible in the sense that we're always looking for modes of reinvention. Cosmetics products, diet supplements hold the same promise that liquor held for me. Overnight you can go from ugly duckling to swan.

Why did you take that first drink?

It seemed like a rite of passage. At 14, I was like all 14-year-olds looking for markers of maturity and things that proved that I was grown up and independent of my parents.

Another reason is that I don't think anyone has a clear sense of who they are when they are 14. One week I was the smart girl, another week I was the artistic girl, the next week I was the bad girl. Drinking was a role to try on, and it stuck.

Do you feel like the bottom line is: Don't do it? Many teens will tell you that's not realistic.

I'm not sure it is realistic. I wish that I had waited to try alcohol – because we don't understand how it affects the teenage brain. There's all this research that says that the younger you are, the more likely you are to develop patterns of alcohol abuse or alcoholism: four times more likely to suffer depression later in life; more likely to be obese. All of those problems that you would not be vulnerable to if you wait a few more years.

When I was a teenager, our alcohol education that we got in school began and ended with, 'Don't drink and drive.' I really always felt safe drinking, even in college and beyond, as long as I wasn't behind the wheel of a car.

I'm not sure kids are learning all the other risks involved. I had no idea what alcohol poisoning was until I woke up that morning after having my stomach pumped.

Was there any point along the way where you thought maybe I should get help?

There were little inklings of something isn't right. After I had my stomach pumped was one. More things down the road in college when I wasn't, like, getting drunk and feeling happy or being the life of the party. It was more like I was getting drunk and feeling depressed or really angry and crying.

Wouldn't college have been a good time to take stock?

I was in this real insulated environment at Syracuse and I got caught up in this pattern where the only people I knew were drinking as much and as often as I was. I also joined a sorority with a reputation for drinking.

The scary part is, as girls and as women, we are socialized to put a lot of effort and time into our friendships.

Once I was in this group of friends, where everyone was drinking, what scared me far worse than any consequences from drinking too much was that I was afraid of being isolated. I was afraid that if I stopped drinking, I would lose all my friends.

How do you avoid the traps?

It's frustrating to be a young person and to be a girl. If I were a different person, maybe I would have been doing drugs or developing an eating disorder. It's hard to convince teenagers that everyone goes through this and they are not alone.

So there are no ways to avoid the traps?

The sooner you can figure out what you're interested in, and pursue your passion, that helps. I was drinking the most when I was doing the least: when I had a knee injury and couldn't stay active in sports or dancing; when I got to college and was overwhelmed. No one really prepared you to be a college student or for the amount of free time you have.

So much of my drinking was born of boredom. Drinking was the easiest way to kill time, especially in college. The key is staying active and finding an identity outside of being the girl who is fun to get drunk with.

Is the 'finding yourself' part tricky for some girls at that stage?

It is tricky. Finding what you like to do that makes you feel good about yourself is a slow process. Most 14-year-old girls are only starting to have a sense of what excites them.

How do parents get a better clue?

Dialogue is so important. Twelve is not too soon to sit with your daughter and say, 'I know that pressure is going to be building. Kids you know are going to start drinking soon.' I think kids need to know that they can talk to parents without judgment or punishment.

When things get really scary is when secrecy arises. You don't want to get to the point where your daughter doesn't feel comfortable talking to you, so she does what I did: climb out windows on vacation or go to a friend's sleepover where parents don't know what's going on.

What about the parents who may know what's going on?

A lot of parents take the attitude, 'I understand that you're going to be drinking, but don't you dare get behind the wheel of a car. I don't care how drunk you are, you call me.'

It is important that kids don't drink and drive, but it's also important to let them know that there are other risks that are just as life threatening.

Do you wish you had been busted earlier?

It's hard to say. I think having my stomach pumped should have been the ice-cold water I needed. I missed that whole episode since it was a blackout. My friends were more frightened than I was at the time.

The thing that is scary for women is that because we're socialized to not act out or act aggressively, we don't give off the signs that boys do. So we're less likely to get drunk and get in a fistfight. We're less apt statistically to drink and drive than boys. We're far more likely to get drunk and get depressed.

Speaking of boys, how do they help and how do they hurt?

I was at a college campus recently and this very sweet boy raised his hand and asked how can boys help girls who are like that.

Girls are trained to mother each other. If something happens to our friends, we feel personally responsible. I do remember one or maybe two boys who did take care of me, who cut me off if I was having too much or brought me home.

But for the most part, boys were encouraging me to drink more because I'd do things I wouldn't normally do. There are just so many more consequences to drinking as a woman in terms of sex.

This really is a life-and-death problem for women. Couldn't it have been so much worse than getting your stomach pumped?

I had no idea. So many women still have no idea. The fact that we're smaller, we have more body fat than water. We're at greater risk for alcohol poisoning, greater risk of death. That's the bottom line.
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